Obedient First Eyes and I woke with determination this Rise. We decided late last night, after the tortoise and pups were sleeping together. We must leave the tortoise. At first, we thought they might be taking us to a settlement or... somewhere but, we noticed eventually that they were travelling at random and while they have never shown us any antagonism, they seem indifferent to our following them. They did not help when I had to rip the rotten flesh from Obedient First Eyes's beautiful ear. They do not share provision (not that they eat much of what we do, except the fungus^). They are living their life and we are just like the forest or the other lizards. We are not Pack to this individual. We have had many debates about whether it is in fact a sapient animal or is it this world's provision?

To Nosey, however, this tortoise, provision or not, is Pack. It is not unknown for creche-age pups to form pack-attachments with various unusual beings and items. I recognise the signs of one with particularly strong attachment. There will be howling and protestations and screaming before zenith.

Obedient First Eyes' demeanour has been immeasurably improved since I removed her ear. I have never had to do something so violent to another dog, even with her curled round me in the pack-bond. She insisted that I take some of the healthy flesh off to ensure the infection would be gone. She tried to hide her pain from me in the pack-bond, but every pup and I felt it. I wake in the night with the taste of the foulness of infection in the back of my throat and Obedient First Eyes' pain in my stomach. Since the infection is gone, she has returned to full strength. We have settled into a more usual routine. I care for the pups while she is warrior, provider and First Eyes. We are now strong enough to try and find another tortoise who is more pack-minded or an actual sentient tortoise or maybe a crow or a human, some creature to be Pack.

Now we are all awake and everyone has groomed, we tell the pups we will be travelling some distance today.

“Why? Are we going to learn to provide?” Quiet is ever eager to learn how to provide for himself. I try to not let it upset me that he does not want me to regurgitate for him anymore, he is growing, of course he will want his own provision soon.

“It'll be nice to have some fresh smells, we have been everywhere around here, I know all the smells now,” says Cheerful, he doesn't have his litter-mate's nose. She is not bored of this area yet, and not just because she wants to be with her tortoise-pack. Her normally happy demeanour is missing; she has already smelled our intentions. She is quiet, not even defiant. Bright also seems a little nervous, he has been a cautious pup ever since the night he almost became prey. The others are clamouring. Tunnel First Eyes sits attentively ready to be given a direction.

“We are going to explore a little. It is important we understand what is best for Pack.” Nosey's scent shifts. She “knows” what is best for her Pack already. “We might return to this... area if we decide that is best for Pack but we should ensure that we are in the best situation for Pack. What happens if there are a whole Pack of different creatures, ready to be ye-r mates but we haven't met them yet?” The burgeoning pack is excited, except Nosey. I strike out with Daring, Small Runt^ and Boisterous at the front. Obedient First Eyes and Tunnel First Eyes wait to travel in First Eyes. Nosey tries to travel back to the tortoise impassively observing us. Tunnel First Eyes corrals her into the pack. She leaves a scent-mark of deep Pack where she stands.

My spots ache for her, she is losing her first pack-bond, which is always sad to witness. But she cannot communicate what she is experiencing to her pack-bonded. Many pups whine and cry at this moment. But Nosey does not. Smelling her so sad is worse than trying to comfort a screaming pup. I try to keep my nose on the tracks ahead and any hint of any creature who might be able to communicate with us. Who might share our values.

As the Set-hunting-degree^ finishes, we are all pleasantly tired. Obedient First Eyes took Quiet, Cheerful, Boisterous and Daring with her to provide. She has been surprisingly patient with the pups; she has never experienced this phase of pup development (though I have told her of it often). I know they probably made it harder to provide since they cannot scent-mask well yet, but she is praising them all in the pack-bond and they are burbling over each other. Tunnel First Eyes wants to learn to provide but she thought we should not be left unattended by any First Eyes, so she will go another time. Nosey has been sniffing around. At first, she was desperately trying to locate something, then she seemingly found whatever it was and switched to inquisitive probing of unfamiliar plants. Bright did not want to provide, I asked him to stay and help clear and dig a den-spot with me. Small Runt is more into digging than anything else. So many pups this age get fixated on their eventual Service. I wonder how his skills will be used by whatever Pack smells like when he's old enough to serve.

