Chapter 1

                                       Get Out!

Aribic woke from her nest in the den. The other wolves were still asleep. She was a black wolf with white paws. Her sister, Kiony, was fast asleep right beside her. Aribic took a deep breath and tip-toed out of the den. She looked over to see if the leader, Aviond, was still asleep. He was. her ears shot up when she saw her two brothers, Marty and Indigo, sleeping next to  Aviond. Anger serged through her. That spot was her rightful place to be and Marty and Indigo were stealing it from her. She was the smarter, stronger, better hunter, and more tallented of the litter. Kiony was the only one who would cheere her on when she was down.

"Aribic, what are you  doing here?" Indigo's voice interupted her thoughts she turned to him with narrow eyes.

"Keep it down, Indigo, I'm trying to sleep!" It was Aviond who spoke this time. "Oh, Aribic, I didn't see you there. Do you need something?"

Aribic tried to think of something cunning to say to make him think she was loyal. "I was going to hunt for you, but I wanted to make sure if it was OK with you for me to leave the den."

"That's very wise of you Aribic. You may go." Aviond barked. "Oh, and please come see me in my den when you return."

"Yes, Aviond." Aribic barked wondering if this was good or bad.

After she had hunted, she went back into Aviond's den with th ekill in her mouth. Nervous, she dropped the kill at Aviond's feet.

"Here ya go." She said cheerfully.

"Thank you." Aviond murmered. "I'll need you to fetch me Indigo and Marty."

Aribic felt her heart sink. With them around, she would never be able to persuade Aviond that she was the true future leader, not them. "Very well." She said finally and trotted off.

"Hey, Indigo!" Aribic shouted spotting Indigo sitting alone under a tree. "Where's Marty?"

"He's hiding." Indigo barked. "Why?"

Aribic was puzzled, then desided they were proboly playing hide and seek. "You two are in big trouble." Aribic lied. "Aviond wants you."

Indigo's eyes filled with worry. "I'll go get him..." Indigo rushed off.

Aribic turned and bit her leg as hard as she could. With a loud yelp of pain she let go. Her leg was bleeding. She smiled and darted into Aviond's den.

"Aviond! Aviond!" Aribic shouted, trying to sound pain strucken. "They said they were buisy and I told them it was importent and..." Aribic licked her wound.

"And?" Aviond asked.

"And they both bit my leg and ran off." Aribic lied.

Aviond stood up and ran out of his den. He came back with Marty and Indigo at his heals. They both had their heads down and their tails low.

"How do you explain this?" Aviond snarled, pointing to Aribic's leg with his nose.

"Uh..." Indigo spoke. "Aribic bit her leg again."

Aviond looked at him with angry eyes. "I want you out of my sight! Both of you!"

Aribic was saticfied with her work and looked at Aviond, trying to read his expression.

"You will stay with me tonight." Aviond barked.

Aribic gulped. What if he asks me what happened exactly? What if he finds out I bit my own leg and my two brothers are inoccent? Her thoughts were inturupted by a voice at the entrance of the den.

"Aviond, we didn't do anything! We're inoccent!" It was Marty.

"Go away! Now!" Aviond snarled.

"Uh...Aviond, I need to be with my sister tonight. I can't stay with you." Aribic pleaded.

"Very well then. You may be with your sister." Aviond said.

"Thanks." Aribic walked out of the den and headed for her sister who was sitting under a tree with another wolf.

"Oh, hello Aribic. Where have you been?" Aribic's heart pounded. Her sister, Kiony, was with Boserin, her best friend.

"So, your sister is that outcast? Sad..." Boserin teased.

Kiony looked at Boserin, surprised that she would say such a thing. "My sister is no more an outcast than you!" She snarled. "Now you may leave." Boserin got up her face filled with disgust.

"Kiony, I was in Aviond's den. I was in there because..." Aribic began.

"In the leader's den huh?" Kiony said in surprise. "Isn't that your life long goal?"

"Yes, it was." Aribic barked, looking at her paws.

"Was?" Kiony barked.

"Yes, it was. I just achieved something very important to my victory over Marty and Indigo." Aribic whispered glancing around.

