The Missing Pendant

Chapter 2

The Snow Blood Forest, the name still rung in Shadow's head as she and Jira entered the forest. A branch snapping brought her back to the present. She could hear claws scraping on bark and fur rustling leaves. She looked to the place it was coming from and saw a lithe young dire-wolf staring back at her. The she-wolf hopped down and watched the girls' every move.

"You!" Jira yelled, pushing past Shadow with way more force then necessary. "You stole it!"

The she-wolf growled, "You accuse me of something the moment you see me but you have no proof." The she-wolf paused, " I don't even know what you think I did..." The dire-wolf sat on a log, shape shifting into a girl their age, "So tell me, what did I do?"

Jira stared at the girl, dumbstruck. Shadow winced, Jira looked really foolish right now. "Sorry about that um..." Shadow stopped mid-sentence realizing that she did not know this girl's name.

"Eclipse." The girl answered, her voice curt.

"Okay Eclipse, sorry about Jira... her most valuable possession was just stolen by a dire-wolf pup, and she was quick to judge, considering the fact that you are the first dire-wolf we've seen upon being here."

"Oh, I'm not really a dire-wolf. Well, not a true one at least." Eclipse said, "I am a human, same as you. But I was born able to change into a dire-wolf, just a natural power I guess." She smiled. Her smile was quickly replaced by worry, "I would be careful as you continue, this forest has earned it's name." Eclipse said mysteriously, changing back into a dire-wolf, then bounding away.

"Wait...WHAT?!" Shadow exclaimed, as Eclipse ran off, "What did you mean?" She was too late, Eclipse was long gone. Shadow got an icy feeling of dread as she watched the wolf's brown tail dissapear over the snow.

As she and Jira continued along the trail, Shadow heard claws scathing bark, low throaty growls and the sound of many pelts brushing leaves as well as the sound of the wind as they streamed along. "Jira, we're in trouble." Shadow whispered as a soul piercing howl split the air.