Sorry about the 2-day delay from the usual schedule, work constraints delayed the collaboration meeting between Historian1912 and I. I hope to have the next chapter up by next Wednesday.

Just as a reminder for the names of the main pack:

Path = Chomper

Ruby = Ponder

Littlefoot = Seeker

Cera = Stern Claw

Ducky = Haven

Spike = Finder

Petrie = Spotter

And for the names of the remaining member of Mender's first pack:

Dodger = Verant (eventually)

Tracker = Staza (eventually)

Violet = Mender (eventually)

But enough commentary from me, on to the story...

Chapter 2: Mender's Entrance

An unexpected introduction. That must be Mender's entrance.

Orchid considered the violet fastbiter for several moments as she finished the chorus of her first song. The singing of stories was not unknown to him, considering that it was how Petrie often communicated the adventures of his pack when he visited the family, but it was not a common way for fastrunners to convey ideas.

"Is that the entire story?"

Orchid's beak clinched slightly as his sister whispered into his ear, the tiniest hint of a smile forming on his face.

"I think that is just the beginning... It's the... um..." Orchid struggled to think of the word.

"Introduction song."

Orchid turned his head slightly only to see Cynnil's eyes smirking at him with amusement. Despite the obvious lack of malice, there was something predatory about the kind troodon's expression that made Orchid shiver.

Good job, Orchid. You have been caught in the act by Mender's pack leader. I am sure that a pack of hidden runners and fastbiters are exactly the sort of people you should disrespect by whispering over someone's song.

Despite his self-criticism, however, Orchid did not leave his train of thought. There was something odd about the fastbiters wavering chorus. Something that he couldn't quite place.

She's nervous.

His eyes went wide at that realization. He couldn't quite understand where that thought had come from, but as soon as he took a deep breath he realized what had given him the idea. The scent of nervousness and uncertainty. Gone was the cold efficiency of the dutiful healer and in its place was a scent that seemed to belong to someone else. It was then that he caught sight of Cynnil's expression once more. The look that she gave communicated volumes.

Now you know. Don't make her feel worse.

The song finally came to an end as Mender's voice came to a slow hum. He had little experience in gauging the quality of fastbiter songs as Petrie was where he had heard most of them. Though Petrie's speech impediment was almost non-existent when he sang, there was something enticing about hearing a song from the voice of a new singer. He was going to show respect to Mender for the song even before his recent revelation, but Mender's nervousness only confirmed his course of action.

He began stomping his foot in applause.

Mender finished the last tones of her introduction with a mixture of uncertainty and inadequacy. Singing was never her strength, and though she knew that her pack would not belabor her acoustic failings, she had her doubts about singing to a crowd of strangers. Worse yet was the blatant desire of the fastrunners to end the song...

Is that the entire story?

The words of Arial dwelled in her mind. It had been made in a whisper, but to her ears it might as well have been said aloud. It was obvious to Mender that her patient was too polite to critique her singing, but obviously wanted it to end. With that in mind she brought her song to its conclusion and prepared to make an excuse on the fastrunner's behalf. I could say that I am losing my voice, that would be believable, wouldn't it? But that was when she heard it.

Applause?

Mender blinked at the reactions of the two young fastrunners, but her eyes were not deceiving her. The two were stomping their feet in the polite applause that was common for their kind. Well, stomping her foot in Arial's case. Mender smiled slightly at that. For once she was not distressed about completely misreading the situation.

"You are correct, by the way, Orchid," Mender offered which cased the male fastrunner to stop applauding and to take on a mortified expression that made Detras and Pearl laugh openly, "That was the introduction. The full song is much, much longer."

Orchid was frozen in silence, but his sister was not at a loss for words, "You heard us?"

Mender chuckled lightly as she pointed at her ears, "I have very good hearing. That is one thing that I have going for me anyway."

"You have many strengths, Mender, don't count yourself short," Cynnil chided gently.

"Yeah!" Buse affirmed, "No reason to be nervous, you sang gre- hey!"

Cynnil looked at Pearl with a amusement as the fastrunner quickly put on an innocent expression. Buse, for his part, continued to look at the others in confusion. Not quite sure where the offending rock had come from.

Perhaps wishing to spare his mate any suspicion for the act of stopping Buse's overactive mouth, or perhaps simply wishing to change the subject from something that would embarrass their guest, Detras interrupted the others.

"So you used to be called Violet? Interesting... And your brother is named Dodger?"

