( ‵‵ ❅ miles from home

[gamorasass]

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Z E R O
"i am not the only traveler"
tags;; everyone; willow, jenkin, bear
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The guilt that Zero felt was too much to handle and at this point, he couldn't pay attention to it. His own team's life was in danger because of him and he needed to get them to safety. At least a shelter would be required for them to survive the night, especially with the impending storm on it's way. He stood tall, holding his ground as his team spoke, a panic in their tone as nobody was really sure what to do. They had been stranded before, but that was when their Master had pulled them up and taken them into a cave to avoid a storm for a night before continuing. Now they didn't have them as the poor man had lost his life due to Zero's actions. The Husky swallowed hard at the thought, his head dropping ever so slightly as he looked at the edge of the cliff where the sled and the human had gone over. In all honesty, he hopped that man was dead. Not because he wanted him to lose his life, but because if he was still down there, alive, he would suffer greatly with the exposure the weather would bring, among whatever injuries he had. He hoped it was quick, he really did.

Zero turned his attention to his pack again, lip pulling up in a snarl as Willow snapped at everyone to shut up. She wasn't the most polite on the team, that was for sure. He wasn't looking forward to her wrath she would bring down on him for his mistake. She and whoever else wanted to take it out on him. It was right for them to do so, he thought, as it was all his fault. The Husky stepped forward, a loud, snarling bark leaving his jaw and echoed through the air, calling the attention of his team. "Like Bear said, Jenkin is right," he began, watching as his group slowly began to pad in together. "Exposure will kill us quicker than any other threat, so we need shelter before the storm hits." Now was not the time for discussion and comprises. Now was not the time for arguing and blame. Now was the time to get his team to safety and pursue his roll of lead dog to get them all to safety. As safe as they could be, anyway.

"I'll lead us through the mountain in search of shelter. Jenkin, Bear, grab my flank, but be cautious" he ordered, turning to begin further into the mountain, but stopped before continuing. He had to address something. "I steered you wrong just moments ago, so let me lead you correctly to safety. If there are any threats, I'll hit be first," he explained, a stern tone. He knew there would be doubts about trusting him, but they didn't have much choice. In the end, he did have the most experience through these mountains and would give them their best chance at finding some cover. "Stay close. We travel as a pack, not as a sled dog team."

[gemini.]

（ xxx╺ ＲＥＮＥＳＭＥＥ°
xxxrole; team member // location; the cliff // tags; everyone, willow // mentions; vintage, artemis, steel
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everything had happened so fast that it took a moment for renesmee to catch her breath and observe the situation before her. there was no way anyone other than zero, that could of prevented this from happening. eyeing the male lead dog carefully she took not of how guilt was filling him up, and to make it worse how a few of the others were already blaming him for what had happened. while this situation did seem to be his fault, snapping at him wouldn't magically fix their problem. thankfully things calmed down rather swiftly, letting zero come up with some kind of game plan to get the team to safety.

renesmee took a quick look around before slipping out of her broken harness. she had never been fond of being a sled dog and had always prefered to be out in the wild running for miles and miles. maybe it was due to her higher wolf content then the others, but all the same she did her job well to keep everyone else happy. because there was really no point running with the team if everyone disliked her for some reason or another.

before she began to follow zero and the two other males she glanced at willow, who was the female lead and her best friend. renesmee needed to make sure that willow also got out of the storm safely. since she was quite a bit larger than willow renesmee took the side where the wind blew the harshest and smiled down to her best friend. "i will walk on you left flank willow," she said plainly. before walking way for the scene, ren searched for her teammate steel. trying to find him in this scene of mildly calm chaos. for a moment she was not able to find him and this through her thoughts into a bought of chaos. "has anyone seen steel?" she yelled over the sound of the howling wind. normally renesmee was able to keep her cool, but not being able to spot her friend in this storm through her into panic she was not used to experiencing. she knew well that bear and jenkins were not a big fan of steel's, but that didn't matter to her.

