2012-2013 Pickford Young Writers Anthology of Short Stories and Poetry Read online

  “Neir,” Sage growled. “What did you do to them?”

  “Who?” Neir asked innocently. “Why don't you have a seat, Sage.”

  “What - did - you - do - to - them?” Sage raised his hackles. He refused to sit.

  “They left you, Sage. And now you're mine.”

  “I don't believe you. Tell the truth!”

  “Fine.” Neir stared at Sage, his crooked tooth catching the moonlight. “For starters, look in that bush where your brown-furred friend was sleeping.”

  Sage turned slowly. Todian's white, unmoving, blood-streaked tail peeked out from the bush. Nira's blood-stained hindquarters lay next to it. A little further over lay the twins, all in one piece, but with empty eyes. Neir grinned.

  Infuriated, Sage lunged for Neir. “You...you...monster!” he roared.

  “Sage! Sage! Wake up!” Nira called.

  He woke with a jolt, a worried Nira staring down at him. “You were having a nightmare. I was scared, so I woke you up,” she said.

  “I'm fine.” Sage shook his head. “Are the others awake?”

  “No. I was lying right next to you. I could feel you squirming. You were growling a lot, too. You've never done that before.”

  Sage could see worry in her eyes. “Well, thanks to you, I'm fine now. Sorry I woke you.”

  Nira shifted and looked away. “You weren't dreaming about me, were you?”

  Sage let it drop. “Good night,” he said and put his head back down on the soft dirt.

  “Good night, Sage.” She curled up next to him and sighed.

  The next morning they gorged themselves on the remainder of the deer, leaving most of the carcass exposed. They did take the two front legs, however, for later. They no longer cared that they were leaving a crystal clear trail for Neir. If he was tracking them, it wouldn't do them much good to try and conceal themselves anyway.

  Two days passed, and the tiny pack found itself on the edge of a large plain dusted with snow. “I thought it was still supposed to be autumn,” Yuki grumped and rolled his eyes.

  “Hey! It's winter. I can finally blend in somewhere,” Yoru yipped. His snow-white pelt hid him perfectly, other than his one black spot, of course.

  “We're on a Temporary Tundra,” Todian explained. “They pop up out of nowhere in autumn and usually disappear in a couple of days. The ones that don't disappear in that time stay for many years. You can tell this is a Temporary Tundra since there was a sudden change from the forest to the plain. There was no evidence to show it was here until we were right on top of it. I was on one once when I was younger, and a stranger explained it to me.”

  “Interesting,” Sage said as he looked around. This is why Todian leads the group. He has a lot more experience. “They just show up? No warning or anything?”

  “That's right. In one night a whole area just freezes over. No one really knows why. Some think frost dragons lie in these areas to rest for a few days, but if they really like the area, they tend to stay much longer. A lot of wolves venture onto these Tundras because they are just curious to see if frost dragons really do come here. Some even claim to have seen them, but before they can get close, a blizzard always obscures their vision.”

  “Makes me curious to see a frost dragon,” Nira said as she scanned the plain and looked up into the sky.

  “Well, if you do, let's hope its friendly and doesn't want to eat our tails,” Yuki said.

  “It might not have the best of luck with Todian, seeing as how his tail blends in,” Yoru snickered.

  “Very funny, Yoru. So funny I forgot to laugh,” Todian grumbled. The twins flashed him a toothy grin.

  The pack followed the edge of the plain, sticking close to the forest. A snowstorm blew in, so they settled down to rest, sheltering just inside the treeline. Sage noticed a silhouette coming from the direction they had been heading. He raised his tail as a warning to the others. “Hello,” he called warily.

  “Hello,” came a deep, rich voice. A shiny black wolf with summer-grass-green eyes stepped fully into view. “I am Srilon. What brings you to the edge of my territory?” he asked, not unfriendly.

  “Hello, Srilon.” Todian stepped to the front of the pack. “I'm Todian. This is Sage, Nira, Yuki, and Yoru.” He gestured toward each one with his tail as he introduced them.

  “Nice to meet you. What is your business out here when you could be in the autumn forest?”

