I don’t know if this is what Hiatus was waiting for or not...”

“He’s waiting for something?” Odin asked quizzically as they rushed back.

“I don’t know. I mean that’s what I’m guessing”

Everest snoozed happily. He loved having a family! Even though it tired him out more then a good fight, he always came back to the pack happier then he’d ever been. Arrow could taunt him all he wanted. He could never have what Everest had and he never would. And that was more then enough to make the golden wolf sleep well. 

Odin, on the other hand, seemed determined to make sure he didn’t... Everest’s eyes opened. Odin was shaking him awake.

“Huh- what’s going on?” Everest mumbled sleepily, rolling to his feet. 

“We found something!” Odin barked excitedly. “For real this time!”

Everest glanced at Quick and Comet. 

“Are you sure there’s no other packs around here?” Quick asked, mostly aiming the question at Will.

Will thought hard, running through every pack he knew that had lived nearby. 

“It might just be a new pack” he finally shrugged. “Every other big pack left”

“Does that mean we actually get to do something!?” Odin squeaked, ready for Everest’s orders.

“Can’t we just sleep and let them find us?” Odin groaned, mostly to himself. 

Now that Everest had finally given them orders, Odin wanted nothing more then to rest. Everest had them on the lookout ever since they had found the scent. No one had spotted the group yet, but Everest was determined to keep them from getting to the Ublureak territory, before Hiatus found them.

“Just head north Odin” Everest grinned after they came to a spot where the trail split. “I’m going to the south edge of the territory. Just howl if you spot them”

Odin sulked but nodded, dragging his feet off in the opposite direction. Everest smirked but continued on his own. He was hoping that the pack didn’t drift into Hiatus’s territory. They’d done a pretty good job of keeping everyone and anyone away from the Ublureak territory... but something had to give eventually. But until then, they could keep the other packs far away.

Everest followed the trail as it sloped down and headed toward the more heavily wooded part of the territory. Now that it was summer and the trees had grown out, Everest was a little more on edge. At least when it was winter, no one could sneak up and attack because there weren’t any thick grass or leaves to hide them. Plus, it was easier to find footprints in the snow then in grass.

Suddenly, as Everest wandered along the trail in his own thoughts, he spotted another wolf. Jolted out of his own thoughts, Everest just stared. The other wolf, a furry, brown, plainly over-weight wolf blinked right back at him him. Both couldn’t believe they had just stumbled into the other one. 

“Hi there...” Everest finally said, breaking the silence. “Are you lost?”

The brown wolf beamed, relieved. 

“You have no idea how long I’ve been wandering through these cursed woods!”

Everest grinned, just as relieved that the wolf didn’t seem to be a threat. “Well let me help you out” Everest chuckled. 

The brown wolf grinned again and followed Everest as the gold wolf started to lead the other wolf back to the den. 

“I’ve been wandering around for almost two days!” the brown wolf explained. “I was supposed to be checking things out for the pack...”

“Pack?” Everest asked casually. “So you’re from the new pack”

The brown wolf nodded, going on to explain how he and his pack were moving through other territories and that he’d gotten lost. Everest smiled, even more relaxed. If the rest of the strange pack was like this wolf, he’d have no problem simply warning them away. Hiatus wouldn’t even know they had been there until they were already gone. 

“...So we’ve been trying to find a new territory, but clearly this one’s taken” the brown wolf finished happily. “And how rude of me! I haven’t even introduced myself! I’m Portly”

Everest smiled politely, “Everest”

Recognition sparkled in Portly’s eyes. “The Everest? The one that Hiatus still hasn’t captured?”

Everest nodded, beaming, but added with a more serious note, “Then you know why you have to tell your pack to leave”

“Well that’s why we travelled here!” Portly chuckled. “We’re trying to find his territory”

Everest’s smile faded. “His pack is too strong to fight. If it wasn’t, we would’ve taken care of it by now. Tell your pack it’s too late to try to stop the pack... it’ll only get yours wiped out”

“We aren’t going to try to stop the pack!” Portly exclaimed, as if that point was already clear. “What Hiatus has done is great! But we’d like to be in charge of this now. I mean, he hasn’t even caught you! And you’re not much bigger then me!”

Everest’s raised both brows. What?!

“In fact, after I take care of him, you won’t have much time left to live which is truly a shame... you seem like such a kind, young fellow but how else can we earn everyone’s respect-?”

Everest stepped in front of the round wolf, making him stop in his tracks.

“Listen Portly. It’s great that you have such high goals and that you uh... wanna kill me... but you’re in way over your head. I’m sure you don’t really understand what’s going on...”

“Of course I do!” Portly smiled, stepping around Everest pleasantly. “Right after Hiatus and you, I’ve got other plans too! Someone said there’s another Illiivat wolf? A female...?”

Everest’s expression darkened a bit. “Fly”

“Fly’s her name?” Portly asked, still smiling brightly. “Well no offense, but Illiivat wolves have no business being around here. It’ll be a shame to see her go if she’s a nice girl”

Everest frowned, cold, blue eyes following Portly as he came to the edge of the woods. Portly squinted and searched around. “So which way is Hiatus’s territory?”

“How about I show you?” Everest said, hiding his switch of emotion. “After all, if both of us are in the same area, it’ll be easier to get rid of us at the same time, right?”

“You really are such a nice fellow!” Portly smiled graciously. “Such a shame...”

Everest nodded and jogged away, smile fading into a determined frown as soon as his back was turned to the fat wolf. 

Portly tottered after, head and tail as high as his spirit. Everest led the wolf right back to his own territory. When he climbed down into the dried riverbank, he was relieved to see that no one had returned from scouting yet. They probably would’ve given him away.

“Where is everyone?” Portly asked, confused. 

“Out hunting probably or killing another pack... the usual” 

Everest led Portly to the main den and eyed an old log resting on top. 

“Just wait in there and Hiatus will be here in a bit”

“In there?” Portly asked, face a little puzzled. “But shouldn’t I wait out here, in case the rest of the pack follows?”

“I’m sure they’ll find you” Everest reassured the wolf, as Portly warily entered. Everest hopped right on to the top of the den and using all his strength, pushed the rotting log until it rolled off the sloped bank and clunked in front of the den. Sealing Portly in. 

Portly made some strange noise and rushed to the log, trying to claw his way out.

“Everest! Everest help me out! I seem to be stuck!”

Everest hopped down, smiling pleasantly. “Good”

Chapter II

Portly’s terrified expression turned to anger and he stuttered a mess of words out as fast as he could. Everest ignored him. He could see Quick and Will were returning back to the den. They both seemed a bit confused after witnessing Everest roll the log down but they hadn’t spotted Portly. For the moment, the fat wolf was struggling quietly, so Will and Quick couldn’t hear him either.

“And I thought I was bored” Quick snorted. “Maybe it’s just me, but that log seemed more useful when it wasn’t in the way of the den...”

“I don’t get it” Will added airily. “Is this a joke... or a test... or something?”

“Uh... not exactly” Everest replied, kicking the log to make it shift a little. 

Portly jumped back from the log, then tried to wedge his nose out. “Please tell me you’re letting me out!”

Will jumped back, smacking into Quick.

“Wasn’t expecting that” he mumbled sheepishly, backing away from a glaring Quick.

“Who’s he?” Quick asked blankly. 

“Portly. He’s a part of that pack-”

Portly laughed forcibly from inside the den.

“A part of the pack?” Portly snorted. “I’m the leader of the pack. And trust me! They’ll hunt me down if it’s the last thing they do!”

“Huh” Everest blinked. “Didn’t know that” he grinned, gaging the