The twilight world stood silent, two Lupi confronted da a grim visage in the night. It was little più than a voice and a shaded blur through the thick fog and mist, but Eight knew. He could see those eyes, glowing yellow in what little light there was. They maintained their still for a moment, peering beams of bright fuoco in the darkness, beacons of terror. As they danced forward, she came into view through the veil of white atmosphere and her eyes faded slightly.
She stood tall and proud before the two, not to be challenged. The Cougar that Eight had happened upon and survived only a mese before. He was lucky then but now, through his knotted stomach and rapidly waning calm, he couldn't conjure a reason into his head as to what he was thinking.
And neither could Stern. The shorter of the two was hunched and ready for anything, but in defense. There was no breach of territory, so he stood his ground.
"Explain to me how this was a good idea." He demanded of Eight, who remained silent.
"And then, explain to me why I shouldn't FEED te to her and just leave." He finished through his teeth, mostrare them off to both his party member and their adversary, they glinted brightly in the moonlight.

"Oh, te two are finished arguing now?" Came a smarmy tone from the lioness, she was clearly heckling the two.
She came inoltrare, avanti to a stop on what was apparently the precipice of her land and stood tall, paws together. She was not imposing, nor looking for a fight, te could see it in her stance. She stood as though a diplomat would - proud and calm.
Her paws were wet from treading across the night's cool, moist ground.
"I have to say, pup," She began and stepped inoltrare, avanti a few calm paces toward Eight, "I didn't think I'd be seeing te again."
Eight matched her, step for step until they both stopped, only feet apart. He maintained his composure, trying not to tense nor mostra fear on his face, a task più difficult than it sounded.
"Considering the warning te gave as we parted ways, I didn't either, Ma'am." He said, plainly and calmly as he could, grinning at her in spite of the lump in his throat and his trembling paws.
Stern stopped growling as he was taken back, he Lost his stance entirely - he was dumbfounded. His motions and slight movements gained the attention of the lioness, and then Eight for a moment.
"Wh-w... What the HELL?!" He asked in frustration, anger and confusion.
"You're gonna have to trust me, Stern." Eight reiterated calmly, gaining only a few exasperated and flustered noises from Stern himself in return.

The two returned their prior attention again to one another as the short lupo looked on.
"Is he always this charming?" The cougar teased dryly, a hint of disgust in her voice.
Eight sighed and replied with a sly grin,
"No, normally, he's a crude, obnoxious power freak."
The situation was becoming less tense now, as the two exchanged words, making it clear to one another that there was no intention of attack o intrusion. When Stern's shaky hind end found the ground with an audible 'thud', this truce was cemented.
"I take it that you're not here to chat it up, boy, so speak up, its getting late." The elderly cougar demanded. She was just as Eight remembered, part playful, part no-nonsense. This was the business end, however and who could blame her? She stood expecting an answer, her coarse pelliccia covered in the evening's dew, tail swishing this way and that.
"Well," Eight decided it best to skip the details, she didn't seem one for waiting, "We're out scouting, looking for the mulo deer herd to the east of here."
The cougar nodded her rough-furred head in acknowledgement as he continued,
"We think they may have migrated a little sooner than we anticipated. We may not have enough Cibo to last the pack through the winter." He finished up, motioning to Stern, indicating that it was più his idea than it was Eight's own.

"And why are te telling me this?" The leonessa asked, swaying slightly, mostrare some intrigue.
"Thats just the reason you're here, actually," Eight went on to explain, loosening is own stance some, to follow her lead. "I wondered if te may be able to help, perhaps lead a handful back in this direction before they pass all the way through your territory too."
The matronly lion blinked once, her eyes wide at what she heard before throwing her head back in laughter. She sat and put a paw to her chest, as though trying to physically cease the air from leaving her lungs in such a way.
"You want me to help a bunch of wild Cani to eat through the winter?! How absurd!" She laughed again.
This frustrated Eight just a little, not to mention disappointed him. He was so sure that he could talk her into it, he'd not have taken on the risk otherwise. Her laughter faded after a moment and she continued,
"And just WHAT would be in this deal for me, young one, hmm? o am I supposed to be the kind-hearted, motherly type and help te from the goodness of my soul?" She belittled him again and he was taken back further.
"I-I just thought...-" He stammered, looking for words.
Stern stepped forward, gaining their attention as he spoke up,
"For some time now, the pack leaders have spoke on expanding the territory in this direction," He explained, as plainly as he could so as not to give a threatening impression, "Its common knowledge that there was an... inhabitant on this land, though we didn't know exactly what-or rather, who."
The Cougar glanced to Eight then turned her full attention and body toward Stern, now clearly intrigued and fully involved. She stared at him in silence, the tip of her tail twitching this way and that, twisting and stretching a muscle o two here and there beneath her scarred and matted fur.
"We have been careful for months now not to set foot on this territory," Stern went on, "its not the way of our pack to intrude. However, if its the will of the leaders, we will take these flats, all the way to the gorge. And there are enough of us to accomplish such a task."

They all stood there in an uneasy silence at the prospect of an invasion into the lioness' lands. Clouds now cluttered the sky, passing over bits of the moon. It remained largely uncluttered, the size of it saw to that. Each time though, it seemed to grow a little darker, perfectly matching the mood of the situation.

"But," Stern added, his stance growing light and limber again, "If te were to help us, to redirect the herd - if even for a short while, I'm positive that this deed would not go unnoticed to our elders." He finished up, taking a step inoltrare, avanti offering his own personal truce.

She considered for a moment and looked to Eight, "Does he speak the truth?"
"The pack's territory expands a little every day. But they are not without reason." Eight answered, looking into her eyes unwaveringly. He didn't know if what Stern detto was true o not, but then again, he wasn't lying in his answer, either.
She thought for a moment in silence, her gaze breaking away to the ground, considering the offer and what it meant to her. She could fight off a handful of Lupi at a time, but her age was something that would impede her, and she couldn't fight forever. One way o another, eventually they'd have this land, if they truly wanted it and she knew it.
Eight and Stern looked to one another briefly before she picked her head back up, recomposed herself and broke the dead silence of the night,
"Speaking of intrusions, te may want to head your friend off at the pass." She motioned past and behind the two Lupi to the vasting open field they crossed through hours prior. The two looked back, and saw nothing.

"Shade?" Eight asked.
"Most likely, the punk can hide in thin air."
"Yeah, an' if it were Ayame, she'd be sticking out like a ciliegia blossom in this muck."
"And that Omega would be making all sorts of noise."
The two spoke back and forth briefly before Stern made a decision,
"I'll go handle it." He stated, turning back to Eight but with something other than disgust in his eyes. It was as though he were struggling, trying to make sure that he could leave the task to Eight alone. As though, it should be him taking the reigns instead, like only trusted himself to get the job done. Eight nodded to him, and before another word was uttered, he turned to leave across the field and gave a yip. The cool night air carried it on forever and in a moment, one was returned as he faded through the clouds of fog.

"Well then," The old Cougar started, turning to the east and taking a step, "Shall we?"
Eight nodded and obliged to accompany her.


The two walked side da side, each on their own side of the juncture between land, a mutual respect between them, and matters to attend to. They slipped out of sight through the dimly lit night, still cold as the grave itself, leaving little più than a soft trail of voices and whisps of fog as they passed through.