Those who provided, Nosey and Tunnel First Eyes eat direct from the prey. Bright and Small Runt both look to me. At least some-pup is interested in my regurgitation. I regurgitate for them both. I cherish this moment as one of the last times I will be regurgitating for even two of them. A closeness is lost when they eat independently. It is, of course, part of them growing up and every Soil parent celebrates every step towards training and Service. This time, I won't even have to lose them then. I have never been so closely attached to any pups. They are all the Pack we have, but they are all the Pack I want. I wish we could stay like this. It is not modern living, but I enjoy the simplicity of this life. I feel myself ask Nosey's unspoken questions. Do we need to find a new Pack? If this is safe, then why change anything? Why can't we just stay with the tortoise, even if it is thoughtless prey?

I check over Pack as I groom them, including Obedient First Eyes. Her ear is healed. I find the disfigurement startlingly beautiful. I don’t need her notches to know her rank. She now seems constantly quizzical which feels apt. The pups are all doing well. Small Runt is now the sturdiest of the pups, his relentless digging is filling out his shoulders and strong fore-legs. Cheerful is in good health but he needs a lot of grooming after providing; he’s filthier than any of the others. Daring, is clean but that is because he tastes of river; I have no idea how he managed it. Tunnel First Eyes is reluctant to be groomed by a Soil parent, she would rather be groomed as a den-mate. Well, she has another quarter-season^ before she can expect that sort of experience. Quiet is wriggling, he wants to keep telling scent-stories to Small Runt and Tunnel First Eyes about providing. Boisterous is her usual pack-focused self, prompting Quiet in his story and keeping a nose on her more subdued litter-mates. Bright is undersized. I have tried regurgitating different things for him. He prefers plant-provision, but I have not been able to keep his weight up with the others. Now we are on our own again, I will give no fungus to the tortoise and I can keep more for him. Nosey seems completely calm, after being agitated most of the day. I am not sure what has caused that change, but I am pleased for her.

We are both tired and refreshed, we all needed this change. We settle down to sleep. Obedient First Eyes takes first sniff^. Tunnel First Eyes wants to sniff with her, so I take the others to sleep. They all snuggle close to me. We feel the loss of the warm tortoise den-mate. The noises in the night sound different now that we are denning alone. I don’t deep-sleep. Once we have the way of things, we can but for now Obedient First Eyes and I will stay alert.

Tunnel First Eyes wakes the pack quietly,

“Loyal, monsters are here. Obedient First Eyes is keeping them back, but we need to move.” Her tone in a creche-pup would amuse me. No pup really knows the seriousness of risk to Pack, except this one. Soil, what have we done to them?

( It seems that we did need the tortoise, they seem to prevent the myriad of night-horrors from approaching. ) Obedient First Eyes has a wry tone in the pack-bond. She is not worried about her opponents, more annoyed that we made the wrong choice for Pack. Nosey is immediately on her feet.

“Don’t worry, Hard Observer is not far away. They followed us today. They feel Pack too!” The last sneaks out, she was not planning it. She is elated. I didn’t know she’d named the tortoise. The pups swarm to follow her into the under-brush without questioning. Bright is close to her side. He is not aware of it yet, but he is broadcasting memories of his traumatic experience into the pack-bond. Obedient First Eyes and I share a connection. His first pack-communication, very young, but because of emotion so strong, he can’t help but broadcast it to the Salt-World. Her focus is more on the unknown movements in the night, as she follows in First Eyes. She keeps us together. The pups travel as a hardened pack of warriors, not the early-creche-age they are. I am contributing nothing to this operation. So, soon.

Nosey leads us true in about 60 cents^ to “Hard Observer”. They are already sleeping, exuding heat into the night. They do not seem to stir as the pups settle round their body. As we approach them, there is a noticeable quietening of night. The insects continue and we can still hear the movement of night horrors, but they avoid this area.

( We grossly underestimated the impact of being near the tortoise. It seems the predators of this world avoid them. ) I agree. As the rest of us settle down to sleep, Obedient First Eyes and Tunnel First Eyes take up their sniff.

( I guess we are staying with them a bit longer. We can keep our ears (ear) open for an opportunity to find a more suitable permanent living situation. We have time. ) She is restless. At full strength she feels the delays of being with a pack who can’t keep up (including me). Confining herself to the direction and speed of the tortoise is making her itch for a wild-roam. At the very least, tortoises must have Heat to attend to sooner or later. That should mean we meet at least one other individual. Maybe we can focus on the care of the pups for a little and figure out how this new Pack is going to serve. I hope she doesn’t find it too frustrating.