him”

            “He’s in trouble! And he saved your life! You should help me save his!”

Will sighed and walked back with the rest of his pack. Odin snorted. He didn’t need Will! He’d come up with his own rescue!

            Once at the den, Everest, who had been dropped by Hiatus halfway there, stopped and looked around. Some of the pack stopped what they were doing, curious to see why Everest was back. Fly was one of them.

            “What are you doing back here?!”

                        “He came voluntarily” Hiatus supplied with a cruel smile.

Fly’s face clouded with anger and she opened her mouth to spit out insults when Everest cut her off.

“Don’t worry your little heart out. Did you really think I wouldn’t be back here?” Everest said, nodding to the scratches across Hiatus’s eye.

Fly giggled, understanding. Arrow growled and plowed Everest into the snow. Everest picked himself up slowly again, ignoring the looks on Fly’s and Arrow’s faces.

            “Arrow, take him to the den until we decide what to do with him” Hiatus ordered calmly.

Arrow smirked and knocked Everest right back into the snow.

                        “You heard him, get moving!”

Arrow and his three friends roughly escorted Everest back to the den. Laughing, they left the golden wolf in the dark cave to guard it from the opening. Everest sighed. This better work he thought. He sat down and faced the front of the cave, sitting stiffly, knowing that any second, Hiatus would waltz in, ready to scare or hurt him.

Not a few seconds after, the white and grey wolf slipped in.

            “I’m sure you know why-.”

“I’m here to warn you”

Hiatus blinked.

            “What?!”

“I’m here to warn you”

            “I’d warn you too” Hiatus sneered. “But it wouldn’t be worth it. By this time tomorrow, you’ll be dead! No one will even remember that you even existed…”

Everest didn’t move a muscle.

“There are others that will do exactly what I’m doing now” Everest said quietly, looking straight ahead.

Hiatus snarled, but Everest didn’t seem the least bit phased.

“What you’re doing is wrong. You do this, and you’re going to mess everything up. I’m old enough to know that there’s a balance and if you start to kill off packs… nothing’s going to be right again. It’s not going to give you the power you wanted. It’s only going to make you a bigger coward”

Hiatus snarled and lunged for Everest. The golden wolf didn’t do anything. Didn’t flinch. Hiatus stopped inches away from Everest’s face, teeth bared.

            “Nothing you say matters! I’ll see you on top of the hill at dawn!”

With that, Hiatus stormed out of the cave. As soon as Everest was sure that he was gone, the golden wolf lost his composure and started to pace. This hadn’t gone the way he wanted to! Hiatus was power hungry enough to destroy himself and everything around him. There was only one more thing that he had planned on doing, but it wasn’t what he wanted to do at all! It was too risky…

            More clicks from toenails echoed in the den and Everest did his best to collect himself again, sitting stiffly and trying to wipe any emotion off his face. But instead of Hiatus’s cruel glare, Fly’s blue eyes came into view.

            “What do you think you’re doing?!” she hissed.

Everest blinked.

“You were just happy a few seconds ago…”

            “That was before I found out what happened! Giving yourself was the stupidest idea anyone could come up with!”

“They were going to kill-!”

            “They’re going to kill anyway! Did you really think giving yourself up would stop him? Killing you would just crush the hopes of anyone who’s trying to stop Hiatus! And you just waltzed right up to him!”

Everest sighed, shaking his head.

“You don’t understand…”

            “What’s to understand?!” Fly cried angrily. “So you can say you died bravely?”

“Listen” Everest said sharply. “This wasn’t what I was planning. I’m going to get out and I’ll make it up as I go along…”

            “Do you know what they’re going to do to you tomorrow? They’re going to take every ounce of dignity away from you… just let me help you!”

“That would put you in danger and you know it”

            “Then let me escape with you!” Fly cried, nuzzling Everest suddenly.

Everest nuzzled her back.

“You could help me better from inside this pack, not in mine” Everest said softly, looking into her eyes.

Fly sniffled and shook her head.

            “Just please promise me that you’ll be gone by tomorrow morning. I’m not the only one that needs you”

Everest gave her a small smile but as she exited it changed to a sad smile. Everest knew he couldn’t keep that promise…

Chapter II

            As quietly as he could, Odin snuck through the forest.

“Alright! All alone and still, no one has detected me! They might as well call me the master of the night!”

The sandy wolf followed the paw prints through the snow, knowing where they would lead him too. The moon lit the path in front of him and made the unseen creek ahead shine- not that Odin saw it. Before he knew it, he had splashed into the water and little silvery things glinted around his feet. With a horrified shriek, he shot out of the water and ran backward. Then he spun and galloped clumsily into Ublureak territory, continually trying to get a glimpse of the fish in the creek he was trying to escape from. To make matters worse, one of his front feet hit something softer then snow. A raccoon. The furry peppered animal he stepped on snarled, giving Odin something else to run from. With a yelp, the sandy wolf scrambled away, raccoon on his tail until the raccoon had begun to chase the wolf up a half fallen tree. Although it could climb better then Odin could, the raccoon stayed at the bottom of the tree as if it were entertained by the fact that it could scare a wolf up a tree instead of the other way around. Odin waited. And waited. By the time that the raccoon had left and the sky was starting to lighten, Odin was sound asleep.

            “Do you need some help or are you gonna sleep around all day?”

Odin woke with a start. Will looked up at him, grinning.

            Eyes wide open, Everest stared at the wall. He had been awake all night and not a single plan had come into his mind. Is Fly right? he thought to himself. What have I gotten myself into? Any second now, he knew Arrow and his friends would come in here and drag him out to Hiatus who would be waiting on top of the hill. Chills went down Everest’s spine. Someone hurried into the cave, interrupting his train of thought. Everest closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Here it comes.

            “We’ve come to rescue you!”

Everest’s eyes popped open and he scrambled to his feet.

“Odin?!”

                        “And Will!” Will added as he followed Odin in.

            “And no one saw anything!” Odin breathed proudly.

                                    “I think they’re in the den!” a far off voice called.

Odin frowned.

“Well let’s get out while we still can” Everest said, leading the way out.

The group of three slipped out quietly, making sure not to wake anyone or catch the attention of Echo or Wave who were hot on their trail. Upon successfully reaching the safety of the woods, Everest stopped.

            “What are you waiting for?!” Odin barked. “Let’s go!”

“Just one second” Everest grinned, amused. “I