Agony seared through the fae’s body as she ran, fueled solely by adrenaline. Her vision was becoming blurry and the loss of blood enervated her body. By now, her wounded haunch was soaked in crimson. But she had to make it. Thoughts could not properly formulate in her head, but flashes of images were visible to her. She had to make it. For Lucas, for herself, and for the rest of the pack. Her pace slowed as her stamina faltered. With each hobbled stride, her knees and ankles buckled under her seemingly increasing weight. Finally, the scent of her pack jolted her senses, and with a grunt, she pushed forward. One stride after another, she struggled. In a downbeat of her forepaws, both legs gave out, and she tumbled to the ground. A shrill yelp burst out of her throat as she felt her weight roll and land on her mauled leg. The cool ground was not soothing, nor was it sanitary. All it did was make a thick, muddy slush with her blood. Her body felt faint, vision clouding again. Was this to be her fate? To finish her life alone, in pain, surrounded by the forest? It was what she had planned, but none of that mattered now. All that mattered was her return to Quinn. Someone had to know. Athena did not want to die here, but it seemed not to be her choice.

Her eyelids blinked slowly now, pausing more at the close each time. There was a figure running towards her, a dark but familiar one. Moments later, all she could see were black, wide paws. Weakly, she whispered, “Get me to Quinn… Please…”

Fel’s strong strides took her at a widened trot. She did not, as a Guardian, really have border patrols, but she liked to take her jogs around there to check for trouble. She could not accept wolves into the pack, but she would happily rip out the throats of enemies. The thought lingered in her mind. Soft flesh being pierced by her pearly fangs; blood running like a fountain into her jaws. Fel did not crave those sensations, but the ideas were not repulsive. In fact, they were a little satisfying. Honorably slaying the enemy for her pack and returning victorious. Fel almost didn’t notice when the coppery scent of blood actually hit her nose. She filtered the thoughts out of her head and focused back on her “patrol.” Her strides hastened towards the source of the smell. Breaching a line of bushes, she looked to the fae. Athena, the daughter of the past Alpha. The fae who, seasons ago, she was sworn to protect. Slowing down to a walk, she padded up to the healer, inspecting her body. Hearing the request, Fel stepped over and lowered her body to the ground, nestling her shoulders between the front legs of the younger fae. She pulled on the left forelimb until the tawny body was on top of her. “Focus on breathing in deep, slow breaths,” she growled in her low voice. The weight of her body was manageable, though it would affect her speed. But Fel could not allow Athena to fall off. She bounded off, her canter a slow, rolling one. She stretched her paws to give the longest stride they could in order to keep her body running as smoothly as possible. Fel felt blood run down her haunches and side. The fae was bleeding out. As they reached the pack clearing, it was almost empty. Fel burst through with a snarl of effort, to which a few remaining wolves scattered. They had no right to see this. Stopping at the center of the clearing, the guardian rose her raven head up in a summoning howl that rang deep from within her lungs. The powerful voice called for her leader urgently. After the howl rang out, she lowered herself again and gingerly slid the body of the fae off of her back. Fel took care to make the process as gently as possible, and put her so that the main wound was facing the air and not the snow. Looking at the mauled leg, she noted that her muscles were torn. Even if Athena survived, she would not likely walk on all fours ever again. But judging by the fading pallor of the tawny face, the muzzle laced with scratches from thorny thickets, she would probably not even live to recover. Fel had seen these wounds before. Sometimes, it was better to die quickly than to live an invalid. Regardless, she stood beside the healer, breaking the wind against her body as it flew towards them. Fel remained silent and waited.

