Alonso peered up the side of the mountain, trying to distinguish whether the moving object that he saw was a wolf, or another animal. It had been a long time since he was driven out of his birth pack, but he thought nothing of that now. He felt adventorous, as young wolves often do, and looking up the steep slope, he knew his destiny lay on the other side.

Maybe I will be able to find another pack to join, he thought aimlessly, It would be nice to settle down someplace.

He stared up the side of the mountain, mentally marked the spot that he had seen the other wolf, and started the long journey upward.

Alonso had made his way up the mountain, and came to the spot where the other wolf had been. To his surprise, all he found was and empty cave, but the scent of another wolf was present. The other wolf had obviously been here. The cave was spacious, and after a while he found himself curled up, and ready to sleep. Being just a young pup, he had no idea of the many dangers that a lone wolf may face. Alonso fell asleep, with dreams of venicen and caribou bones.

He awoke early that afternoon, and realised with a start that he was not alone. He sprang to his paws, ready to fight if this new wolf was aggresive. After an akward silence, he realised that this wolf meant no harm, but he was still on his gaurd.

He cautiously asked, "Who are you?"

Alonso breifly thought against the invitation to eat, but a sudden hunger pain in his stomach reasoned otherwise. As wolves typically do not look each other in the eyes, he did not notice Benup's eyes traveling over his unusual coat.

"Yes, thank you" Alonso said as he bent over the meat and ate hungrily.

As he ate, he felt slightly akward, like he should be doing something to this wolf in return.

Maybe Benup is a lone wolf,he thought to himslef, and maybe we could travel together. But then again, I dont know anything about him.

As Alonso finished the meat, he sat up and looked over the new wolf. He seemed nice, but Alonso could never be so sure. He knew what had happened the last time he trusted a strange wolf. He decided that he would take a chance.

"Well Benup, are you a lone wolf?" he asked hesitantly, "and if you are, would you like to travel with me? I mean, I sure could use some companionship. It gets really boring traveling by myself, you know."

Alonso listened as Benup started to speak.

"Well, to tell you the truth, I really dont care, I mean, we have practically a whole lifetime to make something of ourselves, so we dont have to really do anything right now. I mean, I could join a pack, but then again I think I perfer being alone, not that i dont like company..." Alonso stopped short when he realised that he was randomly rambling. "Sure, i think we should stay for awhile, this cave is kind of nice."

He wondered if Benup would agree with his decision.

But then he remembered his coat color, and all the teasing that he had to go through when he was in a pack, and he wondered if Benup really did want to journey with him... even more, he wondered about his history, and why he was here...

Alonso decided that if they were to stay here, the first thing that he would do is scout the area.

"Well you see, no other wolf has really ever wanted to be with me, I dont know why, I think that it is my coat color." he stated bluntly.

I might as well tell him the whole story... Alosnso thought to himself.

" Ok... when I was young, and I still lived in a pack, no one really wanted to play with me, and when I asked if someone would play with me, they just ignored me. They made fun of my coat color. I guess you could say I was kind of an outcast. All of my pack members are white, and I got stuck being the one who is different. As soon as I could hunt, I left my pack for good, without telling anyone."

"Why did you leave your pack? Or did you have one?"

"Why did you do that?" Alonso exclaimed, more startled than angry. "Now they'll see me! Oh my gosh, your the only wolf I have talked to in a long time!"

Noticing how rude he had just sounded, Alonso straightened up and said, "Im sorry, you can meet them if you want, I am just a solitary type of wolf... I guess I could meet them, but I dont think that they will like me."

Alonso took a step forward, and peered down to the other wolves. Soon enough the new wolves were standing in front of them. Alonso backed up fearfully when the wolf in front stepped forward, and refused to look him in the eyes.

"Who are you two?" The new wolf asked, seeming friendly, but inquiring.

I'm a coward. Look how at how I am acting! A brave wolf wouldnt be acting this way...Alonso thought to himself. I could say something. But then again, what if I say something stupid? What if these new wolves start to think that I'm and idiot? They already think that I am a coward.

