Saroke of Misfit Mountain

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    The wolf bit harder onto her scruff and dragged her over to Moakier. Moakier straightened up and stared down at the she-wolf sobbing at her paws. "Silence." She growled through clenched teeth. "Before you attract unwanted attention."

    "Why do you even care? Why don't you just leave me with the gorge, walk away and forget I ever existed? All I have ever done in my life was ruin things. It'll only get worse." Saroke growled and struggled to her feet, taking a defensive stance and flattened her ears against her head.

    Moakier sniffed. "We do not allow suicide on our territory. Besides, we have a few questions." Moakier's gaze softened. "Saroke, let us help you." She crouched down so she was eye level with Saroke. "So chase those thoughts out of your mind."

    Embarrassed, she sat down and gazed at her injured paw. Her ears indicated that she was listening, for she didn't trust herself to speak.

    Before Moakier decided to speak, she flicked her ears and signaled for the other two wolves to leave and scan the surrounding area. Once they were gone, Moakier sat down. Her eyes were half narrowed, though not in malice. More as though in thought.
    "Saroke, we need to know everything you can tell us about these wolves who are hunting you. Who are they, why are they doing this? What do they want?"

    Saroke nearly choked on the bile that rose in her throat at this. I was returning from a patrol a few weeks ago, when they attacked. I watched my mom die, and my father was forced to the ground.he saw me and said " run" Saroke paused, gasping back tears. " I heard one say something about the location of an amulet. He told them he didn't know, so all the other wolves with him killed the rest of my clan as the leader drew his claw down my father's stomach. So I ran." Saroke almost sobbed, but then turned it into a cough.

    Moakier lifted her head and stared up at the sky. Her expression was blank, but her body was stiff. "They chase a legend." Was her only reply to Saroke's story. Her head whipped back to stare at the white she-wolf.
    "Come, we must head back to the shelter of the mountain."

    Saroke dragged herself stiffly to her feet. Stumbling on her injured paw, she slowly limped back the way she came. " I am not going to have you or anyone else hunt for me."

    One of Moakier's eyebrows raised at Saroke's comment before she simply shrugged and padded after her. Twitching her left ear, she signaled for the other two wolves to come. They had been hiding in the brush, keeping an eye out for trouble while remaining out of listening distance. And now they flanked Moakier as they headed back.

    The way back to camp was filled with little talk. Saroke nearly passed out of pain, but instead padded on. Finally, they made it back to camp, and the sight of it made her think again of the gorge.

    Moakier passed into the cave and felt her breath hitch in her throat as she saw the desolation that covered her home. The dead bodies were being carried off to the burial cave to be given final rights and prepared for their passage into the Sky Mother's embrace. Blood was still pooling in crevices in the floor but wolves passed to and fro with damp moss, attempting to clear the stone.
    Moakier didn't stop to look, though her step faltered, but she headed back to the meeting room and passed through the lichen. The two wolves at her side stayed at the entrance.

    Saroke hurried as fast as her injured paw would allow through the cave. She shuttered as she stepped in blood and her stomach churned.

    The wolves from before were gathered in the cave, blood still covered some of their pelts and one of the twin gray wolves was missing an ear. None of them, had escaped from the fight unharmed. And now they turned to stare at the two she-wolves as they entered. The cream colored wolf eyed the two before nodding once and Moakier padded over to stand next to him.

    Unsure of what to do, Saroke began to pad towards Moakier. She was sure that she saw at least one nasty look thrown at her from the crowd. She worried about them, particularly the one who was missing an ear. She ducked her head in shame.

