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Things had been rather calm lately. As Raakk sat near the fire working with a bone knife to tan a hide the large gray wolf was lost in thought. He had tone that work so many times that his paws worked without him even having to think about it. He ought to have joined one of the early morning hunts, but since most of that was just checking traps, Raakk had chosen to stay behind. He had much to think about.

The focus of his thoughts was always the same, though. As it had been for the past few weeks or, by the spirits, he would be lying if he said it hadn't been the forefront of his thoughts ever since they arrived so many suns ago. The outsiders or, more specifically, the outsider. The small red wolf that had ended up stuck in their branch of the pack.

Raakk's outburst in pulling the small wolf from a wrestling match in order to protect him had had consequences. Sure, Jotke, the omega, was going a bit far in his display of dominance over the outsider, but just remembering that scene made a low rumble grow from Raakk's throat.

The memory of watching the little red wolf pressed against the ground, rear and tail pulled up as Jotke stood behind him, hard and erect, ready to-

Raakk's paw put a little too much pressure against the knife and the hide tore. The mistake pulled the alpha from his thoughts, but he cursed under his breath and threw both hide and knife down at the ground. Some of the wolves working alongside him stopped to look at him. Raakk fought the impulse of showing embarrassment and forced his ears to stay upright, then he simply turned around and left. Nobody said anything. He'd finish that later...

With a troubled mind, the alpha decided to instead walk around the camp. The morning breeze carried a deep chill characteristic of the season of blizzards, but the skies were quiet. They had been for several days now. The harsher season was almost over, but winter would still linger. Water would be frozen, the hunts would still not yield much until the spirits of the sun began thawing everything again. It had been hard, as it always was, but they had pulled through.

Raakk reached the edge of their camp. The tree line of the forests was just ahead past the fields of snow, within sight, where all the wolves out hunting were. The took a deep breath, puffing out his bare chest, and then exhaled. He repeated the motion a few times to calm himself down and clear his mind. The cold air felt like ice going down his nose and throat as he breathed in and the puff of his warm breath coming out lingered in the freezing air. The wolf enjoyed it. Still wearing nothing but the loincloth wrapped around his waist, feeling the chill against his thick, bare fur, the cold snow soft against the his paw pads... it felt right.

The wolf's tail swished back and forth as he felt himself calming down.

As he had expected, rescuing the little red wolf from a friendly match of dominance only put his position in the pack in an even worse spot. No wolf should ever need to be 'rescued' by the alpha. Raakk suspected that if he had let Jotke go through with his playful mating, the red wolf's reputation of losing to the omega would still be bad, but at least it would be salvageable. Now he was just the outsider, the exception, the alpha's protected. Yet at the same time, the sheer thought of letting Jotke go through with it, of taking the little red wolf like that, sparked an immense anger inside Raakk that he could not explain. It frustrated him.

In the end, the little wolf's position was just wrong. No one voiced it directly, yet everyone knew. It wasn't how things were supposed to be.

Well, no one voiced it but Sgen. The black wolf, his beta, voiced it at every turn. His past displeasure with the little red wolf's presence had been thoroughly cemented and every argument he put out that he didn't belong had been proven true. How could he be part of the pack now? How could he be an equal?

The only thing keeping things stable was his authority. If his interference in protecting the little red wolf had shown the pack anything, it was Raakk's view of him. Since Raakk was the alpha, no one dared go openly against him. Ever since that event most wolves had been steering clear of the little red wolf. Or, well, at least the worst ones.

The ones that were bothered by his presence alongside Sgen didn't dare touch him out of fear of Raakk's wrath, and rightfully so, including Sgen himself. Thankfully, other wolves that had been more amenable to his presence and meant no harm still did. Raakk could tell even they were careful around the little wolf, especially in his presence, and truth be told most of them were lower ranked wolves anyway, but at least...

At least the little red wolf seemed happy.

On that fateful night, Raakk had been afraid that the little red wolf himself wouldn't recover. It had been rocky, but after a while, he had slowly gone back to his old self. Curious, walking around the camp with his little 'book' and then even going back to approaching wolves to ask them about things. Much to Raakk's surprise, the little red wolf had even managed to learn some of their language, though his skill in executing it was downright awful. At least that thought brought a small smile to the troubled alpha's muzzle. He would yet teach him how to growl properly...

Those were nice thoughts to focus on. Raakk put aside his concern for the little red wolf's place in the pack and even the concerns he had about his own place in it. His status as alpha was, after all, something that was brought out of unanimous respect for him, not just because he could take down most wolves in a wrestle.

Raakk's paw moved down to the front of his loincloth and, reaching under it, massaged the furry sheath underneath it. His paw idly played with it, but as the gray wolf thought the warm nights he had spent with the little red wolf in his tent, sleeping next to him, taking in his smell from his neck... When Raakk breathed in, it was almost as if he could smell it. Maybe he could, some of it always lingered on his own fur, but the warmth of the red wolf's body, the way his back felt pressed against his chest at night, his abnormally fluffy tail against his stomach with Raakk pressed right against...

The alpha huffed. He let go of his sheath and pulled his loincloth over it. Lucky for him, no one was around, but Raakk himself felt his ears folding back and growing a little warm. Half of his member had grown erect from his sheath and, though that was nothing to drive home about, that was not what he wanted to do at that moment. He was the alpha. He had duties to attend to... and a hide to fix.

Turning around, Raakk gave the forest one last concerned glance before he returned to the tribe.

______________________________________________________

The sun was at its peak up in the sky and Raakk was, alongside the other wolf hunters, getting things ready for the afternoon hunt when he heard the howl he had been expecting. The large gray wolf's ears perked up and his head turned towards its source right away. Most wolves around him looked at it as well, but none of them showed much interest in it. Not Raakk though. The alpha stood up with a smile and keeping his tail from wagging too much in front of the others as he made his way to the edge of the wolf tents.

Somewhere along the way, he had started running. His tail wagged more when he caught sight of the red that stood out so well amidst the white of the snow. Since he was coming from the side and the little red wolf seemed distracted by the howling wolf standing next to him, the fool didn't even take notice of him until Raakk was close enough to wrap his arms around him, pulling the little red wolf up towards his chest and giving him a lick of greeting right across his snout and face while the little red wolf wiggled and giggled.

"Awlden!" Raakk exclaimed, putting his knowledge of the little red wolf's supposed name in practice, just as he seemed to like so much. Raakk rubbed his nose against the little red wolf's in a common display of affection and sniffed at him. He thought he caught a hint of something else, so his eyebrows went up with some concern. "You hurt?"

Raakk didn't need to wait for Awlden to respond. Using his nose to search for the source of the smell, he started pawing and searching amidst the pelts the little red wolf wore over his upper body. The wolf shoved his nose against Awlden's chest, opening the coat there, but saw nothing. The smell was there though... Raakk followed his nose until the scent of blood grew stronger, then his ears fell back and he let out a whine of worry while hurriedly pulling the pelts off the little red wolf's left arm.

Just as he suspected, there was a cut there. The blood had mixed with his fur and it seemed to have dried. It no longer bled and, thankfully, it was only a shallow cut, but Raakk still sniffed it and, holding the little red wolf's arm, was cordial enough to lick it for him.

While he did, the little red wolf seemed unpreoccupied. He instead pointed at his wolf companion with his other paw, smiling and waving his bushy tail while Raakk licked his wound. The alpha raised his eyes to follow the pointing.

"Look what we trapped!" Awlden said. In their language. Raakk's ears perked up with some pride. The little red wolf's mastery of their language was very crude and poorly executed, but it was understandable. He was impressed at the outsider's capacity of learning it. Raakk raised himself up to look at the other wolf over the little red wolf's shoulder.

