Tundra

Tundra in the cold, winter snow, Slough Creek

## About Tundra

### Biography

Tundra was born to Night Sky and **Ivory** of the Meadow Pack in the Skyview den, alongside four sisters and two brothers. From the moment that her white and snow-like pup coat emerged, Tundra was treated like a princess for a reason she didn’t truly understand. She appreciated it, of course, but Night Sky would always make sure she felt as appreciated as she possibly could, and it started feeling outright wrong fairly quickly. One warm, sunlit day, he took her out to watch pronghorn. Pronghorn whom she frankly didn’t care about and that she wasn’t interested in – she just wanted to know why her father insisted on being so nice to her. Her littermates often seemed jealous of the bond she had with him, and so, she decided to ask away while he seemed emotionally vulnerable. He didn’t know how to phrase it in a way that would make sense to her, so he simplified it as much as he could. He used to have a similar bond with his mother, except the roles were reversed – he was small as plankton drifting in the endless sea, and she would spend most of her time trying to bring him out of his shell and keep him afloat. The moment he lost her, he sank back to the bottom of the ocean. Then, when he saw Tundra and remembered his mother’s promise of meeting him again one way or another, he felt she was the memento she spoke of. He needed to redeem himself through her, and he wanted her to be able to stay on the surface even when he was gone. ... Despite still being very, very young, Tundra understood him to some extent. But she had never lost before, she had always been the one on top. It just ended up making her feel like the only reason she was special was because of the resemblance she had to someone she had never got the chance to meet, and that was it. And so, being a pup, she wanted to be her *own* character. She wanted her *own* personality, her *own* life. Not just a way for Night Sky to redeem himself.

As Tundra grew, she ended up developing a fairly bossy and fierce persona; one that allowed her to befriend her slightly older littermate Zen. They were a duet of pranksters that swiftly developed an inseparably codependent dynamic, constantly spending time with one another, running, prancing around, and just making fun little jokes. One always knew what the other had on their mind, and they were practically tied together by an invisible string. However, even she occasionally needed time to herself, if only a little. And so, she would wander off to the nearby stream of slowly rippling water that cascaded down the sandy slopes her family had made their home. The faint sound of water calmed her soul – and her ears, of course. It was the place where she would take breaks from maintaining the view others had of her, and the white noise allowed her to use her head for once. Every time she went there, she thought more about what her father had told her that one day. Although, she eventually had to say goodbye to her stream. Tundra’s stream. She and her family traveled to the summertime rendezvous site south of Aspen Heights, where she, Zen, and their other littermates – **Birch**, **Iris**, **Lagoon**, **Oasis** and **Chiyono** – started sharpening their hunting skills on birds and bugs. Time seemed to pass quicker than ever before, and before she knew it, it was time for the heir-picking ceremony. Nobody was surprised when she ended up being chosen as the heiress to the Meadow Pack’s legacy, not even her. She was expecting this from the very beginning, especially because Night Sky never gave up on trying to preserve his mother’s memory through her. She didn’t mind, but she was sad to say goodbye to Zen as they both took off to Amethyst Mountain to continue their lives.

Upon her arrival at Amethyst Mountain, Tundra insisted on searching for a mate completely alone. She met a battle-scarred, bulky Rosebud male named Everest. Everest seemed very charismatic, bold, and ready to do what's right - like Tundra. He was ready for action and was seemingly a good match for her, so they became mates. Yet over time, Everest became increasingly more aggressive, mostly to others but also to his mate. Everything that ever happened and he didn't agree with, he would hide, and slowly pile it up until Tundra did the slightest thing to tick him off. She wasn't used to being treated this way, but she let it pass for some time. Increasingly, she found out more and more disturbing facts about him. He had a deceased brother he never told her about, because he was the one that killed him in a fit of rage. His scars were indeed from battles, but they were with his own packmates. Every time Tundra re-thought her choice of accepting him as a mate, he would shame her in various ways, ultimately reducing her confidence to nothing. One moonrise, after arriving at Slough Creek, the pair encountered Zen. Everest had heard of him from Tundra, but the moment he saw him he started snarling and belittling him for not having a mate of his own, and also for showing his face in 'his territory' - even though it was Tundra's, and she had inherited it from her Meadow Pack ancestors. Tundra stepped in to defend her brother hoping he would back down, but it only got worse from there. Everest charged at her full force, knocking her down. All Zen could do was watch and try to get his attention by jeering at him, as he knew he was far too weak to take on an opponent like him. The wolf Tundra called her mate bit her by the stomach area, and she immediately threw herself onto her feet. He began saying something, but she wasn't even listening anymore. Pent-up anger coursed through her veins as she bit Everest on the neck, striking an artery. His blood pooled until it eventually ran to Tundra's Stream. The water turned crimson red as he gurgled on the blood that was now also pouring out of his mouth. Yet Tundra felt nothing towards him - it was his long-deserved punishment. Zen, on the other hand, was trembling the entire time, frozen in fear. He didn't know whether it was because of Everest or his sister. Everest managed to cough up as much blood as possible as he whispered unfamiliar lyrics.

