Determination

[xPuRfectDisastRx]

Sorrel knew he shouldn't be doing this. Sneaking out of the den wasn't allowed. But none of the other wolves paid any attention to him when he said he could hunt, and he really wanted to be trained so he could become a delta. He was already three months old, and others could start training at two months. So why wasn't he? Of course - they all thought he was too weak, too small. Well he'd show them how good he really was. Then they'd have to let him train. He scented the air. It was so different from the den, and kind of scarey. He thought about turning to go back, but then stopped himself. No. He wasn't going to go back, he was going to hunt! He caught a whiff of what he thought would be elk. Running towards the smell, something dashed out in front of him. A hare. A big one too. This would definitely get him training! He ran behind it. A little more.... His muzzle was almost at the hare's leg. He opened his mouth to bite, when suddenly, an elk herd crashed out of the bushes, and headed to Sorrel. Oh boy. Sorrel thought, they kept coming. Sorrel stayed frozen to the ground in fear. He closed his eyes, fate to come.

[Malo]

It wasn't often that Fallon bothered to entertain other wolves. She loved her pack, but sometimes the unwarranted animosity and emotional mess that the wolves in it exhibited was just too much. So she tended to steer clear of most of her packmates, unless it was necessary. It seemed that the only wolves she would tolerate completely were Justyn, of course, Duke, and her sister Naila. Everyone else's status with her was usually up in the air depending on the situation.

But for some reason, Fallon decided she did not mind being social today. Perhaps it was her good mood, a rare one for her lately. Maybe her natural instincts to belong to a pack had finally gripped her. Whatever it was, she had headed for the clearing that morning, leaving Justyn to his own devices in their den. She knew that it was a common gathering place because of the hunting possibilities. So she wasn't surprised when she saw a frightened elk herd stampeding through the forest. She held back, looking to see who was heading the hunt and where everyone was located. But she saw no one. Confused, she wondered what had spooked them; then she saw it. A lone wolf pup, a few months in age, was sitting directly in the herd's path.

It was no secret that Fallon had no soft spot when it came to pups, but she was still alarmed. Was this one of Duke's offspring from this past season? She wasn't sure, considering she tended to stay away from the babysitting dens. Considering that fact, and the fact that they would need an extra wolf when the Stars finally plucked the courage to challenge them, she decided to save him. The herd was moving fast, but Fallon had exited the forest some ways ahead of them. She took off running; the adrenaline pumping through her veins made her forget the pain of her injury, if only temporarily. She moved quickly, leapt across a boulder between her and the pup and attempted to scoop him up by his scruff. The ground rumbled with the herd's approach, the elk getting ever closer.

[xPuRfectDisastRx]

Sorrel saw the other wolf coming to get him, and wanted to move closer to let her pick him up, but he couldn't. He was so scared, that it was as though his legs were attached to the ground with thick cement. Though he couldn't move, it was still ironic that he could shiver with fright. The elk was getting closer, and he could feel the ground rumble. He knew that they would crush him and this other wolf, who smelled like his pack, but he couldn't exactly see who it was.

As the elk got closer he saw something even more frightening - two bull elk. They led the herd, and they were huge. One of them could crush a full grown wolf. Sorrel gulped, and closed his eyes. He shouldn't have done this. He knew it wasn't right from the beginning. But all he wanted was to prove himself. He thought he could, but of course it wouldn't end well, things like this never end well. He wondered if sneaking out would cause him to wait for training another month. He couldn't think that, he wanted to be a delta so bad.

[Malo]

The clock was ticking and Fallon knew it. Seeing the large bulls, her heart began pounding so hard, she thought even the pup could hear it. Grabbing him by his scruff, noting that he was heavier than he looked, she took off running towards the forest's edge, barely missing the opportunity to be trampled to death by hundreds of thundering hooves. She took shelter behind a large boulder, the elk leaping over and around the two wolves. She had placed the pup between her front paws, using her body to block his head. If an elk came deathly close, she snarled and bit at the long legs that flew over her head, never daring to peek over the top of the boulder.

Finally, the sound of oncoming elk began to die down, and the earth became still again. A few stragglers hurried to keep up with the herd, but the clearing was safe once more. As the dust and grass settled, Fallon stood up and stretched, her body stiff from sitting in her hunched over position for too long. Looking down, she took a moment to examine her charge. For whatever reason, he looked familiar, though she couldn't place exactly why.

He didn't seem to be injured, just shocked. He had to have been, considering he hadn't moved a muscle when the elk were upon him. She could have sworn he'd closed his eyes, which made her nearly shake her head in disgust. Any wolf with common sense would have at least tried to get out the way, even if they were afraid. Her hazel green eyes stared down the younger wolf. "Do you have a death wish or something?" She spat, her tone scolding and sarcastic. Whoever this pup was, he surely wasn't the sharpest.

[xPuRfectDisastRx]

Sorrel hung his head. "I was just trying to catch a hare for our pack." Sorrel then stared at Fallon, noting that she smelled like his pack, he still couldn't recognize her. Confusion spread through his mind, and he hated to ask. But yet he did. "Who are you?" He asked it in general curiosity. His voice was still shaking from the fear.
If she was from his pack, wouldn't she be giving him the 'Pups your age shouldn't be sneaking out like that' lecture by now? He stared at the ground, shifting his paws.

