Letting his paws lead him in a light jog, Toivo started down the hill. Lexi stumbled, and he leaned into her further, supporting her as they ran. It slowed quickly to a steady walk as they slipped behind the row of shacks that reached furthest up the hill.

Both of them gasped again, grateful for the new shelter the houses allowed. The wind was less forceful behind the houses. It made the gripping chill feel just a little less stinging. With a nod to Lexi, Toivo began to follow the houses towards the centre of the outpost. Dawn hadn't said where exactly Konrad would be meeting them, but he suspected that it would be at every settlement's most important meeting place - the central plaza.

A group of white wolves were gathered outside one of the houses. The narrow width of the path between the rows allowed them to block off the street, making getting past them impossible. Nervously, Toivo flicked his gaze to either side, but there was no obvious way around. They were trapped by tight terrace.

The Icewylves were muttering as they approached, but before he and Lexi could even get close they fell silent, their heads snapping up. Four pairs of eyes fixed themselves on Toivo's dark coat, and even when he dropped his eyes to the ground he could still feel the weight of their stares.

Keeping his head down, he followed Lexi as she curved to the left and muttered to the closest wolf, "Excuse me." The Icewylf stepped aside, but her eyes didn't leave Toivo as he passed her. Lexi slid past without trouble and turned back to wait for him, but before he could step away from the gathered wolves, a wide paw stretched out to block his path.

"I'm afraid Vendett doesn't accept scum visitors," the Icewylf snarled. Looking up, he reluctantly met her eyes. They were such a pale yellow that in the weak sunshine they appeared almost white.

"I'm just, uh, passing through," he forced out, making to squeeze past her. She moved to stand in front of him.

"The thing is," the wolf said, her bright eyes glowing, "you've already entered our settlement. That means, strictly, you shouldn't be allowed to leave." Her fangs flashed briefly. Toivo stumbled backwards, only to bump into another Icewylf waiting behind.

"Unless it's with claws embedded in your neck," added a third wolf to his side.

Protests lodged in Toivo's throat. He staggered into the wall to his left, his flank pressing against it. A splinter pierced his side, but he couldn't pull away. The wolves were advancing.

"Please," came Lexi's voice, from somewhere beyond the wall of white fur. "Toivo's different. He's from Borealton. We grew up together." Desperation crept into her tone, and he longed to meet her eyes. But only the pale eyes of the snarling Icewylf were visible.

"A likely story," she hissed, her snout now almost touching his. "Don't play dumb with me, Thunderwylf. Shadewylves only come from the cave. I've never had a chance to kill one before."

In a flash, her paws were upon him, her claws sinking into his chest as she pushed him to the ground. The earth stung cold at his back. He couldn't let her do this.

Twisting, he rolled out of her grip, and lashed his own claws out. She dodged them and came down on him again, harder. Something sharp scraped his snout. A low growl escaped his throat before he could stop it, and suddenly he was sliding away again and leaping to his paws.

Without thinking, he pounced. The momentum carried him forwards and sent them both crashing to the ground again. He could hear Lexi shouting something, and the cries of one of the Icewylves, but his opponent's snarls were loudest in his ears. So were his own growls. They grappled, white and black. He swiped and added a stripe of deep red to the mix.

Just as he lunged for her chest, more paws caught him from behind, and he was being tugged away, still squirming. Three sets of strong paws pinned him down, and though he fought, he couldn't escape them.

A head loomed into view, fangs glinting bright as ice. "Nice try, Shadewylf."

Let me go.

The thought didn't come from his mind, but from something deeper. He felt the Shadow twist and unfold in his chest. It was leaking out of his dark fur, not visible, but there. Strong. Spreading. Free once more.

His eyes narrowed. You'll regret messing with me.

"Stop!"

Lexi's voice. Trembling with fear. The Shadow retracted, pulling back.

Until a fang's tip brushed his chest, raking the skin beneath, and it burst out again.

You can't kill me.

"Kari! Get off him!"

