That afternoon had started out like any other. Raigo had taken it upon himself to continue to secure the pack's borders, as was his daily routine. Borden had returned, but he had yet to do more than chance by his previous leader. Certainly he did not expect the old leader to assume his old responsibilities of preserving his pack borders. That was a possibility Raigo had passed out. Even now, as he lifted his leg and allowed his urine to flow freely over the base of the tree as a clear warning to curious passersby, he was having a hard time adjusting to the idea that Borden was back. Gone was the father figure who he had once looked up to, and while the transition was difficult, the sandy coated wolf knew that he would be able to adapt and adjust. That was simply what he did. Breathing in deeply, he lowered his leg, and padded away, towards the next one to repeat the process. But as he did so, he stopped, one fore-paw still in the air.

The reaction was instantaneous.

Tail rose dominantly over Raigo's back, and the hair along his spine stood on end. The roar coming from his body was impressive, especially for him. But the scent of the intruder, who had not even so much as paused at the territory borders, was enough to drive the second mad with rage. He had taken so much time to painstakingly patrol the Grizzly Hollow grounds, only for this to happen. Black nose flaring, he scent flight, long legs carrying him with ease over the familiar ground. His mind was racing wildly, thoughts jumping to the wolf pups who still happily resided within their mother's borders. They were relying on him to protect them. That was his job, his sole duty, and he had failed them at even that.

But it was not too late to make amends. His nose took straight to where he needed to be, and with horror, his golden eyes took in the sight. Arlette and her sister Trisden had grown - they were hardly small at six month's old. They were standing near each other, and clearly rattled. Beyond them was the intruder, a black female slightly smaller than Raigo himself. Growl escalated to snarl, and without warning the second swept past the two Grizzly Hollow princesses. In three short bounds he was between them and the laying down female. Teeth snapped angrily and body threw itself into an attack, aiming for the side of the neck. No warning was given - this intruder had come way too far for that. She would suffer the wrath of the Grizzly Hollow Second, absolutely no quarter would be given.

She hardly cared what the stranger said. She didn't belong here, and she was not letting her take another step closer to either of them. She found her vocals vibrating with a rough sound. "Go! You don't belong here!" She yelled, why wouldn't the wolf just go? She kept a cold gaze on the wolf, hoping someone else would hear and come to the rescue. Trisden was quite worried about her well being, she noticed her keeping an ear on the wolf's direction yet placing herself infront of Lettie. Moonlit eyes met her sister's contrasting pair, wandering over her frame with concern was well. "I'm fine Trisden. Are you?" She whispered back, wondering why she'd been yelling, if the wolf had hurt her, or had tried.

Lettie often believed Trisden was the toughest, and bravest of all of them. But it didn't mean she was invicible, and the wolf still out weighed either of them. She did not wait for an answer, a sharp growl that peaked into something more fierce snapped her to a standstill. Mouth opened in a gasp of surprise when she saw Raigo's brown streak of fur rush past them, and tear down upon the wolf. She was relieved, and worried all the same. What would happen now? Where was mom, where was Elettra? Fear prickled at the back of her spine, and she stood closer to Trisden. Could they help him? She didn't have to see Raigo was bigger, but she didn't want him hurt either not while trying to protect them.

"What should we do?" She asked Trisden, on the edge of running over to Raigo, or running back to the safe confines of the den. She was confident Trisden would know, she would pick the best choice....wouldn't she?

Relief flooded Trisden as her sister confirmed that she was okay. Trisden wasn't going to be the death of anybody else, no way. Though still shaken, Trisden was happy enough by this news to smile and bump Lettie's nose with her own, which she used to show that yes, she was mostly okay too. As well as could be hoped. She was just about to start thinking about a solution for the problem when one turned up anyway - Raigo's snarl was chilling in its ferocity but warming in what it represented. Everything would be okay now; there would be a buffer between the evil and Trisden. Raigo himself would be fine, surely - he was no target for darkness.

Trisden watched as he struck, dearly wishing to be big enough to help him, but she understood that she would have only got in the way. As such, when Lettie asked her what they should do, Trisden hesitated for a moment before acknowledging the only thing that they could really do.

Giving her sister a poignant look, Trisden lifted her head and sang intruder! intruder! to the rest of the Hollow, to give Raigo the support he may need. Faintly she heard the black female contest the treatment she was receiving, and anger bubbled in the young Lyall's chest again. "Liar!" she snapped, remembering how the wolf had deliberately bitten at the air above her. Fur bristling with aggravation, Trisden remained with her sister, watching carefully for signs of victory from Raigo, and for the backup she had called for.

