Hopeless ||

It was late, and the sun was slowly setting as Blitz made his way to the Moonlight Meadow. The large white wolf knew that those that he sought would not be there, but he couldn't stifle the hope that rose in his chest as the Meadow came into view. The pace of his large paws quickened slightly, carrying him faster to his destination. When he arrived, the Meadow was shimmering with Moonlight, but even the stars seemed to back away from his presence. It was as if they were disappointed, knowing that he was failing to return the spirits to them. The white male entered the meadow, coming to a stop in the center and sitting down. His eyes searched the sky, hoping to find any sign of the spirits' return. But the stars and sky were silent, seeming to turn away their light from his lands. With a sigh, he lowered his gaze, now searching the meadow around him, taking in the sight of the pale flowers, the thin grass, all of it seemed dull and fading. Silverlight was losing it's spark. It broke Blitz's heart to see his lands fading away, in the absence of the spirits.

But what could he do? Even his pack members seemed to disappear and turn their back to him. He hardly ever saw them, nor did they show their faces around the borders to protect and serve their pack. The food supply was disappearing, and the prey showed no signs of returning to the lands. Blitz sighed, his eyes moving down to his paws and closing as he fought to hold onto hope. He had done all he could, all he knew of to do, he couldn't think of anything else. He wanted nothing more than to save Silverlight, but he couldn't do it alone, not even his pack would help him. He sighed, laying down in the grass and resting his head on his paws. His large white form stuck out from the thin grasses and small flowers, making it clear that the alpha was there. But they had seen no enemies ever before in Silverlight, there was no reason to suspect danger now. His white fur shone in the moonlight, a gentle breeze ruffling it slightly as his eyes closed, his hope fading from his expression and leaving it blank and downcast. As far as he knew, there was no way he could bring the spirits back on his own. There was no hope for Silverlight. He had failed.

A dry, feeble breeze ruffled the long-legged wolf's coppery pelt. As of recently, the wolf was beginning to feel more and more like the dying wind. For the last few weeks, Inferno had explored the beautiful territory, relished a place of his own to stay, but also had failed to fully assimilate into the pack. He hadn't realized, had been too immersed in himself, but unconsciously, he'd been hurt far worse than he had thought possible by the loss of his family. The wolf was a survivor and learned from the past, but in this case, he had fallen deep into himself and avoided getting close with any of the pack members.

Looking around at the once gorgeous world of Silverlight, Inferno finally was understanding how withdrawn he had become and how much this new home needed active care. Hunting for the pack had been how the wolf had pulled his weight while he'd been here (as he did not worry about trespassers, or that Blitz would not be able to handle one if it came), but suddenly seeing the world more clearly and recalling what Blitz had said about the strange country of Silverlight, Inferno realized that he had not done at all enough.

Tail limply hanging behind him and ears held back in chagrin, the tall wolf made his way to the meadow, tracking his alpha's scent. Hesitantly, Inferno made his way down the grassy slope to the white figure of Blitz. "Blitz?" The wolf stopped fifteen feet in front of his alpha and just stood there, head lowered under the sudden onslaught of humility that had overcome him. "The land is dying," he stated in a soft, low voice, keeping his eyes averted toward the distant trees or the tall grass of the meadow slowly undulating in the breeze. Looking at Blitz's solitary form right now reminded Inferno too harshly that he'd left a promise unfulfilled and failed Blitz. It was obvious that the inferno inside the red and gold hued wolf had been almost complete squelched by the his stupidity and ignorance, and even the fear that his remorse would not be enough to warrant a second chance.

Blitz barely moved as Inferno spoke. He had heard the wolf approach, and he saw no need to even lift his head. When the male spoke, Blitz's ear barely twitched. After a few moments he looked up at his pack member, sighing softly. He stared at the other male for a few moments, noting that he didn't look up down at him, but instead averted his gaze in a rather guilty manner. Blitz silently agreed that the wolf should be guilty, since he had done nothing but help himself lately, but he said nothing about it. Finally he stood, turning away from Inferno and looking up at the stars once more.

"The land has been dying for a while. But I can't bring the spirits back."