Dhen lowered his ears ever so slightly when the alpha regarded him, but he raised the earnings of their morning hunt for Raakk to see. A whole bunch of rabbits, rats and other small animals tied together in strings, caught on the traps they had laid out the previous day. The wolf smiled with pride at both of them.

"Good! Dhen is a good teacher," Raakk said with a smile and a whine of pride. Dhen's tail wagged at the compliment, showing it was well-received in a respectful manner. The wolf was rather small for a wolf, even if still well-built and, as any other wolf, he still towered over Awlden regardless.

Having been the omega for a long while, Dhen had made his way up in the pack out of that position only recently. Being overly friendly and lacking strength to ascertain a better position, he still lingered on the lower end of the pack, which had him doing the simpler jobs. Dhen's energetic yet submissive attitude was exactly why he was perfect to teach the little red wolf. He had patience to deal with Awlden's questions, especially since Raakk had specifically told him to do so, and slowly taught him the ways of trapping prey, as well as how to skin and prepare them. That allowed Awlden to have a place in the pack. A safe place in its edge, but a place nonetheless. It was good that the other wolves saw him working.

"Awl-den did well," Dhen said, caressing the smaller male's head. "Very good little red wolf."

"You've been doing a good job, Dhen," Raakk continued. He spoke a little faster, for he preferred that the little red wolf did not catch on on conversations that involved him. "I would have you spend the next following days teaching him how to master the making of traps. Have him make their own. We have enough wolves for the big hunts."

Dhen looked mildly disappointed. He didn't say it, but Raakk was very good at catching the way his tail drooped just a little or the twitch in his ears.

"I am happy to help, I like him well enough, but alpha, the hunts-"

Raakk just shook his head. It was enough for Dhen to wince and stop talking, submissive as he was.

"I know that, but what you do here is also respectful. I will remember it."

Dhen nodded. Raakk knew that the wolf understood his place and would obey. He trusted Dhen. It was natural for any wolf to dislike sitting out of the main hunts, especially those on the lower end of the pack more eager to prove themselves, but it would only be temporary.

With his business done, Raakk smiled at the little red wolf. He patted him on the back and spoke to him in a soft tone. "You stay too, Awlden."

As he turned to head back to the camp and finish the main hunt's preparations, until-

"Wait!"

Raakk stopped, looking back and tilting his head towards the little red wolf that called out to him.

"What is wrong?"

Awlden puffed out his chest, kept his ears up and looked determined.

"I want to join the hunt!" Awlden said in his crude wolf language.

Dhen folded his ears back by his side and looked at Raakk with concern. The alpha, on the other hand, was able to keep a neutral expression. He expected something like that to come eventually but not nearly this soon.

"I want to earn my place!" Awlden continued, though his next words shifted to his strange language and, as he blabbed on, Raakk took a step forward and in one swift motion grabbed the little red wolf's muzzle to clamp it shut in a gentle manner.

At first, the little wolf seemed agitated by that, but in order to calm him down and show his true meaning, Raakk leaned forward, closing the gap between them, and gave Awlden a lick right against his lips and nose.

That stopped the little red wolf on his tracks. The display of affection worked and was genuine. Raakk remained close to him, giving him another lick on the side of his muzzle as he let the little red wolf's muzzle go free.

"No hunt," Raakk said softly and slowly so he'd understand. "Stay here where you are safe."

Before Awlden or anyone else could reply, Raakk's ears perked up to the sound of steps. A reflexive sniff against the air had the wind telling him who was approaching before he even turned around to look.

Sgen, the black wolf and his beta, walked in front of many of the other wolf hunters that would be joining the hunt. He approached with both a smile and a posture of dominance, which Raakk replied to by keeping his own posture, ears and tail straight.

"Are you going to deny a wolf a chance at proving himself?" Sgen asked right away. Raakk had feared that he had heard the loud and sudden request. "You pushed so hard for him to become a hunter like us. He is no longer sick and he is an able male."

Raakk glared at Sgen.

"No," the alpha quickly said, opening a small growl. "He is clearly not ready, he is only just starting to learn trapping."

"So? Trapping is what pups do. He has been trapping for days."

"We have enough wolves for the hunt."

"More wolves make for a better chance of catching good prey."

Raakk's growl grew louder. "It is not your place to decide when he is ready or not."

Sgen did not seem fazed even by his more aggressive remark. In fact, the clever black wolf simply smiled before he responded.

"You are right, it is not. By tradition, it is the wolf that decides when he is ready to face the challenge. All you need to do is... let him join the hunt."

The last few words Sgen spoke were significantly slowed down. Articulated and barely properly growled. Raakk took a second to understand why, but when he glanced over his shoulder, he saw it. Awlden's ears were perked up with interest, for he had understood what Sgen had said in agreement to what he wanted. Raakk felt an urge to growl and attack Sgen for playing such tricks, but instead he knew he had to keep his cool. The alpha took a deep breath, his mind reeling in trying to figure out the best way to approach it.

"Alpha!" Awlden quickly said. Raakk turned to look at him, dreading what was coming. Sgen got exactly what he wanted. The little red wolf bowed his head respectfully and even lowered his ears. "Please let me join the hunt. I wish to prove myself!"

Raakk's heart sank. Sgen's smile grew only ever so slightly, the bits of his fang showing were screaming of triumph. With the little red wolf claiming that in front of everyone, Raakk knew he was backed into a corner just as well as Sgen did.

"You should let him pull his weight..." Sgen started, speaking in the same slow manner before speeding up. "That is, if he even can. Even omegas are able to help in hunts, but if he fails..."

"Quiet, Sgen," Raakk growled, speaking fast as well. "He is a wolf, size and muscle are not everything. He has what it takes, as all of us do."

Sgen did not reply right away. The black wolf simply nodded as if in agreement. His wagging tail and superior smirk, however, spoke to everyone the truth of the argument. Sgen had won. Raakk had no choice.

"He will hunt," Raakk declared fighting to keep his voice stoic and posture as an alpha steady. He spoke slowly and, sure enough, the little red wolf beamed up upon hearing that.

All of the wolves that behind Sgen howled out in excitement to the declaration. A wolf's first hunt was usually a big deal. They all rushed in to lick and greet their new hunting brother with wagging tails and excitement.

Raakk folded his arms as he watched it. The little red wolf seemed excited and overwhelmed by all the wolves licking his face too. The alpha exchanged a glance with Sgen, who simply snorted and turned away with a wagging tail of his own, then waited for the other wolves to be done with their greeting.

Worry clouded the alpha's heart. Sgen had played him well in piling up on Awlden's foolishness. If he had refused to let the little red wolf hunt the image that he was being protected by the alpha like some frail, weak pup would grow tenfold. With Awlden himself declaring he wished to join and prove himself, there was no denying it.

Yet, as all the wolves left to make the final preparations, Raakk stayed behind. He approached the little red wolf and put a paw over his shoulder, rubbing it. His fur was soft, his smell prominent in the air...

Raakk stared into the horizon where the tundra lay, full of danger. Something in his gut told him that the little red wolf was not yet prepared... but perhaps his judgement was clouded by the past.

When Raakk looked at the little red wolf he couldn't help but see another wolf of similar size, younger still than Awlden was and, though his fur was as gray as Raakk's, he was just as eager to join the big wolves in their hunt.

Raakk's paw squeezed the little red wolf's shoulder a bit, then he let go. There was nothing he could do. The hunt was on, all he could do was do his best to keep him safe.

---

Busy overseeing all the preparations, Raakk had a hard time keeping an eye on Awlden, but the little red wolf seemed capable and excited to keep up with things. Understanding that he had to prepare to leave soon, Awlden went back to their tent and returned with all of his large pelts over his back to protect him from the cold. Some of the wolves looked at him with amusement, Sgen included. Even Raakk doubted he'd be able to move with much stealth with all of that weighing and constricting his movements, but the alpha simply sighed. At least the little red wolf had not taken his book thing this time.

