Star's Tales Chapter 7:Tears of Sorrow and Hope

Story by Chakat_Starpelt on SoFurry

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#7 of Star's Tales

Here we have one of the saddest chapters I have written to date....this was very very hard for me to write...I can not express how much it tore away at me to write this one. But I hope you all enjoy.


The weeks following Starpelt and Krano's graduation from the police academy were full of excitement. Wildheart and Starpelt announced the next morning that Wildheart was carrying Starpelt's cub. This led to a lot more celebrating by the wolftaurs. Wildheart got in touch with the trainers and managers of the Interplanetary Mixed Martial Arts league to schedule a press conference to formally surrender hir title since shi could not compete while pregnant. Blizzardpaw had promised to be on hand for the birth of hir first grand cub. All in all the time spent in the Wolftaur village was a lot of fun for the chakat family.

But all good things eventually had to come to an end and a return to everyday life was an inevitability for all of them. For Sapphire it was a return to hir work with Star Corps; For Ruby it was off to another photo shoot. Icepaw would be going to try to record another album to make it big in the music business. As for Starpelt hirself well shi and Krano received their orders. Both were surprised to find out that they were now assigned to a SWAT unit now, they were ordered to report to the SWAT Precinct in three days to begin their training and to get their new gear and assignments. For now though they had time to themselves which was rare.

Krano was the one to wake Starpelt up that morning, usually it was the other way around but Star and Wildheart had been celebrating their successful attempt for a cub, for the third night in a row. The sabertooth chakat was an amazing lover and could get every bit as rough in bed as Krano. Which was something that Starpelt deeply enjoyed surprisingly. When Starpelt woke shi smiled up at the big wolfy grin of hir wolftaur mate. "Hmmmm now that is a wonderful way to wake up." Shi said and reached up to rub hir hands through his thick gray fur.

Krano just chuckled down at his mate. "Oh are you finally up? I thought I was going to have to dump you in the shower before I got you out of bed." He licked hir cheek and stood up giving hir a good look at his underbelly.

"Hmmm oh don't blame me that Wildheart kept me awake, of course we invited you to play too but you said you were too tired." Shi playfully goosed Krano with hir tail rolling away from him before he could retaliate. Krano just grinned at his mate as shi searched around for hir top that shi had discarded the night before. Shi held up the top and hir ears drooped. There were some very obvious claw marks in it. "Oh wow...I guess we did get a bit wild last night, it's a shame I liked that top."

Krano rolled his eyes and padded over to the dresser tossing his mate another top. "You two need to go easy on those tops or you're gonna have to walk around naked, not that I mind that but I think the neighbors would be a bit shocked to see you two topless."

Starpelt just rolled hir eyes as shi put on the new top, it was one of hir silk tops and felt smooth and cool against hir fur. "Thanks hun we'll try to be more careful." Shi walked over to the mirror and took a look at hirself in the mirror. "By the way, how is your little sister doing today?" Shi asked curiously, shi couldn't explain why but shi couldn't stop thinking about the little chakat cub being raised by wolftaurs.

Krano's ears perked up as he looked up from buttoning up a shirt across his broad muscled chest. "Starfield? Shi is doing very well when I went to visit again the other day. Shi asked about you when I was there. From what mom says shi's been talking nonstop about you since the party." Krano grinned at his denmate. "Sounds like someone has an admirer, not that I can blame hir really, you are a very wonderful 'kat."

Starpelt was about to tease him on the sappy end to that sentence when shi heard Wildheart's voice from the kitchen calling hir. "Starpelt your mom's on the comm for you." Starpelt's ears perked up and shi dashed down the hall to take the call...

