Thunder boomed and lightning slashed across the sky as Thorn awoke with a yelp. I wonder when this wretched storm will stop Thorn thought as the clouds rolled across the sky. "Ugh Star just let me sleep a little longer, it isn't even light yet!" Thorn groaned, and rolled onto his side. Star peered over him, "How do you know dummy, the sky is dark because of the clouds. It could be morning already, or afternoon!" Star said, and flopped over him. " If it's morning then my tail is a parrot." Thorn mumbled. " What was that?" Star said. " Nothing." Thorn said. " No I mean that sound." Star fell quiet as the thunder came again. BOOM KABOOM  "It sounds so funny! she giggled.

Suddenly Thorn leapt up in horror, as lightning struck a tree, and as in slow motion, it fell towards his sister.

He bounded forward and tumbled into Star, nocking her to the ground. just as they cleared the falling tree, it crashed towards the ground, and a sharp peice that was sticking out, landed a whiskers length away from his eye. Thorn gasped, his eye could have fallen out. He scrambled to his paws and backed away, only to bump into more soft fur. His parents where standing at the edge of their sleeping cave. "What are you cubs doing out here, and no less in the middle of the NIGHT" Their father boomed. "But that's what I said!" Whined Thorn, as

his mother gently nosed him back into his sleeping cave. "I don't care who's idea this was, but you saw for yourself that Star almost got killed." Their mother softly said. Then she curled around him and closed her eyes.

Thorn growled playfully with his siblings, like them he had electric blue eyes and gray fur, although unlike them he had white paws and a red tail. When Thorn turned you could see his scar over his snout and another over his hind leg. As the wind whipped through his fur, he felt happy to be with his sibling, playing among them. the two brothers rolled in the soft lush grass. His fur smelled like wet rain and dirt as he bounded into the cave that his  family shared. "Thorn, Leaf, look what i found!"Star came running up to them.

She shoved a pile of dirt in their faces. "Umm, sorry to disappoint you Star, but that just looks like ordinary dirt to me." Leaf said, with a hint of amusement in his eyes. "anyway, we where play fighting Star, go play with your cool dirt somewhere else." Thorn shot at her. "But this isn't ordinary dirt, its mega awesome cool dirt! its got shiny rocks." Star excitedly said "I'm sorry Star, can we please see your shiny rocks now?" Thorn politly asked. "No, you guys only want to play with me because of my rocks!" Star said, and flung the clump of dirt at his face. "no, Star, we didn't mean that we were just having so much fun playing, and, and...." Leaf stammered off "You guys never include me in your games, you know I can fight just as well as you!" and with that, she stormed off.

Thorn slumped to the ground as Leaf started after her. "It's no use Leaf, we have to wait for her to cool down." Thorn sighed. "No, if i speak to her then maybe, " He broke off as a solid shape came hurtling at him. Leaf tensed his mucels, but the shape came soaring over him and landed with a thump, on Thorn. Leaf heard an 'Oof' and struggled to see through the dust. He waved a paw and the dust slowly cleared, showing that Star and Thorn were rolling around on the grass. They looked like they were having fun, so Leaf skidded to a stop, and pounced on them both, creating an even bigger dust cloud. The three cubs rolled around and happily licked each other.

 "Wow, i didn't think you were such a good fighter Star! i'm really impressed. Hey Leaf, we should let her join in on some of our games!" Thorn excitedly said. "I guess, I mean, I wasn't really expecting that, and her pounce was a strong one... so ok?" Leaf hesitantly said. Suddenly, they heard their mom calling out. "Leaf, Star, Thorn darling, time for dinner!" And together, jostling one another, they made their way into the cave. That night, they fell asleep hearing the soft rain pattering outside.

Thorn jerked awake with a start, the lightning from the previous night had come back, worse than before.

Outside he heard his parents murmuring to one another.

I wonder what their talking about?  Thorn thought, as he slowly and quietly got up and moved towards the cave entrance. As he got closer, he could make out little bits of what they were saying. "Not ready.......But too small... Its tradition......They won't.....There so....But Thorn" They muttered together. Thorn perked his ears when he heard his name. He slunk closer, keeping to the shadows, as he kept still to see what he could hear. "But their so young, i don't know if they will survive." Thorn's mother said. "Sharp is coming again tomorrow, to see if we have sent them away yet. If they are still here when he arrives, we will be banished from the pack. I was sent away when I was as young as Thorn." Thorn drew back with alarm,

he couldn't believe it, they were sending him away? his own parents? he stumbled back, and a few rocks fell dow with a clatter, that echoed eerily around the cave. his mothers head jerked up and Leaf groaned blearily. Thorn backed away hurriedly, but his mother softly called out to him. "Thorn honey, I heard you back there, come out, your father and i want to talk  to you." Thorn slowly crept forward and his mother put a paw around him."what's going on here?" Leaf came trudging out and Star followed him, yawning heavily." Nothing dear, you can sit with your father." their mother replied. so in the cave entrance lay the whole family, talking about what Thorn had overheard.

"Wait, so let me get this straight, the family traditions are that when cubs are 1 and a half years old, they have to leave and create their own pack?" Star asked. "Sort of," their mother replied "But the female wolves can stay, so you are safe here, unless you don't want to stay." "of course I do, but Thorn and L..." Star trailed off as blinding light filled the clearing. " Cubs, everybody, get inside quickly!" the cubs immediatly rushed inside, but as their parents made their way towards them, a second flash of lightning came, and smoke filled Thorns eyes. he quickly closed them, and as he opened them again, smoke filled the air and he could smell burning meat. whats that smell? did the lightning kill something?  A thought flashed in his mind, but he quickly pushed it.

away, everybody was safe, right? as the smoke cleared, he saw it was an animal that got killed, but not any animal, in front of him on them ground, was his parents lifeless bodies.

mom, dad!

"No!" Star was the first to react, she lunged forward, skidded to a stop in front of her mom, and buried her face in her fur. "Mom, no....mom" Star yowled, and Leaf rushed to her side. "It's gonna be ok Star, trust me." He said. "we can just... just..." he pondered for a moment on a word, then gave up. Thorn stepped forward."Let's go, it won't help to cry over their dead bodies, and that's what mom and dad would have wanted. For us to start a new life." He nudged Star up, and let her lean on his side. Together, the three cubs made their way into the woods, casting only a few glances back.

That night the cubs fell asleep under a bough of trees in the middle of the woods.

In the middle of the night, when the moon was the highest, a shadowy figure groped around in the dark. it was standing on two legs and had no tail. it was a human, and that human was heading straight for the cubs.

Thorn awoke with a start, he stared off into the darkness, feeling as if something was wrong. he whirled around and stared at the spot where his siblings where sleeping, at least HAD been sleeping. Star was nowhere to be seen. "Star?" he called out into the deepness of the forest. "STAR?" he yelped, spinning in circles. movement caught his eye, and he backed away, but it was only Leaf, looking around in confusion "was hapnen?" he drowsley asked. "Leaf, Stars gone!