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Prologue

Long ago Man conquered the world, tearing down mountains, burning forests, staining the oceans, leaving nothing but wasteland in their wake
Blinded by pride, driven by greed
They claimed to be driven by God
To take, to create, and to destroy
Overstepping the boundaries of the Unspoken Word
The Heavens responded, the World’s wrath
All was destroyed


The Guard

The Underhill pack surrounded the Guard from three sides, standing from great height. Ergo and Tiger Eyes meeting them for a second time, accompanied by four others Steele did not recognize.
Star scratched a flea bite, Nikki smirking, Kaltag honing his claws on a stone.
“I had thought you would be with your mistress at the Falls,” Ergo said to Steele.
“We were not there,” said Steele.
“Woe upon you if we had been,” added Nikki.
“When she forced to flee, the packs Starfall and Ice Crossing, bowed before our pack’s might, joining our ranks, I thought you’d be amongst them.”
“We do not bow.” Said Steele.
“Nor do we flee,” Star said, “We of the Guard do not flee.”
“We swore a vow!” exclaimed Steele.
“Then honor!” snarled Ergo.
Abandoning the heights, the Underhill pack ran to meet them. The three rushed forward, their fur glistening in the moonlight, meeting their foes.
Nikki drew first blood, tearing the left ear of Ergo before retreating then tackling Tiger Eyes off of Kaltag who had been thrown off balance in the first engagement.
Steele had bowled over his opponent, the husky Black Eye for the black patch of fur over his right eye. Not giving a chance for the dog to right himself, Steele had already crushed Black eye’s throat, swiftly ending the yelp of pain the dog emitted.
Star, the smaller of the three Guard, weaved behind his two betters, protecting their back.
It was five against four now, the odds going in their favor.
Steele heard the running of paws and smelled the air.
Balto
Balto and his remaining Guard were coming. He had seen the markings and had followed.
And not a moment too soon. The ambushers had brought reinforcements of their own, three more Underhill wolves joined, knocking allies and enemies alike. But something about the scene was…off.
Kaltag almost fell over again, Steele kicking him in the side.
“Keep your balance or you die!” he snarled.
Over the din, he could hear howls, a rallying cry.
Rose petals were cast into the wind, red tears weeping from eyes blue as death.
Then another scent reached Steele, the scent which made him hesitate.
Steele knew then, the battle was won.
Balto wasn’t leading the charge.
It was Rin.
The Underhill wouldn’t dare fight against the She-Wolf of the Moon. Stormborn and with a fury of fire and blood, she alone could face all of the Underhill and win.
Balto had covered her with his scent. If the Underhill thought he was leading the charge, they would stay and fight. A chance to kill the alpha of the Nome pack.
The trap had been laid, but not for the Nome pack as the Underhill intended, it was for them.
Rin joined the fray like a dragon, a white streak of death, here red eyes ablaze, her teeth finding the first Underhill – Ergo – and ripped out his throat in mid jump. With the same stride, she bowled over Tiger Eyes, her teeth finding his spine, while her rear claws ripped open his stomach.
Not a second later, her five Moon Guard joined, turning the numbers against the remaining Underhill.
Three were killed and the rest fled.
Rin and her Guard howled in victory, a blood chilling to the bone. Steele was almost glad to know she was an ally, even if he was of the Guard.
Hearing of her skill in fighting was one thing, seeing it in person was another. Her movement was fluid as it was deadly, it looked calculated, planned. But he knew it was from days of practice. She knew when and where to give a killing bite. It made him wonder how many had died under her teeth.
She turned to him. “Captain of the Nome Guard, you are wounded as your others.”
She gestured to the bite marks and few patches of lost fur. Kaltag was licking a wound on his leg and rear, Nikki a bleeding forehead and shoulder, and Star bleeding from the mouth when an Underhill had tackled him to a tree.
‘We are of the Guard, these wounds are nothing to us,” he said.
Rin sniffed. “Lying to an alpha is one thing,” she said, “Lying to yourself is another. What use is bravado if you are dead when it could’ve been tended to?” She nodded to her Guard. “Tend to their wounds, I will go to meet with Balto. Join us when they are well enough to travel.”
Her white fur glistened as she left, Steele had completely forgotten to ask how she had gotten Balto scent on her.
No matter.
The battle was won.

