The wind howled in the night as the branches swayed and trees groaned in the white air of the blizzard around them, the snow seeming to flow like a waterfall from the sky. The small valley was completely blank, and void of almost any color but bright white. Almost. The frosty landscape was only marred by a solitary figure, pushing its way through the bad weather and ice, a drop of ink on the paper that was the Alaskan winter season. 

The figure, a wolf, was thin from months of near starvation, yet still he clung to a small strand of life, dangling from its end and holding on with a death grip. Any moment could be his last. He was a survivor, one who had seen Death and stared him down, refusing to let the reaper rip him from the world. His eerie yellow eyes pierced the white haze around him, seeking shelter. Out of the bright gloom rose a cliffside, a small cavern rooted in its base. 

The wolf moved forward and suddenly emerged from the blizzard and into the damp air of the underground. His black fur instantly melted him into the shadows, an invisible cloak seemingly placed upon him. Only his yellow eyes were to be seen. He laid in a corner of the cave, shivering, yet no emotion showed on his face. It was as cold and calculating as the stone walls around him. He laid down his head and closed his eyes, memories flooding back before being trapped behind his mental dam once more. For the longest time he lay in silence, nothing but his breathing and the howling wind to be heard, until finally, a three words escaped him. They floated out into the cavern air as a hoarse whisper, filled with regret and loss that his face could not portray. "I'm sorry sister."

 

"Finally, freedom!" Tosca breathed.How long had she dreamed of the day she could finally leave her parents pack! She loved them both, but she had waited so long to prove that she could take care of herself!

 

"I'm gonna miss mom and dad" Kai added sadly. "Why'd we have to leave in the middle of winter anyway?"

 

Tosca ignored her younger sister and observed her surroundings as the snow began to fall steadily. It wasn't quite a storm yet, but she could bet it was going to be a nasty one. 

"Don't forget who's in charge!" Una said, pushing in front of Tosca.

 

Tosca groaned. "Just because you're the oldest doesn't mean you're in charge" Tosca drawled slowly.

 

"Please don't fight again" Kai whined, backing away toward her older brothers, Rowtag and Yuma.

 

"It's not even worth a fight..." Tosca practically spat. "But with Una in charge, we're as good as gone"

 

Una ignored her younger sister and set off, leading the tiny band of five out into the wild.

Yuma sighed and shook his head. "Girls." he muttered under his breath. "There's no living with them. Right, Ro?" The young wolf looked back at his older brother, walking a few steps behind the others. He just shrugged in reply. He never said anything much anyway, so that was all the answer Yuma had expected. The brown wolf turned his head around and began to examine their surroundings again, ignoring the sound of conversation coming from his sisters in front of him. 

 

The small group of wolves had soon entered into a wide valley. A vast sea of white, broken here and there by the odd tree rising from the depths, was spread out before them. The hills seemed as if rolling waves over the landscape, sharply contrasted by the grey-black of the small mountains that stood on the Northern and Southern sides of the valley. The scene created a thrill inside of Yuma; a sense of adventure he'd never felt before, yet revealed in at every moment and every step he took. He loved this feeling, and would've desired nothing else than to be where he was at that very moment.

 

"Hurry up guys" Una ordered, looking over her shoulder. "We need to stick together"

 

"They aren't that far behind, stop worrying" Tosca snapped in response.

Una rolled her eyes. The snow began to fall in thicker flakes and the wind began to pick up. The flakes melted through the thick coats of the wolves and made their fur wetter. Una knew that it was getting colder and had to find shelter, but there was nothing in sight.

"Shouldn't we find shelter soon?" Tosca ventured, raising an eyebrow.

 

"Yeah Una, I'm getting kinda cold" Kai said softly, shivering.

 

Una's brown eyes passed over the now snow-blurred landscape but it was impossible to see anything."Then let's go this way" Una replied, breaking into a jog and stepping further away from the woods and out into the open. Kai followed quickly, afraid of being left behind, but Tosca glanced back at her brothers. She knew that Una was losing confidence. There was no way they could find anything to take cover in!

 

Yuma was finally distracted from his sight-seeing by the cold, wet feeling of the snow in his fur. He and Rowtag ran to catch up with the others and search for shelter. His eyes ran back and forth across the land. The storm was getting steadily worse and he began to feel that things weren't so much fun anymore. "You know, maybe it wasn't such a good idea to leave if we... Hey, what's that?" he said, noticing a dark blotch in a cliffside some distance away. A second look revealed it to be the entrance to a cave. Yuma shivered again, more violently this time. "D-does that l-look like a good s-spot, Una?" he asked. He hoped so. He was just about to freeze to death if he stayed out too much longer, and he was sure Kai was doing worse than he was.

Una squinted out into the haze of white around her and spotted the cave Yuma had found.

"Yeah" Tosca answered before Una. "Let's hurry!"Without waiting for Una's advice or leadership, Tosca set off, Kai right behind her. Una scoffed, anger rising a bit then turned, daring her brothers to follow Tosca. "Come on guys! You're gonna freeze!" Tosca yelled over her shoulder, now in a dead sprint.

 

Yuma raced after his sisters, Rowtag not far behind. "Come on Ro, lets hurry and get inside!" he said. His older brother just grunted in reply. Before too long, they had reached the cave. They were all settled in and breathed a sigh of relief. The three sisters went to one side of the cave to huddle down while Yuma and Rowtag went to the other side. "We made it. Yes!" the younger wolf said. "That wasn't so bad." He gave a sweeping look around the cave, taking it all in. For a brief moment he thought he saw some strange light in a far corner, but it was fleeting so he just brushed it off as a trick of the mind. "Well it's not so bad here, is it Ro?" he asked, but soon turned to find his brother already asleep, as were his sisters. Yuma shrugged and gave a yawn. It was about time for him to rest too. He needed it. Little did he know as he submerged himself in his own dreams that he and his siblings were being watch from the shadows, by a pair of eerie, yellow eyes.