    "Saroke,"Maokier said softly. "I did not have the time to do so before, but I now wish to introduce you to the council of our Tribe." Moakier looked to the two twin gray wolves with black markings. "These are our head warriors, Tannon Iron-Claw, and her brother Ronnan Ice-Tooth." The wolf missing an ear, nodded as Moakier spoke her name. The other wolf beside her only glowered with an unreadable look upon his stone colored face.
    "This is Fickin, our oldest Elder." A reddish brown male wolf smiled kindly at Saroke, blue tribal markings on his side gleamed in the dim light, a long scratch on one side sliced the rows of blue in half.
    "Our Healer, Mistik," A large black wolf with a white tail tip and tribal markings grunted his greeting, his amber eyes shone with a kindly, but dimmed, light.
    "This is Vir Quick-Paw, brother to Cist." A large brown wolf grinned lopsidedly at Saroke. He had the second most tribal markings to be seen, a dark night black. And though he had a long scratch down the side of his cheek leading onto his chest, he seemed to not be in pain.
    "And my mate, and Leader of our tribe, is Cist Blood-Howl." Moakier tilted her head to look up at the last wolf, a large cream colored male with black tribal markings all over his body. He was covered with the least scratches, though a bloody scratch had been sliced down his eye, and across his muzzle. He dipped his head regally to Saroke.
    "Let us begin," He rumbled in a deep voice.

    Saroke cleared her throat nervously. "If I may, begin what?" She smiled slightly, edging slightly closer to Moakier. Saroke glanced at the council once again and deemed Vir Quick-Paw and Fikin to be her favorites and mentally prepared herself for hostality from Ronan Ice-Tooth.

    "The Tribe is currently deciding on what to do with you." Cist said slowly as his eyes raked over the wolves assembled. "Though many of us do not think the attack had anything do with you, many of our numbers say you brought them here under pretense of needing help." He looked at Ronnan straight on. "Did I repeat your theory correctly?" He asked.
    "My point is," Ronnan growled. "Is that our cave is hidden and guarded well. She must have led them here, and if she did, then she needs to be killed!"
    "And if she didn't?" His sister, Tannon said calmly and quietly beside him.
    "She should at least be punished!"
    "For something she didn't mean to do?" Moakier snapped.
    "Why don't we listen to her side of the story first?" Vir said from where he sat by his brother, both wolves looking intimidating as they were both the largest in the room. And they now use that presence on the other wolves and they all drifted into a discontent silence as they turned to look at Saroke.

    Saroke took a deep breath and began. "I am from a tribe far from here, about seven days of travel. Around thirty days or so, I was on a patrol. I was on the western side of our territory, because the least happened there..." Saroke paused a moment and blushed. "My tribe often sent me there because there was nothing else they thought I was usefull for. They told me 'stay here until you find something reportable.' So I lived there for many a day at a time, never straying far from were I needed to be patrolling. My parents often came to see me while they were hunting, and we would talk and hunt a little." Saroke sighed deeply, a longing look rising to her eyes. "But then about two months ago, I was taking a short nap after patrolling for a fourteen hour shift, when an echoing scream jolted me awake. I dashed to camp, but since I had rarely been out of my area, I wrenched my paw on the way. When I did get to camp, all I saw was torn bodies littering the ground, only our strongest were still fighting. Pups heaved their last breaths as their parents died next to them. The attackers were all black, and their tribal markings were made of blood. Their leader stood on my father. Her demanded that we gave up an amulet, but my father refused. I ran forward to save him, and he said 'No Saroke! Run away!' The leader turned, grinning. 'So, you can sacrifice yourself, but what about this one?' He flicked his tail and two wolves were on me, snarling and bitting. Fighting as best as I could, I managed to throw them off, so I ran. Looking behind myself, I saw the leader roar in outrage. He growled something to my father, then he tore open his chest. I wandered many a day, when I came upon Moakier..." Saroke finished her story and looked around at the assembled wolves.

    "You can not fake an emotion as strong as that." Moakier whispered to the other wolves who sat in silence. Beside her, her mate Cist was murmuring quietly to Vir who was nodding slowly.
    "What is it?" Mistik snapped from across the room. The two brothers shared a quick look before Vir nodded once and Cist spoke.
    "These wolves are searching for the Amulet of Dastin." He said and the wolves stared at him in shock.
    "That is a fairytale mothers tell their pups!" Ronnan scoffed.
    "Is it?" His sister said softly. "If anything our elders have taught is, it is that the most unrealistic story is possibly the one that is most true." Tannon looked at Fickin. "Am I right?"

    Saroke wasn't sure what to do. She asked the group " what is this amulet that you speak of ?"