It was finally the day of Gail’s Cubbing. The night was calm for now, but the distant rumblings and dark clouds crawling closer promised trouble. Could it be an upcoming blizzard? A hailstorm? Whatever it may be, Sierra was sure Gail will be able to handle it. If Sierra could do it, the mighty Gail could do it 10 times better, and look more graceful and beautiful in the process.

What was just as gorgeous were the two full moons beaming down moonlight from above. Sierra couldn’t take her eyes off it. From her books, Ferians would fear the bi-full moon. They perceived them as the Eyes of the Gods watching them, casting their judgment. In a night like this, Ferians would pray for their forgiveness for whatever sin they committed. As terrifying as that prospect may be, Sierra didn’t share the same gloomy perspective of it. She saw it as the time for everyone to live their best, to show the gods that they are happy with the world that they have been bestowed with. Though, she couldn’t help recalling Gail’s words.

Don’t you feel even a little angry?

I do feel angry, Sierra mentally responded. I wish the pack as a whole can be happy together, but I don’t have the power for that. But maybe you’ll be able to achieve that for the pack, Gail.

Same as in pack meetings, the wolves were segregated by ranks. The Omega and Iota were separated from the Deltas and Gammas, with a larger gap between the lone Iota and the Deltas to serve as a path for Gail. As Gail would point out, the Thetas were absent for this occasion.

I hope that you’ll achieve our goal, Gail.

Quibs nudged Sierra when he caught her spacing out. “Mesmerized by the moon?”

“Yeah,” whispered Sierra. “It’s even brighter than I imagined. It’s not often you would see something as majestic and gorgeous as the bi-full moon.”

“But you see Gail everyday, do you not?” Quibs remarked. He chuckled when Sierra looked away to hide her blush.

“I don’t know what you could possibly mean by that,” Sierra said with an awkward laugh.

More soft laughter came from Quibs. “Speaking of the young wolf, I wonder what rank Gail will challenge for. Considering her promising strength, she could pass as a Gamma, though it would also depend on who would be answering her challenge.”

“She could probably handle any of them,” Sierra said. “Ooo, what about being an Alpha? You think she could do that?”

“I won’t rule it out,” Quibs said with a chuckle, “but I find it unlikely that she’ll be able to take down Terra. It will take more than being able to lift a stack of logs to even come close to the Alpha’s raw vigor. Even challenging Zane, Gail needs more years of experience and training to be level with him.”

He watched as one of the Deltas stoked the bonfire that kindled before the entire pack. Raised on a platform above it was Gail’s Cubbing pot. He adored Sierra’s paintwork that made it complete—near the base of the pot, two feral wolves as white as the moons chased each other eternally in a starry meadow, and on one side was a wolf skull. Its left eyehole was blue, while the right was yellow, akin to Gail’s heterochromia. It was beautifully representative of the young wolf.

Quibs looked at Sierra, who was still gawking at the pair of moons. “Why did you choose to become an Iota?” he asked. “I assumed you would have chosen to become a Delta with your sharp eyes and how spry you tend to run. I am not opposed to your decision, but I cannot help being curious.”

Sierra glanced at Quibs. Her eyes seemed to have absorbed moonlight as they glowed with the mystery of the moons. “The role of Delta didn’t really appeal to me, and neither did any of the other roles, aside from maybe the Zetas. I would’ve chosen to be an Omega with you, but they won’t allow more than one Omega in the pack. In the end, me declaring to become an Iota was more of an impulsive decision.” Her ears flattened as her face fell. “I didn’t imagine that they’d treat my role so lowly when they found out what I do.”

Quibs patted her head. “I feel sorry for you, but that’s just how the pack works. If you cannot assert your dominance on the other wolves, they’ll run you over and treat you like a feral.” He smiled warmly. “I appreciate your concern of wanting to accompany me, but I'm content with being the only Omega. It's my pride and my duty, and you should be happy with yours.”

Sierra stared deeply into Quibs' gentle emerald eyes. A part of her wanted to live in those warm spheres, pampered by his gentle, real care.

Quibs hummed, then said, “I am curious, though. I’m sure your choice to become an Iota wasn’t mindlessly blurted out of your mouth. You had to have wanted to do something different. Am I right?”

Sierra bowed her head in acknowledgement, then stared up at the Eyes of the Gods. “The higher ranks are all about hunting and defending our territory. I respect them, but . . . I wanted to be the one to fill in the gaps. I want to be the ones to create those Cubbing pots, clothing for the pack, and make our home a less gloomy and bland place. Even if they don’t appreciate it most times, it’s what I want to do. It makes me happy, and I want the entire pack to be happy.”

