Paws pounding against the earth, each step sounding like thunder resonating loudly throughout the forest. Blurs of black, brown, and gray race through the trees as snapping jaws and growls fill the chilled night air. A howl sounds in the distance alerting the beasts of which way to go as a howl in response tells the one who called out first that the others had heard them. 

“Quickly! Alpha mustn’t be kept waiting. ” 

Snarls a large dark gray wolf to the pack he is leading. A second wolf standing shoulder to shoulder with the one leading the charge turns to do a quick count of the pack members just to make sure that no one had gotten lost before he turns his attention back to the path. 

“Everyone forward!” snarls the first wolf. With his signal the leading wolf explodes through the brush and leaps over a wide stream before continuing to lead the pack to their destination. The others behind him in a matter of seconds. Trailing behind the massive wolves, a smaller black one. No where near the towering size of his pack mates and when it comes to looks he is not nearly as intimidating. Where they are ragged and ruffled, he is fluffy and soft. Their eyes are cold while his holds that awe and curious nature of a pup. 

“Kunto, keep up!” booms one of the wolves. Kunto pauses at the stream bank, his breathing laboured as he utters a small bark in response. How he kept up this far he wouldn’t know, if he had to guess he would have to guess it was solely him forcing his paws forward. From where he is standing he can see the rest of the pack disappearing into the night among the trees. He knows that if he doesn’t make the jump now, he’ll be the last to arrive at the Fields. 

He can hear a low growl from somewhere ahead of him, deep and guttural coming from within the darkness. A sign that he needs to hurry up and rejoin his pack. Taking a deep breath Kunto drops to a crouch and wriggles his rump preparing for a big leap that will surely get him to the other side of the forest.

But when he goes to push himself off the ground, the earth beneath his paws gives, crumbling and splashing into the murky water. This causes him to yelp in surprise as he feels himself lurch forward. Plunging in head first with paws flailing, Kunto falls face first into the stream that the others had so easily cleared. Claws scraping against the slick muddied wall of the bank as he fails to grip the brambles and exposed roots that dangle just above the surface of the water leaves Kunto struggling to resurface. Teeth suddenly clamp around the space just behind his shoulders and he is gently lifted up out of the water and placed on his belly all while being at a safe distance from the stream. His thick black coat soaked and dripped as he coughed and sputtered out the water he had unwillingly swallowed. 

A warm tongue begins to lap at his cheek Unable to speak at the moment he simply barks back which is followed by a short cough. “I thought you said you could keep up.” a deep dark brown wolf grumbles.

“Why did we agree to bring him along? Sifuri should’ve been enough.” comments a dark gray one.

“I’m right here!” snaps Kunto his words coming out as a sharp growl. The others simply ignore him as they continue forward their attention back on the path ahead. Frustrated, Kunto gives himself a quick shake freeing his heavy coat of water. “Hey, don’t let them get to you.” Kunto glances over his shoulder only to see another wolf with honey fur, and is twice his size clambering over to him. 

“Sifuri.” 

Sifuri peers at him “They’re just in a rush.” he starts to say as he turns his muzzle in the direction of where the massive beasts had raced off to “They must believe Kivuli has some big announcement.” he adds “I doubt anything serious will be addressed, not like Day Pack has crossed into our territory or anything. And Noon, Twilight, and Dusk Pack are keeping to themselves.” he says as he assists the smaller wolf out the stream.

“Their only making a big fuss because he’s alpha and they don’t want their ears bit off.” Kunto grumbles. This makes Sifuri shake his head “They respect him as alpha and we respect him as our father.” he says to his litter mate. Yet Kunto only frowns at this prompting Sifuri to nod towards the path ahead “Come on, they’ll be doing another head count at the twisted hill.” he urges before moving up onto the muddy trail that leads from the stream. Kunto sighs as he follows after his brother with his head down and ears lowered. 

The brothers walk together with one leading the way and the other dragging his paws along the mud laden path. “It’s not that much further.” Sifuri calls from over his shoulder. Kunto only lets out a small whine as a howl can be heard from somewhere in the distance causing Sifuri to halt suddenly. 

“It’s Adofo.” Sifuri calls his pale green eyes clouding with worry. “He wants to know where we are.” 

Kunto watches as Sifuri lifts his head and answers the call of his pack member. All he could think about is just how different he is from him and them. 

"I thought you said you could keep up?"

"Why did we bring him along? Sifuri should’ve been enough!"

Kunto can only watch as his sibling listens for a response from Adofo. Deep down he knows that the two of them are vastly different. Where Sifuri is bigger and stronger, Kunto himself is smaller and weaker. Where Sifuri is sure-pawed and confident, Kunto is unsure and hesitant. 

Another howl reaches them prompting Sifuri to answer back. “Not good,” he mutters.

“What’s not good?” asks Kunto as he looks up at Sifuri with a tilt of his head. “It looks like they all have already reached the Moonglow Fields.” Sifuri explains.

