A small wolf pack attempts to rebuild their lives and move on after a serious migration leaves one of their members dead. Now they must carry on while facing new challenges now and in the future. This is a long-length story commission for AztecTheWolf from Twitter!

Flower Pack

The Litha pack is a small group of 7 canines all residing together as one big happy family, though happy is an understatement. This small group had their own creative custom in making flower crowns to distinguish the hunters from the rest. Unfortunately, the individual that made the crowns perished unfortunately. So it was left to the rest of them to try and mimic the way the crowns were made.

After facing difficulties in their old territory, this small group was left with the heartbreaking choice to migrate and travel to a different territory to start fresh. This unfortunately leads to the death of one of their closest members, a leader at that.

Being the alpha pair and leaders of their small pack, Sorel and Saren had the right to make all the decisions necessary for the well-being of their pack. But there are times where even their decisions and choices are outclassed by the other members. However, a special rule was enforced, which made them the only pack to stand out from the rest. That rule is where all members are encouraged to help those weaker than themselves, so if a different animal joins, their species cannot be hunted as prey; this basic rule is one that Saren enforced, which actually improves the chance of survival for him and his pack.

This rare rule has proven to be beneficial but also with costs too. While this leads to two new additions to the Litha pack, they are very different since they stand out more. Those new arrivals are Suri and Soot.

Suri is a black / white Siberian Husky dog that had wandered off on her own. But upon being accepted into the Litha Path, she was one of them now, able to run free. One of her ways of contributing is by being a healer, through which she was trained to bandage up wounds and injuries using different herbs. Though she is smaller than the wolves, that doesn't make her any different from everyone else; well, other than Soot, of course. But Suri and Soot are two different species, but still united.

Soot is a gray and white colored fox and another new arrival to the Litha pack. He usually entertains the others with storytelling to improve overall morale or ease boredom and satisfy one's curiosity. He does this either by request or out of his own doing.

The rest of the members include Terra, Ara, Gria, Val, Saren, and Sorel. Originally, Saren and Sorel were together as the alpha pair of their pack, ruling together alongside each other. Even Saren was happy and joyful with his mate.

Terra and Ara are best friends. Well, before they joined, that is. They often did everything together, contributing a great deal to each other out of assistance and teamwork. And now that they are part of the Litha pack, their help is appreciated tenfold.

Gria is another member of the Litha pack, but she is a sloppy hunter. Unfortunately, she eats a lot, which brings the morale down. Her self-control issues don't help much, being a contributing factor to her overeating instead. But despite her poor self-control and terrible hunting skills, she makes an excellent nurse for pups.

Val is the lead hunter for the Litha Pack and he shows this by the flower crown he usually wears on his head. This idea was actually created by Sorel, Saren's wife. She's the one who came up with the idea before her unexpected death, having an intricate way in creating these flower crowns. Not only is Val the lead hunter for the Litha pack, having been given the privilege of training Terra and Ara under his wing, but he is also of Beta rank, meaning he is second-in-command to Saren. Due to this position, this inflated his head to the point where he cares little about others' viewpoints, even clashing with his superior from time to time.

Saren and Sorel are the alpha pair of the Litha pack, and they were happily married to each other. Together, they complimented each other in their leadership of the Litha pack, ensuring everyone's survival and safety. Everyone was happy… until that dreaded disaster. Saren had changed considerably ever since his mate's death, and it affected everyone else as well.

Sorel is the alpha female and the creator of the flower crowns designating the hunters from the rest of the pack. A well-valued treasure to the entire pack, she took the liberty of training those below her and her mate into the skilled members they are now. Though she is extremely adept at defending her packmates, she had unrealistic expectations for them all. But around this, she was the glue that held everyone together as a united family until the moment she died. That is when things started to slowly disintegrate.

The one that's the most affected by Sorel's death is Saren. Ever since she perished, he's done a complete mood flop. He used to be happy, cheerful, and more outgoing when his mate was around. Now, he couldn't stop brooding about her no longer being with them. Every day, Saren felt lonely, just complete sadness. With a loss this devastating, part of his optimism as a whole collapsed as well.

At the moment, Saren lies in his den while crying, his face buried in his front paws. Weeping over the loss of his mate, Saren cries out, "Oh Sorel! Why did you have to die!? It should have been me, not you!! I miss you so much!!"

At the moment, Val drops by to inform Saren of a possible change of territory; he and the others are ready to go. Now all that was left was Saren's approval. But upon popping in and seeing Saren weeping, Val attempts to quietly withdraw, sighting to himself while turning his eyes downward to his paws.

While waiting for his superior, Val shuffles lightly on his feet, lightly kicking away some dirt in the process. He thinks to himself while waiting, 'Time is of the essence, this cannot wait any longer; it's very important!' The more Val waits, the more anxious he becomes, even looking over his shoulder at one point.

Unable to wait any longer, Val growls to himself and mumbles, "Okay, enough of this! I'm going in!" Finally, the Beta-ranked wolf makes his move, going back inside the alpha den.

Padding into the den, Val attempts to get Saren's attention by snapping him out of his state, "Saren! Saren!!!" Incidentally, after calling out to his superior, Val moves in to nudge him to get him to budge.

"H-huh…? …What is it, Val?" One look at Saren's face and it's a plain sign he's crying; fresh tears are streaming down his furry face. This sight is enough to make even Val tremble from a spine-tingling chill coursing straight down his body.

'Eeerrrrggghhhhh!!! I don't know why this always gives me the creeps when this happens!' Silently complaining inwardly to himself, Val shakes himself to drown out the intense shivering sensation roaming down his own spine from the sight of his broken leader weeping over his dead mate. For Val, losing Sorel was a blow to him too, but he quickly got over her death, knowing that her legacy is still living on. But for Saren, the loss is much deeper than that, a type of loss that only Saren understands deeply.

After getting over the spine-chilling sensation, Val reports in a casual, yet serious tone, "Saren, we need to get moving. Everyone else is ready to go. There is hardly any food, any water, it's time for us to move on."

Although initially impatient, Val takes the time to gently nuzzle Saren out of friendship and concern, also licking his face to clear away Saren's wet tears. The lone alpha male of the former pair assumes, "Is everyone ready to leave? No one's being left behind are they?"

