Pack (canine)
Animals which typically predominate over others are associated with the term "alpha". Among pack-living wolves, alpha wolves are the genetic parents of most cubs in the pack. Such access to mating females creates strong selective pressure for intra-sex competition.
Wolf Brother
In pre-agricultural Europe, the hunter-gatherers of the Forest live in clans, each represented by a particular animal or life form. Torak and his father, of "Wolf Clan", live together in the forest. During Torak's twelfth year, his father ("Fa") is killed by a bear which has been possessed by a demon. Before Torak's father dies, he tells Torak to swear an oath to head north and find the Mountain of the World Spirit, and ask the World Spirit to help destroy the bear before it kills all life in the forest. His father tells him that his ‘guide’ will find him and help him on his quest. Torak reluctantly leaves his father as the bear comes back to kill him.
Torak heads north and soon encounters an orphaned wolf cub. Torak initially tries to kill the cub to eat it, but he doesn't have the heart. He discovers that he can communicate with the cub. The Cub smells Torak and realises he is from the Wolf Clan, who was fed by a wolf as a baby, and accepts Torak as his pack-brother. He realises the cub is the guide, and Torak names the cub "Wolf". Over time they become good friends. A few days later Torak and Wolf are captured by the Raven Clan, who accuse Torak of stealing one of their roebuck. They are taken to the Raven camp so Torak's fate can be decided by Fin-Kedinn, the Raven Clan leader. Torak's captors are a teenage boy named Hord, a girl named Renn, and a man named Oslak.