So it had come to this. This moment, he felt, could be the culmination of every intention he'd ever entertained, intertwined in such way as to build a bridge to the next chapter of his life. Though it seemed like only yesterday, Kade Attaya had left the sea and the magic it had once lent to his life behind him years ago, as he would leave Cedarwood Forest and every last spoiled memory that remained of it now. With him he would take the inspiration of Jaysyek and the perseverance of Trisden, the memory of the way a breath of the cedar filled his heart with pride, and the knowledge that—no matter how ugly his perception of this broken down palace had become—it was Grizzly Hollow that had made him who he was.



There was a dull throb that clung to his strong, beating heart as remorseless eyes roved over the familiar tree line that marked the end of the forest. Though he was sure that this departure was the only path to follow, he still fought the panic accompanying the thought that this was the last time he would gaze at the grey, flaking bark, the rich, dark canopy, and the twilight’s shadows that danced along the earthen floor. He would miss this place, but it was time to move on. With the wind at his back as he stood on the crest of a small knoll, somewhere between what had been his home and the margin of a world beyond, it was Ava’s warm, honey-hued eyes that drew his attention from reminiscence. She waddled forth—strong and resilient, every inch the matriarch he knew she would be—ahead of the others who filed in line behind her. When the ebony woman reached his side he nudged her chin encouragingly, the reassurance she sought gleaming bright within his silver stare, before turning his back to the past and taking the first step toward a dream of the future.


The days passed as quickly and as slowly as he’d envisioned. The weightless feeling of knowing that with each step they were closer to an unknown and yet chosen destination was perhaps the only thing that tempered the length of the journey. For a time the path they traveled was a beaten one, the same he and the others had taken not long ago when they’d navigated the mountain. Yet the slope was no less steep, the rocky terrain no less unforgiving, and he was quick to push to Ava’s side at every slip, though it was she was and always had been mountaineer extraordinaire. During the descent the leader would glance over his shoulder to assess the intimate group and ensure that rest was given when it was due. They were a rag-tag family and no less impressive, and eventually it was without complication that they made it to the other side. On the last day, Kade woke to find his slumbering mate bathed in shards of moonlight that penetrated from the thick canopy overhead. A gentle wind rustled through his silver-tipped summer coat. The thick, damp air was ripe with the taste of vegetation and far off in the distance the sound of water thrummed. Eerie songs sung by hidden birds echoed softly in every direction, a symphony to welcome the first pale rays of eastern sunlight. After rousing the pack to their weary feet he pressed onward and into the shadows of a tangled forest, and the hours passed.



It was the idyllic sound of wild, crashing water that eventually drew him closer to a place where his heart ached; not from sadness or dismay, but from hope and a notion of promise. Through the rolling hills of ivy crested woodland rose a dreary mist along the horizon, growing thick as the roar of a river grew louder nearby. The ground underfoot was damp and cold and squished beneath the weight of his body, and the dark branches of the ancient trees here were adorned by tendrils of hanging moss. Following a careful descent down a winding, rocky path, the grove gave way to a breathtaking sight.


A dark, churning river, crested by fierce ivory waves, cut through the narrow pass of a small, sequestered ravine more beautiful than he’d ever seen. On one side towered a massive, slate-hued wall of mossy, ivy laden rock; on the other, a tall earthen rise to an overhang where the forest gave way to the canyon forged by the mighty waters. Large, smooth boulders lined a bend in the rapids which eventually cascaded, feeding a peaceful pool and cove before winding out of sight. A cold spray of water carried by the breeze clung to the silver tips of the patriarch’s coat as his wild, silver eyes fell upon to Ava with resolution. There were no words to describe what this place would become to her, to their children, and to family that had followed him all this way.



Here is where the roots of all that was Attaya would grow deepest.

Delicate paw-steps brought Ava to the edge of the territory, leaving the three in tow some odd yards behind her as she approached the silver-flecked man at the border. The wide-bellied she-wolf made certain to be gracious of their pain as they embarked on their trip, for she hadn't known the Forest like they had. For the longest time the Cedar was only a scent in the night at the water's edge, a daring and forbidden love that she had grown accustomed to longing - but to them it was ingrained in their every hair, their every vein. She could understand the attachment; in her short stay among them Ava had witnessed the kindness of hearts the likes of which had been rare where she came from. But she knew that asking them to sever such a tie had been the only solution, and she was certain that they would not regret their choice, as long as she and Kade were in charge.

Deep breaths kept the nervous beating of her heart to a minimum. It was a long journey they had ahead of them, and she would not lie to say the thought of the unknown did not frighten her at least a little. Her beloved was keen with her feelings, as always, and she readily received his comforting touch. Empowered by his gaze she smiled easily, returning his assurance that this journey across the Serpent's Pass would be as rewarding as it was a challenge. When he began away, taking one paw over the threshold that separated Grizzly Hollow and the rest of the world, she followed suit immediately and looked back with a small smile upon the three that had agreed to remain along. At least there was no uncertainty that they were not alone in this. Together they could draw the strength to make it there, wherever it was.

