winked.  “Yep.  Katie too.  She’s now Ivy.”  Thorn leapt up and raced out of the cave.  Ivy couldn’t leap up, so she hobbled out after her brother.

The three arrived just as Thunder finished telling the news to the rest of the Pack.  Gale winked at the dogs and they winked back.  Thorn had grown to admire the tan wolf, with his calm and care-free mood.  The Pack congratulated the two dogs heartily, as the two dogs had made many friends amongst the Pack.  All but an impassive wolf with cold tawny eyes like flint joined in the ritual of greeting and welcoming.  Owl stared at Thorn with eyes that betrayed no emotion, but Thorn knew that behind those eyes was dislike, rapidly turning to loathing, and prejudice against dogs.  Thorn knew from listening to Pack gossip that this wolf was the one in the Pack that had most protested against the dogs joining the Pack.  While this Owl was around, Thorn and his sister would need to watch their backs. 

The Hunting Patrol howled the game song, and Thunder led all but a few females out of the camp to hunt for a large moose.  Thorn felt the wind caress his face and the song of the hunt wash over him.  He nearly tripped as Owl pushed past him to run beside Star and a reddish female.  Thorn fumed and jumped over Owl in mid-run, to land beside Star, who had pulled ahead of Owl.  Owl stopped short to avoid running into Thorn and the wolves behind him tripped.  Thorn kept running.

One hour of scouring the territory later, Thorn caught a faint whiff of moose.  He barked to notify Thunder, then took the lead to guide the Hunting Patrol to his find.  As they approached the herd of moose, Owl ran ahead.  Thunder checked him as he ran by. 

“Not so fast Owl.  I will lead.”  Thunder gave Owl a quick snap just to remind him who was boss, and quickly organized the Patrol.  The Patrol spread out, and Thunder scrutinized the herd, finally deciding on an old female with an infected wound on her leg.  Five males broke cover and cut the female from the herd.  The rest of the herd ran, but the wolves did not give chase.  Their prey was surrounded. 

Thunder could see that it still had energy, enough energy to cause serious damage to the first wolf that leapt on the moose.  He broke the circle and snipped the moose’s heel.  The moose ran and went through the gap where Thunder had been.  The Patrol gave chase.  They nipped at the moose’s heels to keep it running.  Eventually, the moose began to falter, and its leg was troubling it.  The patrol surrounded it again.  Owl lunged for the moose’s side, but hooves came near to trampling him. 

The pack let the moose run again, and this time they attacked with vigor, certain now that their prey was spent.  Thorn watched as Thunder took hold of the moose’s infected leg, then saw an opening for him to help the hunt.  He soared over the heads of his companions and sank his teeth into the moose’s nose.  The moose could not stay standing, and it fell. 

The Patrol was upon it before the dust had settled.  Owl bounded up to give the final blow, but again, Thorn beat him to it.  The moose fell limp as Thorn cracked its neck with two blows of his huge paw.

Thorn raised his head, and the Patrol saw before them a snarling savage, triumphant over his kill.  His yellow eye turned to Owl, and he took his paw off the moose’s neck. 

“I am a wolf,” Thorn whispered delightedly to himself.  “I am a wolf.”