Red Snow |Open|

Cannibals.

That was what the lot of them had become. The amount of prey within their valley had dwindled down to nearly nothing with the help of humans chasing their food source to other lands. A wolf was lucky to get scraps and bones and that was on a good day... Each morning, he along with a few other males would push beyond the territory borders in hopes of finding even a few measly rabbits and run the risk of ambush from the rivaling pack. All was worth it to feed the weak and young of the pack, risks that they were willing to take in order to survive that harsh and unforgiving winter. Never had such a cruel season rest upon their land in well over a decade, and it couldn't have struck at a worse time. The first patrol had returned a few hours before Blitz's unit, within those precious few hours all hell broke loose within the superiors who shared different opinions on what the pack should do. Most suggested moving to a new territory in hopes of more bountiful prey. Others argued to stay as the territory had been home to the pack for dozens of generations and they were not about to abandon it.

Brother turned on brother.

When he and his splinter group returned, there was only havoc, blood was painted across the camp, bodies and limbs strewn about. Everyone had just.... Snapped. He watched as his comrades, his friends, his loved ones, were ripped apart and devoured while they were still alive. All it took was the taste of blood on their tongue and some sick, cannibalistic monster came out in the wolves that had once been his packmates. It was a sight that dwelled in nightmares, that plagued the darkness of one's thoughts, and all he could do was stand there in the blistering cold and watch paralyzed with shock and confusion. Those savages dragged his mate out of their den and pinned her down while one tore her right open to rip out their unborn young while she watched. The wolf holding her by the throat promptly ended her life as the others continued to feast upon her corpse.

A large brute had taken him by surprise and tackled him down into the snow snarling and snapping his jaws as Blitz struggled underneath him. Blood dripped down on the black furred male's face from his attacker; his own brother, whom no longer was the same wolf that he once knew. This male had a crazed and rabid look in his pale yellow eyes that wanted to see nothing more than death and blood, he too had turned into a cannibal like the rest of them had. The two struggled in the snow exchanging fangs into flesh and spilling each other's blood upon the white blanket that coated the ground around them. Blitz knew that there was no way he was going to bring back the male that he had grown up with, his brother had become lost inside the savage that was now pinned beneath him."Im sorry, Denali..." His fangs buried deep into the other's neck, he tightened his jaws and held on as the wolf beneath him still fought for those last few precious moments before his body went limp and finally no movements came.

Weeks passed since that day...

With a limp, the brute slowly trekked farther through the dense snow having little feeling in his paws now. His wounds had not been tended to properly and began to open once more and bleed, the sickening stench of infection obvious if one was to come close enough. It had been two weeks? That sounded about right, two weeks since he abandoned his home lands in search of a safe haven, anywhere to be honest; he just needed to escape from those ravenous creatures that had taken over his pack. He understood very little even at this point, as to just what caused them to snap the way that they had. Lack of food, possibly. Primitive instinct, too. Blitz had gone over the possibilities a thousand times over in his head and still nothing made sense to him, all he knew was that those wolves were no longer themselves and no longer a pack that he wanted to be a part of. Just the thought of consuming his own brethren... He began to gag at that, though nothing but a dry heave would leave him as there was not a lick of food in him. Hunting had been difficult in his state and he had to resort to scavenging off of abandoned kills, most of the time which weren't as abandoned as he had thought. Blitz was truly starving at this point and didn't know how much longer he could continue walking; he was at the verge of giving up and allowing and endless sleep to take him away.

His leathery nose twitched furiously and he tilted his cranium back to take in the aroma that had passed him by, or rather, that he was nearing. The scent was recent and strong, a clear sign that a more dominant wolf had been by not all too long ago and that this was pack land. Border markers he knew well and even if it was tempting to push past he had to obey instinct that told him otherwise. His golden hues slowly swept over the land before him as he made a quick analysis of the situation, if there was a wolf out there close enough, they would smell him for sure. A life of solitude was no life for him; he craved companionship and unity. This was worth a shot. Blitz rested back on his sore haunches in the cold snow, ears flicking back in forth before he raised his muzzle to the grey sky and unleashed a loud and rumbling deep howl, a song that he hoped was heard. A chance was all that he was asking for, either to be accepted in or cast away. New life awaited him or a sure death.

