Slink the Savage strode purposefully through the long grass. It was frozen by the weather and reached the muscular dark-blue Lupine�s shoulder, but he knew it didn�t last long, soon giving way to the bare dirt patch that in a few weeks, would sprout new spring growth. He strode on, the light layer of snow not bothering the layer of fur protecting the more senstive pads on his paws. Gentle snowflakes were drifting through the air but Slink�s coat was thickened for the season and he did not feel the cold.
Soon enough the grass thinned out and shortened, and still, Slink moved relentlessly on. He headed over the desolate field to where a crumbling beech tree stood, branches broken off and with very few live leaves. At the base of the tree, frozen roots stuck up out of the ground, half covering a shadowy hole. Over this the roots had been savagely torn and ripped out, or bent back out of the way. The snow in front of the opening was trampled flat. Squeaks and small cries were faintly heard by Slink�s sharp ears. He smiled grimly. He knew his mate was down there, with his new puppies. He ducked his head and went down the hole. Half way down the short tunnel a pup met him. Just like Slink he was covered in a thick pelt of darkened azure, and just like Slink, his eyes were black. Empty, soulless, black.

Slink chuckled and lowered his nose to sniff the pup, which bared his tiny teeth; hardly able to see the strange big Lupe with his barely used eyes. Slink rested his paw on the pup�s head. The paw and the head were about the same size. The pup growled softly. Slink grinned, then lifted his paw and went on down the tunnel. In the hollowed cave at the end lay his mate, Black Ruby. The tunnel entrance bore a shadowy pile of dirt to trip unwary intruders. Slink balanced on it for a second. Ruby's deep red eyes shone in the darkness, her black fur would have made her to appear almost invisible to most creatures... but Slink�s darker-than-night eyes could see in any extreme of light.
She had been waiting for him. Their second litter of pups were in the cave with her. There were a set of twins, both dark blue furred with crimson eyes. The male twin sat between her paws staring curiously at Slink, the female lying by her side. Heaving herself over Ruby's back to get a look at the strange big adult, was another red-eyed pup, her fur a mix of blue and black, some strange form of dark slaten. An undersized ashen-coloured male sat a little way off, his red eyes on Slink. Slink padded in, lowering his head to the last pup, ebon in his eye and pelt colour. Ruby dipped her muzzle as the pup from the tunnel stepped onto the pile of dirt at the entrance.
�Wondered when you�d turn up�
Slink grunted. His eye had caught a flash of white in the corner. He trotted over to it. It was another pup, a female, all white. When she looked up fearfully, Slink took in her pale pinkish eyes, her skinny sides, ribs showing. She was smaller than the other pups, far too small, even when compared to the little ashen male sitting not so far away. �Runt. A mutant one at that. Get rid of it.� Ruby asserted, cleaning the pup between her paws. Slink nodded and grabbed the albino pup roughly by her scruff. He turned and went out of the cave, stepping over the black-eyed male, still standing on the dirt pile. The pup was only six weeks old, but he could already walk well. He followed his father. Slink glanced back to see the pup trailing him, watching him intently with those dark dark eyes. He smiled very slightly, unable to manage more with the albino pup in his mouth. He slowed very slightly to let the pup catch up, and then continued. The pup kept right at Slink�s side, ignoring the weak, pitiful cries of his sister. Father and son traveled in silence through the field of snowy grass that completely covered the walking pup. Slink watched him through the corner of one eye. He snapped angrily at a bug that landed on his side. It buzzed into the damp air and then settled back down right in front of the pup�s left paw. He bared his small teeth, then swiped furiously at it, killing it as he brought his paw down. He let out one satisfied little growl, falling back behind his father. Slink raised a dark eyebrow. He had at least one worthy pup.
They traveled on, through a mountain pass and outside the pack�s territory, the pup biting and snapping at whatever got in his way. Insects, leaves, snowflakes, stray tree-branches� he attacked them all with a fierceness Slink recognized. It was his fierceness. This little pup who had his blue fur and his black eyes also had him, Slink�s essence, his pride, his ruthlessness, and his dark intentions. He could see it. It pleased him.
They reached the edge of the mountains, and threaded through a few sparse trees for cover. Slink did not want to leave the pup anywhere his pack might find it and was heading for a hill quite a distance away.The albino pup was becoming still and quiet now. Slink was not carrying her gently and blood was dripping down her neck. She was too weak already to last much longer.
It was a long time traveling for a young pup before they reached the hill, but the male pup did not complain, keeping right beside Slink. At the foot of the hill, a medium-sized rise covered lightly in shrubs and young trees, Slink paused, watching the pup beside him. Ears flattened in determination, he stared back at his father. Slink nodded slightly and started to climb. The pup followed.
It was quite a way to the top. The pup kept up surprisingly well. As the three reached the top Slink stopped, the icy wind whipping his and the pup�s fur backwards. Slink turned to his oldest son and issued his first lesson to him.
�Always remember, my little Brute the Savage. We live because we are the strong, and we survive by disposing of the weak.�
He dropped the albino pup roughly. She crashed with one leg bent awkwardly under her, and lay still, blood running slowly down her neck, pooling on the snow that formed her bed. Never even a whimper.
Brute the Savage, six weeks old, blinked, small ears flicking, then turned his back on his youngest sister and followed his father down the hill.

*~*~*

Brute glanced around thoughtfully, the white tip on his tail twitching. It was interesting enough, for a pack territory. They were not known as the Volcano Valley Lupes for no reason. The expansive valley floor was ringed on all sides by towering mountains. One in the far corner was puffing faint grey clouds of smoke into the air. Approximately half of those mountains surrounding the valley were volcanoes, maybe a third of them extinct. The Alpha�s line and many of his higher ranked members had lived in this valley for generations, adapting themselves to the area perfectly. As each year passed the new Lupes born into the pack were taught to recognize the warning signs of an active volcano, and especially the warning signs of one about to erupt. When the pack was threatened by a volcano � which only happened, at best, once every four or five years � the entire community was moved up into the ancient dens, which were safe from the clouds of smoke and boiling lava. The network of tunnels and caves extended far back into Ivory Peak, so named for the amounts of white sandstone found upon it. As the entrances were about half-way up the mountain, no lava would ever reach them. The main entrances opened into a young forest, which would provide some protection from the ash if one of the near-by volcanoes erupted. There were no actual volcanoes close to the dens, the nearest was four mountains away, and that was a small one. The Volcano Valley Lupes had a reputation for being brave, fearless creatures, living on the edge of death and defeating it every time. In the entire history of the one hundred and twenty-eighth generation pack, no member had ever been claimed by the volcanoes. Pups were carefully educated about their home and every danger connected to living there. They were given missions and expeditions around the entire valley perimeter and deep into the dens, so that by the time they were adults, they were toughened, adaptable creatures ready to face the world they lived in.

As a pack, the Volcano Valley Lupes were extensive in numbers. The rich volcanic soil all around the massive valley supported an immense amount of plant life, which in turn attracted numerous herbivores, and again, the carnivores that survived on them. The valley was a large enough area to maintain the needs of a large pack, and so it did. The only restriction on pack numbers was how many could fit in the dens in times of need � and they were only half-occupied as it was, with a good five hundred or so adult members.

As Brute looked around, sharp eyes watching the smoke-belching volcano in the far corner, he took note of everything. He saw the tiny movements of a Uni herd grazing not far from the smoking mountain, up near where the tree-line ended and luscious grass grew freely. Three herds of Unis lived in the valley itself, and two more close by, who frequently visited for the good eating the volcanoes provided. The lead hunter of the pack was in charge of keeping these herds monitored. At various times around the year, each herd was tracked for a few days by a Lupe hunting party, who would stage a massacre on them when the time was right. For three herds, two live-ins and one visitor, this hunt would take place in autum, when food was starting to run lower and the Lupes needed to store for winter. This was done in the food storage area high up on Ivory Peak, where snow lay year-round. A special cavern, accessible from the outside of the mountain and a long tunnel inside it, was surrounded by snow and always contained blocks of ice, replaced as needed. Here the meat was stored in temperatures just above freezing, where it would keep the entire season if nessicary. The Volcano Valley Lupes, however, were not strictly carnivores. Fruits, vegetables and certain other wild plants were consumed � though not all of these plants were wild. The entire slopes of four mountains around Ivory Peak had been claimed and cleared by the pack, who tended to the crops on them. The growth rate, due to the volcanic soil and the careful treatment from the pack, was amazingly high. Some Lupes, of course, would always prefer to live exclusively on meat, which they were permitted to do as long as they still followed their given task within the pack.

Tasks. Every Lupe belonging to the Volcano Valley Lupes who was over six months of age had a task, their job or a position. This was personally decided upon by the Alpha, the pup, and the pup�s parents just before he reached half a year. No Lupe lay idle in the Volcano Valley pack.�� There were endless jobs to be preformed to ensure the smooth running of the pack � hunters, trackers, tenders for the crops, guards for the storage cavern and the crop fields, teachers to educate the youngsters on the dangers of their home, warriors and trainers, scouts, pupsitters, healers, and of course the ever-present high ranks overseeing them all. Their was a male and a female Lupe at each of the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Epsilion positions. In order these were in charge � in the absence of the Alphas the Betas made the call, in the absence of both the Gammas made the call, and so on. Many of the larger areas had lead positions. The lead hunter was responsible for the meat stores and therefore the survival of the pack at winter, and sometimes in other seasons, came down to him. The task of lead hunter was no small one, so in recent years as the pack swelled further in numbers, the duty of the lead hunter was split into Alpha, Beta, and Gamma hunter. The Alpha hunter of course was in overall charge and oversaw and planned everything. The Beta hunter traditionally specialized in larger prey and prey they roamed in wide areas, and the Gamma in smaller prey closer to home.

The lead warrior was in command of all the warriors, and also those who taught the art � who were usually a typical warrior anyway, just with the patience to teach their craft to others.

Brute�s father Slink was the pack�s lead warrior. This gave the family a fairly high status in the scheme of things, which Brute was pleased about. Better to start out as the son of the lead warrior than some lowly crop tender. Made things easier for him. Some of the younger pups held him in awe, which pleased him further. At just twelve weeks old, Slink was already teaching his eldest son to fight. Not to mention his eldest daughter. One of Brute�s biggest fans was Slater, the flecked pup of dark azurite and ebon. She didn�t have Slink and Brute�s empty black eyes, but her mother�s dark crimson ones. Brute suspected she only showed an interest in battling because of him, but he hardly minded that. He was rather fond of quick-witted, darkly playful Slater. Asher too, showed promise. Though he had started off the smallest of the pups � save for the now dealt-with albino, of course � Ash had quickly started to take on thicker bones and grow as fast as Brute. He was about the same size in height as his eldest brother now, and a shade more solid. Brute didn�t mind. Ash was a quiet, obliging pup who always did as Brute told him to. Then, of course, there was Mamba. He was much more reserved, keeping to himself most of the time. He never sought the company of other pups � unless it was to playfight. He was an avid playfighter, but he took it very seriously, never issuing the mock growls and playful threats the others did. He won most of his fights, too. But as a whole, the all-black pup was most often found slinking about in the shadows. More than any of the others in his litter, it was Mamba who first discovered the shadow-element that ran so strongly in their line.����

Brute stood. He was near the foot of Bluecloud Mountain, one of the crop-mounts. The pack generally lived under the mountains and away form the volcanoes in the warmer months. There was a band of five or six large mountains clustered together away from any of the volcanoes that the pack used as crop-growing fields and general living areas, and these were the common summer and spring grounds. In Autum they started to drift back to their caves inside the den, and by winter all of them had, to escape the cold and sometimes snow. A good two hundred or so of the members were spread out on the gentle slope of the valley floor below Brute, half again moving or working on the crop mountains. His father had a small group of new warriors with him, and was giving them action-paced lessons. Brute chuckled softly to himself. Slink the Savage had not been titled without reason. He drove those he taught mercilessly � but in the end, they were much the better for it. Slink was one of the most highly-renowned warriors in the country. His large, burly grandfather, Ax, had a dozen pups seated around him, two dozen too-large triangle ears sticking up avidly as they listened to the older Lupine. Ax had lived in the pack all his life and few knew the volcanoes better. He delivered his information with horror-stories of his younger days, which the youngsters loved. Ax, thought a gruff creature, was an amazing storyteller. He lacked no brains and put them to good use.�

Brute spotted another oversized dark blue Lupe, the trademark colour along with the black eyes of his line, ambling along, gruffly waving away the hordes of pups who leapt eagerly around the warrior, chattering away and asking a million questions. Brute chuckled softly and loped easily down to Blue and his admirers*����

~Hey, you lot! Take a hike!~ *Brute ordered at the crowd. The pups, his age or younger, promptly scattered, staring back with wide eyes. Blue grunted* ~�N why don�t the lit�le beggars do thit �f me?~ *Brute winked at his older brother, the only survivor from his parent�s first and previous litter. His foolish sister had broken her neck after falling over a cliff on her way up to the crops, and his arrogant older brother had died while on one of the big Uni hunts. Brute often wondered � to himself � how it was that Blue, who was not the brightest of Lupes, had outlived his siblings. But that was simply the way it went � and Brute knew that Blue�s limited intellect could come in handy for himself in the future. Blue didn�t have the brains to question orders.

