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Many people who role-play with me, know of my wolf: Rallan, a wolf whose past is tainted with forced perfection, bloodshed, and betrayal. Those who do know about his past only know bits and pieces of it. As a Christmas gift to everyone on Balto Source, I'm posting a 3 volume chronology of Rallan's life, from his birth to his death. I am currently working on Volume I, but I've decided to give you the first few pages of it as a teaser; Rallan's birth.

Snow gently fell onto the peaceful, serene Lylrin Forest. Deep inside the heart of this calm forest, things were not as quiet and still. A wolf pack stood or sat waiting outside a den at the top of a large hill, overlooking the forest for any traces of danger. Inside the den, a few shouts and cries of pain could be heard. A very pregnant female, completely white in color, the Alpha female, lay on a bedding of soft brush, yelping every second, clearly in labor. Beside her, the Alpha male gently tried to help her through this moment, his gray pelt standing on end in anticipation.



“Come on, darling…” he said softly, “Just breathe it out… You’ll be fine…”



“It hurts! A lot!” she cried loudly, shouting again in agony.



“Just remain calm… Everything’s gonna be alright…”



“Typhoon, my love, do you know… what this feels like?”



“Um, no, I can’t say I do Lily…” Typhoon, the Alpha, replied sheepishly.



“THEN PLEASE STOP SPEAKING!!!” Lilly shouted and winced again before screaming in pain as she began to give birth to the first pup.



After a half-hour, five pups suckled on their mother, the proud parents smiling down at their newborns. Two males and three females made up the litter, the whining little balls of fluff so weak and blind to the new world that life had brought them into.



“You did very well Lily, my darling…” Typhoon said softly, nuzzling his mate’s neck.



“Mmm, thanks…” Lily replied, her voice warm with pride of their new pups, “Aren’t they beautiful? They need names, you know…”



Typhoon stared at them for a second, trying to think of suitable names.



“How about I name the males and you handle the female names?”



“Sounds good to me,” Lily said and glanced down at the five pups, “I think Rayne is good… She was our second-born… and Snow for the pure white one… and Summer for the youngest… That just leaves you our eldest and third-born, the males…”



“I like Varim for the third-born… and for the eldest… I want him to be the strongest, smartest, and all-around best of the five… He shall be the perfect warrior and leader… He’ll be an excellent fighter and a skilled diplomat… He’ll fit any situation and have a balance of skills… He needs a name that flows easily and will be known by everyone he meets… He shall be called Rallan…”



“Yes, those names are perfect… Rallan, Rayne, Varim, Snow, and Summer…” Lily whispered down to her pups, a soft smile on her face, her blue eyes shining with joy.



“Yes… I’m proud to be a father to them…” Typhoon said, keeping his eyes on the solid gray wolf pup that had just recently been dubbed Rallan. Especially to Rallan… The future heir to everything I own…



Typhoon nuzzled Lily one last time before walking out of the den. As soon as he stepped into the orange light of the setting sun, his pack instantly got to their feet and stared anxiously at him for news of his pups. Grinning widely, Typhoon raised his muzzle to the sky and let forth a loud howl that pierced the dusk. The other wolves followed their Alpha and howled triumphantly as well, a long, low-pitched howl echoing across the forest, signaling the arrival of five pups, one whose destiny would take many twists and turns, that would go up and down, from happiness to sorrow and back again, one whose name was Rallan.

Balto, that was FRICKIN' AWESOME man! You are a very good writer, and your teasers, they make me hang onto the edges of cliffs, and almost want to fall off. That was really good, I can't wait for the next part you post.

*fants* I want more!

Wow! I'm in shock. That was AWESOME!!! You're an excellent writer. I can't wait for more.

Your attention please:

I am pleased to announce that The Chronicle of Rallan Volume I is complete and has been sent to the site. My only hope right now is that it will be read and sent up on the site by tomorrow (I know, I cut it a little too close) as a Christmas gift, like I intended. God willing, my fanfic will be up tomorrow and ready for reading for everyone! I now leave matters in the hands of the Fanfiction Moderators to see my fanfic through to it's finish. Until then, happy holidays everyone at Balto Source!

--Balto5670

I am once again pleased to announce that I have begun work on The Chronicle of Rallan Volume II! Though at this point, I cannot have an accurate or even rough estimate of when it will be finished, I can assure everyone that it should be done before February, unless things come up to delay my work any further. As I did before, I'll leave you hanging onto the edge of a cliff with this little passage from Volume II. Enjoy.

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"This way!" the female shouted to Rallan as she led him through the dark forest.

Rallan didn't need to be told twice. He followed behind her, the moon casting a few rays of silvery light down through the tops of the trees, illuminating his path just barely enough for him to see where he was going. After several minutes of dodging and weaving between large oak, maple, and pine trees, Rallan and the female wolf finally got away, the distant protesting shouts of the male that had persued them vanishing into the still night air. The two wolves sat in a clearing, panting to regain their lost breath.

"Who... are you?" Rallan asked the female, now getting a clear view of her. She had a silvery-gray pelt and a pure white tail. Her cobalt eyes glistened under the moonlight and she smiled slightly.

"My name's Serenity..." she answered sweetly, "What might I call a handsome wolf like yourself?"

"Rallan..." Rallan replied cautiously, "Why was that wolf chasing you?"

She seemed a bit too flirty to be able to trust completely, but appearances were decieving, he knew this best of all. Images of Typhoon flashed through his mind, but he quickly shoved them aside, focusing on Serenity. Serenity laughed softly and took a few steps toward him.

"You know how some wolves are these days..." said Serenity, "They see a female only for her appearances and then they use you for their own personal amusement... You know what I mean... Anyway, let's get out of here before he shows up again..."

Serenity turned and began to walk off. Rallan shook his head and held up one paw to stop her.

"Whoa, hold on there... What do you mean "let's"?" Rallan asked, still untrusting of her, "What makes you think I can trust you so easily?"

Serenity stopped and turned to look at him, the same smile on her face. Slowly, she walked up to Rallan until they were almost nose-to-nose. Leaning forward, Serenity positioned her muzzle near his ear and whispered gently.

"Because alone, we're weak and defenseless..." she said softly, "We need to stick together and watch each other's back... Because no one else will..."

With those words, Serentiy pulled her head back and grinned at him. She looked over Rallan one last time before shrugging and walking off again. She stopped halfway out of the clearing and turned to face him yet again.

"Are you coming or not? He's probably still looking for us," Serenity asked him.

Sighing, Rallan reluctantly followed Serenity, his mind still debating whether or not to believe in everything this female told him or take it all as a lie. But for now, it looked like he had no choice but to trust her.

Heh, I've decided to post another teaser up for The Chronicle of Rallan Volume II. Why, you may ask? Because I feel in the giving spirit, and what better to give people than anticipation? Anyway, here's a passage of the beginning from Volume II.

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Some might know me as a prince. Others may now me as a brilliant mastermind and strong leader. But now all of them know me as a murderer... I did nothing wrong, but I am wronged. I commited no crime, yet I am guilty. I told the truth, but apparently I'm lying. Because of my father, I now live... as an exile...

