The Chronicle of Rallan

Books IV, V, VI:

Living As An Exile

Trust Betrayed

Once More

By: Balto5670

All characters and packs/settings involved in this story and its corresponding plotline are © 2007 Balto5670. Kalgorn is © 2007 balto678. Any similarities between any other characters are entirely coincidental.

Dedications

To everyone who reads my fanfics,

Thanks to you all reading and reviewing my writings, I am quickly becoming a better-known writer.

Sorrow is just the beginning of the adventure.

Η θλίψη είναι ακριβώς η αρχή της περιπέτειας.

Rated PG-13: For explicit violence and gore, adult language, and some romantic scenes. Reader’s discretion advised.

Chapter 1

            Some might know me as a prince. Some might know 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 committed 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 stare judgmentally 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, biting 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 we he looked left and right, realizing he’d fallen asleep.

Sighing heavily, Rallan closed his eyes and wept 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 seemed just miserable, but inside of him, it was much worse than a slight case of misery. Inside of him, all happiness was dead.

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.

“Damn… 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…”

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.

“Al most…” 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 damn it! Damn son of a bitch!” 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 damned 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.

            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?”

Damn… 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 bastard 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 bastard!” 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 damn 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 damn, 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.

Damn… 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 bastard! 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.

            Chapter 3

            Once more, Rallan was left alone in the world. He felt so betrayed, unwanted, and uncared for. Though it had been over four months since Rallan’s battle against NightPelt, SwiftDeath, and Serenity, he still had yet to recover from everything that had happened to him. He’d wandered about for many, many miles, sleeping under the stars or in abandoned dens he could find. But with every step he took, every mile that he went, he felt more and more like he was to blame for everything.

“It’s all my fault… All my fault…” Rallan whispered to himself, tears falling from his brown and gold eyes as he walked through the cooling October air, “If I had never been around there, then those three might still be alive… If I hadn’t gone for a walk that night months ago, Dad would still be alive and I wouldn’t be here…”

But was it all worth it? he asked himself in thought, Perhaps this was meant to happen… It’s my destiny… isn’t it? Isn’t it? Rallan slowly stopped crying, lifting his head slightly. He was still so confused inside but kept on walking through the forest. For five months, he had yet to come across another wolf. No one had been near him, making Rallan feel worse and better at the same time.

Now Rallan was in a different forest, one he hadn’t ever been to nor heard of before. One thing Rallan had learned was that months of travel had their perks of building up stamina and mapping out parts of the world. Now he was in a new forest, but something was different about this place. Though it was but October, snow already began falling and a thick blanket of the white powder coated the ground and trees. Icicles hung from the branches of the trees and the coolness of the air felt like it had been winter here for a couple months, at least.

“Where on Earth am I?” he asked himself, looking around, “It’s like I stepped forward in time…”

Rallan continued walking, then slipped a little on a sheet of ice. He fell face-first into the snow and got to his feet again, shaking his pelt off. He then heard someone in a nearby bush and glanced over at it. He stared suspiciously at it as he tilted his head to one side.

“Hello? Is somebody in there?” he called out, getting no response for a few moments, “Hello? Come out, whoever’s in there!”

Rallan took a couple steps forward and saw a white blur dash away and off to his right. He reacted a split-second later, pursuing the creature that had been spying on him. Well whoever it is, they’re pretty fast, I’ll give them that! he thought to himself as he kept on running. After a couple minutes of running, Rallan stopped, the tracks abruptly ending. He sniffed about and heard a noise off to his left. He glanced over and saw a pure white Arctic wolf staring at him from behind the trunk of a tree.

“Hey, it’s alright… I’m not gonna hurt you…” Rallan said softly, taking a few steps closer to the white wolf, “Don’t be afraid… I mean no harm… I just want to talk…”

“Who… Who are you?” the wolf asked in a soft voice, distinctly a female, piercing icy-blue eyes boring through his face as she scanned his features, “What are you doing here?”

“Just calm down… My name’s Rallan, and I’m just passing through…” Rallan replied calmly, “Come on out, I promise I won’t do anything to hurt you…”

The female looked like she was considering it until she glanced over Rallan’s shoulder. Rallan gave her a confused look, then glanced back just in time to notice a large white mass ram forcefully into him. Rallan fell to the ground and stared up into the golden eyes of yet another Arctic wolf. Two more surrounded him, one glancing to the female he’d been talking to as she walked up to them.

“Milady, is this brute pestering or threatening you in any way?” the one inquired in a serious tone, “If so, you know I have the power to order his execution right here and right now…”

“No Ocean… That won’t be necessary…” the female responded softly, “He and I were just talking… We just ran into one another now… Let’s bring him back to my father for questioning…”

“Understood, milady…” the one named Ocean replied, looking to the two others, “Well? You heard the Princess! Get the newcomer to his feet! We’re taking him back to our home!”

The two nodded and the one let Rallan up. He got to his paws and began to follow the rest of them through the cold lands. After many minutes of walking, the group came to a large cave entrance, two Arctic wolves standing sentinel at either side. They walked inside, the deep blue and cobalt colors of the ice cave’s walls shining in the fading sunlight. The further they walked in, the more guards Rallan noticed and took note of that.

After a couple more minutes, they came to a massive ice chamber, smaller caves and dens lining the walls. At the center, a large ice spire led up about thirty feet to yet another chamber at the back of the cave. Large luminous crystals hung from the ceiling, illuminating the whole cave and casting it into vibrant waves of multicolored lights. Rallan was led up the spiraling paths and up the spire, crossing the ice bridge into the back chamber.

Inside on an elevated ice perch was another Arctic wolf and several guards, his gaze falling upon the group as they walked inside. He smiled warmly at the female he’d been talking to before and jumped down from his perch, walking up to her and nuzzling her.

“Darling, where have you been?” he asked cheerfully, “I was beginning to worry about you!”

“Daddy! Not in front of our guest!” she replied, motioning to Rallan, “I found him- Well, more accurately, he found me out near the border… He doesn’t seem like a threat, but I thought you’d like to deem that yourself…” The wolf, apparently the Alpha, looked at Rallan and walked up to him, looking him over briefly.

“Well you don’t seem to be very hostile, which is always a good thing…” the Alpha stated, chuckling slightly and giving a quick glance back to the female, “I was wondering when my daughter would start bringing males home…” Her mouth dropped open as she stared at her father.

“Daddy! That’s not funny!” she snapped back, the Alpha chuckling again. He then focused his attention back onto Rallan.

“Well, you seem very well when it comes to physical fitness… You seem stable enough… What’s your name, son?” he asked calmly.

“Rallan, milord…” Rallan answered, bowing his head slightly to show his due respect to the Alpha before him. The Alpha noted his paid respects and smiled at Rallan.

“Well Rallan, you seem like a very respectful wolf… I’d be glad to let you stay as long as you’d like… so long as you don’t put any moves on my daughter…” he stated, then laughed good-naturedly, “I’m just kidding! But seriously, she’s single.”

“Daddy, please! Stop doing things like that! You know I hate it when you do that!” she said quickly, her cheek flushing a pink color.

