sky. He then looked pitifully at Ambyr and sighed. “...He’s late.”

Iqniq and Yakone snickered behind him.

Ambyr tried to lift her head, but her neck was now swollen, and she couldn’t move. “Wh...No, you can’t!!”

Tonrar stepped closer to her. “I’m terribly sorry.”

Ambyr tried to struggle, but her movements were greatly limited. “No!! Don’t do this!! Please!!”

Tonrar didn’t say anything. He simply glowered down at her with cold eyes...then, he bared his teeth, and opened his mouth.

Ambyr screamed

Her piercing yell was mixed with the sound of paws kicking up snow. Just as Ambyr thought her life was about to come to an end, she heard a surprised yelp, as a brown and light blue blur came jolting through the trees. Tonrar was knocked clean off his paws as Drifter and Blitz snarled together and rammed his side with their heads.

“Something I learned from you,” Drifter said comfortingly to Ambyr.

“Drifter?” Now, Ambyr tried desperately hard to move her body. Her paws flinched as they desperately tried to right themselves and support her. She stood for only a few seconds, but her wobbly legs soon had her back on the ground. Blitz came to her side.

“Don’t worry, I was once in your position.”

Tonrar snarled and grunted as he staggered to his paws. He snapped his glaring eyes at Iqniq and Yakone. “Don’t just sit there, you fools!! GET THEM!!”

Yakone lowered his head and growled. “Sorry for this, Drifter,” he said in a deep voice. He leapt up in the air, but Drifter quickly jumped out of the way, grabbing him in his teeth as he landed, and countering the attack as he threw him back.

“Sorry for what?”

Iqniq also growled, and tried his luck by leaping towards Drifter, but he never got his chance. Right in mid-air, Blitz snarled and rammed him to the side, shoving him to the ground.

“ATTACK, ATTACK, YOU FOOLS!!” shouted Tonrar. He gasped as Drifter glided out of nowhere, snarling, but he slid to the side, snapping back at him.

“Get Ambyr,” Drifter said, not taking his eyes off of Tonrar.

“Ummmmm...” Blitz was in front of Ambyr’s body, defending her from the two wolves snarling back at him. “This is so unfair.”

“Awww...poor doggie,” mocked Yakone. He bit down at the spot Blitz’s neck was just seconds before. Blitz had to think has as Iqniq followed-up with a few slashes from his paws. It was either him or Ambyr; he quickly made up his mind. One of Iqniq’s claws caught Blitz’s leg, tearing a slash mark on the foot Blitz used to take off running with. Blitz growled angrily. and revved up momentum, ramming Iqniq again, and slashing back at Yakone.

“So...where’s the black one...Haywire...isn’t it?” Tonrar said. Drifter didn’t say anything. The two were circling each other, waiting for someone to make a move. Tonrar snickered. “Well, he’s the smart one.” And with that, the dogfight officially started as he jumped up and snarled, aiming for Drifter’s throat. Drifter snarled back and slashed at the air as Tonrar quickly changed course in mid-air, landing next to him. Drifter then bit down on a chunk of Tonrar’s ear, getting his first-ever taste of wolf blood. Tonrar howled and forcefully threw him off. Drifter’s body hit a tree, and he growled as he landed painfully on the ground.

Ambyr had to try again. Her life, along with the lives of her two friends, depended on it. She lifted a leg...then another...and another. Slowly, she got on all fours. Her grey fur was splattered with red, but Ambyr found the strength and courage to snarl back at Iqniq and Yakone.

“Ambyr!! You gotta save your strength,” said Blitz urgently.

“For WHAT?!” Ambyr replied. Before Blitz could stop her, she lunged at Yakone, baring her teeth. Yakone simply laughed, and swung his paw at her. The sudden movement was too fast for Blitz to see what clearly happened, but all he could remember was Ambyr’s whimper as she flew back, and pounded on the ground, creating another splotch of red in the snow.

“AMBYR!!”

Ambyr tried to get up again, but fell back to the ground and lay motionless. Blitz started running to her, but Iqniq snarled and blocked his way. Blitz snarled. “Get out of my way!!” With a furious snap of his teeth, he latched onto Iqniq’s neck, and swung his head around. A very surprised Iqniq was then hurled in the air, colliding into Yakone, and sending them both rolling on top of one another back.

Blitz raced to Ambyr’s side. Ambyr’s eyes fluttered open, but she couldn’t say a word. “I’m gonna getchu outta here,” said Blitz. Ambyr whimpered again as he took her lightly in his mouth, and held her up, leaning her against his body. The two then began to slowly walk through the forest...but they had no idea where they were going.