The big blue Lupe growled as Brute zipped under his belly and nipped at his tail* ~Cu� it out~ *He muttered, in no mood for games. Brute darted through Blue�s legs a while longer, nipping mouthfuls of bellyfur and entertaining himself, until Slater�s speckled form appeared, racing over to him eagerly* ~Hey, Brute! Dad�s ready for our lesson!~ *She barked to him, swiping a good-natured paw at Blue�s ankle. Tiring of his younger siblings� games, Blue grunted and set off for the crop field on Black Fang Mountain. He had his eye on one of the young crop tenders who worked there. Brute shook his head pityingly. It was probably the best his slow brother could hope for.����

Brute laughed, swatted his sister�s muzzle then grinned at her* ~Well, what are we waiting for then? Last one there�s a gelert�s brat!~ *With a yip Slater took off after Brute, the pair preparing for another fighting lesson with their father*

*~*~*

~Alpha Markor, sir!~

*The ebon Lupine, tattooed with hundreds of crimson threads over his entire body, turned light golden eyes to Syvrie. She was the Beta hunter, and a damned good one at that. Her pale silver coat was flecked with darker dust and ash, and her expression was anxious. Markor had been relaxing in his favorite retreat, in the depths of the forest growing at the foot and lower regions of Grand Peak, the tallest mountain in the valley, just beating Ivory Peak. But with Syvrie�s arrival, he stood, smiling patiently at the harried hunter*

~Yes Syvrie, what is it? ~

*Syvrie panted, having run most of the distance, and sank to her paws, tail-tip flicking madly, a sign of anxiety* ~Alpha, I was out with a hunting party, tracked the Uni herd Agility. They were near Uni Peak- the smoking volcano- and we were lying in watch close to the southern pass. The visibility was bad sir, but three of my band can confirm this � there was a group of strange Lupes, four, maybe five. They didn�t see us due to the ash and smoke everywhere from the volcano, but we were quite near. I swore I heard them mention our pack�s name, and not in most flattering of tones, so I sent my best tracker, Alik, in for a closer look. The intruders pulled back to the pass after scouting the Uni herd themselves, and headed through it to the outside, but Alik had caught enough of their conversation to be sure. It�s the Sliver Warrior Pack, sir. They�re planning an attack on us � and soon~

*Markor stared at Syvrie. She was a steadfast and reliable huntress and pack member, and was not likely to make a mistake about something so major. Markor make his decision and straightened up*���

~I�m calling a meeting for all the ranks, including hunters. Find the ranks, Slink and all the best trackers and scouts you can manage. Stone Grove in ten minutes. Make it happen, Syvrie~

*Markor turned and strode off. Syvrie nodded and hastily turned and bolted off as well* ~Yes sir!~

*~*~*

�

~Good, Brute, excellent! Ash, don�t hesitate. There isn�t time for thought in battle, every move must be made by instinct, reflex. You shouldn�t have to wonder if your move is going to work, you should already know it will. Slater, pick up your paws, don�t shuffle like that � better. Mamba, hold fast, don�t back off, keep an eye on your back instead, there could be a warrior behind you at this instant. You can�t focus all your attention on one thing, you have to be able to devote parts of your mind to what you are doing, your opponent, and others to making sure his companion is not about to claw open your spine. Nice move, Brute! Faster, keep at him! Ash, don�t let him circle you like that, if he turns you turn with him.~

*Slink watched on approvingly at the four-way scuffle between Brute, Slater, Ash, and Mamba. The three-month olds were maturing quickly, and Slink knew they were miles ahead of any of the other pack pups their age. Brute had defeated a ten-month Lupine, nearly full grown, after he�d stolen the half a hare Brute was eating. Brute was showing a lot of promise as a warrior � likewise was Slater. Mamba and Ash, with more of his training, would be formidable when they were fully grown as well. Mamba showed an interesting talent, which Slink had easily picked � the ebon youth was getting very good at stealth aspects. He had the mind for it too, cunning and deceptive. Slink had had one of the trackers, a serious-faced skunk femme known as Shade, starting to teach Mamba a few tricks. He himself was no stranger to stealth, though combat fighting was his specialty. Black Ruby too, was a friend of the shadows, and when she wasn�t teaching the twins how to look after the strawberry crop Ruby�s own mother was in charge of, she would give Mamba a few lessons*

~Slink! The Alpha�s called a meeting, Stone Grove, starting five minutes ago. Better bring Ruby too.~

*The message was called over by Syvrie, the Beta hunter. Slink frowned slightly, but nodded at his pups, moving off immediately* ~I won�t be long. Keep practicing~��

*Brute�s muzzle wrinkled thoughtfully as Slink quickly jogged off to fetch Ruby. Slater flicked her ears and glanced to her eldest brother* ~She sounded serious~ *Brute glanced to Asher and Mamba. They were wrestling again, small growls issuing every now and again from Ash. Brute seized Slater�s forearm and pulled her away from their brothers, murmuring quietly in her ear* ~I want to know what�s happening. I�m going to hide near the Stone Grove and find out from the adults~

*Slater frowned slightly* ~But Brute, you know the adults don�t let pups sit in on their meetings � especially during important ones~� *Brute nodded and smiled impishly* ~They aren�t going to know, are they?~�

*~*~*

*Brute�s crouched form was hidden from view behind a shadowy rockpile, upwind of the adult pack members. Every ranked Lupine of importance was assembled in the Stone Grove, Markor and his mate Leran sitting on a low, flat boulder which elevated them above the other Lupes. Markor began speaking* ~My loyal pack leaders, times of hardship are about to descend upon us. On a hunting trip led by Beta-Huntress Syvrie, the enemy, the Silver Warriors, were overheard planning an attack upon us. Though we are unsure of the exact time, it will be soon. As this is new information to us, and at that there isn�t much of it, we must investigate before the decision is lost to us. Alik!~

*Brute�s keen ebon eyes saw the crimson tracker straighten quickly and nod in respect and reply* ~Yes, sir~

~You were the one who overheard the enemy, yes?~

~Yes sir. Although I got as close as possible under the cover of the ash form Uni Peak, I only heard part of the enemy�s conversation. But I will stake my life, sir, that this is what they said. ��Volcano fools are totally unaware. We can hunt in their own territory without them realizing a thing! I reckon they�ll wake up in a hurry when Alpha orders our initial attack. Pity they won�t have longer to enjoy the peace and�� This is the account as I recall, sir!~

*Markor blew out a grim breath and nodded* ~Good work, Alik. We are greatful you and Syvrie are so talented at your jobs as to remain undetected. I am sending you in, at the head of four � Windbird, Stealthsin, Hiaell, and our lead tracker Sanya. You five will stake out the position of the enemy, their numbers, and any plans possible they have. Go now, we will be waiting here for your return. May the speed of the flaming mountains go with you!~�

*The two trackers, two scouts and the lead all rose to their paws swiftly. As one, they replied* ~Yes sir!~ *The passed inches from Brute�s form, crouched down and invisible in the shadows*

*~*~*

�

*Slater�s crimson eyes narrowed as she nodded* ~So, it�s bad, Brute.~
~Doesn�t get much worse~ *He replied grimly, his ivory tail-tip flicking, alert ears twitching* ~Father has gone to assemble the warriors � and I mean all of them. Mother and Grandmother are picking all of the strawberry crops, even the half-ripe new growth, according to the twins. On that topic, Nip and Grip are being allowed to help, so are pups younger than us. Which means the pack wants as much food as soon as possible � Markor�s taking precautions in case of siege~

*Slater snorted softly, her flecked muzzle wrinkling* ~Right, what�s that mean for us? Pups our age can pick fruit, but we can�t battle~

~Right. No as long as any of the adults know about it, anyway� but sis, we can�t go rushing into anything stupid, here. You remember the story Grandfather told of the war his father went through? That wasn�t a story. War�s not a game, like pups play. War is death, trickery, double-crossing, stealth attacks when the enemy least expects it. No, we�re not going to be posted on the front line, Slater, not at three months old. But we�ll be back with the Lupesses and the pups � we�ll be ready~��

*~*~*

�

*Alik half-stumbled, half-crawled down the mountainside. Loosing his footing � his paws were bleeding and cracked and a deep wound on his right fore had caused a bad limb � he tumbled down the smoking volcano�s side, yelping in pain. On the other side of the valley, Brute�s sharp eyes picked the cloud of dust. He bared his teeth silently. Uni Peak was the one Alik and the other trackers had crossed, through the southern pass. Strange�

Brute loped, surefooted, down the steep side of Grand Peak. Below him Syvrie has hastily organizing a hunting party, who set out as he moved downwards. His father was massing the warriors at the foot of the Black Fang. On the mountain, the young and the crop tenders swiftly gathered plants. Brute found the oversized figure he was looking for nearing the foot of Grand Peak. He smiled darkly to himself and raced over, well-built paws thumping over the grass* ~Blue!~��

*The large azure male turned his head, twitching an ear towards his younger brother* ~What?~

~Got a job for you. Come on~

*~*~*

�

*Blue lifted his muzzle and sniffed the air. Ash was steadily drifting down from the faintly-glowing summit of Uni Peak, dusting their dark azure and white pelts with charcoal grey. Blue grunted* ~So we�re lookin� fer that red tracker thing an� �is gang, right?~�

*Brute signed impatiently, wishing his brother was just a little bit quicker to pick up on some things. But before he could formulate a reply, his sharp gaze caught the bundle that had slid to a stop further above them, a hindleg caught in a small rock formation and holding him there. Brute swiftly dashed up the slope and brushed his paw over the Lupine�s face. The eyelids fluttered weakly as Blue caught his lumbering frame up to Brute�s, and carefully pulled the Lupine�s leg free of the rocks. Brute caught him before he could slide down further, the worn male obviously not being able to summon a single speck of his own strength. Brute held him steady with one forepaw and raised the other. It was stained with ash from the adult�s face and a stick, dark substance with a sharp, tantalizing scent. A scent Brute, even in his young life, already knew well. He looked down into the crimson Lupine�s face. It wasn�t his pelt making up the red shade. It was blood. Brute silently bared his teeth and ran his paw down Alik�s neck, sides, belly. There were wounds everywhere under the ash, and the by the fading expression in the tracker�s eyes, even Blue knew what was about to happen. Alik had been left for dead. How he had managed to stagger and crawl back this far towards the Volcano Valley none could have said. Brute carefully arranged the dying Lupe on the ground, making him as comfortable as possible. Muttered, nearly inaudible words began tumbling from the tracker�s mouth.*

~I�m� sorry, I got them caught. Thaa � they � all dead. Me, too�~ *He coughed violently, brought up blood. Blue stepped back. Brute stared intently down at him* ~Soon. We overhea�rd� them. Silv� Warriors alliy, allied. Powerful ally. Attacking� in hour two� two� arrrggghhhhh!~ *Brute watched silently and Blue turned his head away, holding back his grunt of disgust. Blood had bubbled up from a facial wound and from between Alik�s lips. He gurgled, embers of eyes widening in panic as he choked on his own blood, pleading, begging, for Brute to do something.

The young male backpawed the injured Lupine. His neck snapped back and cracked instantly. Blood flew and Blue shook a few drops off his left forepaw in distaste. Brute glanced up to the southern pass. A snarl grew on his lips. There was a Lupine face staring down at them from the pass. Brute�s sharp eyes could pick the band of coloured dye running over both eyes. It was silver*

~Blue! Get back to the pack, warn them!~ *Brute hissed, and took off at a run. Blue frowned and looked up the slope. The face had gone, With a growl, Blue tucked his ears to his neck and broke into a heavy gallop after his brother*

�

*~*~*

�

*Markor stared down at the warrior�s son. Brute�s emotionless ebony eyes stared straight back up. The Alpha sighed heavily* ~You did well, young Son of Slink. You are dismissed~

*As Brute nodded his polite retreat and slipped back off to find Slater, he snickered to himself. ~Oh SirAlpha sir, I was fruit-picking when I saw the cloud of ash over on Uni Peak, so my big brother took me over there to find out what caused it � I didn�t want there to be any volcanoes erupting that might harm our pack, sir. But it wasn�t a lava flow, it was Mr Alik, and he was hurt so badly� oh, I can hardly bear to think about it! He� he� died, sir, but he managed to tell us before� that� he overheard that some Silvey Warrior had allied with another Pack and were coming to visit us in an hour� He asked me to get the message back to you, Alpha sir~ Brute could hardly contain his laughter. The Alpha of his pack, taken in by his innocent puppy play. Brute was hardly worried about the battle, apparently occurring within just over an hour now. He trusted the pack warriors would do their job, as always. But he wanted in, if possible, on the action. And that meant the Alpha thinking he was a purely innocent little pup with good eyesight.