A new voice, gruff and deep. The pressure on his chest released. The fangs vanished. Gasping, Toivo swung himself sideways, yanking the trails of power back fully and curling them up once more. He took a few long, deep breaths, letting it settle in his heart. He'd been so close to using it again.

But was that so bad? All he'd wanted was not to die.

That isn't the way a hero survives.

Clambering to his paws, he searched for the source of the voice. The three Icewylves had backed far away from him, clustered at the opposite wall, while their friend - the one who'd attacked first - was crouched just to his left. Her fur was still streaked with blood. Yet none of them attacked.

As he rose fully, he saw a fifth Icewylf, stood in the street's centre. He was even larger than the others. His head was lifted high, and his gaze was hard and stern. "You certainly know how to make a scene, young Shadewylf."

Lexi dashed over to Toivo. Her nose met his shoulder. "You ok?" she whispered.

He could only nod.

Turning to the Icewylf, Lexi straightened herself. "Are you Konrad?"

"That's Chief Konrad to you, but yes." Stepping closer, the Icewylf peered at Toivo curiously.

"Wait," called the Icewylf to their left. As Toivo looked over to her, she stood fully, her glare still fierce. "What are you doing, Chief? He's a Shadewylf!"

"I noticed," Konrad said dryly. "This wolf is a little different to those we watch. He's been sent by some old friends of mine."

"Who?" Her fierceness didn't fade. But neither did Konrad's stern gaze.

"When I chose you as Vendett's Wylfrost commander, I hoped you would learn a few things about authority." He sighed. "I will explain to you later, Miyuki. For now, I would like you to behave like a civilised wolf and stand down."

For a moment, Miyuki opened her snout, ready to attack with another protest. But then she closed it, and with a reluctant nod, she crossed the street to join the other Icewylves.

With a shake of his head, Konrad turned back to Toivo and Lexi. "I apologise for your less-than-ideal welcome. The wolves around here have always been ruffians of sorts, and unfortunately Miyuki is no exception." He cast the Icewylves a disgruntled glance. "What was your name again?" he added.

"Toivo," replied Toivo.

"And I'm Lexi," Lexi chipped in.

"Great." The chief turned his gaze on the now-empty street ahead. "Follow me. I'll find somewhere safer for us to talk." His glance landed on a still-shivering Lexi. "And warmer," he added, wih just the barest hint of a smile.

He led them further along the rows of houses until they reached a break in the terraces. It wasn't much - just a patch of cold dirt, with shacks skirting around it - but the pool at its centre marked it as the official plaza. Peering at it as they passed, Toivo noticed that its waters weren't quite as bright as the pool he'd seen so often in Borealton. It seemed to reflect the chilling breeze, filled with icy hues.

Another couple of Icewylves were gathered in the empty space, the smallest of them tracing his claw across the earth. Toivo couldn't help but watch as trails of frost were left in the claw's wake, creating icy patterns. When he slowed his pace, however, the wolf halted his Ice magic and stared up at him. The older wolf gave him a look that clearly said mind your own business, and he scurried away, ducking his head down.

They curved and slipped down another straight path lined with houses. An Icewylf was perched on the roof of one, most likely making repairs of some kind, whilst a pair of Peltless tackled each other outside, their movements achingly familiar to Toivo. They all stopped as he passed, but a flashing glare from Konrad was all it took for them to avert their eyes.

It was a great relief when they finally slipped through a creaking door and left the tension of the street behind. Toivo felt something lift off his shoulders, as if all the stares and growled mutterings had been a weight only released by the safety of indoors.

It took him a moment to realise that the sensation wasn't only relief.

The heat of the room washed over him. It seemed scorching in here compared to the chill of outside. He could feel the frost that had cloaked him now thawing away, making his skin tingle.

"Hurry up," muttered Konrad, making Toivo spur his limbs into action. He and Lexi followed him into a neighbouring room, where the heat grew even more intense. This room felt less ordinary than the other room had. There was a huge map detailing all of Sylvera hung up on one wall, and stacks of notes piled beside it. Several metal objects were neatly arranged by the doorway - claw-like weapons, bracelets, and pouches, most of which Toivo guessed were Glitter-enchanted.

