Ashanti reluctantly gave in to Hollow’s demands of going back. The sooner she got away from all the wolves and the scents, the better. She got up, barely able to; she had not been able to sleep in days. When she did, she was awoken from nightmares of the male. “Fine, let Nina tell you I’m not welcome anymore.” She said with a rude, yet dull voice. She had a small limp to her from the struggle to get away, yet no injuries that could be seen. They were mostly mental images and mental injuries.

Her icy blue eyes dull as she predicted what was going to happen, it didn’t matter that she was still loyal, only that unwillingly a pack law had been broken. The only thing that mattered was that she was shattered and she had broken a pack law. Even if it wasn’t her fault, would Nina even care? She knew what mother hormones were like; her mother had been killed while she was pregnant. She knew how much they influenced opinion and so she knew that Nina wasn’t Nina, she was mother Nina. They were two different wolves.

She was terrified that Nina wouldn’t let her go. That Ashanti would be killed on site because of what had happened. It would only get worse if that same wolf had not only raped her, but gotten her pregnant too. Surely Hollow could understand that there was nothing left for her. Sometimes within the past week of hiding, she had wanted to die.

Hollow was still, his Marmoreal gaze fixed on the she wolf before him. Waiting, hoping she would come around sooner or later. Sure enough as he said, he began to feel cold, the icy wind whistled around him yet he uttered not one word, nor moved a single muscle. Waiting, still in his very own brand of silence. It was the kind to make the world stop, mouth closed ears still, no acknowledgement to the living world, he was alert though, the only tell he had that shown him to be more than a wolf made of stone, were his eyes the pupils contracting and expanding as he heard things. The dark male's pads stung fiercely but he did not move to clean them, this was all too important, Ashanti needed help, and needed it whether she liked it or not.

At last she spoke, the words were harsh and cold, she had already condemned herself to banishment. She got up shakily, Hollow did not yet move knowing she would snap at him for it, however he waited a few moments until she had risen fully from her spot. The yearling hoisted himself to his own paws and turned in a half circle and stopped giving Ashanti a hopeful look that she would use him to lean on. He doubted she would but he could see she was shaky on her paws and the journey would be much easier if she took his offer. He spoke not a sound as he stood there it was her decision at this point. His heart set on getting back to Secret Woodlands, Nina, and Azariah. Oh please let this be the right thing to do!, he thought to himself silently.

Ashanti passed Hollow and snarled... it was the exact reaction he had expected, so rather than make a second attempt the yearling sighed and set off next to Ashanti.

Not much was said as the journey started and in the weeks to come Hollow would try to converse but it never went anywhere. In fact the words never made their way past his jaws, there was nothing more to say. There were long nights when the yearling would sit up and stand guard over Ashanti, it was something she would probably never notice, at least not for a while if she ever realized. He would make a wide circle and patrol it almost all night letting nothing come close to his pack mate. Often times he would find himself looking upon her with monumental amounts of sadness in his odd blue gaze. You never deserved this Ashanti, I don't know why bad things happen to good wolves but I'll be here for you as long as I call you my pack mate. The days were long too, with Hollow hunting on good days, on bad days he would have to convince her over and over that this was the best thing to do. Often times he drifted away in his head to think about what would happen if there were to be pups conceived by the devilish act. After a few days considering that single thought he resolved in himself that if Ashanti was indeed pregnant the pup would not grow up hated, and Hollow would be sure to show that pup that even though a lot of bad things always seemed to happen, good still existed in the world. He would pass his wisdom to the pup, he would show the child that no mtter what there was hope, for now however it would seam the outlook was bleak, and not much would change until they finally arrived on the borders of home.