Chapter I

Everest was tired. Too tired too run. Too tired to go on. Too tired to take one more step. Puffing, the wolf flopped over on his side and played dead, letting his tongue hang out of the side of his mouth. 

His attackers on the other hand, were full of energy. Snarling, four little fluff-balls finally caught up with Everest, jumping on him and biting him with sharp little teeth. But when they noticed the larger wolf wasn’t moving, they stopped.

“Daddy? Are you okay?” asked the lightest gold fluff-ball, Ozark.

Everest’s eyes popped open and with lightening fast speed, he gently scooped up Ozark and took off again, making the others three pups laugh and chase after their father. But after a day full of playing, Everest was exhausted. 

“Okay, okay, you guys win” he puffed, collapsing next to his mate, Fly. 

“Now you know why I’m so tired all the time” Fly smirked, nuzzling Ishkur as he tiredly curled up next to her. “But I don’t think I’ve ever seen them so tired before” she added, chuckling. “I think it’s someone’s nap time!”

“Mom, we’re not-” Axle yawned widely. “-tired! Can we stay here?”

“Please Mom?!” Theo chipped in, obviously just as tired. 

“We can come back later” Fly said sternly with a half smile. “We need to go back before Arr-”

Everest frowned and Fly stopped mid-sentence. 

“Before Arrow gets worried?” Everest finished. Fly frowned and got Ozark, Axle and Theo to their feet. 

“You know he would” Fly answered. “And you’re the one that makes me stay there”

“Can we at least say goodbye to Uncle Will?” Theo yawned. “Please?”

Fly nodded, making Everest and Fly stop arguing for the time being. Fly picked the still-sleeping Ishkur up and led the way back toward Everest’s den while Everest herded the other three pups so none were left behind.

At the den, Everest’s pack lounged around the dried riverbank. Since Will’s pack had moved out of their territory, there hadn’t been so much to do. It seemed that most other packs had left the area too, finally understanding Hiatus’s power. 

“Uuuughhhhh there’s nootttthhhhing to doooo” Odin moaned, pulling himself across the grass on his stomach. “I waannnttt to doooo something...”

Quick growled from his place in the shade. He desperately wished Odin had left with the other packs. With him around, it was impossible to sleep. “Why don’t you go for a walk Odin” he muttered. “And walk far, far away”

Odin jumped to his feet. “Well being bored is better then being grumpy!”

“Just relax guys” Tempest said from her spot next to Will. “This is the first time that we’ve actually been able to rest since Hiatus took over. Why don’t we actually try to enjoy it?”

“Yeah Quick!” Odin sneered. “We’re all relaxed! What’s your problem?!”

Quick groaned loudly, rolling over and placing both paws over his ears. 

Before Odin could retort anything else, Fly appeared with Ishkur in her mouth. A few moments later, Everest ushered the other three worn out pups. Will stood up as Theo stumbled over to nuzzle him and say a weary goodbye before he followed after his mother and siblings back to Hiatus’s territory. 

Everest watched them leave, face emotionless, then went to the mouth of the den and collapsed. 

“Did Fly give us any new information?!” Odin asked desperately, not giving his best friend a moment’s rest. “So we can go on some mission or adventure or something?!”

Everest opened an eye. “She said Hiatus is still not doing anything. He’s either waiting for something to happen or he’s trying to figure out his next move”

“Oooooohhhh!” Odin yowled. “I want to do something! It’s so boring to sit around and do nothing!”

“Then why don’t you just scout or something. I need to sleep... I’ll scout later on tonight”

“So who wants to go scout with me?!” the sandy wolf chirped, turning to the others.

Odin’s eyes jumped from one pack mate to the other. Quick glared back from the shadows. Altea was nearly asleep next to Tempest, who was asleep. Comet was awake but she didn’t offer to go along. Will moved closer to Tempest and eyeing them, Quick stood up.

“I’ll go if you shut up”

“How come you’re in such a rush now?”

