Dawn: Love and War

Chapter 11

Dawn hid behind the boulder again as Ash and Andromeda continued to nose touch. "How could these two be in love?" the white she-wolf thought. "They've only known each other for a few weeks--" Dawn's thoughts were interrupted by Ash gasping in fear.

"What is it, Ash?" Dawn heard Andromeda coo.

"I scent a Hawk wolf nearby," Ash replied to the Shadow she-wolf. "You need to hide, and fast!"

Just then, Dawn came out from behind the giant stone and stood at the entrance to the cave. "Ash? What are you doing here?" Dawn pretended as if she hadn't seen anything. She then let out a fake gasp. "What's Andromeda doing here with you?"

"Er... I... I came to the Falls for a drink... and..." Ash began his tall tale.

"I had hurt myself... my paw... and retreated into this cave..." Andromeda continued for Ash.

"I... I heard her whimpering in pain... and I went to the cave... to see who was causing the sound..." Ash finished. "So... yeah... she was hurt..."

"I'm sure it did hurt," Dawn pretended to believe the couple. "I guess... love does hurt sometimes!"

Ash and Andromeda's tails both went in between their legs and their ears drooped. "Have you been spying on us?" Ash half asked, half growled.

"Well, for the last two minutes, yes, I have!" Dawn boomed back.

"How much did you see?" Andromeda whimpered so quietly that Dawn almost didn't hear her.

"Well, I saw the nose touch and your confessions for each other, and that's all I really needed to see!" Dawn barked hysterically in reply.

"You don't understand, Dawn!" Ash growled. "I love Andromeda, and if you can't handle that, then... you can just shut your muzzle!"

Dawn was slightly taken aback at the he-wolf's words, but nonetheless, she kept fighting. "It's not my job to handle problems like this! It's Head Elder Kale's!"

Ash opened his mouth in surprise. "Don't you dare tell Kale!"

"Fang specifically stated that if anyone saw a Shadow and a Hawk together to report it to the Head Elder!" Dawn and Ash were now staring into each other's eyes threateningly, their noses inches away from each other.

"I told you to keep your muzzle shut you kin of a Cripp!"

"You shut both of your muzzles!" Andromeda separated the fighting wolves. "You two are both acting like pups!" She turned to face Ash. "You need to control yourself, or we'll be heard and reported! And... 'kin of a Cripp?' Of all the hurtful things you could've said, you used her heritage in the worst way possible!"

"It's fine, Andromeda, really," Dawn calmly cooed, trying to cool her down.

In the inside of Dawn, however, she was stunned. The only wolf that had used her past to curse her was Rustle. What was so wrong about her mother being a Cripp? Why was the wolf she mentored so retorting now? Where was the small, dark gray pup with yellow eyes who was so eager to learn how to fly and hunt? So excited to go and see the world, fearlessly?

"And as for you," Andromeda growled, turning to face Dawn. The Shadow she-wolf stared into the Hawk she's purple eyes furiously for a few seconds, but then suddenly relaxed. "Don't tell Kale... I love Ash..."

"But... I have to report this!" Dawn shrugged. "Keeping this a secret would be strictly against the Hunter Code, and with your grandfather as an Elder... who knows what kind of problems could show up there?"

"You don't understand, Dawn," Ash softly growled. "I know you have a lover, but it's just different! True love comes in many shapes and forms! Controversy? Feh! We may have just met each other, but I love Andromeda, whether she's a Shadow wolf, a River wolf, a Flutter wolf, or a Hawk wolf! We're all the same in spirit, and no matter what, I will always love Andromeda!"

Andromeda, who was smiling with a romantic gleam in her sun-colored eyes, glided over Dawn to join Ash's side. She wrapped a golden dragon wing around her new boyfriend, and the two wolves looked at each other and nose touched.

"Well, I could tell Head Elder Kale, but that apparently won't stop you," Dawn said with a disapproving scowl. "so what's the point?"

Ash and Andromeda broke apart from their nose touch, but their wings remained locked around one another. "So you're not going to report us?" Ash yipped hopefully.

Dawn let out a small mutter of regret before she said "Fine... I... won't tell Kale."

Andromeda pounced joyfully onto Dawn, knocking the white she-wolf off of her feet. "Oh thank you thank you thank you, Dawn!" she chirped happily, embracing Dawn with her wings.

"Alright, Shadow-She," the Quadruplet grinned as she pushed Andromeda off of her body. "You two better stay out of sight, though. If any of the Head Elders catch us, we're all as good as dead."