Afore and Laika had run long and hard, sides heaving and legs burning. Paws throbbing, they finally were able to relax, having run past Jall Tribe a good distance. They were still shocked to have gotten away so easily.

No sound of pawsteps behind them. No nearby voices. No scents but that of themselves and the forest surrounding them. And suddenly, they were safe, and they had managed to outrun the danger. It had been incredibly difficult, and now their bodies paid the price with aches and moans.

Laika and Afore practically collapsed into the dirt on their sides, heaving from exhaustion as the adrenaline drained from their bones and the aching pain set in. Afore had gained several scratches from his quick kills, and now he was tormented not only by their stings, but by the sting of what he had done. Shambled minds soon grew to the present, and they both had to live with the consequences of such a deadly escape.

The forest was able to soothe Afore's scrambling mind for a moment with its familiar scents and shallow cooing sounds. He allowed his hard breathing to soften and slow, his posture to relax as he laid in the dirt and leaves, filling his nostrils with their sweet, decaying aroma. Anertha smelled like rain, like pines, like dirt, like gentle forest and the animals that lived there. He closed his eyes, taking all of that in and focusing on nothing else. Relaxed, he sighed deeply, filling his lungs once again with cool air just as his body cooled. A gentle breeze wafted their way and creased his bloodstained fur.

Laika did more or less the same, though it took her a bit longer to calm down completely. She inhaled deeply, holding it, watching as the branches above them wavered in the gentle wind and as the leaves along the forest floor scattered and rose with it. Her breathing slowed to normal, as well.

In the bitterly calming silence, the two held eye contact for a moment, watching the other for what it was worth; for what they both truly were, and the colours they had not yet seen.

Finally, that silence was broken and Laika spoke, quiet and tenderly, "Afore..."

"Laika, I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry. I never intended to..."

The epiphany struck her then, but Laika, as she stared at this wolf- not a dog, not a coyote, a wolf- she was unafraid. Unusually, she was completely unafraid. Oh, no, she had vowed silently to herself that she would never be afraid again. She was roped to a beast, a beast with a lust for blood and the strength to kill any one he ever met. And it wasn't that he didn't, and it wasn't that he was a kind animal to her, and it wasn't that he was gentle in all other ways, and it wasn't that they had argued immensely like normal dogs do, and it wasn't that he had been so ignorant about her tribe like she had been about the forest that made them equal; no, because the truth was, as with life, not everyone was equal; and as with Laika and Afore, the two were not equal. Afore was incredible. He was massive, built like a demon and behaved just as ferociously as one. He was stubborn and impolite and lacked social skills; he was apologetic, desperate to make up for the image that he had built of himself, that all wolves had rightfully built for themselves as monsters and killers, for that is what they were. And with that, Laika knew that the two could never be equals.

But she stared right back at this wolf's frightened, sorry face, right at his large brown eyes that just an hour before had ignited with something so purely hatred and evil that she had been nearly more frightened of him than of the dogs trying to kill her. And here, in this singular moment, Laika remained unafraid, and instead, she grew to respect this stubborn, ignorant wolf, this wolf with a temper like no other, with poor manners, and a crude, rude way of speaking; calling her stupid and foul. Still, Laika admired him. She did not fear him, no, and she did not respect him as a dog, or as a coyote, or even as a fellow canine, for he would never be a simple "fellow canine" at all. She respected him as a wolf, as a powerful, killing machine, and one that had rightfully earned that title, as well.

She wondered how many others he had killed, but she found herself not caring what the answer or number would be. Even here, with fresh blood still congealed along his black mouth and smeared across his forest pelt, she did not care what his number is nor what it would ever be. Like everyone else on Anertha, when looking at the wolf, she saw him for the monster that he truly was; but that did not deter her, did not frighten her. Instead, it only made her like him more.

And in a twisted way, that was the first moment in which she had realised that she did, in fact, like him. This juvenile, embarrassing, and stupidly stubborn wolf, and she liked him. This horrid beast, much too large and much too powerful, built for killing and who did so with excellence; and she liked him. She actually liked him.

Afore was unaware of any of this. He only watched her gaze slowly soften, and felt himself soften at the sight of it, too. His worries and fears of being hated seemed to melt away and dissipate at the single sight of her eyes, watching him, accepting him, and unafraid. For once, someone was unafraid. Someone who didn't see him as a dog or as a domestic or as a coyote, but someone who saw him as something feral and undomesticated, and still was unafraid. What a rare, beautiful sight.

Afore had no idea, of course, that idiot wolf. He only saw her gaze soften, and melted into those swirling brown eyes like the sunset over water. He felt calm. She felt calm.

