Gray Sleeper

She was born into a small small pack up in the more northern forest's, thick with pine tree's and warmth rarely touches their land, often leading to thick coats. Her pack believed 'survival above all else,' this made them into 'Warriors' of sorts, many dare not to mess with the territorial packs within the region. She was born to a couple who cared not of love, but soley to produce stronger warriors. After all, the Chief must take the strongest lady, and must produce the strongest offspring. 

Gray was born in a pack of grey Warriors in the northern region. They seem to match their environment, for the Pack always has shades of grey, and nothing more or less. The area they live in is covered by thick pine tree's that rarely ever meet the warmth, and only showers in chilly temperatures, due to this cold climate they are often heftier wolves, both brawny and thick to suit their terrain, but that is only one part that adds to this. They call themselves Warriors, and often are far more muscular then what could be considered normal, for they believe 'survive above all else,' after a serious of disasters struck upon their land. In the beginning a plague had swept through the land, taking the unhealthy in waves. Later, due to this, due their utmost to stay healthy, finding out a healthy body, means little chance to waste away in sickness. Next, were the wars. While the north region is not the best area to place a home, others thought it was the perfect place to settle their base down. Mostly, it was those who dabbled in the darker business hid away there. The best position was already taken, but as wolves with no honor, why would they simply give it up?

They attacked, and the frailest of the bunch easily fell. They had thought that the north toughen them up, but oh they were wrong. Only those who had muscle, survived the onslaught, and only those with muscle, were healthy-enough to survive the plague. It was the beginning of their history of Warriors, for to combant disease, health is a must! Proper meals to keep up your large body! Train that body to the peak of fitness in order to combat not only sickness, but those who dare trample our lands! Never again, will these wolves set their dirty paws in our sacred pines! 

Gray was born of a couple who cared not of love, but soley to produce stronger warriors, and stronger heirs. After all, the Chief must take the strongest lady, and produce the strongest of them all, and Gray, was one of those. She however, at most was counted 'normal' in the eyes of others, but in her own Pack, she could be counted as scrawny, and weak. Gray in general was in every-shape, normal, she didn't have outstanding speed that could slam in foes like her sister Jay, or strength much similar to her father that Bear has, she didn't have the size that Pine or Chill had. The only trait that could be counted unique was her dark, pink eyes that seemed to pierce through as she stared in curiosity, but for a Pack of Warriors, they cared little about appearance, and what mattered more was size, and strength. 

There wasn't much fatherly love, or motherly love. One could say they were right in the middle, for in the beginning they affection, but neither took on the role of the stereotypical gender-roles, mother did not sing to them, and father did not go out to hunt. Instead if the siblings fought, they encouraged it. If they got hurt, they told them to be strong while nursing the wound, but only in the beginning. They both wanted warriors, and nothing else. 

It's very obvious and clear, they focused on training warriors, and not medics or den-mothers, not even scouts. Hunters were not an issue, but they always went for tougher prey, and nothing like rabbits or small-birds, only birds like eagles. There were those who knew of medical herbs out of curiosity, but they severely lacked in that department in dangerous levels, especially since they often did reckless stunts, such as challenging a wandering bear. However when these fellow died, it often went went two-ways on how people thought of the situation. The first one was they were weak, too weak to succumb to the illness, and too weak to face their opinion and unable to take them down. However, they fought like a true warrior, just like how they were raised. People always thought these two ideals, but many often swayed more heavily toward on side. It was Gray, who thought differently. Perhaps though, she was not alone, but she'll never know if others thought similar, for she was far too busy, and far too tired to interact with others.

Not even a year old, they were already starting to train. By the time they they no longer needed their mother's milk, at the ripe age of 3 weeks, it was then their parents, were no longer a mother, or a father. Instead, they became trainers, their instructors, for it was them who forced this regime of training. This was not common within the Pack though, and there was other pups around who did similar training! Though it all depended on the parent, on how they did it. Who had the best training regime, and who could produce the best warrior?