Right.

Slater nearly laughed her head off when he related his speech to her. Growing serious quickly, she questioned which parts were true. Brute explained the situation. Two allied Lupe packs were attacking them and their numbers were unknown. It wasn�t entirely a good situation.

As they sat together half-way up Ivory Peak, the white sandstone mountain the den caves were located in, the best part of the adult section of the pack were being mobilized.*

~Right, all of you who can fight but aren�t ranked warriors, to the Betas, now!~ *Slink bellowed at the milling crowd of nearly four hundred Lupines* ~All warriors, stay with me, move!~ *The crowd split and Slink was left with over a hundred of those assembled, the rest sitting below the Betas of the pack, Warlock and his mate Neeya. Slink stared imperiously down at them all, addressing both groups at a powerful roar* ~You have been called here because our pack is under threat. In less than an hour now, the enemy will attack our home and territory, and their aim is simple: to kill everyone one of us. Long since have the Silver Warrior Lupe pack envied us, rivaling us for the title of the bravest of the Lupine Packs! Now, it seems they have decided they will fight us for that title, and have gained an alliance with another pack to boost their puny chances! And so, I call upon each and every one of you to defend your pack, and show these fools why they call us the Volcano Valley Lupes, Bravest of the Brave!~��

*The roar of approval that echoed up at Slink was deafening. He nodded once and set about his task. Each of the two groups were split into five sub-groups, led by a ranked or well-trained and trusted member acting in command. These commanders answered to him personally. The entire mob of defenses of the pack relied upon him*

~Right, all group leaders are under my command but obviously, I�m not going to be able to be everywhere at once, so you obey your commander as if he were your Alpha, unless of course your are part of group eight in which case your commander will be your Alpha! Groups one and two and three, you are the front line! Station seven hundred meters from the foot of Ivory peak. You do not charge at any enemy you see, you let them run up that slope to you � but do not let them get past you! Group five, you are backup for the front line. You let them attack first and if the bulk of the enemy appears to be attacking the foot of our den-mountain Ivory peak, you back up that front line, you become part of it!� Group four, you are stationed above the top entrances to the caves. If any stealth-attack gets through those tunnels, you will answer directly to me! There will be a group of non-warriors on the top of Ivory peak as lookouts and runners, you are also responsible for their safety. Group eight, you are guarding the lower entrances to the caves! Group six will be between groups five and eight, smack bang in the middle of Ivory Peak. Your job is to support whichever group needs your help most, but do not send the entire group out to the first group who called for your help. And groups nine and ten, you are guarding the east and west flanks of the mountain against surprise attacks. Any questions? Good. Dismissed! Do your duty, Volcano Warriors!~����

*~*~*

�

*Brute and Slater, along with their siblings and all the other young Lupes, had been moved back into the caves of the pack�s den. Black Ruby had been one of the lookouts posted at the summit of the white mountain, and without their mother, the two youngest pups were getting rather edgy*�

~Give it back, Grip!~

~I found it first!~

~Bullshit, I killed that myself last week, you liar! That means it�s mine, all of it, even that bone there!~�

*With a silent baring of her teeth, Slater sharply cuffed Nip over the ears. The female twin � dark blue, white markings, crimson eyes, identical to her twin Grip � dropped her side of the scrap she had been trying to wrestle away from Grip* ~I don�t want to hear language like that, runt!~ *Slater growled at her sister, eyes narrowed. Nip submissively folded her ears to the sides and dropped her head and tail, creeping away from the azure and ebon flecked youth. There was only two Lupes she feared more than Slater� her father and Brute. Grip, knowing his position in the family was with his twin � at the bottom � quietly dropped the bone before Slater and scampered after Nip. Slater shook her head ,watching them leave disdainfully. She and Brute were already becoming mighty warriors, Mamba was fast earning respect through his use of stealth, and even Ash could think for himself and was dedicated in his training. How had they ended up with two whining fools like Nip and Grip to finish the litter? Slater turned as Brute nudged her. She turned her dark crimson eyes to him questioningly. Brute nodded towards the entrance. There were several families of Lupines bustling around the caves, carrying rocks to barricade closed all but the four major entrance tunnels and sealing everyone together in the main caves. Slater rose to her paws without a sound. Sticking to the cave walls, the two siblings slipped through the shadows, sliding quickly between stalagmites that rose in tapering towers from the floor. Some of them had met with the stalactites hanging from the cave roof, forming uneven pillars that seemed to support the entire den structure. Maybe it was simply the fact that that the other pack members were so busy worrying after their own family, friends, and warriors outside, they didn�t pay attention to the pair of pups slinking out. Maybe it was the fact that, even young and barely aware of the kind if power over shadow they would command as adults, Brute and Slater unconsciously used the shade to their advantage. Whatever it was, they reached the entrance and darted through together.

The sun was setting in a blaze of crimson glory, the smoke from erupting Uni Peak making the light twice as brilliant. Across the gentle grassy slope of the valley floor, marching towards Ivory Peak where the lines of grim warriors waited for them� the enemy advanced. Row upon row of alert Lupines with a silver strip of paint running over their eyes.�

Slater heard Brute�s sharp intake of breath and knew even her fierce, determined brother had not anticipated this. The Silver Warrior Pack and their ally must have numbered over a thousand. They covered the ground like ants on their hill, a relentless wave moving steadily towards them*

~Three to one~ *Slater murmured. Brute�s ears went back against his neck, a soft growl escaping him* ~Not good, Slater. And that could just be the main show of force. There could be more. It�s what I�d do if I were their Alpha, split up and have some attack from either side of the mountain, from the summit and either side~

~We�re outnumbered~ *Stated Slater in matter-of-fact tones. Brute bared his short fangs* ~That won�t win them the war. That�s every adult between both packs, weather they can fight or not, I�d bet on it. We�ve got four hundred trained warriors and capable fighters out waiting for them and they have to get to us before they do anything. There�s another hundred-twenty adults in the dens if we need them � and then there�s pups like us. We�re going to be needed here Slater, we�re going to fight � but remember this, whatever you do. Stick with me, we work together. Me might be warriors but we�re young warriors and those are all adults we�re up against. And we stick to stealth. We�ve got to get them by surprise or one or both of us are going to be killed. Got it?~

*Slater nodded solemnly. It was little she couldn�t have figured out herself, but she knew Brute knew what he was talking about, the attention he always paid to their sire and grandsire. Besides, he was the better fighter, and it made sense for her to stick by him.

It only took another few minutes. The front ranks of the enemy had reached the foot of Ivory Peak. Their leader, weather it was Alpha or their equivalent of a lead warrior, was at their head. Brute and Slater, positioned behind the front line�s backup group and the mid-guard, were hidden in a growth of shrubs, crouching side by side, motionless, waiting.

The leader waved a paw. Brute watched his lips move as he yelled something to his ranks. They started up Ivory Peak at the same steady march, up to where the grim-faced front line waited on them. Brute�s ebon eyes could pick, even in the fading light, the slight gap between the ranks, a line that spilt them into three groups, the middle being the largest. They would be the ones who clashed with the front line, the other two would split around either side and make a charge for higher up the mountain.�

Brute was patient. Slater�s breath was starting to come faster and as the temperature dropped with the sun, it misted in the cooling air.

The first blow was stuck by the Volcano Valley Lupes. A dozen on either side of the front line suddenly rose from rocky outcrops, howls splitting the air. Brute and Slater could see the levers and strategically placed loose rocks scattered in each outcrop. It was too late for the advancing attackers to get back down the slope, they had already covered half the distance up to the Volcano warriors. Boulders and large rocks came hurtling down. The leader screamed in rage and lifted his muzzle, howling back defiance as a rock narrowly missed slamming into his shoulder. It was a signal. Trying to dart around the incoming rocks, the front line middle rank broke into a gallop and charged. Brute noticed how three dozen or so turned and ran backwards as the rocks and boulders hailed down. As he�d thought, untrained fighters were littering the Silver�s ranks, probably for nothing more than to boost their numbers. It was likely they only had a hundred or so true warriors more than the Volcano Valley Lupes.��

Slink was on the front line with his warriors, commanding all three groups there. He displayed the same patience as his son as the oncoming Lupes charged up at his fighters, five hundred or so facing one and a half hundred. Slink had the three largest groups, and had been reinforced from the above group. The side ranks, as Brute had anticipated, ran up either side of Ivory Peak, set to avoid the front line. But Slink was ready for the attackers in front of them*

~Warriors, Fire!~ *He bellowed, raising his paw. There was a clunk of stone clenched in it, Brute noticed. Slink hurled the rock just as the attackers came into range. Behind him, seven dozen warriors lifted their paws and did the same. Brute estimated fifty, maybe sixty, of the enemy fall, caught by the surprise movement*

~Warriors, Fiiiire!!~ *Brute grinned at how the Silver Warriors immediately swerved every which way to avoid becoming a target for the sharp rocks. Another dozen fell anyway, and now there were massive disarray in the ranks or the enemy*

~Warriors, Fire!~� *Another dozen down, and it was all the time left for throwing rocks. Over a hundred had been felled, but that left almost three-on-one odds for the Volcano warriors. And that wasn�t including the two side flanks that were set to bypass the front line.

The twelve boulder-slingers from either side dashed to join the east and west side guards, lying in wait in any hiding place they could manage for the enemy side flanks to reach them. Slink�s roar split the air like thunder and sent an electric shock to Slater�s heart, Brute�s fur standing on end as the pups watched their father rise to his full height*�

~Volcano Valley Warriors, Attaaaaaack!~

*The front line leapt down to meet the middle rank, Slink at their head. Blood, patches of fur and flesh, and battlecries flew through the air. The side ranks howled in surprise and some in fear as Volcano warrior side guards leapt out of hiding to ambush them.

For half a minute, Brute and Slater could only watch in awe as their father�s tactics and the Volcano Valley fighters at work.

The surprise worked wonders for the Volcano Lupines on west and east guard, and they felled many an enemy before they could realize what was happening. But each side flank had numbered two hundred still on their paws, and the side guards were only fifty apiece. Brute saw a few of the enemy turn tail and run for it � more cowardly untrained � but it was east to see their side guards were desperately outnumbered. Re-enforcements from the backup group came tearing down, but Brute was frowning, watching Lupines he know fall through sheer mass of numbers against them. The enemy main attackers were being held back, if not too quickly depleted by the front line. But the side flanks were steadily forcing their way upwards, because their simply weren�t enough Volcano warriors to hold them all back. But as they pushed upwards they thinned out, and as the enemy moved up towards them, Brute and Slater could see the success rate of the remaining side guards increasing*

~They�ll be on us soon. It�s all loners, none of them have grouped yet, they�re spread out all along the mountainside. We go for the first one who strays too close, right? I�ll do the initial attack, you go for the main or kill shot while I�m stopping them hitting you. Ready?~

*Slater nodded again, her muscles tensing in anticipation, fangs baring. The leads of the enemy were almost on them. Slater didn�t need Brute�s signal.

The mascu� leapt first, colliding with a yellow female only a few months older than them. She was panting heavily, a gash over her left eye, and probably trying to be a hero. Brute�s teeth locked into her muzzle, blood blinding her, his forepaws slicing into her chest. She cried out, rearing up and batting with her forepaws, trying to break his hold. She didn�t even detect Slater�s presence behind her. Slater drove her paw upwards into to exposed lower belly. It was a good slash. The yellow femme�s internal organs did not remain internal. Brute released her and watched her slump to the group, gasping in pain, eyes already misting over. He nodded to his sister* ~Good shot~

*They leapt back to their hiding place as another Silver Warrior leapt up, stopping in horror as he saw the dying female* ~Good heavens, Sun! Who-~ *He gasped in shock as Brute leapt out before him, slashing at his face*

~I did~

*The male was bigger and older, a more experienced warrior. Brute cursed as he felt the claws rip along his cheek in retaliation, but leapt boldly forwards, about to go for his face again. The block never came. The male cried out in pain and fell like a ton of bricks trying to step forward to meet Brute. Slater had slit open his left hind and cut a tendon and the major artery. He would never walk again, and without swift medical attention, would bleed to death.

