Walking alone to my cave, I looked around at the bland forest. Being here is like having sand sprinkled on my tongue. While eating a piece of rotten prey. Horrible. However, my cave was not far from the willow tree, and I got there in no time. 

It wasn't too lonely. At least, I was used to it. I was kicked out of my pack a while ago. They said I was too weak. 

Glancing to the side at a sudden noise, I spotted the ferns encircling my home were rustling. I shot out a paw into the foliage and crushed the hiding creature. It gave a last pitiful squeal before it was dead. 

As I threw my catch in front of the mouth of the cave, I reflected that, although my life at home was lonely, I still had the tree, Venus and Andre. The wolf packs of the forest respected the tree, but they would never crawl to it for advice. I crouched beside my mouse and prepared to devour it. 

Before I could take a bite, a few wolves stalked out into the small clearing which I practiced fighting and had my meals. I cringed as I immediately recognized one from my old pack. Three pairs of eyes stared into my soul, clearly not yet knowing what to do. 

Finally, the one I recognized, named Sythern, spoke. "Who are you?"

"Yeah, what's your name?" the younger one to his left echoed. 

Sythern whipped his white tail into the young wolf's face. "Shut up, Tamaric!"

Tamaric looked down at the mixture of dirt and sand at his paws, hiding the snide look plastered on his fluffy face. Sythern stared me down with piercing green eyes, waiting for an answer to his question. 

I took in a deep breath. "My name is Ghostie." I flicked my tail, indicating my home. "I've lived here for, er, almost my whole life."

The other wolf, who I had no name for, whispered into Sythern's ear. His eyes widened and he dashed forward and tackled me to the ground. He pinned me, my back against the dirt. "Look," he hissed to the other two wolves. They slithered forward and lifted my left ear. I shut my eyes, knowing what was coming next. 

Sythern backed off, leaving me to jump to my feet as he waited yet again for an answer to his question. Tamaric nodded his reply. 

Sythern narrowed his eyes to me. "You have the mark of our pack. How is this possible," he snarled, "if you've lived here all your life?"

"I said almost my whole life," I growled in a defensive response. 

"I have been alive longer than you. Which means I know who you are. What is your real name?"

"Jorali" I muttered reluctantly. 

"What?" Sythern spat, getting in my face. 

"I said," I started, my tone lowering. "Jor.Al.E. Jorali."

A smirk came across Sythern's face. "So you're that pup Eegren exiled. You're too weak." Sythern said. "This should be a walk in the woods."

"As Eegren's rules stand, any exiled wolf you come across shall be challenged to the death through a Dance of the Claws. Even weaklings like yourself apply to said rule," his eyes gleamed with utter happiness. "You'll have to crawl your way through this one." 

I remembered with relief as I looked at the other two wolves that another rule of the back was that you could only fight one on one. Here is where the Dance of the Claws began.

Sythern crouched low. Watching for the moment he would pounce would be difficult, but I managed to roll aside as my opponent attacked the air. As he was standing up and regaining his footing, shaking off dirt, I barreled into him and brought him back down. I raked my claws down his belly, opening a wound he wouldn't forget. 

The young idiotic wolf Tamaric started to cheer on Sythern. His first cheer had scared me. Sythern caught me off guard and rolled away from me and stood up. Not wasting any time, he leaped and knocked into me, rolling in a ball of fur and claws. I snapped with my jaws randomly, hoping it would reach my target. I landed a few bites, and when I did I ripped viciously. 

After a little bit, I noticed that Sythern had stopped fighting back. I stopped knocking him around and broke away from him. Sythern collapsed, blood pouring from several spots, one which was on his neck. His breathing was quick and shallow. At one point, I had given the killing bite. 

When he finally gave his last shuddering breath, I turned to Tamaric. The other wolf had fled before the fight had ended. Tamaric was my next opponent. He glanced to the side, then slowly backed away. Once he felt a comfortable distance away, he turned tail and ran just as his friend had. 

I stared after him, a wave of exhaustion overwhelming me. I collapsed in my cave on my nest of moss and feathers, leaving the clearing bloody, the mouse and the wolf laying in the center. I tucked my tail and fell asleep.