ᴘᴀᴄᴋ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀs

[thaliana,]

" There comes a time when we must expose our weaknesses. When our secrets can no longer remain private, when our solitude can no longer be denied, when our pain can no longer be ignored, but sometimes we feel so alone that a weakness we thought we'd overcome suddenly becomes too long to fight. "

1961 : The Fray

I got a voice and you got a reason
For the glory we sing our broken song
Take a side and I'll take the other one
Two brothers under one nation

A.D. 1200 Alaska was a world isolated and neglected by "modern" society. Inuit tribes, though decreasing in number, colonised the majority of the country, with but one predominant enemy - the wolf. Though much of the culture consisted on Animistic views, small tribes and villages believed that the wolves preyed on their cattle and children, and thus attempted to drive them from the area. Sitka, a rogue wolf and claimed 'misfit' of his litter, finds himself amidst the feud between wolf and human, but one wolf in particular is out for Sitka's blood. Power-hungry Massak has made it his goal to overthrow the humans, and in turn take power of the valley. To achieve his goal, Massak is willing to do anything, including tapping into the darkest parts of a wolf's soul. With loyalties being formed and a tyrannical alpha searching for his pelt, Sitka struggles to remain the 'lone wolf' he set out to become.

ᴄ ʜ ᴀ ᴘ ᴛ ᴇ ʀ s ;

» Chapter One
{ 2306 words }

» Chapter Two
{ 2562 words }

» Chapter Three
{ 2858 words }

» Chapter Four
» Chapter Five
» Chapter Six

[thaliana,]

ᴄ ʜ ᴀ ʀ ᴀ ᴄ ᴛ ᴇ ʀ . ʟ ɪ s ᴛ ;

Editing (c) ravenwood ; Images (c) Dawnthieves
{ Original images allowed for free use }

»

{ s ɪ ᴛ ᴋ ᴀ }
| sit - kuh | Brujo | Lone Wolf | Three Years [of age] | Cynical | Marchin' On |

»

{ ɴ ᴀ ɴ ᴜ ǫ }
| nan - ook | Brujo | Lone Wolf | Three Years [of age] | Visceral | Mercy |

»

{ ᴋ ᴀ ᴠ ɪ ᴋ }
| cav - ick | Brujo | Tracker | Four Years [of age] | Reticent | Fear |

»

{ ᴍ ᴀ s s ᴀ ᴋ }
| mass - ack | Brujo | Alpha Male | Six Years [of age] | Imperious | Tyrant |

»

{ ᴋ ᴀ ʟ ᴀ ᴀ }
| cal - ah | Bruja | Tracker | Four Years [of age] | Capricious | All We Are |

»

{ ᴇ s ᴋ ᴀ }
| ess - kuh | Bruja | Lone Wolf | Three Years [of age] | Credulous | Hearing Voices |

»

{ ᴛ ᴏ ɴ ʀ ᴀ ǫ }
| ton - rahk | Brujo | Lone Wolf | Two Years [of age] | Impetuous | Missing Persons 1 & 2 |

»

{ ᴀ ʟ ᴇ ᴜ ᴛ }
| al - ay - oo | Bruja | Lone Wolf | Two Years [of age] | Altruistic | Secrets |

»

{ ᴋ ɪ ʟ ᴀ ᴜ ɴ }
| keel - oun | Brujo | Proctor | Five Years [of age] | Venerated | Stop & Stare |

»

{ s ᴜ ʀ ᴀ }
| sooh - rah | Bruja | Proctor | Three Years [of age] | Sequestered | All Fall Down |

»

{ ᴛ ᴀ ɴ ᴀ ɪ ɴ ᴀ }
| tah - neigh - nah | Bruja | Mage | Nine Years [of age] | Perspicacious | Come Home |

[thaliana,]

¢нαρтєя ; σηє

ѕ ι т к α

Sitka's paws moved steadily through the undergrowth, ignoring the biting chill of the thick snow under his pads. The smell of the forest surrounded him despite the ivory cloth which had been draped over it. The lingering scent of a wolverine which had passed by, wrongly marking the territory as his; the mouth-watering smell of a lone doe desperately searching the woodlands for her herd; and the ever-present, threatening stench of the Flat-Faces, unwilling to abandon the forest. A growl rumbled deep in Sitka's chest, stirring his very soul, as the breeze carried fresh, relentless scents - the most dominant, that of the Flat-Faces. Beneath the foul odour, the dark wolf's sharp senses caught the scent of rabbit blood. "An easy meal for a starving wolf."

The brujo's husky voice pierced the still afternoon, his breath cold and smoky as he billowed a soft cloud into the air. The larks in the comatose trees dared to break the serenity with their melody, almost mocking Sitka's inability to hunt for his own meal. The wolf's jaws clenched, grey tail lashing at the shrill songbirds. For any other predator, they would have coward in their nests, fearful their shadows would betray their presence, but for Sitka they took no such caution. "I hope your wings freeze," the wolf mumbled into the light fur of his chest, ducking through the brambles and briars. The naked thorns grabbed at his fur, their claws raking his skin, and yet Sitka forced his paws onward, toward the enticing scent of the rabbit.

As the burning sun fell into the open jaws of the mountains, the lone wolf's weariness began to tug at his mind and legs, teasing him and coaxing him into a rest. "Just a couple more paw-lengths," Sitka reasoned drowsily, eyes foggy as his energy leaked from his spirit and gave life to the surrounding atmosphere. The distinct taste of rabbit on the wind kept him pushing onwards, imagining sinking his fangs into its warm flesh. Momentarily, he paused, a grey shadow against the snow as he caught sight of what he had been searching for. Sitka's red-tipped muzzle raised hungrily as he drank in the sweet scent, the taste hitting his senses and jolting life into his limbs.