The odd waves of nostalgia that lapped at her mind's shore whenever her paws touched the stone of the mountain were not as strong as they began across. Her nose was always straining itself to catch wind of Poison Path, or Naira and Rhysis' new pack, or whatever was the deal on the mountain around now, though she knew their path lay far from the neighbors. Some parts of the mountain looked familiar, and she would pass a gaze among Kade and the others before shifting course where she knew it was safest to travel, but that did not last long. The grip of her paws had grown tender from disuse and the added fragility of her pregnancy made her less unbreakable than she'd ever thought herself to be. Frustration found its way into her chest when a rock turned out to be more slippery than it appeared, or when she lost familiarity with their surroundings. Her mate made certain that she and all were safe in their travel, though she hoped to remain stoic as she fought the difficulties of her heavy weight on travel. Ava took each rest they required whole-heartedly, and made sure to watch for the weariness of Sibyl, Destin or Maksim before she would relieve herself of worry.

Somewhere between night and morning she awoke, only by the motion of her mate stirring. Her golden eyes narrowed against the darkness, catching sight of Kade's starlit form. In the stillness of the night she could hear something deep nearby, like the rolling thunder of a storm descended from the sky. Turning her dark ears toward the source, she took a frowning moment to realize it was the drumming of water. Rising to her weary four she helped him rouse the troops before they took off with a new direction. Their travel took a turn for the damp, wading their way through a layer of silver mist while the ground beneath them varied between dew-tipped grasses and muddy banks. The vegetation grew thick and green, vibrant wherever the shadows could not hide it, and all the way the rushing of water grew louder. It was hidden from view up until a quiet break in their path that lead them from the rocky crevasse into storybook scene that took what little breath remained in them away.

The fearsome river that they had heard threatened outsiders, but she could see the way the boulders calmed its stride and provided a safe pool of ever-fresh water. The decorated stone wall protected its secret well, a way that their new pack would need protection, starting a small smile on the edge of her jaw that would only increase as her wide eyes followed the perimeter of the foliage-shrouded cove. Shadows danced along the water's surface from the overhang of branches and gave the sore-foot travelers the promise of secrecy, shelter and safety. Finally her panoramic assessment landed on Kade, the resolution in his eyes reflecting in the wave of her tail. That combination of silver and gold would relieve all the journey's pain, her head lifting high in agreement and pride. This beautiful unknown no longer belonged to the wilderness, but to five brave wolves, and several on the way.

As they traveled eastward, Sibyl realized she'd gone farther from the Hollow than she'd ever had in a year. Each step felt as if an invisible cord were tethering her to the place, and each step she managed to pull through the tempting draw of familiarity. As the small band of wolves made it up into the mountains, she realized the finality of her decision, there was no turning back now, not that she would have even considered the option. If she were less wary of her surroundings, she might have taken the opportunity to enjoy the sights of the lands she'd never been through during her time here.

It was quite obvious the flat-footed plains wolf had never faced anything quite like the steep, sharp rocks of the mountain, and she was thankful for the watchful eye of her leaders to not leave her too far behind. As it was, most of her awareness was afforded to not falling down the mountain side. After a night of well earned rest, they descended into the lowlands along the other side of the mountains. It was a place Sibyl hadn't even considered existing before, the small snow-globe that had defined her world now thoroughly shattered.

Sibyl found the place a bit spooky, the way the moss clung to both stone and tree and the pale mist that engulfed it all. She picked up her step to walk beside her trusted friend Destin, wondering if anyone else found the place a little creepy. But just like she had gotten used to the cedars, she would learn to love this new home just as well. The roaring of water had grown louder as they moved on, Sibyl finding a pleasant surprise when the tight path opened up to an amazing sight. Crystal clear water had cleaved the forest in two, rushing in white foam over the rocks to calm into a pool just at their feet before flowing into the forest beyond.

He couldn’t be sad about leaving the cedar trees behind. He hadn’t been there long enough to form an emotional attachment. Whilst he would miss the scent of the tall trees and the calls of song birds in the morning, he would be able to march on without a heavy heart. Still, he dug his paws deep into the soil, felt it push up between his toes as a last reminder of the place that took him in first. Whatever ghosts of the family that once lingered here would find peace and tranquillity. The Grizzly Hollow was, once again, theirs.

And so, the five wolves who had gathered by the creek the night before set off, led by the two black alphas. There had been no logomachy about Ava travelling with her pups, no protests, none left behind. They left without a word—silent goodbyes presumably—and headed straight for the mountains. Maksim stared at the peaks, calm and readying himself. This journey might be hard or it might be easy, every mountain was different.

Steep climbs and slippery rocks, everything was uneven and dangerous. The threat of falling was constantly there and they stopped whenever rest was needed. Caution was taken with Ava by Kade, every little slip and he was by her side to steady her. Maksim walked at the back, keeping watch for anything that could cause danger or threaten the moving pack's lives: avalanches, mountain lions and environment hazards. Luckily, it was a smooth transition over the mountain range and the pack descended into the forest on the other side.

