Star stood stock-still. She lowered her head and raised her tail, snarling as she pointed her ears forward. Swift stood before her in the exact same position. Alpha Snow sat with her mate on a granite boulder just above them on the hill. She raised her muzzle and gave a sharp bark.
"Pack! Gather and watch. Swift River, the second rank hunter challenges Shooting Star who holds the first rank. If Swift wins, he will become the highest-ranking hunter and Star will answer to him. If Star wins, she keeps her rank and so does Swift. One wolf will lose their dignity today." At her opening words, Owl and Bone, who were inside their respective dens emerged into the midday light. A small hunting party returned, carrying a single skinny rabbit. When they noticed the challengers, they formed a ragged circle around them.
She had come back from drinking in the pond when she passed Swift. The wolf had nipped her tail as Star had retreated to the hunter's den. She had spun, snarling, finding him challenging her. His eyes were cold and hungry.
Star had had to challenge and beat him to gain the highest rank. Now, he was reclaiming his title.
The light grey she-wolf warily circled her opponent. Alpha Wind watched from beside his mate. Star knew all eyes were on her. Even though she was bigger than Swift, Star knew that today she would lose this battle.
Swift growled lightly before he jumped. Star nimbly hopped out of the way, returning to walking around him. The gray wolf laughed, mocking her. "Scared, Star?"
She howled and rushed his side closest to her, the right haunch. She hit her mark but Swift instantly snapped at her exposed neck. She yelped in pain and rolled, kicking out with her legs. He held fast and shook her, so Star decided to wait it out.
Bad move.
Her vision soon dissolved, and eventually, her head began to hurt unbearably. She whined and threw her paws out in the direction she thought Swift was in. The shaking stopped – she must have hit him. Star staggered to her feet and let her vision stabilize. Swift was pawing at his face a little way away. She was still dizzy when Swift raised his bruised muzzle and ran at her again.
Star, unprepared, only had time to rear up before Swift pounced on her. Any gasps or other sounds from outside their scuffle went by unnoticed. She pushed against him and snarled loudly. He retaliated by rolling away and boxing her snout. Star yelped and twisted, dodging his paws as he nearly threw his whole weight on her stomach. She charged and swiped her claws at his ear and neck. He barked in pain and bit her paw as she tried to pull it back. Star yelped again and whined, using all her strength to make him let go. Then she bared her teeth and lunged, snapping at his face. In fear he retracted, then ran away to recover.
Star smugly barked in laughter, raising her tail, waiting for his losing statement. But none came. Swift grinned toothily at her and panted harshly. "I'm not done yet Star!" He padded at her straight-on, then ran and they both collided. Star used her greater size to her advantage, rising to her full height and bowling him over. She made a move to gorge his stomach but he met her halfway and sank his teeth into her face.
The metallic scent of blood drifted into her nose. The liquid trickled down into her eyes and blinded her with red. Star shook her head, trying to clean her vision. Swift knocked her over and brought his paws down onto her stomach. All the wind was pushed out her lungs, resulting in an awful choking sound. Star gasped for air and Swift sank his fangs into her neck.
"S-stop!" Star whined, "I submit!" Swift stayed where he was, not moving, actually biting harder and growling. Alpha Wind leapt to his paws.
"She said stop, Swift. Release her." The gray wolf stepped away and Star rolled over. She continued to collect her breath, panting heavily. Swift tried not to show it, but he was just as tired.
Star shifted to show her bleeding stomach to him. "I submit to you, Swift River," she growled, not meeting his yellow eyes.
The gray wolf lifted his tail and pointed his ears forward. He growled, "stand up," and the light gray she-wolf did.
He had kept his promise. Half a moon ago, when they were searching for the source of the poison, Swift River had said that she would answer to him someday. Well, today was the day.
He didn't mock her like she expected. Star was shocked to find him giving her a few swift licks on the ear. He murmured, "you fought well," softly into her ear before turning away. She blinked in confusion at him.
After she surrendered to Swift River, the wolves in the pack moved away. Alpha Snow clumsily shuffled down the rock and Alpha Wind went to their den. Star's sister waddled up to her. Her white belly was beginning to round with pups and while she was not the farthest along, it was her first time, and she was adjusting as such.