 

Una groaned as she settled down next to an already sleeping Kai, but Tosca couldn't fall asleep as easily. She didn't trust Una as far as she could throw her and she had a bad feeling she couldn't shake off. Almost as if someone was watching her. Tossing and turning restlessly, Tosca finally picked herself up and walked over to the mouth of the cave. Nothing moved outside as far as she could see. The wind had stopped howling at least... but the snow was still falling in vast quantities.

 

Tosca sat there for a while, trying to tire herself out, but she couldn't get rid of that feeling in her gut."Nothing's wrong Tosca!" she told herself. "If someone was watching you, they'd have to be in the cave and you saw for yourself that there’s no one else here."

Sighing frustratedly, Tosca turned back to her sleeping family and headed back to sleep on the other side of Kai. But as she walked back, she had to do a double take. Was there someone in the back of the cave? ‘Had to open my big mouth, didn’t I?’ she thought.

 

Tosca tilted her head and squinted but all she could see was black. She shook her head bitterly and plopped onto the ground, facing away from the back of the cave. She convinced herself that no one was back there, but just to show herself one more time, the tawny wolf glanced over her shoulder. A pair of yellow eyes stared back at her. Was it an illusion? "Hello?" Tosca whispered, trying not to wake her tired siblings.

 

The black wolf stayed hidden in the shadows, watching the new arrivals with mild curiosity. They were fortunate to get inside when they did, as it appeared that another storm had begun outside. He was beginning to believe he would never leave this blasted cave. Not that there was much wrong with that. He didn't have much of anywhere to go anyway. 

 

One of the females got up and began wandering. She seemed agitated, and filled with frustration. Understandable, as loss of sleep does that to everyone, and the black wolf knew that very well, as he himself hardly slept at all. He only slept as much as he needed to maintain his ability to stay alert, and that was all. Then the female cast her eyes in his direction and she apparently had discovered his presence, as she called out to know if someone was there. The yellow eyes stared out at her in the dark, a disembodied voice hissing out at her suddenly, "I cannot say. Are you dreaming, she-wolf? For if you are, I am not but a shadow, a nightmare, and a figment of your imagination."

 

Tosca leapt to her feet, half expecting no reply at all to greet her. Chills raced down her spine at the frightening voice that had answered and her heart raced. She froze for a bit, still not seeing the whole outline of the strange wolf, but at least the yellow eyes and face. Then realizing how puppyish she was acting, she wiped the emotion off of her face, straightened up and stepped cautiously closer."I'm wide awake" she answered coolly, hiding her jumpiness. "Who are you and what business do you have here? I'm Tosca and I don't want any kind of fight"

 

The black wolf chuckled quietly. "Bravery. An admirable quality." he said. He kept himself hidden in the shadows. "It was not my intension to start any sort of fight either, so I guess you have nothing to worry about." His yellow gaze briefly swept over the rest of the group, still fast asleep. " I could also ask you what you are doing here, but I should think it is rather obvious that we are both here to avoid the storm outside. Anything caught in that is not likely to survive." he said as his gaze wandered to the cave entrance, before they moved back to the female. "My name is Twilight. Now I must ask, why are five young wolves like yourselves wandering around alone in the countryside?"

 

Tosca glanced back at the blustering flakes, then turned back to the dark figure, slightly more relaxed."Yes, we came here to get out of the storm because my sister couldn't find any other place" Tosca replied, annoyance at Una creeping into her voice. "We just left my mother and father to start our own pack. My sister's trying to prove her leadership and has no idea where we are, so now we're lost. Hopefully, she'll get the point soon though"Tosca's blue eyes tried to search through the darkness once again, trying to get a better picture of this wolf named Twilight but couldn't get another good view.

"So what's your story then?"

 

Twilight sighed and his eyes showed some discomfort for the first time. "There is no story." he said. "I'm just a lone wolf seeking my own place in the world. That's all you need know." Amusement crept back into his yellow gaze and he said, "But at least I have some sense of direction, unlike your sister." The black wolf chuckled as he said this. It was true, he could tell the group was lost the moment they had set foot inside the cave.

 

Tosca picked up the hint and even though curiosity was still itching at her, she dropped the subject."Well if you don't have anywhere to go... why don't you stay with us? We don't know where we're going or where we are and you don't have a pack. Lone wolves don't usually last that long, especially in this mess" Tosca said, motioning outside the cave.

 

The black wolf chuckled. "I'm not most wolves." he said, his eyes glinting as if he'd just told some private joke that only he knew about. "I will think on your offer. In the meantime, perhaps we should get some rest. We all need to be travel worthy by the time this storm lets up." As if answering him, the wind outside pick up in a rather savage gust that blew cold air into their midst. Yuma shivered a little in his sleep and curled tighter to trap in as much body heat as possible. Twilight shrank back further into the shadows and closed his eyes to sleep, becoming invisible in the dark.

 

 

The hours passed as the wolves slept in silence. Finally, the storm ended the next morning, sending sunlight out in small streams across the snow-covered ground. Yuma's eyes ever so slowly peeked open, his vision blurry. As his sight cleared he saw that he was the first one awake. Stretching briefly, he stood and turned towards the entrance of the cave. The aftermath of the storm was beautiful with the ground covered in a fresh coat of white, as if painted there for the enjoyment of others. The youth cautiously stepped outside, the feeling of adventure welling up inside of him once again.