Everything was blanketed in moss and there was a mist that coiled around the Baranski’s body. It was unlike anything he had seen before. He was utterly intrigued by this new world of deep green. The wetness beneath his feet was somewhat comforting but an oddly stuck grass tickled between his toes each step. The sound of water, strong and wild, grew louder and louder before the little family emerged and Maksim’s jaw almost dropped.

A hidden, safe haven greeted them; the hissing river was calmed by rocks and boulders as it dropped down to become a calm pool. A large rock wall protected one side of the falls and tall trees stretched high above them, taller than the cedars that the pack once called home. His eyes scanned the territory first and then settled on the alphas. They gazed at each other and the relief of a journey’s end was given. Their new home had been claimed.

Within his mate's eyes was the answer to his unspoken question, written in the reflection of this new world as it glazed her honey-hued stare. He her watched for a brief time as she looked over the wall of stone and the shadowed river as it roared and twisted, as she took in the tendrils of evergreen moss that hung from the branches and the cliff's jagged ledges. The thought that she'd carried herself all this way with a protuberant belly without so much as a whimper only added to the pride that welled in him. His gaze slipped from her then, and he looked over the others as they each reacted to the environment and the fact that their long journey had come to an end.



Each of them had a certain gleam in their stares, and he found it more rewarding than he'd imagined that his companions shared in his awe for and dream of this place. Moving deeper into the misty ravine, it was upon the flattened surface of a large, slick boulder that Kade stood at the river's edge. The water crashed off the bend the stream had carved, splashing up and onto his thick legs and broad chest rhythmically. Its chill was refreshing, awakening the dark coated beast from the hangover days of travel had induced. He breathed it in like he'd done the scent of the hole in the hill at the lake where he'd once been at home in a different time, in what was now a truly different life. This was home now, with Ava, and Sibyl, and Destin, and Maksim. This was where they would all get the fresh start they each deserved. The essence of these rapids as they sprayed upon him was the only scent he would welcome to fade the redolence of cedar that still clung to his coat.



Turning to face his pack with the rushing river at his back, his posture high and proud, the leader tilted his muzzle to the sky, his melodious song rising to echo above the waters and through the forest. This is Darkwater Rapids, it sang, and it is ours.

No amount of weariness could prevent the smile that curled along her dark jaw as the shine of silver and gold became one and the same. The agreement they shared meant everything to the shadow-cloaked female. They were soulmates; being together was there destiny. It was something she felt since the moment they'd locked eyes on the pebbled beach a different ways down the mountainside, something she'd known every single night since when she looked up at the moon and saw his eyes instead. And much like it was their fate to be together, Ava felt now that it was fate for them to be together here. The water was clean and powerful, the mosses and grass so verdant and thick. The canopy overhead would keep them all safe from harm.

She turned away from her love and surveyed the others carefully, hope lit in her eyes that they might feel the same way. She looked for uncertainty in Sibyl's bronze stare, filtering out her own worry before it reflected in the amber depths of her gaze. So much of the woman's stability had depended upon Grizzly Hollow, but the black-furred Leader was hopeful that in time she could find the same faith in the Attayas as she had in Jaysyek. If Destin's sentiments were hard on his heart as well she couldn't see it - nothing but a quiet optimism surrounded his presence. Then Maksim - he had only so recently joined their ranks. She'd promised him a home, safety and stability, only to ask him to take a dangerous journey across the Serpent's Pass. But the doubts she sought in the green depths of his eyes were non-existent.

Delicately she moved further into the fissure that opened up between the layers of thick forest, her paws matting the grass beneath them to form the path for years to come. Mist swirled around her ankles and wide belly like it welcomed the new life. The drumming of the water almost sounded like a warming, but as she spotted Kade's figure approaching the rocks that contained the wild rapids she knew the warning was not for them. That sound would let strangers know they were too close to a place that belonged to them now. Ava approached the pedestal as Kade faced the group, placing her paws on the smooth surface to join him.

When he sang, she sang with him, tilting her muzzle to the sky and calling out a song of Kade, of Ava, of Sibyl and Destin and Maksim, of a new destiny that joined them and their future here in Secret Falls, here in Darkwater Rapids.

Sibyl glanced around to her packmates to gauge their thoughts on the place. All seemed pleased by the rumbling rapids centered in the misty forest, and if they could be happy, she would be happy, too. She smiled back at Destin as he glanced towards her, and her tail started up a wag as her sable leaders stepped forward, Ava rising up on a stout rock. The pair of voices rose up over the crash of the water, and Sibyl felt an ancient compulsion to join in on the song. Head tipped back, her high timbre joined in with the proud notes of the others.

Had Maksim believed in fate he may have claimed destiny brought them here. It was perfect, a sanctuary for the young to grow and the pack to thrive. The territory was sheltered but bursting with life, trees quivering in the soft breeze. There was a brief moment that Ava peered at Maksim, a moment he missed, before she took her place next to Kade. Both their heads tilted back and the song called out from the alpha pair. The shy female joined in before Maksim’s own pack instincts kicked in and he too took part in the joyous song.

A new beginning called out to the Baranski, one that told him his future was set in stone with these wolves; his pack mates.