Next was a pair, siblings by their similar pale grey pelts. Brute did not hesitate. He darted in front of them, both starting in surprise. Making a swift half-turn, he landed a paw on the right Lupe, the male�s, leg. He yipped in pain as his sister swung to face Brute. Slater leapt, unseen from behind. Her fangs were not the size of an adult�s, but they were certainly sufficient to bite into the lower spine of her enemy. The female gaped and fell. The brother turned to see what had happened. He never turned back. Brute�s fangs dug into his throat.

Slater was grinning. This ambush technique worked like a charm. Brute returned the gesture as he finished the task and they turned to hide once more. The shadow caused Brute to look up. And his jaw dropped as he and Slater sighted the allies of the Silver Warrior Lupe Pack. It was not another bunch of Lupes.

A dozen Eyries swooped overhead, falling out of the sky and heading for the main entrance of the dens. Brute and Slater exchanged looks. No more stealth. The earsplitting screech, war cry of the Eyrie species, was filling the air. Five more groups rocketed down from the sky. The wigned beasts with their thick manes protecting their neck and chest, the long claws, and raptorial killing beak, were not to be taken lightly.

The group guarding the main entrances charged the two dozen Eyries who were attacking. The west guards had fallen after Eyrie backup supported the Silver Warriors, although they had taken a good number of the enemy with them � but unable to do anything about the dozen Eyrie and four dozen Lupes, scattered as they were, heading up the mountain to the dens. The East flank was doing better and had regrouped together, forming a tight knot of warriors who were charging together and attacking the remainder of one side flank and one of the fresher Eyrie groups. The front line and the initial attackers had dwindled seriously in their numbers. Less than a hundred of both side were on their paws and fighting, and one of the Eyrie groups was zeroing in on their position. The last dozen Eyries had targeted the guards for the top den entrances and the lookouts and runners on the summit. That was a mistake. The lookouts had alerted the summit guard and they were ready � and also still had their full number of forty in the squad. As the Eyries ploughed into the visible half of the guard, the other twenty in hiding rose together and attacked form behind, boxing the Eyries in. They were fierce creatures and their wings have them advantage, but the forty fought well, and it was only one solitary Eyrie who escaped their clutches and escaped into the sky. A dozen of the summit guards tore down to support the main entrance where a desperate battle was being fought.

The remainder of the side flanks, all the stragglers who had escaped the Volcano Warrior�s guard, and three dozen Eyrie groups were mounting their attack on the entrance. The East flank, still tightly bunched, were steadily following the last of their side attackers up towards the dens, picking them off as they went. The remainder of an Eyrie flock menaced them from the air.�

Brute could see this was not going to be a good situation. He and Slater broke into a flat-out gallop up towards the dens, where the enemy were killing with deadly efficiency. They felled six of the attackers on the way, killing all but one, but neither escaping injury themselves. Brute was bleeding from a gash above his eye, and Slater moved with a small limp.

The first of the Silver Warriors forced through into the den. They were met with barrage of stone-throwing mothers, children, and elderly. One of the Eyrie teams backed them up and the Volcano defenders were forced to retreat slightly. The remainder of the capable adults, none of whom had terrible good fighting skills, went for them. The entrance guard was failing fast and half of the summit guard came racing down to help.

Brute and Slater reached the edge of the pine forest where the Eyries and Lupes were trying to get into the main entrance. Dead bodies from both sides lay dotted around them, and their paws were stained red from the bloodied ground. And Eyrie opened her beak wide and hissed at the youngsters. Brute went for her forepaws, slashing viciously. She turned to go for him. Slater came form behind. Knowing there was no way she could reach the throat under the thick layer of mane, and that a leapt for the back was far to dangerous with those strong wings flaring about everywhere, she went with a tactic that had worked for them before. Her sharp claws sliced at the hindlegs of the Eyrie. Eyries have much shorter legs than Lupes, and so their network of veins and arteries is smaller. But they did have normal-sized tendons, as the hindlegs were used for propulsion into the air for takeoff, and Slater knew firsthand what cutting one of those achieved. The Eyrie suddenly felt the sharp teeth in her leg, and was unable to move to go after the smirking pup in front of her. She snapped at him and swiped a paw as he stood just beyond her reach. Slater realized she hadn�t hit any veins or arteries this time, and the Eyrie was unlikely to die if left � she may even be able to use her wings to get off the ground. Slater flicked her crimson eyes over the long wings of the enemy, thrashing about as she tried to reach her brother. The wings weren�t all that thick, and Slater suddenly had a flash. There must be something in those wings to allow an Eyrie to sense changes in air flow and temperature � and those were most likely to be a highly developed network of veins. Slater grinned. The Eyrie could not see her from behind, and it was all too easy to line up her shot. The amount of blood spraying from the wing amused her � she had been right. Daringly leaping in closer, her paws went for the base of the wing and shredded without mercy. The female Eyrie was screaming in pain, but she could only kick out at Slater with one leg, the functional hindleg, and she was out of reach. Slater leapt backwards, grin alight on her face, pleased with her sharpness and skill. Brute�s warning bark caused her to automatically leapt aside, and a hissing bundle of fur and feathers landed on the ground where she had been. Slater yelped and dodged the massive paw of the oversized male Eyrie who snapped his beak in fury and flared his mane. Slater backed fast, keeping her vulnerable quarters and spine facing away form the angry male. Snarling, she swiped at his paws as he did the same to her. His claws just scraped the back of her already injured one and she yelped. Brute, furious this beast dared lay a paw on his sister, came in like a thunderbolt, a snapping ball of teeth and swiping paws. The Eyrie turned to go after him, it�s long ears back against his neck in anger. Slater felt her own blood rise with the heat of the battle and came in from behind. He kicked at her and she dodged, fastening her teeth hard into the leg. Brute swiped from the front and tore out a chunk of mane, trying to keep his attention.

The Eyrie was battlescarred and no fool. He landed a good blow. Brute went flying, crashing down on a pile of sticks that marked one of the Volcano Valley Lupe�s cooking fires. Slater knew she was in trouble. She dug her teeth deep, shaking and twisting her grip to inflict the most damage possible. The male hissed in low tones, painfully, and twisted his own body sideways. Clicking his beak, he raised his paw. In mid-gesture his face froze. The paw, along with the rest of his body, came crashing down. Slater dropped his leg and leapt backwards.

Brute had felt a sharp stab in his tail at landing. It was one of the pointed sticks used to start the fire. The end of this now stuck out from the back of the Eyrie�s skull. Panting a little, Brute nodded to his sister. Nodding back, she raced with him up towards the dens into the fray.

*~*~*

That morning as the sun rose, the Volcano Valley Lupe Pack numbered six hundred and eight-four, including adults, sub-adults, and pups.

That evening as the sun set and the enemy flowed over the land like water, they massacred their foe. As the last rays died with those still littering the battlefield, the numbers of the Volcano Valley Lupe pack were one hundred and sixty.

Among the deceased were The Alpha�s mate Leran, fallen defending the front line. Beta-huntress Syvrie had been part of the summit guard and her two children buried her and their father, one of the pack warriors, with silent tears. Ax and his mate, grandparents of Brute and Slater, had been part of the defenders who had kept the entrance attackers from breaking into the dens.

But despite they and the other five hundred, nineteen losses, the battle had been won. At a terrible loss of life, but the Volcano Valley Lupes had won. The one solitary Eyrie who had flow away form the summit guard was the only one of the enemy to escape.

Slink had a few more scars at add to the collection, and Black Ruby had helped out the summit guard group and sustained a deep injury to her side. It had been treated by the two pack healers who had been left alive. She would live through it.

Slink was proud of his two eldest pups, even as he told them off. He had seen them battling and marveled at their courage and intelligence. Brute and Slater escaped without punishment and joined the remnants of their pack in rebuilding what had been.

*~*~*

Brute lolled on his back, four paws pointing in the air. A slit of ebon open in the left eye revealed he was not asleep, merely enjoying the warm spring sunlight pouring down on Ivory Peak. The scene was not so different form the one he had looked down upon from Bluecloud back when he was just three months old � there was only one difference. Where he had once seen hundreds of his packmates, now the half-open eye saw barely fifty.

Of course, the new lead hunter, Saret, would have taken out the dozen hunters and three trackers for the daily hunt by now. After the dramatic drop in Volcano Valley Lupe numbers six months ago, the numbers of prey species had skyrocketed. The Uni herds were thriving, the white Snowbunnies were everywhere, and in particular Ixis had increased. The shy species of small deer had previous only inhabited woodland areas where they could dodge and hide easily, and been fairly sparse. Now, there were dozens darting in and around every shrubbery and forested area in the valley. They were not difficult to catch and the bodies piled up in the cavern-storage cave at the top if Ivory Peak. Saret was going wild with his hunters, pushing them to go out every day and refusing to return with �sufficient prey�. No matter how much he and his team caught, it seemed to have little impact on the prey species, and the pack had far too much to eat as it was. There were enough numbers, just, to keep Bluecloud Mountain cultivated, and small crop fields were scattered over it. But the extra food source was becoming barely necessary.

Brute pulled his lips back from his fangs as he spied the crimson figure leading his hunters back towards their side of the valley. He silently despised loud-mouthed, show-off Saret. The eldest of the Alpha Markor�s three children was only a month or so younger than Brute himself and classed as an adult, but Brute privately thought he was the most immature excuse for a Lupine he�d ever met. And he had no brains! He pushed his hunters so hard � unnecessarily � they had grown to dislike him. The pack didn�t even need the food, the hunters could have gone out once a week and they still would have brought home more than enough. Brute eyes the carcasses the team was bringing back. Seven Ixi and a Uni. Must have been something wrong with the latter, Saret never would have had the brains to figure out how to catch a healthy Uni, and none of his hunters or trackers were likely to tell him.�����

It was his sister Slater that Brute felt sorry for. He had overhead his parents telling her the news last week. Since Slater was young, a plan had been put in place for her. An arranged mating. It was not so uncommon before Leran died, the Alpha�s mate had handled much of the arrangements. One of the last she had organized was the blood of her and Markor�s Alpha line to be crossed with the line of the Lead Warrior � the arranged mating of her own son to Slater.

For Brute, it could have been worse. Saret�s two younger sisters could have been the arranged, in which case he as the eldest pup would have had to mate one of them. He had little more respect for them � at least, the one living, as the youngest had been killed in the war � as he did for their brother. But it had gone the way of the Alpha�s eldest to the eldest possible of Slink and Black Ruby�s.

Brute shook his head. Slater had grown, as had he. She did not match his powerful muscle, but she was just as tall as he, more slender and refined. Actually quite beautiful, so it was no wonder Saret kept chasing her, trying in his desperate, oafish manner to hit on her. But she was similar to Brute in personality. Sharp, quick, ruthless and willing to do whatever it took to achieve the goal. If she was forced to go through with the mating when she was ten months old, as she would be, Brute thought with amusement she would end up snapping Saret�s swelled-up neck. Hey now, that wouldn�t be so bad.

Brute yawned, stretched each limb in turn, and slowly rolled into his side. Lifting his muzzle, he scented the air. There was something strange in the scent of it, and Brute frowned. It was a vaguely acidic scent, and Brute didn�t like it at all. He rose onto his solid paws and went bounding down the side of Ivory Peak, small pebbles of white sandstone bouncing down as he disturbed them.

Following his nose, the scent became slightly stronger. The frown deepening, Brute followed it to the water supply of the pack. On the far side of Ivory Peak was a calm, expansive lake. It was calm and still, exactly the picture of serenity it always was. Brute slowly lowered his muzzle and sniffed at the clam, clear water. The scent was as elusive as ever, but Brute was sure it was something abnormal. He cautiously gathered a few drops on his tongue and tasted them. It was the same, the hazy feel that something was not quite right. Brute heard the bark from behind him and inwardly cursed. He had let Saret get too close*

~Afternoon, warrior. How fares the family?~ *Brute eyed the crimson male with distaste. The gleam of lust in his eye was unmistakable. It was all too easy to know which family member Saret was inquiring about. Brute nodded curtly to the Alpha�s son, thinking to himself one day his pack members would bow to his children*

~Fine~ *He snapped, eyes flicking over the hunting group, who all nodded and smiled at him. They were a young group, as Saret had wanted � apparently, all those old Lupes over a year in age couldn�t run and hunt as well as his generation could. Just another measure of his intelligence. Most of the group were the remainder of the pups who had idolized Brute for his ability so early on, and the same respect now lingered for the warrior today.� It gave Brute a satisfactory sense of power. Saret may have held status over him because his father was Alpha, but his own team of hunters respected Brute more than they did their leader.�

Brute�s eye fell on the Uni. A big male in his prime� and without a mark on him. Brute felt the edge of his scruff prickle and his ears went back a notch*

~The Uni, how did you kill it?~ *He demanded of Saret. The younger Lupine narrowed his eyes slightly, lips pressing tightly together. Amber, one of the trackers, volunteered the information*

~We didn�t, he was dead when Baringo and I found him. Strange, really, he hasn�t got any type of injury. It must have been some sort of illness, but there�s no signs of it whatsoever, otherwise I wouldn�t have passed it as safe~

*Saret snorted in scorn, glaring at Amber* ~Illness, pah. Probably colic, they suffer from it all the time. Twisted its guts~ *Without another word, he signaled his team and led off. Brute rolled his pitch black eyes and turned his back, breaking into s lope and heading for the foot of Ivory Peak*��������

���

*~*~*

~Raab~ *Brute nodded as he padded past the den�s current entrance guard. The six-month old was new to his task, as he had only just entered adult status. He dipped his muzzle in respect at the elder warrior, now the highest of his position, under Slink. Young as he was, he could beat adults five times his age in combat.

