Outcast - The Hunted

This is the second installment of my Outcast series, and yes I realize that the first isn't here and I haven't actually written it yet. I mainly write what comes to mind so I'll be writing that next.

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Please note that this is an unfinished novel and will be extended greatly in the future



Pack Ranks

(Includes Bone Ring Markings)

COUNCIL RANKS

(All stared High ranks are included in Council affairs)

Lord: Only ever one; leader of the council and in some cases all packs of the region                        (All Paws And Tail)

Paladin: The council equivalent of Betas; second only to the Lord                                    (Fore Paws And Tail)

Council Guardian: Up to five, these are highly trained wolves whom, Lead Council Sentinels, as well as guard council chambers, Paladins, and, Lords                    (Rear Paws And Tail)

Council Sentinels: Not to be mistaken with Sentinels, these wolves held a slightly higher rank their inner pack equivalent. These wolves protect all council members when meetings are called                                    (Fore Left, Rear Right, And Tail)

Council Messengers: Placed across the region in groups of up to three these wolves communicate to Alphas and their respective packs when Council meetings are called or visa versa  (Fore Right, Rear Left, And Tail)

HIGH RANKS

*Alpha: Leader of a pack as well as representative of their pack in council meeting                         (All Four Paws)

*Beta: Second in command, takes Alpha position when the Alpha is not present or dies (unless the Alpha specifically says otherwise, in which case command goes to one of the Sentinels) (All Paws Holding The Back Left)

*Sentinel: Up to four; handpicked by the Alpha and Beta and trained to take the position of Alpha or Beta in the situation that both the Beta and Alpha are unavailable one of their two Sentinels would take their places; the only rank that is completely unchallengeable"messing with Sentinels is like messing with the Alpha and Beta themselves             (All Paws Holding The Back Right)

Elder: Older pack member who is seen as wise; these are wolves that all upper ranks go to for advice and are highly respected by the pack however not all pack choose to, or have any, designated Elders                        (None)

Assassin: Can be up to three; experienced hunters and fighters who may also act as spies for the pack; take orders directly from the Alpha, Beta, and sometimes Sentinels        (All Paws Holding Back Left)



LOWER RANKS

Lead Medic: Only one; when it comes to medical decisions, they outrank everyone (including the Alpha); treats all injured wolves; understands most wolf “medicine”                (None)

Medic: Takes orders from the Lead Medic; helps treat all injured wolves; understands basic wolf “medicine”            (None)

Lead Warrior: Only one; takes orders directly from the Alpha (or Beta on rare occasions); leads all Warriors of the pack    (Fore Paws)

Warrior: Number depends on pack size; protects the pack and patrols the packs borders ensuring safety; keeps watch at night; Warriors are the packs soldiers                (Rear Paws)

Lead Hunter: Only one; leads all hunts and takes orders directly from the Alpha (or Beta on rare occasions)            (Left Paws)

Hunter: Number depends on pack size; almost all members of the pack hunt, but these are the main Hunters            (Right Paws)

Lead Scout: Only one; leads all Scouts; takes orders from the Alpha, Beta, and Sentinels                    (Front Left, Back Right)

Scout: Number depends on pack size; helps survey the land with the Warriors and search for hunting opportunities        (Front Right, Back Left)

Pup Watcher (PW): Only three; watches the pack’s Pups twenty-four-seven; these wolves can be quite vicious if someone messes with the Pups                            (Single, Tail)

Subordinate: A non-ranked member of the pack; though they will still participate in fighting and hunting                (None, not permitted to ceremonial events)

Omega: The Omegas are the lowest of low in the pack; lower than the Subordinates;  it’s not unusual for them to not receive much respect, if any at all; They are only placed in this position if they've done something to disrespect the Alpha; Sometimes a new member may be placed with this rank if the Alpha is a bit mistrustful of them                    (None, not permitted to ceremonial events)

Pups: I’m pretty sure this is self-explanatory            (None, not permitted to ceremonial events)

Frost, a pure white wolf except for a grey stripe along the length of his snout that split to create a thick line below each eye while at the same time continuing between his eyes and down his back, and onto his long slick tail. This was complemented by tall pointed ears along with deep blue eyes. He had always wanted to be beta. It was a very high rank but it wasn’t the highest. This he liked, however his brother silver, a light gray wolf with a short darker tail gray eyes and tall rounder ears, was Alpha. This was fine with Frost, as long as he didn’t make any stupid decisions with his newly found power. Frost was happy to know that now he wasn’t going to be getting bossed around by anyone, with the exception of the occasionally pestering by his brother. He kept his head high with pride as he walked through his pack’s camp, gazing up at the trees he watched the leaves slowly, and gracefully drift down from the trees, with sense of accomplishment.



Prolog

Frost

Two months earlier…

Then he heard one of the hunter's howl but it was a call for help.

“COME QUICKLY. FANG’S BEEN HURT” there was a pause presumably from the wolf taking a breath, “HE’S BROKEN HIS LEG BAD AND PROBABLY GOT A NASTY CONCUSSION”

Frost leapt to his feet, as did a few other wolves. Together they ran to help. When they got there, Fang, a white wolf with a grey stomach and a similar facial stripe to Frost however it was a deep black. He had deep green eyes peering helplessly at the oncoming wolves and finally settling on Frost. Fang was laying on the ground his leg looked miss. Fang looked first at his mangled leg and then at Frost then back at his leg and then at Frost with clear terror in his eyes. Guilt filled Frost’s body he knew what Silver's response to this would be that they couldn’t waste any of their rations on wolves that might die of infection and that He’d warned Frost when he heard about this. This was indeed the case.

The next morning, at dawn Frost lead Fang to the edge of their borders. There he stood looking down at the snow covered valley with a thick forest of evergreens that could shield Fang from some of the harsh conditions that would come later in winter in the distance a large flock of birds flew up from the trees but quickly returned. Frosts heart was beating, he gulped and looked at Fang who looked back Frost couldn’t tell if it was terror, rage, sorrow or all three that he saw in Fang’s eyes. Frost quickly looked back to the scenery

“Frost you have to. This...this is the only way,” Fang asked his voice shaky

“I know” Frost replied sadly, “look I’m sorry Fang. I really am I don’t want to do this. But you know I’m the beta and it’s one of my job to exile my sentinels. Are”, Frost took a deep breath,” are you ready”

“I understand that, I guess let’s just get this over with”

“Your right” Frost sighed and took another shaky breath, “Fang from this point onward” Frost’s eyes began to fill with tears and his voice cracked,“you are no longer a member of the Northern Ridge Pack from this point onward you are a member of no pack, an outcast from your previous pack this land is no longer owned in anyway by you and henceforth you will be considered an outsider and in turn a possible threat to the safety of this pack.” At this point Frost then hit Fang across the face with all the force he could muster and Fang stumbled back breathing fast “Leave your former home behind and welcome the force of nature to do with you as it pleases. Good luck to you and may you find a new home among other packs”

There was a single long claw mark across Fangs surprisingly clean white fur that had turned to a deep red as blood flowed out and began to drip from Fangs fur. Fang gave Frost a look of pure sadness, terror and what Frost instantly recognized as, regret. Slowly Fang turned and limped away slowly toward the trees. Frost watched him until he was out of sight then Frost simply watched the tree where Fang had disappeared after a few seconds Frost lost his composure and let the tears flow from his eyes he looked down at his paws parly seeing through the tears and began to slash at the grass below him ripping out large chunks of green while revealing a dark brown. Frost continued this for a good ten minutes after which Frost laid down and dug his shout into the ground as he sobbed. Once he arose the sun was far above him. Frost looked out to trees and tried to imagine how Fang must feel.

“Good luck Fang” Frost mumbled to himself,” good luck”

Finally he slowly through his head back and howled sadly to his pack.

