The tiny wolf cub ran as fast as he could. He was tired now, and as he reached the cliff once more, his speed began to fall. Behind him, he knew that there were others on their way, but if they did not make it on time, what would become of him and the deer that had been so kind to them?

There was a thunder of hooves ahead of him, and instinctively he knew that there was a herd coming closer. He gasped as he remembered what the deer had said to him and his sisters and he picked his speed up once more.

His paws barely seemed to touch the ground as he ran and his heavy breathing was almost silent.

There was a noise from the bushes behind him, and as he turned to look, there was the male deer that he had seen earlier that day, followed by at least four others. Was he too late?

On he ran, and as he entered the clearing through the long grass, he noticed that the deer he had seen and heard had not yet reached the clearing, but that they were very close behind him. He ran to the deer silently grazing before him and as he got closer, the ears of the deer came up and she smiled at him.

He whimpered as she stepped towards him, and she gasped as she looked up to meet a large she wolf. Lairf ran to Jarak and the she wolf licked his nose softly. She looked closely at Cyraith and smiled thankfully, before beckoning her own cub and the three others to sit by Cyraith and then slinking into the long grass.

Cyraith understood now that the she wolf was there to help her, and as there was a thunder of hooves all around the clearing, she stood guard once more. The hooves that they could hear were getting louder, and as Hairth stepped into the clearing once more, she lifted her head proudly.

‘So you chose not to run!’ laughed Hairth ‘The time for me to be apologetic has gone, Cyraith. Today, you and your precious cubs will die!’

‘No, Hairth. We will not die today, for we have a bond that none of you could ever experience!’ glared Cyraith as her mother limped out of the grass.

‘Well, hello there oh daughter of mine! Sorry we have to part from each other in this way!’ she laughed.

‘Cut the act, mother! We all know that you only put on your weak and defenceless attitude to protect me, that you can run, stand and fight better than most of the herd!’ snapped Cyraith, stepping forward as Hairth made a move for the cubs.

More and more heads were appearing in the clearing now, and still Cyraith stood there, not a glimmer of fear in her eyes.

‘You think you are strong enough to defeat us?’ came a voice from behind.

The she wolf slunk out of the grass and into the clearing to stand by Cyraith.

To all of the deer, all of course but Cyraith, the words of the she wolf were just a mix of low growls and snarls.

Hairth stepped forwards. ‘Cyraith! Do you really think that this she wolf will frighten us? We are warriors! Many of us belong to the king himself, and you think that this wolf will scare us?’

‘Then why is your voice quivering, Hairth!’ laughed Cyraith.

Cyraith looked kindly to the she wolf standing over the cubs by her side and she stepped forward into the large body of deer.

‘You want me dead? Well come and get me!’ she yelled as the body of deer closed in on her.

Cyraith looked round at the faces of the deer around her, her family and her friends were all willing to hurt her, and she still had no idea why.

The circle tightly closed around Cyraith and as Hairth raised himself onto his rear, Cyraith did the same. Both figures were the largest in the group, and Cyraith was almost the same size as him, so he would have no advantage that way. She kicked out at his head, and as the other deer around her edged closer, she spun round and lashed out with her hind legs. She hit Hairth on the square of his chest as he lowered him body, and there was a large crack as the hooves hit. Cyraith looked over to the she wolf standing guard of the cubs. There was a trickle of sadness in her heart. The cubs had another of their own on their side. They did not need her, the only help she could be now was extra warmth, or even meat.

Behind her, Hairth was struggling to stand, and as the rest of the deer closed tighter still, she jumped over the main part and stood facing her mother.

‘So, its come to this has it?’ chuckled her mother.

Cyraith’s eyes glared. Her mother was the one wanting her dead, the one who had banished her in the first place. Anger was stirring deep in her, and as her mother stood there, it seemed to flare up and well inside her head. She blinked, and as she regained a steady gaze once more, her mother gasped in horror. The rest of the deer stepped back, and Cyraith realised that the flames deep inside her was visible. She smiled slightly as she realised that they were in her eyes. She glared at the herd around her, who fled in terror. She turned to her mother, who in turn tried to leave.

‘No, mother. You wanted me dead, you wanted a fight. That is what you came for… So fight’ she growled. There was an unusual tone in her voice, very unlike even the tone in which she had spoken to Hairth earlier.

Her mother lowered her head. Cyraith could tell she was ashamed, but that was still no reason for her to be forgiven.

She stepped towards her mother and steadied herself. She parted her shoulders and stared straight into her mothers eyes. She raised herself higher than she had when she faced Hairth, and she lashed out at her mother. She did not hit her as hard as she would have. She was her mother after all. Her mother whimpered in shock and pain. But the blow given to her by her own daughter drove her on. She too raised up and began to kick back at Cyraith. Hooves continually hit flesh and bone. Cyraith could not feel any pain, she was not hitting as hard as she could, but she would not give up easily. The she wolf looked on admiringly at the deer who had saved her sisters cubs. The cubs below her were shaking uncontrollably. They had never saw anything so horrific in their lives. A mother and daughter fighting like this would never happen in a wolf pack, or not any that they knew of.

There was a huge crack. It shook the forms off all the wolves. The she wolf covered the cubs eyes with her tail as she turned to look at the fighting deer.

Cyraith lowered her hooves to the ground. Her eyes blacked out and she collapsed on the spot. Her eyes had been fixed on a figure lying quite still in front of her. But the figure was far too small to be her mother.