Death of the lead wolf

With an indefinable expression on her face, the wolf demon stepped over the large rock ledge that lay in front of the entrance to her cave. Around them, female young animals of all ages frolicked with each other in their human or wolf-like form. The adult wolf demons also tried out and improved their fighting technique here. They fought either as humans with their swords or as wolves with their claws and teeth.

With a low sigh, the wolf demoness reached the edge of the higher ledge and looked out at the land stretching before her. The cool breeze of the evening swept over the treetops of the nearby forest, only to crash against the foothills of the northern mountain range on which the ledge was located. The already dwindling sun sent its now more reddish rays over the land and immersed it in perfect harmony.

Amaya *, the wolf demon, loved this sight, had always loved it.She let her watchful, clever and sea-blue eyes slide dreamily over the land. It could all have been as beautiful as every evening, but it didn't. Dark shadows covered Amaya's face at the thought of what had happened that day. Another gust of wind made her waist-length, light blonde hair blow around her face. Also on her clothes, which consisted of white wolf fur, that she wore as a crop top and as a knee-length skirt, at the rear end of which a white wolf tail hung down, dragged in the now somewhat fresher wind.
"Amaya? Amaya-chan? Amaya ?!" yelled another wolf demon from the entrance of the cave. The addressed turned slowly around and looked questioningly at the demoness she had called over the fighting young demons. After the demoness had made her way through the young animals, she stopped in front of Amaya. She had shoulder-length, brown hair, green eyes and wore exactly the same as Amaya, only that her fur was not white, but brown, like that of all other demonesses."What's going on, Miyako **?" Asked Amaya.
"Gilaisa ... mother wants to see you.", Answered the question. Amaya's face immediately turned serious. She gave her younger sister a long, piercing look, as if hoping she could see what her mother, the lead wolf of the pack, wanted from her, Gilaisa's eldest of two surviving daughters. When she realized that she could not find out anything, Amaya sighed softly and went to the cave.

Amaya slowly enveloped the darkness of the cave. Her eyes quickly got used to the change from light to dark and looked around the familiar cave. It stood in the dome-like main chamber of the cave, which was often used as a festival place in winter. From there, several branches led into smaller caves, which were used as the residence of the various families.

Amaya walked unerringly to the largest junction in front of her that belonged to the lead wolf's family. She plunged into ever thickening darkness that did not lift her already lowered state of mind.Slowly she walked past the two piles of leaves that belonged to her and Miyako and stopped at the last, already occupied pile and kneeled down.
"You wanted to speak to me, mother?" Amaya began the conversation hesitantly. She was reluctant to look at the female lead wolf lying on the pile of leaves, as otherwise an irrepressible anger would rise in her. The face of the 35-year-old female leader was bruised and covered with bruises. Her brown eyes were tired and strangely dull with life. Amaya let her gaze wander over her mother's torso. A long, deep cut cut across it. Miyako's and Amaya's pleading had been pointless, Gilaisa had refused to have the wound treated.
"But that would be your death to leave her open!", Amaya's voice echoed through her head.
"So be it," her mother replied, as if from a great distance.

At the thought happened what Amaya had wanted to avoid: Unrestrained, all-consuming hatred rose in her and seemed to numb her senses."Naraku ..." she pressed out with disgust in her voice and clenched her hands into fists.
"Amaya, control your anger!", Gilaisa soothed her daughter. The sentence, just her mother's voice, had an effect on Amaya: She seemed to have woken up from her 'angry trance' and worriedly focused her full attention on the person lying in front of her.