(Word Count: 1016)

The dark brown male had been hunting all day, his skills proving worthy as he had a heap of prey by the time he was finished. He let himself think of the look on his Alphess' face as he would present to her the kills he made to sustain the lives of his pack members. He had eaten one himself, able to quench the hunger that sustained in him, and saved the rest for the wolves that made up Moonstone. Swiftly, he dug up a hole at the trunk of a bare tree, no longer colorful with leaves, but glistening with snow. Nudging the rodents, he watched as they fell into the insignificant 'crater'. Quietly, he pushed the dirt, covering them and trapping the warmth of the body heat. Looking up, he decided to check the borders and remark them, saving valuable time for his leader. Silently, he raced effortlessly, his paws barely touching the snow-covered ground. Suddenly, a smell arose to his nose; a putrid stink of decay and illness and the smell of a loner male mingled in one. He frowned, turning to confront the rogue. Surprise plastered upon his face as he heard a deep, pain-filled howl. He headed in the direction of the male, seeing a wolf with wounds and blood all over him. The brown male gave a rushed introduction before attending to the brute's needs. Unfortunately, it sounded but rude, but in retrospect it was better if the black wolf knew who he was. "Hello, I am Achak, Delta of Moonstone. Are you okay? Do you need help?"

Though he knew the answer, he felt it polite to know if the wolf wanted help or not. Tail swishing anxiously, he assessed the damage that was produced onto him. Underneath his pelt, ribs showed clearly, and Achak was grateful for the hunting he had just done. He regretted putting it in the ground, but knew having prey that was close was better than having none. He wondered whether this wolf wanted to join, or to just get food. He would, of course, lend a helping paw either way, and just suggest Moonstone if he had no intention in the first place. Selfishness arising within him, he remember what he thought about saying to the loner, Alexei, if he wanted to join. Maybe I could recruit this male, to make the Alphess happy, he had thought, but I would have to tell him to back off. He wanted her to himself, the greed overpowering. She was beautiful, and any other wolf having a part of her was like an annoyance to him. It sounded ignorant, but he could help it. He loved her, and he wanted her. Turning his attention back to the male, his ears flicked as he listened. "Would you like some prey I have gathered, just now?" he asked politely, after hearing what happened. Now was not the time to comment on his story; now was the time to help him recover. "Unfortunately, it is a little ways away, but if you have an intention of joining this pack, it will be in the direction, anyways. And, I can talk to you about what you need to know on the way there."

The Alphess had been hunting for just a few moments, yet managed to catch a single, yet plump squirrel. Only the lord knew how it had been keeping itself so well and fat, but, Alluri was simply happy to feed the other two members of the pack. As she was getting ready to make her way back to camp, a new smell filled her nose. One of decaying and infection. Smelling her Delta in the mix, she feared that he may have been injured and without a heartbeat of a moment to pass, she sprinted in the direction of the smell. The squirrel swung in her jaws as she followed the direction, small paws kicking up snow as she raced through it.

When she arrived to the clearing, she realized her nose was correct, but it wasn't her delta that was hurt. A strange male lay now at her borders, injured, infected and starving. All the dominance fell from the females body in pity of the wolf. Lowering her tail and ears, she made her way over to the two. She let out a muffled bark of greeting before she approached, halting a few tail lengths from Achak and the new wolf. "My, my. What have you gotten yourself into, my friend." Her voice was gentle. A more motherly side coming out now as she crept forward, ears lowered and tail dragging the ground.

She felt a source of pity for the male, and she was severely worried of his health. When she reached him, she lowered her muzzle to his wounds. If her nose was correct, he was extremely infected and most likely, sitting on deaths doorstep. And on top of the infection, he was also starving. Alluri didn't want to have to give up the fat meal,but if it meant saving the life of an innocent, so be it. "Take this, eat every last bite. I'm going to find herbs for your wounds. Achak, make sure he doesn't leave a crumb behind." Her voice was soft, yet demanded. And without a moments pause, she shoved the squirrel to the injured rogue and raced to find the correct herbs, praying that it would still be growing this time of year.

