"Wait!" Alex suddenly stopped in his tracks, panting from trying to keep up with his more light-pawed sister.

"Yes?" Libby stopped, too, sniffing the air. The scents were coming their way, so she knew they were still on the right path.

"Didn't you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"A whimper!"

Libby perked up her ears, and for a moment she heard nothing, before she heard a soft sound, in the northeastern direction, the direction of the forest from where they were standing.

"It's not a voice of our Pack," Alex remarked.

"Maybe it's a coyote," Libby suggested.

"No, coyote's voices are way more high- pitched. This is definitely a wolf." Alex stopped and dropped his ears. "A wolf that's not from our Pack...but a wolf in trouble nonetheless."

Libby's thoughts instantly changed. She forgot about the battle. "We've got to help them!" she barked.

"Not so loud! And what do you mean, help them? They're probably the enemy, trying to get away from the battle!"

"But they're still a wolf that needs help, isn't it?"

"I don't care!" Alex said, but his troubled gaze betrayed otherwise.

Libby didn't wait for a response. She simply changed directions and headed for where the voice had come from.

"No, Libby, don't!" her brother whimpered from behind her, but Libby carried on, paying him no heed. She knew Alex would follow her sooner or later, not wanting to be alone out here. And, sure enough, after a few moments or so he was already walking at her right side.

"We go and check it out, but then we go back, okay?" he whined.

"Then we go and see the battle, you mean," Libby corrected him.

"No! Back to the rendez--"

"Help!" A weak whimper was audible from the tall grass in front of them. Libby judged the distance between whoever the voice belonged to and them was approximately twenty wolf-lengths

She did the first thing that came to mind. "Hello?" she called carefully.

"Libby, no!" Alex jumped on top of her, pinned her to the ground, and put one of his front paws on her mouth.

"Hello? Is anyone out there?" The voice sounded shaky and unsure, but definitely belonged to a fully grown wolf.

Alex looked up into the direction the voice came from, and Libby made use of this to push her brother off and respond. "We're here. What's going on?"

The voice was silent for a moment, before speaking, albeit seemingly hesitant. "I...I need help. My friend...he's hurt. Please!"

Libby met Alex's wide eyes, round with shock. He shook his head quickly before making a "let's get out of here"-gesture.

The young she-wolf ignored it. "There's two of us. Can we come closer?"

"Yes... Please help my friend!"

Libby slowly walked in the direction the voice came from. She tried to scent the wolf, or wolves, apparently, but since she had the wind in her back she couldn't detect their smell.

Alex finally let out a sigh and followed, more carefully.

Finally, they ended up in a small open sandy space, just big enough for three adult wolves. They stopped at the edge of the tall grass.

In front of them were two wolves. One of them, a medium-sized female with ripped ears, had a pale gray coat and dark blue eyes. She stood over the other, a male lying on the ground with his eyes closed and gritted teeth. He was a humongous wolf, bigger and bulkier than anyone in the Pack of Fading Shadows, and had a brown coat with a white muzzle. She'd expected these wolves to look like the enemy: humongous, dangerous and covered in armor and fang and claw extensions. These wolves looked harmless, especially the one lying down, despite how big he was.

Now that they were closer, Libby could finally catch a whiff of their scents. They smelled completely foreign, nothing like the dry scent of the Brightened Plains she was used to.

"What's...what's going on?" she asked again, looking with big eyes at the situation in front of them.

"My friend," the female rasped, pointing with her muzzle at the male below, "he got his leg caught in a rabbit hole while running and hurt it. I'm afraid it might be broken." She sounded quite desperate to get out of here quickly.

Libby didn't think before speaking. "Do you want me to get one of our Pack's Healers?"

"No!" the female said quickly, her eyes wide. She was acting rather skittish, Libby noticed. "I'd...I'd rather have your help, instead."

Libby was about to move out of the tall grass to get closer when Alex nudged her shoulder with his muzzle. "Libby, we shouldn't," he breathed, barely audible. "They're the enemy!"

"How do you know that?" she snapped back softly. "They look completely defenseless!"

"But we can't trust them!"

Libby didn't listen. She moved out of the grass, whacking her brother in the face with her tail as she did so. He let out a soft whimper of fear and annoyance.

"Let me have a look at it," she said, though she didn't really know why. She knew nothing about healing, and had no interest in it, either.

She moved to the two wolves. The female moved aside to let Libby get close to the male, who now opened his eyes, which were dark blue, too. They were bloodshot and looked tired.

Libby felt something she didn't expect to feel for these wolves. Pity. They were clearly afraid and just wanted to get out of here.

Even if they're the enemy, I'll make sure they don't get hurt badly! she decided for herself.

"Which leg is it?" she asked once she was close enough to the big brown wolf. The gray female pointed at his left front leg with her muzzle. "That one."

Libby got closer to it and studied it. The leg looked completely fine and ordinary. But maybe something on the inside was wrong? She had no idea.

"Alex, come look at this! You watched Jade heal Cleo's leg that one time she'd sprained it!"

She looked over her shoulder at her dark gray brother. He just stood there, shivering in the tall grass, before taking a few steps backwards, shaking his head in a "no"-gesture.

"Please, pup!" the female begged. "We have to get out of here!"

