by Sophie Torro
Copyright © 2021 Sophie Torro. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to:
Sophie Torro Books, PO Box 22206 Bankers Hall, Calgary, AB, Canada T2P 4J6
ISBN: 978-1-990171-05-5 (eBook)
ISBN: 978-1-990171-04-8 (Paperback)
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and places are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, business establishments or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover image by Bobooks.
First edition, 2021.
To everyone who loves living wild!
THE WOLVES OF
ELEMENTA
FROZEN SECRETS
PROLOGUE
Many moons ago…
“Wake up!”
Aurora was suddenly pounced on. Tiny paws frantically shook her. “Wake up! Wake up!” a voice excitedly cried, shaking Aurora harder. His voice nosily echoed throughout the cave, shattering the peaceful silence.
Aurora blearily opened one green eye, then let out a small growl of annoyance. A pale blue pup stood over her, eagerly bouncing up and down. It was her overenthusiastic brother, Blizzard. His dark blue eyes shone with anticipation as he continued to prod Aurora awake.
Not this again, Aurora inwardly groaned. This is the fifth time he’s woken me up in the last moon! Aurora’s white pelt began to bristle. The last time he did, it was to show me some weird fish he found frozen in a block of ice.
Blizzard continued to roughly paw Aurora’s side, with growing impatience. “Come on, Aurora,” he whined. “Why aren’t you getting up? Don’t you want to see the—”
Aurora dangerously snapped her jaw near his paw, causing Blizzard to pull back with a yelp. “Leave me alone,” she sleepily protested. “I mean it.” Aurora wrapped her elegant wings over her eyes and ears, shutting Blizzard out. The white pup released a massive yawn, her breath producing a small, swirling cloud in the frigid air.
There was blissful silence for a moment. Aurora let out a sigh of relief, assuming that her brother had given up and left. Then, without warning, fangs snapped around Aurora’s tail and she was yanked out of her nest. Aurora let out a squeal of alarm.
“Get a move on, sleepy head,” Blizzard playfully yipped. His tail rapidly wagged back and forth. “You can’t stay in this den forever. Haven’t you heard all the noise outside? She’s here! She just arrived!”
Aurora’s head jerked up. All her sleepiness instantly vanished. “Queen Tempest!” Aurora gasped. “I completely forgot about her! Oh, I’m such a scatterbrain!” Aurora jumped to her paws and flared her wings. “Hurry up, Blizzard,” she yapped while batting him toward the exit of the den. “We have to go right now, before we miss the queen!” Aurora raced out of the den without a second thought.
Blizzard rolled his dark blue eyes. “That’s what I was trying to tell you,” he sniffed before running after Aurora.
Dazzling sunlight hit Aurora’s eyes as she exited her family’s cave. Rising slowly behind the mountain peaks that surrounded her village was the morning sun. The sky was a pale shade of indigo, and was streaked with thin clouds. The sunrise was beautiful—but Aurora didn’t have time to waste by admiring it.
This was a once in a lifetime opportunity! Queen Tempest had never visited Aurora’s remote village before, and she would probably never travel this far again. Queen Tempest was always too busy in the Sky Pack Kingdom, where most of her citizens lived.
Snow crunched beneath Aurora’s paws, cold and wet, as she ran forward. Freezing wind tugged at her fur and wings, tossing snowflakes onto her face. Where is she? Aurora wondered as she looked around her village. I hope Queen Tempest hasn’t left yet.
Queen Tempest is the leader of the Sky Pack, one of four elemental wolf packs that live in the land of Elementa. For as long as anyone can remember, Queen Tempest has bravely protected her wolves from the dangerous outsiders that lurk beyond the Sky Pack’s borders. Aurora grew up hearing stories about how fearsome the other elementals are. Without Queen Tempest to protect the Sky Pack, life would certainly be very different than it is today, and much more frightening.
The Fire Pack, Aurora was told, is the deadliest pack of them all. They use their terrifying abilities to burn down entire villages… and sometimes use their frightening powers on each other.
