Winter Moon

"Congratulations!"
The maternal wolf wagged her tail at the sight. Four new pups laid at the paws of the mother wolf, who wined in happiness. The new additions wriggled and yipped gently at her forepaws, blindly exploring their small world. The den was lit softly with the afternoon sun. The serenades of birds echoed through the air, tickling the ears of listeners.

Peaceful and quiet - perfect.

Another wolf stood off to the side a few feet away. His tail was raised high in the air, unable to hide the joy and proudness in his heart. He crept forward, eyes alight with the pride only a father could hold.
"What should we name them?" He murmured, lifting the corner of his mouth.
The mother wolf softened her eyes and licked the fur of one pup.

As of then, it was a miracle the pups survived. Born at the end of the autumn months, the mother had been worried about the abundance of food and shelter. Their own pack was struggling as it was. The maternal wolf performed a quick inspection.
"It looks like this one is the strongest, and this one the weakest." She pawed at the two, eyes calm and cool.

The parents had expected such news
"Hmm. She is beautiful." Her mother commented. The pup's coat the color of Lilac glistened with sparks of blue tints and deep roots of purple blotches. Despite being weaker, she seemed to have the vigor of life; her body moved continuously, slowly pushing her siblings to the side and trying to feel her way around the stone floor.

"She sure is strong for being born as the runt." Her father panted. "Let's wait until they open their eyes to give them names, per the Alpha's request."
Giving another look of adoration, the parents sat watching their greatest achievement laying at their paws.

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1 Week Later

"Look! They are opening their eyes." The mother called her mate excitedly. The two eagerly watched as their pups opened their tiny eyes. One by one, each pup gained their vision. The neverending world was revealed to the eyes of those who would become the next generation.

To view the world for the first time.. was the most beautiful thing to see.

Each was given a name to fit their appearance or strengths. When it came to the runt, they struggled. Nothing seemed to fit her. Whether it was because of lack of strength or appearance colors, neither could choose a name. The maternal wolf chipped in.
"How about Little Luck? She is small, and she is lucky to be alive."

It was decided. Little Luck looked at her parents with her light blue eyes, curiosity blazing. Winter came without warning. Air became cold to the nose, frost found its way to the tips of the grass, and wind cut like a knife against the tree's bark. Food for the pack disappeared and rivers slowed to a trickle. There was no choice but to move locations.

"Come on." The father wolf called his pups, which came bounding along with energy and excitement. Following behind, the mother watched as the pack trekked along the forest floor, barren yet pretty to the eye. The happiness she felt soon dissipated as she observed Little Luck. Unlike the others, the wolf seemed to wander without thought.

Something was wrong.
"LIttle Luck, come here." Her mother called. No response. The pup still wandered off towards a field of snow.
"LIttle Luck!" The father called. No reply. The realization of their pup being deaf struck their hearts with anguish.

It all made sense. There was a reason the pup was slower than the others, slower when reacting to action, slower to express emotion. Nothing would be the same after finding the truth. What was once a perfect picture shattered to the ground into pieces, never to be put back together.

The mother wolf no longer gave much attention to Little Luck. Unable to understand why she was suddenly neglected, Little Luck tried to fit in. She pounced on her father's back, nipping at his ears. A sharp snarl rang through the air. Other pack members looked towards the sound, a little disturbed. Little Luck didn't hear, but she did see.

Tail tucked between her legs, she let out a small whine and crawled away, hiding under a bush. As of late, the pup had been excluded from activities, including the pack huddle, which was the time when the wolves gathered into a group to conserve heat. Her meals were much smaller than her siblings, and play time was rare to come across.

The maternal wolf noticed the changes. Guilt weighed heavy on her back. What happened to the parents who were so proud? What happened to the love they shared equally between pups? So few answers for such empty equations.
The maternal wolf knew she had no say in how the parents should treat their pups, but she couldn't help but slip a few extra pieces of meat or play tug of war with Little Luck when they were alone.

Snow fell like a blanket. A land of white and blue: a serene sight. But even the land couldn't lift the hopes of Little Luck. During the chilling nights, she curled up as much as possible to reserve body heat. Small tears wept from her eyes that went unseen or heard. Shivering, she whimpered and quietly begged for somewolf to help her.

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2 Months Later

The treatment had been - and was - outrageous. Little Luck struggled to keep up. Her siblings were running around, rough housing and playing chase. The lack of food and attention led to her being weak and quiet. Unable to communicate, she kept to herself, living on the border of their territory and keeping away from others.