"Star, what happened?" she whined softly. She nudged her sister with her nose and they walked together. They padded under the trees. Small leaves were growing on their branches.
Star resolved to stay silent. Eventually, she responded, "I don't know, Alpha."
Alpha Snow sighed heavily. "I hate that you have to call me that now. Remember the journey we had to make to get here?" Star did. It nearly took a whole year to cross The Spirit Mountain, then another three moons to travel across the moor to the edge of this territory.
"Yes. I almost miss being alone like that – just you and me. We could go wherever we wanted to."
Alpha Snow nodded and growled in soft laughter. Star raised her nose and inhaled, taking in the new-moon scents, but Alpha Snow persisted. "Star, are you sure you're okay?" her sister asked, looking with concern at her muzzle and belly.
Star huffed in response and dashed forward. She had scented something. She hurtled under a bramble patch and clamped her jaws on a rabbit. It squealed and tried to run away, but Star bit down harder and snapped its spine. Alpha Snow growled again, this time in praise. Star offered her the prey.
"You can have some too, Star," the alpha said, sniffing carefully. When she was satisfied that the animal wasn't poisoned, she bit in. She looked almost uncomfortable eating before her sister who had previously outranked her.
Star sat down and lay her head on her paws. "No, you need it more than I do – you're carrying pups." Alpha Snow carried on eating, looking less guilty knowing that Star was alright. They chatted under the canopy, eventually going to sit by The Great River. They were together for most of the day, returning before dark carrying a squirrel and mouse. Not much, but it would do something to take the edge off the hunger. The Alpha returned to her den while Star stayed outside, making sure to hide licking her stomach. Night grumbled encouraging words from a rock in the view of the setting sun.
The gray she-wolf ignored it, continuing to clean her fur. She discovered the extent of the damage, which were a couple of scratches. They were not too deep, but deep enough that they wouldn't close for a few cycles. Star decided to retire early; the fight from earlier with Swift (Swift River, she corrected herself) and the slight bit of hunting she and her sister did had drained most of the energy from her. She climbed up the small mound of boulders, passing the drafty omega den with Bone already asleep inside. Eagle was busy collecting bedding, not minding that her denmate wasn't helping much.
She slipped under the low-hanging rock above the hunter's den. Owl was inside, and so was Swift – Swift River. Great. Star had wanted to avoid him. Owl was asleep, but Swift River raised his broad head.
"Star?" he asked softly.
She could not ignore him anymore. She collected the scraps of her dignity and settled in beside him. Before he beat her today, Star used to sleep in the very middle of the wolves. This was the prized spot for the highest-ranking wolf, previously her. Now, Star would have to sleep just outside of him. She made sure to keep his back to hers and not say anything no matter how much he tried to talk to her.
"Star, are you alright? After the fight? I know I challenged and won against you, but you were bleeding more than me, I'm worried."
Her ear flicked in surprise. She didn't expect him to care. Swift River always seemed to hate her, but now he was suddenly caring more than Star liked.
He continued annoying her. "You're young, Star, and impulsive. In times like these we can't afford one of our best hunters to be running off sniffing for Nofurs every which way. You'll get hurt if you're not careful, and none of us want that to happen."
As much as she wanted to stay mad at him, Star melted a little at the concern. Then she remembered she was supposed to be angry, and how he had held fast even after she had submitted. She turned away and curled further into herself.
*
Swift River and Star trekked through the undergrowth. They were walking together on the dawn patrol a few cycles after Swift River's challenge. They had gone west first, or left facing out from their den. Just as he had done before, Swift River tried to be friendly with Star. He talked about how she was feeling; if her wounds ached or not.
"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked her for the thousandth time. Her patience was wearing short.
Star snapped and growled: "No, leave me alone!" then ran ahead, skirting a nettle patch and leaping a puddle. Swift River increased his pace to snap at her ankle. Star kept running, eventually emerging out onto the grassland. Their course would take them past the Nofur camp, and Star aimed to reach their destination first. Behind her, Swift River was growling at her to stop.
Just as she bounded into the heather, a whining growl startled her.
"Where d'ya think yer going?"
