Slade's POV:

Winter, 2000:

The sounds of black crows can be heard for miles. Their caw can chill anyone to the bone. They are a symbol of death. If you hear the caw, then your death is near. They are the scavengers of the sky, as the wolf is the hunter of the earth. Both are deadly and can easily kill without a second thought. Though the howl is beautiful, the wolf…is not.

"Rise and shine, morons!"

It was official; I was surrounded by idiots. The sun was coming up over the horizon, its shine gazing across the unmelting white snow of the hill. The warmth flooded into the cave in which four other wolves and I were awakening. My Second in Command, Blood Rain, got up and headed out of the cave first. My first-hand subordinate, Rocco, was trying to get the other wolves up so that I didn't have to. I needed a few more minutes of reprieve before I started my busy day.

"Man, it felt like I slept on a rock all night long," a four-year-old black wolf named Jay said, his Hispanic voice quiet.

Rocco growled at him.

"Stop complaining, Jay," he said. "You know how much Slade hates complainers."

I guess you could say Rocco was like my personal alarm clock. The second my name falls from his muzzle, I have to open my eyes, stretch, and wake up.

"Man, Slade can, bite the dust for all I care," Jay said, annoyed. I stretched one back leg and then the other. "Just because he was a great fighter back in the day, doesn't mean he's the boss."

I, then, stretched one front leg and then the other before letting out a huge yawn, my fangs flashing in the steadily growing sunlight.

"Shut the fuck up, Jay," Buster, a burly brown wolf of five, said angrily. Then, the damn fleas come. I sat down, tilted my head back at an odd angle, and lifted my leg to scratch right below my ear. "Slade will rip you to shreds if he heard you talking shit like that."

I flexed my paws before shaking myself to fully awaken.

"What's that old timer going to do; tear my throat out?" Jay asked. I sigh. Obviously no one has seen me or they would be telling Jay to be quiet by now. Oh well. At least my kill will be fast and painless. "He's blind in one eye and he's still asleep. He's nothing but a lazy son of a-"

I have had just about enough of this insulting. With a quick turn and a lunge, Jay is gone, blood spraying everywhere.

Blood dripped of the ends of my muzzle as I stared at Jay's lifeless body. Everyone is quiet for a second or two.

"Heh, adios, Jay," Rocco said with a chuckle.

I jerked my head to crack it before growling at the rest of my small pack.

"Anyone else have any complaints?"

Rocco started laughing like a maniac.

"Nope, you're the Alpha, Slade," Buster said. "Jay was the worst thing that happened to this damn pack."

Blood Rain walked past me and Jay's body to join the other two. His forest green eyes stared calmly at me.

"Don't worry Slade; we're like brothers, you and I," he said. "I could hear him all the way outside. If he didn't shut up soon, I would have done it myself."

The sound of crunching snow quickly reached my ears from behind. I ignored the two-year-old red wolf behind me.

"Wh-What happened here?"

I slowly turned my gaze over my shoulder. The youngest in my pack was staring at the scene before him with wide, scared eyes. Our usual, meager breakfast lay before him. Rocco chuckled.

"Well look who it is," he said. "Robin; the wolf slave." I continued to stare at the boy. "Jay has passed on and he's never coming back."

Turning, I approached Robin.

"Quiet, Rocco."

Robin didn't look like he could move. His body was shaking uncontrollably.

"Y-You k-killed him?" he asked me, frightened.

Even though I was right in front of him, Robin didn't back away.

"He would have lived if he didn't say those terrible things about me," I told him casually. "Don't worry about it too much, Robin. I won't waste my time on you. Remember, I still need you."

"Yeah wolf slave," Rocco said. "Slade owns you and there's nothing you can do about that."

I looked at Rocco over my shoulder, glaring with my left eye.

"I said be quiet, Rocco," I said menacingly. Returning my gaze on Robin, I spoke to him calmly. "Robin, I suggest you go get some fresh air and stay away from here for a short while. Can you do that for me?"

Robin glanced at Jay briefly. He knew what was coming. Looking back at me, he nodded nervously.

