an early catch.

[` Darren.]

The spring showers had already began to materialize over the forests where the packs lived. And in the morning hours, a mist began to rise from the huge shapes of the trees in Venganza territory. With it came the calls of carrion birds, crows and ravens, that sat haughtily in the branches of the pines. No one has risen from sleep yet, most of the pack members lay solitary in their dens, or curled with a 'friend'. That is, if you could have friends in this pack. Aspen wasn't cruel like some of them, he was good natured even. Perhaps he didn't belong here, but this was his pack. The hybrid had grown up here, and so he would remain within the ranks.

As the almost foreign chirp of a songbird sounded, the youngster’s large ears shot up and his eyes opened. In the darkness of the den, he could see the bodies of the other pups, their sides rising and falling gently. It was so quiet, and a soft frost had stilled the plants outside, framing them in white. He scrutinised the pack center, he could see no one, and only the pile of leftovers from yesterday’s meal was left. A few of the black crows sat nearby, pecking tentatively at the stale meat. The black and tan pup smirked deviously, and sunk around the others in the den, and out into the chilly morning air. He slunk closer, like a cat, although it was quite clear he was there. Though the birds didn't seem to see him.

Unlike the other apprentices, Aspen was pretty damn big already. His large paws not those of a gangling puppy, but those of a wolf. Many of his features did not fit his build just like this. Such as the feathery plume of a tail, his narrow chest, and heavily muscled shoulders and haunches. Considering that his colouring, too, was so strange in a hybrid, many mistook him for a dog. That was until they saw the detail in his eyes. They look a simple mahogany brown to begin with, but up close the flecks of gold and light rings of beige were mesmerising. But Aspen was comfortably unaware of this feature, and when others often found themselves lost in his gaze, he just put it down to him being such a strange looking creature.

The young male bunched his muscles as he drew level with the crows. And then, with frightening speed, he shot towards them. With a clatter of wings, the birds ascended through the branches. But below there was a commotion as the pup wrestled with the large scavenger as it tried to flee his flailing paws. The pup finally managed to get a good hold of the squirming bird, and he sunk his sharp teeth into it's chest, crushing the very life out of it as his jaws closed. He grinned broadly, looking almost comical with his mouthful of feathers. Aspen placed the bird down, and then, curiously, prodded it with one of his oversized paws.

[KUMORI]

D I A B L O

Watching the small puppy play from the shadow of his tree, The doberman began to remember his own puphood.

It was a warm Summer day running through the field with the his brothers His parents looked on with a smile, though he was struggling to keep up with his older brothers. "Hey guys wait up!" he yipped bounding over the high grass, his brothers not even bothering to slow down so he could join them, in fact they sped up pulling away from him, "Go away shrimp!" "yeah, go back to mom and dad!" they barked. Diablo sped up maintaining his distance, his heart pounding faster and faster trying to keep his body from shuting down from loss of oxygen, his lungs were working their hardest to help him breathe, but it was no use he couldn't catch up, Diablo sat- panting wildly- tyring to keep his small body from overheating as he watched his brothers race away. Life was never fair to him, he sat there whimpering until his mother came to comfort him.

Then there was his first hunt... oh how he adored that day! He remembered it clearly- all the sights and smells, the vivid colors of the flowers and grass, and then... his two brothers, those jerks!

"Don't leave me again!" He barked running after his brothers, it was funny how he always seemed to be running. "If you can't keep up then you can't hunt Diablo!" the eldest barked, "I can keep up1 i swear!" he barked desperate to stay with his brothers this time, "then let's go diablo! Rapido!" the second barked. Diablo Quickened his pace trying not to fall behind, all three crouched behind a log overlooking a flock of sparrows, His eldest brother lept first followed by his other brother and finally diablo, they each caught one- even though Diablo had trouble handling his and it almost got away- he dropped his catch and looked at his brothers wagging his long black tail panting "I did it bros i did it!" he said with a smile. "Good job Diablo" "Nice catch little bro" they barked approving Diablo's conquest of the small bird.

Diablo smiled and trotted up to the small pup sitting beside him he barked softly "good job little one"

[` Darren.]

Aspen jumped at the sound of a voice nearby, and turned his head quickly to find Diablo looking at him. The hybrid sighed with relief and smiled at the older dogs words. The pup’s long tail beat the frosty ground happily at the praise from the Doberman, who the pup highly respected. ''Thanks!'' the young dog barked quietly. Aspen looked back across the pack camp, where he could see Diablo's paw prints in the frost. ''I didn't think anyone would by up this early'' he said as he looked back to the male sat beside him. The youngsters golden flecked eyes drifted back to the dead bird at his feet, ''What should I do with it?'' he asked, bemused. Some of the dogs wouldn’t touch carrion eaters, they said they spread disease. Then again some of the dogs didn’t care, and would happily eat it.