Wolf RPG

Open to anyone, please try to write at least a paragraph, two would be better, even if it's just your characters perspective of whatever is happening at the time.
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Name: Shadow
Gender: Female
Age: Adult/Looking for a mate
Colour: Dark brown/black
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Everything she had ever known was gone.

The young dark female wolf was exhausted. It felt like she had been running for days. Tired, cold and hungry, she crawled under the thorny bush, wincing slightly as it pulled at her fur. A small price to pay to get out of the snow, and it offered her a little protection from prying eyes. She wasn't safe yet.

She remembered back to that morning.

She knew it was time to leave, but it didn't make things any easier. She had watched the latest litter of pups, now old enough to join in with the hunt, play fighting in the snow that had fallen during the night. She knew this was probably the worst time of year to leave, her shaggy dark brown, almost black coat standing out starkly against the bright white snow. But it was now, or never.

Alone, she had reached the end of her packs territory, and bravely took her first steps into foreign territory. She picked up her pace a little. She needed to travel far in search of a mate and a new pack. Strange new scents filled her nose, and every cracking branch had set her on edge. Her nose told her she was trespassing before the silhouette against the horizon, or the snarling growl of the Alpha female had. She had turned tail, and ran for her life.

It was different being so alone, without a pack to back her up, to keep her warm. She rested her nose on her paws and closed her eyes. She couldn't smell any other wolves here. After a short sleep she awoke and crawled out of her thorny abode. Stretching and yawning in the afternoon sun, she sniffed the air and followed her nose to a small stream that hadn't yet frozen over.

After sating her thirst she looked around. This was a nice area, but there wasn't much food around. Just then, she saw a furry blur out of the corner of her eye. She carefully wandered over, sniffing as she went... LEMMING! She artfully pounced and caught the furry prey in her jaws.

After finishing her breakfast, she decided it was time to continue her journey. As the sun slowly set, she trotted off, wondering what the night would bring.

Cannon, the large pitch black wolf smelled prey, rabbit, his favorite. He saw it trying to hide in the snow, it was no match for him. He quickly pounced and killed the rabbit gulping it down with excitment. My first meal today he thought as he smiled to himself. He felt more free, now that he had left his birth pack; before he had felt so... over protected. Him being the heir to the lead of the pack might have something to do with it. They told him stories when he was just pup about how some day when his father got older, he would be leader. Thats not for me he would tell them. They always said "Aww, he'll grow out of it, when the time comes he'll be ready to be leader..." Well, the time came and the day before his crowning, he ran away. He just knew they would come out searching for him, though he hoped they didn't.

Cannon smelled another wolf... a female wolf. He had wanted a mate, and judging by her footprints left in the icy snow, she was small, making her an easy claim. He started to follow the tracks, them getting deeper and deeper. He knew he must be getting close. He saw a bush where the tracks stopped. The area was still warm. She must have layed down here he thought to himself. He followed the trail further until it led to a small area a lemming must have been killed at, judging by the amount of blood he found. He followed them just a bit further until there he saw a lone female wolf with dark fur, walking through the snow. G'day miss, who are you, i would like your company, for i am all alone. he said with gentle man kindness. That was something they had also taught him to be, espeisally around guest who might come to meet a pack leader.

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Oh yeah, here is my sign up:
Name: Cannon
Gender: Male
Age: Adult/looking for mate
Color: Pitch black
Additional info: Was meant to be the new pack leader, but didn't really want to be, so ran away from home to find a mate.

Shadow quickly spun around into a defensive stance, tail down, ears flat and hackles raised, her white teeth glinting in the dappled light. She wasn't used to being caught unawares. After a few cautious sniffs she realised the young male was alone. She relaxed slightly, not perceiving any immediate threat.

"G'day miss, who are you? I would like your company, for I am all alone."

Her head tilted to the side at his funny way of speaking. Baring her teeth in a wolfie grin, she replied a little more casually "You can tag along if you want...it'll make it easier for us to catch a decent meal that way. I'm Shadow, what's your name?"

Before the stranger had a chance to answer, she had already set off in search of more food. The cover of night provided her with her best chances of surprising her prey with her dark coat, and a single lemming would not fill her stomach. The stranger seemed almost shocked at her casual treatment of him and she impatiently waved her tail. "Well are you coming? There's not much food around here. I'm guessing the snow makes it as easy for you as it does for me!"

He replies Oh, sorry, im so used to talking like that... I was going to be the heir to my packs leader and they made me talk like that, espessially in a female wolfes presence... He started to run after her to go catch food Oh yeah, and im Cannon, who are you? he asked the new wolf. He started through the snow, hearing a rabbit. The rabbit was trying to hide, knowing that they were there. It was an easy kill, one quick pounce did the trick. He put his head down, giving her permission to eat his catch.

Heir to the pack, why would he leave?... Shadow thought to herself.

She was thrown off guard again when he offered her his kill. "Thanks." She said quietly, enjoying the still warm rabbit.

"So, did you just take off, or did they know you were leaving? Will your pack come looking for you?" she questioned the stranger, looking around the forest that surrounded them. It began to snow again and she shook the flakes loose from her fur. This territory wasn't any good to settle down in. She knew exactly what she wanted. Finding it was going to be the hard part.

"Well" he said pausing for her to eat "They will be looking for me. They always thought the idea of being leader would grow on me, and i would lead. Two days ago i was supposed to be crowned, but i ran away 3 days before now." he said shaking hard to keep snow off. He stood under a tree, trying to avoid the falling snow. "So, enough about me, where are you from Shadow?" Cannon asked, wanting to become good friends with this nice wolf.

Shadow considered her answer for a moment. "About two days back that way..." She moved her head to indicate behind them. "Where the caribou finish their migration."

She remembered the first hunt she had ever seen.

The pack moved confidently through the huge herd of caribou, searching for any weakness. The pups were oberving from a hill. Her older brother playfully chased the big noisy caribou as the rest of the pack melted into the trees.

They shifted nervously, moving off to eat in the trees opposite to where the wolves had dissapeared. Little did they know the pack had already looped around and were waiting in position.

As the caribou reached a fork in the path, the wind changed direction. Knowing her cover was blown, her mother leapt from her hiding place and began to herd the caribou towards the rest of the pack. One of the younger, less experienced caribou broke off from the others and her mother veered off to follow, the rest of the pack joining the chase. It took three wolves to bring the young animal down...

Her thoughts were broken by a pained bellowing echoing through the trees. Her ears pricked forward and she raced in the direction of the sound, not looking to see if Cannon was following. She made up for her smaller stature with her speed, she loved to run. Stopping at the top of a small crest she looked down into a small clearing and began to salivate. Limping through the snow, bellowing in pain was a female moose, her front leg broken by a misplaced step.

She heard the other wolf coming up behind her. Before he could make a noise she looked back and quietly whispered "Shh..."

She began to move off to the left, circling around to come at the moose head on, taking advantage of the injured leg. She saw the larger male moving into position on the edge of her vision but all her attention was focused on the hooves and throat of the moose.

They moved at the same time with no signals passed between them, taking their prey completely by surprise. Shadow latched onto the moose's throat, dancing away from its feeble attempts to kick her off. Slowly, the animal dropped to the ground. She didn't loosen her grip until she was sure all the life was gone from it. Then she lifted her head to look around and catch her breath. A movement in the trees...a calf...

Tomorrow. She thought to herself before turning her attention back to the feast at her feet. One advantage of the snow...the meat wouldn't go bad.

She grinned at Cannon. "Well...Maybe theres more around here than I thought!"

