Our Endless Shadows of Darkness

Prologue

Early dawn carried a sun that shone down with a pale light. It particularly shone down on a small moorland covered with tall grass and other weeds. On that moorland was a pretty grey female wolf with blue eyes. She stalked a rabbit along the tall grass. Her pawsteps were light and silent and her concentration was sharp. She pounced on the rabbit, killing it with a swift bite to the neck as it finished squirming under her grasp. Satisfied with such an easy catch, she picked up the hare in her jaws and returned down the hill of the moorland.
A dark grey male with blue eyes was waiting for her, along the tall grass, with 2 hares in his jaws. More of the tall grass shook and a beautiful white furred female padded up to him with a hare of her own.
"Great catches." The male commented, getting to his paws. "Let's bring it back to your mother before she starts to worry too much." The two females nodded and followed after him as he took the lead.

He padded down the moorland, avoiding the tallest of the grass. He weaved around a couple trees that were planted on the moor. He spotted a large den ahead, half underground and half on land. A cream head popped out of the den, looking around for something. The male dropped his catches and sprinted to her, nuzzling her cheek.
"I brought you a hare." He dipped his head, going back to get his catches, then showing them to her. He dropped her meal and kept his. The cream furred female took her hare, quickly tucking into it. She looked down at her belly, where three pups were eagerly suckling.
"The pups will feed well." She observed, looking lovingly down at them. The male settled down to eat his catch, pressing his pelt close to hers. The two females following him settled down beside each other, each eating their catches slowly. The cream female and the grey male were tenderly whispering into each others' ears, praising their love to each other.
"Are you two up to go mark our territory?" The male asked as he finished his meal. The grey female nodded eagerly.
"Oh, yes! Certainly." She got to her paws. The white furred female's eyes clouded with a mixed feeling. She shook her head and got to her paws, heading strait towards the forest. The male narrowed his eyes.
"Rain, what's wrong with Bright?" He asked, sitting down. Rain, the pretty grey female, also sat down.
"I don't know. She's been like this for the past month." Rain sighed.
"Why don't you go check on your sister, then? You'll find out more out of her than us." The cream female suggested. The male licked her forehead.
"Wonderful idea, darling." He commented. He turned to his daughter. "Go." Rain nodded, following the path Bright took to the forest until she had to continue by following her scent.

Rain wondered where Bright would be; where in the forest? She had only gone in the forest a few times, compared to Bright. So she felt lost as she entered under the trees. She just told herself to stick to Bright's scent and to not get lost. But Rain soon felt like she was passing the same thing over and over again, making her extremely uncomfortable. She took a deep breath, trying to remember the best places where her sister would isolate herself. After debating with herself between several other places, she numerated where she'd go to; and first she would head down to the brook, her sister's usual hideout from them. The path may take longer than Rain wanted, but she had a feeling her sister would definitely be there.

Rain headed deeper into the forest, feeling more closed up as she wasn't used to seeing trees covering the sky. She then grew very uncomfortable. The brook was near the pine forest. Not many wolves dared linger near the pine forest, for prey was scarce and it was filled with dangerous rogue wolves. She remembed that when her brother was younger, he was murdered by a rogue. She shivered as she remembered seeing the gory body of her brother, soaked in a pool of his own blood.

Rain pushed the thought away and continued the way to the brook. After passing several more trees she spotted the brook. Near the brook she spotted the beautiful white pelt of her sister, damp as if she had gone swimming. She watched her sister from far before starting to creep up on her.
"The brook is pretty, isn't it?" Bright commented. Rain stopped in her tracks, shocked. Then she realized that the wind had blown Rain's scent to her. She settled beside her sister, their fur brushing.
"Natural beauty is always the prettiest." Rain agreed. They stood quiet for a moment, before she thoughtfully looked into Bright's eyes.
"I know you're not alright. What's wrong? The brook is too pretty to drink from." She added the last part with a giggle. But her sister didn't react. Bright took in a deep breath, looking as if she was about to make a big speech.
"I've been thinking about something for a very long time," she began. "I want to live as a loner." Rain's mouth dropped. How could her sister possibly think of a life as lonely as that? Surely staying with her family would be better? She was slightly hurt but nodded to her sister to continue, keeping her mouth closed and shut. Bright did have her own reasons for what she told Rain and now it was time for her to reveal what she seemed to have kept in for a very long time.
"When Arrow was murdered by a rogue, I started to feel as if I always had my family to count on. But after months have passed I have grown distant from you, mother and father. I just feel as if a life on my own would be better." Bright looked into her sister's eyes. "I'll be safe in this forest, away from the rogues in the pines. I won't make the same mistake Arrow made; by entering the pines. I won't be too far; you can come and visit me whenever you want. I just want to live on my own, it would be better for everyone."