But by far the most surprising thing was the wolf sat at the far end of the room. The wolf on fire.

The very sight made Toivo jump, his paws flinching upwards. Suddenly the heat made sense. He looked over at Konrad, expecting a similar display of alarm, but the chief only tilted his head in greeting. "Ishaan. This is Toivo and Lexi."

The fire diminished slightly, and a wolf's head popped out between the flames. "Hey!" he said to them, before looking back to Konrad. "These are the ones from your Twilight friends?"

"Twilytra, Ishaan," Konrad corrected with an exasperated sigh. Latching his claws into a rug on the floor, he tugged it towards them and sat down before gesturing to them to do the same. Lexi curled up, her shivers thankfully gone now, and Toivo perched himself gingerly beside her.

A silence began to creep over them. Thankfully, Konrad spoke before Toivo's thoughts could begin to wander. "Don't worry about Ishaan. He's probably the most trustworthy wolf outside of Brinehold."

Toivo opened his snout to ask about the engulfing flames - he'd never seen a wolf so calm and yet so on fire - but thought better of it. Instead, he said, "So, can you help us?"

"With your prison break? I can." Shifting, Konrad sat up straighter. It crossed Toivo's mind how uncomfortable Ishaan's heat must be for an Icewylf. When patches of frost began weaving betneath Konrad's fur, probably acting as a cooling mechanism, he had to try hard not to stare.

"Are the Shadewylves really active?" Lexi, now fully recovered from the cold, leaned forward.

Konrad nodded slowly. "Very. It started with the attack on Greystra. For several moons after that, we thought we'd been able to track their every movements. Until the incident at Borealton's prison showed we didn't."

Toivo was about to ask what he meant, but Lexi provided her own explanation. "When they attacked Katana?"

Nodding again, the Icewylf turned to the corner and grasped a pointed metal instrument, beginning to toy with it in his claws. The movement felt almost absentminded. Toivo couldn't help but flinch back as it spun dangerously close to his tail.

"We've attempted to extract prisoners before - captured Icewylves from our occasional skirmishes." Konrad growled lowly, digging the object into a gap in the floorboards. "Every time we've failed. But this time, we might just succeed."

"What's changed?" Lexi asked.

"Now we have you."

At first, Toivo glanced over at Lexi, thinking Konrad meant her. But then he felt the gaze settle decidedly on him. His ears twitched.

"What do you mean?" He forced himself to stay focused on meeting Konrad's eyes, even as the stare grew more intense.

"Nefaris is made for Shadewylves, young Toivo. Quite convieniently, you happen to be one." He shrugged. "It isn't Pelt science."

Whatever kind of science it was, Toivo still found himself at a loss. Was this to do with his Shadow power? Thankfully, the scientist beside him stepped in before he could start panicking.

"You want him to go in there alone?" she exclaimed. "But... what if something goes wrong?"

"Then he'll have to figure it out himself. We can't help." Konrad flicked his tail as if they were merely talking about the weather, rather than Toivo's own life. A shiver slid down his spine. Wasn't there another way?

"But it won't go wrong," Konrad said, his stare unwavering. Setting down the metal claw, he rose, pacing towards the map behind him. "The Wylfrost have been investigating the cave ever since the Shadewylves chose to take up residence there, long before my time. Even in all that studying, we've rarely been able to get deep inside. For such a simple, yet deviously clever, reason."

"Which is?" Lexi prompted in his pause. His gaze flicked to her briefly, eyes narrowed as if scrutinising her, before he turned to the map again.

"It's pitch black in there, young Lexi. Save for the prisons, there isn't a lamp in sight."

Toivo frowned. "How does that work? You can't see without light."

His answer was found in Lexi's gasp of realisation. "Shadewylves can see in the dark."