Saren has his eyes closed while speaking, letting Val clear away the fresh tears from his face. As fast as he has started, the beta male then pulls away, having been struck with Saren's second question. He averts his gaze, mildly annoyed. "Tch! I figured you would bring that up. Sorel's death was because she sacrificed her life for us; it was not an accident. She chose to be left behind because she didn't want to slow us down. Now come on Saren, everyone's waiting!"

Saren sniffles while coughing lightly, proceeding to follow Val out of the den. However, he hung his head low, still broken over the loss of his mate. While trailing his subordinate, Saren stops to raise his head, softly mumbling, "Sorel, if you were still alive, then we would still be happy; all of us would still be happy. You left too soon. I can't do this all by myself…"

Suddenly, Saren freezes when he is just about to pick the pace back up in keeping up with Val. What the alpha male just said, had he really meant it? Then he hardens his own expression, growling at himself. He pep talks to himself, "No, I can do this. I have to, for myself, for Sorel, for everyone! I will not fail my mate or anyone else!" This brief pep talk at himself gives off the encouragement boost he needed to lift his spirits, and with this newfound energy, he runs off to meet up with Val.

Val is under the assumption that Saren is tailing him this whole time, completely unaware of his temporary pause. He begins to talk, "We're about to come meet the others, Saren. Tell me what you…" once Val whirls around, he trails off upon noticing Saren is no longer with him and this causes him to visually search for his leader. "Alright Saren, where are you? This isn't funny! We agreed; no more funny business, like you promised!"

The sounds of approaching footfalls catch Val's attention, causing him to track his attention towards the large wolf bounding to meet him. 'Finally, he's arriving!' Val thought while stomping his foot against the dirt, 'It's about time!'

"Finally Saren! This whole time I was under the impression you were following me! What took you so long?" Val grumbles out impatiently, glaring at Saren. He isn't too happy about being left in the open, especially at an important time like this.

Having been caught at a time like this slacking off a bit in his duties in keeping up with the pack, Saren averts his gaze while shuffling a bit, slightly humiliated. He decides to tell the truth, apologizing to Val while remorseful. "Val, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, but I had to give myself a little pep talk."

Unable to understand what Saren is saying at first, the beta male shakes his head at his superior, thinking he is growing a second head. "You? Pep talk? Saren, explain in plain English please so I know what you're talking about!"

"I can't do this alone. That's what this is all about…" Once Saren reveals this plainly to Val, the subordinate falls silent, his eyes inflating in slight fear. He blinks at Saren, speechless at first with his mouth slightly open. The lone alpha male, however, doesn't wait for his subordinate to talk and he uses this opportunity to jump ahead, proceeding to confide in his Beta-ranked subordinate.

"Val, ever since Sorel died, half of me died with her." Saren began, opening up to the wolf before him. "And since then, I've been slacking a bit. No one to oversee training with, spend time with, confide in personally," then he smirked at Val, "even cuddle with…" Saren fails to keep his snickering to himself at seeing Val's disgusted reaction (Val averts his sight away, making a gagging noise at this). Once Val turns back to him, that's when Saren continues to open up more about how he's been feeling.

Saren's mood drops considerably from releasing a sigh, where he turns melancholic. "I still can't believe she is gone. Her sacrifice wasn't in vain, however, for if it wasn't for her giving herself up for us, then none of us would still be here right now. Look Val, you may not understand what it's like to have a mate but if you ever decide to start a pack of your own with a mate, then you may understand my true personal feelings on the matter."

Although Val isn't at Saren's level, he can still relate to Saren's grief in a sense. He relates his own true feelings to Saren on the matter too. "Saren, listen to me. With all due respect, you've been acting like a complete baby ever since it happened. Yes, Sorel's death hit us all hard; yes, she's sacrificed herself for us. But some of us are able to overcome it and move on. Sorel wasn't just a friend to me, to all of us, she was our mentor. And she wouldn't want us to wallow in deep grief and despair; instead she would want us to continue on. Isn't that what she wants for all of us?"

Ironically, Saren just smirked at Val, hearing the same thing that came from his brief personal pep talk. He mentions, "What you just said about Sorel's wishes were the same things I talked to myself about; you're right. Even before she died, she mentioned she wants us to continue her legacy; it's what she wants. Not just for me, not just for you, but for everyone."

Val nodded in agreement, also concluding the same thing. He gives his own viewpoint again, relating, "I may not be on the same level as you, Saren, or in the same status as you, but it was hard on everyone. She's gone and you're all we have left as real leadership is concerned. If you end up leaving and everything falls down to me, I'll be brutally honest here, I'll make a terrible leader."

Saren just smirked at Val again, softly laughing at him. He claims, "Val, even though you're second-in-command to me, I think you'll make a great leader one day. Just don't go overboard with it or you'll have a rebellion on your paws."

Val just arches an eyebrow in question at Saren while clicking his tongue in disappointment, adding a crack to Saren's authority. "Tch, that's low, even coming from a leader like you, Saren. Who's to say you won't go through the same thing? You think some rebellion stuff will break out that easily?"

Saren just rolls his eyes while giving Val a knowing smile, shaking his head in amusement. He comments, "One thing is for sure, you certainly don't fail to amuse me. But all I'm doing is just giving you a warning in advance, that's all."

"I got it, I got it. No need to tell me twice, partner. I'm already fully aware of it." Val affirmed while snorting. He turns away to continue the journey, leading the way. "Now come on, we can't afford to waste any more time." When Val departs, Saren quickly follows behind, dashing to catch up to him.

---

At the main campground are the rest of the pack members. Gathered around from left to right: Soot, Terra, Ara, Suri, Gria. Incessant chatter is among the group while they wait for Val and Saren to show up. It only took a few minutes more, but the pair finally arrived at the meeting point. When Val and Saren finally arrive, a hush falls among the tiny crowd in anticipation of what their remaining alpha leader is going to say.

Once they arrive, Val joins the others, turning to hear what Saren is going to announce to them. To Val, it is pretty important since he and everyone else are finally getting ready to move. Now it is up to Saren himself to deliver the final verdict and announce the decision, on his own. And when Saren observes Val joining the others, he notices a head nod being directed to him from the beta, giving him the go-ahead to begin speaking.

