Chapter One

My name is Loki. I'm a wolf. When I was a cub, I got seperated from my pack. We didn't do anything wrong. Yet the two legged monsters still came. I was the lucky one who escaped. I wasn't sure about my pack. I ran as far away as I could to get away from the monsters. I'd heard enough stories to know they were bad. I stopped and looked around. No monsters. No moon, either. It was pitch black. Somehow I spotted a small cave and took cover there, hoping the monsters wouldn't find me.

I slept there until dawn, I always woke at dawn. The sun slowly began to come up, and I made my way back to the den where the pack was. But once I arrived, there was no one there. Wolf or monster. There were many wolf prints and monster prints in the snow. There was also an abundance of red snow. I didn't know why it was red, though. The wolf prints all made a path heading east. Perhaps they were making their way to the Great Wolf Ridge. It was one of the safest places for wolves.

I followed the trail of wolf prints, eager to reunite with my pack. Especially my father, Sika, who was the alpha. I also had a younger sister, Luna. My mother died when I was very young. I soon grew tired and cold, as the snow was up to my shoulders. The snow wasn't that deep, I just wasn't that big. I was only a few weeks old. Maybe a month. Just as I began to take a break, I heard a small cry. It didn't sound like a wolf, or anything I'd ever heard before. I turned around to find a strange brown creature there. It was small, but slightly bigger than me. It had small round ears and a black nose like mine. It's fur looked very thick, thicker than my own.

"Can you help my momma?" It asked me. It was a she.

"What are you?" I asked.

"Please, just help my momma." She begged. I didn't know what to think. She obviously needed my help, but I was just so unsure.

"Where's your mother?" I asked.

"Follow me." She turned and walked in the opposite direction. I hesitantly followed close behind. We soon arrived at a cave, much larger than any I'd ever seen before. Deep within the confines of the cave, was a creature just like the one who brought me here, only much, much larger. I gulped.

"Is that your mother?" I asked.

"Yes. She's very sick. Come." She got closer to the giant. I slowly followed. I went and faced the giant. She did look sick. I soon realized what she was sick with.

"What is your name?" I asked the smaller one.

"I'm Shaniqua. What's yours?"

"Loki. Shaniqua, do you know what your mother has?"

"No. I just know she's very sick. Why? Do you know?"

"Yes. I've this many times in my pack. She has what my father calls Slow Death. How long has she been sick?"

"Almost a week." I sighed.

"It's almost time. I'm sorry, Shaniqua, but I'm afraid your mother isn't going to last much longer." She looked so broken hearted. It pained me to see the hope disappear from her eyes. She looked to her mother, who was barely clinging to life.

"Momma, tell me it's not true." She whimpered. The giant opened her big black eyes to look at her daughter one last time.

"I'm sorry, my love." She rasped. She breathed her final breath and closed her eyes for the last time.