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Aspen stopped crying and came to the point, she had to tell thd truth. "I was seeing this male wolf. "Aspen said looking at Cheyenne who had a look like she didn't hear a word she said. "Cheyenne, I didn't mean what you think.." Aspen said looking at Zasshu.
(Thanks fof the info. And I didn't mind the rubbing fur bit. XD) "Well, dad. Me and Aspen will fight in your honer. And for the pack. " Cheyenne said looking up then back at Zasshu. "I will not give up" Cheyenne said as it began to rain, to symbolize that Jack has made it to the pack upstairs. "We'll miss you, dad. We all will." Cheyenne said looking at Zasshu, she was ready to fight.

Zasshu smiled at both Aspen and Cheyanne.

"I am glad you are both safe. It deeply hurts me whenever wolves in our close, tight-nit pack lose their lives. Any loss of either family or friends is an awfully heavy burden to carry." Zasshu tells them, giving them both one last hug before standing before the pack once again.

"My brothers, now is the time. I would like every wolf in the pack to speak up on any ideas you may have on a counter attack for our rival pack. We must discuss this first before we call it a night and get some sleep before we attack in the morning." Zasshu scans the entire pack over with a serious expression shown on his face. "Now, we must plan at once. Do any of you have any ideas at all on what we can do to face and attack the rogue pack? If so, you must speak up at once. There is no time to lose. Does anyone at all wish to speak up?"

Everyone remained quit, even Cheyenne. Nobody came up on how to plause on an attack strategy. "Well, we can't just go up and just go haywire on them." Aspen confirmed. "Well, then what do we do?" One wolf asked.

Then Cheyanne came up with something. At least, it was something.
"Well, we should just politely ask them to leave. However, if they refuse, we could probably just start acting up on them. But if they happen to refuse, we go after the alpha first. Then, when the alpha is down, we start after the whole pack. Just a small thought." Cheyanne suggested

Zasshu nods. "A very clever idea, Cheyanne." he says, then announces a plan to the entire pack.

"Listen, all. I will announce a battle strategy, and if any one of you wish to object or add things to the plan, if so please speak up once I am finished speaking. Remember, interrupting is very rude. So, here's our strategy thus far - If we are to face them, and they refuse to leave our land, then I very much agree with Cheyanne's preferred tactic to take down the Alpha first. And if we are to do so then I, as your Alpha Male, will attack the opposing pack's Alpha Male for a one-on-one Alpha standoff. As for the rest of you, all Betas are to attack the opposing pack's Betas, and all Omegas will as such attack the opposing pack's Omegas."

Zasshu clears his throat.

"Does anyone," he says. "have any objections against this plan, or have any other ideas they might want to add to the plan? If so, please speak now."

"Does the pack all agree to this attack strategy?" Zasshu asks the pack.

A few of the the wolves disagreed, but most stepped up and took it up.

Zasshu nods.

"Any wolf that disagrees, please trust me. Our land is at stake. WE are at stake, now that this strange pack has murdered Jack. That alone proves that we need to fix this. We need to protect our land, and we need to protect each other. I ask you, don't just look at me as just your Alpha, because I am also your friend, and caretaker. I will do anything, even risk my own life, to protect my pack. Will you do the same? Do we all agree to trust one another and face this together as a pack? As a family?"

Zasshu lowers his ears slightly, somewhat pleadingly.

"Please, my brothers, I need all of you."

The wolves took a few moments to decide. Finally, they got it.

They were going to break out into agreement to defend the territory, as well as each other.

"Come on guys, we can do it." Aspen said wagging her tail as a sign of happiness.

"We must defend or territory, we can't lose what has been ours for generations from past to present, and what will be future."
Cheyanne said lowering her head then riseing.

The wolves took a few moments to decide. Finally, they got it.

They were going to break out into agreement to defend the territory, as well as each other.

"Come on guys, we can do it." Aspen said wagging her tail as a sign of happiness.

"We must defend or territory, we can't lose what has been ours for generations from past to present, and what will be future."
Cheyanne said lowering her head then riseing.

Zasshu informed everyone with a serious expression.

"Please, my brothers... we haven't much time. Morning will arrive soon, and if we are to all set out tomorrow, then we will all need to be well rested."

"Alright. Lets get some rest, we have a fight tomorrow. Possibly."Cheyanne said waiting for everyone to get into the den for sleep.

She started into then den herself after Aspen, then turned around to the alpha, Zasshu.

"Zasshu, I hope this plan works. I just whipped
it out of my mind, I had no control. I was under pressure, I......... I just hope it works." Cheyanne said shedding one little tear.

Cheyanne walked into the den lying near her sister. She wouldn't sleep until Zasshu came inside the den. She has done this ever since she , well, became the one and only Helper Alpha of the pack, and hid something.

Zasshu smiled softly, and once he watched the entire pack all walk into the den, he entered himself, slowly trotting up to Aspen and Cheyanne. Zasshu bent down over Aspen and gently licked and nuzzled the top of her head, relieved that the young wolf had been returned safe and sound. Zasshu smiled softly, then focused on the older wolf beside her, then slowly trotted over and laid down beside her, licking her muzzle and rubbing her head softly.

"Cheyanne," Zasshu says softly. "Don't be scared. Your plan was very wise. You're just like your father you know... you and Jack were always very clever." Zasshu smiled softly at her. "I know you and your sister must miss him so much. I hope you don't mind if I take his place tonight."

Zasshu then nudges up against her.

"I hate when anyone in the pack is upset. So please, no tears." Zasshu purrs. "If your dad was here, he'd be telling you the same thing. Be strong, and fight. Stick to the plan, Cheyanne. And I promise, nothing will happen to you, or your sister. Your dad is still watching after you, so you'll be alright. And so will I. I wont let you, your sister, or anyone else in the pack get hurt. That's what being the Alpha truly means... he doesn't just lead his pack, he protects his pack too."

Cheyanne set her eyes on Zasshu, and spoke. "Yeah, I guess. Its great to have a alpha like you, Zasshu. Most leaders order there pack around without a care in the world. "Cheyanne said closing her eyes.

Aspen cuddled close to Cheyanne, and fell asleep. Cheyanne opened her eyes and looked at her sister, smiled and closed her eyes once more.

Zasshu then spoke softly, as to not wake Aspen.

"Well... that is because the selfish alpha values having power over his pack, whereas the wise and caring leader values the PACK which he has power over."

Zasshu sat up briefly to scratch behind his ear, before lying back down next to Cheyanne protectively.

"My father once told me a riddle..." Zasshu purrs. "Not the cry, but the flight of a wild duck, leads the flock to fly and follow." Zasshu lays his head down right beside Cheyanne's, eyes still open. "I didn't understand him back then, but I do now. What he meant was... a bad leader only commands his troops to battle, but without true, selfless, and loving leadership skills, the troops will not respect their leader. But the troops of a true leader, one that has courage, character, and a heart that's true, WILL respect and trust him, and upon him truly stepping up and taking action his troops will respect and follow him."

Zasshu then slowly closes his eyes.

"Cheyanne... my father was the alpha male of the pack in which I was born... that is, before he and my mother both were murdered. And when my father told me that riddle, that was the very last time I ever got to hear his words of wisdom before he died. And so... when I left that pack to form our pack now, I promised myself, and my passed father, that I would forever uphold his highly respected, wise rules within my own pack, until the very day I die."

Zasshu tries to hold it back, but still however lets a small whimper of pain escape his lips, then lifts his paw slightly and begins licking his forearm carefully.