Brute made his way up the dark den tunnels, nodding to the few Lupes he passed, until a voice called softly to him from one of the caves. He knew the soft, sibilant tone without looking*

~What is it, mother?~

~Where are you going, Brute?~

*The young warrior stepped into his parent�s quarters. They were dimly lit by the fireflies and glowworms kept in woven cages of twigs and grass. Slink was out training some new warriors, but his mother was not alone. Four week-old pups curled into her side, the single male whimpering softly. He was black with white markings. The two middle females where blue marked white, and the youngest pup a simple darker azure*

~Up to the supply caves, mother~

~Good, you can bring me down an Ixi~

*Brute nodded and silently slipped out into the darkness. The twisting tunnel network was cool compared to the outside warmth, and as he made his way higher it only got colder. Brute felt the sudden temperature drop and knew there was snow on the mountain outside. He continued up until the air through the breathing tunnels, dug by moles and rabbits long ago, started to give thinner air. Brute slowed himself down, knowing the dangers of rushing when there wasn�t enough oxygen available.

The tunnel bent sharply then suddenly opened out into the cavern. The sides, like most of those in the den, were covered by stalactites and stalagmites, but unlike the others, his cavern was layered with large blocks of ice. Brute padded across the floor into just above-freezing temperatures, feeling it give under him. As the ice was constantly and slowly melting in the warm months, a thick layer of vegetation covered the floor to absorb the moisture. The storage cavern was carefully organized � and currently, filled with a lot of meat. A worker came through the outside entrance, snow dusting his pelt, towing a fresh block of ice. He did not pause but nodded at Brute as he continued on his way. Brute returned the gesture and then padded quietly into the rows of ice. Past the section holding snowbunnies, which turned to hares, followed by Ixis. He dragged out a carcass from between the carefully-stacked ice shelves while he was in that section, ready to take back to his mother when he left. His coat bristled and flattened, trapping air between the strands to warm him. Continuing, he went through the row containing Kaus. Next were Unis. Brute pawed through the stocks until he found one only cold, not yet frozen like the rest of them. He dragged it from its shelf. Yes, it was Saret�s catch. Or more accurately, Saret�s find. Brute ran his muzzle over it, searching for any trace of ill-smell. He was convinced there was no physical illness that had affected this creature... but there was something. That vague-water smell from the lake. Was it present here, or was it something normal? Colic, as Saret believed? Possible. Equines did not have the ability to reject any bad food from their stomachs, and as a result colic, or a disorder relating to the stomach or intestines, was common in them. If bad enough, one of the most serious results, nearly always fatal, was a twisted stomach. Brute tilted his head and slashed out with a quick forepaw. The gash tore through the skin above the round of the Uni�s side, just below the ribs. Brute efficiently thrust a paw into the slit and pulled it apart, holding it there and peering down to the Uni�s insides. The stomach and intestines were clean. They weren�t the cause of death. Brute bared his teeth in annoyance. He ripped the Uni open further and began pawing through it, ignoring the odd look he got from the cavern worker. When he came to the lungs, he frowned. That faint scent was still there. He did not trust it, and he certainly did not like it. He had all but ripped the Uni the pieces before he was satisfied� everything internal was as it should have been. Save for one, which thing he noticed before cracking it�s skull � the Uni�s eyes were red-rimmed and inflamed. Brute didn�t think a bit of eye irritation was the cause of death. But he was getting a bad feeling about this. Vague words, spoken by his grandfather Ax, were coming back to him from one of the early lessons he had attended. Few had known as much about volcanoes than his grandfather. With the war, the pack had lost the best teacher they were ever likely to have. Brute concentrated on those long-ago words, trying to recall them, as he stared down at the gutted carcass.

He left the cavern and the disemboweled equine to the worker and padded down the snowy-floored tunnel leading outside. Let someone else fetch and carry for his mother. The sharp wind threw pawfuls of snow into his face, but Brute didn�t care. He moved into a brisk run and took off down the mountain. He stopped half-way when he felt his eyes tearing. Stopping, he raised a paw and rubbed them. It was not the cold. A slight, burning irritation had centered itself in his eyes*�������

���

*~*~*

*Slater pounced. The pretty white female ducked backwards, laughed, and raised her paw to block the swipe. Slater twisted her body side-on and connected with the paw, knocking it away and kicking sideways with a hindfoot, striking the other female on her flank. The white one shied back but Slater was already after her, leaping in close with precision and grace. The white female felt the sharp, quick paw hook under hers and promptly yanked sideways. The white female yelped and toppled. An instant before she hit the ground Slater�s forepaws caught her and boosted her back to her paws. It wasn�t just swiftness held in those lean, flat muscles, but strength*

~Slater, I don�t know why I bother. You beat me every time!~ *Laughed the white femme, flicking her tail as she sat. The appendage was the only spot on her with a colour varying from white � the tip of her tail was splashed with silvery-grey. Slater flashed her closest friend a grin in return, nipping at the tail-tip*

~Well, I need someone to keep my skills up. You just happen to be that lucky Lupine, Meera! Save from Father and Brute, there�s no-one in this pack who can fight and beat me, so don�t feel alone~
*Brute skidded up to a halt beside the pair. Slater gave him a questioning glance, noting his pitless ebony eyes seemed faintly edged with red, the skin around them a little swollen. He nodded slightly to the two femmes before speaking. He normally wouldn�t have discussed a suspicion like this outside his family, but he knew how close Slater and Meera were � besides, the white Lupess was a mature, responsible Lupine with a good head on her shoulders. Brute held nothing against her* ~Slater, Meera. Listen, we�ve got trouble. There�s something in the air big enough to be killing Unis � maybe in the water, maybe in the grass it was eating. Whatever it was, I�m really wishing Ax were still around. I think it�s volcano trouble~

*Slater frowned, tilting her head* ~Brute, Markor has a half-dozen trackers still, and all of them are constantly checking the volcanoes. If one of them were releasing gases like that � enough to kill a Uni � don�t you think they would have picked it up?~��

*Slater was a sensible Lupine and Brute knew her words held some trust. But the growing Warrior was becoming more and more impatient with life spent following orders. He was nearly a fully grown adult now, and in his pride and strength and superior fighting skill, would likely need mote space to breath than the pack allowed him*

~Maybe, Slater. But I don�t know how much heart the Alpha has for his pack anymore. Just look at what he�s letting that oaf of a son of his get up to~

*The mention of Saret was enough to bring a dark cloud down on Slater�s face. Meera nudged her sympathetically. Slater was not looking forward to the not-so-distant time when she would be forced to honor her parent�s agreement and mate the Alpha�s son. She despised that arrogant know it all excuse for a Lupine. And if she were forced to mate him... the thought made her shudder.

Meera glanced between the siblings, eyeing Brute�s heavy, frowning features then Slater�s dark scowl. She spoke in her normal placid tone* ~Point made and taken, Brute. I think you should show us what you mean~

*~*~*

*They had gone from the food cavern to meet the annoyed worked cleaning up a torn-apart Uni to the pack�s water supply. Meera stood by the water, Slater at her side, scooping a pawful up and sniffing at it* ~Yeah, I can smell that. It isn�t normal~ *Slater confirmed to her brother. Meera wrinkled her muzzle* ~I wouldn�t risk drinking that. Right, so where does this water supply come from?~

*Slater answered her, having already thought of that. Her paw pointed to the far side of the lake* ~Over there. Look, it comes down from between Ivory Peak and Bluecloud~

*Brute nodded decisively and set off at his relentless trot without a word. Slater smiled at her friend as she and Meera fell into step behind them.

Ivory Peak reflected the low-lying sun as they passed over the side of the mountain and left Volcano Valley Lupe territory. They fell into step side-by-side, traveling in companionable silence as each looked around, studying the land as it lay, just outside their home.��

The volcanoes had provided a rich source of nutrients in the soil, and a young forest had sprung up behind Ivory Peak, indicating it had been a few good years since any lava had flowed there. Edging away form the den mountain where eruptions had occurred more recently, the ground was covered by low-lying ferns, shrubs, and grasses in varieties that grew quickly. These plains of plant were home to numerous smaller members of the prey species, and even a few larger Kaus and Ixis, making use of the abundant food supply. They were good hunting grounds.

As they moved around the roughly circular positioned mountain range, they saw the most recent effect of the danger their territory presented.

The plants died out suddenly. Simply stopped growing, giving way to a vast expanse of solid black-grey, riddled with ridges and pockmarks. This trailed straight down from the slope of Highridge Peak � one of the active volcanoes of the area. It had erupted a few years ago, the most recent of its kind. The three Lupines stood together at the edge of the former lava flow, staring out over it. They could see where the green picked up again over the other side. The river they were following took an alarming dip as it crossed the black grounds on the far side. Brute privately thought it was surprising its route had not been affected more than this when a sea of boiling lava flowed across it, but it simply must have cut deeper into the river bed on that far side, giving the river an odd kink as it flowed into a mini waterfall and zigzagged across the old flow, following an unseen course.����

Slater moved forward and placed a paw on the black ground. It was solid, it did not give beneath her weight. She looked up and nodded to her brother and her friend. They moved over the darkened land, sticking to the riverbank, every fiber alert as they distrustfully crossed the odd dark grounds.

The next mountain was a tall one, and down it flowed a fast-moving stream to feed the river. They investigated this, going a short way up the mountainside. All three agreed � the stream did not have the same smell as the river. It was clean.

The same result was found for the next two streams trailing down from the mountains. The trio were half-way around the range and the sun was giving off dusk rays of gold and pink, but they could see the next stream feeding the river coming down from Uni Peak*

~Ok, this is the last one we check, we�ll finish the rest of them tomorrow~ *Brute said decisively as he strode forwards. Slater and Meera nodded, but Slater�s muzzle was wrinkling as she sniffed the air, freezing suddenly with one slate forepaw half-raised* ~Can you two smell that?~

*Brute turned to glance at his sister, frowned, and took a deep breath. It was there alright, the hint of a scent that simply did not belong with the rest of them. Brute flattened his ears and broke into a lope. The females followed him, but it wasn�t long before they started to see some of the effects around them. Dead animals. They littered the ground as they grew closer and closer to the outer foot of Uni Peak, rodents, rabbits, hares, even larger species like Ixis and a Kau. They exchanged glanced grimly. Brute waved his paw over his muzzle and made a few sharp gestures, indicating them to stay silent and breathe as shallow as possible. They reached the stream bank.

Brute leaned down over the water, pawing, sniffing, and staring at it suspiciously. He dipped in his paw, pulling up a few drops and tasting them. Oddly, he then rubbed his paw over an eye He only took a few seconds before he turned to Slater and Meera, standing with their shoulders touching, and extended his paw straight outwards. It was the signal to move out quickly. They did. Brute snatched up a rabbit carcass and broke into a fast racing run until he had caught up with the others, and they kept up the pace until several mountains had passed and the black grounds stretched in front of them. The headlong dash slowed, breath coming in pants as Slater and Meera looked questioningly to Brute. He dropped to his haunches, ears still facing back as a sign of unease*

~It�s not the water killing them. It�s the air~ *Brute explained shortly. Slater frowned heavily, shifting from paw to paw* ~But there is something wrong with the water~

~Yes. But I think what�s in the water is a secondary gas and a less dangerous one. It causes eye irritation. But not all of those animals lying dead back there had had a drink recently. They were coming towards the stream for one reason: to die~

*Meera felt a cold flush, but realized the truth of Brute�s words. It was one of the most primal instincts in many animals � when sick or dying, find water. It had come to pass many, many generations ago, at the dawn of Lupine time, for one simple reason: fresh water was the life blood of a living creature. It had kept them alive for a lifetime and instinct said there was a slight possibility it could happen again* ~So what <I>is</I> it in the air?~

*Brute closed his eyes, concentrating hard on faint-remembered words of his grandsire. The lesson rushed back to his memory in a cascade all of a sudden, but Brute half-wished he hadn�t remembered*

~Carbon. Carbon Dioxide. If more than thirty percent of the air is Carbon Dioxide, anything breathing it is dead~ *He said, turning his head to stare back at Uni Peak. It had been monitored carefully, though with the limited numbers available, after the war. It had shown several early signs of eruption then, even puffing smoke, but it was reported it had died down. Brute grimly realized that if gas eruptions were leaking out of the volcano this fast, fast enough to escape detection from the trained pack members, it could not be a good sign. Slater had the same thought. The group did not linger. Picking up the run again, they leapt down into the black grounds and raced off to warn the pack.*

*~*~*

~Markor. Sir?~

*Brute, Slater and Meera exchanged glances. The sight was all too familiar. The tattooed figure was sitting motionless on the low boulder perch in Stone Grove. Markor was often found there, without a sound, ears perked upwards, as solid and immovable as the rocks around him. He had been this way since the death of his mate, leaving much of the pack�s running to the Betas� not to mention his son. The Betas, however, were a lot more sensible than Saret was and stood for no crap from him. But he was, in effect, the son of Markor and therefore thought himself above their orders. The Beta had their paws full in more ways that one � Slink and Black Ruby were busy now days indeed. The Beta position, as well as parents over again.

