I frantically addressed all members of my Pack: *We're under attack! Stand your ground, and don't leave the circle!*'Maybe this isn't what it seems' I thought. 'Maybe this is just a misunderstanding. Maybe...'Dark shapes were moving around out there now in the night. Some appeared to be drawing closer; but even with a wolf's eyes it was difficult to be sure, and mine were still adjusting to the sudden loss of the firelight. Damn, how could I have been so stupid? We practically waved a

~ Rufias ~"So first, you need to understand that we're mostly here on a mission. You see, my wife used to hunt for precious rocks up in the hills where she grew up. I was never much of a mountain-man myself, coming from further south, but once we were ma...married, she started to get me into it. We couldn't really make a living off it, so she did it simply for the joy that it brought her. It was infectious, you know? Before long I had my very own collection of stone to rival hers. It really was a great deal of fun."She passed away about ten years ago, sadly. Yes. Thank you, it's alright. Anyway the last time we went anywhere near these mountains was at least five years prior to that, back when we were doing a bit of trailblazing potentially for later trips. We had some property west of here, I guess you could say. A small community of our friends and family l

Our two groups decided to separate for the night, with Donna and her fellows taking the little piece of shelter my Pack had found. She argued when I suggested it, of course, until I managed to convince her that I knew of a place nearby where we would be just as cozy."I know it sounds strange, but I have great night vision" I told her. "We'll hike a short distance and bed down there. Trust me; we'll be warm enough, and pretty soon Lu-- the moon will be there to guide us."Donna finally relented, to the dismay of some of my Pack, I could tell. But she insisted that we take with us their collapsible tents."You can give them back in the morning" she insisted. "Until then you must borrow them. I trust you."I considered refusing, but that would’ve only seemed more sus

~ Cillium ~'Who's there?''Don't you want to have some fun for once? Today is a new day, after all.''I said who's there!'I tumbled out of my sleep only to find myself tangled up in a ball of fabric on a cold, hard floor. Ah, yes; the rocky shelter. I was up here on the mountain along with my pack, along with... Rayla.My love.Speaking of which, the blankets now smelled

~ Rufias ~'Two days have passed since we left those humans behind and continued moving west across the mountains. Two days since I again took the lead, and as before, Rayla has placed the safety of our Pack into my hands.'To me, that choice was neither flattery nor confidence; I would get the job done to the best of my ability, just like I always had, and if that wasn't enough, the Alpha would find another way. She always did.Sometimes, however... I wondered if she really knew the level of loyalty I had for her, and that I had for the entire Pack.I was getting old. I would happily die protecting that which was mine, or I would live knowing that I'd succeeded. Rayla could surely see