He said, as if he had to do it on his own and he had failed. He stood there for a few moments, as if begging the stars to send the spirits back to him, but they remained distant and silent as ever. After a little while, he sighed softly, turning around and looking over at Inferno. He watched the male for only a second, his eyes scanning the other's face, reading the guilt and regret. But would guilt and regret bring the spirits back? No, and he wasn't sure if Inferno would help him save their lands, or if he was just searching for the alpha's pity.

"I thought /we/ were supposed to bring them back," said Inferno, his amber eyes flicking briefly to Blitz's face before looking up at the stars. He said it as a tentative offering of assistance, depending on whether Blitz even wanted it anymore. Underneath, though, he had subtly lashed out at the white wolf. Inferno hadn't been the only one fallen into a habitual comfort zone. Inferno was cautious about opening up to a new family; Blitz had let that remain unchecked while he'd searched alone, as he'd been doing ever since arriving in Silverlight, for a way to bring back the spirits of the land. In the end, neither wolf had done what they could to ask for and offer help.

The tall wolf huffed a small sigh into the stars and then turned his gaze back to Blitz. He was here, asking forgiveness and guidance - the promise of survival for this land meant that much to him - but they would really have to be a pack for them to succeed in their quest for the spirits, and that required not only Inferno to step up as a pack member but for Blitz to step up as alpha and direct the pack. The copper wolf wanted to stay, wanted to be forgiven, but he also wanted to know what to do. Much of Silverlight still seemed to be a mystery to Blitz; all of it was completely alien to Inferno.

Inferno twitched the tip of his tail slightly, looking at Blitz and thinking of the pack. The "pack". There was so much wrong with the dynamic of the pack right now...he started to wonder, aware of the painful feeling of the land's death around him, if the need for a pack - a real one - was more critical than they'd thought.

Blitz's ear flicked back towards Inferno as he spoke in a way that made the fact that he wished to do more and work with him clear. He sighed softly, turning around and looking at the male, his eyes searching the pack member's. They would need to work together, to get the rest of the pack committed and loyal, he still seriously doubted it was possible. There was Chaos, for example. She would fight unity until she was either killed or banished, Blitz new that for a fact. And Fallon, she was hot headed and stubborn, which would make integrating her into the pack quite difficult as well. Not to mention there were countless other wolves Blitz had sensed lurking around the borders, seemingly unsure of whether to approach or attack the wolves that lived within Silverlight. After a few moments, he looked down at the grass, sighing softly and returning his gaze to Inferno's face.

"It won't be easy."

He said softly, searching the other male's face for signs of doubt or fear. He saw confusion, and what appeared to be doubt. He refused to jump to conclusions, however, and his mind fought to find the meaning behind Inferno's thoughts. He must be disappointed not only in himself, which he made obvious before, but also in his alpha. Although it upset Blitz to realize, he knew that he too had failed to make the pack unified, to integrate everyone and lead them. He sighed once more, looking down at the thin grass at their feet, a single white rose growing from the ground between them. Could they really pull this off?

Inferno sighed and flattened his ears at Blitz's heavy words. "I'm not afraid to work for this, Blitz," said the wolf, restlessness sparking his voice now that there was more to do than mope around guilty. "Let's just get moving," he told the alpha, almost growling in his intensity. If Blitz wasn't going to push himself right now, then Inferno would step up. Just until Blitz snapped out of this little depression kick he was on.

Blitz couldn't help but smile slighlty at Inferno's determination. Maybe there was some hope for this place after all. He sighed slightly, glancing back up at the stars for only a moment before heading toward the tree line for a patrol. If there were other wolves out there, he would make sure they were spotted. Maybe they would even get a few new members for their pack. They needed them, after all. He paused when he reached the edge of the trees, looking back at the pack member behind him.

"Inferno, are you coming? I'm going to head out on a patrol of the borders and I could really use some company."

He said, smiling slightly as his tail waved behind him in a slight wag and along with the gentle breeze. It was dark, yes, but even when there was no light, there were always wolves somewhere. Plus, it was only early evening, they could get in a short patrol before they headed to the dens for bed. He waited patiently for the male's response, hoping that he would join him. It was do-able alone, but it would be better to have someone with him, for morality's sake at the very least.

