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Continuing on from the first part!

Tosca sat stiffly at the den's opening, impatiently scanning the snowy landscape. It was unlike her to be this impatient but when it came down to Farren, she really wasn't herself. In a good way of course. She wasn't sure where the others were, which was also unlike her to not be looking out for them. Then again, Twilight clearly could handle himself and the rest of the group.
Kai had been outside for the first time in a long time and was probably having the time of her life. Tosca should be with her... but she could wait a few moments longer until Farren came.

Farren snuck quietly through the forest on the eastern side of the river, his paws barely making a sound as he passed under the low branches of the pine trees. Tosca was probably worried by now, but it couldn't be helped. His remembered very well what his father had said once he'd returned home yesterday.

**Flashback**

"You are never to leave our territory without my saying so. I will not have you seeing that wretched female ever again!" Ares said, his features twisted in a heavy scowl.

Farren growled at his father, saying, "You don't even know her. Mom would understand that-"

"Well your mother isn't here anymore!" the Alpha screamed in rage, his eyes practically burning with anger. "I am your father and you WILL obey me!."

**END**

He was brought back to the present as he came to the river's edge. After checking that all was clear, he rushed across and into Tosca's territory. A few minutes later he arrived at the cave, where he smiled upon seeing her waiting for him. "Miss me?" he asked, giving her an affectionate nuzzle.

Tosca's heart skipped a beat when she saw him.

"How could I not?" Tosca smiled, nuzzling him back. "Everyone's over on the other side of the territory" she explained. "Kai's finally back up on her feet and I'm sure she'd be more then happy to thank the wolf who helped her in the first place"

Tosca playfully led the way. She didn't normally show her soft side, but she knew Farren would play along.

Farren smiled back and followed her. She seemed to be in an upbeat mood, so he'd wait till later to tell her about his father. They made their way toward the edge of the Northern Forest, where the others greeted them. Twilight saw them first and nudged Kai on the should. "Look who finally showed up. The triumphant hero returns." he said, somewhat sarcastically.

Kai yipped happily, bounding toward Farren, not even a trace of a limp in her step. Whatever infection she had was gone. She was as healthy as she was before she had gotten hit by the deer.
Without any hesitation, Kai licked Farren's cheek, said a quick thank you and leapt back over to Yuma. She had missed a lot of playing time and needed to make it up!
Even Una was in a good mood and flashed Farren a smile. Seeing her younger sister so happy made her forget about her distrust in Farren or attempts to argue with Tosca.

Farren smiled at each of them in greeting. "Nice to Kai back on her feet." he said. "Looks like Frida did a good job." He took a sidelong glance at Twilight's scarred leg. "She could've patched that up for you when she was here."

Twilight nodded. "Indeed. She is a very skilled healer." he said. "And she offered, but I prefer to leave old memories lie." He looked off toward the west as he spoke. "So has anything interesting happened on your side of the river lately?" he asked, a troubled look in his eerie yellow eyes.

Farren frowned. "Nothing much, really. Why do you ask?" His eyes narrowed a little in suspicion. Did he know already that his father had forbidden him from crossing the river?

The black wolf took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "It's nothing. Just a feeling." he said.

Tosca frowned. By now, she'd come to trust Twilight's senses but if Farren said that everything was fine, she trusted him too.

"It feels great!" Kai yipped happily, dodging Rowan to attempt tackling her other brother, Yuma. Una, who had overheard Twilight, threw a dirty look at Farren. She could only just tolerate Twilight but she trusted him just like Tosca did. She had given up trying to be leader... for now. But that didn't mean she just as protective of her family as Tosca was.

Rowtag saw the troubled look on the black wolf's face and slipped away from Kai and Yuma to stand beside him, giving the older wolf a questioning glance. Over the course of the time since Twilight joined their pack, Rowtag's trust and respect for the wolf had grown to levels that far surpassed those of his other siblings. Twilight also had to admit that the younger black wolf had begun to grow on him, which is something that is rather hard to do. The older wolf gave the younger a firm nod, a silent signal that he was sure that something was coming, but he couldn't tell what. Rowtag frowned. Twilight always seemed to be able to tell what was coming. The young wolf wasn't sure how, but he knew hat he could, with a great degree of accuracy. If he couldn't tell what it was, it had to be something big.

Tosca caught the tension between the two but easily brushed it off when Farren playfully shoved her. Whatever seemed to be bothering the others could wait. Farren was more important.

Una didn't notice but even if she had, she probably wouldn't have cared. Instead she scowled at her sister. She wished she had someone like Farren. But just like Twilight and Rowan's looks, Tosca ignored that too.

Twilight saw Farren and Tosca together and gave a small half smile, yet at the same time felt that their happiness would not last. The black wolf sighed heavily with the recent stress he'd been put under. There was a time when he would have left this group of ragtag, hot-headed young wolves to their own devices, but now he felt some sort of responsibility to them. He had changed a lot in the year and a half he'd been on his own. Looking off into the distance, Twilight wondered how the rest of his family faired over the years of his absence.



Through the heavy fog, a lone figure trudged through the forests. The lone wolf looked around her, trying to get her bearings, but she finally had to admit to herself that she was lost. "Oh, Father... why hadn't I listened when you tried to teach me navigation skills?" she said sadly. Sighing, she continued on her path, until she reached a river. "Well, this should help." With a renewed hope, the young wolf set off down the river bank.

Exhausted from her short lived hyper streak, Kai was already ready to take a nap. Una smirked, noticing her sister's weak attempts to continue bounding around.
"I... can... still... play" Kai objected, pausing tiredly.
"Come on, let's get you back to the den" Una replied, nudging her sister in the direction of the den.

Tosca smiled at her younger sister sympathetically.
"Is Frida going to come back to check up on her, right?" she asked Farren faintly. Kai was obviously very healthy, but it never hurt to double check.

The easy smile that he normally wore dropped from Farren's face. "Yeah well... about that. Could I talk with you alone for a second?" He led her away from the others as they headed back to the den. He sighed heavily and said, "Look... my dad found out about... us. From Frida." he said. "He's forbidden me from seeing you ever again. He doesn't even know I'm over here." the redish-brown wolf scoffed.

"Ohhh" Tosca replied silently, anger rising a little bit. "Why'd she do that?" the tawny wolf finally shot frustratedly. "She doesn't seem like the type to do something like that!"
Tosca thought for a second before adding, "And I thought we had some sort of understanding?"

Farren placed a comforting paw on her shoulder. "I'm sure she didn't mean for any of this to happen." he said. "She did what any other member of my pack would've done, and she can't be blamed for how my father choses to try and control my life." His eyes narrowed. " The agreement is still there, but my father won't accept any request for help from you personally. You'd have to send someone else. Maybe Twilight. He seems reliable enough."

Tosca nodded, eyes drifting to the black wolf's inky form. "Yeah... I guess you're right. I'll ask him. Try to uh... talk to your father or something..." Tosca grinned sheepishly.