Stories*

Stories.

The Golden Wolf by Cara Startail stood under a tree he tased the air bat droppings this was his first hunting test he had to do well with a flick of his tail he ran to the trees with the most sent on it he jumped in there air and snaped his bone crunching jaws on some thing hard with a loud snap nothing but a stick bitter gooey taste ran down his throught tree sap " yuk " He muttered and spat it out at once Firefoot would be watching him hoping that she would be ok he tried again this time there was happening a hole heep of bats flew out Startail jumped over and over again he catched three bats he ate them happely chomping on bones the sweet sent of blood lingerd in the forest Star tail new Firefoot would have to be happy. He opend his jaws again brething in the sent blackbird ,fox squirrel ,fish ,Scoorchtail and sheep. Startail new the dangers of hunting sheep many wolves foolish enough to hunt them were often killed by dogs or men some lucky wolves went at night and got away with a lamb once his name was Moosepaw his a elder now but he is still a fighter at heart a grummpy one at least. Startail moved in to a hunting crouch his teeth bared a fox had aperd infront of him staring at him her eyes were full of fright and a wafed of milk flew in to Startails nose the fox was nersing cubs the foxs muzzel was blood spatted her ear was torn and she was limping but as soon as Startails took a step forward the fox lunged at him grownling and taken by surprize Startail was nocked over. he jumped up snarling in rage the fox smurked "now now yough wolf i thought you would be better " she said with a snarlingg smurk " your friend has just given me a hard time and you can wipe that smurk off your face " She was snarling again although Startail had been a tail for 7 days he was bigger than the fox his smurk ternd into a snarl and with his teeth beard he lunged at her the fox flinched and he bit hard on her neck he stayed on her and wisperd in her ear " i may be yough but iam not so dumb to let a enamy go in battel" At the he bit he ear blood spatterd over her head she got up pushing Startail over he got up as quick as lighting and nocked her over she fell down with a thump she was worn out Startail took his chance her riped a small amout onf skin from her bellie and started to digg Firefoot said it was a good fighting skill to a enamy that you were willing to kill slowly. he was digging much faster now he got up and growld "go and dont think twice that youll come back" the fox was to much in pain to node so she just ran of blood spaterd her trail Startail ran of in serch of sheep he go after the foxes dead body after he hade caught his sheep. Startail look at the warter he hadent gotten to the stage were he could swim Startails pack lived in the senter of a huge lake it was easy to swim it becaus it wasnt to deep and there wasnt a current there were 2 other surrounding packs luckely Startail diddnt have to go through any of there terratory hed have to go through the ston path or what dogs call road he thought the stone path was more dramic though then he would have to jump through ripping border what dogs call a barbed wire fence cach a small sheep and run back to his terratory the swim would be long he thought but itll be worth it he jumpt in the warter it was freezing cold and the ground was slippery he forced him selph onward trying not to tern tail and flee he stopet and sniffet the air he could smell sheep even stronger now he raced on ahead then all of a sundden SPLASH Startail had fallen in to a dip in the lake his paaws began to thrassh through the warter trying to reach the air he begain to get tired panicing he begain to inhail warter hoping he was going to sevive he stopt moving his leggs and he soon rose to thre top he was floting !!! he kicked his back and front legs and he paddeld his way to the other side thats when he herd a voice it was gruff and hard "move it you living pieces of fluff". It was a dog it was bigger than Startail a Border collie it had long brown and white fur "I SAID MOVE IT" it was a bark mixed with a growl he could here the sheep now they were close. Star tail was wet the human would smell him he could tell the border collie could smell him because its eyes were in slits and his nose was twitching Startail had to hide. But were ? he looked around despret to find anything to hide in he was stading now the sheep were in sight he ran of the rocky track and dived in a rotting tree a hole was at the bottem it was a tight squeez but he fitted he new he would be seen so he stuck his head out and grabed so reeds only to be spotted by the dog he raced out of the roting tree although he triped in the proces he got up and ran strait in a trap WAM! Startail had run into another border collie it snarled at him the first border collie was be hind him he was tierd from the swim and fight with the fox. He would have to outwit them not out run them."This will be fun" the 2nd dog sneerd Startail beard his teeth worning the dogs not to come closer " I have a secret that you dont wana know" he wornd all 3 animals had the ears flat on there heads the first dog lunged at Startail so he had to tern around and race to his only escape ...... Water, he splash in the water bounding into it untill he couldnt touch the bottem he herd the dog splashing toward him "Rocky no you carnt swim" the worryed voice of the 2nd dog range around Startail //i wish i had my energy power then the dog wouldnt dare come near me// he paddeld forword hering a yelping shreek but Startail wonted them to pay so he ingnord the 1st and 2nd dogs plead for help he was worn out by the time he got to shore he was **REALY** tired but he still had 2 squirrels a mole and the foxes to catch. as he walked into the forest senting for the fox blood he smelled mole he liked his chops and ran into a clearing it was under grownd the earth was sofed and the tunnel was beneth his paws the mole was coming thin way **SMASH** Startail had pownced on the earth and it crubeld to pieaces under his paws the mole as quick but Startail was quicker a moment latter there was a loud crunch and Startails muzzel was coverd in blood as he ate the mole and he raced on again toword the foxes blood trail soon to stop he was tierd so he walked in tunnel following the blood trail the tunnel soon ternd into Fox thicket where a giant fox had lived he lowerd himself down so you could berlly see him and he raced on but not forgeting to keep low he then troted in to a smaller tunnel to fine 12 fox cubs squekin for food there eyes berly opend To be continued