[Malo]

She tilted her head, looking at the still frightened pup. She despised a weakling, but she still didn't know whose pup he was. Until she figured out whether he was Duke's or someone else's, she would play nice. "A hare is hardly big enough for an adult wolf, let alone the entire pack. You should have been more careful." She lay down, stretching out her body. She'd been on her paw too long, and she could feel it beginning to throb.

Licking it to try and ease the pain, she looked over at him once more. She heard his question, but she took a moment before answering. He had dropped his head, be it out of shame or fear she had no idea. She could tell he was nervous. Fallon noted that this pup, whoever he was, had a lot to learn and it was clear his parent's hadn't taught him the ways of the pack. You never showed weakness and you never showed fear. If you did, you were likely to be attacked by your pack mates. Such was the way of Falling Moon.

She sighed, slightly irritated with the situation. It was not her job to teach the pup; she was no mother nor babysitter unless they belonged to Duke or Justyn. But she knew that with Duke's blood, his offspring wouldn't need much help. Justyn had no pups of his own, so he was ruled out as the potential father as well. This pup wasn't royal, so maybe his foolishness could be excused.

"Fallon," she answered simply. Keeping her expression nonchalant, she lay her head down on her paws. "The real question is who are you and who do you belong to?"

[xPuRfectDisastRx]

Sorrel hung his head farther. "I don't know my parents. They both died before I could meet them. But I'm in pack Falling Moon." He answered slowly, wondering if Fallon might be a loner who was in the territory for long enough to smell like pack. His heart wasn't thumping hard anymore, and he began to breathe clearer. He hoped he could get back before his sister woke and noticed him gone. His sister was a tattletale, and would tell Duke that Sorrel was gone. He looked back to the direction of the den anxiously, but stayed put. Then he looked Fallon in the eyes. She looked as if she considered him dumb, but he knew the opposite. He learned way more than any adolescent his age already had. But he still wondered why he couldn't start his training to be a delta as soon as the others. Was he too small? Not strong enough?

[Malo]

Fallon usually didn't feel sympathy for anyone, and this pup, who still hadn't told her his name, was no different. She had no doubt he belonged to her pack, simply based off his smell. But whether or not he truly belonged remained to be seen. He had no parents, so he had no one responsible for him. Meaning it was a pack effort. She sighed, annoyed. She didn't know what to with this somehow familiar pup.

What did she do now? She had half a mind to leave him right where he was and go on about her business. No one would find out, she was sure. Fallon could live with it, without consequences. But she knew she couldn't, not with a possible battle looming in the future. Giving a grunt, she stood up and shook out her coat. Eyeing him, she asked, "What's your name, pup? And do you remember at all what your parents look like? How they died?"

She needed to have some clue of who they were. It would tell her what traits they had that he might have inherited. Were they big and husky, signaling strength? Or were they long and slim, with bodies built for speed? The lack of parents explained his lack of hunting knowledge, but it was no excuse for him to not yet understand the gifts he may have been given.

[xPuRfectDisastRx]

"I have no idea how they died. Nobody told me. I know that they died shortly after my mom gave birth to my sister though. I'm Sorrel by the way." Sorrel answered, "But wolves tell me my parents names were Almira and Zacharias." Looking up at Fallon, he set his jaw, hoping to look stronger so she'd tell Duke to let Sorrel train. He tilted his ear back towards the den, and listened for any signs that his sister woke up. Luckly, there were none, and he tilted his ear back to normal. "Hello there" Came a voice behind him. A big she-wolf stood there, she looked as intelligent as him, and she smelled like his pack, but also the world outside his pack. "I'm Flare" The female introduced herself. She turned to Fallon, "You are?" Sorrel cut in before Fallon could talk. "I'm Sorrel, and this is Fallon. We were talking if you don't mind" He said boldly to the even stranger wolf. Not that Fallon was strange, just a stranger. He didn't know her.

[Malo]

For what seemed like an eternity, Fallon's world stopped. The sounds of the forest fell on deaf ears as the world around her began to blur. Everything, except for that pup. Sorrel. His name was Sorrel. But his parents? It couldn't be...the young she wolf suddenly felt faint.

His parents...she cared not for who his father was. As far as she was concerned, he could rot in hell. But the name of Sorrel's mother made Fallon feel weak. She thought she might throw up whatever food was left in her stomach from that morning. It couldn't be possible. Visibly shaking, she opened her mouth to speak, but words escaped her. Could she tell this pup that his mother was her own?

Fallon could not fathom how he and his sister, her sister, had survived. They were so young...had they been hidden away in a den when Almira was attacked? It was possible. But that meant that they had been left unguarded. She almost let out a low growl, angered. She knew that bastard Zacharias was no good; he'd probably abandoned Almira in the middle of her pregnancy. Then again, Almira wasn't exactly mom of the year either. But Sorrel didn't need to know that. She had thought she would never see her younger half siblings; she had all but completely cut her mother out of her life and after finding her remains, Fallon had assumed her latest litter had passed as well. How wrong she was, with the proof sitting in front of her face.