  “We're looking for a...straggler...I guess you could say,” Todian replied. “We lost him some time ago. Have you seen a black wolf, right ear silver, with amber eyes? Goes by the name of Invir.”

  Srilon sat down and thumped his tail, thinking. “You know, I think I may have, as recently as yesterday, in fact. He's probably still on the Tundra.”

  “Was he hurt? Did you talk to him?” Nira asked, obviously excited and worried all at once.

  “I don't think he was hurt, but I didn't talk to him. In fact, he seemed not to notice me at all. I figured he must have been lost in thought, so I kept my distance in case he was a rogue.” Nira glared at him. “I'm not saying he was, but you can never be sure with a stranger who wanders too close to your territory.” Srilon saw the look in Nira's eyes. “In any case, would you like to see where he was headed?”

  Nira leapt with joy, all four legs lifting off the ground. “Yes! You'll show us? Can we go right now?” She yipped, shaking a little with anticipation at seeing her brother again at long last.

  “I can show you, but how about going to a cave I know of first, hm? We can wait there and shelter a bit...until the snowstorm stops. It'll be easier to see him without the snowflakes in our way, and from the looks of things, you were ready to take a break anyway, am I right?”

  Nira looked a bit disappointed, but she nodded, her anticipation still glinting in her golden eyes. Everyone rose, and Srilon led the way through the storm.

  “So, did you live here before it was a Temporary Tundra?” Todian asked.

  “Yes. It just came last night. Don't worry though,” Srilon said in his smooth, deep voice. “I can remember where everything is...mostly. Many of the trees disappear when a Tundra comes, and it takes years for them to grow back, so I will be without my usual landmarks.” He continued leading them into the woods.

  Sage thought he heard something behind him and turned in time to see movement that was not snowflakes. Unbeknownst to his friends, he stopped and stared into the dense whiteness. After a minute or so of seeing nothing more, he turned back around and began walking in the direction he thought the pack and Srilon had traveled. The heavy snowfall had covered their tracks.

  He picked up his pace, but after a few minutes he had not caught up with them. He sat down. I should have caught them by now. What do I do? Sit here and wait for them to find me? I'll probably freeze to death first. He grumbled and whined to himself trying to decide what he should do.

  A large shape soundlessly crept up behind Sage and nudged him with its muzzle. Sage jumped and whirled around. The shape stretched its neck up to its full height; it must have been five times as tall as Sage was long.“Are you a frost dragon?” he whispered in awe.

  “My name is Icicleia. What is yours?” Her voice tinkled like little icicles cracking and breaking in the spring sun. Her shape and color were obscured by the falling snow.

  “I'm Sage.”

  “Sage. You seem lost. I saw you traveling with your friends. I can help you find your way back to them if you like. I believe they are looking for you, as well.”

  “Thanks. Quick little question, though,” he said. “Can you stop the storm? It's kinda hard for me to see where I'm going in it.”

  “Then you know we can control the snow?”

  “Well, not know exactly. But I figured you must be able to. I mean, I'm sure it was you I saw right before the storm rolled in, and you probably made it happen so you could use it as camouflage.”

  “Very smart...for a wolf. Yes, I can dispel it,” she said. With that, she gave
a roar that sounded like an avalanche with an undertone that tinkled like her voice. The storm faded like a distant memory, leaving the two standing under a clear sunny sky.

  Sage looked at the snow and was almost blinded; the sun sparkled all over it and made him squint. “Wow, it's bright now,” he mumbled, blinking. His eyes slowly adjusted as he stared down at his paws. Then he looked up at Icicleia and saw that her scales were extremely light blue. They shimmered like diamonds, and the thin membranes of her wings were almost transparent. Her eyes were violet with an intense intelligence. He had heard about the spikes dragons have along their spines, but they were missing on Icicleia's back. Her neck was long and thin, and her head had an elegant shape with two nearly invisible horns. Her claws were clear, like ice. “You're beautiful,” Sage whispered.

  Icicleia laughed a little, and it sounded like crystals bumping together in a light breeze. She lowered her head to Sage's level. “Thank you. Would you like a ride? You strayed a fair distance from where your friends were headed, and I don't think you want them to come looking for you.”