“Yeah, I know!” he replied, then looked back at Rallan, “Please forgive my rudeness; my name’s Frost. I am the Alpha of the Icicle Pack. This is my daughter, Fantasy… And the one behind you is Ocean, my Beta…” Fantasy smiled slightly at him. Ocean merely bowed his head slightly.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all, and I thank you for your hospitality…” Rallan said gratefully, but his ears lowered against his skull as he thought back four months, “But I can’t accept your gracious offer…” Frost gave him a confused look.

“Why on Earth not, Rallan? You’re more than welcome here! What’s stopping you from accepting right off the bat?” Frost asked, tilting his head slightly.

“Because…” Rallan began, then froze. What do I say? That I’m a murderer? That I killed four wolves? he thought to himself. “Because it’s not right of me just to take such a generous offer, sir…” Frost grinned slightly and chuckled.

“Rallan let me tell you something… One thing I admire and hold in high-standards are morals and virtues… And you’ve just proven to me that you are virtuous to decline such an offer…” Frost stated calmly, “Which is why I now insist that you stay for a while… As my personal guest…”

Rallan was completely taken back by Frost’s offer. It was even greater than the previous one. He didn’t even know what to say, but for the sake of being polite, he nodded in acceptance.

“Thank you, Lord Frost… I accept your gracious offer…” Rallan said, bowing his head once again to the Alpha.

“I’m glad you accepted, Rallan…” Frost replied and smiled widely, “But please, you do not have to bow your head or call me ‘Lord’… You are a guest, and laws will apply, but you don’t have to be so formal toward me…”

“My apologies, Frost…” Rallan apologized quickly, “I was raised to respect every one of a higher status than I was… as well as giving due respect toward those who deserved it…” Frost smiled again and nodded his head in approval.

“You were raised very well, Rallan… Tell me, what pack do you hail from and who were your parents?” Frost inquired, tilting his head to one side slightly. Rallan took a deep breath before answering.

“I was born and raised in the Lylrite Pack… My parents were the Alphas of it and I was the eldest of a litter of five pups… My father trained me extensively since I was about six months old… My father was named Typhoon and my mother, Lily…” Rallan answered calmly, “I left when my father and brother were murdered…”

“Why did you leave Rallan? If you were the eldest, then you should have been the next rightful Alpha by blood, correct?” Frost asked, more confused than ever.

“There were… complications with the lineage of rulers…” Rallan explained, leaving out the fact he’d been exiled, “I left for the good of the pack… So I have no idea who’s leading the Lylrite Pack to this day…”

“Well, as I said before, you are now an honorary guest of the Icicle Pack! Please enjoy everything we may have to offer you… Ocean! Show him to his chambers… You know which one I’m referring to…” Frost declared, nodding to his Beta.

“Yes Lord Frost. Right away!” Ocean remarked, bowing his head before motioning to Rallan and leading him out of the Royal Chamber. Frost chuckled softly and turned back to Fantasy.

“Well, he’s rather good looking, don’t you think?” Frost said teasingly, “Is he up to your standards, sweetheart?” Fantasy gave her father a look of utter disbelief.

“Father, I can’t believe you! Here we have a guest whom we know little about and you’re asking if I’m interested in him!” she retorted, “I told you, I’ll choose my mate when I find true love, not for the most talent of best looks! Personality matters to me!”

“I know, Fantasy, I know…” Frost said softly, padding up to her and nuzzling her in a fatherly manner, “You know I’m just teasing you… I want you to choose whoever you want to be with for the rest of your life… Don’t let anyone force anything onto you…” Fantasy smiled and nuzzled her father back.

“Thanks Daddy… It means a lot to me to know that you want whatever makes me happy…” she replied cheerfully. Frost chuckled softly.

“And don’t you forget that!” he responded in his signature jubilant tone, giving a wink to his daughter, “But, just between you and me, that Rallan is quite a catch, huh?”

“Well, erm… Yeah, I guess you could say that…” Fantasy replied, her pure white cheeks turning a shade of light pink, “I mean, he is kinda cute… But I don’t really know him well enough to actually say he’s a ‘catch’ for sure…”

“Well, he may be here for a while, so maybe you should get to know him a little better!” Frost suggested, turning toward the back room that was his bedding chamber, “Well sweetie, I’m gonna go to bed… It should be sunset right about now and I’ve been up all last night… Goodnight, Fantasy…”

“Goodnight Daddy… See you in the morning…” Fantasy replied, giving him a farewell nuzzle before turning and walking out of the Royal Chamber, heading to the room she knew Rallan would more than likely have and be settled into by now.

When Frost had dismissed them, Rallan had followed Ocean back out to the main cave and back to the central spire. Aside from the ice bridge they’d just crossed, three others stemmed from it, high above the ground level. From up here, Rallan could get a good look at the cave. It was absolutely gigantic, Arctic wolves roaming and perusing about the many levels of the cave, different layers of floors stacked up upon one another with dens and other caves on each level. A series of ramps connecting each one up and down to each different floor.

Ocean led Rallan across the southern bridge and through a large cut archway in the ice. Inside was a cave large enough to accommodate five wolves! Many more of those incandescent crystals hung from the ceiling, illuminating the chamber. A large bed of brush, leaves, and grass lay spread out across the back. A small spring bubbled up in the corner of the cave, easily large enough for one to bathe in, if needed. Rallan took a few steps inside, mouth agape as his brown and gold eyes took in the sight before him.

“By the gods! This is absolutely stunning!” Rallan exclaimed, turning back to Ocean, “Are you sure this is my chamber? The whole thing is mine?”

“Yes Master Rallan… Lord Frost has made it specific that this be your sleeping quarters for as long as you should wish to stay…” Ocean confirmed, his distinguished neutral tone still present through and through, “Shall you be needing anything that I may fetch you?”

“No… I’m alright for now… Just some sleep and I’ll be fine…” Rallan replied, nodding to Ocean. The Beta bowed his head, turned around, and walked out of sight, leaving Rallan to marvel at his new room.

Meanwhile, Fantasy had just walked out onto the icy spire, nodding a greeting to Ocean as the two passed one another. She sighed softly and continued walking across the south bridge, coming to the room she knew Rallan would be in. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside, spotting him staring around his room. She chuckled softly and cleared her throat to announce her presence. Rallan quickly turned around and gave the Princess a slight smile.

“Oh Fantasy, you startled me…” Rallan said, sighing softly with relief, “Good evening, your highness… What brings you to grace me with your presence?” Fantasy laughed softly and walked in a little more.

“Please don’t give me all of that ‘your highness’ or ‘milady’ stuff, please… I’m not into things like that, despite being a Princess…” Fantasy replied calmly, “So Rallan, how do you like your new bedroom?”

“It’s… God, it’s fantastic! It’s incredible! But do I really need all of this for just myself?” Rallan asked, tilting his head slightly to one side.

“Well thank you for your kind words, Rallan… And believe me, you’re not talking my father out of giving you this room!” she stated with another soft, short, laugh, “He’s very decisive when it comes to travelers and pilgrims… He holds morals and virtues so high in his life that he awards those he likes greatly… And apparently he likes you a lot!”

“Well it’s always good to have strong allies, like my father always used to say!” Rallan replied with a chuckle, then sighed softly, “Your father is a very generous wolf, Fantasy… And I’m so very, very grateful that he accepted me a guest instead of driving me away or trying to harm me…” Now it was Fantasy’s turn to look confused.

