The seasons changed rapidly. Caribou covered the plains and the pack feasted. The pups grew, almost the size of the white youngster now. Snow fell, but disappeared as it hit the ground.

Things were not perfect, though. The pups were ready to join the pack in full and their arrival questioned the places of every other pack member. The brindled wolf and the brown quickly showed the pups their places, growling and not hesitating to punish them with their teeth. The pupsnever challenged blue-eye. On the first day that they were allowed to go hunt with the pack, (Although their mother forced them to stay well back.) The red pup stalked up to Kiela with stiff legs. Kiela huffed in amusement and then used her superior weight to smother the pup until it whined for mercy.

Two more similar occurrences showed both pups that Kiela was not to be trifled with, and they let her alone. The white youngster, however, they tormented in the fashion of their siblings. Gone were the days when he had played tag with them, the food they'd shared. It was the business of the Law that the strong must prosper, and so the pups prospered with it. Since he was larger, the pups could not win against him, but he was unused to confrontation and so was not permitted to win against them. Their rank in the pack was equal, for the time being.

Kiela was having problems of her own. Her and blue-eye had become closer in friendship. They now shared a sleeping spot and prey. This friendship would not allow Kiela to confront her in combat, but Kiela's heart rebelled at the lowly place in the pack which she held. She tried subtle combat against the brown wolf but she was met at every turn with bare teeth. She dared not put herself against the brindled male or the mated pair. They were the king and queen of the pack, and the brindled was a prince. To touch them was to face the most serious of consequences.

The brown wolf saw that Kiela wished to take her spot. She took every occasion she could to throw her rank in Kiela's face. She flaunted the extra meat that she got at a kill, she kicked up her hind legs when running with the pack and was always meeting Kiela with lips writhed into a snarl or a slash of fangs. Kiela went around with slashed shoulders as a token of the brown's friendship. Blue-eye could do nothing. Her only aspiration was the welfare of the pack. She held to ambition to rise in its ranks. Or so it appeared. Kiela was to discover that she had one other ambition.

The pack was very clever in the way that it caught caribou. The females were the fastest in the pack, and therefore ran the most prestigious spots of the formation.

The pack had speed, but the caribou had incredible endurance. The pack split into teams. Kiela and the two pups were to separate the animal from the herd. It was a very important job because if they chose a strong animal the pack would not be fast enough and the caribou would escape. The other teams were blue-eye and the black female, the tawny leader and the white youngster, and the brindled male and the brown female. The teams went to their stations and Kiela and the pups slipped into the midst of the herd. The caribou turned to watch them as they tried to find a weak animal. It was if the animals knew that none of them were in direct danger at the moment. They kept their eyes on the wolves, but continued grazing. Kiela frowned in annoyance. The herd seemed healthy. She knew that the injured animals normally hid in the centre of the herd. She would need to split it if she were to find what she needed. She flicked her tail and the pups came over. Kiela gestured to both sides of the herd and pushed them that way. The pups seemed to understand and stood at both sides of the herd. Kiela took a running start at the back of the herd. The entire group of caribou charged forwards but were cut off by the pups. The ground vibrated from the pounding of their hooves. The herd stopped for a split second and Kiela was able to run through the protected centre of the herd. They duplicated the manoeuvre twice more before finding what they were looking for. And elderly female had an injured hind leg. Kiela gestured towards her with her head and the pups nodded. They performed the move again by this time instead of staying where they were the pups moved in behind the injured animal. The rest of the herd whiled and ran away but the one animal was driven ahead by Kiela and the pups.

Kiela's tongue lolled out of her mouth and her eyes glazed. Her breathes came in deep pants as she ran flat out. The grey pup was the first to drop behind, and the red one was not soon after. In a few minutes it was only Kiela running with the caribou. She felt her self grow tired just as the low row of hills drew close. Please Sylnav let them be here. she preyed.

Suddenly, two black wolves burst out from their cover and bounded after the caribou. It snorted in panic and charged on. The heavy breathes steamed in the air. The two wilves flattened themselves, muscles contracting. Blue-eye charged in front of her mother as her speed increased. Kiela ran to the other side of the circle pattern that the hunters were driving the caribou in. Blue-eye was by far the fastest member of the pack.

The tawny leader and the white youngster broke from cover and took up the chase. Blue-eye and the black leader joined Kiela at the top of a ridge. The final pair, the brown female and the brindled male took up the chase as the leader and the youngster met the rest of the packs on the ridge. The leader pressed against Kiela and Blue-eye as if to say: "Good chase!" Blue-eye buried her muzzle in his tawny fur.