Tonrar rolled his eyes at the two wolves lying on top of each other. “Make SURE those two don’t escape!! Stop them!!”

Iqniq and Yakone scrambled to their feet, and began to pursue the place where Ambyr and Blitz disappeared.

“NO!!” Drifter tried to follow, but Tonrar leapt in his way.

“This is you and me,” he said. And with that, he grabbed onto one of Drifter’s legs, and swung him around.

Drifter was already in bad shape, with multiple bruises on his side, a deep cut slashed across his chest, and a bleeding mouth. He plowed through the ground, but quickly got up as Tonrar followed-up with a biting attack. Drifter then hurdled in the air, and landed right on top of Tonrar. He bit down on the back of his neck, and flung him forward. Before he landed, there was a sickening CRACK as the back of Tonrar’s head hit a stone embedded on he ground. Tonrar yelped...then was silent. His body lay limp on the ground, and his chest wasn’t heaving.

Not taking a moment to feel sorry for what he’d done, Drifter quickly turned around, and tailed behind where Iqniq and Yakone ran off.

Ambyr groaned as Blitz literally had to drag her across the snow. Droplets of crimson recorded their path. Blitz knew it was only a matter of time before Iqniq and Yakone caught up to them. With a heave and a grunt, Blitz pulled Ambyr forward, and they tumbled back as they broke the tree line.

For a second, Blitz looked up, hoping to see the comforting sight of a familiar town in the distance, but what he got instead chilled him deeper inside than any blizzard could ever hope.

A raging waterfall blocked their path, it’s waters savagely roared and cascaded down into a dark, seemingly endless abyss. Blitz strode over to the edge and looked down. He shuddered and turned away. “We have to go back,” Blitz said.

Ambyr gave a weak nod, and her eyes began to close. Blitz brushed her face with his tail. “Hey!! Stay with me, Ambyr!! Don’t you quit on me now!! We still got a full year of mail duty left!!”

She managed to cough out a shivering chuckle and a light smile.

Blitz grunted as he lifted Ambyr up to his shoulders again, but just as they were about to go back into the forest, Iqniq and Yakone burst out, and focused their glaring eyes at them as they slowly advanced forward. Blitz’s eyes widened, and he stepped back, closer and closer to the edge.

The two wolves growled and displayed their teeth. “This is it for you, doggie,” said Yakone. Iqniq laughed.

Blitz stopped as his hind leg caused part of the ground under it to crumble, and plummet down below.

The two of them laughed evilly and then lunged at Ambyr and Blitz at the exact same time. Blitz was trapped. Jumping out of the way would mean dropping Ambyr, and staying there...staying there would mean catastrophe too. In the split second that Iqniq and Yakone were in the air, Blitz sadly sighed and closed his eyes.

Right as Yakone and Iqniq were about to close in on Blitz and Ambyr’s throats, their growls were combined with another. One that was even more angry and fierce. Yakone and Iqniq whimpered as they were both plucked out of the air, and slammed down on the ground with immense force. Blitz opened his eyes. “Drifter, I’m so glad you –“

Blitz’s mouth fell open...so did Ambyr’s. All they could do was stand and gape in wonder at the scene in front of them.

Haywire was standing over the two wolves, his head lowered in a furious snarl. Iqniq stammered to his feet and shook himself off. “Well, well. Look what we have here. The stupid black one finally showed up!!” He angrily growled back, then lunged for him, slashing his claws in all directions.

Haywire effortlessly dodged every attack, then countered as he took Iqniq’s leg in his mouth, and hurled him back into the forest. Somewhere inside, Iqniq whimpered as his body slammed into a tree, then fell silent. Yakone readied himself to pounce on top of Haywire, but with a quick snap of his head, Haywire’s eyes met his. He growled loudly at him, then barked, causing Yakone to flinch. He hesitated, then slowly took a step back.

“Get...out of here,” Haywire growled dangerously.

Yakone stared at him blankly, as if trying to decide whether or not to turn around and run, or to try and attempt another attack.

Haywire lowered his head and snarled at him again. “I SAID GET!!! And don’t let me catch you in my sight again!!”

Cautiously, Yakone took another step back. For a brief second, their eyes locked, but Haywire easily stared him down. With one more, uneasy step backwards, Yakone lowered his ears, and silently skulked back into the dense forest, with Haywire’s burning eyes watching his every move.

He then turned his head