“It’s done”

Then he headed back toward the camp knowing that"and nothing he told himself would ever change it"he had just sentenced Fang to a slow and painful death.

One Wrong Move

Chapter One

Frost

Wind whistled in Frost's ears as he bolted into the trees. Branches and leaves slapped his face but didn't faze him. He kept running hard until he reached a small outcropping along the small cliff where he stopped and looked down at a sandstone ledge about seven feet below to which  his pack hunting party was planning to lead a caribou. The pack used this tactic often, since the ledge was only about ten feet wide and on the other side was a hundred or so foot drop down a sheer rock face. Since this left the caribou no escape, Frost could jump on top of it, usually killing it on impact. He watched and listened. Then suddenly he saw a small cloud of dust nearing his perch. He tensed, ready to leap on his unsuspecting victim. As the caribou grew nearer, Frost bent his legs ready to jump. He glanced to his side, expecting to see someone there, but he wasn’t sure who. He snapped himself out of the confusion and back to the target, but by then the caribou had already reached the prime spot. Frost leapt off the ledge poised to throw a fatal blow. Midair, he realized something was wrong very wrong… he had jumped late, very late. He landed inches behind the animal and almost immediately a hoof hit him hard in the bottom of his snout. Pain spread through his head. He crumpled to the hard cold sandstone. He could hear the others barking around him, but their words were muffled, as if he were under water. His vision was fuzzy, and he couldn’t focus on anyone. Then his eyes slowly closed, and everything was still and silent.

Frost woke up back at the den, he trees mostly shading the land from the sun, and a thin layer of leaves covered the ground. The others were milling around talking quietly in groups" with the exception of the pups, who were tumbling around and yipping playfully­ to each other"occasionally giving him a quick glance but none of them seemed to be particularly interested in him. This was fine with Frost; he didn’t really want anyone to see him like this. His head was still pounding and his vision was phasing in and out of focus. Then Avalanche, the pack's lead medic, came into view. He was a dark gray wolf with a long thin tail and round ears.

“Oh, you're awake” she said, “Finally,” she added in a mumble.

“How long was I out?” Frost asked, pain in his voice.

“For all of a day” She replied a little too calmly for Frost’s taste.

“A day?!” He exclaimed trying to get up but immediately feeling excruciating pain in his leg and collapsing back down onto the leaf and grass bed.

“Save your energy. This pack needs its Beta,” Avalanche said coolly.

“What happened?” Frost asked, regaining his composure.

“You tell me. All I know is that caribou got you good. You have a nasty concussion and a slightly fractured leg,” she said nervously.

“Wait, a fractured leg. No, no, no, no, no!” There was a crack of fear in Frost’s voice, “I need to see Silver, now.”

“Your brother is involved in some important Alpha business right now,” she said, “Plus, good luck getting up. Like I said, you have a fractured leg.”

“Don’t remind me, but I feel fine,” Frost retorted stubbornly.

“I gave you some white willow bark. It should be helping with the pain,” Avalanche replied, her voice more soothing.

Frost gave a shuddering breath.

“Can I walk?” Frost asked.

“Maybe, but I wouldn’t suggest it,” she said, “So please don’t wander off, because the moment those painkillers wear off, you’ll know you have a bad leg.”

“Ok, ok… I won’t, but can you ask Silver to see me as soon as possible? Be sure to remind him that  he tends to put things off till the last minute” Frost suggested hopefully.

“I’ll see what I can do,” she replied, “But no promises and please, choose your words carefully,” she murmured as she moved away.

“That’s good enough for me,” Frost said quietly with a sigh, talking mostly to himself as he watched Avalanche retreat.

The next morning, the sun slowly rose up from the mountains in the far east shooting beams of light through the leaves and creating puddles of light on the fallen autumn leaves. Frost was suddenly jerked awake. He opened his eyes to find Silver’s snout inches from his own.

“WHOA! Ah” Frost exclaimed.

“You ok?” Silver asked, concern in his voice.

“Ya, at least I…I think so,” Frost responded, breathing a little fast.

“Silver!” Avalanche barked as she walked out of the shadow of the cave, “What about ‘wait until I give him some more white willow to come and see your brother’ did you not understand?”

“Oh sorry,” Silver replied, “I…um…I didn’t see you there. Sorry.”

“Obviously. Look, you might be the Alpha here but I’m the medic and I decide when wolves can and can not see patients, ok?”

“Ya, sorry. It’s just that he’s my brother and"”

“Look Silver, I know that you're not used to taking orders, but when it comes to medical decisions, I out rank you, ok?”

“Ok, ok. It’s just that my brother is hurt and I want to check on him.”

“But couldn’t you have just waited for five minutes while I made it so he wasn’t screaming with pain when you woke him up?”

“But, he wasn’t screaming was he?”

“No, but I doubt he was comfortable,” Avalanche grumbled.

“Sorry Silver, but she's right. I'm anything but comfortable,” Frost said timidly, and both Silver and Avalanche looked at him angrily. “So…um could I by any chance interrupt your fine conversation to ask when I can get some more white willow? No emergency or anything.”

“Oh right…Ya… here,” Avalanche pushed a small hollow rock toward him. Inside was some white powder he recognized as white willow bark.

“Thanks. Now you can keep talking. Your conversation seemed truly productive,” said Frost as he licked some of the powder out of the rock.

Avalanche sighed, “I’ll leave you two alone for now, I guess.”

“Thank you” Silver replied, “And thank you, Avalanche, for caring for my brother.”.

As Avalanche walked away, Frost noticed that Silver had suddenly become very interested in his paws, which surprised Frost since his brother wasn’t the timid type. He had always been much braver than Frost, even when they were just pups. He had always stood strong and talked to wolves much older than himself bravely. But now he seemed too nervous to even talk to Frost.

“Silver, look at me, please”, Frost finally said.

Silver looked up and when his eyes met Frost’s, Frost saw something he had never seen in his brothers eyes before: fear.

“F"Frost”, Silver said his voice shaking, “there’s something I need to tell you”

“What is it?” Frost asked, getting nervous himself now that his brother seemed so scared.

“It's just that we need to move soon, very soon”

“Why?”

“Because the herds are moving south… rather fast”

“Ok.”

“Frost, look, if we move… you might have to stay behind and…and”

“It's ok if I stay behind. I’ll make it.”

“I couldn’t leave you.”

“Silver, you might have to. Don’t let me cause you to make the wrong choice.”

“But I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.”

“You have to look at the big picture.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, what’s one life to save many.”

“But you’re the only family I have left here.”

“No, the pack is your family, and you need to keep them safe,” Frost said nodding in the direction of the other pack members.

Silver turned and looked at a small group of wolves. “You’re right. They are my responsibility, but you’re different. You’re my blood brother and"“

“And that changes nothing. I’m still injured. The pack needs to move, and I’ll slow you down. Well actually, I’m pretty sure I’ll stop you. Look, why don’t we both just sleep on it and,” Frost took a breath “I’ll either leave or try to keep up.”

“Ok,” Silver replied as he started to walk away, “See you soon.”

Frost looked up blankly at the trees overhead. A shiver ran down his spine with the sudden realization that this injury would get him  exiled. With that thought came a wave of terror along with a wave of thoughts of what his life would be like once he left the pack"once he was alone. In his mind, it was inevitable. Frost would be leaving, and he would most likely die soon after. It was chilling to see the inevitability of his own demise. However, he was hopeful that he had given Silver some comfort. But even if he had, his dear brother was facinggoing to get quite the wave of reality soon enough.