"Yes, sir."

"Good boy."

Turning around, Robin left. The loud sound of a cawing crow rang through the air. I waited until he was out of sight.

Robin's POV:

I walked as far from the cave as possible. Reaching the stream, I sat down and sighed. I looked at my reflection and observed my scars for the umpteenth time. Living here was always hard for me. I downright hated the life I was given. I wanted to leave, but I couldn't. I was bound here by an oath of blood and was always watched. A sound suddenly caught my ears. Looking back up towards the cave, I saw Blood Rain staring down at me. He looked behind him before walking down the hill towards me. I turned back to the stream, staring across it.

Beyond the stream was a lush green forest filled with nothing but trees. Since living on this hill, I haven't been past the stream. I hated not knowing what lay beyond the home I have always known.

"Are you scared Robin?"

Looking to my left, I met Blood Rain. He sat down next to me. I shook my head.

"Not really," I said. "But…what did Jay do that got him killed? Is it because he was always nice to me?"

Blood Rain let out a heavy sigh.

"Listen to m, Robin," he said. "You know how angry Slade gets when someone's saying bad things about him. I was about to kill Jay myself if Slade hadn't stepped in."

I hated hearing Blood Rain talk about killing others so easily like he just did. A whine escaped my throat.

"I'm scared of Slade," I blurted out of nowhere. "I don't want to be here. I want to meet other wolves that care about me for who I am, not what I can do. You all know how much I hate killing other wolves. He always expects me, all of us, to fight and kill them. I know he took me in a few weeks after my parents died, but if I make a mistake, he hurts me. How can you stay here and watch it happen?"

Blood Rain sighed heavily again. I could see the sadness in his eyes.

"Because I'm used to it, Robin," he said. "Besides, if you don't make mistakes, you won't get hurt."

I growled slightly.

"But my parents always told me that mistakes are to learn from. It takes practice to do what Slade teaches me."

A small smile graced my friend's muzzle.

"That may be true," he said, "but Slade doesn't believe in mistakes."

"Well he should believe in them," I said angrily. "For my sake at least."

Blood Rain chuckled.

"Let me tell you something that I know about Slade," he said. "Several years ago, before you were even born, he made a mistake that led him not to make mistakes. He lost his eye in battle because he wasn't careful enough. We lost most of the pack because of his one mistake and it almost killed him. But Slade survived and what was left of the pack defeated the wolves that we were trying to kill. Slade doesn't want to believe in mistakes because he doesn't make any." Blood Rain looked at me. "I know it's hard, you being so young and all, but it's the only way to make you stronger."

The old wolf looked back across the stream. I stared at him in silence for a few moments before looking down at the water.

"Is Slade afraid of anything?" I asked. "Is he afraid of losing someone?"

I felt Blood Rain's gaze on me.

"He's lost many things out there Robin," he said. I looked at him. "The fight where he lost his eye is when his family died."

I tilted my head slightly to the side.

"So, am I replacing his family?" I asked. "Is that why he took me in?"

Blood Rain looked at me.

"He won't admit it to the others, but since I'm like his brother, he tells me everything that goes on. He actually felt sorry for you. He lost his family, you lost yours. You're like a son to Slade. That's why he took you in."

I shook my head, my ears flopping around a bit.

"I didn't know that," I said. I looked back at the forest. "But he'll never replace my father. No one can replace the ones you love or used to love. I'm nobody's property and no one, not even Slade, can have me." I smiled, feeling a bit foolish. "I'm not something you can own. I'm a living creature, not an object. And I want friends; real ones. I mean, you're like a friend to me Blood Rain, but the others, like Rocco, they're always mean to me. Just because I do all the hunting doesn't make me a slave. Rocco pins the blame on me a lot. He should be the one getting punished, not me."

The wind blew through my fur. My nose twitched at each scent that passed by. Blood Rain was silent for a bit.

"Let's go back Robin," he said eventually. I looked at him. "Jay has been taken care of."

Standing up, the old wolf turned and headed back towards the hill.

"Blood Rain?"

He stopped and looked over his shoulder at me.