It was times like this that Violet hated not being able to read others well. Are you trying to distract Buse from suspecting your mate? My pack leader approves of her aim so that shouldn't be an issue... or are you actually curious? Promptly realizing that she was daydreaming, she quickly answered his question.

"My youngling name was Violet," she affirmed with a nod of the head, "And Verant used to be called Dodger. Tracker is now called Staza."

"Why do you sharpteeth change your names anyway? Violet sounds like a perfectly fine name, since you are, well, violet," As if to punctuate her point Arial pointed at her brother's violet feathers, "And Ruby's name was fine too. I would have to ponder why she was named Ponder... ow!"

Orchid quickly dodged Arial's bite of reprisal as he looked at her cheekily, "You know what mom says about talking double!"

"Oh, so you do that too?" Violet asked as if the sibling spat had not happened. I guess it would make sense that Ponders's way of talking runs in the family.

Arial looked embarrassed, "Not all the time..."

"Talking double does kind of run in the family," Pearl spared her daughter the task of making the explanation, "Though Ruby did it a lot. I think she got worse from teaching Chomper the leaf-eater language."

Violet tilted her head at this, Teaching Path? I must have missed that song!

"He already knew how to speak some, but our daughter decided to teach him the rest," Detras rolled his eyes at the memory, "Which she did without telling us... but sorry, Mender, I think that we talked over your answer."

Violet was confused for a moment before remembering what had been asked a few seconds prior, "You will have to tell me that story at some point, but as for the youngling name..." she began to gesture with her hands, "The youngling name is like a guess of who you will be, but the pack name describes who you are."

"So since you mend people, you are called Mender?" Orchid asked.

Violet nodded, "Exactly."

"And one of Haven's and Leap's children is named Dodger, was she named after your brother?" Detras asked curiously.

The look of absolute shock on Violet's face was apparent to everyone present, They... they named one of their kids Dodger? The flyers left out that piece of information.

"They... they did?" Violet sputtered, "I... well, I assume that Verant knows..."

She took a deep, calming breath, "That is a gesture that would have seemed impossible back then."

Detras nodded as the violet fastrunner tilted his head, "I would imagine so considering what Ducky nearly did to your packmate."

Violet sighed, "Not just that... not just that..." That is a part of the song that I will spare them the details.

Detras misread Mender's intentions as he noticed Violet's obvious emotional struggle, "Well it is getting later, perhaps you would like to continue the story tomorrow..."

"No." Mender's voice rang out with surprising firmness, "I will sing you all of the song which we usually sing to the night. Nothing less... and nothing more."

As if sensing the awkward impasse in the conversation, Cynnil stepped forward and tilted her head at Violet, "The next part of the song requires a second singer, right?"

Violet smiled slightly, "Right. Alright... let's continue the song." Alright, Mender. They liked your introduction so the next part should not be too bad. Well, besides the embarrassing details... She shook her head, Enough thinking, let's get this started again.

In rage and fear I disobeyed

Seeking my friends whom had stayed

But as my body sprinted into the night

Seeker's pack was ready to fight...

After the events of chapter 1:

Violet was trying very hard not to leap at the fastbiter confronting her. I can't believe I got caught! Wait, that's wrong. Not being caught would mean the other pack is blind, deaf, and snifferless.

Cera stared down the violet-colored fastbiter with an icy glare. She had no idea what was going on in the enemy fastbiter's mind, but the deeply contemplative look made her fearful of a trick. Little did she know that Violet's thoughts were more introspective than strategic.

Okay... what would Dodger do? Stupid question! Dodger wouldn't have gotten caught! Violet was self-admittedly the worst of her pack at hiding and any part of hunting that involved sneaking. Her only real gift was her speed. She could outrun anyone, despite being both the smallest and the last in her nest to hatch. That might come in handy right about now…

Cera clenched her hands firmly against the spear. It seems that our kindness is about to bite us in the ass! Don't try me, scale-ass!

As Cera squared off with the small fastbiter she could see a familiar shadow out of the corner of her eye as Ducky's discrete form shifted behind her in preparation for a possible reprisal attack. Cera smiled, and Purple over here thinks we are alone...

Violet kept her focus on the fastbiter in front of her, having not noticed anyone else. The other fastbiter was bigger than her, probably bigger than Dodger... some part of her mind added. Only her fear for her brother, and a lack of common sense, kept her from backing up a step.

"Where's my brother!" she demanded.

She did not see the fasbiter emerge from the bushes until his spear was already at the ready.

