"Seems to be no meat here," Terra said, disgusted. Then she saw a bush filled with berries next to a small creek. "Hmm. Sorry, Stormfast, but berries are healthy." After she picked a few berries, she noticed a figure on the other side of the creek about three feet from her. It was a wolf, a wolf with light brown fur. She knew immediately who it was: Rhys. "Sister! I am so glad to see you!" Rhys saw her and gasped.
"Stay away from me!" she barked.
"Rhys, what are you talking about?" Terra was confused by her sister's new behavior.
"You know what I'm talking about! You almost killed me on that waterfall, trying to make me fall onto the rocks! Well, guess what?! It worked! See this?!" Rhys displayed her right flank. The wound had healed a bit, but it was still easily visible.
"Idiot! I wasn't trying to kill you! I pushed you toward the rocks because the plunge pool can drown you if the current traps you underwater! I couldn't tell how much of a drop it was, but I didn't want to risk it, so I tried to save you! I survived, but I thought you were dead."
"Whatever, Terra. Hard to believe you came from the Pack of Honesty."
"Rhys, I am telling the truth!" Her sister turned around in contempt. Terra became angry. "Fine! I don't need you! Hey, guess what?! I've found my true love!" The last sentence made Rhys's ears stiffen, and she faced the white wolf again. "That's right!" she gloated. "He's a black, tough, Alpha wolf named Stormfast!"
Stormfast! The name rang in Rhys's head. It was the wolf who left Stone to the humans! "Where's Stormfast!" she demanded. She filled up with fury and revenge. "I'll rip him limb from limb!" The ferocity scared Terra.
"Woah, woah, woah. Calm down."
"No! How could you do that? How could you be with that... that wolf!"
"I don't know what you're talking about. Stormfast is the most caring wolf I've ever met." Rhys just laughed.
"He's hiding something. He has a dark side."
"Since when were you an expert on him?" Terra replied.
"'Cause I am," said a strange voice.
"Who are you?" Terra asked. He appeared out of the shadows. He was a white wolf with light brown spots on him. He also smelled like apples.
"My name is Stone," he said quietly. "And tell Stormfast that if he wants you to stay alive, he better come to me alone." Stone and Rhys then disappeared into the shadows.
Did I just lose my sister again? she thought. She did not know who Stone was, but he didn't sound good. She knew she had to tell Stormfast because her life was on the line.
Later. . .
Stormfast and Sparks were still in the den when Terra returned with a mouth full of berries.
"That's not meat," Stormfast said.
"Nope. It's better than meat," she told him.
"You're right! Berries are healthier!" Sparks blurted.
"Oh, but there's something else too. Sparky, I need you to give us some privacy."
"Uhh, okay." He exited his den.
"What is it?" Stormfast asked. He was lying on his side. He seemed half-asleep.
"While I was away, I met my sister."
"Really? Where is she?"
"No, no. She's not here."
"Why?" he both said and thought.
"It's because there's another wolf she's associated with now, a wolf who calls himself Stone." Stormfast's eyes quickly widened.
"Say that again!" he shouted.
"A wolf who calls himself Stone."
"He's alive?! He escaped the humans?!"
"Wait, what? Stormfast, if there's something I don't know, please tell me. Did you do something bad to him?" Stormfast felt ashamed.
"Uhh, yeah. Three days ago he got captured by humans. I went to save him, but the humans showed up. I was scared, and I left him."
That doesn't make sense, Terra thought. How could such a nice wolf do something so unthinkable to another wolf? Betrayal was taken very seriously in wolf society. Wolves had to protect their fellow packmates no matter what. "Anyway, Stone said if he wanted me to live, you should come to him alone." Stormfast started crying.
"I'm sorry I put your life in danger because of my mistake."