"Everyone, I appreciate you all for coming here to meet up." Saren begins, smiling around at first. He then turns apologetic upon mentioning, "I want to say sorry to everyone," he gives a head nod to Val for emphasis, "Val included, for keeping you all waiting. I had some personal trouble inside, but I am trying to pull myself together. I am willing to continue, it is what Sorel wanted for all of us! She sacrificed herself for all of us! And now, it is time we continue her legacy. And it's about time we leave this dwindling territory as well."

From the tiny audience before him, it is Gria who spoke up, wondering what their new territory will be like. "Where will we be going since we're leaving? What's our new territory be like?"

Saren directs the tiny audience to a mountain directly to their right, a small mountain in fact; the gray furred leader himself trails his own blue eyes over to the mountain, having the idea already mapped out in his mind. But before he could speak, he is interrupted by a shaken Val beginning to panic.

"Oh no, no no no no no! Hell no! Not over there!" A trembling Val begins to back away at first, averting his brooding eyes from his superior. He was bashful at first in not wanting anyone to see him like this; Saren notices him, unfortunately, and begins to move in; he had noticed the mood shift in Val's expression and body language, which prompts him to find out what's wrong.

"Val, is something the matter?" Saren questions his subordinate rather calmly, patiently awaiting an answer from the shivering beta wolf. And now everyone is locked on him, their gazes on his nervous form.

"You want us… to ascend a freaking mountain to reach our new territory? Are you crazy, Saren? We don't even know what's on the other side!" Val stammered, his face rosy. This is an underlying fear that the black wolf himself never realized he had until it plainly showed throughout his body language and expression. Even Val himself is unaware of it at times. But as far as his fears are concerned, Saren didn't bark or snap at him; instead, the gray furred alpha male attempts to patiently reason with him.

After listening to Val, Saren had anticipated this, casting his own blue gaze once again towards the mountain peak. He still keeps his eyes on the mountain for a bit, explaining to his subordinate, "While we don't know what's on the other side of that mountain, it doesn't always hurt to take a look beforehand. That way we'll know what we're going into by acquiring a sneak peek." He turns his attention back to Val, patiently trying to assure him that nothing is wrong. "Besides, it's not like we're going to directly ascend the mountain peak if that's what you're thinking."

"But still, what if there's like, a steep drop or something? Then what?" Val protests heatedly. Saren just chuckles again at Val's stubborn refusal and assures him, "Relax, there will be nothing bad to fear in our journey. We don't have to directly ascend the mountain as I've stated before, but just like, travel below the peak."

"Do you think there will be more herbs there? I want to build up a medicinal surplus upon getting settled into our new territory." Suri chimes in this time, completely unaware of the growing tension mounting between leader and subordinate.

"Tch, shut up mutt!" Val barks at her to keep her quiet. This earns him a paw slap to the forehead with Saren completely ignoring his remark and informing the Siberian Husky, "There should be plenty of supplies for you to collect, Suri; enough to be stockpiled in case of injury. One of us can help you in your search if you wish."

"Thank you Saren! I'll let you know once we cross over!" Although Val's remark had sliced her, Saren's positive feedback is enough to mend her back together; she gives Val a hateful glare before settling down and allowing Saren to continue. But this will lead to some private unfinished business when they're done and ready to leave.

"So, any more questions you guys want to ask?" Saren announces while sweeping his blue eyes around the group. Soot shoots his paw up, as did Terra; the former is chosen first. "Yes Soot? You have a question to ask?"

"This may come off as unrelated, but will there be more fertile lands in our new territory? I myself am eager to go exploring!" The silver fox asked.

Saren opens his mouth, ready to answer when he closes his muzzle just as fast, shooting the fox a confused expression. Arching his to the side in a slight clockwise manner, the gray furred wolf assumes, "Is this about your playing with snow again?"

After lowering his paw back down and listening to Saren's assumption, Soot turns pale in the face, his true intention having been revealed. Sure he enjoyed playing in the snow, but he preferred to keep this a secret. Now that Saren has plainly revealed his secret hobby Soot is left buck-eyed and speechless while wondering, 'How does he know about that?!'

Saren's not a mind-reader by any chance but he plainly explains, "Everyone plays in the snow from time to time, even I do. But foxes have a tendency to dig more."

Soot relaxes afterward, feeling an inner peace washing over him. The fox has nothing to worry about inside the pack from now on, apart from Val of course, but since the matter has been pointed out already, Soot should be fine anyway. Not only does he not have storytelling as his main hobby anymore but when the snow hits, he is free to play around as he pleases.

With this having been taken care of already, Saren directs his attention to Terra next, wondering what is on his mind as well. "Yes, Terra? Any concerns of your own that you may have?"

The brown furred wolf asks his question, though in a nervous tone. "Will there be any predators in the new territory?"

Saren is silent while Val just blinks. Everyone's attention is now focused on Terra, his nervous expression growing even more. However, Saren plainly explains, "Terra, there are predators everywhere, even when we had our old territory. We will just have to be on guard and fight them off if we have to."

"What kind of question is that? Terra, every single place has predators! Thought you would've known that by now!" Val's explanation is more hotly since he couldn't believe how stupid of a question Terra's inquiry is.

"Val, that's enough." Right as Val gets up to advance on Terra, Saren steps in front of the black wolf, canceling out the possibility of an impending fight; one that is about to intensify when Ara notices the beta glaring daggers at Terra. The gray furred hunter soon reconsiders and backs down upon seeing Saren block Val from advancing.

More loose ends to tie up privately between Saren and Val. Since no one else has anything to say or ask about their new territory, the alpha male withdraws to a secluded area of the old territory to speak with his subordinate. Val, however, isn't too happy to be dragged away to a private location.

While Val just stands in place, waiting impatiently, Saren faces him while sitting on his haunches, his blue eyes holding a mixture of authority, patience, and annoyance. In a low, patient tone, Saren directs Val to open up. "Val, care to explain yourself?"

"Okay, first off, Suri's just a mutt. She doesn't belong here in the first place and you know it–" Before Val can even blow a fuse, Saren cuts him off, reasoning with him on her potential.

"Suri isn't a mutt; she is a Siberian Husky and you will call her that. And second, if it wasn't for her, do you think we would still be able to walk and move without any injury? Or still be alive after being sick? You don't just throw remarks up in someone's face without expecting some kind of backlash."

