Heather bounced around her leader, The Lady of Saturn, who stood at the edge of the cavern. Denali, the Lady, was exhausted. She had just returned form a failed elk hunt in the Raider Woods. She had been the leader of the hunt and had tried to bring it down, but she had been stepped on and had to be dragged back to camp. "Miss Denali, do you need anything?" Asked Blitz, Heather's best friend, pressing a ball of moss to her crushed leg.

"Just for you both to listen to my final story as a Lady, before I retire as an Elder Magnus. Listen carefully." Denali mumbled.

Heather ventured out and fetched her littermates, Aleka, Lexa and Escobar. As they returned, Denali began.

"This is the story everyone knows, but no one knows."

"The Wolf Spirit."

"The Gnome Queen."

----

Shrub Berry skipped along the path to her house, her mushroom-patterned hat flopping up and down. "Mom!" She called, swinging the door open.

Her mother, Rose, spun around, a pink apron with golden stars printed across it tied around her slim waist. "Oh, Shubble!" She exclaimed, pulling her oven mitts off and rushing to hug her daughter. She pulled back and smiled. "Shubble, how were the mushroom gardens?"

"They were good." Shrub said, putting her gardening sling on the table and collapsing onto her chair. "But during the middle of my Persoveransa Mushroom transplant to the south garden, I was called to the office because apparently I was not following Lady Bluebell's orders." She glared down at her feet and sighed. "I hope that tonight I can go to the wolf stables."

"Well, dear." Said her father, fern, appearing from his office. "You might just manage that."

"No, I won't." Shelby sighed, slumping down.

"How about you get some rest, honey." Rose said.

Shelby nodded weakly, heading to her pallet in the corner. She dragged it outside to the side of the house and lay down.

----

Flames were everywhere. She could feel the heat on her skin. Or was it his skin? He couldn't tell. He gazed around, watching as the Gnome Empire burned to death. A taller gnome with cornflower-blue waist-long hair twisted into a braid and tied on her head, leaving half of the braid dangling, was helping a family of gnomes into the forest.

He leapt up, landing in front of them. "Where are you going?" He hissed.

The cornflower-haired woman raised her arms. "Stay back." She warned.

----

Shelby sprang awake, cold sweat pouring down her face. "MOM!" She screamed.

"Shrub! SHRUB!" Rose shrieked. "Quick! The fire's coming!"

Shelby grabbed her mom's hand, fear flashing through her veins. As they ran, they found Lady Bluebell. "Hurry, my subjects!" She exclaimed, ushering us along the path.

As we bolted down the path, there was a loud thud. "Where do you think you're going?" Asked a violet-red-black demon, it's horns gleaming.

Shrub screamed again and her mother dragged her away into the forest. "Shrub Berry." Her mother whispered. "Go through here." She waved her hand and a portal, glowing with blue energy, appeared. "Be safe, my baby." She shoved Shelby.

Shrub cried as she tumbled through the blue glow, watching her mother's face as the demon turned her to stone.

She landed on unfamiliar grass and everything went black.

----

Shelby woke up, feeling awful. She sat up, gazing around, and took in the strange rainforest-y trees. They were huge, larger than the ones in Shroomeeriea. She crawled towards the large rock at the center of the clearing, but as she began to inch her way into the moonlight, a loud howl resonated across the clearing.

She suppressed a scream of terror as a large wolf, larger than the ones in the stables back home. It was gigantic, with pure white paws and a gleam of pearl dancing over it's long fur. It howled again, before crouching, her nose centimeters from Shelby's face.

"Who are you?" She rumbled.

"Sh-Shrub Shelby Shubble Berry." She stuttered, including each of her nicknames. "Who are you?"

"Ah, it is as I expected." The large wolf straightened, signalling to her pack. "I am Mother Wolf, the guardian of the Moonlight Seers Pack." She leaned down again. "And I have been expecting you."

As Shrub uncurled from her hiding place, a black wolf with piercing blue eyes paced forward. "Mother Wolf, I will do as you have assigned me. I shall be the bodyguard for the Wolf Spirit."

"Shadow, are you certain?" Mother Wolf asked nervously. Shelby frowned. She didn't think the huge wolf could sound like that; so nervous. "You know how dangerous this task will be. Will you protect this gnome from land to sea?"

Shadow stood tall beside Shrub. "I pledge my life to protect this young, as the night kisses the sun. I show my prowess to keep her safe, as I have kept other pups safe before."

He bent down and Shelby put her hand on his head, uncertain of what she had to say. "I thank you for your service to those who came before, and thank you for the service you shall grant me." She said softly.

----

Shelby leapt across the log laying in her path, her wolf mask pressing against her face. She had been living with the wolves for almost 17 years. She was now roughly 115 years old, which was young for a gnome. As she dodged a tree branch, she spotted Shadow in the distance, racing towards her. "My Lady Wolf Spirit!" Yelled Shadow. "You know very well that you must stay in the territory!"

"But Shadow, I want to explore the lands beyond our forest." Shelby grumbled. "Is that so much to ask?"

The pair stared at each other.

Shadow sighed, relenting. "Fine, Shrub." He said. "But I'll be waiting in the forest shadows. If you do not return to the territory by nightfall tomorrow, I will go and find you, and punish you for this offence." Shelby felt worried, but the playful gleam in her bodyguard's eyes made her know that he was kidding.

Shelby raced into a clearing, which was filled with amazing flowers, pulling her mask off. She bent to sniff at one, and a low whistle sounded from behind her. "My, my." Giggled a cat, her inky-blue-black tail waving slowly. "You have a lot of courage to sniff a Love-in-the-mist." She laughed. "It means you'll meet your soulmate soon."

Shelby blushed profusely. "Really?"

"Yeah." The cat smiled, sitting next to her, transforming into a human. "It's how my best friend met his boyfriend."

"Really?"

She laughed. "Yes, really." She said. "I'm Katherine, by the way."

"I'm Shelby." She introduced herself.

"I'm glad I met you Shelby." Katherine said, as the pair watched the sun slowly sink below the horizon.

"Me too." Shelby stood. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, sure." Katherine smiled up at her.

Shelby put her mask back on and raced away. She slipped back into the shadows, leaping onto her bodyguard's back. As Shadow bounded into the forest, he tilted his head up. "How was she?"

Shelby flushed a bit, smiling. "She's...."

"She's great."

----

"Take Lady Shelby's experiences to heart." Denali advised.

"We shall." Heather promised.

"Who knows, maybe someone will make your life like hers?" 

----

Oh my goodness, when did we hit 280 reads? I leave my computer alone for three days and this happens? I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting this!! Thanks, you guys! I appreciate it. As a highschooler, it means a lot to have people read the things I write. I'm having quite the issue with catching up for report cards, finishing projects, Remembrance choir performances, homework and dealing with the crazy people I call friends(I don't mean that, I just mean that they can be a handful at times). 

But I'm hoping you all have good weeks. Wishing you all a thoughtful Remembrance Day!