A moment of silence passed. Sierra continued to stare at moons. Quibs did the same and marveled at the moon’s splendor surrounded by a field of glittering stars. He smiled. “I now feel as though Gail will be a better fit as an Iota with you.”

The sky began to dim. Gail dreaded that a blizzard was approaching, but she had worse problems weighing on her shoulders. The Alphas had given her two conflicting orders. One was more sensible with her current situation, while the other would be death in more ways than one. If she chose to please Terra’s wishes, however, she’d probably be dead to Frost instead. The question now was which decision would leave her less dead?

“This is impossible,” she muttered to herself as she paced in circles near the cave’s main entrance. She remained here, not leaving until the signal is sounded. Even with all this time and the previous day to reflect on this, she was caught between an iceberg and a hard place. “I should just take it safe, right? Zane will definitely decimate me in a duel. But what has Frost ever done for me? Terra at least got me these to wear.”

She had no mirror to admire Sierra’s craft in full—nor could she see how different her braid looked after Sierra spruced it up before leaving—but she could still appreciate it by how better it felt to wear compared to her coarse cloth garments. She didn’t notice before, but this came with bone accessories. Small femurs were threaded together to secure her feathery skirt around her waist, acting as a belt. Laced on her neck was plant fiber, and attached to it was a crow’s skull that rested on her chest. Gail found these to be excessive for her, but then she wondered if Terra had specifically instructed Sierra to make it like this, and which parts were Sierra’s touches.

Nevertheless, Gail loved it. It was the only worthwhile thing one of the Alphas had given her. Which is why I’ll please Terra’s order.

A gust of wind drifted into the cave, reverberating in it a pair of imposing howls. It was time.

She wished silent protection for the Thetas as she left the cave. Despite the week of being lectured, she had not been told where the ritual grounds were, only that it was within their territory. Not even the smoke of the bonfire could be seen through the snowfall. It was dark, but the bi-full moons lit up the world enough that it’s not impossible to hunt.

She closed her eyes and raised her snout. The smell of pine and holly soothed her nose, as well as the scent of small prey. She then caught the dense spoor of multiple wolves. Among them, she could make out Sierra’s sweet scent. Her tail wagged as she began to chase after it.

It felt gratifying to be able to run this far out of the cave. She envied how the Deltas and above can run this free whenever they pleased, while she and the rest of the lower ranking wolves could only hunt outside during a full moon. It was the only occasion where the Thetas are allowed to leave their den. While Gail may not be free to run wherever yet, she welcomed the fresh open air while she still could. There was no telling if she’ll retain this freedom by tomorrow.

Sierra’s scent was hard to lose track of. The others weren’t difficult either; Quibs’s and the Terra’s scent among others stood out as well, but Gail wanted to cling onto Sierra’s scent specifically. It helped to ease her tension.

The ritual grounds were much farther than Gail had first thought. At some point she thought that she had gotten lost and would never be able to find her packmates, but she was still on Sierra’s trail. She closed her eyes lifted her snout to recapture the spoor, then a foreign scent mingled with her packmates. Her eyes shot open and she snapped her head to either side. Her heart raced as she drew her claws, but nothing came to pounce at her. No one else was nearby. The peculiar scent smelled like wolf too, but it wasn’t of any of her packmates.

“Might’ve been a feral, or an outsider that happened to pass by,” she said aloud to reassure herself. Shaking the fear off her pelt, she returned to prowling after Sierra’s scent.

The smoke from the fire eventually came into view, and soon after her packmates. They all looked at her expectantly as they sat in the snow; Sierra and Quibs were the only ones smiling, and so were Gruff and Reckles. She could see that they were segregated by ranks still, sitting before the fire that continued to dance and crack despite the frigid wind, and above it was her enrapturing Cubbing pot. Warmth tickled her insides for a second from looking at Sierra’s gorgeous work, but a cold grasp clutched her when she saw the Alphas’ baleful stares. They bore down on her, a pair of blue eyes and yellow eyes, expecting contrasting things of Gail. Besides Terra were the Zetas, and standing beside Frost with an expression just as spiteful was Zane.

Gail padded through the gap between Sierra and the Deltas and stood before the fire. The Alphas stood up, and Frost was the first to raise his voice.

“It has only been a moon since the previous Cubbing. Although most of you had not been able to witness it due to the disease that had befallen upon the pack, she had completed her ritual. Since then, she has adjusted well as a true member of the Twinned Fangs.”

Gail couldn’t help taking a gander her shoulder to catch Sierra looking off to the side. Her words from before echoed in her head as she snapped her attention back to Frost.