Potion Master By Mr. G Chapter 1
 * __Dan the Magnificent__**

Daniel the Magnificent was sitting on the floor in his kitchen rubbing his head. He had just bumped it on the corner of the kitchen sideboard and was massaging the lump that was beginning to rise near his temple. I can't tell you what he was saying because if I did, your parents would probably not let you read this book, but he wasn't in the best of moods and when that was the case, it was best to keep well out of his way. His servant, Jonas, had heard the thump from where he was busy in the vegetable garden and rushed in to see what had happened. He was dressed in green overalls which were speckled with dirt. He had a purple bandanna tied around his head. "Dan, are you OK? Another fall I see. Do you want me to get you an icebag?" Jonas asked. He didn't quite manage to hide the smirk on his face. "No dumbhead!" yelled Daniel the Magnificent, "Just help me up. And you can wipe that smirk off your face quick smart or I'll do it for you!" Jonas displaced the smirk and helped Dan up off the floor. He started to fastidiously brush flour and dust from Dan's long, brown robe. "Look at you. You look like someone who has just come second in a flour throwing competition." "Stop that you fuss-pot," said Dan, " and pick up that rolling pin before I trip over it again." He pointed to the offending kitchen utensil which was lying on the floor near the kitchen table. Jonas picked it up and put it carefully back onto the bench then quickly left the room and headed back to the vegetable garden. He'd decided that he'd much prefer the company of some carrots right now rather than hang around to have Dan further vent his frustrations out on him. Dan had been baking a fresh batch of invisibility pies flavoured with mango. He was partial to mango and it was difficult to get good mangoes even at the peak of the season. He had just recently run out of invisibility pies and needed some more so that he could use them and sneak down to the village market in Kirl without being seen. Eating one of the pies made you invisible for exactly 58 minutes. When he made invisibility pies he was careful to store them away immediately as a visitor once ate two of them not knowing what they were. He has never been seen again although for a while he was heard moaning and pleading for a cure but even that stopped eventually. Open, on the kitchen bench, was what would have looked like to the casual observer, a cookbook. It was about the size of a small exercise book, covered in soft leather. Unremarkable at first glance it was in fact Dan's treasured Book of Potions, a book packed full of recipes for all of Dan's marvelous potions and other magical concoctions.The recipe for invisibility pies was visible and went like this...

