It took 10 long days for Penn to push the pups through the long, arduous pass. As they stood on the Orthos side, the children let out happy squeals and jumped about with great excitement. Penn growled and silenced the children right away. This prompted Cassidy to give her a disappointed look and Jackson to give her a frown.  But Penn ignored the two as her eyes scanned the exposed mountainside for danger.

Coming out the other side of Mourning Cross was no small feat for such a tiny, untested crew of pups. It was worth celebrating. But not now. Not when they were still a long way from Orthos territory and standing out in the open like this far above the safety of the treeline, which was hundreds of feet below them.

Part of the trouble was, Penn wasn't the least bit familiar with this side of the mountain range, and was not sure what dangers were present in the neutral territory around the Orthos pack. They could be facing rogue wolves, brown or grizzly bears, treacherous terrain, or all of the above. So, she couldn't let them stop and kick up their heals here. It simply wasn't safe. They needed to reach the cover of the treeline before they could even think about celebrating getting through the pass in one piece.

"Nothings changed," she yelled over the howling wind, "the rules are all the same on this side of the pass. You follow me, you do as I say, you keep your travel buddies close, and no one rests until we find cover down in those trees."

The poor pups were cold, hungry and exhausted beyond measure. They cried and whimpered at the news that they could not rest. It was enough to tug at Penn's heart strings, but she would not bend. She couldn't afford to if she wanted to keep them safe.

Cassidy and Jackson approached Penn with downcast and anxious faces. "Can we not rest here a little while? The pups are so tired," Cassidy implored Penn.

Penn shook her head no.

Jackson eagerly offered, "Cassidy and I will take up watch positions while the little ones rest."

Penn almost smiled at him. He and his sister really cared a great deal for the pups. Lara had raised two outstanding children. But, it was still too dangerous.

"No," Penn said with a sharp voice filled with finality.

She watched the two oldest waiting to see if they would protest and challenge her. They had been so obedient all this time that she was sure one of these days they would rebel against her. She wouldn't be surprised if it happened now when they were all so exhausted and on the verge of collapsing.

Though she didn't usually explain herself, she felt compelled to remind them of the danger they were still in. "None of us are safe here," she told the two of them in a slightly softened voice. "We are exposed and to who or what we don't know. So, we can't rest here. We'll rest when we get someplace safe down in those trees."

Penn watched the two sigh in defeat before saying in unison, "Understood."

And that was it. The crying and the whining, even from the littlest ones, all ceased as everyone concentrated on their next task - making it down the steep rocky slope without breaking their necks.

Penn was glad they were on the move again even if they were moving at a snail's pace. She felt nervous in this unfamiliar territory and the longer they were exposed the more jumpy she became. They couldn't reach the cover of the woods fast enough for her, but the going was painfully slow since the pups were legitimately on their last legs. It was nearly the middle of the night when they finally reached the treeline.

The pups dropped like stones to the lichen rich forest floor, and many of them were asleep within seconds of closing their eyes. Penn had meant to scout the area and find them a safe location to hunker down until morning, but she couldn't bring herself to stir the children from their little clustered heaps.

She gave a great sigh as she surveyed the area with an expert eye. This spot would just have to do for the night. It wouldn't be long before morning came. They could find a better spot in the daylight. And, surely they would be safe for the next few hours. She couldn't smell a single wolf or bear scent, old or new, along the rocky slope or in the short, stunted black spruce trees that grew this high in the mountain.

Penn stretched and unstrapped Mia, who was fast asleep. She handed the pup to Cassidy who took her and placed her gently among the other sleepers. Penn then unstrapped Lily who was strapped to her back and also fast asleep. Jackson took her off Penn's hands and found her a soft place to cuddle for the night.  Penn was amazed at how well the little ones held up during the trek and couldn't help but smile at them fondly as she looked over all the children.

Cassidy and Jackson, though exhausted themselves, were busy settling everyone down for the night. Though they had both carried the two four-year-olds on their backs all the way through the cross and down the mountain slope, neither complained about their burdens. Penn couldn't help but admire their stamina and determination. This mission would not have been possible without their constant help.

Both Cassidy and Jackson returned to her side a few minutes later to await further instructions. Penn could see the lassitude on their young faces. The journey had been hardest on them and yet Penn thought they were holding up remarkably well under the pressure of it all. Survival could bring out the worst in people, but these two seemed to thrive in such poor conditions. Perhaps it was because they had so many little ones depending on them.

"That's it for tonight. There will be no hunting. So, you two can just find a spot to sleep for now," Penn told them quietly. She would hunt in the early hours of dawn after Cassidy and Jackson had gotten in a few hours of sleep.

Neither of them moved. They appeared ready to protest, which made Penn smile inwardly though her own tired countenance did not change. Lara had great kids. Penn imagined the two were a lot like their mother - the type to give their all, do their best, and wholeheartedly try to right injustice with kindness. Isn't that what she had tried to do for Penn? The thought softened Penn's stony countenance just a fraction.