Wolf Cloak Nature Preserve

The forest outside of the wolftaur village was noisy today, the sounds of birds calling to each other through the treetops, the sounds of small animals scampering through the bushes, and of course the sound of larger predators stalking among the trees. The forest was full of life, but there was another sound in the forest for those who could distinguish it from the sounds of wildlife around it. It was the sound of a young chakat cub padding through the woods almost silently after hir wolftaur father. Starfield was doing hir best to be as quiet as hir adoptive father, who was moving as silent as a ghost through the forest, the male wolftaur was very large, towering over many of the other wolftaurs in the pack. This was to be expected from the Alpha of the pack, he had to be strong, fast and skilled to maintain his position as Alpha in the pack.

Kayden looked back over his shoulder easily spotting his adopted daughter through the bushes. The bright red hair of young Starfield stood out among the greens and browns of the tree's showing the young one's passage very easily. "You're making more noise than usual little pup." He said with his growling voice.

Starfield stopped dead in hir tracks hearing that and sighed. "I'm sorry papa." Shi said as shi padded forward to where the large wolftaur was waiting for his daughter. The young starry speckled chakat stopped next to the wolftaur and looked up at him. "I guess I wasn't paying proper attention." Shi said and shifted on hir paws. Kayden had always drilled into both his children's heads that when going out into the forest of the preserve to pay attention to the forest around you because even to wolftaurs the forest could be dangerous if they dropped their guard.

Kayden nods as he looks down at Starfield and tilted his head. "Yes I have noticed your distraction lately. Ever since Krano's party you have been preoccupied. Are you alright Starfield?" Kayden knew that the young chakat faced a lot of identity issues but in his eyes his daughter was just another pup, shi might have a different body but shi was raised as a wolf and it showed in hir spirit.

The young chakat cub laid hir ears back and looked up at hir father. "I'm fine pappa, I just haven't been able to stop thinking about Starpelt, Krano's mate. Shi said I was a chakat. but I feel like a wolftaur pappa." Shi looked up at the large wolftaur and gave a soft whine. "What does it mean to be a chakat?"

Kayden tilted his head gazing down into his pup's eyes for a moment. "Being a chakat is somewhat about your body, and somewhat about your mind. I think the only real thing that will be different for you pup is that chakats need to be close and intimate with other chakats, it is much the same as a pack, we all need our pack, we lean on the pack when times are hard, but chakats need to feel the love of another chakat, the love helps keep them steady. But you are strong and no matter what your body or mind's needs are you are a wolftaur in spirit and that can not change little one, it's part of you. Someday you will have your own pack of this I am sure little pup, now come lets go and I will teach you more of the forest today," He said as he led his pup silently through the forest.

The next thre days flew by for Starpelt and Krano as they made ready to start their new assignment. Starpelt's mother surprised them with the announcement that shi was expecting a cub now as well, much to the delight of Starpelt and hir sisters. Wildheart was still training every day but now at a much slower pace and many of hir exercises were removed from hir routine due to doctors orders, so shi was now having to find other ways to occupy hir time while shi was pregnant. So shi turned to cooking, and it turned out shi had a natural flair for cooking, especially barbecuing.

The morning of their first day with the SWAT team dawned cold and gray, the sky overcast, and the wind blowing a chill breeze in the air. The alarm was blaring beside their bed and Starpelt fumbled to shut it off hir eyes blurry as shi finally found the snooze button and tried to fall back asleep. However shi was unable to nod back off due to Wildheart entering the room and calling out. "Oh no you don't lazy bones, get your tail up out of bed I already got your coffee fixed."

Starpelt sighed but looked back up and sure enough Wildheart held a mug of coffee in hir hands smiling softly at hir saber toothed mate shi pushed hirself up off the taur bed and stretched. "Ugh why is it I always have to get up so early." Shi complained only half half heartedly as shi took a sip of the coffee that Wildheart brought for hir. Shi reached out with hir prehensile tail and swatted Krano on the rump causing the wolftaur to yelp and jerk awake. "Up you get love we both have a busy morning ahead of us."

Krano sighed and nodded as he got to his paws as well smiling at Wildheart. Starpelt gave him a good morning lick kiss and a nuzzle before pushing him towards the shower. "Get your shower first, you take the longest in there and we need to get our tails moving." Shi told him with a grin.