  “How will I get a ride?” Sage asked. He found out as Icicleia scooped him up in her front claws, being careful not to scratch him, then reared and launched into the air, “Forget I asked!” he shouted over the wing beats.

  Icicleia flew straight up about ten times her own height then angled slightly downward and to the right. After only a moment in flight, she nose-dived straight down. Sage was yelling something at her, but his words caught in the wind.

  Sage thought he was going to become a mere piece of fur on the tundra floor, but the frost dragon angled back upwards and came to a halt, her wings beating backwards, making an extremely gentle landing on her hind feet. “Thank you just the same, but please don't ever make me ride again. Ever!” he said breathlessly as Icicleia put him down on wobbly legs.

  “I shall try not to, but I will not promise. We may someday be in a hurry,” she answered.

  “Deal.” Sage shook his head and stood still until he stopped swaying back and forth. “So they're in here?” he gestured with his tail to a small cave. Icicleia nodded.

  Sage walked into the cave with Icicleia right behind him, though she was only able to stick her head inside. His friends were all in the center of the small cavern.

  Nira heard his claws click against the stone floor and rushed over to him. “Sage! You're okay!”

  Srilon spoke up. “We thought you got lost in the snow once we got here and you were not behind us.” His eyes widened as he looked past Sage and Nira. “The stories must be true,” he whispered as he saw Icicleia. “You are a frost dragon, am I right?”

  Todian turned and took in the sight of the dragon's head in the opening of the cave. “Well, Sage, I see you've made a friend. Are you planning on introducing us anytime soon?” The other wolves were speechless.

  “Of course. This is Icicleia.” Sage walked among his friends, tapping each with his tail as he spoke their names. “There. We all know each other now.”

  “Do you breathe ice?” Yoru asked, trotting over to Icicleia.

  Yuki approached Icicleia, standing next to his brother. “Cold enough to freeze a wolf?”

  “Yes,” she replied, blowing an icy wind on a stone, immediately covering it with frost.

  “Cool!” The twins were obviously impressed.

  “Nice to meet you Icicleia,” Nira whined. “Okay, now can we please go search for Invir?”

  “All right, all right. Hold your tail,” Srilon said. “I suppose we can start now that the storm has ended.”

  Icicleia interrupted. “Actually, I'm going to bring back the storm. I can, however, take you to your friend, as long as you stay close to me in the blizzard. Otherwise, you'll lose me. If you do lose me, just call out my name, because I can still see you.”

  “Whoa, why are you bringing back the storm?” Srilon asked warily.

  Icicleia shifted to look Srilon in the eye. “I chose to show myself to you wolves, and only to you wolves. I do not want to be seen by others. Dragons like me are very careful when choosing who sees us, who glimpses us, and who do not even see a single scale.”

  Srilon sighed. “Well, fine. So we'll just stick by you. Let's hurry up and get moving.”

  Icicleia summoned the snow back the same way she had dispelled it, and all of them left the cave. The wolves brushed her legs every so often to make sure they were still with her. Sage was lost in thought, wondering what awaited them.

  Sometime later they arrived at another small cave. All but Nira came to a stop; she headed directly for the entrance.

  “Nira, wait,” Sage said.

  She stopped and turned to look at him. “If he's inside, I need to see him. I need to see him, Sage.”

  “I know.” He trotted up to her side, and the other wolves followed. “We don't know what we'll find inside, so it's best if we all enter together.” All but Icicleia cautiously walked in.

  There was Invir, sitting in a corner. His eyes widened when he saw his sister, and he stood up.

  “Nira?” he whispered. Neir was by his side, his back to the entrance. He turned his head. “Why hello, my daughter,” he said, smiling.

  Nira looked back and forth from Invir to Neir.

  “I'm sorry Nira,” Invir said. “I left because I had to know who our father is. Neir is our father.”

  Nira shook her head in disbelief.

  “And hello to you as well, brother,” Neir said to Todian, who growled in response.

  “Leave them alone, Neir. They are members of my pack.”

  “What? My own children? I believe I've left them alone long enough, Todian.”

