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There are tales of many wolves in the past who have done great things. Legendary things. Packs across the plains have whispered their stories to their pups, many a litter looking to their leader as if they would find the legendary wolves themselves. Yet legends are not made. Destiny steps in--yes, legends are indeed born, chosen from birth. They are part of an elitist group, almost; a premier club they cannot escape. The clutch of destiny is with them always. Some pups fulfill their destinies and become legends. When those wolves pass on and join the ranks of the heavens, their stories live long past them. Those kinds of legends turn into stories, stories that are known to all. Some stories live past their real counterpart, but other real counterparts live right alongside their legends.

Wolves that live alongside their own legendary stories become nearly semi-gods, heroes to the packs around the plains, the mountains, the desolate cities of old. When the stories and the wolf they surround become intertwined, their origins become unknown. Their life is a mysterious, epic tale of fate. Some stories are meant to be followed. Others, however, are feared, yet respected, doomed by destiny but rescued by fate's intervention--some stories were never meant to be spoken nor followed ever.

One such wolf's legend is exactly that.

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-Present day-

In the dusk of the evening where the sun bled against the horizon and the sky took on a reddish-pink and gold hue, the outskirts of the city became a bleak yet beautiful environment. People started to recede and go back home, cars were usually no longer present on the streets. The stray cats sometimes roamed about, hunting down mice to bring back to their few-heard-about clans. Other times wolves would come around--stray dogs and domestic as well--and converse amongst themselves. But this particular evening, only one wolf lay dormant upon an abandoned park bench that overlooked the valley below. Only the flickering light of a lamp post joined him there. He rested his head upon his paws, laying his ears back as his blue eyes scanned the horizon once more for the umpteenth time. Swaying his tail, he blinked and yawned. You have been wise to stay out of pack territory. Some of Roxii's enforcers would have your hide if she knew you were in her territory, he thought to himself, quietly listening to the lamp flickering. His ears twitched and he sighed. His long winded past got him where he was, but he never let that stop him. Nothing got in his way, he was determined and tenacious. He was a fighter for sure.

Not but a few minutes later, he heard the familiar _jingle_of a metal tag bumping against the metal D-ring of a collar and he glanced sideways at whoever stepped up to him. It was a younger she-wolf and lab-mix breed. He huffed at her and he stretched before jumping off the bench and sat down on his haunches once his paws touched the concrete.

"Who are you?"

He growled softly, his once calm blue eyes now shiny opalescent marbles jammed into his skull. The young she-wolf mix looked him straight in the eye, undeterred from his fierce facade.

"I wanna talk with you, that's all,"

She replied calmly, gently swaying her tail as she laid down. Her calm demeanor threw him off and he half frowned and furrowed his brow in confusion. What the hell does she want with me? Do you think she's an enforcer? _ He thought to himself as he twitched his tail. _An enforcer so young, though... he shook his head and he stepped back a little and rolled his shoulders, still sitting up, though more relaxed.

"Are you an enforcer of Roxii's?"

He inquired stiffly, the she-wolf giving him a quizzical look.

"Who?"

"Rox-- never mind, you're too young to be an enforcer anyways,"

The young she-wolf nodded slowly and she slowly wagged her tail.

"So you'll talk with me?"

The male sighed and gave her a dull look.

"Well we're sure as hell past word one, now aren't we?"

The she-wolf nodded and panted a little, giving the seemingly familiar smile of a dog. As the male laid down, the she-wolf cast him a sideways glance.

"You're a free wolf, right?"

The male nodded, following her gaze to his collar and he retorted defensively,

"Of course I am!"

"Then why do you have a collar then?"

"Why does it matter to you?"

"I...I was just wondering! I mean... I..."

"You what?"

"Don't you feel like you lose some of your dignity by wearing a collar? Doesn't that mean someone owns you?"

"No one 'owns' me. Besides, I was going to ask you the same question,"

"What's your tag say?"

"Tell me what yours says, first."

Between a quick spell of silence, the she-wolf finally gave the male a sharp look.

"Madeline."

The male tilted his head.

"You're not pure wolf, are you?"

"Why, does it matter to you?"

Madeline growled softly at the male's question and she planted herself more firmly to the ground.

"Tell me why you have a collar when you're such a free wolf and then I'll talk about me,"

The male gave her a stiff glare and replied,

"It's a long story,"

"How long is long?"

"Longer than you could stay up, I'm sure,"

Madeline bared her teeth, giving a slightly deeper growl than before and the male chuckled, Madeline finally replying sharply,

"Fine! At least tell me your name,"

The male nodded finally, shaking out his coat and laid back down on the pavement.

"Ricin,"

Madeline blinked dumbly and she glanced straight-on at him.

"I've heard little bits and pieces about you but not enough to know who you are,"

"That's what most pups say,"

"Funny,"

"So what breed are you, exactly?"

Madeline frowned and responded flatly,

"My mother was a very_brave golden lab, can we leave it at that? I mean what the hell breed are _you? You look like you came out of an art studio and someone painted you!"

Ricin narrowed his eyes.

"Hey now, no more stupid questions, Madeline."

"It was just a question!"

"Let's see, you wanted to know about my collar so bad, didn't you?"

"Well yeah, I wanted to know,"

"You only wanted to? Do you are not?"

"Well yes, I wante--I mean I do want to know!"

Madeline cried in response, Ricin sitting up again and stretching. He took a breath in looked down at Madeline.

"Alright. You see, a long time ago I was born into the Northern Pack of the Isles, on a peninsula to the far north..."

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