He laughed but wisely did as he was told heading for the bathing room, he looked over his shoulder and grinned at Starpelt. "It might be faster if you joined me." He said with a wolfy grin on his muzzle.

Starpelt rolled hir eyes and laughed at him. "We don't have time for anything like that this morning lecherous wolf." Shi said teasingly throwing a shirt at his retreating form. Shi walked over to the closet and grabbed a police department work out shirt for both hirself and Krano, they had been told that they would be receiving new badges and uniforms for their new stations today but would be going through a lot of additional training in the weapons and tactics used by the SWAT units.

Wildheart smiled and hugged hir mate from behind licking hir cheek. "You guys will be fine, you have worked so hard for this. Given a few weeks you'll probably be running the unit." Shi said teasingly reaching for one of hir mate's few ticklish spots just a few inches above hir tail.

Starpelt yelped at the tickling and spun around to put hir ticklish spots out of reach of hir denmate. Shi grinned at Wildheart and licked the saber tooth chakat's nose playfully. "Oh I know we will be fine, not to sure on the running the unit part. And I know that it will be a pleasure for both of us to come home to a mate as wonderful as you and of course the cub your growing for us." Shi said kissing Wildheart tenderly and purring with contentment.

Wildheart purred in return wrapping hir arms around Starpelt with a smile. "Shi is going to be an amazing cub." Shi said with a smile on hir muzzle. Shi still marveled at the fact that shi would be a mother soon. "Just as amazing as hir sire." Wildheart whispered in Starpelt's ears.

Starpelt laughed and shook hir head smiling. "And shi will be just as strong and talented as hir mother." Shi said with a grin, shi reached out and picked up the shirt and put it on while wrapping hir tail around Wildheart's tail. "Have you called and told your family that we are expecting a cub?" Shi asked curiously.

Wildheart sighed and shook hir head, hir ears laying back against hir head. "No I haven't, I doubt my mom wants to hear from me dear even if I am expecting a cub." Shi said with a sad smile.

Starpelt tilted hir head a look of concern for hir denmate. "Why not Wildheart? I know you don't talk about your parents much but surely what ever there is between you and your family you can fix it dear."

The larger saber toothed chakat sighed a bit leaning into Starpelt's embrace. "The truth is Star, I'm afraid, I am afraid that my mom won't forgive me. I was horrible to hir, I realize that now, but at the time I blamed hir for my sire's death, I blamed hir for not protecting hym." Wildheart's voice trembled at the mention of the death of hir sire.

Starpelt's eyes widened as shi hugged Wildheart tighter nuzzling hir denmate reassuringly. "Wildheart you never told me your sire died...you know I would have understood, I told you about what happened to my sire."

Wildheart leaned into the embrace purring softly at the nuzzling of hir mate. "It wasn't easy on my mom whenever my sire died, Shi is a police officer like you and Krano, my sire Plainrunner was killed in a shooting, it was some pre gene wars weapon, hy was just walking home from work and they gunned hym down. After that I turned very rebellious, I started getting in fights all the time, I argued with my mom a lot, until finally when I was seventeen I just left home and never went back, I haven't talked to my mom since then." Shi said with a sigh. "I joined a MMA gym not long after that and started training, I found a focus for my anger and my pain and found that I didn't have to be angry all the time, I regretted how I treated my mother but I was too ashamed to call hir and tell hir."

Starpelt smiled softly and kissed Wildheart on hir nose. "Then it is time that you made amends my dear, you're going to be a mother now and I think you will need your own mother there to help support you. You know my mom will be there for you whenever shi can but it's not the same as having your own mother there for you." Shi said with a smile.

Wildheart sighed and looked down into hir mate's eyes with a soft smile. "Your right, I do need to try to make amends both for my sake and for our daughter's sake." Shi said with a soft smile. "I will reach out to my mom Star, I just hope that shi can forgive me for how I acted as a cub."

