.:|Roots|:.
A lone, forelorn cry echoes through the valley and across the lake. Somewhere, a lone she-wolf cries out for the hundreth time tonight for her missing mate.
At that exact moment, a brown and white pup watched from the den entrance as his aunt dragged the body into the field for the coyotes to feast on. She has made sure to wash her pelt thoroughly, so should another wolf find the remains, the sent of a Crystal Rock wolf will not be present.
The loner was caught stealing from Crystal Rock's territory, grabbing a long dead rabbit from nearby the den. The pack over took him in a matter of seconds, and quickly disposed of any birds that were watching the scene take place before they could go off and spread the news that Crystal Rock had murdered someone. The pack members that had assisted in the slaughter quickly washed off in the lake to get the forgein wolf scent off them.
And that was what led it to now. Dusk, with the northern lights twinkling over head, and the peaceful spring breeze rustling through bare trees, and the crickets starting their song in the background. While somewhere over the mountains a she-wolf let out a desperate wail every five or ten minutes, hoping that her missing mate would return from his hunt.
But Juniper knew that she'd never see the poor fool again. Because that body, in case you couldn't guess, was the wolf she was calling for. And Crystal Rock was entering the last step of covering the crime.
Juniper shouldn't even be awake at this hour. His mother had put him to bed at the first hint of sunset, and here he was observing his aunt at twilight. The Lights were out tonight, and he wanted to see them.
Juniper had always known that Crystal Rock was a pack that cared too much for their reputation, that focused too much on individual flaws, that made sure they were as dignified as possible. They were high maintinence and they had earned respect. The funny thing about respect was, it was a very fragile thing, and if word got out that Crystal Rock was doing anything shifty they'd lose all their high status.
"She won't shut up." Juniper's ears swivelled at the sound of his uncle's voice. He couldn't see the old, scarred wolf, so he assumed he was somewhere behind the den. He was speaking in that croaky whisper like always.
"She'll give up at midnight, just you wait and see." His father was talking now, his smooth whisper far more gentle on the ears. Juniper lifted his head to the den ceiling, seeing nothing but dirt and one half of the starry sky. The wolves definately sounded like they were above him.
"And if she doesn't?"
"She'll howl herself hoarse, then, and we'll never hear a peep again."
Juniper listened for a moment, before the ear splitting cry sounded again. She was starting to get more desperate for a reply it seemed. Her voice was getting louder, more demanding.
"Why don't we just kill her?" His uncle rasped. Two large black paws suddenly fell over the den entrance, grazing Juniper's mohawk. His uncle seemed to have not noticed that he had just touched a pup who should be asleep.
"Because, she isn't a threat, and she's outside the territory. If she's that obnoxious I'm certain Oasis will deploy their Stalkers."
Juniper had only heard of the Stalkers once. They were an elite force of assassins that resided in Oasis, a smaller pack just south of Crystal Rock. The suggestion that they could be passing by tonight to shut up some obnoxious wolf was... interesting, to say the least. Juniper was even slightly excited to see glimpses of their forms, if they would be visible at all.
Juniper laid his head in his paws, going back to watch his aunt drag the corpse away. She was already out of view, and Juniper was only able to see the tail of the victim be yanked into the tall grass before vanishing. Juniper's eyes travelled to the rest of the pack. There were a few lumps within view, ones that he recognized as his grandmother, a few hunters, and Sparrow, that one wolf pup who was a little too enthusiastic whenever Juniper or his brother Crow came around.
The she-wolf sounded off yet again, earning a snarl out of Juniper's uncle. "I'll go up there and kill her before any Stalkers get close."
"Would you calm down? My pups are trying to sleep."
"It's hard with all that yapping-"
There was a new sound. A masculine howl responded to the female's own, from somewhere down at the lake. Juniper turned his head, nearly brushing against the two giant paws that hovered at the den entrance. It sounded like it came from those dirty Oasis wolves.
"See? They're already trying to lure her in."
Juniper strained two large ears to listen. They were indeed, and as the night grew older, the story only progressed. The wolves would go back and forth, the female drawing closer, the male staying in place. She was falling for it.
Sound carried across the water surprisingly well. Things sound closer than they truly are. And so, Juniper was able to hear the great showdown in Oasis all the way from Crystal Rocks' main den. The she-wolf had foolishly entered Oasis territory in a blind search for her mate. The Stalkers had her right where they wanted her.
Juniper listened as sharp yelps and snarls rang out in the otherwise beautiful night. A few screams for mercy, a few replies of wicked laughter. Something sparked in Juniper that night, listening to Oasis publicly execute this wolf in the dead of night.
They too had a reputation as high as Crystal Rock. But while Crystal Rock was a pack of highly respected and stuck-up wolves, Oasis was a pack of murderers. They both had a name for themselves, they both were untouchable.
So when Juniper got to be alpha, why didn't he just act like them?
Fall 
Day 
