"I was guarding the Pit that dark gloomy night when they abandoned you two there. I let you pass by. I could have slaughtered you where you stood, but I let you pass. I slunk into the shadows as Phantom killed the Alpha female. And now I have left my mate, Araradara and my young, Riblo and Shiniel, to seek you two out and guide you through raising the pups. I saw Lupus in my dream. He gave me hints as to your… agreement. Now I am here and speaking to you two. So there are my cards of graciousness, now laying in plain sight. Now you choose whether you agree to let me den here, and help protect the pups and give you feed," Duskt said, looking at me, "when Phantom can't. I can help him take down the Hogs and the Wildeyassan. I was a protector in the Bayont Pack and I can perform well here, too by hunting and… for lack of a better word, protecting. Now, will you send me back where I may be punished and possibly murdered or killed for leaving, or do you wish for me to stay?"

"We still can't trust you," Phantom said, slowly, eyeing me whether I was nodding or looking with a raised brow.

"Yeah," I woofed quietly, "I agree with Phantom. You could just be trying to get under our skin and be friendly, and then when the pups are born, you take the strongest and kill the others, or something like that. Then the Deal would be—" I broke off as Phantom coughed. He's right. I shouldn't let Duskt in on the Deal if he doesn't know. "Well, what I'm trying to say is that… we have no proof if you are Bane's servant. You could just be kind, but I don't know." I let my sentence trail as my voice dropped off. We just couldn't trust him. "I'm sorry, Duskt, but I think you should leave. Maybe you could just take Araradara and your—family with you and abandon the Bayont Pack. After all, if you are as strong as you say, you could send them off," I barked, hoping that I would influence Duskt to go without hurting him in any way. It was fifty-fifty whether he was good or bad, or maybe in-between, but I still felt sorry about basically vanquishing him.

"We send you our… prayers and… hope that you arrive to the Pack safely," Phantom said, his voice wavering as he uttered the words. He tried to act formal, but he was just a big pup with a small vocabulary. I smiled at my thoughts. Duskt lowered his tail in disappointment. He began to turn around, very slowly like he was hoping that we would change our minds. But it was for the better.

Although, all I could think of was what if Lupus sent me a dream about how we were supposed to accept him? Sure it would be nice to know that I would get food when I was caring for the pups, and in the den, ready to give birth, but also he could be a threat. I couldn't tell, and it bothered me throughout the afternoon as Phantom slept by my side. He probably thought I was also asleep, but I just couldn't keep my eyes shut. Whenever I closed them, I could see Duskt heading towards the Bayont Pack, telling them our location. The Pack starting a rally to come and slaughter us…. I groaned with annoyance as my eyes fluttered, trying to close, but my mind kept reeling with horrible thoughts, making it impossible to keep my eyes open. I wrapped my paw around Phantom's and forced my optics shut. Before long, I fell asleep, Phantom's warm breathe enveloping my head.

Only about twenty minutes had passed since I had fallen asleep. Noise coming from the branches as they swayed rhythmically in the wind had awoken me and now I couldn't find peace and rest to send me back to sleep. Again, all I could see were those electric greenish-yellow eyes staring into mine. I think we were right in sending him away. But the question now was, how long would he stay away? Maybe he was just a jealous male. Maybe he was Bane's servant. And maybe, just maybe, he was a 'good Wolf'.

Duskt came up to me, his eyes gleaming with excitement. I looked at him with a raised brow. I backed up as he advanced.

"What are you doing?" He didn't answer. He just kept coming closer. He circled me, his sickly yellow eyes transfixed on me. I snarled my eyes wide with fear as he came closer. Duskt smirked. Phantom jumped up and tackled him. Blood flowed from both of their wounds, puddling on the ground, staining the leaves and grass. Duskt and Phantom didn't stop fighting. I screamed and screamed for them to stop.

My heart pounded, my eyes wide, adjusting to the dim light. That's when I noticed Phantom was sitting up, watching me with worry.

