Authors: Samantha McGivern
Warclaw slowly got up and limped towards the edge of the forest. “I will be back Waya, and I know you’re going to move the pack and even if it take me five, ten or twenty years to track you down and finish this, then that’s how long it will be. But watch your back Waya. I’ll be coming for you!” Warclaw growled as he walked off into the burning forest. As Warclaw walked into the burning forest, the pack started to appear and look at Waya in astonishment. He was now their Alpha and all that planning that Waya had done had finally come together. Just like Warclaw’s twenty years later.
Wren walked up to Waya. “I see he lost then. Will he be coming back?” Waya shook his head, suddenly a thought popped into his head. “Wren, did you manage to find the crystal? We are going to need that at some point in the future.”
“I couldn’t find the crystal. It’s nowhere to be found Waya. It has disappeared.” Wren said anxiously.
“It hasn’t simply disappeared Wren.” Waya started to laugh. “The crafty...”
“Then where has it gone?” Waya couldn’t stop laughing. “Where has it gone?” Wren asked again.
“Hazard a guess Wren.” Waya said looking into the forest, laughing. As Warclaw walked towards the edge of the forest, that lead out onto the beach, the crystal hung down from his neck. “Not that clever are we?” Warclaw laughed.
****************
Warclaw mourned the death of Winter for months after being thrown out of the pack. Every day he would sit on the beach and look out to the sea, replaying the same scene over and over again. Warclaw soon came to realise it was time that he took the revenge that he said he would. He remembered the face of the wolf that took the life of his mate. Warclaw remembered the words that he had said to
Wren
on the day he took her life. He remembered that he said he would be back for Waya. Warclaw realised that he needed a plan and that he had done enough mourning and it was time for action.
Warclaw walked along the beach looking for somewhere he could call home. As he walked, Warclaw started to plan what he would do when he eventually got to Wren and Waya. How he would take their miserable lives away from them. After about ten minutes of walking, Warclaw came across an old abandoned lighthouse. He walked in through the old oak door and he looked around. There was a spiralling staircase to the right and a window to the left that looked out to the sea. Walking over to the window, Warclaw could see that the glass had been smashed out years ago and all that remained was an old wooden window frame. Warclaw turned around and started heading up the circling staircase. The steps were cold underneath his pads and Warclaw looked out of one of the windows on his way up. Warclaw could see over the beach and nearly over the forest. Taking in the image, Warclaw took a deep breath before carrying on up the stone staircase. When he got to the top, there was another door. Pushing his way past the door, Warclaw looked around the room and spotted the stain glass window. He walked over to the window and sat down in front of it. The view from this window was amazing. There were other windows but this window was the prime window. Warclaw could see everything through this window. Looking behind him, Warclaw noticed an old chest. He nudged it open with his black button nose, and when he looked inside there was another chest inside it. Opening the second chest, Warclaw looked inside to see that there was nothing in it. Warclaw remembered that he had the crystal around his neck and he placed it down into the smaller chest. He closed the smaller chest and then closed the bigger chest. Warclaw vowed that he would protect this chest and the crystal. He would stop any other wolf getting to it and using it.
Warclaw thought about how he could make sure that the crystal would remain safe. He decided that to spread rumours about himself would be the best option. After all they are rumours and if he acted like the rumours, Warclaw would scare other wolves away. So Warclaw started to spread rumours about himself and started telling stories to those that came for the crystal, making them scared and run away. Slowly bit by bit, it stopped being acting and it became who Warclaw was. He fought other packs that he cared not for. Warclaw had become that evil wolf that he said he was all because of
that
horrid day. And on this exact day twenty years later, all that searching, all that pain and the evil that now flowed through his veins had paid off. Warclaw had found that wolf that had killed his soul mate and he would have that revenge, even if he would die in the process...