He heard the bellowing and sprung into action at the same time as Shadow, running to the source of the sound. A female moose with a broken leg. All that was said before they attacked was a simple ''shh'' muttered by shadow. They jumped, killing the moose in a minute or two. Their was an abandoned calf in the edge of the forest. He knew it wouldn't last until tomorrow. Shadow laughingly said I guess there is more than i thought! He laughed.
There was so much food here, enough for a while. It would stay good if the weather stayed this cold. He backed away, bowing his head allowing Shadow to eat first. His father did that for the last meal that Cannon saw his pack eat. It was only a small calf with a messed up leg, but for some reason that hunt was different than the others, it stood out. He still remembered it like it was still happening.
Cannon and father were sneaking slowly closer to the wobbly calf. Its front right leg was oddly shorter than the others, probably a birth defect. It was falling behind and would be eventually abandoned. Another pack member was on the other side, the rest ready to help if anything happened. They all jumped out at the same time, as if on invisible timers. Cannon got in the first bite, which was what almost killed the calf. The other two wolfes got in the last deadly bites. They dragged it back to there home lands. His mother came up to the kill. Cannons father bowed down, letting his mate eat. she laughed and ate some, allowing him to join in.
Cannon wanted to be that now, respectful, yet respected. That hunt was the last time he saw his family.

Shadow looked oddly at the young male and laughed. "There's plenty to go around, won't you join me?" she said with a smile.

Both wolves ate until their stomachs were full. Shadow sent marked the remains, just in case...

She stretched and yawned. It was time for a nap. The sun would be coming up soon. The two wolves wandered aimlessly, until they found an abandoned den. No one has lived here for a long time... Shadow thought to herself, wandering in carelessly. Her nose would have given her warning of any danger long before she saw it. She turned a few times before laying down close to Cannon. With the extra body and decent cover from the snow, it was bound to be warmer than her last sleep.

He ate happilly. He saw how casual she was, and it made him more relaxed. But now it was time for them to sleep, so he was glad when they found the abandoned den.
He shook his fur free of snow, and walked into the den and settled down next to Shadow, getting ready to sleep through the night. When she was deeply asleep, he wandered to the opening of the den, and poked his head out, looking around, and terrified to see his pack right near the den they were sleeping in! He took action, quickly covering the den with snow, and going back to sleep. It would be morning soon, and they would have a long day ahead of the.
He woke first. Time to get up sleepy head! he said cheerily, worrying about giving the bad news ahead. But we have a bit of a problem... my pack was here last night, and are probably here today... He had also known that they had eaten their kill, and probably all of it. He hoped she wouldn't be mad at him.

Shadow was slightly annoyed at the news. Now what am I going to do? she thought to herself. She was no match for a whole pack. She could probably out run them, but still wasn't sure what Cannon wanted to do about the whole situation. Does he want to go back? she thought with a sigh.

"Well lets get this over with..." she said a little gloomily. She was just beginning to get used to the company, and if he decided to go back to them, she would be all alone again.

Wandering towards the entrance she could see that it had been covered with snow. A little surprised at the new development, she clawed her way into the outside world. She couldn't see the pack, but their scent was everywhere. It made her hackles stand up. She trotted down towards a small stream they had passed the night before and cautiously drank before heading back in the direction of the clearing. She expected the moose to be gone, but there was still a chance the calf would be in the area, weak and vulnerable.

When she got to the clearing, as she had suspected, the carcass had been cleaned. She headed into the woods where the calf had been hiding and began to track its scent. It had spent most of the night here, before wandering further into the trees. Eventually they tracked it down. It was an easy kill, and a filling breakfast.

"I don't want to stay here." Shadow admitted to Cannon. "It's a nice area...but I smell bear. When I was younger, a bear found our den while my brother was watching the pups during a hunt. It killed him and all the pups. There was nothing we could do. It was sick, crazy. A monster." Shadow said softly, very aware that every sound they made could bring a whole pack down on them.

She decided to skirt around the clearing where the moose carcass was one last time. As they got nearer she could hear bickering ahead. She crouched down and stalked as close as she dared. There, in the clearing, was a whole pack of wolves.

For all they knew this was her territory and she had a pack larger than theirs. Her scent was everywhere. She made up her mind. She entered the clearing tail and head held high. She would not be pushed around.

She could feel Cannon following closely behind her, and the glares the strange wolves were giving her, particuarly from a small grey female towards the back of the group. When Shadow met her eyes the grey wolf's head dropped, and Shadow's ears flattened against her skull, baring her teeth a little.

She stopped a short distance from the pack, but refused to sit. "What do you want?" she asked rather bluntly, addressing the intruding pack as a whole.

"We have come to collect my son." An aging wolf said not unkindly, but in the same odd voice Cannon had used when she first met him.

She looked bak at Cannon and gave him an encouraging grin. "It's entirely up to you. If you decide to stay, I'll be back at our den. If I'm not there, use your nose to find me." She said with particular emphasis on the our. As she turned, her eyes met those of the grey female and if looks could kill she would have fallen over dead. Lowering her voice to a whisper, so only Cannon would hear, she added "I'll stay where I can hear." her expression slightly more serious. Before she trotted off to the edge of the clearing.

She turned to the male who had addressed her earlier, who was now regarding her with an odd look in his eye. The pack watched her leave. She nodded to the old wolf before disappearing into the trees in the direction of the den. Once she was out of sight, she circled around until she was back to where they had first heard the wolves. She stalked back forward until she was just out of sight, but close enough if she was needed. Her muscles were tense, coiled like a spring...

Cannon walked up and said "Why do you come up and mess with us? And you say collect like im your toy, or some item! And i told you so many times over and over that i will not be your leader!" He talked in the voice he talked to shadow in, like a normal wolf, not some pampered little runt.

He saw Arian, a grey wolf, about to speak up saying "but-" but he cut her off by saying. "You may be able to mess with our land, and eat our large kill, and you can even waltz on our land like your some one, but you can't mess with me and shadow." He said turning around about to walk off.

He always knew he would have problems when he left them, that they would come looking. But he had never known that he would have a pack member that they would try to take away! He couldn't let that happen again... again...

He was just a young pup when him and Kassidy were playing by the river. They always joked around and had so much fun. There was just one set back, She was from a rival pack. Their parents didn't know, but one day, Cannons father saw him going to the river and decided to follow him. When he saw him with the other packs pup, he was enraged. He killed Kassidy with one bite. Cannon would never forgive him for it. He saw the blank look in her eye as she layed there lifeless. He cried and pulled away from his pack, but they ended up picking him up and taking him away. He would cry every night for months, thinking it was his fault that she had gone.

As he was walking, his father spoke up. "You are our son and it is your responsibility to lead your pack!" Cannnon simply replied "I am" and was in the forest without another word said. He knew Shadow had been listening to the whole thing. He wondered what she thought of him now...

When he was sure they were out of ear shot, he turned and said to her "I am soo sorry about those stupid wolves, I cant seem to get rid of them!" He laughed. "Oh, you were talking about moving earlier, and since i hate bears as much as you, where should we go?" He asked, not knowing where does and doesn't have bears. He started walking and layed down in a warm den he found, probably a coyotes, and made room for Shadow to fit in. It was getting cold and they would need any heat they could get.

Shadow relaxed when Cannon left the clearing and ran back around towards the spot he had entered the tree line. "I am soo sorry about those stupid wolves, I cant seem to get rid of them!" they both laughed. "Oh, you were talking about moving earlier, and since i hate bears as much as you, where should we go?"

She silently let him take the lead, she wasn't sure yet where they would go. Shadow followed him into the small den. I wonder why so many of the dens are abandoned around here... she silently thought to herself. It was concerning. The temperature was dropping by the minute. Something told her there was a snow storm coming. She got close to Cannon and casually rested her head against his shoulder. "Well if we go any further north, the weather will just get worse, and neither of us are the best colour for the tundra. I think we should head east, further into the trees." At least with the trees for cover, she was harder to spot. I wish I was white, or grey even...normal...just like all the others.