"What is it, Robin?"

"I-I'm scared," I said. "The cave will smell too much like death. My nose can't stand that scent."

After observing me briefly, Blood Rain smiled.

"We'll walk to the cave slowly," he said. "The wind will get rid of the scent by the time we get back."

I hesitated before getting up and following Blood Rain back to the cave. What he said was true; the horrid scent was gone. The small kill I had caught was already almost gone. Everyone but Blood Rain and I had food in front of us. I stood close by him.

"What took you so long, Blood Rain?" Rocco asked, looking up from his bloody leg bone. "Was wolf slave afraid to come back to the cave?"

My ears folded back at the hint of teasing in Rocco's voice. Blood Rain growled lowly at him, much to my relief. There were two major rules in this pack; no one angers Slade or his Second in Command.

"Silence, Rocco," Blood Rain said. I smiled up at him, knowing that he was backing me up. "And why don't you try calling Robin by his name instead of calling him a slave. It would save everyone the trouble."

Rocco snorted.

"That's the only thing he's good for Blood Rain," he said, as though I wasn't there. "He does whatever any of us tells him to do. And if he doesn't listen, he gets hurt." He finally acknowledged me. "Isn't that right, wolf slave?"

I didn't answer. When he didn't get his way when it came to me, he always made a move to attack. But Slade's voice cut in from the very back of the small cave.

"Robin, come here."

With a nudge from Blood Rain, I approached Slade, who was standing in front of two meat piles. Getting on my belly in the form of submission, I carefully crawled towards him a bit. My stomach growled.

"Yes, sir?" I asked, like the obedient boy I was.

Slade stared down at me.

"I hope you are up for a mission," he said. "We have a slight problem deep in the woods and I want you to take care of it." My ears perked up at the thought of going farther out into unknown world I lived in. "But so you don't get any ideas to run away-"

This was bad…

'Please not Rocco. Please not Rocco.'

"-I will be going with you."

I mentally sighed in relief. My ears picked up a sound.

"I'll take wolf slave myself, Slade," Rocco said menacingly from behind me. My body froze. "I'll make sure he doesn't run away."

Without thinking, I jumped to my paws and gave Slade a pleading look.

"No, please! I won't run away; I swear! Don't let him take me!"

My eyes widened. I quickly ducked to dodge Slade's paw coming over my head. I heard him smack Rocco across the face. I was back on my stomach, my paws over my head. Rocco howled in pain. My body shook. His growl reached my ears.

"Look what you made Slade do, brat!" Rocco howled. "Your hide is mine!"

Jumping up faster than a spider, I ran behind Slade in fright. Looking over, I saw him jump Rocco, pinning him to the ground. Baring his fangs, Slade growled at him.

"I-I'm sorry!" I shouted. "I'm sorry!"

Surprisingly, Rocco managed to get Slade off him.

"You better be sorry you little shit!" he shouted at me, his own fangs bared. "When I get my paws on you-!"

I quickly cowered against the cave wall when Slade attacked Rocco. They began to fight viciously. Buster and Blood Rain had t quickly move out of the way. Slade, like always, won in the end. Rocco growled angrily at him, blood dripping down over his right eye. I whimpered.

"Maybe I should just kill you right here and now," Slade said angrily. "If you want to live, I suggest you apologize to my Robin."

Rocco slowly ended his growling. He snorted after calming down.

"Sorry Robin," he sneered. "It won't happen again."

I was almost on the verge of tears. Tears fell from my eyes. Rocco turned around and walked out of the cave. I felt so helpless with him. For some reason, Slade still wouldn't get rid of him. He slowly looked over his shoulder at me. I braced myself in case he attacked. Slade didn't like it when I cried, one of the many things I could get punished for.

"Stop crying Robin," he said calmly. "You're too strong to cry."

The tears quickly stopped flowing as I willed them away. Slade walked up to me. He stared down at me with slightly narrowed eyes. I shrunk myself downward at his captivating gaze.

"I-I'm sorry, s-sir," I said. "I-I was just-"

Slade growled lightly in his throat. He blinked.

