Prologue- 22 years ago..

"Let's GO Moon, move it!"

Moon allowed her sister, Direfang, to push her to the side. Her brother, Dusk, was curled up next to their mother, Sky.

"Direfang, don't push your sister," Sky said, but she was smiling. "Don't you want to hear the story?"

"Yes," retorted Direfang. "That's why I pushed her."

"Let's just start it already," whined Dusk.

It was a day when all the wolf mothers told their cubs a story. A scary story, in fact. Direfang always loved this day. Dusk appreciated it. Moon, well, she couldn't say she loved it, but she could live in the den with it.

"COME ON!" howled Direfang. She swished her tail. Moon could tell she was getting impatient, and that was a warning sign.

"Alright, alright," the exasperated wolf mother said. She sat down and

licked Dusk's head.

"Alright. Dusk, Direfang, and Moon. Are you little fuzzballs ready for the story?"

"OF COURSE!" Direfang and Dusk shouted together.

Moon felt tired. She just wanted to go to bed on her nice pile of leaves, but tradition was tradition.

"Yes," she sighed, her ears drooping.

Sky smiled, patted Direfang on the head, and began the story.

"100 years ago, when Dragarha, the Dragon Ruler, was younger, a pack of wolves ventured into the Grim Rock Woods. They wanted to catch 15 rabbits to impress the pack... and the she-wolves."

Dusk laughed so hard he fell over onto the den floor.

"The pack started the hunting. It was nighttime, and the Woods were dark. But still, the pack wouldn't stop hunting. Soon, they got all

turned around in the Woods, and eventually ran into a cave."

Direfang's eyes gleamed with excitement. Moon knew she liked dark and creepy stuff. She rolled her eyes and smiled to herself.

"The pack nervously walked into the den, hoping to find lots of rabbits. They didn't find any.. but they did find ancient scrolls about how to use dark magic and how to torture animals with it.

The pack was very frightened and turned to leave the cave, but they were stopped by a huge black dragon. This, of course, was Dragarha with her evil dark magic."

Sky stopped to settle Direfang down, who was chewing on her tail with happiness.

She smiled at Moon, then continued the story. "Dragarha didn't want them to leave, because they found that she was studying how to use dark magic. So she chained the poor wolf pack to the floor and used her magic

to torture them, and then turn the entire pack into beasts. The dark magic drained into the wolves' eyes, skull, and claws. The magic made them evil.

Terrible howling could be heard coming out of Dragarha's cave, and the Grim Rock Woods animals all hid, even though they were beasts, too.

Eventually, the pack had been transformed into terrible beasts, mangled fur, overgrown claws, glowing orange eyes, and bloody teeth.

Dragarha ordered them to patrol the Woods, putting an end to anyone who came into them, so her cave could never be found, except by her evil minions. The evil wolf pack earned eternal punishment and pain, forcing them to watch the forest.

The wolf pack has been known to follow they're victims, then silently and slowly kill them. This has earned them the name, The Lost Stalkers Pack!"

Direfang howled and Dusk bounced all over Sky's tail.

"Thanks for telling us the story, mother," Moon said, licking her mom's

paw.

"You are welcome, my dearest Moon," Sky replied. "And now, cubs, it is time for you to sleep."

Direfang walked over to her bed and plopped down. Dusk chose to cuddle up near his mother, and Moon, who was feeling very tired, (Which was strange considering she was a wolf) laid down next to Direfang.

"Goodnight, Moon," Direfang sniffed. "Hope you don't get nightmares!"

She swished her tail and closed her eyes, jaw slightly open.

Moon sighed, then let her eyes close too.

When she grew up and had cubs of her own, she would tell them The Lost Stalkers story every last night of a new month. She was sure they would love it, and run all around the den.

Moon didn't know that she wouldn't live to tell the story to her cubs, and that Direfang would take care of little Nexis.

And, of course Direfang had told the story to Nexis and her cubs, Shadowhowl and Bloodmoon. She had promised Moon she would.

Little did Moon know that Direfang told them the story fairly often, making it even scarier than the original version.

And little did she know that The Lost Stalkers might be more than just a cub's tale.

Moon drifted off to sleep, her ears twitching.

Chapter one-

Nexis had been running for 2 days.

She had twigs in her fur and tangles in her tail.

Mess everywhere.

She had chosen to rest inside an abandoned fox den in the Red Star Glade woods. She couldn't believe how peaceful it was and how many birds were singing. Leaves slowly floated down from the trees, softly hitting the mossy ground.

As Nexis nibbled on a rabbit she had caught, she saw something at the far corner of the den.

"Oh, please let it be a map," Nexis said out loud. She knew that the New Moon Woodlands were past Willow Grove, but she didn't know exactly where they were.

Nexis pulled herself to her paws and padded over to the object. She

nosed it out of a leaf pile and stared at it.

A map!

"Yes!" Nexis exclaimed. Then she wondered why a map, the exact thing she needed, just happened to be in this fox den.

"Oh well," she shrugged and sat down and began to look at the map.

She saw Willow Grove, the great stretch of trees going for miles and miles. She saw Red Star Glade, where she was in now. And she saw The New Moon Woodlands, not far from Red Star Glade!

Nexis howled with delight and leapt into the air. She wasn't far from her destination! She could soon get more information from Maplewhisper! She could find the Artifact, whatever that meant, and save all the forests!

Then she stopped short. And not because Nexis banged her head on the top of the den, which hurt.

She stopped because of something on the map.

Nexis gasped and tried not to fall over, nearly banging her head on the roof of the den again.

She slowly padded over to the map.

"No, oh no, please no," she murmured.

There, right next to the New Moon Woodlands, completely surrounding them, was the Grim Rock Woods.

Chapter two-

Nexis remembered the story Direfang used to tell her, Shadowhowl, and Bloodmoon. About the lost wolf pack that roamed the forests, looking for unfortunate animals to wander in, so they could grab them. About The Lost Stalkers Pack.

They lived in the Grim Rock Woods, and Nexis had to pass the Woods to get to the New Moon Woodlands.

She swallowed hard and remembered Direfang's warning at the end of the story.

'Never go into the Grim Rock Woods, or the Lost Stalkers will stalk you until they decide to rip your throat and bring your carcass to Dragarha.'

Nexis certainly hoped that wouldn't happen to her!

Still, she walked out of the fox den, still tired. Only an hour long walk until the Red Star Glade ended and... and Grim Rock Woods started.