The others waited patiently, all but the tail, who paced in a wary circle a few strides from the rest, his own tail tucked low.

He would eat the last of all, whatever his brothers left him.

The prince was downwind, so they did not sense him until he leapt up upon a fallen log six strides from where they fed.

The tail saw him first, gave a piteous whine, and slunk away.

His pack brothers turned at the sound and bared their teeth, snarling, all but the head male and female.

The direwolf answered the snarls with a low warning growl and showed them his own teeth.

He was bigger than his cousins, twice the size of the scrawny tail, half again as large as the two pack heads.

He leapt down into their midst, and three of them broke, melting away into the brush.

Another came at him, teeth snapping.

He met the attack head on, caught the wolf's leg in his jaws when they met, and flung him aside yelping and limping.