A long, soulful howl from Ulatha brought the pack into respectful
silence, as all eyes focused upon the scene at hand.

"Raksha Aki'mna, Daughter of Zanos and Dierra, Bearer of the
Mark." At Ulatha's words, the black wolf before him gave a slight
nod of acknowledgment. "You stand here tonight, accused of a
grave crime."

The great white wolf's eyes slid up to the crescent-shaped patch
of fur on Raksha's left ear. "Because you bear the Mark, we have
been exceptionally lenient with you until now. As you know, most
runts are slain at birth, for they are weak, and serve only as a
drain upon the pack." Ice blue eyes returned once more to meet
Raksha's cool gaze. "We had hoped you would be different.

"Throughout our history, only five other wolves have borne the
Mark. These five were the greatest leaders our people have ever
known." Ulatha frowned as a slight smirk tugged at the corners
of Raksha's mouth. "Clearly, you have failed us.

"It is no secret that you are a thief," Ulatha's lip curled at this last
word, "a creature with no honor, courage, or loyalty. Never
before have we of the Suwanee permitted a thief to dwell
among us, and yet, not only have we suffered you to remain,
but we have even fought to defend you against those of your
victims who have come to demand your blood. More than a few
of us bear scars that would rightfully be yours."

Several growls from the pack were silenced as Ulatha held up a
commanding paw. "Because of the Mark, we have long
overlooked your crimes against outsiders, despite the damage it
has done to the honor of the Pack. Now, however, you stand
accused of stealing from your own packmates!" This time, he
made no effort to silence the chorous of growls and snarls
rising from the surrounding wolves. He motioned to a small,
glowing disk, lying at his feet.

"The Eye of the Moons was stolen from the Meeting Stone five
nights hence, and was discovered in your den the very next
day! Throughout this night, your packmates have stepped
forward to proclaim your guilt in the matter. Have you now
anything to say on your own behalf?"

Raksha's glass green eyes stared resolutely off into space.

Ulatha sighed. "Very well, then, you leave me no choice. Raksha
Aki'mna of the Suwanee Wolfpack, I pronounce you Outcast,
nameless and faceless to your brethren. By this new mark shall
you now be known!" At this, Ulatha lunged out, far quicker than
even Raksha could react, and slashed a long, ragged gash across
her forehead. The pack howled their approval. "May wolves
throughout Alanthia ecognize the Mark of the Pariah and shun
you for it!"

With the scent of fresh blood now in the air, the entire pack
began to whine and growl with excitement, longing for the thrill
of the hunt. Ulatha had to raise his voice to be heard above the
noise. "Now, begone, and know that if you ever tred in Suwanee
territory again, you will be slain on sight!"

Ignoring the blazing pain and the blood now dripping down into her
eyes, Raksha turned and opened her mouth to bark some final
caustic remark at those who had once been her packmates.
Seeing her gaze returned by countless pairs of blood-maddened
eyes, however, she realized the wolves were eagerly awaiting
any excuse to descend upon her and rip her to shreds. Dropping
her self-assured act, she loped away from the clearing, the howls
of the Suwanee Wolfpack echoing long in her ears.

As dawn broke, Raksha found herself beside a small lake, staring
contemplatively at the two Marks she now bore. Ulatha had been
wrong, she thought, about her failing the omen of her original
Mark. She had indeed become the greatest of her kind, not a great
leader, perhaps, but certainly the greatest thief her people had
ever produced.

At that thought, she suddenly recalled something, and dug around
in her cloak until she produced a small, glowing disk. Made of
three concentric circles of red, blue and silver, the Eye of the
Moons was, according to legend, fashioned out of stone
somehow obtained from the three Moons of Alanthia. Ordinarily
couched in a place of honor atop the wolves' Meeting Stone, it
was a source of great pride among the Suwanee Wolfpack. Under
ordinary circumstances, even she would not have dared touch it;
indeed, its first disappearance was not of her doing. She knew
she had been framed, but cared little about proving her innocence.
From the day of her birth, the small black runt had been an
outcast among her people, Mark or no Mark; this night of
judgment had only served to make it official. Nonetheles, the
pride she took in her thievery compelled her to swipe the stone
from where it rested at Ulatha's feet before running off into
the night.

A grin spread across her face as she pictured the wolves' reaction
to their missing artifact. Running her fingers over its cool,
tingling surface, she considered what she should do with it. She
could return it to the den of her betrayer, thereby repaying his
"favor;" she could fetch a handsome price for it at any jeweler;
she could even keep it as a souvenir of a life now lost to her
forever. Finally, she made her decision. Standing up, she hurled
the Eye into the center of the lake, listening with satisfaction
to the watery "plunk" it made before sinking out of sight forever.

The deed done, Raksha trotted away from the lake. Alanthia was
a huge world, surely somewhere there was a place where a
runtish wolven thief would truly belong. It was now time to find
her home.