I observe our quarter-pack^ storing the supplies we brought from World. If only the leaf-smell wasn’t making my head ache. I feel panic subside and purpose set in. Until this point, I have been obsessing over how we will organise Stores. Not just in terms of ease of access and according to perishability, but in terms of security. In my cycles as Deputy Quarter-Pack Guider^, we never needed this level of security. We never had such limited supplies. There are so many stocks that, once depleted, will be gone until movement between worlds opens and we can return to World. There will be trouble, we just don’t know what it will be yet. All quarter-dogs, Set and Rise alike, have been briefed in the acceptable use and protection of our resources.

Quarter-Pack Guiders have been assigned stealth-warriors. There are three stealth-warriors in our quarter-pack acting as Deputy QPGs. They will report to me, Broad Rise (my QPG Service-mate) and Leaf-Pack Guider Strong First Eyes Rise (Pack Guider on this leaf-scented world) and no-dog else. Even high-notched dogs can get desperate in times of hardship. I am hardly inexperienced at rebuffing those taking stores from Pack. I have had to growl down dogs looking for medicines that would not help their sick mates, even if I had given them. Even pups in training trying to prove themselves to training-mates or impress potential stealth-scouts need the proper response. I have smelled desperate dogs of all kinds at stores, but I know that what is coming will be more than I have experienced.

All the pack are running back and forth. The stealth-warriors are amongst them, behaving like any other quarter-dog. Broad Rise and I know what they are but most of the quarter-pack do not. There were some tilted heads at these scarred dogs joining our pack, but there are so many dogs being moved from Service to Service that it will be a while before they realise these strange DQPGs are staying and the quarter-pack still may not find out why, until they are needed.

“No, Mane Runt^ Rise, not that way. Those tunnels are storage for medicine, what you have there is Heat-doses. They go this way along with whelping supplies.” In my reverie (and battling the noxious air), I may have missed other supplies going the wrong way. Mane Runt Rise is trying to reverse direction, she is causing a hold up. She has never taken the Heat-dose and she is trying very carefully to investigate but not run the risk of getting any near her mouth. She has no Heat-mate, and a Heat-dose and no Heat-mate is a decision she is not ready to make. I get down from the entrance ridges and decide to visit each section and check that the supplies are right.

I stride down the first tunnel towards medical supplies. Even the freshly-dug earth smells of leaves! Here we have dried herbs to chew before grooming that promote healing, deter parasites and fight various kinds of infections. We also have absorbent materials for covering wounds and drawing out infections. Dogs who need regular medication have remained on World where they can be best cared for by Pack. We have a selection of other medical treatments that might be needed as cycles pass and some to hopefully fight any kind of unknown illnesses this world might throw at us. All these are being packed away in the correct manner by Broad Rise. He is deliberately putting things into the various alcoves dug in the central medical store and leaving scent-labels for when they are sealed - even a scent-scientist could get confused in a panicked state.

I click to him, he clicks back. Unlike most of Pack, quarter-dogs have never cared which side of Pack dogs come from. It is not discussed but, there is a reason a dog in need will always seek the nearest quarter-dog. Every cycle there will be a quarter-dog approached by an exiled dog from the other Pack (half of Pack now). They are so often traumatised by what they have been through alone, that it is usual for quarter-packs to take these individuals to den for a few nights. This dog would do their first Service to their new Pack from the quarter-pack. I have denned with emaciated, frightened, ill-groomed dogs who have forgotten how to deep-sleep. Exiles always find a new Service. They sometimes serve as they did their own Pack, sometimes they find a new Service. Quarter-dogs facilitate this. Trustworthy has taken and trained an exile or two as provider. It’s a popular choice after exile – serving in a small provision-pack and no need to interact with wider Pack. I have never cared where a dog comes from as long as they serve Pack. Broad Rise and I have been comfortable with each other since we met, only 5 days ago. He and I both served as DQPGs in large stores on World. We are neither of us ambitious and were not aching to be Quarter-Pack Guider. We are competent and level and I can tell, objectively, that we both make good choices. Putting us together to prevent mixed loyalties is wise – good for Pack. I am happy with my Service and Service-mate.

