Asine growled. The HUGE husky stood, just as angry as she was, looking her up and down. Without warning she launched herself at him. She tore the side of his face and leaped away. The dog shook his head. Asine ripped and tore at the husky's body, getting some bites in return. Then, as the dog charged at her, she reared up in her hind legs. She felt the dog's teeth rip her shoulder. She fell on the cold snow in a heap. Her fur was soaked with blood, both hers and her enemy's. She knew she was almost beaten. Suddenly, she was aware of the husky on top of her, about to give her the killing bite to the neck. She shot off on three legs to the opposite corner of the pen. Men jeered and laughed. Then, she heard one voice above the crowd: "That dumb wolf can't even fight my half-Dane husky!" There was more laughter. Then the dog charged her again. His teeth ripped her face. Asine saw her own blood spatter to the ground. She couldn't fight this dog any more, she couldn't. And she was sick and tired of dogfightng anyway. She was, however, willing to rip a few people. She leaped over the rope. Everyone jumped back in surprise. Many attempted to catch her, but she bit her way through them. Her owner was the last one she encountered. She gave him a satisfying chomp to the arm and ran off. She went in one direciotn for a long time, and then had to turn aside for a small creek. Her run slowed down to a hobble, and then a slow limp. Her shoulder hurt, she was numb with cold, and she was sure that there was a new scar across her eye. It hadn't been blinded, but it hurt. She saw an empty tree hollow. She wouldn't have thought twice about three hours ago, but right now it seemed very inviting. She stumbled into it and dropped off into a deep sleep.

When Asine woke the next  morning, she saw three wolves standing over her. One was gray and black, one was brown and white, and one was brown and gray. "Hey, she woke up!" the brown and white one said. The black and gray one smiled. "Good morning," he said. "Did you have a good night?" Asine stared and did not answer. The gray and black one looked kindly down at her. "Would you like to come with us?" he asked. Asine was so surprised she just stared. The brown and gray one looked at her sharply. "Rowan asked you a question, you know." he growled. The one called Rowan shot a look at the one who had just spoken to her, then looked at her gently. "Be gentle, Krone," he said. "She seems to have been through a lot." Asine looked at the ground. Krone muttered something about not meaning anything of the sort, but his eyes were still cold and untrusting. Rowan spoke to her again: "Would you like to come with us?" he asked gently. At last, Asine found her voice. "Who are you?" she asked.  Rowan looked at her, "As you know, if you have been listening, I am Rowan, and this is Krone, he said, gesturing toward him. "And this is Sepia." he said, looking at the brown and white one. Asine nodded. Rowan spoke again. "Would you like to come back with us?" he asked. Asine nodded eagerly. She had always dreamed of a carefree life as a wolf. Rowan nodded at her and trotted away with Krone and Sepia. Despite Rowan's kind words and calm looks, and Sepia's cheerful speech, she thought that there was something else in both of their eyes that she was very puzzled by: worry, almost defiance and triumph. Sepia stepped back to talk to her. "Have you seen anything strange here in the woods lately, like a bloody pawprint on a rock?" Asine shook her head. Sepia stopped her. He looked around cautiously. "That is the mark of Death." he said. "There have been many Killings lately, and our pack is alway's Death's target." Asine was puzzled. "Who is Death?" she asked. Sepia shuddered. "Death is a huge dark-brown wolf who Kills our pack members every half-moon. We have never really seen him well. He always Kills us by stealth, and never let's us see him." Asine gulped. She shook her head again. Then Sepia looked her right in the eye and said, "When you come to our pack, try to blend in, and don't stand out. Stay with the other wolves and never lose your temper. Ever. 'Cause I think Rowan thinks that you are Death." Asine's eyes widened. She looked around, half expecting to see Death charging right at her. Sepia nodded. "I don't think you are Death. You are light brown, and He is dark brown. But anyway, keep watch. Never go out alone, and on the half-moon, do everything with all of the other wolves with all of the other wolves, and don't go out alone, if you can avoid going out at all." Asine nodded, and then she noticed that they her walked into a grassy clearing. Wolves welcomed her and smiled at her. She thought they did so a little warily, or maybe she was imagining it. A small, grey timid looking wolf walked up to them. "Sepia," she said. "I am so glad you are home safely." She looked at Asine. "I am Nani, Sepia's mother." She smiled kindly. Asine had always been prone to shyness, and she looked at the ground, instead of at Nani, when she mumbled, "Imasine." Nani nodded, smiling, and trotted away. "Asine, huh?" Sepia said. she nodded. "Mom is the beta." he said. Asine wondered how a tiny and timid wolf got to be beta. When Sepia saw her look of surprise, he laughed. "She is very smart and is very good when it comes to fighting, though she may not look it." Then, suddenly, there was a howl, and Asine saw that Rowan had climbed on top of a large boulder. "We're having a meeting." Sepia said. They trotted over to sit with the pack. Rowan drew himself up to full height. "As you all know, the half-moon is in three days, and now we must start to prepare. All who are able will hunt as much small prey as possible. We must start to store it." A murmur of shock rose up. Then Krone howled loudly, "But wolves never store prey. Ever." Rowan smiled. "Obviously they do, as we are going to do it know." That ended it. "Nani, organize groups, please."

