(ooc) This is the continuation of "New Beginnings". I figured I would skip ahead in the process a little bit since things are starting to fizzle in the old thread.

(ic)

Days had passed since the birth of Shining Skybird's first litter, although everyone's attention appeared to be on the youngest of the three. Tensions had risen quite high when the news was broken to Ebon Star and Howlite, who had come close to getting at eachother's throats. Ebon Star had called for the death of the pup if a solution could not be found to hinder the evil that was contained in the pup, but Howlite wanted to defend the life of the pup, even at the expense of his own. Now, however, it appeared that there would be a happy ending, or as close to one as the situation would allow.

Silver Eagle stood outside of his den, having spent all his energy and time on trying to save the life of this one pup. Thankfully, his efforts had paid off, and he believed that both parties would be able to be satisfied. He had called for the alphas, Wind Feather, and Howlite to meet him so he could announce his solution. If the alphas and Howlite accepted the plan, they would be able to speak with Shining Skybird.

The last few days had held the large white and fiery male very tense, aggressive and highly suspicious of any who would come to see the new litter. Needless to say his trust of the Alphas had gone out the window, littering his mind with paranoia and thoughts of Ebon Star, and that any of the visiting pack members could be sent as assassins to murder his son.
Aside from being extremely watchful and super over protective of his mate and children, the male hadn't let on to Shining Skybird of the matter... as much as he wanted to...

After waiting for Kerridwen to take up post and making her promise to guard over the den and not let anyone in, Howlite made his way up to meet with the spiritual and the others.

Aspen and Wind Feather travelled to the site together, the she-Alpha with her head and tail held to the sky and Wind Feather's body posture rather neutral though her tail hung limp. They had been discussing Wind Feather's interest in the Tall Pines male, Falling Snow, when the summon had been called by their top Spiritual. They both knew what it was all about, and both shewolves' hearts hammered in their chests as they wondered what the most final conclusion was.
Aspen, as was expected of her, held a more positive air about her. If the other wolves below her saw her worry or fear it might ignite fears of their own..which could lead down the wrong path. Wind Feather, however, showed clear uncertainty. Her brows were drawn up, mouth pulled back and down slightly as she worried for the infant pup's fate.
As they arrived before their Spiritual, the Alpha dipped her head in respect to him,"Good evening, Silver Eagle." she greeted, shifting so that she could rest her bottom on the ground. She glanced about, ears perked, in search of Ebon Star.
Wind Feather moved to stand to the side and slightly behind Silver Eagle, gazing up at him and noting the weariness that practically radiated from him. The male had her utmost respect, and Wind Feather looked up to him highly so it came as no surprise that she now worried for his health. Though it may have been an irrational worry, it was there nonetheless. The young Spiritual female leaned to the side, in his direction, and whispered,"You should sleep right after this, you look haggard."

As Aspen approached and greeted him, Silver Eagle nodded back to the she-alpha.

"I hope it will be."

He then looked over as Howlite approached, his expression slightly tightening. No doubt the last few days had been just as difficult for him as they had been for Silver Eagle, but hopefully any worries the new father had would be settled a bit with the news the Spiritual had.

"I'm afraid I don't want to wait much longer, so we will quickly fill Ebon Star in whenever he gets here."

Before beginning, he briefly glanced back to Wind Feather, which showed a sense of concern, but when he looked back to Aspen and Howlite, any concern or uncertainty was gone.

"I have spent many hours working on this, and I hope the conclusion I have reached will be agreeable to everyone. There is something I can do that will allow the pup to live, but Howlite will have to agree with my proposition, and Aspen...you must know that what I can do will not be a cure-all."

Silver Eagle first looked over to Howlite.

"There is a way that I can contain the evil inside of him so that it will not consume your son's soul an make him turn evil, but I can not rid him of it. However, with what I can do...your son must shed a small amount of blood. In order for this to work, I will have to mark his forehead with the symbol of the Spirits. In essence, I will have to mark it into his forehead by scratching it in. The only thing I can say that might come close to reassurance is that the scratch will not be deep, and as long as his head can be held still, it should be done quickly. It will be healed over in only a couple day's time, and his fur will be able to grow back over it."

Unsure of what Howlite's reaction might be, he then looked over to Aspen.

"Aspen...as I said earlier, this will not be a cure-all. While the pup will grow up normally, the possibility of the darkness inside of him taking over will always remain. As I said, though, the spirit would never be able to control the pup permanently. To illustrate what I mean, imagine the spirit being locked in a cage, and the only way to unlock that cage is with a key. The key, in this case, will be the pup's emotions and physical state. Should the pup ever be put under extreme emotional stress, or should his physical well-being ever be threatened, the spirit could be unleashed and take over the pup's body and state of mind for a short time. With time, the pup could learn to control his emotions, and hopefully he will never face a life or death situation. The only encouragment I have is that while the spirit will be largely in control in these circumstances, the pup will also be able to have some control over his body so that, at the very least, he should not be a threat to anyone in the pack."

