Legends Never Die/Season One/Ep.1

# **Season One | Wolves**

## **Episode 01 | Great Pup Race**

***//THIS EPISODE IS IN THIRD PERSON VIEW (following Petal, of course), UNLIKE THE REST TO COME!//***

Petal was absolutely sure that she wasn’t good at anything. As a Swiftern pup, she was supposed to be of the fastest wolves in all of Sheabiasan. But she wasn’t fast at all. She was maybe the slowest in her Clan. Petal pawed the ground, her eyes reflecting nervousness. Today was the GPR, which stood for Great Pup Race. Petal was going to lose. That was a simple fact.

“Is everyone ready?” SwiftRaven asked. SwiftRaven was Petal’s mother. She was also the Alpha of the Swifterns. She had to put a pause on being Alpha to take care of Petal, Shy, and Ripple, her pups. So SwiftRaven’s mate and Petal’s father, CrowFoot, had taken over as Alpha.

“Yes!” Everyone called. Everyone except Petal. Petal stayed quiet. Shy suddenly appeared besides Petal.

“Don’t be nervous. I’ll pretend to be slower.” However shy that Shy was, she was definitely the best slightly older sister a pup could ask for.

“Okay. Thank you.” Shy nodded. SwiftRaven looked out over the crowd. Her eyes connected with Petal. SwiftRaven’s eyes narrowed. Petal looked away from her mother.

“Ready… GO!” Ripple took off first, his paws pounding the ground. What a show-off of a brother! Dart took off a second after. Petal was hesitating, she knew. Shy nudged her, and Petal took off in a sprint. Still, she was falling behind. Petal looked behind her. Shy was walking, maybe jogging. Petal kept on sprinting. It was a race around camp, which was three miles around the circle. Petal knew this because she was good with calculations and math. But of course, this wasn’t a good enough skill for a wolf. As she ran, Petal calculated. A run around camp. Three miles. Shy was on to something! Petal slowed to a jog to match Shy’s pace.

“Shy, keep your pace. I have an idea!” Petal told her sister, a smile finding its way onto her face. Shy grinned at Petal.

“I thought it was about time.”

“See, the race is three miles. And everyone else is sprinting right?” Petal closed her mouth quickly as they passed FlickerTooth.

“Go on, Shy! You can beat Petal, at least!” FlickerTooth called. Shy shot FlickerTooth a nasty look. FlickerTooth hated Petal, and wasn’t afraid to voice it. Petal looked away.

“You were saying?” Shy asked when they were out of earshot of FlickerTooth. “Something about three miles and sprinting?”

“Right. Well, if this race is three miles and everyone is sprinting, eventually, they’ll slow down. They don’t have good stamina. So when we catch up after they’ve slowed down, we can run for the finish. Probably come in second and third.” Petal finished.

“No.” Shy said.

“What?” Petal was confused. Didn’t Shy want to come close to winning? The only one who would probably beat them was Ripple!

“No. If it’s down to me, we’re beating Ripple and you’re getting first!” Shy exclaimed. They passed the one mile mark. BlackJaw was there, cheering them on.

“Keep going! Two more miles!” Petal gave BlackJaw a grateful nod. She hoped BlackJaw would be her Trainer, so she could become a Sprinter like him. Unless.. She became Medic of course.

“First?” Petal asked Shy. Petal had never come in first before. Besides that one math competition to see who could make a completely accurate scale model of the camp. Complete with the wolf dens and all.

“First!” Shy repeated. Shy swerved to the left and Petal swerved to the right to avoid Hay, who was already slowed down to a walk. “You came up with this idea. I’ll be second. Maybe Ripple would be third.” Shy and Petal fell into a silence as they jogged on. Petal couldn’t believe that they were actually going to win! They passed SpotHeart, the two mile marker.

“You can do this! Only one mile left to go!” SpotHeart called. A smile worked its way onto Petal’s face as she realized that she and Shy only had to get ahead of Dart and Ripple to win. Unfortunately, they were the fastest of the pups, though Ripple was faster than Dart.

