Moondust and Timber slowed as they approached the river, their final place of resting coming within view. The young mother that had just lost her pup was pacing around the water's edge while the two medics hovered over a large brown wolf lying half in and half out of the flowing waters of the river. The eternally sleeping pup had been momentarily forgotten in a pile of fresh wild flowers popping up on the river's edge. The entire scene sparked an inner panic within both Moondust and Timber that seemed to rise with each paw step they took towards the group. 

"We need to help them, now." 

There was no chance for Timber to back out or complain about helping out. Moondust wasn't going to give her a single opportunity to back out due to sudden unease or anxiety. 

Trotting carefully across the burial grounds of their pack, Moondust tried her best to be respectful towards the deceased that rested below her paws and avoid the mounds in the ground signifying where they currently lay. She wasn't really needing to pay much attention to Timber to know that she was following her, the she wolf's paw steps thudding behind her. Her paw steps were skittish and it sounded as if she was traipsing over where their packmates were resting instead of avoiding the mounds like she was. If Moondust hadn't been so concerned about what was happening in front of them, she would have whipped around and reprimanded Timber that very second. 

"We heard your call, what happened?" 

Moondust's heart sank as she got a better look at their alpha. He was heaving over the water he had partially submerged himself in. When he wasn't heaving over the water, he was panting heavily trying to catch his breath while attempting to get a drink from the very river he was submerged in. 

"He just ran to the water and started getting violently ill. I was getting ready to escort Alpha Raece back to his den, but he collapsed as he is in the water." 

Bright blue and shadowy black eyes looked towards the absolutely distraught she wolf as the medic explained what was going on. Dapple, however, was in more tears than a mourning mother truly needed to be in. Her unwavering distress was palpable, able to be felt coming off of her in unrelenting tidal waves. It only added to the anxious atmosphere that passed through everyone. 

"You haven't taken Alpha Raece back to be observed at the medical den yet!? You're only making it worse by leaving him in the water like that!" 

"Timber!" 

Moondust snapped, though her attention shifted towards the two medical wolves within their pack. She could only imagine how stressed the two of them were over the entire situation. Things hadn't been easy since the sickness first started to rear its ugly head, taking over the pack as if it owned the entirety of it. 

"I am so sorry for her rudeness. Is there anything we can do to help with the situation?" 

Her compassionate, icy blue eyes met with those of exhausted brown and green ones. Both medical wolves looked miserable and down right tired. Their coats had been dulled by the stress they were put under all day every day and the lack of sleep they've had as of late was obvious in the lack of life that still hung within each of their gazes. 

It was the blonde wolf with the beautiful green eyes, however, that responded to her inquiry of helping. 

"Why don't you two help me carry him back to the medicine den. Meanwhile, Thunder can help Dapple with putting her pup to rest." 

Everyone could hear the exhaustion in Sunny's voice, how drained the young male wolf sounded with each word he spoke. It only made Moondust want to help that much more and in any way possible. However, when she turned to look at Timber, the fiery she wolf had planted herself off to the side with her attention on everything but what was going on in that instant. Moondust wasn't sure if it was due to her snapping at her or if she really didn't care about the situation all too much. 

With a shake of her head and a heavy sigh, Moondust turned back to Sunny once more; 

"Of course, just tell us what to do and we'll get right to it." 

After getting Timber's attention once more, Moondust and her dark eyed companion aided Sunny in getting their alpha back to the medicine den. They helped hoist Alpha Raece onto the kind blonde medic's back, making certain he didn't fall off as they made their way back. 

Moondust made a single glance back towards Thunder and Dapple as they slowly disappeared from their view, making a mental note to speak with Dapple later and give her condolences. 

Once back at the medicine den, the sickness situation suddenly became even more apparent as they entered the quarantined area where they would lay their alpha among his already sick pack. Old and young lay on a combination of leaves and feathers, all looking weak and void of the life they once held within them. Their fur had lost the luster it once held, looking dry and brittle to the touch. Their eyes were void of life, drained with each passing day that they had to lie there and watch their packmates be carried out one-by-one and be taken to the resting place by the river. 

How many times in one day had they had to watch loved ones, friends, companions leave for their eternal sleep? Moondust could only imagine and prayed something be found to help cure each and every one of their packmates. 