"Are you really sure you don't want me to get any of my Packmates?" Libby questioned, looking up at her. "Once they're done fighting maybe they don't mind tending to those trying to get away."

"What fighting?" The female looked confused. "We're not attacking anyone! We're just two nomads passing through!"

Libby felt even more sorry for them now. They'd completely misjudged these wolves! She called her brother again. "Alex, you scaredy-mink, get over here right now! They're fine! They're not from the attacking group!"

He swallowed fearfully for a moment, before slowly coming forwards in a submissive posture, tail and ears low. He kept licking his nose in stress.

"That's it. You look like a clever pup. Maybe you know what's wrong with my friend?"

Alex didn't respond as he made his way over until he was beside Libby. He then carefully examined the leg, eventually sniffing it. "It doesn't look bad," he commented, barely audible, as if he was afraid to say it.

The male groaned as he shifted from lying on his right side to his belly and raised his head. "It really does hurt, though," he pointed out.

"C...Can you lift it?" Alex stammered.

The male sat up on his three good legs and then tried to hold his hurt paw a bit higher. "Yowch!" He quickly gave it a lick before planting it on the ground besides his others.

Libby raised an eyebrow and met Alex's confused eyes. The male was now sitting on all fours like any other wolves, like there was nothing wrong with his paw at all.

"Doesn't your leg hurt?" she inquired.

"A bit..." the male barked, before lowering his head slowly. Then, in once quick movement, he pinned Alex to the ground with one paw and put his other on his mouth. The female did the same at the exact same moment with Libby. Their weak and fearful demeanor had suddenly transformed into that of dominance and malice.

Libby tried to struggle, but it was no use. The adult wolves were too strong. Alex was just whimpering in fear below the brown male's paw.

"Listen carefully, you idiot pups," the female rasped while baring her teeth. "We're going to take you with us. Make any sound whatsoever, even the tiniest whimper, and we'll have the rest of our Army murder your Pack one by one, starting with your mother!"

Libby's eyes widened. NO! Once more she fought against the weight of the she-wolf's paw, but it was no use. Alex let out another whine before the male suddenly grabbed him by the scruff and threw him across the small open space. Alex landed with a loud thud, stunned momentarily. The bulky brown wolf instantly grabbed him again, holding him tightly by the scruff. The dark gray pup hung between his jaws miserably. Libby saw he was helplessly trying to refrain from calling for their parents.

The female followed the male's example and grabbed Libby by the scruff. "Ready, Bandit?" she asked through her mouth full of scruff.

Bandit nodded. "Ready."

Without another moment's warning they started running at full pace. Libby instantly felt sick. She'd been carried while walking before, but never during a full run. And these wolves were going fast.

She wanted to get a look at Alex, but couldn't, as she was being shaken with every pace.

Finally, something dark developed them, and Libby's nose flowed with new smells. For a moment she had no idea what was going on, but then understood. They were in the forest.

She waited for another moment as she and Alex were being taken deeper and deeper into the forest with every pace by Bandit and the gray female. It took all her guts and hoping nothing would happen to her parents to ask the question. "Where are you taking us?"

"Shut up!" Bandit growled through Alex's scruff.

The running seemed to go on forever, until finally the duo of wolves slowed down to a trot, and then a firm stride.

"Bring us back home!" Libby whined. "Let us go!" She could now finally take in more of her surroundings of the forest, but didn't think about it for a moment. All she just wanted to do now is go home and be safely inside the den with her mother close to her.

As she said those words she was violently dropped on the ground. She landed with a yelp.

The female brought her muzzle close to Libby's face, revealing her white fangs. "Are you deaf, you dumb weasel? If you speak another word we'll have our fellow soldiers kill your family!"

Libby swallowed and wanted to snarl a response, but when she caught Alex's gaze she decided to do what he'd do and stay quiet.

"Good," the she-wolf rumbled as Bandit put down Alex. "And don't think of running away, either," he added.

"We weren't!" Alex cried softly, shivering.

"The 'no talking'-rule goes for you too, worm!" the pale gray she-wolf snapped. She made eye contact with Bandit for a moment. Libby wasn't able to read their gazes. It was eerily quiet for a moment or so. Only the birds singing their songs around them could be heard, if you didn't count Alex's quick and panicked breathing.

"But where are you taking us?" Libby burst out, not able to keep her question in and stand the silence anymore. She expected another threat in response, but it didn't come.

"You're being recruited as soldiers for Wessels' Army," Bandit said curtly.

Libby tilted her head. She had no idea what an "Army" or who this Wessels was. "Well, we don't wanna go to your Army thing! Take us back!" she protested. She still didn't dare to get very loud, but at least she could speak at almost normal-level volume now.

"This isn't exactly something you've got a choice in, sweetie," the bulky wolf growled eerily. "Now, come with us voluntarily without making any noise, or we'll make sure we keep our word when it comes to wiping out your loved ones."

Libby didn't respond, she was just in shock and longed to cry for her mother. Alex was looking blankly at the ground in front of him as he nodded and followed the two adult wolves.

Libby waited for a moment, but as the female turned around to give her a nudge she quickly followed her brother's example of slowly moving in the direction their kidnappers wanted.