Horizon's End: A Wolf Story based on RWTP

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Chapter 15



"Hey, Cedar!"

"Ack!" Cedar yelped, and started when she heard Aki's voice pipe up out of the blue. The fur lining her spine began to ripple like a wave. She took a deep breath as the surge of adrenaline dissolved in her blood. "Aki, you startled me!" she exclaimed. She had been startled, but in truth, the beta's presence made Cedar beam inwardly.

Aki chuckled with a hint of nervousness edging his voice. "Sorry." His handsome gray, red, and white form stepped out from behind the bristling pine tree he had been standing behind. "I was just going to ask if you were going hunting."

Cedar had just left to get a drink at the stream, but the prospect of spending time with Aki caused her to change her mind. "Actually, yeah; I was just about to go." She was tempted- okay, dying- to ask him if he'd like to come, but she didn't want to seem desperate or needy. She tried to not show her anxiety for his answer outwardly as she waited for the beta of Stonepack to answer.

"Mind if I join?"

YES! Needless to say, that had been exactly what Cedar had been hoping he would say. She tried her hardest to not seem excited about it. "Sure!" Her eyes were bright, and her tail began to sway back and forth. As she was such a great actor, Cedar's excitement didn't shine through outwardly; however, inside, she was bursting with excitement. Cedar enjoyed being with Aki; during the past six months or so that she'd been in Stonepack, although she'd vowed to make no friendships, she'd grown quite close to him. It was impossible to not like him; he had his flaws, of course, what with his hot temper and tendency to forget that he was not the alpha, but he made up for it in all of his qualities. But for Cedar, that meant trouble; deep within Cedar's heart, she knew that she would probably have to fight him. And with Atra and Kodiak forming the next phases of their plan, it would not be long until that time came. Although she vehemently denied it everytime she began to ponder on it, she dreaded that day.

"Follow me," Aki barked with happiness, and began to lope away. Her heart soaring high above the mountains of Stonepack with joy, Cedar loped after him. The two wolves made their way to the river, and when they got there, they lapped at the refreshing cool water with their tongues. The rushing water of the river roared as it rushed over the smooth stones that lie on its bed. It frothed and bubbled, creating a joyous laughing sound that echoed through the forest. After she took a drink, Cedar looked over at Aki. "What were you-"

"Shh," Aki spoke over her and hushed her into silence. Cedar flattened her ears a bit in irritation, but she didn't make a peep. Aki dropped to the ground, and stalked along the riverbank, as though he was making a move on a piece of prey. Cedar looked at Aki as though he'd sprouted another set of legs. What in the world is he doing? And then, he jumped into the river with a splash. When Cedar heard the frantic flapping of wings and the chatter of a duck, it clicked and everything made sense in her mind. He was watching some ducks! One duck soared over her head, propelling itself away from Aki with rushed, frantic beats of its wings. Cedar had seen ducks a couple times in her lifetime, but she'd never gotten the chance to eat one. Can we even eat them? she pondered.

Aki answered that question without saying a word as he swam to the shore with one duck clenched in his jaws. He set it down at her paws. "For you."

"Thank you..." Cedar murmured, her gaze almost dreamy. Her heart was fluttering away like a startled bird in her chest. She knelt down, and placed one paw over the duck's wing as she began to pluck its feathers out neatly with her teeth. She spat them out in a pile beside her, and a breeze carried them away, never to be seen again. She took a tentative, yet curious bite out of its abdomen once the feathers had been plucked from its body, and she wolfed it down. It tasted like a pheasant or turkey, or any other wild bird for that matter, but it had a... fishy tinge to it. It was certainly different, but it was good; it was almost as if she was eating both a fish and a bird at once.

"Do you like it?" asked Aki as he sat down, curling his tail around his white paws. "If you don't, I can get you a fish."

"Oh, this is great, Aki." Cedar swallowed the morsel of meat she had in her jaws before she replied. "I never tried duck before."

"I though you'd like it." Aki grinned, and he padded back to the side of the river to catch a fish. He reads my mind, Cedar thought dreamily.

Cedar wolfed down morsel after morsel of meat. When she finished, she buried the bones in a marshy patch nearby, and washed her paws in the river. She laid down by the pebbles on the bank to sun, and closed her eyes as the peace of the forest seemed to wrap around her. This didn't last for more than a few seconds, though; Cedar yelped as she felt her body tumble down into the water. Her head shot above the water with a gasp, and she opened her eyes just in time to see Aki diving after her.

