Every one wached as Harper collected herself over Toboe's death. Even though she tried to hide it, all of the group knew she loved him. Tsume had stayed behind for a bit, so it was just Kiba, Blue, and Hige.

   Harper said nothing, but sniffed occasonaly. She was in the lead up the mountain, leaning forward, and walking at a moderate rate, she pulled herself up the mountian. Almost no-one talked. Kiba encouraged, and said a little to Hubb and Cheza. But nothing much.

    Harper's legs and muscles were stiff with anger and shock from how fast everything had happened. She had warned Darcia. But things went wrong. She shook her head to rush away the thought. One of the first moves she had made other than walking and breathing.

    Hige looked at her, and asked, "You okay, up there?" Harper looked back slightley, and sighed. "Fine." She didn't say much, and her voice trembled from the pain of the death.

    Blue looked crushed. She had lost Quent, Toboe, and what semed like Harper. She wasn't playing any more tricks, or talking like she did.

    She scrunched up her face, and heaved herself up to walk with Harper. Her pads slipped a little, but she cought herself, and pulled up more. Harper did little to acnowlage Blue's presence, barly moving out of her even walk.

     Kiba looked not the less bit discouraged, but did look torn. He had lost a packmate, and was leaving back a freind. One that hadn't been killed yet.

     Kiba shifted his shoulders, and checked on Cheza. Harper never really got the point in bringing her, but had no problom with it. She thought Cheza was fun when she wasn't "meditating".

     Harper's mind wandered again, to when she and Toboe set off to bug Hige or Tsume. She remembered the quick runes she'd havve with him, seeing if she could beat him in speed, wich happened often.

     She sighed, her pace slowing, and Blue looked back. Kiba took the opertunity, same with Hubb and Hige. They sat and gahsped, the altitude was restricting oxegan, but Harper seemed unchanged from it.

     Blue walked slowly back to Hige, and Kiba wached, like he always did. Harper just sat, looking blankly and solonmly at the group. Normaly, she'd run over to Toboe and invite for some play. But this was her first time with the group, without Toboe.

     She contiued her blank stare till Hige was sick of waching her mourn.

  "Quit it, would you?" He snapped. Harper looked at him, her eyes showing pain, but quickly turning to defence. "Why? You don't care you this Damn pack?" She snarled, her hackles raising, but she didn't rise from her spot.

   Hige looked at her fearsly. At this point, he'd grab for his collar, but he had lost it a few weeks ago, so he stood up and snarled. "What? I didn't even bring the pack," He emphisised "Pack" as if it was hard to say. "Into this!" Harper rose from her place, and growled.

    Blue started to grow uncomphortable. She glanced nervously around, Kiba wached, ready to step in if things got out of hand.

    Harper didn't say anyting, not yet wanting to confirm herself that Toboe was gone. She stared at him hard, her fangs gleaming in the night.

    Blue looked to Hige. She sunk a little, and said, "Hige, don't tell me you don't.." She stopped. Hige was too foucused to Harper to reply, but she knew she heard her.

    Harper finished. "Miss him? You don't friggin' miss Toboe?!" She was stalking closer, her legs stiff, but her tail wasn't raised. She still showed her pain through bodey language.

    Hige's eyes widened. He looked away, and stopped growling. "Yeah..." He said quietly. "I do miss the runt." Harper sat down, and turned her head to her paws. She would focus at somthing to keep her from howling.

    Kiba looked to Harper. "You'll see him again." He said, his voice soft but firm and assuring. Harper looked up, doubt in her eyes. Kiba's voice got quieter, knowing how beat Harper was feeling, and how easily she could be set off. "..paradice." He said simply.

    Harper pricked her ears. "Rakuen..." She folden her left ear. "What if I don't get there? What if it isn't there at all?" Kiba folded his ears. "It'll be there, I'll see to it myself."

    Harper looked back to her paws, rose, and started the hike again. "We're waisting time." She told every one. Hubb was wide-eyed at what had happened, and how fast it had happened.

    Kiba nodded and made sure every one was up and moving. But they were slow, and were growing weirie.