Invisibility Pies. (Number 34) One of these pies will make the eater invisible for exactly 58 minutes. But be warned that they make your body invisible, not your clothes. Wandering around in your birthday suit is quite refreshing on a warm day I have found. Just make sure that your clothes are handy to you after the 58 minutes is up! Ingredients: SHORTCRUST PASTRY 2 cups plain flour 150 g butter 1 tablespoon caster sugar 1 egg yolk 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water frog slime to glaze FILLING 2 ripe mangoes (peeled, deseeded and minced) 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon corn flour Magical ingredients: One 2 day old egg from the nest of a drunken eagle (The species doesn't seem to matter.) 1/4 teaspoon powdered dragon snot sifted icing sugar to serve METHOD Sift flour into a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the caster sugar. Add the egg yolk and enough water to form a firm dough. Knead lightly and chill for at least 15 minutes.Roll out half the pastry thinly on a floured surface and cut out 10 rounds about 7 cm wide. Roll out the rest of the pastry thinner than the first lot and cut slightly bigger circles, about 8.5 cm wide. Oil a patty tin and press the bigger rounds into it.Mix the filling ingredients including the egg and the dragon snot in another bowl and divide this evenly between the 10 patty cases. Dampen the edges of the pastry rounds with water and place the smaller rounds over the larger ones, pressing the edges together. Make a small hole in the centre of each and brush carefully with frog slime.Bake in a preheated oven, 200 degrees C, for 15 to 20 minutes. When cooked, wave your left hand over the pies with a V formed between your 3rd and 4th fingers and say the following magic words, "egritty balconneloy frestible derwant en cood lististhtathith." Note: Obtaining the 2 day old egg of a drunken eagle is a little tricky. Leave a small container of good brandy near the eagle's nest. When the eagle has consumed the brandy, sneak up and pinch the egg. Hope then that it is two days old.These pies are quite delicious when served with a sprinkle of icing sugar and a little vanilla cream. Oh, and never eat two of them in one day or it is quite likely that you shall remain invisible forever! Very upsetting for doting mothers!

One of the book's more peculiar qualities was that the contents of it were only visible to either those that Dan wished, or else someone of particular magical abilities. If anyone accidentally found the book, it would appear quite blank. Dan put the pies to cook in the oven then poured himself a cool drink of hollowberry juice and soda water. He felt a slight nagging pain in his stomach and knew that his old complaint was returning. He was worried that it might take him quickly but knew in his thousand year old bones that he still had some months before his final demise. Dan knew that his time on the earth was nearly over. He needed a replacement to carry on his work. He had been searching for a suitable candidate now for nearly a year and he thought he'd finally found the right one. He was a boy, a goat herder, who lived in the village of Pandigoe, a three day brisk walk from his home in the foothills of Mount Hiraz. He walked to the browsing birdbath to check on his chosen protege. The birdbath was made of white marble and he kept it on his back verandah. He'd bought it at a second hand junkshop and discovered that through it he could see anything in the land of Rominy if he just wished it. Very handy! But even more remarkable, on Wednesdays he could see up to a fortnight into the future. (Why just on Wednesdays Dan had never been able to work out!) He looked into it now and wished to see Bregan Barns. "Ahh. There he is. In the field near his village sitting under a tree, singing; to his goats. He is a strange one, but I suppose there is no-one else to sing to at the moment," thought Dan. He listened to Bregan's song for a while. My lovely ones, my own. Oooo-oo-oo My white-haired, bearded beauties. -oo-oo By night and by day, my beautiful bovidae. Oooo-oo-oo-oo-oo Bregan was accompanying himself on a crookatar, a four stringed instrument used by just a handful of musicians in Rominy. His voice was clear as spring water and the rising and falling notes of his crookatar brought joy and wonder to the listener. Dan was enchanted and even more convinced that his choice of a replacement was a good one. Someone who was proficient at the crookatar would have skills in other areas. Dan waved his hand over the birdbath and the image dissipated. He went to the window and hollered for Jonas. "Jonas, come up here. I have something I need you to do." Jonas put down the hoe he was using and leaned it against the wall of the vegetable garden. He wiped his hands on the towel near the water trough and made his way to the back veranda. "There will be a good crop of carrots this year Dan," he said. "The onions are looking good too and I think..." "Yeah, yeah, OK! You're quite the agrobiologist, I know," Dan interrupted, "I'll be looking after the vegies for the next few days. There's something I want you to do." TO BE CONTINUED...