Healing

You'll notice in this chapter that Night Pack is changed to Midnight Pack, and has been changed on the other chapters as well. I did this to avoid an issue with a certain something. Yeah, don't try to figure that out. Just read on!

Ice slowly opened his eyes, his vision fuzzy. At first he couldn't remember where he was, but then it all came rushing back. He groaned and tried to heave himself up, but it set his body on fire with pain and he flopped back down. He realized his fur was clotted and spiked with dried blood, and there were some wounds still oozing out the red liquid.

He forced himself to his paws, squeezing his eyes shut in agony. He finally stood, shakily, and looked around. He saw Thorn's body first. It was awkwardly twisted, one leg still sticking up as though to fend off an attacker. His eyes were frozen in an expression of shock and anger, his jaws forever fixed in a snarl. He had gone down fighting, that was for sure. Fighting for survival, just like he always had.

This is your fault, Ice wanted to snarl. Mother tried to protect us, but you wouldn't let her! It's your fault they're dead! He almost said it, but he was too exhausted and he slumped, looking around for Frost's body.

She was lying in a heap, mostly unmarked except for the rip on the side of her neck, her fatal wound. Ice dragged himself over to her and laid his head on her side, imagining that her heart was still beating. He could almost imagine he was a pup again, with Snow and Slash and... Blood.

He gritted his teeth at his brother's memory. He did this... but why? Why did he betray us? He slowly stretched out again, exhausted. "I'm sorry," he whispered in his mother's ear. "I'll find Blood, I'll get things straight, like you would've wanted... I promise."

He coughed, realizing how sick he felt. His vision started to blur again and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. I'm going to die here... he realized. Oh, no.

And then he was falling, falling, falling into dizzying blackness. Next thing he knew, he was back in the snow with Slash, and Thorn was carrying him back again. He couldn't tell what was real and what was dreams. The battle kept happening over and over again, but then he was faintly aware of being dragged and laid down somewhere. Then it all went black again and he knew no more.

~

"Well, would you look at that. He's finally coming to. I was afraid I'd lost you there for a little while, young'un."

Ice blearily opened his eyes to see a soft-furred, fawn-and-white face above his. He yelped and scrabbled backwards, baring his teeth. "Who are you?!" he snarled, stifling a grunt of pain.

The dog, which appeared to be a female Chinook, took a step back. "Now, now, take it easy. You look like you've been tossed through a tornado. You're lucky Tobin found you."

"Tobin?" Ice refused to let his guard down. "You didn't answer my question. Who are you?" This dog didn't smell like Midnight Pack, but who knew. Of course, if she was Midnight Pack, she probably would've killed him by now, but he still couldn't be too careful.

"I'm Mirabella, and my mate, Tobin, is the one who found you," the she-dog explained. "You need to be still, you've got some nasty cuts I'm trying to tend to."

Ice glanced at his body which was smeared with some sharp smelling substance; herbs, he guessed.

"Well, I've told you all about myself, what's your name?" Mirabella asked when he didn't say anything.

"I'm... Ice," he said slowly, daring to relax a little. This dog was either very generous or very sadistic; she could heal him or poison him. "My family... was killed. By Midnight Pack."

Mirabella's eyes softened. "Ah, yes, Tobin told me you were the only one he found alive, and just barely too." She shook her head. "That Midnight Pack, as if they didn't have enough territory already. Killing a whole family, that's just cruel!"

"They didn't do it on their own," Ice muttered. Mirabella's ears pricked in interest, and he decided to continue. "My brother, Blood, betrayed us. He tricked us into an ambush."

Mirabella's eyes widened. "Mercy me," she gasped. "You poor fellow."

Ice turned away, uncomfortable and a bit resentful of her pity. He bristled as the wind shifted, carrying the scent of an unknown dog, but Mirabella remained calm. "That'll be Tobin, returning from his hunt." She padded to the entrance and poked her head out, calling to her mate. "Tobin!" she called. "The dog you found has finally woken up!"

"Oh, well good!" barked a voice from outside. A few seconds later, a strong black-and-fawn Chinook with a friendly gaze came in.

"Glad to see you made it through!" he barked. "You were a sight when I found you, that's for sure."

Ice flattened his ears. He still wasn't sure he trusted these dogs, but they hadn't killed him yet, so he might as well wait it out. Realization dawned on him that he should probably be grateful they hadn't left him in the ravine. "Er... thanks," he said slowly, unused to the word. Thorn had always acted as if you had to take whatever you wanted. No one gives you anything worth having, he had said. You have to take and keep the things that last.

"Ah, no trouble a'tall," Tobin grinned. "I'm always happy to lend a paw."

"Are you hungry?" Mirabella prompted. "You brought somethin' back, didn't you, Tobin?"

Tobin nodded. "Found a fawn caught in a trap. Poor mite, it had nearly gone mad trying to get out. I had to put it out of its misery."

Ice blinked. These dogs were getting stranger all the time. They felt sorry for their prey? Noticing that they were waiting for his answer, he said hastily, "Yes, I would like something to eat."

"All right then," Tobin barked. He trotted out of the den and returned with a chunk of meat. Ice hungrily chewed it down. He couldn't remember the last time he ate.

Mirabella reached out and touched his shoulder gently. Ice stiffened slightly at the touch. "Get some more rest now," she said soothingly.

Ice lowered his head and his eyes began to close. With the warmth of the den and fresh meat in his belly, he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

~

Over the next few weeks, Ice clearly saw that Tobin and Mirabella had no intention of poisoning him. He stayed inside the den mostly, waiting for his wounds to heal.

"You'll be healthy as a trout soon," Mirabella predicted, examining the now mostly healed gashes on Ice's back. "Those herbs are working beautifully. You might have a scar or two, but that handsome fur of yours should cover 'em up."

