It was dark. So, so dark. Every spark of light had vanished from the world. Even the stars were hiding in the folds of night's cloak.

Carefully, Toivo took another soft step in the direction he hoped led to his destination - not that he was entirely sure where that destination was. All he knew was that he had to get there, whatever the night threw at him.

Yet the darkness swamped him constantly. It seemed to flow and ripple, closing in deeper and harder with every dive. Try as he might, he couldn't penetrate its suffocating hold.

A panic began to squirm inside, wrapping around his chest, forcing his breath to emerge more rapidly. It wasn't the only sound amongst the dark. From all around him, birds chirped, and leaves rustled. From far away, he detected the excited yell of a playing Peltless. But he wasn't part of that world. Instead, he was alone here, with only the night to accompany him.

Or perhaps not. His ears pricked up, the panic releasing its hold briefly as a baying howl sounded. It was far away. But it wasn't unreachable.

More voices joined. And more. A whole pack of wolves, also shrouded in darkness, all calling out to him.

Maybe they knew how to find the light.

With a replying bark, he sprinted forwards, hurtling towards his companions. Surely they were getting closer. He'd be with them soon.

But then there was another howl, this time from behind. In fact, all the howls came from behind. Turning, he raced back the way he'd come, desperation powering his limbs.

The sound moved to the left. He curved to the left. Then to the right. Back, and forth, until he found himself running in circles. Helpless. With every effort, the night only swooped in to tighten his dark prison.

Panic returned in full force, roughly twisting his heart and pressing his lungs. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't cry out.

He couldn't even fight back.

The call faded to one single voice, but it sounded different from before. Quieter, whispering voices pricked at the night. But still he gasped for breath.

Until the stars broke through. Silver light flashed, and the darkness finally vanished.

Toivo's eyes snapped open. Gasps still shook his chest, and he dug his claws into the ground beneath him, never more grateful for reality. Blinking rapidly, he huddled downwards, shying away from the orange glimmers of light above.

For a moment, he expected to roll over and see Calder beside him. The thought crossed his mind that he should go to see Lexi today, and maybe she would be able to help him understand his new nightmare.

But it wasn't long before it all flooded back.

Along with the distant sound of a howling call.

Toivo shot to his paws, ears fixing on the sound. It had been the same one that had cut across his dream, right at the end - although he wasn't sure whether that had been subconscious sound or this reality. His eyes darted across the clearing to see Katana, also on her paws, ears tilting forwards as she stared fiercly into the dim forest.

Even several seconds later, when the howl faded entirely, his heart still raced. A howl could have so many purposes. He'd been taught since birth to distinguish between each unique sound. This one had most definitely been a summons. A beckoning.

Just like the wolves of the darkness.

Shaking out his fur, he tried to shed the final fragments of his dream. Nothing. It meant nothing.

Thankfully, Morgan's voice interrupted his thoughts before he could debate any longer.

"Where is everyone?"

His words made Toivo scan the clearing for a second time. The realisation hit him like one of Damon's punching strikes.

While many wolves had surrounded him last night, now only three figures remained. Katana, limping towards the trees in an attempted prowl, Morgan with his flicking tail, and Alvis's still-sleeping form beside him. No Angel, or Dawn, or Fiammetta.

Or Lexi.

Panic, not dissimlar to the emotion that had gripped him back in the dark forest, began to lace its way through his chest. When he met Morgan's eyes, he saw a similar fear dancing in the golden depths.

"I don't know," he replied, moving closer. "Where would they go? Why would they leave us here?" He glanced back at the spot where Lexi should have been sleeping, as if the action would magic her out of the air.

The Seawylf shook his head. His ears twitched, upright and alert opposed to their previous relaxed flop. "I don't know. But they shouldn't have left. We're supposed to stick together." His gaze finally flicked properly to examine Toivo, and he drew in a sharp breath. "They took your friend?"

Toivo dipped his snout. How could I not wake up? She was right beside me! "Yeah, Lexi's gone too. But why?"

"They've gone to get help."

Both him and Morgan jumped at the sound of Katana's voice from right beside them. Keeping his snout lowered, Toivo avoided her gaze as the Seawylf approached her.

