Crow Feathers

One

She groaned softly as she woke, her muscles sore from the rough training her father pushed her through yesterday. She sat up, realizing it was about noon. Rolling to her side she stared out of her bedroom window. The outside was fairly dark as fog laid heavily outside, obscuring the sun as snow drifted against her window before melting.

It was quiet through the pack house, the serenity of the morning calming. A small tapping at her door had her sliding out of her bed. She padded quietly to the door before opening it. Peering out she found her cousin Neji. She smiled softly.

"I'm going for a border run, would you like to come with?"

She pondered for a moment before nodding her acceptance.

Moments later they were standing at the edge of the forest. She grunted slightly as she shifted, her bones shifting and realigning. Her wolf was different from her pack mates. She had a dark black wolf, while the rest of her pack had various shades of earthly tones. Ranging from dark greys to chocolate browns. She huffed, shaking her head clear of the soft snow.

She watched as her cousins large mocha colored wolf stepped out from the tree lines, his white eyes gleaming. He was barely larger than her own wolf. She wagged her tail as he nipped at her shoulder before launching himself into the thicket. She fallowed suit, chasing him through the woods in a small game of tag.

Approaching the pack border they slowed, knowing the games were done briefly as they scouted. She pattered around behind her cousin, wary of their surroundings. The hairs on her neck stood and she paused.

'What is it?'

'I'm not sure,' she whined back through their pack link.

She had heightened instincts compared to the other wolves in their pack so Neji knew to take her offset seriously. He stopped and began to sniff around the area, his own hackles raised and senses heightened. With the thick fog they could barely see fifteen feet ahead of themselves, having to rely on other senses to scope the danger.

She yelped as a large bear came barreling towards them, roaring and angry. She dodged the bears giant paw just as Neji leaped towards it, latching his powerful jaws into the bears throat. The beast roared and tossed him around in desperation. Tossing itself upright onto two legs Hinata took the opportunity to tear her teeth through the bears hind leg.

Blood splattered over the snow, the bears roars of pain and snarling from the wolves echoing around them. Neji and Hinata backed off, both snarling as blood and saliva stringed from their teeth. Clear warning. The bear turned and ran back the way she came.

'Don't give chase,' she reprimanded as Neji took a step towards where the bear went.

'Why?' he snapped, a little impatient.

'The wildlife around here is precious. We must be respectful. She took us as a threat to her cubs,' Hinata huffed a little impatiently.

Neji flattened his ears and lowered his head at Hinatas words. She accepted his submission with a wag of her tail before trotting along the borders once more. Following suit they stayed in comfortable silence as they loped the remainder of the south border before giving chase once more to the pack house.

She stepped back around the tree line, barefoot in the snow. She gave her cousin a small smile.

"Thank you for inviting me, my wolf has been pretty restless since my birthday. I think this helped her calm down some."

He nodded, understanding that her wolf was acting stir crazy as she had not found her mate within the pack when she came of age.

It was unusual for a wolf to not find their mates within their own packs. Her wolf has been in pain since the realization. Most of the time if they found their mates in different packs they were rejected for a chosen mate. Especially the ones of higher ranking status. She was the daughter of Alpha Hiashi, next Luna of the Silver Moon pack. If she found her fated mate outside of her own pack she would be forced to reject him and the next Alpha will be chosen by their current Alpha.

Deciding not to dwell on it longer she headed to the dining hall for a late lunch.

"Hello, Hans," she greeted the older woman warmly.

"Ah, Hinata, dear, late lunch?" The woman smiled, age marks wrinkling the corners of her eyes and mouth.

Her silvering hair and wrinkles did nothing to take away the older woman's inner light. She grabbed a clean bowl and began loading it full of the venison roast and vegetables.

"Thank you, Hans, you are very kind," she murmured as she took the bowl from the woman's hands.

Hinata sat down at one of the tables, the dining hall practically empty aside from a few pack mates gathering for a mid-day snack. She began to wolf down her food, filling her empty stomach.

Hans was on top of it, bringing the hungry she wolf another bowl. Just as quickly that bowl was gone too. No one ever commented on her healthy appetite.

Just as she finished her fourth bowl her cousins voice traveled sharply through the mind link.

'Intruder at the South of the territory!' He barked.

She jumped from her seat and sprang into action. The moment she was out of the pack houses front door she shifted, shredding her night clothing. Her wolf seemed extra frantic and almost giddy. Her wolf darted into the tree lines, her powerful long legs carrying her through the thick trees and over the underbrush.

She halted to a stop when her cousin came into view with a few other pack warriors as they stood face to face with two massive black wolves. They had not crossed the border but were staring directly down on her cousin.