Starpelt kissed hir mate tenderly and smiled. "I know shi will dear, don't worry, and I know shi will be overjoyed to find out that shi is going to be a grandmother."

Before either could say anything the door to the bathroom opened up and Krano padded out smiling at both of them, his ears perked as he tossed his damp towel at Starpelt. "Your turn sexy." He said with a playful growl.

Wildheart laughed as shi looked over at Starpelt. "Get your shower and enjoy your first day at work, and try not to get shot at okay?" Shi said giving hir mate a playful nip...

Chakat Ruby was driving hir PTV through the traffic of New York, heading for the store of one of hir favorite clothing designers a foxtaur vixen named Wilreaha, in the back seat strapped into a cub harness was hir daughter Silverstreak. Silverstreak was very bouncy this morning pulling against the harness trying to see all the sights passing by the PTV as they drove through the city. Hir mate Dawn's-Flame was busy with hir work as an actress for a action tv series. So today shi was taking care of Silverstreak.

Wilreaha was waiting outside of her shop smiling when she saw that Ruby brought Silverstreak with hir. "Oh you brought hir with you! I have wanted to see your young one since shi was born." Shi came over to see the little cub with wide adoring eyes."Oh shi is simply beautiful you must let me make hir clothes Ruby."

Ruby laughed at the vixen taur's enthusiasm over hir young cub. Shi smiled softly."When I can be sure shi won't tear up the clothes you make I will be happy to let you dress hir up." Shi said with a grin.

The excitable Foxtaur vixen grins and giggles before leading Ruby inside of the shop. The workroom of the shop was a study in controlled chaos. Fabrics and half finished projects were scattered everywhere, but that was just the way Wilreaha worked, she wasn't organized she just knew where everything was and only cared how the finished product looked, everything else was trivial and unimportant.

The Foxtuar Vixen lead Ruby all the way to the back of the workroom where shi was designing the outfits for Ruby's next fashion show. Ruby was hosting this show with hir own money, everything was coming out of hir pockets, it was expensive but the cause was something that meant a lot to hir. The outfits were of course beautiful, Wilreaha never designed anything that looked dull or tasteless. The colors were perfect, mostly colores that would shade well with Ruby's rich crimson fur.

Wilreah was pleased with how well her designs were viewed by the red furred chakat, but she did have a concern that was nagging her and she decided to voice her thoughts before she let Ruby leave with the outfits."Ruby, about this show, I don't know if it's a good idea. You have been so outspoken against the anti-fur movements. Your making yourself a target, you can't just keep pushing or eventually they will push back.." The foxtaur did her best to sound concerned and not critical of her best customer and friend.

Ruby sighed and shook hir head watching hir cub playing among the fabrics. "I can't stop, I can't give up on this Wilreah, these people are hurting others and if no one stands up and promotes peace between furred and non-furred races than those bigots win, and I don't want to raise my daughter in a world full of that much hate."

Wilreah nodded and sighed."Alright just please be careful, some of us would rather little Silverstreak grew up with you to raise hir." She said pointedly, and to that Ruby could only smile and nod.

Krano was still drying his fur off when the com rang, it had been a hard day at work. He and Starpelt both had been accepted into a elite SWAT unit that were trained in dealing with things like H1, but as their captain told them the moment they walked into his office, just because they got accepted did not mean they were ready to meet his standards to go into the field with the rest of the unit. So now they were being trained all over again, and Krano had thought his paws had ached when he was at the Academy.

When he passed the sleeping room on his way to the Comm he could hear the shower going and just chuckled. Starpelt had pushed hirself harder than he had, shi always did, shi was driven to prove hirself, shi wanted to be able to go out into the field, it was what shi had trained so hard for back in the Academy.

He just chuckled and shook his head as he turned on the comm unit only to smile when he saw his mother's face, and for once he didn't see the interior of a star base or ship behind her which meant she was at home. "Mom it's good to see you, how are you?" He asked settling down on his haunches.

