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Chapter 1: Denouement
Silence reigned the forest as Denouement lifted each paw, and lightly treaded on the soft soil. The canopy of the looming great wayward pines blocked out the bright, white rays of moonlight, and the patches of light where the moonlight managed to reach were scattered over the terrain in awkward positions. As her tail swung limply behind her, Denouement's bright amber eyes narrowed, to focus more on the path in front of her. Her perked auditives swivelled freely, catching every single sound present in the forest. A leaf gently floated onto the ground with a light rustling sound, causing her head to snap towards the source of the noise. Seeing as it was only a leaf, she parted her maw in a slight sigh of relief, before continuing on her quest aimlessly. She had not eaten for days, but finding prey was not much of a problem for a canid such as she, as she had picked up a vague scent of a hare which had passed the area at least 10 minutes ago. Successfully hunting the prey down, was another thing altogether.
Denouement's grey pelt seemed lighter under the patches of moonlight, as the white rays reflected off her grey and slightly brown canvas, as her skull declined downwards towards the terrain, trying her best to catch a whiff of bigger prey other than the hare, which was naturally small in size and would not provide a good meal for her. Parting her maw again in a pant, she let her tongue loll out of her mouth as she trudged onwards, struggling to inhale a breath of air, as it was autumn, and the temperature had dropped tremendously, causing slight respiratory problems. The red and brown leaves covered the forest floor, covering most of the undergrowth that provided various obstacles on the path. Denouement treaded carefully, as she did not want to trip over anything. The slightest sound could echo through the shadowing trees, alerting the hare to her prescense.
Chapter 2: Two Friends.
As Denouement neared her target, she kept her frame low to the ground, her soft, white, underbelly just scraping the surface of the soft soil. Her empennage was tucked in between her thighs, and she folded her auditives back against her skull, so as not to alert her dinner about her arrival. The hare, unaware of her prescence, continued to nibble on some foliage that had scattered on the forest floor, occasionally making its large ears erect, to catch any sound of a predator nearby. So far so good, Denouement thought, as she struggled to maintain her breathing. Her heartbeat quickened, and the anticipation coarsed through her. Her muscles rippled under her derma, as she focused her gaze onto the target. Suddenly, she pushed off the terrain with her hind legs, giving her a good head-start. The hare's eyes widened in horror, as it realized that it was in grave danger, and it dashed off like a bullet train, with Denouement just inches from its rump. A hunt like this could have taken a long time, as wolves naturally have strong stamina, and speed is not their strength. The chase lasted for at least twenty minutes, before Denouement had gained the upperhand, and pounced onto the hare. Her strong talons gripped the hare, as she forced it onto the ground with her weight. As the hare struggled to get free, Denouement kept her composure calm, and delivered the final blow.
Denouement ate in silence, with only the occasional rustling of leaves. Owls, creatures of the night, swooped down, just above her cranium, as they were attracted by the scent of the kill, but they were not the only ones. A sound came from her left, and she immediately looked towards the direction of the source, perking her ears. She was afraid that it might be a bear trying to steal her kill, but her nose picked up the scent of two other canids. The sound grew closer, and the rustling of leaves was not like the soft rustling, but footsteps of a heavy frame applying a large amount of force onto them. Slowly but surely, two large, shadowy figures came into sight, and two pairs of eyes accompanied them. The eyes were amber, just like hers, except that one pair of eyes seemed more brown than the other. '
" May we join you?" A masculine voice echoed through the foliage, breaking the silence and tension.
The voice seemed kind, and unsure. Tilting her head to the right, Denouement realized that the scent of the two wolves had wafted over to her, and was very strong, indicating that both of them were males. The figures slinked over to a patch of moonlight that shone onto the terrain, wanting to show her what they looked like.
Bright, white light reflected off their pelts, and Denouement tentatively scanned the two wolves' features. One of them, the one that had eyes that seemed brown, had a light brown pelt, and he looked a little afraid of approaching another dispersal wolf, but overall, he seemed friendly. The other, however, looked dark grey under the moonlight as his pelt was pure black. He narrowed his amber pools at her, appearing quite hostile towards her prescence. The light brown one spoke first.
