Coriander's eyes darted around nervously as she crept through Night Pack's forest, flaring her nostrils as she scented for slippery elm and goldenseal, the herbs she was searching for. Her previous resolve was beginning to fade as she waited tensely for a snarling, enormous Night Pack dog to leap from the shadows and attack her.

Don't think about that. You're here for the herbs. Get the herbs and get out.

She repeated this to herself mentally as she padded softly over the forest floor which was mottled with snow and fallen leaves. The bare, bone-like branches rattled ominously and the light was minimal, coming only from a few stars that occasionally peeked out from behind the thick clouds.

Merciful Hunter Dog, how do these dogs live here? When the leaves are on the trees you can barely even see the sky. I'd go mad.

The wind picked up slightly and Coriander felt a flash of hope as she picked up the scent of goldenseal. She increased her pace slightly until she came to where it was growing at the foot of an ancient oak tree, poking out of the snow that covered its roots. She quickly set to work digging it up, planning to take as much as she could carry.

"I hate to bother you, but I simply have to know something."

Coriander froze. The hard, sarcastic voice came from behind her, and she realized that the wind was blowing towards her, meaning that, if they were quiet, someone could sneak up behind her and she would have never scented them, especially with her nose in the goldenseal like this. She slowly turned around to see who it was and gave a start when she saw it was none other than Pawnee himself.

His dark eyes were like black pools in the night, glittering with fury. His teeth were bared and the starlight caught on them, making them gleam. "Just what in Siglitun's name do you think you're doing?"

Steeling herself with resolve, Coriander stood up straight and glared right back at the Night Pack alpha. "I need these herbs," she growled. "The pack is sick. They're only getting worse, and I can only find these in your territory."

"Why should I care what happens to Wind Pack?" Pawnee demanded. "Give me one good reason to not rip you to shreds right here and feed you to my children."

"I can't think of any," Coriander spat. "None that would appeal to an honorless alpha."

To her shock, Pawnee snorted with something like amusement and relaxed. The fury vanished from his eyes to be replaced with a sad weariness. "Maybe you're right," he sighed. "How can I have honor? I don't even lead my own pack anymore. My packmates are dying from hunger and exhaustion, and from fighting this stupid war of pride. I'm weak. I've failed as an alpha and as a father."

Coriander couldn't believe her ears. Had a Night Pack dog just admitted they were weak? In front of a dog from another pack? I must be dreaming. "I'm not here to listen to your problems," she snapped.

Pawnee's head snapped back up and the proud alpha returned along with the fire in his eyes. "I know exactly why you're here," he growled. "You made that very clear." He grunted and turned away. "Go ahead. Take the herbs. I won't stop you."

Coriander sniffed the air warily, wondering if this was a trick and she was about to be ambushed. She couldn't believe Pawnee was acting this way, but it was best not to push her luck. She grabbed as much goldenseal as she could carry and began to walk away, glancing over her shoulder one last time at Pawnee, who simply stared back at her with those dejected eyes. She shook her head and began to run back to the meadow.

~

Coriander arrived back at the hollow, panting heavily but still holding tight to her herbs. Alabretta had the night watch and was standing guard at the hollow entrance, her speckled white and black fur making her look ghostly in the starlight. She stood up as Coriander approached, her eyes wide. "Where have you been?" she asked. "Why did you rush out of the hollow like that?"

Coriander gently set down her precious cargo and stood over it; she wasn't about to risk anything happening to it. "I had to get this," she said breathlessly. "And I couldn't risk anyone stopping me."

Alabretta sniffed Coriander and gasped. "You've been in Night Pack territory! Are you out of your mind?"

"Maybe, but I'm still alive and I got what I needed, so I'd say it was pretty successful," Coriander replied, picking up the herbs again and trotting inside. She decided that she wouldn't tell anyone about her... interesting encounter with Pawnee. It was so weird that they probably wouldn't believe her even if she did tell them.

She quietly crossed the clearing and slipped inside the den, dropping the goldenseal in with the rest of the herbs. Everyone inside was asleep, including Grace. Coriander took some of the leaves and began to chew them up into a poultice. Normally she wouldn't have wanted to wake Grace up, but she was the worst off and she needed the treatment immediately.

Scooping up her newly made poultice with one paw, Coriander shuffled over to Grace's nest and nudged her with her muzzle. "Grace, wake up," she whispered. "Come on, I made it back from Night Pack all in one piece, and I have the medicine for you."

Grace didn't respond to her nudge, laying just as still as she had been before. Coriander nudged her again and she slumped back limply. A cold realization washed over Coriander like ice running through her veins. Grace wasn't breathing. She was too late.

Her heart hammered inside her chest and she struggled to breathe. This can't be happening. It can't.

"Get up, Grace, please," she begged, her voice cracking. "You can't leave now. You still have so much to teach me. Please..."

She sank down to the ground as tears began to flow from her eyes and she buried her muzzle into Grace's cold fur, sobbing softly.

"Coriander?" His low voice suddenly appeared behind her.

"Go away, Ranger," she snarled. All she could feel was a sense of utter failure. Why didn't I see she was sick sooner? I could have saved her. What's the point of being a healer if I let my packmates die?

