Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Shadestorm drifted into the hazy murmurs of night. “I hope the Jungle Tribe is kind.” He wondered. He had been worrying about it through the many days they had been walking, and he had finally revealed his thoughts.

“I’m sure they’ll be fine.” Whistlewind reassured, though she had been worrying too. What if the Jungle Tribe wouldn’t allow them to join? What would they do then? Most of her good thoughts scurried out of her grasp, leaving on varying thoughts crowding her mind.

Soon they neared the entrance. It was a dark, gaping cave that Whistlewind imagined was laughing at them.

Finally, they took the plunge and reluctantly drifted in.

Suddenly, salty swipes of water clawed the rocky ground. It clogged their throats, knocking out sunlight in a wet rage. It never stopped hissing and lapping and dumping and falling. It shoved it’s watery depths all over the room, similar to the watery eyes of it’s innocent victims.

“Swim!” Shadestorm called over the rising spray, yet it was too late. Gushes of water rose and fell, drifting the two wolves apart.

Whistlewind, far into the water, was going down. Her paws stung with the pain of swimming too long, and soon all she knew was darkness and water, darkness and water…

Suddenly she burst out of the flood, gasping for breath and greedily drinking the air in. Shadestorm was strongly paddling through it, his fur sleek and wet. He pulled Whistlewind into a sandy bank, looking surprisingly comftarable in the water.

Whistlewind collapsed, hardly breathing. “Whistlewind!” He cried. “Oh, why did I drag you into this mess! I was so selfish, I should’ve known the tribe might pull a trick like this…” He blabbered on, salty tears coming to his eyes. He only comforted in Whistlewind’s raspy, gasping breath, and with each one she took Shadestorm wondered whether it would be her last. 

Finally, it stopped completely. Shadestorm buried himself in her sweet, gray fur. She couldn’t have died… no… Suddenly, all Shadestorm knew was sadness. It tugged at his weak heart, convincing him to give in to the darkness. He howled in grief, his voice rising high and dipping low, carrying the sweet cry of lost hope and Whistlewind, the love of his life. But now…

She was gone. The waves had covered her. Tears splattered down and clouded his dreams with Whistlewind, who made him laugh and smile, who reassured him, who loved and helped and teased him… was gone.