Shadow and Dawn were practically bouncing off the walls as Meadow gave instructions on what to d outside. It was a sunny day, and there was no wind. 

"Don't go as far as the dead pine tree, and make sure you looks where you're stepping, because there can be dips in the ground. And if you see ANYTHING unfamiliar, come back instantly." Meadow said.

"Yeah bye!" Shadow called quickly over her shoulder as she and Dawn ran off.  As soon as her paws felt the freezing, fluffy snow, Shadow sprinted around. Dawn was more cautious, slowly dipping her paws in and out. 

"What are you doing??" Shadow asked as she ran by.

"It's cold." Dawn answered.

"Yeah, it's supposed to be!" Dawn then jumped in and chased after her sister. Ice scowled at them from the cave entrance.

"You're so stupid and overexcited. It's just snow." He said.

"You're stupid for staying in there!" Shadow retorted.

"I'm following Alpha's orders." Ice raised his head so he could look down at them, as if he was grown up. Dawn clumsily stumbled over to him in the deep snow.

"But it's fun!" She exclaimed. Ice looked at her. 'She has a sparkle in her eyes that other wolves didn't seem to have...'

Ice shook his head and turned to walk back into the cave. Dawn looked disappointed, but turned back to Shadow. It must have been hours before Shadow got bored with the area they were in. The snow was batted down by their paw prints and many others. Her eyes darted to the dead pine tree. All of it's needles were gone, and it's bark looked orange-ish and rotting.

"Let's go climb the pine tree!" Shadow yelled to Dawn.

"But, Meadow said we couldn't go past it!" Dawn said.

"We aren't going to go past it, we'll be right at it!" Shadow started running without giving Dawn a chance to reply. Dawn followed with hesitation.

Soon they arrived at the tree, the cave a lot smaller in the distance.

"You go first." Dawn said. It might be missing pine needles, but the branches still looked spiky.

"But you have to come up after me." Shadow replied. She jumped up to the first branch, and snow fell down on Dawn.

"Hey!" Dawn shouted. She jumped up on the first branch, trying to catch up to Shadow. Shadow laughed and climbed faster. The tree wasn't very tall, so there wasn't much room left to climb. 

Just then, awn froze in place. Her eyes stared at something in the distance.

"What's wrong?" Shadow asked.

"What is that?" Dawn asked quietly. Shadow looked over in the direction Dawn was staring, and saw a figure. It was tall, definitely not a wolf, and it was holding something. She couldn't see any tail or ears, or even four legs!

Suddenly, a booming sound filled the air. It rang in the two sister's ears and they fell from the tree. It was louder than anything they had ever heard.

"Run!" Dawn shouted. Shadow ran after her sister, but stumbled and fell. Snow filled her vision, and her paws flailed in the air. She could hear giant foot steps pounding towards her.

'It's coming to get me!' Shadow thought frantically.  It stood over her, a long, gray stick in it's hands. There was a hole down the stick, and it smelled of metal and smoke.

When Shadow dared open her eyes, she plunged into darkness. Images of blood popped up, flickering on and of like a broken light bulb. She saw what seemed like hundreds of wolves in an unfamiliar place. It looked like what Timber had described the south as. She saw one wolf i particular though..it was...it was...her! Shadow stared at herself, it looked like she was all grown up. But there was another wolf too, an orange one the color of fire. He stood over her. And there was.."BLOOD!" Shadow exclaimed. Had this wolf killed her?!

The world seemed to twist and swirl around her. Everything turned dark and red, and all the wolves started turning into what looked like shadows of themselves...including her. But she looked different..

The last thing Shadow heard before going back to reality was an eerie, echoey voice calling to her..."Follow me...follow me...."