The wolves still hesitate, and Laika loses it. Flames rear up in her eyes and start to flicker at her paws,"Let's go now. Or you can stay here and be loners, or worse, rouges." At that threat, the wolves kicked into motion. And finally the pack was on the move. It didn't take long for the wolves to reach home and Laika was quick to dismiss the few wolves who had followed her. Laika glares at the others,"Tomorrow you will receive your punishment. Now go to bed." The wolves exchange glances, but obey, trotting away to their dens.

"Laika." The Alpha turns her head to see her sister,"Are you going to tell me I was to harsh?" Ember chuckles as she sits beside Laika,"Oh no, I think you did just fine. But, we do need to discuss something." Laika's ears pin back,"The father to my pups?" It was clear the whole pack had apparently heard the conversation. Ember dips her head,"Who is it? And why don't you make him Alpha Male?" Laika laughs, she so wanted to tell her sister he already was an Alpha Male. "Because, we both agreed to keep it quiet."

Ember frowns at her sister,"Your not going to spill, are you?" Laika shakes her head and Ember murmurs,"And what happens when the pups are born? What if he steps forward and demands to be Alpha Male? What if he demands it's his right as the father to the Alpha Female's pups?" Laika's gaze flickers upward towards the sky,"That won't happen." Laika didn't even need to see her sister's face to see the doubt on it,"I promise it won't." Laika looks back at Ember. Ember relents, dipping her head,"Goodnight, Laika." Laika murmurs,"Goodnight." Ember gets to her paws and trots off.

Laika sighs, staring back at the sky, the pups were suppose to stay a secret until they were born. Or at least until her belly had grown so big. Laika looks back down, she wasn't that big. The size of her belly fit her broad shoulders. With another sigh, Laika gets to her paws, heading to her den. Slipping inside and curling up inside her nest. It took longer then usual, and soon Laika was fast asleep.

The next morning, Ferox emerged from his den and stepped outside, finding Oak sitting outside the Elders den, waiting. Oak gave him a smile and stood up to greet him. Ferox dipped his head. "Good morning, Elder," he said. Oak wagged his tail. "What was all the commotion last night?" he asked, tilting his head. Ferox gave a sigh and answered, "The usual. Worse this time, though, because my wolves ignored my commands in front of the other packs." Oak nodded thoughtfully. "What did you do?" he asked. Ferox sat down and put his tail over his paws. "I had a word with them last night before I went to sleep," he said. "I'll talk to them again this morning."

Oak gave a sigh and nodded. "I wish you luck, Ferox," he said, dipping his head and retreating into his den. Slowly, wolves began emerging from their dens, many noticing the cracks that Ferox had put in the ground the night before, confused looks on their faces. Soon, everyone was awake, and Ferox howled to gather them. He waited for a moment, then called out the names of the five wolves who had ignored his order the night before. "Petra, Invictus, Silex, Bracken, Lilac, step forward, please." Each wolf approached Ferox, looking nervous.

Ferox regarded them silently, pacing in front of them for a moment, then said, raising his voice so everyone could hear, "Last night, you five ignored a direct order from me. I had to coerce you into doing as I asked." Ferox stood still. "You will each apologize to me." The five wolves hesitated, and Ferox growled, "Now." Each of them stepped forward, dipping their heads and saying sorry. Ferox stepped back, satisfied. "Apology accepted," he said. "Now, you five are going to clean these cracks up." Ferox gestured at the cracks he had made last night. "I want this ground as smooth as it was before it was broken. I don't care how long it takes you." The five wolves looked dismayed. Repairing cracked ground was a difficult chore; it required moving dirt to fill in the cracks, then compressing it until it was as firm as the stone around it. For most wolves, including them, it was exhausting and would take hours.

Ferox looked around the pack. "You're all dismissed," he said. "Slate, organize the morning patrols." As the wolves went around their business, Ferox located Garnet and beckoned to her, pulling her away from the activities of the others. "I think you're ready to start learning to control earth," he said. Garnet's eyes lit up and she nodded, and Ferox turned and walked out of camp, beckoning with his tail. Garnet followed, and once they were away from the others, Ferox fished around in the grass until he found a ragged-looking stone slightly smaller than his paw. "Garnet, I want to to try and smooth this stone into a perfect sphere," he said. Garnet looked crestfallen, and Ferox nudged her. "It's a good exercise to help you learn control," he explained. Garnet reluctantly nodded. "I'll do my best," she said. Ferox nodded and sat down a short distance away, watching as Garnet concentrated.