The scorning calls of his packmates caused Rallan to whimper softly. Before him, Justice glared down with anger and disappointment. To his side, his family looked on in utter disbelief as his crime was presented to the court.

"Rallan, by the authority vested in me by your father, Typhoon, I hereby exile you from the Lylrite Pack and their lands. Should you ever return, you shall be executed," Justice said vindictively.

"No! I'm not a murderer!" Rallan pleaded, but all the wolves of the Lylrite Pack just laughed and began advancing on him.

Snarls and growls were heard all around Rallan as he watched them surround him completely. Rallan's eyes widened with fear and his heart began to speed up. He saw Drake just stare judgementally down at him, his gaze piercing Rallan's body. Suddenly, the wolves, the court, even the clearing vanished and Rallan was left standing on nothing but darkness.

"What's going on?" Rallan asked fearfully.

"Guilt, my son..." came a very familiar voice. Rallan spun around and saw Typhoon standing there, blood dripping from a large wound in his neck.

"Dad, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"Murderer..." Typhoon said angrily, slowly advancing on his son.

"What? No, Dad! I didn't-"

"Murderer."

"No, I-"

"Murderer!" Typhoon shouted and lunged at Rallan, bting into his throat. Rallan screamed loudly and everything went black.







"No!" Rallan shouted as he bolted upright, sweat dripping down his gray pelt. He gasped for air as he looked left and right, realizing he'd fallen asleep.

Sighing heavily, Rallan closed his eyes and weeped for a moment. Last night, his brother had been murdered, he'd killed his father, he'd been exiled, and now he'd run roughly 100 miles before finally falling asleep into a nightmare.

"A nightmare... Only a nightmare..." Rallan whispered to himself, wiping his tears away and standing up.

Rallan surveyed his new environment. He hadn't been able to see much of it last night, since it was fairly dark when he arrived. However, the bright daylight now showed a dense forest, this one different from his old home. He sniffed around and found no trace of any other animal.

"Hmm, that's odd... Oh well..." Rallan said with a shrug. He sighed and lowered his ears, beginning to carry on walking.

"Welcome to your new life Rallan..." he muttered sadly to himself, "Enjoy the misery while you're still alive..."

Though Rallan was in fine health, he felt horrible. He'd lost everything in one night after gaining so much. He felt like nothing was worth trying anymore. Outside, Rallan was miserable. Inside of him, all happiness was dead.

Excellent! 8D Cant wait to read the rest. I must say, I hate teasers they always keep me wondering

Sorry for the terribly wrong delay, but I'm proud to announce my next fanfiction! I plan on finishing The Chronicle of Rallan! I'm working on Volume II now and should be done sometime this month!

Loving this! Can't wait to read the rest!

Awesome! Glad someone's still interested in this one! Well, here's the next passage from Chapter 1 for ya! Enjoy!
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Rallan’s head was held low as he slowly trudged through the forest. He was parched from all of his running and was in dire need of a water source. As if my magic, the sound of a flowing river was heard nearby. Rallan walked along until he saw a small river flowing through the woods. Bending his head down, Rallan took a long drink, the cool liquid flowing down his throat and quenching his thirst. Revitalized, Rallan sighed softly, feeling a little better.

I wonder where this river goes to… Rallan thought to himself and decided to follow it. After several minutes of walking along the bank, Rallan found himself staring out at a medium-sized lake. He stared out at its shimmering surface for a moment, impressed by its majestic qualities. A few seconds passed before he snapped out of it and walked up to its edge, feeling the cold water lap against his paws. Rallan closed his eyes, the tranquil forest seeming almost empty.

Behind him, Rallan heard a twig snap. His ears perked up and twisted backwards as they caught the sound, Rallan’s eyelids shooting open. He gasped and spun around, but no one was there and no scent was found. Then again, the wind’s blowing in the wrong direction for me to smell anyone over there… he thought, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the trees for any trace of anyone.

“Hello? Is someone there?” Rallan called out, hoping for a response. Nothing.

“Show yourself! Who’s there?” Still nothing.

Rallan scanned the forest’s edge one last time before deciding that he was probably just hearing things. He shrugged and looked down along the beach of the lake. Slowly, Rallan began to trot across the gravelly sand, intent on finding a new place he could call his permanent home.







Three wolves sat at the edge of the lake, drinking out of its clear waters. Two were male, the other was a female. The moment they all finished, the two males turned on the female, growling lowly at her. She just stared at them in an uncaring manner, her eyes half-closed with boredom at their attempt to scare her.

“How the hell do you lose someone when you’re tracking them?” the pitch-black male asked angrily.

“Easily. You wanna try following someone for days and then just lose sight of them?” the girl asked, licking her paws.

“You turned your back for all of one second and she was gone?!?!” the brown male asked, advancing on the gray and brown female.

“For your information, she was on to me all along. When she got the right moment, the coward turned tail and ran away…”

“That wasn’t my question, Serenity…” the brown male said flatly.

“I don’t care what your question was, SwiftDeath.” Serenity snapped back at the brown wolf.

“Enough you two!” the black male said loud enough for them to hear him over their arguing, “Your bickering is going to drive away every other wolf in this forest! It’s also going to drive me crazy!”

“Sorry NightPelt…” Serenity said, lowering her ears slightly.

“Forget about it… Now we need to find another wolf we can attempt to kill,” NightPelt said, looking at SwiftDeath and Serenity, “We should try to shoot for a male because then Serenity can get close to him and get his guard down.”

“Why do we kill wolves? Just for the pleasure?” Serenity asked, unsure of why they did this.

“Yes. Also because I hate other wolves…” NightPelt answered, narrowing his eyes slightly.

“Why’s that buddy? All because your former mate-”

“I’d shut up if I were you, SwiftDeath or else you may regret ever opening your mouth in the first place…” Night Pelt said angrily, growling lowly at SwiftDeath.

“Why? Are you gonna make me regret it?”

“You’re crossing the line…”

“What line? With you, there’s no line at all!”

“That’s it! You’re gonna-”

“Boys, shut up! There’s someone coming!” Serenity said urgently and glanced up the river that flowed into the lake.

The three wolves quickly ran into the edge of the forest and hid behind some trees. The wind blew in their favor today and hid their scents from anyone standing at the lake. Suddenly, a gray and white coated male walked into view, a lost and depressed look on his face. NightPelt and SwiftDeath exchanged curious glances and continued watching the newcomer.

Serenity was intrigued by this male. She’d flirted around with many different kinds in her life, but this one seemed incredibly stressed by something. Slowly, she leaned out for a better look and NightPelt gave her a sharp glare. Serenity quickly stumbled backwards and stepped on a twig, a sudden snap clearly heard through the still surrounding. NightPelt gave Serenity an angry glare as the wolf spun around.

“Hello? Is someone there?” the wolf called out, unaware of their presence. For once, NightPelt was glad the wind was blowing in their faces; he’d be unable to smell them.

“Show yourself! Who’s there?” the wolf demanded again. Still no answer came forth.