She had been the only dark wolf in her pack, her mother was white and her father was grey, so were all her brothers and sisters. Her parents were always telling her that both her grandfathers had been black, but she couldn't help but feel cursed. She was the only pup in the last two years to survive. One of her sisters was killed by a lone strange wolf, another fell through the ice into the river. There was nothing anyone could do. Her brother was babysitting when the rabid bear came along, and killed him and her younger siblings... At least i know I'm not the only one anymore she thought with a sigh.

The wind picked up outside and the first flakes began to fall. It quickly got heavier and the winds got stronger, until they couldn't see past the entrance to the den. A little of the snow was blowing in, but nowhere near enough to reach them as far back as they were. "May as well sleep while we have a good excuse." Shadow said through a yawn. She had already made herself quite comfortable.

As she layed her head on his shoulder he at once felt at home, and knew she wasn't mad. "Well if we go any further north, the weather will just get worse, and neither of us are the best colour for the tundra. I think we should head east, further into the trees." That was a good idea. He hadnt even thought about how bad he would stick out in the tundra, and since the east did have more trees.

He saw the snow whirling out side the den. It was getting hard to see when Shadow said "May as well sleep while we have a good excuse." He got comfortable and as soon as she was asleep, He poked his head out of the den, careful not to awaken her. He looked out and from what he could see, the snow had slowed some, even though only a few yard were visible. A coyote was outside, the owner of the den.

The coyote hadn't seen Cannon yet, so it was his only chance. Cannon lunged out of the den. Even if he had woken Shadow, they needed food. He grabbed the coyote, killing it easily. He quickly returned to the den with the fresh kill. It was still warm, and they needed to eat. He said to Shadow "Sorry to wake you up like that, but we need the food." They both ate until there stomaches were full. Even though coyote wasnt a normal meal, it would have to do for now.

They waited until the snow stopped, the moon was high in the sky. Shadow poked her head out of the den. The snow was so much deeper now. She headed towards the stream and walked next to it, heading east, catching a few rabbits along the way.

After a short while the trees were noticeably thicker, and the scent of game was everywhere. Shadow looked back at Cannon, grinning. She couldn't smell the scent of other wolves here either.

Ahead in the trees there was movement. The wind changed direction and Shadows hackles rose. Bear. She walk forwards stiffly, using the trees for as much cover as she could. As she got closer, she relaxed a little and curiosity took over. It was dead. She sniffed it a little, then kept going.

"Hunters." she said, with a quiet growl. This was no place to be stopping for a rest.

The massive bear had several bullet holes. She was right, hunters had been through here, his sensitive nose picked them up. We need to keep moving, they could still be near here, I smell them. They kept walking until he noticed the smell had faded. There was an area they could rest.

Lets rest here Shadow, we won't have another chance for a while. He layed down near a bush and got close to her to keep warm, it was most likely below zero at this point. They dozed off for an hour or two.

They woke up to the shreiking sound of an animal being shot. Cannon jumped up and looked around. The sound was from about a mile away. Shadow! We need to go now! He ran the oppisite direction of the gun shot, Shadow close behind. After running about 2 miles, They slowed down to a stop.

I think were far enough away now. We need to take a break, we will be safe. He sat back and tried catching his breath. They had full out sprinted to here. Are you ok? He asked Shadow, it had been a hard run, and the snow definitly didnt help.

Shadow laughed. "Of course I'm ok! I was worried you might not keep up..." she teased, prancing circles around Cannon. He was right though. They needed to rest.

After a short break they were ready to go again. I hope we find somewhere soon... Shadow thought silently to herself, getting slightly more worried that it was taking so long to find somewhere. The weather would get worse, before it got any better.

They set off again in the opposite direction to the hunters. The rest of the day passed with little consequence.

He snorted when she said he couldnt keep up. I hope we find a den, this whole days has passed with no signs of the weather getting better! He started digging. If we can't find a den, we will have to make one! It won't be too hard...

He dug until he was almost deep enough to be a den. That outta be good enough for today, come on in. They layed down and slept for the night. He was too tired to do his nightly check, but the night was uneventful, but the following day would not be so easy.

Name: Ruby
Gender: Female
Age: Adult,Looking for a mate
Colour: red,blue eyes


A red wolf slowly stalked through the snow,following a moose eating bark near her den.She snarled and and on it's back.

After a short while,she stopped biting and began eating.She smirked as a coyote walked towards her kill.She froze when she noticed foam dripping down the muzzle.

OOC: welcome okami! We'll find a way to write you in

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Shadow was beginning to enjoy rest time. When she had first left her pack she preferred to keep moving for as long as possible. Now that she had company, it wasn't so cold or lonely, and she knew she had nothing to worry about.

Unfortunately it was time to get up. After a quick lemming breakfast, they set out again in search of a decent territory.

After walking for a while Shadow stopped. She could smell another wolf and slowed down. She wasn't a fan of trespassing. A few more cautious sniffs told her there was a lone female nearby, and she knew with Cannon at her side that there would be little risk to either of them. Nothing to be too worried about. she thought to herself quietly, hoping it was the case.

As they got closer, she could smell blood, the scent of freshly killed moose, and that familiar tainted stench. One she would never forget. The same scent of the monster bear...but it was different. It wasn't a bear. She sniffed again, there was something there, but she couldn't quite pick it...

They both heard the snarling ahead at the same time. Shadows natural reaction, had she been alone, would have been to walk the other way and let nature take its course, but her curiosity got the better of her. The memory of the bear and not knowing why it was that way had always puzzled her. She walked into a small clearing and saw a young red female wolf, about her own age, with blue eyes, standing over a carcass snarling at a smaller, familiar shape in front of them.

Coyote... She was puzzled. It was rare for a coyote to challenge a wolf, even rarer for one so small. It must be the sickness... Shadow thought to herself.

Golden eyes met blue, and Shadow stalked forwards, the coyote far more intent on the wolf in front to worry about the two coming up behind.

"Don't let it bite you. Please." Shadow whispered to Cannon pleadingly, while they were still far enough away for the coyote not to hear them.

Just a little bit closer...

Both wolves lunged at the same time taking down the stinking wreck. There was a little struggle but the two wolves overpowered and killed the coyote, snapping its neck and spine.

Shadow quickly dropped the carcass, and swung around to face Cannon, checking him over carefully to make sure e hadn't been hurt. When she was convinced he was fine, she began chewing snow to get the foul taste out of her mouth.

Once the taste was gone, she remembered the red wolf and looked up. She was still standing over the moose protectively, a strange look on her face. Shadow suddenly realized how odd it would look, two black wolves, bursting out of the dark cover of the trees and killing a coyote.

"Hi," Shadow began in one of her less threatening tones, "I'm Shadow, and this is Cannon...Sorry to trespass..."

Yay! Thanks for joining! I was getting a little lonley... But welcome!
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Cannon, trying to sound less threatening too, forgot to use his new voice as he did with shadow. "G'day.. umm, i mean hi..." He slightly laughed at how stupid he knew he sounded. He looked at this red wolf, and knew she was looking them over. He thought about what had just happened for a moment. They were two jet black wolves jumping out from no where, killing a coyote, and then saying 'G'day miss'. If he were her he would be questioning too. "Sorry if we startled you, but your the only possibly decent wolf we've ran into for a while, we didn't want that coyote gettin you!" He looked at shadow. She knew that the 'not decent' wolves were his old pack. He lowered his head slightly to make him look less threatening, for he knew his large size wouldn't help anything.

Him and Shadow stood there akwardly waiting for this red female wolves reply. Before seeing her, Cannon had only seen one red wolf, but that wolf didn't make it long, because her pack had decided she was too diffrent from her grey and white siblings, and kicked her out. That was in KaSandra's pack. Cannon would have risked the same fate if he hadn't been strong enough to take over if they kicked him out. Him and Shadow stood there akwardly waiting for this red female wolf's reply.