Unseen

Chapter Two

Primrose

Primrose, a thin, light gray wolf with dirty white paws, short pointed ears, thin snout, and a bushy tail, could never really figure out what her purpose in the Northern Ridge Pack was. She was never allowed on hunting trips, she didn’t have a say in important decisions, and she was practically invisible to the other pack members and this was all because of one reason, she was an omega. This meant that she was the lowest of the low; even the pups had a higher position in the pack than she did. It was horrible, and to make things worse, she often had to look for her own food instead of feasting with the rest of the pack on a kill. And this was one of those times; she had been following a large rabbit for a while now, trying to stay concealed by the tall grasses that through which her quarry was hopping. She had seen the others do the same thing while hunting, and she was trying to master the tactic and not be seen until she was on top of the target. The rabbit stopped; Primrose stopped. The rabbit began to sniff the ground, then it started to move again, so Primrose started to move again. The rabbit stopped again, and so did Primrose. The rabbit leaned down and began to sniff the ground, perhaps it had found something to eat. Primrose crouched and moved in closer. The rabbit then leaned down and started digging a small hole in the dirt. Primrose was ready to pounce but she waited until the rabbit’s back was to her giving it as little time to react as possible. Then, as if obeying her will, the rabbit turned and began to dig on the other side of its hole so that it was in the perfect position. Primrose deftly jumped out of the grass and with one swipe with her paw she hit the rabbit killing it immediately. The dead rabbit flew a foot or two to Primrose’s left. She walked over, grasped it firmly in her jaws, and began walking back to the pack’s camp. Hopefully the majority of the group was out hunting for caribou so that she could eat in peace without having to worry about being asked to do some stupid chore for someone while at the same time enjoying the cover from wind and large swaths of shade cast by the hills and massive trees. But this wasn’t the case. In fact, what she found when she arrived at the camp was quite the opposite. The camp was buzzing with activity; it seemed like almost all the wolves from the pack were here.

I thought they were going hunting today, they couldn’t have killed something that fast, Primrose thought

She walked over to a tree near the edge of the camp, dropped the rabbit, and sat down. She pulled the dead rabbit if front of her and took a bite trying her best to avoid the bones. She looked around. Fortunately, nobody seemed to have noticed her return, and she doubted anyone had noticed her leave. As she quietly ate the rabbit, she noticed a relatively large group of wolves whispering to each other just outside the healing cave.

Well that’s unusual, she thought.

Most wolves usually avoided the healing cave, respecting the privacy of those inside who were sick or injured. Something important must have drawn this group here. She could just make out Avalanche stepping out of the cave and beginning to bark at the onlookers. Primrose could only make out part of what Avalanche was saying.

“Back up everyone…NO SERIOUSLY BACK UP…yes Locks I’m looking at you… UP... EVERYONE…needs rest!”

“Dang who needs rest,” she wondered in dismay. “I need to move closer,” she thought as she struggled to make out Avalanche’s words as she continued to bark.

“Good job everyone keep backing up, backing up, MORE… FERN DON’T TRY TO BE SNEAKY…ROST NEEDS REST…YOU ALL SAW FIRST HAND WHAT HAPPENED SO THIS SHOULDN’T BE TOO INTERESTING!”

Rost? could that be F-rost, did I just miss the F? How could Frost have been injured on a hunting trip!? HOW? He never messed up when it came to hunting. He’s the best of the best!”

Primrose was too curious at this point to stay back, so she got up and started to walk slowly and quietly toward the cave to see what was inside when she got to the crowd she saw Avalanche standing at the entrance as Frost cradling his front left leg limped deeper into the cave. Primrose was confused amazed that this could have happened but then again he did do a lot of risky maneuvers such as the “Kill Leap” But it was still baffling to think that he messed-up. Primrose was shocked. Not only had a wolf been injured on a hunting trip but that wolf was Frost, one of the packs best hunters. Primrose couldn’t stay for long since she was quickly pushed back by more approaching wolves who seemed to barely recognize she was there. This came as no surprise. After all she was an Omega as she was so often reminded by her fellow pack-mates. Sadly she tried to steal one last glimpse toward the cave to no prevail, her line of sight had already been blocked by a sea of colorful fur pushing and grunting trying to get through the crowd.

   

    She quickly walked back to her secluded spot only to find Hurricane waiting for her. Hurricane, a slim wolf with patchy black, brown fur, short, wide ears, and nearly no tail, was a sweet wolf, tough it was clear she tried a little too hard to be that way. She had finally become a Pup Watcher last winter, leaving Prim far behind in the world of ranks however she still made time to talk with Primrose when she could. They had been friends for as long as either of them could remember.

“Finally! I’ve been waiting here for like… ever!”, Hurricane barked gleefully jumping up.

“Sorry, but … uhh … did you see what happened”, Prim said walking up next to her and they laid down together carefully staying the shade leaving a long streak of light between them partially blinding her, but at the same time making Hurricane glow and, with the light behind her just right making her look almost god-like. However her heavily squinted eyes took away from this effect.

“Of course I saw it. I mean not personally, but I saw the Med Cave”, Hurricane said lightly.

“AND”, Prim questioned.

“What do you mean? This’ll all wash over in like a week. Nothing big is going on, so what do we have to worry about”

“It’s winter! That’s big enough! Frost is, in my opinion, one of the best hunters we’ve got and yet he’s down for the count! I mean who knows what might happen in a week, it’s not like winter’s the most stable time for wolf packs”, Prim retorted, “who knows maybe Southern Plains will attack in order to get food or something… I don’t know! This is just… just…”, her voice trailed off realizing she sounded both extremely paranoid and illogical. The Southern Plains wouldn’t attack during winter, both packs would be incredibly weak which would lead to unnecessary casualties on both sides.

“Look Prim, the only risk Frost has is if the herds move sooner than expected although the odds of that are rather slim” Hurricane said in her annoying “don’t-get-yourself-all-wrapped-up-over-nothing” voice.

“I guess you’re right”, Prim accepted, mentally yelling at herself for being so irrational. Hurricane was right, this wouldn’t affect them that much. As long as he could walk well in a quarter moon cycle they would be fine. There was a long pause between them, feeling like a single prolonged breath.

“Hey”, Hurricane said, changing her toe to a much more cheerful one, “Why don’t we go for a walk, maybe catch something?”

“I mean I… I just ate”, Prim said nodding toward the residue of the rabbit that were still lying at the stump of the tree. It was now being cooked by the sun while at the same time diminished by flies. However she still got up and started to walk with Hurricane.

“Please, a single rabbit is nothing! You can’t live off… what a rabbit every other day? And besides even if you’re fine letting yourself starve I haven’t eaten anything all day”

“Actually this is my third consecutive day having a full rabit”, Prim said, maybe a little too proudly. Hurricane threw her head back in a loud laugh.

“You mean you’ve been living off a single rabbit a day for the past three days! Well excuse me it seems that you’re living like a Paladin”

“Hey, I never said I liked being an Omega! At least you get to share food with the others! Must be nice, even if you don’t get much, not having to rely purely on yourself and the hope there will be something edible in a nearby field, have you ever had to eat the beetles in bark to survive for a week! I doubt it! Did you even know I got that desperate… tell me, did you”

“Well N" No but I"”, Hurricane jittered softly

“Of course you didn’t! Why should you when you have the support of the pack but the it seems the only reason I should stick around is so a can have a hint of the packs scent and maybe that will save me from a Borderless!”, Prim took in a deep breath. She had had this anger building up everytime Hurricane commented on her living standards or told her to get more involved in the pack or even to stand up for herself. It was the thing that most annoyed her about her promotions. Just a few months back they walked in the same paws struggling to make ends  meet in a pack that gave them little respect, but then, out of nowhere, Silver had seemed to forget her sketchy past and Borderless ties. In one week she went from Omega to Subordinate to PW leaving Prim far behind.

“You’re right, it wasn’t long ago when I was with you. I can’t imagine what it must’ve been like for you, suddenly being alone for so much of the time”, Hurricane mumbled slowly.