With a bold, swinging stride, a well-built Lupine, ebon-black with flames of red, orange and yellow shooting up each limb, emerged from behind the rocks. He shrugged his muscular shoulders, smiling slightly as his eye fell upon the females* ~I hope you didn�t want to speak with him. I�ve been trying for the last hour~ *He said, motioning with a fiery forepaw to Markor. The Alpha�s light golden eyes were distant, and he showed no sign of even realizing there were other Lupes with him. Brute�s eyes narrowed just slightly as they fell upon the other male. Slater returned the smile as she ambled to his side* ~We�ve got trouble, Inferno. Brute�s found out Uni peak is on the verge of explosion~

*Inferno laughed, flicking his tail lightly* ~Serious? Wouldn�t the scouts have picked up on a little fact like that?~ *He spoke almost teasingly, brushing his flank lightly against Slater�s as he turned to glance at the Alpha. Meera rolled her eyes, hiding her smile. Her brother never had been a male to resist the charm of beauty� and he seemed quite taken with Slater. Meera knew it would, likely, end as any other, with Inferno drifting on to the next target. She had seen it often enough from him � he was only three months her elder, and the siblings had spent their entire lives together. Meera had warned Slater in so many words, but Slater had only smiled. Meera had the distinct impression from her friend that she let very few others walk over her. Meera thought to herself this little infatuation of her brother�s could turn out to be quite different that <I>he</I> expected. He may just have bitten off more than he could chew, this time�

Brute bared his fangs in annoyance, barging roughly between Inferno and Slater to stalk towards Markor* ~Do you think I�d be here, <I>Ember</I>, if I wasn�t serious?~ Brute did not exactly carry the same tolerance of Inferno as he did for Meera. She, at least, had some dignity. And he did not at all like the way Inferno�s eyes followed Slater constantly� nor the way she slyly flirted in response.

Brute reared back on his hindlegs and used the fore to grasp Markor roughly by his shoulders. Slowly, the golden eyes turned down to him. He raised his own forepaw and brushed Brute off, all his movement seeming to be carried in slow motion. Brute dropped back to the ground*

~The flamed one is right, young Savage. The scouts would know. Now leave this place, all of you~

*Brute stared at the Alpha for one long moment, hard features unchanging. At last, his muzzle declined a notch* ~As you wish, Alpha~ *He replied, tones emotionless. He turned and headed for the entry-exit to Stone grove. Meera had already moved quietly out. Inferno had lost interesting in the happenings and was half-playfully circling Slater, lowering his muzzle to murmur into her ear, tail beating softly against his hindlegs. Slater was grinning softly, gaze turning to follow his path. Brute controlled his temper with difficulty, grabbed Inferno�s upper arm, and shoved him at the exit* ~You will respect our Alpha, whatever his condition may be~ *Inferno stumbled and laughed, raising a forepaw in a gesture of surrender as he winked at Slater* ~Chill, savage!~ *He chuckled, Still watching Slater from the corner of one eye* ~I�m going!~

*Slater shook her head and smiled at her brother�s temper as she followed the boys out of the Grove. Meera wavered slightly, half-smile flickering. She lacked nothing in sharpness, And the relationships between her best friend, her brother, and her own sibling had not gone unnoticed. Brute gestured impatiently to Slater* ~Come on, we�ll at least go and warn Father. As Beta now, he�ll have something to say about this mess. And I need to make a quick spot to see someone else~

*Inferno ambled forwards to follow the pair* ~I�ll-~ *Meera grabbed his tail firmly and yanked him back as Brute and Slater disappeared down the side of the mountain* ~<I>You�ll</I> stay with me. I wouldn�t test Brute�s patience if I were you, brother. He�s not one for games.~

*Inferno�s pale emerald eyes gleamed with lust as he caught the last flash of ebon-speckled blue descending into the valley* ~Who, my sister, has said I am playing?~ *He enquired innocently, grin lingering*�

�

*~*~*

*Brute�s paw flew out like lightning and grabbed Saret around his neck. Claws dug in ruthlessly and he squeezed, lifted, and tossed the red ad black male aside as if he weighted nothing. Slater watched with some degree of satisfaction as Brute snarled at him, stalking up close again* ~Where did you find it?~ *Saret gulped and tried to wriggle backwards like an overgrown worm. Brute slammed his paw down on Saret�s tail and stood menacingly over him, fangs bared at every word* ~Where � did � you � fid � that � Uni.~� *He snarled in very, very soft tones. Saret could feel his throat go dry and his body start shaking, confronted by this madLupe. He raised a paw in front of his face to shield it* ~I-I-I we found it just under Uni Peak!~ *He gasped. Brute�s scruff prickled. Leaving the terrified Saret shaking on the ground, he stepped away and nodded to Slater. Her eyes serious, she nodded back. They broke into a run, heading off to search for their father. Black Ruby, of course, would be with her pups in the dens, but Slink should be around somewhere. It did not take too long to locate him, instructing a group of young warriors*

~Father!~ *Brute snapped, giving the warriors a glare that made them all back up five paces. Slink frowned and turned to his son, waving a paw to dismiss his class* ~Don�t use that tone with me, Brute, and kindly explain why you two are interrupting my teaching?~�

*Brute wasted no time. He and Slater explained the finds to their father. Slink listened carefully and nodded* ~Well, if you think there�s an eruption coming, I�ll take up the team of the scouts. They�ll know what�s going on~

~Be carefully, father. If there�s something coming out of that volcano in volume enough to kill a healthy, full-grown Uni stallion, you shouldn�t be breathing it~ *Slater warned cautiously. Slink smiled shortly and nodded* ~Don�t worry about it, Slater. I�ve been living in this valley my whole life. The scouts know what they are doing~

*As he turned to go, Brute and Slater watching silently, Slink added a few more words* ~Saret has been asking about you, Slater. I he�s ready � the times draws near for you to honor the agreement~

*He was gone within seconds, leaving a bristling, repulsed Slater and a frowning Brute behind*��

*~*~*

*The volcano scouts monitored the gas levels for the next few weeks. And while they agreed there had been dangerous levels coming form Uni peak, they also agreed it was dying down. The animals dying from breathing the poisoned air sank in number until the scouts reported, a month and a half later, there were perfectly normal, healthy animals once more populating the volcano area without any ill-effect. The pack�s tension and worry died. Everyone�s, expect Brute�s*

~They�re fools!~ *He raged, pacing up and down. Slater sat silently before him, a distant, preoccupied expression in her crimson eyes* ~Don�t they know ANYTHING about volcanoes? What was the first thing Ax taught us? That you can never, NEVER turn your back on a volcano! There is no end to their unpredictability � they aren�t a living, breathing thing with set patterns to follow! They�re bloody blind morons, is what � if Ax and the elders were still around, they would be ten times more cautious about trusting that mountain!~ *Brute came to a halt, growled in frustration, and thumped down with his head on his paws, trying to come up with some plan, some way to get proof, that Uni Peak still threatened an eruption� Slowly, brute became aware of something. Quick, intelligent Slater, who normally would have been jumping in to calm him down and then helped him come up with a plan, had not said a word. Nothing. Brute stared closely at his sister. He had been preoccupied with this volcano thing lately, but he knew Slater wasn�t having the easiest time of things. Slink was pushing at her mating arrangement, wanting to see the bloodlines of his and the Alpha�s stock combines, wanting more perfectly little warriors to train. Brute knew Slink�s hopes for himself were fading. Brute himself, nurtured and practically single-pawedly raised by Slink himself, had adapted far too much rebellion. Brute knew he was too argumentive, too unmanageable, too adept at questioning everything around him. He was not the obedient little warrior daddy desired. And the way Slater used every bit of her cunning, every trick, to keep away from Saret � again, too much independence, the will to resist Slink the Savage� neither of them had turned into what Slink wanted. Mamba was a warrior, but so withdrawn, too much involved with the aspects of stealth... and Asher, while a formidable fighter, did not possess the quick, ruthless mind, the cunning his elder littermates did. And so the Beta male�s sights had turned � to his litter of four, now nearly two months old. And to Slater�s unborn little, the cross of Alpha and Beta blood.

Brute paid very little attention to his younger siblings. The eldest, the black male with interesting white markings, might have promise, he noticed. But the twins he wrote off as another Nip and Grip, and the youngest blue female may as well have been invisible to him. She kept to herself.���������

But surely, distracted as he was, Brute thought to himself � surely, he would notice if there was something really wrong with Slater. She had spent the last weeks fighting her father�s mating agreement for her. Nothing in her wanted Saret. Not even the promise of the pups could sway her � Slater shuddered at the thought of having Saret. Of being forced to carry his children, know his disgusting, awful self would be blended with her own warrior lineage and cursed into a new generation. To no pup of hers would she wish such a father on.�

It was them Brute noticed it. The slight, barely detectable swelling, as Slater sat there in front of him, staring off into the distance. Slowly, Brute stood up. It couldn�t be. She never would have taken Saret. But that meant�*

~They�re Inferno�s pups.~ *It was a statement, not a question. And the words caused Slater to jerk as if Brute had clawed her face. She went pale under her black and blue fur*

~How did you-?~ *It was all the conformation Brute needed. He grabbed Slater by the shoulder and hissed � keeping his voice down � into her face* ~How the HELL could you do it? Fuck, Slater! You BROKE a mating treaty? Have you even THOUGHT about what that means, they could throw you out of the pack! And just think what they�d do to Inferno. Probably sentence him to death � and do you realize, if they do, they could brand his bloodline as unworthy and kill Meera because of it, as well? Do you want the death of your best friend over your head? Is that it? And what about the consequences on our family? How do you thinking Markor is going to react, when he finds out the last arrangement made by his dead mate had been broken!? Father will be demoted form the shame, at the very least, you KNOW what this pack, what Markor, is like with the Old Customs!~�����

*Slater just took it all silent, letting her brother rant. Finally, his heaving breath slowed, and he let her go, glaring between narrowed eyes. Slater spoke quietly, in nothing near her usual smooth, sure tones*

~I never meant it, the pups. I knew Inferno wasn�t serious � I was, as they all were before me, a game. I liked him, how sure he was of himself, it amused me. I thought I would turn his game back on him, knock him on his arse, teach him a lesson so he would know better next time. I was fond of him, yes � but I didn�t meant for this to happen. Don�t worry Brute � no one else will know. As far as the pack is concerned, I will be pregnant to Saret, in agreement with my mating treaty. I�m� telling Saret� tonight~

*She nearly choked over the words. Brute stared for a full minute at her* ~Slater. For him to believe that, you�~ *His words trailed off. He did not need to finish. The expression on Slater�s face was answer enough. It was an emotion he had never before seen on Slater�s face. Shame.�

*~*~*

The pack was celebrating. The howls carried on far into each night, and even Markor seemed to be recovering from his deep misery over his mate�s death. The pack was rejoicing with the promise of the news Saret had told them � the upcoming birth of pups, from the greatest line of Alphas and Beta Warriors that had ever be seen. They celebrated new life and the continuation of their kind� all, but Slater.

Deeply ashamed of the actions she had been forced to carry out in order to fool Saret, Slater had grown bitter and angry. The emotions, later, would see Slater break every tie with her past� but as yet, they simply grew and mutated inside her, twisting into angry threats against a strict world or tradition and rules.

