Fur Of Red Part 1 (Ch 1-3)

Instructions

TW: mentions of blo0d, d3ath and f!ghting (pls don't report) Chapter 1 A lone wolf sat in a cave. Long, shaggy fur covered their dull, cloudy eyes. A small hole in the roof allowed a weak moonbeam to spill into the darkness, and the wolf’s dark pelt gleamed in the silver light. But they didn’t need it to see. In fact, they didn’t need anything to see at all… They may have been blind, but the wolf had mastered their other senses. They could tell the time and season by scent and sound. They knew when one of their packmates was in need by tiny changes in their breathing. And right now, they could hear a wolf breathing very heavily. They could smell blood on the breeze. And they knew who it was – Echofur. But Echofur was not their concern right now. They had other business to attend to… Chapter 2 The pups were coming. Echofur could feel them squirming, fighting to get out. A dull ache began to consume her. At first, she ignored it, but it only got worse. Where was Shadowgaze when she needed them? A quiet whine alerted her mate, Windpelt. His diamond-bright blue eyes snapped open, and when he saw what was happening, he whispered to Echofur, “We need to wake the others. I’ll get Shadowgaze.” As he left, Windpelt woke his packmates. The wolves crowded around Echofur, whose breaths were coming short and sharp. The ache was almost unbearable, and she clawed at the ground in an attempt to ease it. She could feel the pups fighting harder and harder for their freedom. The other wolves tried to calm her, but it was useless. Echofur howled in pain, before the world turned black… Chapter 3 Windpelt tore across the clearing to get to Shadowgaze’s cave. He called their name, and found them staring sightlessly up at the stars through the hole in their roof. He knew what they were doing – their blindness was a curse, and a gift. They couldn’t see their earthly packmates, but they could see the Star Spirits, and if they were communicating with the otherworldly wolves, he didn’t dare interrupt. After all, the five Star Spirits, Hora, Verda, Tempest, Cibus and Vinculum, controlled his life and the lives of all other wolves. Angering them, or even interrupting them, could cost him his life. “Shadowgaze!” he called tentatively. No reply. “Shadowgaze!” he tried again, louder. Still no reply. A howl echoed through the wolves’ camp. Shadowgaze’s head snapped around to face the source. “It’s Echofur,” said Windpelt. “I know,” replied Shadowgaze. The two wolves ran back towards the den as fast as Shadowgaze could. There was commotion in the den as the other wolves were rushed out. The black wolf sniffed Echofur, then licked her face all over to rouse her. “Echofur!” they shouted. “Wake up!” Echofur slowly opened her eyes. “Echofur, the pups are stuck. You have to push! Windpelt, massage her stomach.” instructed Shadowgaze. Windpelt nodded, and obeyed. Slowly but surely, the pups began to come. There were three. Shadowgaze insisted on naming one, saying it was down to them that they were all alive, and that they could name it on behalf of the Star Spirits. Windpelt named one and Echofur named the other. Echofur named her pup Breezepup, after his father. Windpelt named his pup Stonepup, in honour of the hardships she had already gone through. And Shadowgaze named the last pup Creekpup, after his bluish colour. Exhausted, the wolves returned to their dens and slept soundly, until the sun woke them the next morning. Echofur took a good look at her pups. Breezepup was white like his father, with a grey patch on the side of his face. Stonepup’s name was fitting in more ways than one – her fur was stone grey, with white spots. And Creekpup was bluish grey, with darker and lighter flecks dotted throughout his fur. They were perfect in every way. But something about the day wasn’t perfect. Echofur sniffed the air. Smoke.