• Chapter 1
    Screams of agony and terror filled their ears as they cuddled together deep within their den. A dark fear had taken to them like smoke comes from a fire. They had never felt such terror in their few short months of life but it now overwhelmed them like nothing before. The horrors outside the den where unimaginable for such young creatures. It was beyond unnatural.
    The creatures had appeared outside the camp only moments before without any kind of warning. Soon every wolf in the pack was being torn to pieces by these ghastly black monsters. The four small pups had hidden themselves in their den for as little safety it could provide. They knew their lives were in peril but instinct wouldn't let them leave their home just yet.
    Crimson blood oozed into the opening at the mouth of the cave. They knew their own demise would come soon. They cringed and shook as a shady black head slowly came into view in the cavern. Blood dripped from its maw and deep gashes seeped the red liquid. “Run! Run for your lives and never return here!” came the familiar voice of their mother from the mouth of the hideous beast before them. They continued to cower for only a moment as the light left the wolf's dying eyes and they realized the severity of her words. The largest of the four yipped and ran faster than he ever had before, not caring if the others followed him or not. His own survival was all that he cared about in his mad dash.
    Luckily, he made it to safety deep within the trees and found that his siblings had indeed followed him. The four young wolves paused for a moment and looked back towards their now decimated home. A single internal whimper was shared before they turned away and ran.
    They continued to run farther until they found a hollowed out tree and crouched inside it. It was then they realized they had been followed. The lone figure was scraggly, it's eyes filled with blood lust and hate. The dark essence around him grew as he drew near them, pondering the ways he could devour the insignificant creatures before him. He began to laugh, deep and churning, it squelched from his blood soaked lips. “What will I do with you my pretties? How shall I feast upon your flesh?” his voice was sadistic and soaked in malice.
    As he neared, only feet from the cubs, a deafening roar was heard accompanied by a flash of white. The attacker pummeled the black creature to the ground without effort. The white creature then quickly clamped it's jaws around the throat of the other and crushed his throat before any complaint or sound could be made. As the last gasp of air left the creatures body, the large newcomer walked towards the pups, blood still dripping from it's lips. There was a difference though between this blood soaked maw and that of their original attacker's. This one had kind eyes and obviously didn't want their blood or their lives.
    “With me,” came a deep grumbling female voice from this white savior as she walked by. She looked behind her to see if the cubs followed and nodded her head forward and they obeyed. With no other choice but to follow the one who saved their lives they ran farther from their home than they had ever imagined going. They ran at a slow pace, their still short legs not allowing a faster one, which annoyed the larger she-wolf though she stuck with them until they reached their destination.
    When they were a few more miles away she stopped them. They had now found themselves far from home in a strange meadow by a stream with a wild white wolf as their guide.
    “Who are you!” demanded the smallest, a light fawn wolf with a dark brown stripe down her spine. “What do you want with us? Where are we? What just happened?”
    “Yeah explain yourself,” chimed in the smaller male. His coat was a cream mess of fur.
    The white wolf sat down and took a deep, calming breath before she answered the demanding youngsters. “I am Kari. We are safe now and the rest will be answered with time.” Her pure white fur glistened in the dying sun. She then walked to the stream and began to wash the blood from her lips. “You must rest, you are weary and there is much we must discuss after you have replenished your strength.” She was answered by distasteful grunts but the younger wolves listened to her authority. They found themselves much more tired than they realized and quickly fell asleep, all but one.
    The young silver female walked to the stream and sat next to the newly announced Kari and looked into the water, noticing that the day was almost gone and the first glimpses of the moon could be seen before the setting of the sun. “What is to become of us?” she asked simply, still staring at the reflection in the water.
    “I hope only good things young one, now rest and we shall talk later,” replied the older wolf as she too lay down to rest. The young female followed suit and lay on the soft grasses near the banks and quickly fell into a dreamless slumber.

    * * *

    Her eyes opened slowly, all she saw was a blur of green and blue, trees and water and sky. Slowly the blur of sleep wore off and she remembered the night before. A yip of fear escaped her lips as she jumped back, not remembering she was safe now. Quickly she gained her composure as the young wolf's eyes made out the forms of her three litter mates, their features contorted in confusion. Soon they then burst out in laughter and she joined them, remembering they were safe but far from home. She glanced behind her laughing siblings to see the form of their savior walking up, something hanging from her mouth. The young wolves smelled the fresh meat and were suddenly hungry.
    “Food!” shouted the small cream colored male as he lunged at the large white wolf his eyes so bright they resembled the sun.