The moment they got their alpha in his own comfortable bed of feathers and leaves, Sunny looked to Timber and Moondust with a gentle look of thanks. However, it was Timber that was addressed by the male wolf first; 

"Timber was it? Could you stay with Alpha Raece for a moment while I speak to Moondust about something?" 

Both she wolfs looked one another with such confusion and curiosity, but the answer seemed to be all the same as they looked back towards the pack medic before them. 

"Of course I can, just don't be too long." 

Moondust was surprised with Timber's response, but she didn't have time to dwell on it since Sunny seemed to have something urgent to speak about. As she followed the blonde wolf out of the den her curiosity seemed to soar higher than the birds above them, but it was quickly becoming overshadowed by a blanket of worry for her alpha and packmates alike. 

"Is everything alright?" 

Moondust asked once they were outside where the sick couldn't hear their conversation. Though, the look on the medic's face told her this wasn't going to be an ordinary conversation. This was serious and he was about to lay it on her without much of a warning. 

"No, everything is not alright. I was really hoping that this sickness wouldn't reach Alpha Raece, that we would be able to find some form of cure before it ever got that far." 

"None of us saw this coming, it isn't your fault for what happens. This is a new sickness none of us has ever seen before." 

Sunny's eyes darted side-to-side as if to make sure that anyone passing by wouldn't hear what he was about to tell her. As antsy as the pack's medic was, it only aided in unsettling Moondust even more than she already was. 

"You don't get it. Our herbs are beginning to run low because of our trial testing them and we have yet to find anything that truly works long term." 

"Can't you just get more herbs on an herb run? I mean, we as a pack have faith in you to-" 

"We can't, not without risking the patients. There are only two of us now and we can't be leaving the sick alone while we go herb hunting. We've lost so many as it is, including two of my fellow medics. If we are going to have any hope of saving the pack, to save our alpha, I'm going to need your help with this." 

Moondust stood in utter confusion, looking like a froze she wolf statue. Even her tail had stopped swaying as her anxiety gripped her spirit tightly, refusing to let her go. 

"What do you need me from me? I don't know herbs." 

Her words were slow and a little hesitant while speaking, not sure what she had just walked herself into. 

Slowly sitting down, Moondust wrapped her tail around her paws as a way to try and comfort herself while waiting for Sunny to explain in more detail what he needed from her. 

"I need you on the outside with this, see if you can find anything that may explain what caused his sickness. Any answers could be the tipping point for us beating this." 

"Excuse me?" 

Disbelief coated each word that left Moondust's mouth. Her bright blue eyes were wide as the pale moon and her muzzle hung open as if she was trying to catch flies within it. Though, her conversation companion knew where her shocked mind seemed to be and decided to explain a little further; 

"Look, you're the only one who hasn't shown any signs of being sick. You're full of life and haven't gotten the heaving or shakes, but with myself and Thunder being so busy, we need you on this. If not for us, do it for Alpha Raece and the rest of the pack. Find something, anything that might give us a chance to save everyone." 

Contemplation coursed through Moondust's brain like a slithering snake, confliction swirling around her like a ton of annoying buzzing bees that wouldn't leave her alone. She didn't know if it was such a good idea to even send her out there, risking everything even though heir alpha had ordered everyone to stay within the pack's home clearing. 

"Please?"

There was so much desperation in Sunny's voice, when he turned his big green pouty eyes onto her it pulled at her standing resolve. 

Sighing heavily, Moondust hung her head and closed her eyes, submitting to this task that was given to her. Her resole shattered within seconds and she felt as if she had no other choice but to take this on. If she didn't help find some sort of cure, she was failing the pack and didn't want that hanging over her head the remainder of her life. 

"Fine, okay. I'll go out there and see what I can find. I'm not going to make any promises that I will find anything, however." 

"Thank you, so much. The sooner you can leave the better, but try not to be out there too long. We don't want to lose anyone else in the meantime." 

Moondust didn't get a chance to say anything else. By the time she lifted her bowed head, her blonde companion was already walking away with his tail swishing happily behind him. He seemed so thrilled and excited, she was going to have to make sure to bring something back for him. 

What she was going to bring back, she wasn't entirely certain. Unfortunately, Moondust also believe nothing was out there and their pack was doomed to see its end by the hands of this sickness.