Widow's Breath

Everyone knows that widows are made in the mines. Their grief is palpable and widespread in the West Virginia Appalachian Werewolf Territory. Often, female werewolves are found comforting their human counterparts. Once in a while, an entire werewolf family has to go missing to avoid detection when far fewer of their men die than humans.

In spite of its name, Widow's Breath saves the lives of minors who might otherwise be trapped by a cave-in or the deadly gasses of the mines. When someone in the mines shouts run, everyone should do it. When a werewolf shouts for the crew to run, it means that they are moments away from a disaster. It is worse, of course when he whispers for you to run, because then the collapse is inevitable and he doesn't want to speed it along by shouting.

Widow's breath is a substance created when certain noxious gases interact with particular minerals in the soil or rock face. Its name refers to the odor, which is undetectable to human noises but is a clear scent to any animals in the mines. As werewolves are half-beast, they are sensitive to this odor, which usually indicates death by gas exposure or sometimes the collapse of the mine itself.

The ability to detect this odor and therefore the presence of these gases has saved many a werewolf life, and until the past year, wolves kept their secret to themselves with little care of what happened to their human crewmembers. Since the most recent American War, things have changed, however, and unity feels more important than ever in a time when bosses are willing to "throw away" human lives who don't look or speak like them -- especially if they are Japanese or German.