Figures of wolves scattered around camp, burnt beyond recognition. Artic tried to press down the grief that slowly rose in her as she saw her dead companions. Some of the figures looked like they were trying to run as the fire overtook them, some were simply expecting their fate, and some were left behind as bones.

Artic wobbled as she saw the shape in the center of the camp. Pure white fur, stained gray from the ashes and burnt black. A pair of bright yellow eyes, forever closed. Her Alpha. The one who had told her to run when she should have stayed.

Sorrow, a fresh and painful wave of it, swallowed Artic. She fell, unable to support herself against grief, the strongest feeling of all. A shoulder caught Artic as she dived towards the ground. She looked up to see Loyal, supporting her with his shoulder. His green eyes were sympathetic, telling her a story of his own.

Artic stood weakly, supported by Loyal. "Sorry." She muttered. "It's just, seeing all of them, there..."

Loyal dipped his head. "I understand, Artic. If those were my packmates, I would feel the same. There's no need to apologize."

"Well, thank you." Artic murmured embarrassingly. "Should we continue?"

Loyal nodded just as Gorse bounded up from the back of the patrol. "We will spread out and search the camp for survivors!" Gorse announced. "Report to me or Beta if you find one!"

"Or Artic." Loyal hastily added. Artic nodded. Finally, the Gorse fool said something not dumb.

The patrol scattered, each member spreading out to search for survivors of the fire. Artic stalked in one direction, determined not to look at the body of her Alpha. Only a few minutes passed before a cry ran through the camp.

"Beta! Alpha! Artic! I found someone! Over here!"

Artic ran towards the voice, sprinting at full speed. She skidded to a stop at the entrance of the medicine den, and, still panting, walked inside. Loyal and Gorse were already there, bending down towards a shape in the corner. They both stepped aside as Artic approached, allowing her to identify the survivor.

"Artic?" A weak voice whispered. "Is it you?"

Artic looked down and saw a tawny pelt and a face with the same gold eyes she has. She felt her eyes fill with tears again. "L- Luna?" Artic whispered with a cracked voice.

"Who is this?" Gorse asked in a loud voice. Artic ignored him and laid down beside the tawny wolf, Luna, licking her fur.

"Artic, who is this?" Loyal asked more quietly, resting his tail onto her shoulder.

"The Healer of the Forest Pack." Artic told him. "And my sister. Luna."

"Oh." Loyal said.

"Can you stand?" Artic asked her sister. "We'll get you to a Healer. You'll be fine."

"Artic." Luna stared at her. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm a Healer, and I know what my injuries are."

"No." Artic breathed, as if saying it will make it true.

"I'm not going to live, Artic." Luna looked determinedly at her sister. "But listen to me. Get yourself a pack. You are the only descendant of the Forest Pack. You must continue our story."

"You have to live." Artic growled with frustration. "Please, sister!"

"Goodbye, Artic." Luna whispered, her breath coming in short gasps. "Remember what I told you." Something in her gold eyes, so similar to Artic's, faded, and Luna fell still.

Artic stood up, her paws feeling heavy. She looked at her sister, the survivor of the fire, dead. Artic felt Loyal press his body to hers, in case she fell, but she won't. Her sister's words sparked a fire inside of her, and even though it was buried in sorrow, it will not stay there for long.

Artic raised a paw, intending to close her sister's eyes, and realized that the ground she was standing in was wet. Wet with my tears. Artic thought.

Loyal stepped forwards and lowered Luna's eyelids when Artic hesitated.

"Thank you." Artic murmured with gratitude to Loyal.

"It had to be done." Loyal replied. "But... do you remember what your sister told you?"

"Get a pack, continue the Forest Pack's story." Artic recited.

"I was wondering..." Loyal paused, staring at her. "If you would like to join our pack."

Artic was caught by surprise. Join his pack? The Plains Pack? I don't know, but it could work. She blinked at Loyal. And I'll be with Loyal... "I don't really know..." Artic began. "But it could work..."

Loyal's tail shot up, and he wagged it playfully. "Let me go ask Alpha." He said, walking out of the den to where Gorse was. So he left when Luna died. Artic noticed as she followed Loyal out of the medicine den, unable to look at her sister anymore.

Artic stood at the mouth of the den, waiting for Loyal to come back with a response. He soon did, and Artic could tell by his drooping tail the answer Gorse had given.

"He said no." Loyal told her. "I'll try to convince him, but..."

"Oh well, that was expected, wasn't it?" Artic replied. "It fits into my plans, anyways."

"What plans?" Loyal asked, alert.

"Revenge on the humans, of course." Artic looked at him. "And all the other things my sister told me."

"It's going to be hard to get revenge, isn't it?" Loyal asked. "I mean, they're humans!"

"I've got my ways." Artic smiled mysteriously. Gorse came over just then.

"Well, no survivors." Gorse informed them. "We're going to pack up and go."

"But..." Loyal protested, looking at Artic. "Where are you going to go?"

"I'm going to bury my packmates." Artic announced. "I can't leave them here, can I?"

"No, not exactly." Loyal agreed. "I'll help."

"I will too." Another Plains Pack member told her.

"So will I." Someone else said. Artic's eyes filled with tears of gratitude as all six members of the patrol-not including Gorse, of course-volunteered to help with the burial.

"Thank you, all of you." Artic sniffed. "You don't know how much this means to me."

"Trust me, we do." Loyal replied. Artic smiled and began issuing orders to the others.

Slowly but surely, the carcesses of Artic's packmates were picked up and buried. Artic dug the hole. She could not bare to go around camp and touch the bodies of her dead packmates.

"We're ready." Loyal told Artic. He was in charge of gathering the bodies of the Forest Pack.

"Alright." Artic replied, jumping out of the hole. "Lets-lets begin."

One by one, the remains of the members of Forest Pack were pushed into the hole.

"I'm sorry I didn't come back to save you, my pack." Artic confessed. "I should have, but I only followed Alpha's orders. I ran, like a coward."

"You are not a coward, Artic." Loyal whispered in her ear. "What good would it do if you went back? You would have been killed!"

"May the stars light your path, my pack." Artic continued, taking in little comfort from Loyal's words. "Run freely amongst the stars." She gulped, and pushed a mount of dirt into the hole.

"Run free, Forest pack." Loyal echoed her, and pushed another pawful of dirt into the hole. The rest of the patrol repeated the process until the hole was filled, and then, Artic stood up.

Artic walked to a tree nearby and snapped a branch off. She took it to the grave of her packmates and stuck it into the dirt. "May you grow tall and strong over the bodies of my companions, tree. Protect them from harm." She dipped her head, and with an apologetic nod at Loyal, turned and walked away.

As for the tree, it did grow tall and strong, but that's a story for another day.