Slowly, after he had bellowed out his lonely and painful song, the male lowered his cranium and thus began the process of waiting. For how long, he knew not of, it could be any time from here on though the male was hopeful that it would be sooner. The quicker that his call was answered, the faster he would receive some sort of relief for his disgusting wounds, the stench was already starting to make himself gag. Blitz knew that he was hanging onto a weak state but never fully assessed just how far the infection had spread and to what degree. He smelled putrid, that was for sure, a clear sign that infection had progressed and he was still bleeding, not as heavily as before, but minor. For two weeks he had done nothing besides run, scavenge, and then continue running. Wounds that had barely healed had reopened with his efforts and without any sort of medical treatment had grown with bacteria and were oozing yellowish-green pus. The ebony, furred male finally had a chance to catch his breath as he rested there in the cool snow, it felt pleasant on his overly warm flesh. He knew how weak he was, sickly and starved, but Blitz wasn't ready to give up if there was still that small, miniscule chance of survival. But he would show no fear in the face of death should he decide today would be the day he beckoned him to the grave.

Front limbs growing weak and starting to gently shake, he decided it would be best to lay down while he waited for one of the wolves to confront him. He had maybe one more good run left in him if they showed a hostile side to the brute, maybe enough energy to defend himself before they tore him even more. Blitz knew that he could potentially pose a threat, if these wolves were anything like the rivaling pack from his home, and knew that he was risking an attack just by being here. It was a risk worth taking... Amber orbs sweeping one last time over the land, he rested his head upon his massive, black paws and gave a large sigh. Not a single wolf in sight nor a howl cutting the air. His lips pulled into a frown as he laid in wait, finally he closed his eyes deciding that perhaps maybe sleep would pass the time quickly. In no time, however, he heard the quick crunching of snow growing ever so louder and the scent of another male more prominent now than ever before. Blitz was lazy as he reopened his honey hued eyes to observe a dark pelted wolf coming towards him in a hurried manner. Although it pained him, he chose to rise back up to his nearly frozen paws and not make himself look like a weak fool even if it was more than obvious. His pride was taking over. Not knowing where this wolf stood, for the moment and as far as ranking went, he kept a slightly low posture but remained standing as strong as he possibly could in his ill state. If he was going to go down, he'd go down swinging. His ears twitched and swiveled as the male spoke, he didn't at all seem threatening and he actually sounded concerned with Blitz's injuries and well being. He sounded genuine. That was a grand relief; the emaciated brute just offered a small nod of his head in return.

"Aye, I would appreciate it." His deep voice rumbled out softly, head now lowering more so as he gave the male his response to needing help. He wouldn't mind help, but he wouldn't beg, Blitz was going to take whatever they offered him. The male listened further to Achak as he went into detail about such prey that he had recently obtained on his hunt, oh just the thought was mouth watering and sent his stomach growling loudly. What he would do for even a bite of a kill, any at all would be a blessing. Of course, he accepted Achak's offer and was more than willing to make the trek towards where ever he had left his prey. Before he had time to speak, another scent stronger than the last, found its way to his ebony nose and he took a few inhales. Something was different about the scent and it was clear to him that this individual was the head honcho around these very woods. His howl must have carried quite far and alerted even the alpha, and Blitz was pleased to see such a show of generosity and 'open paw policy'. These wolves, so far, were nothing like the rivaling pack that he had grown beside, nothing like the wolves up north were he was born and raised. This was something a wolf could certainly get used to. Finally, the wolf that he had caught wind of approached them, a swift, light pelted female bounding quickly towards he and the other male and seemed to come baring a gift. What a hell of a coincidence. He brought his head back down low and remained still as she assessed his wounds and gave him a quick look over. Sure was a first for him, being in a terrible condition and having a she-wolf check his form; he felt disgusting for the state he was in and being in her presence. Blitz's ears flicked and lowered nearly pressing against his skull,"I-I... Thanks." Was all he could bring himself to say, there was not enough energy in him to spill out a story and he knew there would be time for that later. As the beautiful she-wolf passed him her kill of a rather plump little rodent he took it with gratitude; he laid down in the snow once more and took the squirrel between his paws. Ravenously, he tore into it not hesitating to devour every bit of it. It may not have been much, but to him it was the best meal he had eaten all winter. Ripping out a string of intestines, the darker brute spoke once more feeling a bit rude for just taking a kill without even so much as introducing himself,"Blitz. My name, is Blitz."

(Word Count: 1047)

Watching as the Alphess brought food to the male before he could, he blinked as she left with a command hanging in the air. Ears flicking with remorse at the latest situations he had been in, he lowered his haunches to the cold ground. He watched as the male ate the kill, hunger in every movement in his body; as well as eyes. Letting a small smirk unfold on his maw, he noticed the regret in the dark wolf's eyes, as he introduced himself awkwardly. Nodding, he found it kind to do the same for his leader, whom of which was too busy to do so herself. "The female you saw just now was my Alphess; Alluri." He raised his head slightly, letting the smirk turn to softness. Despite the recent events that consumed the Moonstone pack, he still thought high of her and still had feelings for her. "She is the best leader you can have." Pausing, he noticed the male was done with the prey, and he tilted his head slightly. With a twitch of his tail, he signaled for Blitz to stay put. Achak was a good hunter, and he intended to make this male fit to talk to the only female of his pack when she returned.