Gray's life could be counted as 'normal' in her Pack, but to others, it was extreme, and hard. Even in present time, she did not count it as bad or horrible, simply just tough, and muscle-aching just thinking about it. It was an odd subject to address, that others were jealous of her personal training from the Chief himself. Not even her siblings her granted this, but she, who was borne of normal-size, had to meet more extreme measures in an attempt to bulk up. Firstly it was just running, and honestly, she enjoyed it. She enjoyed feel the breeze against her fur, and the bangs that usually covered her eyes, were swept away. No one would look as she sped away with the wind.. Then, they added weights. Logs, rocks, whatever object that someone in the Pack could lift, it'd eventually be tied on. And this was only for stamina! They however, honored health, and did not punish her for failing. They would give her meals, and that was counted as her only break time through the whole day, until she broke. Until her muscles screamed, and she could no longer move, only then, could she finally sleep. 

It was where she could finally escape. Finally feel like she truly controlled her own life, and didn't have to meet others expectations. Where her world, was peaceful, where she could finally rest in peace.. Due to this neglect of personal time, due to this controlled life, she often adored dreaming. It wasn't just because the dreams, for she could finally rest. It was such a wonderful feeling- that even in present time she couldn't resist such temptation of drowsing away. When she finally can whenever, it was inedible she got the ability to sleep wherever, whenever! Especially now that she was truly free, to relax. Dreams were so wonderful after all.

She would move to going up to mountains with weights, sometimes even climbing trees. It was how pups usually spent their childhood doing, however usually got at least half the day to do free-time. Sometimes though they wished to do more training! That's when parents were truly proud of their children. Gray, on the other hand, spent every waking moment besides eating, to 'bulk up.' She definitely grew strong, it was shown by her firm muscles that showed through, but her size, did not vanish. It was good that she grew strong, and her muscles were a wonder to look at, but within the Pack, size was still the biggest pride everyone took in. To them, she was scrawny and shy, with her bangs covering her eyes, and being half of the size of the rest. She was so normal, that is what the world would describe, but the place she was born in said otherwise.

Gray did not know her siblings, at all. She had one sister named Jay who speed was often talked out- it wasn't the fact she could run faster then anyone else, but rather she could tackle down others faster then you could see. She was short-tempered, a common trait within the Pack, but it was to the point she was tackle down anyone in the barest offence to her. Bear, was a literal bear, he was much like Jay, but rather he would challenge others formally, and fight for honor! His strength was spoken much of, and he was often honored by others around him. It was said he'd be the next Chief, but he'd have to fight over his sister for the throne! The next two siblings were not as impressive as Jay and Bear, but as the Chief's sons, they were above the rest of the wolves their age. They had a rather large size, that not even Bear and Jay could compare, but they did not tamper with fighting as much as the two. It was like the did the bar minimum, and then simply went to do their own things, together. Chill and Pine were very, very close to each other. The few chances Gray did meet them, she could not catch up in their playing. It was already impressive enough for a pup, but compared to the monster-like individuals, it wasn't. She was left behind, while they went to play. Any conversation was simple questions, mostly directed at their parents, such as 'why so small?' but no one could answer.

Gray felt indifferent. At first she blamed the world to why she was so small, and why she deserved this treatment. Why did she have to train this hard? What about her free-time? Why didn't she bulk up? Why couldn't she look large too! It was all but a phase of 'me against the world,' until she started to look around while growing up. She started to notice- what they seemed to be missing. They always focused on what they had- their size, their strength, their mass, their bulk, their honor. She, did not have any of that, but strength. She trained, oh so she did, but she did not get their size nor their honor. She couldn't honor what she didn't have, and she couldn't focus on what she didn't have. They had strength, but.. They had no knowledge.

There was no medics, and she knew there was surely better ways to heal the sick, and to try and heal the wounded. She didn't know how- but they chalked it up to weakness, to dying with honor. What is honor, when there is death? They wanted a match, not the prize. They would take down deer for sport, and leave it when unable to take it back with them. They didn't bury it for later, or attempt to preserve it, despite the hungry elders and pups, it was just a sport-prey after all. If you want something, get the strength to reach for it, so the saying goes. The worst part is they would take a stage head on, and take on the antlers.