His chilled paws forced their way through the layers of cold, stirring fresh flurries of pearly-white snow and abandoning them in his wake. Sitka's pink tongue lolled from his muzzle as hot breaths of air escape his parted fangs. His amber gaze was focused on the large hare isolated in the valley, its dark blood scarring the ghostly pelt of the grass. Sitka's senses were focused on the prospect of a fresh meal, warm and comfortable, in his stomach, and yet instinct told him not to near the cinnamon hare. A threatening fog lingered in the air, rubbing his brown-splashed fur the wrong way and prickling the fur along his nape. Sitka whimpered, low and cautious, into the open air; his eyes darting the dark tree line in search of the danger his heart told him was present.

Sitka took a tentative paw step forward, ears erect and head low as though entering a bear's cave. In the same, fluent movement, a wired noose tightened around his hindpaw, snapping his ankle out from under him and forcing him off of his legs. Sitka's world swirling around him, the sky falling from its high perch so that it was under him, or perhaps he had fallen into the sky. The lightly-furred wolf's body hung limp from the high branch of the tree, a metre or so from the place he had once stood. The brujo's body swayed from the position, and Sitka's pointed fangs snapped every which way in an attempt to rid himself of the trap. The more he struggled and attacked his invisible foe, the more the wire snapped into his flesh. Sitka barked and snarled his anger, demanding his release as though there were ears to hear his threats, but even the birds had fallen quiet.

"I did not think you to be one to fall into the Flat-Face traps," a thick voice mocked, hushing the brown wolf's whimpers and growls. Sitka swung his dull gaze around, twisting his leg uncomfortably, as he tried to catch sight of the wolf who had spoken, yet each direction he looked he saw nothing but a cloud of troubled snow.
"Nanuq..." Sitka mumbled grudgingly into the tranquil afternoon, recognition tugging at the strings of his memories. A throaty chuckle of humor answered his recollection, causing Sitka to clench his jaws in frustration, and slight humiliation.
"The one and only," chimed the ebony-coated wolf, muscles quivering under his silky fur as he padded circles around the helpless Sitka. Nanuq rocked back on to his hindquarters, staring up at the caught wolf with a sarcastic grin. "Need a paw?"
"No, thank you, I would like to remain upside down," Sitka grunted, shaking off the light headedness which began to cloud his vision.
"No wonder you have not found a pack - always so bitter, right brother?" Nanuq mocked with a growl, studying the thick rope which had entrapped his brother. It coiled around his hindpaw like a snake suffocating its victim, allowing no lenience for freedom. The crippled tree bowed under Sitka's weight, whining at the pressure against its weak branches.
"And what's your excuse, brother? I thought you would be joyous to see me in such a position," Sitka retorted, jaws snapping as he neared the dark wolf's muzzle. Nanuq sat unmoving, slowly circling towards the peg which held the rope in place. He had stumbled upon such traps on several occasions, this was none different to the last.
"If it were not for my own precarious position then I would be. At the moment, though, I am in need of your assistance." Nanuq dug his fangs in the wooden stake buried into the iced snow, grunting as he struggled to free it from its place. With a silence akin to a wolf in hunt, the pointed weapon slid from the snow, causing Nanuq to stumble backwards, startled, several paw-steps. "This might hurt some," Nanuq slurred with a wicked grin, voice muffled from the object between the wolf's fangs.

With a yelp, Sitka was dropped from his height, head forced between his front legs and into the snow. The flakes of ice choked his nose and throat, freezing his inners and sending chills along his spine. "Thanks for the help," Sitka growled, scorn and embarrassment heavy in his tone. He pulled himself to his paws, muscles straining under his patchwork of grey and brown fur. Sitka shook free his thick pelt, the lighter hairs catching the dark sunlight and melting the flecks of snow which refused to remove themselves from the depths of his undercoat. His ankle and muzzle protested at the movements, sore from the fall, his head still spinning. As his brain began to comprehend the world in its normal state, Sitka studied the wolf before him - a wolf he had not seen in many a moon-high.

Nanuq was a paw-size or so taller, his lean muscles predominant under his silky black fur. Pearled fangs glistened threatening in the dying sunlight, matching the dark wink in the wolf's yellow eyes. His large paws flitted about, wary of standing in the snow for too long. His entire form and demean our demonstrated his strength and dominance. Nanuq was a predator, the most powerful about. "I suppose I am in your debt," Sitka muttered reluctantly, the words sour on his tongue as he brushed pass Nanuq, his brothers thick fur soft against his own. Sitka paused as he failed to hear Nanuq's heavy pawsteps following behind. He twisted his gaze sideways, eying the stubborn black wolf. "If you wish to die, then be my guest and stay there. If you would rather live and explain to me your precarious situation, then follow me," he growled, struggling against the urge to roll his eyes as he turned from the dark form of his brother. "Though I don't know what great problem exists that you can't solve," Sitka murmured indignantly under his breath.
"I heard that," Nanuq snapped, slight amusement behind his anger as he caught up to the smaller wolf, ducking his head as the two lone wolves attempted to abandon the openness of the meadow. Sitka observed the tree-line restlessly, dull eyes darting about the darkness of the forest. The thick trunks of the trees bowed under the strengthening wind speed, almost refusing entry to the two wolves. The ever-present scent of the Flat-Faces stung Sitka's nose, warning him of the fast approaching danger. The meadow was no longer safe. It was too exposed...too silent.

