She had been searching and searching for her two leaders all afternoon. She scoured the whole territory, but only came up with old, faint scents of them. She didn't know what to do. She had Ava, Kegan, and Vafri searching around too, but she hadn't heard from any of them. Was it time to give up? Her thought was so jumbled that she had forgotten about Tlarx waiting for her at the lake. Her mind was racing as well as her nose against the ground searching for any signs of her two leaders. One of the puppies was missing from the den while the other two were still there. She hopped that Ava would stay close towards the den while she went in the mountains.



Nose to the ground, tail in the air, she searched for any trace of them. A small breeze drifted in and the scent of Rhysis and Naira wafted into her nostrils. Excitement washed through her and her steps quickened until she was in a even run. She followed the trail through the mountains, to places that always went to until it came to the spot where Poison Path's territory ends. She stopped dead in her tracks. Her breathing was hard and her legs were slightly shaking with how much she had endured with running everywhere. She couldn't believe it. They were really gone. Nobody went past these borders. They led to the unknown, a place that she never explored before. It could take days to even find them out there, but she couldn't leave Ava or Poison Path.



Did this mean she was the leader now? It must be. She was the second in command and if the leaders go missing, she was supposed to take over. It never dawned on her that that may happen, but now it was becoming a reality. Climbing back with paws dragging dreadfully, she managed to make it to her little outcrop before she collapsed. She collapsed in sere desperation and confusion. She needed time to think. Time to get her thoughts together.

Never being in this situation, made it hard for her to decide what to do. She needed Ava or even Tlarx to tell her what she should do. It's not that she can't make her own decisions, it's just nice to have another one's advice. She debating on just leaving and following Rhysis and Naira's trail, but then she'd be leaving Ava, Tlarx, and the rest of Poison Path. They needed her. At least she hoped. With her thinking of Tlarx, she just remembered that she left him at the lake. She had to be gone for at least two hours searching the territory for them. However, she was drained all her energy was gone. Her legs were still quivering even as she was laying down. She felt bad, but she couldn't risk going down the mountains and risk falling to her death. She was sure she wouldn't be that mad. Hopefully.



As her thoughts started to go bad to what she would have to do to get Poison Path back onto their feet, the sound of claws digging into the mountain rock and the steady thudding of big paws approaching her. The steady light breeze scent the scent of the big male towards he. Tlarx. A weak smile crossed her face as she heard him getting closer. She was truly glad that he had come, she would have been heartbroken if he decided to just leave. He came into view and the usual happy, calm wolf was gone. His usual serious, deep voice was replaced with a tone that she never heard from him.



As he struggled to get up onto her perch, she managed to scoot over a little without much energy. He nuzzled her and licked the top of her head. She managed to give him a light lick on his muzzle before he pulled away. She lifted up her head a little higher to answer him. "I've been better." She said weakly, offering a small smile. "Much better, actually." She mumbled to herself more than to him. Her head laid back down on her small white paws and she stared off at the horizon. "My leaders are gone and left two of their children." She said softly, still staring off into the horizon that she loved so dearly. She imagined seeing the two silhouettes of her leaders coming back to take their place as her leaders again, but she knew they wouldn't be coming back. Looking up at her male companion, her eyes usually fiery and alive, now sad and blank. "I don't know what to do."

Her eyes searched his face, looking for his answer before he told her. His handsome face was level with her own and his deep voice quieted down to a whisper. He advised her to take the lead. It was her duty after all. Her eyes flickered towards the horizon again as she pondered his words. It must be the only thing she can do right now. Take lead and get the pack back in order. Surrogating the pups were going to be difficult, since she never planned on becoming a mother or even a foster mother. Ava and her would probably have to both surrogate one in order for them both to survive.



She looked back up at him and watched his usual steady chocolate gaze, flicker from her shaking legs to her face. She too looked down at her legs and watched in dismay as they shook. Trying to calm herself down, she reached up towards Tlarx's warm neck and nuzzled in. She breathed in his scent which calmed her drastically after a minute or so. She pulled back and smiled at her love with a more reassured smile. "I want you to lead besides me. I don't know if I can do this without you." She said, lightly licking his cheek before pulling back to gaze into his dark chocolate eyes.

It was as if everything about him, his deep voice, his scent, his large body could sooth her. A lovely smile crossed her face as he laid down next to her, permitting him as her guardian. As he settle, licking her on the muzzle, she looked up and said, "I won't ever brake mine either." His warm body encased her, leaving her warm and safe. With him by her side, she didn't ever think she'd have to fear anything. He would be her knight and she would be his princess.



She chuckled softly at his questioning of her pack mates approval. "They will love you just like I do." If they seen the man that she sees now, they will no doubt love him. "With you by my side, our pack will become even stronger than it is now, my love." She said, smiling up at him, her adoration of him showed easily in her eyes. She settle her head upon his paws and basked in his warmth that he surrounded her in. Why could life be as perfect as this?

At her companion's light joke, she laughed with him, their totally different tones mixing together making the perfect melody. She would stay here for ever if she could. However, there was business to tend to. Pack business to sort out and get everything back in order. It was her time now. Her time to thrive and relish the gift of life, with a mate by her side and a family that she loves. It was finally time that she finally realized that this wasn't a strategy to prove her father wrong. It was actually to prove herself wrong. She had believed her father. All his lies were drilled into her head and she started to do everything based off of them. Now, however, she had proven herself wrong. She actually was somebody. She was Athena Moon Everfall, leader of Poison Path Pack - the greatest pack to conquer the mountains.




The warmth around her disappeared and she looked up, almost begging him to lay back down besides her. She didn't want to leave just yet, but her new responsibilities prohibited her though. Clambering back onto her feet, she looked up at Tlarx a light smile crossed her face. "Let's go home, my love."