Stag Drinking From Pond

Stag sat alone, his joints ached badly. He'd have to see Sun for that. He thought about his old friends, a deep feeling remorse washing over him, when Stork ran over to him the Pup's white eyes were bright a clear reflection of his mother's. "Come watch me pounce!" He ran to Stag's tail, leaping on it pinning the appendage to the ground, "See I'm good right!"
Stag snorted kindly, "Pouncing is for cats!"
Stork paused, as if he'd never considered that, behind him Dove padded up,
"Time to go to bed, let's leave Star Walker alone, he needs his rest to talk to the Beyond Wolves."
Stork firmly shook his head, gazing up defiantly at his mother. "Stork-"
Dove began, but Stag shaped his mouth into a friendly pant, "How 'bout I tell him a story?" Dove gazed at him curiously,
"Well, if it'll get him to settle down.. and only if you have time before the Beyond Wolves speak."
Stag nodded, clearing his throat. Stork quieted, his little eyes wide as he stared up at Stag.
"Have I told you the story of Snapping Jaws Pack?"
Stork shook his head,
"Jasper, Clover, Vine and Snap. We'd been together for years. Clover had always been a bit vulgar, but he was a teddy bear when treated right, Snap as her name suggested was a snappy, and irritable. She was a beautiful golden purebred. I'd loved her for a long while, but I had never dared to tell her my feelings." He paused for a second before continuing, "Snap. She'd stared her own pack which had been going good for a while, then Clover died."
Stork gasped
"We found him a little ways away from our border, a thin collar around his throat which must've strangled him until death, obvious work of the soft flesh's-"
He heard Stork growl, 'I could take a soft-flesh!"
Stag laughing shortly before continuing,
"That hung around the forest. Snap searched our entire territory until we found the camp, although I had warned them against it Snap ordered an attack. As we battled we all heard a loud boom, I fell down from my attack on a young soft-flesh, I think it was dead anyways. There Snap was, her eyes wide as she stared forwards, unable to see the gaping hole in her head. She staggered a little ways away before collapsing never to move again, I'd never felt a pain so deep in my heart. I felt as though that could've been me instead. Everything was still, the one of the soft-flesh's screeched something to the other. Vine has stayed behind, unwilling to leave his sister. His hesitation cost him his life. I'll never forget the look in his eyes as the soft-flesh's grabbed him. After soft-flesh's captured him. Me and Jasper were utterly alone. Our friends were gone, and we.. Well alone we'd be too. Y'see we didn't know the territories outside ours. We didn't know what dangers lay ahead of us. But we knew we had to survive, but that's when I began hearing voices from the stars.." He trailed off, seeing Stork had fallen asleep. His little eyelids fluttering and soft snores rumbling out from his tiny mouth. Stag smiled, licking the top of the pups head.
"Good night."
He said softly, out the corner of his eye he could see Dove. The exhausted she-wolf mouthed the words 'Thank you' and Stag nodded padding away into his den.
////
Stag felt cold and scared. The pack stood around him. Their voices muffled by the ringing in his ears, he was shuddering and his eyes were blurring. A warmth sat beside him, there he could see Stork, his eyes wide and scared. He opened his mouth to speak, to reassure the young wolf he'd be okay, but the only sound that came out was a heaving rasp. Sun nudged herbs towards him, but he refused to take them,
"My time with the pack-- The pack, It's. Over."
He choked out, his throat gave out and Sun shook his head sadness wavering in his marbled eyes, saying something he couldn't hear again. Stag turned away from the herbs he was offering, instead looking to the bright star starting to form in front of him, his eyes flew open and his jaw hung slack, "Snap?" He rasped,
Snap smiled nudging him to his paws, behind him he could see his limp body,
"But.."
"There will be another Star Walker, Stag. This cycle of life and death will not end with you."
Then, he touched noses with the limp and cold vessel one last time before following Snap into the Great Beyond