"vintage, will you and artemis walk with willow and get her to safety? i need to find him." said renesmee in a mildly panicked voice. "i will meet up with you after i find steel, mark the trees for me so i can find my way to the team, i wont be able to pick up a scent in this storm. good luck!"

before anyone could say anything to her, renesmee darted back. retracing her steps, hoping she would find him unharmed and okay.

[paper planets]

✰. ── ❝ ＶＩＮＴＡＧＥ ❞
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( six years ) ( female ) ( wheel dog ) ( location: cliff ) ( tags: bear, jenkin, zero, willow, everyone )
✰. ── ❝ cause you're a sky full of stars !! ❞


As Bear sighed and softly agreed to Vinnie’s logic she dipped her head and smiled, feeling pleased that that problem was gone. At least for now. But, if she knew Bear well - and she definitely did - he wouldn’t let this go, not that easily. She sighed under her breath, she didn’t want anyone to be upset with Zero. He had made a mistake, everyone did it at one point. The truly awful thing was that the mistake wasn’t only on Zero, but it had a fatal consequence for their Master and that was harder to swallow than a simple mistake. Still, Zero was her friend and she couldn’t stand to watch everyone jump to attack and blame him. She could tell by the guilt on his features that the large husky was terribly sorry. But, she pushed those worries away and focused on the discussion going around. Everyone was agreeing on finding shelter first and Vintage couldn’t agree more, they had eaten before departing on this journey so they could last a few days, if necessary, to wait out the storm. But, if they were stuck without food while sheltered from the blizzard for too long they wouldn’t have a chance. They’d all starve.

It seemed as if all of her worries were piling up and she could feel tensions rising all around her like the swelling storm that hung over her head like a heavy burden. Her heartbeat, which she had already successfully slowed down, was picking up it’s pace and she felt a certain helplessness surface within her. Vintage jumped slightly as something touched her cheek. But, after a single moment of shock, she calmed down visibly once she realized that it was only Bear trying to calm her down. The fluffy Samoyed let out a shaky breath and turned her warm, brown gaze towards Bear as he spoke calming words to her. Vin nodded slowly, “Okay,” she whispered, feeling like the empty hopelessness that was making a black hole within her was being filled with hope. She sucked in a deep breath through her nose and let it out slowly, standing a little straighter as she got her bearings once again. Now wasn’t the time to get psyched out. She kept her gaze on Bear as he raised his voice to speak strongly to the whole group, though she appreciated his soft words of comfort spoken to her just the same.

Vintage turned her gaze back to the group as Zero stepped up and she smiled, both happy and even somewhat proud that he had stepped up and taken control. They had all spent so much time following him as a sled team, it was easy to fall back into place with him in the lead. As he requested Bear and Jenkin to flank him she looked over at Bear and smiled, silently reminding him to play nice and not blame Zero when he was trying to correct his mistake. She spotted Jenkin and padded over to him, “It’s a good thing that you kept your head back there, I think you actually got everyone in line,” she said lightly with a small chuckle before she dropped her gaze and padded on. Jenkin was a solitary male, but that never stopped her from being kind to him and she longed for him to trust her and maybe even open up. Everyone needed someone who they were close to, someone to talk to. She knew that he and Bear had been close, but their relationship had seemed strained recently. She just hoped that the younger male would find solace in someone.

Vintage sought out Zero next, hoping to give her old friend some words of comfort before they began to search for a cave. As she swerved through the group, stepping past dogs and offering encouraging smiles as she went. She spotted the lead male at the front of the group, he had turned to look back on the dogs to say a few more words. She then spotted Renesme who was slipping out of her harness and then looking quite pleased with herself once she was free of the interlaced straps. Vin looked down at her own harness that hung over her shoulders and down her flanks and chest and she felt sick at the thought of leaving it behind. She wished to keep it on, it not only connected her to her team, but also to Master. It was the last thing they had - except for memories - to link them to the faithful human who had trusted them for months. She winced at the thought since it has been his trusty dogs who had costed his life.