"I am Jeames, and he.." He glanced briefly at the other. "He is Rayhool. We're brothers, and have been roaming the territory for about a month now." Rayhool seemed to be intolerant towards Jeames' introduction, and he flicked his tail impatiently, letting it lash against his hocks. "We were wondering if you needed companionship," Jeames continued, obviously annoyed at Rayhool's hostility towards Denouement.
Denouement raised a brow, amused at their awkward introduction, and, with a slight nod of her head, she motioned for them to join her. Jeames immediately trotted over to her, and greeted her playfully, with his tail waving high in the air. She returned the playful gesture, before settling onto her haunches next to her unfinished meal. Rayhool merely observed their interaction from afar, not wanting to join in their fun. He padded over in silence, not even glancing at Denouement once. Instead, he slumped onto his haunches, looking exhausted from his journey with his brother, and encounter with the female wolf. Soon, all three of the canids were asleep.
Chapter 3: Change
Denouement woke up with a start. Her body was shivering uncontrollably, as flakes of a white substance drifted down to earth all around her. Winter had arrived. Widening her eyes, she realised that her whole body had been covered with snow overnight, and she turned her head to the left, only to find the deep impressions of both Jeames and Rayhool in the thick la
yer of snow that covered the terrain. She frowned slightly, stinking her ears once, to feel the tiny and stiff muscles stretch. They had gone off while she was asleep, and left her to the mercy of the wild. I should never have trusted them to accompany me, she thought with disappointment. Slowly, she rose to her paws, and shook her pelt vigorously, sending snow flying everywhere. From behind her came a deep voice of a male. It was Rayhool.
"Up so early, fae?" He asked, showing no emotions on his features, as his tail hung limply behind him. His fur was ruffled, as if he had been in a hunt. She noted the sarcasm in his tone, and responded with a slight smile.
"Where have you been? And where is Jeames?" Denouement asked with worry in her voice, as she tilted her head to the side.
"He is just by the frozen river, about a hundred wolf lengths away. We found the carcass of a bull elk, so he sent me here to lead you to it." He showed no sign of concern or worry for his brother, and turned about a hundred and eighty degrees to his left. "Coming?" He raised a brow, amused, as she too had no reaction to the news of finding food.
Denouement immediately padded towards Rayhool, keeping her composure calm, as she reached him, and they began their journey towards the carcass. She kept her head low, as she did not want to look Ray in the eyes. She knew that this may be interpreted as a threat of some sort, especially for a wolf of his nature. Either ways, she could not take any chances, as she was too weak to fight. Trudging just a few meters behind Ray, Denouement looked around her, observing the scenery around them. It was beautiful, just like any winter she had been through. Everything was covered with snow, turning the landscape into a nearly barren, white piece of land.
A raven cawed on the branch just above her, and took off, causing the branch to shake, and consequently dumped a big heap of snow onto Denouement. Gasping, she clawed her way out, and shook her pelt vigorously yet again. Great, just great. The first day of journeying with this male wolf, and I embarrass myself, Denouement thought as she muttered something inaudible under her breath. Looking up, she noticed that Rayhool's visage had an awkward ex
pression on it. He was trying to keep himself from laughing. Hmm.... Well, at least he has a sense of humour. Maybe he's not as bad as I thought, Denouement pondered, as she looked at the ground and kept pace with Rayhool at the same time after her slight ordeal.
Chapter 4: The Enemy.
As the two canids travelled further towards the depths of the forest in the direction of the carcass, Denouement constantly looked up, estimating the number of hours it would take for the sun to go down completely. Nothing could be heard in the surroundings, even with both wolves alert, with their auditives erect. Denouement's amber pools scanned the area wearily, her body becoming more and more lethargic with every step, as it needed food badly. Ray's canvas shone in the patches of sunlight that peeped through the leaves of the canopy that stretched over 50 metres high above them.
Suddenly, a snap of a twig could be heard in the distance. Almost immediately, a large figure of another wolf landed just a meter in front of Rayhool and Denouement. Its hackles were raised to the very highest point, and its lips were pulled back in a full-fledged smirk, indicating the hatred towards both canids.
Growling between its crimson-stained ivories, it spoke harshly towards them," What are you doing here? This is the Acrimony Eradication Pack's territory. Dispersals are not welcome here."