“Tonight, we shall witness the Cubbing of another young wolf. Although she is my and Terra’s daughter, that is not what makes this special, now shall it benefit her in any way. Instead, it is the phenomenon that you can see hovering above us that differentiates this ritual from the rest. A bi-full moon—a night where the higher beings will be watching, and they too shall be a witness to this Cubbing.”

Terra continued, “Gail, you shall be hunting in the Forest of Shadows. Since you have not ventured far from our cave before,” she glowered, remembering Gail’s mishaps, “or at least, have not explored beyond our territory, the Omega shall accompany to the forest’s border. Quibs?”

Gail glanced back to see Quibs nodding. “I shall ensure her safety on the way to the forest.”

“Make it so,” Frost said. “Now, let us begin the initiation to fully accept her into the Twinned Fangs.”

Potts and Juniper padded toward the Cubbing pot. The peculiar smell from the concoction inside the pot wafted into Gail’s nose, and it was made more pungent when the Zetas picked it up to bring closer to her.

“Your hand, if you will,” Juniper said, holding a hand out expectantly while a dagger was in the other. When Gail extended her hand with hesitance, Juniper guided it above the pot, and with her dagger cut across her palm. Gail tensed her hand and sucked her teeth at the sting. Her blood dribbled into the pot, and Potts proceeded to stir the concoction with a wooden rod. The scarlet of her blood took over the cloudy mixture, with it turning darker with each round of the rod. Potts would then withdraw the rod, tapping it on the pot’s rim. He tossed it into the fire, which roared and turned crimson, devouring the pot for a second. Gail felt the intense heat from it, jerking away a little, but Juniper held her hand as she and Potts were not fazed.

Juniper let go of Gail to lift the pot with Potts. “Drink of it,” they said unison as they drew the pot closer to Gail’s maw.

Same as the smell, the taste was unlike anything Gail had ever experienced. She couldn’t help gagging at first from its slightly viscous consistency, then it started to burn. She was clueless of its ingredients, but she could make out the iron of her blood among what she could only assume were nature’s bounty. It went down her throat like a flaming serpent snaking down her insides, its slimy scales brushing against her esophagus. Then her vision flashed. The colors of the world around grew vibrant. For a moment she was terrified—the colors jumped at her like bright and brilliant monsters. Everything was hazy, the shimmering colors hypnotizing her as she looked at Potts and Juniper, who were casting incantations in a language she couldn’t comprehend. Though, after a series of blinks and a vigorous shake of the head, her vision and mental had returned to normal. Juniper was now applying snow and wrapping a bandage around Gail’s hand.

The bonfire had changed color. From its fierce crimson, it had turned into a mysterious black and gray flame. Gail stared at it in amazement. A powerful gust flew by, yet it continued to blaze and dance without a care.

“The ritual has begun,” the Zetas announced after Juniper finished bandaging her, their voices appearing to echo throughout the ritual grounds. “Proceed to the Forest of Shadows. There you shall meet your fate.” They stared at Gail, who returned their curious gaze. She had always been too unnerved to look at either of the siblings in the face for long periods of time, but what she saw in their eyes at this moment was hope. She didn’t know if she were reading them correctly, but she thought that they were expecting something of her.

Gail flinched when something warm rested on her shoulder. She glanced over her shoulder, then smiled to see that it was Quibs. “Let’s go,” he said, his voice as cool as the wind brushing their fur. He padded off toward a direction, farther away from where their home was. As Gail followed after him, the rest of the pack howled. It sent chills up her spine, something that the frigid wind couldn’t even achieve. Again, she could make out the voice of Sierra being the most lively out of anyone; or maybe it was just Gail selectively wanting to hear her voice more than anything. She needed that moment’s solace for whatever was awaiting her in the Forest of Shadows.

When they were out of the pack’s sight, Quibs said, “Come on, you don’t have to shadow me. Walk by my side.”

“Ah, okay.” Gail trotted until he was beside him. She then asked, “Do you know how the forest got its name?”

“I don’t know its history at all, but from what I remember from my Cubbing years back, it’s really . . . dark, unsurprisingly. Think of the stories of hunters trapped in a haunted forest that I used to tell you and Sierra.”

“That’s making it worse!”

“But you remember how they all end, right?”

Gail pouted. “The wolves survive the dangers that nature throws their way.” Quibs patted her back as he let out a chuckle. Gail added, “I’m starting to not like those stories as much, now that I think about it.”

Quibs tipped his head. “Hm? Why so?”

“Well, they just . . . all end the same happy way. I picked up on the pattern around the third story, so I wasn’t as invested by the fourth and fifth story. Then I thought how unrealistic they all were.”