A gunshot pierced the evening air, shattering the peace. A flock of ravens broke from the tree-tops, following the Westward current of the wind as they fled from the disturbing noise. Their caws pounded the senses of every creature which made the forest their home, alerting them of the present of the Flat-Faces. "They're close," Sitka murmured, his fur prickling at the proximity of his enemies. He raised his muzzle slightly, drinking in the scents. Nanuq mimicked the action, pausing momentarily. Another gunshot. A yelp emanated from Nanuq's muzzle as he fell forward, collapsing on to his right foreleg. Sitka whirled about, distressed. Figures prowled the shadows of the trees directly before the two wolves, eyes hidden in the darkness.

Sitka's lip pulled back in a threatening snarl, canines snapping as he stood protectively over his brother. "Can you run?" He questioned, hiding his worry as the Flat-Faces stalked forward. Bang. The bullet pierced the snow in front of Sitka, causing him to scatter backwards, dragging the injured Nanuq with him.
"I could outrun you with two legs and a calf hanging from my jaws," Nanuq teased, his voice a hiss through the pain as he tugged his onyx fur free of Sitka's sharp fangs. "So I think the question is, can you run?" He barked, clambering clumsily to his paws as another shot was fired, burning Sitka's flank. The bullet grazed his skin, burning away a thin line of fur as blood began to trickle down his side. A whelp of pain escaped the brujo's throat, though he quickly choked it back as Nanuq began to stagger towards the tree-line, dodging the bullets being shot towards him. Sitka eyed the three Flat-Faces and their foreign weapons, a threatening growl rumbling in his chest, though he quickly abandoned the idea of a confrontation. A wolf's fangs could cause fatal damage to a Flat-Face, Sitka had bore witness to such an attack, but he also knew that one attack from a Flat-Face could lead to the death of a wolf, he had bore witness to that, also.

"Not that way," Sitka snapped at his brother, shaking his mind clear of the memories which threatened to overcome his rational-trail of thought and jumped into motion, veering Nanuq away from the direction in which he had been heading. Bang. "The Flat-Face camp lies in the South," he continued with a growl, ignoring the burning pain in his side at each stride he took. Typically the slower of the two brothers, Sitka managed several paces ahead of Nanuq, who struggled to hide his pain quite like his grey littermate. "Always so high-and-mighty, right brother?" Sitka mimicked as he tugged his shadow of a brother on to his back, struggling only slightly under his greater weight.

As the pair distanced themselves further and further from the Flat-Face pack, the shots declined to mere squeels in the dusk, having frightened predator and prey into the darkest parts of the forest. Eventually, Sitka collapsed, heaving as Nanuq rolled to his side, kicking Sitka's injured side as he did so. "You didn't need to do that," Nanuq mumbled, his muzzle caught under layers of frozen leaves and crisp snow, breathing quick and heavy against the pain in his left shoulder.
"You're a pain in my tail, Nanuq, but we are still brothers - by blood and by pack," Sitka murmured gently, licking at the shallow wound which scarred his flank. Sitka paused, rough tongue hovering over the sharp injury as he looked over at his brother, who lay virtually unmoving aproximately a stride from where Sitka lay sprawled in the snow. "What do you need my help for?" He questioned, his voice regaining its harsh edge.
"Always straight to business, Sitka. I thought we were having a brotherly moment," Nanuq chuckled, softly lapping at his wounded shoulder. The bullet had fallen from the wound during the escape, but had managed to pierce the dark wolf's delicate muscle, leaving a harsh pain to stab at his leg.
"We were... and then it ended. Things in life tend to be like that, so I wouldn't get used to it if I were you," the grey brother growled, slight levity under his heavy voice as he twisted his body to face Nanuq, tail curling against his side as he made himself as comfortable as he could in the damp grass. "So, what great trouble does your younger brother need to sort out for you?" Sitka smirked, the first smile which had crossed his maw in quite some time.
"You are younger by a bark's length, so wipe that smug expression from your face," Nanuq shot back, a jovial twinkle in his golden eyes, though it quickly disappeared, his eyes becoming dark and clouded as the true purpose for why he was present re-entered his mind. "But, I admit, I have gotten myself into some difficulty... I'm being hunted."
"As is the entire forest. What makes your survival all the more urgent?" Sitka growled sarcastically, cocking his head to one side, confused.
"No, not by Flat-Faces... by wolves."

[thaliana,]

¢нαρтєя ; тωσ

к α ν ι к

"You let him escape?" A thick voice snarled into the wind, hostility and belligerence heavy in the brujo's words. Massak stalked along the high ledge which bordered the cave, his claws clipping the stone surface and causing the sinister sound to resonate throughout the indoor space, his thick-furred tail raised dominantly over his head as he glared down at his pack, amber eyes raging. One wolf, in particular, had caught the alpha male's attention, inciting Massak's bared fangs.

Kavik grudgingly allowed a whimper to pass through his lowered muzzle, ears pinned against his grey head and his dark tail pressed submissively between his legs. Humiliation coursed through Kavik's fur, the heat throwing his senses as he struggled to remain in the humble position. The red-splotched wolf had barely recovered from his hunt, his lungs still strained for oxygen, his shuddering legs had become incompetent in holding his weight, and yet he was forced to swallow his discomfort whilst in the presence of his alpha. "He was fast... and the Flat-Faces hunted the territory in the dozens... It wasn't safe," Kavik panted, panic pounding his chest as he felt Massak's dark eyes burning into his pelt.
"My apologies, Kavik, for you hindrance," Massak scoffed, the acrimony as clear as daylight in his tone of voice. "It is funny, though," the large wolf began to ponder, pausing as he sat back on his haunches, golden eyes two pools of sunlight against the dark of the cave as he glared at the tracker before him, "Because I remember you telling me that you were the best tracker in the pack. You said you were the fastest, the boldest, the most determined to track this rat down," Massak began to raise his voice, his thundering words echoing throughout the interior of the densite, resulting in several wolves whimpering uneasily, disturbed by their alpha's temper, "Yet you have been out ran and out smarted by a scavenging dog!"