Raakk made sure to choose a good spear to hand to Awlden. It was well-crafted with a sturdy handle and a sharp bone tip. Unfortunately, given the little red wolf's smaller stature, it looked a little unwieldy for him, but it was better than leaving him without a weapon. Not all wolves used spears since, most of the time, their teeth and muscles did a better job at grappling prey and latching directly to their necks for an efficient kill. It was also way more prestigious to subdue prey by one's own strength as the wolves of old did rather than by spear but the spear was not without its merits and Raakk had no intention of risking more than he had to.

Luckily, as the alpha, Raakk took a major role in coordinating the wolves for the hunt. That allowed him to split the groups by which they would sweep the tundra and sniff out prey. With a total of ten wolves joining in on the hunt, the alpha was able to separate them in pairs of two with the little red wolf put in a very good spot that eased his mind.

The tactic was simple. The pairs would move together through the tundra in a line with a considerate distance between them and, the moment they got a whiff of prey, the pair at the center would close in on it while the rest of the pairs approached the prey in a wide circle that would close in to surround it.

Raakk assigned Awlden to be with Khilk, a fairly good hunter that seemed dissatisfied with both his position and partner for the hunt, but a growl and a glare for Raakk was enough for him to accept it. Being put as the center pair, their job would be to simply approach the prey once it was found. The beast would then either see or smell them, more likely the latter, and immediately rush in the opposite direction where the more experienced hunters from the corner pairs would already be, ready to cut its escape and ambush it for the kill.

While Raakk usually left Sgen on the opposite corner of his own given that the black wolf was, after all, an excellent hunter, this time he changed his approach. Two other wolves were happy to get a corner spot which would be part of the ambush circle that would most likely get the kill while Raakk put Sgen with himself.

The beta didn't complain about it. They had hunt together many, many times, especially while still living with the main branch of the larger pack. Both Raakk and Sgen carried no weapons. They had nothing but their loincloths and their noses, assuring that they wouldn't be slowed down or hindered in any way in their stealth.

After giving out all of the instructions and explaining how things were going to work (mostly for the little red wolf's sake), the hunters set out to the afternoon hunt.

Raakk had done that so many times. Almost every single day for... how many moons? More than he could count. Yet, for the alpha, the last time he remembered feeling antsy and nervous about a hunt was when he was just a pup participating in his first ones. Raakk did his best to shake that off and focus as they stepped past the tree line into the snow-covered forests.

As they moved forward, Raakk and Sgen remained close enough to each other, but all the other pairs were well out of their sight so that they could cover a wide area. Both wolves moved in silence, their noses always attentive to their surroundings in search of any active or at least lingering smells. With the blizzards mostly gone, larger prey would be returning to the woods and the likelihood of finding good animals to hunt increased. Even if they caught wind of a herd or something they could still work on isolating it...

Raakk had his nose pressed against the ground trying to determine if the smell he caught was recent enough when the sound of steps on the snow near him made his ears perk up. A whiff on the wind eased his worries as he caught the familiar scent of Sgen.

"That one is no good," the black wolf said. "Marking preserved in ice, maybe."

Raakk raised an eyebrow. He followed his nose towards the nearby tree and, with it pointed out, he judged that indeed given by the stale smell, it wasn't anything recent. The alpha stood up and moved to continue, but Sgen followed close behind.

"You seem tense. Stressed. If I didn't know you better I would say nervous."

Raakk moved in front of Sgen and didn't stop to acknowledge his words, but he did glance back at the black wolf for a moment.

"Isn't it common for the alpha to be worried when new hunters join the hunt? They could get hurt and even join the spirits." Raakk's tone was stern, a hint of a growl in his throat there on purpose to tell Sgen he didn't appreciate the conversation.

"Perhaps," the beta still replied, ignoring his warning, "but you are usually better than this."

Raakk stopped. He turned around to growl at Sgen, showing the black wolf some teeth in order to tell him he was very displeased with the conversation.

Sgen did fold his ears back respectfully but his expression grew serious.

"The others might not see it, be afraid of speaking up against the alpha, or maybe they just don't know you as I do," Sgen continued in defiance. "I do, though. I see the way you look at the outsider. The way you treat him. This hunt, more than anything, proves it."

Raakk's growling grew in tone ever so slightly, warning Sgen further. "What do you mean?"

"He reminds you of him, doesn't he? The little red wolf. The outsider."

Raakk's growling vanished. The alpha's ears folded back in both shock and shame for a few moments longer than they should. Even his tail threatened to lower and it would have, were it not for Raakk's training in keeping his composure in front of others. He still couldn't help but look away. When Raakk composed himself a few seconds later, he growled again to show his displeasure, but it was a different growl from before.

"He is not him," Sgen said outright. "He is an outsider. He might be small like he was. He might share on his naive or curious nature, I have seen it too, but the outsider is not him. He is with the spirits now."

The harsh words made Raakk's throat feel tight. The alpha glanced up at Sgen, but he couldn't keep his eyes on the black wolf. He felt the cold of the forest more sharply when a level of wetness threatened to invade the alpha's sight. Raakk pushed it away, for he wouldn't show weakness in front of others even if he trusted his beta, but his chest felt heavy. Raakk grit his teeth to prevent a whine from coming from his throat.

Sgen knew him too, of course. Memories of the three of them when they were just little pups came to Raakk's mind. Throwing snow at each other, following the adults to watch them hunt from afar. Sgen was there sometimes. Those happier memories always ended leading towards the last one, though. The memory of Raakk, grown and big, looking down at his smaller form lying under blankets, cold and shivering, as life left his body...

"His presence here harms you as much as it harms the pack," Sgen stated, pulling Raakk away from his thoughts. The black wolf had a growl in his voice as well. "His kind is not welcome, not needed. Why can't you see that?"

Raakk frowned. "That is not-" he started, but the black wolf cut him off.

"It is. You are letting your old wounds and weakness cloud your judgement as an alpha. That might put the whole pack at risk. He is weak, inept, and his mere presence in this hunt might be an affront to the spirits. He is not one of u-"

"Enough!" Raakk growled, louder than he should. He took a few heavy steps towards Sgen, his eyes now glaring at the black wolf, who in turn did lower his ears to Raakk's outburst, but stood his ground even as the two large wolves stood chest to chest.

"You are the one that is letting your prejudice and fear of the unknown cloud your judgment! The outsider may be small, but you and I, of all people, should know that not every wolf needs to be large and strong to show his value in a hunt!"

Sgen dared growl back at him. A defensive growl, but a growl nonetheless. "His kind is not-"

"His kind can bring us good things!" Raakk interrupted, taking another step forward and, this time, forcing Sgen to take one back. "Just because you and the others are afraid of how different they are does not mean that they are our enemies!"

This time, Sgen looked away. The growl on his throat remained, but his ears and tail lowered in submission to Raakk's argument and position. The black wolf did not have a retort and, feeling angry, Raakk simply shoved him back and turned to keep moving so they didn't fall behind.

"Your lack of vision and stubbornness on this matter tests my patience, Sgen. It makes me reconsider your position as beta," Raakk said, dryly.

"What?"

Raakk didn't bother looking back, but he didn't need to in order to catch the surprise in Sgen's voice. The outraged growl that followed said everything the alpha needed to know about the black wolf's feelings too but it was to be expected. A hand on his shoulder pulled Raakk back, forcing him to turn and face the growling form of Sgen, but Raakk did not show any sign of intimidation whatsoever to the sight of the black wolf's sharp teeth.

"Our disagreement does not change the fact that I am the strongest and most fitting to be in my position!" Sgen's voice was also louder than it should be.

