Victorious

[Ruedi]

The three victorious wolves had defeated the evil demon whom had still stood at her resting place. Ruedi couldn't help but smile, and wag his tail furiously as he ran back to the cave to tell Riuk the good news. He dashed and dodged the trees and logs that stood in his way, as they all made it back. Soon they all had made it back, and Ruedi had entered the cave first to see Riuk's body lay rested on the cold cavern ground.

"Riuk!" he whispered in her ear as he rubbed his head against her forehead, "she's gone...it's all over, we did it!" Then he looked over his shoulder to see the little Ethiopian curled up in a ball, giving him cold and unhappy glares. He did just the same back to him. "And you..." Ruedi approached the small canine, "I will give you two choices. You may stay with us, join this pack if you promise to be good to us. Or, you can leave and never return..." His voice was cold and serious, he honestly wanted nothing to do with this little wolf like creature, but he'd have to live with it if Kaan had chose the first choice that he had given him.

[Kismet]

Without another word being said, Kaan ran from the cave quickly. In a matter of seconds, his red, fluffy tail disappeared around the curve of stone with nothing else but the soft tapping of his feet as he continued to run. Riuk blinked her eyes slowly, coming out of her stupor. However, upon hearing the good news, she brightened up considerably, smiling. "Thank goodness! I was so worried..."

Kurl padded up behind the two after he had watched Kaan leave the cave. He was silent for a moment before he spoke. "Ebony is gone just as the rest of my family...I have no reason to be here any longer." he said lowly, his yellow eyes flat. "Perhaps we will see each other again in the future, though I highly doubt the possibility..." he turned toward the mouth of the cave, staring out into the dark night. The darkness surrounded the trees like a blanket, seeping into every crack, the only points of light being the bright stars and moon above. It was full, a new moon, new like the day before them; the starting of a new era for the Ardalyn wolves.

Riuk looked form Ruedi to Kurl and back again. She then gave Kurl one nod. "Thank you Kurl, for everything you have done for us." He turns to her slightly, nodding in return.

"And hopefully, you will never need me again in the future."

[Crag]

"Ebony is gone just as the rest of my family...I have no reason to be here any longer." Black-fang nodded, "Thank you Kurl. It must have been hard to kill your own sister, but in doing so you helped save many lives." He watched Kurl go, sadly. It was strange, he had expected to have to fight Kurl, but he helped them. He shook his head slowly. "Good, bye Kurl. Good wandering. May joy be abundant, and food plentiful." he said in goodbye. "And, I feel that we may meat again, just maybe."

[Ruedi]

The males brown ears flattened against his head as it sank down, his pale blue eyes watching as Kurl had said is final words in good bye. "Where will you go?" Ruedi had asked the black wolf whose figure had seemed to shaded away as he silently walked out the mouth of the cave. He was hoping that Kurl would've stayed...They could have all been one family, a pack. But it was Kurl's decision, and he wasn't going to stop him. Thank you Kurl, for everything you had done for us, Riuk had said, and Ruedi nodded, as a gesture of saying the same thing. After the black shadow had left, Ruedi laid by Riuk's side, exhausted; another long day, and their worries were over...for now.

As the darkness had set in, the October leaves had blown in with the wind that had been brushed off by the fall winds. Slowly, a tall wolf like figure had silently walked in, her head tall, her ears forward, and her tail at a normal stature. Orchid had finally made her way into the Ardalyn pack lands, and had come across the Amethyst pack first. "Greetings fellow canines," the she-wolf had cooed. as she remained standing, studying the small wolves that stood at her feet. She had realized that there were few wolves in this area. Not much of a pack, she had thought to herself.

[Riuk]

Riuk finally let herself relax. She sighed loudly as Ruedi laid next to her. She let her head rub against his, relief flooded through her after the initial happiness. She had been worried that Ruedi would have fallen in combat. Her worries were not needed.

"Greetings fellow canines," came an unknown voice. Riuk tensed up again, turning quickly to the voice that had spoken. It was a female, that she could tell, but she was so much different than herself. Her legs were long and lanky, her fur was almost a bright red, and a fluffy mane tumbled around her throat. Riuk blinked in confusion. She knew that this female was a wolf, though she had never seen one like her before.

"Oh, h-hello." she said. She didn't feel threatened by this wolf. She had a calm aura about her.

[Orchid]

---

The maned wolf approached a bit more from the mouth of the cave looking down to all of them. She had heard one wolf reply back to her greeting and nodded. "I have been observing you wolves, and these pack lands from afar. I see that you have finally destroyed the evil that I had heard so much about in the other areas of these vast lands. But I am afraid that this isn't the end of your troubles." The tall females face remained serious, her brown eyes dead on.

This wasn't good. It had sent chills down Ruedi's spine, his heart had skipped a beat. "[Wh-what do you mean it isn't over?" a small muttered growl was heard from his throat. All that had come from Orchid was a shaking of her head. "There is much more trouble in the near future...I have already ran into it. There is a force, something much more evil than what you have experienced the past few months or years." Orchid frowned, her ears slightly flattening against her head. Then her brows had crossened, an angry like look on her face. her fangs just barely exiting the tips of her lips.

"The Otherlanders..."

[Kismet]

END