    This time, no one went up to join Harper. Not even Blue, it was clear she needed to be alone for the time. Her tail was hung low, but she was confidant. Her ears pricked, and her tail, Hackles, and lips rose.

    Her full out snarl was put to hate. There, on the ice cliff, was Darcia. In the form of a big, muscular, black wolf. He had done it. He had changed.

    Harper walked forward confidantly, Kiba and Hige close behind, with Blue taking hold of Cheza. All of the wolves were put in shock and anger, unbeliving Darcia could from like that.

    Harper took a step forward, ready to kill but Kiba took two, making it clear now was not the time to fight. Instead, she slunk to a hiding spot around a huge hole in the peak of the mountain.

     Darcia gave his speach about life and death, how he needed Cheza to open his own paradice. Harper growled My paradice is with Caden and Toboe. With the others. Not you! She growled. Someone like him didn't deserve paradice.

      Neither do you. She said to herself. She waned so bad to simply launch herself at Darcia, and end it all. She could go to that Rakuen, and see the wolves again. Even her brother, Caden.

       She was still standing, her tail twitching, every hair on her body risen, and her fangs showing as much as they can. Harper didn't pay attention to the fight, she could hear it all, but not see it.

    For sure she knew Blue and Hige were hurt, she could tell they're low woofs and yelps. But all of that had stopped. Don't tell me they died... Harper's thougt's were disrupted as Tsume clenched onto Darcia's shoulder with his fangs as Kiba tried to find Cheza, who Harper realized was comming to her!

     She walked toward her and said, "Cheza, stop" her voice was hard and commanding. Nothing worked. When Darcia had ripped a good chunk out of Tsume, Harper leapt into the hole. She would fight then. Punish him for hurting her freinds.

      Right at the moment Darcia jumped in, she lead herself to a furry, ripping and tearing at his fur. Her blood surging in her ears, she tore blindly at Darcia's throught and neack.

      Blood was overloading Harper's sences, her mind flowing with the intentions of killing him. Only there was one disadvantage. Darcia was at least twice the size of Harper.

      Darcia had her pinned. She looked around quickly, writhed around from his grip, and bit into the wound on his ankle Hige had givin him. Darcia flung his head back in a huge growl, and bit the soft muscle on Harper's neck, cutting one of her major veines.

       Harper whimpered, but didn't losen her grip, only fasening her jaws tighter and stronger. When she was sure she needed a new bite spot, she let go and whirled around to bite Darcia where ever her jaws landed, but quickly Darcia rippped and tore at her neack and spine.

      He nearly finnished her off, leaving her to die like all the other wolves. She collapsed in the freezing water or the lake. Her blood staining the water and her fur.

      Darcia was injured, but her pain blided her, so when she heard Kiba's assuring voice, she jumped a little; sending little ripples in the water.

       "Hey." Kiba's flat voice said to her, both in their true wolf forms. Harper twitched her good ear, her right one being shredded.

      Harper opened an eye, and looked at him, he was covered in blood, not much, though she knew that would change. Kiba hunkered down to Harper's small level.

         "You fought well. I'm sure the others would have told you that by now." Kiba said, trying to make Harper feel a little better before she died, whitch was going to be soon.

      Harper spoke, her voice was snapping and cracking with the blood that had collected in her thought, "Then why haven't they come?" the sound was weak and hollow, the giant gap in her treccia had her at a loss of air.

      "Their--" Kiba looked for the right word. "They won't be going any whre any more." He said, hoppign not to upset her.

     "That basterd..." Harper hissed, her muzzle wrinkling.

      Kiba started to tell her somthing, but she intterupeted, her eyes closed again.

  "I---" She breathed. "I failed you Kiba.." She said, her voice tremmering.

   "No, Harper. You did fine." Kiba's warm yellow eyes glowwing.

Claws clicked on the ice far away from where Harper and Kiba were, but the only living wolves were Kiba and Darcia. Harper was leaving fast.

  "Kill 'im for me. Make him suffer..." Harper spoke, her voice sounded strong, and Kiba's fur tingled. It was like she wasn't hurt at all. The voice was strong in sound, but the keeper of it's power was