    The large female smiled and tossed the hunk of flesh over his head to where it would be between them all. “Eat, and I will tell you all a few stories that you need to hear.” she said, her voice happy but stern.
    “Stories?” questioned the smallest as she ripped a small bite of food from the chunk of meat. “this should be fun, I love stories.”
    “I don't think she means like the ones mother used to tell us, Namara,” responded the much larger brown male as he slowly ate his share.
    “Oh,” replied Namara, her spirits seemingly broken now.
    “No, these stories are not the kind your mother would have told you. These are dark, and not born from fairy tales but from legends and what is real. These are much more painful but you must hear them now that you too have entered the war,” replied Kari solemnly, her head hung low and sadness filled her eyes.
    “War? What's war and why are we now part of it?” questioned the young silver female after shoving past the cream colored male who was gorging himself.
    “First eat, then you will tell me who you are. It is only right, seeing as you know who I am but I have no clue who you four are.” replied the elder wolf, a small smirk played on her lips to lighten the mood.
    The smallest wolf, the light brown who had a dark stripe down her spine, sat back and looked at the large female. She licked her lips and introduced herself. “I'm Namara. Mother told us we were part of the Mithynlas Pack, she said we were a very special pack of wolves.” Kari responded with a nod and a smile at the brave young female. She already liked her, her spirit was strong and fierce. She would be a perfect warrior, though she was very small.
    “Naite,” responded the largest male as he continued to eat. He glowered at the large female, an air of mistrust in his eyes. She again nodded but this time did not smile, he was powerful but there was just something about him she didn't like.
    The young silver female stood and bowed slightly, “I'm Lilyth. And this,” she spoke as she nudged the cream male who was ignoring everyone and still gorging himself, “is our brother Luchris.”
    “I see,” she paused before continuing, this would be painful for all of them and also very frightening. “well unfortunately your lives will never be the same young ones.” She sat down and brushed the ground with her long tail. Her eyes and posture got serious, she didn't want to say what she was about to but she had no choice. “By now, your whole family is dead. They were destroyed by a pack of wolves bent on world domination and causing as much pain and suffering as possible. They are called Berayelle and led by a vile wolf-like creature called Falkry.”
    The almost overload of information left the young wolves speechless and still. The news of their family hit them the most, leaving their mouths agape and tears in their small eyes. A hole seemed to form in their hearts as they stared at the monster that just told them their family was dead. Naite stood and growled at Kari, his eyes filled with rage and tears. The others just watched, too upset to even move. The large male lunged at the even larger she-wolf. She simply put up a paw and let him bite down on it. The others' eyes shot wide and Lilyth stood, filled with shock and fear.
    A wince crossed Kari's face before the young wolf let go and fell into a heap of tears and sadness. She patted his head and looked back at the others, evidence of tears welled up in the corners of her soft eyes. “There may no longer be hope for your family, but you can help us give hope to those that have not been lost.”
    “How!? How can there still be hope?! How can we help, we're too young, too small?! Why should we?!” interrupted Lilyth, her eyes so full of tears they splashed off of her face as she yelled. She was confused, they all were, nothing this white beast said made any bit of sense. How could she be so calm while telling them this, how did she even know?
    Kari sighed before she responded, her heart heavy with the grief for the youngsters. “You are too small and too weak now, but that can change quickly. You can fight them, and eventually help destroy them. That is where our hope lies, in those who join the fight, in those who will protect what is right. That is also why, if we don't stand up to them, no one will and everything will be dead and destroyed.”
    Luchris walked up to Kari, his eyes still filled with tears and now fear, but his heart was firm. He hadn't seemed to have time to think, but he didn't care. The others stared at him as he sat himself before the she-wolf and spoke with an oddly calm voice, “I'll do it, I will fight.”
    Every eye in the clearing shot wide, of all of them Luchris was the least likely to do anything of the sort. He was a trickster and lazy, not a fighter. 'He must have gone insane with grief' was all that Naite could think of this but was soon even more confused.
    Lilyth grunted, then growled and joined her brother before the white she-wolf. “They will pay for what they have done, and if it must be then I will be the one who does it.”
    'So young, and so determined, fine warriors from the start!' thought Kari as quickly the other female joined her siblings, her eyes set showing what her heart felt. She then looked down at the large male who had been so angered that he had bitten her. Why was it that he was taking so long to decide? Her question was quickly answered as he slowly stood and nodded at the others and then at her. She smiled at them, her eyes filled with tears of hope both for them and everything else. “This is great, now you begin a new chapter of your lives, one filled with hope and hard work.”
    At this the cream male cringed, “I hate work,” he mumbled, only to be laughed at and bumped by Lilyth and Namara.