Winter was ending soon, within the next week at least. All in the pack had been calm and tranquil. Quinn had found her soulmate once again and could feel the love warming her heart. She did not worry of danger or death in her pack. Everyone was well, safe and healthy. Her healers had been doing great with their work and all other wolves kept to their duties. On this particular day, she had already finished her patrol and had been resting in her den, just at the entrance. Her paws were daintily crossed one over the other as she groomed her wild coat. His harvest hues watched her own tongue rasp over her fur. Her moist muscle forced the hairs to lay flat against her skin. When she heard the call, she immediately lifted her head and the smell of blood soon followed. Jumping up to her tiny paws, she charged towards her Guardian female who had carried a wolf from somewhere all on her own. She looked to the wolf, young and female, laying on the ground. She wanted to whimper to show her concern, but as an Alphess she must be strong when others were weak, to lean on her and know all would be well. "Fel, what has happened?" She moved closer, sniffing and examining the injured wolf. Concern nestled in her facial features and her eyes lingered on the poor wolf. The blood was fresh, but there was also older blood mixed with the new. It had dried to the white portions of her coat. But beneath the smell of blood, there was a scent of something familiar. Not only was she a Helidos wolf, but she was Azul's daughter. It would not be long before Azul would discover this and she grew worried with his reaction. After everything he had already lost, would he lose her as well?

Life as an elder was pretty easy for Azul. He got to speak with Quinn often and spent as much time with Lucy as he could. He enjoyed watching the pack with warm eyes, enjoying their peace and happiness more than his own, which he longed for. Life had changed so drastically in his years as Alpha, since he created his pack. Everything was completely different now and he wasn't too sure if he was pleased with it, or upset. Though he knew Quinn was a perfect fit for Helidos. She loved all the wolves as if she had known them all her life. On some days he wished he was the Alpha once again, but he knew it was not good for him or the pack with his mentally weakened state. He was losing every important thing around him. When he heard the call, he knew the sound belonged to Fel, his previous Guardian when he reigned supreme. He lunged from his den only to discover his darling daughter lying on the floor. He whimpered and moved towards her. His ears were resting against his head as he sat beside her, looking over her body. She was breathing, but the wound she had taken looked rather large. He licked her muzzle, assuring her that her negligent father was trying to correct his mistakes. "Athena, my daughter, what has happened to you? Someone get a healer! We need one right away. She has lost a lot of blood but with urgent care we can save her life!" He barked orders to the pack, as if he was Alpha once again. He stood up and looked to Fel. Her crimson blood had stuck to the onyx wolf's coat and shimmered brilliantly in the light. How could his be? "Fel, who did this to my daughter?! Where did you find her?" Concern drenched his body and it showed in the way he held himself. He had already lost a son, Deimos and now his only known living pup was in desperate need of care. He did not know what happened to Lucas and he blamed himself for it. In her coat, he found a familiar scent intertwined in Erenyx smell. He looked to Athena and held his snarl deep in his throat. "Athena, did Lucas do this to you?" The question stung his own heart, concerned that not only did his son betray their pack, but his own flesh and blood. What had Lucas become?

Athena obeyed the orders she was given by her former Guardian. She focused on each breath she took, letting it fill her lungs entirely before it was released. It seemed to help. She was calmer, and not panicking anymore. It was not long before she was eased onto the snow with the echoes of a howl in the air. In a few moments, Quinn arrived, followed by Azul. It was her father whose presence she did not wish here, but she had no time to protest. When Quinn began to speak with Fel, Athena lifted her head slightly, trying to retain some dignity as she replied. “In my despair, I was reflecting upon the waters of Mirror Lake. Lucas came and comforted me. He was all I had left… And then he came. A dark wolf by the name of Teren, proclaimed as the new alpha of Erenyx. He killed Steele and ate his heart… And he came at us both. Lucas protected me in my delirious state. Lucas is the reason I was able to…” Her voice faltered as her head fell down to the ground. Her body was faint, and her paws seemed far away, unreachable by her senses. She coughed, but continued, “…was able to come here. He must not die in vain. We must not die in vain. But we won’t. Now, you know.” The blubbering words of her father were at first annoying, but the last snarling question sparked rage into her fading soul. With what sharpness of a growl she could muster, she retorted, “How dare you call me your daughter, and then proceed to question if the only wolf in our broken family who cared about me committed such an atrocity? My brother, Lucas, is dead. He died protecting me. All you ever did was ignore me. Ignore both of your children. I do not see you as my father.” Her amber eyes glared at him with fierce hatred, interrupted by another fit of coughing. The healer turned her attention to Quinn. “I am sorry Quinn. I can no longer fulfill my duties as a healer. And there is nothing that will mend me in time. My time… it has run short.” She glanced up at Fel now, the dark demon standing over her. In a wheeze, she asked softly, “Fel… Please… Carry me from this life. Deliver me to Creek and Lucas...”

