~Shar! Shar, Hey man!~
~Wait up, you comet on paws!~
*Shooting Star swung to face his two best friends, grin touching the emerald and golden of his muzzle. Just to teach his two closest friends, he lengthened his stride, paws kicking up great clouds of sand as he flew over the Long Dunes. It was an extensive range, massive windblown mountains of sand covering a massive area. Here Shooting Star � known as Shar to friends and family � made his home, living with the pair who were chasing him now*
~Shar! That�s not fair, you�re faster than Bear!~
~Ohoho! So that�s how it is � I�ll let you know, Wolverine, I�m two paces ahead of you, slowpaws!~
*Shar�s face broke into a full grin as he skidded to a stop in another shower of sand, turning to face the two brothers. Bear and Wolverine were twin brothers and had done everything together � including playfight. They rolled around now, barking mock threats and nipping at one another, their white and grey pelts growing sandier and sandier. Shar laughed and he loped swiftly back to them, sweeping a large wave of sand over them both with his forepaw* ~You�re both slow as sloths, compared to me!~ *He laughed, puffing his chest out, hazel eyes glinting. As he intended, this caused both twins to sit bolt upright, ears straight up in indignation* ~Excuse me?~ *They said together. Shar did a neat little caper on his gold and green paws � and stuck his tongue out. With howls of delight and play Bear and Wolverine were on their paws and chasing after their friend once more*
*The three of them were lying in an exhausted tangle in their sand-cave, Wolverine obligingly grooming sand from Bear�s back. Shar leaned comfortably on Wolverine�s side, with Bear batting, ever playful, at his tailtip. They were robust and energetic young Lupines, well matched, Shar as close as a brother to the twins*
~Coming to visit my parents tomorrow?~ *Shar asked the twins, waving the yellow yip of his tail just above Bear�s reach. Bear gave up the game and shook his head* ~Can�t bro, we promised the little sister we�d take her out. You know our mum hasn�t been the best lately, and Jean�s just looking after her all the time. She�s just a pup, she should be out making friends~
*Wolverine shrugged, resting his chin thoughtfully on Bear�s back* ~Nah, but you know she�s happy, brother. I dunno, it�s something about her that just has to help others~
*Bear nodded in agreement as Shar lifted his head from his pillow of Wolverine�s ribcage, ears flicking* ~Well hey, why don�t you invite her along? My parents won�t mind � they put up with frequent visits for your pair all the time, your sister�ll be no problem!~
*Wolverine laughed and Bear swatted good-naturedly at their friend* ~Ah, you know your parents love us!~
*Shar snorted and pulled a rude face at Bear* ~Only because you both eat like it�s the start of a famine whenever mum puts food in front of you!~
*Wolverine made a worse face and cuffed Shar�s side lightly* ~No out fault if you�re a skinny runt!~
*They wrestled good-naturedly for a few minutes, laughing and scattering sand over one another. Their little sand-cave was simple and small, as they spent little time there. The larger main area was just a sandy cavern, bare of anything but a few tree-roots lining the walls and roof. The two smaller sleeping caves were covered with a layer of grasses and moss as beds, and the few possessions the three of them possessed were tucked neatly away into corners. Shar quite liked his little sleeping cave � his was the smallest, as the twins shared the other, and it was very warm in the winter months.
Finally they admitted a tie and truce and lay stretched out in the scuffed -up sand. Bear spoke first* ~I�m sure Jean�d love to come~ *Shar smiled and nodded. They chatted and joked as the sun sank past the horizon outside, sending bars of gold dancing across the Long Dunes and the endless ocean bordering them*
~Four!~
~Five!~
~Four!
