Nova continued on her way for while until she came across a stream. She sat and had a drink feeling slightly betrayed, nevertheless she quickly brushed these feelings aside for they were very unjustified. This was completely her fault, and she knew this, but she didn't mean to abandon Alyssa she just couldn't shake the feeling that there was something somewhere out there for her. This being case she had a pressing desire to find it, whatever it may be, therefore an extended stay anywhere would prevent her from doing just that.

"Easy come, easy go." she sighed to herself.

There was substantial snow melt this particular day signaling the end of winter was nigh, though not quite just yet. Nova traveled at a steady pace occasionally sniffing her surroundings which helped her gain a general understanding of the area with every scent that registered back.

About an hour later the scent of a wolf not to far ahead of her had made it's presence known. Nova went to investigate only to see a pair of eyes in front of her; the glowing orbs reflected the evening sun in some shrubbery upon a low incline. Oddly enough the eyes seemed to be stalking her every move, just then the eyes vanished and near instantaneously a light gray wolf, juvenile in appearance with streaks of black scattered throughout its pelt had darted away out of the shrubs and into the distant foliage.

"Strange." Nova whispered to herself, then continued on her way.

Alyssa lay on her abdomen with her head on her paws a bit melancholy from the unexpected farewell. Ash approached and lay beside her after noticing she had not returned.

"Hey, what's the matter?" He asked.

"Nova left." she replied tearfully.

"Why? What happened?" Ash questioned, taken aback by the claim.

"I-I don't know, maybe it's my fault," she responded, "we should have never came here."

"Oh come on Alyssa don't blame yourself." Ash replied sympathetically, seemingly distressed at his lover's emotional state, "Wait a minute, I'll just find her, and maybe I can convince her to come back."

"No, Ash wai-" Alyssa tried to relay, but it was to late.

The determined wolf had immediately sprung into action, sprinting away as fast as he could as far as he could in an effort to pinpoint her scent, and begin his tracking process. At first it was hard for Caleb to keep up, for his brother unpredictably switched directions in an instant, zigzagging about, climbing rocks logs and ledges until eventually stopping to catch his breath.

"It's no use bro." Caleb said, eventually trotting up beside the exhausted wolf.

"How.. do ya.. figure?" Ash responded in between breathes.

Caleb sighed.

"While you were inside I saw the whole thing go down. Nova wanted to leave and by the way that conversation went I don't think there's no convincing her."

"You may be right," Ash began, looking up at the sky, his moral slightly lowered by the statement, "but bro I have to try, I have to, for Alyssa."

Caleb looked and his brother uneasily.

"Ok dude, but it's getting pretty late I suggest you head back, and resume this endeavor tomorrow."

"Nah man, I gotta press on". Ash responded, still determined.

"No dude, seriously you should go back," Caleb warned, "what if you run into some more rogue wolves and they tear you to bits, you saw how Alyssa takes losing a friend, could you imagine how broken she would be if she lost someone she loved?"

"You're right," his brother sighed, "let's go."

"Uhh, about that," Caleb began, which halted Ash's movements, "I.. I'm not going back with you."

"Come on dude stop fooling around." Ash chuckled now making his way back, but shortly stopped after noticing Caleb wasn't following him.

Ash quickly turned around to confront his brother who now sat on his haunches, anticipating the barrage of questions about to bombard him.

"What's going on bro?" He said in confusion, "What's the problem?"

"Look there is no problem," Caleb began, "It's just you and Alyssa have a good thing going man, and I don't want to be in the way of that."

"Bro you've been with me all my life now you're leaving me because of a girl?" Ash responded slightly enraged.

"Dude it's not like that."

"Then how is it then!?" Ash shot back emotionally, "Brothers don't abandon each other."

"I know that, and I will always be your brother dude," Caleb sighed, "But right now you don't need me anymore."

"What do you mean?" Ash questioned in angered confusion.

"You're entering a part of your life that doesn't require me bro," Caleb explained, "I've done my job it's all up to you now."

Ash couldn't be angry anymore for Caleb was telling the truth and he knew it. The realization that this was going to happen eventually slowly settled in, and he came to accept it.

"Even though I'm gone I'll always be with you bro, right there." Caleb said, touching his paw against his brothers chest.

With that, he got up and slowly trotted away in the opposite direction, but stopped a few feet in front of Ash and turned around as if he were forgetting something.

"This isn't goodbye," Caleb smiled, getting a final word in, "No this isn't goodbye brother.. think of it as goodbye, for now."

Ash gave back of painful, yet accepting smirk as his brother's body turn into a ghostly apparition then slowly faded into nothingness.