As she felt Fel lean down over her to fulfill her last wish, she looked up to the sky one last time. It was beautiful and soft in its baby blue hue. Spring would come soon, and the flowers would bloom again. This was the right time for her to leave this world. Athena finally closed her shining amber hues, taking her last few breaths. She whispered her final words, her voice soft and almost blissfull. “They’re calling for me.”

It was moments before Quinn and Azul came running to the scene. The tiny alphess was fighting back her panic. When the questions flew at her, all the dark fae could do is shrug. “I do not know. I found her near the borders.” The frosty eyes turned to stare at the frantic father as he barked orders for help in an almost empty clearing. How pathetic the scene was… Could he not see that she was as good as dead? Stuffing her with herbs and covering her wound with pastes of various kinds would do nothing but prolong her misery. The poor, young fae did not deserve that. Emotionlessly, she stared at the elder as he asked her what happened. Fel did not reply. There was no use. What good could any of her words do? Her attention flickered down at Athena as she lifted her head to speak. Apparently, someone overthrew Steele. This scenario was familiar to Fel, as her father faced such ambitious wolves fairly often. None, of course, bested him, but this Teren had succeeded in conquering Steele. He must be even more powerful, she concluded. Either that, or Steele was truly weak indeed. It did not matter. Steele was gone; Teren was here. Merely a change of personages. As the story rolled on, Fel quietly listened to how Lucas died valiantly for his sister. It was an act of familial love and loyalty she rarely saw.

Her muscles tensed slightly at the sound of a growl in the dying fae’s voice as she spoke harshly to Azul. The remarks were scathing, but well deserved. Fel could say the same to him as an alpha. What she once saw as an honorable leader was now an ignoble elder. Even in the seasons she served under him, he never took the time to speak with her. The demon, watching the scene unfold, was slightly surprised when Athena looked up to her with her amber eyes and asked for relief. It was not the fact that she was asking to die which was shocking, but rather that she had the courage to do so. Gently, Fel lowered her massive head down to her tawny ears, nosing them comfortingly. With a low, chilling voice, she rumbled, “You are brave, Athena. The pack shall remember you. But do not fret… It will be over soon.” Silently, she took the neck of the younger fae in her jaws. With a precise jerk of the head, a fatal crack was sent echoing across the clearing and beyond the tree line. The power of the jerk made her fangs plunge the flesh of the healer, but it did not matter. Athena was free. She could no longer feel any pain.

Without a word, Fel let the head fall back down onto the snow. She rose once more to her full height and turned to Quinn. Little droplets of blood ran down her onyx muzzle and slowly pitter-pattered onto the snow below. Fel knew she had done the right thing. Her nearly colorless blue hues stared down at Quinn for further orders.

