Hey everyone! So I guess i have some explaining to do, first off I want to say sorry for the long wait between updates. I've been having a hard time trying to fit in writing with my schedule, none the less I want to finish this story. Second I want to let you know that I will try my best to upload one if not two chapters every week. So yeah, that's about it. As a side note I'd like to hear what you guys/girls think of the story and the direction that I'm taking it. Cheers!

-xXSHADOWOLFXx

P.s Klayre is pronounced like Claire, just thought I'd let you know. :)

One Step Forward and Two Steps Back

Humphrey strained to hear the sounds of the forests as he and his squad crept through the trees. The pain in his leg a faded to a dull throb and he thanked the gods for Astrid's quick remedies. He glanced over at Klayre and she gave him a small smile, he had to admit she was pretty but his mind kept jumping back to the clearing when he kissed Lilly. She had kissed him back but what did it mean? Now that Garth was in the picture Lilly seemed drawn back to him. Humphrey had thought that maybe it would have been enough for her to know how he felt.

"Obviously it's not mutual," he whispered to himself.

"Quiet, I can hear something," Sage shushed him.

Humphrey once again listened carefully, he let his mind go and submerged himself in the forests sounds. Faintly in the background he could pick out the crunching of branches and the scuffle of paws on dirt. Sage motioned for the squad to circle back and search the area. Humphrey split off and began to sniff the air, the scent of another wolf wafted into his nose. Instantly he felt his instincts take over, his vision changed again and he dropped into a low stalking position. No not again! He screamed in his head. Silently Humphrey approached the source of the noise, getting ready to spring at even the slightest movement. The rustling became louder and louder until, it stopped. Surprised Humphrey lifted his head, but it was a mistake. Out of no where a wolf sprung from the bushes but Humphrey was quicker and side-stepped the attacker, grabbing the scruff of his neck and throwing him into a nearby rock. Before the wolf could get up Humphrey was over top of him snarling and biting at his neck. Humphrey's teeth drew closer and closer until...

"Humphrey!" Sage hollered.

Humphrey immediately snapped back to reality to see a cowering Garth below him eyes wide with fear. Sage rushed over and shoved Humphrey out-of-the-way.

"What the hell where you thinking?!" Sage exclaimed as he helped Garth to his feet.

"I just... He attacked me first!" Humphrey tried to defend himself.

"I didn't know who you where, you should have identified yourself!" Garth shot back.

"Is that how you greet everyone you meet?" Humphrey scoffed.

"You're such a rookie, honestly you could have killed me," Garth said shaking his head.

Humphrey growled. "And if I get another chance I will you useless piece of- !"

"Enough!" Sage screamed. "Both of you!"

Humphrey and Garth where nose to nose ready to break into an all out brawl. Sage took a deep breath

"What are you doing here Garth?" He asked.

"Lilly told me you your mission was to take out the Reapers forward operating base, I thought I could help," he explained.

"You and her talk often?" Humphrey quipped.

"Shut it Omega," Garth snarled.

"Or was hurting her once not enough?" Humphrey asked sarcastically.

"Now that you mentioned it we could use the help." Sage mused.

"Oh you aren't serious," Humphrey pleaded.

"He is more than qualified," Adrian pointed out.

"It's settled then Garth will join us, the camp isn't much farther away," Sage said setting off into the underbrush. Humphrey glared at Garth as he followed suit. He felt a paw on his shoulder, it was Klayre.

"What happened back there?" She asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," Humphrey shrugged her off.

"I'm just trying to help..." Klayre said.

"Yeah well maybe I don't need your help," he snapped, his eyes glowed gold with anger.

"Sorry for caring," she shot back before taking off after the rest of the squad.

"Wait Klayre, I'm sorry!" Humphrey called after her. But she had already disappeared into the night. Swearing under his breath Humphrey charged after her.

Sometime later the squad found themselves on a cliff overlooking a river bank covered by Reaper soldiers. A snow storm had begun to roll in and the wind had picked up reducing their vision to almost nothing.

"Alright we're going to split up and flank them, Humphrey you Hurly and Adrian head to the west side of the camp and wait for my signal to attack," Sage commanded.

"And when we attack?" Adrian asked.

"Kill as many of the bastards as you can," Garth answered stepping in front of Sage. "Klayre Sage and I will to cut a path through them to their commander, if we can take him out it'll stop their advance."

"Oh look out we've got a badass over here," Humphrey mumbled.