"You weren't expecting that, were you?" Aki laughed as he splashed her.

Had it been anyone else, Cedar likely would have clawed their ears off. But Aki... Aki was different. "I guess not," she grumbled, but couldn't suppress a smile. Like magnets, her eyes locked with Aki's. Cedar felt her heart soaring high above the mountains, and it wasn't until a wave crashed into her and nearly sent her under the surface of the water that their gazes broke apart.

Cedar crawled out of the water, and shook her fur dry. Aki followed suit, and shook his fur dry right beside her; the water rained down on Cedar like confetti. "Hey!" Cedar protested. "You got me all wet again!"

Aki just laughed in response. "Race you to the meadow!" he called over his shoulder as he began to sprint away.

"Hey, you had a head start!" Cedar complained, but raced after him anyway. As he ran, Aki lifted his head and howled a joyous song to the heavens above. Cedar joined in as well, and their voices joined, creating a lovely chorus.

Despite having started behind, Cedar won their little race. "Beat you!" she smirked, but a second later, she wheezed to catch her breath.

"Oh really?" Aki challenged, and pounced at her playfully. Then, out of breath, he laid down on the ground with a sigh. Cedar laid down beside him as well, their pelts touching. The sun sank below the horizon, and the moon rose, bathing the clearing in moonlight. This was the same meadow where Hades had asked Senkah to be his mate. Cedar felt happier than she'd been her entire life.

Is this... love, that I'm feeling? she wondered as she gazed into Aki's eyes. Is this what it feels like?

"C-Cedar..." Aki's voice was weak. "Cedar, I..."

"Yes, Aki?" Cedar whispered, hoping he would say what she was dying for him to say. Just those three words will mean so much...

"Nevermind," Aki muttered, and he looked at his paws. "I'll just... tell you later."

Cedar had completely forgotten that she was from Darkpack this whole time she'd been with him. It hit her like a tidal wave: She was late for her meeting with Atra. Her eyes snapped open wide, and she looked up at the moon with anxiety gnawing at her stomach. As she looked over at Aki, so peaceful... a thought that had been begging to surface for weeks now came to her.

...What am I? Am I... truly even a spy anymore?

She wanted to just blow Atra off for the night, and stay with Aki. The wolf she... she loved. But Cedar's anxiety got the best of her, and she cringed when she imagined how furious Atra would be when she met her at the border tomorrow. "A-Aki?" Cedar murmured. "I..." She could hardly bring herself to say this. "I have to go."

Aki's joyous expression faded and a downcast one filled in for it. "Oh... alright."

Cedar felt heartbroken that she was having to do this, and that she'd made him upset. "Can... can you meet me here again? Tomorrow night?"

Aki brightened up a bit. "Of course."

Cedar smiled gently. She rose to her paws, and began to sprint into the woods. I love Aki. It only really hit her when she was about half a mile from the border. She was a spy. She wasn't supposed to fall in love! But... she loved him so, so much...

Cedar slowed her pace as she came to the meeting place. Before she could speak, a voice snarled in her ears and she flinched. "Where have you been?!" Atra snarled. "This is the second time in a row that you've been late!"

Cedar lowered herself to the ground. "I'm sorry! I was hunting down several elks with the pack, and I couldn't get away unnoticed until just now."

Atra growled. "This is the last time I'll let it slip. It better not happen AGAIN."

"It won't," Cedar whimpered.

"Good," Atra snapped. "Give me the report."

"T-they're still weak," Cedar whimpered.

Atra narrowed her golden eyes in thought. "If that's true, then this is the last time you'll come to report to me. The plan of attack is ready, we just need to wait a bit longer after the fight with Emeraldpack. Two more weeks. You remember what to do, correct?"

"Yes," Cedar nodded quickly.

"Alright. I'll see you then."

Cedar waited until Atra left before she headed for the river, her mind abuzz. For the first time in her life, her heart was torn two ways. On one hand, she loved Aki with her whole heart. She wanted to stop loving him, but how could she? As much as she wanted to, she couldn't regret it. Aki was just so wonderful, in every way possible.

Darkpack hadn't attacked yet. If Cedar wanted to, she could tell Senkah and Hades Darkpack's true plan of attack, giving them plenty of time to prepare. Then, she can just go on living in Stonepack like she was never a spy in the first place.

