Darkmoon was born in a litter of two, a female pup the only other born alive. They were born into a harsh year, with barely enough food to go around the pack of ten wolves. His parents were not the alphas, and there was no room for their pups. They knew this, and kept Darkmoon and his sister hidden away from the pack. It was a difficult time, and their mother often had to steal away from the group to feed and care for them. She was stressed and tired, but her motherly instincts compelled her to keep her offspring alive.
Eventually, the members of the pack learned of the pups, and Darkmoon’s mother knew that if they were discovered, the alphas would kill her offspring. Rather than they die at the teeth of strangers, and unable to keep them hidden or fed any longer, she decided she would kill them herself, for there was nothing else she could do for them. However, before she was able to perform the painful deed, she was shot by a hunter, and died. The hunter and his partner found the two pups cowering close to her body, and seeing a money-making opportunity, grabbed them and took them home.
Darkmoon and his sister were sold to separate homes, and that was the last he saw of her. Darkmoon was sold to a harsh, cruel man, who kept him in a cage barely large enough for him to take a few steps in any direction. He was given the bare minimum of nourishment, and the water he was given was often dirty and stagnant. This lack of nutrition led to his thin stature, and the cruelty twisted his mind with hate and loneliness.
One day, his owner left the door of his cage unlocked by accident, and Darkmoon took his opportunity to escape. He ran off as fast as his weary body could, and never looked back. He has not run into another human since then.
Darkmoon met a female wolf shortly after named Xolea, who broke through his cold outer shell, and the two formed a close bond. She taught him the basics of hunting and tracking, but before he could learn to master these techniques, the two became separated when moving territories.
Lost and alone, Darkmoon became more withdrawn and bitter, resentful of Xolea for abandoning him in his loneliness. He travelled aimlessly from, moving always northwards. He survived only off whatever small prey he was able to catch, successful hunts few and far between, and whatever carrion he could find, often the leftovers of another predator's catch. Over the next few weeks his condition deteriorated, but he was eventually able to make it to Teekon.