The hunting chores Libby and Alex had been given weren't exactly fun, and being unable to eat all day until they met their goal was tough, but Libby tried to make the best of it. They saw it as a way to improve their hunting skills without technically being a part of training.
Each morning, they and Alex went out to hunt, usually with Red Spirit keeping watch over them without helping. Libby didn't know how much the they-wolf knew of their current predicament, but decided not to press the matter as it could still bring them and Alex into more trouble. So far, they were glad that Dreven had kept the both of them anonymous.
Today was the last day of their hunting chores, and the trio were walking in the eastern part of the territory. As they passed the Calm Pool, Libby resisted the urge to dive in and relieve themself of the pressing heat. No. Stay focused. Just one more smallprey and you'll be free of your punishment.
Red Spirit was at their flank, and Alex lagged behind them, looking surly as he had all quarter-moon. He clearly didn't try to make anything positive out of his punishment.
Red Spirit finally settled down. "I smell some prey in the surrounding area. You two see if you can spot something."
Libby nodded and started sniffing. Further north, the scent of rabbits drifted in their direction from Rabbit Rocks. However, Libby knew they couldn't go there. It was way too close to where Alex had always met up with Sandy, and Dreven had strictly forbidden them from going there again.
Libby turned tail and tried to catch other scents. Soon enough, they found a nearby grouse smell. They stalked through the underbrush and saw the creature pecking at a bundle of berries growing from a bush. Silent as the night, Libby launched themself forward and closed their jaws around the bird.
It struggled and let out a cry, but Libby quickly bit down and the bird went still. Damnit, that bird definitely scared away any other prey animals... But we made it! Finally!
Excitedly, they walked back to where Red Spirit was waiting within eyesight. Alex was still gone. Libby proudly dropped their prey in front of their mentor. "All finished!"
Red Spirit blinked approvingly. "Well done. You seem to be improving your hunting skills this quarter-moon despite no training! We'll make a Hunter of you yet."
"I'll stick to being a Patroller, thanks," Libby said with a chuckle.
Loud thumping pawprints came from Libby's left. Alex approached with an unamused expression. His mouth was entirely covered by downy feathers, but there was no prey to be found.
"Did you not catch anything?" Red Spirit inquired.
Alex spat out a mouthful of down and sat down with a loud thud. "No. I tried to catch a pheasant but the stupid bird got away."
Red Spirit nodded. "Well, that's too bad. But there's also good news." They gestured to the grouse Libby had caught. "Your punishment has been completed. Libby caught it."
Libby smiled at their brother, hoping for an equally optimistic response, but he simply let out a noncommittal grunt and turned tail.
"Where are you going?" called Red Spirit.
"To the rendezvous. Punishment is over, right? I want to eat." Alex vanished from sight behind a copse of trees.
Libby looked up at their mentor. Red Spirit flicked an ear and looked back at them. "I'm not sure what you two have been up to, but I do know that Alex isn't taking it well."
"Yeah," Libby agreed. "He just needs to get over himself. He'll be back to the confident old Alex we know soon enough!"
"Alright. You grab your grouse and bring it to the Prey Cave. I'll pick up those other two smallprey we buried earlier today."
Libby nodded. "Yes! Thanks, Red Spirit!"
"No problem." The duo split up. Libby followed Alex's scent back to the rendezvous, and once they reached it they watched him rip apart the haunch of a deer the Hunters had brought in.
Libby didn't approach him, but instead headed straight for the Prey Cave to drop off the grouse. Inside, they spotted the rest of the deer. Parts of its flesh were missing as they had been ripped off.
Libby only now realized how truly empty their stomach felt. The excitement of having completed their punishment had gotten to them, but now the hunger came back in full force.
"Well, it wouldn't hurt if I grabbed a piece." Using their strong jaws, they sheared off a chunk of the deer's meat and carried it outside. Part of it was still covered in fur, which they carefully ripped off as they settled near their brother and two other wolves, Pearl and Umium, who were also devouring their share of the deer.
