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On An ancient mass of land that we now know as North America, dwelling deep within a timeless forest, lived a pack of wild wolves. Its alpha, a strong, wise male ruled over his wife and three energetic pups. Like many other inhabitants, the pack relied on the forest for both food and shelter. The forest was an essential part of their lives and the wolves knew it. But what the wolves didn’t know was that sometime in the near future, they would encounter some deadly visitors…

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Part One Lupa growled in defiance as her two younger siblings pounced at her in unison. She leapt out of their way at the last second and watched with a smirk as the two immature males collided into a heap of gray-brown fur. Play fighting was the sort of thing only pups would do, Lupa thought. Just to show who was the eldest and in control, she pinned the two fallen pups by the shoulders with her front paws, forcing them to stay down, only letting go when they began yelping in submission. Although only a year older than her brothers, Lupa was much larger in size and a lot more mature. Her pelt still shone like that of a newborn but her eyes glinted with intelligence that outshone any pup. Lupa knew there was still plenty for her to learn (she still couldn’t successfully catch prey). But soon she would master the techniques needed for hunting and train to lead a wolf pack like her father used too, for she was the eldest pup of her pack. In the absence of their parents, who still hadn’t returned from hunting, the pups could only stay within a small piece of land circling their den. Lupita, the youngest twin, paced around impatiently while Lyall, his older brother, curled up in a ball. However, occasionally the two brothers would shoot nervous glances at Lupa and when they caught her gaze the two lowered their bodies and drew back their ears in a manner of submission. Lupa was slightly surprised how fast and well her brothers had learnt the ranking rules of a wolf pack. They will become great wolves, too, she thought… Just when she was about to slouch down with her siblings, a piercing howl filled her ears. The sound itself was terrible enough, a cry of pain and danger, but what alarmed Lupa the most was the source of the sound…there was no mistake…that strong, distinctive voice…it was Lupa’s father, Lycaon.

Lupa was suddenly aware of the growing scent of her parents. Then, bursting into the clearing was a pair of adult wolves. One indeed was her father, Lycaon; the other was her mother, Ylva, who swirled her graceful white neck towards Lupa and howled the last command that Lupa would receive in a while. She obeyed upon hearing it and herded her brothers into the safety of their old den. Once inside she peeked out and caught a glimpse of a sight that filled her with fear. There were her parents, standing their ground with their backs turned away from the den, as if they were defending their young from an unseen threat… A deafening shot rang out which made her brothers whimper in the corner that they cowered in. But Lupa watched on unaffected as something tore through a nearby bush and sailed only inches away from her father’s head. Her father stood his ground and snarled back at the bush… moments later three of the weirdest figures that Lupa had ever seen emerged from it. What in the name of the Great Lupus are those beasts? The creatures were at least twice as tall as her father and stood on their hind legs instead of all fours. Their faces were fairly flat comparing to her own and only had small patches of fur on the top of their heads. One of them had bright red fur covering its back while the other two had dark brown fur streaked with grey. Their scent was a mixture of unnatural substances that Lupa could not recognise. Clutched tightly within their long, fat fore arms were stick-shaped things that were aimed at her parents. This time, Lupa yipped when a spark of fire blasted from the stick objects followed by a tremendous “bang!” A force too fast for her eyes to follow struck her father’s left side, making the wolf whimper but Lycaon stood his ground. He snarled back at the wicked creatures while Ylva launched herself courageously towards one of them. Lupa’s father followed her lead and soon the creatures and the wolves were caught up in a hurricane of fangs and fists.

Before Lupa realised what was happening, her brothers had left the sanctuary of the den and were sprinting away from the danger. Without hesitating, Lupa turned tails and bolted after her brothers. Shame enveloped her as she disobeyed her mother’s last order to her, but she had no choice. She had to stop the fleeing pups.


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Bang! Bang!


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Lupa heard shots ring out as she hurriedly chased after the twins. The she-wolf feared the worst for her parents… She stumbled as an unseen force skewered her right side, as if sharp fangs had struck her. The pain of the shot caused her to whimper as she loped. It was unlike anything she had felt before. She wondered what great strength it must’ve taken her father to endure it. Lupa felt woozy from the agonising wound… Soon after, the young males, with their tails tugged tightly within their legs, stopped and cowered under a scrub. Lupa, however, fell immediately as the last of her consciousness finally escaped her body… She rose sluggishly and felt a sharp, stabbing pain as she tried to move. The noise in the forest had perished and it was soundless at last. But Lupa did not notice the change. The first place she noticed was the last location she had seen her brothers… A howl of despair escaped her mouth. The pups were gone. She felt that she had disgraced her parents by failing to stop Lupita and Lyall from escaping. Slowly, she made up her mind and began pacing back towards her den. Even if she had failed them she could still help them. Yet something didn’t feel right. Where were the noises and howling? She pondered. Perhaps they’ve already won? Then, breaking in to the clearing as her parents did just a while ago, Lupa stopped.