~Five!~
~FOUR!!~
*Shar chuckled to himself and blocked his ears to the twins� argument, which seemed to involve who caught more sand-rabbits on their last hunt. They were making their way up one of the tallest dunes. Half-way up the sandy arches of Bear and Wolverine�s family home rose � it was a much larger and grander affair than their small caves. The twins� family had been in these parts for a long time, whereas Shar�s grandfather had moved to the area many moons ago, settling the family into the seaside dunes. There was a yell, a bark, and Shar turned his head to see the twins go crashing back down the sand dune, grappling and trying to bite each other�s ears. Shar watched them roll downwards with amusement, hazel eyes twinkling. They tumbled down the last of the slope of his level ground. A faint, double �ow� drifted up to Shar�s ears and he chuckled softly*
~Are they still at it?~
*He hadn�t even noticed the young Lupine emerge from the opening. It had been a long time since he�d seen Jean, the twins� sister, and she was nearly as tall as he was now. She had always been a pretty little thing, born with black and silver flame-markings engulfing her dark maroon fur. Shar had never noticed her eyes before now, though � they were of the deepest emerald he could imagine, and he found his smile growing as he dipped his muzzle in a polite greeting to her* ~Hi, Jean~ *She smiled back at him, and he grinned slightly as he motioned down the dune* ~Do they ever stop?~
*They laughed, and Jean nodded to the cave* ~Come on in. The boys will probably be a while!~ *He nodded in thanks and stepped aside to enter first. She grinned slightly at his show of manners � her brothers were nothing like their closest friend in that department. Shar blinked, letting his eyes adjust to the light. As with most Lupine homes in the Long Dunes, there was one large central cave with a few tunnels leading away to sleeping chambers and other private rooms. Lying on a low bed of soft ferns � a great rarity in this area � was Jean�s mother. She was no older than Shar�s dam, but certainly looked it. Her face was deeply lined, and her crimson fur was flecked with grey, muzzle and the fur around her eyes nearly white. Raising her head, she blinked near-sighed eyes, a darker green than Jean�s were, and peered towards them* ~Who�s this you�ve brought to visit, Jeanie?~ *She croaked, and Shar made his way to a stand in front of her, lowering his head in greeting as Jean spoke* ~It�s Shar, Mum~
*Shar smiled and sat, tail flicking lightly behind him* ~It�s nice to see you again, Mrs Gray. How are you feeling?~
*She waved a paw slowly and smiled at him* ~Ah, it is always nice to see you, Shar. I wish some of your manners you rub off on my boys! I am much the better for knowing you are taking my Jean out today � she does nothing but care for me, day in and day out~ *She cast her daughter an affectionate glance, and Jean smiled back quietly. Finally the twins had made it to the doorway and crashed inside, laughing and scattering sand everywhere. Bear bounded over to nuzzle his mother as Wolverine swept Jean lovingly into his arms and planted a kiss on her cheek* ~Jean, stop growing, dammit! I can�t end up shorter than my litter sister! How are you, Mum?~ *Bear bounded over to grab Jean, and she swatter tolerantly at him* ~Put me down � don�t make me hurt you!~
*After the hellos and a bit of chatting were past, the young Lupes said goodbye and set off over the dunes once more. They were a cheerful party, joking and teasing each other mercilessly. Shar was amused to find sweet-natured Jean knew as many insults as her brothers � and used them frequently upon the teasing twins. It didn�t take long for the usual playfight to break out, ending with Bear rolling down another dune. Wolverine laughed his head off, waving a paw mockingly in the air as Bear rolled over and over, trying to dig his paws into the loose sand to slow himself down. Jean glanced at Shar with a mischievous smile. He winked. Together they leapt at Wolverine, Shar grabbing his hindpaws out from under him while Jean have his rump a solid shove. Wolverine yelped in alarm and surprise and went skidding down after his twin*
~Aiiiihhhh! You�ll paaaaaaaayyy for that!~ *Laughing wildly Shar and Jean went loping down the other side of the dune and up the next one.
