~Prologue~
Fang padded out of his den early, the morning sun shining down on his russet pelt. Dew sparkled on the grass and there was a cool breeze rustling in the trees above. He stopped on the ledge outside of the entrance and stretched, casually looking around his pack's camp. Narrowing his eyes, he spotted Hawk, his beta and nephew, come out of the wolf's den.
Now's my chance... he thought.
"Hawk!" Fang called quietly to be sure he didn't wake anybody else. "Come hunting with me." he said and jumped down from the rocks.
"Okay." Hawk muttered.
Fang headed deep into the forest, working his way around how to end this quickly and get back to camp before anybody noticed he was away.
Finally... my brother will pay."Why are we hunting this far out?" Hawk asked, snapping him away from his thoughts.
Fang growled, thinking of an excuse. "I found a good hunting place yesterday, I thought we would check it out." He perked his ears when he heard a crack.
"What was that?" Hawk asked, hearing it too.
Fang scented the air and his eyes widened. Before he could even shout the word 'hunters', everything went black.
~Chapter 1~
Feather slowly came into consciousness. Once she realized what had happened, she leaped to her paws. "Ouch!" she barked as her head collided with hard metal. She opened her eyes and looked around. "What... where am I? Shade, Ivy?" she called for her mate and friend. "Hello?" No answer. She was stuck in a small, dark cage that seemed to be moving. The last thing Feather remembered was walking with Ivy and Shade in the mountains. She had stepped in a trap and got caught in a net. Her packmates had tried to help her out, but then the hunters showed up, and everything went dark.
I wonder if my friends escaped safely. Feather sighed, shaking the thought of them being captured by hunters out of her head. She perked her ears when they stopped moving and she heard voices outside. Realizing it was the hunters, she growled. They picked up her cage and then set it back down again. "What are you doing to me, you idiots?!" She knew they wouldn't understand her, but she couldn't resist the insult.
"Who's there?" "What's going on?" "Fang! Is that you?" "Hawk?" Feather heard three voices from outside. All of a sudden, the slot at the front of her cage opened and she saw a forest. She didn't know where she was at, but she had to get away from the hunters. Leaping out of the cage, she sprinted into the trees easily with her long legs. She glanced back and saw three other wolves running out of their cages as well; one female and two males. Feather turned her attention ahead and kept running, the plants whipping past her as her paws pounded on the ground.
Once Feather made it to a river, she stopped. Air rushed in and out of her lungs as she gasped for air. She took big gulps of water and within a couple minutes the three other wolves appeared out of the bushes.
"Do any of you know where we are?" a white she-wolf with strange, silver markings asked between pants.
"No, we were taken away from our pack by hunters!" a russet brute snarled, and a tan-and-black striped wolf nodded in agreement.
"As was I!" Feather gasped.
"Me too." the white wolf stated.
"Ah, newcomers." They all whipped around at the sound of a new voice and saw a old black brute with white markings. His muzzle was flecked with gray, showing his age. "Welcome to the Green Valley National Park. The name's Raven."
"The green valley
what?" Feather demanded.
"Green Valley National Park! South-western Wyoming. Where y'all from?" Raven asked.
"Canada. I am Hawk, and this is Fang. He is the alpha of the Midnight Sun Pack and I am the beta. Nice to meet you." the tan-and-black stripped brute answered, introducing the russet wolf next to him.
"I can introduce myself!" Fang snapped at his packmate.
"I am also from Canada, and my name is Feather. I am the alpha of Mountain Ridge Pack." Feather said, ignoring the brute's hostility.
"Same here. My name is Tsuki and I am leader of the Valley Tribe." the white female added.
"So you're all from Canada? How is it up there?" Raven asked casually, sitting down.
"You're making small talk?" Fang scoffed. "Excuse me, but we need to find our way home!"
Feather nodded. "Yes, I must get back to my pack. They are in danger."
Raven was quiet for a moment, glancing between the four of us. "I know my way around here. I could help you get back home."
"What? We didn't ask
you to help us. You're too old to even walk a mile!" Fang snorted rudely.
"I may be old, but I have traveled far and I can go farther yet." Raven snapped. "I have seen more things than any of you youngsters have in your entire life. I can direct you back up to Canada, but if you don't want my help, so be it."
"Ignore Fang." Tsuki said. "Please, can you help us?"
Fang showed his sharp teeth with fur bristling.
"Very well." Raven agreed, casting a wary glance at Fang. "But it's getting late, we can leave in the morning. Follow me." he got up and vanished into the trees.
Feather and the wolves exchanged glances, then followed the old brute.
Can this wolf really lead us home? Feather thought.
They emerged into a small clearing with a den; It appeared to be his home. "Get some sleep." Raven said and disappeared in his den.
"You're saying we have to sleep out here?" Fang growled, but no answer came from the den.
"Stop complaining!" Feather snapped, her patience was ebbing and she was starving.
All Fang does is argue!"Don't tell me what to do." Fang spat.
"Well if you would cooperate, we may be able get home!"
"I don't need some elder to help me find my way back to my pack!"
"Then leave!" Feather barked, her fur bristling. "Nobody is asking you to stay! Go find your own way home!" Fang just growled and lay down at the edge of the clearing, seeming to know that Raven may be his ownly chance of getting home. Feather looked at the other two, Hawk and Tsuki, who had stood by quietly with wide eyes. "Goodnight." she said with a sigh and found a comfy spot to curl up in.
We aren't going to get anywhere with that stupid Fang. What kind of pack leader is he?~Chapter 2~
Coming soon!