The wolves stayed quiet and he heard the sound of rustling just behind him. Turning silently, he narrowed his eyes, peering through the bushes. At first, all he could see was darkness. Remember the trick his old Alpha, the best hunter in his pack and his father, taught him as a pup. Letting his eyes glaze over in a nonchalant manner, he let himself 'be one' with the small creature. His aqua hues seemed to show more, and blinking once a whole new perspective was now available to him. He saw through the shadows, seeing even the slightest detail, and was able to calculate the rodent's next move. Padding up, no sound indicating he was approaching, he lowered his muzzle to the ground and stared at the animal. With a quick lash of the paw, the jerboa was thrown into the open. Too startled to move, it stayed still for a moment, then was ready to run. Fortunately for the loner, it was too slow and a large muzzle clamped upon it. He parted his jaws, watching as it fell to the floor with a soft thud. He picked it up by it's long tail and dropped it in front of the rogue. "Eat up," he murmured, and with a shake of his head his new 'vision' was gone. Trying to start up a conversation, he spoke, watching the small kill be devoured. "So, I assume you are here to join?" Already knowing the answer, he let him reply before asking the question that was important to an occasion like this: "What rank do you desire?"

Being an Alphess, it was obvious that Alluri had some knowledge of herbs, even if it wasn't much. Though, in this case, she knew quite a bit, a little bit more than the basics. But, here in the winter, it is always so much harder to find. Now, she left behind her Delta with the injured rogue, or now known as Blitz. Her tail was raised behind her, holding her royal appearance but also keeping her nose low to catch the scent of what she needed. Cobwebs were the easiest to find, seeing that spiders were still active in the winter and didn't make their webs under ground. Or if they did it wasn't to her knowledge.

With the cob webs locked tightly in her jaw, Alluri began sniffing again, her ears flicked forward and alert. think, Alluri, think. You may be older, but you know this. Finally a familiar scent hit her nose and she recognized it as a comfrey plant. Though the plant was good, it was the roots she needed. Racing after it, she dug through the snow, then into the dirt, huffing in annoyance when most of the roots had frost bite and were black with ruin. Though digging a little deeper she found a few budding roots that would be of some use. She shoved them in her maw also and began to look for another plant. Blitz was very hurt, he would need more than just a little soothing.

Alluri would much rather of had daisy leaves for cleaning the wounds, but they were fresh out in the winter, or at least very rare, if not dead. Her tail flicked as she rummaged her mind and the scents around her for something that could fit in it's place. Golden rod! Her mind yelled as she found it's scent. Once again, when she dug it out of the snow, it was mostly frost bitten, but there was enough to make due with. Her mouth now completely filled with herbs, her mouth was watering and she found it hard not to swallow the sour plants. But, she turned on her heals and bounded back to her Delta and Blitz.

When she reached them, she realized that Achak had provided another meal to the visitor and was starting a small conversation. The white she wolf gave a curt nod of approval before she halted beside the injured wolf and dropped the herbs. "Keep very still. Some of these may burn a bit." She kept her words blunt as she propped a paw onto his back to lower him as she set to work. First she chewed up the comfrey roots, until they were a complete paste. Carefully, she licked it onto the pad of her paw then rubbed it onto the worst of the wounds. "Comfrey roots. They will soothe the wound and keep it from itching too much. In the future, you can also use these to bind broken bones and such with a common stick." She explained how she did it so that one, he could use the knowledge next time, and two, he would understand how she was doing it and why. Next, she began to chew on the Goldenrod, doing the same and licking it onto her paw and applying it to the remaining wounds. "It's always best to use daisy leaves over goldenrod, but because it's winter and daisy leaves are very uncommon, this will do. Also, all these plants are common in the spring and summer, but because it's so cold, most have been black with frost bite. Lastly, you wrap all the wounds in cobwebs to hold the poultices inside." After speaking, she finished with the cobwebs, she sat back, now waiting for Blitz to answer Achak's final question.

Word Count: 646