There’s also the Water Pack, who mostly lurk in the darkest depths of the ocean. Water Wolves are rumoured to have more teeth than sharks, and act just as aggressively.
Meanwhile, the Earth Pack wolves are said to be as mindless as rocks themselves, and live like barbarians in the outer regions of Elementa.
Aurora’s heart began to race. She then gave her head a shake and put on an extra burst of speed. There’s no reason to be afraid of the other elementals, Aurora reminded herself. Queen Tempest keeps them far away from Sky Pack territory, where they belong. Thanks to her, we have nothing to worry about.
Aurora’s ears suddenly perked up. Howls and delighted cheers were echoing throughout the simple, mountainous village. Aurora’s gaze flickered to the side. She abruptly halted. Aurora couldn’t believe her eyes. There she was! Queen Tempest was standing at the far side of the valley!
A crowd of villagers and royal guards sat around the queen at a respectful distance. Although the wolves all appeared to be small dots from this far away, there was no mistaking Queen Tempest. The white and grey wolf radiated nobility as she gracefully spoke with her citizens.
Queen Tempest wore a slender, silver crown that shimmered in the morning light. It was studded with white crystals. She also wore a pale blue robe that fluttered in the breeze. Queen Tempest’s eyes were like two mesmerizing chips of ice.
Aurora was suddenly knocked into the snow, head first. “Oof!” she gasped. Aurora rose to her paws, then gave her pelt a shake, causing snow to fly in every direction. “Watch it, Blizzard!” she growled.
“You watch it!” Blizzard replied, sticking his tongue out at her. “Didn’t you hear me running right behind you this entire time? You should have known better than to stop like that—”
Aurora bared her fangs at him, feeling annoyed. “You can lecture me later,” she said. “The queen isn’t going to stay here forever. Come on. Let’s go see her before she leaves.”
Without waiting for a reply, Aurora ran to the crowd of wolves, her paws kicking up clouds of loose snow as she went. Blizzard quickly followed her.
Wind softly pulled at Aurora’s wings, as if inviting her to leap into the sky and fly. Aurora wished that she could. Although born with the elemental gift of wings, she was still too young to use them. Aurora would have to wait a few more moons until she was able to fly. It’ll be worth the wait, the pup patiently thought. Exploring the sky will be awesome!
By the time Aurora and Blizzard arrived, the group of wolves had stopped talking. They formed a semi-circle around Queen Tempest, listening to her attentively. “The river has been plentiful this moon,” Queen Tempest regally told the villagers. “Keep up your efforts in the fish harvest. Your hard work has allowed the entire Sky Pack to be well fed.”
Aurora and Blizzard cautiously crept toward the motionless crowd, wincing whenever their paws made the snow crunch. Aurora moved closer to the paws and legs of the ol
der wolves, trying to peer past them to get a better view of Queen Tempest.
“Beat it, runt,” a voice hissed quietly at Aurora. “This is a meeting meant for the older wolves, not a bunch of starry-eyed pups.”
Aurora looked up at the speaker. It was Storm, the daughter of the village leader who, for some unexplained reason, despised Aurora and Blizzard with all her heart. It was probably because Storm disliked anyone younger than her, who could easily take away the village’s attention. “You’re only four moons older than us,” Aurora quietly pointed out to Storm. “How come you’re allowed to be here?”
Tiny lightning bolts zipped around Storm’s paws. “Go away,” she hissed quietly. “Or I’ll make you regret it.” Storm bared her fangs at the two pups. She gave them one last glare, then returned her yellow-eyed gaze to Queen Tempest.
The fur along Blizzard’s spine began to bristle. “I should use my power to make her regret being so mean,” he quietly snarled to Aurora. “I’ll… I’ll blow her halfway across Elementa. I’ll create a windstorm in her den. I’ll… I’ll…”
Aurora playfully cuffed Blizzard on the ear with her paw. “Don’t get so worked up because of her,” she whispered. “Come on. If Storm won’t let us watch from here, then we’ll just have to watch from somewhere else.”
Blizzard tipped his head to one side. “But where?” he curiously asked.