But on the other hand, she'd grown up in Darkpack. They'd raised her, and trained her. Her loyalty to them was so strong, it rivaled even her love for Aki. Darkpack promised her great land and, most importantly, power. That was the reason she was so loyal to Darkpack.

Cedar felt her heart tug painfully. I can't have both, she thought. I need to choose one, or the other. Carefully, she laid down and rolled in the mud halfheartedly. After stepping into the river to wash the mud off and pelting back to the dens, she got her answer... if it could even really be called one.

This isn't something I can just determine overnight, she thought. I really need to think this through... Atra said, though, that it would be two weeks until the attack. That should be plenty of time... I hope.
 
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Hehehehehe... ^^;

Whiiiiiile we're on the subject of wolves having mates different from the ones they have in the RP... There's a reason for all of them. You'll find out the reasons why at the end of the story. :p
 
OwlLover said:
Hehehehehe... ^^;

Whiiiiiile we're on the subject of wolves having mates different from the ones they have in the RP... There's a reason for all of them. You'll find out the reasons why at the end of the story.
tongue.png
Click to expand...
So..... is that a yes? xD

Ah, well I'm looking forward to the rest! :D
 
Sorry! My laptop broke again, so I've been extremely slow. I'm still writing, and a new chapter will be up (( hopefully )) soon.
 
Chapter 16



Cedar’s mind was in a haze. Her nose was pressed to the ground, inhaling the scents of a rabbit as she padded after its trail. Every thought of hers managed to find its way back to Aki and Darkpack… and where her loyalties truly were. Ever since the day that Cedar had spent with him, she had become enamored with the beta of Stonepack. His scent wafted into Cedar’s nostrils and she knew that he was nearby; part of her hoped that she ran into him, and another that he chose a different trail. He was both the first and the last wolf she wanted to see right now.

Cedar found herself wandering away from the trail that she’d been following, and towards Aki. She hadn’t even realized that she’d been doing that. She was a little frantic to find the rabbit’s trail again, but all that she picked up were the scents of the pine trees. She clenched her jaw, and stifled a growl of frustration. What is WRONG with me?! For the past two days or so, she’d been in a daze. Her mind could only focus on one thing: Aki. She was acting like a lovestruck pup, and what was worse… she couldn’t help it. It was downright unnatural.

But that’s exactly what she was. She was hopelessly in love with Aki. She had been trying so hard to just shut it all out, and forget the overwhelming feelings she felt, but they wouldn’t stop nagging her no matter how hard she tried. The more she fought them, they worse they got, and it had been driving her crazy. It was high time this nonsense was put to a stop, once and for all. Heaving a sigh, Cedar raised her head and began to trot after Aki’s scent. She felt herself smiling at the prospect of seeing him again.

It was then that Cedar realized just how close to the border she had come. She felt a flicker of unease spark in her gut. They better not come here… She felt her blood turn to ice when a scent reached her nostrils.

Blood.

Icy talons of fear crept down Cedar’s spine. A feeling of dread that something was going to happen opened up in her stomach. She sniffed a spruce tree, where the scent grew strongest, and noticed that the scents smothering it weren’t just those of blood… Darkpack scent also wrapped around the tree, as though it was suffocating it in its vile stench. Fresh blood from a bird was also painted on the branches of the tree, and a pile of feathers clustered beside the trunk, but there was no sign of the body.

Cedar’s fur bristled and she stumbled back. The bird must have crossed the border when they were hunting… But as she continued to investigate, it was becoming increasingly obvious that this was no hunting accident. The nearby trees, rocks, and bushes were also drenched in Darkpack scent. Cedar felt her heart tumble to her paws.

NO! Atra said that it would be two weeks until the attack happened, not two days! Panic surged through Cedar’s blood and desperation tugged at her pelt. Aki…! She threw her head back and howled, “AKI! DARKPACK HAS CROSSED THE BORDER!”

Cedar pricked her ears as she saw the form of Aki come sprinting through the pine trees. Every hair on his pelt was standing straight up. “Are you sure?” Aki was a little skeptical, and he began to investigate the scents smothering the trees. It only took a second for a deep growl not unlike distant thunder to start rumbling from Aki’s chest. “We need to warn the others. There’s dozens of them. It looks like an invasion!”

Cedar felt her heart hammering in her chest as though it was a startled bird. Her gaze flew around the forest, searching for any signs of the Darkpack wolves. “Where’s the rest of Stonepack?!”

