The pack set around the carcass of the old buck and waited as Hal and Kilowog took their pieces, the innards mainly. After that Aya tore off a leg and settled down a few feet away. Razer sat patiently waiting for the last dog to eat before he stood up to get his own share. As he dropped his muzzle to rip off meat, he heard a low growl over him. He glanced up and sighed heavily at the sight of Kilowog, the dog's shorter muzzle dripping a splat of saliva on the wolf's narrow muzzle.

The wolf saw red, whipping his muzzle up and looking the bigger dog in the eye. His lips curled in a snarl, daring Kilowog to make a move.

"Don't tempt me, Red." Kilowog growled, his jowls lifting to reveal incisors to rival the wolf's. "I'm still hungry, so back off!"

"What do you need more food for? If your carcass gets any bigger we'll have to drag you by the tail to keep our pace." Razer snapped, his jaws gnashing together. A yelp of surprise escaped his throat as Kilowog grabbed him by the scruff and drug him over the dead buck and held his front legs off the ground. Razer twisted to clamp onto the dog's front leg, but a loud bark stopped him. Both dog and wolf looked over to see Hal now on his feet and his tail arcing over his brown back.

"ENOUGH!" He snarled, eyeing Kilowog. "Drop him, Kilowog." The bigger dog hesitated, thinking over his options.

"NOW!" Hal's voice cracked across the clearing, startling the bigger dog, who immediately dropped the wolf. Razer regained his feet but didn't move away, still primed for a fight. Hal shouldered his way between the two. "If you two can't get through a meal without almost killing each other, we have no hope for this pack or this land. Like it or not, you will be packmates. That means, trusting each other, you got me?" He waited for both males to lower their eyes in acceptance, which they did, but they kept their gazes locked on each other. "Good, now shake on it."

Kilowog and Razer sighed simultaneously and shook out their coats before sitting down and continuing to stare at each other. Frustrated, Hal rolled his eyes and took another haunch of meat for himself.

"We will continue on at sunhigh." He barked.

-Later—

"Aya...?" Lanos asked as the pack moved onward, following the faint scents of the Red Fangs. At the moment they were lightly trotting up the slight slope at the base of the mountain. Hal and Kilowog were a little ways ahead and Razer was just within sight of the two trailing dogs. Aya looked at her brother, startled by the exhausted expression on his face.

"What is wrong, brother?" She whispered conscious of the wolf ahead of them. Lanos sighed heavily.

"Do you miss, Shiel?" He asked. Aya's speed slowed, her brother matching her.

"Yes. But why does it matter? Scar taught us that loss was imminent. Shiel was our loss." She growled, emotion burning in her chest. Lanos seemed to shrink.

"Oh…" He whined. Aya shook out her fur and picked up her pace, leaving her brother to cover the growing distance between them. The lanky male shook out his own fur, brushing aside the nagging emptiness left by his sister.

"Help!"

Lanos' ears picked up on a short cry in the distance. He halted, turning all of his attention on the sound of distress. His ears fixated and his nose followed. His senses left his body and ventured up the mountain. A river. A canine on the river. He was trapped. There was another scent…one he didn't know.

"Hal!" Lanos yowled, rushing to catch up with the rest of the pack. He sideswiped Kilowog as he caught up with the two alphas. Hal, confused, stopped.

"Lanos, is everything ok?" He asked, his ears swiveling backward to ensure the wolf was still with the pack.

"There is someone trapped on the river ahead." The omega growled in frustration before darting off without Hal's approval. Hal followed close at his heels, Kilowog not a full length behind them. The group reached the river to find that the current was swiftly traveling downhill toward rapids and a fall. Lanos growled at the sight of the canine coming into view. It was a small dog, his fur thoroughly soaked and fear in his brown eyes. He gripped the log desperately, seeing the fate ahead of him just as well as the dogs on the shore. The dogs looked around for a way out. It was Aya who saw the sapling leaning over the river. She rushed to it and reared up on her hind legs, putting all her force into the young tree. Razer realized her plan and immediately went to her aid. The tree creaked in protestation until Kilowog joined the two. One sound thrust from the big dog and the tree crashed into the water below, just in front of the log. Now trapped the dog in the river breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you!" He barked and collapsed to the log in exhaustion. Hal rolled his eyes and leapt into the water to drag the dog ashore. When he reached the log he heard a soft gurgle sound. He swam to the end of the half hollow log and was surprised to find a human baby. It was remarkably asleep and seemed unharmed.