"It does not," Raakk agreed, still calmly, "but leadership of the pack does not come from strength alone. Wisdom is important and, sometimes, I question how far yours can go."

Sgen took an aggressive step towards him, his teeth showing more and his growling taking a more dire turn. Raakk instinctively growled back, his hackles spiking up behind his neck and his posture changing to a more aggressive one as well. He genuinely questioned as to whether Sgen was about to jump at his neck or not for a few moments there, but then a single, short whistle echoing in the distance made them both stop and perk their ears.

Another whistle followed, short and discreet. Two whistles meant... Large prey.

Raakk and Sgen looked at each other. Their growling diminished, but lingered. They didn't need to speak any words to tell each other that they'd continue that later. Both wolves turned to move with swiftness and silence towards the origin of the sound.

Their noses were set to purpose and, soon enough, they started catching hint of the prey as well. They did not catch sight of the other pairs of the hunt, but they could catch whiffs of their smell as well when they drew closer to the prey. Through smell alone and leaning towards the side, Raakk and Sgen got closer and closer to the beast's position, making sure they kept their distance wide enough so that they'd catch it in the opposite direction of the first group that would scare it away.

No words were exchanged between the wolves. They both had been on many hunts, most of those together, so a look and a nod were all Raakk and Sgen needed to signal each other whenever they caught stronger hints of the smell. Raakk could tell it was a moose, a male, and that it seemed to be alone. Lone males were aggressive and sometimes dangerous. It was good that it was isolated, but it wasn't the safest of the hunts. His spar with Sgen gave way to worry in Raakk's heart again as the climax of the hunt drew near.

The closer they got to their prey, the slower their movement became. Raakk and Sgen stalked through the woods with light steps and care, but the smell of the beast became more and more prominent. Knowing the woods well, as soon as they approached what Raakk knew to be a wide clearing, he already knew the beast would be there.

Having gotten there rather quickly, Raakk signaled for Sgen to wait in the back and moved closer. From behind the trees and afar, Raakk caught sight of the beast. It was large, larger than any wolf, with a broad chest and immense antlers. A beast such as that would feed them very well, but it had to be approached with care. The alpha remained hidden with Sgen nearby and waiting.

It didn't take long for him to hear the first whistle. It sounded much like a bird would, but the wolf could recognize it as the signal that one of the pairs was at ready. A second whistle soon followed and, from afar, Raakk could see the other pair of hunters positioned to cut the beast's escape alongside him and Sgen. The third whistle came from the beast's side as well, which left only...

It took a little while longer, Raakk's heart beating a bit faster in eagerness, but finally, the final whistle came, chirping twice. The one from the opposite side of where they stood, most likely made by Khilk, the hunter he had placed with the little red wolf. It made sense that their group would arrive last given Awlden's inability to properly stealth. Raakk sighed in relief hearing they were in position. He let out a whistle of his own to signal back.

Sgen approached him from the side. The black wolf's eyes carried some level of severity but Raakk ignored that, focusing on the hunt instead. He saw the other ambush pair moving in closer as well as he and Sgen stalked towards the unaware beast. From experience, they judged the track it'd likely make when running away from the group that would scare it towards them and positioned themselves closer to it.

The whole forest was silent. All the wolves were moving in on their prey, but their silent paw pads did not make a single sound. They were close to their position, Raakk ready to give the first group the sign that they could make noise to scare the beast any second...

And then the loud hustle of leaves made Raakk's ears shoot up. He looked back to see Sgen brushing against a bush, his loincloth apparently stuck on it. When the beta pulled, the bush rattled again, making even more sound. It wasn't much, but through the silence, it might as well be a shout. It made Raakk wince and worry.

The alpha turned his eyes towards the beast and saw its head up high, attentive and looking their way.

Sgen gave his loincloth a stronger tug, which had a branch of the brush snap and crackle.

Raakk's eyes went wide. He looked at the beast just in time to see it turn tail and run towards the woods. In the opposite direction of the ambush groups and right towards...

"No!" Raakk growled. He left Sgen behind, worry overcoming him, and let out a long, drawn-out whistle that signaled all the wolf pairs to close into the prey and take it down. It was too late though, the beast was sprinting and the only group that would meet it head-on was...

Raakk growled, throwing away stealth and sprinting through the clearing. The beast was already out of sight but the sound of it rushing through the forest were clear. The alpha knew he wouldn't catch up in time, but he still ran as fast as his well-trained legs could carry him anyway. He ran, but then the sound of a whine echoed through the air and pierced his heart. Raakk gasped, but the sound was quickly followed by another.

The louder banging sound was unlike anything Raakk had ever heard before.

Birds perched in the trees all over the forest flew away, startled by the loud sound, but after it? Nothing.

Silence.

Raakk stopped. His ears stayed upright, attentive. He could hear steps in the snow coming from all sides, every wolf group moving, including those of Sgen that caught up with him and stood by his side. A cold, chilling breeze brushed past Raakk's exposed fur and with it, he caught a scent.

Blood...

Sgen sniffed the air and must have caught it too. Raakk didn't even bother looking at him, he simply ran towards its source as fast as he could and, when he arrived, his blood ran cold for a moment.

A few of the wolves had already arrived, circling the sight before them but confused. The last two pairs arrived soon after him and watched with the same confusion the alpha had in his expression. Raakk stared at what stood at their center for a few moments but didn't want to believe it.

Water filled his eyes. Raakk found that he could barely breathe as he stared at the scene before him.

The moose, the gigantic beast, laid there. Unmoving. Next to it, Khilk stood with his spear lowered, though there was no blood in it. Raakk quickly approached and his heart twisted within his chest when he saw the snow red with fresh blood upon it, but not only that...

Buried under the moose's large body he could see the pelts... The red fur... his small form...

The little red wolf's spear laid in the snow further ahead, also clean of any blood. His bushy tail there jutting from under the moose's large body...

And then it twitched.

The little red wolf's body started squirming under the moose's still body and a few grunts erupted from it.

"Help!"

Raakk heard the call in the crude grasp of their language that the little red wolf had. The alpha's eyes went wide and, immediately, he went in to try to push and dislodge the large animal from the little red wolf, but it was so heavy that even Raakk had trouble doing it alone.

"Help me over here!" the alpha quickly called with a growl and, immediately, several other hunters joined in. With effort, the wolves managed to roll the large animal to the side. It was indeed dead, for blood still dripped out of a precise but incredibly deep wound right on its large chest.

Raakk didn't care about that, though. When they pushed the animal away, he was the one that helped pull the little red wolf, who grunted and coughed in disarray but, despite sinking a little into the snow, seemed well enough to sit up.

The alpha immediately shoved his nose against Awlden's chest. The little red wolf was covered in blood, but when Raakk sniffed, he found that the whole of it smelled like the beast's. Raakk pushed the little red wolf's annoying pelts aside with urgency to feel and look for his wounds, but he found none. Soon enough, the little red wolf himself said something in his language and pushed the alpha's paws away. Raakk looked at him with his eyes still wet, ears lowered and hyperventilating with worry, but the outsider simply smiled at him. He was unharmed. Somehow.

"Thank the spirits..." the alpha muttered, relief washing over him like never before.

It was only then that Raakk looked around and found all of the wolves staring at them. Some of them did so with confusion, but others did it with... fear? Their tails were tucked between their legs and their ears lowered, but Raakk wasn't sure he was reading their expression right.

"What happened?" Raakk asked, standing up. He offered a paw to help the little red wolf do so as well.

It was Khilk who spoke up. He was one of the wolves that looked afraid as well.

"The beast charged our way," the hunter explained, "It came fast and, when it spotted us, it aimed its horns at us. I jumped to the side, but the outsider did not. He dropped his spear and tried to retreat, then he pulled something out..."