Laika emerged from her den, fire in her eyes though not literal fire. It was dawn and she was ready for some punishment, and Laika throws her head back, summoning the pack with a howl. It took seconds at most and the wolves who were not already awake, came scrambling from their dens. Confusion crosses their faces as they see their Alpha, sitting at the typical gathering spot. Anger in her eyes. It took five minutes for the pack to be gathered, and Laika begins, her voice carrying over the gathered wolves. "Last night, the Gathering went smooth." Looks were exchanged.

Laika sighs to herself, no doubt from the looks given to her the rest of the pack was very aware of her pregnancy. "It was announced, no doubt to all the wolves still in the clearing, that I was pregnant." More looks were exchanged and Laika continues,"And apparently that caused some rebellion among the wolves that I had brought with me last night." Laika stares at the four wolves, her gaze hard,"Titus, Blaze, Kai and Topaz." The four wolves exchange glances but steps forward. "Unlike Ember, Usra, Kalama, and the others of the Gathering patrol. You disobeyed my direct order. And despite the fact we were the only wolves left, that does not make it excusable. So tell me, why did you disobey?"

The four wolves exchange glances and finally, Topaz steps forward, her topaz eyes she was named after flashing with defiance. "Your pregnant, and the father is unknown. You won't tell us who it is, and the father won't step forward." Topaz flicks an ear,"You have led us... decently well since you were appointed, but what happens if we get attacked by other packs, rouges, or even lions while you are pregnant? You cannot preform at the same peak you use to. Without any real authority while you are busy with your pregnancy. Who will lead us?" Topaz growls,"We need an Alpha Male."

Laika scoffs,"You want an Alpha Male. You want someone else to follow, because you don't believe I can lead you." Laika's gaze sweeps the pack,"Very little of you did believe I could." Laika gets to her paws, sparks flickering at her paws,"But, I can and I have. I have led you and I will continue to do so unless I die or unless the Elders vote differently. The father of my pups does not wish to step forward, and I will respect that. I expect you to as well." Laika's gaze lands on the four wolves in front of her,"I am the Alpha and my word is law. Until the Elders vote me off, I will lead you, and I will do it without an Alpha Male."

Laika orders,"For punishment, you four will be stuck inside of camp all day. The only task you may preform today, besides the obvious needs, is any tasks needed by the Elders or the Healers." Laika glances between the four,"I will keep you four separated unless otherwise needed for a task. Titus will stay with Ember and the Healers. Blaze will stay with Seraphina and the Elders." Laika nods at Erye and Helios,"Kai will be watched by Eyre and Helios. Topaz will be watched by Nova and Ignatius." The four wolves bow their heads, ears pinned back.

Laika's gaze sweeps back over the pack,"Khan sort the patrols. Trainers, go out with your trainees today. Do some training." The pack murmurs and shifts as Laika dips her head, shifting the lead of the conversation to Khan. The Beta male steps forward to sort patrols. Khan had to almost yell over the murmuring of the wolves. Laika watches as Titus, Blaze, Kai, and Topaz retreat to where they were supposing to be staying. Titus by Ember, Blaze by Seraphina, Kai by Eyre and Helios, and Topaz by Ignatius. Laika sighs, she was ready to go see Ferox that night.

Ferox spent most of the day with Garnet, instructing her on the basics of control. By the end of the day, she had only managed to chip a small amount of the rock into something barely resembling a sphere, much to her disappointment. "You're making good progress," Ferox said. "I've known many wolves that couldn't have done this well on their first day." Garnet brightened a little. "Really?" she asked in her small, shy voice. Ferox nodded. "Don't try to practice on your own though," he cautioned. "It's easy to lose control and break something that you didn't mean to." Garnet nodded, then ran over to join her mother and siblings, who had already finished their training for the day.