“Not good”, Prim rebuttaled as she swiftly walked away. She remembered how she and her mother had come to the Northern Plains for a new life after the Eastern Scree proved to be a little too… “uncivilized” as her mother had put it. Thanks to the ongoing tense relations between the two packs her mother was never able to be anything more than a Subordinate but Prim was told once the influence of her mother was gone, which was a better way of saying once she’s gone or dead, Prim would be placed as a Subordinate and would then be able to rise through the ranks like anyone else. However this promise was short lived. Primrose’s other left soon after arriving since neither the Northern Plains or the Eastern Scree seemed to particularly trust her. She left Prim her in the hopes that she would have a better life here than anywhere else. Unknowingly however, she joined the Southern Plains with the immediate rank of hunter thanks to here prior experience Southern Plains though turns out had become the Northern Ridge’s rival power after undisclosed cross-border hunting. Once this news reached the Northern Ridge they all, including the Alpha, immediately became very distrustful of Primrose confirming her an eternity as an Omega and she knew she shouldn’t try to hold Hurricane down, since after all we all have dreams but she missed having an evenly ranked friend especially since now she was more alone than ever. She heard Hurricane calling after her loudly. Probably shouting something about rank. Prim didn't particularly know or care for right now she wanted to be alone. She picked up the pace when she heard Hurricane walking after her and as she jogged into the first few trees she glanced back to see Hurricane staring directly back at her sadly but at the same time angry. Primrose almost stopped. Memories of good times back when they were both equal or of Hurricane sneaking Prim parts of a kill when she was a subordinate. But then much more recent memories of starvation and pain, Primrose desperate search for food or Hurricane or help...something.

No, she thought sternly, I was always there for her and the times I needed her most she was conveniently nowhere to be found. No… she deserves this, though it pains me she has to know that I am fed up with her wanting help with nothing in return. This is how I make my point now that she wants my help we'll see if she can live without it.

Wait, thought the other side of her, Just because she didn't help you doesn't mean you should punish her. Tell her how you feel sure, but don't hurt her.

You mean like she hurt me?

Prim turned back into the trees shaking the last bits of guilt out of her head.



Alone

Chapter Three

???

He felt the room hit the ground. The cold walls around him shook brushing against his jet black fur and the near perfect grid of hard "vines" in front of him rattled. It was hard to see in the darkness however outside he could make out his pack mate laying asleep in another box like his their brown-gray fur waving with the motion of the floor below them"
"Spark", he called to him
"Yes", Spark said
"We've stopped flying"
"You mean we're on the ground" Spark cried out jumping up and promptly slamming into the ceiling.
"I think so the sound from those weird wings has stopped"
"Well I'm excited to get out of this cage"
"So am I. Where do you think they've taken us" he asked
"Probably somewhere over the walls, like where they took the others"
" yeah that would make sense"
But we never saw those wolves again... so what are they going to do to us? he thought

There was a long pause neither wolf sure what to say. Suddenly the silence was cut off by two loud bangs coming in quick succession from somewhere behind them. They could hear footsteps walking along the outside of the room. There was another bang and the angled wall in front of them slowly opened. With it came a cascade of light that filled the room blinding him and, he assumed, Spark. He squinted in a desperate attempt to see what was going on. As his eyes adjusted to the light he felt his cage get jerked off the ground and slowly turned he could see the door beginning to close again however he noticed Spark's cage wasn't being carried with him.
"Spark" he barked loudly to his friend and began to attempt to free himself with a few violent thrashes. Sparks's head swung around wildly as he called out in response.
As they barked to each other he heard the figure standing by the closing door call to the one carrying his cage.
"I told you we shouldn't have woken them both up for the trip and now Spark's going to be screaming for the rest of the ride"
"Well I'm sorry I thought it might be nice to let them say goodbye", said the other figure.
"These two are freaking inseparable they're not going to just wave goodbye and be done with it!" Said the first
"Of course not but waking up with your best friend unconscious is probably not the best for your mental health" responded the second.
"Look just tranq the other one and we can let this guy go" said the first
"Okay" the first said and began opened the door again. "And they have names you know"
"Arg...fine...please tranquilize Spark for me" said the second
"You're impossible" said the first figure as they leaded toward Sparks cage pulling out a small needle. "Shh Spark it's ok...it's me remember. I'm not going to hurt you" she said quietly as she put her arm around Spark to hold him still and slowly stuck the needle into Sparks neck and pushed on the other end. Spark's eyes grew wide as he looked at him and then suddenly Spark went limp. Slowly Spark's cage disappeared behind the wall once again. He was stunned.
Did...did they kill him? He thought
His cage thumped onto the grass below them and then the grid in front of him swung open. He waited a few seconds before slowly stepping out of his cage and turned around looking back at the two tall figures both now holding a long rod. He was desperate to know if Spark was alive and ran toward the two who quickly blocked his path with the rods. They pushed him away and toward the trees. He pushed back and suddenly felt a sharp jolt come from one of the rods then another and another they became more powerful with each blow but he didn't stop fighting them.
"This sucker just won't give up" panted the second figure.
Finally he fell back, sadness and loss filled his body as he stumbled toward the trees. He didn't his eyes off the thing they'd came in. Once he reached the tree line the two figures pulled away and ran back to the thing. It slowly rose and wind pushed him farther into the trees where he stood for a few moments before stepping into the clearing where Spark had just been there were four pairs of flattened grass where the "creature" had previously rested. He stared up at the clouds and could just make out the flying creature disappearing into the sky. He slowly barked a few times before slowly turning and walking sadly to trees once more, and forced himself to just kept walking.



Empty Faces

Chapter Four

Curvetail

It was about an hour after dawn when they finally finished the last conversation. The information of Frosts condition had been kept on the down low, however each of the highest ranking members: Curvetail, Silver, Twilight, Locks, and, of course, Frost himself, knew the news would have to be broken sooner or later. However most seemed to prefer it be later. Nobody wanted to tell the others, especially  not Silver who seemed to be the logical choice. It had been a solid week and a half since “The Accident” as they had come to call it. The pack had become restless from the lack of information, fresh food, and movement in relation to the last few remaining winter hunting (or more likely scavenging) opportunities. Under normal circumstances the pack would've moved miles to stay close to their prey, but Frost, though substantially better, was still not up to the task. Lucky summer was fast approaching, unlucky it wasn't fast enough. In the next few days they would begin to starve, the small rodents they had eaten before were all but gone and the few survivors had moved even farther from them. After a lot of heart wrenching conversation the decision had been made. The pack had to move to survive and Frost would stop them from doing so. They would be making an announcement to the others in a few minutes to inform them that Frost would be Outcast later that day. They had made preparations to try to minimize the outcry, and they had agreed that Twilight would be taking Frost’s position immediately after his departure to ensure there wouldn’t be a power vacuum left behind. Frost himself, by his own request, would be Outcast that evening. As Curve stepped out of the dim cave and into the dazzling sunlight he felt as though his heart would pound out of his chest. He’d know Frost his whole life, Frost was the closest friend he’d ever had and he was about to lose him. He stared at his paws, standing a few feet to the left of the small, inconspicuous cave they had been talking in. He felt Silver walk up next to him, Twilight, he assumed, was by Silver’s side. He lifted his head to meet his Alpha’s.

“I can imagine how you must feel”, Silver said sympathetically, “Though I was his brother you two were closer then I think we’d ever be. And, to be honest, I’m pretty sure he saw you as a brother. Curve I’m sorry this happened. I should have stopped him from doing such a risky maneuver after what happened to Fang, I should’ve done something”, There was a certain honesty to Silver's words that warmed Curve’s heart, Silver wasn’t using his relatively normal you’ll-be-more-productive-happy comforting voice but instead one Curve didn’t recognize. He was being one-hundred-percent honest it seemed, there was no underlying tone of deceptiveness, not a hint of mistrust, nothing but compassion.