When she first took on a deer, her small size let her easily dodge, as it was natural instinct to dodge danger. Though the Warriors in her tribe, it seemed almost like their honor blocked this sense of danger. She was truly stumped, when her father called her out for her cowardness. They cared more about honor of a warrior, then safety. She was not allowed to attack from the rear, the back, and only attack in the front. That day she was one years old, it wasn't her first prey, as young ones take on rabbits and birds, but it was her first prey that could harm back. A stag is a fierce foe after all, their antlers are quite harmful once pierced through someone's pelt. 

She couldn't understand why they didn't find this wrong.

So, she backed out, much to her parents annoyance, much to everyone's disappointment. Others would call her 'shameless,' and that 'she had no honor,' 'how could she be the chief's offspring?' But she never knew honor in the first place, because they all honored their size and power, but she could no honor, what she didn't have. 

They called Gray lazy, as her training that once slackened as she grew older, grew more intense through what had happened. It was apparent, she was started to struggle against this situation. She would use her brain occasionally, such as if she needs to carry weights to certain places, unlike needing to do it all at once, bringing it one at a time. Catching prey? Watch another predator catch something small, and snap it. Catch a predator? Traps and attack from the behind. Fight others? Go for their weak spots, their vitals, and behind.

She grew, laughing as they taunted her for growing weak. She laughed, as she realized this is why, that day happened.

They came back. Those whom they managed to kill that day centuries ago, the wolves who had their paws tainted with black blood. It was impressive how long they took a grudge, but perhaps because there was a lot of casualties, these barbaric wolves would surely get revenge one day. No ancestor was surviving, but their heirs, their blood still boiled in revenge. Though, this time it was the opposite. That day years ago, the dark wolves were all brawn, while they were the brains. Last time they won, but as their situation is versed, so is the situation.

Both sides had lost. And Gray, slept through all of it, only to wake up with barely any survivors.

You could say it ended in a truce, as both sides ended up with the commanders head. Her father's head, the Chief, was held by the leader of the dark wolves son, while her brother, Bear, held the dark wolves' leader. It was an odd thing to feel- Gray doesn't really remember. She remembers both sorrow, hatred, and confusion. He was her father, and she really did hope, he loved her. The same couldn't be said about her siblings.

After the dark wolves left, she wasn't sure if this meant they'd be back, or accepted this outcome. Nonetheless, her own Pack, did not. Jay and Bear were amongst them, her mother and two brothers, Chill and Pine, were gone. It was said Chill and Pine disappeared, while her mother was found at the throat of a dead enemy, as the enemy was attached to her throat as well. Like how the battle ended, it was truce. There was only a handful of wolves left.

Her sister berated her as soon as she saw her. Though she had forgotten, that her sister was the one who said, "Step aside, weakling. You don't belong in war with your stature. Just step back and watch us real warriors do the rest, and go back to your shallow hunts," and so she did! Maybe responded, that she said she shouldn't be in the battle, was not well for hot-blooded warriors. 

This could've been the battle where she used her brains to set the tides. This could've been the battle where she could show them her body-type can even win battles. She could've showed them, that there was other ways to win a battle. Though she didn't, because she's shameless Gray after all.

They told her to leave.

That story begun her story into the actual world- she was very, very confused at first. Gray even used a rib to create a 'hairband' to put her hair up, in order to see what she couldn't see before. That's why she joined Risen Revolution. They were the first Pack she saw besides her own, and they were... So different, so much like herself. There was monstrous-sized beasts like those in her pack, but there was others who were even smaller then herself, and counted with much importance. They weren't treated like cowards, they weren't looked at oddly. Everything... Was this was normal was? Gray wanted to finally find out, is this what 'normality' is.

And maybe take a nap too.