Almost immediately after letting Garnet go, Ferox was approached by Oak. "Hello, Elder," he said, dipping his head. Oak nodded, then sat down and looked over at Garnet. "How are you doing with your trainee?" he asked. Ferox answered, "She's doing well. She learns quickly, and although she's quiet, she's a fair bit more competitive then one might expect. She's going to do great." Oak nodded, smiling. "And how are you doing?" he asked. "I know you didn't really want to take her on." Ferox gave a sigh. "I'm doing alright, I guess," he said quietly. "I'm just worried that I'll make the same mistakes as last time."

Oak nodded. "I understand," he said. "I've made my share of mistakes in my lifetime, many of them very serious. It can be difficult to move on. I'm glad you've taken a step in doing so, though, even if you didn't want to at first." Ferox gave a small smile, but remained troubled. "I thought I was doing well with Shale," he said softly. "He was making such good progress. I didn't-" Oak cut him off. "Don't tell me you didn't teach him enough or protect him," he said firmly. "You did everything you could, even before the incident." Ferox sighed and shook his head lightly. "I wish I could believe that," he said.

With a sigh, Oak shakily got to his paws. "Well, I'll talk to you later, young Alpha," he said, turning and slowly trotting away. Ferox watched him leave, the stood up as well to organize the evening patrols. "Slate! Put together a hunting party!" he called. Slate, of course, pretended not to have heard and kept socializing with three others. Ferox growled and trotted over. "Slate," he said sharply. Slate looked over with a bored look. "What is it?" he asked. Ferox's growl deepened. "What is it, Alpha," he corrected. Slate gave a quick roll of his eyes. "What is it, Alpha?" he asked.

"Organize a hunting party," Ferox said. "Take them out near the Akvo Lupi border." Slate sighed and got to his paws and began doing the task assigned without much enthusiasm. Ferox watched him for a moment, then quietly trotted over. "Sometime before next winter would be great!" he barked, standing right behind his Beta. Slate jumped and glared at Ferox, but did as he was told. Ferox nodded his satisfaction, then backed away and put together a patrol of his own, consisting of the five wolves he had assigned to repair the cracks in the ground. They were exhausted, but he wasn't finished punishing them yet. They protested, of course, but they complied.

After returning from the patrols, Ferox took a moment to relax in his den, unsatisfied with the way the day had gone. 'At least you get to see Laika tonight,' he thought, brightening slightly. He was mentally exhausted, but nothing could keep him away from her. Soon, the other wolves were in their den, and Ferox crept out of camp. He had taken to avoiding Oak's den, knowing that the old wolf would hear, and Ferox wanted to reduce suspicion as much as possible, especially considering recent events. Once out of camp, Ferox picked up his pace, running all the way to the border to meet with Laika.

It didn't take long for the patrols to head out, emptying most all the wolves from the camp. Except for the Elders, mothers, pups, and the wolves Laika had told to stay in camp and then the wolves who were watching them. Laika's gaze studies the camp, if they were to be attacked, they would be in trouble. However, thankfully most of the patrols had been sent to close areas of the territory. So, Laika could summon them back quite quickly. And the trainers and trainees were in the training area which was only about a minute trek from camp.

Laika trots towards the entrance, stopping to talk to her mother briefly before continuing on. She slips out, nodding a hello to the two wolves on guard, before heading on to the training area. It didn't take long and soon she slips down into the sandy area. The area had been built to withstand even the fiercest of fires. Laika could see the older trainees on one side and the younger ones on the other. The younger ones were still going through basic moves, such as creating sparks. While the older ones were going through experienced fire techniques. Laika trots over, and a few wolves dip their head in respect.

"What's happening over here?" One of the trainers, Cinder, explains,"We're testing their fire abilities. Two wolves face off, and use their best fire abilities until one wolf falls or is thrown out of the circle." Cinder nods at the wide circle that had been drawn into the ground. Laika flicks an ear, glancing at the two in the circle. It was the eldest pairs of trainees, Afi and
Elijah. Laika muses,"Hmm, I'd like to step in." Laika's gaze flickers between the two,"Which one of you would like to go against me?"