Khilk pointed at something laying there in the snow by the little red wolf's side. A small circular tool made of metal and wood that Raakk had seen the little red wolf carrying around plenty of times. Awlden seemed to notice it too, bending it over to pick it up, but when he did, Khilk and some of the other wolves took a few steps back. Some seemed more fearful and some even growled at it. Awlden seemed to notice it too, lowering his own large ears.

Khilk pointed at it right away, though. "That! He pulled that out, it made a huge noise and then the beast simply fell over, dead. It crashed over him, but I did not know... I- I have never seen anything like it. I did not understand what happened, alpha!"

"I saw it from afar!" another one of the wolves chimed in. "Ghaudr and I were just getting here and I saw it! The outsider pulled that thing out of his pelts, pointed it at the moose and killed it without even touching it!"

Raakk frowned. All the hunters surrounding them started murmuring things to each other. Some looked skeptical, others afraid. The little red wolf looked around in confusion. All of them were probably speaking too fast for him to catch on. Raakk approached him with a frown.

The little red wolf said something to him that he couldn't understand. He looked like he might say it again in their language, but Raakk didn't let him. The alpha placed a paw on the object the little red wolf was holding.

"What is this?" he asked slowly, staring at the little red wolf intently.

The outsider responded with a word in his language Raakk did not know, then thought for a second and responded with another.

"Weapon!" he explained, smiling.

Raakk did not smile back, though. The wolves around them grew visibly more nervous. The alpha noticed that and, apparently, so did the outsider, because he lowered his ears once more.

"He carries weapons that can kill without touching?" Sgen said from the back, finally stepping in. "And you still think his kind is harmless to us?"

Raakk turned around to glare at him. Sgen had, again, taken the chance to fight with an upper hand. It took no skill in reading body language to see that every hunter watching was confused and wary.

The alpha stood silent for a few moments. When he glanced back at the little red wolf, Awlden cleared his throat. He showed the tool towards Raakk.

"Safe, see?" Awlden said, but then he pulled at something in the tool that made a click and that alone was enough for some of the wolves surrounding them to growl. Raakk intervened, grabbing the tool from the little red wolf's hands for the sake of the others.

"I will hold this," the alpha said slowly so that Awlden would understand as well. He looked at it in his hands. It smelled not unlike a burnt campfire, but the wolf failed to see how something small like that could kill anything, let alone something as large and powerful as a moose...

Still, holding it carefully, he turned to address the others. The alpha pointed at the large carcass.

"Wrap it. We will take it back to the pack and eat, then we will discuss this."

The wolves nodded and started moving to obey. Usually the end of a hunt, let alone one that yielded such great game, was celebrated with howls and and pride. This time, however, most wolves were quiet and muttering. None knew what to make of things and Raakk did not know either.

The alpha caught Sgen's eyes on him heavy with accusation before the black wolf turned away to leave as well. While the wolves worked, Raakk approached the little red wolf again, who looked even more uncertain and confused than everyone else. He put a paw upon the smaller male's shoulder and rubbed it.

"You did well. You are safe," Raakk said. That much was true. Regardless of what had happened, at least the little red wolf was safe.

The outsider pointed at the blood covering him and said something Raakk couldn't quite get. He looked shaken, Raakk noticed, but the alpha assumed that was to be expected. Even an experienced wolf would be after dealing with a creature of that size. Especially alone...

"Let us head back."

Most other wolves chose to remain behind even if not as many were needed to wrap up and carry the animal's carcass. In the end, Raakk found himself walking back alone with the little red wolf, but he didn't say much on the way back. Not even he knew what to say or what to think.

---

When they got back to the camp, the wolves that had remained rejoiced when they saw the large bounty they had caught. The customary howls of triumph echoed through the tundra and, even in the uncertain mood the hunters were, the celebration of their return and prospect of the meal the caught prey would yield had the hunters howling back. Raakk did so as well, setting an example, and he was glad to see that soon some tails were back to wagging, carried by the excitement of their victory.

The alpha did not fail to notice, however, how the tales of what had happened in the hunt started being spread right away as well. With Raakk treating the hunt as if it were normal, most wolves seemed content to move on to the usual preparations as if they had just caught a pretty great prey normally. Some of the wolves moved on to skinning the beast and many started preparing fires around the center of the camp where all of them would get to enjoy the meat.

After Raakk had led Awlden back to his own tent, where the little red wolf seemed eager to clean all of the beast's blood covering him, he walked away for a few moments. Tethering near the edge of the tribe's tents, Raakk found a secluded spot to just let himself fall back and sit on the snow.

The large wolf let his tail and ears relax for once. Alone, he did not have to keep appearances. Then, he finally took the time to bring the thing he had been holding on to up and proper inspect it.

Awlden's weapon...

As the wolf looked it over in his paws, he handled it with care. He hadn't seen it happen, but all of the wolves could swear that the little thing had felled the beast by itself. Raakk would be inclined not to believe it, but he had seen the wound on the beast's chest. An unusual wound, sharper than that of a spear and deeper too.

How could a thing so little harm so much? Raakk's ears slowly lowered themselves as he turned it back and forth between his paws. He could not understand its making. It had no sharp edges, no blades.

The more he twisted it in his paws and failed to understand it, the more wary he grew. What if the thing set off against himself? He felt a small urge to drop it. To throw it away, to bury it far where it could not hurt him or any of his wolves in any way. As Raakk stared at it, he could understand why the other wolves were nervous.

After all, he had seen Awlden carrying it around many times thorough his stay in their tribe. By the spirits, that thing had been sitting inside his own tent most of the time! It was right there, resting by Awlden's silly 'book', while they slept!

Raakk let out a silent whine. Had he been wrong about the little red wolf? Were Sgen and the others right to want to push and keep him and his kind away from them? The little red wolf had shown them good things, things they did not know of before, but then there was also that thing...

Raakk placed it down in the snow. He brought his paw up to his temple to rub it. In all of his time as Alpha, he had seldom ever felt that torn. Was he doing the right thing for his wolves? Maybe, just maybe, sending Alwden away would be better. The safest bet. Yet something in his gut told him that he shouldn't. Well, that and...

The thought of sending Awlden away made his chest ache...

Besides, it wasn't as if he could. The blizzards had receded, but they hadn't stopped just yet. Sending the little red wolf out into the tundra with the cold and weather as they were...

Even a wolf would have trouble surviving wandering through the cold in such weather. With no shelter for the cold, and even with food, the progress would be so slow that hunting would be needed to stay alive. The little red wolf would never make it. They needed to wait until the sun melted the snow and the southern paths opened again before they could send him away.

Raakk sighed. A long, exasperated sigh. He wondered if other alphas ever had to deal with such choices. He wondered what the prime alpha back in the main branch would do in his stead.

He needed to be strong. He had made his choice, he had followed his gut, and he would make things right. Starting with that thing.

Raakk looked down at the strange weapon, then used his claws to dig a hole in the snow right under it. Deep enough to remain out of sight, but shallow enough so that it wouldn't get buried too deep later. It would be safe there, buried where only he could find it with ease for the time being. Better to leave it out of the sight of the other wolves for now.

After he was done burying it, the alpha stood up, took a deep breath and brushed the snow off his fur. He had a feast to attend to even if his turned stomach did not feel very hungry for once.

_______________________________________________________

When he arrived, the oversized beast had been placed by the center of the village with most of the wolves gathering around him. They talked, their mood more cheerful with the prospect of a good meal ahead of them, and though Raakk noticed how strange the stares towards him were, they also kept their ears respectfully low when they looked at him.

The same could not be said about the little red wolf, though. He was there as well, cleaned up and sitting on a log off to the side. He seemed oblivious to the discreet glances other wolves were giving him. Awlden had been visibly nervous before his first hunt, it made sense that he would be relieved after it was successful. Even more so when he was the one that had felled the beast.