Vintage shook her sad thoughts off and continued on through the snow until she found Zero at the front of the group as he addressed them. She listened to his words and, after he finished, they echoed in her mind, We travel as a pack, not as a sled team. It seemed odd to look around and refer to her team as her pack, but, truly, it seemed fitting. They were a sled team with Master, but without the man they were just a group of dogs: a pack. Vinnie looked up and gave Zero a reassuring smile, “Don't worry, I trust you to lead us to safety,” she paused and looked around at the pack, “They all eventually will too,” she murmured. Before she could say much else a voice called out over the wind and she looked back just in time to see Renesme bound off into the snow. She gaped after the female and looked around, wondering if anyone would go after her. But, she seemed pretty determined to leave. Plus, she was too far gone now, if anyone tried to follow her they’d get lost as well. Instead of following, she swallowed past the lump in her throat and numbly followed Renesme’s instructions. Help Willow. But, she highly doubted that Willow even needed any assistance. She was a grown dog who could walk just like the rest of them. Still, a small prick of doubt in the back of her mind wondered if the white-furred Husky has gotten injured and was too full of pride to say so. So, because of that small amount of doubt, she wandered over to her with her tail and head hanging low as her ear pressed against her skull. Willow frightened Vintage. She was blunt and sarcastic and never even had a second thought before snapping her teeth to get your attention. When she was around the lead female, her sensitive side convinced her that Willow didn’t even like her at all. Though, she wasn’t sure how accurate that was. Vinnie fell in step beside Willow and just wished that Artemis would join them soon.

[HibiscusBlossom]

↠ ＡＲＴＥＭＩＳ ↞
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↠ female ↠ four years ↠ swing dog ↠ uneasy ↠ tags; everyone

Artemis' ears swiveled forward in a vain attempt to pick out individual voices, it was almost impossible, but she could make out one voice. She'd soon come to find out it was Jenkin, turning her head towards him as he spoke in his deep but quiet voice. Shelter. With Willow's frantic, demanding howl rose up above the barks and whimpers, it seemed to grow quieter and for a moment, all she could hear was the whistling of the wind. But soon, another voice broke in; Zero. She stalking forward to listen as he spoke to the group, feeling an oddly satisfied with what he had to say.

Pack. It was an odd word, something that other dogs used to describe their groups, though to her, they were always just a team. Nothing more, nothing less. She liked it, it had a nice ring to it,but it made her uncomfortable, like she was leaving something important behind. Her harness didn't matter, surely, so why did she feel like she lost something?

Shaking her pelt, she trotted after the others, instinctively going somewhere around the middle. When her name was called, she only looked just in time to see Renesmee bolt out into the snowstorm, back in the direction of where they came from. She pinned her ears against her head, choking back a whine of discomfort. She could get lost in the storm or fall, but she knew that not even her would bother go after her and shifted her gaze to Vintage, who looked fearful to even be walking next to the female. Knowing very well her views on the lead dog and quickly loped to her side, just close enough so that their soft pelts brushed, trying her best to comfort the Samoyed. Focusing her attention on Willow, she gave her a polite smile.

[shadow~wolf]

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S T E E L
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male | four years | team dog | mood;; fearful | tags;; x

he pushed up from under the blanket of snow that had fallen over top of him when he hit into it, his heart racing. just as the sled began to steer off course and become unsteady, he ended up slipped out of his loose harness and tumbled into the ice and snow, leaving him behind the rest of the team. the brute felt quite shaken up after the scene that had happened to him. he struggled for a few moments until he finally caught his breath. his stomach felt as though it had been squeezed and twisted, leaving him with weak, shaking legs. steel stumbled forward a couple of steps, trying to regain his balance on his four paws. he shook his head quickly, trying his best to simply shake away his blurred vision and feeling of dizziness. "i'm okay!" steel panted to those around him, his fur bristling up at the freezing gusts of wind. he sat on his rump and took some breaths now that he was safe.

