^Dodge, by Thunder

My once risen pelt smooths back down to flat, and I stand with wide eyes.

"S-Storm?" I manage to choke out, my lungs aching from the sprint.

The blue-grey wolf smiles, her silver eyes glittering.

"Yes, Cadmium. I am, in fact, Storm." She tells me in a soft, friendly tone, almost as if she's talking to a pup.

Many thoughts whirl through my mind, deep forgotten memories resurfacing of the games that I would play with my friends as pups. We would recreate the stories of when the Alphas settled in the forest after years of being nomadic, one massive Pack separating into four. I would always get cast as Storm, as I was only female in the group who played that game. I am almost enveloped in these soft, happy memories before I pull myself back into the real world. Or, well, dream world.
I keep forgetting that this is a dream. It seems so real, and I've been stuck in here for longer than I've ever been. I wish I could wake up. I'd feel much safer around Dodge.

"Don't be too worried about Whitetail and Bearclaw, Cadmium. They're good wolves. But tensions are high between them right now. There was bound to be a fight sooner or later." Storm reassures me.

"Storm, what was Bearclaw trying to tell me? Which wolf is going to betray us? Why was Whitetail so angry about him trying to tell me?" I ask, many questions spilling out of my mouth. I need these answers.

"Slow down, that's a lot of questions. I'm afraid that I shouldn't answer your first. There are laws of this afterlife, and I do not wish to break them. It pains me, but I will not. And as for Whitetail's anger, well, I only assume he feels the same way. He's always been very strict on rules." She explains.

I'm starting to panic again. I need to tell Alpha who is going to betray the Pack. If I don't find out, wolves could die. And that isn't on my list on things I want to happen.

"Please, I need to know who is going to betray us. I don't want anyone else to die." I beg.

Storm looks very pained by my pleading, but steadies her uneasily lashing tail.

"I'm sorry."

"Not even a hint? Like, could you say their fur color or something? The first letter in their name? Their favorite prey?" I ask desperately.

"We're already breaking so many rules telling you that danger is coming. I can't tell you much more." Storm says sorrowfully.

"Why did you even choose to stalk my dreams if you won't even help me?!" I burst out angrily. It's not fair that they dangle the prize so close to my face, only to pull it away.

"It's a long story, Cadmium. But I will tell you what I must. We have not visited the dreams of a wolf in many generations. We haven't needed to. But now, times are going to get a lot harder for you. More odds are getting stacked against you. Even I was surprised when Whitetail proposed the idea of visiting a wolf again. It had been so long, the wolf we had last visited is with us now." She starts to explain, eyes growing distant as I assume she is remembering the wolf they spoke with long ago.

I take a deep breath, composing myself. My fur had been pricking up, and I allow it to smooth down again.

"Why me?" I ask suddenly, my amber eyes snapping into focus, even though one of them cannot even see. The clouded pupil is staring directly at her blindly.

Storm smiles, brushing her silver tail against mine in a friendly manor.

"Oh, Cadmium. If only I could tell you why. But now it's time to return to your own world." She whispers, and my vision starts to blur as the fog grows even thicker around us.

The dream is fading, but she didn't tell me why. I try to fight it, to go back to sleep, but I can't. The fog transitions to snow, the darkness of early morning, and a particular black and white dog's face.

"Cadmium! What's wrong?" He asks immediately.

"Huh?" I reply groggily and confused.

"You were barking in your sleep. And talking. You sounded terrified."

"It's nothing." I mutter, stretching.

"You sure? It was pretty morbid. Lots of death. Who's Storm?" Dodge asks curiously.

"Nobody. It was just a dream." I assure him.

Maybe it was a dream, I add silently.

"You seemed super freaked out!" Oak adds in suddenly. I nearly forgot he was here.

I force myself to chuckle. Although I usually enjoy being around Dodge and Oak, their presences are pushing down against me like the fog in my dreams.

"Really. It's fine." I assure them both before getting to my feet.

I shake the snow out of my grey and white pelt, bits of ice flying in all directions. We don't take long to get ready, and are off on our journey quickly. We're already across the river, meaning that we're not too far from the Bearclaw Uplands. We'll be there after half a day of running.

