Soon, the morning patrols had returned, and Slate saw to that quickly and efficiently, then disappeared. Ferox called the pack together for the morning meal. He took his share once everyone had taken theirs, and he went to sit by Oak. "Hello, young Alpha," the Elder greeted. Ferox dipped his head respectfully. "Good morning, Elder," he said. "Do you mind if I eat with you?" Oak smiled and shook his head. "Of course not," he replied warmly. Ferox managed a small smile and began eating. The two ate in silence, and once Oak was done, he straightened up.

"Is something bothering you, Ferox?" Oak asked kindly. Ferox gave a sigh. There was a lot bothering him. He was worried about Laika, their unborn pups, what would happen when they found out who the father was... Ferox settled on vagueness. "I'm just worried," he said softly. Oak tipped his head. "About what?" Ferox regarded him for a moment, then said, "Everything." Oak blinked and nodded understandingly. "I know the feeling well," he said softly. "I think there's a specific thing you're worried about, and it's making everything else more stressful." Ferox looked at Oak in surprise. The old wolf had been startlingly accurate with his assessment.

Oak noticed Ferox's reaction and nodded. "What is it, Ferox? Does it have something to do with you sneaking out at night?" Ferox did his best not to look guilty, but Oak saw right through it. "Whats going on? Is there something going on between you and the wolf you're seeing?" Ferox looked surprised again, remembering that Oak still thought he and another pack member were sneaking out at night to visit secretly.

Ferox shook his head. "It's fine," he assured Oak. "There's nothing wrong." Ferox stood and dipped his head. Oak nodded. "Well, I hope you two get things figured out," he said. Ferox gave his tail a weak wag. "Good day, Elder," he said, then he turned and went to find Garnet.

The day was silent and uneventful. Ferox and Garnet sparred with one another until the trainee was warmed up, then she practiced combat with one of her siblings. As they fought, he judged her technique, pointing out errors and praising what she did right. He had learned from Slate that focusing only on what a trainee did wrong was the surest way to destroy their self-confidence, so he made sure to compliment her at least as much as he corrected her. Finally, Ferox called a stop. "That was well done, Garnet, you're definitely improving," he said, giving her a small smile. Garnet beamed, wagging her tail happily. "Thanks, Alpha, I can't-" Garnet cut herself off with a yelp as the sound echoed through the camp.

Ferox whipped around, trying to identify the source of the unearthly scream that tore through the air, but he could not tell where it had come from. It seemed others had heard it as well. Ferox and Garnet hurried back to camp, where they found wolves looking around in confusion and fear. Ferox quickly found Oak. "Elder, what was that?!" he asked. Oak looked troubled, afraid even, not something Ferox had ever seen on Oak's face before. Oak shook his head. "I- I don't know," he said softly, looking up at the sky.

Ferox felt icy claws of fear squeeze his heart, but he steeled himself and gave a quiet growl. "Bracken, take four wolves to the Ignis Lupi border," he barked. "Petra, take another four to the Akvo Lupi border. Slate, take five wolves and check on the border along the unclaimed lands. I want to know what that sound was!" The sudden sharpness of his tone seemed to snap the wolves out of their confusion, and they quickly went about doing as he ordered. Even Slate, who had been depressed and despondent since the death of his mate, moved with a new-found urgency.

Once the patrols were sent out, Ferox found Oak again. "Elder, are you sure you don't have any clue what that was?" he asked. "It didn't seem... natural." Oak shook his head lightly. "I'm not sure how much I know," he said. "I'll consult with the other Elders, and we'll see if we can figure this out." Ferox nodded, and Oak retreated to his den. Ferox looked off toward the Ignis Lupi territory. Whatever that sound had been, he hoped Laika was alright...

Ferox spent the next hour or so trying to calm down the wolves remaining in the camp. A hunting patrol that had been sent out before the scream returned, and Ferox firmly ordered everyone to eat. Generally, none of the wolves had much of an appetite, but under his watchful eye, everyone had a good meal. They seemed to calm down a little after that, but wolves were still nervous, often glancing around them. Not a single wolf that Ferox had talked to could identify the source, though...

Once the meal was complete, Ferox stationed gaurds around the perimeter of the camp, just as a precaution. Young ones and mothers were instructed to remain in the center of the camp, the most strategically safe position in the entire territory. He had strongly urged the Elders to stay in their den, but a couple of them had elected to stay outside to help out however they could. Ferox appreciated it; they were far better at calming the little ones down than he was.

Bracken and his four wolves carefully checked along the Ignis Lupi border. All five of them were more jumpy than usual, twitching at the slightest sound or movement. Everything felt strangely silent. No birds sung, no insects chirped, the air was still, as though a storm was coming.

Bracken suddenly caught a scent and froze, as did the rest of the patrol. It was a smoky scent, like that of the Ignis Lupi wolves... Bracken and his patrol crept forward until they spotted three Ignis Lupi wolves right at the edge of the border. Bracken relaxed slightly; they outnumbered the other patrol, they'd be fine if a fight broke our. "Over here!" he called, trotting toward them. "What are you doing so close to the border?"