Ruins

I

Why? Why am I the villain? When they have done so much worse. Why? Why do they look at me so smugly. When all they have done to me is so much worse? Let me introduce myself. I’m Aisha. Exile and lone wolf. My name means ‘alive’ yet there are many days when I wished I wasn’t.

I used to be part of the Alwaghad. A group of wolves who used to live peacefully. Used to. The blight on their so-called “peaceful” lives? Me. Of course. I was born to Afan and Zara. The ruling wolves of Alwaghad. I was expected to be perfect. Of course, I wasn’t. The only thing I was really good at, was fighting. I could take down even the top wolves.

Of course, fighting is not the quality expected from the Alpha's daughter. All they really wanted was for me to find a nice male wolf and continue the Alpha generation. No one really cared about my special talents. All they really cared about was what I didn’t have. And so the day of the fighting competition. I insisted on being able to participate. Zara finally agreed and I was allowed to enter.

Well… I won. The prize? Respect. Did I get it? No. Instead my father declared me unnatural since only males were allowed to train. Or fight. No lunas were allowed to even know the basic moves. I did. How? I have no idea. Anyways back to my father. He banished me from Alwaghad. Of course. He never really cared about me. Only Zara did. But she loved Afan more. She stood by and didn’t do anything. Since then I have hated my parents.

Anyways, back to the present. After being rudely shoved out of my home, I padded over to a small bush and that’s where I spent the night. The next day I staggered out. I tripped over a log and barreled straight into a thick clump of long grass. I clawed my way out only to find a male wolf standing over me.

II
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“What do you want?” I snarled. He looked taken aback but quickly regained his composure. “Shouldn’t you be in your den with all your babies?” He asked tauntingly.

I hissed but didn’t say anything. He took this as an invitation to go on. “Where’s your mate? He’ll be worried!” *That is it!* I thought as I swiped down straight onto his muzzle and drew blood. "So it's like that?" growled the wolf taking on a fighting crouch. I smirked. I almost felt sorry for the tom. Almost... with a hiss, the wolf jumped on me and tried to rake his claws on my underbelly.

I ducked and swiped my claws on his muzzle. *Too easy.* I thought as he reared up and tried to unbalance me with a blow to my head. Tried too. I ducked and rolled over. He charged at me but I lightly stepped to the side and he slammed into a boulder where he lay, winded. “Had enough?” I asked. He growled and stalked off, blood dripping from the wounds I had made. “You’ll see me again.” he hissed.

I had no doubt about it. And when that time came, I would be ready for him. For anything.

As I stalked away, I noticed a patrol of wolves coming my way. I ducked into a nearby bush and listened to what they were saying. “We need to find her." said one. “I’ll shred her if we find her." said the other one. “But Afan wants her alive.” said another one. *Afan?! These wolves work for my father? They must be new.* I thought. I had never seen them before. I instantly hated them.

I stayed hidden in the bush till they passed on. *Why was he trying to capture me?* I thought, as I curled up into a ball and let sleep take me. As I drifted off into sleep, a hazy image formed in front of me. As it grew clearer I realized it was Maha.