anything has he?”

Tempest didn’t respond.

            “Then you’ll understand if you and the pups come with me”

Everest rushed out.

“Leave them alone” Everest growled.

Hiatus stopped for a second, then chuckled.

            “Do you think I’m going to listen to you?”

“You’re not after my pack and I know it”

Hiatus raised an eyebrow and frowned.

“So why do you want them?”

Hiatus’s yellow eyes flicked back to Tempest and the pups.

            “Just because I have my sights set on something or someone else doesn’t mean I still want you to be alive”

Everest furrowed his brow.

            “I’m already getting bored of this” Hiatus yawned. “Take care of him Arrow”

Arrow pushed past as Hiatus snagged Tempest and two other wolves grabbed the pups. Arrow slunk lower to the ground, eyes on Everest and a cruel smile stretched across his face. Everest started after Tempest but Arrow cut him off. Everest frowned and shook his head.

“Arrow, any other day, I’d gladly send you cowering back to Hiatus, but I don’t have time to mess with you right now” Everest growled, shoving past the grey wolf.

 Arrow snarled and crashed into Everest, sending the golden wolf rolling through the snow. Everest cunningly rolled back to his feet in the same fall and concentrated on Arrow.

            “Hiatus taught me how to fight”

“Huh. I thought you were fighting like a coward”

Arrow snarled and dived for Everest again. Everest dodged easily. Arrow was losing his temper and it was ruining whatever he had learned from Hiatus.

“You’re pathetic” Everest spat. “Get out of my way”

Arrow shook with rage but Everest just walked by.

            “You’ll get what you deserve just like Chief did!”

Everest froze.

“Chief was your father”

            “He was no father of mine! All he did was talk about you. He got what was coming to him!”

Everest spun around so that he and Arrow were eye to eye.

“Don’t ever say anything like that about Chief. I can’t believe he called you his son at all”

Everest turned back around. Snow was falling down heavier making Tempest and Hiatus’ scents fade away. Trying to catch them in Ublureak territory was stupid. And the sun was starting to rise; that would make him too visible to even think about trying. Now he’d have to go back to the pack and think something up …

Everest gritted his teeth and groaned.

“Just great…” Everest muttered under his breath.

Then, completely ignoring Arrow, he began to head back to the pack. Enraged, Arrow stuttered for an insult.

            “Just watch! You’ll end up dead just like my worthless father!”

Everest froze again. Arrow smirked, finally having the satisfaction of getting to the golden wolf. Suddenly, Everest whirled around and fired himself at Arrow.

            Tempest struggled as Hiatus held her firmly.

“Everest won’t let you get away with this!”

Hiatus dumped Tempest hard on the ground.

            “I already have” Hiatus replied loftily.

Tempest picked herself up, bristling.

“Are you really that stupid?! Everest is just going to make a fool out of you. Again”

Hiatus slapped Tempest across the face. Tempest gasped but bit her tongue.

            “I was caught off guard last time. And this time, if he does interfere, I’ve got a plan to catch him. But it wouldn’t matter anyway. I’m not after him” Hiatus paused thoughtfully for a second.

“Speaking of captured, Everest should have knocked him out cold by now. He’s probably not even coming back!”

Hiatus rolled his eyes and turned back around, muttering something under his breath.

            “Can I at least walk with the pups?” Tempest asked hatefully.

“Go ahead. Pure Ublureak wolves shouldn’t have to carry dirty blooded pups anyway”

Hiatus strutted away and Tempest was shoved along, this time with Maliky and Phantom by her side. As they were roughly escorted along the wide trail, Tempest thought frantically for a way out. At least Everest isn’t  far behind…

            Everest panted, looking down at Arrow’s still body. It had taken a little more then he had expected to knock the grey wolf out, but Arrow was out cold. Everest glanced around but no one was in sight through the steadily falling snow.

“Good” Everest muttered to himself. Arrow could be the ticket to getting Tempest and the pups back.

With a desperate pull, Everest heaved Arrow toward the den. The flakes of snow where getting bigger but Everest wasn’t worried. He wasn’t far from the den and it would take no time at all to get back before the storm took its full effect. Just before Everest had reached the incline that led up the dried riverbed, he heard the voices of his pack.

            “Everest?!” Odin yelled.

“Down here” Everest called back.

            “He’s down here guys!” Quick’s voice echoed.

Everest dropped Arrow carelessly to the ground with a thud and waited for his pack to help him.

            “Where were y-?” Odin stopped midsentence, eyes dropping to Arrow.

Will’s eyes widened.

“He’s not dead… just knocked out” Everest explained. “Hiatus has Tempest and the pups. I thought we could trade him”

            “Oh!” Odin breathed relieved.

Arrow grumbled and his eyes opened.

            “Where…am…I…?”

Everest frowned.

“Help me get him up to the den”

Arrow’s eyes burned, recognizing Everest’s voice. Before he could say anything, Everest cut him off.

“The less you say, the better off you’ll be” then turning to his pack, Everest added, “Put him in the cave across from ours”

Quick and Will nodded, starting to push Arrow up the hill while Everest walked ahead with the rest of the pack. Arrow snarled and tried to fight back, but he was still dizzy.

            “You’re weak just like Chief was!” Arrow yelled. “If I could kill him, you’ll be even easier!”

Everest stopped dead in his tracks. The fur on his back stood on end.

“You… killed Chief?”

Arrow smirked proudly.

            “Well if it weren’t for me-.”

Everest charged at Arrow, knocking him right out of Will and Quick’s hold. Both tumbled down the hill flipping over and over. When they hit flat ground, Everest had Arrow firmly pinned.

“You killed Chief?!” Everest repeated viciously.

No one else around them moved; Everest had never acted like that before.

            “I-!”

Everest put a paw on Arrow’s throat and pressed down so he couldn’t talk. But before Everest could do any harm, Will and Odin dragged Everest away while Quick grabbed onto Arrow again. For a few moments, everyone stayed still. The only noise was Everest’s panting. All eyes were on Everest but the eyes of the golden wolf were glued to Arrow.

            “Everest?”

Everest’s unusually cold eyes darted to Comet.

            “Should we put him in the other cave?”

Everest swallowed, took a deep breath and nodded.

“I’m good now… you can let me go”

Odin and Will, sighing with relief, let go of Everest. Without a moment’s hesitation, Everest fired himself at Arrow again, once again sending him crashing to the ground. Everest had never lost control before… all he smelt was Arrow and it was driving him mad. He barely noticed anything else around him until something hit him in the back of the head and everything went black.

            Hiatus led the way through the Ublureak territory with Tempest and the pups a few steps behind. As usual, the pack gathered to see whoever Hiatus had captured and Fly, fidgeting nervously, waited at the front. When her eyes didn’t find Everest, she relaxed a little. Then she spotted Tempest.

“Tempest?!”

Hiatus’s suspicious eyes darted to Fly.

“Uh, I mean, beware unsuperior wolf”

Tempest stopped for a second but Hiatus nodded and a few wolves shoved Tempest towards the cave. Tempest bit her tongue and let them push her toward