"Everyone, come quick!"

Laurel looked up to see Marjoram running into the main cave, her eyes bright. "What is it? Is something wrong?" Serena asked, coming up to the Scottish Terrier.

"No, no." Marjoram shook her head. "Not at all. But you all need to come see this!"

It was the evening and nearly all of the pack had been gathered in the main cave, so they all began to follow Marjoram, although she wouldn't tell them about what it was she was going to show them. Laurel guessed it couldn't be anything bad, judging by how excited she looked.

She finally led them up onto the surface, saying, "I was just taking a peek outside during my patrol and it nearly took my breath away." She pointed towards the west with her muzzle. "Do you see that?"

Laurel's eyes widened as she saw it. It was the sun, setting in what appeared to be a literal blaze of glory. The entire sky had turned to a dappled pattern of amber and gold as the clouds were stained by the sunlight. The last fading beams were stretching over the dark cloud of trees in Night Pack and Storm Pack's territories and landing on the meadow. It caught on the grass, which was beginning to turn brown now that it was mid-autumn, and made it glow.

"Merciful Hunter Dog," Laurel heard Cordan whisper. "That might be the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Laurel stepped closer to him and asked, "Is that what fire looks like?"

Cordan nodded, keeping his eyes fixed on the sky. "I've only seen real fire once, when some lightning struck while I was above ground. But this is about what it looks like. Although this is far prettier, and far less dangerous."

"Wow." Laurel let out a slight laugh of disbelief. "Something like this could almost make you not want to go back underground."

"It's true, there isn't usually much to see down there," Cordan said with a smile. "But sight is so weak compared to what we can hear and feel and especially what we can smell. You haven't had the chance yet, Laurel, but the deeper you go, the more you feel like you never want to come back up."

"When will I get the chance?" Laurel asked. "I mean... I've felt it before. The urge, I guess, or whatever you call it. To go deeper."

"You'll get to, I promise," Cordan said, turning to look at her. "You just need a little more training first. You're nearly a year old; soon after that, you'll start helping with more of the digging and with making new tunnels. Then your paws will get stronger and you'll dig more and more, and you'll really understand what it feels like."

Laurel nodded. "I can't wait."

She turned back to look at the sunset again, but then she noticed that that Cordan was still gazing at her. She turned toward him with a slightly confused expression. "What? Is there something on me?"

"Oh, no." He smiled almost bashfully. "I'm just marveling at what a beautiful young dog you've grown into."

"Oh, Dad."

"No, I mean it! You were such a little thing when we found you. And now you're nearly as big as I am! And you're also growing into one of the finest defenders the pack has ever seen."

Laurel smiled, then looked down at her paws for a moment. "Have I... have I ever thanked you for that?"

Cordan tilted his head. "Thanked me for what?"

"For finding me. For taking me in and raising me like you did. I should thank you for it."

"Don't be silly now, there's nothing to thank. Any dog would have done it. And truthfully, I should be thanking you. You are the biggest gift in my life."

"I don't know about that. Not that I don't try to be."

Cordan chuckled. "But I'm serious. From a rather young age I wanted to be a father, but there was never a dog who was right for me. And of course I wasn't going to get any nieces or nephews from your uncle. When I became alpha, I decided I would simply be father to the whole pack, in my own way. But then you came along, and watching you grow up has been the greatest time of my life."

Laurel blinked appreciatively, but the all-too familiar sense of doubt still lingered at the back of her mind. "Are... are you sure you wouldn't have rather had pups of your own? You know, by birth?"

"Laurel." Cordan stepped closer to her so that their noses were almost touching, his eyes stern but still full of love. "There is absolutely no other dog I would ever want rather than you. You're my daughter, and I love you. Do you understand that?"

Laurel nodded. "I do. I'm sorry. You're the best dad I could ever hope for."

He smiled warmly and turned back towards the west, where the fire in the sky was beginning to fade as the sun sank lower. "We need to be getting a move on," he said. "The Hunter's Moon will be starting soon."

"Oh, do I get to come?" Laurel asked.

Cordan looked at her, appearing slightly surprised. "Do you really want to? I got the impression when you went the first time that you didn't really like it."

"Yeah, but then I didn't go to the next one and I think I'd like to again," Laurel said. "I was just a little overwhelmed the first time, that's all."

"Well, I'm glad that you're interested, but I've already picked out who's going. You can come next time, all right?"

Laurel opened her mouth to protest but finally decided not to. "Fine."

"Hey, when you become the alpha, you can decide who goes to the Hunter's Moon," Cordan said, giving her an affectionate nudge. "I'll round everyone up and we can head out now. You go back down and get some sleep, and I'll see you tomorrow morning."