Raakk stepped forward, giving all the wolves what they wanted. They stood up eagerly, most of them surrounding the large beast's carcass, and watched with their tails wagging and tongues flickering out to lick at their lips. With knife in hand, Raakk kneeled next to the beast, brought the knife up high to make a show out of it, and sank it into the juicy meat near the beast's sides to cut his rightful first pick of the meat.

As soon as the alpha had extracted his cut, he stepped away from the beast and all of the other wolves descended upon it. Raakk smiled and snorted at the always humorous sight of eager wolves growling and sparring playfully with each other for good, fresh meat.

Some of them jumped at each other, rolling around on the snow in half-playful and half-dominating little bouts of wrestling for the meat they had gathered. Sgen stepped with a fierce growl worthy of a beta and made all other wolves lower their ears. It served well to calm them down and make the cutting of the meat more orderly. Sgen had always been a bit too serious when it came to playful matters.

Raakk went to where the little red wolf was sitting. A fire had been prepared near it, so he placed his meat down over it for some cooking. He took a few raw bits here or there just to taste it, but the ribs he had chosen would be great after they had sat on the fire for a while.

For a while, he said nothing. The little red wolf didn't either. Both were content to watch the wolves have fun with their meat and enjoy their little feast. None of them had acknowledged that the kill had belonged to the little red wold, as they usually would. The alpha had thought about forcing it, but it would be unwise to do so. There was enough uncertainty regarding what the little wolf could do hanging around without him highlighting it even more.

That didn't mean that Raakk himself couldn't reward the little red wolf, though. One way or another, they were feasting thanks to him, and he deserved some praise for being successful on his first hunt even if it hadn't been in the usual wolven ways. The alpha offered his cooked to the little red wolf.

"Eat," Raakk said. The little red wolf seemed distracted, as he often was, and couldn't hide his surprise at the sudden gesture. He was always so bad at hiding his emotions that it bordered on being cute.

"Your kill," Raakk explained. "Eat."

The little red wolf reached for the ribs. His soft paw winced when it touched it because it was hot, so Raakk just waited for him to put on one of his silly pelt things around his paw first before he could grab it. Knowing the little red wolf, Raakk offered him his knife as well. He was not great at cutting the meat with his teeth either. The outsider took it with a smile.

The little red wolf took the knife and cut out a part of the ribs, then he offered those back to Raakk. The alpha was surprised, but the little red wolf, looking flustered of all things, said something he couldn't quite get. He did understand one word from it, though. 'Alpha'. Regardless of why, Raakk was happy enough to let his tail wag in appreciation as he took the ribs back and eagerly bit into them. The pack had a good reason to be happy about the yield of their hunt. The meat was downright delicious.

As they ate together in front of the fire while watching the other wolves, Raakk felt at peace. He wrapped his tail around the little red wolf as he scooted close, then was glad to feel him leaning his head against his shoulder.

The big wolf looked down at him. There, distracted by the wrestling wolves, he looked so innocent, so... pure. Despite everything that happened, despite the way the wolves had been treating him, he was just having genuine fun. There was a certain simplicity to him that no other wolf had. At that moment, Raakk knew for sure.

Awlden hadn't been hiding his weapon. He did not have ulterior motives to harm the pack. That unusually small red wolf did not mean harm, and of that Raakk was sure with all of his heart. Why could the others not see it?

The alpha sighed. At least he felt confident that his choice of keeping Awlden with the pack was the right thing to do. The others might not understand it, but Raakk knew it was right. A wolf always trusted his instincts.

He only hoped that that would be enough.

_______________________________________________________

The next days went by about as well as Raakk thought they would. There was an unspoken tension hovering around the tribe and it all seemed to center on the little red wolf. All of their progress in integrating him with the other wolves seemed to have been crushed by the weight of that dead moose.

Raakk wasn't entirely sure if Awlden had noticed it, at least at first. The other wolves avoided him and, whenever he was nearby, they would speak about him in their language. At least they were smart enough to whisper knowing that the little red wolf could already understand some of it.

The alpha left Awlden out of the hunts as to try and not to make the other hunters more uneasy even if his mysterious weapon remained hidden under the snow. Raakk himself spent more time with Awlden to make up for it, but it was tough. Every time he looked at him... something in his gut, in his heart... He had a bad feeling.

A wolf always trusted his instincts, and his instincts to protect Awlden were higher than ever. Raakk would never believe one of his wolves would act against him out of nowhere, that was just out of question, but their hostility towards him was still felt. All that work in integrating the little red wolf to the pack and now things were worse than ever.

And then there was Sgen.

Raakk kept a close eye on his beta. At first, the alpha had expected that Sgen would seize this opportunity to spread even more doubt around the camp about Awlden so that he could get his way. The black wolf, however, did not, and soon enough Raakk also understood why.

Sgen didn't really have to.

When Raakk's attention shifted from Sgen, he realized that some wolves were wary of even walking past his tent where Awlden was inside. Their hackles would rise up, their tail rising as well in tension, as if they needed to get their guards up because an enemy could jump out of its tail and lunge at their throats.

It was ridiculous, to say the least, but Raakk could understand where they came from. He himself did not understand how Awlden's tiny weapon had done what it did. While Raakk trusted that the little red wolf had no more weapons like these among his things, the others couldn't know for sure.

Something needed to be done. He knew it and everyone else knew it as well, but as the alpha, it fell to him to take the initiative. Raakk thought hard about what to do, but ultimately he had no other choice. After a few days, he invoked a spirit gathering amongst the tribe.

Never before had Raakk needed to make one. A spirit gathering's purpose was to decide things that an alpha could not decide alone. He had a hard time telling if the wolves were nervous or relieved about it, but regardless of their feelings, every wolf would be required to attend to the gathering. It would happen at night, under the sight of the spirits so that they could help guide them.

Raakk knew it was the right thing to do, but he still felt antsy about it. The day before the gathering, the alpha spent almost the whole day with Awlden. He enjoyed holding him close and just laying with him in his tent and napping as much as he enjoyed their attempts to talk with each other. Awlden showed him things in his 'book', Raakk showed the little red wolf some games the pups used to play in the snow. They stuck together until night time, when Raakk still huddled together with the little red wolf, sniffing at the back of his neck, until he fell asleep.

Raakk laid there for a while. He pressed his nose against the little red wolf's fur, his paw carefully feeling his lean frame. There was something special about him. Something that made Raakk wish he could just... just...

A small growl erupted from the back of his throat without him even noticing. The wolf pressed himself further against the outsider. The feeling of his fur against his, his smell... Though Raakk had kept himself under check until now, the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside him tempted him to just ignore all the thoughts on his head, wake up the little red wolf and...

His sheath stirred even more thinking about it. He pressed it against the little red wolf's rear ever so subtly. The things he wanted to do with him. To him...

Raakk stopped, though. The wolf took a deep breath. If he went too far, the others would smell it, of course, and he couldn't...

He had a spirit gathering to attend to.

It was with a heavy heart that Raakk pulled his paw away from the little red wolf, being a little more quiet than usual, and stood up. The wolf donned his loincloth, as usual, to hide the member peaking from his sheath and headed out.

A part of him thought about taking the little red wolf to the gathering. He was part of the pack, after all, in a way. Or so had Raakk wished. He knew he shouldn't, though, given that he was going to be the topic of discussion. As the wolf stepped out into the night, the cold wind brushed against his fur and specks of gentle snow fell upon him. The wind wasn't too strong, but it was picking up. Looking at the clouds up in the sky and smelling the air was enough for Raakk to know that a small blizzard would be upon them later that night, but at least it would be nothing compared to the constant blizzards at the peak of the coldest moons.

At the center of the village, some of the wolves were already preparing everything. A big fire at the very center was lit up with logs pulled to surround him so that all the wolves of the pack could gather in a circle around it. The fire sizzled, melting the snow that fell upon him and warming them even in the cold night.