At last they made it to Shar�s parent�s home. His mother waved a cheerful paw from where she sat outside, in front of a small fire going in the sand. A stand of wood had been skillfully constructed to hold a cooking pot, with had a rather nice smell drifting from it. Bear and Wolverine immediately turned into a pair of charmers and showered Ray with compliments, each twisting their necks around trying to see what was in the pot. Shar rolled his eyes tolerantly and shoved Bear aside*
~Hey mum. This is Jean � she�s unlucky enough to be the younger sister of these pair!~ *Ray laughed and nodded at Jean* ~Nice to meet you, Jean~ *She smiled, battling Wolverine�s paw away form the spoon sticking out of the pot. Ray was shorter than her son, and her fur was a deep, lovely shade of bright yellow, fading into lighter cream-gold over her paws and muzzle. A moment later her mate Terran stepped from the entrance of their sand-cave. He grinned good naturedly at the gathering, deep earthen-brown eyes twinkling* ~Aha, I should have known only you twins and my son could make this much noise!~ *Wolverine smiled sweetly and threw an arm around Bear�s shoulders* ~Apologies, sir � Bear just can�t help it, he�s so big and clumsy!~ *Bear promptly turned on his twin, but Shar grabbed his tail and yanked them away form one another, trying not to laugh* ~Hey, no fighting near the food! I�ll be forced to beat the crap outta you both if you wreck Mum�s cooking!~
*They looked horrified at the very notion. Terran focused his keen eyes upon Jean, who dropped her gaze a little shyly, it suddenly feeling beyond her to keep looking into that wise face. Terran�s eyes were like old trees, normal to view at first, yet the longer one did so the more they felt there were great, deep secrets hidden within. A knowing smile touched Terran�s lips, and he lifted Jean�s chin gently* ~You should never hide eyes such as yours, my child~ *He told her softly* ~You must be Jean � it�s a pleasure to meet you~
*Jean nodded, still feeling oddly shy, as if Terran�s eyes had seen straight into her mind. Terran smiled once more at her and went to his mate�s side. In many respects, Jean had not been far form the truth. -A lovely young Lupess, and one who, will discover much about herself in times soon to come,- Terran thought to himself. -There is some deep potential within her, I think, I can feel it through the sands even now. But I cannot realize exactly what it is � her fate lies not only with my element, but with many, and more powers besides those.-
Terran was one in many a long line of earth elementals, with a lifelong connection to the very ground beneath his paws. All three of his sons, of which Shar was the youngest, would experience this connection to some extent. Shar, as yet, showed little of his elemental link to the earth � but Terran had noted the symbolism of his fur colours the first time he saw him. His own coat was the exact same shade of emerald, patterned with darker forest-green vine markings along his legs and down his tail. While Shar was minus these markings, he did have many yellow markings, the bright yellow of his mother. She was a differing type of elemental. Ray was of the stars, and Terran laughed sometimes to think of it. He liken her to an angel, some half-mythical being whose life followed the pinpricks of light so far away it was barely in the comprehension of normal Lupes. Ray had come to the earth from the sky long ago, wounded in a battle of her fair people and those dark being every warring with them. A young Terran had heard the cries of the earth where she lay dying and tracked them to her, taking her back to his den and caring for her. Her beautiful wings of golden had been destroyed, and now there was no trace she had ever possessed them. Her broken bones and torn muscles healed well under his care, and few knew about the scars under her long fur. He had fallen in love with her, not daring to tell her as he helped search for any other of her star-kind � but none were on earth, and she could not communicate with them. It had taken a long time before true feelings emerged, and Terran learned that Ray was as much in love with him as he was with her.
With their union came the blending of two elements and a bond that would, could, never be broken. Terran was drawn to the fate of the stars, and Ray now was earthbound and could not return to the skies. Their first two pups were well into their adulthood now, and had left long before Shar�s birth to seek different lands with their parent�s blessings.
Terran had long suspected that Shar was a blend of both he and his mate, connected to the stars and to the earth, balanced perfectly with both elements. He had always been very capable and sure of things, another clue Terran tucked away in a corner of his mind. Just like Jean, he felt his son had a great untapped potential within him*
*The meal was served, much to the delight of the twins. They wolfed down Ray�s cooking as if a ten-season famine were about to start, but Ray only laughed and insisted it was their to be eaten. For another hour or so the two families sat outside on the sand-dune and talked of many things. The sun passed midpoint and started it�s slow decent down to the horizon, and at last Shar, Jean and the twins made their farewells and set off across the warm sand together, bellies full and hearts light*
*Shar lifted his muzzle and inhaled deeply. The relentless crash of the ocean before him was a vast mystery to Shar. The ground under his paws he knew, the stars he was comfortable with � but this endless plain of water was simply untouchable, and alluring to Shar because of it. For many miles behind him stretched the Long Dunes, the homes of he and his friends, his parents, and their parents, and many other Lupines within. Shar stepped off the last row of dunes down onto the finer-grained sand of the ocean beach. It too, stretched either side of him until it faded into hazy distance. This truly was an immense landscape of sand and water, and little else.