NightPelt, SwiftDeath, and Serenity watched as the wolf walked off. Slowly and silently, they slinked along, following the new wolf. A grin came across NightPelt’s face as their observations continued.

“Him… He’s our next target… He’s the one we’re gonna get…” he whispered to his comrades, “Let’s keep watching him for the rest of the day and then we’ll determine on how you should act, Serenity, alright?”

“Sounds good to me…” Serenity replied, her green eyes locked on Rallan’s form as he walked along the shore, “He seems easy enough to charm… This should be a snap…”

Rallan carried on trekking across the beach, his head low and sad. He had nothing anymore; everything was gone. Things could be a lot worse though… Rallan thought to himself, That one vote that said I was innocent saved me from being executed, so I suppose I should be somewhat grateful… I bet it was Mom who voted innocent… Rallan smiled slightly, mentally thanking whoever saved his life.

Serenity risked getting slightly closer to see Rallan better. Something must’ve happened to him recently… she thought, He seems so sad… Well, not my problem. I’ll have to fake sympathy when I seduce him… She grinned at the though of him trusting her, then the look on his face when he realizes that it was all part of a deadly set-up. She loved that look and loved her job.

Rallan heard his stomach growl and felt pains of hunger run through him. He sighed and began to walk into the forest, close to where the three spies were. They crouched low so he couldn’t see them and watched as Rallan walked on by. They carried on pursuing him through the shadows, watching him hunt. This is where we’ll see just how skilled he really is… NightPelt thought and watched with anticipation.

After a few minutes of searching, Rallan found a lone deer out in a clearing, grazing on the soft grass. He crouched low and slinked as close to it as he could. The second the animal noticed Rallan, the wolf sprang forward and latched onto its neck. The deer tried to run away, but Rallan pulled it to the ground and bit through its throat, securing a meal for himself. Hungrily, Rallan dug into it, eating quickly to restore his vigor.

NightPelt watched in amazement at Rallan’s skills and strength. His eyebrows raised in shock as the wolf killed his prey in a matter of seconds. He chuckled softly and shook his head slowly.

“*****… That’s one good wolf; I’ll give him that… This will be a challenge, but it sure will be fun to bring down such a skilled adversary…” NightPelt said in a whisper, “Come on, let’s follow him until nightfall, then we’ll launch our spy into the fray…”

Hey, SwiftDeath and Serenity. Cool. LOL

I know everyone's been waiting patiently for the next update, so here it is!
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NightPelt glanced back at Serenity. Serenity nodded in acknowledgement, knowing what she’d have to do. Both wolves turned their attention back to Rallan. SwiftDeath just stood there, eagerly waiting to taste that wolf’s blood. Out of the three, he was the more vicious, blood-thirsty one. He didn’t care about surveillance or spying, he just wanted to kill Rallan, like he did with every victim they chose.

Rallan wandered around the lonely forest for the rest of the day. Though it seemed like he was doing nothing, in his mind he was making a mental map of the surrounding forest area. His search for a suitable den left him wanting at the end of the day. At the end of the day, by the time the sun had finished setting and the crescent moon had begun its slow ascent, Rallan still had yet to find lodging for himself for the night.

Not that sleeping under the stars isn’t great, but I’d prefer to have a den… Besides, it’s just turning spring… It isn’t exactly the warmest time of the year… Rallan thought to himself. With a sigh, the gray wolf collapsed into a clearing. His brown eyes traced around the tree-line. All day, he’d felt like he was being followed and watched, but he could never catch a glimpse or scent of anyone. With another sigh, the young wolf lay his head down on his paws and slowly closed his eyes.

From behind the cover of darkness and the trees and bushes, the trio of murderers watched as their next mark lied down and seemingly fell asleep. NightPelt grinned and chuckled softly, turning to face his accomplices.

“Are you two ready for your performance yet?” he asked in a hushed tone.

“Almost…” Serenity said, still ruffling up her fur and tossing some dirt onto her face and back, making it seem like she’d gotten into a fight. She then dug a single claw into her cheek and made a small cut, wincing slightly as she felt the sharp pain, but cleared her throat and grinned slyly. “Alright, now I’m ready…”

“Right… SwiftDeath, you know the plan, correct?” NightPelt asked, looking to his other friend.

“Chase Serenity out into the clearing where that fool is, threaten them, fight if needed, but lose and run away, pursue them for a bit if they run, then come back here…” he said, running over the plan in his mind.

“And then I’ll run off with him, lead him to the den we have set up, and get to know all about him and relay that information to you…” Serenity said, smiling wickedly, “But remember: this may take a bit… It all depends on how trusting the male is…”

“Excellent… But Serenity, remember… Get close to him, but not too close…” NightPelt reminded, and then grinned to his team, “Alright, action… Go, now!”

Serenity grinned and chuckled softly. She motioned with her head to SwiftDeath and the two walked off a few meters away. A moment later, Serenity cried out in false-terror, however it sounded so real, and ran toward Rallan. Naturally, Rallan scrambled to his feet and caught sight of the gray-brown female just as she came colliding into him. The two tumbled over one another for a moment before Rallan felt a weight on top of him and slowly opened his brown eyes.

Rallan could see the shimmering green eyes and face of the wolf that’d crashed into him, a terrified look on her face. Her left cheek had a cut in it which was bleeding slightly, the scarlet drops running down her muzzle. Her body was covered in a thin layer of dirt, as if she’d been in a tussle with someone. Slowly, she got off of him and looked at him fearfully, obviously afraid of him.

“Please don’t hurt me…” she said in a soft, scared voice, “I… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to run into you, it’s just-” Rallan raised a paw to stop her and smiled warmly at her.

“Shh, it’s alright… No need to apologize, it was an accident…” he replied, then stared concernedly at her, “Are you alright? You look hurt- and afraid…”

“I… I have to go, now!” she stated, glancing around nervously, “If he sees me with you, then he’ll kill us both!”

“Whoa, slow down! Who’s ‘he’?” Rallan asked, cocking his head slightly, “What’s going on? Why are you running?”

“We don’t have time for this! He’ll be here any minute!” the female almost shouted when SwiftDeath’s howl was heard, “Oh Hell no… He’s here…” SwiftDeath then came running into the clearing, the black male glaring at Rallan and Serenity.

“What the Hell’s going on here?!” SwiftDeath shouted, “Serenity, get away from that male and come back with me this instant! How dare you try to run away from me!” Serenity looked to Rallan, then motioned to him.

“Run!” she called out and both wolves dashed off into the dark forest, not looking back to see if he was pursuing them or not.

“SERENITY!!!” came the loud yell of SwiftDeath as both Rallan and Serenity ran away as fast as they could, desperate to get away. After a few more seconds, SwiftDeath chuckled and walked back to NightPelt, “How was that?”

“Very well done, pal…” NightPelt said, grinning to him and motioning to him, “Come on, let’s get to our spare den… Serenity will have her paws full for a while… Might as well get some sleep… She’ll know where to find us…”

Both males turned and walked off, deep into the dark nighttime. As for Rallan and Serenity, they kept on running, Serenity leading him as she twisted and turned around trees and other obstacles. Rallan could easily keep up, but she took so many turns, he was behind a little. After a moment, Serenity had led Rallan to a den in the side of a cliff. It had been the one they had chosen to lure him into and keep him there for a while until they got his guard down and struck.