Aki tilted his head back towards the sky and blasted out a long, drawn-out howl. The message it carried across the mountains was clear: There were Darkpack intruders. “Cedar, I’m going to get Senkah and Hades. Howl if anything goes wrong!”

Cedar nodded, and watched him as he began to sprint back into the forest. “Please be safe…” she murmured.

The branches of a nearby spruce quivered as the dark form of a powerful wolf stepped out from behind a boulder. “Excellent work, Cedar.” The corners of Atra’s mouth were pulled up in a smirk.

Cedar was hesitant to nod, or even respond for that matter. “I… I thought you said that the attack would be in two weeks, not two days!” Anxiety tingled in Cedar’s paws as she stared back at the alpha of Darkpack.

The massive form of Kodiak stepped out to stand beside Atra. “I know, but Kodiak talked me out of it.” Atra flicked her ears as though she was shooing away a fly. “We want to make sure that Stonepack is as weak as possible. I didn’t contact you, because there was no timely possible way we could without blowing your cover.”

Cedar felt strange as she listened to Atra explain her reasons for attacking so early. She felt as though she was in a different wolf’s body… that she shouldn’t be hearing this. “Al-alright.” Cedar’s voice quavered. Darkpack thought she was still bound to them by loyalty… this was the perfect time to run back to the densite after the trail Aki had taken if she wanted to be with him.

“Ebony’s leading a group to find their densite.” Kodiak spoke up and cut Cedar’s thoughts short. “I want you to go after him and show him the way.”

Cedar nodded almost absently. She turned and began to sprint away, after Ebony’s trail. She could lead him to Stonepack’s densite… or into a trap. It was her choice, but she only had a couple minutes at most.

“Search it out.” Cedar skidded to a halt when she heard Ebony’s gruff voice break the silence. “Try to find the dens.” As Cedar started to pad over to him, Ebony’s voice dropped to a growl. “Who’s there?”

“Cedar.”

“Oh, good.”

Cedar sank to the ground, and stepped into the bushes after them. She made a mental note of all of the wolves who were there: Nighta, Tawny, Moss, Reed, and another grayish-brown he-wolf who was only about 8 months, at most. Cedar didn’t recognize him, but she assumed that he was West, the pup that Luna had stolen from Emeraldpack.

“Now!” Cedar pricked her ears as Atra howled her signal for the wolves to attack. She and Kodiak shot out like bullets from behind the tree they were hiding behind.

Ebony jerked his head to look back at the alphas when he heard Atra’s howl. “Let’s move,” he growled to his group. His voice was as sharp as a thorn.

Following with the plan, Cedar surged from the bushes and charged for Atra. She lunged forwards and sank her teeth into her scruff so that she wasn’t harming her; although, Cedar had been tempted to just go for her throat, and actually attack her instead. Atra tossed her aside, and Cedar grunted as she skidded on the ground. She rose to her paws, and her muzzle twisted in a fierce snarl. Atra thought it was just for show… but it was a genuine snarl, and it took all the strength Cedar had to not lunge at her right then and there.

You can’t take me from Aki, Atra!

She jerked her head back over as she saw a form come surging towards Atra. “Let’s go, mutt!” Aki roared as he lunged for her. Two other shapes flanked him, but Cedar didn’t care to see who they were. She looked from Aki to Darkpack wildly. Aki… Darkpack… Cedar’s heart was torn two ways.

“Come on!”

Kodiak snarled from behind her, and gave her a hard nip on the shoulder; it was enough to leave a dark red welt. Cedar started from the pain and yelped, but she didn’t budge. She was frozen; her paws seemed to be riveted to the ground. Her mind was whirling; everything was happening so fast, and it was much too fast for her to get a grip on the situation.

She had been with Stonepack for almost a year… during that time, she’d made friends, and, yes… fallen in love. Just like she’d promised Atra that she wouldn’t do, on that fateful day when she’d been assigned the mission. And Aki… Cedar’s heart broke at the thought of betraying him and driving him out, or… or… Cedar forced herself to stop her thoughts from straying that way. Her mind said, Darkpack, but her heart screamed, Aki and Stonepack. She was tempted to lunge for Kodiak, or join Aki in his attack, right then and there.

But for reasons that Cedar herself would probably never understand, she charged after Ebony as he made his way to the densite.
 
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