 

With her eyes slowly opening, Kai blinked the sleepiness out of them. Very cautiously, she stood and stretched, making sure she didn't wake anyone else. Tosca and Una were still asleep. The almost white wolf looked for her brothers but only spied Rowtag. This didn't surprise the young wolf at all. Yuma usually was the first to rise... at least most of the time. Wagging her tail, Kai stepped out into the cold snow, stepping lightly as the sudden cold hit her warm paws. A trail of prints led to Yuma who was looking all around him. Playfully, Kai galloped to him, trying to stay quiet but knowing she was probably the least-sneaky pup of all her siblings."Good morning Yuma!"

 

The brown wolf turned around and greeted his little sister with a toothy grin. "Hey Kai." he said. Then turned and began taking in his surroundings again. "Isn't this great! Being out here, trekking through the snow, nothing to hold us back... It's like a real adventure!" He yipped and rolled in the snow, feeling every bit like a puppy again. "Don't you love it out here Kai?"

 

Kai beamed and tackled her older brother into the powdery snow."I do like it! But I do miss mom and dad a bit" Kai admitted. "But I guess we're doing okay so far! Except almost freezing last night."Now that she thought about it, she didn't even get a chance to look around the night before because she wanted to get out of the cold so fast.

"Where are we anyway?" Kai asked, observing the snow-frosted landscape.

 

Yuma shrugged as he got up from the ground. "Beats me." he said. "I've never been in this valley before. It's outside of mom and dad's territory, remember?" He'd never really given much thought as to where they were before, or to where they were going to live. But he supposed that was Una's job. Or Tosca. He really didn't know who was in charge at that point. "Come on, lets go back and see if everyone's up yet." He waited for Kai before heading back into the cave.

 

Kai rolled out of the snow and bounded after Yuma to."What should we do about Una and Tosca? I don't know who to listen to..."

 

Meanwhile, Tosca was just opening her eyes. For a second, she froze, not remembering where she was, then what had happened the night before rushed back to her. She lifted up her head slowly and looked around the dark cave. Rowtag was still sound asleep... Kai and Yuma must have gone outside. And Una was regrettably still only a few feet away. The young wolf rose to her feet and searched the back of the cave, wondering of the inky black wolf from the night before was still there. In the background she could hear the approaching voices of her two youngest siblings as they returned but she was too absorbed in what she was doing to notice.

 

Yuma shrugged as the two approached the cave. "I don't know either." he said. "Una's the oldest, but Tosca seems to know a little about what she's doing." He still pondered the question as the two entered the cave. He could see Tosca was up, but the other two were still fast asleep. "Whatcha lookin' at, big sis?" he asked. She was peering out into the more shadowy corners of the cave, almost like she was looking for something.

 

Tosca almost jumped at the sound of Yuma's voice, but recovered quickly. "Uh... I think nothing..." she replied, trying to hide the uncertainty from her voice.She looked again in the back of the cave and tried to pick out a shape, but the cave was almost as dark as it was the night before."I think there was another wolf in here last night but I'm trying to see if it was a dream or not."Tosca's blue eyes studied the back of the cave."Twilight, are you still here?"

 

Yuma looked to the back of the cave, but he didn't see anything either, and heard nothing. After a second he looked at Tosca like she was nuts. "Did the cold yesterday freeze your brain a little or something?" he asked. "'Cause I don't see anyone back-" but a quiet voice interrupted before he could finish.

 

"Just because you can't see me, doesn't mean I'm not here." the black wolf said. Twilight's yellow eyes became visible as they opened to stare out at the three wolves from his shadowy corner. Yuma froze, as if he were paralyzed by the wolf's eerie gaze.

 

Tosca let a confident smile spread across her face."I think the cold froze your brain, my paw. Ha!” She gave her brother cocky grin before turning her attention back to the black wolf. “Twilight, did you think about what I said last night?"

 

At the sound of her sister and brother's voices, Una finally woke up and opened her eyes.

"What's going on?" she asked, annoyed.

 

The yellow eyes in the dark dipped down, and then rose upward again in a nod. "I have. I will travel with you, if the others of your group will allow it." he said, his gaze moving in particular to Una, who was now on her feet. He could just tell by the way she carried herself that she believed she was the one in charge. 

 

Yuma looked back at Una and could feel it coming. Rowtag had also woken up by now and stood beside him and Kai. "I can just feel an argument coming on now. Here we go again." he whispered to the two of them.

 

"There is no way he's coming with us!" Una growled, particularly at Tosca. "I can't believe you'd even talk to a complete stranger like that!"

 

Tosca rolled her eyes."He knows where we are and not everyone's out to get you Una." she droned. "Do you even know where we are?"

 

Una's eyes dropped to the ground, but she kept her chin up and chest puffed out.

"It doesn't matter. We don't even have to know where we are, we're not trying to go anywhere."

 

Tosca was usually cool-headed, but Una was simply infuriating!"So what happens if we stumble into a bear's cave, huh? What about another pack's territory? They aren't going to bow down to you like you think we do! Twilight seems to know a lot more then you do so far, and I've only known him for one night! So what do you say to that, your majesty?"

 

The cave was dead silent. Kai held her breath. Una stared at Tosca. Tosca didn't break eye contact with Una.Yuma looked back and forth between the two. He could understand what Una meant. The black wolf didn't seem like someone who would be completely trustworthy, but from what he could tell, Twilight was a little older than they were, and father had always said that the older you get, the more you know, so he was with Tosca on this one. No matter how creepy their guide might be. Twilight, for his part, just stood silently in the shadows watching with one eyebrow cocked in curiosity at the situation.