Serenity heard Rallan catch up and approach her, breathing a little heavier. She, herself, was panting a bit, but this male acted like the run hadn’t even fazed him. Good physique… He’s better built than I thought… she thought to herself as she walked into the den. Rallan followed her inside, but sat cautiously by the entrance as she lay on the bedding of brush and leaves. She noticed his suspicious look and gave him a slight smile.

“What? What is it?” Serenity asked, chuckling softly, “You look like you’re suspicious of me… Like I have something to hide…”

“Well you haven’t exactly been forth-coming with me, Serenity was it?” Rallan stated coolly, “So, why don’t you start explaining everything? Who was that wolf? Why are we here? Just what the Hell is going on?” Serenity sighed softly and looked away from him.

“Yeah, my name’s Serenity… and that male was my ‘mate’… But he didn’t love me… He just wanted someone to beat and breed… Namely, me… He’s the reason I look like this…” she explained, “I defied him and he beat me… so I ran… and then I ran into you… I don’t want to be his mate anymore… It wasn’t like I was in the first place…”

Rallan felt his heart tighten slightly, sympathy for Serenity running through his mind. He sighed softly and rose to his feet, walking over to Serenity and sitting beside her. He gently ran his paw across her back and forehead, cleaning the dirt and dust off of her coat. He then brushed off her muzzle before licking the blood away from her cut.

“It’s not too bad…” Rallan said, looking over the single slice, “Your coat was a mess though! But that’s all fixed now…”

“Thanks…” Serenity replied softly, licking her paw and beginning to smoothen out her fur, “So, you know my name, what’s yours?”

“Rallan… My name’s Rallan…” the brown-gray wolf answered calmly.

“Rallan, huh? Nice name…” Serenity replied, still continuing to smooth her pelt, “So, Rallan, do you have any family nearby?” Rallan’s face went pale and his eyes darkened slightly at the mention of his family. His ears pressed against his forehead as he spoke.

“That’s… not a very happy topic for me…” Rallan replied softly and sadly, “I’m sorry, but I don’t feel comfortable speaking about them right now…” Serenity made a mental note of this and moved onward with the conversation.

“Oh, I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean to hurt you…” Serenity whispered, nuzzling underneath Rallan’s chin gently, “The last thing I’d want to do is any harm to you…”

Rallan stared neutrally at Serenity as she nuzzled him. He wasn’t sure if she was coming onto him or if it was just a reassuring nuzzle, but he didn’t read too much into it. He sighed softly and lay down next to her, glancing back at the entrance. Something about Serenity felt… off, almost ominous… And with that black-pelted male back out in the forest. Rallan had this gut feeling that something was up.

“What is it Rallan?” Serenity asked, looking toward the entrance of the den, following his gaze, “Someone out there?” Rallan sighed and shook his head, looking back into her green eyes.

“No, it’s nothing… No one’s out there…” he answered softly, “I was just… thinking to myself, is all…” Serenity gingerly placed a paw on Rallan’s forehead and began to slowly stroke his head and down the back of his neck. Rallan murred softly and lay his head on his paws, closing his brown eyes slowly.

“You seem tired, Rallan… Traveling all day?” Serenity asked, not really looking for an answer to that question, “Shh, just relax… Sleep…”

Rallan didn’t need to be told twice. With one final, soft moan, Rallan’s mind blanked and he fell into a deep sleep. His breathing became somewhat heavier and he began to lightly snore as he slept onward. Serenity continued to stroke his head slowly for a few more minutes before she was certain Rallan was asleep. Silently, she stood up and snuck outside, walking a short distance until she came to another den. Slowly, she began to walk inside.

“So, where do you think Serenity is right now?” SwiftDeath asked, gnawing on a tree branch he’d picked up on the way to the spare den.

“Try right behind you…” Serenity said, walking into the den and grinning slyly, “I’m here… Don’t worry about the other guy; he’s fast asleep…”

“Excellent work Serenity. What have you found out about him thus far?” NightPelt asked seriously, getting straight to business.

“Not much… He keeps to himself mainly… He’s probably been pretty hurt in the past, so it’ll take some time and work to get him to open up to me…” Serenity explained calmly. NightPelt growled softly.

“How much time are we looking at for a requirement?” he asked, obviously a little irritated by this. Serenity sighed and shrugged.

“Well, if everything goes as I’ve planned it to… We’re looking at about two months before he even starts to reveal anything really personal or anything to get his guard down…”

“God d*mn it! D*mn son of a b*tch!” NightPelt swore loudly. He never liked long-term murders, but he was never one to back down from a challenge. “Fine… Do whatever you have to… In the meantime, SwiftDeath and I’ll do whatever we can to occupy our time… Just get that wolf’s guard down… What have you managed to find out so far?”

“Well, I found out his name is Rallan, he doesn’t like to talk about his family or his past, and he’s a rather mellow guy, but he seems badly hurt and betrayed, as well as protective…” Serenity explained, relaying her report to NightPelt.

“Alright… Then for the next two months, Rallan is our main target… I’ve never backed down from a challenge and I’ll be ***** if I do so now!” NightPelt said, nodding to Serenity, “Get back to him before he wakes up and notices something…”

Serenity nodded to NightPelt and turned, quickly walking back to the den Rallan was sleeping in. She arrived shortly later and smiled, glad to see he was still asleep. She lay back down beside the young wolf and closed her eyes, wondering what it would be like to be with him for six moths before slowly drifting off to sleep. Back at the other den, NightPelt growled softly to himself and looked at SwiftDeath, sighing heavily as he did so.

“This is gonna be a loooong mission…” NightPelt said, closing his eyes and forgetting about everything for one night.

Sweet!

Great news! I just finished The Chronicle of Rallan Volume II and have submitted it to the site! But instead of leaving you on a cliff-hanger, I'll finish up the chapter for you and give you all of Chapter 2. Enjoy.
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The next morning, Rallan’s brown eyes slowly fluttered open to receive the bright morning sunshine. He winced at the bright light and blinked several times to allow his eyes to adjust to the new light surrounding him. After a couple of minutes, everything began to settle into proportions and Rallan could see clearly once again. He raised his head and looked about, feeling someone stirring beside him.

A quick glance to his side and the memories flooded back to him. Where he was, what had happened, and who was starting to wake up beside him. His final realization came as the brown-gray female lifted her head up, yawned slightly, and smiled at him.

“Good morning, Serenity…” Rallan said softly, “Sleep well last night?”

“Good morning Rallan… And yes, I did, thank you…” Serenity replied with a warm smile.

“So, how about breakfast?” Rallan asked, rising up to his paws and stretching his lean body out, “I can do all the hunting… You can just rest here… After last night, I think you could use all the rest and relaxation you can get…”

“Thanks Rallan… Sounds great… If you’re sure you can do the hunting part, then be my guest…” Serenity said, laying her head back down on her paws.