"You've got something to say Omega?" Garth barked at him.

"He has a name you know," Klayre sassed. Garth ignored Klayre.

"Just do as I say, okay Humphrey?" he asked politely. "I want this to go off without a hitch."

"Yes sir," Humphrey replied submissively.

"Good, now take your positions," Garth ordered.

Humphrey gritted his teeth against the harsh icy winds as he, Adrian and Hurly waited for the signal.

"What gives him the authority to step in like that?" Humphrey strained to say over the noise.

"More experience I would guess," Hurly rumbled.

"But he deserted the pack!" Humphrey blurted out.

"It's war-time Humphrey, doesn't matter what you've done in the past or not, all that matters is that you are willing to do what's right for your cause." Adrian replied.

Humphrey cast his gaze around in deep thought, high above the clearing he could see an enormous shelf of snow protruding from the mountainside. As a plan began to formulate in his head Humphrey stood and shook the snow from his fur.

"Where are you going?" Adrian demanded.

"To do what's right." He muttered before taking off into the woods.

"Don't look down don't look down, everything is going to be fine," Humphrey tried to assure himself. Gingerly Humphrey walked across the snow shelf that he has seen earlier trying to find the exact middle. He eye-balled it and waited for Sages signal. Even from where he was Humphrey could tell that they were out numbered 10 to 1, this made Garth's plan to risky, the element of surprise would have done nothing more than delay their defeat. He hopped his plan would even those odds just a bit. A bone chilling howl pierced through the air signalling the attack. With all of his strength Humphrey raised himself up on two legs and slammed his front paws down to the snow. Cracks spider webbed across the shelf of snow causing it to break away and slide down the mountain. Speeding down the slope the snow took out everything in its path, Humphrey brimmed with satisfaction. The snow would bury most of the Reapers leaving an opening for the squad to dispatch of them quickly.

"That'll show Garth who's the Omega," Humphrey beamed.

But something was wrong, he could see Sage and the other's being forced right into the path of the avalanche. A feeling of dread crept up from the pit of Humphrey's stomach, they had no idea of what was coming. He stood rooted to the ground and watched as the wave of snow silently engulfed his friends and everything else that once stood in the clearing. Fearing the worst Humphrey took off down the mountain trail he had come from. When he reached the bottom he could see Hurly digging Klayre out of the snow and Garth pulling Sage to his feet.

"Is everyone okay?" Sage called out.

"Yeah,"

"I'm alright,"

"I think so,"

Humphrey relaxed, no one was badly hurt. The same couldn't be said for the Reapers, bodies lay strewn everywhere, some sticking out from the snow others impaled on rocks and trees. Garth noticed Humphrey standing around.

"Where were you?" He demanded.

"I was uh, I got separated from everyone else, when I heard the commotion I came running," Humphrey lied.

Garth eyed him suspiciously. "Alright, if you say so, but-"

"Guys where's Adrian?" Klayre sounded worried. Humphrey glanced around, there was no sign of him.

"Adrian?!" She yelled, her voice echoed across the forest. Frantically she threw herself into the snow and started digging. Humphrey joined her thrusting his already cold paws into the freezing snow, he scooped up pawfulls of snow uncovering dead bodies but all of them where not Adrian. Klayre was starting to whimper now and tears where beginning to brim her eyes. A scent wafted past Humphrey's nose, it stank of death and decaying flesh.

"Do you smell that?" Hurly paused and sniffed the air.

"More Reapers," Garth declared.

"Damn it we've gotta move!" Sage urged. He stood and tugged at Klayre but she brushed him off.

"No we've got to keep looking," she begged. "We can still find him!"

"If we don't leave now we won't stand a chance," Garth put his paw on her shoulder.

"No!" she screamed as she kicked Garth in jaw. Immediately Hurly grabbed her by the neck and began dragging her away kicking and screaming. Tears streamed down her face as she struggled against the massive wolf's grip.

"He's still out there I know it! Adrian!" She cried. "Please let me go!"

Humphrey saw the pain in her eyes as she repeatedly called out Adrian's name even though she wouldn't get an answer. As they fled into the trees Humphrey took one last look at the massive pile of snow deep down hoping that he would see even the smallest sign of movement. Nothing caught his eye as he scanned and his heart dropped, seeing nothing else that he could do Humphrey bolted after his squad following Klayre's wails of sadness that drifted across the wind.