Things were changing. News spread fast amongst the wolves of Moladion and this was perhaps the biggest news of all. For the first time since the founding of the new world, the angels had ruled over Diveen. But recently it had been taken but another and only just now was word reaching Halcyon that the young prince had claimed the throne again. But things were never going to be the same with the pack. The young traveler thanked the old she-wolf for the knowledge and placed the mole at her paws. She gobbled it up and gave a final nod. The pup turned and left her territory with his mind pondering about this new bit of information. Things were, indeed, changing but not just with the world.

Halcyon was growing. A few months living in Diveen with Ame and his family had allowed the weak and fragile pup to recover. His muscles grew thick and sturdy, his paws swift and sharp. Hunting was still hard, but he was getting the hang of it. It was becoming easier to hunt small animals like the mole he had just given away. But winter was around the corner and the russet wolf poured the uncertainty of his future on to his already full plate of things he thought about. A cold breeze pulled at the leaves still attached to the branches, making Hal gaze up at the sky. The sun was starting to set and the pup knew he needed to be on his way back to his home.

Stars lit the rest of the way home and by the time Hal reached his little den it was pretty cold and very dark. He squeezed into the small opening (did he have to squeeze a month ago?) and curled into the back so the wind couldn’t reach him. A yawned escaped his mouth which started a chain reaction that would make this night very interesting. It always happened when you were finally comfortable. Hal was thirsty. With a grumble, the wolf moved slowly from the den to a nearby pool of water, reflecting the thousands of stars in the sky. He lapped at the crisp surface and winced as it stung his empty belly. Then he heard it. It was a yelp, a scream for help. Just like his father before him, there was no hesitation. He bolted into action and hoped he wouldn’t be too late.