Fanta * Patch * Arget * Suenga * Wind Feather

How long had it been? Six, seven months? Well, it had been a while. Fanta, her black pelt matted with dirt, sought her way threw the labyrinth of alleys, her nose brining in the scents. Patch, her blooming two-year-old, whimpered and pointed his muzzle at a hole in the side of a factory wall.

"The Aegis Den." Patch remembered. Woofing to his year-old siblings.

Fanta led her family into the Aegis Den, dismay running threw her veins. What would the Shadow Lurkers think of her? Traitor. No...Hydras and Lyckos weren't like that...

Fanta looked around. "Here I am. It is I, Fanta." Fanta stated, holding her tail and head low in submission. "I have not forgotten my loyalty to the Shadow Lurkers."

Patch, with Suenga and Arget at his side, lowered his tail, looking around the room.

"Uncle Lyckos." Wind Feather yipped softly, the scent of him clicking something in her mind.

Fanta awaited for a dog to step forward, to comfront her, to recognize her, to welcome her, or at least acknowledge her existence.

Her loyalties lay in the heart of the Shadow Lurkers

Lyckos, Camden, Quake

The first to answer the call of the family were two boistrous young pups. Camden, with Quake close behind, charged down the stairs. "Who are you? You aren't in this pack..." Camden questioned, tilting his head to the side whilst Quake watched the others pups. He wanted to play, but didn't know what these wolves were like.

A minute or so later, another canine came down the stairs. He was chuckling, "Stand down, Soldiers, These are friends." Stepping over his sons, Lyckos smiled, but without the warmth, as he had not seen this family for a while, and with the state of the valley at the moment, he couldn't take any chances. "Hello, Fanta. It's good to see you're alive after all this time. Your loyalty gladens me, but dark times have come upon the valley, so I'm sorry if I seem a little...troubled. However, I would like to introduce you to some of the newest additions to the Shadow Lurkers. Hydras' and my own offspring. This is Camden, and Quake. Argolis and Lerna should be around here somewhere, as should Hydras..." He howled, calling whoever wished to come greet Fanta and her family, but mainly Hydras and his son and daughter.

Lyckos spotted Feather, and grinned, "Hello again, Feather! You have grown so much!"

Hydras & Pack

On cue, Argolis and Lerna came bolting down the stairs, jostling one another to get to the scene first. Lerna nudged her way up near Camden and Quake as she set curious eyes on the 'newcomers'. Argolis croweded up next to his father, ears up and tail stiff with uncertaintly.

Soon enough, the alphess made her appearance and came to stand with her family. "Fanta, we've been wondering where you went too. The falcons haven't seen any traces of you since going to the cabin..." She let the statement fall into question, and waiting for the wolf's explanation. Much like her mate, Hydras held an empty smile to greet the packmate. They would have to absolutely sure that Fanta wasn't a defector, or had been corrupted by an enemy. That had already happened once, and now they had the Haunters to deal with.

Standing a few feet from his alphas, Bullet lingered in the background. His tail, held rightfully low, wagged a bit. He had always been the one to forgive and forget, and was more than happy to see Fanta and the pups back. And with him were three of his five newest offspring. Pistol, Narsinia, and Diantha.

Above them perched Pirqua, setting in a second story window pane that was broken out. There, her four growing hatchlings were clustered together and waiting for Black Feather to bring back some food.

Fanta & Family

Fanta bowed her head, subduing a smile with the pups words, they were brave like Lyckos and Hydras. "It is fantastic to see pups again in Shadow Lurkers." Fanta responded. Then turning and greeting Hydras. "It is a long story. We were captured and brought to a land of unknown-ness"

The pups, looking at the other pups, smiled. They all pleaded in their eyes to explore, but it was adventure loving Patch who spook up. "May we rest...I'm sure mother would like to explain." Oh, dear, Patch, how much he had matured...such a brave, intelligent fellow...

Fanta nodded in agreement. "We don't need much food, we preyed on some rats here and there. A bit rested, though not much. But I can stay up and tell this...'story'." Fanta then looked at them. "But, I'll say this straight forward...Silverfur is dead."

Ninaki, Black Feather, Hailstorm, & Dapplewing

Ninaki remained in the far corner of the bottom level, his keen ears picking up the words transversed between his leads and Fanta. Never big on displaying his emotions, the lean little hybrid decided he would greet Fanta later, once everything was sorted out.

Meanwhile, Black Feather had returned, carrying a small wooduck. Half-listening to the conversation far below him, he began to pluck the bird and rip off peices for his mate and offspring.

Hailstorm and Dapplewing, two of the four hatchlings, eagerly squawked and flapped their downy wings in anticipation.