“Alright, I’ll be back soon…” Rallan stated, walking out of the den and into the forest, taking a deep breath of fresh air.

Rallan wandered off into the forest, his mind racing as he walked onward, letting his senses and instincts take over his body while he focused on his thoughts. He still was unsure of what to do with his life now. He was a couple months older than a year, so he was still young, but already he felt like he was two or three. He also was unsure of Serenity’s motives or if she was even telling him the truth at all.

However, all these thoughts seemed to melt away as he nose perked up and twitched slightly. He recognized that scent well: a deer, about a dozen meters southward. His training and natural instincts kicked in and he dashed, reaching the unsuspecting animal in a matter of minutes, latching onto its neck, and bringing it down to the ground. With a sickening crunch, he ended the creature’s life and began to drag it back to Serenity’s den.

Ten minutes later, Serenity heard someone approaching. Glancing toward the entrance, she saw Rallan dragging his kill back and tossing it in front of her. He licked the blood off of his muzzle and smiled at her.

“Breakfast is served, milady…” Rallan said casually, walking up and laying beside her again. Serenity smiled at him and tore off a piece of meat and began eating hungrily. Rallan did the same, both munching on their meal for a while before Serenity finally broke the silence.

“Um, Rallan… Do you- have a home?” she asked, pretending to act a little shy. Fortunately for her, it worked.

“No… No I don’t…” Rallan answered with a soft sigh, “I was in the process of looking for one… I should probably keep looking and get going as soon as we’re finished…”

“No, please stay…” Serenity said quickly, staring into his brown eyes, “That’s just what I was about to offer you… Rallan, would… would you mind staying with me? You need a home and I need someone to be with since… well, let’s just say that I don’t think I would have slept last night if you weren’t here… Please stay… I feel much better if someone stayed with me; someone who wouldn’t hurt me…”

Rallan choked a little on his meal. He hadn’t expected this offer to arise for him. He gave Serenity a surprised look, his mind still grappling the fact that he’d been offered a place to stay. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again, unsure of how to answer exactly. What do I do? What do I say to something like that? He thought to himself, before deciding upon an acceptable answer.

“Serenity, you’re very generous to offer me something like that…” he started, brown eyes still locked on her green ones, “No one else I know would give me such a proposal like that… Yes Serenity, I’ll stay- for both our benefits…” Serenity smiled widely and gave Rallan’s cheek an appreciative lick.

“Thank you Rallan! Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this puts me at ease!” Serenity said, true enthusiasm in her voice for once, but not for the reasons she was stating, “You won’t regret accepting my offer… I promise…”

“No Serenity, thank you… I owe you a lot for this, and believe me when I say this…” Rallan began, staring back into her eyes, “I will repay you… someday…”

Serenity smiled widely, then finished up her meat and licked her paws and muzzle clean of any blood, grinning wickedly. He’d fallen for her tricks and now he chose to fall into her trap willingly. Everything was going according to plan so far. Rallan finished up as well and licked himself before looking back to Serenity, a kind smile on his face.

“So Serenity, what would you like to do today?” Rallan asked. Serenity grinned slightly and nuzzled Rallan again.

“How about we go for a walk? I’d like to get to know you a little better- if that’s alright with you…” she said, acting a little sheepish once more and once more, Rallan fell for it, hook, line, and sinker.

“Serenity, how could I refuse that offer? I’d love to learn more about you as well…” Rallan said enthusiastically, quickly rising to his paws, “And sure, I’ll tell you what I can about myself…”

“Great, Rallan!” Serenity replied, quickly jumping to her feet and smiling at Rallan, “Shall we be off then?”

Serenity walked out the den, the gray, white, and slightly brown male following beside her. The two meandered out into the forest, smiling at the beautiful spring scene before them. After a couple of minutes, Rallan spoke first and broke the silence.

“So Serenity, tell me about yourself…” Rallan stated, looking to her, “Do you have any family who live nearby or any family at all?” Serenity sighed softly and slowly shook her head.

“No… I had family, but that was a long time ago… A long, long time ago…” Serenity answered softly, almost sadly, “I’m two years old now… And it was almost two years ago that I lost my entire family… My brothers and I were playing outside our den as our parents watched us… Hunters came by and killed them all… I only managed to get away because I hid in some bushes and they over-looked me…”

“Oh Serenity… I’m so sorry…” Rallan apologized quickly, “I didn’t mean to bring back any painful memories… I didn’t know… I’m sorry…” Serenity chuckled softly and shook her head.

“No, it’s not your fault… You didn’t know, and that’s why you asked… You were curious. You didn’t know I’d been hurt by my past… It’s alright…” Serenity replied softly, “And what about you, Rallan? You seem strong and chivalrous… Who taught you to be that way?” Rallan’s ears slowly lowered against his head as images of Typhoon ran through his mind.

“My father did…” Rallan answered slowly and softly, “He taught me pretty much everything I know… He made me the way I am today… But he died suddenly, shortly after my training was finished…”

“Oh… How did he die?”

“He was murdered…” Rallan said blandly, “Or so the wolf that killed him was convicted of… I don’t know if it was really murder or if it was killed all in self-defense… But our court and pack chose not to listen to him and exiled him, as plain and simple as that…”

“Oh Rallan… I’m so sorry for you… Is that why you don’t like to talk about your family and your past?” Serenity asked, showing sympathy, but inside she was dying to get as much information on Rallan as physically possible.

“Yeah… That’s the reason… More or less…” Rallan replied, looking down at the ground and looking like he was about to start crying. Serenity sat down beside him and gently placed a paw on his shoulder.

“It’s alright… It wasn’t your fault, Rallan… Sometimes these things just happen to others…” Serenity said softly. Yeah, like it’s gonna happen to you soon… she thought to herself, holding in a cruel grin.

“I know… I know…” Rallan replied in a near-whisper, “But I still feel like I was to blame for all of this…” Because, in essence, I am to blame for this… he thought sadly to himself, but wasn’t about to tell Serenity the true story of what had happened. Serenity could see something was killing Rallan inside and was determined to find out what it was- but in due time. She leaned over and licked his cheek softly.

“Don’t worry about it… It’s done and over… Nothing you can do can change the past… Nothing…” she spoke quietly, nuzzling him once more, “Now, let’s not dwell on this matter… Ask me anything you wish…” Rallan was silent for a minute as he thought of a question to ask of her. After a moment, he came up with one and decided to ask it.

“Why was that brute of a wolf your mate?” Rallan asked, looking back into Serenity’s green eyes, “I thought you were supposed to be mates for love… You apparently don’t love him very much at all, so why were you two mates? And why precisely did he beat you last night that caused you to run away?”

*****… Serenity thought to herself, not showing any traces of her irritation, How the Hell am I supposed to answer that? Alright Serenity, you’re good at weaving stories… Time to work your magic once again… She sighed softly and looked away before looking back into Rallan’s brown eyes, keeping up the appearance of an innocent, abused female.