"What's that?" Kiony asked.

"I just got Marty and Indigo in trouble. Big trouble." Aribic barked, showing Kiony her leg.

"They did that? I know they hate you, but they aren't brave enough to kill a fly!"

"No, they didn't do that. I did and made Aviond think they did that. Now, I'm next in line when it comes to leadership!" Aribic shouted.

"Sssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Quiet!" Kiony growled.

Suddenly, Aviond burst from behind the tree. "You trader! You lier!" He leapt at Aribic and nocked her down.

"Aviond stop!" Kiony pleaded. "Stop it!" Aviond ignored her and bit Aribic's side. Scarlet blood trickled down Aribic's flanks. Aribic felt him release her.

"Go away! Run! Get out of here and never come back!" Aviond's voice was serious and sturn. Aribic turned and saw Kiony staring at her in horror. "Go!"

                                   Chapter 2

                                       Love

Aribic whimpered as she finally reached the border of Aviond's territory.

"I can't believe it. Marty and Indigo finally got me out." Aribic sat down. "I can't give up. I won't leave this place. I was born here, and I will die here. I will not leave this territory...but they won't know. I will haunt them forever."

She turned and took a step and heard a horrid chuckle. Aribic knew it wasn't anything she'd ever heard before.

"Aribic, you were told to leave. You were told not to return. You will leave. You will never return. Go. Go now." The voice said.

"No! I won't leave!" Aribic shouted back at the voice. "I will never leave!"

The sound of laughing was everywhere and Aribic's legs grew weak and she collapsed onto the ground.

Aribic woke up and several wolves were hovering over her.

"Are you okay?" A young blueish wolf asked.

"Uh...yeah." Aribic shook her head and stood up. "I don't remember what happened."

"We found you in the forest of spirits. We assumed you were speaking with the dog spirit, because he was in the forest. We could scince it." The blueish dog went on. "I'm Blue. What's your name?"

"I'm Aribic." Aribic murmered.

Blue's eyes widened and murmers of amasment were all around her.

"What ever can we do for you leader?" A yellowish wolf said lowering his head.

"I don't understand." Aribic said looking at Blue. She couldn't help but notice that Blue's shape and color were perfect. She couldn't tell if it was love or envy, but whatever the case, she knew she was high in the pack.

"Come with me and I will explain." Blue said. Aribic followed him to a quiet and deserted place.

"Well, our leader said we would find  a Black Wolf in the Forest of Spirits. He was going to die soon, and, well, the Wolf  Spirit sent us a message telling us of your apppierence. We searched the forest for three days without any luck." Blue explaned. "But on the forth day, we found you. You looked troubled. We knew at once you were not sleeping. Something had scared you and forced you into sleep. We thought at first it was the Dog Spirit, but now I know exactly who it was. Were they laughing?"

"There was only one of them at first..." Aribic explaned. "But then, in the end, there were many of them. All laghing." She shuttered.

"Theses voices were the voices of the Hiheena." Blue said. "They are normally an omen of death."

Aribic stared at him in horror. Death? she thought. I thought they sent me here to bacome a leader? Why must I die?

"This may not be so for these spirits. They may have been sent to drive you into sleep so we could find you." Blue barked. "We can't be sure of anything right now."

Aribic sighed. It was either die or live. Her whole life was that way. And yet even if she did live, she nevered seemed to make the right choice. "Well, for now, do you have a place to sleep?"

Blue nodded. "Right this way." He lead her into a little tunnel under a nearby bush. "Ladies first." He said polightly holding out a paw.

Aribic smiled. Then crowched down and inched her way down the tunnel.  little farther down she could see a room. It was neatly carved out, the dirt on the cieling blocked off. It seemed as if the builders had carried a large stone box into the room. She squeezed into the room.

Not that she didn't trust Blue, but she had a feeling that this room was anything but safe. The tunnel that lead to the exit was narrow, and almost impossible to squeeze through. "Are you sure about this? Those tunnels sure are narrow..."

Blue laughed. "If one os to big to fit through that exit, then you simply take the other tunnel!" He gestured with his snout to a larger tunnel that had moving space.

Aribic let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Blue."

Night fall hit quickly