"Trying to find a plant that will save your friend."

Violet stared at the new brown fastbiter with a mixture of surprise and rage. How did he appear out of nowhere? His reference to saving her friend only barely registered in her mind before Littlefoot spoke again.

"I would advise against charging forward unless you want him to try to save you as well." The arrogance in Littlefoot's voice was offset by obvious concern. "I think that your friend would like to see you now… but only if you keep your claws to yourself, outsider."

Violet gritted her teeth in frustration but backed down. She'd already caused her brother enough trouble by disobeying a direct order from her own leader. She was pretty sure she wasn't going to escape a lecture as it was. No sense making it worse.

Cera edged closer to a nearby bush and aimed her spear firmly in Violet's position. This was followed by the fastbiter emitting a series of unintelligible screeches and hisses. Upon hearing a hiss back from somewhere behind her, the fastbiter then nodded and gestured towards the bush.

I was surrounded?!

As if to answer her unspoken question, Cera spoke, "She is in that direction. Don't do anything stupid. We will be watching."

Then, without taking her eyes off of Violet, she edged behind the bush. Only Cera's eyes continued to shine through the pitch black night... the only sign that she kept watch over the fastbiter.

Violet was getting more worried the longer it took to reach her friend. Her imagination was starting to get the better of her. The warnings she kept getting weren't exactly improving her mood either. Trying to not cause any more trouble, she kept her opinions to herself, though that didn't stop her from glaring at Cera's last known position.

Cera eyed the fastbiter with a stern expression. She could smell the stench of anger and agitation, but at the moment she couldn't bring herself to care. Seeker is being more generous than I would be! Cera protested internally, What in the name of sanity is wrong with this one? Does she not know how to follow fucking directions? As if to mock her unstated question, Violet began to slowly advance through the dark.

When Violet actually got in sight of Tracker, she nearly got dizzy from her almost contradictory reactions. She was worried, and more than a bit horrified, at the sight of Tracker's injury. She was also angry, angry at whoever had dared hurt her friend. Tracker was the nicest dinosaur she knew, including the siblings she hadn't seen in what felt like a lifetime. Tracker even forgave her for initially being downright nasty towards her when they met. Whoever did this was going to pay.

"Tracker, are you alright?" Violet asked with barely concealed fear as she ran up to her friend. It was a stupid question to ask, but she couldn't think of something better.

"My leg hurts," Tracker practically whispered. That was enough of an understatement to be considered a lie. She'd chew off the leg if it would make the pain stop.

"What can I do?"

"Put pressure on my leg where my hand is."

"Okay." Violet proceeded to do just that.

While putting pressure on the leg, Violet took a moment to study the injury. It looked even worse up close. Violet did her best not to react, to keep herself under control, but she was starting to lose it. She hated being helpless.

Tracker didn't like the signals she was getting from Violet. If her now heavy breathing wasn't a dead giveaway by itself, the air was thick with the smell of anxiety, along with quite a bit of anger.

"Violet, look at me," Violet didn't respond.

"Violet, eyes on me," Tracker said a bit more authoritatively, the way she heard Dodger say it. It was a tactic Dodger used on Violet during a major injury, argument, or other tense situation to keep her focused on only what he wanted her to focus on, not what was currently worrying her.

Slightly shocked to hear that phrase from Tracker, Violet looked over to her friend.

"Violet, I'm alright. Everything's going to be fine," Tracker told her best friend. Like a few other things tonight, she forgot one critical detail. It was a very bad idea to lie to Violet, no matter how unpleasant the truth was.

"Y-you're lying," Violet snapped. She nearly started sobbing, assuming the worst.

Looking away from her friend, Violet saw a green fastbiter a length's away that didn't have a stick. All of the other fastbiters here had sticks, unless…

"YOU!" Violet screamed. Her vision blurred red as she charged the other fastbiter.

Ducky scampered back at the sudden onslaught from the emotional fastbiter. Like a thunderstorm on a sunny day the threat came upon her with little warning. Fortunately for Ducky, however, the pack had prepared for this possibility.

Violet did not see Spike preparing to launch his spear in defense of his sister…

"Violet, STOP!"

Time seemed to freeze in an instant upon Dodger's panicked yell. Violet reluctantly stopped in front of her target, with her body shaking in barely contained anger. She saw red. In that moment all that she could hear was her thundering heartbeat and the distant words of her brother. With a shuddering breath she clinched her hands and continued to stare at the green fastbiter, not wishing to let her escape.

