It had been about a week since Winter had fallen on that shore. A week since she had been bit by that Orca Whale. And a week since she had wept because her family was taken from her.
She often went back to that shore, and sat on the sandy ground, right before sunset; so that when night came, she could wish on the first star, wishing for the same thing every night. And after she made her wish, she would sit still for hours, telling herself “Remember...”
She had not yet visited the shore tonight, so she was trotting along, back to the spot she sat every night. Winter, as brave and fearless as she was, had developed a few fears to certain things she had encountered. She always was very careful for bears when she walked through the forest.
She was careful for Orcas when near the ocean; although Luna had told her whales being this close to shore was silly (and Winter knew this too, but was cautious all the same). She also hated (and feared) hunters, and was glad she had so many fellow wolves to protect her, for, they too, hated hunters.
She was there now, sitting on the sandy shore. Winter felt the breeze blow, listening to the songs of the birds. She longed to have something to sing about. She saw the squirrels chase each other and and scamper up trees. She once again spotted the first star to show up in the dark sky, and it was shining as bright as ever.
Winter had a feeling about her wish tonight. Something about the breeze just felt… magical.
Closing her eyes, Winter wished on the star, like she did every night, for the same thing: A sign. After wishing, she kept her eyes closed, still. Then she felt something brush against her paw. Before opening her eyes, she felt it was damp, and the top was smooth, just a little worn out. It was a rounded rectangle shape, and rough around the edges.
Winter opened her eyes, and saw at her feet “A leather book?” Winter was puzzled, yet very curious, so she turned the cover and opened it up. On the first page, there was a picture of a wolf that looked exactly like her, only, younger. Winter remembered a mysterious device her father had stolen from a human’s home, which they found out produced images when you pressed a button. Underneath the picture there were scratches and paw prints that would look like a mess to humans, but to wolves were read as “Born on December 20.” Underneath that, Winter read “Name: Winter.”
Winter’s eyes were wide open in surprise and astonishment! She scavenged through the torn pages, but most of their scratches and paw prints (writing) was smeared and messed up; But, at the back of the book, something shiny and silver fell out with a piece of damp, torn paper. A note!
The note had a paw print on the back (made with ink from a human home). On the inside of the folded paper were more scratches that Winter read “You have been blessed with things beyond your knowing, yet I have been blessed equally, because you are my daughter.”
Winter thought about this, then read on.
“I want you to stay strong, for, if you are reading this, something truly bad has happened to me; but I will watch over you. Every night, when you howl at the moon, you will see me.
Love, Father.”
Winter looked up at the moon, and could make out a face, the face of her father, who was smiling at her. She howled at the moon, the loudest and strongest she could. She heard it echo, then looked at the glistening, silver object that had fallen out along with the note.
It was a locket in the shape of a snowflake, and it opened up. Inside, was a picture of her as a tiny little pup, and two wolves, her mother and her father. She looked at that picture for awhile, remembering her father’s face, and her mother’s soft voice. She lifted the locket up with her muzzle, and nudged it onto her neck.
It was almost the same shade of color as her fur, so it hid fairly easy if she tried to make it unnoticeable. She grabbed the book, the note still inside, with her mouth, and went across the beach, through the thick barrier of trees, and into the main den.
All the pups were asleep, and the adults, busy, but Moonbell was awake. She was waiting for Winter, like always, in the corner where she slept. Once Winter arrived, she told Moonbell everything, and now Moonbell knew Winter’s name.
“Winter, who’s this?” asked Moonbell, turning to a page with another photograph on it.
It was a picture of Winter, a little bit older now, her mother, and a tiny pup, who was smiling. In the picture, Winter was smiling, too, and snuggling with the adorable bundle of fur and joy, and her mother was smiling as well.
Under the picture, Winter read “Born in October”, and underneath that, Winter read “Name: Autumn. The warmest thing we’ve had all fall”. It seemed to all be coming back to Winter now.
“My sister.” Winter answered. “That’s my sister!”
Moonbell stared at the picture. “Really?’’ she asked, surprised.
“Yes, my sister, Autumn.”
Moonbell quickly fell asleep when it was bedtime, but Winter looked at the picture in her locket, and slowly fell asleep, dreaming about her family, and she knew she was safe, until she woke up again to the real world, where she wasn't with her real family anymore.
But when she woke up, she would protect. No one was taking her loved ones this time.
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