It seemed as if Alonso was a new wolf. He stood upright, and began to speak. "Do you three live here? Or do you come from a pack?" The new Alonso went away as quickly as it came, and he became the frightened, on-gaurd wolf that he had always been. He looked at Benup, and looked back at the three new wolves. Alonso sat down, with his legs splayed and his ears down flat. He couldnt make himself look at the wolves again.

There was an akward silence. Alonso felt as if he was about to burst.

"Would you like to stay with us? We have slept already, and you all look very tired" Benup said.

Upon closer inspection, he realised that they had marks underneath their coat. What's that? Are they meant to be scar marks?! he thought.

Waiting for a reply, he went and nudged Alonso with his muzzle. Quickly, he relayed a message with his eyes. We must be wary. We never know what these three could do he told him.

The odd look from Benup put Alonso on gaurd even more than before. While observing the wolves more closely, he too could see the scars. Whoever these wolves were, they were probably skilled in close combat...

"The cave is over this way" Alonso said under his breath, just loud enough to be heard by the three wolves. Alonso turned and led them to the cave, but he kept casting glances over his shoulder to make sure that the new wolves were not going to attack Benup or himself.

Alonso stopped at the entrance to the cave, and quietly beckoned Benup over to the side. After Evergreen, Zepher, and Bailian had entered the cave, Alonso asked, "Well, do you think that we can trust them?"

"Yes that would be great. We have been traveling for the past several days nonstop." Evergreen said speaking for the group.

As Benup and Alonso turned around to go and hunt for some food, Zepher, Bailian, and Evergreen began to talk.

"Why do I get the feeling that we are not really all that welcome?" Bailian said looking at his sibblings.

"Its just you Bailian, they are very nice wolves from what I can tell I mean they are letting us stay in their place and letting us eat some of the food that they catch." Evergreen replied.

"Yes but you think that just about every wolf we meet is nice."

"I do not!"

"Alright, alright, alright already! Lets not get into an argument over this you two" Zepher said taking controle of the situation and putting an end to their bickering. "Now, yes they do seem nice but I would have to agree with Bailian on the fact that we don't seem too welcome."

Bailian and Evergreen looked at Zepher and tilted their heads currious as to what he ment.

"Did you guys not see the look we got when we first introduced ourselves to them?" he asked them.

They shook their head. Zepher was about to answer them but just then Alonso and Benup came back in with some mountain goat meat.

"Thank you very much for the food, it was exactly the nourishment that we needed." Evergreen said as she finished her meal.

"Yes, it was very good, thank you." Bailian chimed in.

"Your welcome; Do you want us to leave the cave while you all rest up and sleep or does it matter to you all?" Benup said looking at the three Red Wolves.

"It doesn't matter," Zepher said in the middle of a yawn.

"Ok we'll leave you all to get some sleep." Benup said. "We'll be right outside nearby if you need anything." With that Benup and Alonso padded out of the cave from sight.

Not much was said for they were all exhausted from the extensive traveling they had done the past several days; it had started to catch up with them. Zepher and Bailian had no trouble falling asleep, but Evergreen did. She lay awake there for awhile until she could stand it no longer she quietly stood up and went outside, careful not to awaken her brothers. She padded along until she saw someone standing on the edge of the cliff. It was Alonso, and he seemed sad. She went over to him and stood behind him and to the side for awhile waiting for him to react. When he didn't she cleared her throat, *ehem*. He turned around and saw that it was only her.

"What are you doing out hear? I thought you were going to take a nap in the cave with your brothers?" Alonso said without looking at her.

"I couldn't sleep. While I'm out here though I thought I would thank you and Benup for your hospitality." she said. "There haven't been too many wolves that have been nice to me and my brothers.*chuckle*."

"What's so funny?"

"Well, it’s just that my brothers think that we are unwelcome here and that you all don't really want us here. Also, they thought that you guys might attack us. I find the whole idea silly, I can tell by the way that you have treated us thus far that you are nice wolves, and that you won't hurt us." she said smiling at him. "You know Alonso, when I first saw you I thought to myself 'Man he must have been teased about his fur when he was younger.'" she said as the smile faded and she looked down at her paws, "but," she continued, "I have to admire you for the fact that you don't seem embarrassed by your fur. You know something, I like your fur. It looks nice." she said the smile returning to her muzzle as she looked back at Alonso once more.