“Harm you? Why would anyone harm someone like you? You seem so kind, gentle, and friendly!” Fantasy said, going back to her previous inquiry, “Why would anyone have any reason to hurt you?”

“Let’s just say… I’ve had trouble in my past…” Rallan said, still attempting to hide his blood-stained past from everyone for as long a she could bide, “There are many who would severely dislike me- even want to kill me to this day…”

“Oh Rallan, that’s terrible!” Fantasy said, walking up to him and giving him a reassuring nuzzle, “But you don’t have to worry here… You’re safe so long as you are welcome in our home… You have nothing to worry about…” Rallan sighed softly and smiled at Fantasy.

“Thank you Fantasy… for your hospitality… It’s much more than I deserve, really, it is…” Rallan whispered, nuzzling her back, “Well, I’d better be getting to bed… I’ve been traveling for a long time now and a good night’s sleep is something I haven’t seen much of in months!”

“Oh, sure thing Rallan…” Fantasy responded softly, “Sleep well… I’ll see you in the morning, then… Goodnight…”

Rallan smiled as he lay down on top of his large bedding, watching as Fantasy walked out of sight. With a soft sigh, he lay sprawled out, eyes slowly closing themselves as he delved deep into a peaceful slumber. Fantasy walked back across the ice bridge to the spire, then to the north, back into the Royal Chamber. From there, she took a pathway left that curved slightly and led to her bedding area. It was much like Rallan’s, but a lot more ornately decorated with gemstones of all kinds. She lay out on her bed, which had been accented with lilac petals, and closed her eyes.

Her father’s words continued to echo through her mind, despite her attempts to fall asleep. That Rallan is quite a catch, huh?... Fantasy tried desperately to force Frost’s voice out of her head, but it still remained, words dashing through her mind like an elk across a plain. After many minutes of fighting with her own memory, she finally gained control and fell asleep, subconscious mind still debating about the gray-brown wolf who lay asleep just on the other side of the ice city.

            Rallan awoke the next morning to various voices murmuring something, but it was incoherent to the wolf at this present moment. He groaned softly and opened his eyes slowly, taking in his surroundings. Standing right by the entrance were three or four other Arctic wolves, staring at him and whispering amongst one another. Rallan sat up and stared sleepily at them.

“What’s going on?” Rallan asked with a yawn, “Why is everyone gathered here? Is something happening?” The four wolves jumped slightly as they realized Rallan was awake now. Not hesitating, they quickly dashed out, leaving him alone except for one other Arctic wolf who had stayed behind.

“Um… hello…” Rallan said to the wolf, who looked about his age, then watched as he, too, ran away, “Hey, wait! I just want to talk with you!”

Rallan quickly got to his paws and dashed out after the wolf, still wondering why he was being spied on in the first place. Not too far ahead was that wolf, making his escape across the ice bridge. However, the wolf lost his footing and slipped, skidding over the edge, barely catching the edge with his front paws. Rallan leapt at him and grabbed the wolf by the scruff of his neck, pulling him back up to safety.

“Whoa, easy there… That would’ve been a real nasty fall…” Rallan stated, glancing over the edge and feeling a little woozy by the sheer drop that faced him, looking back to the Arctic wolf, “Who are you and why were you watching me in my sleep?”

“P-please don’t hurt me sir! I was just curious!” the wolf said, cowering and whimpering softly, “I had heard that we had a royal guest of honor here and I wanted to see who it was, so I came to look and then- Oh, please just don’t harm me!” Rallan chuckled and placed a paw gently on the wolf’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry… I’m not gonna hurt you! I wouldn’t even ever consider doing anything like that!” Rallan said reassuringly, watching the wolf settle down a little bit, “I just want to know your name, is all!” The wolf considered this for a moment, and then sighed softly.

“I’m Blizzard… Blizz for short… Once again, I-I’m terribly sorry for spying on you… I didn’t mean to, I just-”

“Please, Blizzard, no more apologizing… You didn’t do anything wrong, so there’s nothing to apologize for!” Rallan explained, smiling warmly to his new acquaintance, “And by the way, my name’s Rallan… It’s a pleasure to meet you, Blizzard…”

“It’s my pleasure, really…” Blizzard said back, obviously a little shy and embarrassed for getting caught spying on him, “So how long are you going to be here, Mr. Rallan?” Rallan laughed softly once again.

“I’m not sure, Blizzard… and please, just call me Rallan… That ‘Mr.’ or ‘Master’ stuff is a little new to me and I’m not sure I like being considered of a ‘higher rank,’ if it be called that…” Rallan replied, “And Blizzard, you don’t have to act so embarrassed, you did nothing wrong… Just take a deep breath and calm down…”

Blizzard did as he was told to and took a deep inhale, holding it for a moment, then slowly letting it out. Almost immediately, the white wolf seemed to calm down completely, his ice-blue eyes no longer holding the nervousness they previously did. Rallan smiled and patted Blizzard on his shoulder.

“There we go… Feeling any bit better?” Rallan asked softly, locking gazes with Blizzard.

“Yeah, a bit… Thanks Mr. Ra- I mean, Rallan…” Blizzard said softly, both wolves standing up and walking over the ice bridge to the central spire, “So, Rallan, if you don’t mind my asking, how did you find us out here?” Rallan sighed softly, then answered the wolf’s question.

“Well Blizzard, I’m… ah, how would you say it? A traveler of sorts…” Rallan explained calmly as the two kept on walking side-by-side, “I stumbled across this while I was out on my travels and then I met Fantasy out in the snow… Ocean and his soldiers jumped me and then I was taken here… Frost seemed to like me a lot and made me the royal guest of honor for as long as I wanted to stay… I don’t know if it was just a turn of fortune for me or if I have a guardian angel looking out over me!”

The two wolves walked around for a while, becoming more and more trusting of one another. Over the hours, Blizzard began to seem a little nervous whenever Rallan asked something about Fantasy. Taking note of this, Rallan decided to find out what was going on.

“Hey Blizz, is something wrong?” he asked calmly, “You can tell me… I’m not gonna tell anyone…”

“I… I’m not sure if I can fully trust you…” Blizzard said bashfully, looking away from Rallan.

“Blizzard, trust me… I’ve kept plenty of secrets- some I’m never about to admit even on pain of death…” Rallan replied, “Trust me… You can do that…”

“Well… Alright… It’s Fantasy… I- kinda, sorta have a crush on her… I have for the longest time…” Blizzard admitted, looking back to Rallan, “But I just get so flustered and I don’t know how to get her to like me!” Rallan thought to himself for a moment, then smiled at Blizzard.

“I’ll see what I can do to help you, Blizzard… You can count on me…” Rallan pledged, patting the Arctic wolf on his shoulder. Blizzard looked completely astounded.

“Y-you would?! Why would you do something like that for me?” Blizzard asked, tilting his head slightly.

“Because you’ve been so friendly to me here, Blizzard and I’m sure we’ll be great friends…” Rallan answered, smiling widely as the two walked back up the ice spire, “I’ll help you out, Blizz… Just give me some time…”

“Thanks a lot Rallan… That really means a lot to me…” Blizzard said. Just then, Ocean ran up to them and bowed his head to Rallan.

