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Description
Chapter 2: Strays

Paw prints were left in the few clear patches of dirt uncovered by the blanket of Fall’s leaves. Following the scattered prints of the older wolf was a smaller wolf, whose paws were too light to leave any real mark in the ground.
Serab smiled as she heard the leaves rustle under the weight of her only pup, Fairrin. Like a toy to a dog, Fairrin followed his mother’s wagging tail with much enthusiasm. He had been following his mother for weeks now, as they trailed through the mountains. Having lost their pack and in search of a new home, Serab was determined to find a new home, not only for herself, but for her pup. A few nights ago, she had caught the scent of a decent pack—one of a well-organized number of individuals. Their scent carried not the threat of disease or fear and, at last, Serab had believed she’s stumbled into the right territory.
Despite the calmness of her expression and seemingly lack of watchfulness towards her pup, Serab constantly shifted her eyes and ears, looking for any sign of company. She was betting that the pack she would come across was a friendly, or rather, logical pack, but even so wolves weren’t so friendly when it came to intruders. She did not think of her eight-week old pup as an excuse for any mercy towards her. If the pack was to chase her off, they would do so—whether or not she was accompanied by a pup.
Sure enough, Serab was able to huddle her pup under her when two young wolves bounded to either side of her. They came towards her like phantoms, practically invisible to the eye until they were standing mere inches from her. Instinctively, Serab crouched as low to the ground as she could, without smuggling her pup. She flattened her ears and fought off all her motherly instincts not to growl at the scouts. This was their territory, after all.
“Who are you?” The young female said—a white wolf with black markings on her ears, back, tail, and paws.
The old mother concluded these scouts were mostly for show, rather than an actual threat, for they had ambushed her while their scent was up wind, making them easily noticable long before they were in sight.
“My name is Serab, a stray. I seek the aid of you and your pack and mean you no harm.”
The warning snarl worn across young Creeba’s muzzle weakened into a wary frown. She looked to her companion, a brown-black wolf named Kyeph. Compared to Serab and Fairrin’s pure black coats, Kyeph’s was light and clearly not predominantly black.
Creeba noticed the shivering pup under Serab’s belly and the true, friendlier side of her personality came out. Honestly, Creeba didn’t like her new job as a scout. Ever since the death of Kirz and the departure of Siria, Creeba and Kyeph had to fill in as the pack’s scouts. They didn’t particularly like the job, as it required them to wake up earlier and to be more aggressive than they were used to.
“All right,” Creeba said, still holding her tail high, but not as stiffly as before.
No sooner had Creeba spoke, that a large silver-grey wolf came from the brush. Her eyes met that of her young scouts before even glazing over to the new comers.
“How many times much I tell you two, you must be down wind of your opponents!” The Alpha female said, her voice sharp with annoyance. “Otherwise they will know of your presence instantly and you’ll loose the element of surprise.”
“Understood, Alpha Narla,” Creeba and Kyeph said simultaneously, lowering their heads to the ground and pressing their ears to their heads.
With the Alpha around, the scouts no longer needed to hold their tails high and they fell under their legs.
Now that the scouts had been dealt with, Narla turned her head to the submissive black wolf. Fairrin’s tiny muzzle poked out just an inch or so from under his mother.
“Who are you?” Narla said, her shadow draping over the stranger.
“Serab. And this is my son, Fairrin. We seek your aid, great Alpha female. I ask for entry into your pack.”
“Entry?” She looked down at the mother wolf, then slunk to the ground and stared right at the little pup.
“Well, come out, little one. You are wolf, are you not? It’s not very brave to hide behind your mother,” Narla said, smiling without flashing her grand killer teeth.
Insulted, Fairrin jumped from under his mother and almost pounced on the muzzle of the great grey wolf. He held his tail, ears and head high—the wolf sign of total dominance.
“I’m not afraid! I’m brave like my father!”
“Fairrin!” Serab snapped, commanding her pup to sit down.
“Hmph,” Narla said, lightly bringing a heavy paw on the little wolf, forcing his body to the ground. “You are brave, pup, but far too proud. Respect your mother’s teachings and remind yourself to show some respect to a pack that is not your own.”
