Chapter 1: Into the Unknown
"Never pick a fight with a man who has lost everything, for he has nothing more to lose."
"Willow Ironwood!"
The pup looked up with a bored, cynical expression. Her father, an alpha in the Yellowstone pack, did not seem as amused.
"Do you know what you did?"
"I know what I did, but I don't know what you're referring to. I've done a lot of things."
The older wolf buried his face in his paws.
"I'm trying to stay calm here. You caused a stampede. You ran an angry bear right into a herd of deer," Came his muffled voice.
Willow rolled her pine-green eyes.
"He was chasing me. There was nowhere else to go. What was I supposed to do?"
The alpha reached out with his hands as if to choke her, but stopped himself.
"You were 'supposed' to NOT POKE THE BEAR WITH A STICK WHILE IT WAS SLEEPING!"
"It was more of a branch really."
The adult pounced at the pup. Willow held her ground.
"What are you gonna do, banish me?" she teased.
"Yes," Said the alpha, his snout once more buried in his paws. Willow stumbled, the mocking grin wiped off her face.
"What?" she whispered weakly. Her father was prone to anger attacks, but he never let his mood affect his decisions. And he never lied.
"I… I'm sorry," he said, struggling to keep himself from crying. "I had no choice. The other alphas agree that it's the only course to take. I can't speak to you anymore!" the mighty wolf turned and limped away, sobbing.
Willow still stood there, stiff as a statue. The clouds began to break, and she shook herself as a drop of rain landed on her nose. With a sudden realisation, she saw that she was alone in the melting snow and petrified trees. Her shock turned to fear.
But there was also a spark of excitement in her heart…
Two years later, Willow still could not help but look back at that earth-shattering day. She was no longer a pup, her coat was no longer clean and well kept. It had grown long, frayed and wild. She was malnourished, but not overly so. And she was strong, despite being thin. Her eyes had acquired a ravenous glint over the years. Yellowstone was a tranquil place, but treat it the wrong way, and you would soon find that it had an unforgiving side. Drink the wrong water, breathe the wrong air, and you would soon find yourself sick. Not much of a problem when you're in a pack, but for someone like Willow, such a sickness could be deadly. It was a surprise then that she was still alive let alone doing well for herself, because Willow was not a cautious wolf. In fact, there wasn't much that scared her. It was a weakness disguised as a strength. It got her into trouble more often than she could remember.
On this day, she had just hunted successfully. A stag had fallen to her claws and fangs, and the drying gore that caked her neck complimented the crumbling mud that made her ankles and the tip of her tail brown. Her paws were clean only because she was trudging northward in the last few centimetres of melting snow. As she walked, she thought back on the day she was banished, and smiled. Fate had given her the hardest path a wolf can take, and she had made the best of it. She loved her life. It was more exciting than life in a pack, especially as she was supposed to be an omega, and had always preferred the thrill of the hunt. She glanced to the right and then looked again.
There, in the shadows by a bush, lurked a pair of red eyes, almost glowing in the darkness. The creature to which the eyes belonged began to growl, and Willow froze as recognition washed over her.
"I know that growl," she said with a hollow voice.
The sound ceased, and her father stepped out of the dark.
"And I know those eyes. Willow, you need to run."
"Run? Why sho-"
The older wolf advanced on the girl, quickly picking up speed. She turned on the frozen ground, and began to flee. She had a head start, but her father was faster. For several minutes they chased each other, ducking and weaving through pines and rocks.
"I'm sorry!" wheezed her father. He sprang at her, and she dodged, kicking a pebble at her assailant. Having once more gained a lead, she resumed her course. It seemed random, but she knew where she was going. She looked at the landscape around her to make sue she was still going the right way.
"Rocks of white… like stars in the night… must turn right…" she huffed as she saw the two snowy boulders. She slid in between them and let her hind legs drift to the left. Having completed her turn, she jumped over a stream and began sliding down a steep slope. On the way down, she picked up a fist-sized rock and held it in her mouth. At the base of the hill, she kept running, her father snapping at her tail. Suddenly, he tripped and she managed to gain some ground. She ran past a cave and as she did, she threw the rock inside with a thump. Doing so caused her to lose her footing, and she slid on her back to a stop three meters beyond the opening. She watched as her father advanced on her.
"Dad wait! I've got something important to tell you!" she shouted.
"What?" he asked through gritted teeth. Willow smirked.
"Never wake a sleeping bear, lest your head off he should tear."
The older wolf's pupils shrank, he tucked his tail between his legs and pressed his ears flat against his neck. A large, brown mass of fur, claws and teeth sprinted out of the cave and knocked him out of sight with a yammering yap. Willow scrambled to her feet, ran, and kept running until her legs gave out, leaving all the painful memories of her childhood behind her.
North and further north she trotted, until she was sure she would soon fall off the world and become a second moon.
North, ever north, until she pushed through the underbrush and suddenly found herself standing on a human road, by a little human watering hole. 'Eat Food Get Gas' the sign said. Hungry beyond measure, she decided to investigate.