The black female whined and Kiela looked over. She was resting her muzzle on her paws and gazing towards where the chase was still happening. The hunters were falling behind! The brown and the brindled were heavier then the rest of the pack and less fleet footed. The animal was still being driven to the bottom of the ridge that they were on, but barely.

Both leaders howled out the attack command and the pack flowed down the hill. They fell upon the caribou, slashing at its belly and flanks. Kiela saw her chance. Blue-eye was pulling the muzzle of the caribou, which was leaving its vulnerable neck undefended. Kiela sprang and slashed at the great vein. The caribou's blood scrawled the sky with red. It went down with the wolves tearing at it.

***

When the meat from the caribou was divided Kiela and Blue-eye were called up before anyone else. Kiela went up to the carcass to claim her share of meat. As she passed her place the brown wolf growled at her, low and threatening. Kiela simply flicked her ear. She was in the favour of the leader now, and she knew it.

The tawny leader tore off the large muscle on the side of the beast and passed it to Kiela. It was a huge piece and she grinned when she saw it, lowering herself to show her respect. The piece of meat was so large that she was unable to lift it, but instead had to drag it along the ground with her head twisted uncomfortably. She didn't mind. She dragged her prize over to where Blue-eye was eating. Kiela settled down into her paws and began tearing chunks off. She watched as the brown grabbed her share and stalked away to a patch of bare ground. She snarled at the white youngster for no apparent reason and sullenly began chewing her meat.

Kiela took a break from her food for a moment and began grooming herself. She swiped her pink tongue along the bases of the claws on her forefeet, ridding them of the accumulated blood from the kill.

A warning growl sounded above her and she looked up to see the brown crouched over her meat. The brown snapped at her and Kiela recoiled as she normally did. The brown looked satisfied and turned to leave. As she did she paused, and sniffed the meat. What she didn't know was that Kiela had had enough of being bullied. She couldn't take it anymore. Kiela stood and snarled at the brown. The larger wolf whirled around and snapped back at her. She was unused to being ordered to leave and she didn't like it. Without warning she sprang at Kiela, trying bury her teeth into her throat. Kiela ducked at the last minute and the brown's fangs buried themselves harmlessly in her mane. Kiela turned her shoulder under the brown's and flipped her over. She backed off, snarling. The brown sprang in and delt a savage blow to Kiela's shoulder. Kiela howled and dropped to the ground. She rolled, knocking the brown's feet out from under her. Kiela knew that his was it. After this fight, life in the pack would never be the same. She let the aggression that she felt flow through her veins, giving her strength. The brown was bigger, but Kiela was faster. She slashed the brown's side with her fangs and sprang away while her opponent heaved herself to her feet. The brown came at her. Kiela tried to dodge but the brown clipped she shoulder. She went down and the brown held her down. Kiela writhed and tried in vain to throw her off, thrashing like mad. The brown cut and slashed at the fine fur on Kiela's belly. Blood poured out of the wound and Kiela howled. It burned like fire. She found her vision darkening as the blood drained out of her body. Blue-eye howled tried to spring forwards but Kiela snarled at her and she stayed back. She noticed that the rest of the pack had gathered around them and was watching with a keen and bloodthirsty interest. Her silver coat was turned nearly black with blood. She gave a mighty heave and threw the brown off of her. She faced the other wolf, fangs bared. Kiela knew that she needed the fight to end, and quickly or else she would pass out from lack of blood. She dove down and slashed at the brown's foreleg. The brown snarled and tried to spring at her. She made the mistake of putting weight off her i fired leg and she went down. Kiela dove ontop of her and held her down. She buried her fangs into the browns throat. The brown froze and stopped struggling. Kiela growled and the brown whined. Kiela shook her and the brown whined louder. Finally, Kiela stepped back and the brown got up. She crawled on her belly towards Kiela. Kiela glared down at her and snarled. The brown submitted.

The tawny leader howled and the pack swung out into its line. Kiela stalked up to the brown's place. The brown wolf went down and belly crawled to Kiela's old place in the line. Kiela's eyes shone as, belly wound forgotten, the line of wolves swung out onto the trail.

THIS CHAPTER IS UNDERGOING MAJOR EDITING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. P.S. THE WOLF SHOWN IS THE BRINDLED WOLF