“Master Rallan, Lord Frost has requested your presence in the Royal Chamber…” Ocean stated, then glanced at Blizzard, “… Just your presence… Effective immediately…” Rallan sighed softly, then smiled at Blizzard.

“I guess we’ll just have to continue this conversation later… I’ll see you later, Blizzard… Take care!” Rallan said before following Ocean toward the north bridge. Blizzard gave a parting smile to Rallan, then sighed once he was gone and proceeded to walk down the ramp of the spire.

“So, what is this meeting with me and Frost all about?” Rallan asked Ocean.

“I do not know… Lord Frost simply sent me to fetch you for him, stating that it was immediate… Nothing more, nothing less…” Ocean replied, his lack of emotional tone the same as ever, “Here we are… Remember, he is the Alpha. Show him the utmost respect you possibly can…”

Ocean and Rallan then walked through the archway and into the Royal Chamber. Frost sat on his perch, Fantasy sitting on a slightly lower one next to him. When the two wolves walked in, Fantasy’s face lit up at the sight of Rallan. Frost smiled as his Beta and his guest approached, both bowing their heads respectfully.

“Good morning Rallan! I trust you slept well last night,” Frost said, beaming joyfully, “I bet you’re wondering why I summoned you here, aren’t you?” Rallan smiled back and nodded slightly.

“Yeah, that’s pretty much the major question running through my mind right now…” Rallan replied, “So may I ask what the reason is for my requested attendance?”

“Well Rallan, I wanted to offer you something… Something I know you’ll jump for joy over, but you probably won’t accept it at first, so I’ll be forced to continue to pester you until you eventually give in and accept it…” Frost stated with a chuckle, getting one from Rallan as well, “Rallan, I want you to stay here; to live your life as a member of the Icicle Pack!”

Rallan’s mouth dropped open and his golden eyes widened in surprise. He stumbled backward and almost fell, but kept himself up right. He couldn’t believe this! This wolf who’d known him for a day apparently trusted his morals and virtues well enough to offer him a permanent home; a new life with a new start! Frost chuckled and jumped down, walking up to Rallan slowly.

“So Rallan, what do you say to that?” Frost asked, “And please don’t say ‘no’…”

“Frost… I… You… This is…” Rallan stuttered, unable to find any words at the moment to suit how he felt right now, “Frost, I can’t believe you’re giving me this chance… After the life I’ve had, I’d gladly take up that offer in a heartbeat, but… I-I just can’t… It wouldn’t be right of me to simply try to start over again… I wasn’t raised to give up on the life I made for myself…”

“Then don’t…” Frost said, plain and simple, “Don’t give up on that life… I’m not rushing you to make a decision… Take your time on this… Until then, enjoy what we have to offer… I’m not going to press you into a sudden choice… I’ll let you decide for yourself…”

“Thank you, Frost… May I be dismissed now? I’d really like to look around your fabulous home…” Rallan asked. Frost nodded slowly.

“Of course Rallan! You don’t need to ask it of me! You’re free to come and go as you please!” Frost replied, nodding to Fantasy, “Fantasy can show you about, if you’d like…”

“Oh, I’d be delighted to!” Fantasy exclaimed, quickly jumping down and trotting up to Rallan’s side, giving him a warm smile, “Come on! There’s so much to see and such little time!”

Fantasy quickly led Rallan away, almost literally dragging him along. Frost laughed as he watched the two leave. Ocean approached him and sat beside his Alpha.

“Lord Frost, I do not believe that this is such a wise decision to offer him such a gift…” Ocean said in a hushed tone, “We don’t know much about him or his past… We don’t know what he did or if he ever broke any laws of a pack before… I think we should find out a little more about him first…”

“Ocean, you know you’re my brother and you know I respect you, but I know what it’s like to be the eldest of a litter and have to leave their home for the good of their pack… Did you know that had Dad not passed away, I would have had to leave you and Darkice forever?” Frost said, giving Ocean a look of disapproval, “I know you’re very cautious and alert, Ocean… That’s why you’re the Beta… But believe me, brother… If something is wrong with Rallan, then we’ll find out about it… But for now, he will be treated as a guest of honor and respected as innocent until proven guilty… Understood?”

“Crystal clearly, brother… I apologize for defying your command… Your word is law, after all…” Ocean replied coolly, “I’ll keep an eye on his as well as look for links to his past- see if we can find out anything about him… Permission to be dismissed?”

“Permission granted, Ocean…” Frost said and watched as his brother walked away.

            For six months, Rallan stayed and resided within the sanctity of the Icicle Pack. However, whenever questioned about staying as a permanent resident or about his past, he politely refused to answer. Fantasy had become quite smitten with the wolf and Blizzard had become a good friend of his. Yet no matter who asked him, Rallan would never answer a single question about why he was forced to leave the Lylrite Pack or what precisely happened on the night his father was murdered. To everyone of the Icicle Pack, Rallan was a welcome addition, but an enigmatic persona.

On the night of his second birthday, Rallan celebrated with the others with a smile, but still refused Frost’s gift of a new home. He seemed happy and content- until it came to the yearly anniversary of his father’s murder. Rallan spent the whole day in self-solitary-confinement inside his room, requesting that no one visit him for any reason whatsoever. Everyone worried about Rallan, for he seemed to be suffering from something that he would never tell anyone.

Finally, spring came, but outside it was still the endless winter. Fantasy was certain that she loved Rallan; she cold feel it inside of her. Over the months, he’d given her enough information and insight into his life that she was able to conclude that he was right for her and vice versa. However, things were all about to fall apart with the arrival of a newcomer…

Frost was sitting in his bedding chamber, looking over a map of his lands that he’d had etched into the wall. His ice-blue eyes darted over every feature and key carved into the map. A moment later, one of his soldiers approached him and bowed his head respectfully.

“Milord, we have found someone out near our western border… She claims to have valuable information for you and requested to see you… She didn’t seem to be a threat so we escorted her here…” the wolf reported.

“Alright soldier… I’ll come to see her…” Frost replied, following the guard out to the Royal Chamber where two Arctic soldiers stood either side of a gray-brown female.

Her coat almost matched Rallan’s in every way, but she wasn’t as built as he was, more slender and lean than him. Her eyes, unlike Rallan’s brown and gold ones, were icy-blue and gold. Yet her overall appearance definitely matched that of Rallan. Frost approached her and sat down, scanning her swiftly and deeming her no threat.

“Who are you and why have you come into Icicle Pack territory?” Frost asked in a stern, kingly voice. The wolf gave him a quick look-over then took a deep breath.

“I’m looking for someone… Someone very close to me… You see, I have a vendetta to settle with him…” she explained, her voice smooth, yet cold. Frost gave her a look of suspicion.

“Who might this wolf be that you’re looking for?” he asked calmly, not breaking their eye-contact for a second.

“He’s about a few inches taller than me, same pelt, brown and gold eyes… His name is Rallan…” she explained, “He’s wanted by the Lylrite Pack for murder of the Alpha and of the prince…” Frost was utterly shocked by this accusation towards his guest and friend.

“Murder?! Rallan?! Are you insane? Rallan would never hurt anybody!” Frost exclaimed quickly. The female scoffed and chuckled darkly.

“So he is here, is he?” she asked coolly, “And believe me, Rallan is no angel… He’s a devil; a murderer… And I should know…”

“Show me some sort of verification that you’re in the Lylrite Pack, now!” Frost demanded.