Still holding the pup down lightly, Narla stood up and faced the mother, whose eyes no longer focused on the large Alpha before her, but at her arrogant pup.
“Rise, off the ground, mother wolf. You have nothing to fear here.”
Slowly, Serab rose to her feet, but still kept her ears and tail low.
Narla let the pup go with a snort, and he scurried back to his mother; this time beside her rather than under her.
“Where did you come from?” Narla said, looking back at the eyes of the black wolf.
“Far in the mountains regions, Alpha. My mate, Vura, was killed by hunters shortly before my son was born. He was my pack. I came here to seek a new home for myself, and for Fairrin.”
“Why should I let you in? Winter’s approaching. I don’t have a lot of time to watch pups. I have my own pack to feed.”
“Please. He’s a good boy, he won’t cause much trouble. But I can’t make him travel through the whole Winter.”
Narla looked down at the little pup, who now retained a position similar to his mother’s. She smiled at the pup, at last showing her large teeth. The fur on Fairrin’s body started to stiffen, inwardly frightened by the shear size of the Alpha’s teeth.
“You are in luck, Serab. I think I have room for you and your headstrong pup.” Narla said, watching as Serab’s tail gave a happy wag. “Come, we will show you around,” Narla said, leading the way to the main regions of her territory.
Creeba and Kyeph followed behind, trailed by the new Omegas Serab and Fairrin.

The wolves made it to the cluster of rocks they claimed to be the center of their territory. The rocks were formed in a half-circle, ranging in size from a wolf’s height to two feet taller. The largest rock, in the center, was the Alpha’s resting place, and where Narla’s mate, Narka, sat.
The large Alpha male bore the exact markings of his mate, but rather than having grey fur and a white underbelly like her, his fur was brown and red, his underside painted light tan. Despite being Alpha, Narka was a lazy wolf and generally the responsibilities towards the pack’s well-being were placed upon Narla. However, Narla never minded, being the more aggressive of the two, and even liked being the more forceful of leaders. Though Narka mostly spent his time resting than biting, his lazy appearance was not to be underestimated—he was a highly skilled hunter and when he needed to be, a good fighter. His reasons for ignoring the disciplinary duties to his pack were usually because they didn’t need any. Narla was one to snap at the little things, but the truth was, Narka and Narla’s pack didn’t need much regulation, especially since Kirz’s death.
The red-colored timber wolf looked down as part of the pack returned. Luckily, the old grey wolf that had kept Narka company, Bly, wasn’t much of a talker, and both were content with that.
Narka greeted his mate as she jumped on the rock and stood beside him, letting Creeba and Kyeph take the spotlight and introduce their new members.
“New entries?” Narka asked, looking over the dark wolves.
“Yes, Alpha Narka. This is Serab and her pup, Fairrin,” Creeba stated. “They have come from the high mountains and seek admission into our ranks.”
“Glorious!” Narka cried cheerfully, wagging his tail and jumping off the rock to officially greet the newcomers. “I am Alpha Narka. You’ve already met our scouts, Creeba and Kyeph. She,” he said, nodding his muzzle towards the rock behind him, “is my mate, Alpha Narla. And that’s Bly.”
“Thank you, truly.”
“Well, it’s nice to have some new wolves to fill the gaps,” Bly’s old voice said, “ever since Siria and Atka left, among others, it’s seemed so quiet around here.”
“Old members of your pack?” Serab asked the aged wolf.
“Some of our best members have gone off to lead their own lives. They should be raising pups at this time, though I sometimes wonder how they’re faring,” Narla confirmed, thinking back to the coming Winter.
“Well, now you’re here and we’re grateful to have you,” Narla continued, looking back at Serab. “But the Winter this year will be harsh, no doubt. We’re a pack, a clan, and we do not separate like other wolves, but you and your son are another set of jaws to feed. If we are to survive this Winter healthfully, you must keep up, and young Fairrin must grow up quickly.”
“I understand. We will do our very best, Alpha Narla.” Serab said, bowing her head respectfully.
Narla nodded approvingly.
Later that day, the pack set off on a hopefully successful hunt. The skies twirled away from its dull blue color into a puffy grey. Tiny snowflakes started to fall from the sky, seeming to get bigger as the hours ticked by.