“Silver don’t blame yourself Frost knew the risks but he took a chance every time to help his pack. What he did put only himself at risk and made certain none of our other wolves would be hurt”, Curve said trying to muster a bit of strength even though he felt as though the sky was slowly crushing him into a mountain-side.

“I know but the risks were too high...”, Silver’s voice trailed off and his head fell, limp. “I should get myself ready, gather some strength.

“That’s probably a good idea”, Curve comforted.

Silver walked away, back into the cave, and Curve headed to the Lead Cave where Frost had been moved a day or two back. Once outside, and with only a few eyes staring at him, he took a breath and walked through the cold, damp vines. As they brushed against his fur his eyes started adjusted to the dim glow inside. Byond him he saw Frost struggle to his feet. Curve quickly went to his bad side to provide support.

“You don’t need to get up,” Curve rushed.

Frost collapsed back to the ground wincing along the way.

“I just wanted to tell you that Silver’s about to summon the pack and if you wanted to change anything about the arrangement this is you last chance”

Frost shook his head slowly, his eyes looking spacey. Curve laid down beside him.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Curve said, he knew the answer but he felt like he had to ask.

“Yes,” Frost replied bluntly though he still seemed to only be half listening.

He’s probably just overwhelmed by what’s happening, Curve thought solemnly.

“I know”, Curve sighed looking down, “It’s just tha"”

“Curve… Please don't make this any harder,” Frost interjected.

Curve glanced up to see Frost no longer looked lost but instead focused on Curvetail.

Just go Curve there’s nothing you can say to improve the situation and staying quiet would just make even more this awkward, he thought.

“You're right… I-I should probably go meet with your brother,” He stuttered as he got up to leave. At the cave entrance he heard Frost sigh, he turned and ducked his head to say, “good luck Frost,” before leaving.

He walked down to the center of the camp where Locks and Twilight were alrighty rallying all nearby wolves to the small plateau at the side of the valley. It stood at about six feet with vertical slopes on all sides but the one that connected it with the ridge; this was where all of the announcements were made and this was no different Silver was alrighty taking his place on the platform, pacing back and forth just out of view from the others. Curve walked to join him, ushering a few stragglers toward the group.

“You ready,” Curve asked trying his best to keep his voice steady.

“Am I ready to banish my only brother, not to mention my only living family member from my own pack...hmm...Is no an appropriate answer,” Silver muttered quickly, obviously terrified.

“He’ll make it, you know he will. Frost is one of the strongest wolves I’ve ever met,” Curve comforted.

“You’re right,” Silver said quickly gaining confidence, “He’ll be fine”

Good job Curve, give him the strength he needs

“Good luck Silver… Stay strong,” Curve said comfortingly.

Silver peered over the small hump that hid him from the gathered wolves. It seemed that almost everyone had gathered below the platform. Silver took a breath and walked to the edge while Curve moved to stand at the base so he could see both the crowd and Silver clearly. The sound from the crowd's murmurs seemed to evaporate into the air, and all eyes turned to Silver.

There was a uncomfortably long silence as Silver gathered strength to say the words everyone knew were coming but nobody wanted to hear. Finally Silver straightened himself out and spoke.

“Wolves of the Northern Plains Pack, my friends, my family”, Silver started, seeming to harness Frost in his words. “As most of you know our Beta, Frost, was injured approximately two weeks ago”, Curve could see several I-Know-What's-Coming nods from the crowd, “Though Avalanche has done her best to help him he is still not fit for a long distance trip. In order to keep the pack alive we must find new hunting opportunities and to give us those opportunities I have been forced to make one of the most painful decisions of my life.  Frost will be outcast this evening along the western most edge of our border,” There were a few shallow gasps from the crowd but most of the wolves simply exchanged whispers, “Once he is officially outcast Twilight will immediately take his place as Beta”

After this there was a quiet uproar of muttering and whispers sounding both angry and curious.

Wow… To Frost being Outcast there were like what… five wolves who actually said anything but to Twilight taking the position everyone decides to quietly discuss the choice with themselves… I don’t know how to feel about that, Curve thought to himself annoyed at his packmates. Before he could continue grumbling to himself  a wolf who he identified as the new Pup Watcher, Hurricane began to speak.

“I’m sorry Silver but why were we not informed about this decision earlier after all it this must have been a big decision for you to make so why were we not included in the processes, and why will Twilight, your Sentinel, be taking the place of the Beta and not Curvetail since he’s the one Frost chose to be his Sentinel and would be the best informed to take his place”, Silver looked almost stunned. Not only had  Hurricane directly questioned the choices of the pack’s leadership but she had also referred to Silver as just “Silver” she never even mentioned his rank and to be honest it haddn’t seemed like she was all that concerned with his rank anyway. For high ranks it was fine to  refer to each other by just name, no rank needed, this excluded Assassins, but for a lower rank to do so was rather disgraceful. The only situation where it was remotely ok was when it came to a medical rank in a designated medical area, but it was still a little sketchy. However for a PW to do so was offencive to those she was referring to.

Curve stepped forward in an attempt to put Hurricane back into place. His eyes darted between Silver and Hurricane both staring the other down.

What’s she doing! She’s actively trying to maintain eye contact with him! Don’t let it slide Silver. That can’t go unnoticed, Curve thought recalling the many times Silver had let smaller things go without punishment but this wasn’t little this was an intentional act of defiance.

Curve continued forward the silent crowd parting to make way for Curve as he closed quickly on Hurricane. He say Silver loosen once again and give Curve a sharp nod as if to say “no Curve. I can handle it”. Now many of the surrounding wolves turned to face Curve.

“Silver you shouldn’t have to deal with this now. Not after what you just said,” Curve pleaded.

“Though I must say I can’t disagree with you Curve I think I’m obliged to defend myself”, Silver turned his gaze back to Hurricane who, now having the two highest ranking wolves in the vicinity staring her down seemed to shrink inside her own pelt, “As for you I must say I’m impressed by your bravery however I must question it’s placement. I understand that you wish to prove yourself to me, you made that much obvious when you were promoted to PW, in order to rise through the ranks although this isn’t the way to go up but rather down… quickly not to mention lose respect from both me and the pack,” Silver barked sternly causing Hurricane to shrink even farther back, “With that said I will answer your questions. First off, the pack leadership decided to withhold this information until now because of it’s very...back and forth nature. To be brutally honest we only came to a true consensus at dawn today. Secondly, Twilight is taking the position of Beta by Curvetail’s own request. As many of you know they are, and always have been, very close friends. Curvetail believes this might make him a little too emotional at first to properly lead. In time Twilight will step down to allow for Curve to take over however that time is yet to be determined,” Silver kept his voice flat while he spoke however he continued, “Lastly I would like to you to go to the Lead Cave once we’re done here. I’d like to have a little chat with you,” Silver growled. With that he returned his gaze to the crowd, “Now then… as to clarify this evening Frost will be Outcast and the moment the ceremony is over I expect everyone of you to address Twilight as Beta”, He said this last bit with a sharp glance at Hurricane before turning around and escaping the sight of the crowd. Curve watched the crowd dissolve into the surrounding areas. He noticed Hurricane still standing where she had been during the announcement. She seemed frozen by the concept of “a little chat” with Silver. After a moment she glanced toward him and jumped when she saw him watching her. He gave a sharp nod toward the Lead Den, she gave him a solemn nod and started walking. Curve slowly turned away and looked to his other side just in time to see Silver walk up next to him.

“What are you going to do?” Curve questioned.

“Well one, I’m going to explain to her that just because she’s no longer a Omega doesn't mean she can say whatever she wants.” Silver answered.

