Even the wolves don't come out at night because they're afraid of what hides in the shadows: being banished here is worst than a death sentence.

-----

"Newt! You can't keep doing this! You're going to end up dead one day!"

Newt skirted a bush and didn't stop running. Moonlight pouring down guided her path.

"I'm the boss of myself! Being in a pack is just holding me down!" Newt shouted back at the wolf chasing her.

"Being in a pack is the safest place you can belong, Newt! If you would just cooperate for two seconds without going out on your own!" The wolf growled.

Newt skidded to a stop and spun around. "Going out alone is how I work best!" she stormed up to the wolf and lifted her paw, forcing a claw against her chest. "Newt works alone. And if you can't understand that, sister Rose, then you and the rest of the pack never knew me at all."

Newt pushed Rose back with the paw and walked off again.

"You know I'll have to tell the alpha about this." Rose whispered.

"Yeah, yeah I know." Newt sat on a rock sticking out of the dirt. "Don't expect it to make me come back."

Rose sighed and headed away in the direction of their camp. After a few minutes, a pained howl echoed through the forest.

"Rose!" Newt shouted.

The she-wolf leaped off the rock and ran as quickly as she could toward the howl.

"Rose!" she howled again.

Something moved in the trees above her. Newt looked up and ducked away before a shadow hit her. She dug her claws deep into the dirt and growled at the shadow.

"You are weak, _wolf_. You are no match for me. For any of us really." The shadow snarled.

"I could take on any of your kind any tim-"

Pain exploded in her back as the shadow leaped at her. Newt furiously clawed at the thing's face. It rolled away.

"Like I said, _you are weak_." The shadow sprinted away.

Newt took deep breaths and touched a paw gently to her back and jerked it back at a sting. She paced silently back to the camp.

A brown wolf greeted her with a small bark. "Newt, so glad you're back. Your mother was getting worried. Wait, wheres-" he stopped and noticed her wound. "Oh."

Newt padded into the camp and headed for the alpha's den. "I need to talk to you."

The alpha raised his head. The scar over his eyes glistened. "What? What has happened?"

Newt looked down at him. "Rose was...captured."

The alpha stood up and walked past her. Newt backed out of the way and stared after him.

"If she is truly gone, then there is only _you_ to blame." the alpha whispered.

"What? Alpha, with all do respect, I didn't-"

The alpha spun around. "She went after you. We tried stopping her. She wouldn't be gone if _you keep going out on your own_!"

Newt backed away from him. His eyes were narrowed furiously. He stood straight and looked away from her.

"You are banished, Newt. A wolf like you just...cant be in a pack like this. We pride ourselves on teamwork, not working alone. Goodbye, Newt." Tha alpha went back into his den.

Newt growled and stormed away. "Fine, I always knew I didn't belong here." she left the camp without a word to her family.

-----

Newt found a small cave to sleep in that night. The stone wasn't the most comfortable, but it would do.

"What is wrong with you, Pebble?" an stern voice awoke her.

Newt quickly turned her head around and saw a pair of paws round the corner behind her.

"Who's there?" she got into a defensive stance.

A brown and white and black wolf appeared.

"Sorry, we didn't know you lived here." the splotched one said.

"I don't, I just stayed here for the night." Newt explained. "The place is all yours if you want it."

The black wolf laughed. "Haha, want it? We're free floating spirits, _Scarback_."

"Excuse me?" Newt growled.

"You heard me, Scarback." The black wolf teased.

"Seriously, what is wrong with you, Pebble?" The splotched wolf bat her over the head with a paw. "Excuse me sister. She can be hot-tempered at times."

Newt narrowed her eyes. "You don't say. Names Newt by the way."

"I'm Stone and this is my little sis Pebble." Stone said.

"Only by two days." Pebble grumbled.

Newt laughed. "Firetemper."

Pebble glared at her. "I'll tolerate that nickname only because I gave you a pretty bad one, Scarback."

"Guys, please, you just met one another. You can't get into a fight that quickly." Stone stated.

Newt took a deep breath. "You're right, Stone. Maybe there will be a different time to fight properly. I haven't asked what you guys were doing alone yet. Did your pack kick you out too?"

Pebble rolled on her back and laughed. Newt folded her ears back.

"No, we've never had a pack. We were born out here, in the wild." Stone rubbed the back of his head with a paw.

"Stone, did you-" Pebble laughed more. "did you hear? She was kicked out of her pack!"

Newt put a paw on her throat. "Mock me again, and I'll have to think of a new nickname for you." she slowly dug her claws in further.

Pebble kicked her away. "Back off, Scarback." she growled.

Stone leaped in between them. "Guys, come on. We can talk this out."

Newt growled. "Control your sister next time. I'm outta here." she stalked away.

"Wait, wait!" Stone shouted.

Newt tried to block him out, but he was persistent.

