The trek up the mountain path was treacherous. You had abandoned the rocky foot path about four hours ago after Hanzo, your older brother, had spotted tracks leading to the mouth of a well-known cave.

The pack of wolves had been terrorizing your village for the past two weeks. Stealing livestock; helping themselves to the grain stores; attacking and even killing wandering villagers who stepped too far out of the village boundaries. Your father had sent you and your older brothers, Hanzo and Genji up to... in his own words... 'dispose of the pests' as a rite of passage.

You had been tracking the pack of wolves for the past two days. The harsh, bitter cold bit at your fingertips and toes and the howling northern winds obscured your vision as they shot a slurry of snow and sleet into your face. You held a heavily gloved hand in front of your eyes to try and get a glance at the surrounding scenery.

Throughout the course of the expedition you had quickly grown tired of the constant quips between your siblings, the bickering and arguments were nonstop and never-ending. Normally starting thanks to Genji bragging about one of his many 'achievements' and Hanzo quickly bringing him crashing back down to reality.

"This reminds me of the time I slayed a great bear, single-handedly of course, in the eastern pass," Genji proudly raised his hand to his chest, closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.

Hanzo stopped in his tracks, his eyes darted to Genji. If looks could kill, Genji would have not made it past his early teens.

"You know as well as I do that that bear was a cub, there was no reason to take its life. You just wanted something to brag to the village, another trophy to add to your many so called accomplishments." Hanzo continued to trudge through the shin-deep snow as Genji brushed off his remarks. You wished they would just hurry up, you could not feel your nose and you just wanted to be back around the hearth at home.

"Your arrogance will be your undoing brother, you need to learn that your accomplishments do not define you. You could do great things if you just learned that."

Genji replied with a shrug and a 'pfft'. Would they ever just get on? Even through Hanzo's plentiful remarks about how he could often 'kill the damn fool', you knew that they relied on each other and loved each other with only a bond that brothers could share.

Food supplies had dwindled at a surprising rate, you often wondered if Genji had made his way into the backpack whilst you and Hanzo slept. Hanzo's expert marksmanship had come in handy, allowing you to kill and cook small game. He was only eighteen years old but he could nail a hare from two hundred metres away, his years of isolation and dedication to archery had paid off.

Genji on the other hand had an innate ability that could have taken him much further than where he sat. Unfortunately, he had decided to use this Shimada birth right for the wrong reasons, using it only to gain women, fame and wealth. This was of course the Shimada way, but Genji went the wrong way about it, much to the dismay of your father. He easily could have surpassed you and Hanzo, but the lack of dedication to his craft had left his skills and talents unrefined and coarse.

"Well then, how about that time I-"

This time Genji's boasting was cut short, not by Hanzo but by four sets of very deep rumbles and growls from just over the ridge that was sat ahead of you.

Hanzo stepped forward, put his hand on your chest, pushing you behind him. He pulled his bow off of his back, a simple weapon made of dark bamboo and leather, placing his hand on his quiver, located on his right hip that was stocked with arrows, all made by Hanzo.

Your eyes darted from tree to tree, your heart pounding like a drum, you felt the world around you start to spin as you slowly started to slip into unconsciousness. Hanzo grabbed under your arm as you started to drop, he pulled the thick bandanna away from his mouth as a warm smile gave you faith.

"Do not worry brother, I will protect you."

Genji unsheathed his tanto blade, the curve sharpened to a razors edge, he held it across the blade of his forearm as he scanned the surrounding environment.

You had only been trusted with a small, jagged dagger. The weapon measuring from about four inches, handle to tip. You struggle to undo the knot that held it to your hip, you held it out in front of you, clasped in both of your trembling hands.

You had only been brought along on this mission because of your namesake.

The wolves appeared on the ridge, the alpha of the pack, known across the region as Shiomotorasu, or the bringer of death, stood proudly in front of the others who seemed to stand in his shadow.

The pack had mostly mangy fur, patchy and miscoloured. They looked underfed, two of the wolves from the back stepped forward, before being met by a sharp growl from Shiomotorasu, they whined and quickly stepped back. Shiomotorasu stood at almost double the size of the rest of the pack, everyone who had tried to hunt him had not been found, you would not suffer the same fate.