~Inferno.~

*The handsome fire male started awake at the serious voice, rolling to meet a pair of crimson eyes. Slater had lost so much of her appeal since she became pregnant, and he had given up with �games� with her. But he was shocked, as he climbed to his paws, to see the rippling spasm of muscle along Slater�s flanks. He knew, as she stood there staring down at him seriously. He did not need to be told*

~Oh, fuck. They�re mine, aren�t they?~ *The groaned deeply, reeling back form Slater, who was nodding slowly in conformation. Inferno had not been a pack member for very long, but he knew how the Volcano Valley Lupes were. He had broken a tradition and a treaty. Shit, he hadn�t meant for things to go this far, it had all been a bloody game, nothing more��

Slater hear the scratching sound first, knowing at once the warning sound of a Lupine paw-pad upon a dry leaf. She turned � in time to see a furious Saret come hurtling in a crimson streak from his hiding place behind the bushes. Slater stared in horror as the Alpha�s son ripped bleeding gashes down inferno�s side, the fire male howling loudly in agony before be turned, snapping viciously. Slater could feel the heaving in her sides � she had come to Inferno for one reason: he had a right to see his newborn pups, and they would be born [I]very[/I] soon. Sooner than she had been planning� she could feel the first already, starting to move. She needed to get to her den � if she didn�t, Saret would try to kill any pup of hers and Inferno�s, and she, in a weakened state after birth, would not be able to do a thing about it. With the battlecries of both Lupes ringing in her ears, Slater had no choice but to turn away and run for her den. For the sake of her pups, this was one fight the warrior-fae would not face*

*~*~*

*Brute came storming up to Saret and Inferno, both torn bloody and still snarling at one another. With one swift movement, he leapt between them, lifted a forepaw, and knocked them both sprawling to the ground with a sharp uppercut to each chin* ~Right!~ *Brute bellowed at them both* ~I want an explanation. And I want it NOW!~ *Both males stared in shock at the enraged warrior, before they started speaking in a mixed babble together*

~The crazy fool attacked me, I was just talking to Slater-~

~The traitorous wimp took MY mate! Those pups are HIS filthy spawn!~�

�~Your mate? She would have mated me ten times over before you, you arrogant bastard!~

~Call ME names? You-~

*Brute snarled in annoyance* ~I don�t care about your petty battles. Where is my sister?~ *Once more shocked by the tone of his voice, Inferno pointed back, in the direction Slater had left from* ~The pups.. she was having them-~

~Scum, I�ll kill you and every one of those worthless runts!~ *Saret bellowed, interrupting him. Inferno leapt to his paws and was off and running in an instant. Saret barked loudly in anger, leapt up, and went tearing after him. Brute growled and turned to follow in the direction Inferno indicated � if the fool even knew remotely what he was talking about, which was unlikely. Standing quietly behind him was a pretty white female with serious grey eyes*

~I�ll help you look for her, Brute. My brother is a fool to think everything will always go his way, no questions asked, and he�ll never have to face consequences. And Slater is my best friend~

*Brute nodded grimly, his ears twitching and flattening with concealed anger* ~Head out that way. I�ll take south-east~

*~*~*

*Meera found Slater first. The Volcano Valley Lupe Pack had a large territory and it took Brute and Meera a few days to find Slater�s den � and keep one step ahead of the other pack members searching for her. Saret had paused long enough to tell his father of what had happened� and Markor was furious. The penalty of death had been passed � on Inferno, and on the pups, wherever they were. Saret had taken off after Inferno soon afterwards and neither had been seen since. Brute and his family were suffering through the suspicion and hostility of many other members for one of their kind having broken the rules, as was Meera. More than once Brute had to fight one or two or the more aggressive hostiles, and Meera was very careful in her search. She was not the warrior Brute was, although she could defend herself enough to be reasonably safe.

Slater had chosen a careful den, hidden well in a forest of shrubs, small trees, and bushes in an inconspicuous part of the territory. She had managed to bring down an Ixi and several smaller pretty such as mice and rabbits, which she had stored � with a late batch of berries from some of the crop-fields, nearby. The meat she had eaten first, hungry and weakened after a very difficult birth. She was running low on her fruit-supplies when Meera�s pawsteps sounded outside the burrow and a ivorn head peered in*

~Slater! Are you there?~

*Nearly collapsing with relief, Slater gently nuzzled the four sleeping pups and crawled out of the low entrance to her friend* ~Meera, thank the Earth-Fire lords� What�s happening out there!?~��

Meera quickly filled Slater in. Once the dark femme heard that Saret was hunting down Inferno, she groaned* ~And they�ve been gone.. five days now?~

*Meera nodded grimly. Slater covered her eyes and groaned again* ~As much as I wanted your idiot brother to be taught a lesson, death was not meant to be part of the teaching. I have to go after them, Meera� but� if anyone finds my pups�~

*Meera lifted her serious grey eyes to Slater�s, touching her friend�s shoulder with a forepaw* ~Slater, I will look after your pups. I shall guard them with my life � for as long as needs be~ *Slater stared into her friend�s eyes for a moment. Meera smiled slightly* ~I mean it, Slater. They are my nieces and nephews. Go, I�ll guard them. Until I know it�s safe. Go!~

*And Slater, torn in two once again, set off to try and fix what she had become the cause of.*

*The snarls echoed through a distant canyon that was once the campout of the Volcano Valley pack�s enemy. Crimson and fire pelts were both torn to shreds as the two males fought*

*Markor felt more emotion than he had in a long time � anger. The daughter of his own Beta had disrespected him, disrespected his pack � disrespected his beloved mate�s last mating arrangements. He knew Slink, as angry as he was, would be looking for Slater right about now. And Markor prowled swiftly through his territory, doing the same, watching his trackers scout for signs of the dishonorable Lupess*

*Slink could feel his blood boil. How could she. How could she, knowing what it would do? His entire position could be at stake. Slater could have ruined everything. He searched, careful clawed paws leaving nothing behind*

*Slater had moved under the forested cover of lower Ivory peak and was now slinking carefully through shrubs on the neighboring Black Fang Mountain. The black rock peak of the towering mass of dirt and rock chilled Slater as she glanced up at, then let her gaze flick over the valley, where dozens of Lupes were spread out, slowly hunting. Hunting for her. Slater nearly yelped aloud as a strong forepaw seized her mid- right foreleg. She found herself staring into a pair of emotionless, pure black eyes*

~Brute!~ *She cried, ears flicking wildly in unease. Brute sighed heavily and released her* ~They�re looking for your, sister. Be lucky you were not included in the death sentence of Inferno and the pups~

*Horror and rage twisted her features. Her five pups. Inferno. They were going to die because of her. Her. She groaned and shook her head* ~I� I have to go after Saret and Inferno. I can�t let him die because of me, but Brute� I can�t have them take my pups, I can�t. Please. Meera is with them, in that disused badger-burrow we found in the shrublands � between Mt. Acala and Snake Mountain. Tell Meera to take them away. Tell her I need to know they�re safe � she�ll understand!~ *Slater was calling back the last words over her shoulder as she ran. Grimly, Brute watched her go, then set off in the direction of Snake Mountain*

*It was under the cover of the approaching night that a white femme with eyes of grey emerged from the den in the shurblands. There were two pups in her gentle grip, both dark blue, the female with darker points. A small, lanky-looking pup kept close to her side, peering cautiously out at the world through dim, newly-open purple eyes. A miniature version of Inferno slowly, suspiciously, trotted after the adults� heels with a final pup, a female, beside him. The adult only paused a minute, one forepaw raised, before she and the pups disappeared off into the night*�

�

*Slater strained her eyes and saw the figure coming towards her. Her heart-rate doubled. When she was the crimson fur it tripled. It was Saret. Alone � and the crimson was more than just his own colour. He was injured and stained with blood. Saret came straight for her, lips pressed tightly together. Without saying a word, he grabbed Slater by the elbow, yanking her pack, towards the pack. Slater tensed. One well-aimed blow was all it would take. She was a born and trained warrior, he would never be able to face her, not even in top condition.

And then what? Return to the pack, tell the Alpha she�d murdered his only surviving kin�

She was trapped. There was no way out for her, and her heavily sinking heart told her that she wasn�t going to be facing an easy time when Saret brought her back to the pack. Trapped�*�

�

*Markor�s face was a grim and formidable one to see. Features tattooed with the pack�s trademark crimson threads, frowning browns drew close together as he surveyed the silent young Lupess standing before him, her body thinner than it should have been for her warrior build, her dark blue fur with its black specks worn and unkempt. Slater had been able to make contact with Brute, one Lupe Saret � her self-appointed guard � was afraid of. She had learnt of Meera and her pups. Although she was glad of their safety, she could not forgot the image of the five newborns curled into her side, nameless, helpless, and totally reliant on her.

Some job she�d done for them. Some mother she made.

Refusing to let herself sink into depression, Slater lashed out at those around her � her intended mate, her father who came down heavily, her youngest brother who was trying to make sense of the whole thing in his reserved curious manner.

But now it was the Alpha of the pack she faced*

~You have broken one the Old Customs and brought disgrace onto your own bloodline. However, your family, respected warriors, should not be forced to suffer from your mistakes.~

*Slater resisted the urge to snort in disgust. Right. Markor needed her family, her father�s warrior skill that he passed onto his children, the tactics of war and drilling his own experience and skill into others. His pack was too dwindled in numbers to disgrace some of his best members, was all*

~You will bear your mistakes on your own shoulders. To rank as a warrior and all privileges connected are withdrawn from this point. You will be assigned a round-the-clock guard who will ensure you do not leave the territory of the pack. You will act as any low-ranked member of the pack and obey orders from your superiors. And you will undertake in your arranged treaty. That is all~

*He turned and left, back hollowed slightly from months of idleness. He was slowly rising to take control of his pack again. But in but a few words he had stripped Slater�s life from her and shaped the future of the Volcano Valley Lupe Pack in a way none of them could have seen.

As Slater was yanked off by Saret to assign her a guard, the face rose expressionlessly from the clump of grass. Black Mamba�s eyes, browns, lips and nose were as pitch a black as the surrounding fur, which gave the ebon Lupine disturbing semblance to having no face. But his ears had heard every word and he watched Markor leave and Saret drag off his sister, ears flicking between them, the tip of his tail flickering angrily back and forth. He set off to look for Brute*

*The days drifted on through the heat-hazes of the Volcanoes. The pack was starting to slowly rise again in its numbers. More pups were being born. Slink and Black Ruby�s youngest litter were almost young adults now, the male proved a good warrior and under heavy training, the youngest female much more benign, sticking with elder siblings Nip and Grip most of the time. The last two of the litter, the middle females, were caught somewhere in between, keeping mainly to themselves.

Asher had become the largest of the litter by far. As a fully-grown adult he was a head taller than Brute and his pale black frame literally rippled with muscle. Brute could still beat him though, using his incredible skill and perfect timing, cunning tricks and excellent maneuverability. Save for Slater�s former potential, Brute was the best warrior produced by his parents. Brute could best Slink in a fight now.

Nip and Grip were the same as always, wrapped up in one another and not caring about the outside world. They didn�t care about Slater, not so long as their position was unthreatened. They let their youngest sister into their private world without bother and let things settle down into its normal routine.

Blue was unchanged as well. Still chasing the pretty females who caught his eye, being annoyed by pups, and sometimes teased by his little brother Brute.�

Mamba worked steadily, silently, and very capably with Brute. Ash was with them too, the brawn and backup. Mamba was of course, spying and infiltration. It was not hard to learn about Slater�s guards, a task shared between two Lupes, an old bachelor male and a younger family Lupe. Brute knew the family could be used as a tool against the younger, but the older Lupe was going to be trouble. He was a wily old bat. One of the many who did not trust any of the betrayer�s family. Brute, Mamba and Ash knew this. There were those among the pack who thought one betraying family member meant a entire tainted line. A threat.����

Saret was also easy to learn about. He strutted about like he owned the place � knowing it was a great possibility some day, maybe even not so far off � and spent time on one of his four pups.

Slater had been forced to mate him.

The eldest was female, and because of her gender Saret had no interest in her. A fool. Luna Eclipse was a beautiful young Lupess, a white-blue pelt with a dark curving mask over her eyes. But she was quick and cunning like her mother, and backed her fully. Not so was Seti. The oldest of the male pups was also attractive, with deep crimson and black swirls and already a few of the crimson-threat tattoos marking him. There was only one discernable thing in him from Slater�s side of the family: he was a warrior. That skill and movement was Slink�s line, alright. But there was far too much of his father in him. He was an arrogant bully, ready to be the pack�s next Alpha and great warrior in one, not willing to do what it took to achieve either. He was personally trained by Markor and Saret.

Then there was Blackout, a male whose only markings on a jet-black pelt were the deep crimson tips to his ears. He resembled his uncle Mamba in more than just body shape. He was quickly learning the way of the shadows and took a great deal of information from Slater and the pups to Mamba to report to Brute.