“How about the fact that I’m their Alphess?” she snapped back, “I’m leading the Lylrite Pack now and I never let a murderer get away, especially not after he killed my father and my brother!” Frost gave her a dark look, then sighed softly. He knew that Rallan had refused to talk about his past and maybe what she was saying was true after all.

“Who are you?” he asked softly. The female grinned and chuckled again.

“My name’s Rayne…” she stated, “Rallan’s my brother…”

Chapter 4

            Rallan had been out of the Icicle Pack’s city-like caves with Fantasy when his sister had arrived. The two tossed about in the snow, laughing and playing like they were pups. They then accidentally began sliding down a patch of ice on a hill and crashed into a snow-covered bush, Fantasy lying on top of Rallan. The two panted slightly, grinning playfully and sheepishly from their collision.

“Race ya to the hot springs!” Fantasy said and climbed off of Rallan, dashing off northward.

“Hey! That’s not fair Fantasy! Get back here!” Rallan called after her, scrambling to his paws and giving chase to Fantasy.

The two ran after one another, laughing as they each gained control of the lead. After a moment, Fantasy tackled Rallan, tumbling about in the soft snow once again with him. This time around, Rallan ended up on top of Fantasy. The two chuckled weakly again, but as Rallan went to get off of Fantasy, she gave his muzzle a quick lick. Rallan stopped, stupefied by her move and stared down into her icy-blue eyes.

“Rallan… I have something to tell you…” Fantasy started slowly, her voice soft and calm, “For a while now, I wanted to say this to you… Rallan, I-”

“Master Rallan!” came the voice of Ocean, who then came running down a hill to the two, giving them a funny look, “Um, I hope I’m not interrupting anything, but Lord Frost has requested your presence immediately…”

“Can it wait?” Rallan asked, “Fantasy and I were discussing something…”

“Honestly, it didn’t look like you were talking very much…” Ocean stated, giving Rallan a cool look, “And allow me to rephrase that… Lord Frost had demanded your presence immediately…” Rallan and Fantasy exchanged a look, then the two got up.

“Alright Ocean… Let’s get back to the city…” Rallan said.

After several minutes, the three wolves arrived back at the Icicle Pack. They walked through the city and up the spire. Rallan gave a quick nod to Fantasy, who sat down outside the Royal Chamber, waiting for him to return. Rallan and Ocean then walked into the chamber, approaching Frost and a pitch-black wolf with blue eyes, much like Frost and Ocean.

“Rallan, I’m glad you’re here at last…” Frost greeted coolly, his usual cheerful tone replaced by a cold, unemotional one, “I needed you here immediately… You see, there’s been a rather large issue and I wanted you here to resolve it…”

“Alright Frost, I’ll see what I can do about it…” Rallan began calmly, still unsure about this situation, but not seeing it as any threat, “What seems to be the issue that’s going on?”

“First off, allow me to introduce you to my brothers, Ocean and Darkice…” Frost said, motioning to the wolf beside him and the Beta behind Rallan, “Now, onto business… You see, we’ve found out we have a murderer within our pack and he’s been lying about it for a long time, and seeing as how I hold virtues highly, I needed you here for when we bring him in…”

“Yeah, sure thing Frost… After all, you’ve been so generous to me, helping you with a murderer is the least I can do…” Rallan replied, “So, when’s he being brought in?”

“He already has…” Frost answered, staring right into Rallan’s eyes, “He was brought in a minute or two ago by Ocean…” Rallan’s eyes suddenly darkened and his heart-rate picked up in pace.

“Wait, me?! You think I’m a murderer?! What would ever give you that idea, Frost?” Rallan asked quickly, still desperately trying to hide the truth, “What proof would veer give you the idea that I killed someone?”

“We got a tip from a new arrival who said to remain anonymous to you…” Frost replied, “But it turns out you were convicted for the murder of your father and your own brother! Rallan, I hereby place you under arrest…”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me!” Rallan snapped back angrily, “I haven’t done anything like that! Besides, you have no authority to arrest me! I’m not a member of your pack!”

“Seize him, Ocean!” Frost ordered.

Ocean nodded and moved closer to Rallan. Just as he was about to pounce, Rallan spun around and smacked Ocean in his muzzle, sending him crashing into the wall of ice. Darkice ran forward and leapt at Rallan, only to miss and crash into Ocean as the gray wolf ducked and ran out of the chamber.

“Capture him! Do not let him leave these lands alive!!!” Frost shouted out, he, Ocean, and Darkice running out after Rallan.

Rallan sprinted out of the Royal Chamber and across the bridge, almost running into Fantasy. With a worried look, Fantasy stopped him and stared into his eyes.

“Rallan, what is it? What’s wrong?” she asked softly, knowing something was amiss here.

“Fantasy, I have to tell you something, but I can’t tell you here or else I’ll be killed…” Rallan explained quickly, ignoring her look of confusion, “Just act along with me… Please, I need your help Fantasy…” Fantasy nodded and noticed her two uncles coming out of the Royal Chamber along with her father.

“Rallan! Get away from my daughter and give yourself up!” Frost shouted, “It’s over, Rallan; you’ve been found out!”

“Not if I have any say in this!” Rallan snapped back and moved behind Fantasy, placing a paw on her throat and his claws to her windpipe and jugular vein, “Back down unless you want to see your daughter die right in front of you!” Frost gasped, then growled angrily.

“You wouldn’t dare hurt her… I’d kill you on the spot!”

“Isn’t that what you’re going to do to me anyway?” Rallan asked back fiercely, “Go ahead Frost, gamble with your daughter’s life if you want…”

“You wouldn’t…”

“Try me…” Rallan muttered back, glaring viciously at Frost. Frost hesitated- then the Alpha gave the command to stand down. “Good choice, Frost… Now Fantasy and I’ll be getting out of here… Anyone tries to follow us and she dies…”

Rallan slowly walked down the spire, Fantasy still being used as his shield the whole way. Within a matter of minutes, Rallan was outside again and he and his ‘hostage’ were running southward and out of sight. Frost growled angrily, then turned to Ocean.

“Hunt him down… Don’t bother to bring him back alive…” Frost ordered, looking back over the white lands, “Kill him…” Ocean nodded to his brother and Alpha before dashing off, following the scent of the male he was hunting.

Rallan and Fantasy panted heavily as the two dashed frantically across the snow-covered forest. Nothing could stop them as they kept on their mad sprint, desperate to get away from the Icicle Pack. After a dozen minutes, Rallan pulled them both over behind a rocky outcropping, looking around for any pursuers.

“Rallan, what the Hell is going on?” Fantasy asked in a frustrated tone, “Why did you take me prisoner and why are we dashing away from my father?” Rallan sighed heavily and turned around to face her.

“Fantasy, your father found out something about me… Something I’ve tried to ignore and keep hidden all of my life… When I said my father and brother were murdered… well, I murdered them…” Rallan admitted slowly, “And somehow your father found out about this and now he’s trying to have me executed… But how did he find out?”

