The wolf above is Fern. (Enlarged)

A few days passed since Adder had become a Soft Fang, and so far, he had not been on any patrols, but learning about what you did on the patrols, and what you did in certain situations. The Pack was planning a hunt for tonight, and Adder and Ember had both been invited to go, leaving Misty behind to go on the dusk patrol. 

Adder didn't really find as much excitement for hunting as he did for patrolling, even though he had never experienced either. But one thing he knew, an alpha had to able to do both. Ever since Cave's little stand up to Pine, Adder had grown interest in his power. He wanted to be alpha some day, leading his pack through a hunt or to a howl. 

"I can't wait to be able to come with you." Oak was telling him, wagging his tail. Adder ignored the comment before answering a moment after, registering it in his head. "Yeah, it'll be so much better with you there." Adder commented back.

"Come on, Adder, Cave wants to talk with you about something." Misty came over, prodding her brother's shoulder. Adder said goodbye to his friend and walked over to the black intimidating wolf. Misty left them and headed over to Yowl. Adder saw the two leave after Sun whispered to them, a patrol, maybe?                                                                                                                                                                                  "I need someone to come on the patrol with me tomorrow. Sun wants you on it, so get sleep tonight." Cave grumbled.

Adder nodded. "But aren't I going on the hunt tonight?" Cave muttered something beneath his breath. "Yes. But you won't be doing much, anyways." Adder nodded again, leaving after Cave turned to talk to his mother. Frost's pelt glistened like usual in the burning sun that was slowly melting the snow around them.

"What was that about?" Oak padded over, sniffing at a small plant that was growing up near the edge of the cave, which they were on the outside of. "I get to go on patrol!" He squealed excitedly. He had acted calm in front of Cave to maybe impress him, but he couldn't contain it with one of his good friends. Adder barked, and Oak licked his friend's ear. 

"Whoa! But aren't you going on the hunt tonight, too?" 

"Yeah, he just said I would go on both." Adder woofed. "Won't you get tired?" Oak seemed to be looking out for him, but Adder was too excited. "So? I get to go on both!" Adder howled a little, before he felt some sort of fluffy bundle jump onto him. Adder toppled over.

"Off, flea pelt." He growled. When he turned to see his attacker, he realized it was no other than Fern, a small she wolf with black on her head, legs, tail and a small faint stripe down the middle. Other than that, she was purely light gray. 

"Oh, sorry." He apologized quickly. She was around two moons younger than him and was quite small. "It's alright!" She barked. He nodded and smoothed his fur quickly from the small attack. 

"What are you doing over here, anyway, Fern? Isn't Willow giving you a bath or something?" Oak pointed out, a bit annoyed with the she wolf. 
"No, it's Blue's turn now. River said to find you because you need one." Fern seemed quite happy with herself that she wasn't in trouble for disobeying, but instead, it was Oak who had to do something. 

"Well, gotta go." Oak snickered and left to enter the cave. Adder missed sleeping inside of it, with the warmth of his mother and sisters, or, sister, at that point. Sometimes his father would sleep next to him as well, making sure no snow had blown in from outside onto the pups.

A pain hit Adder. He felt like a tree crushing a raven, letting all things alive see that it was a triumphant pain that conquered all. 

Adder looked around for his sister but couldn't find her. She went on a patrol with Yowl. That's right.

She's been quite fond of him, lately, if I do think about it. 

Adder walked over to the nearest friend, which was Storm. "Guess what?" The gray wolf pup barked. Adder didn't reply. He knew Storm would tell him anyways.

"I'm gonna go outside of the camp!" Adder gaped. He hadn't been able to do that while he was a pup. The first time he had been outside of the camp clearing was when he had gone to his first howl. He hadn't even been on a patrol yet! "Lucky. Although, I get to go on patrol and a hunt." The brown and white wolf bragged. How's that for fun?

Storm snorted. "It's not my fault I'm younger than you." Adder laughed. "Hey, who else is going on that hunt?" Adder hesitated. 

"Sun, Pine, obviously... Frost," 

"Is Ember going to be on it?" The two he-wolves made eye contact and Adder snarled. "Yeah. Why does it matter? She's useless if she's there or not." He remarked. His green eyes bored into Storm's, challenging him to say something more.

