That night. . .
It was raining outside. Stormfast and Terra were staying in the riverside den. Lightning filled the night sky.
"Stormfast," said Terra, trembling. "I'm afraid of the sky fire."
"The lightning?"
"If that's what you call it," she replied.
"Maybe if you go to sleep, you won't be able to hear or see it." Terra started blushing. She had a question to ask him, but she wasn't sure if it was right to ask.
"Well, can you howl me a song then?"
"What?" The black wolf was surprised. Songs were usually associated with calming cranky pups.
"I know it's too much to ask, but my mom usually howls me a song to put me to sleep during a storm."
"I don't know..."
"Oh, please!" She smiled, showing all her teeth. She made a puppy's whimpering face. That did it.
"*sigh* Fine. I'm gonna howl umm... Fallen Pack."
"What's that?"
"It's a song that has been passed down from my great-grandfather, Isaac. The lyrics are his point of view during the War of the Divide."
"What's the War of the Divide?" she asked.
"The song will explain."
(Howling Starts)
I used to rule the land
They loaded meat when I gave the command
Now every night I go hide away
And count all the moons and all of the days
. . .
Wolves would cheer my way
For a hero I was; that's what they'd say
One minute we had it all
Next, our world began to fall
Away from all that had once become
They all cried for my help, but I stood there numb
. . .
I gazed up into the boundless sky
Wolf choirs howling in the sunshine
Turned around, bared my fangs and my claws
The things that once forced our enemy's paws
And I hope one day that this chaos and
Destruction turns for the better
Always claws in my paws
As I feared that I would fall
(Howling Stops)
"Sounds rough," said Terra before yawning. The lightning outside ceased.
"Yep. Our pack at the time, the Grand Pack, was being divided. In a great war, we split into two sides that eventually became the Eastern and Western Packs. I'm from the Eastern Pack."
"When was this war?" Terra asked.
"It ended about eleven years ago, but the war itself lasted about two and a half years," he answered.
"Could you please continue the song? I want to learn more."
(Howling Starts)
As the Easterns and Westerns grinned
They tore down trees and cornered me in
Claws slashing by like streaks of light
I did all that I could to stay and fight
. . .
As the destruction wrecked the laws
The pack broken at my paws
My life itself suspended by a thread
Oh, why was it that I wasn't dead?
. . .
I gazed up into the boundless sky
Wolf choirs howling in the sunshine
Turned around, bared my fangs and my claws
The things that once forced our enemy's paws
And I hope one day that this chaos and
Destruction turns for the better
Always claws in my paws
As I feared that I would fall
(Howling Stops)
Stormfast looked at Terra and smiled. The thought that maybe she would be a good partner entered his mind, but he dismissed it. She was sweet, but he had his duties. He wanted to go home. He wanted to say all of his apologies to Stone if, that is, he remained in his cage at Moonlight Howl Rock. Stormfast wondered if maybe it was too late, that Stone's entrails were already being traded among the human communities. Why did they have to come and ruin everything?
In a different timeline, he would still be hanging out with Lisa, and Stone would be hanging out with Winter.
"I missed my date," Stormfast whispered. Terra was lying next to the den wall. He went to the wall on the other side of the den, which was directly across from her, and lay there. What dream would he have?