"Thanks, Mirabella," Ice woofed, standing up and experimentally putting pressure on his back leg. It had gotten wrenched during the fight and had kept him from doing much walking. "My leg feels a whole lot better. Do you think I can go and hunt with Tobin soon?"

"Yes, probably," Mirabella said a bit wistfully.  Ice suspected that the sweet old dog had greatly enjoyed looking after him.

"Did you and Tobin ever have any pups?" Ice asked suddenly.

Mirabella looked taken off guard. She blinked a few times, then nodded slightly. "We did," she said softly. "Two. The little girl died when she was nary a month old. Born weak, she was. We were able to raise our son, though."

"What happened to him?" Ice dared to ask.

"He left, when he was about your age," Mirabella responded. Her dark eyes had grown distant, as if she were seeing her son grow up again. "He left for the Wandering Forest."

Ice's eyes widened with intrigue. "The Wandering Forest?" he whispered. His mind suddenly flew back when he had been a tiny puppy, when Slash was still alive.

"Tell us a story, Mama!" Snow yipped.

Frost's eyes softened. "All right," she woofed, and her voice changed to deep and mysterious. "A long, long time ago, there was a mighty dog called Khazan. He was the biggest, strongest, most powerful dog anyone had ever seen. He defeated all his enemies, even humans, and he took his dogs to a safe place in a huge valley, called the Wandering Forest. There, the dogs split into four packs: Cloud, Moon, Sun, and Sky. After Khazan died, he went into the sky and he watches over them forever."

"Where is it?" Slash asked, wide-eyed.

"Very far away," Frost said. "Few can join the packs, for they are very strong and fierce."

"I could join them! I'm fierce!" Blood boasted, pouncing on Snow. "Raar!"

Frost smiled slightly and tucked the pups in closer. "I'm sure you are, little warrior."

"Will we ever get to go there?" Ice asked eagerly.

Frost shook her head. "No. We have everything we need here."

"But I want to see it," Snow complained, her words swallowed up in a yawn.

Frost curled her tail around her single daughter. "You don't need to. It's a dangerous journey, and you're perfectly safe here."

Safe here, safe here...

The words echoed through Ice's mind. We weren't safe, he thought bitterly. My own brother betrayed us.

"Ice?"

Mirabella's voice startled him from his thoughts. He shook his head to clear it. "Sorry," he muttered.

She tilted her head. "Why did you ask about our pups?"

"Just wondering." Ice dragged a paw across the ground. "Have you ever been to the Wandering Forest?" he asked tentatively.

"No," Mirabella replied. "I thought about trying to find it, once or twice. Just to see if he got there..."

She sighed heavily, and Ice growled at himself inwardly. He had to go and stir up a bunch of bad memories.

Thankfully, he heard Tobin bark outside. The big Chinook poked his head in, two rabbits swinging from his jaws. "Hungry?" he asked through the fur.

"Yeah, thanks, Tobin," Ice said, meaning two things by the "thanks."

 "No problem," Tobin replied with a wag of his tail. He pushed a rabbit towards Mirabella and they began to share.

Ice picked at his rabbit, feeling unsettled. He had kept his mind off of his family for the past few days, focusing on healing. But now, he was thinking about them again. I have to find Blood, he told himself. I have to find him before he causes any more trouble.

~

"Get a move on, you lazy lump!" Mirabella called playfully. "You'll never strengthen that leg if all you do is lie around!"

"The sun hasn't risen yet," Ice complained. "Why do we have to get up so early?"

"So you can see the sunrise!" Mirabella barked impatiently. "Tobin's already come and gone. Do you want him to think we're a bunch of layabouts?"

"Sleeping doesn't make you a layabout," Ice grumbled. He lumbered forward, yawning.

Mirabella laughed and went a playbow, wagging her tail. One of her ears were flopped over and her dark brown eyes sparkled, giving her a puppish look despite her age.

Ice snorted and trotted past Mirabella into the fresh, early-morning air. The sun was beginning to peek over the horizon, making the dewy grass sparkled. He glanced back at Mirabella, who had followed him out of the den. "Okay, so it is pretty nice out," he agreed.

"See, I told you," Mirabella smiled. "You should wake up this early more often."

The sun fully broke over the trees, bathing the clearing and the two dogs in warm golden light. Ice's eyes widened. He'd never appreciated a sunrise before. "I wonder what it looks like on fresh snow," he murmured.

Mirabella tilted her head slightly, gazing up at the sky. "There's nothing more beautiful than a sunrise," she murmured.

Tobin suddenly loped into the clearing, his tail waving. "Ah, so I see you've risen!" he barked. "D'you think you're up for a hunt, Ice?"

Ice looked at Mirabella eagerly. "Can I?"

Mirabella nodded, smiling slightly. "While the two of you do that, I think I'll look for some herbs. You've near drained my stock!" She nudged Ice playfully and then trotted off into the forest.

Ice gave Tobin an amused glance, but then realized that the old dog was watching his mate go, his eye misty. "I haven't seen her so happy in months," he murmured. "We're lucky we found you, Ice."

Ice blinked, surprised. "You're lucky you found me?" he asked. "I think I should be saying that!"

Tobin shook his head, a smile playing at his lips. "You're not the only one who's been helped in this arrangement, my boy," he said. "Mirabella was torn apart when our son left. Taking care of you, she seems back to her old self again." He sighed and gazed up at the early morning sky, painted creamy-pink and overlaid with streaks of gold. "I think through us finding you, we've all been able to find healing."

WOW! This took literally forever to finish. I'm hoping to get out more updates on a lot of books, meaning this one, PickleClan, and maybe even the Warriors Tournament. Who knows. Well, anyway, hope you enjoyed, and don't forget to vote and comment!