"We got the healing plants! Now please get away from her!"

Violet continued to stare at Ducky, but took quite a few steps back. Had she been even a bit calmer, she would have dashed all the way back to Tracker's side and started apologizing. She knew she was huge trouble, probably with everyone at this point, but she was so angry she couldn't make herself care.

"Violet..."

Violet took a deep breath, but did not take her eyes off of Ducky. The green fastbiter now almost seemed calm, which angered Violet immensely. However, she responded to her packmate with the calmest voice that she could manage.

"Tracker?"

Tracker sighed heavily as Dodger silently advanced towards her after a nod from Taunt. None of the pack realized that this was in order to get the two packmates into the same place, not necessarily to help Tracker. If they couldn't stop Violet one way then they would have leverage to try another…

"What are you doing, Violet?"

Violet growled, "I am about to rip out this sap-sucker's throat!"

Tracker tried to keep her voice calm, "And what would that accomplish? Will it undo my wound?"

"This pile of spiketail dung tried to kill you and still might. Why should she get to live if you don't?" Violet was getting angrier by the second. "I can't let this go unanswered!" She turned back towards Ducky. If looks could kill then Ducky was in for a long agonizing death.

Ducky had the sense to keep her mouth shut during this exchange. However, seeing that a battle seemed to be in the near-future, she gently rubbed the red bulb in her claws that she had laid at her side during her watch duty. She was prepared to meet violence with violence on this day.

"Stop, Haven. Let's see if they can work this out first."

Ducky clinched her hands at Littlefoot's words. To the ears of the other pack those words sounded like gibberish, but to Ducky they were a direct order. Don't attack unless attacked.

Meanwhile, Tracker cleared her dry throat and tried again.

"I am not dead yet, but if you do this then I will be. We all will be."

Violet seemed to freeze solid for a moment as Tracker's words started to sink in. What am I doing? Why do I keep messing everything up? She looked over at Dodger, who only gave her a hard stare. She'd only gotten that look once after attacking Tracker while suffering from hunger madness. If she couldn't control herself her brother would do it for her.

Reluctantly Violet withdrew back towards her packmates, a look of utter defeat plastered on her face. Even if Dodger knew what to say to his sister in that moment, he doubted that he could bring himself to say it. The near-death experience he was currently in wasn't helping matters.

Ducky took this opportunity to edge back towards Spike's position. It was only now that he appeared, with his spear firmly at his side. A reminder to Ducky, and an indication to Violet, of the fate that she nearly made for herself.

"Guys, I think we need to start now."

The heads of the fastbiters turned towards Taunt's inquisitive form. He was staring at Tracker's legs and was lightly picking up one of her feet and dropping them as if they were no longer under her control.

"The Orange Death is beginning to work up her legs."

"All we can do now is wait. If she gets feeling in her legs then that is a good sign."

Dodger suppressed an impatient growl at the pink fastbiter in front of him. Berating the healer would do Tracker no favors.

"How long do you think that will take?" Dodger asked being careful to keep the annoyance out of his voice. Though he didn't look it, he was almost at his wit's end. Between Tracker fighting a battle he could no longer help her in and Violet trying to start one he almost wished he were in an argument with Prowler, which was not unlike arguing with a two-footer. A dangerous challenge you were unlikely to win.

Ruby sat down as she looked into Littlefoot's eyes. It was as if they were having a nonverbal conversation.

"We should know before the end of the night... Before the end of the night we should know how it ends."

Silence fell upon the dinosaurs as Ruby's ominous words echoed in their minds. It was possible to survive the Orange Death even without treatment, but very unlikely. Calin was the only opponent of theirs who had survived such an injury. The fact that Tracker was already having trouble feeling her legs was a sign that her time was numbered without treatment.

But that wouldn't stop Tracker from trying to find levity in the situation.

"Well at least I will see how this story ends tonight. I always hated cliffhangers."

Violet couldn't help but smile. "Does that have anything to do with our first hunt together?" She'd accidently knocked Tracker off a ledge and had to pull her back up.

"Hey, that was your fault," Tracker replied, laughing as she did so.

Littlefoot watched the interactions of the three fastbiters with some interest. Despite one being deathly ill in a makeshift nest of leaves, and the others sitting uncomfortably next to their attackers, their mannerisms were just like those of his own pack in many ways. The same camaraderie… the same compassion… the same humor...