Despite her having insulted his stories, Quibs smiled. “You’re right to think that they’re unrealistic. I must confess, they weren’t the original stories. I fabricated most of them to end with everyone smiling, in the hopes that you and Sierra will always strive to achieve that same end. But you’re 16 now, and so is Sierra. I’m sure you both have begun to see that not every story will end with everyone scatheless and together. That doesn’t mean you two can’t strive for it, yes?”

Gail looked off to the side, where the mountains were drawing closer. They were in a valley. She could spot ledges along the mountainside where one could traverse like in Quibs’s stories of travelers. There were even a few caves and tunnels boring into the mountain, and she wondered if there were packs living in them. Against the night sky, they truly looked wonderful.

When she wouldn’t respond to Quibs, he said, “I could tell you the original of one of the stories. I think it was your favorite when you were younger.”

Gail looked back at him, her eyes glimmering. “The story about the lost twins?”

Quibs nodded. “They weren’t actually twins, nor were they both wolves. They were a Kobold and a sheep Ferian, named Leera and Mari respectively. Normally Kobolds are territorial creatures that keep to themselves, much like dragons, but this Kobold treated the sheep like her sister. In the story I told, the twins were lost in the middle of the desert.”

“And a lone wanderer approached them to give them food, water, and directions, but at the cost of a limb for each,” Gail added. “It was the only story you told where the people got really injured. I mean, both of them lost an arm and leg each and several fingers and toes!”

“Right. But in the original, there was no lone wanderer to help them. The oasis they found wasn’t their destination either, and they didn’t wander off in the desert to look for their people. Leera and Mari wanted to run away, for everyone disapproved of their sister-like bond. Interspecies bonds were frowned upon in their times, and it may still be so in our current times.

“When the both were starving, Mari offered her body to Leera to be eaten. She wanted Leera to survive and live on, but Leera refused. Instead, the Kobold carried the tired sheep and pushed onward.”

“That’s beginning to sound a lot like your other cheery stories,” Gail grumbled, which Quibs laughed at.

“It may seem that way, since you have never learned of Kobolds, but their strength almost matches that a dragon. While they need to eat as often as Ferians do, Leera was still able to carry Mari with what little energy she had. The real problem was the intense heat her body was beginning to release. Mari was already on the verge of a heat stroke, and Leera’s heat was a factor that pushed her into unconsciousness. No matter Leera’s desire to save Mari, no matter her draconic strength, her plan to run away with Mari did not go the way she had expected it to end up.”

“What happens next?” Gail prompted, feeling like a cub at that moment. “If there’s no oasis for them to find, where do they arrive? Do they run into anyone else? How does it end?”

Quibs did not immediately respond, which agonized Gail as it was turning into a story she was enjoying. Eventually he said, “There is a definite end to that story, but I will hold back on telling you it. I’ll let you finish it in your mind. Whether it ends happily or on a tragedy for the Kobold and sheep depends on you.” He wore the cockiest smirk Gail had ever seen from him. Even when she whined and pleaded for him to finish, he would not break to satiate her curiosity.

It ends however I want it to, she reflected in her head.

They passed through a cleft where the mountains collided overhead. It was like a tunnel in their home, only that an ominous forest awaited them on the other side. The towering pines looked like slender shadows, their outstretched branches akin to menacing arms ready to snatch any prey that walks beneath them. Gail gulped, begging her heart to stop thumping against her chest.

“This is the farthest that I can take you,” Quibs said with a sadness that cracked Gail’s heart that only thumped harder. “You’re on your own from here. Take into mind and heart everything that you have been advised with—you’ll need them for what’s to come.”

The demanding voices of the Alphas began resonating in her head, drowning out the voices of Quibs and Sierra and the Zetas who have been offering her advice for the past week. She wrapped her arms around Quibs in a tight embrace, wishing his warmth to remain with her throughout her ritual. “I promise to make you all proud.” Quibs scratched the back of her ear before returning the embrace.

“You’re a strong wolf, Gail. You’ll get through this, but remember the first person who you should be pleasing is yourself. There is no point in everyone praising you if you are not happy with yourself and your decisions.” Quibs pulled back and crouched so he could look at Gail eye-to-eye. “We’ll be waiting for your return.”

With each step that Quibs took, Gail wanted to follow. But she remained still. A strong breeze passed by, sweeping up snow, making it look as though Quibs had been eaten up by the blizzard that’s growing hungrier. She turned around to face her first challenge. The towering trees bid her to come forward into their greedy branches.

“The Forest of Shadows,” she whispered, mist leaving her maw. “Show me your secrets.”