Val just growls at him, his anger picking up. "Since you feel that way about her, then you be with her."

Saren argues back, "Keep your crazy thoughts out of the pack. I am certainly not tarnishing Sorel's legacy if that's what you're suggesting. The day I die is the day I will be reunited with her, that is my final wish."

"You're more dense than I thought, Saren." Val finally takes a moment to sit down, his anger still evident on his face. He then snidely remarks, "And to think a leader like you would actually permit a pair of outcasts to join us–"

Saren cuts him off before he can finish, insinuating, "Those outcasts improved our chances of survival in case you've already forgotten. You need to look past appearance and species and try to see the good in others. Try to see at least some good in others."

"That's easy for you to say, Saren." Val grits his teeth at his superior, unable to argue any further. Yet his anger is still evident, clearly plastered on his face.

Enough is enough; the leader doesn't feel like arguing anymore with his subordinate and he gets up to leave, proceeding to walk away. Along the strides, Saren mentions, "It all comes naturally to us, Val. You just need to give it time to come to you personally, or at least make an effort to change."

Val just grumbled while rising up, keeping silent while following Saren back to the tiny audience. The stroll back only took a few minutes and once everything was set, the small group departed for the mountain to reach the other side, leading to their new territory.

Along the way, Soot comments, "Hopefully our new territory will be much bigger, giving us more space to freely roam around."

"And more medicinal supplies." Suri added in with her comment, gazing out at the horizon. "I could surely use a fresh new surplus after my old stash burnt out."

"Burnt out? You mean…!" Soot felt his heart drop at the very thought playing out in his mind, to which Suri explains, "Yep, when that fire hit, it wiped out my entire stash. That was my best one! Maybe when we arrive, I'll find a better stash of supplies."

"Then I will help you!" Soot offers, much to the husky's surprise.

This assistance offered on the fox's part warms Suri internally, making her blush a little bit. She impulsively giggles to herself, wanting to accept Soot's favor, but she politely declines the offer. "I'll have to pass on that, Soot. Thanks for offering, though."

Soot doesn't back down, insisting, "Oh no, it's my treat actually! And the more that pitch in together, the more success you'll have! Two heads are better than one, after all!"

"Oh, alright! You can join." Suri finally accepts with a smile finally dawning on her muzzle, granting Soot his assistance in their brand new search.

---

Across the mountain is lush, fertile terrain; soft grasses, beautiful flowers, large forests, even the trails are bright and brand new. However, further along this terrain is a lone she-wolf, slowly trotting along one of the paths leading into this new territory. Her brown fur would have blended in with the tree bark if it wasn't for her yellow eyes giving her form away.

This brown female wolf continues along the trail when she stops, taking a moment to gaze out at the mountain overlooking the large territory. For her and her tiny pack, this land is theirs and only theirs. No one else can touch it or set foot in it; intruders were dealt with, either chased off or attacked. When she notices the tiny figures beginning to appear descending down the mountain in the distance, the female wolf turns tail and retreats, not because she is scared, but to alert her leader of the newcomers entering into the territory ahead.

While rushing back to meet her leader, the brown she-wolf continues to run until she slows down to a simple walk, stopping to sniff the air. She would have been continuing on her way if a whisper from among the bushes hadn't interrupted her. "Psst! Korat! Have you found anything yet?"

With an annoyed sigh, Korat rolls her eyes while turning towards the bushes and speaking, "You can really be irritating sometimes, Tuldri, but it's a good thing you're putting that stealthy side of you to good use."

The bushes begin rustling upon a dark gray / white furred wolf emerging out of his hiding spot, his green eyes gleaming while a sly smile graces his muzzle. Tuldri finally reveals himself after having spent some of his time working on his stealth. At least it is paying off.

"Well, look who's finally revealing themselves after some time? Had enough blending in with the trees, Tuldri?" Korat jokes upon seeing Monet's gray form.

Tuldri gazes at the female wolf, replying casually, "You can say that for now. Have you found anything worthwhile, yourself?"

"Saw a few dots skirting and descending the mountain, which I'm going to inform Mirtu about. It shouldn't take us that long to reach him if you want to join me." Korat mentions in an afterthought.

Tuldri shakes himself to clear away any leaves and twigs clinging to his gray fur, forcing Korat to shield her face. Only a brief moment passes by for this before the two wolves finally set off with Tuldui joining Korat in meeting their leader.

---

Meanwhile with the Litha Pack, everyone is currently settling in when Terra and Ara notice a bunch of foxes around the place and start chasing them for fun.

"Foxes!!!" Both best friends shout in unison and they both separate to begin engaging in a playful chase with them. Soot notices Terra and pauses, beginning to shrink back at first out of uncertainty of himself being next. That is until Suri licks him on his forehead from behind, causing him to raise his head up to meet the Siberian Husky.

"Suri, what are you doing?" Soot wondered while sitting down and gazing at her. He would have fluffed up and jumped upon feeling Suri's tongue lapping his head, but since his pain receptors are destroyed, the fox doesn't even feel a thing. This was foreign to him until he sensed Suri behind him, or rather, over him.

Suri observes, "Hey, I noticed you tensing up when Terra and Ara broke off to chase those foxes in the area. I don't think they're actually going to hunt them; more like play around with them." She then trails her gaze down to Soot, watching to see how he will react.

The silver fox assumes, "When I saw them separating to go after those foxes, I feared I was next."

Suri buries her nose gently into Soot's forehead to nuzzle the fox gently, withdrawing a bit to reassure him, "They are just playing around, so if you were to be next, it would be all play. They're just romping around like they would usually do. Besides, you're a member of the pack, so there is no reason you should fear injury."

Soot reminds Suri, "Suri, I almost died of hypothermia while in a blizzard; my pain receptors are destroyed, which means I can't feel anything! I won't know if something is broken until I either hear it or someone points it out to me. I'm not blind, but numb to feeling."

"Well that explains things." Suri mumbles to herself, attempting not to roll her eyes at Soot's clarification. She then changes the topic, "So, are you still interested in helping me stock up on medicinal supplies?"

"Oh yes I am! Let's go!" Soot nods eagerly, jumping up to his feet. In his excitement, he leaves Suri behind, much to the female husky's surprise. She watches Soot dart off and rushes after him, calling out, "Soot, wait! I didn't say I was ready yet!"