"Of course," replied the long-legged wolf, eagerly stepping in behind Blitz to begin the patrol. As the briskly loped along toward the borders, Inferno tried to think of anything they could do to bring the pack together. So far, he'd only met Blitz, Fallon, and Chaos, and he wasn't even sure if there were other wolves in the pack. While he caught random scents from the air every now and then, it was never clear who was in the pack and who wasn't. It had taken weeks for him to actually meet Chaos face to face - which was a jarring experience anyway - which shook his certainty of the members of the pack. "Blitz." Alpha. "I guess we both know that it is pure insanity to keep living this way...it hasn't been working. How can we convert the whole pack to this mission?" He added, furrowing his brow, "Especially when we hardly know what to do ourselves...at least, I don't know what to do. Except follow you." The wolf looked over at Blitz, collapsing his walls once again this evening, acknowledging his own dependence (and the pack's) on Blitz as far as the spirits were concerned.

Blitz sighed as Inferno spoke. He had to admit, that was a question that he had been trying to answer himself for quite some time. The only thing he could think to do at the moment was find each pack member and get a pack meeting together. Maybe they'd get lucky and run into some of the rest of the pack on their patrol. He looked around, his eyes eventually coming to fall on Inferno's concerned expression.

"I suppose we need to find the other pack members and talk to them, huh?"

He asked, flicking his ear as a fly landed on the tip and looking back forward, towards the dark forest in front of him. Soon it was growing light, and they were approaching the Banished Lands, a place that he knew Chaos frequented. But he didn't care at the moment, since he had bigger things to worry about than the difficult black female.

"Yeah...I think that'd be the best place to start." Inferno padded on in silence, ducking under and skipping over the mess of foliage that packed the forest. "Who are the pack members?" he asked suddenly, but hesitantly, unable to resist asking even though it sounded horrible that he didn't know. Yes, a pack meeting would be great.

((Chaos continued from: https://incendio.rpg-board.net/t46p15-forbidden-access-open#493 ))

Blitz wasn't surprised that Inferno didn't know the names of the current pack members. It took him a moment, even as alpha, to remember their names. He hadn't seen them for so long, it was rather embarassing when he considered that he had nearly forgotten them. After a few moments, however, he placed names with faces and oriented himself with the information.

"There's Khalessi, the head hunter. Molly a healer. Chaos. And you and I."

He said, looking over at Inferno. Speaking of Chaos, he was picking up her scent as they neared the Banished Lands. Of course she was there, for she enjoyed the fact that no other wolves would venture out there to bother her. He came to a stop at the border, sitting down and growling softly.

"Chaos, you know it is forbidden to enter the Banished Lands without me."

He said, his eyes coming to rest on her black form in the shade of what seemed to be the only tree in the area. He wasn't at all surprised when she lifted her head lazily and remained where she was. He sighed softly, glancing at Inferno and then back at Chaos.

"Chaos, return to the packlands please. Before I have to come out there and get you myself."

He said, growling slightly, but in a calm, patient way. He knew there was no use threatening the female, so he didn't bother. Instead, he rose to his feet, waiting a few moments and then sitting back down as he saw her slowly rise and approach the border. She crossed and growled as she passed Inferno, coming to a stop on Blitz's other side and sitting down, still saying nothing.

Inferno flicked his ears back uneasily as he watched Chaos flagrantly challenge Blitz's authority by laying unmovingly in forbidden territory. Finally, she came over, but he did not feel any better about it. With the hair on the nape of his neck bristled slightly and his claws tensed in the dirt, Inferno couldn't help but return a growl. Not much different from their first meeting.
Turning his attention back to Blitz and continuing the conversation as if the ordeal with Chaos had not happened, Inferno asked, "You're sure those wolved exist here?" Incredibly, the wolf had never met most of them.

Blitz stood as Chaos approached, towering over the little female as she moved beside him. He lowered his head to snap at her side in annoyance as she snarled at Inferno's returning growl. She grew silent then, her ears pinning to her head in submission as she ignored Inferno's presence. She sat down beside Blitz, listening bordly as Inferno spoke, yawning softly, and then laying down once more.

"I know Molly is still present somewhere in the lands. I have yet to see Khalessi around, however. Oh, I believe Fallon is somewhere around here too. She seems close."

He said, glancing down at Chaos as she growled slightly at Fallon's name. Yes, by the looks and smell of things, Fallon had been here recently, no doubt harrassing Chaos. He chuckled slightly at the thought. Chaos seemed rather annoyed by the prospect of Fallon returning, which meant that the young female had probably been quite successful in annoying her in the first place.

