"Mother, what was that?" Kie asked his mother, a shaky tone in his voice.

"No need to worry child," His mother, Layla, comforted. "Its just the thunder"

Kie could feel the warmth from her sister, and mother. Kira was burring her muzzle into Kie's gray fur. How could she sleep with all this noise? Kie thought.

"Listen and you can hear the howls of the sky wolfs" His dad, Ramon, said, voice echoing around the cave. "And if you can howl with them, you will be blessed."

"Blessed with what?"

"Anything. If you are a good pup, you will be blessed with good things. But, if you are a bad pup, you will be blessed with such bad things, you will live measurably the rest of your life!" His dad teased. Layla elbowed him and laughed.

"Don't listen to your father, Kie. He doesn't know what he is talking about." Ramon laughed and nudged Kie with his nose.

"Go to sleep little one. We have a big day tomorrow." Ramon said.

Kira yawned next to him. Kie was bigger than Kira. She was the runt of the two of them. Listening to the small taps of the rain, he rest his head down on his sisters back. Ramon then lies down next to Layla. Closing his eyes, Kie slips into sleep, and dreams about howling with the spirits and getting good blessing from them.

The sun peaks into the cave, shining on the cave floor, waking Kie up. The smell of rain still hung in the air. He stretches out his legs and gets up carefully, making sure not to wake up Kira.

"Stay where I can see you." Ramon said behind Kie.

Kie jumps and turns around. "Good morning dad."

"Good morning." His father replied.

"Are you going to show Kira and I how to hunt today?"

"Not this early in the morning." Layla jumped in, eyes still closed.

"Why not?" Kira whined, also jumping in. Kira was now standing next to Kie.

"Because non of the deer are out yet." Layla said. Still lying down, eyes still closed.

"Than we can show them how to hunt rabbits." Ramon said, trotting over to the entrance of the cave. Layla gets up and stretches, then follows Ramon out of the cave. Kira runs in front of Kie and begs mom if she can get on her back.

"Kira, you are big enough to walk on your own." Layla says as she pushes Kira forward with her muzzle. Mom's gray pelt shined in the sunlight, as she walked next to Ramon. Layla and Kie had the same color pelts, gray. While Ramon and Kira have brown pelts. 

"Now kids," Layla said, "remember to watch your step as you are hunting for rabbits. Any small noise, like a twig snapping under your paw will scare away all the rabbits."  As she said that, she snapped a twig under her paw to show the pups. As the snap echoed around the forest, the pups could see a rabbits head pop out from behind a tree. 

"Or the snap can help you find a rabbit!" Kira said. 

"So lets go get it!" Kie said, getting ready to pounce on the rabbit as it ran away.

"Wait," Ramon said, putting his paw in front of Kie. "you don't know how to hunt yet."

"And, if you scare a rabbit while hunting, there is no way you can be fast enough to get it. When frightened, they run like the wing." Layla added. Kie and Kira looked at the rabbit as it bounded away, wishing they could sink there teeth into the warm flesh of a fresh rabbit kill. Kie's mouth srarted to water. 

"When will we get to hunt?" Kira asked, as Ramon started to wander farther into the territory. 

"When you find a rabbit." He called to them.  Layla pushed the pups towards Ramon, making them follow him.

Paws crunching the twigs and pine needles, Ramon's ears perk up. The smell of a different wolf hung in the air. His nose twitching, Ramon turns to Layla and mouths Go back. Layla nods and turns to the pups.

"Kids, its time to go back." 

"but-" Kira protests, But is cut of as a deep low growl echoes around them. Ramon looks at Layla and barks, "Run to the cave! NOW!"