Axolotl and Cipactli were scrappy little six month old puppies when they dispersed with their older sister Ixchel from Nootka Sound and joined Riptide Corten’s ranks in October 2014. Axolotl nearly drowned en route to Vargas Island but was rescued by Tarnish, the alpha female Kirynnae’s littermate.

The following summer, Riptide was gravely injured, leaving a vacancy at Vargas Island’s helm; as the pack’s beta, Tarnish rose naturally to fill the alpha role but was challenged by Riptide’s son Undertow. Undertow lost the bid for the sea king’s throne and left shortly thereafter to find Crosscurrent and bring him home.

Tarnish challenged Crosscurrent immediately upon his return in early July 2015. The older male was weakened by the injuries he’d sustained during his fight with Undertow and wanted to assert his dominance while Crosscurrent was still travel-weary. Still, Tarnish lost — and when he did, he left to stake his own claim on the neighboring Meares Island. He took Riptide’s younger sister Turnstone with him as well as a handful of wolves with no relation to the Corten bloodline. Axolotl, Cipactli, and Ixchel were included in this handful.

Although Axolotl, Cipactli, and Ixchel initially feared a rift would grow between them and their erstwhile pack brothers and sisters, the Vargas Island and Meares Island Cortens remained close allies.