 

"Fine!" Una finally managed. "He can come with us, but only because I said so!"

Una turned and stormed right out of the cave, and once outside, Una stormed back and forth in the snow, making a small trail with her pacing feet. SHE was the leader of the pack, not Tosca! She was losing her leadership... she had to get it back!

 

Tosca smirked as she watched her sister go."I guess you're staying with us" Tosca said to the black wolf. "Do you know where to go?"

 

Twilight nodded. "Yes, I do." he said. "We are currently just inside the Western pass of a valley called The Gauntlet. My father told me of it when I was a little younger than you are. I am assuming, then, that we are heading east, as that is the way you were traveling before the storm struck. It will take a couple of days to get to the other side of the valley. We should start right away." At last he stepped out of the shadows and revealed his lithe form. He looked to be about 3 years old, and had seen his fair share of fighting. A nasty scar ran down his front right leg from shoulder to elbow, and he seemed to have not eaten much as of late and was somewhat thin, but not enough to be weak from starvation.

 

Tosca winced when she saw the scar but didn't mention it. Kai on the other hand, couldn't help herself."What happened to your leg?!" she chirped innocently, unable to keep from staring at it.

 

Tosca rolled her eyes."Be polite Kai" Tosca interrupted, then turning to Twilight, asked, "Should we hunt something down first?"

 

The black wolf chuckled and nodded. "Yes. That may be a wise idea." he said. "Although it is quite alright. The young one is only curious." His eyes flashed to Kai. "I could spend quite some time explaining what happened, but in the essence of time, I'll make it short. I got into a fight with another wolf and had an unfortunate accident."

 

"Oh" Kai answered, then added cheerfully, "Well if we ever fight, I promise I won't make you have an accident!"

 

Tosca shook her head."Do you know anywhere good to hunt?" the older sister asked Twilight.

 

Finally done cooling off, Una came back in the cave."Well, are we ready to go?"

 

Twilight looked at Una briefly before turning his attention back to Tosca. "The woods not far to the north are full of deer." he said. "We can find food there, but we must be careful." He looked around at them all with a look of utter seriousness on his face. "This valley is practically infested with bear. It's one of the reasons it's so dangerous, and that danger is where it gets its name from. Bears are not creatures one wants to run in to."

 

Tosca nodded, understanding. Una didn't say anything: her determination to prove her leadership kept her from feeling fear or talking.

Kai shivered, but if her older sisters could be brave, so could she!

Tosca stepped aside, no emotion showing on her face.

"Lead the way"

 

Twilight lead the way out into the valley. Yuma and Rowtag were the last two out, following their sisters. "Wow." Yuma said. "Bears, huh? Well we can handle them, right Ro?" His older brother gave him a look that practically screamed, 'Are you crazy?' Yuma sighed and faced forward again. "Yeah, you're right. We don't stand a chance against bears."

 

"I bet we could!" Kai answered, overhearing her brothers and falling back to walk next to him. "Twilight could make him have an accident in a fight!"

 

Tosca could overhear her younger sister and just shook her head, but couldn't help but to let a smile slip across her face. After a few more minutes of silently walking, she turned to Twilight."How can you tell when a bear is coming? Is there some kind of tell-tale sign or something?"

 

Una bit her lip."How about we concentrate on the food? How much longer until we're there?"

 

Twilight nodded "We're almost there. Have some patience." He said. The line of trees that was the Northern forest of the valley was steadily growing closer. The black wolf slowed his pace ever so slightly to walk alongside Tosca. "To answer your question, yes. There are signs the let you know when a bear is nearby. I will give warning if I see any."

 

"Okay" Tosca replied confidently. She'd never seen a bear before but she wasn't to keen to run into one. Both of her parents had seen one before and from the way they sounded, she never wanted to come face to face with one.

 

The group picked up the pace upon seeing the tree line. Kai's stomach rumbled. How long had it been since they'd eaten?! She had no idea, but the thought of going on her first hunt without her parents sparked a bit of pride inside her.

 

Twilight's eyes searched back and forth along the tree line for any sign of danger. "It seems safe enough, for now." he said. "Come on." He disappeared into the trees weaving between them almost as a snake between the desert rocks. Yuma looked about as they made their way through the forest. It was amazing. But he couldn't think about the sights now. It was time to hunt. Only Tosca, Una and Rowtag had been on hunts before, so like Kai, this was his first time, and he was excited. Yuma kept his eyes pealed for anything that could be a potential meal.

 

Tosca lowered herself to the ground. Back at home, she had been one of the better hunters, at least better then Una. But now she had her eyes and ears on Twilight. He was far more experienced then she was and he seemed to know the area better. As she followed Twilight through the brush and trees, the scent of food grew stronger. When Twilight paused up ahead, she stopped. A few deer were straight ahead... just sitting ducks!

 

Yuma smelled them too. He crouched down, ready to strike at a moments notice. He also had his eyes on the older black wolf, waiting for the signal to take them down. Suddenly, Twilight sprang forward, racing forward and jumping onto the nearest deer, sinking his claws in deep. Yuma ran along side Rowtag and they jumped on a second deer, clinging to it and trying to bring it down.

 

Tosca wasn't a step behind the black wolf. She knew he could bring the deer down himself, but two deer was more then enough for a pack of six.

 

The hunt was much quicker then Kai had expected. She hadn't really been in a hunt before, but she had always thought they had looked quicker from far away. She plopped down next to her brothers. It wasn't that she didn't like Twilight... but there was still something about him that kind of scared her. 

