You’re learning a lot. Power and strength isn’t everything, Midnight, if you are to be a leader, you must have wisdom and you must learn to be patient, and that’s not always easy.”

Midnight realized that Feather was right. As a matter of fact, wisdom, patients, and a kind heart were the most important traits of a good leader. “I guess you’re right.”

Feather nodded with a smile. “I’m glad you understand.”

“We better settled down for the night,” Midnight barked softly looking up at the darkening sky. “It’s getting dark…and cold!”

Feather laughed quietly. “Good idea. We should dig a shallow pit to sleep in, it’s going to be a pretty cold night.”

Midnight and Feather shoveled sand from the ground quickly as the air became chillier. Midnight thought about her brother as she dug. It had never occurred to her that he was her friend, he’d always been treated like a king when she was young. But now she wished he could be alive, just someone of her own kind and someone who knew what it was like to live a life so lonely. But then again, that would mean he would be the one to lead the pack after her father, and Midnight probably wouldn’t even be able to see the pack in her lifetime.

Midnight shoved the thought away and began to walk in circles in her hole, flattening the damp sand. She lay down in the hole and looked at Feather, who had finished her hole a few minutes ago and was already sleeping, and sighed. It was a shame she’d have to loose the old fox so soon. Midnight knew that in her old age, Feather wouldn’t last much longer, and as a matter of fact, she would probably loose her grip on life shortly after Midnight had some idea on how to be a leader.

After a long ten minutes of thinking, Midnight drifted into a luxurious sleep, and dreamt of seeing her father and her pack for the first time.

 

As morning rose high above the sky, Feather shook Midnight awake.

“Come on, sleeping beauty! We have to move! I don’t think we’d want to get caught by the vultures!”

Midnight raised an eyebrow. “Vultures? What could they do to us?”

Feather shoved Midnight to her feet. “These are know ordinary vultures. Here they get very big, due to the surplus of food.”

“Surplus? They only eat dead things though, they scavenge!”

“I know!” Feather rasped, glancing at the sky. “There are often deaths because of battle. And since they have grown big, they know longer need to just eat dead animals!”

Midnight shook off, wondering if she should believe the old fox or not. But seeing the scared look on Feather’s face, Midnight rushed to the safety of the bushes near the river alongside Feather.

Feather smiled as they reached a large bush big enough to hide both of them. “Look.” Feather jerked her snout in a the direction of where the sun was rising.

Midnight followed her snout to where the river seemed to end.

“The Place Where the River Parts.”

Midnight’s eyes widened. Her heart was pounding, and her paws were no longer hurting. She was excited and full of energy, and she stood up.

“Lets go!” Midnight barked, a smile from ear to ear on her face.

Feather smiled, but her face was filled with pain. “I cannot come with you.”

Midnight froze and looked down at the old fox. “Why?”

“I am to weak. I cannot go any farther. And none of those strong pack members want a weak, dying, old fox in their territory. I’ll just be taking up space and taking away food.”

Midnight snorted. “After all you’ve taught me,” Midnight whipped around to face Feather all the way. “After all we’ve been through,”

Feather looked away.

“Look at me!” Midnight demanded.

Feather, a bit taken aback, looked her way.

“I didn’t travel three-hundred miles to see you give up.”

Feather’s eyes were wide and awe-filled.

“A wise old fox once told me that a leader needed wisdom and a strong heart, willing to take in even those who could hardly stand. And I will do exactly that. I will make you strong again, and give you my own share of meat. I will not let you die in the sun, and let the vultures eat away your flesh and let your bones rot in the sun. You are coming to the pack, and that’s an order!”

Feather smiled. “Well said, leader.”

Midnight looked around. Three dogs emerged from around them.

“My daughter,” One large, handsome, strong, wolfish dog barked. “I have finally found you. And I know that you are truly my daughter.” He walked over to Midnight and nuzzled her. “You have a strong heart, Midnight.”

“Father,” Midnight whispered. “I have finally found you…” Her eyes swelled with tears. “I thought you were dead…I thought I’d lost my family…”

Feather laughed and walked over to the wolfish dog and sat by his side. “Old King will never die!”

King laughed. “Some day age will take it’s toll…” He took a deep breath. “But until then I put forth my every breath and bit of strength towards the safety of my daughter and my pack.”