******************
Over time Warclaw started to watch what Waya and Wren did. He learnt that Wren had some-wolf on the side and that they were eventually going to be together. He learnt that Waya had made the pack move numerous times to try to lose him, as Waya knew Warclaw would be following. On the odd occasion, a member of pack would say that they have seen Warclaw around and Waya would move the pack again. Over time Warclaw started to lose where they were and what they were doing. Waya had started to cover their tracks up and he was slowly getting better and better at it. Warclaw slowly started to give up on the idea of ever finding the pack again and slowly started to move on. Warclaw had spent so long on his own he had learnt to love his own company but he still lived with the loss of Winter and he still felt the loathe for Waya and Wren. Warclaw needed something to happen sooner or later if he was ever going to be able to take the revenge he needed to.
The lighthouse had become the most important part of Warclaw’s life. He did a lot of his thinking there and he would occasionally think back over the twenty years he had been searching for Wren and Waya. Every night Warclaw would lie under the stars and remember the time he and Winter had by the lake that time and how his life had changed so much. “Should I even carry this on anymore Winter?” Warclaw said to himself looking up at the stars. “I have slowly lost them over the years and now I don’t have anything. What should I do?” Warclaw smiled. “You would want me to move on, wouldn’t you?” He paused. “Maybe I will Winter. Maybe I will.” Eventually Warclaw slowly drifted off to sleep listening to the calming sound of the sea.
The sky was blue and the sun was shining brightly. There was a gentle breeze that blew across the quiet land. The birds tweeted in the trees and the sea hummed quietly. As the wind gently blew through the trees, the leaves rustled quietly almost chattering amongst themselves. The beach was golden and the land was peaceful. The land flowed smoothly into the sea, which smoothly flowed into the bright blue sky. As you looked up into the sky the odd bird would fly gracefully by, with not a care in the world.
Warclaw walked down the golden beach at a slow and steady place, walking towards the old lighthouse that stood overlooking the crystal clear sea...
Chapter 19: Sweet Revenge
Warclaw and Wren charged at each other. When they crashed together Warclaw growled at Wren and Wren growled back at Warclaw. Warclaw bit down upon Wren’s neck, making blood flow down to the cold hard ground. Blood oozed out of the deep wounds on Wren’s neck. Wren bit down upon Warclaw’s shoulders and Warclaw howled in pain. Biting down hard on Wren’s back, Warclaw threw him away from him. Wren hit the ground with a heavy thud. He heard something crack and he could feel a shooting pain go through his body. Howling in pain, but still full of adrenaline Wren got up. “How did you know that it was I who had killed Winter?”
“I saw you do it Wren. Behind the flames, I saw you take her life. I’ve always known. But it took me a long time to figure out that it was actually you that had planned it all. All for this crystal.” Warclaw laughed whilst holding it up in the air. Wren took a step towards Warclaw but before he could get close, Warclaw threw it down to the ground. “And you always knew what you were doing. But it haunted you didn’t it? Killing an innocent wolf!” Warclaw growled. “So you hid it deep in your head and you made yourself believe that you killed her because she was a
rogue
that had become Luna. Which was something Waya had spun no doubt. You knew that I would come for you and oh look...” Warclaw paused. “I have.” Warclaw chuckled before continuing. “Nightmares have haunted me these last twenty years. All I have been able to see is you taking her life. How I couldn’t have stopped it even if I had wanted to. However, now that everything has changed, it looks like I will be able to have my oh, so, sweet...” Warclaw paused.
“Your ‘oh so sweet’ what?” Wren asked cautiously.
Warclaw laughed. “My oh, so sweet
REVENGE
!!” Warclaw growled. “All those nightmares can now stop, now that I can finally kill you and end it all. I have slowly killed every single one of those wolves that were involved in your nasty plan and now I have you all to myself.”
“But how did you find me? We moved so many times that it should have been near impossible to have found us. So how did you?” Wren asked intrigued. “Willow was how. The night before, I was ready to move on from all of this. I was ready to forget what happened twenty years ago. I had lost all hope of finding you but Willow was the reason I carried this all on. I was ready to move on but Willow brought me back to the past. And now I’m going to finish what you started twenty years ago!” Warclaw smirked. Wren shook his head. “You know thinking about it, when I killed her; I did think at the time that it was a shame that she was part of that plan of yours,” Warclaw sighed “but when she landed straight into my lap, I knew that if she was to die, Waya wouldn’t be far off. And well the rest is history!” Warclaw laughed.
