dropping his prize. “Are Dad and Chestnut okay?”

“They’re fine! Everyone that survived is getting better now! I’m just taking some more fungus back just in case”

Will’s expression darkened when his eyes crossed over the cure. If Everest got a hold of it, Hiatus and Hawk would be as good as saved. They needed to suffer. 

“Everest wanted me to... tell you to stay here for a little bit”

Tempest tilted her head. “I just saw him. He didn’t mention anything”

“Come on” Will said, picking up the meat. “Just follow me”

Tempest was confused, but she trusted Will. Picking up the extra fungus, she followed the young Aklark wolf deeper into the woods.

Now that the pack was gaining it’s health back, Everest was as content and sharp as ever. The Aklark wolves were safe now, so Everest decided to bring his pack to meet the pups. They’d found the safe-to-eat deer they had brought a few days before and ripped off a chunk of meat. It didn’t look all that good, but it was better then nothing. Everest proudly led the way to Fly’s den, but before they had even gotten close, they met Fly.

“Is Will okay?”

Everest nodded, dropping the food. “He’s probably a little shocked, but I think he’s okay. But now that you mention it, I haven’t seen him since this morning. Why?”

“He looked a little... off”

Everest cocked his head. “Off?”

“Yeah and he had the poisoned meat”

Everest furrowed his brow. What would Will want with that? He glanced back at Quick, Odin, Comet and Altea, who had been following him and noticed he was missing another pack member.

“Where’s Tempest?” 

“She went off to get more fungus” Altea supplied. “But it’s taking her a little longer then last time”

“Let’s move. Now” Everest said quickly, scooping up the food. 

“What’s going on?” Comet asked worriedly. 

“Hopefully nothing” Everest mumbled through the meat. 

The Ublureak territory was unguarded and when the group had reached the ledge they’d found the brothers on before, they were shocked.

Hiatus, Hawk, Tosca and Arrow were rolling around in pain, clutching their stomachs. Arrow was the first to spot Everest and made a desperate lunge at the golden wolf, falling over his own feet with a groan before he even got close. 

“You used our poison on us...” Hiatus started, stopping to wince. “... how clever of you”

“Not me. Will”

Something whimpered and Everest noticed Mange plastered against the wall. He looked fine. Just scared. Hiatus must of prevented him from eating.

“Remember-” Hiatus made a face, looking like he was about to throw up, and hissed, “- if we die, so does everyone else”

“Let’s go find Will” Everest told the rest, keeping his face emotionless. “I’d tell someone to stay here, but I wouldn’t trust them. Especially if they were dying”. Before they left Everest grinned at Hiatus. “I think you deserve to suffer for a bit anyway though”

Then the group took off, Everest kicking the fallen Arrow as they went. The group rushed through the woods, following Will’s faint scent until the smell of Tempest mixed with his. Suddenly, something crashed right into Everest, throwing him onto the ground and sending the meat he was still carried flying through the air. 

“Will?”

Will picked himself off the ground, looking both scared and shocked. A few feet away, the poisoned meat sat beside Everest’s. They looked almost exactly alike.

“What were you thinking?!”

Will winced at Everest’s harshness. “That you weren’t going to kill them... and that maybe I should” he finally stuttered. 

“Well get Tempest and tell her to bring the cure”

“She can’t!” Will cried. “I can’t! They deserve it and you know it!”

“But they’re the only ones who deserve it!” Everest snapped. “Not every other pack! And they’ll pay for what you did too! I don’t want to find out the hard way that Hiatus is telling the truth”

Will didn’t say anything, brown eyes wide. He didn’t move. Or even motion to where Tempest could be.

Without warning, Everest dove forward, ripping off a piece of the poisoned meat and swallowed it. Now everyone’s eyes were as wide as Will’s. Everest’s eyes passed from one member to the next and settled on Will’s. 

“Well Will, what’re you going to do now? If they die, I do too”

“Why did... why did you have to do that?!” Will cried. “They need to be stopped! You even said so!”