Swift River snarled and stepped in front of Star. They both lowered their heads and pressed their ears forward, signs of aggression. A yip sounded from in front of them, behind a large gooseberry bush. "Show yourself," barked Swift River. More laughter sounded, and a brown shape tumbled from the foliage. It stood up, then shook itself. It laughed again, and both wolves could see the intruder.
A coyote.
Its tan, mangy pelt unkempt, it laughed at them. "Silly wolves," it barked, "ya think yer so smart? I bet ya can't even catch yer own tails!"
"Your flea-ridden fur stinks all the way to the Path of Stars," Swift River snarled. Star joined in with an angry swipe of her tail.
"Get out of our territory before we make you."
The coyote snickered, orange eyes gleaming. "'S that a threat?" it asked coyly, cocking its head. At the movement, three other coyotes stalked out from the bush. Star growled, low and menacing. Swift River moved his head a closer to hers.
"Do you think you can hold them off for a while longer while I fetch reinforcements?"
With a resounding bark, Star shot forward. She startled the mangy animals and nipped at the first one's flanks as she bowled past him. Star kept running, into the heart of the territory. A coyote howled and snapped at her heels, but she outran him.
Swift River was not at her side. He was running back to the pack and would hopefully return soon. Star glanced behind her and slowed down a bit. She didn't want to completely outrun the intruders. She dashed through the heather, tripping on a root and scrambling to get up.
Unfortunately, the coyotes caught up and Star howled as they ran into her. One tore at her ears and another clamped his jaws around her throat. The other two hung back, yipping in annoyance.
"Aw, c'mon, let 'er go and let us have some fun!" one whined, pushing to get past the largest dark brown coyote. It snarled and shook his head, not affecting Star much other than bruising to her throat. She snarled and kicked out with her legs at the first one, who was trying to squeeze in a bite. She yelped and backed off, allowing Star time to twist and roll over.
Normally, exposing one's belly in a fight is the worst action one can take, but in this case, Star was becoming desperate. As she rolled over, the coyote who was mauling her head was crushed under the weight of her and her friend. They gasped for air and as they did so, Star leaped to her paws. The two coyotes who weren't attacking her at first barked angrily and lunged, but Star got out in the nick of time. Oh, thank you, Star Wolf! She cried internally.
Star ran, blindly picking a direction and going. She was heading in the direction of the camp. As her face turned towards her home, she heard the angry howls of a battle patrol closing in. She answered to show her position, the call bouncing at each bounding step she took. The coyotes didn't pay any attention, too caught up in their game of chasing Star down.
She ducked under a particularly large frond of gorse at the foot of a small slope and almost slammed into Night as the black she-wolf skidded to a halt. "Where are the coyotes?" She growled. Water, Owl, and Swift River caught up behind her.
Star turned around just as the animals rounded the bend of the small hill. Their eyes widened, and they yelped in fear at the sight of so many wolves. They backed up against the soil, tails between their legs. One tripped and scrambled back up as Water lunged at her with a mixture of a snarl and a bark.
"Don't hurt us!" whined the smallest one pathetically.
"Yeah, we didn't mean any harm!"
Star barked in laughter and sat down. "Is that why you fought me?"
The original one scuffled his feet unceremoniously. "We was jus hav'in sum fun, weren't we?"
Three "yes's" sounded one after the other. Star didn't buy it. Swift River stepped forward and snarled: "Just go home!"
"We can't!" bayed a coyote, "or they'd hunt us down!"
"Who would?" asked Owl.
"Why, the Nofurs of course!" barked they four coyotes in unison. "We come here to hunt their crow-food." Star's ear flicked. Swift River growled again and raised his tail, signalling to his patrol to step forward.
"And I don't care whether they'd hunt you or not," he began. "You leave. Now."
The four coyotes looked at each other. Then at the wolves. If they had been better fed, Star wagered they might have tried to challenge them, but in their skinny state they did not dare. They ran off. Swift River sniffed after them.
Star felt the fire of anger burning in her belly. It seemed that the Nofurs brought more bad luck each passing cycle. First the death ticks, then the poisoned water and prey, and now competitors for food. Oh, Star Wolf, will they ever leave this place alone?
"We better make sure they leave," Swift River mumbled. Wordlessly, the wolves followed.