"Hey! I need some help here! We need to get the whole log to the shore." Hal called out. Kilowog and Razer both moved forward simultaneously to help. The three got the log across the current just fine and Aya and Lanos easily pulled the soaked dog and the baby onto the dry shore. The infant woke up in Aya's paws and began to cry loudly, startling Kilowog. The big dog stumbled backward, knocking himself and Razer back into the water. The impact of their bodies against the lodged sapling knocked the newly dead tree loose. The current was all too willing to sweep the two canines downstream.

On the shore the baby cries had woken up the small dog that had been in the river. He blinked his brown eyes at the sound and leapt to his paws, a snarl echoing from his little chest. Now that the pack could see him up close it was evident he was an older dog. His muzzle was lined with shaggy fur and flecks of gray.

"Leave that child alone!" He barked, glaring at Aya. Hal growled with annoyance.

"We don't have time to argue with you. We just saved your life, remember? Lanos, you stay here with the baby and the old-timer. Aya, you're coming with me."

Downstream Razer and Kilowog struggled to stay afloat and keep as near the sapling as possible. Razer managed to snag a foothold and drug his soggy body onto the log, shaking himself out before turning to look around.

"What're you waiting for? Help me up!" Kilowog growled.

"I'm looking for a way to steer this thing."The gray wolf growled as he struggled to walk from one end to the other. Behind him, Kilowog growled, his patience wearing thin. He swam from one length to the other before he found Razer's foothold and tried to heft himself up. The force of his kick sent the log spinning, throwing Razer back into the water on the other side of the log.

"You scatbrain! You're going to drown us both!" Razer snarled from the other side. On the bank, Hal and Aya had caught up to them and were looking for a solution. Razer looked ahead, realizing he was very close to the falls. Instinctively he tried to catch a hold on the nearest bank. His paw caught a root and he slammed into the log. His half now lodged, Razer yelped for Kilowog to find a hold on the log and climb up and to safety. The big dog managed to get his weight under him and belly crawled to the bank. With a final leap that pinched Razer even more, Kilowog landed in safety. The sudden push freed the log and Razer with it. Reacting without thinking, Kilowog leaned down and clamped his jaws around Razer's scruff. The waterlogged wolf landed heavily on the bank, unmoving. Concerned, Kilowog rushed over and sniffed at him. He placed one heavy paw on the wolf and pushed. Water exploded from Razer's mouth and the wolf began coughing his way back to life. Soon Aya and Hal were by his side, Aya gently cleaning the water from his fur.

"Razer, you saved me." Kilowog commented after shaking out his own fur. Razer looked at his with his blue gaze.

"I acted as a team member. Nothing more." He barked weakly. Finally he realized Aya was cleaning him and he shook her off, sending water all over her. He took a few unsteady steps upstream and stumbled, only to find Aya at his side, supporting him. "I don't need your help, dog." He growled, but didn't move away. Aya smirked.

"Of course not." She chirped back and the two made a slow pace back to where the infant and Lanos were.

"Hal! You saved them!" Lanos barked quietly. Off to the side a few feet, the smaller dog and the baby were asleep around each other. At the sound of approach the dog's head popped up.

"Actually, they saved themselves." Hal smiled proudly, then turned his attention to the new dog. "So, we never formally introduced ourselves. My name is Hal, this is Kilowog, Aya, and Lanos. We are the Green Fangs."

"My name is Goray. My human pack are the Spegnarians, their camp is just up the mountain. This child is Truvedon. I am in charge of keeping him safe. His older siblings put his in the log and tied it to a tree, I think it was to help him sleep. But the rope was cut somehow and I tried to save him. I can't thank you enough for saving myself and the child. Perhaps my humans will provide dinner for you all tonight." His little black tail whipped back and forth in a hospitable way. Hal nodded.

"We'd be delighted." He woofed. Kilowog picked the infant up by the scruff of his clothes and the pack set out.

-Later—

Razer rose to take his own portion of the fish the humans had provided. Kilowog, who was sitting and letting the child play between himself and Hal, rose and walked forward. Anticipating another argument, Razer tensed. But Kilowog stopped and sat.

"You were brave today…thanks." The big dog nodded his muzzle just slightly. Razer returned the gesture and returned to his place with his fish. The baby used Kilowog to pull himself up and the whole pack watched in amazement as the baby took its first steps. The baby's blue eyes caught sight of Razer and a smile spread across his face. He reached out toward the wolf and toddled over. Uncertain, Razer braced himself. Just as the baby was about to hug him, a sneeze exploded from his tiny face, splattering across Razer.

"Cute." The wolf grumbled.