"Are you okay?" He asked cautiously, almost like he was ready for me to shrug him off and ignore him.

"Yeah," I answered, "just a… a bad dream."

"Again? You seem to have them a lot," Phantom came closer and licked my muzzle. I outstretched my neck and shoved my head into his silvery neck. He protectively lowered his head, forming a curve over my head. I let out a soft purr sound in my throat like a cat. Phantom chuckled. "Want to try to get back to sleep?"

"Yah, if I can," I reply with a long yawn. Phantom settled down, his head lying gently above mine, our paws overlapping. I forced all thoughts from my mind, but it didn't help. It just allowed the vision of Duskt to come into view.

What do you want? I think as he watches me and Phantom. A pup—my pup—walks around, a distance from the den. Duskt comes back with a kill. I nod my head to him in thanks. Duskt smirks. Phantom lets out a sigh of annoyance. Phantom races up to the pup and grasps it in his mouth. He snarls at me and Duskt and then runs away with it. I bark for him to return. But he doesn't. I look at Duskt in fear. He just smiles as he faces me.

I blinked awake, again. I listened to Phantom's heartbeat, his calm breathing. I closed my eyes and fell asleep, again.

Bane pranced forward, his army behind him. The Xeneo's and the Eastern Woodland Pack and all of the other Pack's besides a few Wolves and the Alzaar Pack loped behind him, the sky swirling with dark clouds and ash. The world was bare and had lava pools bubbling around every square foot or so.

"Open the Gates or I—" Bane snarled.

I didn't let him finish before I awoke again. Phantom and I loved each other, right? He wasn't going to turn on me and join the… other side. I couldn't believe how many dreams—or, nightmares—I had been having. I almost wished for it to be morning. But it was only Moon Sky. But, then again, everything I had heard could be false… there might not really be an uprising. There might not really even be a Deal. Yeah, that's it. It's just…. I couldn't finish my thoughts as my vision blacked out from exhaustion.

I stretched, my fur sticking up in odd spots from my restless sleep. I couldn't keep living like this. I needed to find a way to block out all of the darkness when I fell asleep. There had to be a way. Even being next to Phantom didn't help. Maybe it was that I missed Snowfear and Galaxy and Ronav.

Phantom tugged at my fur gently. I grunted as my numb foot moved reluctantly. It burned as I moved it. I hated it when my foot fell asleep.

"Sniff the ground," Phantom said as I emerged from the den. I obeyed, my eyes widening as the scent hit me.

"No. It can't be," I said. The scent was familiar, and I could place it immediately. It was Duskt's. "Duskt?" Phantom nods. "But… how did we—" I stammered. "I didn't even wake up when he was here. I guess I had so many dreams and kept waking up, I was too tired to bother."

"I don't think he's a friendly if he's been snooping around," Phantom barked, watching the ground like it was Duskt. He shook his head and walked off towards the Grasslands. I followed behind, shying at every sound.

A small herd of Flu Cahs were grazing in the Grasslands. "I'll go to the side of them," I suggested, "and you come up behind them. We'll cut one off without them noticing at the time. Then they might stick around."

"Good idea," Phantom praised as he headed off towards the Herd's rear. He charged and the herd splayed out like a breaking wave on the sand. I made my move and galloped forwards, my eyes blinking away the tears as the wind burnt them. We had managed to get a slightly older bull that had probably been the former leader. He would be smart, but he would also be weaker than the other bull. And nobody would make a move to save him. I skidded to a halt, my eyes wide in terror, as I saw Phantom charge the hind of the bull. The Hog kicked out, its hoof thwacking Phantom squarely in the chest. I howled as I ran forward, my heart pounding, the world waving with colors as worry clenched my body. My legs shook, my fur standing jaggedly in all places, as I stared at Phantom's unmoving body.

A/N: I will not be updating any stories including Silverflash for 2+ weeks. Thank you for reading and please review!