Chapter 3: Slash

Everything changed the day Slash was forced to kill his mother. Slash had always been a gentle, nice wolf, loving and caring, but that day changed his view on life, as well as Light's. Slash, being a few moons older than Light, was almost ready for his apprenticeship.

On the day before he was to have become a trainee, he got into a fight with another pup, this one called Daemo. Apparently, Daemo had been giving himself a good cleaning when Slash came and shook mud all over him. Daemo was so angry that he rounded on Slash instantly and started yelling at the top of his little lungs.

Slash retorted with vigor, and eventually, it escalated so much that Daemo lunged at Slash. Slash's whole body rippled. And then he grew so he was towering over Daemo, and all of the other wolves as well. He had transformed into a kind of half wolf, half human monster. There was immediate panic. Only one wolf stayed calm--Anubis. He smiled his evil smaile and uttered one word. "Excellent."

That night, after Slash had turned back into his usual self, Anubis himself came to the nursery and asked for him and his mother. Light watched as he led Slash and his mother out of the den. Only one of Light's eyes was open; she wasn't supposed to be awake. She watched Slash's gray form turn silver as he walked into the moonlight. She tried to stay awake until he came back, but she dozed off.

She was awoken a short while later by a grief-stricken howl. Scarlett got to her feet in an instant and peered out of the bramble covering. Light got up to stand beside her. Outside, Slash had transformed back into the beast, and was facing Anubis. Slash's sharp claws were dripping with blood and his fur shone silver. There were scattered bits of blood at his feet. Light drew in a sharp breath. A short way aways from Slash, a figure lay motionless in the snow. It was Slash's mother. As Light watched, Slash let out another howl and darted away into the forest.

Anubis watched him go, his face expressionless. He turned away and leapt onto a sharp outcropping of rock that stood out above the camp. "All wolves gather beneath the sharp-rock for a meeting," he howled, his red eyes blazing. Light walked out onto the soft snow, her paws making small imprints in the snow. She was unable to fathom what had just happened.

When all the wolves had gathered, Anubis began to speak. "As you should know by now, Slash has abandoned us. At the discovery of his amazing talent, I put him to a test to prove his worth to the Death Eaters--to kill his mother." Light was shocked, but all around her, wolves were nodding. Light heard Venom, a female warrior, lean to the wolf next to her and whisper, "She was going soft anyways." The warrior snorted his consent, and Anubis continued.

"He completed the task, but was unable to shoulder the burden of becoming a full member of the Death Eaters. He has left us. If any of you scent him in the forest, report to me. If you see him, kill him on sight. That is all. Meeting dismissed." Anubis jumped down and padded off to his den.

Light was thunderstruck. She was silent the whole night, except for, if Scarlett wasn't mistaken, a few tears in the night. But the next morning, as the dawn light illuminated Light's face, lighting up her white fur and turning it dazzling, there was no hint that anything had passed last night.