Previously: not a lot happened, she got some stuff from town and left her parents a note. shes at the border of the forest with galaxy, and they're both pretending she isn't crying. its kinda akward.

Echo and galaxy arrived and put their stuff just inside the cave. galaxy paused.

"i have to go. if anything happens let me know, and if wolves somehow find you and try to capture you then in the back there's a small hole with a cover, you should be able to both hide there. ill be back by midnight. if lions find you see if you can run to the forest." echo nodded, and galaxy sort of smiled at her. they both essentially ignored frost, sitting on her bed not really doing anything. echo started spreading out the blanket and pillow and clearing the itchy dried grass.

"how'd it go?" she shrugged, blinking hard. she did not want to cry in front of frost.

"did you realize that you wont be able to go back?" she looked away and started folding clothes.

"you have to talk to me at some point."

"no. i dont have to do anything."

"you have to survive."

"i dont see why." she didn't have anything to survive for. she was going to lose everything and live a life of misery.

"you'll still have me. and you'll be able to explore the magic."

"you arent my friend."

"i was."

"you never were. frost was."

"well, whoever that was is somewhere in me."

"dead. and my parents may as well be dead. galaxy to, soon. and all my other friends. and the magic i imagined. no, my dreams. and my real plans." she had said to much. frost somehow managed to get her to open up. she glared, and frost rose her eyebrows, smiling a little.

what? if I'm not your friend then how could i know exactly how to get you to talk? dont blame me.

again with the silent talking. how was it they got so much out of expressions and yet were very much opposed? she just refused to speak, and after a few remarks frost gave up and left. she got back with a few rabbits as dusk fell. echo ignored her nd added the final stroke to her new painting.

"good to see you to." why couldn't frost just leave her alone? she wasn't laughing. they spent an hour like that, waiting in awkward silence for galaxy, far more awkward were fross occasional remarks. she glanced at her watch. 10:04. they sat for about 15 minutes like that, waiting for galaxy, when a lion walked in, fur like blood. she and frost stared at each other, itbeing to late to hide.

"sorry, i couldn't get here until late. ill say that a human wants to have a sleep over next time. which isn't entirely wrong... anyway, we should wait until around 11:45. can you set an alarm for that?" echo nodded and figited. frosts hackles went down and she turned back to human form.

"ok. what if we get caught?"

"you wont. if youre only there for a moment then they wont spot you, the patrols are meant to keep off mass invasions, they wont be so close to the border unless they know you need to bethere every night. but they only have the moon to keep time, you have a watch." galaxy nodded.

"we should give you a margin of 5 minutes in case its inaccurate. climb a tree or something i guess."

"you shouldn't be on the forest. when she changes it might harm any outsiders in the forest. ill stay with her." echo silently groaned. would frost be silent? more likely she would do the silent talk thing again. 

"will you really have a better chance of protecting her than me? wolves happen to be tiny and you'll be equal power to them but outnumbered and with echo to keep track of."

"i know the forest. if anyone finds us ill know how to escape."

"the wolves know the forest to." echo glanced between them.

"fine. you can come." galaxy glanced at her.

"you sure?" you dont have to let her come, you can figure it out yourself.

again with the silent conversation. i dont want her to come, but it doesn't look like we have a choice.

"i was checking out hiding spots before i met galaxy. the other wolves wont be familiar with them." galaxy nodded. they all sat nervous and vigilint until the watch beeped, making them all jump.

they got up simaltinuisly, pulled by hidden string to be in sync, the strings of years upon years of being together almost constantly. echo and frost awkwardly looked down and scratched their necks, and galaxy pretended not to notice. they crept to the edfe and echo slid across with frost, who took her to a dense group of bushes and directed her thru, echo reluctant. she could swear she would scratch her eye out. inside was a cozy but roomy hollow space, luckily with branches shielding overheard, so only a sliver of moonlight penertarated, which frost directed hr to stand in. she wished frost had something with a hood, her hair was like a beacon in the moonlight. they sat there for 10 minutes, jumping at every slight noise, until frost gestured for her to go. they got back to galaxy.

no change? echo shook her head and they returned to the cave.

"frost we need to get you hair dye if your going to keep going."

"what?? absolutely not! will it change my fur?"

"yes. and we dont have a choice. you can stay here or you can dye your hair black."

"fine. do i get to choose?"

"if you must."

"platinum blonde."

"not funny. i can always just get neon green? or is it yellow? that color is so hard to pin down. but i bet it wouldn't be as reflective."

"fine. grey." galaxy nodded. 

"what if i touch the windstone again?"

"i dont think that would be good. it could be dangerous." galaxy said.

"ok."

"i have to get back to my pride, i they wake up and I'm missing it will spawn questions. not that I'm the first lion to disappear, but since I'm not bound it would be unussaul. esspecaily going back would be difficult."

"that's why wolves outnmber lions! i always wondered."

"dont tell the wolves. although maybe secret is behind it." frost shook her head.

"absolutely not." frost looked extremely feirce, and she would be privy to such knowledge and to loyal to disclose it, so echo wondered if she was being honest. galaxy seemed to share the thought, but left anyways.