She looked at the pup in front of her, the one who was her brother. As time began to move again in her world, she took a deep breathe and began to gather her thoughts. Swallowing hard, she finally spoke. "Sorrel, there is something I must tell you. About the rest of your family. I a-," she stopped, her face going void of any emotion that it might have had, her hazel-green eyes cut into an icy stare beyond the pup. As the newcomer spoke, Fallon half listened. She looked down at Sorrel as he spilled their information before she could comment. Looking back at Flare, Fallon took in her appearance and her scent. She belonged to the Moons, which was evident from her smell and her haughty interruption. Today, Fallon decided she did not have the patience. Injured and all, she took a defensive position.

[xPuRfectDisastRx]

Sorrel wondered what Fallon was going to say. He growled slightly at Flare for interrupting the conversation, and was surprised at Fallon as she took the defensive position. Wasn't this newcomer Falling Moons? But she smelled different too, as if she was half from the world outside his pack.

Flare stared at the other she wolf. Flare was just trying to be friendly, not trying to hurt anyone at all. Then again, she wolves are always defensive of their pups, and this had to be her pup. Curious, Flare sniffed at her fur. Of course, the other she wolf took this position for her pup because Flare only smelled half like the pack. "S-Sorry," Flare stammered, "I didn't mean to threaten your pup. I was just introducing myself" Flare stepped back, giving the she-wolf some space, and hoping she'd be accepted.

[Malo]

Fallon raised a brow in surprise and couldn't help but laugh at Flare's assumption. When she recovered she turned back to Flare, her expression unreadable. But her posture was one of dominance. Placing a haughty smirk on her face, she watched Flare squirm. She was a Falling Moon, yes, but her odd smell and submission proved to Fallon that she was not a born Moons wolf. She was a newcomer, from who knew where. Fallon always felt some type of dominance over wolves like Flare.

Taking full advantage of the space the she wolf had given her, Fallon moved forward, stepping in front of Sorrel so he was sitting underneath her. She kept her front legs spread slightly apart so he could see the exchange. His subtle growling showed defiance, a trait common among their pack. They rarely ever fit the stereotypes of a normal pack. But his aggressiveness was not a rarity among them. His earlier hiccup, foolish as it was, might be forgiven if he could prove himself.

"Sorrel is not my pup. We're...kin. Of a different kind." She didn't bother looking at the pup's response. He would understand in time. She stood tall, smirk still on her maw and her hazel gaze intense.

"How long have you been here, Flare?"

[xPuRfectDisastRx]

Flare stood still for a moment, still uncomfortable. When she finally spoke, it was only to tell Fallon that she had joined yesterday. Flare tried to read Fallon's body language. Her mother taught her how to do this, and Fallon was quite easy to read. The dominance she showed was remarkable, but Flare also like her share of dominance, so she stepped forward as well, her face firm, but gentle enough. "This may be your land, Fallon, but I am also part of the pack now, so it's my land too" She said firmly, glancing briefly at Sorrel, who was still growling slightly.
"I am sorry if I interrupted you, I will leave now, but I also would like some respect." Flare stated. Then, she turned and walked away.'

Sorrel looked closely at Fallon. "What do you mean, we're kin?" He asked once Flare had disappeared from sight. "How are we kin?" He sat, his growl had ceased, and he was utterly curious.

[Malo]

Fallon tilted her head, chuckling as Flare turned her back. Her words were not harsh, but she had stood her ground. Fallon gave her some credit, but not much. "This land will be yours once you rid yourself of all those ridiculous scents, if ever. I'm not sure what Duke saw in you, but remember this: respect here is not simply given because we are now pack mates. It is earned here."

Her eyes never left Flare's back as the female disappeared into the forest. Fallon stood in silence, waiting until she was absolutely sure that she was gone and out of ear shot. It took her a moment before stepping back over the pup, facing the mountainous area of their territory. Did she want to reveal her secret just yet? That would make her solely responsible for the two pups, she knew that. If they knew she was their only surviving relative who bothered to stay in Caden Valley, would they be drawn to her? Would they look to her for guidance? Could they possibly be a happy little family? Probably not. Family ties seemed to mean little if you were a Moon. But Fallon knew she couldn't stand being alone in the world again either.

She sighed, looking over her shoulder at Sorrel, his eyes bright with pup curiosity as he waited for a response. "Almira...was my mother."

[xPuRfectDisastRx]

"Wha-What?" Sorrel stuttered. Fallon was his sister too? His eyes widened. Now he knew why Fallon smelled like a little more than just a packmate. She was his kin. They were of the same blood. He backed away, thinking a bit. He looked up at Fallon. Now to think about it, she did look a bit like him. "Do you know why I can't train like all the other pups my age?" He asked in curiosity. He knew she probably had no idea, but he wanted to know so bad. He wanted to be a delta. Duke probably hadn't told her, but he had to know somehow. Maybe, she could teach him how to hunt and fight. She certainly had to be good at it.