Evergreen had her head tilted out of stupefaction. "You thought that we would attack you guys? Why on Earth would you think that?" she asked.

"Well.....ok, look, we noticed that you guys had scars on your chests and well we thought that that meant that you all had been in a lot of fights and that you were really good at close quarter combat." he said looking her straight in the eye's that way she would know that he wasn't lying.

Evergreen was astounded that they had noticed the scars. As she looked into to Alonso's eyes she could tell that he was being truthful with her. Looking away quickly with an ashamed and sad look on her face she began to speak.

"I didn't realize that they were that noticeable. I suppose I better tell you what happened," she said coming closer to where she was standing beside him. She sat down and continued, "I have 18 siblings. One of them was an albino by the name of Scarlet. Mom and Dad disowned her and gave her the name Scarlet Whitetail instead of our actual last name which is Redtail. Anyways every time I saw Scarlet Mom was beating her. If we tried to stand up for her we got beat too. Also the rest of my siblings that hated her would beat on us too. We just didn't like seeing her get beat like that, just because she's different doesn't mean that she isn't apart of the family, she is still blood related, that doesn't change with the color of your fur and eyes." at this moment she was too choked up to continue even thought there was a lot more to the story she could not continue.

With tears streaming down her face she looked over down into the valley that was beneath the mountain and wished for the painful memories to go away.

"I'm really sorry that all that happened to you, Evergreen." Alonso said.

"It's ok. It's in the past, nothing we can do about it now except be strong and live for today and the future. I've moved on but still nothing can keep the past from hurting, that's why I live in the moment, for one does not know when one will take their last breath." Evergreen said looking back at Alonso with a tear stained muzzle.

Alonso was about to say something when all of a sudden their came a yap. Looking around they noticed that it was Benup. They looked back at each other as if to ask, "What was that all about?", but decided to go to Benup and ask him themselves.

On the way over to where Benup was Evergreen turned her head towards Alonso and asked, "What were you fixing to say back there?"

"I'll tell you later." he said as they came up even with Benup.

OOC- No, I don't mind, in fact I, think that is a great idea. BIC.

"It's ok Benup." Alonso said

"Yea, we were done talking anyways." Evergreen said going quiet for a minuet or so. "Hey, Benup. I need to tell you what I told Alonso that way you won't bad of me and my brother's anymore.  Ok the reason we have the scars is because when we were little our mother used to beat us every time we defended our smallest sister, Scarlet. See mom hated her because she is an albino and she's the only one in the family like that so, yea when we tried to stand up for her we would get hit too because we weren't supposed to." Evergreen continued, looking up at Benup once she was done talking, hoping that would help him to feel more easy around her and her brothers.

Sensing that something was wrong Evergreen looked over at Benup and then back at Alonso and flattened her ears down.

"I can't help but feel that I have caused a problem."

"No, don't be silly. It's probably nothing." Alonso said looking at his new found friend.

"Well, I'm going to go over there and find out." Evergreen said as she quietly padded over to where Benup was. She waited for a moment to see if he realized she was there then figuring he didn't cleared her throat and began to speak.

"Benup? I hope I have not caused a problem, if I have I will go and wake my brothers and we'll head on that way we don't cause any more." she said as she sat by him, hoping that that was ok for her to do.

"No, no. You have caused no problems. I was going to ask whet- Alonso, get over here please." Benup said.

As he waited for the younger wolf to come over, he thought What did happen to Alonso in his youth?

As soon as Alonso had arrived, Benup continued. "OK ... Alonso, would you like to come with me to see if we can find the wolves that I saw down in the valley? Evergreen, would you like to come? I'll find out later if your brothers want to come."

As he waited for an answer, he sniffed the air cautiously. As the wind picked up, he realised that he could smell the remains of smoke from a day-old fire.

"OK then." Benup said.

Looking quizically at Evergreen, Benup asked her "So ... do you want to come?"

"OK ... we'll leave straight away then." Benup replied.

Looking around, he realised that they'd have to find the quickest and least dangerous way to get to the bottom  of th mountain.