Tempest curled up closer to Will and smiled in her sleep. Quick jerked his eyes away and started off without waiting for Odin. A few moments later, Comet bounded along as well after noticing Quick had hurried away but admitted she was bored too.

Fly smiled as she moved her pups together. It was probably warm enough for the pups to nap in the sun, but the den was safer. Once she was sure they were all sound asleep, she set off toward the main den where she knew Hiatus’s pack was laying around. 

Before she got there, she spotted a grey wolf darting around franticly. She knew it was Arrow before she even got close enough to see. She padded closer, careful not to catch his eye until she was behind him. Then she waited until he picked up her scent. Once Arrow caught her scent, he whipped around, jumping when he saw her. Fly raised a brow.

“I uh... was just looking for you” he said awkwardly in his usual, husky voice. “You were gone for a while and I got...” he tried to think of the right word.

“Worried?” Fly offered, walking past him.  

“Yeah...” Arrow answered, voice trailing off. 

“Did anything happen?” Fly asked curiously as Arrow followed. 

“No. Hiatus’s only orders were to hunt. I think he’s letting the pack take a break”

Doubt it Fly thought. Probably trying to decide who to torture next.

“Then why were you in such a rush to find me?”

“I don’t know” Arrow shrugged. “I just wanted to see you”

Even though she bitterly hated Arrow, she let a smile flicker across her face. He may have been Everest’s worst enemy, but maybe there was some good in him after all.

Like she had predicted, Hiatus and most of the pack were sprawled around in front of the main den that usually served as a prison to Hiatus’s hostages. With a grimace, Fly noticed that the two wolves that had been kept there before she left were gone... Hiatus had “taken care” of them.

“Well well well” Hiatus hissed as he noticed Fly. “Where have you been all morning? You missed a wonderful event here... what made you leave...?”

Fly couldn’t bring herself to answer. Even if Everest hadn’t wanted to see the pups that day, she wouldn’t have watched Hiatus at his cruelest. 

She noticed that Tosca was gone from Hawk’s side as she wandered by Hiatus but it didn’t surprise her. Tosca was heavily pregnant before... Fly could bet she’d finally had her pups. To bad Hiatus will brainwash them too, she thought sadly.

“I saw something!” Odin barked, standing stiff-legged. “I know I did!”

“Then go get it Odin” Quick drawled.

Odin crawled cunningly toward the bottom of a tree while Quick sighed and moved off, Comet right behind him. Odin crept closer and pounced on whatever was there. Suddenly, he let out a cry, drawing Quick and Comet’s attention but when he shot out from under the tree backward, they saw that Odin had a raccoon clamped on his nose. No matter how hard the sandy wolf tried to shake it off, the raccoon was determined to hold on. 

“Get it off! Pleeeeasse get it off!”

Quick just laughed to himself and walked off, leaving Comet to scare off the raccoon. Odin whimpered, trying to pry the grey animal off his nose until Comet’s shadow fell over them both. The raccoon finally opened its mouth and scampered off into the woods.

“Thanks” Odin mumbled, gingerly rubbing his nose. But quickly added, “But I could’ve handled that completely on my own”

“Of course you could have” Comet grinned as they trotted after Quick. 

The search had already proved to be more boring then sitting around and every two seconds, Odin thought he’d found something. At first it was amusing, but Quick’s temper was getting shorter and shorter.

“Alright, that’s it” Quick said simply after Odin had “spotted something” for the millionth time. “I’m going back and going to sleep”

“You always ruin everyone’s fun” Odin complained, reluctantly following him. Then he paused, nose in the air. “Wait! I think I-”

“If the next words out of your mouth are that you think you smell something, I’m going to rip your mouth right off your face”

Comet’s ears flicked around and a strange look came over her face. “No... I think he’s right”

Quick rolled his eyes and went back to the other two. And suddenly, a strange scent hit Quick’s nose. 

“It smells like... a few wolves... another pack?”

Comet nodded her head. “But I thought Will said there weren’t anymore around?”

“He did” Quick said thoughtfully. “Maybe we should let everyones else know... I don’t know if