“Because he kidnapped me and held me against my will… He said he’d kill me if I told anyone, called for help, or ever ran away from him…” Serenity falsely explained, “And he beat me last night because he demanded that I bear him pups… When I refused, he started to attack me… I got away and ran as fast as I possibly could… That’s when I ran into you… And we ran back to my old den…”

“Wait, wouldn’t he know where you are if he kidnapped you?” Rallan asked suddenly, beginning to worry a little. Serenity smiled slightly and shook her head.

“No, he jumped me when I was out hunting… He never knew where my den was and he never will know…” Serenity explained, “Come on, let’s keep walking and talking…” She stood up and began to walk off. She glanced back at him over her shoulder and grinned. “Coming?”

“Right behind you, milady…” Rallan replied, standing again and running up to her side as their walk continued.




From the safety of the dark shadows, NightPelt and SwiftDeath watched as Serenity and Rallan spoke to one another. Every action; every movement they made, the two wolves watched, eyes alert and senses high. Though they couldn’t hear what the two were talking about, the motions Rallan made gave them some sort of clue as to the conversation.

Soon, Rallan and Serenity continued on their way. SwiftDeath growled softly once they were out of earshot and shook his head furiously. He then turned to NightPelt, eyes gleaming with a murderous spark.

“I don’t get this plan at all, Night!” SwiftDeath snarled angrily, growing impatient, “Why don’t we all just jump the ******* now or when he’s asleep?! Why do we have to do all this surveillance stuff?!”

“Because SwiftDeath, my friend, knowing your enemy is just the first step to defeating him…” NightPelt explained calmly, looking back to him, “Believe me, I enjoy killing just as much as you do, but after watching what this wolf can do, rushing head-first into combat doesn’t seem like the best strategy… If we know what hurts him emotionally, then we can exploit it against him and reduce his guard. That’s when we’ll strike- and kill him…”

NightPelt and SwiftDeath exchanged evil looks and grins. They then proceeded to follow Rallan and Serenity, eager to learn all they could about the next wolf to lose his life.










Chapter 2




Two months passed much faster than Rallan could have expected. Throughout the eight weeks, he and Serenity grew more trust-worthy of one another and were soon close friends. He had no reason to suspect any treachery from her, especially since she’d been kind to him and very friendly as well. As for Serenity, she met up with NightPelt and SwiftDeath every three days and relayed information to them.

They now sat out in a clearing beneath the stars, the warm May air calm around the two of them. Rallan glanced over at Serenity and the two locked gazes, both smiling at one another. After a few moments, Serenity got up and sat as close to Rallan as she could get, smiling widely at him.

“Serenity… I think it’s time I told you the truth about something…” Rallan said softly, ready to admit the truth about his father and his past to her, “But I’m afraid that you’ll hate me for it…” Serenity nuzzled Rallan again, still smiling sweetly at him.

“Rallan, I don’t care what it is… I won’t hate you for anything…” she replied in a whisper, “Go on… You can tell me anything… Anything…” Rallan took a deep breath and swallowed his pride for a bit.

“There’s a reason I’m so afraid of my past… and it’s not just because my father was murdered…” he explained softly, “And I’m only telling you because I trust you… Serenity, I murdered my father…” Serenity was shocked, completely taken back.

“Y-you murdered your father?” she asked, now genuinely nervous for the first time in a while, “Why did you kill him?”

“That’s just the point though: I didn’t intend to!” Rallan protested quickly, “I saw him attacking my brother and then he murdered my brother… I attacked him in an attempt to save my brother, but it was far too late… and I accidentally ended up killing him… I was put on trial and I would have been executed had one person not voted Innocent for me… So instead I was exiled and that’s why I’m out here… Alone like this… And that’s what hurts me the most, even to this day…”

Serenity stared at Rallan for a few moments, then sighed softly. She nuzzled him gently and reassuringly, but inside she was bouncing up and down with joy. She’d found out the greatest source of weakness inside of him and now it was time to exploit it against him. She placed a paw on top of one of his and smiled at him. Time to finish my act and destroy and guard he may have left… she thought to herself.

“Rallan, I’m not going to hate you or judge you on that… You did what you thought was right and it was a noble effort…” Serenity replied, “And if anyone will, I forgive you for what you’ve done…” Rallan was shocked by these last few words.

“Y-you can forgive my past? Just like that?” he asked, obviously confused, “Why Serenity? How can you just forgive me like that?”

“Because I love you, Rallan…” Serenity lied, her words sounding so true though, “After these past two months, I can safely say this… I love you…”

Serenity then leaned toward Rallan and kissed him gently. After a moment, she pulled back, chuckling softly at Rallan’s utterly surprised look on his face. After a moment, his mind was able to grasp what had just happened and a grin slowly spread across his face. The two leaned forward once more and kissed once again. They stayed this way for close to three minutes before breaking the kiss.

“I think… I love you too, Serenity…” Rallan replied in a soft whisper, nuzzling her softly. Serenity smiled widely.

“Rallan, don’t say another word… Just live for the moment…” Serenity stated softly, kissing him once more.

Their passionate moment lasted for long past midnight. After hours, Rallan was finally fast asleep, his paws wrapped around Serenity. She waited until she was certain he was fast asleep before silently slipping away from him and walking toward the den NightPelt and SwiftDeath were in. Once she arrived, she saw the two were still up, both giving her judgmental glares as she walked in.

“Hello there boys…” she greeted, freezing when she saw their looks, “What? What is it? What happened?” SwiftDeath scoffed slightly and shook his head before looking back to her.

“We would think you’d know best out of the three of us…” he stated coldly, “So, did you wear Rallan out and are you probably pregnant now?” Serenity gave him a confused look.

“Wear Rallan out? And am I preg- Oh, you *******!” she shouted and lunged at him, but NightPelt held her back, “I swear SwiftDeath, I did nothing like that with Rallan! I seduced him, yes, but I would never get that close to a mark!”

“Well you had me confused…” SwiftDeath snapped back patronizingly, “Especially after all that ‘Oh, I love you Rallan’ mushy, kissing stuff!”

“I swear I’ll get you if you say another word, SwiftDeath!” Serenity shouted, still fighting against NightPelt.

“ENOUGH!!!” NightPelt yelled, glaring at both of them before looking to Serenity, “Serenity, on your life, you swear you didn’t do anything like that with Rallan?”

“No… I just made out with him a bit… Nothing more, nothing less…” Serenity said, telling the complete truth.

“Alright… We’ll have to take your word for that… But if you’re lying to us Serenity, you will be punished…” NightPelt said threateningly, “Now then, what do you have to report that’s so ***** important at early morning?” Serenity smirked wickedly and chuckled softly.

“I found out Rallan’s greatest weakness… The one thing that’ll most-likely drop his defenses to nothing…” Serenity explained, enjoying the impressed look on NightPelt’s face, “He killed his father after his father killed his brother… He told me it haunts him and hurts him more than anything, which is why he doesn’t tell anyone!”

“Excellent work Serenity! We now have enough information to kill Rallan!” NightPelt announced with sickening glee in his voice, “Just lure him down to the river tomorrow at noon and SwiftDeath and I’ll take care of him… Now, go back and get some rest… We’ll see you tomorrow…”

Serenity grinned and nodded. She then turned around and dashed out of the den, destined back to the clearing where Rallan lay sleeping. SwiftDeath exchanged looks of dark anticipation, evil gleams in their eyes. NightPelt began to chuckle cruelly, but son it was transformed into an entire evil laugh as he planned for the upcoming day.