Inferno nodded at Blitz's explanation while ignoring Chaos just as she was ignoring him. She was so far blocked from his mind right then that he didn't even wonder at how dysfunctional this pack was at the moment. Blitz was doing a fine job handling her, so Inferno was going to dwell on more pressing issues...like ideas for finding the spirits.

"Perhaps we should call for those three, just to make sure..."

The call wouldn't be needed for Fallon, though, as just at that moment she broke through the trees and made her way across the cracked earth toward the trio of wolves. "Blitz!" she called joyously, realizing just how much she had been missing the alpha. She bounded up to the wolves happily, but sobered up quickly and pulled back her ears a bit as she reached them. Blitz looked...not /horrible/, but not as great as usual. It was obvious that she was stressed, and she knew why. Anyone who lived in Silverlight was able to feel the slow death of the land.

"How are you guys?" she asked the males after shooting an unabashedly scathing glance at Chaos. The ordeal just that afternoon was nowhere near being forgotten.

Blitz nodded as Inferno suggested calling for the other three. He knew Fallon and Molly were nearby, but he had caught no sign of Khalessi lately. But he lifted his head slowly, sending out a billowing howl to call them to their location. Within seconds, signifying that she had already been heading their way, Fallon appeared with a friendly greeting. Blitz smiled, lowering his nose to look over at her. It was good to see more pack faces around him. He had been wandering the lands alone for what seemed like months, and now he was suddenly surrounded by three of his pack members.

"Hello Fallon! It's good to see you."

He said, easily picking up on the tension between her and Chaos. He chuckled softly, making sure to place himself between the females, removing his body as a blockage between Chaos and Inferno. But he felt like the male could control himself better than either of these females at the moment, and it was obvious that Chaos would go for the easier target, the other female.

"I can see you and Chaos have seen each other recently. Now you know better than to antagonzie her. She has one nasty temper."

He said softly, chuckling in amusement as Chaos heard his words and growled under her breath. But she forced herself to be slightly respectful and say nothing, he was the alpha after all, and the only wolf present that she respected. Blitz grinned and straightened up slightly after a few moments, nudging Fallon's shoulder gently in pack-like affection before turning to look back at Chaos and Inferno to make sure there was no conflict erupting between them.

Chaos growled as Fallon appeared, but was more surprised when Blitz put himself between them. Or was it disappointment at the lack of opportunity to attack the female? Either way, something inside of her was grateful that he did all he could to prevent conflict between herself and the pack. She glanced over at Inferno, a soft growl rumbled in her throat in warning to keep his distance as she remained laying lazily where she was. She had no intention of getting near to anyone, with maybe the exception of Blitz. She then turned her attention to the alpha who was now watching her and Inferno, her growl ceasing as her ears pinned back respectfully but kept tabs on Inferno's movements beside her.

At the sound of a howl, Molly's ear twitched slightly. She had been enjoying her nap, but now she was woken by the call of her alpha. She had been wondering where he had disappeared to, and now she stood quickly, stretching and shaking off the pine needles that clung to her fur. Then she trotted off in the direction of the howl, not at all surprised that as she neared she was hit with four separate scents. She smiled, grateful to finally be able to meet the rest of the pack, no matter how small it was. She soon came into view, grinning and lowering her posture so that it was lower than everyone's, with the exception of the laying Chaos. She wagged her tail eagerly and smiled shyly at a male that she had never seen before, and then at a female she had also never seen before. She stopped at the edge of the group, looking over at Blitz in hopes that he would give her some sort of cue or hint on what to do next. She was terribly shy and cautious, not knowing anyone but Blitz and the nasty black female that lay beside him. The other two were complete strangers to her.

Fallon grinned exuberantly back at Blitz, so happy to be back together with the pack that she forgot for a moment all the troubles that had come about from them all being split up. Once she slowed down and remembered, though, her joy at being reunited with the pack would be even more full, up against the contrast of being alone (no matter how much she enjoyed it, it just wasn't the same). "It's good to see you, too!" she exclaimed, ears perked, eyes bright, and tail wagging as she settled down beside the alpha. She was more than happy to let him curtain her view of the mangy black wolf.