 

Tosca and Una on the other hand, both ate with Twilight on the first deer. Una felt the same way Kai did, but she was desperate to prove to this newcomer that she was the only leader of the pack. Tosca didn't care... she was just hungry. Once all were finished eating, the younger wolves turned to the older.

 

"Should we stake out a territory?" Tosca asked.

 

Yuma thought about it only a second before he shook his head. "Actually, sis that might not be a good idea." he said. "If this valley is covered in bear, then we should probably get out of here first. Right?" Rowtag nodded his head in agreement. Twilight had stepped back and away from the group a little. he agreed with what the young wolf said, but ultimately it wasn't his decision anyway.

 

Tosca nodded too."Okay, I guess we won't be staying here then"

 

Tosca rolled her eyes."What do you think we should do, Una?"

 

"Well since I'm the leader, I think we should get out of here" she said.

 

Tosca started to walk off and muttered over her shoulder, "It's a good thing we have you around Una... I don't know what we'd do without you"

 

Trying her best to ignore her sisters, Kai asked, "Where should we go?"

 

Tosca paused and glanced at Twilight."I'm in charge" Una said coolly. "So I say we should go this way"

 

With that, Una took off at a brisk walk. Tosca exchanged glances with the rest of the group but continued after Una anyway. They were sisters after all.

 

Twilight walked along with them, or more accurately, behind them. Una had, by luck, chosen the general direction they needed to go in anyway, so he felt no need to correct her, or say anything at all. For now he'd just walk with the group and keep an eye out for bears. That was the main thing they needed to worry about.

 

Yuma was, once again taking in the scene. The trees cast shadows across their path in the midmorning sun, and the air smelled sharp and frigid. Not even fear of bear attack could dampen his spirits. Rowtag, for his part was also enjoying himself a little. He walked along with a small smile on his face.

 

Kai walked along looking around as well too. She took in every snowflake, every tree, every shadow. At home, she was used to the same old sights. 

 

Tosca, however, seemed to be the only one not having a good time. She absolutely hated when ever Una was leader. So far, it hadn't hurt them yet, but it was only a matter of time. Back in their old territory, she was more like a secondary mother... but out here, it was like she had been let off some invisible leash. And Tosca was almost at her breaking point.

 

Twilight could see Tosca's distress, and could also understand why. He found that Una seemed not to care that she wasn't an exceptional leader and quite simply thought it her right because she was oldest. Either that or she was ignorant of the fact that she had no idea what she was doing, which only made her a bigger idiot. Tosca would make a much better leader, he could see that plain as day, but it was none of his business, so he decided not to get involved.

 

The group traveled throughout the day, only stopping to drink once or twice. Since the quick fight that had happened that morning, neither of the older sisters spoke and neither tried to compete for leadership. Both silently walked a few feet away. Never making eye contact. Never even acknowledging the other existed.

 

Kai, on the other hand, wouldn't shut up. She continuously commented on every difference between her old territory and the one they were traveling through. The group had stopped in several different territories but it seemed that every good one had an owner already.

 

By nightfall, the younger wolves were exhausted. "Should we bunk down somewhere?" Kai asked warily. "I'm tired"

 

Tosca felt the same way but didn't say anything. She was still thinking about a place to call her own home."What if we can't find a good territory?" She asked, embarrassed at her inexperience. "Should we steal one?"

 

Twilight shook his head. "No, Tosca." he said. "Stealing a territory from a pack is like taking away a piece of themselves. It would leave them absolutely crushed, and I doubt you would want something like that hanging on your mind." His yellow eyes glinted with a slight hint of amusement. "I also have doubts that you'd be able to do it with out someone getting hurt, or worse."

 

"Oh" Tosca replied. "Well I guess we'll keep searching. There has to be one open territory around here..."She glanced up at the sky. The moon wasn't that high yet!

"I can keep searching" she announced quietly.

 

Kai yawned. "You can't be serious Tosca"

 

Una glanced up at the sky too. She was insanely tired, but if Tosca could do it, she could too!"I can keep at it too."

 

Yuma groaned. He couldn't keep at this all night! "Hey, sis, I don't mean to be rude or nothing, but you are all older than us. Me and Kai can't keep up with you guys." he said. Rowtag grunted his agreement. The black wolf nodded his head as well. He could clearly see that if they went much further, then the young ones wouldn't last.

 

"There's a groove of trees over there." Twilight said, pointing towards a group of pine trees a few yards away. "We should stop and rest. There is always tomorrow." He looked at the two older sisters, looking for approval.

 

"Fine with me" Tosca shrugged, making herself seem in charge just to make Una mad.

Una was too tired to argue so she grumbled, nodded and followed her younger sister. Kai followed happily, and as soon as they had reached the stand of trees, the white wolf was almost asleep before she hit the ground. Tosca smiled and curled up next to Kai. Maybe she was a bit tired too... for the first time in a while, Tosca fell into a deep sleep. Una stayed awake a bit longer. She stared at Twilight for a few seconds, trying to figure out if she was annoyed at his presence, or scared of him, but sank onto the snowy ground as well, heavy lids drooping.

 

Yuma followed Kai's example and fell into his dreams as soon as his head hit ground. Rowtag laid down next to his little brother and soon drifted off as well. Seeing that they were all asleep, Twilight walked to the edge of the grove. His eerie yellow eyes swept across the landscape, but truly saw nothing. His eyes were clouded with old memories of adventure with his own siblings. Although his features did not portray his emotions, he felt sad, and perhaps a little bit lonely. The black wolf released a deep sigh and leaned heavily against a tree ducking his head under the branches, feeling very tired. Yet he would get no sleep that night. He stayed awake until the sun peeked over the horizon, and sending pinpoints of light through the pine needles.