Littlefoot sighed. This other pack had nearly met their end due to a misunderstanding. Would his own pack meet such an end one day? They had faced death many times before, but the events of this day brought those memories back into the foreground. It reminded him of something that Detras had told him after the Battle for the Valley.

Live for each day… because one day will be your last.

Ruby interrupted Littlefoot's contemplative thoughts.

"Remember to breath slow, if you breathe slowly then the healing plants work better."

Tracker did as she was told. Instead of thinking about hunting she thought back on some of her previous near-death experiences. For her this was ironically calming. Since she had survived so much, she felt better about her chances now. Most of the time when things got bad either Dodger or Prowler would quickly find a way out. Lately though, really since before last Cold Time, Prowler had been panicking more quickly and losing control of the situation. The one time she asked about it she almost literally got her head bit off.

Maybe it is best that he isn't here now... but if Prowler isn't here, then where is he? Tracker wondered.

"Violet?" Tracker asked.

"Yes?" Violet replied hesitantly. She didn't like Tracker's contemplative look.

"You were with Prowler last," Tracker whispered, "Do you know where he is?"

Cera shifted her gaze towards the injured fastbiter. She knew what that tone of voice meant, even if she had no idea what the exact context was.

"N-no," Violet stammered, forgetting to keep her voice down. She really didn't want to embarrass herself even further in front of the other pack.

Unfortunately for Violet, she'd gotten Dodger's attention. He gestured away from the group with his head. Violet reluctantly followed when he got up.

This doesn't look good, Littlefoot thought to himself. Upon seeing Taunt and Spike give him an inquisitive look, Littlefoot shook his head. Overt spying would not be done here. As it was, Littlefoot suspected it would not be necessary...

Dodger led Violet a little ways away where they were still quite visible but a bit less likely to be overheard.

"What happened?" Dodger asked without preamble. He wasn't entirely sure what Tracker had said, but he'd been wondering where Prowler was for a while now and finally had the excuse to ask.

Violet stayed silent for a moment, feigning ignorance.

"What happened after Tracker and I left?" Dodger clarified, taking away Violet's excuse to not answer.

"He left," Violet replied.

"What did you do?" Dodger asked, practically sighing as he did so.

"What makes you think I did anything?"

"You always do something, even unintentionally." Especially unintentionally.

"He tried to make me leave you guys behind. I refused. He attacked me," Violet explained, gesturing towards the injury on her snout.

"So you disobeyed a direct order from the pack leader, fought with said leader, and charged headlong into danger with no support. Did I leave anything out?"

Dodger was furious. He was angry at Prowler for abandoning the rest of the pack and for hurting his sister, but Prowler wasn't here. Violet was. Violet was also his responsibility.

"Would you rather I left you to die?!" Violet demanded. She was practically shouting now.

"Did you even have a plan?" Dodger asked, ignoring Violet's question. There really wasn't a good answer to it.

Violet looked down. "No, I didn't think. I just reacted."

"That's what nearly got you killed tonight. You didn't think. You didn't think about the consequences of your actions. What if Tracker and I died? What would you have done then?"

"I'm sorry." Violet was fighting back the urge to cry and failing. How could I have been so stupid?

Dodger took a calming breath and looked back at Tracker. She was glaring at him, giving him the warning she always gave when his worry got the better of him.

"Violet," Dodger said slowly, "I'm glad you're here. Really, I am. I just want to keep you safe."

"I know," Violet said. She kept her head low, not feeling quite brave enough to look up.

"Violet, eyes on me." Violet reluctantly looked up, "One day I might not be around anymore. That day nearly was today. You're going to need to learn how to work with fastbiters that aren't me, even if you don't like them." And there isn't much about Prowler to like, Dodger thought.

Violet wanted to deny it, but she couldn't. With extreme reluctance she nodded.

"Let's get back to Tracker before she talks them into sending out a search party," Dodger suggested. Violet smiled at that. She could actually see Tracker doing that just to get them to stop arguing. The siblings silently returned to the group.

"Can you feel your feet, Tracker?"

The two siblings had their thoughts interrupted by Taunt's voice. He was leaning near their prone friend as she cradled her right foot with a grimace of pain plastered on her face.

"Yes!" she spat out in a pained hiss, though there was no anger in her voice, "Though at the moment I wish that I couldn't!"

"That… that is a good sign, actually…"

Tracker's face looked over at the green fastbiter in the distance. She said nothing, but the look on her face indicated that the last person that she wanted to talk to was the fastbiter who nearly killed her. Nonetheless Ducky continued.