*'In Slough Creek's grasp, heirs and kin shall weep... Blood feuds' price, a legacy steep - packmates lost in shadows deep--'*

Tundra cut off the dying wolf’s final words with a quick yet forceful stomp to the throat, leaving a small blood splatter on the snow around them and staining it bright red. She was far too tired to even attempt to comprehend what he was trying to say, discarding it as swiftly as she could. She felt sure it was just another of his bluffs anyway – another of his bluffs to get her to listen to whatever he wanted to say. *Another of his bluffs baited her into regretting what she did.* But she refused to take it back; it was far too late, and she left him dead out in the snow. The ravens would announce his death, not her. With a long, shaky sigh, Tundra turned back to Zen who had a massive expression of shock painted on his face. He looked as if he had seen a ghost, making sure not to be too loud in case it annoyed her. She felt bad for making him think he was comparable to Everest in any way, but she didn’t feel like comforting him, no matter how much her heart wanted to. Her body was the one in charge now, and all Tundra had the strength for anymore was to curl up into a ball and drift off into a deep, long-deserved sleep.

When she finally woke up a full day later, Zen was standing over her, mouth slightly agape as if he was getting ready to say something. At last, Tundra took a deep breath and sternly said; ‘’*Zen, it’s not your fault. He had it coming.*’’ He looked relieved for a short moment, but then he frowned again, with the realization that much more had to have been going on between them if Everest was so deserving of death. As much as she hated it, Tundra had to tell her brother everything that he had done since the day they had met. She relayed all the details of his manipulation, and though it felt like a weight had partially been lifted off her chest, she didn’t want Zen’s comfort. She wanted to forget about it all and was quick to change the topic after spilling everything out. She was done feeling vulnerable, even with the one undeniably closest to her.

With that whole event done, the two siblings decided to stick together for the traditional territory revival process. They searched for Night Sky and Ivory whenever they had free time, but it was always to no avail. Nevertheless, they continued their journey past the Crevice Lake and Junction Butte borders, carefully and sneakily pushing their rivals back inch by inch. Tundra still had to have her litter in the spring whether she liked it or not, so she wanted to make sure the pups would at least stay safe, and that the den would be free of predators and enemies. Once the pair had made a full circle around the valley of Slough Creek, they came back to the cliff under which Everest had lost his life. It angered them to even look at the spot his carcass had laid in before the ravens took it for themselves, though Tundra’s Stream was too close to pass up the opportunity of denning there. It was still one of the only places that calmed her soul to that extent, and though she never really knew why, she was always drawn to it. In the end, her den was at the Tundracliff – another landmark named after her, of course. She missed being spoiled. Once spring finally arrived, Tundra welcomed her litter of five – three daughters and two sons. The she-wolves were named after things their mother found beautiful and captivating, so they ended up being Violet, **Dusk** and **Milkyway**. The males, on the other side, were given names that Zen simply found fun, that being **Journey** and **Tokeni**. With Zen's help, all of them survived the most vulnerable times of their lives. Although, something was still rather off. On rare occasions, predators with overshadowed eyes would appear to try and kill the Meadow Pack wolves, always appearing at the times they were the most vulnerable. For all she knew, it could have to do with what Everest said before he died, and she needed to do her best not to let the young ones know. Tundra began feeling more and more concerned as time passed, but suddenly, she stopped seeing them whatsoever. It was as if they had vanished completely, for a reason unbeknownst to her. Across the summer and into autumn, she would raise the pups to be as independent, intelligent, and 'telling' as they could be. She didn't want them to make the same mistake as her, and in the end, she didn't trust herself *or* other wolves enough to gather the courage to find another mate. She selected Violet as her successor, because she seemingly always knew exactly what to do in any situation, and her battle capabilities were unnaturally sharp. She was highly analytical and independent, which is exactly how she wanted her to be. She had an overwhelmingly large amount of territorial might and overall confidence and pride, so Tundra trusted her enough to carry on her legacy. Even if that meant carrying on Everest's legacy as well.

### Strength

Tundra had never been particularly physically strong, though she often lies about it, so one can't really know her true strength until they provoke her to the point of showcasing it. However, she makes up for that with her absolute abundance of health, as she has always been in very good physical condition, rarely getting sick. Besides that, her speed and stamina are relatively average, though she finds a way to make it work anyway.

## Personality

As a pup, Tundra was an eye-catching bright damsel - the same way her grandmother Snowy was. Except Tundra's personality was the complete opposite of hers. She had Birch's persistence, Iris' feistiness, Zen's playfulness, Lagoon's sneakiness, Oasis' schemes, and Chiyono's recklessness - alongside her own independence and leadership skills, yet also rashness. She was never afraid to do what she believed was right, and that included wandering off in the middle of the night to watch a stream of water flow between Skyview and Aspen Heights. Tundra's Stream. It wasn't even one of Chiyono's dares - she rested while the white noise of the stream gently chimed through her ears. It was the place she got a break from maintaining her outgoing social status, and also the place she wished to have her den near. It was as if something pulled her towards it.