“Already!?” cries the black wolf “How’d they get there so fast?” 

“They must’ve crossed through the Wepwawet’s Cry Forest…” Sifuri mutters as his tail sways slowly, his face twisted up in thought before he shakes out his fur.  "Wepwawet's Cry Forest?" Kunto echoes, clearly confused by the mention of the forest he looks at his brother who in return looks down at the smaller wolf.

"It's a forest that works as a border between our land and that of the humans. We are to not cross it no matter what." Sifuri explains to his brother. "Huh!? What? Why not? What's gonna happen if we cross it?" asks Kunto, his gold eyes holding curiosity as a knot of fear settles in his belly like a stone."Nothing. That's just the rule." Sifuri leads the way up the river "Only the figure heads of the packs can cross it so you know, mom and dad and the other leaders." Sifuri mutters.

"That, and a select few of us who can use our Full Moon form." Adds Sifuri. The mention of their bigger, more powerful form fills Kunto with excitement. Their Full Moon form allows them to climb, leap further, cover more ground faster, and Kunto's favorite, stand upright. This form has been considered a right of passage through the forest. Each Dire Wolf has unlocked this ability, the latest being Sifuri several sunrises ago. 

Kunto has yet to activate this ability.

"That means you got to cross it." Kunto's tail wags with excitement at that thought.

"Well…no." Sifuri leaps up onto a fallen log waiting for Kunto to scramble up, his back paws clawing the bark as he slips slightly. Sifuri doesn't move not until he is sure Kunto is steady on the log. Wanting to be there if his brother falls so he can grab him by the scruff. Kunto balances shakily with his claws digging into the rough bark. He doesn't feel secure nor steady on the unmoving trunk and the long unwavering gaze of his brother doesn't help either. Sifuri's tail sways just the tiniest bit as he turns and leads the small black wolf across the makeshift bridge.

"I hadn't the chance to go…and honestly I doubt Kivuli would let me go. Be it the protective father he is or perhaps doubt in my ability to change when I need to on command under pressure…I don't know. But any chance of getting to see the world beyond the trees is probably not going to happen. Not in this current position at least." Sifuri barks as he leaps off the log and lands on the adjacent cliff. He turns watching his brother who is still perched on the fallen tree paws shuffling as if preparing for the leap that he never makes. Sifuri wants to help but he knows that he cannot step in. He knows that he will need to let this pup do this on his own if he wants to grow any, like how one would let a puppy figure out stairs on their own. 

"Put your paws underneath your body and stick your tail out just a bit. Lock your eyes on the spot where you want to go and push off." Sifuri instructs when Kunto begins to whimper, unable to get down. Shaking and still whining Kunto does as his brother tells him by tucking his paws underneath himself. His gaze on the spot near his brother he takes a breath and half leaps half topples to the ground. His legs buckled under him, unable to support his weight under the edge of fear of jumping, causing Kunto to land on his belly and hit his chin on the cold rocky earth of the cliff.

Kunto opens his eyes just a bit in time to see the massive muddied honey colored paws belonging to his brother stepping closer. "Well…that's one way to get down." Kunto whines and pushes himself up to his paws shaking out his thick coat freeing the dirt that clung to him. "So, where are we going now? There isn't any other way to get to the fields from here." Kunto whimpers as he approaches Sifuri. 

"There is, but you aren't going to like it very much." Sifuri sighs. Kunto looks up at him.

"We'll need to cross through the Dead Paws Forest." Sifuri explains. 

"Dead Paws Forest?" Echoes Kunto. "It's a stretch of forest where no sunlight can reach, no matter the time of day or how brightly the sun shines. Filled with black trees and gray grass everything within that path and on that trail dies, be it plant or prey life. And any big living thing that is foolish enough to wander in there willingly best remember which way they came in or find a short cut out fast." Sifuri adds as he leads his brother down a jagged path that leads down the side of the cliff.

Kunto follows a bit slower, his paws are placed with a bit of hesitation as he picks his way down. Whereas Sifuri leaps from the narrow path way down to the next rocky platform that juts outward. Kunto is much more cautious, his gaze sweeping over the uneven and rocky terrain. The height and distance from the ground down below is dizzying. The tops of the thick towering maple trees are dwarfed by the height the brothers are at. 

"There isn't a safer way to get down?" Whines Kunto.

"If it were, don't you think we would've taken it?" Sifuri chuckles. Kunto just sighs following closely behind. Each kicked stone or tumbling pebble set his fur on edge as he could only imagine that it spelled his end for him. One wrong placement of his paw or moving too fast and he'd join those tiny rocks at the bottom of the cliff. He envied Sifuri's sure-footedness, he not only looked confident but acted like it too. Sifuri didn't hesitate with anything that he did. Be it taking charge within the pack or jumping from cliff to cliff. He always leapt paws first with his heart and mind one hundred percent in it.