"But where from?" Morgan asked. "I didn't think there was anyone trustworthy around here but us. And Toivo and his friend, of course," he added hurriedly with a sideways glance at Toivo. He smiled back gratefully. There was one wolf around here who seemed to trust him, at least.

"Oh, there's one," Katana replied, her eyes narrowed. "At least, one Dawn still thinks of as trustworthy."

It took barely a second for Morgan's snout to twitch upwards as he staggered back, nodding slowly. "Ah. I... I see."

Confused, Toivo glanced between them, but the sight of the Earthwylf's curving scars kept his throat free of questions. Her terrifying glare still lingered in his mind. Even though she was barely a claw's width taller than him, the way she drew her shoulders back and kept her eyes ever-focused made her seem to tower over even Morgan.

"I suppose we should wait for them, then," the Seawylf added, but the way his eyes flicked to the trees betrayed the uncertainty lingering behind the words. Toivo made to interject, desperate to stop his fur from prickling with unease, but Katana beat him to it.

"Are you serious?" She shook her head, growling. "You're the one who wants us all to stick together, Morgan. No, we need to go after them, and right now."

Behind her, Alvis stirred, awoken by her raised voice. She turned her stare on him. "Alvis, stay here and keep watch on the base. Howl if you need us. We're going to find Briar."

"Briar?" The Thunderwylf rose slowly, stretching out his forepaws. After a scan of the clearing, his retracted his confused head tilt, and nodded. "Ah. Dawn wants him back on the team. But you don't."

Katana's sigh was so dramatic that Toivo had to smother a laugh. He cursed himself immediately. Lexi was missing, hunting for a wolf that might or might not be trustworthy. He certainly shouldn't be finding anything funny.

"Stater of the obvious as always, wolf of Thunder," she mocked. "And it isn't that simple. I'd gladly have him back on the team, if not for all the things he said before he abandoned us. And we're wasting time," she added with a growl. Boudning forwards, she landed heavily on one of her forepaws, and swore under her breath.

"If you want to come," she said, through gritted teeth, "follow me."

Her limp was barely noticeable as she sped into the undergrowth. Morgan took a deep breath and leapt after her, murmuring something to himself. Toivo took one glance at Alvis's pale fur, remembered the golden vibrance that Lexi wore, and sprinted into the forest.

The run didn't last long. Soon enough, Toivo staggered to a halt, nearly crashing into a gasping Katana. His glare barely made it to the surface, transforming into sympathy as he saw the pain etched in her expression.

"You're not up for this, Katana," Morgan said lowly. "It's alright. Go back to the base. Toivo and I will check on the others."

For the first time since the previous night, the Earthwylf's gaze landed on Toivo. "No, I'm fine," came her rasped response, weak but filled with determination. There was a challenge sparking in her eyes as she stared at him.

"You're not." Morgan's tone had taken on the same weight as it had carried the other night, but this time directed at a fiery Earthwylf rather than a despairing Peltless. Yet still Katana shook her head.

"I'm not letting Briar break their hearts all over again," she growled. Before either of them could stop her, she was running again, more curses bursting out amongst her straining breaths. Hesitating, Toivo exchanged glances with Morgan. It felt wrong to let her carry on struggling. But they couldn't stop her.

Pushing past his fear, Toivo forced himself to keep pace beside her. The sight of her snout's scar, cracked open enough to create a second trail of scarlet blood, made him wince. Steeling himself, he kept his gaze trained on her and opened his jaw.

"I'm sorry about what happened to you," he said, her slower pace allowing the words to flow uninterrupted. "And... well, I'm sorry for..."

"For being a Shadewylf?" she supplied, her tone less steady.

"Yes." His ears twitched downwards.

She snorted. "You're cute."

That stunned him into silence. She fell silent too, though he guessed that had more to do with her pain. Still, as they ducked under a low-hanging branch, she glanced over at him. Her eyes were the most gentle he'd ever seen them.

Perhaps, somehow, he'd managed to gain a second trust.

Before he could work up the courage to say anything else, however, they halted again, but this time purposefully. Crouching away from the streams of morning light, she flicked her tail forwards. Hurriedly, he and Morgan slipped in beside her, and together they crept after her.

Until they saw the others.

Locked in combat.

In front of him, Katana let out a furious snarl and charged.