Description
Chapter 2: Strays

Paw prints were left in the few clear patches of dirt uncovered by the blanket of Fall’s leaves. Following the scattered prints of the older wolf was a smaller wolf, whose paws were too light to leave any real mark in the ground.
Serab smiled as she heard the leaves rustle under the weight of her only pup, Fairrin. Like a toy to a dog, Fairrin followed his mother’s wagging tail with much enthusiasm. He had been following his mother for weeks now, as they trailed through the mountains. Having lost their pack and in search of a new home, Serab was determined to find a new home, not only for herself, but for her pup. A few nights ago, she had caught the scent of a decent pack—one of a well-organized number of individuals. Their scent carried not the threat of disease or fear and, at last, Serab had believed she’s stumbled into the right territory.
Despite the calmness of her expression and seemingly lack of watchfulness towards her pup, Serab constantly shifted her eyes and ears, looking for any sign of company. She was betting that the pack she would come across was a friendly, or rather, logical pack, but even so wolves weren’t so friendly when it came to intruders. She did not think of her eight-week old pup as an excuse for any mercy towards her. If the pack was to chase her off, they would do so—whether or not she was accompanied by a pup.
Sure enough, Serab was able to huddle her pup under her when two young wolves bounded to either side of her. They came towards her like phantoms, practically invisible to the eye until they were standing mere inches from her. Instinctively, Serab crouched as low to the ground as she could, without smuggling her pup. She flattened her ears and fought off all her motherly instincts not to growl at the scouts. This was their territory, after all.
“Who are you?” The young female said—a white wolf with black markings on her ears, back, tail, and paws.
The old mother concluded these scouts were mostly for show, rather than an actual threat, for they had ambushed her while their scent was up wind, making them easily noticable long before they were in sight.
“My name is Serab, a stray. I seek the aid of you and your pack and mean you no harm.”
The warning snarl worn across young Creeba’s muzzle weakened into a wary frown. She looked to her companion, a brown-black wolf named Kyeph. Compared to Serab and Fairrin’s pure black coats, Kyeph’s was light and clearly not predominantly black.
Creeba noticed the shivering pup under Serab’s belly and the true, friendlier side of her personality came out. Honestly, Creeba didn’t like her new job as a scout. Ever since the death of Kirz and the departure of Siria, Creeba and Kyeph had to fill in as the pack’s scouts. They didn’t particularly like the job, as it required them to wake up earlier and to be more aggressive than they were used to.
“All right,” Creeba said, still holding her tail high, but not as stiffly as before.
No sooner had Creeba spoke, that a large silver-grey wolf came from the brush. Her eyes met that of her young scouts before even glazing over to the new comers.
“How many times much I tell you two, you must be down wind of your opponents!” The Alpha female said, her voice sharp with annoyance. “Otherwise they will know of your presence instantly and you’ll loose the element of surprise.”
“Understood, Alpha Narla,” Creeba and Kyeph said simultaneously, lowering their heads to the ground and pressing their ears to their heads.
With the Alpha around, the scouts no longer needed to hold their tails high and they fell under their legs.
Now that the scouts had been dealt with, Narla turned her head to the submissive black wolf. Fairrin’s tiny muzzle poked out just an inch or so from under his mother.
“Who are you?” Narla said, her shadow draping over the stranger.
“Serab. And this is my son, Fairrin. We seek your aid, great Alpha female. I ask for entry into your pack.”
“Entry?” She looked down at the mother wolf, then slunk to the ground and stared right at the little pup.
“Well, come out, little one. You are wolf, are you not? It’s not very brave to hide behind your mother,” Narla said, smiling without flashing her grand killer teeth.
Insulted, Fairrin jumped from under his mother and almost pounced on the muzzle of the great grey wolf. He held his tail, ears and head high—the wolf sign of total dominance.
“I’m not afraid! I’m brave like my father!”
“Fairrin!” Serab snapped, commanding her pup to sit down.
“Hmph,” Narla said, lightly bringing a heavy paw on the little wolf, forcing his body to the ground. “You are brave, pup, but far too proud. Respect your mother’s teachings and remind yourself to show some respect to a pack that is not your own.”
