they’re doing... we’ll be gone before they know we’re there”

Odin sighed but continued trotting on anyway. 

“I’m not afraid! They’re just a couple of-”

Quick jumped out from the bushes, causing Odin to squeak and jump.

“Uh... sorry” Quick offered glancing at Odin, “Thought I was needed more here...”

Everest raised a brow but shrugged an okay. The four continued to plod on as Odin recovered and fell into step alongside Quick.

“So what suddenly changed your mind?” Odin scoffed. 

“Do you ever shut up?” 

“Someone’s snippy today...” Odin shot back. But then his eyes opened wide, getting an idea. “It was Tempest again, wasn’t it!?”

“I’m going to revisit that whole shut up thing again... cause some of the stuff coming out of your mouth is stupid enough to make my ears bleed”

“Whatchya guys talking about?” Comet asked shyly, slowing down to walk next to Quick.

“Nothing” Quick growled, speeding up to walk next to Everest.

Comet frowned, ears falling back. “He doesn’t like me, does he?” she said in a small voice.

“He doesn’t like anyone really” Odin replied, but quickly added, “But I’m sure he doesn’t dislike you!”

The wolves walked in silence for the rest of the way until they entered Hiatus’s territory. They crept silently along the tree line but their effort was unneeded. There wasn’t a single other wolf around. The territory seemed empty. 

“Where is everyone?” Comet finally whispered, breaking the silence. 

“I don’t know...” Everest replied warily. 

They ventured a bit farther, walking cautiously by the cave that Hiatus usually used to keep his victims in. But when they passed, all four stopped and stared, astonished. The cave was filled with half-eaten meat.

“Well that explains why they aren’t starving... but where’s Hiatus?”

The four wolves headed out onto the narrow trail that stood out alongside the biggest mountain in the territory, trying to ignore the sheer drop that was on their left. Odin looked down over the edge and gulped. Low hanging clouds of fog blocked out the bottom, making the drop look like it would last forever.

“That’s a long fall...”

“Better not fall then” Quick grinned evilly, “Or hope someone doesn’t trip you”

Odin made a face but kept walking, deliberately looking the opposite way. Only a few silent steps later, someone’s voice could be heard echoing down the trail. Everest picked up a careful jog and as the trail widened a bit, the voice grew louder and clearer. It was Hiatus’s. 

“- now. We’ll find out tomorrow, won’t we?”

The laughter of Hawk and some female wolf bounced off the sides of the cliff. Everest, Quick, Odin and Comet slowed to a crawl until they were directly above where the noise  was coming from, then dropped to their stomachs, creeping up to the edge until they could almost peer over.

“Well the sooner the better” Hawk sneered. “Maybe my pups will be born into a half-decent world after all”

The female sighed happily, presumably Hawk’s mate.

“When are they going to come back?!” Hawk asked suddenly changing the subject. “It doesn’t take that long to find a single deer!”

“Patience...” Hiatus crooned. “If we really want to fool them, we want their food to be fresh. Or else something could be wrong with it”

The three laughed and the four wolves up on the ledge made eye contact. Something was definitely going to happen but none had the slightest clue of what it was. As the conversation below them moved on to small talk, curiosity was getting the better of Odin. The sandy wolf moved closer and closer until he could just see over the edge. Hiatus and Hawk were laying next to each other looking out over the edge. And next to Hawk was...

Odin jumped back, riddled look on his face. Everest, Quick and Comet stared. Odin pointed over the edge and then to Quick. All three returned his confused look. Odin pointed again, desperately trying to hold his silence. Quick scowled and ignored Odin. Odin huffed, rolling his eyes and crawled up to the edge, looked over and pointed one last time. The other three crawled up to the edge and looked over too. Laying down next to her mate, was... another Quick?! Besides a few mis-matched markings, Quick and the clearly pregnant wolf could be twins. When she turned her head sideways, it looked like she even had the same blue eyes that Quick did. Quick scooted away from the edge first in shock. Everest carefully backed away as well. They sat in silence for a few seconds, trying to figure it out.