“So basically just make sure she get’s the meaning of rank”

“Pretty much”

“And two?” Curve pushed

“I’m sorry?” Silver said

“You said ‘one’ so what’s the second point”

“Oh, yes I did. Well if she doesn't choose her words right she might find herself back in the subordinate position”

“Really? Just like that?”

“Yes, I didn’t particularly want to promote her for Subordinate however we had an obvious lack of PWs so I deemed it necessary but that was a very blatant disregard of the ranks and I can’t let that go unaddressed,” Silver

“I understand that but is a demotion really necessary?” Curve objected.

“Remember Curve I didn’t say I was going to no matter what. I would prefer not to but if she further ignores her ranks boundaries then I think it will be entirely necessary,” Silver retorted.

“Fair enough, I guess,” Curve mumbled.

They walked toward Hurricane and Curve could see her nervous expression even from the short distance. Curve decided to break away from Silver a few seconds before they arrived. He gave Silver a slight brush with his tail to signal his departure and trotted away. Stopping at a tree not to far from Silver. He turned around"the tree’s low branches brushing against his snout"he saw Hurricane assume an extremely exaggerated subordinate stance as Silver arrived.

Maybe there’s hope for you yet, Curve thought happily.



The Price

Chapter Five

Frost

Frost heard the distant voices of the crowd dispersing and the much nearer voice of Silver and Hurricane. Time seemed to creep by dreadfully slow. He watched as the shadows crawled along the cold stone walls slowly dimming the room around him.

It’s nearly time, he thought, terrified.

Hours seemed to tick by but the shadows scarcely moved. Finally after an eternity and a half Frost saw the drape of vines shudder slightly. He raised his head and saw Curvetail walk in, the sky behind him a light crimson and the sun just beginning to dip below the distant peaks .

“I thought I said afternoon”, Frost said weakly.

“I know”, Curve replied, “Silver got... delayed. However we’re ready now”

“Then let’s get this over with,” Frost mumbled clambering to his feet. Curve bolted over to support him however Frost nudged him away saying, “I can walk on my own Curve”. Walked in silence, Frost cradling his leg above the ground, until they reached the rest of the wolves, not all were coming, there were those who believed this was the wrong thing to do, those with pups that shouldn’t witness this yet, and those who had more crucial matter to attend to such as border patrol. The wolves whom had come had gathered at the edge of the camp, leaves blew between their paws as they patiently waited for Frost pand Curve. Once they arrived, the group fell silent as they followed Silver to the border edge, the wind an crunching of dead leaves was the only sound to accompany them along the journey. After a short while they arrived at the border edge, the shallow, rocky peaks rising sharply in front of them. The accompanying wolves created a semicircle with the opening facing the neutral territories; Silver and Frost positioned themselves facing each other in the center of the gathering, parallel to the neutral border. Frost could feel himself shaking violently as he locked eyes, for what might very well be the final time, with his brother. He could see Silver trembling as well, his eyes darting around as to avoid eye contact with Frost. There was a long pause and it was clear the awaiting wolves were becoming restless; Silver saw it too and slowly turned his eyes forward to face Frost. His eyes were full of guilt as he tried to speak.

“Frost from-from this point onward”, Silver’s head fell limp and Frost could see a few tears fall away from his fur and strike the dry grass below. Suddenly Frost saw a sharp movement in the crowd and saw Curvetail step out and walk to Silver’s side, the soft brushing of the grass breaking the seemingly endless silence.

“Silver you don’t need to do this”, Curve whispered, A wolf is only supposed be outcast by another of equal or higher rank, and technically, since I'm currently acting Beta I can do it. Nobody would think any less of you if you let me do it instead”, Silver didn’t respond but instead stepped away and walked back to the crowd presumably joined by the comforting words of Twilight. Curve stepped in front of Frost and they locked eyes. Curve seemed to gather his strength first, taking a few deep breaths, before letting out those first terrifying words.

“Frost from this point onward you are no longer a member of the Northern Ridge Pack”, His voice was shaky and it was clear Curve was struggling to get the words out, “from now on you are a member of no pack, an outcast from your previous pack. This land is no longer owned in anyway by you and henceforth you will be considered an outsider and in turn a possible threat to the safety of this pack.” Curve paused. Frost knew what was coming next and tensed himself, and watched Curve as raised his front paw and quickly striked Frost across the snout. The blow was strong and decisive, it sent Frost stumbling to the side trying his best to fight the  urge to put his bad leg down. His snout stung furiously and he could feel the three small trails of blood trickling down the side of his face. “Leave your former home behind”, Curvetail continued, “and welcome the force of nature to do with you as it pleases. Good luck to you and may you find a new home among other packs” Curve uttered the last few word with a violent shudder. The two locked eyes for a long moment.

“I guess this is over now isn’t it?”

Curve didn’t respond but his head fell limp and Frost slowly turned his back to the crowd, stealing one last glance over his shoulder at his former family. He began to walk down the gentle slope of the hill, small droplets of water getting kicked up onto his fur with each step. In the distance the miles of rocky peaks forming of the Paw Point Mountains ominously loomed overhead.

Behind him he could hear the scattered barks between the wolves but, as according to tradition, none were directed to him.

“Does this mean we can finally get some fresh food?”, asked one that he thought he made out as the Lead Scout, Speartail.

“I hope so. I've been dying for something other than those tough carcasses,” replied another, he wasn't sure if it was the Warrior, Starlit or the Hunter, Mangrove.

“Shut up”, He heard Twilight hiss. Her sharp disciplinary voice cutting through the crowds quickly fading whispers, “the ceremony isn't over until Frost’s out of sight”

Frost continued down the slope slowly becoming surrounded by trees, the dense leaves of the forest almost blocking the mountains from view entirely and dimming the world around him. He had an idea of what to do and where to go, he’d been thinking about it for a few days now, and knew his best shot would be to head for and cross the Paw Point Mountains, cut across the neutral territories and make a try at getting some support from the Southern Wetlands. He didn’t want to join the pack however they were closest and he could try to get some food from the Warriors. After that he would head to the council for some much needed advice. With this in mind he set off at a painfully slow pace toward a valley between two of the nearest mountains that he could just make out from beneath the layer of leaves. He guessed he’d walking for at least an hour  when the sun fully disappeared beyond the horizon and the stars began to fill the sky. The moon was about half full and didn’t cast much light of the ground which had become much more sparse as he gone ever closer to the looming rocky mountains. He stopped near a small outcropping of rock to rest, brushing away the small, sharp stones that scattered the ground around him. Frost laid down, being sure to put as little pressure on his leg as possible. Though he was doing much better than he had been a few days ago his leg was still nowhere near fixed. In the distant south he could hear a faint howl.

Probably either Riverbed or the Wetlands, he thought to himself, If I can hear their howls faintly then It’s probably going to another few days before I get there… can I last that long?

With that comforting thought he drifted off the howls continued to drift through the air.

The next morning came slowly, the low sun piercing through the mountains and shooting into his eyes. Frost squinted and raised his head. Glancing around he stood up and shook off some of the small rocks and twigs that had collected in his fur during the night. Frost stretched himself out and looked south, the distant forests seemingly calling to him. He took a deep breath and set off at a slow trot, careful to gingerly hold his leg up. Over the last few days he’d become more accustomed to walking or trotting without using his bad leg. It was weird and felt incredibly unnatural but he made do and resisted the urge to jog on all fours. He trotted at a slow but manageable pace for a few miles before he began to notice the silence. He was used to quiet nights, after all he only shared a cave with his brother and Frost normally stayed out of the cave for a while after Silver had drifted off. However in the days he’s usually surrounded by the sound of thirty or so wolves going about their lives but the forest was silent Frost couldn't hear anything other that the faint chirping of birds. There were no howls, no barks from playful pup, nothing, nothing but silence. He tilted his head up to the sun which had settled relatively high in the sky however it hadn’t yet reached noon.