Elsewhere, Gria, Val, and Saren are checking out their new territory; Gria just explored alone, while Val and Saren traveled together in their exploration, agreeing to partner up instead of remaining separate.

While Val is taking the time out to explore their brand new territory, Saren is more alert and cautious, keeping his eyes as well as his ears open for any potential threats he may find or hear.

During their exploration, Val observes how this new territory is much more vast and lush than the last one; he comments to Saren about this, mentioning their former female leader. "This terrain is so lush; it's so big! Sorel would have definitely loved this new territory!"

"Yeah, she would have, most definitely. You're not lying about that." Saren drawled, reminiscent. Just the mere thought of Sorel and talking about her makes his heart crack. The gray leader closes his eyes and lowers his head, whispering in a low hushed tone, "Too bad she's not with us anymore. She's left too soon…"

The black furred beta notices the change in demeanor and tone with which Saren showed in his body language. When he notices this change, the beta scowls at him. "Saren, you said you were gonna be better than this. She's not here anymore but if she was, then you two would practically be frolicking around by now."

"It's hard to move on without her." Saren moaned when slowly shaking his head in despair, his mind dwelling on his late mate. Val, on the other hand, nudges him to move while barking, "Come on, get up! You can't keep sulking around like this forever when something new occurs!"

"Don't we all?" Saren muttered in return. While Val blinks at him in question, the gray alpha male raises his head back up to stare straight into Val's eyes. Seeing the annoyed expression on the black wolf's face prompts Saren to explain, "We all need encouragement at times to continue moving forward. I thought you would have understood that by now."

"Saren, listen to me." Val attempts to reason with his superior again, arguing, "Sorel isn't here anymore; she's gone and you know that; we all know that! What are you gonna do, sulk around all day? That is not what Sorel wants for any one of us to do, not now, not ever!"

Saren is too immersed in his own thoughts to listen, paying Val only a little bit of attention. He is not even in the mood to argue with his subordinate. He testifies in return, "Val, you really don't understand, do you? If you lost your mate to a deadly accident, the pain and grief doesn't just vanish instantly. It stays with you for a long time. And to overcome those feelings takes time, effort, support, and encouragement."

Val just grits his teeth in silent rage while hearing Saren out, still not impressed with how he is acting over reaching the new territory. But before he can even open his mouth, a rustling noise emanates from the bushes nearby, gathering the duo's attention. This makes both beta male and alpha male visually scour the landscape in search of the sound while keeping their ears open.

"Hey Saren," Val whispers in a low, hushed tone, "did you just hear that?"

"Yeah, I heard it." Saren whispers back in return while still glancing around. "Whatever you do, do not move. Keep your eyes and ears peeled."

The rustling continues for a bit until Val watches the rustling movements, focusing on the direction it is traveling in. Eventually, after a bit of observation, Val finally grows annoyed with it and shouts out into the distance, "If you're done sneaking your way around, then just come out already! Your game isn't working!"

The rustling soon stops, which increases the tense atmosphere. Whatever intimidation tactic is being used isn't working to scare these two wolves; they already know the game is up and are thus ready to confront whoever may be lurking in their new territory.

There is just a tense silence afterwards because whoever is lurking in those bushes heard the warning call. And then, a new face appears out of the bushes; emerging out of the bushes are two wolves, one gray / white and the other one brown.

Both alpha male and beta male happen to chance upon seeing these two new wolves emerging, both of them having mischievous, yet sly smiles on their faces. Upon seeing these two, Saren eyes them warily, while Val growls at the pair, ready to fight.

"Well Tuldri, it appears our guests know that our game is up. How smart of them. Most intruders usually cower or run away; not these two! How impressive is that?" The brown female smirked while side-eyeing her own packmate.

Tuldri just goes along with her, commenting, "How impressive, indeed! But they're in the wrong place. This is our land! Korat, do the honors, will ya?"

Licking her lips, Korat circles both Saren and Val, itching to fight them both. While Val eyes the female wolf intensely, ready to brawl, Saren turns his attention to Tuldri and attempts to peacefully reason with him. Korat has already proved by her body language she's unwilling to talk, so why not move on to the next instigator?

"Who are you and why are you doing this?" Saren reasons with Tuldri, attempting to reach him. "We are just moving to a new territory; our old one is no good. Must you treat all newcomers like this?"

Although Tuldri keeps his wary eye on Korat, he cuts his green eyes over to Saren, hearing him out. Unfortunately, he turns his attention over to Korat for an answer, his ears flattening in fear. But Korat and Val were circling each other; no dice with her. Tuldri turns back to Saren, mouthing off, "Uh…"

Saren just waits patiently for an answer from the gray / white wolf when his ears go up, "Hey Saren, can I teach this tree limb a lesson in picking fights?"

Korat shoots Val a death glare full of pure hatred from the black wolf's remark towards her. She had picked up on this and in return, she screeched, "Who are you calling a tree limb, you speckled butter bean?! I will tear you apart this very instant!"

Saren looks over to the two circling wolves, observing the two circling each other. He calls out, "Can't we all just settle this peacefully? There's no need to fight!"

"Ohh, I have no time for this; this ends right here, right now!" Korat screeches again; she snaps her jaws directly at Val, causing him to jump away on reflex. And then she leaps at him!

(BGM: Rock - Route 99)

Val jumps out of the way of the incoming brown missile, evading a rolling tackle as a result. The black wolf jumps away to avoid a second charge, circling Korat once again. While circling the brown female, Val proclaims, "You're going down!!!"

Even Tuldri attempts to talk Korat out of fighting, "Korat, no! It's not worth fighting them over!"

Saren tries again to reason with the two dueling wolves, "Come on, break it up! This is nothing to fight over!"

A manic, crazed expression soon forms on Korat's face and she turns her attention to Saren next! She immediately charges at him, but Val is hot on her heels with the black beta proclaiming, "Oh no you don't!"

One glance at Korat's sinister expression and even Saren is left fearful. Fortunately, before the crazy she-wolf reaches him, she is tackled aside by Val. "You're gonna have to deal with me first if you're gonna attack him!"