"I know you were scared, but you need to face your fears," he said. "As long as I'm here, no one but me will ever mess with you. Are we clear?"

I was about to reply, but Blood Rain interrupted.

"Slade, why don't I take care of the problem? Robin is the only one who hasn't eaten breakfast yet. He did catch the meal for us. He deserves fresh blood after his successful kill."

Slade continued to stare at me as he said, "Take care of it."

Nodding, Blood Rain turned and left. I watched the old wolf go. Buster stood up and stared after him.

"Are you sure Blood Rain can handle it?" he asked. He looked at Slade and me. "You know how old he's getting. What if the problem is too big for him? What if he gets killed?"

My ears folded back. Blood Rain was very old compared to Slade.

"Blood Rain may be old, but he's almost as strong as me," he said, looking over his shoulder at Buster. "He can take care of himself."

Buster nodded before returning to his breakfast. My stomach growled again.

"Slade, sir?"

Looking back at me, Slade asked, "Yes, Robin?"

I gave him pleading eyes.

"Can I eat now?"

His eyes narrowed slightly. I cowered back again.

"The correct way to say it is, 'may I eat now'."

After giving him a quick apology, I asked, "May I eat breakfast now? Please?"

My ears folded back when he didn't respond right away. His face quickly softened up.

"Yes, you may," he finally said.

Looking over at the raw, bloody meat, Slade slowly approached it. I followed. Halfway there, after he lied down, I got back on my stomach and slowly crawled towards him. When he didn't growl, I carefully stood up and reached my pile of food. It was smaller than everyone else's, but as long as there was food there, I couldn't complain. Lying back down, I sank my fangs into the warm meat. Holding a chunk down with my paws, I started to eat in silence. The warm blood soon quelled my hunger.

After every bit of meat was gone, I licked my jowls and then yawned.

Looking up at Slade, I asked, "May I take my bone outside, please, sir?"

He soon finished his own breakfast.

"Yes, you may," he said. "Just remember not to go past the stream."

Nodding, I said, "Yes sir. I'll stay by the stream. Thank you."

Picking up my leg bone, I got up and walked out of the cave. I went to the stream and lied down behind the calm water. Holding my bone with my paws, I started to gnaw on it.

"Howlllllllllllllllll!"

My head quickly shot up after hearing the unfamiliar howl. My ears perked up. It was definitely another wolf howling. It sounded female. Standing up, I sniffed the air. There were actually two of them, one male, one female. They smelled friendly. They were trying to talk to me, it seemed.

"Don't even think about answering them."

My body tensed up and froze. Slowly looking over my shoulder cautiously, I was generally relieved to find that it wasn't Rocco, but Buster. He was almost as strong and mean as Rocco, but he was more lenient towards me.

"I wasn't going to," I said. "I was just listening to them talk."

Buster came up beside me. I looked at him.

"Do you know what they're saying?" he asked.

Looking over towards the forest, I replied, "Just bits and pieces. I can't make all of it out though."

There was a short pause.

"They're trying to see if you're doing okay," Buster said. "They must have picked up the scent of Slade and Rocco's fight."

I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye.

"Is Rocco still mad?" I asked. "I know he didn't mean what he said. He's never sorry when it's addressed to me."

Buster sighed, his shoulder slumping.

"He'll find a way to get you right under Slade's nose soon enough," he said. "But, for now, you're safe. And for Slade, that's all that matters."

We were silent for a while. A low growl came out of Buster's throat. I ventured a question.

"Could you do me a favor? When Blood Rain comes back, will you tell him know that I want to talk to him?"

Buster glanced over at me.

"This is the only favor I'm going to give you," he said calmly. "As long as you don't talk back to those two wolves, then it's fine."

I nodded.

"Slade would punish me if I did. I've had enough pain to last me a week. Thank you."

Buster snorted in recognition.

"Just don't get into any trouble."

Standing up, Buster turned around and headed back up the hill. Looking back towards the forest after he was out of sight, I sensed that the two wolves were gone. Sighing, I lied back down and continued to chew on my bone.