1 Pack

I begin in darkness, and my sniffer tells me everything needed to know. I have a brother, Kuko. Bigger than me, and all bark no bite. I have sisters. Aorl, who loves to play, and Woro, who talks to her tassel. And best of all, my brother Wotoh, who likes to curl up under my maw, the only one smaller than me.

I nose each one of them and the damp dirt above and dry grass below. I circle the den while others drowse. I take test runs up the tunnel. They call me Aruko. Wherever my legs take me, I always circle back to the empty hollow spot in the center of the den that smells like home, like the thing I can never smell enough of. And then she comes in out of the wind, the best of all smells:

Mother.

She turns around once, sniffer-touching each of us in turn, and then lies down in her hollow. Kuko, Aorl, and Woro dive at her to eat. I could have been first, but Mother's fur is full of smells. From her hip to her shoulder to her warm growl breath, she holds smells with no name. Smells that make me want to push beyond the den, where Mother has said "Do not pass," and put my nose to where the light comes from.

I am late for lunch. Wotoh creeps towards Mother for the last drinking spot. I lunged for it. Wotoh put his head down, I looked at him while I ate, once I had enough to hold me over- but not full- I walked away, making room for Wotoh. I curled up in the center of the den once again, I soon feel Wotoh's small head push it's way under my maw. I nuzzled him before falling asleep together. Morning after morning Mother tells us we would allowed to pass "Do not pass," once we had a fighting chance. I ran around the den, building muscle in my legs, although Kuko was always the strongest and biggest, but I wanted it to change. A week or so later, a new wolf appeared in-front of the den, the others shuddered in the back of the den, while I gleamed at the "Do not pass," where the new wolf was standing past. One paw, two paws, three! I was almost pass the "Do not pass," when Mother was approaching the den, I ran into the back before I could be seen. "Pups." Mother called, "Come."

"Outside?"

"Yes, outside."

My audits where standing straight up as I ran my way out of the den, before everyone else. There was new wolves, they stood next to the Alpha,

Father.

Kuko snapped at us, saying he was the one to be Father's favorite. He pranced up to Father, his head and tail seemed to go down by Father's devistating glance. He pushed Kuko away in the tall grass, I stood wandering over to him. He gave me the same look, I was scared but my head didn't go down. "At least we're have a brave one." He looked at another. Kuko growled at me, his look angrier than ever before, he charged at me. Father put his paw down on him, pinning him to the ground. "Stop, you weak, un-brave, un-strong runt." He glared at Kuko. I gave Kuko a smirk while he paced into the den, his ears down along with his tassel, as he had disappointed Father. We walked unto the den, Kuko still sulking, Father called him out. After that, Kuko was gone, and wasn't going to come back.