"You don't have to apologise," Laika said at long last. Her voice was mellow and sweet. "Thank you for saving my life."

"I'm not sure that I..."

"Just accept the damn thanks, you stupid, stubborn wolf!"

Afore chuckled, "There you are."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That you're temperamental, like a little puppy!"

"Am not!"

"Am too!" Afore laughed, and Laika followed. A short, peaceful silence. The tranquility of the forest surrounded them and only them as they laid. Afore considered for a moment Laika's face and the battle that now left scars, both on body and in mind.

And he spoke softly, "Why did you tell them not to cut you free? You could have gone back home. You could have lived your life."

"Afore, you know that they were lying. Once we were apart, they'd jump us both. You're strong, but you know you can't take on an entire tribe. How do you think my group managed to catch you to begin with?"

"I was caught off guard."

"I know. You fought like a beast this time around. Why didn't you kill us to begin with, that day that we chased you and caught you?"

He sighed, "I couldn't, you know. It was just me. It's no sorry if I die. But if I killed others in my wake?"

Laika nodded slowly, "So then today?"

"I was just trying to protect you."

"...Well, thank you," she said. "And, anyways, I don't even know that I want my old life."

Afore perked up, "What? Really?" His eyes widened, "You spent so long defending them and defending The Baron."

"The Baron put a bounty on my head," Laika said with strong, spitting spite, "He doesn't deserve to have me in his ranks. He deserves to be taken down. That tribe is full of great dogs and it deserves better." She glanced at her paws which rested out in front of her on the soft ground. Her legs were black and shimmery, but her feet were tan, and that same dark tan ran up her forelegs in a melted caramel streak. "I used to hate you," Laika said, glancing back up at Afore, "I hated all wolves, even if they were extinct. How I hated them. We were told things, and every bit of it was true."

Afore faltered, ears back against his head, body slumping just a little.

"But," Laika continued, "I don't mind it."

"You don't mind it? That I am a beast?"

"No, Afore. I don't mind it. You saved me. That's enough." She was sincere, eyes large and gleaming.

"Oh," Afore said. It was all he could manage to say.

"Now," Laika said, finally standing up, leaves clinging to her thin, feathered coat, "We are going to find someone to actually help us out of this and cut this rope. Or, we can just do it ourselves."

"Do it ourselves? How do you suggest doing that?" Afore stood up, too, and seemed to tower over her still. He shook out his dirty coat.

Laika said, "We could find a cutting stone ourselves. Barter for one. Or maybe we could find another way of cutting this rope. Maybe we could chew threw it."

"We can't, Laika," Afore sighed, "It's much too heavy and thick."

She persisted, "You have very strong jaws. I've seen what they can do."

"I've already tried to gnaw through it back at Veal Tribe. You saw that."

"I know," she sighed, "But maybe if we could loosen the rope or make it weaker somehow."

"Like how?" Afore seemed sceptical, tilting his head.

"We could leave it out in the sun," she suggested. "The sun would dry it out, weaken it. Or allow it to freeze, then snap it right in half!"

"Those are long shots," Afore said, "But we could try it." He felt just a little more hopeful than before, a little beam of warmth from inside of his chest.

"And we can keep travelling, too," Laika said, "But next time, we will somehow have to keep you out of sight of any tribes we barter with."

He said with sarcasm, "Won't that be a task."

"We can manage," Laika said, smiling with confidence. Then, "We will finally be able to live our own lives."

Afore raised a brow, "Where will you go?"

"I still want to go back to Veal Tribe," Laika admitted, glancing away, "But this time, I want to gather reinforcements and challenge The Baron."

"You want to take over the tribe?"

She nodded, "Precisely. I can rule it better than anyone else could. I can rule it the right way!"

"You hate politics," Afore scoffed, "You would never be happy in such a strong position. You just don't want The Baron to be leader, but you surely don't want to be leader yourself, do you?"

She sighed, "I suppose you're right. But I am sure someone in my team will want to, and I can supervise. Like a second-in-command."

"Laika," Afore said, a bit stern, "Is that what you want?"

She hesitated, "Yes, of course it is..."

"I have an idea."

"Do you now?"

"Yes. What if we gathered another tribe- a better tribe- and they could take over and rule Veal Tribe themselves. You wouldn't have to rule. You could be a scout, a hunter, an explorer. You could travel and be free, but also live knowing that your beloved tribe isn't under a tyrannous rule anymore."

The saluki's eyes widened a little, as if an idea had just sparked in her mind. Afore could actually see her gears turning. She spoke with excitement, "That is a good idea... But what tribe would be good enough, and would rule how I want my tribe to be ruled?"

"Mine would," Afore said.