Her parents didn't even notice her now. Unchanged, they treated their three pups with care. It was known to the other pack members Little Luck was now completely ostracized.
"She is of no use. Perhaps we should just let her go." One member murmured on a night filled with cold emotion.

"Alpha does not allow desertion. If we are to leave her, we need to leave her with some resources." Another chimed in. Quiet stretched between the wolves as they thought for solutions. Little Luck had shown no special abilities. She didn't stand out, and rather just fell into the background.
"How about another -"
The wolf was cut off by the entrance of Little Luck's parents. The two sat down on their haunches, eyes hard and slightly down.

"What's going on?" The father asked, licking his paw. No one answered. Fear was obviously in the air. The mother stretched and shook her fur. Nightly sounds returned to the land. It was a peaceful night, save for the heavy knowledge a pack member's health was slowly deteriorating under their watch.

"We were talking about Luck. Something needs to be done." One member muttered under his breath. The others shot a look of fear towards the parents.
"And?" The father huffed.
"It's just… she's dying. Alpha is asking to do something about it. Keeping a sick wolf will only slow us down." Another replied.

"She's our burden. Just let it go." The mother wolf rolled her eyes as she spoke.

Finally, the maternal wolf spoke up.
"How about sending her to the Cross Districts? At least let her have a chance." The wolf tried to persuade the parents.
Unfortunately, it only led to an outburst of snarls. One thing led to another, and the father had the maternal wolf by the throat.

The other wolves yelped and wined. The forest became alive with the sounds of anger and sorrow mixed into one. Disturbed, the night seemed to send a wind of force through the trees. The pinned wolf growled and snapped at the father. A few tufts of fur littered the frozen ground.
The noise alerted the Alpha something was up, prompting him to send a shrill howl for an emergency meeting. It was decided something had to be done.

No pack member wanted to stare at the dying wolf. The parents didn't want to do anything with her.

"It's better than having to deal with her. Deaf. Useless as always." The father huffed and licked his leg, which had a claw mark from the maternal wolf.
Once the Alpha caught wind of the plan, he didn't approve. But seen as the pup belonged to the parents, he had no word.

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1 Month Later

The pack made a stop by the Cross Districts on their journey to the Hunting Prairies. The father picked up his pup by the nape and carried her away.
Seeming to understand the situation, Little Luck released a howl of desperation and squirmed to free herself. The pack didn't react. Her siblings hid behind their mother, for fear of being subjected to the same fate.
Undeterred, the father plopped her down on the ground and promptly left.

Not even a goodbye…
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2 Weeks Later

Being alone was worse than Little Luck had imagined. How she survived, she had no idea. The days ran together and the sun never seemed to set.

Surrounded by huge wolves of terrifying height and scents of fresh and rotting meat, the little pup was lost. Nearly trampled by paws, she scurried under a few bushes, shaking. Unnoticed, she hid for hours, not daring to show her face or even move.
Eventually, hunger persuaded her to find food.

"Hey!" A wolf of great size snapped. He lunged forward and grabbed the pup by the hind leg. She dropped the piece of meat immediately and whimpered. The bite she had taken was small, only a tiny mouthful. But thievery was not something tolerated in the District. A few snarls from bystanders disrupted the flow of traffic.

Little Luck tried to motion an apology. Unmoved, the wolf stared at her, growling. He was confused as to why the pup wouldn't speak. Looking at her down and up, he noticed the visible ribs and thin legs. Her fur was dim and scraggly. The once bright eyes were downtrodden and exhausted looking. Hmm… This wasn't the kind of wolf that should have been traveling, especially alone.

The wolf shook his head, ruffling his rusty colored fur. The afternoon light made his coat shine like polished copper. His deep eyes penetrated Little Luck with curiosity. It was rare for a pack to abandon their own pups without a reason. But he guessed what was wrong.
"You're deaf, huh?" He nodded for confirmation. Little Luck patted the ground with her paw, trying to communicate.

"I got it." The wolf dropped a deer's leg at her feet. "Go ahead and eat. I'll pay."
The young wolf looked with wide eyes. Was he really giving her this? Before he could change his mind, she dove in, ripping the leg apart with her sharp canines. Never had she tasted such delicacies before. It was sweet and tender. Not even the bites of meat she was given in her pack were of such standards.

The wolf slipped away as the pup ate, finding another who served as a saleswolf. The two conversed for a while, shooting glances towards the pup.
"Deaf, huh? That's rare. A wolf 'ike her ain't gonna survive another winter without help." The saleswolf muttered. "She's lucky she even made it here. I'mma bit surprised that her pack let her get like that."