shortly after his vision came back, he realized his team mates weren't anywhere in sight. muscles tensing even more, he whipped his head to the side, trying to catch sight of anyone or anything that he could. steel searched around him frantically until coming to a stop. perked ears, he listened in closely for any voices or barking, hopeful for the noises to ring into his tall ears. sadly, all he could seem to hear was the sounds of roaring wind. he let out a shallow breath, realizing just how bad his situation was. steel usually could keep his cool around other dogs and put on a tough act, but right now he was scared out of his mind. he feared the absolute worse, that his team had all fallen and died, and he was on his own. his nails curled into the snow while a hushed whine escaped his maw, grieving for the loss of his friends. the husky had no idea what he would do from this point. although if all he could do was pout and whine, he knew he wouldn't even have the slightest chance of survival. what if his team mates were out there though, alive? he had to find them if that was the case. gulping down his anxiety, steel set forward to find the team. his ears now pressed flat against his head while he pushed against the raging wind, his coat clinging to his body. he took a couple of heavy steps through the snow, before noticing a stinging pain in his front leg. the brute let out a loud yelp, picking up his foot and bringing it close to his chest. he stumbled back, taken off guard by the pain. if anyone was near, they'd most likely be able to hear his piercing cry, even through these harsh winds.

[unnamed]

┌──────────────────┐
ｂ ｅ ａ ｒ ！ ！
male wheel dog . seven years
tags: steel, willow, everyone
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There was a lot happening at once and the air felt almost electric with the mix of emotions between the dogs although he tried remaining focused on the goal at hand and it was to keep everyone safe. When Zero did nothing but repeat what Jenkin had said and Bear had agreed with he rolled his eyes; dog couldn't even think of his own words now could he? Of course it went on, this time with Zero suddenly appointing himself the lead and expecting Bear and Jenkin to be his guards. The dog stood slightly taller and stepped closer to ensure he'd be heard by Zero. "Hold on a minute there, your experience - not to downplay its importance - in leading is with a master telling you where to go and a sled behind you. Jenkin and I both hunted, we know how to track without guidance and we're familiar with whatever predators lurk around. Not to mention we're the biggest, it'll be best if we're in the lead. This isn't a matter of who is hit first, it's a matter of who can fend off anything and trust me, what's out here isn't something to be taken lightly or used for redemption," though his previous burst may indicate he simply didn't want to see the lead dog actually leading it simply wasn't his intention this time and the hint of concern in his voice showed it. To survive this ordeal they'd have to rely on each other's strength. The days that their team wasn't needed and their master felt like hunting he'd taken the two simply because their breeds were not only for sledding, they'd been through mountain and forest with hunters relying on their ability to find prey and steer everyone clear of predators. Zero was good at inspiring but Bear felt it best that his ability to lead without a leader himself be tested at a different time. Zero could keep his eyes out for shelter without having to worry about what was in front of them with Bear and Jenkin in front.

Renesmee had exited behind him and thus Bear hadn't seen the other leave, it was only when Willow pointed it out and also mentioned Steel's absence that he realized they had all missed it; he supposed the panic had caused their inattentiveness. Before anyone else could run off he barked loudly, "Everyone else stay! We shouldn't split up anymore and it'll be easier for them to find us if we remain in the same place together, we can howl to help them find us." He knew well enough that the more dogs who tried splitting up the worse their chances of survival became; they needed the safety of numbers now more than ever. However, it was a good thing to see so many of them willing to step up - they'd need that later on if things got rough. It was level heads and strong minds during difficulty that would get them through.