"I'll stay up with you," Cassidy offered. "Jackson can relieve me in a few hours," she reasoned.

It wasn't uncommon for Cassidy to volunteer to keep watch with Penn for a few hours every night. Penn didn't know why. She never spoke a word to the girl all night. So, it wasn't like the two spent that time bonding. Despite not knowing Cassidy's motive, Penn had allowed it. But looking at the girl now, and seeing that she could pass out at any minute, Penn denied the request.

"Not this time Cassidy," she replied in a quiet voice that while neither curt or domineering somehow conveyed that the discussion was final. Penn pushed the two teens toward the other pups saying, "Go on, sleep."

They obediently complied and they too were out like lights almost as soon as their heads found a soft place to rest.  The moment all the children were fast asleep Penn stripped out of her clothes and transformed into her fur. She found a good perch on a large boulder to spend the rest of the night-hours keeping one eye on the children and the other looking for any signs of danger.

She needed to be on full alert the rest of the night. She couldn't be sure how far Orthos territory extended or if there were other packs on this side she should be concerned with. Then, there was always the issue of rogues and bears, which posed a threat to her and the pups. Even though she hadn't picked up any alarming scents this high up, she couldn't let her guard down for a minute. They were too close to safety for Penn to fail them now. She was determined to keep a sharp vigil all night and keep the pups safe at all cost.

Dawn was only a few hours away and so the time passed relatively quickly. It was strangely comforting listening to the soft snores of the pups. Penn generally hated their noises. Well, she had for the fist four weeks she was with them. She'd lived so long on her own that she found their neediness, their voices, their crying, legitimate or not, overwhelming. But, something changed on Mourning Cross for her.

She didn't know exactly when or why it happened, but she was very aware now, as they neared Orthos territory, that the pups had really grown on her. Grown on her enough that she didn't find their sounds and scents so annoying anymore. Grown on her enough, that as she looked over them now, she thought their feathery snores almost endearing.

It was startling to think she might possibly miss them when they parted ways sometime in the next few days.  It didn't seem possible that she could grow so fond of such a needy bunch of kids. In fact, she didn't think she was capable of feeling much of anything for pack wolves after her pack abandoned her.

Penn thought her heart too bitter and too hard to be in the least bit vulnerable to a bunch of orphans, who had no claim to her affections - not by birth, blood, or marriage. But she did feel something for them. She sincerely hoped she wasn't becoming tender hearted. The last thing she needed was to open herself up for more rejection. That's what pack wolves were good at - rejecting other wolves.

Penn set her complicated feelings aside as the grey light of dawn arrived. She remained in her wolf form as the children stirred and woke. Then, let out a low growl when the children started to come too. It was a command for them to lay back down and go back to sleep. Normally, she would be barking at them to get up but not this morning. They needed the sleep.

Cassidy caught on right away and she quickly assured the children that they could sleep a while longer. No one protested and all of them fell back to sleep quite quickly. Cassidy, for her part, came over and sat beside Penn for a moment. She boldly draped a single arm over Penn's furry shoulders, pressed her cheek to Penn's fluffy neck, and gave the she-wolf a tight squeeze before rising to her feet and finding a more comfortable place to sleep a while longer.

Penn let out a little huff not sure what that display was all about, but not exactly upset with the it either. Once the pups settled back down she got up, stretched her back and legs, and then started a perimeter check. She made several sweeps around their little impromptu camp site. Each time the sweep got larger and larger.

On her rounds she sniffed out game. The children would need to eat something heartier than pika and mice, which they'd been living on during the nearly week and half it took them to get through Mourning Cross. But, thoughts of breakfast slipped her mind when Penn also caught the scent, old though it is, of wolves.

Packs used scent markers to mark the edges of their territories. Penn hadn't found any of those just yet. So, it was possible she and the pups were still in neutral territory at the moment. The trouble was, Penn had no way of knowing if these old scents were from Orthos pack wolves scouting around or from rogue wolves in the neutral territory. The uncertainty was a bit unnerving.

After a few more sweeps, and no fresh wolf scents in the air anywhere, Penn felt a small measure of relief. Perhaps the wolf scent she picked up was just a passing wolf. She headed back to her little pack of orphans and woke up a very groggy Cassidy and Jackson feeling satisfied that there were no immediate threats to their little pack just yet.

Penn transformed into her skin to speak with Cassidy and Jackson. They kept their eyes on the ground unable to cope with her nakedness, which amused Penn more than it annoyed her now. But, not being much of a tormentor, she kept the conversation brief so as not to prolong their embarrassment.

"I'll hunt us down something to eat. You two keep watch while I'm gone." This was all very routine but Cassidy suddenly looked up, her face full of worry.

"Shouldn't you sleep a little while Penn?" she asked with grave concern.