Already, Val begins scratching Korat, causing her to scream in pain initially. In return, she bites down on Val's leg, causing him to release some of his pressure on her, and then she throws him off. Both Saren and Tuldri just watch in horror at the scene unfolding before them, though all of them should be fighting.

Korat stands up, snarling angrily while advancing and then charging at Val in return, lunging for another tackle. This time, Val charges forward to meet her, and they collide and go down in a heap, squabbling on the ground.

While the two wolves wrestle and fight each other, tumbling along the ground, the temptation to separate the two is challenging to shake. Yet Saren knows that if he, or even Tuldri, were to step in and break things up, it could only be made worse.

Tuldri is shaking in pure fear, watching the two dueling wolves while Saren observes from the sidelines beside him, a hardened, yet concentrative expression on his face. Should he call for help or should he wait? Tuldri doesn't even pose much of a threat anymore with how much he is quaking from watching his female companion bite and claw away at her black furred opponent; Saren didn't have to worry about anything from him for now.

'What should I do? Stay and wait or call for help?' Saren thought inwardly; darting his blue eyes back and forth between Tuldri and the two fighting wolves before him, he must make a critical decision.

By this time, Koral and Val had separated and are now circling each other again, both fighters panting and out of breath. They also have sustained many wounds from their fight. However, both of them were determined to kill one another; if Saren or Tuldri fail to move in or do something about it, then one of their members will end up dead for sure.

"What gives you the right to attack other innocent animals such as ourselves!?" Saren jumps at the sight of the two, both his ears and Tuldri's ears flying up to Val's accusation towards Korat.

Korat and Val, now bloodied and bruised up, begin to circle each other again with Korat barking out, "This is our territory!!! OURS!!! In case you haven't noticed, trespassers are not welcome, which means you all will die here!!!"

A howl pierces the tense air right as Korat nearly finishes her statement; Saren's ear-piercing howl is the split/second decision that the gray leader himself has finally made his mind up on and now he is calling for help. Coincidentally, this howl is also serving as a distraction, causing Korat to glance at the gray leader. Right as she makes her move to jump at Saren, Val knocks her onto the ground, "Not on my watch! You want him, you'll have to kill me first!"

While Saren keeps up his howling in hopes of others coming to his aid, Tuldri starts to back away from the scene, fearing the worst for his ally. "I am not staying here! I have to alert Mirtu!" And he quickly flees the scene, leaving the trio all alone, but not for long.

Because of Saren's howl, a couple of members come running to the rescue to see what the situation is. Soot, Suri, and Gria come running to the rescue, as do Terra and Ara, with Ara howling back in return and Terra proclaiming, "Help is on the way!!!"

Another howl from Saren echoes into the distance while Tuldri rushes down the trail to find his superior in hopes of informing him on the situation at hand. At the same time, Saren's backup is coming and it is only a matter of seconds until they arrive. Suri is the first to arrive on the scene, followed closely behind by Soot. Gria arrives next and then Terra and Ara.

Upon seeing Korat and Val fighting, Suri observes the former, taking note of her coloring. The Siberian Husky comments, "Am I seeing things or is Val fighting a tree?"

Terra snickers at Suri's joking inquiry, to which the wolf himself goes along with and plainly responds, "It's a walking, talking tree alright! Only problem is, that thing attacking Val isn't a tree; it's another wolf."

"CHARGE!!!" Ara rushes into the battle, releasing a battle cry of his own; Terra follows closely behind, along with Gria, Soot, and Suri all charging in.

Val hits the ground again, landing flat on his back from being thrown off by Korat. By this time, he has sustained more damage to his body; Korat is also badly scratched and beaten, but she isn't giving up. However, the wounded black wolf notices his backup and smirks at Korat, plainly telling her, "It's game over for you."

"Oh really?" Korat turns around and smacks an incoming Ara to the side, knocking him off-balance. She then rushes forward and crashes head-on into Terra, taking him out. However, Korat gets blindsided by Suri and then the she-wolf lets out a shriek from something biting her tail. The one that's biting and pulling on Korat's tail is Soot.

"Grrraaaahhhhh!!! You all will pay for that!!!" After a bit of fighting and squirming, Korat manages to kick Suri off of her, before kicking Soot away.

Both Siberian Husky and silver fox roll back onto their feet, ready to fight again when Ara charges at Korat again, only to be tackled aside again. And it is at this moment that the brown she-wolf pays attention to the two different animals she's facing. "A dog and a throw rug? What is this?!"

A chuckle from Saren leaves Korat whirling to face him, to which he decides to break the news to her. The gray alpha male reveals, "That throw rug is a fox and a member of my pack. And that dog is another member of my pack."

"What are you doing with a mutt and a fox in your pack? Have you gone mad!? What is this abomination? It clearly violates the sacred wolf laws!!" Korat hisses directly at Saren. She appears ready to charge at him, sending him an angry death glare.

Saren stands his ground, rebutting Korat's claim and picking up on her hidden motive to trap him into fear. He argues, "There are no sacred wolf laws or whatever; I did what I had to do for the survival of my pack, even if that means letting other animals join. Each pack is different and they have their own laws, so there is no universal pack law or whatever; your reasoning with me is completely flawed! And what is more, you had absolutely no right to attack us from the beginning."

"You're the one intruding on our territory! You have no right to be here!" Korat is ready to lunge at Saren when a new commanding voice booms in the atmosphere.

"STOP!"

That commanding voice is a new one, belonging to none other than Mirtu; being in control of the Mabon pack, he is the alpha male and the one who calls the shots. This is the leader and he isn't too happy with what he sees before him.

The orange-eyed gray wolf assesses the situation before him and demands, "What is this all about? Tuldri told me there was an emergency, so it had better be– well hello, who are these two?" Mirtu notices Soot and Suri while gazing around at the scene, having snapped his attention to these two in particular.

Before the Siberian Husky and the silver fox can even answer, Saren reveals, "The Siberian Husky is Suri and the silver fox is Soot. They are members of my pack."

"What?!" The orange-eyed Mabon leader directs his attention to the gray Litha leader, his ears swiveling along with a dark, skeptical expression on his face. "What is this monstrosity you are talking about? Explain yourself!"

Undeterred and unfazed by the Mabon leader and his piercing stare, Saren calmly explains, "It's not a monstrosity, it is a favor. They are members of my pack because we helped them out. Weaker animals deserve a better chance at survival, so we help them out in any way we can."