Hydras & Pack

Death was something that didn't surprise the veteran alphess, though there was twinge of sorrow in her dark eyes at the news of Silverfur's passing. "I'm sorry to hear that." She looked to Patch and gave a single nod, before barking to alert her nephew. "Mb"

Padding quickly towards the enterance, Desmon approached the group with a slowly wagging tail. Like the others, there was a bit of apprehension in his greeting, although he was more than happy to see his friends back.

Attention returned to Fanta as she waited to hear the tale.

Fanta, Patch & Offspring

Patch whinned and greeted his long lost friend grately, tail swaying from side to side. "Desmon." Patch yipped like a pup. Motioning for his siblings to come, take a burden off of Fanta's back. Even though the pups were yearlings, they were still curious as ever.

Fanta sat down, yawning a bit, but she put her mind on the story. "It was in early spring, a good five months ago. We were heading home, I believe the falcons had decided to leave. Silverfur was a good protector, I understand why." Fanta didn't put blam on anyone, only the humans. "A human had set a trap, probably to down the wild dog population. Well, he caught us all. We hoped to be taken to a place here in the city, but we must've been a good twenty miles away. We were thrown into pits, starved, angry, tired. Fought for our meals. The pups were being 'trained' in some crued way." Fanta's auds twitched a bit, her orbs lost in thought. "After a month, Silverfur had had it with the humans. When they came to drag him out, he snapped and attacked the human. The smell of fear and blood blinded me from the fight. Silverfur murdered a human, and then severely injured another. They killed him. A human, outraged, took a heavy metal pipe and swung it at Silverfur's back, it probably shattered all of his ribs, back bones and neck bones...he did not suffer."

Fanta held back the sadness, she must get over the past... "We stayed there, I fought like a menace in the pits, my sole reason was to fight for Silverfur, I'd know he fought for me. Finally the humans were shipping us to a different pit, I believe. They left to get some other dogs, leaving the back of this monster vehicle open, Patch began to slam into the side of his cage, it fell of the truck and bursted open, I copied my son, soon we were all free, ever dog in the truck. The humans recently noticed but had not avail to capturing the runaway dogs."

"This was when we discovered this wasn't our home town. I'd like to believe it was Silverfur's spirit that led us home. I miss him, but I must let go of the past, remember good times. All that matters is that I'm home and ready to fight for the Shadow Lurkers." Fanta sighed, flushing out the memories of that horrid pit. "I am glad that the pack is still going strong."

Hydras & Pack

Solemn and quite during the story, Hydras worked over what must have happened. Although she lived her entire life in the Valley, she had heard such horror stories from passing birds and the like. "Silverfur was brave." Hydras replied assuredly, her eyes not wavering from Fanta, "We are even stronger, now that you are here. And we will honor Silverfur's memory, and fight in his name." The alphess went on, knowing just how painful it was to watch someone die as they fought for you. Not a day went by that she didn't think of Narsia.

"Hydras! Lyckos!" An urgent voice tore through the air as Hatch burst into the room, eyes blazing wide. "My parents! They are in trouble!" He barked frantically, having heard his father's howl when he was patrolling outside.

"Sasha, Bullet! Take all the pups to the Woodland Farm!" She looked upwards now, "Pirqua! Get Aidan and his mate, and find Equiss! Meet us at Lost Valley!" She ordered, her words quick but not rushed. From past experience, she learned not to leave anyone behind and vulnerable. "It looks like you've come at just the right time. We will have time to talk later." Hydras said, in a slightly quieter voice as she faced Fanta.

Bullet scrambled to round up his own offspring as Lerna and a reluctant Argolis headed towards their uncle. As much as Argolis wanted to debate, a chilling look from his mother was more than enough to make him obey.

Knowing time was everything, Hydras gave Lyckos a brief nuzzle before heading for the battle zone. Skeil and Hatch followed directly after. "So much for a pleasant, warm welcoming." Desmon joked half-heartedly to Patch, feeling his stomach knot up with anticipation. With Bullet heading out and Pirqua off to fetch the other Lurkers, he followed after the family.

Fanta

Patch's ears burnt at the sound of Equiss's name, oh...the fae he had once loved. Would she remember him? No, they hadn't seen each other since last winter. Patch scrambled to his paws, ready to go. "I'll help."

Fanta nodded, she might be a bit tired but now her adrenaline was burning. "Arget, Suenga, Feather, you guys come. Its time you guys get to taste a bit of fighting and danger." Fanta quickly followed the pack, she was home...

Lyckos, Kalion, Camden, Quake

Lyckos was also quick to react. With orders dished out from Hydras, he returned her nuzzle before bounding out of the den towards Lost Valley.

Kalion quickly followed his brother once word of the war flew across the den.