Kavik scampered backwards, stomach pressed low to the cold, rough stone under his paws, as Massak leaped from his perch, strong muscles rippling under the brujo's thick coat. The alpha landed with a heavy thud, loose pebbles and stones skittering after him and bouncing about the jagged flooring. Massak loomed over the younger wolf, disappointment clouding his mind. Kavik was the pack's finest tracker; he could catch the scent of a mouse a mile away and was so light on his paws that even the birds could not distinguish his location. Kavik was not one to flee from Flat-Faces, for cowardice was not accepted in Massak's pack. "Give me one good reason why I should not discard you with the omegas..." the large wolf growled, breath hot and foggy against Kavik's muzzle.
"Give me one good reason why I should be hunting Nanuq," Kavik bravely shot back, his loyalty to his brother over-ruling his need for submission. The pack's whimpers and growls fell into silence, heavy tension lingering in the air as the red wolf slowly rose to his paws, meeting Massak's vehement glare.
"Know your place, Kavik!" The brown-pelted brujo snapped, slamming his paws against the younger wolf's side, forcing Kavik against the rugged stone floor. A startled cry of pain left Kavik's maw as his shoulder slammed against the glinting teeth of the rocks. Massak stalked towards the traitorous wolf, one paw hovering over Kavik's throat, threatening to end his short-lived life. "That crow-eating mongrel knows of our plans for the forest. If words gets out then everything we have striven for is ruined, and every pack from North to South will be searching for our skins!" Massak spat, fangs distressingly close to Kavik's maw. The younger wolf eyed his alpha, disgust and outrage in his pale eyes.
"And who says that's a bad thing?" Kavik growled, his words barely distinguishable against the low rumble of his throat. He swung his jaws around, canines grazing the thin fur on Massak's foreleg as the alpha pulled his paw backwards, away from Kavik's glinting fangs. Kavik scrambled to his paws whilst he had the chance, cutting his pawpads on the sharp rocks, only to be knocked to the ground once more by the stronger male.
"You fight with us, Kavik, or you fight against us... and you know what happens to those who oppose our pack," Massak snarled, lashing his brown tail as he circled the bruised brujo, daring Kavik to rise against him once again. He flickered his gaze to the spectators watching on, interest and bloodlust clear in their animalistic glares. The alpha smirked, slow and sly as he stood over the broad-shouldered tracker, tilting his muzzle to his pack. "Take a look about you, Kavik. You're a formidable tracker. We would hate to lost a wolf with your skills, but your packmates seem more than eager to tear your limbs from your body if you make the wrong decision," Massak chuckled, his malice fueling the hatred in each of his subjects. "So make your choice, pup."

Kavik looked to each of his packmates in turn, scrutinising the myriad of gleaming eyes which pierced the darkness; green and amber blazed in the shadows, sending shivers through the wolf's fur. The moonlight filtered through the dents in the cave roof, illuminating the rows of bared fangs, and the sound of gnashing teeth rocking Kavik backwards, causing his legs to weaken as though the pack were already upon him. They will rip you to shreds.... A voice taunted in his mind, causing Kavik to growl inwardly at the pessimistic views of his subconscious. He bowed his head, dejected and defeated without a claw mark upon his pelt. "I know where he is, and where he'll be heading," Kavik mumbled, his words scarcely audible to the sharp ears of his Alpha.
"Let your pack know your decision, Kavik. After all, it's them you need to be convincing," Massak chuckled, his voice a low rumble as he stood aside, allowing the broken moonlight to mark Kavik's brown and grey pelt. At his words, the warning growls and malignant snarls ceased, though scornful eyes continued to burn holes in Kavik's lush fur. The cessated brujo tensed his weakened muscles, forcing himself to his paws as he regained the confidence he once possessed - before Nanuq had tampered with his loyalties.
"I'll bring you that mutt's pelt and bones before the next full moon," Kavik growled slowly, meeting the hateful glares of each of his comrades as he unwilling submitted to his fate.
"No. The full moon is in seven sunrises, we need him before that," Massak barked hurriedly, scrabbling with the cave ledge as he returned to his podium, tousled fur shadowed under the mossy overhang which draped the alpha's throne. "You have but three sunrises to bring him to me... alive," the alpha ordered, eyes darkening as he focused on the plan formulating behind his eyelids. "Nanuq may be useful to us, afterall," Massak pondered, oblivious to the curious eyes which roamed his form.
"He doesn't have what you seek," Kavik growled, before drawing in a sharp breath, lowering his eyes as he forced his companionship towards his younger brother to the back of his mind, refusing to return to such a state. "But I know a wolf who does," he remedied, shuffling his forepaws under Massak's burning eyes. "He goes by the name of Sitka. I can bring him to you," Kavik promised, raising his saffron eyes to study his alpha's sceptical gaze.
"How do you know that this... Sitka has what we need?" Massak grumbled, the brown fur on his scruff bristling in anticipation.
"I have seen it for myself," the younger brujo returned, the conviction in Kavik's tone causing Massak to pause, his unkempt tail falling still as he considered the possibilities. Excitement stirred deep in the grey wolf's chest, igniting a spark of hope in his wild eyes. Kavik looked on, despair and shame at his ignominy darkening his thoughts. Trading one brother's life for another's. Even Massak wouldn't sink to such a level... The voice from before hissed in his ears, heating Kavik's collar.
"Very well. Bring me both mutts. If Sitka's blood is what we seek, then your actions from today will be forgotten. If it turns out you have lied to me, then we will spill yours," Massak portended, slamming a demanding forepaw on to the rough surface below. "And to be sure that we know where your loyalties lie, Kalaa shall accompany you. She'll be taking the lead. Do not cross me Kavik - you'll want to be on our side on the night of the Harvest Moon." Flicking the tip of his tail, Massak dismissed his pack, watching with satisfied grin as his pack slipped into the darkness, their paws as silent as a mouse in the open as they merged with the blackness.

