Brother Tali had told me and Haven to stay in the den, but the look on his face told us something was wrong. waaay wrong. He'd departed in a hurry, and it only took a split second for Haven and I to exchange a quick glance before scrambling after him as fast as our awkward puppy legs could carry us. My heart thumped in my tiny chest and I was huffing and puffing by the time my sister and I had caught up to the russet-gold form of our older brother.

He was hunched across two figures, and as my big purple eyes focused upon the pair a sob started in the bottom of my throat. What I saw left my whole body shaking and tears springing to my eyes. Haven let out a sharp-pitched squeal and ran to my mommy and daddy's side. some of my older sisters and brothers were already there, and all of them seemed to be trying to huddle as close as possible to their parents.

My own two paws seemed to be frozen in place, my lip quivering as I stared hard at the bright crimson that stained my mother's beautiful fur. Her beautiful, silky fur that my sister and I had been curled up tight in just this very morning. There between her forepaws, where she'd bathed us and sang us lullabies last night to put us to sleep. And now look at her! My beautiful momma, her beautiful face and her beautiful coat was ruined by that crimson red filth.


Some part deep inside me reared with an emotion I did not yet fully comprehend. It was like anger but worse... like all my insides were on fire and screaming that I DO SOMETHING. That Somebody DO SOMETHING.

I look around at all the grown ups, they all had their heads bowed, they were all speaking in hushed tones, full or sorrow. But nobody seemed to be doing anything... anything but stare in horror.

"Do something!" I finally choked out in a pleading yip, my eyes burning holes into their faces. I looked at Niviaq, the wolf that had helped mommy after Haven and I were born. But her expression looked hopeless. I looked to Orca, to Taliesin, my eyes glaring, hell-bent on getting someone to stop this nightmare. "They can't...! They..."

And then I finally broke down. I squirmed defiantly between the bodies and crawled up onto my mother and fathers' forelegs beside my sisters Ceal and Orca and Haven. Tears streamed down my cheeks and I continued to glare at the others congregated. How could they simply sit back and do Nothing? WHO was going to pay for this travesty? Who was going to answer for all this sadness? This Love that has been lost and these lives that have just been broken?

Indigo eyes look to my older brother Tali, staring hard at his green gaze. He would do something right? He wouldn't just let some stranger come in here and do this to my beautiful mommy and strong daddy and just let them get away with it... right??