The Rise of Bear'Claw

The first of Wolves of Crescent Moon

The Beginning. I was born in a warm den, high in the mountains at the peak of winter. I don't remember much before my mother licking my eyes open. I did not grow up with a father, my mother was one of the remaining wolves after a plague killed the rest of our pack. The few survivors constantly squabbled over the few scraps of food they managed to scrounge up each month, my mother was forced to leave to protect me. She wanted a safe environment for me to be born to, and that she achieved. The day I gained consciousness, it was the beginning of spring. I remember the thin blankets of snow just melting off the lush spring grass. "Good morning, Bear'Claw." My mother spoke. She was a nearly black wolf with a deep, reddish-brown underside. Her amber eyes would glow with hints of gold in the sun. I was her only pup, you see. I was given my name for my long claws, those resembling that of a bear's. And my courage, she admired it so.

Adolescence. As I grew old enough to attend hunts with my mother, I knew the winter was soon to approach. She had told me stories of the plague, my father, and her pack. I was worried for her, worried about the sickness returning and stealing her life as it did many others. We were forced to move farther down the mountains to avoid the harsh winter and hope for warmer weather. During the move, I hadn't noticed my mother beginning to slow down.

FANCY SUBHEADER

Adulthood. I stuck with my mother for as long as nature would allow me, for it was only me and her. I took the responsibility of caring for her for as long as I would live. When I was nearing the age of 2, my mother was nearing 8. During her last moments she laid in the very den I was birthed and touched her nose to mine. "Bear'Claw, you must promise me.." Her breath shortened, her voice weak. "Anything, Mama.." I responded desperately, trying to stretch the minutes. "Promise me.. you'll stay strong as you always have been.. care for your mate, children, and pack as you have done for me.." A tear rolled down my snout and landed on her paw. It was as if a bit of my soul was in that tear, the splash like the shattering of my heart. "I'll always be with you in spirit, guiding you.. look to the stars and you may find me, my little Bear'Claw.." I will never forget those words, even after the last of my soul's remnants fade into the universe one thousand years into the future. I was on my own from then on, navigating the world alone. It got scary at times, being as young as my age and fending for myself. I had gotten my meals stolen many times by rivaling rogues, even the common rat managed to snag my lunch. I pressed on, however, managing to survive with only the bare minimum, most of my nights leaving me hungry. One particularly warm spring day, I was cooling off with a drink from a river. As I drank, I caught a scent of.. a wolf. A rival, perhaps? I lifted my head up for another sniff. This one was a loner, a female too. I tried to look around, but I wasn't able to see her. I was on high guard, the fur on my back began to bristle. "Hello? Is someone out there?" I heard a sweet voice call. That couldn't have been the wolf I was smelling, right? Surely not, I wasn't able to see her after all. I thought that until I saw a pair of beautiful olive eyes watching me from behind a tree. Was she.. watching me?! She stepped into the sunlight, she had a friendly disposition. She almost seemed happy to see me, which I found odd. "Oh, hello there! I couldn't help but follow your scent while I was hunting, I'm having a bit of a hard time catching something. I don't smell a pack on you, so you must be alone like me, right?" Her voice was squeaky, like it hadn't changed from when she was an adolescent. "I'm Forest'Eyes, you?" I blinked at her question, not expecting this much information so fast. My fur flattened as I responded. "Bear'Claw. And, yes, I am also alone. I thought you were going to attack me, in all honesty." "Bear'Claw? What an absolutely fantastic name! I promise, no malicious intent here. I'm just looking for a friend, really. I've been in these woods for a while now." Forest'Eyes kept going on about what she was doing in the forest, where she came from, what she ate 4 days ago. I listened to every word. I hadn't expected her to be so beautiful. Had I gotten lucky my first love ended up being my lifelong mate. We settled in the mountains, our pack grew with new friends we had gained in our travels. As a new, fresh winter approached, so did a litter of Forest'Eye's puppies. Two beautiful puppies, both having my white blaze marking their forehead.