Suddenly, things he'd barely even considered made perfect sense. How couldn't he have noticed it? It wasn't moonlight or sparking hope that had been guiding him through the forest. It hadn't painted itself in perfect clarity last night for no reason whatsoever. He felt like kicking himself.

"So," he said slowly, trying to straighten out his thoughts, "I go in there and stare at the dark. I break the Twilytra out?" His heart began to speed up. "Are you sure there's no way you can help me? Can't you bring lamps in or something?"

Konrad shook his head. "Lamps would be like beacons in the darkness. After all, your night vision isn't the only thing that grants you access." He waved a wide paw at Toivo's Pelt, and his panic spread further. But the surety in the chief's gaze calmed him a little. "Besides, the break won't be all your responsibility."

With a swish of his tail, Konrad swept the claw-like object over to rest at Toivo's paws. "This is enchanted to carve through rock," he said. "A powerful enchantment, cast by Thea on my last visit." With a flourish, he pulled a scroll of paper from the stack. It unfurled as he rose up on his back paws to slam it over the current map, impaled by a sharp hanger jutting from the wall.

Stumbling back, Toivo watched the chief as he returned to all fours. His heart pounded - partly because of how on edge this conversation made him, but also from how huge and powerful Konrad seemed just from the simple action. He made a mental note never to cross the Wylfrost.

He crept forward again at a gesture from Konrad to study the new map. It showed, he realised, the interior of a cave. Nefaris. Much of the upper half of the map was blank, with only vague walls and passages marked, and even the portion at the front wasn't overly detailed. Only one area stood out bright and clear, situated above Toivo's head and to the right. A single row of cells, with lights sketched inside.

Konrad jabbed his claw at the wall behind the cells. "This is an outer wall. Set down so that it is underground, but with some creative tunnelling, it can still lead to outside."

"You... want me to dig a tunnel? Won't someone notice?" Toivo said, his paws shuffling beneath him. I'm also quite a lot claustrophobic, he added but didn't say. It sounded like a pup's whimper even his head.

"No. I'd like you to pass the tool to one of our imprisoned friends."

The resulting sigh of relief was more obvious than Toivo meant it to be. He stared harder at the map, avoiding the harshness of Konrad's gaze. "Who?" he asked quietly.

"Whoever you think will dig quickest."

"Surely someone would still notice though," Lexi added from over Toivo's shoulder.

Turning around, Konrad glanced at her long enough to pass across a smile. It was subtle and brief, but enough to reassure them both that he was firmly on their side. "Thea is clever. She also enchanted it to be soundless. She is truly an extraordinary Glitterwylf," he mused. He only remained in thought for a second or two before pointing to the cell's wall again and adding, "A group of Icewylves, plus you two, will be waiting here for when the tunnel opens out."

"How do you know all this?" Lexi asked, sliding in closer to the map. Toivo shifted aside to allow her to stand beside him. "About the prison, I mean."

Konrad's gaze drifted to the far corner of the room, where Ishaan was still burning bright. Toivo flinched. He'd forgotten the Flamewylf was present.

"No Icewylf has ever escaped Nefaris, but Ishaan did. Left a few Shadewylves with some nasty burns, too. This all comes from his memory matching up with our analysis." A sigh drifted from Konrad's snout. "Still, that cave broke something in his head," he added, in a lower voice.

Toivo didn't know what to say to that. Something turned cold in his heart at the sight of the cheerful Flamewylf, marred by Konrad's dark words. He gave Ishaan a friendly nod and turned back to the map, trying to ignore his thrumming power and the idea that fear and insanity were often linked.

Shaking himself, he reached out a claw, resting it at the sketched entrance to the cave. "So all I have to do," he began, tracing his claw up through the cave, "is get from here to here, give someone the magic tool, and get back again." He followed the path his claw had marked all the way to the cave mouth again - both entrance and exit. "Ok. I can do that."

Konrad nodded. "You can."

"You definitely can," echoed Lexi.

Unable to tear his eyes from the map, Toivo leaned into it, following every rough curve of the cave's outline. "Yeah," he said, more to himself than anyone else. "Yeah, I think I can."