“It is provision, Broad!” We've not even arrived in the socialising area. Brazen has left his education again, unable to contain his excitement but now accompanied by Stocky and Alert from the rehabilitated pack. “Sometimes a human leaves it and they smell scared and sneaky, sometimes it is a tortoise and they smell of nothing. The chomper eats it. And since she has started eating it, they leave more and more.”

“And she is well?” I still have night-hunts about her suffering.

“She keeps coming to the spot they leave provision in and she doesn’t look any more unwell. If it is dosed, they do not intend to make us prey.” Alert replies, eager to join in

“If anything, she’s beginning to look Wilderness ready!” Stocky chucks to herself.

“Thank you Brazen, Stocky, Alert and no doubt the rest of your stealth-pack, that is well observed.” Broad ensures each pup gets to be his focus for a few cents.

“It was much easier with more noses for the Service.” Brazen has thrived with more dogs his age to play and learn with. When he followed his de-notched and exiled Soil Parent, I thought it a kindness to let a pup follow their Soil Parent. But now I think it was about one less mouth to be concerned about. The pups clamour around us as we stroll to the centre of Outside to find, as usual dogs between Service are gathering.

( Time to keep control of my mouth! ) Broad chucks slightly.

( But if you do too much, you won’t be what they expect from their Soil. )

( Are you World then? )

( Perhaps. )

I feel capable to return, having gorged on Pack and positive news. Broad and I walk through the empty EdgeLeafment^ in companionable quiet. Bushy and Slender are at the mouth of the stores waiting for us. They are both grooming blood from themselves in silence. Not even a whisper of them pack-communicating.

“What happened?!” I cannot imagine what new horror this will prove to be but my mind races.

“One of the dogs that does not officially exist appeared today.” Bushy sounds shaken and defeated.

“Oh fuck^!”

“Yeah. And she made prey of a warrior.”

“She must have been a warrior.” Slender mumbles

“Well, she was definitely swelling and would not allow herself to be controlled.” Bushy falters.

“She is no longer a threat to Pack?” Broad is quicker than me. Bushy collapses in on herself.

“She is no longer a threat to Pack.” Slender answers for her. They are both trembling and confused. This is the first step to being on the other side of The Wall, making-prey of your own kind. This needs to fucking stop.

As if in response to my frustration a howl erupts, picked up by other voices. A Pack-howl. Pack doesn’t know about this and would they care? Bushy freezes and mutters,

“So, we have a new Pack Guider^.”

“What?!” I snap.

“For better or worse, Leaf-Pack Guider Large First Eyes Rise has Walked. And it is only a matter of time before we find out that Scruffy Rise is the new Leaf-Pack Guider.”

“How? Pack will need to decide first.”

“They will choose Scruffy Rise.”

“Can that be as bad as Leaf-Pack Guider Large First Eyes Rises’ guidership.”

“Worse.”