Mirtu scoffs, turning his head away. "Foxes and dogs joining your ranks; ha! Wolves are superior, so outsiders must be kicked out or killed. You're really stupid if you think letting weaker animals into your ranks will make your kind stronger. Do you even realize what a grave error you're committing by doing this?"

Saren actually smirks at Mirtu, also picking up on his hidden agenda by trying to trap him in his speech. He explains to Mirtu what he plainly stated to Korat, "I did what I had to do to survive. My pack is very small, anyway. Who cares what or how bad it is when you're doing other animals a favor by helping them; weaker animals at that?" Mirtu raises an eyebrow, still skeptical, and Saren points out, "Your reasoning is completely flawed. Just like that brown wolf over there, you're attempting to scare me; is this some kind of joke?"

"You do realize that this entire spot is my territory, do you not?" Mirtu smirks in return, his own smirk slowly transitioning into an evil grin.

Saren argues, "A wolf pack does not have a huge plot of land as their territory, no matter how big or small they are. Once again, your reasoning is flawed. Do you really believe you can get away with slaughtering an entire pack that's innocent, and newcomers at that? I can see you're not welcoming of that."

"Newcomers? I hardly believe you all are new." Mirtu denies Saren's claim, taking up an attack stance.

"Then I suppose you're not afraid of thunder or fire, anything to do with severe weather and destruction of land, hmm?" Saren grins smugly in return at seeing Mirtu's face falling; the Mabon leader now has a scowl on his face and he darts his orange eyes over to Tuldri for emphasis.

"Hey! It's not my fault I'm scared of thunderstorms!" Tuldri yips in protest, feeling singled out. "You can't tell me you guys didn't hear all that thunder! And it's not so easy to overcome such a big fear!"

It doesn't take long for Mirtu to assume, "So those big bangs we heard and all of that smoke in the air yesterday, all of that was thunder? And where was all of that howling coming from in the first place?"

"That was a completely unexpected disaster that befell us; the howls were from us trying to locate each other, and it didn't go so well. My mate and I lost our old territory and we lost her as well." Although Saren is breaking this recent situation to Mirtu, his voice cracks a bit from mentioning Sorel. To recover, the gray Litha male shakes his fur briefly.

This catches Mirtu's attention with him raising his eyebrows in surprise. He comments on the matter to Saren directly, focusing his own orange eyes on the Litha male, "You have a mate? That's common throughout other packs. Why isn't she here with you?"

Saren wasn't sure whether this guy is intrigued or trying to lure him into a trap. He plainly states, "Had is more of a recent term. She died amidst the chaos in our old territory, so I am the only leader left."

"You intrigue me." Mirtu began laughing, but it's not a sinister laugh. This is a deep, genuine laugh that is rare amongst rivals. This even leaves Saren on guard, wondering if Mirtu is going crazy or if he is truly interested in learning more about him.

Suspicious, Saren ascertains, "How so? You're not the type who would be interested in something like this. You seem like the type who is interested only in slaughtering others."

"Well this is my territory and you're intruding." The Mabon leader reminds Saren smugly. This does nothing to deter Saren, who simply brushes off the retort, standing his ground. He isn't leaving any time soon.

The Litha male counters, "Intruding, huh? There seems to be only three of you, so how can an entire forest be yours to keep? What if someone else needs to relocate because of a disaster that destroyed their former territory?"

"Why do you have a fox and a mutt in your pack, huh? Think you can answer that for all of us?" Mirtu retorts back. His smug smile returns on his muzzle, daring Saren to answer.

"Hey Rockface, Suri isn't a mutt; she's a Siberian Husky! And she and Soot are with us because we helped them out! We leave no one behind!" Both Saren and Mirtu turn their attention to Terra, who for the first time since the Mabon pack's arrival, speaks up defending Suri, Soot, and assisting Saren.

"Terra? What are you doing? Stand down!" Although Saren tries to prevent Terra from butting in, for fear of further confrontation, the brown wolf remains unfazed. Even Mirtu grows intrigued at this newcomer, for he seemed to be caught off-guard by the insulting remark, but also at the sudden jump into the conversation.

"Who are you calling 'Rockface' you little tree bark? I'll rip your head off!" Mirtu growls in return. He isn't too happy with the insult and he appears ready to move in. Though the speaking up is motivated by a sudden burst of courage, this stays with Terra, even as Ara steps in front to defend him, challenging Mirtu to a possible fight. "If you want him, you'll have to go through me first!"

"Stop!!!" Not wanting another fight to break out amongst everyone now, Saren tries to get Terra and Ara to stand down but his tactic doesn't seem to be working. The two friends do not stand down; instead, they stand their ground, ready to fight Mirtu if need be.

"We will not stand down, Saren! This has gone on far too long!" Terra barks hotly in return, glaring between the two leaders. "We will fight for our territory if we need to."

Shaking his head in despair, Saren counters, "If everyone fights for this, more lives will be lost. It's not a good idea to fight or hog a giant territory all to yourself. There could be stragglers like us, looking to migrate to a new place after our old one got destroyed or ransacked; then you got some that just plainly don't care." Saren just turns to stare directly at Mirtu upon bringing up the last part of what he has just explained, to which Mirtu hardens his gaze.

"Are you telling me how to run things, boy? I'll snap you in half!" Mirtu grumbles in a threatening, cold manner. "Don't tell me how I should run things around here."

Saren tries his hardest not to roll his eyes at the threat, wishing Mirtu would just shut up and listen to reason. The gray Litha male just sighs in despair. Bluntly, he points out, "Well it's your loss for your pack attacking another one that is entirely innocent, even after migrating across this mountain. All that we were looking to do is settle down in a new territory, not end up as casualties in a pointless fight."

Mirtu smirks again, having thought of something. He decides to cut Saren a deal with the territory issue. "Well look who's talking! As leniency, I may just grant you one part of my land and keep the rest for ourselves. But then again, I suppose lowlifes will just break away, so you will be getting only one part of this land that I own."

This just earns him a blank face from Saren and an eye roll from Val. Terra and Ara aren't impressed either. The black beta, having picked up on Mirtu's intention, plainly points out, "You're stalling so that we can just get up and leave, aren't you?"