Teilea smiled at her son. "I am doing very well, taking some time off of work to spend time with Starfield and the rest of the pack. I've been working too much lately." She said with a laugh. Krano just chuckled at the last words, both he and his father told her constantly that she worked far too har

He was about to answer his mom, probably with a comment that would have made her swat his muzzle if he'd been in front of her, but at that moment the head of a small chakat cub with unruly red hair popped up into the screen, Starfield probably crawling up on a chest to see. "Krano where's Starpelt?" His sister demanded with a rather cute demanding look on hir face, it was probably meant to be intimidating from the little wolf 'kat's point of view but to Krano it was just cute and funny.

He just shook his head and smiled."Shi's in the shower right now sis, we both had a hard day at work. I will tell hir that you..."

He was cut off by his sister before he could finish speaking."Go get hir I wanna talk to hir." Starfield said bouncing on whatever it was she was standing on. Teilea looked down at Starfield and thumped one of the cub's ears. " Don't bounce on that you'll break it." She said. Of course she didn't reprimand the cub for being demanding, Teilea always found it amusing when the little one tried to act like an alpha wolf, shi didn't really have the nature for it so it was mostly just cute.

Krano was about to object again that his mate was in the shower but Starfield drew in a deep breath and tilted hir head back in a warning that Krano clearly understood. A few years ago some of the village pups had taught the little wolf 'kat how to howl. Well Field had a very high pitched and loud howl, even Krano wasn't fast enough to give the mute command to save his ears if his sister howled at him. "Fine, fine I'll go get hir." he said retreating much to his mother's amusement.

Krano walked into the bathroom after knocking to find that his mate was just getting out of the shower, a very soaked looking Wildheart right next to hir, looks like the two had showered together. Krano smiled Sheepishly."Umm Star, my little sister is pretty much demanding to talk to you." he said his ears drooping just a bit

Starpelt just giggled. "Krano, don't tell me a big strong wolf like you is being bossed around by a little chakat cub?" Shi teased, while Wildheart just chuckled. Starpelt just grabbed a towel and swatted his rump with hir wet tail as shi walked out of the bathroom."Come on hun let's go see what the little one wants."

When shi walked over to the com still drying hir hair. When shi walked infront of the comm screen Starfield squealed in delight making Krano wince. "Starpelt there you are!" shi said excitedly

Star just grinned at the little cub."Yes dear I'm here, I am sorry I didn't call you today but I've been at work." Shi explained while Krano grabbed another towel to help dry his mate off instead of letting hir drip dry.

Starfield nodded and giggled."I know but I want you to come visit, I well, I've been feeling lonely lately." Shi said fidgeting a bit. Starpelt just smiled softly and giggled at the cub's confession." Okay sweetheart well I can't get off of work to come to the preserve to see you but maybe you could come stay here for a week." Starpelt strangely felt a bit excited about that suggestion but wasn't really sure why.

Teilea smiled softly."I will tell you what Field after my time off is up I will take you to Starpelt's home to spend a week with hir and your brother." Shi said softly

Starfield hugged hir mother tightly and waved to Starpelt."I'll see you next week." Shi cried before dashing off to play. Teilea smiled at Starpelt."Thank you Pelt for that shi really does seem to like you."

Starpelt just waved off the thanks as shi pulled the towel off hir head."Don't mention it I'm honestly looking forward to having hir over. Well I need to get dried off, see you later Teilea."

Later that night both Starpelt and Krano came back in dragging their tails their ears drooped, they looked exhausted. Wildheart padded over to give them both hugs and almost winced at how tired they felt. It reminded hir of when shi'd first started out in the MMA gym that trained hir. "Geeze you two they worked you hard didn't they?" Shi asked hir voice full of concern for hir mate and co mate.