Digging in, Libby enjoyed the savory taste of the still fresh meat, devouring it quickly. They looked over to Alex, who had taken a much larger chunk and was chewing thoughtfully on it. Alex refused to meet their eyes.
Libby instead looked around them. Snow-white and Onor were on guard duty per usual, but outside of them, Umium, Pearl, Dreven and Kotan in front of Leader's Rock, the clearing was empty.
This soon changed when Red Spirit entered the rendezvous carrying a small hare and a large grouse between their jaws. They dropped it off in the Prey Cave and then headed in Dreven and Kotan's direction.
Libby perked their ears, but couldn't hear what was being said. However, they presumed that Red Spirit was reporting their last day of punishment to the Leader and his Second.
They turned out to be correct, as Dreven made a signal with his tail for them to come closer.
"Alex!" Libby said in a hushed voice.
Their brother looked up, but said nothing with the hunk of flesh still between his jaws.
"Dreven is calling. Let's see what he wants."
Alex frowned, but got up, still carrying the haunch. Libby left their own scraps behind and headed towards the Leader. When they got there, Dreven gestured to the Leader's Cave.
He, Kotan, Libby and Alex went inside, while Red Spirit was dismissed.
"Enjoy your meal," Dreven said half-jokingly as he saw that Alex had taken his meat inside. "But clean up my cave if you make a mess, please."
Libby's brother simply grunted.
Dreven looked at Kotan as the wolves settled in a circle, but then started to speak himself. "Red Spirit has reported to me that you two have completed your punishment. Is that correct?"
Libby nodded excitedly. "Yes, Dreven. I caught the last grouse today." They tried to tune out their brother's chewing sounds.
"Well done. Then, I hereby officially release you both of your punishment. However, there is one more thing I'll ask of you."
Libby blinked, but then remembered, especially as they saw both Dreven and Kotan were looking at Alex. He dropped a part of his bloody meat and blinked. "You want me to talk to Sandy."
"Yes. I wanted to wait until after your punishment was over so you wouldn't be distracted. But I feel the time has come. Visit Sandy one last time and tell her to meet us at Rabbit Rocks in three days' time at dawn. She's allowed to bring four dogs, and tell her I'll bring four wolves. We'll discuss the matters of peace then. But outside of that there'll be no more visiting! Your mentors will make sure of that!"
Alex blinked, his expression unreadable, but then nodded. "Fine, Leader." His voice was flat and equally emotionless.
"Go now. And no funny business." Dreven's half-blind gaze was stern. "And you won't be going alone. I'll send Libby with you to make sure you don't step out of line."
Alex looked indignantly. "I can do this by myself!"
Libby was shocked at how he dared to speak to his Leader this way, but Kotan stepped forward. "Alex! Have some respect!"
I rarely see Kotan agitated like this. But he's right. Alex should respect them.
Their brother looked at his paws and laid back his ears. "Fine. I'm sorry."
Dreven continued. "Libby will accompany you, and the both of you report back to me once you've completed your task. Go."
I'm not looking forward to meeting Sandy again, but I get Dreven's reasoning. Alex alone might not be trustworthy because of how much dedication he has to his girlfriend.
"We'll go, Dreven. Thank you!" With a respectful nod to both their superiors, Libby left the cave. Alex followed them, carrying his chunk of meat between his jaws.
"Okay, let's go," Libby said once they were outside.
"At least let me finish my meal!" Alex growled. He settled down where he stood and started to take his time to rip off more chunks of his haunch and swallow them.
"You can't eat any faster? This is kind of important..." Libby couldn't suppress the annoyance in their voice. "I thought you'd be happy to see your girlfriend again."
Alex looked up with a frown. "Yes, but not under these circumstances!" he said in a hushed yet intense tone.
"Alright, alright." Libby waited until their brother was finally done and the duo left in the northeastern direction, to Rabbit Rocks.
"So how do you meet up with her without howling?" Libby inquired as they were running.
