From what I had been told, my mother had much difficulty delivering pups. Just about all the litters she had died. Only my older sister and myself lived...

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The tension around the dens was thick enough to smother the faint of heart. Many Lupes were pacing around one of the dens, a few hushed whispers were the only sounds made. Even the wind and trees themselves seemed to have stopped their rustling in apprehension.

The crowd of Dyre Lupes near the den began to part as a tall, regal looking Lupe made his way through. A look of worry etched deeply into his features. He was a somewhat handsome fellow. His fur was mostly a russet brown, his face and underside were a darker shade of brown, and he had a few cream accents on his ears, tail, and throat. His mane had a curly texture to it that bounced slightly as he moved. His pine green eyes bore into the entrance of the den as he approached it. He bit his lower lip nervously.

Papa? Aren't we going in? A small voice piped up. The tall dark Lupe looked down to see a young female pup, less than a year old, by his feet. She was obviously his kin; her fur was a lighter shade of brown than his, she had similar darker brown accents on her back and face, along with a lighter brown underbelly and face, and beige markings similar to her father's. Her mane was wavy and shone brightly with her youth. Her golden eyes peered up at her father expectantly, her childhood innocence not recognizing the sheer gravity of the situation. She always wondered why she still hadn't any brothers nor sisters even though her parents had more pups after her. Death was a distant, abstract concept to her.

Not yet Kaluoe... He murmured faintly, still staring into the darkness of the den.

After minutes of silence an older female came out of the den, her grey fur turning white with age. Her wrinkled face showed nothing but sadness as she approached the Alpha Male.

I am sorry Kaenti...but- She was cut off by a voice in the den.

Wait! One of them is alive! One of them has made it! A deep, yet feminine voice called out hoarsely.

Kaluoe rushed past the medicine Lupess and her father into the den before anyone could stop her. She skidded to a halt when she was in the den. The smell of blood was overwhelming. She looked around until she saw the source, it was then that death became a reality for her.

Lulu? Honey, what are you doing in here? You shouldn't be here... Said the hoarse voice.

She turned to see her mother nursing a single black pup. Her mother was black all over, her mane was long and jet black, she had jet black markings on her face as well, she had a lighter underbelly, and a few smokey grey markings on her ears, paws, and face. Her mother beckoned her closer. Kaluoe tried to ask what had happened, but was simply hushed by her mother. At this point her father and the medicine Lupess had made their way inside the maternity den as well.

Yannaja, may I check your little one? The older Lupess asked softly. Yannaja nodded in response.

The healer carefully checked over the pup before handing the pup back to its mother.

She is a completely healthy baby girl, congratulations Yannaja. The old Lupess said before stepping aside to clean the den and to let Kaenti and Kaluoe see the little one.

Soon the good news of one of the pups surviving was spread throughout the pack and they prepared a grand feast for the parents as a celebration. It was at this feast that the name of the newest member to the Alpha's family was revealed.

After much deliberation between Naja and myself we have given our newest family member her name... Kane said to the numerous Lupes in front of him, Rancune!

Cheers could be heard throughout the land as the pack celebrated its newest member's birth. The medicine Lupess, however, was still working. After burying the last of the litter she felt the wind whip up around her, as if it were trying to get her attention. She turned around to see a large crow on the ground near the graves. She attempted to shoo it away, but got no reaction out of it. It turned to her. She narrowed her eyes at it as it preened itself, it seemed to be doing this reaction deliberately as if searching for something in its own feathers.

If you have something to say, then out with it you cursed wretch! She snarled at it darkly.

The crow let out a hoarse screech before plucking five feathers from its plumage and scattering them on the ground. The medicine Lupess looked at the ground at the feathers. One was a large, ragged, old feather that had gone through quite a lot it seemed- though it probably could have been of use just a bit longer if the bird hadn't plucked it out. Another feather was a smaller feather, it was split into two all the way to its base- it seemed healthy in every other way though.There were two smaller feathers that looked very damaged, they were bent in quite a few places- they looked as they hadn't even fully grown yet. She turned to look at the feather near them, but the wind blew it farther away, when the Lupess walked over to look at it another gust of wind sent it flying further until it landed in a nearby stream and was swept away. The crow, who had been nearby the whole time seemed to laugh at her. The medicine Lupess frowned and turned back to the other feathers on the ground. Her eyes widened when she had looked back at them.

A single, white feather stood upright in the middle of all the other feathers. It seemed perfectly healthy besides the strange coloration, she wondered why the bird would take it out.

A sign huh? What could this possibly mean though...Is it something about the Alp- Before she could finish posing her question to the crow it had disappeared, along with most of the feathers. A splatter of blood was all that remained of the other feathers...the white feather fluttered a bit in the wind, it had blood on it too.

The medicine Lupess looked around furtively to make sure she was the only one there before she took the black feather and left the graveyard.

After nights of mulling over the omen while everyone else in the pack had been celebrating the birth of Rancune the medicine Lupess had come to a devastating conclusion on what the sign meant.

The Alpha family will be destroyed from the inside...but by what, I do not know... She whispered to herself before settling into her den for the night for a restless slumber.

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