Teeth came together and met empty air, but the metallic ring to the snap held a menace all of it's own. The black she-wolf had rolled away, but Raigo had not faltered in his pursuit. Behind him he heard the howl of Trisden, calling for reinforcements. Not that Raigo was particularly worried about being able to handle this particular intruder, but the additional help would show the strong stance of the pack, and would hopefully make clear to her that the wolves of Grizzly Hollow were not there to be messed with.

Throwing himself forward, the second was more than ready for the upcoming bobbery with the she-wolf. This was his duty to the pack as its Second - defend them and its most cherished members from danger. What the stranger had been thinking was completely beyond him, and as she began to blubber away, he tuned her out. "Get out." He drew up barely short of her, hackles raised to make him look bigger and more intimidating. The intimidation only increased as the scent of the pack's most recent subordinate appeared on the scene - the backup that Trisden had so urgently requested. The two males had never meant, but Raigo spared no time on a greeting. He was there to help, and so long as the larger brute beside him helped him get the intruder off of their lands, he would be happy.

Snarls ringing loudly, the second lunged forward, not bothering with warning snaps any longer. If she turned tail and fled, he would sink his teeth into her thigh. But if she stood and fight, he would rip her shoulder to shreds. She would not leave Grizzly Hollow without a mark to remember him by, hopefully one that would keep her far from the well protected borders of the strongest pack in Relic Lore.

There was quite a commotion going on in the Hollow today. It took no time for her nerves to go on edge, and her winter coat to raise like a wild jackle's. The Lyall children may be bigger, and older but trouble always seemed to find them. This afternoon was nothing different. Ears picking up a clamor of disturbance of an intruder, she pushed through any brush, leaping other obsticles, and ran with the speed she had to reach her daughters. She took much longer than she would have liked, being on different ends of the territory.

When she arrived she caught the same black female from the other night fleeing the scene. An annoyed growl rumbled in her closed teeth. There was something she didn't like about the wolf, and was glad to see both Raigo and Kade had answered Trisden's howl. A brief yet grateful look to the men of the Hollow, she was quick to then put her concern to both her daughters.

"Hey, you both okay?" Eyes softened, and her coat slowly began flattening when she stepped to inspect both her girls. A distance she saw no harm, but the encounter appeared to have shaken them. The mother's nose brushed against each one of their backs, letting out a soft huff, and she planted a quick kiss to both the tops of their heads taking a step back, while trying to draw her rapid breaths

It took little to comfort her, and reassure her Trisden was okay. Much as Trisden might try to hide something, Lettie could see beyond that, and knew she was probably only as disturbed by the whole occurence as she was. All the same relief was evident in her vivid yellow eyes, but it was short lived. Her small body stiffened, and merged closer to the creamy form of her sister when she sang a clear tone of urgency....someone was invading their home. It had seemed the right thing to do, and least one of them had sense to do it. However, the words from the female did nothing to make Lettie feel sorry for her, or believe her. The word liar seemed to sum up her own feelings, if she didn't mean harm this was no way to show it. Walzting into someone's home with little regard for their clear boundries saying keep out was no way to make friends. Would she like someone storming into her sacred dwelling?

Much as she wanted to help Raigo she kept back feeling he would surely scare her away. There as something about her friend she reguarded as an older brother who was unstoppable, and already she was ten times better seeing his familiar tawny coat. Some how she might have thought something could go wrong, as it always did for them, but it was the oppisite. Kade was next to the rescue, and took up to stand beside Raigo giving the message loud and clear she was not welcome. The coward finally realized she was in the wrong, and decided to go. It seemed sharp teeth had finalized this was no place for her. She took a step toward the Grizzly Hollow guardians, but she was torn because what if the loner came back?

Before she had too much delima the familiar face of her mother appeared on scene, and Lettie felt herself soften compared to the tight knot she had kept herself in. The familiar touch was comfort, and she quietly bobbed her head, planting a lick to her mother's chin. Things could have been much worse, and she knowing this, hardly felt bothered by what did happen. Especially now she was surrounded by four Grizzly Hollow wolves. She now went to Raigo, and bobbed her nose to his creamy chin in silent thanks, her tail wagging meekly when her eyes looked to his golden pair, asking if he was okay. She did not forget about Kade, and offered him a faint look of worry too.