Quick placed Everest on the ground and looked around.

            “I’ll check in on you later, okay? Otherwise Hiatus will know something was up”

Tempest nodded and Quick exited. Everest picked himself up and shook off. Everyone in the cave except Tempest gasped and pressed themselves as far away as possible. Tempest turned around and grinned.

“It’s alright. I was never dead” Everest smiled.

            “It’s sulfur” Tempest told an older wolf. “Everest, this is my dad, Alder”

The older wolf Tempest nodded to stepped forward.

“Hello sir, it’s an honor to-.”

            “You survived” the old wolf interrupted.

Everest stopped and studied Alder’s face.

“Well, yeah. Tempest suggested sul-.”

            “You were supposed to be dead. Aryan killed you. And your parents”

“What…?” Everest breathed in disbelief.

                        “Everest… what do we do now?” Tempest asked. “We need to get out”

Everest tore his eyes away from Tempest’s father, forcing himself to think.

“Um… tonight. We’ll try to get out tonight when it’s dark and no one can see us”

Everest turned back to Alder, but the old wolf had laid down and was closing his eyes. Before Everest could speak again, Alder cut him off.

            “What is in the past should be left in the past. Not that it matters… it’s just repeating all over again”

Everest thought about it for a few seconds, and then plopped down onto the floor so that he still looked like he was dumped there. Thoughts raced through his head but as it got later, his eyelids got heavier until finally, they drooped and closed.

            When Everest woke up again, he heard Quick’s voice.

“You don’t understand” Quick whispered hoarsely.

            “What’s not to understand?” came Fly’s angry voice. “You killed him and now you’re gonna pay!”

Everest rolled over quietly to see what was happening. Fly had Quick pinned up against the wall, both paws on his throat. Quick’s eyes jumped to Everest.

“Fly, he’s not lying”

Fly gasped, let Quick crumble to the ground and dashed to Everest, tears running down her face.

            “I thought you were-!”

“Dead? Naw, just taking a nap” Everest smiled, licking the end of her nose. “And planning a little rescue”

Fly frowned.

            “Well at least this time he’s not going to try to kill you since he thinks the job’s done. Just be gone by morning. And I don’t want to do this every other week! Worrying about you getting captured….”

“Don’t worry about it” Everest said. “But we’re going to get out of here soon, so you better get out so no one sees you”

Fly nodded regretfully.

            “I’ll probably see you again in a few days when you’ve been recaptured again” Fly smirked, giving Everest a last nuzzle.

Fly left sulkily Quick moving sharply out of her way as he watched her leave.

            “Don’t make her angry!” Quick advised. “It’s not pretty… well actually now that I think about it…”

“Is it dark out?”

Quick nodded.

“Then let’s go”

Everest, Tempest and Quick woke up the rest of the Palartok pack and Everest led the way out. Quick had knocked out the four wolves that were guarding the cave, so it was easy for them to slip away.  The Palartok wolves picked up the pace while Will and Odin, who had waited all night, stood guard at the woods and Everest came last, making sure no one fell behind.

            “Halt where you are!”

Hiatus, wolves scrambling after him, stormed after the pack. Everest shoved the wolves that had stopped but both Quick and Tempest darted back, blocking Everest from view.

            “Quick?!” came Hiatus’s confused voice.

Quick stiffened up and Everest rolled his eyes. Well there goes our spy…

                        “That’s right” Quick said coldly. “You never told me what you were doing… and you killed my family!”

Everest heard an uneasy silence and could only imagine Hiatus’s shock at Quick.

            “Who told you that?” Hiatus hissed. “That’s a lie!”

                        “The only person that seems to tell the truth around here!” Quick yelled back.

Everest could imagine Hiatus’s cruel smile.

            “Yes but you killed him…”

Even though Everest still couldn’t see him, he knew that cold reality was washing over Hiatus.

            “Arrow, was there anything left in the cave?”

                        “No…” Arrow’s small voice answered.

            “Where is-?”

“Right here!” Everest declared, not able to take hiding. “You’re going too far! I told you already, killing off packs isn’t going to do anything but ruin how everything’s balanced!”

            “I’d watch it if I were you” Hiatus said coldly. “Each word coming out of your mouth is shortening your life. I wasn’t really trying to get you before, but don’t underestimate me”

Out of the corner of his eye, Everest could see wolves creeping up behind them. Tempest and Quick had noticed as well and both concentrated on Everest for hidden directions. Everest, who could practically feel their eyes watching, tilted his head ever so slightly to the right, knowing they’d get the message. Tempest and Quick picked up on it and tensely waited to spring into action. All at once, Everest dived at Hiatus. Tempest and Quick broke into a dead run back at the woods leading the three other wolves with them.

            “Leave them!” Hiatus thundered. “Get the Illiivat but don’t kill him! That’ll be my job…”

Everest paused to look over his shoulder and see if Hiatus was following him. Then, satisfied, Everest took off. He led the group chasing him into the unoccupied territory between the Ublureak and his own pack’s then stopped and crouched low. A few minutes later, Arrow led his three friends ran past where Everest was hiding, but Everest still stayed where he was. When Hiatus passed, Everest got to his feet and carefully tracked Hiatus. When the white and grey wolf went down a trail that was alongside a cliff, Everest took the trail that would end up above the one Hiatus was taking. Everest picked up the pace and found a point where he knew Hiatus would be unable to get him. Then he lay down and waited for Hiatus to pass.

“You’re not going to find me down there” Everest called.

Hiatus whipped around and searched until his yellow eyes found Everest. The golden wolf rested his head on his paws.

“I’m not going anywhere anytime soon either. This is another warning…”

Hiatus shook his head.

            “I don’t know when you’re going to understand this, but you’re not going to win. Sure you might be a little brighter then dumb and faster then Arrow, but do you really think it’s going to last? My pack grows every day. Your cause is hopeless and if I were you, I’d just come down here so it would be over quick and painless”

Everest pretended to consider it.

“Naw… staying alive seems like much more fun so far”

Hiatus frowned.

            “Honestly, how long do you think you’ll last out here?”

“As long as I have to” Everest replied sharply.

Suddenly, something made fur stand up on the back of Everest’s neck. Something flickered in Hiatus’s eye. Before Arrow jumped from behind him, Everest knew he was there.

“Arrow, you don’t have to do this” Everest started sincerely as his old pack mate missed him by inches.

            “Shut up. I’m with Hiatus and I know