Vexation stained Kavik's blood, his veins carrying his anger from his paws to his fangs as he turned from the large brujo, clouded eyes narrowed as he slunk through the opening to the cave, paws struggling to secure a footing amongst the unstable stones which formed the path outward. The scents of the night pounded the wolf's senses, washing away the frustration of the evening. Kavik raised his muzzle, the ghost of a smile on his dark muzzle as he savored the tastes of the forest; an elk herd grazing peacefully to the West, the remnants of a grizzly who had passed through the territory some sunrises ago, the aroma of a barn owl which had awoken early to feast on the forest's helpless rodents. "Illuq told me you like to get all 'touchy-feely' with the forest. For your sake, I hope he wasn't serious," a mordant voice jeered, interrupting Kavik's placidity and jolting him free of the forest's intoxicating hold.
"You can leave, Kalaa. You're useless as a tracker... You'd only slow me down," Kavik growled, flicking his eyes over his shoulder to study the mercurial bruja. Her eyes glowed a deep amber, singed around the iris and marking her burnt soul. Her cream undercoat was streaked with dark grey and velvety black, but her russet muzzle was pulled into a vicious snarl, tainting her otherwise fanciful appearance.
"Alpha's orders. Besides, you're as clumsy as a three-legged bear. I would love to see you try and pin two wolves and drag them back to the den with your sense of co-ordination," Kalaa shot back, lashing her black-tinted tail as she approached Kavik's flank. Irritation bubbled in the brujo's chest at Kalaa's persistence to follow orders.
"I'm not going to follow your nose. You'll lead us into the nest of a honey badger and believe you me, I'll end up leaving you there," Kavik snapped, stalking forward through the trees, shivering at the cold embrace of the branches and moist snow under his pads, though it was a comfortable comparison to the harsh interior of the cave.
"If I let you take lead, will you cool it with the attitude? I'm only following Massak's orders, and you might do good to follow in my pawsteps on that one," Kalaa advised with a reserved sigh, a subdued tone overcoming her words as she followed the bristling wolf through the forest, her pale fur agitated by Kavik's mood.

Kavik ignored her attempts at peace, clouding his mind with the problematic situation which he had thrown himself into. Guilt was a heavy cloud about Kavik's heart, lapping at his strength and pride as a wolf. The peccability of being unable to protect his younger brothers drove fangs through the brujo's neck as he solemnly slipped through the forest, wincing as the wind lashed at his eyes and nose, tugging his fur in all directions. Igaluk punishes you for your sins... His sub-conscious sneered. Kavik recoiled a the words, throwing a hasty glance to the Moon. A thin shadow upon its face prevented it from being whole, a ghostly figure in the onyx pelt of the sky. Spectral clouds clawed at the Moon's incandescent form, swallowing the orb in its entirety.

"The elders say that if you cannot see Igaluk, then Tulok is near to catching Him," Kalaa whispered, following the brujo's gaze to the sky, a chill running through her spine at the haunted complexion of the sky. Kavik glanced backwards at the bruja, his gaze hard as she spoke. The pale-furred tracker fell silent, shaking her head as the darker wolf turned away once more. "Have I offended you in some way?" She eventually snapped, the sound of her fangs meeting resonating throughout the forest, sending a flock of resting crows into the open arms of the Moon. Kavik tilted his ears towards the sound of her broken voice, identifying the hurt tone behind her speech as though he had severed her feelings in some way.
"No," he merely muttered, drinking in the odours which surrounded the brujo as another cacophonous wave of wind knocked the breath from his lungs. Two rogue wolves who shared a scent similar to Kavik sheltered Eastward, their scents frosted by the snow and yet intensified by a stronger essence... blood.
"If we continue through the night we might reach them by sunrise," Kalaa murmured into the wind, voicing Kavik's own fear. Her paws were numb from the cold, icicles clawed her pelt, and her eyes were near bleeding from the abuse of the storm.
"If we continue in this weather then we'll freeze to death, and I'd rather be torn limb from limb by the pack then slowly solidify in my sleep," Kavik argued, scaling for excuses as the fear of finding Sitka and Nanuq settled in his stomach, churning his food and threatening to make him sick. Against the wind, a heavy snow began to fall, once more suffocating the forest and its inhabitants with the heavy blanket.
"There should be a cave several elk strides around here," Kalaa agreed, raising her voice as the wind whistled through the branches of the trees, snatching the last remaining leaves and stealing their last chance of survival. As Kavik tried to focused his gaze, he was barely able to recognise the bruja's familiar-patterned pelt through the icy beads falling from the sky, the bruja became a mere shadow under the snowfall as she quickened her pace, overtaking Kavik's slow pawsteps.
"Yeah, but it reeks of bear," Kavik grumbled, though his words were stolen by the wind and went unheard by Kalaa. The brujo's wet nose twitched slightly as he took in the scents the way only a tracker knows how. He tore into the dominant aroma of the bears, breaking apart the scents; three scents marked the area in total - a female and her two cubs, and mother bears were not known for sparing threats to her cubs. Kavik approximated that the family had last past through at sunhigh, salt water and fish adding to the quickly fading scents. "They probably have another densite, though, and won't come back in this storm!" Kavik barked, ensuring his voice was heard.
"Aren't bears supposed to hibernate in winter?" Kalaa grumbled, wrinkling her nose at the pungent scents of fish and bear, a mixture that few wolves had the stomach for. Kavik pushed onwards, Kalaa's hushed complaint nipping at the threads of his mind, stirring a new level of worry in his chest. They know something's wrong...