The wolf's tail was raised high in the air, showing its dominance over them, and its protective stance. Denouement lowered hers as a sign of submission, as she wanted to avoid a confrontation as far as possible, because of her weak composure. Rayhool, however, widened his stance, standing his ground, but he spoke in a calm tone.
" We are merely passing through your grounds, and provide no source of harm, wolf. If need be, I will definitely fight you.", He answered.
The wolf smirked, while raising a brow in amusement, as his muscles rippled underneath his derma, tensing for a fight.
"For your information, my name is DarkStar, Patroller of the borders of Acrimony Eradication. You dare to challenge the might of Acrimony Eradication? You have just entered our lands, and you dare to challenge us? The nerve of you."
The creature immediately lunged at Rayhool with the smirk still on its face as it imagined its rival's doom in its own jaws. Flinging its whole weight onto Rayhool, it tried its best to harm Rayhool, but it did not know; Rayhool's trump card was not his strength, but his speed. He immediately dodged the attack, speeding off to the side, and then flinging himself onto the beast's platform. His forty-two sharp ivories exposed themselves, gleaming in the sunlight, as he opened his jaw, and clamped onto the rival's nape fur. Struggling to maintain his balance, he held on with all his might, his talons [claws] digging into the enemy's skin, causing snow to fly all around them. With a flash of black and white blurrs, the fight was over, and the rival scampered off into the depth of the woods.
From the distance came the weak and revengeful howl of DarkStar, "I will be back, intruders, and next time, the pack will be with me! You can never defeat us!"
Rayhool's maw parted into a heavy pant, each inhaling of air causing pain in his lungs as the chilling winter air entered them. He plopped down onto the snow-covered terra, closing his eyes as all his energy was drained trying to protect his new friend, Denouement. Worried, Denouement lied down next to Rayhool's frame, and kept guard as he slipped away into the land of dreams.
Chapter 5: DarkStar's Pack
DarkStar walked solemnly back to where his pack waited. He could sense their anticipation vibrating in the air as he neared the main area of the whole pack's territory. What am I going to tell them? That I failed to fend off intruders from the territory? He thought to himself, worried that his high-ranking position would falter at the sound of the news that he would tell his pack. His leaders would not like it either... DarkStar halted, as depression took over his eyes. His auditives flattened themselves against his skull as he thought more and more about his failure to protect the pack's boundary.
Silence reigned again in the forest full of wolves for a brief moment, and time seemed as if it stood still. His ebony pelt shadowed in the corner, before he took a few steps to face his pack. The visages of the wolves turned immediately towards his direction, anxiety filled their eyes.
Before he could say anything, his Alpha spoke," So, DarkStar, what good news do you have of the border?" His Alpha's seemingly grey eyes pierced through him, like cold stone.
"I.... I come with no good news, leader. I failed to stop two wolves from entering our borders." DarkStar's apex declined, directing his face towards the snow-covered ground, as he readied himself from the leader's wrath.
"WHAT!" His leader's voice came harshly, filling the forest with his echoing voice. His laberals were pulled back in a snarl of displeasure, as he narrowed his eyes at DarkStar, a fiery glint in them. "You can never do anything right, can you?" The leader's voice came again, like a diamond cutting hard rock, as his banner lashed against his hocks impatiently. "Riot! Dismay! Come here now," the leader voiced his order towards two wolves who always sat on both of his sides, and were the fiercest of all of the pack. "I want you to kill those wolves, tonight. Bring along others if need be." Mist rose from the leader's nostrils as he flared them, obviously furious with DarkStar's failure of protecting the pack.
Rebel and Riot immediately jumped up at the sound of their leader's orders, and dashed off into the darkness with their noses towards the terrain. Soon, their keen sense of smell picked up the scent of the two unknown wolves, and they howled their battle cries, before galloping at full speed towards the intruders. From afar, yelps and whines could be heard. DarkStar stood frozen against the ground, wondering if they had found the right wolves. He had picked up the scent of two other intruders along the boundary on his patrol, but he had passed them off, as the tracks did not seem fresh at all...
