Previously: Lions attacked the border, trying to capture echo, so everyone left to fight them. wolves Area, Pine, Slate, and Eden were left to protect the base. Area general defense, Pine to watch and hid Echo, and Slate and Eden for the pups(bc they're a handful). but pine tried to kill echo, against secrets orders, so they disabled him. Eden was reassigned to echo, slate watched the pups, and area held down pine. bt something is outside now.

Area raised her hackles and started growling, a low, deadly sound. after a moment, Secret stepped into view and everyone relaxed. except for pine, who looked nervous. 

"the lionwalkers aren't making any headway, so i came to check that everything was alright. area, why are you holding your brother?"

"wait, lionwalkers? what do they do?" secret silenced her, speaking with her eyes that it wasn't the time.

"he tried to kill echo. he wouldn't stop so we had to fight him." wait... her brother? literally? she protected eco, who she didn't even like, from her brother? wow. pack loyalty was strong.

"ah. but no lions?"

"no lions."

"Pine!" secrets voice rang clear and authoritative.

"you expressly disobeyed me! i told you to protect her, not kill her. come with me." he turned to a wolf, and area got off him. he slunk after secret, ears and tail down. after a few hours, the wolves returned, without pine. all alive, tho frost led about a quarter to the fountain. secret left and returned around the same time with pine.

"While we were away, pine deliberately disobeyed a direct order and attempted to kill the marked girl. for this, you are sentenced to death." pine yelped, and frost looked alarmed.

"but forest-"

"-was not under orders to do anything regarding her. you were. we were in battle, mutiny could have literally lost us the battle and caused people to fall."

"wait, can i take echo out for this?" frost interrupted.

"why?"

"because she was just traumatized and watching an execution will be too upsetting." the words left unspoken penetrated the air, 'and i don't think she wants a preview of her own death.'. thankfully, they remained unsaid, because they would also upset her.

"i see no reason to. besides, you should be here for this. obviously, proper execution protocol isn't something we have many opportunities to teach." echos stomach rolled over on itself. how did he feel right now? she tried to stop her mind going there- it was too easy. she would stand where he did soon enough, and she felt like her neck was in a noose all the time, for something. secret turned to area, slate, and Eden.

"thank you for preventing his rebellion. especially Eden, who-" echo stopped listening, tho she noticed she didn't thank them for saving her, but for preventing his misbehavior. constant little things like this grated her. little reminders that nobody cared about her. at least, not anyone relevant. tho it was only days ago, her normal life, family, and human friend seemed like from another realm, another her. frost came over and murmured to her.

"cover your ears and close your eyes. the first time you smell death hits you, but next to a death cry, at least to a human, it doesn't compare."

"When have you killed before?"

"my first kill was when i was about 10. just a scrawny rabbit, but i was so proud of it." frost smiled at the memory.

"Alright, frost, watch carefully." it was starting. she was too shocked to obey frost, she just stared in horror, silent tears leaking down her cheeks. yes, he had tried to kill her, but soon she would stand right there and face everything. she wondered how she would feel when the whole thing climaxed. relived, probably. this entire thing was her death, agonizingly drawn out. they may not have even touched her with tooth or claw(not that wolves fight with their claws- it just sounded cool), but they left it looming on the horizon. but death terrified her as well. what next? was it really better than changing? and ultimately, did it matter? she had no choice in the matter. then it all happened too quickly.

pine became human-she wanted to look away! this would be exactly how she died, but she couldn't. and secret leapt, filling her hind legs with power and springing. he sort of yelped, human vocal cords trying to make a bestial sound. she wasn't sure how they talked as wolves. her forepaws slammed into his shoulders, knocking him down where he hit his head off a rock, stunning him. it looked deliberate(stunning is humane, it prevents the animal, or in this case person, from feeling anything.). she instantly snapped her teeth on his throat and turned away. echo almost threw up. she could feel those huge paws o her shoulders, the rock hitting her head, secrets jaws clamping onto her neck. it was too easy to feel herself as him, and she didn't like it she could hear her scream, and she wondered if she would cry force mercy or swiftness. she didn't feel hands grip her shoulders and gently lead her outside.

"you ok?" echo didn't hear, but frost just sat with her in silence for a while. again, echo was reduced to her bare elements, as if a child.

"Why did i have to see that?"

"frost is busy, she doesn't take time for your physiological health, and I'm important to the pack, so she can't let me just skip stuff to watch you." she paused.

"that was different. don't worry, it won't be like that." she could sense the lie, but wanted to believe it anyway.

"really?"

"yeah, i promise it will be different." she wasn't lying.

"why am i still alive?"

"secret promised you you could have the full month if you cooperated. she doesn't break promises."

"it's just worse. you never let me forget. I'm not accepted. there's no point."

"what about the magic? and you can try and discover what your mark means, isn't that fun?"

"no, you and secret just want to use me."

"what?"

"you said that you would pretend to be my friend and try and learn more about it. besides, i don't want to learn more, i hate it." frost was silent, unsure what to say. echo didn't notice. at length, she spoke.

"things change." echo shrugged. that wasn't the biggest thing on her mind anymore.

"do you want to hear about the battle with the lionwalkers?"

"not really."

"ok... is there anything you need?"

"i just want my cat."

"I'm sorry, even if i could get it the pups would decide it was a toy and eat it. do you want to hold one? Pipe is calm and sweet, she won't chew on you or anything."

"ok." she sat in peace on the rock for a few seconds, lad to be alone with her thoughts, when a wolf spotted her.

"SHES RUNNING AWAY!!!" suddenly she had a pack of angry wolves on her. 5 ran out, including truth and area. frost instant turned into a wolf and ran past the crowd, but not before truth had pinned her down and was about to ask secret for permission to kill her.

"WHAT IS GOING ON?!" frost shouted, but echo hardly noticed. she also didn't notice anything else.

"she was running away!"

"no, i left her for 5 seconds to go get something! she is literally within 3 feet of the cave in plain sight and is so scared she can't walk on her own! how is that running away!?" secret walked up.

"let her go, truth. frost, next time let someone know, just to be safe, or she might get killed."

"i expected them to use common sense."

"come talk with me."

"ok. IM LEAVING HER WITHIN EASY SIGT OF THE CAVE, OK?" frost said pointedly and overdramatically. half the crowd rolled their eyes.

"she could be attacked there, you said she's vulnerable right now?" 

"i feel like anything that might attack her is signing its own death warrant right there. she needs fresh air." secret shrugged.

"your choice. Zephyr, throw the body over the cliff." Zephyr disappeared into the cave, as did secret and frost. echo just sat there. an hour or so after it got dark, frost came out. echo had just started to figure out where she was and what to do next.

"you coming in?"

"what?"

"it's time to go to sleep."

"oh." echo stood up and tried to walk. her feet were uncoordinated, her right foot occasionally ended up on the opposite side of her left and vice versa, but she didn't trip. she went to sleep. 25 days left. she didnt wake up where she went to sleep tho, she had no idea where she was.