Shadow waited for a few moments until the silence grew awkward. The strange red wolf was still standing protectively over her kill and hadn't said a word. Shadow gave a wolfish shrug and turned to walk back into the trees.

"Well that wasn't odd at all. Maybe the poor thing was in shock..." She said offhandedly to Cannon. They still had to find a permanent den and establish a hunting territory. She hadn't expected it to take so long.

They continued east. Eventually, the trees got thicker, and snow had a more difficult time making it down to the ground. Something felt right. There were fresh scent trails everywhere so obviously there was game. They had been walking parallel to a stream for most of the trip, so they had a water source, and there was none of that funny sick smell for miles.

They explored a little further and found a cozy den underneath a large rock formation. Shadow pranced excitedly and turned to Cannon. "Isn't it just perfect?" She asked joyously.

He exclaimed "Yes! It's what we've been looking for! Its warm, theres game, no hunters or sickness, its great!" He looked around, marked his territory and happily grabbed 2 rabbits to celebrate and chowed down with shadow happily. They had found what would have to be the best den in the whole forest. He hoped there wouldnt be any compitition though. He thought about his pack. "I doubt my stupid family will find us over here, but if they ever do we will need protection if they seem agressive, we should dig a den inside our den, they would never find us." It seemed a good idea, even though he doubted they would actually find them, but they do some weird things.

It was getting dark, even though he couldnt tell very well throught the thick blanket of trees. He noticed that the sun would shine through in beautiful streaks, and they were slowly disapearing. "Its getting pretty late, the suns going down, so lets go to sleep." He started in to the den and layed down with shadow in there warm den. It was very comfortable. "Good night" He whispered before going to sleep. They had many things to do. The next day they would have to mark all of there land, make the den in there den, and at some point they would have to hunt for food to find out where the local herds lived. He dozed off happily.

Shadow had the best night sleep she had ever had that night, curled up with Cannon in their very own den. Tomorrow, they could start with the leg work, the marking and surveying. And hunting... she thought with a sleepy grin as she dozed off to sleep.

She knew this place... but it was different... darker... her sight was blurred. She could smell her pack, and knew she belonged. She looked down at her tiny, fluffy paw, but was distracted by a movement out of the corner of her eye. She pounced on her sisters white tail, and earned herself a paw swipe over the head. "Babysitting..." she heard her older sister mutter. She also muttered something about mud...

MUD!!! she snuck back to her siblings and passed on the new information. They were half grown now and more than fuzz balls of mischief. While their sister decided to have a nap in the sun, the pups practiced their stealth moved and got away. Once they were out of earshot they all burst out laughing. Something caught her attention. Something she had never seen before. It was short and fluffy looking, its whole back end swayed with every step it took...

Shadow inched closer to investigate. The strange creature backed up, flaring the hair on it's back. Shadow pawed at it, trying to figure out what was going on. When her paw missed its mark she tried to sniff again.

"OUCH!" She yelped, running back towards the den. It wasn't hair at all! It was quills! It had taken days to work the irritating barb out of her lip...

She woke slowly, her dream lingering... No, it wasn't the dream, it was the smell. She sat up so quickly she hit her head on the roof of the den and she scampered backwards. It was in the den!

Cannon jumped when shadow did, but didnt hit his head. He saw the porqupine sitting at the entrance. There was that smell again. A white liquid oozed from its mouth. He knew he would have to be careful. "Stand very far back Shadow, if i get hurt, run very far away ok? Dont wait for me, save your self" He saw the creature moving closer. He started grabbing rocks with his mouth and trying to throw them, but it wasnt very easy. He kicked dirt on it, giving shadow and him time to get out. "Go over there for saftey. Remember what i said, if this doesnt work, dont stop for me." He said before approaching the sick animal that was still shaking the dirt off. If it bit him, him and shadow would never be together again, he would run away, he couldnt let her get it too.

He made sure Shadow was not following him and hit it with his paw. When it was stuck on its back he grabbed its underside with his teeth, avoiding its head and killed it. He had several thorns sticking into his skin and flesh. Only the one on his snout and the one on his leg were bleeding. He ran over to shadow and made sure she was okay. "It really hurts" he squeaked out of his injured mouth. The thorn in his snout was deeply lodged. "I wasnt bit, i dont have the sickness..." He muttered before laying down right there (more like falling right there) and going to sleep out in the open and cold.

Shadow was shocked at what was happening in front of her. She began to dig at the back wall while Cannon was throwing rocks at the walking spiky.

Just as she dug through, she looked back to see that the creature was dead, and Cannon wasn't bitten. She was a little embarrassed about freaking out like that. When he collapsed she sunk down next to him to keep him warm and was very careful to avoid the spines that were still attached to him.

She woke up early early while he was still asleep and managed to catch two rabbits, and clear last nights disaster from their den. She took both back and left them where he could see them before going back out to catch her own breakfast. Eating was going to be difficult unless they got that quill out.

When she returned, Cannon was up and about, and quill-less to her surprise. "Are you feeling better? I'm so sorry I panicked..." She said apologetically. She really did feel awful. "I've already done some marking this morning. Theres no other trace of the sick smell anywhere either."

"Im fine" He said weakly. The spines had small amounts of poison and he had been sick all morning. He had broke the thorns off, which wasnt very good because in his atempt he had left the ends imbedded in his skin. He had some blood caked on his snout from the still throbing spine. He rubbed his face on the dirt. "Its ok about last night, i know you've had bad experiences with that sickness. But we have a small problem..." He had to tell her he had broken of the spines, not removed them. "Umm... I was trying to get the spines out, but they kinda... broke. The ends are still there, and I cant eat..." He scratched at the injuries. "Im so sorry, i should have waited for you..." He was tired and sat down.

He was embarresed to have to ask her for help, but if they weren't out right away, he could get sick. "They need to be removed, can you help me? You could probably get it out with your teeth if you were careful." He said still in great amounts of pain. He chewed at the one in his leg, but his snout was to large and in pain from the one near his nose.

She should have known better. She gave a wolfish grin and said jokingly "I can't guarantee it won't hurt..."

She could see from the look on his face that he was still in serious pain. The one near his nose wasn't too bad really, there was still enough spine for her to grab hold of without causing him too much pain. The one in his leg however, had been snapped off right near the skin. After much squirming, yelping and growling, the quills were out.

Good practice for motherhood I guess... she thought to herself silently with a grin. "You stay here and eat your breakfast. I'll go do some more marking!" She knew it wasn't likely he'd stay still for long, but she decided to get a head start anyway, to make up for the night before.

He ate a quick bit of rabbit and started marking as well. When him and Shadow met up again, she looked at him and laughed. "I guess we've marked it all, but we need to get back to the den to take a breather, and get a bite to eat before actually hunting..." He said. They walked together all the way back to there den, marking ocasionally to make sure they knew where they were going. When they finaly returned he caught them rabbits (which wasnt an easy task with his still painful injuries) and they ate happily. "Do you think we will ever add anyone to our pack? You will need a mate..." He said, not pushing the subject.

He looked about carefully inspecting the area. He also sniffed No more of that smell he thought. He had to make sure they were safe. He also sniffed for moose while he was waiting for her to reply to his pack question. He had chosen his words carefully as not to upset her. He smelled in one specific direction a large herd.

Shadow grinned and kept eating her rabbit. She considered her answer carefully. The whole reason she had left home was to find her territory, to start a pack of her own... But there was the whole reason Cannon had left his pack, as far as she could see. He hadn't wanted to be Alpha. Was it just because of the pack he was with? or did he just genuinely not feel up to the role?

He had already proved otherwise on numerous occasions. She was very confused.

"Well," She replied with a chuckle "It would depend on who was offering..." he voice trailed off to little more than a whisper "if you don't want to be..."

