Whisper often heard the sounds of the wolves howling in the night. He had only ventured close to their den once, but he was much younger and far more easily frightened. He had been scared of the powerful creatures that stood tall, their angry growling and focused gazes on the deer they were after burned into his mind as he remembered the overwhelming emotions of fear and curiosity. Even now, at his full size and strength, Whisper was cautious as he circled the clearing where the wolves lived. He knew he shared blood with them. Their Hyena pelts were the same as the pelts on his littermates and family at his den.

His belly touched the forest floor as he watched the wolves. His silver and black pelt of his silver fox bloodline made him stick out in the greens of the forest. He stood tall as the hunting party for the wolves headed away from their den, and he followed after them silently. He was surprised as the group split apart, heading in different directions. He stalked closer to the one left behind, and he paused as he stepped on a twig, the soft sound almost echoing through the forest.

The wolf in front of him reacted to the sound almost immediately, their ears standing upright and its head turning to look at Whisper. Fear washed over him as the wolf growled as its eyes focused on him, but his thoughts were on the wolf's eyes. One eye was dark brown like the bark of the trees around them, but the other was silver. Whisper turned and ran from the wolf, heading to his family.

"Wilt!" He called as he reached the den.

Wilt, a small hyena-silver fox hybrid, emerged from her den and approached Whisper. She wore a collar of bones and leaves.

"What is it, Whisper?" She questioned.

"I saw it!" Whisper replied.

"Saw what?"

"The wolf with a silver eye!"

Wilt frowned at Whisper's words. She looked up at the cloudy sky, and Whisper watched as her fur bristled.

"The wolf with the silver eye will tie our families together." Wilt muttered, looking to Whisper once more.

"But what does that mean?" Whisper asked.

"One of us will be the wolf's mate. It won't be by choice."

Whisper stared at the Star Teller. Wilt was the Dog Family's connection to their ancestors, and she would soon join them. Another Star Teller would be named after her, and even then, Whisper wouldn't understand the prophecy of the silver-eyed wolf.

"Uprights!" An elder called, racing through the open field the dens were located in.

All of the elders and cubs were moved into the dens for protection, and Whisper stood with Wilt. The Uprights carried a small cage in their hands, and they walked straight to the remaining hyena-fox hybrids. Whisper laid his ears back against his head when he realized they were staring at him. The closest Upright lifted him up, and he was placed inside the cage. Whisper looked outside of the cage, and his eyes fell on Wilt. Her eyes were glistening, and Whisper knew from previous prophecies that her eyes would change if the prophecy was taking place.

~

Whisper was placed into another cage that was along a wall, and the crying and growling of different animals filled his ears. He looked across the space, and he froze when he saw the mound of fur that laid in a larger cage. It was one of the wolves that he had watched in the forest, but he couldn't tell if it was the wolf with silver eyes. He listened to the echoing sounds of feet hitting the floor, and he stepped back in the cage as the Uprights came into view. They stood side by side in front of the wolf's cage, and its ears twitched as it lifted its head.

Whisper gasped as it opened its eyes, seeing the striking silver eye. It got to its paws as the Uprights opened its cage, and it sat still as they put a lead around its neck and pulled it forward. The second Upright looked at Whisper, and he began to tremble as the Upright opened his cage. The first Upright led the wolf to a small room, and Whisper laid his ears back against his head as the second Upright carried him behind it. The Upright removed the lead from the wolf as Whisper was set down on his paws. They both walked out of the room, and the two creatures looked at each other.

"What's your name?" The wolf asked.

"My family calls me Whisper. What is your name?" Whisper asked.

"Beau." The wolf answered calmly.

"Are you given your name by the Star Teller?"

"What's a Star Teller?"

Whisper stared at the creature in front of him. "Wolves don't have Star Tellers?"

"No. Our Queens give the cubs their names." Beau tilted her head. "The Star Teller is who gives you yours?"

"Yes. The Star Teller can read the stars and gets messages from our ancestors. Our ancestors tell the Star Teller what to call the cubs."

"That sounds sort of like our Moon Gazer. Every full moon, the pack's Moon Gazer will sit vigil and speak with our ancestors under the moon. They don't speak with them in front of the pack, though. They go to the High Rocks just up stream from the den."

"Only during the full moon is when you speak with your ancestors?"

"If they wish to speak before that, our ancestors send a sign to the Moon Gazer, and they travel to the High Rocks. It rarely happens."

Whisper found that the she-wolf, Beau, was rather friendly considering that she was in fact a wolf. The longer they spent time in the room, the closer the two became. When the Uprights came back in, Whisper nudged Beau into a corner of the room and growled at the Uprights as they got closer. He couldn't understand what they were trying to tell him, their words unintelligible and merging together as they got closer to the two creatures.

"Whisper, wouldn't it be easier to go with them? We'll see each other again when we're out there." Beau muttered.

Whisper continued to growl, his entire focus on the approaching Uprights. His focus broke as Beau ran her body along his side, and he looked at her.

"It'll be okay. Maybe they'll put us in cages again, and we'll see each other later. We'll even see each other out in the forest. Our dens are close, aren't they?" She asked.

Whisper sighed as Beau rubbed her muzzle against his. He looked to the Uprights and hesitated before he sat down. Both of the creatures were put on leads, and he snapped his teeth at the Upright that tugged on Beau's lead to get her to follow.

"Whisper, please. Don't cause problems." Beau pleaded. "My pack has lost so many due to fighting the Upwalkers."

Whisper growled softly as he let the Upright pull him on the lead. His ears stood up straight when the Uprights led them to a larger cage. Beau stepped in first, and Whisper followed after her.

"When will we get out of here, Whisper?" Beau asked.

"Only the Star Teller and Moon Gazer know." Whisper gave her a loving lick between her ears. "Rest, Beau. I'll make sure the Uprights don't get us."