"Ashen! Somber! Wake up."

Grenade pressed his cold nose against the back of Ashen's neck, trying to avoid anywhere where needles pierced her flesh. She suddenly bolted upright, gasping for breath.

"Sorry," Ashen apologized as Somber began to stir. "I thought you were a Terran."

Grenade's eyes softened. "It's alright Ashen," he assured as he padded forward and pressed against her leg. "The Terrans aren't here yet but we do have to get ourselves back to our crates before they get here."

Ashen gulped and nodded in agreement as she helped Somber to his paws. She looked around and saw other creatures lumbering toward their crates. She began to pad forward with Somber padding behind her. Grenade brought up the rear and made sure if they were moving too slow he would affectionately nudge them forward. Somber would growl when Grenade pushed him too much but Grenade knew that they would thank him later.

When they arrived at Ashen's crate Grenade leaped on the bars of Ashen's crate and opened it. "Get in," he urged as his ears flicked.

Ashen wasn't sure if she could jump that high right now but she wasn't about to back out. She bunched her muscles and leaped. Her front half landed in the crate but her other half hung outside the crate. She groaned as she tried to haul herself up but her muscles fatigued and she began slipping backwards.

Somber suddenly leaped forward and pushed his head against Ashen's haunch. He hauled her upward and she looked down on him panting. "Thanks. Both of you."

Somber dipped his head while Grenade swung the front of the cage closed. He closed the latch before he locked the lock. He smiled as he looked in on Ashen. "I'm praying that you don't have another surgery today but if you do I want to wish you luck."

"Thanks Grenade," she barked thankfully with a dip of her head. "For everything."

"No problem," he purred as he leaped down and turned to Somber. "Your turn." Somber turned and smiled to his sister comfortingly. He then padded after Grenade. He realized how much further Ashen's crate was from his and he started to tire. He had just woken up and he really wanted to just rest again.

"Don't give up yet," urged Grenade as he kept close to Somber since it looked like he may lose consciousness at any heartbeat.

"I'm not trying," panted Somber as he finally came up to his crate. He looked up, wondering if he could make the jump. "Never thought it would be this hard."

Grenade smiled timidly and leaped up in the air. He latched onto the bars of the cage and opened it for Somber. "It's awful being at the top but it could be worse."

"Yeah not sure how," grunted Somber as he leaped into the air. He missed the crate miserably and he fell back on the ground, yelping in agony.

Grenade was about to say something to comfort him when a door opened. "Terrans," he gasped as he looked to Somber in shock. "You have to get in your crate!"

"I can't," complained Somber hopelessly.

"Then I'll help you," murmured Grenade as he darted to the edge of the bottom crate and reared on his hind legs. "I am not allowing you to get any lashings!"

Somber groaned again as he tried again. He was closer and Grenade pushed his head against Somber's hind legs. Somber grumbled as he pulled himself into the crate. Grenade leaped on the bar and slammed it shut before he locked it.

He leaped back down, ready to dart to his crate beside Somber's crate before a Terran appeared behind him and picked him up by the scruff. "What are you doing out of your crate?"

Grenade's eyes widened in shock but he couldn't answer in a way they could understand. They Terran shrugged and threw Grenade into his crate as hard as he could possible could.

"Grenade," gasped Somber as he watched the Terran take out a small whip from his hip. He stretched it out before he whipped it against Grenade's flank. Somber's voice faltered as he smelled blood. "Stop it! Leave him alone!"

Somber leaned forward as he bared harshly, saliva dripping from his jaws. His ears were shoved forward and the rage overpowered the pain he felt in his body. The Terran turned to him, blood dripping from the whip and Somber flinched. "Shut up or you're next!"

Somber took a step back and heard Grenade's raspy voice. "Stop Somber. You don't want to fight them. I'll be fine," he rasped as he crawled to his paws, blood oozing from different gashes on his pelt from the whip. He leaned against the back of the cage, closing his eyes. He had a large gash over his eye that was making his eye swell closed.

"But Grenade-" Somber began but he didn't know what to say. He just laid down, shielding his head away the Terran.

The Terran smiled before he turned the whip back on Grenade, continuing to beat him. Every so often Somber would hear Grenade utter whimpers in pain. Somber desperately wanted to help but he knew he couldn't. He just pawed at the bars of his cage, praying that the Terran would stop hurting Grenade.

When Grenade could no longer lift his head on his own the Terran tucked his whip back into his pocket, tapping it thoughtfully. "Now I hope you'll think twice before pulling something like that again, filth!"

The Terran stalked away, whistling in joy. Once Somber was sure he was gone he pressed his head against the bars of his own cage, hoping that Grenade could hear him. "Grenade I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine," choked out Grenade as blood bubbled from his lips and he coughed harshly. "I'll be okay in a little bit."

"It's all my fault," cried Somber as he plastered his ears against his head and thrust his paws over his muzzle, whimpering.

"It's not your fault," argued Grenade as he looked at his pelt that was ridden with lashes. Blood oozed out and Grenade was glad that no one could see him, especially Somber. If Somber saw him he would be afraid the wolf might go into shock. "I couldn't get in my crate fast enough." He rose to his paws but quickly fell back down, swearing under his breath.

Somber frowned and his eyes turned glazed in grief. "Is there anything I can do," asked Somber hopefully as he laid down and pressed his head against the thin layer of cement that separated the crates.

Grenade managed to haul himself to the side of the crate so that he could hear Somber better. Blood continued to ooze from pelt and he winced as he tried to clean his wounds. "Not much," he confessed as he wrinkled his nose in disgust at his own wounds. He hated the sight of torn flesh whether or not he wanted to admit it. "But thanks for offering." He groaned as he repositioned himself.

Somber held his breath, imaging seeing Grenade. He saw what one lashing could do. He didn't even want to think about how many Grenade had got and he was sure that he looked like heck. He wasn't looking forward to seeing him tonight.

"I promise I'm okay," pipped up Grenade in a bit of a slurred voice. He was beginning to lose consciousness from the blood loss. "I just need some rest."

His head fell gently against his bloodied paws and his breath slowed. Somber listened to his breathing for a bit to make sure he wasn't dead. He then rested his own head on his paws and tried to fall asleep but not before a single tear rolled down his cheek.