"Silverclaw: Chapter1" by Debra ´Shadow´ Krause

A lone wolf howled to the night sky.

He raced down the hill toward the forest, his silver fur gleaming in the stars light. There were no moons that autumn night, but that didn't matter, he could see as well as if it were daylight. Larger than the average wolf, with a much longer tail and bigger body, Silverclaw, the lone wolf of Crystal Lake, had summoned the Lady of the Night. Up from the lake she rose, clouded in mist. With hair as black as night and eyes like the blue ice of the North, Lilith walked across the lake to where Silverclaw was waiting.

"Silverclaw," she said, "you have summoned me on a night when two of my children are resting. Why have you done this?"

Using telepathy he answered, "I did not wish for the moon goddesses to witness our meeting." He then led Lilith over to a clearing just alittle way into the woods. "You told me when an evil like no other reappeared on Arlia I would be free of my bonds and would be released to my true form again."

"Yes, that is true," she answered. "What has returned that makes you think that your sleep is finished?"

After a moment he answered, "My lady, when I was in Emerald Valley yester-morn I saw Adrik, the Dragon Mage, enter Thunder Caves."

Lilith laughed. "Adrik has been banished to the other realm my dear. There is no possible way he could return." She stopped, a thoughtful look upon her face, "Unless a god released him from his prison. Where did you say you saw him?"

"He was entering Thunder Caves in the Emerald Valley," said Silverclaw.

"I'll go check that out. I shall return." Lilith turned and walked away, slowly fading into the mist.

Just before dawn she returned, an ashen look upon her face. "It is true. He has returned. Meet me here tonight at midnight. I'll conduct the ceremony and you shall have your true form back. You'll be the silver dragon you once were." She turned to leave. "But remember," she turned her head to face him, "just because you'll back the way you once were, doesn't mean that people will react to you the same. Dragons have thought to be gone for many years now, and with the return of the Dragon Mage, you won't be the only one awakened. Tread carefully, my friend." The Lady of the Night then faded away, for the sun's rays singled her time to rest.

"Thank-you, my lady." Silverclaw headed to his cavern in the hills to prepare for tonight. As his last day as a wolf there were a few people he had to say good-bye to.

"You're going where?!" screamed Anstaria. Anstaria was probably one of the strangest looking people around. She didn't fit in with any species known to anybody, a god being the exception. Her lavender skin, emerald green eyes, sapphire blue hair, and "V" shaped ears stumped every sage, wizard, and sorceress around. She wore a mask of disguises so she could walk around in public.

It didn't help that she couldn't remember anything of her past. The only way she even knew her name was because it was on her spell book. She had tried every method of retrieving her memories but the spells just gave her a headache.

"I told you, I'm going home. Well, not really, but I'm going away and you can't come with me," sent Silverclaw. They never talked about their pasts. Mainly because she didn't remember hers and he didn't want to talk about his.

"How long have we been working together?" she asked.

"Ten years not counting the time you hunted me because you thought I stole your bag."

"Sorry about that. But if a wolf with telepathy spent the night with you and when you woke up the next morning your bag and the wolf was gone, what would you think." She shook her head, "But lets not get off topic. In those ten years you have never told me where you came from or anything about your past. Then all of a sudden you have to go some place and I can't go with you."

"That's the plan," he said.

"Well it's a bad one. There is no way you're getting rid of me that easily. I'm going with you whether you like it or not. And there is no way you're going to stop me," Anstaria sat down in the chair, crossed her arms, and looked at him just waiting for and argument.

He walked up to her, put his head on her lap, gave her puppy dog eyes. "That's not going to work," she said, turning her eyes away. He whined. "Oh, oh alright," she said giving in. "But on one condition."

"What is it?" he asked.

"In one year, it doesn't matter what you're doing or where you are you have to promise to meet me back here. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Shake on it," she said, holding out her hand.

"But what if one of us is dead?" he asked.

"Then we have to send someone we trust to deliver the message and proof that we're dead. That's the only way you're getting out of this one."

"Ok, it's a deal." He put his paw in her hand and it was done.

"Good. Now, where are going? Please, please tell me," she pleaded.

"I can't. To do so might mean the death of me." After a moment he added, "and you."

"Well, I don't know what to say. For the first time in my life, that I remember, I have nothing to say. You take care of yourself, ok." She got off the chair and gave him a big hug.

"You don't have to worry about me, I'll be fine. You have to worry about yourself though. With out me around who's gonna get ya out of trouble." He gave her a big lick on the cheek.

"I won't get into any trouble now that you're gone." She wiped a tear from her eye. "I better get going. I hate long good-byes." She gave him one last hug, grabbed her stuff, and left.

"I'm sure gonna miss that girl," he thought to himself. Silverclaw finished burying what little trinkets he had and headed back for Crystal Lake. It was going to be his last sunset as a wolf.

When twilight came, Silverclaw was already waiting by the shore though he knew that the Lady would not appear until midnight. It gave he time to collect his thoughts and organize his feelings.

Midnight came, and the Night goddess appeared, right on time. Silverclaw got up from is resting place and bowed to his goddess. "My Lady," he said.

"Silverclaw." She looked at him. "You know, I don't have to change you back. If you wish to stay a wolf, I'll have no objections."

"Thank you for the offer, but to feel the wind beneath my wings and cut through the clouds as I fly through the air. If I gave up this chance I know I would regret it for the rest of my very long lived life." he explained.

"I understand," she said. "Well if you're ready then, we can begin." He nodded and laid down at her feet. Whispering some magic words and sprinkling some glittery dust on him, he slowly began to grow. But as he did, his silver fur was being replaced by scales of the shiniest, purest silver. His ears changed to horns, his tail lengthened and grew spikes, and his teeth and claws got bigger and sharper.

When the transformation was finished, Silverclaw was once again one of the biggest, most powerful of the Lady's dragons. Using his dragon magic, Silverclaw tattooed a symbol upon his chest. It had a four pointed star with a smaller star in the spaces encased in two intertwined circles, one black, one gold. This was symbol of the Ironstar Clan.

"You have been the first one to change back. Others will see you and they won't know what's happening. Try to spread what has happened to the others, it doesn't matter their alignment, they all deserve to know." she finished.

"I'll do that." He sighed, "but first, Anstaria. I must tell her what is happening. Adrik will probably come after her. She can't remember him, but he's probably been planning a thousand different ways to kill her ever since he got captured. Now all I have to do is find her." He stretched out his wings and prepared for his first flight in over ten years. "Thank you, my Lady," and he flew off into the night sky, feeling a freedom he thought he had lost forever.