Coriander tensed as she felt Ranger lay down next to her and she growled. "I said go away!"

But obedience was not one of Ranger's strongest traits. He stayed where he was and rested his head on top of Coriander's, giving her ear a comforting lick. It seemed wrong that Ranger, this puppy who had already lost so much, should be the one consoling her, but she just didn't have the energy to resist. She finally leaned into him and just cried.

~

"Losing Grace is an incomparable tragedy. She gave her whole life in service for the pack and saved countless lives. We could never have expressed the full extent of our gratitude, but we can only hope that in the lands of the Hunter Dog, she understands how deeply she was loved."

Gabriel's voice was raw with grief as he spoke Grace's eulogy at her funeral the next day. "I can't understand why so many have been taken from us recently, but it is not for us to understand. We simply must continue living and honor their memory with our lives."

I will, Coriander vowed to herself. I became a healer to save lives. I will never let another dog die on my watch. I'll never be as good a healer as Grace was... but I have to try to be better.

She stayed where she was as the other dogs began to push dirt back into Grace's grave. She didn't feel worthy of doing it; not when she had let her die. So many dogs already had told her that it wasn't her fault, but nothing would ever convince her otherwise.

Ranger had stayed faithfully by her side all morning, but he hadn't said much until now. "Why do they leave, Coriander?" he asked. "They always promise they'll stay, but they don't. Why?"

Coriander blinked tears from her eyes, attempting to swallow the lump in her throat. "I don't know," she whispered.

"This is Night Pack's fault too," Ranger growled. "If they hadn't stole our prey and declared war on us, then we wouldn't be so short on prey. Half the pack wouldn't be sick. I swear--"

"Stop it, Ranger," Coriander cut him off. "We don't need anymore death."

He scowled and muttered something under his breath but said nothing more. Suddenly Compass stood up and pricked his ears. "Do you smell that?" he barked.

Lightning leaped to his paws, his hackles raised. "Night Pack!"

Sure enough, a small party of Night Pack dogs were crossing the meadow and walking steadily towards them. It looked to be Pawnee, accompanied by four others: a Rottweiler named Rosaria, a Dogo Argentino called India, the fawn Doberman Pinscher Desert, and none other than that trouble-making Mastiff, Baron.

The Wind Pack dogs were instantly on the defensive, forming a line in front of the grave with their hackles raised and their fangs bared. "Do you mind, Pawnee?" Gabriel called, his voice hard as flint. "We're in the middle of a funeral."

Pawnee came to a stop a few yards away, flicking his tail to halt his companions. "My condolences," he said, sounding surprisingly genuine. "This is not an attack, Gabriel. I want to parley with you."

Gabriel raised his eyebrows, clearly surprised. "You've come to parley without your beta?"

Pawnee curled his lip. "My beta is not of concern here. Do you want to accept my offer or not?"

"Very well." Gabriel dipped his head and beckoned Speedwell with a jerk of his head, then suddenly turned to look at Coriander. "Coriander," he woofed. "You're our healer. I want you to come too."

Somewhat surprised, Coriander nodded and began to follow him towards the Night Pack dogs, with Compass, Alabretta, and Picasso accompanying them as well. The remaining dogs began to finish filling in the grave, and Coriander glanced back at Ranger to see him standing stiffly, staring at the Night Pack dogs with something feral in his eyes. She gave him a warning look and then turned back to face their visitors.

"I have come to speak about ending the war," Pawnee barked, clearly not wanting to waste anymore time with pleasantries. "It has exhausted both of our packs and achieved us nothing."

"I agree," Gabriel said slowly. "But for a treaty there must be terms. What are you proposing?"

Pawnee took a deep breath, glancing at his packmates for a moment. "We will relinquish to you the territory we had previously captured. Our borders would return to how they were previously." His tone was resigned, and Coriander noticed that Baron and Rosaria had dark expressions on their faces, as though they didn't wholly approve of their alpha's decision.

"You are simply full of surprises, Pawnee," Gabriel replied, a thinly veiled wariness still in his eyes. "Those terms are agreeable. But can you promise that your dogs will not trespass on our territory again?"

"I can. And allow me to say that I am truly sorry for any losses you have suffered on account of this conflict. We have lost dogs as well, and I knew there was no point in pursuing this any longer."

Coriander was still shocked at how utterly hopeless Pawnee seemed to have become. He used to be the fiercest and proudest of all the alphas. I wonder what could have happened?

Gabriel dipped his head slightly. "I may have misjudged you, Pawnee," he said quietly. "Perhaps you have honor after all."

The fawn Staffordshire Bull Terrier gave a humorless snort. "Perhaps. We will leave now. You may reset the borders at your leisure."

He flicked his ear and turned away, his packmates following him as they went back the way they came. Picasso watched them go, his eyes narrowed. "That was very unlike Pawnee. Are you sure this isn't some kind of trick, Gabriel?"

The alpha shook his head. "No, I don't think so. Pawnee looked like he had truly given up. I don't know why, but as I said earlier, it is not for us to understand. For now, let's just thank the Hunter Dog that it's over."

I got two chapters done in one day. You guys don't even know how proud I am of myself.