"Amaya, things are looking very bad for us. Naraku wants to wipe out our pack, the Istari, at all costs.", Gilaisa began.
"But why? What have we done to this Naraku?!?", Amaya interjected with a trembling voice.
"Because we are wolf demons from the Istari tribe.", The lead wolf replied simply. "We are one of the most powerful wolf demon packs in the known world and we are excellent fighters. We are also one of the most unusual because, as you know, we kill all male wolf demons except those we need for reproduction. But even these are through now Naraku's attacks are dead ... We have always been 'breeding' the best fighter or simply: the perfect wolf demon.Now we finally succeeded ... ", she said with a proud look at Amaya.
"Me? I'm supposed to be the perfect ...", Amaya started, but was interrupted by her mother.
"Yes.", Said this. "And Naraku ..." Gilaisa was suddenly interrupted by a strong coughing fit.
"Mother!", Amaya shouted and was about to run to get help, but Gilaisa held her back.
"Amaya, you have to ... you have to go to the pack of Kaze ***", said the lead wolf with a pained face. Amaya was about to start a question when it was answered.
"The lead wolf of the Kaze is called Kouga. They live in the southwest of here. You have to go to Kouga and ask him for help.", Gilaisa said. Amaya was about to protest when her mother continued: "Try to convince him that it would be best if our two packs stand together with Naraku. He hates him as much as you.", Gilaisa added.
"A ... but mother" Amaya was completely perplexed.Gilaisa wanted the istari pack, her pack, to ask for help?!?
"Do what I tell you, Amaya! Consider it ... as my last will to ... to ... you ..." Gilaisa replied in a waning voice.
"Mother!" Amaya whispered with bowed head. Suddenly she felt a hand on her cheek and looked at her mother.
"My brave daughter ..." Gilaisa began softly. "You will now lead our pack. But before you do that, find Kouga ... for my sake!", She added when Amaya started to protest again.
"You have to leave today. Promise me that you will leave today!"
But ... ", Amaya began.
"Promise it!" Demanded Gilaisa relentlessly.
"I ... I promise you, mother ...", Amaya gave in with a heavy heart. With a satisfied smile on her face, Gilaisa said softly: “Goodbye, Amaya!” With that, her hand, which had still rested on Amaya's cheek, sank to the ground and the lead wolf closed her eyes, relieved. She breathed out again, after that nothing moved inside her.The lead wolf had irrevocably left life.

For a few minutes Amaya remained kneeling in front of her mother, who had just died, with her head bowed, then she rose and went out onto the large ledge on which the young and older wolf demonesses were still fighting happily and cheerfully. Amaya walked slowly to Miyako, who was looking down at the land on the edge of the ledge. When she had almost reached Miyako, she turned around and saw an incredibly rare picture for her.
The now completely red rays of the half-set sun shone gently on Amaya's face. A tear that seemed to be made of crystal, as it reflected the red rays in all facets, found its way down the cheek of the wolf demon. Only Amaya's eyes reflected her deep sadness. Her posture and her face didn't give away, had never revealed her state of mind, and so now.
"Amaya-chan? What happened to mother?" Miyako asked quietly when her older sister reached her."She asked me for something. She wants me to ask the pack of Kaze for help in the fight against Naraku. That was her last will.", Amaya replied strangely monotonous.
"How? Last ... is she ...?" Miyako asked worried. Instead of answering, Amaya just nodded and looked at the land that was her home. But that was now a thing of the past. The one who once made this place her home no longer walked among the living.

"And you will go with me.", Amaya broke the silence unabashedly.
"Wh ...?" Miyako said indignantly.
"I can't go alone. We have to give each other protection. After all, I'm now the lead wolf and Naraku is definitely after me. Or do you want me to hand over my life to him during the trip?", Amaya asked, disinterested .
"No! I ... I'm coming with Amaya-chan!", Miyako gave in with a sigh. "But you have to tell the pack."
"I will.", Amaya replied in a firm voice and turned to the fighting.She raised one hand, palms facing the demonesses, and instantly they stopped fighting and looked at Amaya.
"I have something to tell you.", Amaya literally began her speech. This didn't look like her at all, so some demonesses exchanged restless and equally questioning looks.
"Gilaisa, our lead wolf, who never misled us, has just passed away.", Amaya continued, while the eyes of her audience widened and even filled with tears.
"Be true.", Amaya thought when she saw her pack so sad. "Gilaisa had been a friendly demon and an adornment of our pack. She was loved by everyone here. I thought the news would shock her, but so?"

"And now I have to keep telling you," Amaya continued after two minutes of silence. "... that Miyako and I will leave you temporarily."
"WHAT ?!" the demons shouted in unison.
"But Amaya-sama, you have to lead us now, that's the law!", protested a wolf demon.
"On the one hand: You shouldn't address me with '-sama'. On the other hand: It was Gilaisa's last will that I set out to find the Kaze wolf demons. And Miyako will accompany me so that we, or rather I, Amaya answered calmly. Nobody knew what to say to that.
"Nanashi", Amaya suddenly turned to a demon in the first row. "You will lead the pack during my absence." The addressed opened eyes. She couldn't express how honored she was by Amaya's decision, so she just bowed low.

"May we see each other again soon", Amaya concluded her speech and