[Charias]

I love it! Please write more!

[thaliana,]

Thank you. I'm beginning to write Chapter Two now. ^^

[thaliana,]

I have begun work on Chapter Two.
I am seriously wanting critique and suggestions on how I can improve my writing, if anybody is up for giving some advice. ^^

[Charias]

This is amazing, I really have no idea how you could improve it!

[thaliana,]

Thank you, again. ^^ I added a bit more to Chapter Two.
Chapter Two is finally finished, but I think it got a bit sloppy when writing between Kalaa and Kavik... Any thoughts?

[thaliana,]

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"Kavik is hunting you? Our brother, Kavik?" Sitka's words were drowned in astonishment, the wolf's amber eyes widening in disbelief. The burning sun warmed the freshly frozen valley, igniting the myriad of colours on the brujo's pelt as Sitka emerged from the temporary densite, moss and roots entwined with his coarse fur. Snow crackled under Sitka's heavy footing, accepting the wolf's large paws and quickly chilling his pads. 
"Do you know any other Kavik?" Nanuq growled, voice radiating throughout the tranquility of the woodland. The coal-black hairs of his coat prickled as the two wolves awoke to the effects of the snowstorm. The weak saplings had fallen victim to the wind's beatings, their branches gnarled and disfigured; the older trees struggled to keep their young sisters upright, trunks wheezing as a light breeze passed around their naked forms; a chilled blanket of ivory swallowed every flower to every rock, only the peaceful trickle of a stream could be heard in the morning silence. An imposing beauty had fallen over the wolves' homeland. "Look, Sitka," Nanuq rounded on his brother, a dark shadow against the pale white of the forest, "I have told you of Massak's plans and Kavik's involvement, and I have told you that every wolf from the mountains to the shoreline are at risk - at a bigger risk than Flat-Faces have ever posed. I am asking for your help. Will. You. Assist. Me?" He hissed through clenched teeth, speaking each word as though they had a foreign meaning to his incompetent brother.

Sitka reluctantly swiveled his gaze around, meeting the imploring gaze of his ebony-furred brother. A pleading whimper fell from Nanuq's muzzle, the high notes dancing about the forest until they dissolved into the fresh, dew air. "We are but two rogue wolves, Nanuq. How do you expect us to-" A yelp of surprise choked Sitka's final words as he was thrown from his paws, muzzle buried into the soft snow, head spinning from the sudden movement. The brown wolf was barely given the opportunity to regain his footing before he felt sharp fangs digging into the scruff of his neck, tugging harshly at his delicate hairs as he was yanked to the side. Sitka whimpered as his spine slammed against the trunk of an ancient spruce, liberating the snow which had clumped to its branches in the night.

Blinking away the frost which glazed his vision, Sitka noticed a flurry of creamy-grey fur blurring into sight, two amber eyes burning longingly for a feud. Before the attacking wolf managed to sink her fangs into the brujo again, Sitka snapped his head around, biting determinedly into the she-wolf's shoulder. A howl of pain left the bruja's shoulder as she pulled away, a long gash opening along her left-shoulder. "You rat!" The grey and red she-wolf spat, her left paw hovering above the frozen ground. 
Sitka's fur bristled at the insult as he raised himself to his paws, shaking his fur free of the dust and dead undergrowth which stained his pelt. His tan muzzle pulled back in a snarl, fangs glinting monstrously in the dawn colours of the sun. "And what are you? An omega?" Sitka smirked, pale eyes winking dangerously. The bruja stiffened, a resentful growl resonating in her chest. As swift as a black-tailed deer, the intruder made a move to attack, her tail raised high in dominance. 

"Back off!" 

The bruja paused, perplexed by the interruption and annoyed at being denied her victim's blood. Sitka's ears flattened against his head, maneuvering his gaze slowly away from his attacker. The dark fur along his back bristled as recognition settled itself in his mind. "Kavik. We were just talking about you," the rogue wolf grunted, a caustic smile lifting his maw as his burning eyes rested on his red-furred brother. Sitka's gaze flickered to the black weight pinned beneath the treacherous wolf, a moment's worry obscuring his vision as Nanuq lay squirming under the larger wolf; blood matting his fur from the open wound on his shoulder. Sitka lowered his head, a menacing snarl breaking his sarcastic leer as anger pounded his chest. "Are you not the one who used to preach to me about loyalty?" The wolf snapped, slamming a demanding forepaw into the thick snow. 
"And I don't remember you listening to a scrap of advice that I threw at you," Kavik shot back, the charcoal fur on his back bristling as his tail curled above his body as he met the younger wolf's glare, wincing internally at the faint sheet of betrayal which lingered in Sitka's gaze. 
"If I remember correctly, you were the one who left first," Sitka growled, his voice dead and emotionless as he masked the myriad of emotions which threatened to break his skeleton. A dark undertone beleaguered the tone of the young brujo, his gaze flickering momentarily to the bruja who accompanied Kavik. Sitka tilted his head, a duplicitous smile threading his muzzle. "I advise you to reconsider the company you keep. This one might just sink his fangs into your back," the youngest brother growled, false jocosity in his words as he angled his muzzle towards Kavik.