"Normally we'd just meet whenever we planned in our previous meeting, but since there hasn't been a meeting in a quarter-moon I'll just have to improvise."
They soon arrived at Rabbit Rocks, not far from where Libby had spotted Alex meeting with Sandy for the first time. The exact meeting location was soon found, and Libby scented around. There were some faded traces of Sandy's scent from the past few days. Clearly she'd visited here a couple times more to see if Alex had come to see her.
"Okay, how do we find her?" Libby sat down in the soft grass and licked their chops.
"Well, she doesn't know what my howl sounds like, so that one's off the table. And it might also draw the attention of other Pack members, not exactly something I want right this moment."
"Then what else can we do?"
Alex's face darkened. "If you're willing to leave me behind for a moment, I can go get her."
"What? No way!" Libby got up. "I'm here to see if you're not betraying the Pack again! I'm not letting you go off on your own. Besides, how would you even get her?"
Alex didn't respond with words, but instead looked in the direction of the territory border with the neighboring Pack of Deep Woods.
Libby's eyes widened. "You'd go into another Pack's territory just to get her?"
"I know where she and her Pack are staying, okay? They're well-hidden in Deep Woods territory, and that Pack doesn't patrol borders as often so they're easier hidden there than here near Rabbit Rocks."
"You know their hideout? You've been there?" Libby pressed.
"Yes, but only once! And I'm not going to betray where they are staying, if that's what you're asking!" Alex's eyes burned into theirs.
Libby wanted to flare back with another remark, but instead shook their fur and forced themself to calm down. "Okay. Fine. But you're not getting her. Either I come with you into their hideout, or we wait it out."
"Wait? But we don't even know if she'll come here today!" Alex barked.
"I'm not letting you go alone, either."
Alex grunted some swears before setting down beside Libby. "Fine. We wait, because there's no way I'm showing you to their hideout."
They waited in the quiet for a while, both panting below the hot summer sun. Because the trees were spread farther apart here, there wasn't a whole lot of shade to hide in.
Alex finally broke the silence. "You know, Libby. The dogs aren't bad. They're...kind of like us to be honest. Just a Pack looking for a home. They remind me of you and I after we lost Mom and Dad."
"How so?"
"They've lost everything and suffered. But they knew they needed a home. We were given a new home by Dark Stones, but they weren't so lucky. They had to fight so much, and I just...I want them to be given the opportunity to rest. They're not just adult dogs; some are elderly, some are pups."
"Sandy herself is hardly more than a pup," Libby remarked casually.
"She was the one who figured out how the dogs could escape, so she became their leader when they ran away. They don't function in the same way a wolf Pack does, but they're a Pack all the same. And they deserve peace."
"So does Dark Stones," huffed Libby.
"Yes. But, look at this from this point of view. We know that the war with Wessels' Army is going to break out earlier or later, right? Them wiping out our Pack, claiming its territory and now sometimes patrolling it. Those aren't signs of peace. Sooner or later, whether our favorite pacifist Dreven wants it to or not, war will break out and we'll have to fight back. Wouldn't it be great if we had some support? I mean, Dark Stones in no way can win against Wessels' Army. They have well over a hundred Soldiers, we're just a tiny Pack. But if the Dog Pack would support us..."
Libby thought deeply. "They'd help us?"
"Sandy said that if she gets what she wants, she'll back up Dark Stones if it should come to a fight with the Army. I told her what they did to our parents, how I want revenge. She's willing to help me, so by extension Dark Stones as well."
Having more fighters to stand against the Army does sound helpful, Libby had to admit. "But..." they said aloud, "that'd mean having Sandy rule both our Packs."
"Do you really think that Dreven is that great a Leader? Be honest."
Libby frowned. "You can't talk about him like this. And yes, I do think he is a good one. Maybe a bit pacifistic, sure, but he's trying to avoid unnecessary battles and thus deaths! It's thanks to him we're not outright driving away the dogs, but having a talk of peace with them. Aren't you grateful for that?"