Still holding the pup down lightly, Narla stood up and faced the mother, whose eyes no longer focused on the large Alpha before her, but at her arrogant pup.
“Rise, off the ground, mother wolf. You have nothing to fear here.”
Slowly, Serab rose to her feet, but still kept her ears and tail low.
Narla let the pup go with a snort, and he scurried back to his mother; this time beside her rather than under her.
“Where did you come from?” Narla said, looking back at the eyes of the black wolf.
“Far in the mountains regions, Alpha. My mate, Vura, was killed by hunters shortly before my son was born. He was my pack. I came here to seek a new home for myself, and for Fairrin.”
“Why should I let you in? Winter’s approaching. I don’t have a lot of time to watch pups. I have my own pack to feed.”
“Please. He’s a good boy, he won’t cause much trouble. But I can’t make him travel through the whole Winter.”
Narla looked down at the little pup, who now retained a position similar to his mother’s. She smiled at the pup, at last showing her large teeth. The fur on Fairrin’s body started to stiffen, inwardly frightened by the shear size of the Alpha’s teeth.
“You are in luck, Serab. I think I have room for you and your headstrong pup.” Narla said, watching as Serab’s tail gave a happy wag. “Come, we will show you around,” Narla said, leading the way to the main regions of her territory.
Creeba and Kyeph followed behind, trailed by the new Omegas Serab and Fairrin.

The wolves made it to the cluster of rocks they claimed to be the center of their territory. The rocks were formed in a half-circle, ranging in size from a wolf’s height to two feet taller. The largest rock, in the center, was the Alpha’s resting place, and where Narla’s mate, Narka, sat.
The large Alpha male bore the exact markings of his mate, but rather than having grey fur and a white underbelly like her, his fur was brown and red, his underside painted light tan. Despite being Alpha, Narka was a lazy wolf and generally the responsibilities towards the pack’s well-being were placed upon Narla. However, Narla never minded, being the more aggressive of the two, and even liked being the more forceful of leaders. Though Narka mostly spent his time resting than biting, his lazy appearance was not to be underestimated—he was a highly skilled hunter and when he needed to be, a good fighter. His reasons for ignoring the disciplinary duties to his pack were usually because they didn’t need any. Narla was one to snap at the little things, but the truth was, Narka and Narla’s pack didn’t need much regulation, especially since Kirz’s death.
The red-colored timber wolf looked down as part of the pack returned. Luckily, the old grey wolf that had kept Narka company, Bly, wasn’t much of a talker, and both were content with that.
Narka greeted his mate as she jumped on the rock and stood beside him, letting Creeba and Kyeph take the spotlight and introduce their new members.
“New entries?” Narka asked, looking over the dark wolves.
“Yes, Alpha Narka. This is Serab and her pup, Fairrin,” Creeba stated. “They have come from the high mountains and seek admission into our ranks.”
“Glorious!” Narka cried cheerfully, wagging his tail and jumping off the rock to officially greet the newcomers. “I am Alpha Narka. You’ve already met our scouts, Creeba and Kyeph. She,” he said, nodding his muzzle towards the rock behind him, “is my mate, Alpha Narla. And that’s Bly.”
“Thank you, truly.”
“Well, it’s nice to have some new wolves to fill the gaps,” Bly’s old voice said, “ever since Siria and Atka left, among others, it’s seemed so quiet around here.”
“Old members of your pack?” Serab asked the aged wolf.
“Some of our best members have gone off to lead their own lives. They should be raising pups at this time, though I sometimes wonder how they’re faring,” Narla confirmed, thinking back to the coming Winter.
“Well, now you’re here and we’re grateful to have you,” Narla continued, looking back at Serab. “But the Winter this year will be harsh, no doubt. We’re a pack, a clan, and we do not separate like other wolves, but you and your son are another set of jaws to feed. If we are to survive this Winter healthfully, you must keep up, and young Fairrin must grow up quickly.”
“I understand. We will do our very best, Alpha Narla.” Serab said, bowing her head respectfully.
Narla nodded approvingly.
Later that day, the pack set off on a hopefully successful hunt. The skies twirled away from its dull blue color into a puffy grey. Tiny snowflakes started to fall from the sky, seeming to get bigger as the hours ticked by.