Remembering Willow's other words he turned his head towards her now, "By those trees did you remember actually seeing something that could have indicated some type of shelter?" They needed to make a decision, either they attempted the mountain side for a cave - Bear's preferred option, or they risked the forest but even that was a slim chance if there even was one. Any cave on the mountain they find might not be huge but as long as they were able to fit everyone inside it would do. The forest they may be lucky to even find one that wasn't already occupied by a creature much more fierce. That was even if they were able to find one. He remembered seeing caves on one particularly long hunt, of course they hadn't been out nearly this far but if there were some there it was likely there was at least one around here somewhere.

[gemini.]

（ xxx╺ ＲＥＮＥＳＭＥＥ°
xxxrole; team member // location; the cliff // tags; steel // mentions; jenkin & bear
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as time went by, the storm grew harsher and the winds grew stronger and louder. if steel has made any attempt to get the team's attention they would not hear him at the distance they had travelled; but with some luck she might be able to if she kept heading in the direction of which they came. while she didnt have the years of experience that jenkin and bear had, renesmee had a large advantage under her belt. before she was bought by their sled master, renesmee had been raised with her mother, father, and other siblings who all had quite a high percent of wolf content. the reason being was that her mother was pure wolf and her father mostly dog. in the first year she was able to stay with her family renesmee learned how to be a wolf, and not how to be a dog. it was the breeder who gave her the name renesmee, not the sled master. renesmee was quite confident in her ability to be able to survive out in the wild, whether she was alone, with a team of sled dogs, or living with a pack of wolves. she knew all the tricks of the trade her mother had taught her, and the skill set of a sled dog her father had taught her.

searching the scenery for a clear marker of the accident sight, she spotted a small piece of the sled. this has to be the place, she thought to herself and continued forwards, sighting more pieces along the way. in the beginning, she has never really noticed how bad the accident was, but seeing all these small fragments made her realize just how serious it was. there was no way she could catch her partner's scent in this howling winds for they were too strong to pick up anything strong enough. at this point the only thing that would help her find steel is if he let out a loud cry of his own. just as she had found herself wishing for him to make some kind of sound she caught a faint cry of pain howling through the wind. it had to be steel.

picking up the pace towards the cry, renesmee soon found herself sprinting through the storm to find her partner. as she neared the cliff where everything happened she saw a faint figure through the blizzard. either it was a lone wolf, which was highly unlikely, or it was steel searching for his own way to the team. at that point renesmee darted as fast as she could to him, stopping six feet before him so she would not spook him too much. "steel, is that you?" she said in a voice full of concern for the male. honestly she already knew it was him and this let her have some room to breath knowing that she has found the missing member of their team.

[paper planets]

✰. ── ❝ ＶＩＮＴＡＧＥ ❞
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( six years ) ( female ) ( wheel dog ) ( location: cliff ) ( tags: artemis, willow, everyone )
✰. ── ❝ cause you're a sky full of stars !! ❞


It wasn’t long before Vintage’s saviour showed her face. Artemis loped up to the two white-pelted dogs and fell in step right beside Vinnie, with her pelt slightly brushing hers to comfort her. The wheel dog smiled slightly, feeling more relaxed now that her dear friend had joined her and Willow. Artemis was strong and loyal and it didn’t surprise her at all when the swing dog offered Willow a small, polite smile. She let out a breath and smiled warmly in Artemis’ direction, Oh, she’s much better at being friendly than me.. she thought as guilt invaded her brain. But, it wasn’t her fault that Willow sent her skin crawling! Or was it? Immediately she began blaming herself, telling herself that all of these dogs, even the ones she didn’t particularly like, were part of her team and, like it or not, she had to stick with all of them throughout this. Plus, she had to trust Willow just a little bit right? She had willingly followed her - as the lead dog - for years now. The large, thick-furred female shook her head to clear the muddled thoughts. Now was not the time for beating herself up for simply feeling a certain way about a certain dog, she didn’t have time to sit here and think about how to improve herself.