He was nervous, but he had to go for it "I would love to be lead with you" He smiled, but he didnt know if she wanted him. Did she? Would she leave him now? What was she thinking?!? He wish he could read her thoughts. He walked over to her and licked her. If he was going to ask her to be his mate, he would have to go all out. He waited for her to reply but didnt know what to do. He waited for what seemed like hours before she replied.

Im so stupid, why would i ask her? Shes gonna hate me! was all he could think.

She laid there perfectly still for a moment, emotionless. She could see the mounting tension. He looked like he was about to run off. A grin covered her face and she jumped up like a young pup. "I would love that."

She burst out laughing at the expression on his face, cutting the celebration short by shouting "Dinnertime!" and running off in the direction of some fresh tracks they had passed earlier in the day. She kept watching Cannon from the corner of her eye, afraid he might change his mind and disappear.

They spotted a moose in the clearing ahead of them. Time for some real food...

He took the deepest sigh ever, he thought she would say no. He ran after her and saw the moose out in the feild. He saw one that had some scratches Must have been attacked he thought to himself. They both saw it and stalked for a minute or two. Then they broke out full speed. They easily separated it from the herd. He jumped up and knocked it down giving Shadow enough time to bite its neck for the kill. He dragged it back to their den. Their den he thought, it was theirs, they were together now. When they returned they happily ate the fresh and warm kill. He joked "Im glad you said yes, but you couldnt have taken any longer!". She had caused lots of suspence.

When they finished eating, they curled up for a nap, her head resting on his shoulder. It's good to be home[/b] he thought to himself. He was glad they were safe now...

[i]The bear walked closer. He growled and got shadow behind him safely. The bear charged him. He fought back but he was too strong. He layed there and saw the bear walking closer to shadow. He muttered the word "Run" and saw the bear approaching her.

He woke up quickly and made sure shadow was ok before calming himself down. It was just a dream he said to himself.

Home. Shadow thought. It was a great feeling.

She laughed when Cannon said "Im glad you said yes, but you couldnt have taken any longer!".

She quickly replied, saying "Now where would the fun be in doing it any other way?"

They laid down to sleep, but Cannon was restless. She felt him wake up and check on her and she sighed quietly. Her father had done the same thing all the time. It must just be a male thing... she though to herself with a relieved grin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SPRING

Shadow stretched lazily as she exited the den. It was a big day. The pups first trip out of the den. She and Cannon watched proudly as two black and one grey fuzz ball took their first tentative steps into daylight, or as much of it as they would get under this much tree cover...

She watched as the pups started play wrestling and taking in their surroundings. The two boys started to wrestle their little dark sister, ganging up to pin her down. A low warning growl from Shadow, and the two pups froze, looking almost terrified. Shadow chuckled and kicked a pine cone in their direction. They took it in turns practicing to pounce on the unsuspecting pod, before one had had enough and decided it made a better chew toy.

Cannon laughed at the pups antics, but was never really relaxed. He wandered around, trying to sense danger. He didnt find any, but the pups... so cute and small. He couldnt let anything happen to them. He was glad it was warmer. He walked over to Shadow and licked her. "I want them to maybe try meat... I'll go get a rabbit. They might not like it at first, but they'll warm up to it." He ran off and caught 3 rabbits, one for Shadow, one for the pups, and one for him. He brought them back, gave Shadow hers, set his down and said "Ok little guys! Gather up! Its time to try meat!" There were multiple 'Oooos' and 'Ahhhs' before they gathered around the kill. They tried it, the boys spit it out, but the small little girl swallowed hard and acted like everything was ok. Cannon laughed.

"It's ok, i know its diffrent, but you'll get used to it soon." They went and got milk before Shadow and Cannon chowed down on there shares of the rabbit. Life was better now that the pups weren't so trapped in the den any more. They were funny, running around and play fighting.

Dash, the young grey male protested the most to the meat, followed closely by his brother Ranger. Maia, bravely swallowed the meat, but obviously didn't enjoy it very much, and they were all keen for a milk chaser. After the pups got their milk they were happy to return to the den to sleep it off. Now they had some peace, Shadow had a chance to mention to Cannon she had picked up a strange scent on the western perimeter while she was doing rounds that morning. Cannon looked a little concerned and went to check it out.

Shadow rested for a moment. Feeling a little more comfortable now the pups were back in the den. There was movement in the trees, and two familiar forms broke from the undergrowth and approached the den. Shadows hackles raised and her teeth bared, she growled a warning to the wolves to stay away. "I was playing nice the last time you came to harass us...You Won't be so lucky a second time!" she slowly shifted her position to cover the entrance to the den from Cannon's father, and the same simpering grey wolf she had clashed with before. She hoped he would get back quickly...

Cannon saw his dad and arian aproaching the den. He stalked behind them, before pouncing on his father. He was much stronger, thats why he would be leader before, and his cousin, arian was all bark and no bite. His dad fell to the ground under his massive weight. They rolled around fighting. Cannon came our with some gashes along his side, but one cut he got in on his father was deep. It was on his face, he ran off saying "We'll be back!" They ran off to there pack.

"What will we do Shadow?" He layed his head on her. He was bleeding but didnt care. He looked to see that the pups were ok. They were sleeping soundly "Im just glad the pups are ok..." He layed down, putting his cuts on the slightly chilly spring dirt. He rolled around, covering the area to hopefully stop the bleeding. He put his head on his paws and rested. I have to get my strength up... he thought to himself, and rest was a lot of what he needed.

For a moment, Shadow was glad the monster prickly had invaded the den. "We still have the back exit if necessary..." She said quietly, so as not to wake the pups. Little Maia crawled out of the den and curled up next to Cannon.

"Were you and dad fighting?" she quietly asked her mother.

Shadow smiled. "No darling, we had some bad visitors and your dad chased them off." she replied, worrying about what might happen to her pups if the whole pack came. The pack were't aware of the existence of any of them, because they had been below ground, and hadn't traveled anymore than a few meters from the dens entrance. My poor little fuzz balls...

"I'll be back as quickly as I can..." Shadow said to Cannon as she leaped up and headed towards the stream. It had been a long time since she had come here. She stepped into the still somewhat icy water and walked upstream to cover her scent, moving quickly so she could get back to her mate and pups before the intruders did. There, on the far back, just as she left it, was a bolt burrow, big enough for the pups, but little else. She hadn't even told Cannon about it yet. After a quick check she was convinced nobody else had moved in and she turned and ran back into the icy water, running in the shallows on the side of the den. And I thought I was just being ridiculous...

She ran straight past Cannon and Maia into the den where the two boys were still sound asleep. "Come on boys..." She said as she nudged them quietly. "Time to wake up...we're going to play a special game..."

Of all the pups, Dash was the smallest. There had been another small grey pup born but it hadn't lasted the first night. Shadow remembered the pain. She didn't ever want to have to feel that again. She told Ranger that because he was the biggest, he got to play grown up and walk like his mother and father would. She picked up Dash carefully in her mouth and walked out of the den. She didn't need to tell Cannon to follow her with Maia.

They all went straight towards the stream, and back to the bolt hole. When it came time to cross, Ranger waited on the far bank, and after the first two were safely inside, Shadow ran back to ferry the last pup across. As they got there she heard Cannon telling the pups to not come out for anyone, unless they were very certain it was their mother or father. If any strange wolves came, they were to go to the very back of the hole and wait. It was times like this, Shadow wished they had a bigger pack.

She triple checked that there was no pup scent between the stream and the hole. When she was certain she nuzzled the pups for what could be the last time. "Remember. The point of this game is not to be seen, not to smelled, not to be heard." she reminded them. "We will be back as soon as we can..."

