I hadn’t realised how tense I had been; now I unclench as I cross to Outside and feel it tingling my whole body. The last sixth^ of dedicated Service to the QP^ has been hard. It was very needed; we are much more as a QP should be. With that feeling of a Pack well served, I allow myself to experience the promise of a few degrees^ of not smelling the ruination of Pack on every side. I won’t dwell on the mistrust and lack of cohesion Pack is displaying. There is not much we can do. Even though every-dog is now fed to a sufficient level, there are limits on movement which are no longer even being justified by Pack Guider^ and his high-notches. Just warriors constantly patrolling and breaking up even small packs from socialising.

That is gone Outside.

I let myself saunter and stop to smell anything interesting. I’m here ostensibly to check in on Outside but actually Gentle has asked me to visit. Either way, it is not currently an emergency and I can investigate. A shrill^ variant on Leaf I have not smelled before. It’s bark is different. I scratch it. The scent bursts forth. There are some kind of nuts below. I scoop up one for my cache pouch. I didn’t notice it before. I think Gentle has had another lump left. Gift? Trap? Dropped item? That's a very provision-like fungus. Like the provision-fungus I thought I would never want to taste again but, richer, darker. I wander to the Rise. It’s still a ways off. It will take more seeking. Another day then. This fern-type patch smells great. I guess I can have a little roll. The scent penetrates my fur and my skin feels fresh and rubbed. Maybe the message is an emergency? It was effectively non-specific. I’m nearly there anyway.

Wow. This is organised. It’s always more and more established but I haven’t been here in a sixth. The progress is a little startling. Outside now smells like any small-ish settlement on World. I am greeted by familiar dogs. There’s the small store and provision area. Is that a creche/academy? There are a few Soil Parents with pups of all ages ranging from play-fighting to creche-Service and nasal training. A dog I don’t know greets me,

“Brave, a pleasure to smell you!” Why isn’t he using my Pack-name?

“You too, Pack-mate.” I feel awkward not knowing who this dog is while they apparently know me well enough to forego familiarity etiquette. I hurry on to the socialising area. At least this is familiar. There’s Gentle and Trustworthy, grooming after the Rise hunt. I am overwhelmed by how much this is what Inside is not. What Inside should be. This is Pack. They jump up to sniff and groom me.

“Brave! You are a smell I’ve missed.” Gentle is a different dog; her body has ceased to be bent by perpetual guilt.

“Ye too. Gentle, you smell fantastic. You seem so well.”

“A mixture of concentrated Service and dogs like you and Broad recognising my value to Pack even if Pack Guider did not.”

“Well, it is really suiting you. I am so pleased.”

“You smell exhausted. Let us get you some provision from the hunt before we send it all away Inside.” Trustworthy trots to deal with it.

“I’m very tired. It is hard Service Inside.”

“Pack Guider?”

“That hyena is only the beginning. Pack is not able to trust any more….”

“There was another lump left. It was substantially closer to food. It seemed to be the same basic stuff but somehow changed into something that actually made me want to eat it.” She does not seem to mind the delay of hearing my news.

“I am not sure if you should. We have no idea what left it or what they want.”

“I agree, Trustworthy. Can we set up a stealthy,” even saying the word makes me feel fed up, “observer to find out what is leaving it?”

“Brazen has tried several times but they are rare enough that he always gets bored before the next one comes.” I chuck. I have not chucked since I was last Outside, not with any real mirth. It’s delightful.

“Well, maybe we could get Broad to give him some tips. If set a mission directly from the famous “Brazen Set” would he stick to it?”

“That’s a good idea.”

We must have discussed everything by now. I know how the set-up of Outside is progressing, how provision has been streamlined. Conversation is becoming more pack-chat, less Service. The small pack of pups are leaving the creche/academy for a run around. They charge amongst us, playing with each other as though they were all litter-mates. Not like Inside.

“I met this pack of pups Inside telling scent stories about ‘chompers’ that they think come in the night to take away pups. They made me ache with sadness. They should be running around with these pups, they’re exactly the kind of dogs that would thrive in a real Pack not in whatever that jackal guides now.” It bursts out of me.

“That’s very sad. They don’t understand what Pack is because they were taken from World and did not have a Brave and a Broad to help them.” Gentle radiates clean gratitude, no longer grovelling.

“I don’t think it is us, so much as yerselves. Ye were the right dogs at the time for providing and it is a credit to ye that Outside is as wonderful as it is.” I notice a few dogs listening, “In this sharp scented world, ye have shown that Pack can be made in any circumstances.” Dogs start to approach to listen “Leaf-Pack Guider Large First Eyes Rise has demonstrated that Pack that cannot choose who guides them or go where they choose will inevitably forget what Pack is. Every dog here should be pleased with what Service they have done for Outside and the whole of Leaf-Pack and thus All-Pack.” I try not to think about the chompers behind the wall. Several dogs reply,

“Thank you for bringing us together.”

“We knew we could do it because you showed us.”

“We might be one-eared, but we do not forget Pack.” I am overwhelmed. To be held in high esteem without responsibility in a blissful setting makes the thought of going back to be insignificant but responsible in an endless terrible night-hunt hurt me. I want to roll in Outside like I rolled in the herby ferns.

Broad joined before Set and we have spent the evening hearing scent-tales of difficult hunts and funny accidents, and the pups have come to tell us about the things they have discovered. These dogs’ lives are formed by the horror Inside but they are untouched by it somehow. If only we could take the Pack-energy from here and bring it Inside with us.

( I am going to give Brazen exactly what he wants. ) Broad says, we have been observing for when he would find the not-all-that-subtle scent-mark Broad left him. He has finally picked up it is unusual and leads via a very fine trail away from Outside into the trees a little way. He is trying to leave Pack inconspicuously. He would be doing a sufficient job for normal dogs but with an ex-Stealth dog and a Stealth-adjacent dog in-Pack, he is noticed leaving. Broad is gone! I try not to react. I did not even notice him actually leaving. I thought we were even touching flanks not long ago, but now I am against Trustworthy. How did he do that? He is just as high-ranked as I seem to be in this Pack. We have both been busy with dogs telling us their own individual triumphs and tragedies like we are real QDs in a small settlement not the desperate keepers of provision from who knows how many different sources with stealth awareness if not training! He just went, without being sneaky or noticeable. ( Glad I can still impress you with my skills. )

( I know nothing about you Broad or are you Brazen this evening? )

( You know everything that matters and I am always Broad, I wasn’t even Brazen when I was a Set. )

( Have fun with your stealth-play. )

( Oh I will. ) He has a cheekiness to his thoughts that suggests he's going to make sure Brazen Leaf is excited enough to not give up this time.