OOC: I take it FS isn't going to post...

IC:
Deep blue eyes stared with some scepticism at Silver Eagle. "How much blood?" he asked, wondering if this was a true solution for saving the life of his youngest son...
It all seemed too good to be true. What if this would not be enough to satisfy Ebon Star?
No matter... They had to try...
"Alright. But don't hurt him more than is needed..." Howlite replied after pausing for that long moment while Silver Eagle explained further.

Obviously, Howlite was concerned. While it made sense with him being the father, there was little need for him to worry.

"I can assure you, there will be very little blood. The pain will be temporary as long as he can be held still."

He then took quick glances toward Howlite and Aspen to make sure there were no other objections.

"If no one has anything further to say, then we will proceed as soon as the pup is retrieved. And Howlite, if you haven't done so already...consult with Shining Skybird. Once you inform her of everything, bring the pup to my den."

Silver Eagle then rose to his paws, and after a glancing at his apprentice and motioning her to follow, began to slowly walk in the direction of his den. Once assured that no one would be able to hear him, he spoke quietly to Wind Feather.

"Pay close attention to everything I do. This may be the only time you will ever get to observe something like this. I only pray everything will go right...this will be as much of a learning experience for me as it will be for you."

The soldier said nothing as he turned to head back to his den. How was he supposed to explain this to Shining Skybird? More so, how was she going to take it, knowing that he HAD known and had to keep this problem from her all this time???
His white and rust fur face twisted in a scowl that exposed teeth that snarled silently at himself in frustration...

Kerridwen's dark face snapped up as her ears caught the sound of someone heading towards the den. "Oh, it's you..." her voice came softly, with about as much emotional range as a dead twig.
Her deep eyes studied her scowling brother, as his blue eyes turned to her filled with pain and worry. The flier softened her expression towards him, taken back by this new side to her idiot brother... She had never seen him so stressed before...
"We'll talk later, Howlite." she said softly as she turned to leave.
Lifting his head, he nodded, a slight smile cracked over his muzzle for a second as Kerri turned away to head back to her own days business.
Taking a deep breath, Howlite stepped to the mouth of the den, taking a minute for his eyes to adjust to the dim light, and silhouette of his mate and new children, "Shining Skybird...?"

Shining Skybird had been dozing in and out of sleep during the time Howlite had been gone, and in fact had hardly noticed his brief absence. She had not done much of anything, except sleep, for the past few days. Needless to say, it was helping her to regain her strength, and the pain she had experienced days prior felt like a distant memory.

Her head snapped up to see Howlite at the den's entrance. It felt as though she hadn't seen him for quite some time, although it didn't help that all she could do was sleep. Unfortunately for him, her weakened state had made her oblivious to the situation at hand. For days she had been content in the company of her pups, unaware of the challanges that lied ahead for her youngest.

"Hi Howlite. What have you been up to today?"

He tried to smile, but just couldn't force out more than a small twitch of his muzzle, his heart thumping as she spoke.
"Not too much, my dear..." he replied, stepping into the warm confinements of the den, and leaned forward to softly give his mate a long lick from the tip of her nose all the way up to her forehead. "I'm glad you're awake. Feeling any better?"

Shining Skybird grinned lightly as Howlite licked her affectionately, and took a moment to look up into his eyes.

"I am. I'm still a little tired, but I think I'll be ready to leave soon enough. But then I think I'll worry about leaving them here all by themselves, even if just for a minute. But I've been doing alot of thinking, and I've come up with some names for them."

She looked first to the oldest son.

"His fur is as white as yours...and he looks so much like you! I think I want to call him White Night."

She then looked to the female of her litter, who had been perhaps one of the most attached since her birth.

"This is going to be your little girl, I can already tell. I think a suitable name for such a beautiful baby girl is RainBird."

Then finally came the youngest. He had been the quietest of the three, which for the moment, was fine with her.

"I still don't understand why he was so difficult. Even though at the time it felt like it took an eternity for him to finally come out, in hindsight it was perhaps faster than I realized. I think an appropriate name for him would be Swift Storm."

She then looked back up to Howlite.

"What do you think?"

He smiled at her concerns about leaving the children, "They will never be alone, my dear... I promise. Either you, I or my sister will always watch them... Perhaps even Saeros..." he tried to reassure her, turning his gaze to the three tiny bodies that snuggled into their mother's side.
"As for their naming... They are as perfect as their mother." For that one moment, Howlite forgot about the stresses of the darkness that was supposedly looming. But as he continued to stare down at the light tan pup, the reality of what was still to come, threw his heart into the darkest depths...
"Shining Skybird... I will have to take our little, Swift Storm, just now..." His blue eyes met her gray, as his breath held trapped within him in anticipation, "Silver Eagle, wants to see him..."

As Howlite told her he was going to take Swift Storm, she looked up at him curiously. It seemed odd that Howlite would have to take him out of the den, especially to see Silver Eagle.

