Gray sniffed the dead leaves on the ground. There was a faint trace of another wolf on his territory, but the scent was unfamiliar. He came to a stop, unfamiliar smells lay beyond him. Did he dare to go? It was unsafe, and leaders from generations ago would be very unhappy that he had broken this rule of crossing.

**_They’re dead. What would they do? Send a lightning bolt from the moon? _**Gray thought with a slight sliver of satisfaction.

He pushed through the bracken, squinting his eyes.

His mind whirled, what would Hawk do if he found out that Gray was going over the scent markers? Well, Hawk didnt have to know, did he? Gray let out a confident huff, the cold wind buffeting his fur.

“ Perhaps you should use your nose.”

A cold growl sounded from the shadows.

A she wolf?

Gray swung his head around, he stared at the shadows. A pair of eyes stared right back.

“ Who are you?” Her eyes narrowed.

Gray stuttered, catching his breath as his mind whirled.

“ I should be asking you the same,” Gray snapped back, only to feel utterly embarrassed.

The she wolf had every right to question him, Gray had trespassed, likely on her territory.

He simply held back a groan of embarrassment, taking a step back.

Suddenly, the she wolfs eyes lit up.

“ Your one of those tribe wolves!”

She gasped, disappearing from the shadows. Her sleek tail disappeared from the light, Gray suddenly jolted.

“ Wait!” Without thinking, he launched himself into the shadows, scrambling after her.

He dodged stones, desperate to keep up with the ominous she wolf.

“ Leave me alone!” The wolf called over her shoulder, speeding up further ahead of him.

Gray felt a rush of adrenaline as the wind swept his fur, his paws pounded faster, gaining on the she wolf.

“ Please, wait!” He called after her, gasping as his lungs struggled for air.

His eyes began to water, the cold wind was mercilessly blowing in his face.

He glimpsed her sliding into a cave, as if an attempt to throw Gray off.

He slowed down, his chest heaved with effort,

**_How could any wolf run so fast? _**He thought with exasperation. He cautiously sniffed the sides of the ridged cave, curious, but determined to find the wolf.

His steps were shaky from stones that cut his paws as he ran, but he continued on.

A gust of wind flew from the cave, enough to make him wish he never crossed paths with this she wolf.

He touched his nose to the ground, her scent was so strong, almost suffocating him.

She was still in here.

“ Go away.” Her cold voice sounded wary, as if she had done this more than once.

“ Im not gonna hurt you, at all, for that matter,” he looked at her distrusting eyes, still curious to see what she looked like,

“ im Gray, I come from ValorantTribe.” He told her slowly, his paws throbbed now.

He was forced to look down, surprised to see that he had laid a trail of blood leading directly into this small cave, giving away where she lived.

“ . . . Im really sorry about this, I— I’ll go.” He told her, attempting to turn around. He hit his head on the drooping ceiling, his heart began to pound as he realized the cave began to shake.

Right before his very own eyes, the cave began collapsing above him. He was stunned, unable to move his paws. Then, he felt teeth hook hiim backwards.

Rocks splattered the two of them, the entrance clearly had fallen, without any light at all seeping through.

“ No, no, **_no_**!”

The she wolf hurtled herself at the rock barrier, desperately trying to save what was left of her home.

The two were stuck, Gray had began to realize the problem, fear struck him, but he simply got up.

The she wolf was still smashing her body at the rocks, though Gray couldnt see her, he could hear her yelps of pain as she slammed her body into the barrier each time.

He lunged at her scruff, hauling her backwards as she frantically kicked the air with her back paws.

“ You’re just hurting yourself! Stop it! We’ll need a better plan.” He snapped, he could make out the distressed glint in her eyes, and she gave a slight nod.

Gray inspected the barrier, nosing it with his cold nose.

A few rocks fell out of place, creating a light source from the outside that seemed to light up the dark cave.

He nosed the corner again, and few rocks fell, beginning to create a hole.

The she wolf bounced onto her paws, as if she hadnt wounded herself. She took her paw and scrabbled at the sides, watching Gray work.

Together, they began making a difference in the hole sizes, and bigger rocks began falling out of place.

They matched eachothers pace evenly, matcbing blow for blow, soon, the barrier became nothing more than a small obstacle.

The she wolf stopped, nodding her head to Gray.

He understood, pushing against the loose rocks until they collapsed.

Gray half- leaped into the fresh air, never feeling so grateful for fresh air.

“ I think I may have taken this wonderful cold air for granted,” the she wolf joked.

Gray turned to look at her.

He was amazed at her slim frame, but she was stunning. Her coat was a light gray- brown, and her eyes were emerald, he was appalled.

“ Thank you, Gray. I suppose you ought to know mine.” She dipped her head to him, her tonge slid out of her mouth, wrapping over her nose to lick little rain droplets off.

“ My name is Rain, and I come from the woodlands, daughter of Horizon and Birch.” She told him, her eyes flowing with gratitude.

For a moment, they stared at one another, and Grays heart began beating rapidly. He was short of breath, but he couldnt look away.

**_Stop beating!_** He panicked, his eyes flitted around her slender nose. Her mouth slightly parted, as if to say more, but she looked away.

“ If you need me, you can find me in the fields.” She used her slender nose to point in the direction. Gray dipped his head to her gratefully.

He suddenly blurted,

“ Perhaps you could join me for a hunt when the stars are brightest tonight?” He held his breath as Rain simply closed her eyes gently, trudging towards him.

“ You know where to find me,” and with that, she gave him a playful shoulder nudge, and nimbly jogged away without a single falter.

“ That was . . . Amazing.” Gray breathed, apalled by the encounter.