As soon as his mother had left to hunt in the morning, Stormy Sky quickly snuck off into the bushes. For a few days now he had been frequently seeing Black Berry and Rock Path, and already, they were beginning to teach him the hunting skills he would need to survive out here.

As dawn began to settle over the forest, Stormy Sky quietly walked through the brush until coming upon the spot he had first met Black Berry and Rock Path. He sat patiently, listening to the birds chirp as a new day ushered in. At the sound of footsteps, he crouched below a rock but let a sigh escape him as he realized it was just the other two wolves.

"Good morning, Stormy Sky," Black Berry said.

"Have you been practicing?" Rock Path asked.

"All day!" Stormy Sky exclaimed. "My mom said I was doing a great job, though she was getting tired of having me pounce on her tail all day." 

"That's the spirit," Black Berry said. "When you've gotten the hang of it down, someday you'll even be able to practice alongside us, since wolves hunt in packs."

Stormy Sky smiled at that thought. Even if he was alone out here with his mother, it was good to know he would have a little pack of his own with Black Berry and Rock Path as his friends. Plus, with the skills he learned, Gentle Breeze wouldn't come back exhausted each day after only managing to catch a little bit of prey. One day, he and Black Berry and Rock Path would bring home a whole deer for her to feast on.

"What are we practicing today, then?" Stormy Sky asked.

"Why don't we practice stealth?" Black Berry suggested. "If you want to catch a meal, you can't be stepping on twigs all the time."

"Sounds good," Stormy Sky said. 

"Now, follow my lead. You want to crouch your body some and walk lightly and cautiously," Black Berry said. The black wolf crouched down and walked quietly through the woods. Stormy Sky was amazed at the fact he could barely hear the sound of the wolf's footsteps, as well as the fact that the shadows of the forest seemed to camouflage him well.

"Now you try," Black Berry suggested.

"Okay," Stormy Sky said. Though Black Berry and his brother still weren't fully grown, Stormy Sky still believed that they were much more skilled than him. When he tried to walk stealthily, he clumsily swayed from side to side and managed to step on sticks that cracked under his paws. 

"You're scaring every bird away," Rock Path teased.

"I'm trying!" Stormy Sky growled.

"Don't get upset," Black Berry said. "This is hard stuff to learn. You're younger than a normal pup would be to train. It'll take some time and patience."

Stormy Sky huffed and kept on practicing, adjusting his body with Black Berry's instructions every time he failed to execute his stealth walk perfectly. Despite his desire to give up, Stormy Sky had to remind himself what this was all for. He would thrive in the forest one day when his mother could not, and perhaps, maybe if he was strong enough, he and his mother could return to the pack she had once called home.

The sun was starting to rise higher now, and Stormy Sky knew he didn't have much time left. He went through one more practice round with the brothers, then lingered for a moment.

"Time to go?" Black Berry asked.

"My mother usually returns with breakfast at this time. But I'll be back for our next training session!" Stormy Sky exclaimed.

"Be safe," Rock Path said.

"See you around, Stormy Sky," were Black Berry's departing words before Stormy Sky disappeared into the bushes.

He had grown much more confident navigating the woods these days, which allowed him more time to spend with the brothers since he was able to find his way back so quickly. Unfortunately for him, his mother was already appearing in the distance as he returned back to the den. He froze in the spot outside the den and began to practice pouncing again, knowing he would only look suspicious if he ran back into the den.

"What are you doing out here?" Gentle Breeze asked. She had returned with a thin chipmunk today. It was better than a mouse, but still not the juicy piece of meat that Stormy Sky craved most days.

"Playing," Stormy Sky said. 

Gentle Breeze frowned. "That's nice, but you really shouldn't be wandering outside of the den without me."

"I didn't go far! I just stayed right here, where I could still see the den," Stormy Sky explained. "I would've been able to run back if I heard something scary."

Gentle Breeze sighed. "I know it's unfair to keep you in the den when I'm gone, but it's for your safety. You're still a pup, and I can't protect you if I'm gone. Now, come on, let's go eat."

"One day I'll be big and brave and can protect the den," Stormy Sky explained to his mother as he followed her. "And I'll hunt us the best prey I can find. That way you won't have to go out as often."

"I'm sure that'll be nice," Gentle Breeze said when she set down breakfast on the den floor. She was already biting into the meal, but Stormy Sky was still bent on talking.

"And then one day...we can go back to the pack!" Stormy Sky exclaimed.

Gentle Breeze swallowed harshly and coughed some. "Stormy Sky, that is not...that's not a possibility at the moment."

"But when I'm big and strong, no other wolves will be mad at you," Stormy Sky argued. 

"I'm not so sure their minds can be changed so easily," Gentle Breeze said. "Please do not believe we can return. I know it would make you happy. I'm sure you want to meet your father, and I miss him terribly, but we have to be realistic."

"But...can we think about it again when I'm older and an adult?" Stormy Sky asked.

Gentle Breeze chuckled lightly. "Yes, I suppose so, but if you want to be big and strong, you better start with eating your breakfast."

Stormy Sky nodded, digging into the chipmunk. He would prove his mother that they could return somehow, and he assumed the brothers would be the best ones to help him get back to the pack.