"I was just asking. She's not all that bad, Adder. You're sister isn't coming back, face it. Move on, you'll see her again. Start thinking about the future." Adder was about to stomp away furiously when Storm turned his head, looking directly at Ember who had been standing nearby the entire time. 

Adder's heart sunk. What if she told someone about what he had said? What if she lashed out at him? What if-

Ember frowned, glaring at him with burning eyes, fury running into the air between them. "Maybe I should stay behind, then if I'm so useless." Ember stepped forward and Storm backed away. Adder noticed Ember's claws were sharper than ever. Had she been planning this? Adder snarled in retort.

"What are you doing, flea pelt? This is my home. What are you to show me claws?" He asked, growling and curling back his lip. He was the same size as her. But he knew he would beat her fair and square. He had to. He would be humiliated if he didn't.

"Oh, Please! I've been here almost as long as you have!" She recoiled. Adder's fur spiked. He reared back, ready to pounce.

"Adder! Knock it off! Ember, in the den!" Adder and Ember stepped back. Fox and Berry were both rushing towards them, Clover close behind. What am I going to do? They'll put me in as a pup again!  I'll never be able to go on a patrol!

Ember stalked off into the cave and Adder was left alone with Fox while Berry followed Ember. Clover had slowly walked away, checking behind her before reaching her son, Tree.

"What?" Adder asked, a little more harsh than the red wolf was probably anticipating. Fox was older than Adder by more than he could imagine, and he was also the prime and full peacemaker of their pack.  "Attitude, Adder. If you're mother doesn't scold you, I will." Adder scowled mentally. Pushover.

Adder sat when he realized the rest of the pack kept glancing back and forth between the spot where Berry and Ember had disappeared and himself, making him feel paranoid. Was he being punished?      "I need you to listen to me, Adder. Come with me for a walk." Adder grumpily followed out of the half snow half grass clearing. The sun was slowly going down after noon. 

Adder walked with Fox for a good time period before Fox stopped. "What are we doing here? Do you smell something?" Adder asked. He had heard of coyotes and stray wolves walking on pack territory without good reasonings.

"Do you know why Duck left the pack?" Fox sat down on a few leaves and looked at Adder.

"Because of the trades. Why else? She didn't want to leave." Adder said. How difficult was to know this? Why was Fox asking him a pointless question while he should be readying to leave for the pack hunt?

"Yes. Adder, do you know why Ember is in our pack now?" Fox's gaze shifted onto something behind him and then back to Adder who had began answering. "Because she was traded." He muttered gruffly. He didn't care. It was still her fault that he had lost Duck. She wouldn't ever matter to him more than the fleas on a coyote. Duck was his sister, and Ember had taken her away from him.

He heard some noise coming from behind him but didn't bother to look. Fox would've said something if it were dangerous.

"Yes, Adder. So you do understand. You aren't letting yourself, are you? She didn't choose to be here, just like Duck didn't choose to be in MountainPack. It's a tradition, and you know that. I want you to stop tormenting her." Fox stood up. How does he know?! "I'm not blind, Adder. Berry and Snow have told me all about it. Even your own mother has noticed." Adder sat with utter shock, jaws parted just a tad bit. Fox walked past him and greeted whoever had been thrashing around in the forest.

Adder turned around. He was about to ask what they were doing there, but Berry flickered her gaze at him with a warning, so he forced his jaws shut. "Sit, both of you." Fox ordered. Ember gave him a hostile look as she obeyed.

They both sat away from each other, about a half wolf length was between. Adder growled but Berry plopped down in front of them with Fox, starting to talk. "We both had dreams." Adder nodded. "Okay?" Ember murmured quietly. 

Fox frowned and for once Adder felt happy because he wasn't the one asking questions. He had shut up. He wasn't being stupid. "It was of you," Berry said. Adder perked his ears. Before he could ask why him, Fox spoke. "Both of you. Together, standing on top of a large rock," 

"So? What's it supposed to mean? It was a stupid dream." Adder scowled, but Ember sat quietly u til finally whispering, "Is there something bad coming?" 

Adder felt completely uncomfortable. He had mutual thoughts with Ember.  Was his pack going to be hurt and only he and Ember would be left? Would they both be sacrificed to HillPack or MoorPack? 

"No, actually, quite the opposite...." Berry murmured, flattening her ears on her orange head. "You two will be powerful.... Strong..."

