"How can you tell it's the half-moon when you're always underground?" Laurel asked Naaman as she sat down next to him. The pack was assembling in the main cave for the regular half-moon ceremony where they honored the Hunter Dog.

"I have a mouth," Naaman said with a raised eyebrow. "I can always ask someone who's been above ground. I also just generally know when the half-moon is; I've been doing this for a long time."

"Do you even go outside?" Laurel asked. "I feel like I never see you in the tunnels or anything."

"Yes, I do," Naaman replied, "and not just for Hunter's Moons. I go on retreats fairly often."

"Retreats?"

"Time away from the pack and from inquisitive nieces where I can meditate and reflect. It's very relaxing. Now, pipe down, it's time to get started."

Naaman turned to face the pack, who had assembled in a circle. "Settle in, everyone. The story which I have chosen for tonight is the story of our founder, Elias, and as always I encourage you to reflect on it tonight and over the next few days."

Laurel focused on Naaman, doing her best to pay attention. She had been participating in the ceremonies along with everyone else ever since she was a pup, but she typically didn't pay very close attention. Now that she was a trainee, she wanted to get better at that, especially since she knew that Cordan could usually tell if she started zoning out.

"Elias was not born in the current pack territories," Naaman began. "None of the founders were. He came from a group of dogs who lived in close proximity to each other, but really could not be called a pack. They were loyal to themselves first and foremost and looked down on those who they considered weak. This included Elias, who was frequently belittled simply because he was a terrier and much smaller than most of the other dogs."

I guess some things never change, Laurel thought.

"The dogs also mocked Elias's interest in digging and the underground," Naaman continued. "It's true that basically any dog will dig to some degree, whether to bury something or investigate potential prey, or any reason. But Elias always wanted to go deeper. He found a whole new world beneath the surface of the ground with treasures and secrets begging to be explored.

"His curiosity was discouraged, of course, even by his own family members, who didn't want him inviting any more ridicule upon them. But Elias would no longer be constrained by those around him, and so he broke free of his old home, and, guided by the inspiration of the Hunter Dog, came to these lands. He found dogs who shared his vision and together they dug out the tunnels and the cave where we stand right now. It was hard work and dangerous, but they persevered by the force of their curiosity and determination, and most of all by their dedication to one another.

"While Elias was seeking to learn the secrets of the underground, he discovered something far more precious: unity. Since the beginning, Earth Pack has stuck together, and that is why we still value loyalty above all else today. It's a little bit like the earth that we hold so dear--a few clumps of soil on their own are weak, but when packed together, it's what holds everything else up."

Laurel smiled, glad that she had paid closer attention. She had heard the story of Earth Pack's founding before, but she had a better appreciation for it now that she was older. It was somewhat comforting; the thought that Earth Pack wasn't really held together by blood relations, but because they chose to live this way and they chose to take care of each other.

"Thank you very much, Naaman," Cordan said. "As he said before, I hope you all take the time to reflect on that story and our founder's life over the next few days. Now is the time to lift up our voices and present our prayers to the Hunter Dog. Would anyone like to lead?"

Verity volunteered, as she usually did, and slowly began to howl, starting off the first note which the others would follow. They sang at all of the ceremonies, but there were never words. It was just supposed to be a free release of your emotions, with no words to label what you were thinking or feeling. Lacie added her voice to Verity's, and then Digory and Mortimer joined in, with the contrast between their deep voices and the females' high ones creating a nice harmony.

Everyone else joined in, and soon the cave and tunnels began to echo with the cacophony of voices. Laurel wasn't very confident in her own voice, but this had always been her favorite part of the ceremony, even when she was a young pup. Not everyone had a beautiful voice, and often someone would deviate off into their own melody, clashing with the others. But the raw sincerity was what Laurel found to be beautiful, that everyone poured their heart out to the Hunter Dog and to each other, and it brought them all even closer as a pack.

Into her own song she poured her joy and her pride at being part of this, as well as her gratitude that she had been welcomed in by these dogs and made one of their own. Her prayer was simple; she didn't think she needed too much. All she asked was that she could serve well and be worthy of this pack who she called her family.