 

Once again, Kai was among the first up. However, Tosca woke soon after. It was unusual for Tosca to wake up so early, but she'd fallen asleep so fast and early, she didn't need to sleep anymore. 

"Another day to look for a home" Tosca said softly to herself. She looked for her younger sister, who had just risen to her feet. Kai took off, playfully bounding around, and for a few seconds, Tosca let herself forget she wasn't a pup anymore and played with the almost white wolf.

 

The black wolf turned and watched from under the tree as the two wolves played in the white powder of the ground. They ran back and forth through the snow, romping around and looking like they were having the time of their lives. It reminded him so much of his own childhood. Almost as if he were seeing his siblings running back and forth while he, as he did now, stood by in solitude, perfectly content to watch and not participate in their fun and games.

 

While her two younger sisters played, Una started to slowly wake up. Catching sight of Kai and Tosca, she was suddenly wide awake."Knock it off you two! You're going to attract some predators or something!"

 

Tosca and Kai froze for a second, then a sly smile spread across Tosca's face."Okay" Tosca called back, pretending to be submissive.

 

Kai titled her head and looked at Tosca. "Are you alright Tosca?"

 

With a sudden burst of speed, Tosca jumped at her older sister and nearly knocked her into the snow. Una growled, caught off-guard, then stared down at Tosca. Tosca did a play bow and wagged her tail, blue eyes never breaking eye contact. For a few tense moments, Una stared, not sure what to do. Then, to Tosca's shock, Una laughed and jumped forward too, reverting back to the way she was before the siblings had left their parents.

 

Rowtag and Yuma had woken up after hearing all the excitement. The younger brother laughed, watching his two older sisters romp around in the snow. Little did he know, until it was too late, that Kai was sneaking up behind him. The next thing he knew, he was tumbling through the snow with his little sister. When they finally stopped at the edge of the grove, she had him pinned.

 

While Tosca and Una actually played, Kai concentrated on her younger brother.

"I gotchya!" Kai laughed, tail wagging madly. "And I'm gonna get you next Rowtag!" she added, grinning at her other brother.But before she went to chase the darker wolf, she noticed Twilight alone in the shadows."Come on and play with us!" she called unsurely.

 

Twilight looked at her and for a moment, he didn't see a young white wolf. His eyes glazed over and she seemed replaced by a grey wolf pup with a curious mark on her forehead in the shape of a 'V'. She had called out those very same words to him, almost two and a half years ago. A face that he found he missed more and more each day. He blinked a couple of times and brought his mind back into the present. He gave her a rueful smile. "I think I'll pass, my dear. I’m battered and bruised enough as it is. But thank you for offering, just the same." he said. The black wolf settled to the ground and laid his head on his front paws as he watched them.

 

Kai smiled politely back, then spun around and tackled the closest wolf to her... which happened to be poor Yuma again.

 

Meanwhile, Tosca and Una had run off all of their extra energy and returned to plop down a few feet away from Twilight. "Now we should really start planning about where to go next" Una panted.

 

"Oh give it a rest" Tosca scowled. "We just woke up"Grumpily placing her head on her paws, the tawny wolf noticed Twilight out of the corner of her eye."What's got you distracted?"

 

The black wolf's yellow eyes flicked a sidelong glance at the brown wolf before he closed them and let out a contented sigh. "Nothing. Although your sister is right. We really should start thinking about where to go from here." he said. He got up and stood in front of the two of them. "So tell me. What's your plan?"

 

"Okay" Tosca replied.Una opened her mouth to order an idea, but Tosca beat her to it. 

"We need to look for a territory... so what do we need to look for? A river and a place with good hunting grounds. So if we follow a river, it could probably lead us to good territory, right?"

 

Twilight thought for a moment and then nodded. "Smart idea." he said. "Yes, you're right. The home den for any wolf pack's territory is almost always near some water source."

 

"So are we gonna go then?" asked Yuma as he and Kai walked up to the group, standing next to Rowtag. He was rubbing his should where his younger sister had playfully nipped him a little too hard, but other than that he was fine.

 

Tosca nodded and rose to her feet. Una uneasily rose to her feet as well, but she decided to let Tosca have a moment to lead. She was too tired to put up with her sister.Tosca started off, sniffing the air for any trace of  a nearby river. "Anyone smell water?" Tosca asked, looking between the wolves.Kai and Una lifted their heads and searched the air for a hint of moisture.

 

Twilight's sense of smell was very good, fortunately for them. It was only faint on the wind, but he could smell water. "I can smell it." he said. "This way." He began walking out of the grove and headed in a North-Eastern direction, following the scent of water.

 

Tosca followed confidently, leading her siblings close behind her and following the oldest wolf. They walked further and further away from the stand of pine trees and ventured into a flatter landscape. Mountains still hung in the distance, but they were miles away and much bigger then the siblings had seen before.

 

The black wolf continued to lead them on. The scent of water was growing steadily stronger by the minute and it became easier to get a lock on where it came from. And then they made it at last. A moderately large river stood in front of them. The more shallow parts near the shores of the river were icy, but the middle flowed water strongly. "We have arrived." Twilight said.

 

Tosca smiled at Twilight's discovery. "Good" she said. Kai surveyed the water while Una remained unusually quiet. "I don't think anyone has this territory either" Tosca exclaimed excitedly, sniffing the air and scanning their area. The tawny wolf trotted back and forth, sniffing for any scent at all of any wolf pack. When she got to the thinnest part of the river, a faint smell of another pack drifted across, but not another trace of the scent was on the siblings' side of the river. "I think this is our new home!" Tosca proclaimed. "But I also think we have some neighbors on the other side of the river."