"A nasty temper indeed," she agreed with a low hiss. Hesitantly she opened her mouth to speak again, make her complaints against Chaos, while searching the alpha's face for...she didn't know what. Unfortunately, what she found was not the passion and enraged exasperation she felt in herself - he looked composed and patient. As he always had. As he always would be, perhaps? Either way, they were all here at the border, so the wolfess knew that Chaos had been caught in forbidden territory and accepted back; thus, there was no way she'd be able to convince the white male to kick Chaos out. Lowering her eyes and clamping her mouth shut, the red and black wolf looked over at Inferno. Of course Blitz's qualities - compassion; patience; mercy, even - were admirable, but there were times she wished he were just a tad more like Inferno, who would dole out justice without a second's hesitation.
Even knowing the potentially bloody consequences...

Molly's approach drew Fallon's attention away from her focus on Chaos and into a new flood of excitement. "Hello," greeted the female with a smile and curious tilt of her head. "I'm Fallon. Who are you?" Inferno, much more reserved yet just as curious, merely nodding his head at the female in greeting. Fallon was such a talker, but it was convenient for him. Whoever this was, though - Molly, he supposed, as she didn't really fit the description of Head Hunter to him - seemed nice, and he could she himself wanting to become friends with her.

(Khalessi's head hunter. Molly is just a healer.)

Blitz chuckled at Fallon's words as she spoke, but took note that she silenced herself before saying more. He knew she wanted him to deal with Chaos and kick her out, but that wasn't the way he did things. As long as he could control Chaos's aggression and temper, he was doing a good job. So far, he was capable of doing just that, so he left matters alone. At least for now. His attention turned to Molly as she approached, smiling and getting up to walk over to her. When he reached her, he lowered his head, nudging her shoulder encouragingly and smiling as she relaxed into a sitting position. She kept her head lower than everyone else's, but she seemed less nervous and shy. He smiled, moving to sit between Chaos and Fallon once more.

"I've been wondering where you wandered off to, Molly."

He said, grinning as she smiled sheepishly and turned her attention to Fallon.

The white female was nervous still, but with Blitz's encouragement, the young female relaxed slightly. She was likely the youngest here, and obviously the most shy, but she was full grown and capable, no matter how she appeared. She looked over at Fallon as she spoke, smiling in response.

"I'm Molly. It's good to meet you Fallon."

She said, wagging her tail slightly and smiling in response to Inferno's nod. She didn't know who he was, but it was obvious he was a pack member, therefore she could trust him, right? She soon looked back at Fallon, wagging her tail but keeping her head low.

"I knew there were others in the pack, and I'm happy to finally meet you. As far as I know I'm the only pack healer, what is your rank?"

She asked curiously, tilting her head to the side so that one ear flopped over in a rather adorable manner. Her tail wagged lightly as she did her best to ignore Chaos's annoyed glare that followed her every movement. She would never get used to that female being around, but she seemed to be Blitz's personal project, almost pet-like, but she didn't say anything. She knew she would get in a lot of trouble for saying something like that out loud. Instead she focused her attention on Fallon, but was unable to focus completely with the unknown male watching her so intently.

"It's good to meet you, too, Molly," replied the female, moving from Blitz to sit next to the white female. Already feeling like friends, she wagged her tail and shoved off all personal space boundaries.

"Um..." Fallon looked questioningly at Blitz when Molly asked for her position. She'd left her rank up to him, but he had never finally told her what it would be. "Blitz?" she asked him with questioning eyes, her ears held back a bit as she racked her memory to make sure she hadn't forgotten. It could have been possible...

Meanwhile, Inferno had decided this introduction was satisfactory enough for him not to be so wary. Fallon was obviously already accepting of Molly, and while Molly had likewise charmed him, though perhaps it was more her face and smile than the fact that she wasn't Chaos.

("the fact that she wasn't Chaos" --> made me laugh xD)

Blitz was looking down at Chaos when Fallon questioned him. He looked over at her curiously, trying to determine how to respond. Finally, he came to a decision. Unfortunately, the pack really only would need one healer, they needed no pup sitters for there were no pups, and there was no threat of attack, so he settled on hunter. He smiled, relaxing and resisting the urge to swat a paw at Chaos as she continued to glare at the other two females.

"I suppose you shall be a hunter. We are in desperate need of them, and prey."