  “Invir, please come with us,” Todian said.

  “Please, Invir, just come home,” Nira begged. “It doesn't matter if he's our father. We aren't going to change just because we know who he is. It doesn't matter. You don't need to be concerned about that. Let's just go.” She was whining and trotting back and forth, desperate to get her brother away from this foul wolf.

  Invir looked at his sister sadly. “What will we do? Wait for his blood to show?”

  Todian barked. “You may be blood, but he does not define you any more than my father defines me!”

  “Oh, but blood does define them. It defines us as well, brother. Father's is mine, and Mother's runs in you,” Neir said nonchalantly, rising.

  “Why don't we finish what we started? Right here. Right now. To the end,” Todian snarled.

  The two began to circle, salivating and snapping. Everyone moved away, toward the cave walls. Todian leapt at Neir, who jumped back with a yelp. Neir crouched and hurled himself at Todian. A strong, icy wind blew into the cave, and all the wolves closed their eyes and turned their backs against the force of it. The wind stopped. They all opened their eyes.

  There was Neir, frozen solid, suspended in mid leap. Todian sat panting, his fur ruffed up, making him appear larger than he really was, staring at his brother's fierce gaze.

  “I thought it was a better option than blood,” came Icicleia's soft voice.

  “Maybe it is,” Invir replied.

  “So, was he telling the truth, Todian?” Nira asked. “You are...were... brothers? He was our father?”

  Todian looked at her with a blank stare. He rose and shook himself, his ears flapping in the silence. “Yes, but your mother did not know him as she thought she did. If she had known, though, do you think you'd be here?” He looked at Invir. “At least you have me for an uncle.” He smiled.

  “Who's ready to go home?” Sage asked.

  Without another word, the pack began its long journey.

  * * *

  They thanked Srilon for his help when they reached his territory and respectfully skirted around it. Icicleia decided she would make it cold again only when she got too hot. And for a while, they all lived in peace.

  Amy Lehigh is inspired by her love of animals and fantasy. She enjoys fishing, playing with her Pomeranian
/Japanese Spitz mix, photography (nature, of course), drawing/painting, and horse riding. She lives near Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in the U.S.

  ONE WORD

  by Bailey West

  One word can change everything. It can flip a life upside down and bring life to someone's smile. It can lead someone down an entirely different path, give someone hope, and save lives.

  She was sitting on an old rusty swing in the park with her torn up sneakers dragging slightly across the dirt. She knew her parents saw her as a rebellious teenager, with her dyed hair and black fingernails, just waiting to cause trouble. That's not what she was though. She was replaying in her head every bad thing that had ever happened to her. All of the pain she had ever felt in her 17 years. She hadn't slept the night before following a bad day at school and had come home to hear her parents fighting...again. She tried to ignore the yells and threats and the dreaded cussing. But today she was just too tired to try. She was too tired to fight all the things that were tearing her apart.

  So there she sat, thinking of the fight she and her best friend had gotten into. She hadn't meant to snap, but when she was so miserable herself, she hadn't wanted to hear how happy her best friend was. She reminisced about the time her mother called her all those names in the middle of a store just because she liked to listen to loud music and wanted purple hair. She had gotten a “C” on a math test that morning. It all piled up into one depressed, lonely teenager. A single tear slid down her rosy cheek.

  He sat across the park, completely immersed in an old book. He had had a rough day as well. In fact, he had had a few rough days lately. The park was the only place he felt he didn't have to try to please anyone. He could just sit and enjoy himself. Sometimes he brought a book, sometimes a notebook to write a quick short story, and occasionally he brought his camera. The park was peaceful, and the happy children reminded him of hope. He needed hope these days.

  He dreamed of being an author, but his parents didn't approve. He wanted just one person to believe that he could change the world. He knew he was special, that one day he would do or be something people would remember long after he was gone. As he finished the last page of his book he looked around, thinking about how powerful the book had been. It had sent a clear message that sometimes you need to step back and look at the good things in life. He thought, I have one life, one chance to make the world a better place, possibly even save a life. It won't be easy, but in the end I'll have no regrets.