“Look! Your plan is working!” Shy whispered as they swerved to avoid Dart, now slow-jogging. Dart barked at Petal and Shy, but Petal didn’t look back. She was going to win a race! For the first time!

“Come on, almost there! Three miles! Sprint for the finish!” Vixen, a trainee, called. Vixen was marking the three miles. This meant they were almost at the finish! Petal squinted. She had suddenly spotted a little black dot. And was that… a red line? Petal guessed it was her father, CrowFoot, marking the finish. Though Petal didn’t seek approval, she could imagine how proud her father would be of her once she won this race.

“It is!” Petal could see Ripple ahead, his muscles straining as he struggled to keep his sprint going. The red line was bright against the dawning sky.

“On your call, we sprint.” Shy told her. Ripple, not noticing Petal and Shy behind him, slowed to a jog. The line was only a few feet away now. Ripple seemed to be huffing and slowing down.

“Sprint now!” Petal told Shy. The two started to sprint, and just in time too! When Ripple saw Petal and Shy only slightly behind him, he tried to sprint to beat them, but the two girls were too fast, and his limbs were too tired.

“Thank you again,” Petal whispered to Shy as Shy pretended to fall behind. “For everything.” Shy blinked at Petal, Shy’s way of showing that she cared.

“For what? You got here by yourself.” Petal smiled and was about to reply, but Shy was too far behind to hear anyways. Petal ran hard. Her limbs started to ache. The finish was 3 feet away. Petal was almost completely sure that she wasn’t sprinting anymore. Only running. 2 feet. Petal was absolutely terrified. She was now at a jogging pace. Petal checked behind her. Satisfied when she saw no one but Shy, Petal kept going. Until her brain registered Shy’s horrible warning face. Petal turned around just in time to see Ripple pass right next to her, back to sprinting.

"You will *never* beat me, you slow, fat *rat*!" Ripple spat. Petal slowed, surprised by this sudden outburst of anger. Ripple easily overcame Petal. One foot. Petal tried, she really did, but there was no beating Ripple. She knew that. When Petal was only 6 centimeters away from the finish, Ripple ran through it and broke the red ribbon.

“RIPPLE WINS!” CrowFoot called. “As expected.” He whispered to Ripple. Petal could hear, only because she was two centimeters away now. Petal crossed the finish and CrowFoot screamed.

“PETAL IN SECOND! WHAT A FEAT!” CrowFoot hollered. But CrowFoot also gave Petal a confused look, one that concealed hatred. Of course CrowFoot wouldn’t really mean it. Petal hoped he had, though. Then Shy crossed the finish line.

“SHY IN THIRD! Wait- is this right? Shy, Petal beat you!” CrowFoot whispered this last part. Petal looked away from her father. Could this world be any more cruel? Only Shy, the elders, BlackJaw, and sometimes her mother, liked her now. SwiftRaven came up from behind them, and stood next to CrowFoot. CrowFoot rested his tail on SwiftRaven’s back, the wolves’ sign of affection between mates.

“What’s going on?” SwiftRaven asked softly. CrowFoot explained the situation. SwiftRaven looked absolutely horrified at CrowFoot’s explanation.

“So Petal beat Shy in a race?” Petal looked at her mother, who met her eyes. SwiftRaven’s eyes were calm, relaxed. “Big deal! I don’t see why you’re so upset!” CrowFoot groaned, slipped his tail off SwiftRaven’s back, and stalked into the Alpha’s den. SwiftRaven rolled her eyes.

“I’m sorry Petal. Your father thinks..” SwiftRaven trailed off and didn’t finish the sentence. “Come on, my pups. We’ll celebrate with a feast of deer and moose!” SwiftRaven started to jog off towards the Food Den, where prey was stored.

***//For context, the Food Den also acts as a sort of restaurant for the wolves. They can get take-out, or stay to eat a meal with family or friends.//***

Ripple stuck his tongue out at Petal and continued on. Shy passed Petal and blinked once, twice, three times. That was their code for “I’m sorry.” Petal nodded and she, Ripple, Shy, and SwiftRaven, continued on to the Food Den.