Spotting an area that sloped downwards, he said "Follow me, please" to Evergreen and Alonso, as he moved towards the spot.

As they made their way down Evergreen almost slipped once or twice but she caught her footing before she actually fell. She began to wonder about what had happened to her sister.

"Scarlet, oh how I miss you....you were an inspiration to Zepher, Bailian, and I. You will never know how much you mean to us," she thought to herself as she looked up at the cerulean sky. Since she was looking up at the sky while she was walking she ran into Benup.

"Sorry, I was lost in thought and wasn't paying much attention."

Seeing his companion almost stumble, Alonso took more care in the placement of his feet from then on out. The group was almost halfway down the side of the mountain.

Pausing to scan the area below, he thought he saw two wolves walking side by side.

"Look, I though I saw something... but I am not sure." His two friends stopped to view the valley. All three of the wolves saw that there had been a recent fire, the long black scarred burnt mark evidence enough.

Following his friends down the slope, Alonso's thoughts ventured from subject to subject. He thought about Karli, the only friend he had ever had besides Evergreen and Benup. He remembered when she had gotten kicked out of the pack for standing up to the alpha wolf who was picking on him...

He wanted to tell Evergreen and Benup his history, but he was too afraid to admid it...

His thoughts were broken when one of his friends began to speak.

Alonso stopped. "Yes, a rest would be nice... if that is alright with you, Evergreen."

"That is alright with me." Evergreen replied.

Alonso sat down, then noticed that Benup looked as if he was getting ready to ask something. He waited patiently for his friend to speak.

Alonso could feel the hairs on his back rising as two pairs of eyes focused on him. Emotional turmoil rose inside of him once again. Well, these are my friends, I can trust them. He thought to himself. It wouldnt hurt. Looking down to the ground, he began to relate with his friends his life story.

"Ever since I can remember, wolves have picked on me. For what? Because of a difference in coat color. It started with my childhood. I would be peacefully sitting by myself, then he would come." His voice was now filled with anger. "Nagru, my older brother... he hated me. He would take one look at me and rush me, biting at my heels. He called me a disgrace to all arctic wolves. He would lead my brothers and sisters on brutal chases through the woods. I could never sleep, for fear that he and the others would be there, waiting for me to fall asleep, then pounce on me, tearing at me.

"Oh, but if I ever caught any of them alone, I would rush upon them and attack. My life was filled with hate... hate for the family who never loved me, for the brother who was always leading the pups after me.

"No one would do anything about it, in fact, my parents thought it was amusing. They have never cared for me. I remember the first time I came to my mom for protection. She laughed in my face. By then Nagru and the others were upon me. I never escaped unharmed.

Alonso's eyes suddenly softened, a smile came upon his hardened features. "But then, I met a miracle. Her name was Karli. She is the only wolf in that pack who ever showed me love, the only friend I ever had. She was talkative, but it dosent matter. She was my insparation to keep living. Many times she stopped me from commiting suicide.

"But then, one day, the alpha wolf, Ragan, decided he would try to make fun of and torment me. Everyone else just looked on and watched the show, as if this was normal. But not Karli. Seeing Ragan pick me up and throw my helpless worn body, she was overcome with rage. She attacked him with more viciousness I have ever seen in any wolf at one time. Of course, attacking a leader is punishable by exile. That is what he did. He banished Karli from the pack. I remember seeing her being escorted to the pack boundaries, giving me one loving look over her shoulder. I will never forget that day." Alonso turned away, hiding a tear.

"Of course, that night I snuck away from the pack, away from the living hell that I grew up in. I searched night and day for her, but rain had washed away her scent. That brings me to where I am today. Though, it seems stupid that all this could come from just a difference in coat color."

With his head hanging, Alonso sat there, feeling more lonely than ever, despite the presence of his two friends.

"Yeah, we wont let anyone do anything to you, Alonso." Evergreen said with a smile.

"Thanks, guys." Alonso said, realising that he had just made the best two friends a wolf could have.

Sitting there on the side of the mountain, looking down into the valley, he realised that his life had taken a turn for the better. And who knows? He may even find Karli one day.