Blazing Star

Part 2-A Plague to The Pack

Moons and moons had passed since the birth of Ash and his siblings. In a few moons, they would start learning to serve the Pack, learn to hunt and fight. They were big pups now-but, being the runt, Ash was still small compared to his brothers and sister. He did not know this, however. His parents had decided to keep the fact that he was the runt a secret, much to his oblivion.

As Ash was growing up, most of the wolves of the Pack began to avoid him. They kept their food far away from him, and edged away as he played with his siblings. They sat far away from him during Pack meetings, and never talked to him at all.

Of course, Ash never paid attention to any of that. He didn't know he was treated like an outcast. His parents and his siblings loved and appreciated him, and that was all he wanted.

                                  Little did he know all that would be taken away from him.

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More moons passed until a certain special day. On this special day, Ash and his siblings wagged their tails with glee. Today was the day that they would start their training. They would be assigned mentors, and their mentors would train them to hunt, to fight, to serve the pack.

Ash and his siblings were no longer pups. They were growing into young wolves, with slender builds and sharp teeth. Ash was still the smallest of the litter, but he didn't mind. His parents still had not told him his terrible secret, of him being a runt.

But this was still a happy day. The sun was shining, the sky was a bright blue, and in a few moments, the pack leader would begin Ash's training. It seemed like nothing could go wrong, that nothing could ruin this perfect day.

                                                                          Until it happened.

Ash and his siblings were in their den. They groomed each other, licking their fur and making themselves clean for their ceremony. They couldn't keep their tails from wagging with excitement. In just a few moments, the Pack would have its eyes on them as they were assigned mentors, as they began their training. Ash was the most excited out of all his siblings.

Suddenly, a howl of grief exploded from outside, making Ash jump. He and his siblings raced outside and skidded to a halt at the center of the action. What they saw made Ash's heart sink and explode.

                                          There, laying before him, was his mother's lifeless body.

His beautiful mother, Morning, lay dead in front of him. Blood pooled from her throat. He spotted something odd-looking and shiny clinging to her neck like a flea to his pelt. He watched as Dew - one of his mother's closest friends - padded up slowly and looked at her lifeless friend. Her gaze suddenly sparked with fury when she saw the odd shiny thing.

"Humans!" she snarled, pointing with her tail at the shiny object. "They did this! They caught her in ome of their traps!"

Ash spotted Storm sitting nearby. His father's eyes were full of grief, and he ducked his head with sadness and looked at his mate's lifeless body.

The rest of the Pack, who had been watching in horrified silence, parted as a large, well-muscled, regal-looking wolf strode past. Ash recognized the wolf as Thunder, the leader of the Pack. Ever since he was a pup, Ash had greatly admired his leader. He had wished to grow up to become just as great as a leader as him.

As Thunder approached Morning's body, Dew looked up at him. "Humans did this to her!" she howled.

"No," Thunder replied. "It wasn't the humans.

Suddenly, he whipped around and glared at Ash.

"It was the runt," he growled.

Around him, the wolves of the pack started to look at him with suspicion and anger. Dew looked up from Morning's body and glared at Ash. Her eyes were full of absolute hatred.

"R-runt?" Ash squeaked. "What do you mean? I'm not a runt!"

"Ash," Thunder said, cutting him off. "Have your parents-or, parent- not told you yet?"

"Told me what?" Ash asked. He looked at his father. His expression was full of sadness..

"So he hasn't," Thunder decided. He looked Ash straight in the eye. "You're the runt of your litter, Ash. That's why you're so small. And runts have a...checkered past."

"Huh?" Ash was puzzled.

"They're bad luck, Ash." Thunder growled. "When they're born, we give their parents a choice. They can either leave the runt out to fend for itself, or keep it in the Pack until it does us wrong. Your father chose to keep him. And now you've done us wrong."

He thrust his muzzle into the young wolf's face.

"Your mother is dead because of you!" he snarled. "It's your fault she's dead!"

Ash swallowed the lump in his throat. Was it true? Had his mother really died because of him? Just beause he was a runt?

"Why?" he croaked to his father. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Storm sighed with sadness and looked down at his paws.

"Because your father is a fool," Thunder snarled. "He was a fool then, and he will forever be a fool."

He turned to face his Pack.

"Now that Morning is dead, we shall mourn her later. But now, we will carry out our rules. The day a runt causes us trouble is the day the penalty strikes. From this day forth, this runt's family shall be shunned. They shall eat their prey last, use the dirtplace last, and be avoided by the rest of us."

He turned back to Ash.

"And we will put this runt in his place," he snarled. "We will kill him."