Krano nodded his head and led Starpelt down the hall to the bedroom to lay Star down who promptly passed out. He turned to Wildheart and shook his head. "Shi was over doing it again. Shi feels like shi has to prove hirself, to constantly push hirself."

Wildheart nodded hir head."I know, I could feel it in hir when we first met, though I doubt shi'd ever admit it." Shi said looking down at hir sleeping denmate with a tender expression on hir usually fierce face.

Krano had the same look on his face as he looked down at the sleeping Starpelt. "Shi thinks shi has to work so hard to prove hirself, shi doesn't ever wanna appear weak. And it didn't help that shi was showing off for a member of the team, a Skunktaur named Brona." He said with a chuckle.

Wildheart raised a brow at that and grinned."Oh now that I didn't pick up on. Are we going to be getting another co-mate to run around this huge house with us?" Shi asked with a grin.

Krano just laughed and shrugged. "As for that I am not sure, I know they looked interested a bit in each other, if anything comes of it remains to be seen." He said with a grin and then he yawned widely. "As for me I'm gonna get some food and then Join Star." He said tiredly.

The next morning before any of the other trainee's were out working out Starpelt was on the field going through hir normal morning routine, at the moment that entailed running laps on the track while hir mate watched doing stretches and getting ready to join hir for a workout while they waited for the other trainee's to join them.

In the main office overlooking the training field the captain of the Wolf Pack SWAT unit stood looking down at the hard working chakat. The old gray wolftaur had been leading this unit since it was formed, he had tried to step down three times and each time his resignation had been refused. He frowned down at the field and then looked over his shoulder at the Skunktaur in his office.

Brona was still relatively new to the team as well, only just proving hyrself ready to go into the field a few months prior to Starpelt joining. However the Redpaw Skunktaur had been invaluable to the team since joining. And invaluable to the captain as well in gauging the new recruits. "Okay Brona what's your feel of those two?"

Brona walked over to stand next to hyr captain looking out the window with him. Hy was in hyr female phase at the moment, something hy wasn't always used to. "Starpelt is driven, the type who will work hirself to the point of exhaustion to achieve hir goals. Shi is also the protective type, those close to hir are precious to hir." Brona had always been a good reader of people even without hyr talent. Hy would never pry with hyr talent unless it was necessary but when hy couldn't use that there were other ways of reading people. "Shi is the kind who would run straight into the gates of hell to rescue someone shi loved, Krano is the Loyal type, those he gets close to he sticks with. His devotion to friends and mate are very admirable, he views Starpelt as his alpha, interestingly enough, you would think it would be the other way around but he would follow hir through anything."

The captain listened silently through the assessment, his cool blue eyes on the pair working out in the empty field, it would be another half hour before the rest of the trainee's showed up to join them. "I saw you admiring Starpelt yesterday." He said a sly grin on his aged wolfy muzzle.

Brona was shy enough to blush at that, hyr ears laid back and red on the insides. "W..well Shi is cute, and shi is very determined, and you know I have a soft spot for unusual fur patterns." Hy stammered.

The captain nodded with a chuckle. "Aye I know," He frowned as he looked out the window at where Starpelt and Krano were practising. He did not expect their time with this squad would be an easy one..especially given Starpelt's past....

Brona frowned as hy picked up on some stray thoughts from hyr commander and tilted hyr head. "You know something I don't?" Hy asked with a raised brow.

The captain just smirked and shook his head. "Out of my head fluffy one." He made a shooing motion. "You will likely figure it out eventually, for now get out there and get warmed up yourself." He ordered. He let out a sigh as Brona left, he was definitely getting too old for this.

Finally the day of Ruby's show came, there was a lot of excitement, both in the fashion community and in Ruby's family. The crimson furred chakat was overseeing all the models that would be taking the stage with hir. Every bit of the funds earned by this show both through ticket sales and from outfits sold, would go to hir personal charity that worked to promote peace between furs and humans. With how fast tickets had sold out this was going to be hir biggest show ever. Hir family would be here later once the show was about to start, for now hir mate and cub were backstage. They would be acting as moral support for hir while shi was getting ready.

