Shine

In the Darkness turns to Light Series

Chapter One
I was racing down the ice, it was a wonderful day with my sister Robin. My mom named us after the Burn-Sky birds, though we never saw one since it was also Frozen-sky.

We skidded to a stop as we heard a cracking noise.

"The ice is cracking!" I squealed.

My sister started to run the other way but the ice cracked and she ran back to me.

"Jay! Where's momma!" She cried.

I swallowed, I didn't know where our mother; Ficia, was. We just left our little cave earlier and our mother was in there.

"We need to get to the cave!" I said.

Robin felt the ice crack under her paws.

"Run!" I yowled.

We started to run as fast as we could, the ice cracked more until it broke, luckily we got onto the solid snow covered ground, our breath was collapsed out of us, and the frosty wind knocked out the only warmth I had.

But then a blast of heat hit me, I blinked and looked, the sun was shining hard and the snow felt wet and hardly kept frozen.

I shivered. "We need to get to momma."

Robin didn't answer, she was looking at the ice, horrified.

The ice was broken, all scattered across the water, like clouds in the sky.

"Robin!" I yelled and got her attention.

Robin looked to me with sad eyes her mouth slightly open.

Then we ran off, our paws clattering against the melting snow.

Chapter Two
We ran inside the cave.

Ficia, our mother, wasn't there.

"Momma!" Robin cried.

No answer.

Then I remembered, mother told us she was going to go seal-fishing over in the eastern shoars.

"Oh no!" I cried.

We were only cubs, five moons to be exact, and we didn't know what to do.

I bit my lip and my rounded ears twitched. "Momma's at the eastern waters!"

Robin's eyes widened. "We need to save her!"

Before you knew it we were racing to the eastern waters, hoping the heat hadn't gotten to the eastern waters, the center to all the ice.

We already saw our mother, walking carefully on the cracking ice.

We gasped, her huge paws carefully were placed in front of her everytime and she made sure her claws didn't clatter the ice.

I was just glad Ficia was alive.

"Mother!" I cried as she came to us. "Are you ok?"

Our mother nodded. "But Frozen-sky is coming to an end."

Robin looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Burn-sky is when all the snow and ice melt..." She murmured. "And no more cold, only heat."

I shuddered. "That's horrible!"

She nodded. "But now we have to adapt to the melting snow."

Another heat wave shot through me and the snow felt sappy and wet.

I bit my lip.

Burn-sky is going to be horrible.

Chapter Three
I awoke to strangley extreme heat. I padded out of the cave and the snow was only patches on the ground. The sun was shining and it hurt to look at it, the bare trees were growing leaves.

"Oh no..." I murmured.

Robin was already looking at the bare, muddy ground and spat at it growling.

"This is horrible." She growled.

I looked to her and the mud squished through my claws, I shuddered.

I bit my lip. "What should we do?"

"We can't do anything," Ficia said grimly.

I walked closer to her then triped. I tumbled through the mud and into the water. I squealed and dragged myself out.

"I don't remember that being there yesterday." I said and felt a heat wave burst through me. Ficia turned towards us serverly.

"We are going to land now."

Robin and I gasped. We had heard of land but had never gone there.

"Aren't we to young to travel so far momma?" Robin said padding forward.

"Yes, but if we don't go now it'll be to late." Mother said, glaring at the far expanse of water. "Lets go."

Chapter 4

We had been traveling for 3 moons now. Each day it got hotter and hotter, and it got harder and harder to keep going. Mother had caught many seals but we got scared away from almost all of them. As we ran away from yet another white bear I turned toward mother.

"Why do the male white bears keep stealing our prey?" Robin asked weakly.

"Because I have cubs. They know I won't attack with cubs." She turned her head down and growled at me. I was trying to get some milk, even though I knew she barley had any from the lack of food. She snarled once more at me and continued forward.

Suddenly, she stopped. I sniffed the air and then I knew it.

Caribou. Mother raced ahead and we heard a large bellow and a rush of hooves. When we reached mother there were 2 large caribou lying on the ground. I watched eagerly as mother scarfed it down then settled on her side. I crept forward and started to suck the milk when she snarled at me. Robin crept forward and licked mothers chin. Mother growled approvingly and allowed Robin to nurse. I crept forward and licked her chin but she snarled at me. I turned to Robin, who had stopped nursing and was lying down with a full belly.

"Why won't mother let me drink milk?" I wailed, wincing at the pang of hunger in my thin belly.

"Just do something she likes," Robin replied drowsily. I tried multiple things but mother kept on snarling at me. Finally I lay down and forced myself to sleep.

Chapter 5

We woke up early the next morning and started off. I groaned at the horrible pangs in my stomach but kept on walking. Suddenly Robin stopped and sniffed the air.

"Rabbit!" She said excitedly. Mother nodded at Robin approvingly then crept forward. Robin immediately the same thing and left with mother. I heard the low murmur of mother explaining how to hunt and a panicked squeak from the rabbit. Robin appeared with a plump rabbit in her mouth. Mother smiled at her and ate it. She lay on her side and this time she left me nurse for a short time. Then she stood up and shook me off. I was still suckling greedily and fell off with a thud. She trotted forward, her eyes bright and energenic.

Chapter 6

We glanced at mother worriedly. She was laying on her side and was groaning. A day ago she had eaten a seal that smelled a bit off to me and Robin. Now she was laying on her side, groaning.

I, still very hungry, padded forward and drank all her remaining milk. I instantly regretted it. It was sour and rotten in my mouth.

Mother growled feebly and retched. Robin whimpered and I groaned in pain. The foul taste was heavy in my stomach. Mother glanced at us with glazed eyes.

"L-lets keep going." She heaved herself up to her paws, gagging again and spewing out a thick, black liquid. We followed her, our ears laying flat on our heads.

...

We had to stop multiple times. Mother kept falling, vomiting until there was nothing left to get rid of. After a long fit of dry heaving, she turned us, moaning.

"Go.... to land..... find... Kallik...... Yakone..... and there's friends... they will keep you safe...." She whispered feebly and closed her eyes. Robin padded forward and licked mothers nose gently. "We will.... may you dance with the spirts." I sniffed and pressed my head against mothers soft fur.

"Go..." She whispered and whimpered in pain. Robin nodded and gave mother a final lick. Then she turned to me and touched my nose.

"We will get to land, just as we promised mother. We will find Kallik and Yakone and there friends." I nodded and we set off for a tiny brown speck. As we were running I turned back and smelt death. As I watched heartbrokenly I thought I heard mothers voice. "Find them my precious angels...."

Chapter 7

We raced along the icy slush, our noses pointed toward the tiny brown speck. We ran for ages until my legs buckle under me. Robin stopped and looked at me. "Can't We rest" I whimpered. At first it seemed like she's would disagree but then she nodded. I flopped down and closed my eyes.

"Jay! Wake up!" I jumped up and looked around. There was a small rabbit playing at me feet. I had never tried meat yet. I was considering to refuse it until I felt a sharp pang in my belly from the rancid milk. I reached down and scarfed it up. It tasted juicy and rich in my mouth. "Come on!" Robin said impatiently. "Ok, ok," I galloped towards Robin, who was already bounding away.

Chapter 8

I panted heavily and looked at Robin. She was far ahead and was pulling even more farther. I gasped sharply; I had never ran so far and fast before. I winced in pain as my legs protested against being pushed so far.

"R-robin!" I cried weakly,