“I am going to check the other stores have been laid down correctly.” He does not sneeze, just an inclination of the head.

I enter the whelp-stores. Here we keep: Heat-doses (carefully sealed), dried Heat-feed (to cover until we can find suitable fruits and high-protein meat to make our own Heat-feed), swelling supplements and whelping kits. In many ways these are going to be the most vital stores we have.

We have a very basic Runt-store. On World, our Runt-store has its own entrance and store-complex with whole chambers dedicated to specialist Runt-supplies. Chambers for different devices to help Runts who cannot run (run-rigs and harnesses, splints and supports), and specially prepared, high-fat Runt-feed for those born small and supports, and braces for those with broken limbs, and creche-resources for Soil Parents helping those who need longer to learn to be a dog. Anything that can be used to help a Runt, born different, to find their Service is kept in the labyrinthine store where QPG Sly is training up a new DQPG to take my place.  I stroll on.

We have empty caches, for later use. We have military stores which contain warrior cache-pouches, weapons (for distance warfare), blank scent maps for this world and straps for when larger objects must be moved. Then there are the non-military stores for things like digging equipment (like shores for new or large tunnels) and provision transport (roller-caches and cache pouches).  These larger items we have few of. We will be able to fashion new ones and repair these, but they must be carefully guarded. One of the stealth-warriors is always to be at the entrance of the stores but this, last store has the fewest guards. Broad Rise and I decided it is hardest to take these large items, so we are focusing the additional protection to the things we will not be able to replace.

I pass Trustworthy. He is staying close to the stores. His provision-pack (both shifts) are out scouting potential provision. Trustworthy and the rest of the provision-pack have been denning with the quarter-pack since we arrived, but they have a provision-den tonight. Trustworthy and I have whelped together twice, and we have plenty of reason to socialise on World. We have smelled a surprising amount of each other since being here though. He scents his reticence to be with just the, predominantly Rise, provision-pack tonight. It is not unheard of for a mate-bonded dog to be in their mate’s den-pack, but we have never had that sort of bond. He is a good provider. We have shared several bouts of Heat-passion and produced 26 stout, healthy pups who are all serving Pack to their best, but I have had other pups with other dogs, as has he. He is craving the familiar not me. I will be denning in our new quarter-den tonight.

It will be the first time we truly den on the Leaf-world. It is strange having stealth-warriors amongst us, they do not even give off their true emotions in their sleep! I have been considering a Heat-dose (even though I am exempt from the edict to swell, having had 5 litters already and now transitioning to being QPG). If I took one, would any of these stealth-warriors even twitch their noses! I supervise the transfer provision from the provision-pack’s successful Set hunting-degree^. We will soon start to lay down more substantial stores. One of the stealth-warriors is a young, strong male, I haven’t smelled before. He is too young to have swelled any-dog last cycle. He is ready to this cycle though. I consider the Heat-dose for him and feel a flicker in my hindquarters. I scent-mask as soon as I realise the thought, Trustworthy’s ear flicks once and he continues to instruct his pack where to put the larger-bodied provision.

From the ridge above the stores, we can see the trees surrounding the plain chosen for this settlement. There are a lot of trees here, we are going to have to find a way to clear some if this whelping drive is successful. At least that will decrease the prickly leaf-scent. It is not a problem we have on World. Broad Rise and I have decided to explore some of the previously inhabited, now abandoned, areas of the compound. There may be dumped supplies, or potential stealth-stores. The creepy, empty nests looming over the freshly dug training and many-notches’ den-complexes, make me feel uneasy. When we have visited tomorrow, they will be ours, not a remnant of the aliens who call this place World.

I think I will take a Heat-dose. If it is this young, virile stealth-warrior then I shall show him how to best swell a dog, if it is Broad Rise then we will have some mixed quarter-pups and if it is Trustworthy, we know we produce healthy litters. Given my lack of mate-bond, I need not even take Heat-leave, I can stop any-dog I am not interested in. I trot back down to the whelp-store, take a dose for myself, mark it in the log with my scent, chew and swallow the herbal mixture that will tell my body to prepare for pups and my hindquarters to find a fucking!