Shar was alone, a rarity. The twins were with their mother, to give Jean a day to herself. As his hazel eyes swept the scene he suddenly noticed a figure down by the water, and a familiar one at that. With a smile he went loping down to where the ocean and the sand met*
~Jean, hey!~ *She turned with a smile, her tail swinging gently behind her* ~Shar, hello. I wasn�t expecting to find you down here � it�s strange to see you away from my brothers!~
*He grinned slightly and dropped to his haunches beside her* ~Yeah, I like visiting the sea every now and again � when the terrible twins release their death-grip on me!~ *He joked, and she laughed and nodded* ~Do you swim?~ *The question surprised Shar somewhat. For some reason, he had never thought of it before* ~Not usually, no� I�ve actually never tried~ *He admitted, ears flicking sideways somewhat sheepishly. She smiled at him, her emerald eyes twinkling brightly* ~Well, there�s a first time for everything. Come on!~ *Without further ado she rose gracefully to her paws and trotted down to the water. Shar watched with some surprise as she padded in, the waves sweeping back her long fur. With some apprehension, Shar stood and followed her. The water was colder than he expected and he jumped slightly. Jean laughed softly from a little further out, where the water had risen to her neck and she was paddling to stay afloat whenever a wave swept by* ~Relax a little, Shar. You�re not about to be roasted and served up on a plate, you know~
*He laughed a little himself and lowered his muzzle to the water, finally stepping out so it was knee-deep. Wading further, out towards Jean, he was surprised to find there was a natural buoyancy to the water and keeping his head in the air was easy. He fell into every canine�s natural dog-paddle, and swan over to Jean, a touch of pride in his grin* ~Hey, this isn�t so bad!~
*She grinned back at him and dived underwater. Shar blinked* ~Hmm. Think I�ll stick to the surface for now�~
*After their swim, Shar and Jean made their way up a small nearby dune and lay on top of it, letting the heat of the afternoon sun dry the dampness from their coats. Shar blinked drowsily in the warmth, rolling lazily over onto his belly, four paws curled in the air. Jean laughed at the sight and prodded his belly gently with a hindpaw. He promptly grabbed it between his forepaws and nipped playfully at her toes, and she yelped and wriggled around to swat at him. He grabbed hold of one of her forepaws and tugged teasingly, pulling her sideways over the sand. Trying not to laugh, she pulled free of his grip and pounced at him, a playful light in her gaze. Instead of moving he made a small jump and caught her as she landed, both laughing and tumbling to the ground, sand flying everywhere. When the dust settled Shar found his muzzle only an inch or so away from Jean, one foreleg still wrapped around her shoulders. Suddenly shy they both pulled away form each other, smiling awkwardly and not quite meeting one another�s eyes. Jean broke the silence as she glanced out over the water* ~Oh, wow� Shar, look~
*He did. The sun had fallen further and touched the horizon, sending a wild, shimmering pillar of gold out along the ocean waves. It stretched straight towards the two Lupines, and for a long while they just sat side by side, shyness forgotten in the unexpected sharing of nature�s glory. As the sun sank lower transparent bars of light arched off into the fading blue of the sky, and the clouds drifting above were edged with a brilliant white-gold*
~It�s beautiful~ *Murmured Jean, captivated by the scene. Shar turned his head. Shadows of golden reflected in her awed gaze, the golden of the sunset shimmering off her ivory face and chest and darkening her maroon slightly* ~Yes~ *He agreed softly. Her eyes turned up to his, muzzles close to one another once more, and this time without any trace of shyness*
*Their love was something both pure and true, and somehow all those that looked at them together knew it. There was just something profoundly deep in their feelings, so it was easy to believe they would always love one another, no matter what.
Shar supported Jean steadfastly through good times and bad � one of the worst for them both being when Mrs Gray finally lost the battle with her illness. Jean and the twins alike were devastated, and Shar was there for them.
Jean moved in with her mate and her brothers, they got along as they always had � with good humor, long-lasting tolerance, and deep affection and love for one another. They were nothing short of a family, Shar, Jean, Wolverine and Bear.
They grew from carefree adolescents to adults � still as carefree, spirits as free-flying as ever. Their small sand-cave home was warm and welcoming, and their hunts and games still echoed through the Long Dunes.