"I think they didn't want her. They just let her be until they arrived here. Poor thing. She looks malnourished and like she hasn't exercised in years. How old do you reckon she is?" The rusty colored wolf asked.
"You aren't actually thinking of taking her, are you?" The other looked appalled.
"Why not? Artemis wouldn't mind. She loves pups. And this one will be one she really will pay attention to."

"Look, Copper, you're a good wolf. But she isn't worth it. She's deaf. What good can one do if they can't even communicate?"
"She has a strong will. She's here and still breathing, so she must have a reason to keep going. Maybe I can show her what I mean. Just because she's deaf doesn't mean she can't see. I know she knows she isn't wanted."

The saleswolf shook his head. "Fine. She might be worth 75 Silver Cones at most."
After paying, Copper returned to Little Luck's side. The pup jumped as he approached. In a display of thanks, she pawed the picked clean bone and let out a disgruntled whimper. Flattening her ears, she laid down and waited, assuming he was going to leave.

"Alright, let's see what you can do." He wagged his tail to show his friendliness. Little Luck looked at him with confusion. He repeated the action, waiting. Inch by inch, Little Luck stood and cocked her head to the side.
Good. I've got her attention.
Copper turned and looked back. Will she follow me?

To his surprise, she followed after him, eyes piqued with curiosity. The two traversed their way around the District, looking at various items and other wolves up for trading. It was frightening for her, but for some reason, the presence of the other wolf was comforting.

He led her to a specific flat stone laden with various kinds of food and plants. Pretending to look for something, he watched the pup from the corner of his eye. Little Luck swayed her head back and forth, before picking up a certain leaf.
There was a sign with scribbled writing on it. Create 1 medicine for free.
It was all she needed.

Copper stared as he watched her drop several plants into the makeshift bowl. Within a few minutes, she had created a generic Healing Salve.
In the past months, with nothing to do, Little Luck had spent her time watching her pack's medic create many medicines. Just from observations, she learned the different types of plants and medicines.

"I'll be… You got some talent there." Copper whispered, raising the corners of his mouth.

"What pack are you from?" The saleswolf nodded as he looked over Little Luck.
"Noel Winter Eve Pack." Copper hummed as he pulled out some Silver Cones from his carrier bag.
"Paw here."
With a stamp on the sign, Little Luck was officially adopted.

The only issue left was convincing the Alpha to agree.

"You think she was worth it?" Artemis asked as she watched Little Luck lay at the edge of the den. Copper licked his mate's cheek.
"She has good talent with medicine. I know she will be a good addition. Snowdrop can't say no."
Artemis shook her head, making the highlights in her reddish fur shiver in the lowering sunlight.
It was up to the Alpha to make the final say.

Upon the nightly meeting, Snowdrop was surprised to see the new addition sitting behind Copper.
"What is this?" She asked.
"This is a wolf who needed a home. She's been abused and left for nothing. I know I went behind your back, but I couldn't leave her there. I ask that this pack take in this wolf as their own." Copper explained and waited for a reply.

The moon hung high in the sky, bathing the wolves in a soft white glow.
The land was quiet as Snowdrop thought.
"Hm. Alright. I believe she can be a good pack member. You are a good wolf, Copper. Meeting adjourned."

It was decided: Little Luck had found her forever pack.
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2 Months Later

"A name would fit her well." Artemis hummed as she watched the newest member rough house with the other young pups. Since joining, Little Luck had never been happier, seeing the sun and getting the chance to play with others her age. With all the food and attention she needed, she had forgotten about her previous pack.

"Her markings are unique. Hmm." Copper thought as he watched the sun bounce off the pup's back.
"Moon.. Moon. White? Winning? Win.. win.. Winter. Winter! Winter Moon!" Copper exclaimed excitedly.
Artemis's eyes brightened. "Wonderful. I like that name."

That night, the parents motioned to Winter Moon what her new name was going to be. Before they could blink, the little pup had jumped on top of them, tail wagging and joyful yips coming from the bottom of her heart.

The pair was glad the Alpha was alright with adopting another pup. Since last season had been difficult, Snowdrop had been unsure of taking in any more pack members, and spoke to them in private about the matter. But after seeing what Copper rescued, she couldn't say no.
It took a while to finish the official adoption process, but the rewards were worth it.

The other wolves watched with satisfaction as the family embraced.

Every wolf deserved a chance, no matter their look or abilities.


credit to midflare forst # 47538 for writing the bio.