Aurora paused for a moment, then thoughtfully looked around. There was a ledge jutting out of the mountainside above Queen Tempest and the crowd of wolves. It was far enough away that the two pups wouldn’t be noticed, but still close enough that they could get a good look at Queen Tempest. “How about up there?” Aurora suggested, pointing at the ledge with her plumy tail.
Blizzard followed Aurora’s gaze, then froze, as if he had been plunged into a frigid lake. “Up there?” he echoed in shock. “That ledge is so far up. What if we fall? Those stones look pretty slippery. I don’t know if this is a good idea, Aurora.”
Aurora gave him a teasing nudge. “What?” she cooed. “Are you scared?”
Blizzard faltered for a moment, looking distraught. He then lifted himself taller and puffed out his chest. “I’m not scared,” Blizzard responded. “I’m terrified. But that doesn’t make me a coward.” He gave Aurora a nervous smile. “Let’s do it.”
The two pups carefully crept past the crowd, then headed toward the back of the village. Once they were certain nobody was watching, Aurora and Blizzard began to trek up the slope that led to the ledge. Aurora bravely took the lead, but her confidence quickly started to fade.
Every pawstep seemed to lead the two pups into deeper and deeper snow. Aurora soon began struggling just to keep her head from sinking underneath the sea of white. Her heart pounded. “Uh, Blizzard?” she asked. “I’m starting to think that maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”
There was no answer.
Aurora’s eyes grew wide. “Blizzard?” she tried again. Still, there was no answer. Aurora struggled to look behind her, coughing as snowflakes trickled into her nose. She gasped.
Blizzard was further down the slope, crouching awkwardly. His dark blue eyes met with Aurora’s. They were full of desperation. “Help!” Blizzard called to her, although the word was nearly lost in the howling wind. “My paw! It’s stuck!”
Aurora let out a frustrated growl. Why hadn’t he said anything the moment he felt himself get stuck? Had Blizzard been too proud to ask for help? It didn’t matter. Aurora would scold him once they were safe. “Don’t worry,” she called to Blizzard. “I’m coming right now.”
Aurora carefully turned around. As she did so, she accidentally caused a torrent of snow to slide down the slope. Aurora froze, watching as it tumbled down further and further. Aurora gulped, trying not to imagine herself plummeting down the side of the mountain, like the snow had. She nervously unfolded her wings to balance herself, then carefully made her way to Blizzard, one pawstep at a time.
“You furbrain,” she hissed at Blizzard once she was within earshot. “Why didn’t you tell me you were stuck sooner?” Aurora gently swept away the snow that covered Blizzard’s stuck paw with her tail. It was lodged in a pile of heavy rocks, and thick panels of ice.
Blizzard hung his head in shame. “I’m sorry,” he whimpered. “I thought that I could free myself. Once I realized that I couldn’t, you were too far ahead to notice me. I’m just thankful that you turned around when you did.” Blizzard gave Aurora a grateful look.
Aurora’s only response was an annoyed grumble. She gently clamped her jaw around Blizzard’s trapped leg. “I’m going to pull you out,” she said, her voice muffled by his pale blue fur. “Let’s do it together. On the count of three. One… two… three!”
The two pups pulled with all their strength, causing more snow to tumble down the slope. Despite their best efforts, Blizzard’s leg wouldn’t budge. He was trapped.
“Maybe I should get help,” Aurora suggested. “Uh, don’t go anywhere, okay?”
Blizzard rolled his eyes. “It’s not like I can,” he growled. More seriously he added, “Don’t go, Aurora. I can’t embarrass myself in front of the queen. If she sees me like this, I’ll become her royal laughingstock or something!”
Aurora impatiently lashed her tail. “You’re overreacting,” she told him. “Wait here. I’m going to ask Mother and Father to help.” Aurora drew in a deep breath, ready to howl at the top of her lungs.
“No!” Blizzard shouted. The vibrations of his voice caused even more snow to skid down the mountainside. “Don’t! I’ll use my powers!” A powerful wind began to pick up near Blizzard, zooming around him like a vortex. Icicles snapped. Gigantic waves of snow began to fall.