"An easy hunt," Genji shrugged his shoulders and dashed towards the pack of bloodthirsty wolves.

"Genji, No!" Hanzo called out, trying to grab his younger brothers arm but it was too late. Genji managed to slash Shiomotorasu across the cheek, but it did nothing except add another scar to his collection. Shiomotorasu pounced on Genji, his jaw latching onto Genji's side.

The other wolves jumped off the ridge and surrounded you and Hanzo whilst Shiomotorasu toyed with his prey, you and Hanzo stood back to back.

One of the smaller beasts leapt towards you, clutching the small dagger you had been entrusted with you plunged it into the throat of the beast, causing it to fall to the floor with a thud and a yelp. A dark furred wolf stared at Hanzo, salivating and licking its lips it ran towards him. The creature did not last long before finding a well-placed arrow between its eyes.

Whilst you were both preoccupied, the last of the smaller wolfs had managed to launch an attack, pouncing on Hanzo. The force of the blow had knocked the bow out of Hanzo's hand and had spread the arrows across the floor around him, all just out of arms reach. Drool covered Hanzo's face as he managed to keep the jaws of death at an arms distance, he would not be able to keep the beast at bay for long, the wolves were smaller than Shiomotorasu but were still a formidable size.

You ran over the bow and picked it up, Hanzo had taught you the basics, but you struggled to hit the easiest and largest of targets.

You nocked the arrow, and pulled back the string, aiming for the head of the wolf. The arrow flew through the air with incredible speed, flying through the gap between Hanzo's face and the beasts muzzle and sticking in a tree just behind them. The beast looked up at the arrow, giving Hanzo just enough time to kick the beast off of him, allowing him to pull the arrow out of the tree and bury it in the shoulder of the ferocious canine, the beast crawled off of Hanzo and limped away, leaving a trail of maroon blood in the pure, white snow.

Hanzo pulled himself up using the tree the arrow had struck, clutching at his side. You call out to him.

"Hanzo, catch!"

You threw the bow to Hanzo, in one swift motion he caught the bow, nocked an arrow and fired. The arrow flew through the air with a loud whistle, before passing through Shiomotorasu's skull and landing just beyond in the pale ground. Genji was showered in an array of bone fragments and blood. The beast slumped on Genji, winding him under its gargantuan weight.

You and Hanzo ran over to Genji, you went to pull the animal off of your brother before being stopped by Hanzo who placed a hand on your chest and pushed you to the side.

A hearty chuckle escaped from Hanzo's breathless lips.

"Well, well."

"Hanzo, get this damn thing off of me."

"Not yet," Hanzo crouched to the side of Genji.

"Once more you do not listen, and once more you must be saved from the literal jaws of defeat."

"Hanzo, this is not the time, get this mangy thing off of me!"

A pool of blood developed under Genji, you weren't sure who it belonged to.

"Admit you were wrong and I will set you free."

Genji rolled his eyes, in a mocking tone he replied,

"I was wrong, Hanzo is the best, my tru-"

Hanzo snapped back, his face inches away from Genji's.

"You need to take this seriously, you almost died out there, what if Y/N and I were not out here to save you? One day we will not be here to tend to your injuries and save your reckless self from situations like this."

Genji looked at the floor and let out a deep sigh.

"Fine... I was wrong, next time I will be more careful."

A large smile appeared on Hanzo's face.

"Good, that will do... for now."

He walked over and grabbed Shiomotorasu's corpse by the scruff of the neck and dragged it behind a large tree.

"Y/N... tend to his wounds." You walk over and kneel next to your brother, you had no idea what Hanzo was doing but you had learned not to question his sometimes... curious ways.

You cleaned away the blood surrounding his grievous wounds, the blood had already started to clot. You washed away the blood to reveal an arc of puncture marks along his rib cage, Genji was very lucky that Shiomotorasu had decided to toy with him.

You continued to bandage Genji, the surrounding snow had become thick and sticky with blood, Hanzo returned from beyond the tree. Viscous, crimson blood dripping into the snow. Shiomotorasu's pelt crowning Hanzo's head, the yellowed fangs hanging just above his eyes and the tail brushing the floor at his feet.