 

The black wolf sat down and nodded. "I know. I can smell them." he said. "But they hold no influence on this side of the river, so you are quite correct. This is an unoccupied territory that is yours for the taking. And how convenient it is that finding good shelter will not be as difficult as we thought." Twilight pointed out a tall hill that was a rocky drop-off on one side, and at its base there was a cave entrance.

 

Tosca grinned. "Wow, that was lucky."Tosca glanced over across the river once more but ignored the scent. She was sure they wouldn't try to cross the river.

 

"So do we do something to claim it?" Kai asked excitedly. "We gonna howl like mom and dad used to do?"Not waiting for an answer, Kai threw her head back and howled. Tosca laughed and joined in, sending her own howl into the air.

 

Yuma, caught up in the excitement, joined in with a howl of his own, soon followed by Rowtag. They had a new home at last! Twilight, for his part, stood away from the others and did not join in. He had only ever howled a few times, and that was a life or death situation. He refrained from doing it again. He just watched the younger wolves celebrate their success. He was, after all, just traveling with them. He was not officially a member of their pack, and he doubted he ever would be.

 

Una didn't join in either. She hung back as well, pretending to be tired, but she really felt a surge of jealousy. She should've been the one to find the new territory. She should have led the pack there. She should have started the howl. "I'm going to go to sleep." Una mumbled, heading back toward the new cave. "I... my head hurts"

 

Kai wagged her tail and nuzzled her older sister goodnight. "G'night Una!"

 

Tosca watched suspiciously but she was too happy to pretend to be an emotionless leader."Uh... feel better I guess" the tawny wolf said half-heartedly. They had a territory now!

 

Twilight also felt a sneaking suspicion towards the she-wolf, but he said nothing. It wasn't his place and he really didn't care one way or another anyhow. Instead he turned his attention back to Tosca and the others. "Alright. You have your territory now. What's next?" he asked.

 

"Yeah, that's right." Yuma said. "What's the plan, boss?" he asked Tosca. He had decided long ago that he would prefer to have Tosca as leader rather than Una. She seemed to know all the right things.

 

When Yuma's words reached Una's ears, the she-wolf stiffened and bristled. She'd think of something tomorrow... it was too late now to do anything. She'd just have to try harder tomorrow to show that she was the better leader, not Tosca.

 

Tosca on the other hand, was overjoyed with this new prospect. Trying to hide her happiness, Tosca scanned the pack's new territory."We should explore the territory in pairs. On of us should stay here to guard the cave and the other four will go and find out where our territory stops. So who'd like to go with who?"

 

Yuma immediately jumped up and said, "Well I sure as heck wanna go! I'll go with anyone, doesn't matter to me." He was already pacing back and forth thinking with giddy delight of how much fun he would have out there exploring. Rowtag shook his head and sat down and motioned with his muzzle toward the cave. He clearly didn't want to go much of anywhere.

 

"Okay" Tosca said. "Rowtag can stay here with Una."Tosca glanced briefly at the cave, then scanned as far as her blue eyes could see. "One group will start heading east and stay near the border. The other group will head west and we'll eventually meet up in the middle"

 

Kai nodded, understanding. "I'll go with Yuma!" Kai offered. Yuma was by far, her favorite sibling.

 

"Alright, then Twilight's with me." Tosca confirmed. "It's pretty early still but if it starts to get dark and we still haven't met up, turn around and head back. If you get lost, howl."

 

Yuma gave a yip and immediately started out to explore. "Come on, Kai, hurry up!" he called over his shoulder. It wasn't long before he disappeared over a small hill. His feet seeming to carry him like wings carried a bird across the land.

 

Twilight shook his head as he watched the two youths go. Then he turned his attention back to Tosca. "Where to?" he asked. "You're the one in charge here. You lead, I follow."

 

On the inside, Tosca beamed, but on the outside, she held an emotionless face and nodded. The tawny wolf started on her way, starting off in the opposite direction that Yuma and Kai had disappeared from. The river that they had found split off into several smaller creeks and from what Tosca could smell, the same pack held the territory just on the other side of the creek even as they walked along. Who knew, maybe they were just a few young wolves too!

 

The black wolf could smell the other pack as well. He glanced along the opposite shore for signs of this other pack in the area, ever watchful for some sign of a threat. "I've got a bad feeling about this." he said. The other pack's side of the river was heavily forested with pine and he could see slight, barely noticable movements among the lower branches. They were being watched.

 

As soon as the words had come out of his mouth, Tosca began to tense up too but continued walking. Were they a threat? Friends?"What should we do?" she muttered in a low voice, not knowing where the unknown creatures were.

 

Meanwhile, Kai was having the time of her life... and she wasn't even doing anything. While Yuma did his sight-seeing as usual, the almost white wolf darted back and forth, attacking invisible shadows and jumping through the air when she imagined someone sneaking up on her. "I wasn't so sure at first, but living mom and dad was one of the best things to happen ever!" she yipped happily.

 

"Yeah, I know!" Yuma said. "I've always wanted to see new things like this. It's awesome!" He was having the time of his life. All the new sights, smells, and sounds of their new home were pulling him in. The young wolf was totally enraptured.

 

Twilight continued to keep a close eye on the opposite shore. "Just keep your voice down and pretend you don't notice." he said. "If they attack, we want them to think they have the element of surprise. Then we'll turn the tables on them.”