“What about all those rumours? Why did you spread them?”
“It was the only way to insure the crystal’s safety but if I’m honest some of the rumours are true. Some of the battles that I am supposed to be included in are half true. They were battles that Winter and I were in and we won them many years ago. It was way before your time, anyway. The story I told to Wibeke was a great story don’t you think?” Warclaw laughed. “You know, sometimes I don’t give myself enough credit when it comes to storytelling.”
“So it wasn’t true?” Wren asked confused.
“Of course they weren’t! You really think that I am that old? The crystal may allow me to live well into my eighties but I am not centauries old!” Warclaw laughed.
“So how old are you actually Warclaw?”
“Oh that’d be telling. I’m not saying. Even if I were in my hundreds I would still be able to beat you and kill you!” Warclaw growled getting serious again. “Fine let’s have it your way. Except, instead of having my dead body on the ground, let it be yours.”
Wren lunged at Warclaw and Warclaw moved out of the way. Warclaw moved in and bit down on Wren’s neck. He howled in pain. Swivelling in Warclaw jaws, Wren bit at Warclaw’s neck. Warclaw could feel his teeth sink in and it made him scream in pain. Wren caught Warclaw off guard and pushed Warclaw down to the ground. Wren put his paw onto Warclaw’s shoulder. Warclaw realised that winning this fight was going to be harder then he first thought. Wren laughed “Appears you won’t be winning this fight after all Warclaw.”
Suddenly Warclaw got a flashback back to the fire and Wren killing Winter. All the memories came flooding back to him. He remembered shouting to the wolf that ran away, that he would find him and kill him. Warclaw remembered the flames surrounding her and swallowing her whole. He remembered not being able to see her as the flames rose up from the ground. Warclaw remembered the pain in his heart that he had felt that night. He realised that he needed to take control and end this. Warclaw didn’t want to feel the pain anymore. He wanted to move on. Suddenly Warclaw was brought back to the fight by the searing pain in his side. He looked at where the pain was and saw Wren’s teeth sunk into his body. Warclaw looked back at Wren and he bit down upon his neck, making Wren let go of Warclaw’s side, before he also let go.
“Now that you are paying attention again Warclaw, going back to what you were saying earlier, so you did eventually work out it was I whom had planned it all along and that Waya was just a tool? It has certainly taken you a long time to figure out hasn’t it?!” He laughed.
“I mourned Winter for years and ever since that day I saw you kill her, I vowed I would have my revenge and that’s exactly what I’m going to do!” Warclaw laughed underneath Wren’s grasp. “You had no right killing her and it may have taken me all these years to work it out that it was you that had panned it all along and to find you, but yet here we are! I knew that Waya was willing to do anything to become Alpha but he needed some-wolf who could get close and that was you Wren! You used each other and now look what you have created! You have created nothing but death. But now revenge is mine and you shall never get the crystal!!” Warclaw smiled. Wren stepped off of Warclaw’s shoulder in astonishment. “How d-d-do you k-k-know t-t-that?” Wren stuttered in disbelief.
“It wasn’t that hard to figure out. Watching me when I rescued those wolves from that shelter, protecting the pack, need I go on?”
“You selfish...” Wren growled before putting his paw down upon Warclaw’s shoulder again. “Less of the words Wren and let’s finish this once and for all.”
“You’re right Warclaw. We both know how this is going to end and that’s with you dead and me walking off into the sunset.” He snapped, spreading saliva all over Warclaw’s face. “If that’s what you think, then be my guest!” Warclaw laughed before pushing Wren off of him. Warclaw then threw him to the ground. Warclaw could hear more bones crack from the force of Wren hitting the ground. Wren slowly got up. The adrenaline in both of the wolves was pumping. Even after each bite, neither felt the pain.
There was a moments silence as both wolves stood opposite each other with their teeth showing. Not a sound was made in this moment of silence. The wind had stopped. The birds stopped tweeting in the trees and the air became still. It even felt like the earth had stood still just for a moment. The trees were quiet and they stood still. Everything was still. But as soon as this moment came, it had gone. The breeze came back a little rougher, showing that it was about to get a whole lot worse, both the fight and the weather.