The chagrin in Sitka's voice spurred Kavik's fangs forward, anger raging in his auric eyes. Abandoning Nanuq, the eldest brujo sprung for Sitka, muzzle parted to reveal glinting, fangs tinged red in colour from the dawning of the sun. Kavik's dark tail lashed behind him as his forepaws met the sturdy chest of his shocked brother, forcing the smaller wolf into the deep snow. Before Sitka's mind was able to right itself, Kavik's blunt canines tore into the thick fur at Sitka's neck, forcing the pale-furred brujo deeper into the snow. A choked bark intercepted Kavik's thick growls as snow fell into Sitka's eyesight, stinging his delicate senses. With a resentful grunt, the older brother straightened his spine, forepaws planted heavily on Sitka's chest, unfazed by the weak pawing at his muzzle as he lowed his gaze to meet his brother's. "I did not stab you in the back. Spin whatever web of lies you wish but do not do so with me standing but a wolf's length from you, or I will sink my fangs into your neck and end your pathetic life," Kavik breathed, a portending growl scarring the words. 

Sitka's breath caught in his throat as his glazed eyes met the vehement gaze of his brother's, an inaudible whimper breaking the tense atmosphere as he felt the weight on his weak form disappear, allowing his lungs access to air once more. The grey wolf rolled on to his side, sharp snowflakes piercing his skin and freezing his veins as he watched Kavik slowly pad to the clump of black lying unmoving in the snow; the snow plagued a deep red, as though the sun had burnt a hole through the very earth. "Nanuq?" Sitka questioned, his broken voice a mere murmur as he stared at his unmoving littermate. 
"I'm fine, little brother... just resting," Nanuq grumbled, attempting to add joviality to his husky voice as he raised his head, finding difficulty in focusing his honey-coloured eyes. The injured wolf blinked against the harsh sunlight which blurred his vision, though it was not difficult to identify the broad form hovering over him as Kavik. The dark wolf's eyes darkened, an unreadable emotion spinning about the pupil. "Massak deserves you at his flank," the brujo growled coldly, slowly pulling himself to his paws, only to have his foreleg buckle under him and send waves of pain crashing against his shoulder. 
"Kalaa, grab Sitka," Kavik ordered in a soft voice, refusing to remove his gaze from the pained wolf before him, fighting against the urge to give a shoulder for Nanuq to lean on. Not that he'd take it... His sub-conscious snapped, angered at Kavik's refusal to simply turn his tail as though he had not seen either of his brothers. The older wolf perked his sensitive ears, listening for Kalaa's light pawsteps brushing through the snow, for a stubborn grunt from his youngest brother as he was pinned by a bruja. Nothing but the twittering of sun-rise songbirds and Nanuq's obscured whimpers reached Kavik's ears. 

Sitka eyed the bruja, suspicion and contempt in his hazy gaze as Kalaa stood unmoving, motionless as she bore fangs into Kavik's fur. "Kalaa, now!" Kavik snapped, the impatience in his voice startling both Sitka and the surrounding forest. The songbirds lowered their voices, rustling cautiously behind their white curtains. Kalaa jumped, slightly, her thick fur bristling at the tone of the lower-ranked wolf's voice. 
"Are you ordering me, Kavik?" She breathed in a low voice, petulance evident in the challenge, "You forget who Massak put in charge of this mission." Kalaa's eyes flickered to Nanuq and Sitka, uncertainty in their bright depths as she rounded them on Kavik. "Who are these wolves to you?" She demanded, grey tail lashing behind her toned form, shoulders tense as the brujo she addressed turned from the black wolf, meeting her glare. 
"Old pack mates-"
"Don't lie to me!" Kalaa snapped, her voice resonating throughout the forest and disturbing the remaining wildlife within earshot. Flocks of birds took the skies, their feathers liberating the snow which clung desperately to the branches of the trees, showering the animals beneath. A surprised fox whined, scampering into the undergrowth several elk-lengths from the collection of wolves. "This wolf - Sitka," the bruja growled, stabbing her muzzle in the direction of the light grey wolf, refocusing his attention on the two trackers, "You told Massak that his blood is what we need. Who is he to you? Honestly," she inquired once more. 