 

Tosca nodded gravely, and walked, trying to look away. Instead, she tried to look at the trees several feet away... if their plan was to run, they probably wouldn't make it into the trees in time. The young wolf forced herself to not think about that and glanced straight ahead of her at the cloudy sky. 

 

A small rustle came from across the creek and for a split second, Tosca froze, but as she remembered what Twilight said she forced herself to stay calm.The fur on the back of her neck stood on end."I'm thirsty" Tosca finally mumbled, barely able to take the suspense. She padded over to the edge of the creek and lowered her head to drink, but her ears strained to hear another sound.

 

The black wolf did not drink with her, but rather kept his eyes and ears pealed for anything strange or out of place. He heard the rustle as well, but he refrained from saying anything or even acknowledging he had heard it at all.

 

As Tosca lapped the cool water, she could almost see under the tree branches. For a second she thought she spied... wolves paws? The tawny wolf finished and slowly headed back over to Twilight."I guess we should continue on our way. At this rate, Yuma and Kai are going to beat us back to the den"

 

The black wolf nodded and turned to follow her back to the den. As they left, he cast one glance back over his shoulders. His eyes glazed over for a moment, seeing something only he could see. Then it was over. He began walking again to catch up with Tosca, a small smile briefly flashing across his face as he chuckled quietly to himself.

 

 

Kai and Yuma were still having uninterrupted fun. Neither had seen any sign of another pack or any sign of bear. Their parents had always talked about things called humans, but from what Kai could see, there weren't any of those either. 

 

"This place is huge!" she said, dumbfounded. Where they were was bare, but up on top of the hill where the den was, rocks and a few spindly trees dominated the landscape. Deep woods also surrounded the territory, but Kai was scared to death of the darkness under its branches. What if they were attacked in there?! And from where they were, they could also see a few small creeks much farther away.

 

Twilight shook his head with a small, knowing smile still on his face. "It was nothing. Nothing we need to think much about at the moment." he said. They had finally reached the den once more, with Rowtag standing outside. He smiled and nodded as they approached.

 

Yuma sighed and took everything in. He loved it more each second! He was curious about the distant forest, but was feeling tired. Time to rest. "Let's go back. I'm beat." he said. He raced Kai back to the den and the two showed up panting not long after Twilight and Tosca had got back.

 

Tosca cocked her head, but followed Twilight toward the cave. From a far off, she could see Kai and Yuma racing their way back. Tosca smiled and shook her head. Curiosity was still itching at her, but the tawny wolf ignored it and headed into the cave.

 

The whole time her siblings and Twilight had been out, Una had been pretending to be asleep. She had no clue what to do about the leader crisis. She was the one meant to be in charge. Now it just seemed like she had given in! There had to be something she could do to assert herself. Tosca wasn't good enough to be the alpha! The sound of the others entering the cave caught her attention, and once more she pretended to be in a deep sleep but kept her ears open to whatever had gone on.

 

Twilight instantly melted into the darkest corner of the cave and became invisible to all present. Rowtag cocked his head and tried to do the same. He nearly succeeded, as his fur was almost as black as Twilight's, but the effect was not complete invisibility. The dark wolf nearby chuckled. “Almost. It takes a little practice.” He said.

 

Yuma walked up and practically collapsed next to his older brother, panting hard and with a big goofy smile on his face. "Ha! I won!" he said. He'd just barely been faster getting to the cave than Kai.

 

Tosca grinned at Rowtag and watched Kai race in a step behind her brother."Yeah but I'll getchya next time!" Kai panted, jumping on her older brother and playfully tugging on an ear.

 

Tosca plopped down as well without a word but then her blue eyes passed over Una who was facing away from the rest of the group."Is she still asleep?" Tosca asked, looking from face to face. Tosca rose to her feet and stepped over to her older sister. Una closed her eyes and kept pretending to be asleep.

 

Yuma was too tired to resist so he let Kai gnaw on his ear. He shrugged at Tosca. "She looks asleep to me" he said. He gave a wide yawn and laid his head down, closing his eyes. It was only about mid day, but he was tired as anything. Soon he was fast asleep. Twilight was also asleep, but only lightly. Rowtag was softly snoring in his own little corner of the cave as well.

 

Kai was so tired she fell asleep with Yuma's ear in her mouth. Tosca didn't find herself as tired as the others. The afternoon light was still shining through the mouth of the cave and it kept Tosca awake. But eventually, she too, was asleep. 

 

As soon as she was sure the others were out, Una stood up. Her eyes swept over everyone and then darted to the back of the cave. She didn't trust the strange black wolf at all. She quietly tip-toed over everyone and with one last glance at everyone else, she took off into the unfamiliar landscape. If they could handle it in pairs, she could surely handle whatever was out there alone.

 

Twilight woke as he heard Una leave the cave. He quietly walked to the entrance of the cave and stared out at her retreating form. He shook his head. "So foolish." he whispered. "You will see soon enough." With that he turned and went back inside just as quietly as he had come out. He knew the elder sister was in for a rude awakening.

 

Una trotted along the edge of the river, following Twilight and Tosca's footprints. Obviously Kai and Yuma hadn't found anything in their direction, otherwise they wouldn't have had so much fun or would have at least talked about it. But Tosca seemed a little shaken. For a moment, Una paused and glanced over the river. Maybe the other pack had met them? She could clearly smell the scent of them from the other side. So with a big breath, Una stepped though the shallowest part of the river until the water came up to her stomach. The grey-brown wolf waded onto the opposite bank and looked back at the cave. "I'll show you guys!" she muttered to herself.

 

"And exactly what would it be that you'd be showin'?" a gruff voice suddenly asked.

 

To be continued….