“Not like this. There’ll be a time for that. But it’s not now”

Will opened his mouth but he couldn’t think of anything to say. Everest winced and collapsed, hitting the ground hard.

“Everest!” In unison, the pack jumped forward.

“Get Tempest” Everest managed through gritted teeth. “I’ll meet you back at where Hiatus is”

The pack took off, running faster then Everest had ever seen them run. Once they were out of sight, Everest climbed to his feet and dusted himself off as if nothing had ever happened. Then he went over and double check that he had taken a bite out of his meat, not Will’s. 

“Sorry Fly, we’ll get you a fresh piece later” Everest mumbled to himself. The golden wolf dug a hole and carefully dropped the poison meat in it. After he had covered it up, he observed the job he had done. When he was satisfied that it wouldn’t be noticed, he mumbled, “Now, you won’t hurt anyone ever again”

Everest made it back to Hiatus before his pack did so without a word, he sat stiffly straight, waiting for the rest to get there.

“Everest, I-”

“Shut up” Everest said simply, before Hiatus could say anything. “You’re lucky we’re even coming back in the first place”

Arrow pulled himself to his feet and staggered toward Everest, collapsing once again, before he could touch the gold wolf. Everest tsked his tongue and looked down on Arrow under half-closed eyes. “And to think I thought you were pathetic before this”

“Everest! Everest?”

Will led the group down to the ledge, but he was puzzled to see his leader sitting perfectly content and healthy.

“I thought you-?”

“It was the meat I brought for Fly” Everest explained. “But you still have the chance to fix what you screwed up”

Will looked bitterly at Hiatus.

“At least give some to my sister!” Quick snarled impatiently. “She didn’t do anything!”

With a sigh, Will dropped the spongy white stuff in front of Hiatus, Hawk and Tosca but before he gave some to Arrow, Everest stopped him.

“Hold it for a sec, I think I should hand out this one”

Will gave Everest the fungus and Everest grinned. “Alright Arrow, do you want to live?”

Arrow didn’t reply, eyes burning hatefully. 

“Well I’m assuming you do, so you’re going to have to say please”

Arrow snarled but winced when another wave of pain swept over him. “Please” Arrow forced out.

“Now roll over!”

Arrow growled angrily.

“How much time does he have Tempest?”

“Not long before he keels over”

Arrow snarled louder and rolled over. 

“Now say that you’re a pathetic pup and that Fly would rather have pups with a coyote before turning to you”

Arrow snarled and lunged at Everest angrily, giving himself a face-plant. 

“Everest”

The gold wolf glanced at Tempest who nodded to Hiatus. He was regaining strength quickly. 

“Until next time” Everest said pleasantly before flicking Arrow in the nose and dropping the cure just out of reach. Arrow crawled toward it but when he finally ate it and started to feel better, Everest and his pack were gone. Hiatus threw Hawk an angry look and hissed, “No cure? He’s useless”

Hawk glared at Mange, who was still frozen with fear. 

“Kill him Arrow” Hiatus said simply, starting up the trail with Hawk and Tosca. Arrow crept toward Mange. He needed something to take his anger out on anyway.

Back in the Aklark territory, Cedar was still weak but the pack had already decided that they were leaving.

“It’s just too much of a risk” Willow said. “We aren’t as young as we used to be and half our pack is gone now. We don’t stand a chance against whatever Hiatus will bring next”

Everest nodded understandably and everyone said their last goodbyes as the Aklark pack started to leave.

“Sorry we couldn’t do more” Everest added regretfully. 

“Everest, you’re just like your mother” Willow chuckled. “Moet always blamed stuff like this on herself!”

“You knew my mom?” Everest asked weakly. “Cedar said something about my-”

“Father?” Willow snorted. “Your mother was the real deal. Your father just lived off her name. I’d tell you more but I’m not about to get left behind by my own pack!”

And with that, Willow set off, leaving the group melancholy and