Perfect, Frost thought, reorienting himself toward the south, for when the sun reached noon it would be tough to tell direction for about an hour. He began to walk again, humming an old song he remembered from a few years back. Noon came and went as he continued walking taking an occasional break at the few streams he passed before continuing on his journey. Eventually the sun began to set and Frost became set on finding an alcove to hide in for the night. After another hour he found an upturned tree which had grown roots in an arc back into the ground.

Just like the one on the walk to the council, Frost thought with a soft laugh, memories already drifting back as though he’d been away for months even though it had only been a little less than two days. He squeezed himself into the cramped space, the roots brushing against his crouched body. The wind blew lightly through the tightly packed roots rustling his fur. He heard crickets chirping in the distance. Eventually he began to drift off once again. Suddenly there was a soft, sharp crack in the bushes and he was instantly alert. Another soon followed, closer. Frost knew these areas were home to many Borderless and was surprised he hadn’t met one sooner.

Guess my luck ran out, he thought.

He pulled himself out of the hollow and stood, ready for what might well be his last fight. There was another snap, much closer this time.  Frost’s heart pounded hard, harder than it had in a long time, as he stared directly where he’d heard the sound. Then, just to his left, a small wolf stumbled out of the brush. He started a lunge but stopped quickly. He recognized this wolf. She was from The Northern Plains as well.

“Hello there, Frost”, She said calmly.

The Omega! He recognized her voice instantly, Primrose.



Fresh Meat

Chapter Six

Moonbeam

Moon stayed low, continuing to tail the new wolf, the high sun shining through the branches above them. He confused her; she’d never seen a Borderless wolf who didn’t have the faintest scent of any pack. Then again, could she even be sure if this was a Borderless? He seemed lost, which of course confused her even more since most wolves knew their way around the region very well. The only explanation she could think of was that this was a wolf with Foaming-Mouth, but he showed no other signs of it. Either way she wasn’t going to risk exposing herself until she was sure.

“Where am I?” the wolf muttered to himself in a concerned tone. “Why is this so different from before? We can’t, huh, I mean I couldn’t have been dropped that far away, could I”?

Dropped? What does he mean by that? Moon thought to herself.

“Spark, what did they do to you. Why couldn’t they have left you here with me? Did they have to take you away”?

Who was this Spark? Maybe a friend of his? But, more importantly, who’s this ‘they’? Maybe he got mixed up with some Borderless wolves? No he doesn't have a scratch on him. But either way still he shouldn’t be that lost. After all, they were on the border of Southern Plains and Southern Wetlands, which was rather distinctive. They continued to walk for a little less than a mile. The wolf started and stopped periodically, changing direction every now and then but he never stopped mumbling to himself. This muttering made her even more confused, since, if he knew the risk of Borderless wolves, wouldn’t he want to be quiet or try and seek refuge in a nearby pack, or do something rather than keep walking? They continued along, the sun slowly creeping along the sky, slowly approaching the horizon.

“Oh, this is just fantastic. Not only do I get to be dumped in some stupid forest, but now I get to sit through the night, alone! This is just amazing,” the wolf yelled to nobody in particular, a mix of fear and anger tearing at his words. He laid down on the grass, burrowing his snout in his paws. He laid still for a moment. Moon wasn’t sure if she should approach him or not. She was still skeptical about whether or not it was safe to step out; she was certain this wolf didn’t have Foaming-Mouth, but she wasn’t sure of his capabilities or intentions, not to mention how stable he was at the moment.

An eerie silence fell over the tree line as the sun dipped ever closer to the horizon, turning the sky an orangish-reddish color. Just as Moon began to consider stepping out, a bird began chirping uncontrollably and quite a few others took to the sky. This was quickly followed by a loud, sharp snap of a branch being broken, too loud to have been accidental. The wolf’s head immediately snapped up. As he looked for the origin of the sound, a large scruffy-looking wolf stepped out from the brush.

Where’d he come from, she thought nervously glancing around her, then she knowticed to slight breeze. It was at an angle diagonal to her which had, most likely sent this new wolves scent parallel to her which would explain why she hadn’t picked it up.

He had matted brown-gray fur, and both of his ears had been cut at the center which complimented the scar crossing his side in a weird way. This new wolf was quickly followed by two more wolves who both looked quite similar and were in the same rough condition as the first.

Now those, those are Borderless Wolves, Moon thought as she watched the first one slowly approach the wolf she’d been following.

“Who are you?” Asked the Black wolf she was tailing. “What do you want?”

“Oh it’s not what I want…I believe it’s what you want,” replied the lead Borderless wolf in a manipulative tone that sent chills running up and down Moon’s spine. “I do believe you to be lost. Is that correct?”

“Y-yes” said the Black wolf, obviously sensing danger. He slowly rose to his feet.

“Then I believe that I can help you. I know this place better than most.”

“Oh…umm…great… that’s really great. If you could just tell me where I could rest or maybe get some food then I’ll be on my way.”

“Nonsense, I’ll take you myself,” assured the Borderless wolf, taking a step closer to the black wolf who instinctively took a step back.

Good, stay away from him, Moon willed. That wolf isn’t good news and you know it.

“That-that’s OK. I’m sure I’ll manage.”

“Please, I couldn’t rest knowing you might get yourself lost again. Who would I be if I didn’t make sure you were safe?” the Borderless said, taking a few more steps toward the black wolf, who this time held his ground.

NO, why did you stand still, keep away from him you can see he doesn’t really want to help you

“I’m not particularly sure. But uh…can I ask your name?” responded the black wolf.

“Of course, my name is Crescent.”

Moon's eyes grew wide. She knew that name. Crescent was indeed a Borderless wolf, one of the most feared ones in the area. He was one of the many cannibalistic ones in the area.

“Oh, that’s a nice name for a wolf,” said the black wolf, fear seeming to fade slightly from his voice.

RUN, she shouted in her head, you HAVE to know him. You can't be out of a pack without knowing that name by heart

“Why thank you. Now please come with me.”

It was clear to Moon now that this black wolf really had no idea where he was. And he was going to die because of it. Unless-unless.

No Moon, don’t be stupid. That’s a three-to-one fight. There’s no way you can win that without getting hurt, even if they’re not as skilled. But then again, I do have the element of surprise plus they’ll see me as a pack wolf, maybe they’ll just run. So if I could just … no this is ridiculous. If I get hurt … and I don’t even know him. But I can’t just let him die, especially in such a horrific way. Oh, this I so stupid.

She charged from the brush, aimed directly for Crescent. All heads turned to her, but nobody processed what was happening fast enough. She smashed into Crescent with her head down at full speed, sending  him tumbling away from them and sending a sharp pain down her neck. One of his ‘partners’ quickly and clumsily jumped at her. She deftly stepped out of the way, sending him tumbling onto the ground. She quickly jumped at him slashing at his back, and cutting his left flank. He yowled in pain and ran to where Crescent was standing, still coughing and trying to catch his breath. Moon turned to the last Borderless wolf and gave him a sharp growl. He bolted back to join the others.

“Amateurs”, she mumbled once, a smirk growing on her face.

Crescent sniffed strongly once, and quickly took a step back, muttering “Pack Wolf” a few times to himself and the to the wolves beside him. All three then turned and slipped away into the brush.

Moon stood, staring back at where the three Borderless wolves had been, continuing her low growl until she could no longer hear their footsteps. Then she turned to the Black wolf, who was now fully backed up against a fallen tree with his head tucked down low.

“And who are you?” he asked shakily.

“I’m a friend,” she responded kindly.

“Why did you do that?” he asked in a legitimately confused tone.

“Are you serious? That wolf was going to kill you.”