The last pup was Crystal, all speckled flames, pretty, but not too much of a fighter. She was a bit too shy and a worrier, only concerned with keeping her family safe*��

~Wimp!~ *Seti sneered, pulling his lips back contemptuously. Crystal winced at the harsh words, putting her head on her paws, ears folded submissively. Blackout bared his teeth and growled softly, his dark, dark crimson eyes narrowing dangerously*

~Is anyone ever going to do something productive around here? You pair should be taking lessons from Father and Alpha-Markor. Luna too! What�s wrong with you idiots?~

*A sharp, small paw made him stagger. Luna�s cool, near-white eyes bored into his from above. She was slim and fit and had leant a lot � not from Saret or Markor, but from Slater herself. Seti bared his teeth, but he did not strike her. Luna gestured angrily to Crystal* ~What are you doing, speaking to her like that? You know she hates it! Pressure me if you have to pressure someone!~�������

*Crystal whimpered slightly, hating being used as an example and hating to butt in* ~I� I don�t mind, Luna. I just want Seti to be content~ *She tried to peace-make. The red and black male snorted and folded his ears back arrogantly. Luna glared at him. Returning the expression, he backed down and trotted off to find his grandfather. Seti was the one pup Markor accepted out of the litter, pleased with the pup�s willingness to learn. Which, really, was little more than Seti himself wanting one thing: to be better than his family. He knew better than to take Luna on head o head. He was well aware Blackout watched him like a snake from those crimson eyes, rather like his own eyes. But at least he�d have a chance against Blackout if it came to battle� Luna he was more careful to watch his step around. Crystal... well, she was weak. No threat.

Slater called the pups to her. All four stood around her, worried, questioning, reserved, impatient. The guard was there, of course, he was always with her mother. He was the elder of the two, a blue male with rough, scruffy fur. He lay with his head on his paws, one ear lazily on his charges. It was annoying, having to watch the traitorous femme all the time. He was old, he should be on light duties already and enjoying his elder years in the pack. The female was speaking to her pups, though he didn�t bother straining to hear the words. Maybe he should have. Maybe if he�d been more alert to Seti�s disbelieving tone and Luna�s aggressive approval, to Blackout�s hidden, rising excitement at the thought of battle and crystal�s eternal worry at being caught, punished, being taken away form her family.����

The old guard never knew what hit him. Seti had him by a back leg, ripping and tearing and twisting his head ruthlessly to do muscle damage. Blackout was in next, a shadow within the dark from nowhere, claws tearing red tracks into blue fur. Luna from the other sid,e beautiful and so dangerous as he leapt for his sides. And Slater herself.

All the rage, all the frustration and built-up tension that had come from being trapped in her own pack, erupted. Like one of the valley volcanoes she exploded into anger, straight for the next, black the blow, snap the paw backwards into his jaw as he tried to bite, tried to defend himself. But there was too much pain, too many directions. He could not even cry for help. Slater knew of the weak spot between the throat and neck. She hit hard and fast � and there was still a lot of power in her deadly strike.�

She looked around at them, her four pups. Five tiny faces drifted up from a long time ago. No. no time to think of them. To worry about Meera, where she was, if her first five pups were still� five*

~Come, all of you. We go by the southern pass. You�re going to have the lives I can�t give you

here~

*She led them off towards the pass on the other side of the valley, five shadows moving slowly over what cover they could find in the cover of the falling eve�s darkness.*

*~*~*

*After nearly two hours of going over the far side of the valley and swiftly through the dens, Brute was getting worried, though it did not show. His eyes, sharp as ever, found the large figure of Asher sitting around the foot of Grand Peak. Nip and Grip were arguing over something, but that wasn�t surprising. They�d been arguing their entire lives, and wouldn�t be content otherwise. Brute went galloping down to Ash grimly, ears folded back, eyes narrowed. Eyes that were, just slightly, red and inflamed.*

~Ash!~ *His crimson eyes, slightly larger versions of Black Ruby and Slater�s, turned to his brother and he dipped his muzzle in greeting to them both* ~Something the matter?~ *He asked. Ash would not have been described as the most cunning of Lupines. But he had taken the build of their grandfather and of Blue, and his size and power were formidable in battle. Brute nodded grimly* ~Where�s Father?~ *Ash tilted his head* ~You didn�t know? He and some of the other ranks have gone on a hunt. After the Unis~

*Brute could feel his stomach tighten. His ears went back. He reached out and gripped Asher�s shoulder urgently* ~Ash, where did they go?~

*The big male looked puzzled by his urgency, but he answered quickly* ~Up on the Mt. Grayana ridges, over the southern pass. Looking for the herd that�~

*But Brute was gone. He had just come from near Mt. Grayana, which was the neighboring volcano to Uni Peak, between the southern pass. He had been keeping a sharp eye on Uni Peak ever since the troubles a few months back. He did not trust the scouts, too young and inexperienced, too ready to believe they were safe.

There were animals falling by the stream again. The air was practically visible. Certainly last time nothing had happened� but Brute knew only one thing could be relied upon about a volcano: its unpredictability. And he had a feeling this time, Uni peak wasn�t messing around�*

*~*~*

*Markor whirled around, tail flying, eyes wide in shock. The ground was rumbling under them, shaking enough to tip some of the hunters on their paws. Slink was snarling curse words, his eyes, too, upon the volcano beside them: Uni peak. No wonder they had seen the Unis stampeding away through the pass, long before they themselves had been in range. They had sensed something any trained scout of his should have been able to*

~Run! Head for Mt Atlan! Run, run!~ *Markor�s voice was swallowed up in the deafening explosion from beside the hunting party. One of the younger females was hit by a flying piece of rock and died instantly. But there was worse to come.

A towering plume of ash rose into the air, steaming up from Uni Peak�s summit. A second later lava came blasting down the slopes, and the heat nearly took Markor�s fur off. A tracker was scream and howling in panic, trying to yank the crushed � and visible � bones of his leg from under another bit of boulder that had exploded and been hurtled into the air. Markor slammed into the stone, trying to drag it off, help his pack. Another scream as a red-hot chunk of rock, no bigger than its victim�s own forepaw, rocketed through the air and struck a hunting in his chest. He fell. Waves of lava were pouring down steadily down and the heat waves were advancing along the sides of Mt. Grayana. Rising*

~Markor, sir! The lava!~ *One of the hunting party barked, eyes wide with horror. Markor knew. The heat was intense now, nearly unbearable. The air he and those he tried to help around him was thick and noxious and he knew the smell of gas � it was a deadly one. Hot and melting slag rained down on the mountain. Members of the hunting party were falling all around them. The dim of evening was lit up by a red sun. Markor was digging frantically, forepaws flying, burnt by the hot coals that now buried the unfortunate Lupe he was trying to save.

*~*~*

*Black�s Mamba�s eyes were invisible in his dark face. His white teeth, pulled back against black lips, were very visible. He seemed totally unafraid of the hot rocks falling around them, of the threat of lava that rose against the mountainsides. He was standing over a big ebon Lupine with tattooed crimson threats, and those unseen eyes of his were narrowed into slits. They were shielded from the others around them by towering pillars of rocks that had not been there minutes before* ~Markor. Who gave you your name?~ *The voice was close on� having no expression, ignoring the fact that Markor�s left hindfoot was trapped by a rock that was slowly, steadily, burning through his flesh* ~My mother did~

~And what does it mean, Markor?~� *Same empty, cold voice*

~It means �Snake-Eater�. My mother wanted a worthy name for the next leader of the pack~

~Snake-eater�.~ *The voice was a hiss now, low and threatening. Markor stared up into unseen eyes and tried to hide his fear. He never saw the slightest hint of any movement, even through he was watching Mamba closely. Black Mamba, just like his sister, had been taught to locate and utilize the weak soft spot between throat and neck*�

Uni peak had only just begun. The hunting party worked frantically, trying to move massive boulders and burning coals. The second major eruption tore the dark sky in two. Brute, far below on the valley floor, skidded to a halt, gaze a mixture of horror and fascination as he watched the impressive eruption.������

The lava flooded three mountains around it. Every living Lupe on the side of Mt. Grayana and the few who had made it to Mt. Atlan, limping and burnt form injury, died.

One single male made it to the bottom, dashing out along the southern pass. Slink the Savage�s ears were singed as the pressed grimly back against his neck, a massive welt rising along his left flank slowing his run. But he stopped for nothing, nodding once as his son fell in beside him and they went racing together over the plains, away form the devastating scene of destruction behind them.

*~*~*

*Slater had found her way of escape blacked. She and the pups watched the lava reach into the sky with awe, unaware that Slink had just escaped death by a hair. He had survived only because of his speed, and by not wasting his time on trying to save lost causes. Finding a stream running down the pass, he had plunged his head in, clearing away the gasses that might have killed him otherwise.

Slater growled as she watched � from a very safe distance � the lava inching sluggishly down the pass* ~We�ve no way through there. We must go back. The pack will be disorganized after such an unexpected event and we should be able to slip right past and go the other way~

*They followed as she led off, her mind wandering. Back to investigations with her brother and best friend, stalking cautiously over the black grounds behind the valley and realizing the danger of Uni Peak. A pity they didn�t believe us, Slater thought grimly. They�d been proved right tonight.

But her plans of escape had been ruined. The pack was in chaos, yes� but organized chaos*

~There she is! Daughter of the Alpha-killer!~ *A voice bellowed out of the darkness. Slater rolled her eyes. Oh, great, this was what she needed right now* ~Pups, be ready to fight~ *She snapped, her body already tensing, ready to fight, lowering her center of balance and flexing her wrists. The voices were those of the Gammas. Alpha-killer�s daughter� they thought Slink killed Markor. Which meant the Alpha was, obviously, dead. If her father had been branded traitorous, along with his family, by the sounds of it� that left the Gammas in charge. Not good prospects for her.

The Gammas charged. The noise of battle drew more pack members, who believed Slater�s family guilty of betrayal against the pack � first Slater herself, now her father, the only survivor of a terrible accident! It didn�t take much imagination to see Slink would have taken Markor�s place. It was clear in the mind of the pack.

The battle raged. Civil war tore the pack apart. Brute loomed out of nowhere to fight at Slater�s side, moving, killing, like a well-polished machine. The pups, less experienced in battle, struggled and snarled at their attackers. But as bravely as the fought, there were too many. It was Slater�s family against all the power of the remaining Volcano Valley members. ����

When the red heat of battle faded from Slater�s vision, she found herself panting and bleeding � and cradling a dying daughter. Luna Eclipse had fought � and lost. She had suffered a mortal wound to the neck at the paws of the Gamma female. Slater stayed with her until she was gone. Brute stood over them, a silent protective shadow*

~Slater. Come. The pack is no longer a safe place for any with Savage blood~ *Slater looked up at her brother. Her face was streaked with tears and blood, mingled along her cheeks until it was impossible to draw a line between them*

~My pups..?~

~No sign. Slater� we cannot wait.~

*Once more, there was no choice for the slaten femme. The first battle had been one but the second, the third, eventually � Slater and her family would have lost to the sheer crushing weight of numbers against them. Their time with the Volcano Valley pack had ended. Slink led them off as the moon centered itself in the sky, lava still pooling around Uni peak and the surrounding mountains. Black Ruby was at Slink�s side, knowing exactly how Slater felt. Her own four pups of her final litter had not been located. They would die if they stayed in Volcano Valley lands and had know no other life but what the pack had offered. Brute marched stoicly with the others. Black Mamba had appeared, his fur to dark to see the blood clinging around his lips and muzzle. He and Asher walked by Slater, all silently. Nip and Grip argued and bickered as their father led them on, and big, silent Blue brought up the rear, ears low, bleeding from gashes and bite marks. Most of them were.

Slater paused to look back. The moon was crimson from the glow of the lava still flowing, and her eyes were draw to it, lingering on that red moon for a moment. Then her gaze went to the blackness, her former home. She was leaving eight pups, a best friend, four siblings, and all the life she had fought for.

She turned. Head low, she followed her family away from the ring of volcanoes and all they stood for. A new chapter would be written from this split. So began Brute�s craving of leading his own, Slater�s longing for something better, the urges Black Mamba did and would always hide from others. Ash�s silent obedience to Slater�s intelligence was set in place. Black Ruby was walking towards her own death of a broken heart, pining herself away over the fate of her four youngest. Nip and Grip, the arguing twins, had a fate litter better awaiting � although on Nip, two pups would rely for the shortest time. Slink? Who could know the thoughts of the relentless warrior? Blue? He was a follower of Brute, and would be nothing more all his life.�

And the Volcano Valley Lupe Pack. The proud, smoothly-run pack with its many traditions would fall apart in the paws of its new self-appointed Alpha Saret. Many would abandon what was left of the pack, and what had once been would fade into no more than a name from the past. Only with the death of Saret at the paws of an unseen familiar, would the ruins of what had once been a mighty pack finally fall to the endless tide of time. The glory days of the Volcano Valley Lupe Pack had ended.