It broke her heart to have to leave them there. But here they were safe. Taking the same precautions as last time, they both got back in the water and headed back to their den. The water was washing Cannons cuts clean and he wasn't bleeding anymore. Shadow looked at him anxiously. It would hurt more to loose him than it did to loose the first pup. "Why couldn't they just stay away?" She growled angrily. No sooner had they returned to the den than four very skinny and one already beat up wolf entered the space between the den and the tree line. Shadow was shocked at the depleted numbers of the pack. Obviously winter hadn't been as kind to them as it had to her and Cannon.

The little grey one seemed more confident with numbers to back her up. Shadow smirked, she used to beat up her brothers, who were almost three times as big as the sacks of bones standing in front of her. She waited for the strangers to make the first move, her eyes darting from one to the other. No matter the outcome, the annoying grey one was hers...

Finally she lunged, the others standing back. Shadow easily pranced out of the way before they began to circle, returning with a snap of her own on her opponents rear leg, she could hear the muscle tearing. Arian latched onto Shadows tail and she let go of the leg, spinning around and using paws and teeth, the two began to wrestle and snap. She could hear growling and snapping behind her and knew Cannon must be fighting his father again. There was a yelp from behind them and for a moment Arian was distracted, it was all the needed. Shadow lunged for the throat, tearing it open, she didn't stay to watch her opponent die.

There were three wolves left, but none of them seemed game to step in and face the blood covered Shadow. She she ran at them and one fled back into the woods, another scampered back, but didn't flee. The browner of the two remaining wolves growled at her and she smiled coldly, lunging at the fresh intruder. Adrenalin had well and truly kicked in...

His father was latched onto his leg, brutally ripping. Cannon spun around and grabed his neck. After a few moments of pulling, he heard tearing and he said the words "Ill never forgive you for killing KaSandra" and then ripping the rest of the way. He ran over to help shadow with Caren, his brother. "Caren, I never thought it would come to this, but its your fault." Cannon and Shadow lunged and easily killed the brown wolf he called his brother. He knew Shadow had heard his last words to his father and would be curious.

"Thats the last we will see of them, only my mother is still alive. Im so sorry... theres so much you dont know about my past." He started his story of when he was a mere pup. "When i was a small pup, we had a rival pack. In that pack was my best friend, KaSandra. Me and her went down to the creek every day of every summer and played. When they had decided i would be leader, my father followed me to the creek. He saw KaSandra waiting there for me... He showed no mercy... She was so young..." A tear fell out of his eye. "He saw me cry myself to sleep, much as i did when we lost our pup, and all he did was tell me to act my age!" another tear escaped. "Lets go get the pups." Cannon said before licking Shadow and going to the other den she must have made. "Before we get them we need to move the bodies, it would scare them..." They picked them up and carried them off to the forest.

When they got there, he saw a coyote standing near the den. He ran forward and attacked it. The pups hadn't been heard, smelled, or seen, so it hadnt attacked them. He coaxed them out and said. "You all did wonderful! I think you deserve a little prize!" He said. He grabbed each one and walked to the creek. He slowly lowered them, Maia going first, to where they could drag there feet across the water. They laughed and acted like they could swim until they made it to there den. He licked each one good night and took them to the very back of the den where they would be extra safe and warm. He went out of the den when they were all fast asleep to shadow.

"Are you ok sweety?" He asked her, because he noticed her tail was still slightly bleeding.

When Cannon joined the fray, the wolf he had called his brother went down quickly, the last one bolted into the woods after the earlier deserter and Shadow gave a token chase, nipping it a few times on the rear as a reminder to stay away.

She listened closely to Cannons story. "Theres a lot you don't know about me either, you didn't have to explain." She helped Cannon to move the bodies, carrying Arian as far as where they had crossed the border. She was annoyed that they had come here. If they had been coming peacefully it would have been different... Maybe not... She thought. Her pups would always come first.

When she saw the coyote near the den she wasn't too concerned, he would have a lot of digging to do to widen the den enough to fit in, but he hardly seemed interested. The pups were playing well. She wasn't upset though when Cannon killed it. She wasn't a fan of coyotes.

While Cannon pup the pups to sleep, Shadow rested outside, finally taking a moment to check herself over for injuries. A few cuts and scratches, she would be fine. When Cannon returned and asked her if she was okay, she laughed. "Perfectly fine." She got up and started licking his cuts and scratches. Lying down once she was done and dozing off in the warmth of midday.

She groaned when she was awoken by tiny little wolves jumping all over her and pulling on her ears. Stretching as she stood up, and letting them fall to the ground, she realized just how sore she really was. They wouldn't be catching any big game for a few days at least.

The pups were so full of energy. "Stay here." She told them as she wandered off into the woods. She saw a younger rabbit and caught it, being careful not to kill it, and carried it back to the den. She put it down and the pups looked at it curiously. She laid down and watched the pups with a smile as they play with the rabbit, at least they weren't climbing all over her anymore.

Cannon saw how sore Shadow was, and the fights hadnt done him any favor either. When he saw the pups running around the rabbit, he cheered up a bit. It helped him to remember, even when times seem dark, he had them and shadow. He saw them trying to catch it as it hopped off. He helped them by grabbing it easily and setting it toward them. They were amused by it only a short while. He knew Shadow needed a rest, they always climbed on her.

"Hey guys, wanna go to the creek?" He said in happy voice. They all ran up and were jumping on him saying that it would be awesome. He said "Then come on!" He slowly trotted towards the shallow part, where they wouldnt get hurt. He couldnt lift them today, so they could only play in the shallows. They splashed and played around in the water before they got to cold. "Ok, your little teeth are chattering, you HAVE to go home NOW... no buts" there were multiple sighs and 'but dads' but they followed him home. He sent them in the den to warm up and dry off.

He licked Shadow and said "Oh our pups, the craziest little bunch!" He said it loud enough to where they heard him, and a few giggles came from the den. He walked over and ate half of the bunny which hadnt been able to go very far, and gave the rest to his mate. They wouldnt be eating anything good for a few days... no moose at least...

Shadow was grateful for the rabbit. As sore as she was, she knew she had to hunt. The pups would still need milk for a few weeks yet. She suppressed a wince as she stood up and trotted off to into the trees. Cannon deserved a rest after looking after the pups for most of the day.

After wandering around for about half an hour, she caught a scent she hadn't smelled in a long time. Caribou...? the herd hadn't been here for a few days, but there was a fresher trail, only a few hours old. She was intrigued, and so she followed it. It was a calf, alone. It must have been separated from the herd. It was weak, if she didn't kill it it would die in a few days anyway.

She jumped out of the trees. The poor thing didn't even bother trying to run, it did, however, land a kick on Shadows ribs. She wasn't as quick as usual today. Once it was dead she dragged it back to the den, wincing with each step. Nothing was broken, it was just another bruise to add to todays collection.

When she got back both her and Cannon ate, and then she walked into the den and curled up with the pups. She was asleep before her head hit the ground.

He saw the new bruise. He was about to ask her if she was ok, but she was allready asleep. The wounds would mostly be healed by the following week, but until then, they would feel the pain with every step they took. The pups were going to go get milk, but before they did, Cannon told them it was time for bed. Shadow needed the well earned rest. They all snuggled up comfortably he slept a few inches from shadow. He would lay with head on her, but he would be afraid to wake her every time he got up to look outside.

At his first check, he saw only a lemming or two, nothing important. He grabbed one for the pups to try to eat again tomorrow. The other got away too quickly for him. I'll catch us some rabbit tommorow... He thought to himself. He went back and layed next to Shadow. The second time, he went out and sniffed the air. He smelled the moose herd. They were getting closer. They might be only a few yards from the den by the morning. There might be a weak one, but its not good. The moose could easily trample the pups, so no trips would be taken to the creek the next day.