Nightfall was when Steel and the Nome Guard found the valley where the Alliance of Packs had set up camp. Known as the Whistling Valley due to the wind blowing on the caves, it was a strategic location as there was only one way into the valley. Steele could see the packs Moon, Starfall, Darkwood, and Stirling – a vast host of nearly two thousand wolves and dogs.
The Nome Pack had camped at the northern end, three caves housing them. Moon and Starfall had taken up in the eastern caves, while the Darkwood and Stirling took up in the western caves.
As the Nome Guard made its way through the valley, it was clear there was tension. Stirling and Darkwood wolves growled and hurled insults while the Moon and Starfall wolves stuck their noses up at them in return.
It wasn’t as much an alliance as it was a free-for-all bound to happen.
Then again, Steele thought, tension was to be expected.
They were at war.
At second glance, Steele saw the wolves were doing what all wolves do, assert dominance in stares, rough talk, and stature. Sure there were the few bouts but were quickly ended when the teeth found flesh by wolves watching.
There will be time to fight and kill, save it for the enemy.
Steele glanced at the Moon pack caves and saw Rin Stormborn wasn’t there. All but two of her Moon Guard were there.
Which meant she was meeting with Balto and the rest of the Alliance Pack.
Nikki, Kaltag, and Star sought out the Nome Guard caves to rest and heal while Steele headed for the cave where Balto was.
As expected, he found him and Rin Stormborn in conversation.
Before he neared them, Rin’s ear cocked and she turned. “Speak if the devil, here he is.”
“Speaking ill of me are you,” he gruffed.
“I would never!” said the she-wolf, her red eyes laughing. She whirled to Balto, “Tell him, Balto, I would never sully the honor of your Nome Guard!”
Balto only let the corners of his lips twitch, but his eyes also laughed.
Rin Stormborn of the Moon Pack then met Steele, standing tall. Rare for her gender, she stood taller than male wolves. Even more rare, her red eyes.
The color of blood rubies, they seemed to glint with ancient cunning yet a playful nature which matched her deadliness in battle.
Steele found himself unable to look away.
“Do my eyes scare you?” Rin asked softly.
“On the contrary,” Steele found himself saying, “I find them quite handsome.”
Was there a flicker in her eyes? She wasn’t expecting that answer.
Balto cleared his throat.
“Rin was recounting your recent battle with the Underhill.” He said.
“Did she say we fought with the strength of mountains and the spirit as high as honor?” Steele said to him.
“Not in those words,” said the she-wolf, “Though I may have embellished.”
“Then I must hear you speak of it—”
“At another time,” said Balto. “Steele, I need your recounting of the events before Rin arrived.”
Rin turned to leave.
“You would leave before my story is told?” baited Steele.
Rin looked back. “What more can I say of something I only arrived to see? What more?”
“Not to say, but to hear of how it came to be.”
Her red eyes twinkled, but she didn’t take the bait. “Another time, Nome Guard, alas I can not stay. Perhaps another time, when we are not at war.”
She left.
Steele watched her till he saw her no longer.
“She is quite the character,” said Balto, breaking the silence Steele could not hear.
“Indeed,” Steele turned to his alpha. “The scouts were killed by the Underhill. They came in full numbers of their male lines. They thought us to be as weak as our scout brethren, we proved them false, though not without the help of Rin Stormborn and her Moon Guard.”
“She is one who would not watch the fight done for her,” agreed Balto. “I am surprised you wouldn’t claim victory on your own?”
“My days of deceit ended when Snow became my mate Balto,” Steele said in a way Balto only knew to be the truth. “That was a half a lifetime ago.”


- work-in-progress