Vinnie turned her head away from Artemis when Willow spoke up curtly and she dipped her head sheepishly at the female’s words, “It’s best we stick together, nonetheless. Renesme has already gone off in her own to find Steel, we can’t loose anyone else,” she murmured. Then, the Samoyed looked down at her paws or, more specifically, her legs. The snow was thick and it was already past her paws and up her legs, soon all of them would be struggling to get through the cold, heavy snow. Plus, it only kept on coming, the large flakes of snow had accumulated so much, just in the past few moments, that it was already becoming hard to see through them and spot the rest of the team before them. They were all just colourful blobs. She glanced over at Willow once again and, to spare her some pride, she said a few more words, “Plus, the snow is tough to get through, I think I’d like to have a few companions to help me along the way,” and then she finished by smiling cautiously at Willow. Her words weren’t exactly true, she was a large dog with a stocky, hefty build and strong legs meant for putting power into pulling the sled. But, she was sure that if they stood out here for much longer her words would be completely true anyways.

Feeling rising tensions sparking from the other dogs, Vintage looked up and sighed when she spotted Bear stepping up to face Zero. She had wanted Zero to lead to gain back some of the trust from the rest of the team - or pack as he had called it - by leading them to safety, she had hoped that Bear would have the same views as her. She didn’t want a fight to start, since everyone’s nerves were crackling like lightning and the tension was a thick as the snow raining down onto them. They were all stuck in the eye of the storm - literally - and it wasn’t long before it burst into power. But, as her fellow wheel dog spoke she felt relief flood through her veins instead of fear. He spoke calmly and it seemed as if everyone stopped and stayed quiet to listen to his voice of reason. It became apparent that Bear only wanted to protect the lead dog when a small echo of concern laced his words. She lifted her head and nodded along to his words, he and Jenkin knew the wildness unlike anyone else since they had gone hunting with Master many times. It seemed reasonable that they were to lead. Plus, she could only guess that Zero was still shaken up, he had the best intentions, but she didn’t want to watch him get hurt and she couldn’t stand to lose him as well as Master in just one day.

What happened next was quick: Willow howled to get the attention of the pack about Renesme’s disappearance and Bear told everyone to stay put, just as she had thought when she had seen Renesme running off, then he asked Willow what she had seen within the trees. Personally, Vinnie hadn’t seen anything in the trees, just lunging, eerie shadows crawling along the forest floor like mangled creatures of the night. To her, the forest seemed like it would only offer more perilous dangers than the mountainside. She stepped forwards slightly and raised her voice above the high winds, directing her words towards Bear since he had seemingly taken charge at this point, “You and Jenkin have hunted in forests, haven’t you? It seems like, from the stories I’ve heard, that they only hold more dangers than out here in the open. The only thing to hurt us out here is exposure. No sane creature would venture out onto the mountainside in the middle of a blizzard, so I think a cave is our best bet. Plus, we’d have to travel all that way back to the forest when the mountain in right here. I don’t know about all of you, but I don’t want to pass by that cliff again,” she said, glancing back the way they had come with a solemn expression on her face before she turned back to the group and looked around at them, waiting for them to either agree or disagree. She didn’t dare look to her side at Willow though, since she had abruptly stolen the spotlight from her. But, the forest seemed frightening and she didn’t want to experience what terrors may lie within.

[shadow~wolf]

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S T E E L
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male | four years | team dog | mood;; fearful | tags;; renesmee

the wind and snow seemed to increase by every passing minute. he moved another step forward ever so slightly, carefully bracing himself while he did. unfortunately, steel didn't seem to be able to easily push away the pain in his paw and ignore it. the brute sat back down on his rump, sitting hopelessly by himself with his paw pulled up to his broad chest. he curled his fluffy tail around his back legs, another whimper arising through his maw. there he sat and pout, his paw aching while the rest of his body shivered in the freezing and harsh winds. steel was stronger than this, and he usually had so much confidence in himself but in these moments he felt hopeless and all alone. he had lost his friends, some were even like his family. he could only hope they were all safe and well, and he was starting to think - if they were alive - that they'd be better off without him anyhow. he always thought that he could keep his calm if faced with a situation like this, but he never knew until he was experiencing it right in the moment.