Chapter 6: Two Siblings Lost and Found (Part 1)
Rayhool woke up with a jerk of his massive frame, after dreaming of being chased by some rival wolves. He rolled onto his side, letting his tongue loll out of his mouth in a light pant. He had not had a dream like that in years. Could this mean something? He wondered, tilting his cranium up into the sky to look at the already bare canopy, staring blankly at it. Beside him, Denouement was watching his movements intently, while tilting her head to the side and letting one of her auditives droop down. Wow, she looks pretty adorable, actually. He thought as he curled his lips into a slight smile towards her, before maintaining his rather tense composure.
"Morning, Rayhool." Denouement spoke in a slurred tone as she had just woken up as well, crossing her pedestals (paws) as she glanced at him briefly. She opened her jaw once in a silent yawn, before rising to her peds. Rayhool realised something different about her; her grey and tan pelt seemed to shine, as the soft glow from the pure white snow reflected off her canvas. Her bright amber pools (eyes) gleamed in the sun as she raised a ped just inches above the ground, still not used to traveling on the cold, odorless substance. She shook her pelt vigorously, and snow splattered all around her, and a fleck of snow landed on Ray's muzzle, causing him to sneeze. Denoue chuckled slightly while shaking her cranium, before looking around suspiciously.
"We should get going, I think I sense some trouble stirring." Without anymore words, Rayhool rose to his peds, nodded briefly, and the two wolves started their journey once again. The two canids padded side by side, keeping each other company without the help of words. Denouement constantly looked back, weary that after the previous night's encounter, many other wolves of the pack that dominated the lands would come after them. She found herself worried for Rayhool, as he walked alongside her half-drowsy as a result of the previous night's fight. He looked completely drained, as if he had run a few kilometers, and his tail swung limply behind him, as each step seemed like a step into dreamland for him. Den lowered her apex to his eye-level, nudging him with her muzzle to keep him awake, while occassionally having a sense that they were being followed.
Denouement merely gave a shrug to this thought, as she was too hungry and weak to think of anything else. She could smell the scent of wolves nearby, but she could not be sure that it was Jeames' scent. On the other hand, she also picked up the vague scent of an elk carcass close to their area, so she decided to focus on the scent, as well as keeping Rayhool awake. Suddenly, out of the thicket came the very faint whimper of another wolf. Denouement's auditives perked up, as she wondered who that may be. The voice sounded familiar, yet distant at the same time. Could it be Riot? She wondered, as her thoughts scattered about at the whimper. Riot was her long lost sister, whom she had not talked to in such a long time. As she remembered, Riot was one of the weakest amongst the litter she survived with. She had to take a look.
Chapter 6: Two Siblings Lost and Found (Part 2)
Denouement's ears perked, and her muscles tightened, as she creeped up to the bushes where the whimper was made. Her apex [head] peered through the bushes covered with white, and she realised that her suspicions were actually correct. In the small clearing, she saw two canids; one was a creamy gray wolf. She had the most sorrowful eyes Denouement had ever seen, yet Denoue recognized that the female wolf was her long lost sister. Her pelt and scent had the same distinctive tinge of their birth pack. She also never said much when she was still with Denoue's birth pack. The other canid was a gray wolf with the coat of a red wolf, as the genes had passed down this trait to him. He had a very thin outlook, but his strength would not be matched if Denouement and him had a fight. Her brother, who was next to her nursing Denoue's sister, was licking the wounds inflicted on her nape. His eyes were always solemn and dark, and he always had dark thoughts, even when he seemed happy. She remembered him as the litter's second strongest pup. Denouement's sister looked up from her rest as she lay on the ground, her auditives kept low, and uttered a soft whimper, before speaking in her weak voice.
"Denoue? Is that really you?" Her voice echoed through the trees around them, and Denouement's brother looked up at her as well, his eyes filled with shock. "I though you disappeared along with the rest of the pack when the disease hit..." Her voice trailed off, a tinge of sadness in the tone as she remembered the week when all of the pack started dying off because of an unknown disease that had spread across the whole territory.
Denouement revealed her whole body, and stepped through the snow-covered undergrowth. She looked at her siblings with joy, and yet with sorrow. Her tail was kept in mid-air, wagging only very slightly. She first spoke to her sister, Riot.