Midnight looked up at her father, filled with awe. She’d never heard such brave words in her life. She knew that this was her father, and if it wasn’t she didn’t care. She would respect him anyway, and she knew that even if this was not her father, that this was a strong-hearted and wise leader who knew what he was doing.

“Dona, Recco, take care of Feather. Midnight, come with me.” King trotted towards the river, and paused to let Midnight catch up.

“Father,” Midnight barked softly as she and her father walked slowly towards the place where the pack would be gathered. “what happened?”

King looked down at Midnight. “What? What do you mean?”

“Mother…she said you were killed. She said they told her you were dead!” Midnight was suddenly alarmed. She hated bringing back the memory of her mother’s pain when she spoke of the death of King, and when she spoke of what she thought was true.

“Who told her that?” King snarled, obviously outraged that someone would lie to his mate like that.

Midnight shrugged. “She never told me.”

King hesitated. “When she ran off, her belly swollen with my pups, I was devastated. I’d thought for a long time she was dead. But after a while, many of my scouts smelled her scent around the territory. I was even more devastated though, after that I thought she didn’t love me.”

“Why?”

King sighed. “Well, I though she had run off because she didn’t want me anymore, I thought the others were all lying to me after that. I couldn’t trust anyone…”

Midnight was amazed. Her father didn’t seem like he would have gone out of his way to worry about Silva. “She loved you with all of her heart! When she heard you were killed, she said she wanted to fight! She was going to put her life on the line for you!”

King looked away, and said nothing.

Midnight felt a bit angry that her father had been taken over by depression, and now he wasn’t even going to try. “Dad,” She muttered.

King did nothing.

“Dad!”

King glanced at her, but kept walking.

Midnight was disgusted. “Dad! What’s gotten into you?”

King finally looked at her.

“Why are you doing this to yourself? Silva died for you, and she doesn’t want to die for nothing! She died because she knew you would go on living, and that you would teach me, and I would teach the next leader! She died for a strong, noble, and cunning Jackal, one that doesn’t give up!”

King stared down at his paws. “I know who she died for, but I’m not sure I’m that Jackal…”

Midnight sighed. What would it take to make her father realize what an awesome leader is was? She knew it wouldn’t be easy. King seemed very depressed, and it seemed that there was only one thing she could do to make him right.

“Oh, well, sorry to bring back the bad memories.” Midnight glanced up at King, to make sure he was listening. “I guess I’m not good enough to make you happy. I guess I shouldn’t have come…” Midnight looked at her paws, pretending to be sad.

King looked at her. “Don’t ever say that!”

Midnight tried to hide her smile. It was working. “No, no,” She looked away from him. “I understand that Silva was very important to you…she was a very amazing female.”

King snorted. “What are you talking about? You are an amazing young dog! I love you just as much as I love your mother, and you shouldn’t ever think otherwise!”

Midnight smiled. “Now, are you going to snap out of it and be the strong hearted, wise leader you used to be?”

King smiled and nodded.

Midnight, satisfied, turned and ran ahead of her father, laughing and barking. King laughed and chased after her, and father and daughter chased each other about, all the way to the very center of the pack’s territory.

King lead Midnight into a large scramble of palm trees and bushes, and woven walls of tumbleweed. They passed through a narrow hall until it stretched out into a large cave-like place that was filled with wild dogs of all species.

Midnight was awe-stricken. There were boulders that dotted the area, covered with paintings of wolves and other creatures. There was even a ceiling, a rock formation covered half of the cave-like structure, and then there was a thick wall of tumbleweed and other plants that were woven together to form the remainder of the ceiling.

“Amazing, isn’t it?” King whispered, spotting Midnight in her state of awe.

Midnight nodded slowly, still examining the large place.

“This was build when my great-grandfather was ruler of Ayzee…”

“Ayzee?” Midnight raised an eyebrow. “What’s Ayzee?”

King laughed. “I guess Feather wanted to let me tell you the name of my pack.”

“Ayzee…Ayzee…” Midnight chanted the name, trying to decide if it was a fitting name for the amazing pack.

“This is the Ayzee Base.” King told Midnight. “This is where all wild dogs stay to sleep, eat, shelter, and just hang out at. This place has been repaired many times, as you can see many parts of the walls and ceilings look older or newer than others.”

Midnight looked up. There were a few patches of tumbleweed that looked greener than others.

As King began to walk over to a medium sized den, Feather burst into the clearing, along with the two other dogs that had

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