Chapter One
So Much In A Name
R'Lorn chased the full-grown buck through the woods. It normally won't take so long to corner and bring down such a small and slow creature, but he was a Warg with a lot on his mind. His mate D'Cor had only a few hours ago gave birth to there forth litter of pups and she needed food if she was to provide nourishment for the newborns.
Although this was a matter of great importance, there was something else gnawing at his mind. One of the pups was black. He was not one to be superstitious, but there had never been a black Warg in any place but in legends that were written to frighten young pups. Tales of massive death and destruction that will occur when such a creature would be born, and greater still would be perpetrated by the demon.
The pup's appearance had brought much dismay to D'Cor when she first laid her eyes upon it. However, to R'Lorn the pup seemed to have a soothing glow about it. A sort of calm, peaceful, inner beauty, if you will, that shone quite brightly in his eyes. Not a fire of bloodlust or madness as legend may tell you, but a gentle reassuring one. As though he could read your thoughts through your eyes from the moment of birth. There was a sense that you could keep nothing from this pup, and that he understood everything you said. That was the only thing R'Lorn could find disturbing about the newborn. And they still hadn't named him yet. D'Cor had named all but this one. He had told her that he would name this one, mainly because she had suggested that they name him Z'Fron (meaning Carrier of Destruction) or Q'Berc (meaning Black Death). Names such as these did not suit this peaceful young soul. Finally, as he brought down the small buck, he decided on a name more suiting to him one that reflected his soothing nature G'Mork (meaning Child of Joy). "Yes," he thought, "that will be his name."
R'Lorn returned to the den with his small kill and placed it down beside D'Cor. He then noticed that the black one (which he had decided to call G'Mork, but he hadn't told his mate yet) was a runt. He also observed that not only was he not eating with the rest of them, but had already been injured by one of the others in a scuffle over a place by their mother.
D'Cor frowned when she noticed R'Lorn eyes drift to the lone pup. "Why does he care so much for cursed black runt?" she wondered to herself. She decided it best to keep his thought to herself; it was also best not to let him know that she had swatted the pathetic creature to keep it from feeding. Served IT right. It was better to let IT starve to death now while IT is helpless. She knew deep in her heart that IT would cause the destruction of not only her family and clan, but someway somehow IT would destroy their world, as she knew it.
R'Lorn picked the up the pup and set it down beside D'Cor. He immediately began to feed. R'Lorn, seeing the look on his mate's face, decided that it was best not to ask R'Lorn broke the silence, "We will call him G'Mork." He said with enough finality to ensure that D'Cor would not object. She scowled at the thought of referring to IT as anything associated with joy. Unless of course if it was Taker or Destroyer of Joy.
It was the first time that they had had an actual disagreement over something as controversial as the name of a pup. They had had three litters with out a problem. They could usually talk through any argument, but this was the first time they had been so bitterly separated on a serious issue. She knew that R'Lorn would be the first victim of the little terror. He was already under its control. R'Lorn didn't know it yet, but the pup was evil. One day, hopefully before it was too late, he would realize it.
G'Mork looked up at his parents. He didn't know how he had gotten where he was now. He didn't think it was an improvement over the warm place he had been for as long as he remembered. All he knew for certain was that he was smaller than everyone else; the one that had milk didn't like him at all and probably never would; the biggest one really seemed to like him: and the ones closer to his size had no idea what was going on.
He found a place by his mother and began to feed until he was full.
So Much In A Name
R'Lorn chased the full-grown buck through the woods. It normally won't take so long to corner and bring down such a small and slow creature, but he was a Warg with a lot on his mind. His mate D'Cor had only a few hours ago gave birth to there forth litter of pups and she needed food if she was to provide nourishment for the newborns.
Although this was a matter of great importance, there was something else gnawing at his mind. One of the pups was black. He was not one to be superstitious, but there had never been a black Warg in any place but in legends that were written to frighten young pups. Tales of massive death and destruction that will occur when such a creature would be born, and greater still would be perpetrated by the demon.
The pup's appearance had brought much dismay to D'Cor when she first laid her eyes upon it. However, to R'Lorn the pup seemed to have a soothing glow about it. A sort of calm, peaceful, inner beauty, if you will, that shone quite brightly in his eyes. Not a fire of bloodlust or madness as legend may tell you, but a gentle reassuring one. As though he could read your thoughts through your eyes from the moment of birth. There was a sense that you could keep nothing from this pup, and that he understood everything you said. That was the only thing R'Lorn could find disturbing about the newborn. And they still hadn't named him yet. D'Cor had named all but this one. He had told her that he would name this one, mainly because she had suggested that they name him Z'Fron (meaning Carrier of Destruction) or Q'Berc (meaning Black Death). Names such as these did not suit this peaceful young soul. Finally, as he brought down the small buck, he decided on a name more suiting to him one that reflected his soothing nature G'Mork (meaning Child of Joy). "Yes," he thought, "that will be his name."
R'Lorn returned to the den with his small kill and placed it down beside D'Cor. He then noticed that the black one (which he had decided to call G'Mork, but he hadn't told his mate yet) was a runt. He also observed that not only was he not eating with the rest of them, but had already been injured by one of the others in a scuffle over a place by their mother.
D'Cor frowned when she noticed R'Lorn eyes drift to the lone pup. "Why does he care so much for cursed black runt?" she wondered to herself. She decided it best to keep his thought to herself; it was also best not to let him know that she had swatted the pathetic creature to keep it from feeding. Served IT right. It was better to let IT starve to death now while IT is helpless. She knew deep in her heart that IT would cause the destruction of not only her family and clan, but someway somehow IT would destroy their world, as she knew it.
R'Lorn picked the up the pup and set it down beside D'Cor. He immediately began to feed. R'Lorn, seeing the look on his mate's face, decided that it was best not to ask R'Lorn broke the silence, "We will call him G'Mork." He said with enough finality to ensure that D'Cor would not object. She scowled at the thought of referring to IT as anything associated with joy. Unless of course if it was Taker or Destroyer of Joy.
It was the first time that they had had an actual disagreement over something as controversial as the name of a pup. They had had three litters with out a problem. They could usually talk through any argument, but this was the first time they had been so bitterly separated on a serious issue. She knew that R'Lorn would be the first victim of the little terror. He was already under its control. R'Lorn didn't know it yet, but the pup was evil. One day, hopefully before it was too late, he would realize it.
G'Mork looked up at his parents. He didn't know how he had gotten where he was now. He didn't think it was an improvement over the warm place he had been for as long as he remembered. All he knew for certain was that he was smaller than everyone else; the one that had milk didn't like him at all and probably never would; the biggest one really seemed to like him: and the ones closer to his size had no idea what was going on.
He found a place by his mother and began to feed until he was full.