“How long have you had a sister?” Everest finally asked.

“I don’t know- I mean I don’t!”

“Well you have a daughter then” Odin smirked. “Who’s the girl?”

“She’s definitely not my daughter” Quick spat, voice rising. “I think I’d remember that”

Odin snickered and went for another look, but frowned when he looked down. 

“Uh... Everest, they’re not there anymore”

Everest, Quick and Comet rose to their feet and rushed to the edge. Hiatus, Hawk and the female were gone. Everest’s eyes followed the trail that the ledge connected to, one  side starting further down the side of the cliff into the clouds, the other rising up to connect to the trail they were on...

“I thought I heard something” Hiatus sneered with fake excitement. The female peered out from behind her mate and Quick’s angry glare melted into an unsure stare. When her blue eyes slid over Quick, shock and confusion lit up her face. Hiatus raised an eyebrow at Quick’s expression, but grinned when he glanced down at his brother’s mate. 

“I see you’ve noticed Tosca” Hiatus hissed. 

“My...my sis-”

“No she’s your brother” Hiatus scowled sarcastically. “This is all getting boring now... now why don’t you run off before I kill you or whatever... I’ve got more important things to be doing right now”

“You’re not in any position to make threats! Do you know how easy it’d be to knock you off this cliff right now?” Quick growled, stepping closer. “You should know... I was your little puppet for a three years. You taught me how to do it.”

“Nuh uh uhhh” Hiatus trilled. “Why don’t you field this one Tosca, since he doesn’t seem to trust me”

Tosca’s ears fell back and her blue eyes made contact with Quick’s.

“Uh... you can’t kill them. Either of them”

Quick made a face and cocked his head.

“Of course I can, why couldn’t -”

“No I mean you can’t” Tosca said in a quieter voice, eyes dropping. “They have another wolf pack’s help... and if either of them die, the pack has orders to kill every pack on sight instead of just trying to force them around”

Everest’s blue eyes studied Tosca then darted to Hiatus.

It couldn’t be true... could it?

“And you expect us to believe that?” Everest finally snapped. 

“How about you find out the hard way then...hmm? Like Quick said, it’d be easy to kick me right off this cliff here”

Everest frowned, not wanting to back off so easily, but above them over the trails and cliff, Hiatus and Hawk’s conjoined pack could be heard howling. They were on the way back. Hiatus glanced up the cliff then returned his gaze back to Everest with a half smile. Everest’s blood boiled, knowing he now had little choice.

“Let’s get outta here” Everest growled, adding under his breath, “We’ll deal with this later”

Quick gave his newfound sister one last look, then stalked after Everest, Odin and Comet. 

“Well now what do we do?” Odin whined as soon as they were out of Ublureak territory.

Everest shook his head, anger still not fully drained. “I don’t know...”

Quick, who had been quiet the whole way back, finally broke his silence.

“We have to go back for Tosca... please”

Everest looked back at Quick. He’d never heard him even try to say please before.

“She’s the only family I have... I think” Quick continued. “And I bet Hawk’s holding something over her head. I bet she never even wanted to have those pups and that she was normal before they met! Do you think he brainwashed her?”

“Brainwashing isn’t real” Odin argued. 

“You wouldn’t know Odin... you don’t have a brain to wash”

“We’ll go back” Everest said, interrupting the fight. “But I think we should deal with the Aklark pack problem first”

Quick nodded but he was visibly anxious. As soon as they crossed into the Aklark’s territory, Will jogged forward, still as worried as before. 

“Well?”

“Almost got caught” Comet called out. “But they’re going to do something”

“And Quick has a sister” Odin added, snickering to himself until Quick shoved his face into the muddy ground.

“Any trouble here?” Everest asked.

“No” Will sighed. “Altea and Tempest went off into the woods