Lucas had been honorable to the very end, even if he had joined Erenyx. What a shame. He wished he would have worked to keep Lucas in the pack, to reach out to him and keep him safe. If he had, maybe the young wolf would still be alive today. Azul stared down to his daughter, listening to her tale of a wolf who killed Steele. How was this possible? Steele was a strong wolf, determined and stubborn in his ways. He was not one to accept change, but he surmised their fight must have been one of epic proportions. For Steele was not a wolf to go down without a fight. But just as quickly as she had told the tale of her only brother's bravery, she bickered at her only remaining family member. He was shocked to hear her words in such a manner as that. Was this really happening right now? Before he could speak, before he got a chance to apologize to his last young, she was taken from him. She was dead. Fel had acted out the wishes of her last breath. In stillness and shock he stood. He was statuesque and appeared to no longer be breathing. His eyes grew wide and he stared at his previous Guardian as he watched her stand away from Athena. His eyes did not look to the dead body again. Without thinking or making a single noise, he lunged at Fel and tried to grab for her neck or some part of his body. Never had the old Alpha ever think of attacking his own pack mate, but the restraint within his mind snapped. He would make her bleed. Fel was a large fae, but Azul had been the largest in the pack since Steele left. He dug his fangs deep into her skin and shook his head from side to side.

The Reaper stood silently in the snow that turned slowly into a crimson slush as the corpse’s remaining fluids ebbed out of her. There was no more pulse in Athena’s body to propel the blood, so it simply spilled out of her at a decreasing pace. Perfectly calm, Fel remained in her usual, tense state. It was not that she expected danger, but that she was trained to do so. Always prepared – her father had drilled her – either to fight or to die. Mastery, under his instruction, came when one was prepared to do both. Fel always carried it with her, and this afternoon she saw two examples of wolves who achieved the same. Lucas, the one who fought and died for his kin, and Athena, the one who fought to bring justice and died to find peace. It was engraved into the raven fae’s mind that there was no greater achievement.

A flash of white fur and pearly fangs stirred her peripheral vision, giving her just enough time to take a short step forward to get her neck away from Azul’s lunge as he came over the body of his only daughter. There was not enough time to evade the attack entirely… But her skill saved her own throat. A bellowing snarl erupted from within her as she felt the elder’s fangs pierce the thick area just behind her withers. Pain shot through her shoulder, throbbing while her mind remained focused. As the brute began to thrash, trying to tear apart the patch of skin his teeth were in, she swung her large head around to sink her fangs into the base of his neck, holding the bulk of his scruff in her jaws. She would not let the sharp, painful jerks continue. Fel pulled Azul away from herself, letting his grip on her hide be torn away, and sent the male toppling down into the snow away from her. As he slid in the slick snow, she spat out the tufts of creamy fur. The soft, bloodstained fluff floated down and settled atop her paws. The Guardian lifted her head again, staring at him with emotionless, icy eyes. The former alpha, though a very large brute, was not quite in shape for a real fight. The months spent moping around his sick mate and the grief and rage that blinded him currently debilitated precision. Fel did not once look away from her attacker, not even to examine the wound she knew she bore. It gently pulsed a stream of red, but it was nothing serious. Time and a bit of herbal paste would heal it. Overall, the dark fae was drenched in blood. Only a portion, however was her own. Across her entire body was the blood of Athena, on her shoulder was hers, and on her snout was the blood of the great Azul and his offspring. She was now silent, and stood tense, but with dignity. Fel flicked an ear over towards Quinn, expecting her to finally speak.

