Sanka firmly grasped my hand and led me through the dense woods, the trek feeling like an eternity until my body heaving with exertion, I practically begged him to stop. Collapsing to the forest floor, I struggled to catch my breath while he stood over me, a wry smile playing on his lips. "I can't believe you're already exhausted," he chuckled. "I guess you are pretty lean, but don't worry, we'll toughen you up in no time."

I shot him a defiant glare and rose to my feet, but he paid no heed as he intertwined our fingers once more. "Look over there," he directed, gesturing towards the canopy of trees. Following his gaze, I was left awestruck by the sight that greeted me - an entire town nestled into the mountainside soft glows emitting from the buildings and smoke rising into the sky from fires burning the bright stars of the night glittering and dancing above the town. Before I could utter a word, Sanka urged me to keep moving, and I had to push myself harder to keep pace with his relentless speed. Eventually, we burst into a small clearing where a group of wolves were dragging an elk. A low growl escaped my throat, a tinge of fear creeping in. Sanka shot me a reassuring glance, his cerulean eyes gleaming.

"It's okay. They're just members of my pack. Just stay here for a moment, will you?" he said, gently squeezing my hand to reassure me. Nodding, I crouched in the grass, awaiting his return. With effortless grace, he transformed and trotted over to the wolf pack, their gaze occasionally shifting towards me. Shrouded in the shadows, I remained concealed, the wolves unable to discern anything but my silhouette. Sanka motioned for me to join them, and reluctantly, I rose to my feet and stepped into the moonlight. I changed into my wolf form, my silvery-white fur shimmering in the moon's glow as I approached them, my weary head held low. The other wolves remained silent as we continued with the group, making our way towards the small town. Eventually, we walked up a steep slope leading to the town, and while most of the group veered left, two wolves escorted us to the right. We passed by a cascading waterfall and numerous small caves, each with wooden homes built inside them, and finally arrived at the largest cave with tables and what looked to be a kitchen built in the back of the cave as a communal eating and meeting space. Following Sanka's lead, I transformed but shielded my front with my hands out of a sense of small decency.

As we entered, the two wolves who had accompanied us now stood guard at the entrance. Within, a well-built man, sporting graying hair and appearing to be in his mid-forties, bore a striking resemblance to his son. He stood conversing with some of the lower-ranked members of their pack, seemingly engaged in a meeting of sorts. "Wait here for a second," Sanka instructed, to which I complied. Leaning against the wall, I closed my eyes, feeling the weight of the curious gazes around me, though it hardly surprised me. It wasn't until someone shook me awake that I realized I had dozed off. "What...? Alright, alright, I'm up," I grumbled, shoving at the person and glaring at Sanka's smirking face.

"What? Don't blame me that I fell asleep. I've been travelling nonstop every day," I retorted, before noticing his father chuckling in amusement not far from us. Letting out a resigned sigh, I spent the next three hours conversing with Sanka, his father (Ian), and me about my role in the pack during my stay, the expectations, rules, and other details that I couldn't be bothered to commit to memory as exhaustion weighed heavily on me. Finally, we made our way to Sanka's house, and collapsing onto his couch, without a care in the world I went to sleep.