He said, sighing softly. The head hunter, Khalessi, had returned from her search for prey in pretty bad shape, and he would need all the help he could get to re-stock the empty storage den. He watched Fallon for her reaction for a few moments, but once again his attention returned to Chaos as she snorted in annoyance. Let's just say she didn't play nice with others.

Molly smiled as Fallon grew closer, grateful for the friendly female at a time like this. It would be nice to have a friend in the pack. She looked over at the female, having to incline her head slightly upwards because she was a bit smaller than Fallon, but then again, her breed of wolf was typically smaller anyways. As Blitz responded to the female, Molly smiled, knowing that they were in desperate need of hunters. She felt bad, however, since her hunting skills were terrible, and she was no use with anything but pups and healing. And hopefully she wouldn't be needed as a healer, but she was always ready.

After a few moments she got to her feet, stretching lazily as they relaxed as a group. But she lost her balance as she stretched, a clumsy step that brought her stumbling, unfortunately for her, right at Chaos. She was met with a snarl and the snapping of teeth, and she yelped in surprise, scrambling backwards and running right into Inferno. She jumped again as she hit his large form, not even moving him an inch as she fell into the grass beside him, her tail curled between her legs and her ears and head down. She would never get used to that nasty female.

Chaos snarled and snapped at Molly as she stumbled too close, remaining in her laying position as her teeth snapped on the air right next to Molly's muzzle. Her fur stood on end as she glared and snarled at the female, making sure she knew better than to get that close again. But by focusing all of her attention on Molly, she failed to remember that Blitz was right beside her, a fact that she was reminded of as his powerful snarl echoed through the trees and his large body was pinning her to the ground, his jaws closed around her muzzle dominantly. She knew she was outmatched, and to her dismay, she couldn't even wriggle out of his grip as he pinned her down on her back and held her muzzle closed between his powerful, vice-like jaws. So she pinned her ears back, curling her tail between her legs and whining softly, waiting for him to release her. He did, but not after tightening his bite to make her wince. He then released her muzzle and stepped off of her, leaving her to roll onto her stomach and keep her posture low and respectful, but unable to keep her fur from bristling threateningly as she glanced over at Molly. But the glance earned her another growl from Blitz, and she flinched, silencing herself and focusing her attention on the large white male instead.

(Haha. I'm glad. xD)

Chaos' aggressive and uncalled for behavior set both Inferno and Fallon on their feet with warning snarls and growl erupting from their jaws like thunder. If Blitz hadn't leaped at Chaos, Fallon would have - with probably horrible results. Though Inferno was less inclined to tread the boundaries of his rank like Fallon, he had no second thoughts about stepping in front of Molly in case Chaos was to finish off her attack.

As Blitz took on Chaos (quite impressively in control), Inferno turned his attention to the white female on the ground. "You ok?" he asked as he lowered his muzzle to search her for any injuries. It wouldn't be surprising to she a chunk of flesh torn out of her. Fallon flicked an ear toward the two wolves to listen for Molly's answer, but she would not take her eyes off of Chaos and Blitz's dispute.

Blitz snarled as Chaos tried to relax, and he looked down at her threateningly. It was probably a bad idea for her to stick around here, she was only making things uncomfortable and threatening the other members. He snorted in annoyance at the situation she put him in. Finally he turned sighed, shaking his head and letting his snarl cease.

"Chaos, go cool off. I don't want to see you in this area again, do you understand? That means the Banished Lands as well."

He growled, as she tried to turn towards the border. She growled softly under her breath, but she turned and heading into the trees, the alpha's annoyed growl following her until she got out of range. He sighed as she disappeared, his attention turning to Molly and the other wolves. He watched Inferno lower his head to inquire about Molly's condition, silently swearing that Chaos would be banished if there was even a single mark on the white female's body.

Molly trembled slightly as she heard Chaos growl under her breath, but she forced herself to focus on Inferno's voice as he asked if she was alright. She nodded mutely, having just barely escaped Chaos's teeth without a scratch. She lay on the ground where she had fallen, to surprised and frightened to get to her feet for fear that they would simply collapse beneath her because she was so shaky. She did her best to calm down, but she still shook slightly when she finally managed to get to her feet.