Rallan awoke the next morning, bright light surrounding him and giving him the first clue as to where he was right now. The warm breeze also gave it away: he was outside in a clearing. He felt something moving against his chest and glanced down, smiling as he saw Serenity in his paws. He licked her cheek gently and her eyes slowly fluttered open. As she got her bearings too, she smiled and kissed Rallan gently.

“Good morning Rallan…” Serenity said softly, still smiling warmly.

“Good morning Serenity…” Rallan replied in the same soft tone as her, “Thank you for last night… I feel so much better now that I know I can truly trust someone…”

“Mmm…” she murred softly and yawned sleepily, looking around, “You’re welcome Rallan… Say, what time is it?” Rallan looked up at the sky, judging the approximate time.

“Oh, I’d say about half an hour, maybe fifteen minutes to midday…” Rallan answered, looking back to Serenity, “I guess staying up that late last night took its toll on us, huh? Heh… Why’d you need to know the time?”

Serenity gasped sharply at Rallan’s response. Fifteen minutes to midday?! Oh *****, can’t be late! she thought to herself. Rallan noticed the strange look she had on her face and tilted his head slightly.

“Serenity?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah… What did you ask me?”

“I asked why you wanted to know the time…”

“Oh, you know, just curious as to the time…” Serenity answered, blatantly lying once again, “Besides, I wanted to show you something… It’s down by the river! Come on!”

Serenity quickly got to her feet and motioned to Rallan to follow her. Rallan got up as well, stretched out his body, and followed her through the forest. Serenity swallowed slightly as she led the male through the woods to the waiting river, knowing what was soon to follow. However, Rallan seemed innocently ignorant to what was to happen, but then again, he didn’t know what was coming up.

It took the two of them all of ten minutes to reach the river. But when they arrived at the spot NightPelt specifically designated to Serenity, no one was to be found. The two walked up to the water’s edge, Serenity frantically looking around for her partners. Rallan tilted his head slightly and gave Serenity a confused look.

“Um, not to question your sense of direction Serenity, but are you sure this is the right place?” Rallan asked in a confused tone of voice, “I don’t see anything here… Did we get turned around somewhere?”

“No, this is where it was supposed to be!” Serenity exclaimed, turning back to face him, “They were supposed to be here!” Rallan was even more confused now than he was before.

“They? Who’s they?” he asked again, “Serenity, what are you talking about? Who’s they?”

“We’re ‘they’…” came a deep, cold voice from behind Rallan. He turned around and saw two males, including the one from that night two months ago, approaching them. Serenity sighed with relief at the sight of NightPelt and SwiftDeath.

“Who are you two?” Rallan asked suspiciously, getting a bad feeling from the aura of these two newcomers, “What do you want with us?”

“My name’s NightPelt and this is my partner SwiftDeath… and you know our other partner, Serenity…” NightPelt introduced, he and SwiftDeath beginning to circle him, “And we’ve waited two long months for this moment… You’re an impressive wolf… Which is why it’ll be all the more fun and challenging to kill you…”

“Kill me? Why would you want to kill me?” Rallan asked, keeping his brown and gold eyes locked on NightPelt and SwiftDeath, “What did I ever do to you three?”

“You didn’t do anything to us, Rallan…” SwiftDeath answered, “We just enjoy killing… Call it a hobby of ours… Especially mine…” Rallan glared at the two circling him, senses now on high-alert.

“SwiftDeath, now!” NightPelt shouted and lunged for Rallan. The wolf bit for his front leg, but Rallan pulled back, but was unable to avoid a tackle from SwiftDeath.

Rallan tumbled over in the dirt before getting back to his feet, staring down his attackers. The two wolves advanced on him, NightPelt strafing left while SwiftDeath took the right side. SwiftDeath was the first to attempt an attack, going for Rallan’s neck. Rallan moved to the side and avoided the attack, swiping at his enemy’s muzzle and leaving four long scratches on it as well as sending SwiftDeath flying backward.

*****… He’s stronger than he looks… SwiftDeath thought as he got to his feet, shaking the slight daze from his head. NightPelt watched Rallan attack and went for him as well. He managed to get a slash across Rallan’s right shoulder, but the highly-trained wolf recovered quickly and returned the strike tenfold to his enemy’s chest. NightPelt cried out as a sharp pain filled his body and fell backward to the ground.

Rallan turned to face SwiftDeath and only saw a large black paw smack him forcefully in the side of his muzzle. The next thing Rallan knew, he was on his back, a ringing in his head. As he looked up, he saw SwiftDeath leaping at him. Once in range, Rallan kicked the black wolf back with his hind legs, watching him crash into a tree and fall to the ground. But before he could even get up, he felt sharp fangs pierce the flesh on his back legs. He cried out in agony and the felt someone toss him backward and into a boulder.

After Rallan’s collision, he looked to see NightPelt advancing on him, grinning evilly. Rallan shook his head to focus again and slowly got to his feet. His back leg hadn’t been broken and he could fortunately still use it well enough to fight. Once NightPelt was a few feet away, Rallan tackled him and ran right for SwiftDeath just as he was getting up and slammed him back into the tree once more.

“Why the Hell are you two doing this?!” Rallan asked in a shout, slicing down SwiftDeath’s back, “I didn’t even want to fight you! What is wrong with you two?!”

“We just do what we enjoy…” NightPelt stated coolly, getting up and advancing slowly on Rallan, “And if it means killing you, then we’ll do whatever we desire to do…”

NightPelt finished his sentence with a strike, grabbing the scruff of Rallan’s neck in his jaws and tossing him away from SwiftDeath and into a tree. Rallan grunted loudly as he hit the trunk and collapsed to the ground. NightPelt nudged SwiftDeath to get up, but he’d been knocked unconscious when Rallan rammed him into a tree twice. Growling lowly, NightPelt walked up to his adversary, eyes burning with a dark fire.

“Do you honestly think you have any hope of winning, Rallan?” NightPelt asked in a chastising manner, “We’ve been doing this for a year now… You have no hope of beating us! Just give up now and your death will be fast and painless- but keep it up and it’ll be prolonged and agonizingly painful…”

“Go to Hell…” Rallan muttered, shaking his head slowly.

“What was that?” NightPelt asked angrily, knowing full-well what the wolf had said, “You’re in no position to say stuff like that, Rallan… I think it’s time I shut you up…”

NightPelt grabbed Rallan by his scruff once again and dragged him away from the tree. Rallan just lay there, not bothering to fight back- at least, not yet… NightPelt growled angrily as he tossed Rallan out into the slow-flowing river, watching as the wolf hit the shallow water with a thud. Rallan tried to get up, but fell to the water again, looking to NightPelt weakly. The evil wolf cackled and walked into the water and toward the gray-brown wolf, intent on finishing this fight.