The next day he woke up and saw the carcass of the young elk was still there. It had been slightly picked over by the coyotes. But there was still enough for part of the day. "Hey guys, i got you a lemming!" They didnt seem to thrilled, since the meat wasnt good to them. "Just try to eat it, I promise you will get used to it" He knew they wouldnt be able to suckle from Shadow too much longer before she ran out of milk and they would have no choice but to eat meat.

OOC: Going to introduce an NPC to shake things up a bit. Maybe we can kill him off later His larger text sections can be blue to differentiate (not necessary if hes part of the scenery). As an NPC, anyone is aloud to write for this character.

NPC
Name: Striker
Gender: Male, deposed, not looking for a mate
Color/Markings: Mostly white, black stripe from head down spine to base of tail, grey patch stretching from shoulders to rump.
Other: Born in the last litter before Shadow was driven from the pack. Great hunter once he knows the ground, but often clumsy, especially when distracted.

*****************************************************************************************

Two seasons had passed since he had last seen his sister, Shadow. He wondered if she had survived being driven from the pack. It was a miracle he had lasted so long. Once the winter was over, and they no longer needed him to help with hunting, his brother had run him out off their lands. He had watched from afar as his older brother fought with his father for leadership, and had won.

He had been walking further and further into the woods in search of food when he caught the scent of rotting flesh on the breeze. Curious and hungry, he searched. He came across the rotting carcass of another wolf, one look told him it was the result of a fight. He could smell the markings that labeled this land as somebody else's. There was something very familiar about the scent...his tail instinctively wagged and he ran forwards, throwing all caution to the wind.

Shadow left the den, stretching once she was in the open. A little stiff but not too bad... She thought as she wandered down to the creek to drink. She could hear a crashing in the undergrowth. She turned to face the noise, flattening her ears and snarling...

The wind changed direction and he caught the familiar scent again, quickly changing directions. He was making a lot of noise, but didn't care...

He broke through the tree line, and fell into the creek head first. He turned around, taking in his surroundings. It was then that he spotted the black wolf standing on the bank, hackles raised, ears flat, growling threateningly. He quickly sunk down making himself as small as possible, tail between his legs. He crept forwards slowly. "Shadow?"

Water splashed everywhere as a flash of white and grey tumbled from the tree line and into the creek. Not again! Can't I have one day of peace? Shadow thought to herself with a grumble. She was ready for a fight. Very young wolf. Last years litter most likely. It was odd to see one so young, alone.

"Shadow?" The questioning tone in the young wolf's voice took her by surprise. She stepped closer, sniffing and watching closely as she went.

"Striker?" She was shocked and amazed. Her little brother jumped up like a pup, his tail wagging, spinning in circles, yapping all the while. She growled and he sunk down again. That commotion had probably woke Cannon.

"What do you want?" Shadow asked coldly, keeping aloof all the while. She listened as he told her of how he had been driven from the pack by their brother and how he now ruled.

"Lets join up! We can be our own pack!" He said excitedly.

Shadow snuffed at him and grinned. "Well you'll have to ask my mate about that." She said matter of factly. "And you might want to tread carefully too, if he sees you as a threat to our pups, you won't last long."

She headed back towards the den, and he followed closely, but was sure to give her her own space. As she entered the clearing where their den was, Cannon was waiting outside, and she caught site of a black bushy tail fleeing into the den. Good pups. I'll have to reward them somehow... She thought to herself. She knew Striker had stopped following her. Cannon was looking at her oddly, his glance skipping from her back to the strange wolf who had dropped down low, the perfect example of submissive behavior.

"This is my little brother, Striker..." She said to Cannon, loud enough for Striker to hear. "It seems my older brother took it upon himself to re-arrange the pack and throw out a wolf no more than a pup himself." Her voice dropped to a whisper as she added so only Cannon could hear, "He wants to join us. We could use the help hunting and babysitting...but i'll leave that up to you."

Cannon puffed his chest out as big as possible. The pup looking male was crouched down subbmisivly. Cannon eased a little, but let out a growl to let the male remember he was in charge. "He could join, he could hunt, but i dont trust him with the pups..." He whispered back to shadow. He turned to the wolf shadow calls Striker "Ok heres the deal bud, you will stay with us, for hunting purposes only. You come any where near the pups, your exiled from our land immediatly." He said harshly. He looked in the den and told the pups "You can come out, just another wolf, but he wont hurt you" He gave the male a look that could strike him dead then and there. They came stumbling out. Maia was the first to greet the male, but only with a nod of her head, because she didnt like new wolfs. The other two male pups didnt even acknolege his existence.

He licked shadow and went and grabbed 2 rabbits for them to eat. He looked at the new comer and said "You will only help us hunt elk and moose, you will catch your own rabbit" Then continued eating.

Striker looked up at the black males comment about the rabbits. It was kinda rude, but he wouldnt dare stand up to him. He remembered the battle torn bodies along the edges of the land. He thought that it must have been a result of his sister and her mate fighting. It seemed like those bodies had similar smell to Cannon. Almost like blood relatives. He spoke up. "Who were those dead bodies on the edge of your land?"

Cannon looked at Shadow. He would let her tell him, since they were related and he didnt really want to tell him anyway.

Shadow saw the look that Cannon gave her and gave her little brother a wolfish grin. "A pack that got on my nerves one time too many." she said jokingly. Striker didn't laugh. His sisters bad moods were notorious.
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OOC: OK, gonna leap forwards a few weeks...
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Shadow awoke in the middle of the night. It was a little too warm in the den. She carefully crept out, into the cooler refreshing night air. She almost envied Striker, he had found himself a large hollowed out tree to use as a den. She was sure it would be cooler at this time of year, but he would need to find something a little warmer before winter set in again. Striker had adjusted well to life in the pack, he kept out of Cannon's way as much as possible and left the pups alone, however that didn't mean they returned the favor. After adjusting to the new wolf, the pups would often use him as their climbing rock, or chew toy, or pretend prey. Dash was the worst, but having another wolf in the pack that wasn't black seemed to work wonders for his self esteem. He didn't feel like the odd one out anymore and Shadow was glad. She knew being so different was a very lonely feeling.

The pups had finally stopped needing milk. They would begin learning to hunt soon. Shadow felt a mounting sense of excitement. Their hunting pack would go from three to six, and with their new neighbors, numbers would matter...

A new pack had moved into the area recently. They had been careful not to trespass onto Shadow's and Cannons territory, but they had been close enough on occasion for Shadow to notice their scent. They hadn't caused any trouble yet, but that didn't mean they wouldn't.

Shadow got up and decided to go for a run. She had too much energy to go back to sleep yet. She headed towards the border that ran nearest the new pack, staying far enough away that she wouldn't be seen. She saw a strange female, the color of honey. She had never seen that color on a wolf before in her life. Watching the stranger, she realized how much she had grown since meeting Cannon. She was more muscular now, her coat was shinier and she had even grown a few inches.

She slowed down and approached the stranger cautiously. It appeared she was alone as well. Shadow stepped into a small patch where the moonlight shone through the trees and stood there, waiting for the stranger to notice her. When she did, the stranger gasped then casually said "Oh my, you startled me!"

Shadow growled. The stranger hadn't crossed the border yet but she was close.

"Please, myself and my pack mean you no harm..." there it was again. That funny way of speaking.

Shadow and the stranger talked for a little while, and she relaxed enough to sit down. It was refreshing speaking to another Alpha female who was raising pups of her own. One thing the sranger said did concern her though. One of her daughters had pups without permission, and as if that wasn't bad enough, her pups were half-breeds. The father hadn't lasted the winter. She explained that this was why they had to extend their territory so close to her own.

Shadow knew time was flying by and she had to get back to the den before Cannon noticed her missing. She said goodbye to her new neighbor and headed towards home but stopped short when she saw Maia sneaking out and following the stream back in the direction she had just come from.