"Newt, why don't you join us? We're on a quest to find out what the shadows really are. It can give you and Pebble a chance to get along." Stone said.

Newt stopped in her tracks. "Try and get along with that hothead? No thanks."

"But what about your sister?" Stone asked.

Newt raised her head and turned it to him. "How do you know about Rose?"

"I was there. I can help you get her back. If you won't come because of Pebble, then come for your sister. We could use a wolf like you." Stone whispered.

"What do you mean you were there?" Newt spun around and got close to him. "Did you see her get taken?"

"She wasn't taken, to be honest, but yeah I was there. I could barely see what happened, but I think she faked getting taken by the shadows." Stone answered nervously.

Newt sighed and backed away a step. "You know what, fine. I'll go with you two. But just because of my sister and to find out what in the world is actually going on."

"That's all I need. Pebble! We're going now." Stone shouted over his shoulder.

Pebble emerged from the bushes. "For the record, Scarback, it'll be good to have a new member of our small group. Now, toward the horizon!"

"Pebble, if we want to find the shadows, we have to go into the cave where we saw one enter." Stone pointed in the direction.

"But you know I'm scared of the dark!" Pebble whined.

"It's the only way. And you have two wolves here with you." Stone soothed.

-----

"A little further." Stone crept through another bush.

"You've said that three times now, Stone." Newt sighed.

"This time it's true. Look." he pointed toward a dark opening in a rock.

Pebble and Newt stopped on either side of him. The trio peeked over a bush. Nearby, undergrowth rustled and a dark figure emerged. Another a second later.

"Remember the orders. We have to find alpha's sister before she finds us." the two figures went into the cave.

"Alpha's sister...? Is she talking about Scarback? Could Rose be their alpha or whatever?" Pebble whispered.

"Rose isn't foolish enough to join the darkest force in the forest let alone be it's alpha. They have to be talking about someone else." Newt growled back.

"I'm sure. Wait till I'm right." Pebble smirked.

"I'm ending your life when this is over." Newt growled.

"I'd like to see you try, Scarback." Pebble laughed.

"Guys, quiet. We have to get in there before someone catches us." Stone slipped away.

Pebble and Newt glared at each other before heading after him. The trio went into the cave. It felt like forever before they reached a large cavern.

"Keep to the shadows." Stone whispered. "And no bickering."

Newt headed in the opposite direction as the siblings, keeping herself against the wall.

"Shadows! Have you found my sister?" a voice shouted.

The two figures from before shook their heads. "Sorry, Alpha R. We were unsuccessful. Next time, we will find her."

Alpha R sniffed the air from on top her large rock throne. "Too late, fools! She has already found us. Search everywhere! Leave no space unchecked."

The figures nodded and immediately left.

Alpha R leaped from her throne. "My dear sister, I am truly sorry about this. It was not meant to come to this. Newt."

Newt froze. Alpha R sat in the center of the cavern.

"If you reveal yourself, you will not be hurt." Alpha R said.

Stone suddenly emerged from his shadow. "She's over there, in that corner, Alpha R."

Newt widened her eyes. "Stone..."

Alpha R walked over to where he had motioned. She leaped with a growl at Newt. Newt yelped as her sister's claws broke skin.

Rose laughed. "Weak. Pathetic. Wolves are meant to work together. Never alone."

Newt gasped and backed away as much as she could. "You attacked me?! Rose, I-"

Rose slashed her muzzle and Newt tumbled over. "Silence. This is not the time for apologies." Rose dug her claws into Newt's throat. "It is, however, time to knock some sense into you!"

"Get off of her!" Pebble barreled into Rose and sent her staggering away.

"You fool! Newt deserves to die for what she did!" Rose growled.

Pebble narrowed her eyes. "What did she do that was so bad?"

"She killed father!" Rose shouted. "She started the fire that killed him!"

Newt flinched. Pebble forced her to her paws.

Newt sighed. "That might be true, sister, but I didn't think you were so desperate for revenge that you would turn on everyone."

Rose laughed. "How else would I have gotten revenge, huh? There's no better way then use the most feared force in the entire forest!"

Pebble glanced at Newt. She quickly tossed Newt over her back and ran toward the exit.

"Get them!" Rose shouted.

The two figures blocked their path. Pebble didn't stop running and slipped between their legs. She sprinted down the tunnel and into the fresh air.

"I'm getting you somewhere safe, Newt. Just hang on." Pebble said.

She raced far away from the cave and quickly ducked into a bush to hide. Newt rolled off her back and groaned.

"We have to...go back." Newt whispered.

"Not before you're healed again. Since Stone is with Rose, we need more wolves. What's your plan, Newt?" Pebble wondered.

Newt looked up at her in surprise. "Well, I can probably convince my old pack to help. And we also need a plan if we want to take Rose down for good."

Pebble smiled. "Pretty good plan. And for the record Newt, I was hoping I wasn't right."