“Rallan, wait… Back up a moment… You murdered your brother and father,” Fantasy asked again, “I… I don’t believe that… You wouldn’t do something like that Rallan… I know you…”

“But that’s just it Fantasy! You don’t know me!” Rallan remarked quickly, sighing softly, “You only know half of me… Half of my life… The other half was tortured and tormented for a year until I killed my father… I was exiled a year ago… That’s my life… This is me…”

“Rallan, I can’t accept that! I know that isn’t you! It can’t be…” Fantasy said softly, on the verge of tears, “I love you, Rallan…” The gray-brown male sighed and shook his head slowly, staring into her blue eyes sadly.

“No Fantasy… You can’t love me… You can’t because you can’t accept my past… That’s what really happened and I’m not going to let it hurt anyone else…” Rallan replied softly, “Fantasy, if there’s anyone you should love, it’s Blizzard… He’s a great wolf, and I know you’d just die for him… I know he’s liked you since he first saw you… He thinks you’re the most beautiful thing in the world…”

“R-really?” Fantasy asked softly, “He said that?”

“Not in so many words, but that’s what he truly feels…” Rallan replied, looking back out and spotting Ocean running around, obviously looking for him, “Ocean’s out there… No doubt he’s looking for me… Fantasy, sneak back around and tell your father you managed to escape me… Find Blizzard and live your life happily… You won’t be seeing me again…” Fantasy nodded and turned away from Rallan.

“Thank you for everything…” Fantasy said over her shoulder, “Goodbye, Rallan…” Fantasy then turned and ran off. Rallan smiled at her as she vanished from sight.

“Goodbye, Fantasy…” Rallan whispered into the soft breeze, then looked back out at Ocean, “Time to finish what I started and get out of here…”

Rallan stepped out into plain view, eyes narrowed fiercely as he glared at Ocean. Ocean quickly caught his scent and turned to face him. The Beta growled at Rallan and slowly advanced on him.

“So, you’ve given up running then, have you?” Ocean asked, his voice deadly and vicious, “Brave and noble of you, but foolish! You die now!”

Ocean lunged at Rallan and managed to grab the wolf’s shoulder in his jaws, pulling him down to the snowy ground. Rallan grunted softly and slashed across Ocean’s chest, breaking the skin and staining his claws a deep red. Ocean yelped and backed off a bit before continuing his assault, grabbing one of Rallan’s front legs in his jaws and pulling, attempting to break the bone. Rallan cried out in pain and managed to land a strong blow onto Ocean’s head, knocking the white wolf away and into the rocks he had been hiding behind with Fantasy.

Rallan slowly got up again, a dull throbbing pin in his injured leg. Though the bone hadn’t broken, enough damage had been inflicted onto the muscle to cause Rallan to limp slightly. Ocean got to his paws as shook his head to clear the daze caused by his impact. He saw Rallan and both wolves charged one another, Rallan gaining the advantage when he grabbed Ocean’s neck in his jaws. Rallan tossed Ocean away, watching his opponent roll and skid across the snow and then down a hill.

Rallan kept up the fight, pursuing Ocean as he fell. Once the wolf had hit the bottom of the hill, Rallan was on top of him and took a bite out of the Arctic wolf’s shoulder, ripping through the flesh and drawing even more blood out of him. Ocean shouted out in agony and slashed across Rallan’s throat, barely missing any vitals. Rallan fell off of Ocean, gasping as a fiery pain burned from his neck through his body. Before Rallan could get up, Ocean was on him and pressing his muzzle firmly into the snow.

“Who did you think you were, Rallan?” Ocean asked mockingly, “A murderer pretending to be innocent or just a wolf who doesn’t even know who he is? Well, I can answer that for you… You are a lowly, scum-sucking piece of filth that has no place in a pack’s hierarchy or in life!”

Rallan growled viciously and pushed back, sending Ocean flying off of his back and into a snow-bank. Rallan moved with his honed lightning-fast reflexes, placing a paw on Ocean’s chest and dragging his claws downward through his torso. Once more, Ocean cried out as sharp pains ran through his body. But before he could retaliate again, Rallan placed his paw on the Beta’s throat, dug his claws into the skin, and pulled away, ending the Arctic wolf’s life in a quick gush of blood which stained his white coat and the snow beneath him.

“No Ocean… I know precisely who I am…” Rallan replied in a cold, fierce voice, “I’m Rallan, I’m an exile, and this is my life… This is who I am…”

            The southern border wasn’t as far as Rallan had expected; just a couple dozen minutes from the sight where he’d fought and killed Ocean. As he reached the border, he could tell he’d made it. The snow simply ended and bright green grass grew past it. Flowers blossomed and trees were green with life. Giving one last look back at the frozen home he’d come to know for six months, Rallan sighed heavily and walked past the border and into unknown territory.

The first major difference Rallan noted was the change in scenery. Where the Icicle Pack lands had been cold and covered with snow, this place seemed like every other forest in the late spring: green, sunny, and full of color. The second thing Rallan noticed was the warmth. The sunlight felt good against his brown-gray pelt and even the breeze, yet cool, was still warm enough to be comfortable. The air was hinted with the scents of many variations of wildflowers and birds sang happily as they flew by.

Rallan was in awe by the amazing beauty he’d just walked into. The Icicle Pack lands were great as well, but this place was all natural. Whereas their lands had been winter year round, this place had seasons and everything one would need to live happily. It all seems to perfect! Rallan thought, then frowned slightly, A bit too perfect… Things always start off great for me, then go downhill suddenly… Better be aware of that…

Rallan continued to walk through the lush grass, smiling as he passed all the nature along the way. It felt so great to actually see this much color after half a year of pure white snow. He walked up and down a couple of hills until he came to a calm stream just running its way through the land. Everything seemed so simple and serene around here and Rallan loved it. Walking to the bank of the stream, he bent his muzzle down and took a long drink of the cool, clear water.

On the opposite side of the stream, a brown and white wolf had also come to get a drink. Both he and Rallan had bent down at the same time and had just missed noticing one another by a couple of seconds. However, when they both pulled back up, their eyes locked and they noticed one another. Both males seemed frozen in time as they stared at one another, assessing the other.

“Um, hello there…” Rallan replied calmly, still not sure what to make of the other male, “My name’s Rallan… I’m kinda new around here, I hope I’m not intruding…”

“Oh, no… No pack has been here for a long time…” the brown-white male replied, still scanning Rallan for any signs of aggression, “I’m Kalgorn, by the way… Welcome to the lands, Rallan…”

“Thanks Kalgorn… It’s a pleasure to meet you…” Rallan said, looking around, “So I guess you’re not going to harm me?” Kalgorn chuckled slightly and shook his head.

“Nope… Not unless you give me a reason to harm you…” Kalgorn answered, “So Rallan, are you passing through?”

“Actually, to be perfectly honest, I’m looking for a new home…” Rallan said truthfully, “I kinda just left my old one for the benefit of others, so I came here looking for a new place to stay…”

“Ah, well perhaps I could show you around maybe…” Kalgorn said warmly, “I’d be happy to introduce you to these lands…”

“Sounds great Kalgorn! I’d love to see around this place… It seems lovely…” Rallan replied, looking around at the lush green landscape surrounding him, “Do you have any friends around here I might meet?”

“Oh… Um, no, not really… I’ve kinda lived alone for- most of my life…” Kalgorn admitted slowly, “But I’d like to show you around…” Rallan smiled and ran across the shallow stream up beside Kalgorn.