When Tundra met Everest, she felt genuine love and affection for him. However, after some time he began degrading her, insulting her, and overall disrespecting her - bringing down her confidence and proud, independent persona. On the inside, her personality turned more hostile as time passed, and she was still equally rash. She did her best to hide it and seem passive, but eventually, she let it all out on Everest, ultimately leaving him for dead in the same place she used to relax - Tundra's Stream. After that, the hidden aggressive aspects of her persona slightly calmed down and she became more responsible, and she also got stricter with her litter. Her confidence only came back somewhat.

## Appearance

Tundra is a white and silver, elegant-looking wolf. The fur around her eyes, muzzle, jaw, cheeks, ears, neck, underbelly, and part of her torso is completely snow white. A more silver color streams from below her ears to her shoulders, part of her back, rear and tail. Her tail has a slight black accent towards the tip, and so do some small, otherwise silver patches on her neck and shoulders. Her coat is thick, allowing her to trot through deep snow with no issues. She has a lot of neck ruff as well. Her ears are small with white tufts. There's a scar on her muzzle, forever reminding her of what Everest did to her - and what she did to him. A radio collar is tightened around her neck. Her eyes are golden yellow.

## Litters

### First and only litter - Everest's pups - Zen's help - Age 3

Due to everything that transpired between Tundra and Everest in the time they 'knew' each other, Tundra could only bear having one litter. Zen, although being the mere uncle of the pups, helped raise them the same way Juniper helped Opal.

Violet was a purplish silver she-wolf. Ever since she was born, Violet was raised to be perfect. She was taught all the best hunting methods, battle strategies, and ways of thinking in general. Tundra wanted the best and only the best for her, but she didn't want her to be spoiled and quick to depend on someone like she once was. That's why Violet was also taught to work for and recognize respect. A consequence of her training, however, was constant exhaustion. She didn't want her mother to know she wasn't perfect, though. So she trained herself to hide her emotions away under lock and key. Nobody needed to know she wasn't really perfect, and nobody should stop her from the road to true perfection. Everyone who was concerned about her or stepped in her way needed to be rid of her immediately.

Dusk was a reddish brown runt female, and she physically resembled her father a lot. She was always the most innocent of the litter, always asking questions about her real father and what happened to him. For this reason, Tundra tried not to pay too much attention to her questions, usually deflecting them into another direction. Dusk was constantly ill as a pup and always slowly lagged behind, but despite being taught that only the strongest make it out alive, they would help her out for obvious reasons. Despite being so, so talkative, she was very well-liked due to being kind and caring, even if her way of expressing that was rather extra.

Milkyway was a purplish gray-brown she-wolf. She was effortlessly good in nearly everything she tried - hunting, battling, even playing. This caused Violet to develop a one-sided rivalry towards her, as she wanted to be the absolute best around. However, Milkyway was very carefree, usually just lazing about and sunning herself in the warm sunlight. She was very optimistic, and unlike Violet, she mostly thought about things that could make her feel happy, content and fulfilled. She didn't seek a large territory or a particularly large pack. She just wanted to feel freedom at it's finest and spend time chilling out and relaxing with her pack.

Journey was a very fluffy light brown male that slightly resembled his father - but only physically. Out of all the pups, Journey was easily the most excitable one, named for his love of taking leisurely walks and strolls around his pack's territory. He could always be seen rolling around in the tall grasses and sunning himself next to Milkyway as if he was some kind of plant. He enjoyed being outside in the fresh air and hated staying inside the small, cramped den, often peeking his head out even during predator attacks. He preferred short yet adrenaline-inducing hunts, as he liked the feeling of being energized by the humid breeze.

Tokeni was a light brown male. He was very sweet, nice and kind - a contrast from his mother. He was outgoing and outwardly social, never passing out on an opportunity to hang out with his packmates - especially Journey. He cared for the well-being of others so much that he would occasionally forget to take care of his own needs. Whenever he and his littermates were fed, he would eat last, prioritizing the others over himself. He never refused the offers or chances to help others out, and he was very endearing. He respected others' opinions and beliefs and didn't stop them from doing what they wanted to do unless it was outright dangerous.

## Trivia

* Tundra was the first wolf to have a white pup coat.
	+ She had the absolute whitest pup coat in the history of all four packs, and it will forever stay that way due to the developers darkening the new white coats for realism.

### Breaking the fourth wall

* At first, I thought of saying that Everest died of natural causes like an illness, but it wasn't dramatic enough.
* In the actual WolfQuest game, Tundra and Zen killed at least ten stranger wolves together, but I didn't canonize it because I didn't want everyone's story to be the same. Killing rival wolves is Violet's thing anyway.