A/N
I had to split chapter two cause it was so long XD still adding next chapter today/tomorrow!

Snow swirled around the up most tops of the great mountains in the north. Visibility was nil the higher you got; between the rocky base and roughly halfway up in some spots no snow was to be seen. Beautiful autumn weather turned the lower trees' leaves from green to auburn and gold and the bushes from light emerald to red and yellow.

Winter had yet settled her tight grip on the entire mountain range, only succeeding with part of it for now. Flying above it all, an eagle was spotted swooping downwards to its nest. Other large birds of prey fell out of the sky, speeding towards earth to catch a stray morsel or two in the sparse vegetation.

Among the lower crags, a sweet tasting stream fed by the ice cold snow flowed into a vast pool of crystal clear water far down the slope. One part found itself traveling deep underground through a large crevice near the start of the small river.

Running along the river were six whitish gray wolves, the leader pure white with gold eyes. Ahead of them a small herd of elk ate away at the vegetation, one or two keeping watch.

The hunters split up, one pair on each side and one down the middle to drive their prey to the others. Keeping downwind, Ruka and Loran, the Alpha male and female, crept forwards and signaled the advance. Sno and Otto, the oldest litter in the pack, stalked from the right, searching for a weakling. To the left came Zang and Fang, brothers from the most recent litter. The two side pairs made a scissoring maneuver, blocking the exit for the young elk they singled out.

Ruka and Loran suddenly darted forward, spooking the herd. In the confusion, their target prey got separated. Sno and Otto flanked the spike, a yearling male, and drove him towards the waiting brothers. Keeping an eye on the antlers, Zang moved in, fangs bared in an intimidating snarl. This brought the yearling up short, giving Fang time to attack. He grabbed a back leg near the knee and held on as the prey tried to dislodge the set of teeth. Loran backtracked and caught the other leg as it kicked out at her. Ruka aimed for the throat but had to shy away as an antler came dangerously close. The beast's head was down for only a moment when he swung his head at the Alpha; it was enough for Sno to jump and grasp the shoulder firmly in her teeth, throwing the elk sideways from her sudden weight. A swift bite to the life vein ended the struggle, leaving meat for several day's worth.

Instinct kicked in and everyone stood to the side as Ruka and Loran ate their fill. The others watched for other predators that may be attracted to the smell of fresh kill. Otto had the next go at the carcass since their Beta was absent, as he was second in charge. His sister, Sno, had her turn; her and Otto were part of the first litter and was the most clever. The brother, Zang and Fang, still found choice pieces but had to save a good portion for the rest of the pack.

Each member helped drag the partially eaten carcass up the river to a large hole in the side of the mountain. A white wolf with gray flecks on his underside and legs limped out of the rock accompanied by a younger greenish gold eyed white wolf. Her eyesight was impaired early in life when she came across a thorn bush.

The elder greeted the hunters with a wave of his busy tail, delighted to see the outcome of their chase. "Ah, elk. A big one at that, too," he complimented his pack mates, seeing that the good parts were not all eaten up.

"You know we always save you parts of the best, Gamba," said Otto good naturedly around his mouthful of elk.

The wolves sat their catch on the rocky ground for their pack mates. Gamba and the female laid down to eat the tender flesh, the male growling contently.

After they ate their fill, the hunters took the remains around the bend to a soiled area to dig a sizable hole to hide their kill. Returning, Sno and Fang started a game with the young female, carefully avoiding her blind side.

Loran shook her head and laid next to Ruka and Gamba and watched the three wolves chase one another. "That Nira has improved greatly since last leaf fall," she commented to Ruka, her head on his shoulder.

While she was very young, Nira was play fighting with Sno and Otto when they fell into a prickly bush. Otto ended up with prickers all over himself after wrestling with the thorns to get free. Little Sno got scratched on the nose and paws while wriggling out, and poor Nira had to he helped with pulling the stinging branches off her legs and ears. One had somehow wrapped itself around her face, dangerously close to her greenish gold eyes.

The tugging caused a thorn to scrape across her right eye, scarring it and permanently losing her sight. This made hunting difficult for the growing wolf pup; she couldn't, until recently, catch anything with the pack. Nira eventually learned how to use her partial vision with the aid of the others.

"Come get me!" yelled Otto as he rounded a bush by the cave.

Sno and Nira bounded after him; they cleverly split themselves up, one going to the left, one going to the right. Nira kept her good side facing outwards for the ambush; she knew better than to submit her blind eye to danger.

Gray and white bodies collided and fell into a heap of legs and tails, giggling and laughing. Otto untangled himself and leaped up, shaking himself out before helping his sisters up.

Still laughing, Nira tripped over a stray stick as she got to her paws. Her good eye was bunched up in mirth as she jumped on her sister's back, unbalancing Sno who toppled into Zang as the gray-flecked white wolf passed their romping session. He yelped in surprise as they yet again fell to the ground. Nira licked her brother apologetically before getting up. Fang, who started the chase earlier on before Otto took over, was standing by his parents and grandfather trying to keep a straight face.

"Having fun there?" Fang called out, wagging his tail. He suddenly dropped his front end, legs spread forwards and rear in the air; Fang had a big smile that reached his chocolate brown eyes and launched a chase up the stream.

The autumn sun was starting to sink, hiding behind the snow laden mountain tops. Ruka, Loran, and Gamba huddled near the cave entrance; the Alpha called his pack together to howl as the orb of light disappeared altogether, casting shadows into darkness. The moon found her way through the dark night as the wolves settled for the day, enjoying the cool breeze and beautiful stars. Ruka's pack had no idea what the morning would bring, yet they were optimistic about it. There wasn't a cloud in the sky; of course it didn't mean one couldn't form in the shape of a shadow.