“Well, what are we waiting for Kalgorn?” Rallan asked eagerly, “Let’s begin, shall we?” Kalgorn smiled back and led the way forward.

“Sure Rallan, let’s go!” Kalgorn replied, leading Rallan around. When Kalgorn finished his tour, the sun had already begun setting. “Well, what do you think of this place?”

“It’s fantastic Kalgorn! Thank you so much for showing me around…” Rallan said appreciatively, “So… Friends?”

“Friends…” Kalgorn replied, grinning at Rallan.

“There’s only one thing I’d have to say about here though…” Rallan said, looking around before looking back to Kalgorn, “I didn’t see many dens around here though… That could prove a problem for me…”

“Yeah, it probably would…” Kalgorn remarked, thinking to himself for a moment before a slight smile spread across his face, “Um, Rallan? If it’s not a problem with you, you could stay with me for a while… I don’t have any problems with that…”

“Kalgorn, I can’t begin to thank you enough!” Rallan said, beaming at his new friend, “Just promise me you aren’t some kind of murderer or anything like that…” Kalgorn chuckled softly and shook his head.

“No, no, I’m not a murderer… I despise killing entirely!” he replied, smiling at Rallan, “My den isn’t too far from here. Come on, we can reach it before nightfall!”

Kalgorn nudged him playfully and ran off ahead of Rallan. Rallan laughed and gave chase to his friend. Kalgorn was right; his den was only a few minutes’ run until they arrived at a decent-sized burrow dug into the side of a hill. Rallan followed in behind Kalgorn, looking around at the cozy home.

“You have a nice home, Kalgorn…” Rallan complimented as he looked around, Kalgorn proceeding to set up a second bed for him, “I can’t thank you enough for your hospitality…”

“Don’t mention it Rallan… It’s kinda nice to have some company after a long time of being alone…” Kalgorn replied warmly, chuckling slightly, “Ah, but you probably don’t know what that’s like, hmm?”

“Actually, believe it or not Kalgorn, I do know what that feeling is like… And I know what it’s like to be so hurt and betrayed after that great feeling of company…” Rallan remarked, smiling weakly, “I know that feeling all too well for comfort…”

“Oh, I’m sorry for bringing that up then…” Kalgorn apologized quickly, but stopped when Rallan held up a paw and shook his head, “Well, I’ve set up a bed for you… If you ever need anything, feel free to ask me at anytime.”

“Thank you very much, Kalgorn…” Rallan said with a smile, “I won’t be staying very long… Just about a month or so until I can finish digging myself a den…”

“That’s alright. Stay as long as you’d like to!” Kalgorn replied cheerfully, “Well, goodnight Rallan…”

“Goodnight, Kalgorn. Pleasant dreams…” Rallan said back, lying down on his bed and soon falling asleep.

Chapter 5

            Ever true to his word, the very next day, just after finishing breakfast with Kalgorn, Rallan set off to begin scoping out the land for a suitable place to position his future den. After a couple of days of searching the lands, Rallan settled on a position near the stream. It wasn’t too far from Kalgorn’s den; a mere ten minutes’ run from there. As soon as he plotted out the area, Rallan set to digging.

A month passed by in what seemed like a week, the summer dawning on the lands and forests. The temperature increased and Rallan was forced to reduce his work-load from all day excursions to a few hours. The rest of the day was spent frolicking in the stream with Kalgorn or playing other games or just talking and learning more about one another. Rallan shared stories about where he’d gotten his various scars and Kalgorn told Rallan about his battles and the white Z he had on his back.

“I was just, sorta, born with it… I never knew what it meant or if it meant anything significant at all…” Kalgorn said when he explained it to Rallan.

Rallan, who seemed quite satisfied with that answer, simply nodded and changed the topic. By the time July rolled about, Rallan’s den was finished and he was to move in the next day. Rallan now lay near Kalgorn outside on the soft grass, gazing up at the dark night sky dotted with bright stars and a crescent moon.

“Kalgorn, I can’t begin to even try to thank you enough for all you’ve done for me…” Rallan replied happily, a smile spreading across his face, “I’m glad we’re such good friends…”

“I am too, Rallan… I’m glad I met you down at the stream that day back in June…” Kalgorn responded, smiling over at his friend, “I hope you’ll enjoy your new home… You worked pretty hard and diligently on it.”

“I know… Thanks for that Kalgorn…” Rallan said. The two continued to lie out underneath the stars, a calm, serene silence surrounding them. And before Rallan knew it, he was fast asleep out on that hill with Kalgorn.

All Rallan could see was blackness. The darkness of his mind. Then, just as suddenly as the darkness had came, a forest sprouted from nowhere in an instant. Rallan knew this forest very well: it was his home; it was the Lylrin Forest. Before him, Rallan saw himself standing before the council, their chastising shouts filling his ears once again. His body was transparent and he couldn’t do anything but watch his horrible past replay before his eyes.

“The votes are cast! Rallan, by the authority vested in me by your father, Typhoon, I hereby exile you from the Lylrite Pack and their lands. Should you return, you shall be executed.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me… My life was ruined by him and now you want to exile me? What’s next, executing someone for punished crimes?”

“I think you’ve said enough, Rallan. You are now stripped of your title as ‘Prince’ and must now leave forever. I’ll have some guards escort you to the border.”

“Don’t bother… I’ll be fine going on my own…”

Rallan watched as the younger form of himself turned and began to walk away, the insults flying at him doing nothing. It was only when Drake had scored a hit on him that he actually began to run. Rallan glared at his former pack and howled with anger, warping to the clearing where he’d killed his father. Just as he called, Typhoon stepped out into view.

“Hello son… You look well…” Typhoon said to him, giving him a slight grin.

“Save it… I know you’re only a manifestation on my guilt and fears… I’m going to do what I should have done a long time ago, ‘father’… I’m going to confront you and defeat you… I didn’t murder you and I never will believe I did anymore…” Rallan said fiercely, getting into a fighting stance. Typhoon chuckled and assumed his stance.

“Come on son! Show me what this world has taught you!” he shouted, lunging for Rallan and barely missing his throat.

Rallan winced and recoiled, taking several steps backward to get some distance between him and his father. Without wasting another second, Rallan lunged for Typhoon, grabbing his father by the leg and dragging him down to the ground. Typhoon growled and slashed Rallan across the face, then kicked him backward into a tree. Rallan grunted as he hit the plant and fell to the ground, both adversaries getting up again and beginning to circle one another.

“Brings back memories, doesn’t it Rallan?” Typhoon asked, glancing quickly around the clearing, “On this night, in this very spot, more than a year ago, I ended your life…”

“You didn’t kill me…”

“You don’t have to kill someone to end their life…” Typhoon remarked, grinning cruelly, “Have you ever been truly happy since this night? Have you ever found a new home to call ‘your home’ or ever felt love or a permanent welcome? Your life is over, Rallan, whether you know it or not…”

“Blasphemy!” Rallan shouted and lunged at Typhoon again, missing his bite, but scoring a slash on his father’s chest, “I don’t believe you!”

“Oh please Rallan, do you really think anyone will welcome a murderer?”

“I never meant to kill you! You pulled away at the wrong time!” Rallan desperately protested, “I’m not a murderer!”