A chill which differed from winter's touch slipped along Sitka's spine as Kavik's slow gaze fell on his snow-covered body, which had yet to move from the position the red wolf had abandoned him in. Kavik eyed the brujo, almost wishing the breeze would carry him far from this situation... far from these dangerous lands. "He's my brother," Kavik murmured. To him, the three words had seemed to have been screamed into the still, morning air, and yet to Kalaa they were barely audible. 
"Your brother?" Kalaa repeated, rejecting the words from her mind. The bruja's eyes drifted to the smaller wolf, narrowing them as Sitka threw her a wiry smirk. She picked apart their characteristics, finding little resemblance in their appearance. Sitka was lean toned, his fur tinged with minimal russet, and yet Kavik was muscular with fur as red as the autumn leaves. Sitka's eyes were bright with youth and liberty, and yet Kavik's were dull and aged by his time under Massak's rule. Despite their differences, an air about them which lay Kalaa's doubts to rest. The manner in which they held themselves, the defining smirk which Kavik had once used to a point of exhaustion, and the reluctance in her packmate's voice defined the pair as sharing the same blood. "And you're turning him in? Willingly?" She barked, Kalaa's moment of realisation being quickly overthrown by shock and outrage. 
"Turning me in for what?" Sitka interrupted, worry like a swarm of gnats stinging his insides.
"Of course not willingly! Do you really think so little of me?" Kavik snapped back, crossing the distance between himself and the bruja, anger aflame in his eyes and fangs; his shoulders tense as he relaxed the urge to spring at her accusations. 
"I heard you in there as sure as I hear my pack howl. You are giving his life to protect Nanuq's!" Kalaa snarled, stunned by Kavik's lack of morals and fidelity. On many occasion had Kalaa been subjected to the brujo's rants on the lack of loyalty amidst Massak's pack, "What happened to your integrity?"
"Kavik, what is she-" Sitka attempted once more, injured eyes hovering on his brother's rigid body. 
"Don't start accusing me of being a hypocrite, Kalaa!" Kavik flared, flattening his ears against his skull, his body lowering to the floor as though he were going to pounce on her. As if his anger had sparked them, ominous clouds began to gather on the horizon; their dark grey colours threatening another snowstorm as they spread about the sky, blocking the warm golds of the sun and causing Sitka's fur to rise on end, a disturbing gelidity whipping the forest. "You have no idea what sort of decisions I have to make," he muttered more quietly, a sorrowful sigh escaping his muzzle as he turned his head from Kalaa's incriminating glare, momentarily meeting his young brother's pleading eyes. 
"Then tell us."

Nanuq's strong voice broke the silence which had begun to settle in the clearing, forcing the wolves' attention on his form. He hovered over his littermate, forming a barrier between Kavik's savage words and Sitka. The youngest wolf tore his gaze from the two trackers, gazing up at Nanuq's hard eyes with an unreadable emotion stirring his yellow pools as he noticed the light quiver in the black wolf's stance and the pain as he stood over Sitka. Nanuq's side bled heavily, matting his dull fur and staining the pure snow - tainting the Earth with his wounds. 
"What?" Kavik questioned, startled by Nanuq's demand and struck by his brother's choice of loyalties.
"Tell. Us," Kalaa repeated slowly in Nanuq's place, her words hardened by the bruja's resentment towards her packmate. "You have gained Massak's trust more than either of his betas, and I know he lies to the pack about his true intentions. What makes one brother's life more important than the others?" She growled, her choice of words causing Kavik to wince. Another sigh ran from the brujo's muzzle as he sat back, struggling to keep composure under the intense stares of his brothers and packmate. 
"I lied when I told Massak Sitka's blood is what we seek. Nanuq's is what he requires for the ritual," Kavik breathed, defeated. He dipped his head, refusing to meet their burning eyes. "To protect him, and to prevent Massak, I lied and said Sitka could."
"And you could not name any other wolf?" Nanuq snapped, a thunderous snarl echoing throughout his chest as he bared his fangs, tail lashing as the wind scourged his fur. He appeared a mere shadow against the grey of the forest as the storm rumbled overhead, piercing the wolves' ears. A humourless chuckle resonated in Sitka's throat as the grey brujo shook his head, his eyes upon the snow under his paws. 
"Of course not, Nanuq. Not only is Kavik too unsociable to make friends, but he has a personal agenda against my existence," Sitka growled, his voice masking the pain Kavik's words caused him. 
"That is not-"
"Of course it is!" Sitka snapped, causing Kavik to fall into a painful silence. "From puphood you condemned me as the omega of our pack. There were few ears to your words and yet you whispered, murmuring lies to our alpha and my littermates, manipulating their thoughts with your carefully placed words which ultimately led to my exclusion exclusion," he seethed, crawling out from under Nanuq's protective stronghold. The snow caressed the wolf's underbelly, soothing the flames which ignited within his chest and claws.
"I told nothing to mother and father which was not the truth." Kavik's voice was soft and yet the certainty to his words and the silent plea in his tone caused Sitka to quiet. "And as for Nanuq, he never believed you had a bad fang in you, anyway," Kavik chuckled slowly, his eyes glazed as his mind rejected the present, carrying the older wolf to more simple times when he was but an adolescent scuffling with his packmates. 

Kalaa coughed, agitated by the tense atmosphere which threatened to break her spine. Her breath was a mere cloud in the arctic air, obscuring her feminine features as the males turned to her, a questioning look upon Kavik's face. "As fascinating as your brotherly-bonding is, I am much more interested in what Massak's actions are," she growled, her paws kneading the melting snow underpaw, much like a feline would. The bruja ducked her head as another roar rocked the monotonous clouds, provoking restless groans as the trees submitted to the elements. "What does Massak want with either of their blood?" She implored as the fir trees ceased their whines, their curiosity awoken by the conversation amongst the four wolves. 
"You do not know?" Kavik questioned, surprised by Kalaa's lack of knowledge of her alpha's plans. He had expected Massak's murderous subjects to be aware of their alpha's crazed expectations for the forest. The she-wolf shook her head, casting her eyes to her paws.
"All I know is that he plans to rid the forest of the Flat-Faces. How, he has not said, and if he has any other plans, then we are not aware," she growled, frustration grasping her shoulders as Kavik continued to interrupt her desire for the truth. Kalaa lifted her gaze, a chill in her nape as Kavik bore his eyes into her, almost void of life. "Well?" She pressed, tail tip flickering as her eyes narrowed. 
"Massak plans to raise the dead."