𝙼𝚒𝚍𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝[☯️]

Weary young paws stopped at a small creek that bordered the lands she was seeking. Warm, summer breezes sifted through her muted brown fur. Blood-red eyes scanned the topography in front of her. She was almost there. Not much father. The lands that Cregga, of Naonuma, had spoken about lay beyond this creek. The young, nameless female paused in her quest to rehydrate and wet her parched tongue. She had travelled through both forest and plain to reach the western mountain range. And now that she had reached the lands of Duskveng, she could finally rest.

Deciding to hang out near the borders for a while, the young adolescent managed to catch some fish to feed her rumbling belly. Though she had speed and agility on her side, she was not yet experienced enough to be hunting even small game on her own. But she had managed to catch field mice and other small rodents along the way.

By the time afternoon came, the pup had all but fallen asleep on the non-marked side of the creek. She was awoken by paws nudging her shoulder and the soft murmur of voices around her.

"Who are you?" Asked Anyka. She did not have a name. "Well, I don't have one."

Mosstail, a fluffy green-and-cream-furred she-wolf, looked perplexed. "You don't have a name?" She asked.

The pup shook her head with an expression of sadness in her red eyes. "I do not remember the name my parents gave me."

"Do you know where your parents are? What pack are you from? You don't seem familiar." The tirade of questions and comments was making her head spin. She just wanted to know if she was going to be accepted into their pack. After the stories Cregga had told her, the pup was eager to find Duskveng Pack and become a member.

"No, I have been travelling in search of a pack to call home. The previous one along the way directed me here. Are you familiar with Naonuma?"

"Yes, we are familiar," Anyka responded. "Our King, Kaolin, is close friends with Queen Reika of Naonuma."

"Then you must know of Miss Cregga." The pup enthused about the old brown female. "She looks kind of like me! She told me about your pack and I wanted to come to see for myself!"

Mosstail, a pretty she-wolf, wagged her tail. "Speaking from experience, yes, King Kaolin is very kind and wise for one so young. He says he inherited it from the previous pack leader, Late Queen Anika."

So King Kaolin was not the founder of Duskveng. No matter. Hopefully, he'd still take her in.

"May I please speak to King Kaolin about joining your ranks? I promise to pitch in with hunting when I'm an adult! I can come to watch hunts now!" She responded, her tail wagging in excitement. Anyka nodded. "Certainly. Come, hop across the creek and we will take you to the King."

Bounding across the creek in a single leap, the pup joined the two adults on the other side. Though the atmosphere still felt normal, she swore she felt welcomed by the trees themselves. Like this was finally home.

——— ———

"You're just a pup." Kaolin observed, circling the young brown female. She noted that King Kaolin certainly did seem very wise and very perceptive for someone so young. He had a striking lunar-coloured coat that reminded her of the Dreamlands wolves. He even sported some bioluminescent dots along his face, shoulders and limbs. Overall, he was a handsome male. "Yes, but I am old enough to come and watch hunts should I be permitted to do so, sir."

Kaolin seemed thoughtful as he regarded the young she-wolf. "And you said you had no name?"

"Yessir. I do not have a name."

Kaolin circled her again as if pondering something deeply. Her red gaze followed him with interest, twisting her neck around and around. What was this male thinking? Was he considering taking her in?

"Well then, I suppose I should welcome you to Duskveng as a permanent member," Kaolin finally spoke up with a smile parting his maw. The pup felt her tail break into excited windmills. "Midnight."

Midnight? Was that her name? What a wonderful name! "Is that my name, sir?"

Kaolin nodded. "You are now officially, Midnight of Duskveng."

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Trivia

• Midnight takes her name from the Warrior's Universe. Midnight the Badger.