Spirits of Starlight Chapter 2 part 2

Silently, eyes locked, the two wolves followed each other’s movements. It was obvious that Farfalla was the favorite. The other was just no match for her. 1

It also seemed unfair to me, that Farfalla should take out her fury on a creature who was unwilling to fight. 2

The white pawed female, FallowSway, was hesitant to take part in this ritual, which determined a wolf’s status and placement among the pack. 3

Rather than outright give in and admit to being weaker than her opponent, however, the slim she-wolf seemed to go on the defensive, giving Farfalla an impossible time.4

Farfalla approached her, snarling, and she would in turn snap at the other wolf with ears flat, but never once did she rise. 5

When the larger female tried to get a hold on her prey’s neck, Sykelv stepped in and thrust her, savagely, away. I looked to my neighbor-a silver monarch with a green eye and a blue eye.6

“What is this? Why are they fighting?” I asked, softly.7

The silver one chuckled quietly. “Youngster, that’s how it is when a wolf gets jealous. You see, young Sykelv once lusted after Madame Farfalla, until he saw her for what she was. He despised her for her treatment of her clanmates. For a long time, he would amble off and be gone for days on end. Then one day he came back, and with him he had the girl.”8

Another, a scrawny adolescent male, took up the tale. 9

“Sykelv had been so broken by Farfalla that he swore he’d never love again. But then he met her,” the wolf nodded at FallowSway, “and he changed his mind. She was lonely, as he was, and longed for something more in her life. She wanted to be free, to live as she wished, to be seen as something other than just another daydreaming child. He fell to love again, but this time it was true. FallowSway was the companion he needed. She’s a pawful, I’ll tell you, and though she seems innocent, she’s not.”10

The older wolf smiled. “Fallow is a gel who’s stole many a young’ un’s heart, though she may not know it. She’s quiet and polite, which brought her into the favor of our chief. Ha! No matter how many beasts wished for her to go with them, so they might inherit the throne of our Lord Imere, Fallow stuck by Sykelv’s side and hasn’t left it yet. He may be a jerk and a scoundrel, but he truly loves that little lass.”11

“Oh.” I turned back, watching the fight with renewed respect. I realized suddenly that there was something strange in this battle. 12

FallowSway and Sykelv weren’t fighting-they were dancing. As one they twisted and twirled, leapt and lunged, bit and drew back. They were in perfect sync. 13

FallowSway dodged a blow from Farfalla’s hefty paw, and Sykelv came up like a bear, scoring his foe’s flank with sharp claws. The bizarre ballet lasted only a few minutes, but I felt as if I had watched for an hour. 14

Almost as soon as the fight began, Farfalla gave in. She could not take the both of them, tired as she was from a night on patrol. 15

Snarling, her hackles bristling with unsuppressed fury, she made an undignified retreat into the cold of the outside world.16

Sykelv let her go; his concern was for his companion, who was licking absently at a scratch on her shoulder. The silver monarch beside me, named CageWhisper, bent and sniffed at my wounds. 17

“Good thing you’re a newie, I’ll say. She would have killed you if you’d been born among us, and not known who she was. Well, you’ll live. She pierced the skin there, but did not do much else. We’ll patch you up, and mayhap I’ll show you the rules sometime.”18

“She’s a pretty gel isn’t she?” Tucker’s ridiculous face came from nowhere, blocking off my view of Sykelv and his partner. “That Farfalla's a beauty! She almost took your breath away!”19

Several wolves chuckled at the joke, though I was hardly amused. I glared sourly at Tucker, only to find that encouraged more of his pathetic humor. “Good thing she never chomped down, eh? You’d be painting the whole floor then!”20

“Har har, yeah, you’d dye the place a nice scarlet fer us!”21

“Sad thing, mates, he probably wanted her to play around a little more!”22

“He must be heartbroken; she left him to tackle someone else!”23

“Haha, poor guy, how’s he gonna admit to being beat about by a butterfly?”24


“Shut up.” A lithe, brown form landed squarely on top of Tucker, while a huge, black shape fell upon the last speaker, a smallish white-gray wolf with brown markings. 25

FallowSway glared bad-temperedly down at the wriggling creature beneath her. “Your jokes are so tasteless. Perhaps you should spice them up?”26

Sykelv yawned, feigning boredom, while batting at his victim’s nose with a solid paw. “He could just shut up and never talk again, that’d be nice. Havoc, I’m ashamed to say we’re related. Why would any brother of mine what to hang around that pitiful excuse of a clown, I’ll never know.”27

“Not much of a comedian, is he?” CageWhisper laughed. 28

“Hardly worthy of the title,” FallowSway answered. She rose, stretching, and padded over to where I lay. I felt strangely shy, and averted my eyes, as the young she-wolf sniffed at my bloodied chest. She stood there for several seconds, silent, then turned. 29

“Gaverie, heal him. NyFallow, you can help. You probably wanted to anyway.” 30

Without further ado, FallowSway bounded out of the cave, followed by the swift, powerful form of Sykelv. 31


I watched them leave, unaware of the presence of a lynx, which had come unnoticed from the shadows. The cat swiped her claws across the side of my face, gaining my attention. “Ow!” I looked up at the cat, blinking a tear back. “That hurt!”32

“Good.” The feline purred. “I am Gaverie, Ga-ver-ie. You are already acquainted with NyFallow, I am sure, though not by name. I am to heal you. Lie still, I can’t abide fidgeting beasts.”33

“NyFallow…” I muttered, trying to remember if I knew someone by such a name. Then I saw the reddish female from the village. “You?!”34

She smirked and threw herself on top of me. “Yep! Glad to see me?”35

“Ooopphhhh! Hey, what was that for?!!” 36

“Well, you did insult my body…” The red she-wolf twirled her front paws, like a naughty child admitting to a ghastly fault. 37

“Your…what…that was you?!!!!” I gapped at her, completely in denial. This couldn’t be that woman, could it?!38

“Yeah, that was me. Aren’t I a cutie? All the human guys go Gah-gah whenever I do that!” She stuck out her tongue, a huge grin upon her face.39

I moaned and buried my head under what had once been my arms. What was happening? Where was I, who were these creatures, and what were they? Why had I never heard of them? And…was I one of them now?40

My mind wandered as NyFallow chattered on, seemingly nonstop, into my ear. I was vaguely aware of Gaverie’s paws pressing something to my chest and neck. 41

A curious mist enveloped my senses as a thick, heavy aroma wafted into my nostrils. I was tired, I realized, so very tired. My eyes flickered, and the world grew dim. Slowly, I drifted off to sleep.