The tension in the air was even heavier than before. Raakk waited until every wolf was properly seated before he himself stood up. Though he had never run a spirit gathering before, he had heard of many of them from the wise wolves back in the mainland, so he let their wisdom guide him. Hopefully.

"Wolves of the pack," Raakk started, "we are gathered here in hope of lightening our hearts. We bear enough hardship without the need of extra weight on our minds and it is clear that, due to..." Raakk hesitated, biting his lip for a moment, "...recent events, worry and fear has begun to seep into our hearts."

All of their eyes were on him. Raakk looked through each and every one of them. Their ears were lowered, their expressions and bodies showing worry that they did not bother hiding.

"I am here, however, to tell you that these worries are unfounded," Raakk continued. "We are thriving, the harsh moons of cold are almost gone and we have every reason to believe a bountiful season lay ahead of us. There is no cause for concern or fear."

Studying the wolves' expressions, Raakk saw little change in them. Their wary eyes were on him. He knew what they wanted to hear, he just...

"Isn't there?" Someone else said before Raakk could continue. Turning his head, the alpha saw Sgen, his beta, standing up to talk as well. "We are wolves. We know how to deal with the cold and with famine and we do not fear it. What we do fear is our alpha placing a dangerous foe right in our midst."

That is what Raakk expected coming to the gathering that night and the beta did not disappoint. That is what they were there to solve.

Raakk frowned heavily, turning towards Sgen. The black wolf's eyes were set on him with an accusatory look. His tail was held high, his eyes showing determination, all of it accentuated and clear by the light provided by the fire between them.

"The outsider is not a foe," Raakk said with determination to match it.

"We don't know that, but we knot that he is dangerous," Sgen retorted. "We are here to put our thoughts into voice and I believe I voice the concerns of everyone when I ask: what other instruments might he have that can take a life with such ease?"

Raakk sighed. He expected that as well. The alpha shook his head. "I have spoken to him. I have asked him to show me everything he has and tell me of their purposes so that-"

"And what if he is lying?" Sgen growled, interrupting Raakk. A bold move. The alpha showed some teeth to reprimand the disrespect, but Sgen was bolder than usual. From across the bonfire, the black wolf's features were highlighted, his white teeth glistening as they too were on display. "That is the whole point. He is an outsider. He can't be trusted."

The wolves around them muttered things between themselves. All of them remained sitting, most with their ears lowered in subservience of the clash between alpha and beta, but their passive response and occasional nod showed Raakk that, perhaps, he had less support than he thought he did.

"He is not lying," Raakk simply said, his voice as stern as stone.

"You can't be s-" Sgen started, but this time it was Raakk who let out a growl that made the black wolf stop for a moment. It was important to impose his authority over the eager black wolf who, in fact, lowered his ears for just a moment to let him speak.

"He is not lying," Raakk repeated before he continued. "I have spent many days and nights near him to gauge exactly that. Do you really thing I would allow a stranger to infiltrate the pack without watching him?"

Raakk's eyes scanned all of the wolves. Their eyes were on him, some listening, some less inclined to.

"I have watched him closely. In the end, I determined that his naivety is not an act of trickery. The outside comes from a very different place and simply does not know our ways, but he is eager to learn. Learning is his purpose and the sharing of knowledge is not something that harms us. It is the opposite, in fact. The sharing of knowledge might still help us."

Some of the wolves muttered between themselves again. He had them, Raakk was sure, so he pushed on.

"We have all seen the power of what his people's tools can do. They possess knowledge we do not. He has told me of things they have among his people. Tools that can not only harm, but heal. Help. Tools with purposes and function that, at first, I did not believe in. Thought they were tall tales. Yet, after seeing what his tools can do, I am inclined to believe in them. Tools, methods and knowledge that could make life for not just our pack, but the main pack, easier and safer."

After Raakk's speech, all of the wolves were quiet. The alpha studied them. Their eyes held uncertainty, their tails and ears an expression of the same. They were not convinced. How could he possibly make them see what he saw in Awlden? Raakk grit his teeth. The low growl coming from his throat was aimed at himself rather than at them. Frustrated, he thought of how he could convey his feelings better, but Sgen took his place first.

"You are being as naive towards him as he is towards us," Sgen cut in. Surprisingly, the beta did not come at him with aggressivity, but rather with a calm tone. "They have tools that help, but that does not mean they will aid us. What if his kind moves in? What if they take our territory with their strange powers? It seems to me that you would rather just show them your neck and let them have it if that were to happen tomorrow."

Raakk's frown deepened at the beta's lack of discipline. Sgen was crossing lines with his words. Raakk showed teeth, but the beta did not relent.

"That is something that can happen. That is something that will happen. If he stays here, it is only a matter of time before his kind comes for him. Then, who knows what might happen? Are you willing to risk the pack and territory to keep him here?"

Other wolves muttered again and, this time, there were too many nods among them...

"Keep him here over what? Over the prospect of what knowledge he might bring alongside the danger?" Sgen stomped his foot in the snow. Raakk growled at him, but Sgen, this time, matched it with a growl of his own. "He might have knowledge, Raakk, but we do not need it. Us wolves, we have been living in these lands for a long time and we have learned how to do it. We don't need his kind's ways. We have our ways and we are proud of them!"

Sgen's voice grew louder alongside his argument. Wolves around them went as far as verbally agreeing with what he was saying. Their ears stood, their tails wagged in agreement. Raakk saw that Sgen had them, but the alpha continued to growl with his eyes fixated at the black wolf. He was in a losing battle, but that did not mean he would give up.

"We don't need their help, but they could make things better!" Raakk argued, stomping the snow just as well. Sgen focused on him as well.

"It is not a risk worth taking," Sgen just declared as if he had the authority to do so. "We do not need his kind here. We are proud wolves. We have made it through another harsh cold, warmth is ahead of us, and everything should be as it always was."

Again, the wolves around them agreed with Sgen. Of course they did. That was the safest way, the way that would dissolve all of their fears and put them back in the comfortable, even if dangerous, world they had always known. Raakk could see that, but...

The alpha opened his mouth to speak against it, but his chances of convincing them that they should keep the outsider around that night were nearly all but gone. He lowered his eyes to the fire, his mind raced trying to find arguments, but he could not find one. At least not in time.

"This is why I move that the outsider be cast out at dawn. His presence has haunted us for far too long."

Raakk's gaze darted up towards Sgen across the fire. His eyes went wider and his growl returned reflexively.

"We can send him away once the snow is gone and the paths clear up, but it is too soon. The cold winds still howl and you know he does not have our knowledge. If we sent him out at dawn we would be all but killing him. He stays at least until the first warmth." Raakk's tone was stern and final, as he usually spoke as an alpha. Most wolves' ears fell back in response to his statement, but not Sgen.

The black wolf folded his arms. "This is what we were here to discuss. He is a threat, he might be a threat, therefore he must be removed now."

Raakk growled loud at the sheer outrageousness of what the beta was proposing.

"He was found almost dead in the snow. How do we know that the spirits had not intended for him to perish there and then, but we interefered? All of this might be our punishment for that wrongdoing."

The hackles behind Raakk's neck spiked. His growling took a more aggressive tone and all of them could hear that.

"That is ridiculous! The spirits know what they do! The spirit guided our hunters to find him and save him! We will not send him back into the snow to perish!"

If the fire did not stand burning between the two, Raakk admitted he might have jumped up at Sgen to tackle him down. The alpha's growling and stance showed that he might do it any moment, but while Sgen showed his teeth to him as well, the beta's stance was not a defensive one.

Sgen just stood there and shook his head. "The spirits know what they are doing, yes. Therefore, if the spirits wish for him to live, then they will guide him through the snow to his home. If they do not..."