"I...I suppose so. I don't understand why he can't come here, but I trust him and his judgment. Swift Storm just fell asleep, and I would hate to disturb him. Will this visit be quick?"

Aspen listened to Silver Eagle explain what he was going to do, nodding lightly at his words.
"I understand, Spiritual. Do what you must." otherwise, the only other option was a rather dire one..one that the female Alpha really really did not want to see go through.
Face grim at the fact that such a young infant needed to be branded in such a way, she watched as Howlite turned and headed back to his and Shining Skybird's den. Silently, she prayed she'd never have to go through this with any of her puppies. At that thought, the lightly expecting female cast her eyes back and down to her own abdomen. She wasn't showing, yet, but the thought nagged at her.

The mostly white male paused, "I don't know how quick he will be, my love..." he sighed, as his blue eyes looked down at his son. "He thinks there is something dark in our son... He said this could be the only way..." His voice grew cold as the soldier's mind turned to the alternative... "I promise, he'll be fine... by my blood, Shining Skybird, no one will harm our family."

If Howlite telling her that there was something "dark" inhabiting her son troubled her, him making a promise to her that no one would harm their family certainly caused noticable concern. At that moment, almost immediately and out of instinct, she curled herself tighter around her pups.

"What do you mean something 'dark'? What haven't I been told?!"

His blue eyes filled with sorrow, as his ears flattened back. 'Maybe I shouldn't have told her... I could protect them...' he silently told himself in that moment that seemed to last a life time...
"He said, he doesn't know what it is... Something like a dark spirit inside..." A snort escaped him in frustration, as Howlite whipped his head away to stare at the tiny white-eared pup, "Personally, I think he's full of it." he added, refusing to believe that his son could have ANYTHING wrong with him.

Again silence fell as the soldier fell deep in thought, brooding over what had conspired the very day of the pups birth...
His breath drew heavier, his face darkened, and the soft sound of teeth grinding together crept forth into the stillness, as he continued to stare at Swift Storm.
At last, he spoke, softly...almost a whisper that was afraid of being heard...
She had to know...
"Ebon Star wants our boy destroyed, if this supposed thing can't be evicted or controlled."

Shining Skybird could only listen with horror in her eyes. She wasn't sure what to think. Howlite thought Silver Eagle was 'full of it', yet she questioned how that could be. If the Spiritual could not be trusted with these matters, then who could? Much like Howlite, she didn't want to believe that anything was wrong with their son. He looked so innocent, so pure. How could their be anything evil inside of his little body?

Her ears perked and her body tensed as Howlite broke the news of Ebon Star's wishes. Her body began to lightly quiver in fear at the thought of the alpha taking her son away and slaughtering him. She could only stare into nothingness in disbelief for what felt like an eternity before looking back to her youngest son. After one last brief moment, Shining Skybird gently wrapped her mouth around him, picking him up and stretching out to place him in front of Howlite. Fearing what might happen to Swift Storm, Shining Skybird could only stare at her son as though it was the last time she would see him again, but her voice was a quiet whisper that quivered slightly as she spoke to Howlite.

"We don't have much of a choice. Silver Eagle is the last hope. He's standing between Ebon Star and our son."

Howlite remained silent, watching his mate stare at their youngest son. He wanted to say something... ANYTHING to comfort her, but couldn't.
Breathing out a deep sigh when the infant was carefully placed at his paws, again he could think of nothing to say to Shining Skybird... His mind though had decided already, that heaven would fall before he let the Alpha touch his children, though voicing this would only bring more worry than was needed.
Leaning forward, he nudged at his mate's cheek before licking her softly. With a last brave attempt at a smile to reassure her, the soldier gently clasped the child in his mouth, lifting his tiny body and turned to exit the den...

Shining Skybird looked on with a sense of despair and worry as Howlite carried away Swift Storm. All the details of what was happening had not sunk in. A dark spirit residing in her son, Ebon Star considering his death, Silver Eagle performing some sort of ritual; none of it made much sense. There was no way for her to fully comprehend everything that was going on, all she could think about was the safe return of her son.

While Howlite had gone to Shining Skybird, Silver Eagle had made haste to prepare the inside of his den. As Howlite broke the news, Silver Eagle had gone to fetch some water. He had managed to find a tree with loose bark and had torn a piece off. He didn't need much, so with some balance he was able to return with a small pool left. He then went to work blessing the water, praying to BlackWolf to make it pure in order to seal in the dark spirit. Now, all that was needed was Howlite and the pup. Hopefully, both would come.

with heavy steps to accompany a heavy heart, Howlite moved silently across the scattered dug out dens of the pack... their sunken hollows felt like eyes of the earth, watching him as he carried his son to the Spiritual.
So many thoughts flowed through his mind, as the thudding of his heart began to echo loudly in his ears over the eerie silence that surrounded them.
For that short walk, it was only him and the tiny whimpers of Swift Storm...
The father paused as his blue eyes gazed into the open mouth of Silver Eagle's den, wondering just how hungry that gaping hole was?