Spirit's Bitter End

Chapter 2 ~ Daily Routines

        All traces of winter had been erased from the land. It was truly now the season of spring. Ubron and Saria’s pups had grown much over the span of two weeks. "They were born in the best time of year," the alpha wolf had said to Ubron one day. Saria sat out in the middle of the pack’s camp, watching her pups roughhouse. Muran and Kari growled playfully as they wrestled in the dirt, creating a small cyclone of dust around themselves. Pedrah sat next to his mother, watching his littermates exhaust themselves.

        "Pedrah, why don’t you join them?" His mother suggested. Pedrah had not once participated in these lively play fights. The youngest pup shook his head with a sigh, before standing up and walking into his parent’s den. Kari ran over to her mother, panting heavily as if she had just been chased across all of Kuran by a giant wolf-eating monster.

        "Mother! Muran bit my ear!" She whined, flicking her left ear for emphasis. Her mother bent over and examined her daughter’s tiny golden ear. There were indeed little bite marks, no doubt Muran’s doing.

        "Muran! No biting!" Saria scolded her oldest son, who grinned sheepishly. "There is nothing funny about hurting your little sister!" She chastised him again, this time, more sternly.

        Almost everyday, it was the same routine. The males would leave early in the morning, when the sun was barely peeking over the great mountain of Alderon, to hunt for the pack. The males left the females in charge of camp while they were gone, mostly to watch over the little troublemakers called pups. The entire pack worked together to survive. It had been that way for centuries and no wolf planned on changing the ancient ways. But order comes at a price. Every pack has it’s own laws, and this particular pack is very strict when it comes to the rules of life. All wolves are taught pack law at a very young age. The first thing they learn is respect. If they do not respect their superiors, they get a swift nip on the ear. Second most important law; no mating with rival wolves. This law was made when two wolves from different packs fell for each other and decided to have pups. This, of course, caused a great number of issues too arise, and in the end, the couple paid with their lives. Third; no wolf must ever, ever interact with the human world. Not many know why this became law. Perhaps the truth behind this rule may be uncovered in the not so distant future? These rules drone on and on and to list all of them would take many hours, with which could be used far more wisely. Now, continuing our story…

        Pedrah lay alone on the cold stone floor of his parent’s den, staring blankly out into the large world. Other wolves eyed him, wondering why he wasn’t out playing. He was a strange pup in a strange world, indeed. His mother padded in and looked at him with eyes full of concern and… Was it pity?

        "Pedrah, what is bothering you?" She asked in a voice as sweet as the spring breeze that swept softly through camp. Pedrah rolled onto his back, batting at a lone fly with his small paws. Saria cocked her head at her youngest pup. She walked over to him and lay down next to him. She stroked his ear with her tongue, worried about him. Pedrah shook her off, not wanting to be comforted.

        "Nothing is wrong, Mother. I just want to be left alone." He replied in a formal voice. Saria stood up and nodded. She walked out of the den with a hurt expression written across her face.

        Later in the afternoon, when the sun had already begun it’s slow decent behind the Misty Ridge, howls were heard in the distance. Many female wolves howled in reply; the males were on their way back from the hunting expedition. That meant food and rest for all the mothers weary of pup-sitting. Soon, the sound of paws hitting the wet ground could be heard and the males ran into camp, loaded with fresh kill. The scent wafted into every wolf’s den, signaling the beginning of the evening meal. Female and male wolves were reunited for supper. Saria padded over to Ubron and licked his nose. Ubron dropped two pairs of plump rabbits at her feet. She smiled and thanked him for helping out with the hunting.

        Once everyone was settled down, they began to eat. The older wolves chewed and ripped at pieces of various prey while the younger pups drank the milk provided by their mother. After everyone’s bellies had been filled, it was off to bed.

        Ubron lay with Saria curled up next to him. Muran slept on top of his mother, snoring like a hibernating bear while Kari hummed softly in her sleep underneath Saria’s paw. But Pedrah had isolated himself from his family. He sat at the edge of the den, doing nothing in particular. He stared up at the twinkling stars, and thinking about the pack’s insignificant existence. Moonlight shone down on him, illuminated his fur, causing him to look like the silver guardian of ancient legends. The alpha wolf was still up at this late hour, keeping watch over camp. He examined this strange young pup, which stared up at the stars and seemed to become a star himself. Who was this youngster?