"Riot, I'm surprised that you survived the plaque. I, too, thought that you were gone from my life." She looked at Riot joyfully, and padded over to lick her wounds.
"I'm glad that you are well too, Den." Kifo, her brother, smiled at her playfully, lifting up a paw to swipe at her fore gently, as they had done frequently when they were pups. Denouement reacted with a grin, her tail wagging furiously this time, as snow flew everywhere from the friction against her tail. Denouement continued licking at Riot's wounds, after her usual greeting with Kifo. However, Denouement could still pick up the scent of another wolf; a female wolf.
Chapter 7: Trouble
Denouement inclined her crania to look up at the canopy, as a flock of ravens flew past. Their black-hued shadowy figures casted darker shadows onto the floor of the forest, as they cawed their way past the area which the four canids were in. Riot looked up as well, wondering what Denouement was looking at.
"What is it, sister?" Riot asked in worry, as Denouement was known for looking up into the sky in silence only when she sensed something was about to happen.
"Nothing, it's probably nothing..." Denouement's voice trailed off as if she was talking to herself, and she declined her head to look back at Riot. Her tail stiffened on the terrain, and her hackles raised a little.
"Alright." Riot replied, but she did not believe her sister, as Denouement's body language showed a sign of tension.
With a loud rustle, Rayhool came crashing through the bushes suddenly, panting heavily, as the front of his body fell through the bare branches covered with snow. His limbs sprawled out onto the ground in front of the three in awkward positions, and he looked up at them. "Trouble with Acrimony Eradication." The words that came from Rayhool's mouth sent all three wolves into a state of panic. Denouement suddenly forgot about the scent of the female she had picked up earlier, and her auditives immediately perked. She nuzzled Rayhool up onto his pedestrals, before rushing over to her siblings.
Denouement had seen how Acrimony Eradication had fought during the Battle of Laceration; A pack war that had occurred due to the tension between Denouement's birth pack and Acrimony Eradication. They fought well and hard, striking quickly, before reclining and thinking about their next move. It was hard to beat them in a fight, but Denouement's pack had outnumbered them, which gave the pack an advantage. Denouement led the three canids to where she thought Jeames would be...
Chapter 8: Safety
The group of four wolves raced through the bare forest covered with snow. Their peds pounded the terrain hard, leaving deep impressions in the snow, as they dashed in and out through the undergrowth, and their chests heaving in turn. Denouement led the fleeing party, and followed the extremely vague scent trail of the elk carcass that Jeames had found.
Soon, the four of them reached the carcass, but Jeames was not there. His paw impressions remained on the snow, and his tracks were fresh. The carcass, though, looked like it had not even been touched. Denouement's heart raced in panic, and Rayhool brushed up against her side, resting his cranium onto her back, trying to dismiss her worries. His pelt was covered in scars from the previous encounter, and his eyes were sorrowful. She could tell that he, too, worried about his brother.
Kifo and Riot were in the background trying to catch their breaths. After a while, they inclined their heads, looking expectantly at the elk carcass. Denouement returned their glance with a brief nod, as she was the eldest of the three siblings, and therefore had the biggest say in the pack, and that had not changed even when the three of them had left the pack. Almost immediately, Kifo and Riot dashed towards the carcass, trying to rip off as much meat as they could, even though most of it had already frozen. Denouement remained in her spot, staring blankly at Jeames' fading tracks. She could not follow them alone, as being alone in another wolf pack's territory was about the worst thing any sane canid would do.
"It'll be alright, Denoue, i'm sure he's just gone off somewhere looking for more food." Rayhool tried to comfort her worried heart, while he gazed off into the distance where Jeames' tracks led.
Denouement sighed deeply, and slowly padded towards the carcass. Her appetite was lost, but she knew that she had to eat to regain the strength she had lost on the way. She ate in silence, while Rayhool ate next to her. His fur brushed against her body slightly, and she could feel the heat radiating from his body. She turned her head slightly to have a better look at him, but instead, she noticed a pair of pale amber eyes watching them from a bush. It must have been the female she scented at the area that she bumped into her siblings... But why would the female follow them all the way there? Nothing made sense.
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