Everything seemed to slow down in time and space. Everything moved so slow, but Quinn felt as if she were stuck in place and could not budge. When the young wolf spoke to her, to the three of them, she wished to reach out to her and try to soothe her troubled mind. Her days as a caretaker had not left her thoughts at all. And she was quickly reminded of the young wolf she watched die, but it was by a greater monster. A bear had sliced and diced the young pup and Quinn had just barely gotten away with her own life. The images haunted her mind from time to time, but soon when she heard Athena speak to her father, it seemed to make everything worse for Quinn. Athena believed she had been neglected by her Alpha father. He had been so busy with the pack and pack matters that he neglected his young. Was this how her own pups had thought of her? Quinn hoped this was not the case, but she had never gotten to ask Harley, Reed, or Cadence. she hoped her young pups were still alive and missing her dearly. But she could not be sure. With a heavy heart she was forced back to reality, just as the large white Elder lunged to the black fae. It was then that everything rushed and even sped up to normal time. A growl erupted from her throat as Azul was forced off of Fel. She was unsure who she had been snarling at, but immediately, she placed her self to Fel's chest as if trying to block her from Azul. Their coats pressed tight one to another and her harvest eyes stared to the Elder. She knew there would be no speaking about his actions with him. She knew that his mind was clouded by pain and hurt. And she also knew that these two would never be able to live within the same pack peacefully again. No matter what, Azul would hold the death of his daughter on Fel's shoulders. Quinn knew what she had to do. "Azul! Do not touch her! Stand down!" she snapped as she slowly turned to face Fel. She lifted her head to look into the eyes of the black knight. "Fel, my dear friend, my Guardian." Her voice was low, almost to a whisper. She did not wish for Azul to hear her as perfectly as he wished he could. "I apologize to speak to you in this manner, but it has occurred to me, that you can no longer live here. I apologize to you greatly for this, but I cannot ask Azul to leave the pack he created and he shall live here until he takes his last breath. So I apologize for what I am about to do..." Quinn turned from her and acted in an aggressive manner. The fur along her spine stood straight up and a low snarl escaped from her exposed fangs. "Fel, Guardian of Helidos, you are hereby banished from the lands of Helidos. Leave now or face the dangers of staying here even longer!" Her voice was agitated and angered beyond all belief. She had never been so upset in her life, banishing a wolf for carrying out the request of one who could no longer hold onto life. She watched and waited for the previous Guardian to leave, will also looking to Azul to make sure he would not attack her again.

The onyx fae stood still as the snarl of her leader sounded and Quinn pressed herself against her. It was evident that the small wolf wanted this fight to end, but it was not quite clear who she was protecting. As she was addressed, Fel looked down at her evenly. An apology was quietly uttered in a voice that attempted to maintain the secrecy of this exchange. The Guardian blinked, attempting to understand what she meant. The elder could be controlled until his sanity returned to him. Confinement could be suggested for the attack of a pack member… Fel, after all, had done nothing wrong.

But the true course of events washed over her like a tsunami when Quinn spun around and put on a show of faux aggression. Suddenly, Fel understood. Her features remained emotionless and her body statuesque as she was given a sentence of banishment. It was pathetic that two leaders such as they could so wrongly convict someone who stood by them for seasons. Calmly, Fel stepped forward towards the growling alphess, knowing that the lighter fae would not dare lunge at her. She quietly craned her raven head down to hers, locking gazes with her judge. In a chilling whisper, Fel spoke to her, and only to her. “I told you before that I do not have friends. You are a perfect example of why.” In the next moment, she lifted her head and turned, beginning to walk away past the corpse. This scene… Everything about it was a déjà vu. She was an exile once more. Fel’s colorless eyes flashed to the body of Athena. She knew exactly what she had to do this time. The black wolf stopped in her tracks, her paws once more in the steamy red snow. Looking over her shoulder at Quinn, she said in a low, frozen tone, “Be careful who you choose to save and who you choose to let go. Those who you save might stab you from behind, and those you don’t might’ve been your truest guards. But either way…” Fel looked down at Athena’s lifeless body. Would the young fae have wanted this? For her last wish to tear apart the life of the one who granted it? She wondered, if her spirit could speak to them, what she would have said. “…the Dead can’t testify.” She let the silence of the clearing take over as her words were swept away by a soft gust of wind. In the next heartbeat, her jaws swung towards the head of the dead wolf. Her powerful, wide snout easily snapped off the entirety of the left ear – a token – which she carried out with her. Raising her long tail up in the air like a banner, she cantered out of the territory with dignity. The pariah abandoned her previous life as she left towards the border, still incredibly composed. Only her wavering scent in the air and a trail of large, crimson paw prints in the snow remained.