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! The lifeless silence that unveiled before her eyes was something that she had not been expecting. The colourful yet wicked creatures were gone, and so had her parents. Nothing remained but patches of blood that dried under the summer sun. Lupa let out another heart-wrenching howl… Her parents were gone…

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Part Two As showers of bronze bullets whistled past her ears, Lupa couldn’t help but regret her choice of hunting ground. True, she knew that the place was already a part of someone else’s territory… True, she knew that it was presently occupied by filthy humans… But it was a risk that she was willing to take to hunt on the plentiful prey to satisfy her hunger. It didn’t take Lupa long to recognise the familiar scent and the same coloured fur that they wore. Over the past couple of years, she had learned all about the horrifying creatures and their way of living. Initially she was unable to catch almost any prey and the fate of doom loomed over her. But as starvation inched closer, Lupa’s wolf instinct kicked in and awoke the hidden knowledge passed down to her from her great wolf ancestors. She would’ve steered clear out of the human’s territory if not for the lack of food the menacing winter had brought. The chaotic shouting of men and the barking of the hunters’ dogs rose louder as Lupa picked up her speed. Lupa was fast and if she needed she could continue for hours. However, her body ached for food and she wasn’t sure if it was possible for her to last a long race… The humans were persistent and patient and those chained slave-like dogs they owned could track her down easily. What she needed was an obstacle between her and the hunters so she could have time to get downwind of them. That way the dogs wouldn’t pick up her scent and Lupa would have enough time to conceal herself. Snowflakes swirled around her as she weaved in and out of trees and bushes. Somewhere not far ahead, Lupa heard the thrashing of water from a river. Then an idea came to her. She knew that river well, for it was the one she knew to never go near because of its strong flow that swept away the life of many. She could almost imagine the freezing water chilling the lives out of its innocent victims. The hunters would never

risk the lives of their valuable canine slaves and certainly not their own precious lives. Up close, Lupa realised that her plan was much more challenging then she expected. The river was at least 25 feet wide, with such a furious flow that Lupa was sure it would consume her in seconds. She could not tell how deep the water was, not that knowing would make her any less afraid. Swimming was a last resort. Her pelt may have protected her from the snow and wind, but it would be little protection against the freezing water. Worse still the shear wright of her thick pelt would make the crossing almost impossible. The hunters were only about 40 feet away. Lupa tried to ignore the chorus of barking from the dogs which raced ahead and were almost at her heels, and most of all, she needed to overcome the fear and panic that sprouted within her. Lupa could turn and make one final stand. However, Lupa recognized that there was only one chance of possibly surviving the day. Anxiety took form of millions of little imaginary worms and wiggled in and out of her stomach, making Lupa yelp out loud. She took one final glimpse at the beautiful, clear sky above her and prayed for her luck. Lupa exploded towards the chilling river and as the bank edged closer she crouched and sprang as far as she could. All noises disappeared except for the roaring of the river as Lupa soared through the air, like that of a bird. It would’ve being one of the most wonderful feelings she had ever experienced if she had landed safely on the other side…

Splash! As if she had landed in a pit of fire, Lupa howled so deafeningly that she was sure the entire forest had heard her. The bitter cold drilled into her bones and her thick, fur pelt did nothing except add extra weight to her to make it even tougher for her to swim. She had missed the other side of the river by several of feet, and landed in the fast moving water instead. Her body felt like stone and trying to move forward was almost impossible. She fought daringly against the raging current which threatened to swallow her. Subzero waves pushed her downstream but Lupa padded sideways furiously despite her stiff body, half paralysed by the cold. At last her paws touched the waterbed and with a powerful thrust, she returned back into the arms of the dry, firm earth. Despite the frozen torment she had just endured, Lupa shook herself dry with the last of her energy. It was important for her to remain warm no matter how tired she was. Dusk had fallen. Lupa, starved and wornout, discovered a nice hole at the base of an enormous oak and there she slept until the next dawn…

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Part Three Having had a good night’s sleep and a hunter free dream, Lupa was up once more, bursting with renewed energy. She still needed food, badly, but she no longer worried, for she was able to track the scent of the carcass of a freshly killed animal. However did the creature die of, Lupa wasn’t sure, but one thing she was sure of was that she had to get to the source of the scent before other food scavengers reach it. Generous rays of sunshine slipped through the foliage of the pine trees and casted down upon Lupa’s pelt. The carpet of pine needles and snow reduced the noises she had made as she loped towards her destination. Bands of jays sang along with the rustling of leaves as she passed beneath them. She couldn’t help but congratulate her luck of finding such an easy source of food. But her victorious mood did not last long. As she approached the carcass, she caught an alarming new scent. Lupa could not remember what the scent belonged to, but somehow, it smelled slightly familiar, as if it was something she should know immediately. But no matter how hard the poor she-wolf tried, she could not remember. Lupa wasn’t keen to go head on against a scavenger who might be as equally hungry as she was, so she chose a nicely concealed location and spied on whatever there was from that point… They were wolves. And they weren’t just any wolves. They were her wolves. The long lost families of hers that Lupa thought she would never see again. A small yip of shock escaped her opened jaw. She stared at the pack in utter disbelief as they feasted on the carcass.

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Then Lupa jumped into the clearing and bolted towards her parents and her brothers, whom watched her with the same shocked expressions. She released a long-restrained howl and pounced cheerfully at her brothers, who sniffed at her curiously. At last the pack had reunited. The wolves sped alongside of each other through the forest and expressed rejoice and delight with chorus of howling. And Lupa thought that nothing was better than to be back at her families’ side again. And by the name of the Great Lupus, I pray that they always will be.

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