The half moon came to quickly for Asine. On the Killing Night, it was clear and starry. The wolves crowded into the den to sleep, more jumpy and careful than ever. Asine settled at the front, beside Krone.  She had decided that she wanted to be near the powerful wolf when Death came. Slowly, she drifted off to sleep. In the morning, she woke to howls of grief. A young, black and white she-wolf was being led into Rowan's den. Sepia slowly walked up to her. "Ria's pup was killed." he said. Asine nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She had liked that cheerful little pup. His littermates were howling  with greif. Then Sepia beckoned to her. They walked over to the edge of the clearing, and she saw a rock, stained with bloody pawprints. 

As Asine slowly earned her place in the pack, she started to become closer to Sepia. They slept together, ate together, hunted together. But as the next half- moon drew nearer, she began to notice a change in Krone. He became a lot more helpful, almost too helpful to beleive, but when he wasn't asking to help, he was never seen. She overlooked this, and on the Killing Night, she slept beside him again.

 In the middle of the night, she woke. She opened her eyes just in time to see Krone walking out of the cave. She slowly rose and followed him. But just as she came to the entrance, she saw a sight that made her blood run cold. The tattered remains of Nani were lying in a corner. White-hot fury coursed through her. She wanted to rip Krone to shreds, to destroy him! Getting a grip on herself, she walked out of the cave. Krone was in bloodrock corner. She saw him press a paw onto the rock. Then, she snapped a twig. Krone looked around wildly. She sighed with releif. He had not spotted her. Then, he  walked tensly back to the cave, neglecting to wash his paw.

                                     Three months later

Asine dropped to the cave floor, exhausted, after just finishing a day of hunting. Sepia was the beta, now, and Krone was an outcast, nothing more than a memory. Sepia settled down beside her. They had become closer than ever after Nani's death. As the wolves dropped off to sleep, Asine thought that her dreams had come true.

 At midnight, the pack was awakened by a howl. The wolves rushed out of the cave. Then, Asine's dream turned into a nightmare. Standing in the middle of the clearing was Krone, accompanied by at least twenty followers: rogue wolves, foxes and hybrids. They all looked strong, tough and powerful. Then, the fight began. Asine never remembered much, except that her one ambition that night was to rip every enemy she could. Her long time as a dogfighter now payed off. She could slip between the enemy's paws and then retlite, all in about five seconds. One fox was particularly dumb. After she had sent it howling out of the clearing, she stumbled over something. It was Rowan, and he was dead. The same white-hot fury she had felt when she had discovered Nani dead possessed her now. It didn't matter who had killed Rowan, all she wanted was to hurt Krone as badly as possible. It didn't take her long to find him, he was on top of the Boulder, howling, "I have killed Rowan, the pack is ours!" Asine flew towards him and growled, "It's not over, yet, Krone!" These were empty words, and Krone knew it. Laughing, he jumped on Asine. In a few seconds, he had pinnedher to the ground, his teeth dangerously near her neck. "It's over now!" he cackled. Then, a cool voice spoke behind them. "Yeah, it is." Then Sepia pulled Krone off of