"What does she have to do with it?" Adder barked, staring at Ember with disgust. Ember frowned and rolled her eyes. Following that, she scratched a paw on a leaf and shredded it into pieces. Adder snorted. It was a leaf.

"You two have a destiny, together, and nothing will tell us more about it other than the future." Adder's hopes of being an alpha were probably over, now that Ember was in the big picture. "What? How could she have anything to do with power? She's useless." 

Ember snarled and stood up, same as Adder. "Sit!" Berry barked furiously, stepping between them. "Learn to like each other. You could save the pack one day, or possibly more than a single pack." Adder and Ember sat immediately. Berry was never this mad, and if she ever got this mad, you were in for it.

Fox say behind the furious she-wolf with a small smile. He knew his assistant well. "I want to see you two shape up. If the pack is in danger and you two are the only ones left to save them, you work together to save them. Do you understand?" Adder never thought he would be terrified of a peacemaker. A peacemaker. But he nodded anyways, silently disagreeing and retorting, she's nothing but a runt. She can't get in my way much more, can she?

"Now, go home. Both of you have a hunt to go on." Fox said, turning to whisper something to Berry. Berry nodded and they both walked side by side. "Sorry." Adder turned his head when they began walking, beside each other. "What?" He asked. Sorry?!

"I was being stupid. I shouldn't have provoked you." Ember murmured, staring her paws as they walked. He snorted. "Okay? Fine then, I'll just start grooming your fur daily then?" He sneered, running ahead. Does she think sorry will cut it? She took away my sister! 

Another thought occurred to him. She doesn't want to be here, Adder. She misses her family too.

P.S. I so badly wanted to end the chapter here, but I need other stuff jammed in too. :)

Adder didn't hear anything from Fox or Berry when they reached the clearing. He headed straight over to where Cave was standing with Frost and Willow. "Have fun on the hunt, you hear me? I haven't been on a patrol in moons and I would love to be on this hunt and you know it, Frost." Willow was barking at his mother. Adder laughed. She wolfs were crazy.

More and more wolves came over to the group, but eventually Cave left them. Adder followed him the closely. "Why aren't you going on the hunt?" He asked. Adder waited for a reply. Cave turned around and his yellow eyes flickered. "I can't." Adder didn't hear anything else from Cave, but he wanted to. This wolf was quite friendly with his mother, and he had been the one to cause a small rebellion. 

Adder stared after him. What was the wolf's problem? Adder turned around back to the group and saw Ember chatting with Storm on the edge of the crowd. He growled. What does he think he's doing?!

Adder was about to break up the reunion but Snow padded over to him. "Whatcha looking at?" Adder snapped his head to hers. Her fur was beautiful, and her eyes shined. "Nothing." He muttered crossly, looking back at two had left each other, Storm not being apart of the patrol.

"Hey, Ember!" Snow called her over. Adder went to ask what she was doing but Ember had already reached them. "Hmm?" She asked. Ember looked at Snow, but completely ignored him. He held back a low growl. How dare she ignore me? I'm an actual member of this pack, not her.

But Snow looked at him, too. Her soft blue gaze flickered between them as she spoke. "You two aren't allowed to leave each other's sides during the hunt, ever. If there's an attack, you don't leave each other, no matter what, unless a loud bark or long growl tells you to." Snow told them, her white tail swishing. 

Adder listened intently to her sweet voice when a rock hit him in the head, mentally. Her?! She wants me to keep her safe? 

Ember didn't look appalled. Adder looked at her. "Protest! Say something! Say no!" He encouraged, but Ember only blinked at him and Snow. "I'll keep him safe, don't worry." Snow smiled and walked away to talk with Birch and Cinder. "Keep me safe? You wouldn't-" 

Ember slapped her tail over his mouth. Adder 's eyes widened, but he didn't continue. Berry and Fox were watching them a little ways away. He understood now. They had to act like they were getting along so they could really ignore each other, and maybe have Fox and Berry leave them alone. Maybe she's not as stupid as I thought.

After all, she didn't want to come here. Maybe she's going to leave and Duck can come back. 

But Adder knew that wouldn't happen. You couldn't go back, not unless you were driven out or were given the choice by your alpha when you were a loud bark. Other than that, you could never leave. Ever. And Adder knew that all to well. 

This chapter feels like the longest one ever, but it's only 2630 words.