The old wolf wheezed, his chest heaving, fur matted. Although he was struggling for each and every breath, inside he was calm as the sea.

"Fengo..." A slender, reddish wolf crept to his side. "Do... are... are you feeling all right?"

The old, frail wolf rose from his moose pelt. "Alder."

Alder bowed into a submissive posture, grinding her face into the ground. "Yes?" She turned her head, one emerald eye blinking up at the silver wolf.

"I am fine," the old wolf chuckled. "But we are all to die sometime, yes?" He wheezed, paws trembling. Alder sprang up.

"But... Fengo... you shouldn't be up. Lie down. You don't have much time left..."

"Alder." The leader of the clan, the Fengo, shook his head. "Dearest commander, you must help my clan survive. Along with the next Fengo, who will reign, yes?"

The question was written in Alder's eyes, but she held her tongue in check. A low growl was emitted from her throat.

The Fengo, whose name was Dlfan, shook his head. "He's my only pup," he wheezed. "He must lead the star clan, as our first successor did. The first Fengo." He wagged his head. "I am descended from him, and so is Agaris."

He gasped. "And I believe Agaris has the power within him. The power to rule rightfully!" The old wolf's voice rose on that last note, full of confidence and power. But his eyes dimmed and he padded out of the cave.

Alder knew it was his time, the time of when he would slip from this world and climb the star ladder, up into the waiting paws of Skaarsgard, the great star soul who welcomed every wolf who was released from life.

Dlfan slowly shook his fur. His dusk was approaching, even though it was in the deep of the night. His time would come. Slowly, slowly, he made his way to his final resting place.

So it was only Alder who saw a soft gray mist gather in the stars, Dlfan's lochin, his soul. She threw her head up. A stream of sorrowful notes soared through the sky, and the other wolves, even though they had no knowledge of the past events, started glaffling as well, their regret pouring into the sky and lighting up the night.

Together, the Star Clan wolves howled for the passing of their leader, Dlfan Fengo of the Star Wolves.

But another wolf crouched in the shadows, his dark and glossy pelt ruffling in the wind. His eyes gleamed.

At long last, he was the Fengo.