The wind lashed at the trees with no mercy, a pounding icy rain joined the harsh gusts. Blinding bolts of lightening and bellows of thunder decided they'd put their appearances in also. Pounding echoed through the wooded area, the hurried pounds of a four legged animal, accompanied by the weak sounds of another whimpering one. A deep snarl, another whimper and and the sound of blood spraying the bark of the trees and sandy ground. Then silence, save for the gurgle of a defenseless beast and a frightened yelp.

   The whimpering continued, getting louder and more whiney. It belonged to a young wolf pup, barely a few days old, he laid down by his dying mother and begged her not leave him. The young pup's mother nuzzled her son's sandy coloured muzzle, licking him gently. "Do not cry my baby AltA, I will not let him harm you. I-I promise."

   AltA nuzzled into his mother's blood stained smokey fur, he didn't wish to be seperated from his mother so soon. And yet despite how young he was, he could sense his mother's life force slipping away quicker every second. He gave a startled yelp when he heard the bad wolf coming after him again, the evil laughter of the beast sent chills down the young pup's spine.

   "How perfectly adorable. Too bad I'm gonna have to cut this scene short."

   Rubuk, a huge muscled grizzly bear-like wolf leapt into view. AltA's mother's blood staining his maw and dripping from his chin. He stalked towards the two family members, licking his fangs and giggling with satisfaction. "Now who shall I off first, weakling?" He grinned, snorting out of his nose and blowing warm air into AltA's face. The pup trembled with fear, which only fuelled the wolf to terrify him further.

   AltA's mother rose from her bloodied dying place, she bared her fangs and snarled deeply, it was filled with such hatred that Rubuk stepped back from her son for a few seconds. The injured she-wolf staggered defensively over to her son, placing him to the back of her. "You will leave my son out of this, he has nothing to do with the past." She snarled, glaring at Rubuk.

  "You lie so unconvincingly, if it weren't for his blue eyes that mutt would be a spitting image of your mate, and his father." He growled glaring at AltA with sheer disgust.

   "What his father did to you, has nothing to do with him. AltA isn't like his father. He will not become a monster like you either." The she-wolf snarled, spitting saliva as she spoke.

   Rubuk placed a large paw to his scarred chest. "Ouch, you hurt me right there." He pointed to his heart, mocking the female. "Monster or not, that weakling shall be nothing but trouble and after I've finished chewing on him I shall see if I have room for leftovers. She-wolves are more dessert than dinner." He laughed and skirted around the she-wolf, clamping on AltA's tail with one of his beefy paws. His mother snapped at this point, lunging at Rubuk and tearing a great bloody gash through his throat. Drenching both her and AltA in the wolf's warm blood. She didn't have time to feel relief, great fangs sliced into her spine and tore her away from the ground and her son. She sailed through the air and landed in a bloody heap on the wet puddle laden ground.

   "Mama!" AltA's cloudy blue pupiless eyes widened in fear, he yelped and leapt to his paws intending to run to his still mother's aid. Rubuk had other plans for the young pup and grabbed him in a vice grip as he flew past him.

   "Not so fast weakling, not finished with you." He snarled and crunched down into AltA's small developing bones. The pup yelped and whined in pain, clawing at the wolf's nose and gums. In a desperate attempt to be released. Rubuk sneezed as all the claws were doing was tickling. He spat the bloody pup to the ground, snapping his ribs by placing his paw and entire weight on them.

   The screams from her son made the she-wolf's heart break inside, she desperatley wished to save her child but Rubuk had dug deep into her spine and broken the bones. She was no good to her son paralysed, or dying.

   Rubuk opened his maw wide and lunged at AltA, sets of blood stained fangs latching on and sinking into fur and flesh.

   "No!" AltA's mother roared with pained anger, black mist snaked from her and twisted into a shadow form black pheonix. It rose into the rainy sky and let out a silent scream, flapping it's opaque tendirl-like wings. Seemingly gazing at Rubuk it let out another silent scream and flew straight towards him, tearing through his flesh and bone. Crackles of black energy weakening the wolf. The vapour-like pheonix sapped Rubuk of his energy and flew from his body, diving into AltA's. Unlike what the phoenix did to Rubuk when it touched him, it left the young pup unharmed and harnessing his mother's shadow powers. The pup's eyes widened once again, a small weak cry escaping his throat. His mother was staring at him with cold dead eyes, her face had been torn apart when the shadow power had left her. Blood covered her entire body and much of her muscle and bone was on show. Bones sticking out at odd angles. She had given her life to save her son and AltA had never felt more guilty in his entire life. "Mama." He whimpered just before the blood loss and lack of energy caught up with him and he passed out cold.