The trees on this half of the river grow close together, their leaves obscuring the sky. Roots twist through the snow, so we have to be careful with our footing. Oak runs several feet in front of us, occasionally tripping and falling, but getting right back up before we can even get to him. Dodge runs up beside me, matching my pace we race through the forest.

"Hey, was everything okay last night? You've been talking in your sleep a lot lately, but last night you were whimpering and trying to run. What was that all about?" He asks casually.

"It's going to sound really stupid when I say it, you have to promise not to judge me." I reply, lifting my foot at the last second to avoid a twisted root, briefly faltering.

"Sure."

"I'm pretty sure the four original Alphas are talking to me through my dreams." I spit out.

Dodge looks pretty surprised, but at least he doesn't laugh.

"I told you it was stupid. But... it's been said that our ancestors will come to us in times of need, and it just seems so real." I continue.

"You know, if you were anyone else, I'd just say you're crazy. But you're probably the sanest canine I know." He points out.

"Thanks, it means a lot." I reply sarcastically.

"Okay, okay. What have they been saying?" He questions more seriously.

"At first it was just Whitetail, and he didn't even say anything. The second time, he just said that I was 'doing so well,' and that there was a wolf in our Pack who wasn't to be trusted." I begin to explain.

"Wow. Who is it?" He asks with sincere curiosity in his voice.

"He wouldn't say. But last night was when it got... weird. Another Alpha, Bearclaw, showed up. He said that he was going to tell me who the wolf who would betray us is, and Whitetail didn't want him to. He attacked him before he got a chance to say anything. I ran off while they were fighting, but Storm, another Alpha, followed me and calmed me down. She was friendly. I tried to ask her who the traitor was, but she wouldn't tell me either. Then I woke up." I continue, not slowing my running speed.

"Wow. That's a lot." Dodge says quietly.

I nod, agreeing with him. Oak, who I had nearly forgotten about, slows his pace to run next to us.

"What are you talking about?" He asks loudly.

"Nothing, Oak." I reply quickly.

There's no reason for Oak to know any of this. He'd either be scared, or find it amazing. Neither of these responses are very good for me. Luckily, I find a way to distract him when the strong scent of Bearclaw Uplands territory markers hit us. The area is beginning to slope upwards drastically.

"Markers. We're very close. If we run into any patrols, make sure to be careful of what you say." I suggest.

Bearclaw Uplanders are known for their hostility. Even if not all of them are like that, it can't hurt to be careful. Unfortunately, neither Dodge nor Oak get a chance to process what I said. With incredible speed, a wolf leaps out of the underbrush and pins me to the ground. The wind is knocked out of me, and I'm rendered basically paralyzed.
Dodge leaps at the attacker, barking threats, but another wolf leaps from the shadows and throws him to the snow, pinning him in the same way I'm being held. The third wolf that appears goes straight for the terrified Oak, only needing one paw to hold him still. Once my breath comes back, I'm able to speak. But I'm too mad to try and be polite like I'd originally planned.

"GET OFF OF ME!" I snarl loudly, still struggling.

A fourth wolf pads out of the bushes, much slower than the other three. His frame is very large, taut muscles bulging beneath dark brown fur. He first approaching me, leaning down and looking me in the eyes.

"Why are you in our territory?" He growls.

"GET HIM OFF AND I'LL EXPLAIN!" I snap, teeth bared.

The wolf stays silent for a moment, considering whether or not to let me up. He complies begrudgingly, nodding at the wolf who's holding me down. The solid grey wolf steps back, and I leap to my feet immediately.

"If you move one inch, I will not hesitate to attack. Tell us why you're here." He threatens.

Dodge snarls and barks from underneath his assailant, clearly outraged by the threat.

"We're from the Whitetail Valley Pack. Our Alpha has a proposition for yours, so we need to speak with him. We mean no harm, so please let them up." I explain, forcing back my anger from being pinned.

"You felt it necessary to bring a dog and a pup...?" The brown wolf questions, clearly judging me.

"Dodge is one of us, and we didn't expect for Oak to be put in danger by your Pack. Now please let them up." I reply.

He nods at the wolves pinning down Dodge and Oak, and they quickly release them. Oak scrambles beneath my legs to hide, and Dodge pads over next to me. His tail is held high, and he's glaring daggers at the Bearclaw Uplanders.

"Come with us." The brown wolf tells us flatly.