Abyss

Late in the night, you heard the loud, bone-chilling howls and yelps of a nearby pack of coyotes, celebrating some sort of victory. This morning, you could not find Pyre, even after searching through territories close to your pack. He must have been snagged by an opportunistic coyote.

Berry stared at the camp entrance for what seemed like hours as the pack looked frantically for her lost brother. She'd heard his cries and now could not go back to sleep no matter how many times her mother begged her to relax and let the others find him. She could tell that Bloodbath didn't care, the red she-wolf had always chosen favorites and Pyre was never on her list. She didn't even seem bothered that he was gone! Finally, after what seemed like forever, Berry saw Nightstalker's patrol come back with Sunrise, the lead pupsitter, all looking somewhat deflated. Nightblaze looked at Nightstalker expectantly, and he looked at her, shaking his head slowly. Berry gasped and the patrol whipped around in surprise. "Berry...!" Nightstalker called after her as she raced out of the camp. She'd never been in the forest before but she'd eavesdropped on enough of the older wolves conversations to know how to delay them from following her scent trail. She waded through a very shallow stream and sat on the other side. And staring down at her reflection, she realized she didn't feel anything. When Bloodbath finally found her with Nightstalker at her side, she looked them. "I don't want to be called Berry." She murmured, her eyes and heart empty. "It doesn't feel right anymore...call me, Abyss."

The memory hurt Abyss now, but she never returned to the name that her brother used to call her. She wears the name with sullen pride and has vowed to protect every pup with her life. She looked softly at her swollen belly. "I will protect you." She whispered.