"He made one good decision, but that still doesn't mean anything," Alex grumbled. "Just because he agreed to talk doesn't mean that he'll agree to Sandy's terms."
"Yeah, yeah. But he's trying. Would you rather the Pack go to outright war with them?"
"Of course not! But I just don't think he makes for a very good Leader, that's all."
Libby rolled their eyes in frustration when a voice sounded from not so far away.
"Alex? Are you there?" It was Sandy.
"Sandy!" Alex instantly piped up, his grumpiness totally forgotten.
"Alex!" Sandy appeared from behind a tree and ran in his direction. Alex ran into hers as well, and they soon pressed their noses together before placing their heads on each other's shoulders, tails wagging.
"I missed you so much!" Sandy bayed.
"I missed you, too!" Alex pulled back from his embrace, allowing Sandy to see Libby. Her glance instantly darkend. "Oh, your sister is here, too."
Sibling, Libby corrected her in their head. But they knew they weren't ready to come out of the closet to others yet, especially not Sandy. "Hi," they said dryly.
Sandy moved closer to Alex. "Where have you been? I've been trying to see you all quarter-moon, and you just never came. Your scent wasn't here to be found, either."
"That's right." Alex sighed. "The Pack found out. I couldn't see you anymore. I mean, I technically can't ever see you anymore. Not except for today."
"Did she tell on you?" Sandy growled, gesturing at Libby.
Libby thought Alex might rat them out for a moment, but their brother shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Point is, we can't be together as things currently stand."
Sandy's amber eyes darkened. "No! You can't just end things like this!"
"I may not have to," said Alex. "My Leader, Dreven, comes with an offer. Meet him and four of our other wolves here in three days' time at dawn to discuss peace. You bring four dogs from your Pack. We can still find a peaceful solution!" His voice was high-pitched with excitement. "If peace comes out of it, we can still see one another!"
Sandy took a step away, eyes narrowing. "What's the catch?"
Libby got up and walked closer. "No catch. We just want to talk to your Pack to discuss if there's a peaceful solution."
"I've already made my terms clear," Sandy growled. "We merge Packs and I become leader of both, or I get your entire land and you leave. Either way, I win."
"Surely there must be another way out!" Alex pressed. "Just, please, be there, Sandy! And talk to Dreven. You'll figure things out and if things go well we can be together still!"
Sandy looked at him. "Why don't you just elope with me? Join my Pack? That way we can be together regardless of what terms your Pack has for us."
Alex stiffened and bit his lower lip.
Libby regarded him and Sandy carefully. Surely he can't be thinking of leaving Dark Stones? Leaving me?
But their worries were easily calmed as Alex shook his head. "I love you so much, Sandy. I really do. But Dark Stones is my home. I can't just turn my back on them like that. Please, just be there to talk."
Sandy's eyes looked hurt, but finally she nodded, her gaze darkening ever so slightly. "Fine. I'll be there. So this is the last time we'll possibly ever see one another?"
"Possibly," Alex lamented. "But it may not be if things go well."
Sandy leaned forward and buried her muzzle in his chest fur. "I love you."
Alex leaned down to lick the back of her head. "I love you, too. I hope all goes well."
Sandy pulled back after a long moment. "I'll see you then."
"I'm not sure if Dreven will let me come to the meeting, but I hope so," Alex grunted. "Take care in the meantime, Sandy."
She nodded. "I will." She leapt onto a large boulder in the direction of Deep Woods territory and looked back, pain in her eyes. "Bye."
Alex looked up at her. "Bye..."
She leaped off and vanished from sight as she made her way back to her hideout.
Libby approached Alex. "You did well." Only then did they see his heartbroken expression.
With a sob, he leaned into them. "I don't want things to end between us. Ever."
Libby put a comforting paw on top of their brother's. "Let's hope that things go well at the negotiations."
"I hope they do," whined Alex. "I really hope they do."