"It means that the Orange Death is losing the battle."

Violet barely heard what Ducky said. She was too busy trying to kill her with a glare. Dodger smiled in spite of himself. Despite the messenger, the news was good. We might get out of this alright after all.

Tracker sucked in a deep breath at the other fastbiter's words. Though that did not ease her pain, it did calm her nerves. Despite trying to put on a brave face the prospect of death had terrified her. Now that the dark possibility was again in the background she allowed herself to relax. A moistness was felt in her eyes that she had been suppressing until then.

"Thank you…" she choked out. The other pack could have finished her off and killed her friends, but they had chosen a more generous route. Though Violet did not realize it at that moment, Tracker was especially cognizant of what that meant. Both for her pack and the pack that surrounded them.

"What do you plan to do with us?"

The two siblings looked at Tracker as if she had grown a second head, but Littlefoot seemed to be ready for this question. He paused for a moment as he shifted his balance from one foot to the other. Then, with a ponderous expression, he looked towards his packmates.

"I think… that is something that my pack will decide tomorrow," she could smell the agreement from the others, "In the meantime, you may rest here… under our strict supervision…"

Trying not to look like he had lost control of his pack, Dodger spoke for the group, "Can't argue with that. Ironically this is probably the safest we've been in…" he looked at Violet questioningly, "five Cold Times."

The stunned look on Littlefoot's face would have made his packmates laugh under any other circumstance, "...then you have not known much peace in your lives?" It was a rhetorical question that demanded answers.

Violet gave Littlefoot a look that screamed 'You did not just ask that', matching her own thoughts exactly.

"We've been on our own for a long time," Dodger said, giving the most basic explanation he could. He wanted to check with Tracker and Violet over how much he should tell if allowed discretion.

Littlefoot nodded slowly. Orphans… These are not the first of these that we have seen in the Mysterious Beyond. He did not finish the thought that it sometimes seemed that having one's parents survive to see their children leave the nest was the exception and not the rule. However he resisted sharing this depressing observation and instead offered a kind smile.

"Well… your fortunes have not betrayed you on this day. Your pack yet lives."

Dodger just nodded his agreement, not sure what to say. He'd come so close to death so many times he no longer feared it. He'd been terrified tonight, though, having nearly lost the two most important dinosaurs in his life.

As her companion tried to awkwardly transition the conversation away from the other pack's unspoken tragedies, Ruby looked over towards the horizon. The Bright Circle was beginning to peak over the distant hills, which heralded the coming of the morning. She was not the only one to notice this as a certain purple sharptooth grunted in frustration in the distance.

"Urgh… it looks like we aren't getting any more sleep tonight."

Ruby looked over at Chomper and tilted her head. "I thought that you were watching for others?"

Chomper merely shrugged at this, which was a comical expression considering the diminutive size of his arms to the rest of his body. "Spotter took over. He says that there is enough light for him to watch the fields… It is a Full Night Circle tonight." He then thought better of what he just said. "...well… was a Full Night Circle."

Dodger was stunned to see a two-footer talking with one of Littlefoot's pack members but relaxed when he saw and smelled that most of the present fastbiters were quite calm. The only exceptions were Tracker and… "Violet!" Dodger shouted, turning around to see her disappear into the trees.

"Who's fastest?" Dodger asked Littlefoot. One of the few things Violet bested him in was speed.

Littlefoot did not waste any time. "Haven! Stern Claw!"

In an instant the two fastbiters disappeared in the direction that Violet had run. Leaving a visibly fatigued Littlefoot and an utterly confused Chomper.

"Was it something that I said?"

I hope everyone enjoys the latest chapter. As I have mentioned previously, this story is going to be a bit more focused on the interpersonal dynamics between the pack members, and Mender in particular. And, as we can see from the ending, it would appear that Violet (Mender) has some lingering issues with two-footers...

JulianR94: Thank you very much for the kind words and helpful feedback over the last week. (: After revising this chapter I think that I have concluded that the pacing of this story (at least the song elements) will be more fast-paced merely due to the fact that it was composed in a roleplay, and partially due to Violet's personality. As we have seen she is quite prone to overanalysis when she has time to think, and a lack of analysis when her emotions get in the way. These traits are helpful to a healer, but before then...

gordhanx: No problem, I am glad to have you as a reader again (: I hope that you enjoy the latest chapter.

Thanks again for the feedback, everyone! I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the latest developments.