"Looks like someone has a brain around here, and putting it to good use." Mirtu laughs deeply, this time catching everyone by surprise; everyone except for one person in particular.

"Equal territory now! Give us equal territory, right now!" Soot joins the fray and he stomps his foot against the ground; the silver fox himself isn't happy about the prolonged situation and insists that it stops right now.

"Soot? What are you–?" Saren trails off and observes Mirtu sauntering towards the silver fox, laughing to himself once more. And the gray Litha male can only observe in silent fear, anticipating a fight breaking out once again.

Mirtu puts his face directly in Soot's direct line of vision, taunting the fox, "And what is a little squirt like you going to do about it? I don't see foxes being capable of standing up for themselves." If Mirtu was to send a look over his shoulder at Saren, he would observe the gray Litha male facepalming himself and shaking his head right now, but the Mabon leader just keeps his face directly in Soot's face, until laughter from behind gets his attention.

"If only you realized how dumb you sound right about now; any animal is capable of defending themselves!" Val's snickering turns into full blown laughter, even with Terra and Ara joining in.

Whirling on the black beta male, Mirtu hotly ascertains, "Foxes and dogs are much weaker animals than us; they cannot–" before Mirtu can finish…

*CHOMP!*

"!!!" Mirtu freezes at first upon feeling a biting force crushing his tail; his orange eyes shrink in complete terror and excruciatingly pain. Then he erupts into a painful shriek while growling is heard behind him, along with a tugging and thrashing sensation on his tail.

If Val's cracking up at the embarrassing reaction of the Mabon leader trying to shake the fox away isn't enough, Terra and Ara also fall over laughing at how the threatening Mabon leader turns from sinister to desperate. Ara even cracks a remark at the display, "That same throw rug he's threatened to rip apart now has him screaming!!!"

Even Suri joins Soot in the fight, blindsiding the Mabon male and pinning him underneath her; the initial tackle causes Soot to lose his grip and roll across the ground at least three times before standing up. When the silver fox turns his attention to Saren, all Soot can see is disappointment, shame, and annoyance on his features while facepalming and shaking his head. Saren also mumbles under his breath, "What am I going to do with these guys? What am I ever going to do?"

Soot then turns his attention to Suri, watching her keenly in anticipation of jumping in to help her. However, there was no such need. While Mirtu squirms and nips at Suri's legs, the female Siberian Husky raises up and slams down on his chest, knocking some of the wind out of him.

"Hmph! Are mutts the weaker species now, or am I gonna have to crush you again? Surely you wouldn't want your airways blocked, now would you?" Suri taunted Mirtu while breathing her threat into his face.

"That's enough!!!" Saren's resounding voice booms again, ceasing all activity. Keeping his distance, he demands, "Suri, get off of him. You will stand down!"

Suri obeys, giving Mirtu a dirty look while removing herself from him. Although Mirtu manages to get back onto his feet, he cockily remarks, "Dogs will obey anyone if commanded to do something. I'm shocked she didn't kill me; shows you how weak they are."

Saren gives a knowing glance at Suri and challenges Mirtu, "Dogs are weak, huh? How about I leave and let her tear your throat out while unsupervised? Or I can ask her right now about what she wants to do to you; chances are it's not gonna be pretty for you."

Mirtu falls silent, shooting the duo a blank look. Getting back to the matter at hand, he demands, "Tell me why all of you are here or I will tear each and every last one of you apart, limb by limb."

"We're looking to settle in a new territory, you moron! Haven't you figured that out yet?" Val quips out of impatience. He has been sick and tired of beating around the bush and waiting.

"No one is settling in this territory! It is all ours and that is it!" Korat claims in defiance.

"Is that so, Tree Trunk?" Terra joins the conversation, arguing in return. "If you guys have such a giant territory, then why are there only three of you?"

"Call me a tree trunk again and I will rip your head off." Korat threatens in return for the remark; she wasn't spilling anymore information.

"It's only about survival; that's it. No need to share with… anyone…" Tuldri attempts to make his way into the conversation, unknowingly revealing a crucial piece of information. He trails off from seeing all eyes on him and immediately begins shaking. "...oops." He starts to step away, nervously whimpering, "I'll just go then…"

Tuldri hides away to erase himself from the group, leaving the rest of the groups to each other. And from hearing Tuldri speak just now, this is what Saren assumes, "So let me get this straight, you and your small gang are a trio of selfish, prideful jerks? There is nothing wrong with sharing. We get half and you keep half."

Val adds, "And since we're larger, we'll need more since we have more members. It's only fair, right?" The black wolf cannot hold back the wide smirk taking over his muzzle. Even Saren agrees to this.

"There are only three of you, so you guys should have a smaller territory. After all," he smiles at Val, finally being in agreement with him and not opposed, while the two turn their attention back to Mirtu, citing Val's last statement, "it's only fair, isn't it?"

"You cannot do that! That is against pack mentality!" Mirtu rears back in defiance, angrily growling. "And if I don't? What will you pipsqueaks do then?"

"We will take it by force!" Val barked out, his smile widening afterwards. Saren shoots him a quick look, picking up on the acting. Though it is a joke, the two aren't deterred by Mirtu's counter. Instead, Saren clarifies, "What he means is that there will be some consequences if you don't let us settle in. And from what happened earlier, I believe you don't want to risk confrontation or war."

Mirtu growls in defeat. "Hmph, fine. But we will evenly split the territory! And be warned, if I see even one of you on my side, I won't go easy on you."

Saren exhales deeply, having finally obtained what he was so patiently and desperately waiting for. He playfully jumps on Val and takes him down in a rolling tackle, catching his subordinate completely by surprise.

"What was that for?!" Val yips in surprise after catching his breath for a few moments.

Saren just smiled at him, genuinely. "Because I wanted to. Not only that but we have our very own territory to play around and explore in!"

Val shakes his head, turning to leave. "Saren, I swear; between you as a person and a leader, you act like a puppy sometimes." While Val leaves, Saren is left alone, lying in the grass on his left side while happily panting with his tongue out, trailing his blue eyes up to the sky. He mutters to himself, "I did it! I finally did it; not just for me, but for Sorel and for everyone else! Sorel's legacy will not be tarnished! I have succeeded!" A happy howl soon resonates from the Litha leader from his excitement in finally settling down in his new territory.