She followed her daughter to the border again and jumped up onto a fallen tree, remaining in the shadows. She sat and watched as her daughter played with the black and white half-dog pup, and managed to suppress a growl. She did not like this one bit.

The sun began to peek over the horizon and the strange pup caught sight of her. Maia stopped giggling and turned around, a look of terror on her face when she spotted her mother watching. Her little friend fled. Shadow didn't say a word as she jumped down from the log and headed back towards the den.

Shadow froze and Maia took a moment to follow suit. She saw what her mother had seen. Shadow dropped down low into a crouch, Maia mirrored her movement. Shadow snuck forward a step, and her daughter copied her. Shadow motioned with her head that her daughter should go forward. She watched as Maia pounced and caught the stoat in her mouth. She hadn't bitten hard enough to kill it and it scratched at her face. She shook it a few times and then dropped it, as it tried to limp away she pounced again, this time there was a satisfying crunch as she broke its neck and it hung limply in her mouth, but she didn't eat it. She wanted to show off to her brothers.

Shadow caught and ate a rabbit on the way home and caught another to take home for Cannon. He was awake, outside with Ranger, Dash and Striker. Maia pranced into the clearing holding her prize up high for all to see. There was visible relief as Shadow followed her daughter out of the forest. Maia had all but forgotten the events of earlier that morning. Shadow had not.

She went and sat next to Cannon, leaning against him and giving him a lick. "Perhaps after you have some breakfast we can go for a walk?" She said casually, following it with a whispered "There's something I need to tell you."

After he had eaten they left the pups at the den and walked. It had been so long since they had had any time alone together. Shadow told him everything she had seen that night and waited for his reaction.

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OOC: Sorry its a bit long! couldn't help myself.

Cannon couldnt believe it. He would let them play, he couldnt let it be like KaSandra. He had a flashback.

He looked in her eyes. She was cold with the bite marks in her neck. He scratched the ground as he was pulled away. He couldnt let them get away with it. He bit and scratched, but all he did wouldnt stop them. They wouldnt tolerate it. He finally gave in and collapsed, his father picked him up and carried him home.

He told Shadow "I will never forgive my father for KaSandra, so we need to let them play and be cool, but we have to know when shes going, and we cant let her get hurt..." He knew he couldnt be aggresive, or they would lose a posibble ally. He walked over and saw Maia showing off her catch to the males.

Striker saw the mates talking. They didnt look happy. Something was wrong he couldnt quite understand. Must have been some past problem, but he wouldnt dare get in the middle of it.
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Ive been having writers block, not doing to long post I will get to epics again soon

I didn't get an email to say you had replied! Sorry!
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Shadow fought back a growl.

"She can't see it alone! What if it hadn't been me to find them? If I hadn't know of KaSandra I would have done the same as your father!" She knew they were harsh words and was sorry as soon as they were out of her mouth. She quickly apologized. "I just worry...and I don't trust stinking half-breeds."

Her fathers voice was echoing in her head. 'Now what do we do to the coyote?' 'We kill it,' the pups replied in unison. 'And what is a half-breed?' her father questioned again. 'Worse than a coyote!' the pups replied excitedly. 'And what do we do to the half-breed?' 'We kill it, we kill it, we kill it!' the pups replied, bouncing around the big grey wolf. He smiled down at them proudly as he said, 'because to leave them alive would be cruel. They cannot survive in our world, and they are only a drain on the pack that keeps them. They are soft my children, and you are not.'

Shadow sighed and stalked back towards Striker and the pups. Her little brother looked at her questioningly, the tension obvious in her walk. She muttered "Stinking half-breeds..." under her breath and Strikers ears flattened as he growled "Where?"

Shadow paused and looked at the young wolf. "Don't worry. Nowhere on our territory. They're the neighbors problem." Striker visibly relaxed as Shadow found a shady spot and dropped to the ground with a yawn. The pups were wrestling, but still in sight. It was getting hot and she had only half a night of sleep. Once it cooled down a little they would take the pups hunting. By that stage the elk should be heading to the top stream, making them the perfect choice for a hunting lesson.

I hope Cannon isn't mad at me... She thought as she drifted to sleep.

Cannon snorted and let out a growl at her comment about KaSandra. She wouldnt understand! Shes never lost her best friend! Cannon thought madly. He then sat back and watched the pups. They played and wrestled happily. He didnt understand what was wrong with Maia's friend, he had always learned that half-breeds are just wolves like the rest, just not as strong. And if they werent as strong, how could he ever hurt Maia, they were only pups anyway right?

He pushed his thoughts away and stood up. He walked over to Shadow and layed down next to her. He nuzzed her and said Im sorry honey. Do you forgive me? He didn't want her mad at him. He licked her hopefully.

"You will be ruler, i so envy you!" Aria said. Cannon snorted. She didn't understand, she couldnt understand. He walked away but she ran up. "Where are you going, your gonna be crowned tomorrow, so you can't take one of your famous two day trips! We need you!" He snorted, but when she started pulling his tail he flipped around to face her. "I can do what i want, do what you want too! Im telling you, back off, this is my life and this is my decision. I swear if you tell mother or father of where i've gone, i will kill you!" He turned and ran into the cold, snowy forest as fast as his legs would carry him. She followed for a while, he could tell, for he could smell her. After a few miles she stopped. "They will be looking for me" Cannon thought. He smelt another wolf, a female. He ran forward to where he found her, Shadow. "G'day miss" He said to her.

Cannon looked to Shadow, she looked back at him, was she mad? Please answer Cannon thought, as if it would make her answer quicker.

Striker stretched and yawned. It was breakfast time. He left the pups wrestling in the sun and headed into the trees, Shadow and Cannon too absorbed in their own conversation to notice. He headed to his favorite rabbit warren, but the scent of blood was already thick in the air. He slowed down, and stalked forwards...

Shadow was pleased that Cannon wasn't mad at her, but worry still masked her face. "Its not the pup I'm worried about, it's a drain on their pack, not ours. Its the rest of the wolves. I've only spoken to one of them, once. There's no guarantee that if one of the others found them that she wouldn't be killed. They aren't too fond of those particular pups themselves..."

Striker inched forwards until he saw a tawny wolf, a little older than himself, snacking on a freshly caught rabbit. He growled, startling the stranger who dropped the rabbit and attempted to run. He launched himself from the tree line, knocking the stranger to the ground. The tawny wolf let out a startled yelp...

They were interrupted by a high pitched yelp off in the distance. Shadow quickly counted the pups, they were all there, but Striker was not. The noise continued, there was obviously a fight, and it was too close to be anywhere but on their own territory.

Shadow jumped up and ran in the direction of the fight, Cannon and the pups on her tail. She found them easily enough. Striker's whiter coloring was easy to spot through the trees. By the time they reached him he had the intruder pinned to the ground on his tawny back, snapping at his neck, but unable to reach because of the paws trying to push him back.

Striker knew the yelp would have alerted Shadow and Cannon of the strangers presence and they would soon be here. He was determined to do his part for the pack. This thief would not get away. They snapped at each other and circled, before Striker managed to knock the slightly bigger wolf to the ground. He pinned the intruder on his back and snapped at its neck, which remained just out of reach. He heard the rest of the pack arriving, he could only smell the strange tawny intruder...

Shadow growled a warning.

Striker wasn't sure if the growl was for him or the stranger, so he didn't move. He would not allow the intruder a chance to get to his feet.

A panicked look crossed the young wolfs bloodied face as Shadow spotted the remnants of a rabbit carcass only feet away. She recognized the scent of the new pack. Lack of sleep was doing little for her temper. Striker seemed to be doing just fine on his own. She sat and watched coldly, her pups sitting around her, about to receive an education on why it was a bad idea to trespass. Or perhaps not...

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OOC: up to you where it goes from here