Everything was back to normal again. The rank challenge between he and Sven was over. Not surprisingly, the Archer had came out on top. Blitz had played his A game, making the newly recovered male work hard to reclaim what was his. But even if Sven hadn't challenged him, the Mizuno would have eventually given the man his rank back. Despite his suspicions, Blitz had no desire to lead. He was perfectly content being Sven's right hand man.

With order restored, so was his free time. He could focus on his true role in the pack; keeping the borders safe and uninvited rivals out. He could spend more time with his growing children (and Sven's of course) and with Ravenna. They were growing so quickly and before he knew it they would be adolescents. These were precious times that he couldn't afford to miss.

On a return trip to the communal den with a half consumed rabbit that hadn't quite been able to out maneuver him, his thoughts drifted back to the occasion of the rank challenge. Of how Scully stood at the fringes of the action, ready to leap in. His dark ears pressed back, his eyes narrowing. He would need to have a sit down with the boy, to make utterly sure that he understood that he had merely been testing his father, without malicious intent or disrespect. As he neared the den site, he noticed something was wrong. The ground...it was stained a faded red. There was no carcass of a recent kill, nor any trace of hide or hair. And he certainly had taken extra care during the scuffle not to shed any wolf blood. Puzzled, he traced the stain towards the den mouth, to peer inside. Perhaps there, he would find clues to this mystery.