A cool wind blew across the battlements, nipping at

the skirts of the women gathered there to watch the men of blue moon pack ride off to battle. As they had so

often in the past, they were riding to meet the most particularly the crystal moon pack ancestral enemies of the blue moon pack . The rising sun reflected off their armor as they rode away across the border to do as their fathers had done and their fathers before them,

on into the mists of time. Alpha Eldon's wife sighed, mostly in envy and

anticipation of a long, boring wait for the men to return. She was his second wife, a young girl and daughter of the Alpha of red moon pack. Gaylan Eldon was beautiful, spoiled and heedless. Having grown up in the verdant, peaceful south, she had little understanding of the constant state of warfare along the

border or the danger of raids. In her mind the battle would be as a tournaments, something glorious and

exciting

"I intend to watch that battle, Hilda. I see no reason for us to be marooned here."

Hilda stared at her mistress in amazement. "My lady, you cannot. Think of the danger."

,"Nonsense. There is a well-covered knoll within sight of where the battle shall take place."

She turned and proceeded back into the keep, her small retinue at her heels frantically trying to talk her out of her rash plan yet not make her angry.

Lady Eldon's anger was swiftly becoming legendary

She did not like opposition to any sort, as to many of the keep's servant had discovered to their cost. None of

those following the headstrong Lady Eldon wished to lose their privileged positions.

To their horror, the lady's cousin, soon to wed Beta Foster's heir, also thought the idea a good one.

The unthinking young ladies were turning the venture into a picnic. Gaylan ordered food to be packed and even instructed the nursemaids to bring the

children, six in all, including Alpha Eldon's two by his first wife. The hope that the few men left behind

would stop Lady Eldon vanished quickly as servants scurried to hitch up carts and open the gates. A sizable entourage was soon heading for the knoll overlooking the battlefield. Only the older servant women and Alpha Eldon's eldest child, a daughter,

remained somber. The other women, lady and servant alike, and children began to act as if on an outing to the fair.

Little Robin Foster, a plump boy of eight with blond curls, tugged at Storm's braid, thinking yet again that the color was an odd one, rather like

marigolds in that it was a red that was near to orange. "Why must we stay here? Cannot we sit with the ladies, Storm?"

Storm looked at the boy from her height of two years seniority, her amber eyes scornful. "No. It's safer here." We can hide amongst the bushes if need

be. This is a foolish move for my new mother to make. We should be tucked up in the castle, not frolicking within the grasp of the wolves."

But the wolves will be fighting down below, sister, piped up Andrew, her six-year-old brother, his fiery red curls thrashing in the breeze. "I should

like to see our father in battle."

"Aye, and we would be seen too. We with our hair as bright as any beacon You can see well enough from here. She quieted all protests from her five underlings with one sweeping glare. "Now, listen all

of you before the harsh sounds of battle drown out my words. If I say to move, you move and go where I tell you with no wailing. Think you not that the wolves

would like to catch their enemies rogue ?"

"You are frightening us, protested four-year-old Matilda Foster, her hand nervously twisting her blond braid.

It's as well. You will move faster if need be. Here now, the armies prepare to face one another."

At first it was much like a pageant as the wolves aligned themselves to face each other. The gleam of steel, the waving of pennants and the ringing of armor stirred the audience upon the hill. It all looked glorious, even awe-inspiring. A person could not help but be moved by the sight, but then the cries of

"Foster! Foster! Eldon! Eldon! "wolverton ! and "wolverton ! roared

through the air, the battle was engaged and things changed with ominous speed.

The armor still rang as sword hit sword, but now there were screams as it was pierced. Steel soon lost its gleam as it was covered with blood and the mud

churned up by so many men and horses. Formation was all but forgotten as man grappled with man,wolves upon horses wedged their way into the battling mass of infantry and the wounded were

when possible, dragged, carried or assisted to the rear in the hope that they would live for another

battle.

As the fighting spread, flowing outward to then sides, the knoll was no longer safe. It was placed more to the blue moon pack side of the field, the enemy

edging ever nearer to the now silent on-lookers. Even the more bloodthirsty of the women began to falter as the increasing heat of the day strengthened the scent of warfare, the light stummer'sbreeze bringine

along with it the smell of the fighting wolves sweat and blood. The children made no complaint as Storm

began to edge them toward the bushes

Suddenly matters took a dangerous turn. A group of battling wolves reached the base of the knoll. Within moments, a band of blue moon pack wolves were racing toward the knoll to assist their men. The Fosters and the Eldons were falling back under the bludgeoning force of the crystal moon pack . The women of

the castle, already in a high state of tension, panicked when a cry from one of the blue moon pack in-dicated that they had been spotted. Screaming, they fled to their carts. A few wolves gave chase, trampling the bright blankets and scattering all the festive eating arrangements. In the confusion, Storm hustled the children off, remembering a shearer's hut and deeming it a good place to hide, unwittingly shepherding her charges closer to the enemy.

The shearling was in a poor state of repair, but it remained a niche in which to hide. Storm guessed at her error when the tents of the crystal moon pack soldiers became visible, but there was no turning back for she could hear the

swift approach of armed horsemen. Pushing the children within the doorless hut, she sat before them and, putting a hand on her knife, was ready to protect the smaller ones should they be discovered. Crystal moon pack men were soon returning from the field,

passing the hut all unknowing of the treasure it held.

Storm began to think they would escape detection when suddenly a small knot of men paused before the hut so that one could sit and rest. She easily recognized the second son of the wolverton, for he had a number of distinctive qualities, not the least of which was his silver hair and the scar that ran the length of his face in a jagged line from forehead to chin. When his blue eyes, darkened by pain, met and held hers. She felt heart had stopped. Her mind conjured up a multitude of fates.