“What? Why? I did nothing to him or his friends.”

“Didn’t you sense the danger yourself?”

“Well sort of, but I thought he was just one of those naturally creepy types.”

“Well he is naturally creepy. And the wolves with him are more like followers than anything else. He was going to kill you, not out of vengeance but instead because you were his prey.”

“Wait you mean he was going to like…eat me or something?”

“Pretty much.”

“How are you so nonchalant about that? It can’t possibly be normal!”

“Well it’s not normal for Pack wolves. However, around here it’s not too uncommon for Borderless to do it. They see lone wolves as just more prey.”

“Wait, what do you mean by ‘Pack Wolves’ and ‘Borderless Wolves’?” the Black wolf asked, getting to his feet and coming to face her.

“What happened to you? Did you get hit on the head too hard or something?” Moon asked in dismay. How could this Black wolf not know these things?

“N-no, I’m just not from around here, OK?”

“You’re telling me! How can you not know these things? Come with me, and I’ll find you something to eat, you could use it,” she replied over her shoulder as she moved away. The Black wolf hesitated for a moment, then slowly began to follow.

They walked for about a mile in silence back to Moon’s little camp along the Southern Wetlands Pack’s border. She was not a member of the pack, though she once had been. She had grown up in the pack. When she was about three, her sister and patrol partner, Starcaster, was killed by a Borderless wolf while the two of them were on a border patrol. Without her sister, Moon had struggled to find her place as one of the pack’s warriors. Eventually she decided to leave the pack officially, though she stayed close by. She kept up good relations with the pack and was able to get help from time to time however she’d found that not being tied down by pack rules allowed her to stop a lot more Borderless then she had been able to as a Warrior.

She did her best to try and stop any Borderless wolves that tried to kill another wolf, however she had to pick and choose her fights  carefully, since she was only one. This recent fight had made her nervous, and, under “normal” circumstances, aka if lives weren't at stake, she wasn’t sure if she would have engaged them, but she had to say she was happy with her execution of the attack.

Her small cave lay open much as she had left it, although it was obvious the wind had passed through given the number of new leaves scattered about. Inside the rough stone walls lay her bed of dead leaves, twigs, and moss and the remains of a rabbit she had caught a few hours before catching this new wolf’s strange scent. Her and her sister’s old bone bracelets lay on a small ledge to the right of the entrance directly opposite her bed, two for each of them. They acted as a reminder of what once was and what she’d lost to Borderless. She hadn’t worn hers in about a year, not since she left the pack, but she thought it important to keep for some reason.

“Make yourself at home, but just don’t touch anything, OK? I’ll be back soon enough,” Moon said to him turning back the way they had come.

“Where are you going?” he asked, glancing around the clearing she called home.

“To get you something to eat...you look…terrible,” she said glancing at his pelt which had recently begun to cling to his ribs.

“Oh…umm, thanks. I can’t say I feel any better than I look,” he said with a weak smile.

“I wouldn’t think so. Anyway, I’ll be back soon,” she said, trotting away.

Once she felt she had disappeared from his line of sight, she did an abrupt U-turn, and went back to edge of the clearing. She watched him for a few minutes just to make sure he wasn’t messing with anything. He stood around for a moment, poked his head into her cave, then out again, then back in. She could tell he was eyeing the bracelets.

Surely he must know what they are, she thought, since she couldn’t think of any wolf who didn’t know what each bracelet said about a wolf’s rank. She waited there for a few moments until she felt she could trust him to keep his word. She hadn't jogged far from the clearing before she found a small rabbit burrow. It was still active she could strongly smell the telltale scent of a rabbit pair. She perched herself above the den, silently  waiting for one to poke their head out. She sat for a while, she could still smell them but was getting anxious.

What’s he up to, she thought worriedly, Could he have wandered off? And what’s up with him? How can he not know basic stuff about the Region's culture.

“Come on!”, She hissed.

As if on cue she heard the quick pitter patter of rabbit paws running toward the entrance of the burrow. It stopped at the entrance sniffing the air around itself. It inched forward and Moon pounced on the rabbit in a single precise movement. Her paw moving decisively as it swooped down on her next meal. After a few years of fending for herself, Moon had learned the importance of precision, and made certain she never missed a beat. This was unfortunate for the rabbit, who them emitted a tiny squeak...and she heard the other come to the entrance to investigate.

Perfect, She thought with a grin.

The rabbit sniffed the single, tiny drop of blood on the dirt. It leaned out and she grabbed it as well. Tentatively she picked them both up in her jaw and headed back toward the cave. Once she finally arrived she found the other wolf laying down in the shadow of the cave entrance. He raised his head once Mood stepped out of the brush.

“Ibroughtdinner”, she mumbled to him as best she could with the rabbits in her jaw. She dropped the rabbits at his feet and found a comfortable spot a few feet to his left.

“Thank you”, he sighed, “it's been too long since I've eaten”

“Why's that?” She prodded

“Hmm?” He responded, pulling his snout out of a quickly disappearing rabbit.

“Why haven't you eaten recently?” She tried again, “you don't seem to know the area so where are you from?”

“To be honest I'm not really sure”, he said meekly.

“What? You don't know your own packs name?” She tried to sound like she hadn't expected this though it wasn't that surprising when she considered his minimal knowledge of the pack system.

He doesn't know what the difference between a pack wolf and a borderless wolf is, he doesn't know the landscape, he's half starved, and doesn't know where he came from. Who is he?

“No where I lived there was only one pack… we didn't have a name…” his voice trailed off and Moon’s mind started racing. She didn't know of anywhere that separated from the region. All borderless knew about the other packs after all the lived hiding from them as best they could and of course the pack wolves knew the names of each pack by heart.

“How’d you get here?”

“I’m not sure exactly how… I came in some sort of loud flying creature… sorry that I’m not all that helpful”

Intriguing, Moon thought, she’d heard of a wolf once that had suddenly appeared with little knowledge of the region with a similar description of how they got here, they called her a “flier” but not many outside of Riverbed had believed her story though now she was beginning to think there might be some truth to it.

“No, don't be”, Moon replied softly still engulfed in thought. There was a long pause only broken by the soft crunching of bones as the other wolf ate.

If he really did come from out of the region and doesn't even know how to fight is there any way he can survive here? No pack will let him in, he doesn't have the faintest scent of any of them. Where should he go? Maybe… No, nobody will take him. Winter’s about to finish up up, no pack will be looking for new members now especially not one that can’t fight. Could he stay till spring? Then packs might be more open minded no to mention I could help him learn how to handle combat. Ok I’ll gauge him to see what he’s like and if I start trusting him he can stay. Yeah, ok sounds good.

She stole a glance over to when he was eating only to find him staring straight back. He wore a cautious expression, he looked at her as though he too was trying to decide if it was safe to stay. She stood up.

“Where you going?” he asked her

“I’m going to lay down for a bit”

“Weren’t you just laying down?”

“Well… yes but I’m going to lay down in the shade rather then bake in the sun all day” She said over her shoulder as she walked into the small cave she called her home.

“Wait”

“Hmmm what is it”

“I just realized I still don’t even know your name, I mean you saved my life so….” his voice trailed off as he spoke.

“Agh, fair enough my name’s Moonbeam, but uhh do your breath a favor and call me moon. And your’s?”, she prodded

“Oh my name’s… my name’s Shadow” He said shyly.

“Oh, cool” she replied flopping down of her bed of leaves sending a few floating into the air.

Author's Note

Please give me honest opinions and dont try to be too nice, primarily tell me your opinions on the dialog and character development, I don't need grammar mistakes I'm rereading and correcting myself. I'm still in high school so additions may come slowly, I'm going to try update a chapter at a time since I fel that'll be the most satisying for everyone. I hope you enjoy.