Running With Wolves

One - Last Peace

     Star yawned and opened her eyes, returning to the sensation of hunger in her belly. Despite the pangs, she raised her muzzle, taking in the grey pre-dawn light. All around her the bodies of her packmates rose and fell as they slept. Star breathed in their scents. There was her sister, Snow. Then Swift, a dark gray male wolf. Owl, who was dark gray like his brother Swift, and Water: a light gray she-wolf. Star was light gray herself and larger than most of the other hunters. She was the highest-ranking hunter of the Grassland Pack.

     Star rose to her paws, careful not to rouse her sister who was curled up beside her. She made her way to the den entrance and crawled out onto the rocks. The Grassland Pack made their camp in the shelter of a small hill at the centre of their territory. Ahead of Star lay the forest. Behind her were the grasslands. And in between, lay the boulders where her pack lived.

     Star's den was above the omegas', where Otter and Eagle slept. Just above her were the three betas Roaring Bear, Pale Bone, and Fearless Bison. Her Alphas had the highest den in the hill, below the largest boulder, with easy access to the top of the mound. Their names were Cold Wind and Cunning Fox. Both were the best Alphas in all the territories – nay, all of wolfkind. Star was certainly glad she had them.

     The small hill where Star lived was covered in huge slabs of granite; her pack dug their dens below them. The light gray wolf shook her coat and looked to the top of the rise. Night sat on watch. She was a black she-wolf; beautiful and a skilled hunter like Star. Star bounded up the slope, careful not to disturb her leaders as she passed by their den.

     "Good hunting, Night," she greeted. The custom seemed to mock her as they had not had any hunting for a long time.

     "Good hunting, Shooting Star. Why are you up so early?" asked the black wolf. Star licked her dry chops.

     "I wanted to get a drink and breathe in the morning air." She did just that, inhaling deeply to draw the scents to her nose. There was the dew on the plants, and the musk of a deer just a run away. Deer! Star's ears pricked forward. Night froze and watched.

     "What is it?" the wolf asked.

     Sniffing again to make sure she was not dreaming, Star could not help but drool a little. Where is it coming from? She took a step forward in her excitement. "Deer... close enough to hunt... in the direction of the Great River. Can you smell it?"

     Night lifted her head, then her whole body became alert. "Yes!" So it's not a dream... deer! Star's joy was almost enough to ignore her thirst. Almost.

     "I'll be back before the dawn patrol leaves," she told the hunter. "I'm going to get a drink."

     Night butted Star's flank with her broad head, happiness radiating from her. The grey wolf yipped in response and loped off, full of purpose. They would hunt deer today!

     She walked a worn path between two boulders. It led into the trees and soon Star broke into a run. She darted between the trunks, heading towards a small pond. She could smell it before she reached it. Pondweed, bulrushes, and a few frogs.

     Star stepped into the small clearing. Her sharp eyes darted to track a bird as it startled. The she-wolf dipped her head and lapped at the cool liquid with her tongue. A lark began singing.

     Roaring Bear and Snow would be the dawn patrol today. Star hurried to make it home after her drink, loping along the path back to the camp. She emerged into the sight of the alpha's den just in time to see a large, gray-brown wolf emerge from a lower crack.

     "Good hunting, Roaring Bear!" she called up to the beta. It was pack custom to address higher ranking wolves formally, which was why only her Alphas were allowed to call each other 'Wind' or 'Fox'.