Day and Night

By Gigglesplash

Blurb
Being thirteen is hard.It's even worse for Luna Dayrunner,one of the new arrivals to the Thunderpaw Pack.

Each year,as the new wolves spend a summer in the forest,they have to hunt,survive.Alliances and rivals form,and at the end of the season,whoever is left is welcomed into the pack.

But Luna isn't so sure she will survive to begin with.After meeting Dillon...

Chapter 1      The Pack
Luna took a deep breath.“Mom,I don't think I can do this..."

“Luna,you'll be alright,"Lillian whispered,smoothing down her daughter's frizzy brown hair.“It really isn't so bad.Three months in the forest won't do you any harm."

“Mom,most of the others have been spending months in the forest since they were kids!"Luna moaned.“I'll never make it out of there..."

Lillian said nothing and took the girl into the woods.

Luna heard twigs snap,a growl here and there.A gruff call was audible through the trees.“Who goes there?"

“Wolves of the Dayrunner family."Lillian said calmly.

They were allowed to pass.

Luna's skin itched nervously.There was no way the pack would accept her...even if they did,by the end of the season,she would probably be dead.

“Our new arrivals!"The Alpha said loudly.

Most of the people here were wearing rough clothing.A few of the older girls had matted hair.Some of them had scars.

Luna shuddered,knowing that many of them were gained during the season of arrivals,the brutal race to stay alive she was about to participate in.

The Alpha began to name the arrivals and their family.There weren't many of them there.Luna winced as she saw the pitiful group.The smaller the season,the less made it back,she knew from her father's stories.

“Raven of the Deercatcher family,Jade of the Moonhowler family,Zak of the Fastfoot family,"the Alpha went on.

Luna's mind began to wander.Some of the people here looked as if they belonged in the forest.Some of them didn't seem wolf-like at all,others had the face of a hunter.

The Alpha had broad shoulders and thick,reddish-brown hair.She almost couldn't distinguish him from a wolf.

She was pulled back into the momemt when she heard her name.

“Luna of the Dayrunner family,and Bradley of the Shadowhider family."The Alpha took his place in the center of the group.“Before the arrivals are sent to spend their season,as is tradition-"

“Wait!"

Everyone turned to see who the person who interuppted the Alpha was.Luna saw a tall boy with fair blond hair run into the middle of the pack.

“Wait,"he gasped,“I'm an arrival,too."

The Alpha glared with his dark,wolfish eyes and said,his voice low like a growl,“What is your name?"

“Dillon,of the Nightbarker family."

The Alpha gave Dillon a nod and tried to continue the preparations for the season.

Luna hoped another delay would stall him longer.Anything to keep her out of the forest as long as possible.

“ Before the arrivals are sent to spend their season,as is tradition,"The Alpha began again,“A Howl of encouragement from the pack is in order,that these strong,couragous wolves with earn their place in the pack."

Luna had,of course,gone on runs with her father in the woods before,but never had she seen so many people like her in one spot,howling to the sky.Fur brushed fur and everything around them faded.Luna felt the feeling of wind in her face as her voice lifted to the sky.

As the last notes of the pack's call faded,the tiny black wolf stood from where she sat near the rest of the kids who would probably die soon,waiting,her muscles tense,for the release into the season.

A sharp bark from the Alpha,a woof of good luck from his Beta,and then Luna was racing into the forest,trying not to trip on her clumsy paws.

Chapter 2      Battlescars
The only thing the wolf could hear was her heartbeat as she crouched between a few boulders.Luna hoped no one would find her,think her an easy target.

As she began to calm down,she knew there were wolves fighting.She had been lucky to get into the forest without being attacked,but Luna didn't know how long that luck would last.

I'm a wolf,she reminded herself,I can fight.I can hunt.Just like Dad taught me...

She didn't dwell on the fact that she couldn't hunt well.

Cautiously she crept out of her hiding spot and sniffed the air.Trying to find a single scent trail,Luna found what she hoped was a fresh squirrel trail and took off.

The sounds of the forest were drowned by the roaring in Luna's ears,the pounding of her paws,the steady thump - thump - thump of her heart.

The trail ended.

Luna growled in frustration.All that was left of a squirrel was a puddle of blood and a few tufts of fur.

She heard a sound.Sniffing the air again,she could tell one of the others had the squirrel she had been tracking they weren't far.

In the stupidest,most impulsive action of her life,Luna raced after the other wolf.

Luna woke in a cave,looking into the face of a boy who looked familiar.

“Good,you're alive."He said.

As she relaxed and left her wolf form fade,Luna tried to place the boy who stood in front of her.“You're Dillon,right?"

He nodded.“I didn't catch your name."

“Luna Dayrunner."The brunette tried to sit up,but was forced back to the ground by an awful headache.“What happened?"

“You were attacked by one of the others,I think.I found you passed out,so I brought you here.That cut on your head will probably leave a scar."Dillon stood.“I need to find food,stay here."

Luna didn't need to be told.Her head hurt to much to leave,and she would be dead on her own.She owed her life to Dillon.

With a sigh,Luna fell asleep.