The two trainees exchange glances, and finally Elijah steps forward. Laika moves into the circle as Afi moves out,"Are there any other rules beside stay in the circle?" Cinder shakes her head,"No, Alpha." Laika dips her head,"Good." Laika tips her head,"Are you ready?" Elijah goes to respond, but is knocked off his feet by a shot of fire fired by Laika, from her tail which was still smoldering. Laika's eyes twinkle,"Don't let yourself get distracted, there won't be much talking during a real fight and in a real fight, your opponent won't ask if your ready."

Elijah dips his head and scrambles to his feet, launching himself at his Alpha, pelt roaring to life, flames flickering along his body. Laika braces herself, her own pelt coming alive with flames, fiercely and hotter than the younger wolf's. Laika grunts as Elijah slams into her and she spins, neatly throwing Elijah aside. The young wolf barely manages to stay inside the circle, and launch himself forward again. Claws stayed sheathed and the fire didn't harm either Ignis wolf, and soon Laika managed to throw Elijah out the circle. Laika trots over to Elijah, dipping her head,"Not bad, you'll do well in a fight."

Elijah looks up at his Alpha, eyes shining,"Really?" Laika dips her head,"Really." Afi bounds forward,"Can I try?" Laika looks up, the sun was falling,"Perhaps tomorrow, it's getting late and I've got a patrol to lead." Afi looks downcast and Laika chuckles,"If your trainer doesn't mind, we can tomorrow." Afi turns to his trainer,"Oh, can we? Please, Cinder?" Cinder blinks, her eyes amused,"Sure." Laika chuckles as Afi's excitement, bidding the wolves farewell before heading back to camp, where she finds her patrol waiting for her.

The patrol didn't take long and soon they were back at camp, most the wolves had eaten and they quickly went to bed. Once the camp was clear, Laika slips out, headed for the border. She was exhausted, the tussle with Elijah had drained her, but she was excited to see Ferox.

It didn't take Ferox long to reach the border, although he was much more jumpy than usual. He guessed that it was probably Laika's pregnancy that was putting him on edge; if any wolves somehow linked him to that, then Laika and the pups would be in danger. He would too, but he was less worried about himself. Once he was at the border, he sat down in their usual meeting place and looked around anxiously, hoping that some late patrol didn't stumble across him. Ferox took a deep breath. No patrol is going to be out this late, he told himself. You'll be fine.

To pass the time, Ferox began trying to practice his abilities on the sand, with varying degrees of success. Sand was to hard to keep hold of, but he found that he could move one grain at a time, even though that was completely useless. However, Ferox did discover that if he vibrated the sand at the right frequency, it began to act like a fluid, and he began to sink. He stopped before he could go any deeper than his ankles, but he filed that information away. It could be useful in a fight.

It didn't take her very long and soon she emerges into the little clearing, already finding Ferox there. Laika trots over, noting he was ankle deep in sand, and amusement flickers in her eyes,"Playing with sand?" She sits down at the edge of the sand, her ears flicking around for a moment, checking for any possibilities that someone may have followed her. But, per usual, she was safe. Her packmates may distrust her, but they did not distrust her that much. Laika flicks her ears forward again. "So, how are you?" She muses, remembering how Ferox to had had some issues at the Gathering.

Laika dips her head, before sighing. "Yes." Laika looks away,"I was making progress with my pack, but then after everyone heard that I was pregnant... Well, let's just say four of my wolves seemed to have started a rebellion against me." Laika looks back at Ferox,"One even told me to my face that she doesn't think I can lead the pack while pregnant. She said that the pack needs an Alpha Male." Laika sighs,"They're desperate to know who the father is so they can persuade the Elders to make him Alpha Male." Laika shakes her head,"I'm worried they will continue to disobey me and even go as far as to challenge me at the next Gathering."

Ferox leaned forward and sympathetically licked Laika's cheek. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "Hopefully they'll get used to the idea, though." Ferox gave a sigh and shook his head, looking down at his paws. "I wish I could do something to help," he said. "This is my responsibility too, but if I do anything, then you and the pups will be in danger." Ferox fell silent for a moment. "Just see if you can do anything to postpone any challenges," he said. "Tell them he'll come forward after the pups are born. That will give you some time, at least."