Ruby smiled as shi remembered the plans shi had for after the show, just a night with hir twin sister. Shi had missed Sapphire while shi had been away with Star Corps duties. Shi smirked to hirself. Well shi would find a way to convince hir twin to spend more time planet side with hir somehow. No sooner had that thought entered hir head than the convention center's alarms started to go off and orange lights started to flash in the room. The models started to panic and run, Ruby's eyes went wide. "Oh no...." was all shi had time to think before things went black.

Several blocks away Starpelt was walking towards the convention center. Shi had tried to get parking closer to the convention center but these days that was next to impossible. Krano and Wildheart were a bit behind hir discussing some things for the home. Starpelt was going over the plans shi had to meet Brona the coming weekend. Shi rather liked the Skunktaur. However the thoughts were driven out of hir mind by a loud explosion in the distance, coming from the direction of the convention center. Starpelt looked up where smoke was rising in the sky, hir eyes widening in fear and disbelief. No, shi thought, not again... "Ruby!" Shi screamed and took off running flat out.

Krano and Wildheart took off after hir but as good a shape as they were both in, neither could keep up with Starpelt when shi was like this. By the time the three of them made it to the convention center though the first of the rescue workers had shown up and were busy trying to put out the fires. Wildheart managed to grab Starpelt by the tail before shi could rush headlong into those fires. And shi was trying hir best to get into the burning rubble, still screaming hir big sister's name. The pain shi could feel coming from hir mate tore at the saber kat's heart. .

Starpelt was never entirely sure how they managed to get hir away from the crumbled building. Shi screamed for hir sister until shi was sore in the throat. Shi was dimly aware that at some point hir mother and sisters showed up...that they put their arms around hir sharing in hir grief. Shi could feel Krano and Wildheart there, supporting the grieving family.

Two weeks later....

Most of the rubble had been cleared away..and the bodies of Ruby and hir mate and cub had been identified. The cause of the explosion was still being investigated. However many suspected that an anti-fur group had been involved. The day of the funeral itself was cloudy and overcast. The family cried, and grieved. Icepaw and hir band sang a tribute for Ruby, it was beautiful of course. After the service everyone began to disperse. Chakats usually liked to celebrate the life of those they lost after the funeral. The family and friends would be holding a dinner for everyone who attended to remember Ruby and celebrate hir life. However Starpelt remained behind, looking at the graves of hir big sister and hir family. Shi couldn't believe this had happened again. Shi had lost some one else dear to hir...and shi had been powerless to stop it.

Shi was so lost in thought that shi didn't hear the female wolftaur approaching from behind hir. Shi caught the scent when they got close and shi turned to see hir mate's mother standing there with little Starfield next to her. The little cub looked rather somber as shi stared up at Starpelt. Starpelt just smiled. "How'd you guys know I was still out here?" Shi asked in a soft voice.

Teilea just smiled and looked down at her daughter. "Starfield, shi insisted that you were out here hurting." She looked up at Starpelt. "Shi insisted that shi needed to come out and see you. Not even Krano could get hir to stay with the others."

Starfield moved over to the older chakat's side and looked up at hir with those wide eyes so full of worry for Starpelt. "Please don't be sad anymore...I know it hurts..but I..I'm here...Please don't be sad Starpelt..." Shi said in a tearful voice.

Starpelt stared down at the cub before kneeling down and wrapping hir arms around Starfield pulling hir into a tight hug. "Oh little one..." Shi gave the cub a nuzzle and a smile wiping the tears out of hir eyes. "I will do my best not to be sad anymore." Shi promised...especially when the cub seemed to be able to tell from a distance what shi was feeling. That was something shi would have to discuss with Teilea later. But for now shi did feel a bit more hopeful. Shi would work hard to ensure that Starfield's future was a bright one..... To Be Continued......