This book is co-written by Tanner Grout.

Ashes of the Breeze

Chapter 1: The Secluded Sanctuary

September 22nd, 2012

The Valley of Jasper Park sits safe and tucked away, partially hidden from the harshness of the brutal elements and cold. You'd be a pretty lucky wolf to be born and grow up within the packs of Jasper, but not all wolves can count themselves so fortunate. In the lands south of the Valley there existed miles upon miles of land foreign to the inhabitants of Jasper known as Banff. It was a place of mystery, a place of danger, and a home for a small pack hidden away in their own corner of the world. This pack was known by a few, and the number of those that had actually met a member was fewer still. They were considered nothing more than shadows coming to life or simply the wind. They never leave a scent, and they never leave a trail.

They were a tracker's worst nightmare and even the best lookouts were never able to catch more than a blur, leaving those that manage a glimpse wondering if they actually saw something or if it was nothing more than a trick of the light. In these woods, this pack was considered the Rogue's boogieman. When wolves would disappear or kills go missing, it would be blamed on "the Breeze" as the name of this pack was the only thing anyone knew about them. They were the "Pack of the Breeze." They often terrified the Rogues so thoroughly that, for a time, there wasn't a single member that would dare to say something was "just the breeze," thinking that uttering the phrase was akin to taunting the Grim Reaper.

There were those among the Rogues that thought of the Breeze pack as nothing more than superstition and pranks by bored wolves, but others believed the Breeze was real, that they were both a major threat and the ultimate way to gain favor with King to become the next leader of the Rogues. To capture the wind and present its head to King would undoubtedly earn you honor and glory like nothing else, but to capture the wind, you must first find it.

And finding the Breeze was no easy task either. Unbeknownst to the Rogues, deep in the woods, there existed a secluded forest hidden away, surrounded entirely by sheer cliffs that were impossible to climb and a secret cave entrance leading into this hideout. From the outside, it looked like nothing more than an odd plateau, but for the Pack of the Breeze, it was a sanctuary from the frigid outside world, with their walls protecting them from both detection and the blistering cold. This was the corner that the Breeze called home, also known as the Sky's Sanctuary, and where a wise leader named Cloud was currently training the wolves that would one day be the protectors of this precious safe haven.

He was a pure white wolf that did not hold a single spot of color. It was said that, after he was born, the previous leader remarked on how light and soft his pup was and how everything about his pup made him think of a cloud, hence the name. But while he was often kind and gentle like a cloud, don't let that calm demeanor fool you. He can bring on a storm of blood when it's needed.

"Alright, cadets, it's time for training. Into formation," Cloud spoke gently. The cadets fell into their ranks without a moment's hesitation. "Today is your final training session before you graduate and become full members of the pack, and as such, we'll be testing your stealth skills to their fullest with our usual routine of Hide & Seek." Many of the pups let out a sigh of relief. Hide & Seek was a drill they ran night and day, so most of the Betas were confident they would succeed. "However I can't let the final test be too easy for you all, so instead of your normal instructors, you'll be going against my second and third-in-command, they'll be the ones to decide if your stealth skills are up to par."

It was at this point that the cadets began worrying again as they thought about how the notorious commanders were going to be the ones giving the exam. They were considered the best Alphas in the pack aside from Cloud, but they weren't easy to get along with. The third-in-command by the name of Chad approached first, a red wolf with a couple of black stripes along his side.

"The boss says he wants us testing you guys personally to help pick out the cream of the crop, and what the boss says goes."

The cadets immediately looked around, confused. The two commanders of Cloud were inseparable so if Chad was here, then the second-in-command had to be close by, but they couldn't spot him anywhere. Suddenly, the cadets heard from behind them:

"That's right!" startling them as the second-in-command appeared out of nowhere. This commander went by the name of Cody and was totally brown except for some light gray on the tip of his tail. He snickered at the panicking young'uns and seemed to get a kick out of his little prank.

After giggling to himself for a moment and enjoying the cadets' peeved faces, he continued. "Our leader's own children are within this class as you know, so he wants to make sure that the next generation is in good paws. Basically, the royal kids over there is the reason you wolves are stuck with us. Bad luck for you guys I guess." The other cadets then began to glare at Cloud's litter who really weren't fans of Cody at the moment.

Among the three royal cadets stood a mountain of a wolf known as Thunder with brown fur, the same color as the nearby trees. He was often confused for one of the trees whenever he didn't move, and he was Cloud's oldest son. The next sibling was the only girl in the trio by the name of Drizzle. She was a pure black wolf and was a stealth prodigy, often referred to as a living shadow. Lastly was Cloud's youngest son known as Zephyr, he was the smallest of all the cadets but also the most nimble, able to climb trees with ease and maintain his balance anywhere, letting him hide in spots other wolves would never think to look.

This test was a major deal for these cadets. In fact, it determined your whole future, and yet Cody had just turned their whole class against the trio which was only going to make things that much harder. In this pack, there were no Alpha or Omega schools, and the two ranks were not given based on personality. Instead, there was only a Ranking School. It was so intensive that it required extra months for everything to be learned. Unlike most schools which lasted from the first day of winter to the first day of spring. The Ranking School lasted from the first day of winter to the first day of autumn in the following year.

How you do on this final exam determined if you would become an Alpha or an Omega. If your stealth skills were good enough, you attain the rank of Alpha—if not, you were relegated to Omega. And now the cadets had to deal with the commanders who were notorious for antagonizing other wolves. They could even fail every single cadet on a whim if they so choose.