[WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS]

Lone Wolf

SETTINGS

The Beyond
To the east of the Hoolian Kingdoms and south of the Sea of Vastness lies a vast stretch of frozen forest called the Beyond. This harsh land of short summers and violent winters is the home of grizzly bears, caribou that stream through in fast-moving herds, moose, owls, and most important, the green-eyed wolves that make up the six clans of the wolves of the Beyond.

The Outermost
To the northwest of the Beyond, where the trees thin and lichens grow thick on the rock, is a rough, barren land known as the Outermost. The only wolves that wander into this land are those who have been cast out of their clans. These outclanners flout all wolf conventions, and the order and nobility of the Beyond breaks down into mindless violence. It’s no place for a young wolf pup on his own.

The Summer Den
Near the banks of the rushing river that brought Faolan to Thunderheart is the site of their summer den. In a stretch of birch trees stippled by iris, Thunderheart taught Faolan to hunt, to fish, to read the stars, and to speak the language of bears. The summer den is the place that holds Faolan’s happiest memories.

The Winter Den
As the days of fall grow shorter and shorter, Thunderheart leaves her summer den to find a new den for her long, cold sleep. The winter den needs to be far from the river so it won’t flood, and warm and well ventilated to keep Thunderheart cozy while she sleeps. Buried in the hills north of the summer den, Thunderheart finds a hollow basalt tube from an old lava flow that makes the perfect spot. Her only problem now is Faolan—does a wolf pup sleep all winter like bears do? Or will Faolan be on his own for the long, cold months of winter?

The Cave Before Time
Near the border of the Beyond and the Outermost lies a cave that captures Faolan’s interest. The cave is alive with images carved into the rock—swooping owls, burning embers in fiery lava flows, flowing packs of wolves hunting caribou. Running through it all is a strange spiraling star mark—identical to the one of Faolan’s twisted paw.

The Ring of the Sacred Volcanoes
On the eastern edge of the Beyond are five sacred volcanoes. The most sacred of all is the location of the ember, over which the owls of Ga’Hoole fought so viciously. The volcanoes are guarded by wolves of the watch—strong, noble wolves selected from the best gnaw wolves of the clans for this important duty. The wolves of the watch are the most skilled at gnawing, and delicately inscribe the legends of their clans onto bones that they stack into towers near the sacred volcanoes.

[WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS]

Shadow Wolf

SETTINGS

Raghnaid Cave
By a red-speckled rock is an immense cave that belongs to the chieftain of the MacDuncan clan. On the walls hang scraped hides and the antlers of deer, caribou and musk ox. A great fire burns in the middle of the cave, and soft pelts for sleeping lie on the floor. The cave is where the raghnaid meets, the court of the MacDuncan wolves. After only a few short days with the clan, Faolan is brought before the raghnaid for a grave offense – breaking the strict hunting rules of the wolves.

The Sark of the Slough’s Camp
In the middle of the marshy slough lives the Sark, a wolf the clans hold in deep suspicion. The Sark is solitary, preferring her own company to the rowdy life of the Clan wolves. In an earthen dome near the entrance of the slough, the Sark conducts her odd experiments with fire and keeps her medicine and memory jars. Although the Clan wolves mistrust the Sark, they come to her when they’re in need.

The Trail of Shame
When a wolf has committed a major breech of clan law, he or she is sent on a Trail of Shame. The wolf has to cross the Clan’s territory, going from pack to pack carrying a bone of contrition in his mouth. The bone has been carved with the story of the wolf’s shame, and a new bone must be gnawed by the offender at each pack he or she visits. Faolan has to walk a trail of shame, and sees something awful when he does – the abandonment of a young wolf pup.