Aurora’s white pelt stood on end. Horror gripped her the moment she realized what was about to happen. “Wait! Blizzard, wait!” she cried. “Stop! You might cause an—”
The mountain suddenly let out a low, ominous groan. Aurora yelped as the ground underneath her began to slide. She let out a fearful cry. Aurora and Blizzard were thrust forward in the tsunami of snow, rapidly sliding down the mountain at breakneck speed.
“Avalanche!” Storm yelled from down below. “It’s heading right for us!” Storm was the first to run, fleeing the village as fast as her paws could carry her. Everyone else began to scream as they quickly followed Storm—all except for one wolf.
Queen Tempest held her ground. Her calculating gaze steadily met the rapidly approaching avalanche. Without warning, dark clouds began to materialize in the sky. They dangerously swirled around and around, producing a devastatingly powerful wind. Queen Tempest reached out a paw. At her command, the wind exploded in the avalanche’s direction.
Aurora’s white fur was instantly whipped and blasted by the powerful wind. Blizzard let out a fearful yap as he was nearly blown away. Suddenly, paws seized Aurora and Blizzard, lifting them into the stormy sky and away from the avalanche. Through watering eyes, Aurora glanced up at their rescuers. It was two of the royal guards. The wolves had wings just like Aurora, and were using all of their strength to safely escape the windstorm.
After what felt like an eternity, the guards managed to break through the windy vortex. They dove to the ground and carefully placed Aurora and Blizzard near the crowd of worried villagers. The pups’ parents frantically licked them in a desperate attempt to keep them warm. “We’re fine,” Aurora croaked out. “Don’t worry, okay?” She half-heartedly batted her parents away, distracted by the sight in front of her.
Queen Tempest was continuing to hold back the raging avalanche.
The ruler of the Sky Pack drew in a deep breath, then summoned her most powerful gust of wind yet. It was enough to blow the avalanche apart. A cloud of snowflakes shot into the air, then gently drifted to the ground. For a moment, it appeared to be snowing.
Queen Tempest lowered her outstretched paw to the ground. At once, the storm clouds faded away, as quickly as they had appeared. The sun brightly shone once again
.
There was deafening silence for a moment. Then, the villagers erupted into cheerful howling. “You saved our village!” Storm exclaimed to the queen. “And these good-for-nothing pups!”
Aurora felt sick when Queen Tempest slowly turned around—and looked straight at her. Queen Tempest began to stride forward, not once removing her gaze from Aurora and Blizzard. Before they knew it, Queen Tempest was no less than a tail’s length in front of them.
Aurora stared at the queen with wide, horrified eyes. Her fur managed to ruffle even more than before. What was Queen Tempest going to do with Aurora and Blizzard? Banish them from the Sky Pack forever? Feed them to the barbaric Earth Pack wolves?
Then, the most unusual thing happened. Aurora couldn’t believe it. Queen Tempest smiled. “You pups certainly are troublemakers,” she teased. “But, without a doubt, you’re also very courageous. I can see it written all over your hearts.” Queen Tempest respectfully dipped her head. “Don’t stop being adventurous, young ones. The Sky Pack needs bold wolves like you two in it. May I ask your names?”
From this sidelines, Storm’s jaw dropped.
Aurora nearly fainted. “A… A… Aurora,” she choked out. “This is my brother, Blizzard.” The pale blue pup looked just as shocked as she felt. Where was their punishment? Why wasn’t the queen angry with them? Was this some kind of dream?
Queen Tempest nodded thoughtfully. “Aurora and Blizzard,” she echoed. “Those are fine names indeed.” Queen Tempest took a step back. “Keep yourselves out of trouble.” She slowly turned around and walked away. After calling her royal guards together, the queen headed off, leaving Aurora’s village behind. Queen Tempest soon vanished into the distance.
Aurora watched her go without saying a word. Then, the white pup smiled, feeling exhilarated from ears to tail. Queen Tempest hadn’t realized it, but today, she had won Aurora’s undying loyalty forever.