“You know what Rallan? I thought you’d put up more of a fight… Especially after all that training your father gave to you…” NightPelt said. Rallan’s eyes widened slightly and his gaze turned to his foe.

“W-what did you say?” Rallan asked weakly, raising his head slightly.

“Oh, wouldn’t he be so proud to watch all his training go right out the window along with your pathetic life…” NightPelt said in a mocking, taunting voice, “Oh, by the way, before I kill you I just have one single question for you… Were you proud to put that training to use against him or did you just want to kill dear old Daddy?”

That was the final straw. Rallan flipped and growled viciously, gaining a boost of energy and adrenaline. He jumped to his feet and pounded NightPelt’s muzzle, sending the wolf into the river. He looked up at Rallan, utterly flabbergasted by his sudden rejuvenation. Rallan leapt at NightPelt and tackled him down, holding the wolf’s muzzle underneath the water. SwiftDeath was just beginning to get up as he saw Rallan gain an advantage over NightPelt.

SwiftDeath growled with anger and ran into the water, leaping at Rallan. From his peripheral vision, Rallan saw the jet-black wolf leap at him and let go of NightPelt long enough to hit SwiftDeath in mid-pounce and knock him into the water. Before he could get up again, Rallan tackled him and held his enemy down. Even as SwiftDeath struggled against Rallan, the wolf above him locked his jaws down on his throat and tightened until SwiftDeath moved no more. NightPelt got up again, gasping for air when he saw Rallan kill SwiftDeath.

“Nooooo!” NightPelt shouted and ran after Rallan, knocking the wolf off of his friend and looking down at the bloody body of SwiftDeath, “Oh no… SwiftDeath… You *******! I’ll kill you! I’ll make you suffer!”

NightPelt was now more determined to kill Rallan than ever before. He charged at him, head-butting Rallan in the side of his chest and sending him sprawling even further into the river. Rallan came up just in time to receive another blow from NightPelt, this one sending him back toward the shore. He rose up, his pelt dripping with the cool, clear water as he glared at NightPelt. When he tried to attack him again, Rallan was ready and dodged, grabbing NightPelt’s scruff in his maw and tossing him to the shore.

NightPelt grunted as he hit land and rolled about for a bit before landing on his side. He got up as he felt someone’s jaws wrap around the back of his neck and force him back down to the ground. He gasped softly as he hit the rocky shore again and glanced up to see Rallan holding him down. He could feel the wolf’s sharp fangs beginning to pierce the skin on his neck, ready to kill him.

“Go ahead, kill me!” NightPelt said, grinning maliciously, “But answer me this: will you be able to live with yourself? You’ve already killed SwiftDeath and your father, now me? How can you live with that?”

“Shut up!” Rallan snapped, his voice muffled by the mass of flesh in his muzzle, “Self-defense is what it was… And don’t you dare speak about my father again!”

“Oh, and there’s one more thing you should know, Rallan…” NightPelt said, chuckling darkly, “Serenity was acting. She doesn’t love you; she helped us try to kill you!”

Rallan wasn’t about to take anymore from this wolf. Just as NightPelt went to speak once again, Rallan tightened his bite down on his enemy’s neck and pulled back, listening to the bones in the wolf’s neck snap. NightPelt’s body spasmed once before it went limp. Rallan tossed it away and growled angrily, staring at the bodies of NightPelt and SwiftDeath. After a moment, he sniffed about and followed what he could find of Serenity’s scent, eyes narrowed fiercely as he followed her trail through the forest.




Serenity stood along the shore of the lake where they’d found Rallan two months earlier. She was pacing quickly back and forth along the shore, eyes full of worry and concern. After a few more minutes, a rustling in some nearby bushes caught her attention and a wolf came pushing through them. She sighed with relief and took a few steps closer to the wolf.

“Oh thank God, NightP-” Serenity began, but stopped herself when she saw it wasn’t NightPelt nor was it SwiftDeath. It was a slightly beaten Rallan. “Rallan… Oh my God… You’re alive! I was so worried about you!”

“Save it Serenity!” Rallan shouted, a vicious glare targeted right at her, “You think I don’t know your secret?! How you deceived me for two months?!” Serenity felt her heart speed up slightly, but decided to keep up her act for as long as she could.

“Rallan, I… I don’t know what you’re talking about… Why are you accusing me of such things?” she asked softly, taking a single step backward, “I thought we loved each other… I had nothing to do with-”

“Save it Serenity! I know all about your act to get information from me!” Rallan snapped back, interrupting her, “NightPelt told me everything- just before I killed him… So I think it’s about time you start telling the truth to me…” Serenity sighed heavily and took a few steps closer to him until they were a foot apart.

“Rallan, it’s true… I was tasked to seduce you and get information from you… I’m not sorry for what I did because it’s what I’ve been doing for a year… And no, I don’t really love you…” she admitted softly.

“I thought so…” Rallan whispered, his eyes glassy as he felt so betrayed again, “I’m sorry it had to come to this, Serenity…”

“Yeah… Me too…” Serenity replied then slashed him across his muzzle.

Rallan cried out in pain as he stumbled backward, but kept to his feet. A few droplets of crimson liquid fell to the shore, the blood slowly dripping from the cuts on the left side of his muzzle. Rallan glared at Serenity and leapt at her, tackling her and tossing about with her for a moment. The two then ended up with Rallan on top of Serenity, paws pressed firmly on her shoulders.

“Rallan! Please stop!” Serenity begged, “I’m sorry for what I did! It was wrong and I realize that now! Please, just let me go and I swear I’ll change my ways! I swear, just please don’t kill me!” Rallan thought for a moment, then sighed and let her up with what mercy he had left for her.

“Get out of here Serenity… Don’t come after me anymore or I won’t let you get away next time…” he said softly, a deep look of betrayal on his face, “Run away, Serenity… Start your life over again… Consider this my act of mercy for you…”

Rallan turned and sighed softly. He felt like he was going to break down and cry right there and then, but held his tears and sorrow back. Serenity got up and watched as Rallan began to walk away. She grinned wickedly and leapt at him, not about to let him get away for killing her partners. However, Rallan anticipated this and reacted faster.

Rallan spun around and smacked Serenity in the side of her muzzle, sending the female crashing into the shallow water of the lake. Before she could get up again, Rallan was on top of her, one paw pressing her back down and the other on the back of her head. Without a second thought, he pushed her head under the water, holding her down even as she flailed and thrashed about.

“You lied to me Serenity… You lied to me for two months straight… and right when Death was knocking on your door, you still lied to me and tried to kill me…” Rallan muttered, “No… No more forgiveness and no more mercy…”

Rallan continued to fight against Serenity’s tossing about. After a couple of minutes, he felt her body relax underneath his paws and go limp, her struggling dying down until nothing was left. With a heavy sigh, Rallan let go of Serenity and moved off of her. Much as Rallan had expected, she didn’t move; Serenity was dead.

“Goodbye Serenity…” Rallan muttered, washing the blood from NightPelt and SwiftDeath off of his muzzle. Without another word, Rallan turned, walked out of the water, and wandered off through the forest, continuing with his life like he had been two months before.