Raakk felt rage swirl inside him. He tried to control it. He was the Alpha, he had to remain calm, but they wanted to send Awlden to his death. After all that time, they wanted to just have him killed and be done with it.

"Are we all in favor of sending the outsider back to his home and continue our ways as we always had?" Sgen asked, again taking his authority from him. Raakk growled, but it was too late. The wolves all around them nodded in agreement. Some did it eagerly, some with hesitation, but most of them did.

"Then it is settled," Sgen continued. "At dawn, we will pack basic supplies and send the outsider bac-"

"NO!" Raakk interrupted with a shout. It echoed through the snow plains drowning out all sound with it. "We will NOT send him to his death! The outsider is one of us, he has proven himself to the pack! We will not..."

Raakk stopped. All wolves were staring at him. He could read their expressions through their eyes and bodies.

They didn't look at him with submission, but rather with... what was it? Each wolf was different. Raakk's eyes went through them. The hunters, the skinners, all of them. They looked at him with... pity? His authority was not recognized, not anymore, not at that moment.

"It has to be done," Sgen said, breaking the silence that stretched. "It will be the best for all of us. You included."

When the wolves looked at him, they showed the respect that they should have shown Raakk. The alpha saw that and his shoulders slouched. He was defeated. Yet, the sheer thought of sending Awlden away alone gnawed at his heart like... like a hungry wolf.

Raakk felt his eyes grow wet. His ears were lowered, he noticed, which was unbecoming of him. He knew he couldn't show weakness, but never before had it been so hard to control his body and keep the appearance. The alpha's paws curled into fists so tight that his own claws hurt his skin. He felt himself trembling. Raakk lowered his head, not out of submission, but to hide his eyes from them for just a moment. That couldn't happen. He wouldn't let it happen.

"Then, if he is going," Raakk started. He took a deep breath. His head and his emotions were swirling inside him like a blizzard, but he looked up at Sgen with determined eyes. "I am going with him. I will take him to his home."

All wolves' eyes widened at his statement, but Sgen's widened the most. Raakk took a tiny bit of pleasure, at least, in seeing the beta taken by surprise at least on that. So much so that it took a few seconds for Sgen to clearly process what he was saying before he could reply.

"That is ridiculous," the black wolf said starting to growl as well. "That would take many moons, if you even make it there. You are the alpha. You cannot leave the pack."

Raakk knew all of that, of course, but he did not care. He just kept the same determined look, his eyes fixated on Sgen, his teeth still showing.

"I am going," he declared with his usual alpha tone, as if it was final.

Sgen growled back at him. "That is beyond ridiculous! If the alpha prime heard that you are even considering this, you would never be alpha again! The pack needs you! I always suspected that his presence here was clouding your judgement, but this proves it! This proves beyond any doubt that his presence here is as poison for you and for all of us!"

Raakk just scoffed and turned his back towards the black wolf. "Nonsense. If your decision is to have him leave by dawn, then I will go make preparations to leave as well."

Raakk started walking away. What was he doing? His heart was racing, his mind, usually calm and collected, a flurry of thoughts, yet in his heart, what he was doing felt right. He did not feel scared. Instead, somehow, he felt a little... relieved?

"If you leave with him, your title of alpha is all but forfeited!" Sgen growled. "Your presence in the pack as well. Even if you return, we will have to bring you back to the alpha prime for him to decide what to even do with you! If you leave, you will no longer be a wolf."

Raakk stopped in his tracks. He looked back at Sgen. "Is that not what you wanted? You will take my place, then."

The wolves all around them had their ears lowered. Some of them had stood up, but now they all looked at Sgen. The black wolf continued to growl and show his teeth for a while, but then he stopped and took a deep breath.

"If you are going to be like this," Sgen said from behind him. "Then perhaps it would be better if we did it ourselves, then."

Raakk's ears twitched, his eyes narrowing.

"His presence is poison. Rather than throwing him out, we should kill him ourselves and be done with it. Perhaps that will bring you back to your proper senses."

The simple mention of it had Raakk letting out an aggressive growl again. It was enough to make some of the wolves flinch. Not Sgen, though.

"Any of you will have to kill me before you lay a single claw on him." Raakk's declaration came alongside his growling. His eyes scanned all of them to see their response to it. Hesitation, confusion, some fear... but not as much as he had hoped.

"We are leaving tonight. Now." Raakk's declaration made some eyes widen again.

"You would leave with him at night?" Sgen asked, incredulous. "In this weather? That all but proves how much this outsider affects you!"

Raakk took a deep breath. The wind had indeed been picking up thorough the meeting and the snow was already falling faster than before. Not an ideal condition to go out there and definitely no condition to go out there in the dark, but he had no choice.

"The spirits will guide us," Raakk finally said in a dry tone.

He turned around and, before he started walking again, he looked up. The dancing lights of the spirits were fading above them. The large wolf uttered a small prayer to them that it would be so before he started stomping his way through the snow back to his tent. He did not dare look back at the pack as he did.

The wolf made his way through the tents and, as soon as he was out of sight of the others, he made a sharp turn and took a small detour. Behind the tent where he had burried it, Raakk quickly dug out the little red wolf's killing tool from the snow and took it with care. He hid it under his loincloth and hurried back to his tent.

Once inside, Raakk bursted in. His fur was covered in snow that fell faster and faster outside, but he was glad to see the Awlden was awake. He spoke in the little red wolf's language as best as he could.

"We go," Raakk mouthed with some difficulty, "now."

The little red wolf looked confused, which was expected, but Raakk had no time to explain. He started gathering the little red wolf's things alongside his own. Anything he had in hand that would help them through the difficult travel ahead.

"What is wrong?" the little red wolf asked in their language.

"Go," Raakk repeated in his Awlden's own. "We. Go."

Awlden asked a few more things, but Raakk's mind was spinning as he tried to gather everything he could as fast as possible. Before the other wolves could discuss things further. Before they could gather and come to surround the tent and try to stop him. They would kill Awlden if they had to. He had seen it in their eyes. Or, at least, in enough of them. That thought spurred him to move even faster.

When he turned towards the little red wolf, he was standing there with his ears lowered. He asked somthing in his own language and Raakk, as always, didn't need to understand to know he was worried and afraid. He was right to be, but there was really no time to explain.

"No," Raakk growled, grabbing the little red wolf's arm. "We go," he repeated, looking into his eyes. "Stay... killed."

He pulled Awlden with him towards the tent's exit. He had gathered everything he could easily carry. Before they left, though, he pulled the killing tool from his loincloth and pushed it towards the little red wolf's chest. Only he knew how to use it.

When they stepped outside, the weather had gotten worse already. The blizzard was picking up and would reach its peak soon. Raakk cursed under his breath, but at least the snowstorm would provide them with concealment. Raakk pulled the little red wolf with him towards the edge of the camp facing the woods.

It wasn't long before he smelled them. Many scents all around them as they approached. Raakk kept a wary eye and picked up his step, leaving the wolven tents behind and leading Awlden towards the woods to the south. The scents of wolves surrounding them followed, but none dared get too close. With the howling of the wind, voices would not carry through, but that was alright. Raakk had nothing else to say to them.

The little red wolf looked terrified. He followed along close, but as they made their way through the snow with difficulty, Raakk at least made his words clear to him as he pressed close.

"Awlden," Raakk said, keeping his fur pressed against the little red wolf's as they walked, "prote-ct."

The word came out with difficulty from Raakk, but he knew its meaning and he hoped it would help make Awlden feel better. As they made it past the treeline, they left the wolves following them behind. Perhaps they would try to follow them in the morning, but by then it would be too late. Hopefully.

For now, Raakk and Awlden were alone, swallowed up by the white and black of that snowy tundra night.