Though pleased by her concern, Penn only raised a single eyebrow at the girl and scoffed, "You just worry about keeping the pups safe while I'm gone. They'll be ready to eat you alive if I don't bring back something to eat by the time they stir."

Penn saw Cassidy's cheek flush with embarrassment. To soften the tone of her brisk reply she simply reached out and ruffled Cassidy's hair. It was something her older brother's use to do to her from time to time to comfort her or let her know she was loved. She thought Cassidy might appreciate the gesture. And, Penn wasn't wrong. She was pleased to see the teen responded with a little smile, though she kept her eyes downcast.

With that settled, Penn reverted to her fur and took off through the woods in search of some hares. She didn't have any luck catching any. However, by mid-morning Penn had found and tracked down something a great deal tastier than hare - bighorn sheep. They were living in and out of the treeline east of where she left the pups.

It took some skill and some manoeuvring but Penn managed to take down a two year old male. Her instinct was to gorge on the creature right then and there, but, realizing the children were on the edge of starving, she used her powerful jaws to tear the goat into several pieces, which would be easier to transport to the children.

She grinned happily to herself as she headed back to camp with parts of her bloody kill swinging from her hands. She was sure the kids would be overjoyed by such a prize kill. Anything had to be better than more pika. But, she was surprised to find that the children had never eaten mountain sheep before. And, despite their long perilous journey through the pass, with only pika to eat for 10 days, they were still squeamish about raw meat.

She watched their eyes grow huge with want, but their stomachs turned pitifully at the sight of the bloody, mutilated meat she dropped at their feet. Penn just huffed at them.

"You can have a fire if you must," she growled before she turned and headed back for the rest of her kill.

Long before she even arrived back at the camp with the last bits of her kill, she could smell the smoke from the children's fire. It was a risk, but so too was starvation for the little ones. It was simply a gamble they would have to take because she knew the pups had to eat.

Once she entered their camp, Penn sat down, in wolf form, and gorged on the juicy, mouth watering raw meat at her feet. The children who were not otherwise occupied watched her with terrible fascination. Many of them weren't old enough to have gone on hunts and hadn't even seen their loved ones in wolf form eating their kills.

Penn didn't mind the curious glances or even the disgusted stares. These pups, even the older teens, had lived very sheltered lives and Penn couldn't hold that against them. However, she'd lived in the wild for 10 years now and she was not ashamed to eat what she killed right after she killed it no matter who was present.

After she'd had her fill, she opted to remain in wolf form because she was covered in blood. She took her time cleaning her light grey and black coat, trying to get rid of as much of the fresh blood as possible for the pups' sake.

The children did not like to see her in human form when she was covered in blood from her kills. This she was well aware of now and willing to work around since she was quite fond of being in wolf form. She had spent more time in her skin during the five weeks she'd been with the pups, than in the whole ten years of her exile. So, she jumped at any chance to remain in her fur because it felt most natural to her.

She mused, while she continued to slowly clean herself, that she likely would not even recognize herself if she saw her own reflection in a mirror. Time and living wild would have changed her looks substantially she suspected. It was hard to imagine what her face might look like now. She wondered if she looked more like her mother or her father.

With those thoughts rolling around in her head, she laid her snout down on her paws and closed her eyes. She was tired. She needed to sleep. The children ate and talked quietly among themselves. They were excited. They were nearly safe. And, they were nearly free of the rogue wolf who'd made their lives a living hell the past five weeks, Penn thought with a snort.

She might have grown strangely fond of the kids but she was sure, if their crying, quaking and frightened looks was anything to go by, that they were not fond of her. Well, none but Mia, Lily and possibly Cassidy. She laughed a little to herself because it stung a bit knowing the children had never warmed up to her, even though she'd risked life and limb to get them to safety. But, why she cared what a handful of orphaned pups thought of her was a mystery.

She wouldn't let it get to her. She knew she'd get over the feeling easily enough once they all went their separate ways. There was no sense in getting attached. She and the pups could never stay together and they would be taught to fear her by the pack that was shortly going to take them in. That's what packs did - they taught their pups to fear lone wolves. That's just how it was and nothing Penn did for the Griffin orphans could change that.

Penn huffed with discontentment and frustration. She was feeling riled up and melancholy, which wasn't like her. In fact, she wasn't use to feeling much beyond fear and hunger. They were the two most common feelings in any wolf who lived outside the pack system. They were the only feelings that would keep her alive. Every other feeling was pointless.

Penn stretched and tried to get comfortable. What she needed was sleep. Sleep would help her forget these momentary sentimental thoughts she was having. Clearly her exhaustion was clouding her mind. It was the only thing that made sense because she had worked hard at suppressing her emotions and letting her instincts guide her. She was very skilled at it. If, she was slipping, it had to be the mental and physical fatigue.  That's what she told herself at any rate as she struggled to get comfortable enough to sleep.