the husky picked up his hanging head when a figure approached him. steel pushed up to stand on all four, his brows furrowed while he tried to focus through the falling snow. a kind voice arose just barely over the sound of the wind and he took a deep sigh, instantly realizing that it was his dear friend, renesmee. he moved towards her happily, trying to hide his slight limp and aching leg from the female. "oh, renes! boy, am i glad to see you. where are the others?" the brute barked, making sure she could hear him. glancing around for the other dogs, he began to wonder if she was the only one to survive the accident. although steel had never been so relieved in his entire life to see another dog. he cringed and crinkled his snout as another gust of wind bristled up his fur. this weather was stripping the warmth right from his body. of course he was pretty much built for the cold, but it was difficult for any dog to endure these temperatures and the wind from the blizzard that continued to progress.

[gamorasass]

━━━━━━━━━━━━
Z E R O
"i am not the only traveler"
tags;; everyone; willow, bear
━━━━━━━━━━━━

He hadn't expected Bear to challenge him the way he had. The two of them used to have a close bond. Good pals that would happily spend time with one another as often as they could. But that seemed to all be thrown away over Zero's one mistake. A mistake that could have happened to anyone, even his partner in crime, Willow, if she was on that side. Hell, Bear could have done the same if he was the one who felt the ground underneath him disappear. His reaction was in good intentions of saving them. He didn't mean for any of this to happen and as horrible as the outcome, it was still a mistake.

The male stopped in his tracks as he had begun to lead them onward to find shelter. He didn't respond right away, just turned around to look at his wheel dog, a distressed look upon his face. Out of everyone here, he didn't expect this from him. Zero wasn't trying to do something he couldn't handle. No, he couldn't hunt, but the Husky sure as hell knew how to find them a shelter. He was the oldest of all of them and had run these mountains more than anyone. If anyone could find them some place to settle in, it was Zero. They hadn't traveled these parts of the mountain much before, hence the whole situation they were in, but he knew the way the mountains sat and knew the best places where a den or cliff could be hiding. Maybe he couldn't fight off an attacker or hunt them food as well as Bear and Jenkin, but he wasn't going to allow them to lead when he was perfectly capable of doing it on his own.

He was about to speak when Willow surprised him, standing up for him. The two lead dogs had a funny relationship. They butt heads and fought all the time, but the two were close. It was like they were siblings and would do anything for the other and respected each other. This was why Willow was saying what she was to Bear, and Willow was right to do so. She understood the situation well and didn't let her anger towards the situation cloud her thoughts. A own gentle growl left his lips after Willow said her piece, adding to the affect of the other lead dog growling at Bear as well. "This is not about hunting. This is about finding shelter before the exposure kills us. We don't have time for petty arguments, Bear," she snapped, tired of this. He wasn't going to let anything else happen to his team and was annoyed at Bear's challenge and hostility. He took a deep breath before continuing, making sure he was talking with respect and not yelling at him. "I've run these mountains almost twice as much as you and am perfectly capable of finding us shelter," he continued, holding himself high, the lead dog no longer willing to let himself be disrespected. "Once I find us a shelter, you can do as you please with the hunting. That is your expertise and experience and I respect you to allow you to look after us in that way. But finding a shelter and bringing us to safety is my specialty and responsibility. Not yours." He lowered himself ever so slightly so he was no longer holding himself above the wheel dog - holding himself as an equal instead. "Respect me as I respect you."

With that, he turned to begin to lead them again, not concerned with Renesmee who ran off. That was her own decision and he trusted that the two missing would be able to find the pack again. As he passed Willow, the male gently rubbed his head against hers affectionately, thanking her for her support. "I'd like you to join me if you wish," he said, giving her the option and not ordering her around. He knew she didn't need that, but did want her to walk with him. But the choice would be up to her.