Inferno finished checking over Molly and accepted her response to his question. Fallon went over to sit by Molly and try to quiet her shaking as Inferno went to talk with Blitz. "I'm just curious," he asked quietly, "why do you keep her around?" Certainly there had to be a reason...

Molly relaxed slightly in response to Fallon's presence, her shaking finally ceasing as she moved closer to the other female. Soon her side brushed up against Fallon's, and she drew strength from the female beside her. She sighed softly, looking up and smiling slightly. She was grateful to have a friend now, and times like this only showed how much she really needed one. Her tail wagged slightly and she relaxed, looking over at Inferno and Blitz curiously as Inferno spoke to the alpha quietly.

Blitz sighed as Inferno approached him. He knew exactly what the male was going to ask. He sat down, curling his tail around his side before answering carefully.

"Inferno, I know you are most likely a strong fighter, as I believe myself to be. However, no matter how fiesty Fallon may be, I'm almost positive she wouldn't be able to last very long against a male wolf your size or mine. Molly would fare even worse. Khalessi's in no shape to defend the territory, and you have to admit, Chaos is a force to be reckoned with. So far I've discovered that for some reason I'm the only one that can control her. She could come in a lot of handy if we were ever threatened. She's a fierce fighter, and you should have seen how hard it was for me to break her enough to keep her temper under control. If I can get her to control her anger better, she could be a very important part of this pack."

He said, trying his best not to defend her terrible lack of control over her anger. It was a problem, yes, and if anything like this ever happened again and someone got hurt, he was more than determined to kick her out. Yes, he was determined to integrate her into the pack, but not at the cost of another member's safety. He looked over at Molly, reminding himself that the young white female was just as important as any member, and if Chaos had hurt her, she would have paid for it dearly.

Inferno nodded, showing he understood what Blitz was saying. He kept quiet a minute, musing over Blitz's logic. As he watched the two females, Inferno tried to weight out how loyal Chaos really was to the pack. Sure, she listened to Blitz. If the alpha told her to do anything - directly, and multiple times - Inferno knew she'd eventually do it. It seemed to be out of fear. The fact that Blitz really did seem to control her. The male wasn't completely convinced that having one more strong pack member, who probably wouldn't lift a paw to help any other member of the pack, who probably caused more trouble than her presence could possibly prevent, was worth keeping her around. In the end, he knew he had to respect Blitz's judgement...and he did...but he did not agree with it at all.

"Alright, Blitz," acknowledged the copper wolf, turning back to the leader. Sitting down next to the white male and moving on after one last look toward Chaos' trail of tracks, Inferno asked, "Now that most of us are together, what's the plan?"

Fallon lifted her head from licking the top of Molly's, comforting the young wolf tenderly, and pricked her ears in Inferno's direction. In anticipation, she turned her gaze to Blitz. "Yes, what did you need?" In all the commotion since she'd gotten here, there hadn't been time for her to wonder why the wolves had been called together, which was odd indeed.

Blitz could easily tell that Inferno didn't agree with him, but he hadn't mentioned that he was at the end of his rope with Chaos and close to banishing her. But he was grateful that Inferno seemed to accept his decision without argument. He turned his attention to Fallon for a moment before it was pulled back to Inferno as he spoke. He thought for a moment, studying their interested faces before answering.

"We really need to focus on re-stocking the storage den. Molly, Khalessi returned from her search for prey in terrible shape, she could probably use your attention. Fallon, I would appreciate it if you took over Khalessi's responsibilities until she is well enough to return to Head Hunter status. No one has scoured the territory for any remaining herds in a while, would you mind doing that for me? And Inferno, I hate to ask, but the dens are quite a ways from here and I would rather not risk Molly running into Chaos again. Would you mind taking her? I was going to accompany Fallon in search of herds."

He said, looking at all three wolves hopefully. He hated just telling them what to do, and he would rather ask and consider their responses instead of ordering them around. He would much rather his pack be a democracy than having him control everything. The members were more of a family to him than loyal subjects, and he wanted it to stay that way.

Molly looked up as she heard her name, nodding silently as she tried to remember who Khalessi was. But her attention turned to Inferno as Blitz mentioned the distance and Chaos. She shivered slightly and moved closer to Fallon at the name, but she remained relaxed and attentive to Blitz and Inferno as she waited for a response from the male whose name she had just learned.