Chapter III - Man of the Sands

                                    

                                          
There is a pause before Ash speaks.
                          
"...Look, Fang, I'm sorry I called you an egg and a potato."
                          
"Mh." I rub the back of my neck awkwardly. "I guess I did overreact a bit." There is a long - yet calming - silence as we look down below at the frozen scenery. We were atop of one of the Mountains; Bear Peak.
                          
"Well- let's just go. It's gettin' cold." I shift into my wolf form, bounding down the Mountain with Ash following after.
                          

                          
"You ever think the stars shine just for you?" I lay in human form on top of the treehouse, staring at the canopy of leaves above me.
                          
"They shine for everyone." Ash explains. "My father said: 'For every wolf that dies, a star appears in the sky.' One day, our descendants will be watching the stars, thinking about the wolves who watched the stars years ago."
                          
"Great," I remark, "that means people will be thinking of me often."
                          
"Don't bet on it." Ash laughs. Suddenly, her head swivels to the desert, and she shudders. I jump down from my spot on the roof, landing on the balcony and walking over to watch where she had her sights.
                          
"Let's go." She says, and we sprint down the steps. As soon as we reach the ground, we shift into our wolf forms, flying across the ground. I roll my eyes as I hear the Humans' remarks of 'there they are!' and 'look at them go!'. They clearly have no idea who we are, or even what we are.
                          

                          
An hour later, we skid to a stop in front of the wolf that Ash and I had set our sights on. He stands in a noble stance - possibly the only stance he knows how to stand in - and his grey eyes take in his surroundings notably, however they clash terribly with his sandy-yellow fur.
                          
"Hullo, strangers." He says calmly. We sit down in our wolf forms as he shifts into his human form - a man with dark brown hair.
                          
"Hello," I begin, "we just wanted to see who you are, and  why you are watching us constantly."
                          
"How rude of me, sir. I am Lupus Crestfallen, of the Sands. The Desert Pack." Ash exchanges a look with me.
                          
"I'm Fang Fireheart, Omega of the Caves. The Underground Pack." We both look at her and she stares back.
                          
"What?"
                          
"Your name, miss?" Lupus enquires.
                          
"I'm Ash Silverton..." She hesitates. I sigh, introducing her myself.
                          
"She's Ash Silverton, Alpha-Blood of the Forest. The Forest Pack." I state. "She's the daughter of Thunder Snowcrest; the Alpha." I add.
                          
"I see." Lupus muses, pondering it way too deeply for my liking. Suddenly, Ash whacks me other the head with her paw, nodding to a Human behind us.
                          
"Farewell, Crestfallen." I speak, speeding back over the Plains with Ash. It is at the Meeting Rocks we part, her heading to the Forest, me heading to the Caves.
                          

                          
I fly down in my eagle form, shifting into my human form when I hit the ground. Todd - my close friend - runs over to me excitedly. He's roughly 15, with big, blue eyes and messy, crimson hair. He's never seen without an orange bandana around his neck and black goggles with golden rims on his head. He never wears them on his eyes, though.
                          
"So - you're jumping and screaming like a little girl. I'm guessing good news?" I chuckle.
                          
"Yes yes yes yes yes!!!"
                          
"Alright, what is it?"
                          
"I've been upranked!" He jumps even higher.
                          
"To what?" I ask.
                          
"To a Wolf!"
                          
"Well done." I put my arm around the back of his head, walking him along the side of the waterfall.