Typhoon, however, wasn’t about to sit by and watch Rallan babble on about not being a murderer. He took his son’s momentary distraction to his advantage and leapt at him, tackling and pinning him down to the ground. Now that Rallan was restrained, he bit through the gray wolf’s throat and ripped it apart, watching as Rallan bled out with an evil grin.

“I’m… not… a… murderer…” Rallan whispered, his words getting fainter by the second until he lay completely still.

“No!” Rallan shouted as he shot up from his nightmare, panting heavily and looking around desperately. Beside him, Kalgorn immediately woke up and looked about for any sign of danger, sighing when he didn’t see any and looked to Rallan.

“Hey, Rallan… Is everything alright, buddy?” he asked the startled wolf calmly, “Nightmare or something?” Rallan simply stared at Kalgorn for a moment before slowly nodding his head.

“Yeah… Yeah, it was just a nightmare… All a nightmare…” Rallan muttered, looking around him before rising to his feet, “I need to go take a walk… I’ll be back soon Kalgorn…”

Kalgorn could only nod and lie back down as Rallan stood up and walked down the hill and into the forest. As he vanished beyond the tree-line, Rallan’s mind ran with thoughts. Is he right? Is my father right? He thought dejectedly to himself, Is my life really over? Is it even worth living anymore if I’ll only find enemies?

But before Rallan could think anything else, he heard a twig snap somewhere nearby him. His ears perked up and his head bolted to his right side, scanning for the source of the sound. Almost as if by will, a gray and white wolf stepped out from behind a tree and looked over him, slowly grinning to herself.

“Um, hello… I don’t mean any harm… I’m just out on a walk…” Rallan said, staring the wolf over. By the slender body and more elegant face, he judged that the wolf was a female. Yet, oddly enough, she had a similar, if not identical, coat to his and her icy-blue eyes seemed to familiar, yet he couldn’t place his paw on it.

“Hello there... Excuse me, but would you mind coming with me for a few moments?” she asked, motioning her head into the forest and walking off.

“Um… Sure, I suppose…” Rallan replied, following her every step of the way. So much about her seemed familiar, from the voice to her scent, but Rallan still had no idea who she was.

“Don’t worry… It’s not too much farther…” she responded, walking for several minutes until they arrived in a clearing deep in the forest, “Well, here we are!” Rallan looked around them empty clearing, then gave the female a strange look.

“Oooook… I’ll play along… Why did you bring me to an empty clearing?” he asked, looking around briefly, “I’m a little confused now…”

“Yeah, I thought you would be at first, Rallan…” Rallan’s ears immediately perked up when she spoke his name and slowly turned back to face her.

“How do you know my name?” Rallan asked suspiciously, scanning her once again, “Who are you?”

“All in due time, Rallan… Tell me, have you ever wondered how the Lylrite Pack has been doing since you were exiled over a year ago?” she asked, grinning wickedly. Rallan took a couple steps backward.

“Who are you?” Rallan asked once again, “How do you know all of this stuff? Tell me your name, NOW!”

“Oh, still demanding, eh Rally?” she said with a dark tone. Rallan gasped and almost fell backward.

“No… It can’t be…” Rallan said softly, “Rayne… Is it you?”

“Hello big brother… How’s life been treating you since we last ran into one another?” Rayne asked coolly, eyes burning holes into his head, “Guess what I am now… I’m the Alphess of the Lylrite Pack now… Isn’t that something, brother?”

“Stop talking to me like you’ve got no remorse at what you’ve done! You voted to have me executed and had someone not voted my innocence, then I would be dead now!” Rallan snapped back, taking a bold step forward and baring his teeth, “You think I’m happy to see you, Rayne? You are sorely mistaken…”

“Oh, such hurtful words, Rally! I didn’t even do anything but reintroduce myself to you and look at how you greet your own sister! I had hoped that a year out in the wild wouldn’t have turned you into a savage, but not all hopes are granted…” she remarked, chuckling darkly, “So, I guess the Icicle Pack ran you out, hmm?”

“It was you… You tipped of Frost that I was an accused murderer! You’re the reason I was thrown out of their lands!” Rallan nearly shouted, glaring back at Rayne, “How dare you do that to me Rayne! Why are you out here looking for me anyway?!”

“To finish what the council started more than a year ago…” Rayne answered coolly, “They convicted you for murder and your sentence was death, but that one vote turned it to exile… I’m here to carry out the sentence that one vote stopped… I’m here to kill you, Rallan…”

“On whose authority?” Rallan demanded again, growling angrily, “You have no civil right to do that to me! I carried out my sentence! You can’t do this!”

“I am the Alphess! I can do whatever I wish!” Rayne snapped back, flicking her tail in a command to someone, “And I’ve brought some assistance… Some old friends of yours…” From behind a group of trees, Drake, Hunter, and Valley walked into sight and stood behind Rayne.

“Hello Rallan… Long time no see…” Drake said coldly, glaring at Rallan with a malicious grin, “Your sister’s leading us now… And we have our orders… Not to rest until you lie dead…”

“Rallan, you have a choice now… You can either admit to your crime and your death will be quick and painless… Resist and you’ll only suffer…”

Rallan glared at the four wolves confronting him. He knew his limitations and facing off with all four at once would immediately spell disaster for him. Thinking and acting fast, Rallan swiped at the ground, kicking up a cloud of dirt and dust before turning and dashing off into the forest.

“After him! Don’t let him get away!” Rayne ordered in a shout once the dust cleared, the four giving chase to their prey.

Rallan panted heavily as he sprinted through the forest, narrowly avoiding collisions with trees and rocks. Behind him, he could hear his sister’s order and kept going as fast as his legs could take him. Behind him, the four were hot on his trail. Soon, Rallan came to a river and began running along the bank of it, southward bound. Rayne and her group came by it a minute later and followed Rallan’s scent, determined to catch him more than anything else.

The gray wolf continued to run, his breathing hard and heavy. Every so often, he’d glance over his shoulder to make sure they weren’t gaining on him. When he didn’t see them, he grinned and looked forward- only to see a cliff in front of him. Rallan slammed on his brakes and skidded to a halt just at the edge, glancing over at the huge drop. The river dropped off into a waterfall that ran into a raging river. He ran out into the river and onto a small plot of land in the middle of the rushing river. Just then, Rayne and the others ran up to the other side of the river.

“Rallan! Just come back and everything will be over just like that!” Rayne shouted out to him.

“No Rayne! I won’t be killed for a crime I never commit! I never will be!” Rallan shouted back, glaring at her, “Tell me Rayne, can you sniff out a wolf through water? You’d better hope you can, or else you’ll never see me again!”

Before Rayne could act or say anything else, Rallan threw himself off the edge of the waterfall, bracing himself for the impact of the water. However, he couldn’t have been prepared for the feeling of the water hitting his body. The force of it knocked him about in the water and pulled him under. Slowly, his vision went black and Rallan lost all consciousness. Rayne watched as her brother fell and hit the water, then vanished out of sight. She growled furiously and turned to the others.

“Quick! We can’t lose his trail! We need to get down there, now!” Rayne ordered, glaring back over the cliff, “He’s not getting away again…” With that, Rayne led her group back out on the hunt of the convict known as Rallan.

The End

To be concluded in Volume III