The twofold-toned captain of black and silvery gray picked his way carefully and slowly through the bushes that the Ranch Humans had planted so long ago. It was a complex undertaking, trying to pull through such thick brushwood being a wolf of large stature, but Koren was succeeding nonetheless. He had occasionally returned, only to find out his childhood foster family had been all but preserved, and then to run off again to see to his father and his siblings. But now all he sought after was to return to the life he had truly loved. Being in the wild was a fantastic experience, but he could not help but miss the normal every day going-ons that the ranch possessed. And so here he was, at the fence of his pup hood home. Koren's amber orbs scanned the yard in hopes of seeing someone he knew right off the bat but fate would not have it so. The artic caliph cleared the fence with an almost effortless jump and sounded a short, quizzical bark. He tried to make it sound as unthreatening as possible, but he couldn't really judge how he figured the ranch pets would take it. He would just have to wait and hope they would remember him.

With his mind still muddled with the thoughts of the recent murders, Aidan found himself startled by the unexpected but welcomed bark. Picking himself up from his haphazard snowbed against the side of the house, Aidan turned his blue orbs in the direction of Koren. His tail gave a friendly wave, though he always felt a sort of barrier between himself and the wolf. A barrier created by the fued between Koren's family and the Lurkers.

Aidan pushed the thought aside and stepped clear of his bed, which was splotched with a bit of blood from a recent neck wound. It was beginning to heal now, but it was a painful reminder to the hybrid about the murders he tried to prevent, and the mercy killing he had to preform. "Koren, it's good to see you." Aidan spoke lightly, his voice rather deep and gruff, but still friendly.

Timber was racing around from the front of the house, following Aidan's trail. A brief nod smile was sent to Koren, but the greeting was only half-hearted at the moment. It wasn't that Timber didn't care to see Koren, for he really was happy to see that his friend had returned. Three more family deaths had accured.

"Aidan!" The collie barked, seeking the hybrid's full attention, "Elder Brother has sent me some grim news about Stallis and his childeren. He says you know more about it?"

She followed Timber around the house remaining quiet and listening to everything that was said. She then spotted Koren and barked a small greeting to him but she couldent help but feel sorrow even if she wasn't fully sure what had happened, she still felt the sadness from Stalli's howl. She then barked a short greeting to Aidan before stopping behind Timber and sitting as she listened to them. She tilted her head slightly.

Brother had felt a tightness in his throat as the father ran off, and ran to grab his boy gently by the hand with a low whuff, their private sign that meant, Come.

Tahmores followed quickly, for he had been wondering what had caused Stallis' great distress, but he knew the note in the other's cry meant great grief.

The brothers ended up standing next to John, waiting for the whole story.

Aidan turned to the newly arived group while anxiety quickly built up in him. He didn't want to do it, but he had to tell the story. He couldn't protect his brother any longer. Slowly, and with his eyes averted to the ground most of the time, the hybrid went on to explain. "It all started when... my brother Ankh, and two friends of his tricked me. They had a pup with them, who they used as bait. I fell for it, thinking the pup needed my help." Aidan growled softly as he thought about it, then went on, "That grey wolf, with the black-tipped tail; she attacked me while me attention was on the pup." He said, speaking of Whisper, who had attacked the Ranch on more than one occasion. "She had me by the neck before I could do anything. But instead of killing me, my brother," And now his voice grew to a deep snarl at the those words, "he told her to knock me out. And so she did; she choked me until I blacked out."

Now Aidan grew a bit more anxious again as he recounted what happened next. "When I woke again, I was at the Ashen Domes. Stallis's childeren where there... they came because they needed to defend me." His voice held pain in it now and his eyes narrowed, "But it was too late. The daughter had already fallen. The two sons... they both had broken backs. They were helpless!" His words grew sharp, almost frantic sounding, "They were dying, suffering... the wolves had wanted them to suffer. They were going to leave them to die like that... helplessly." Aidan shivered a bit now, trying to build up some reasons to justify what he had done at the Domes. A large white brute was there, with his pups. He was teaching them to... to kill. They were practicing their teeth on one of Stallis's sons. I was too weak to face the attacker..." Aidan trailed off, guilt showing clear in his features. "Before I left, I..." The hybrid swallowed hard, "I ended the other brother's suffering." Now his pained, blue eyes turned up to Timber, Shimmer, and Elder Brother. He was seeking their understanding or forgiveness for his actions. He had failed at his duties to the Ranch, and now three were dead.

Timber's face grew tense, and it was hard to read just what he was feeling and thinking about hearing this. But he wasn't mad at Aidan for any of it. Yet before the collie could voice his thoughts, a familiar tabby came racing his way.

"Wolves! At the Barn! They're trying to get at the chickens..." She relayed, her ears alert and eyes opened wide. She for one, didn't want to get blamed for any chickens killed. She had done it once, and knew better than to try it again.

Timber growled deeply and nodded to his friends, "We'd better take care of business." Moving swiftly across the ground, Timber made straight for the Barn. Niavy trailed after, but her pace was set at an easy glide, rather than a full-blown run. After all, she wasn't going to be in this fight.

She had listened to what Aidan said and she understiid where he was coming from. She drooped her ears at the sad news as she listened but suddenly heard the tabby speak and saw Timber run off. She followed after.