The Lone Tree

Viral groaned with pain and crashed onto the ground. The lone tree. Good, that means that the Sunwood territory is near. He heaved himself up and scanned the area behind him. He pricked up his ears and listened. Not again...

Celeheit knew that Sunfire, Polaris and Silvermask will kill Viral when they catch up with him. She didn't know what to do. Well, Viral is still your leader. She thought. Celeheit took a deep breath and wished she wasn't making the wrong decision and landed onto the ground. She sniffed around and found the old short-cut that she and her friends had discovered when they were pups. She folded her wings around her body and slid down the short-cut.

Viral trotted until he reached the Sunwood border. "Hello?" he whispered softly.
"Hello what?" Celeheit coughed as she emerged from the tunnel. Viral spun around and bared his fangs.
"What the hell does a traitor like you think you're doing here?" he hissed. Celeheit shrank back and avoided his glare.
"They're coming you know." she stammered.
"Of course I know!" Viral roared, then thought of an idea. "Look, if you want to prove yourself then go and fight them for me." Celeheit's eyes widened. "O-o-okay," she said and scampered away. Viral smirked and hid in the dense undergrowth.

Silvermask flew down and scanned the area. It wasn't long before she spotted a pair of eyes in the dense undergrowth. She smirked.

Polaris landed softly on the ground, Sunfire following soon after. Sunfire was already exhausted from the pain she had taken from Silvermask, but for now she shook it off, and look all around herself to see if she could per chance spot Viral. Polaris was already trying to think of a possible strategy to use while blowing on the nearby bushes subconsiously, freezing them and causing several leaves to snap sharply. Sunfire turned around in surprise, tensed and ready, but when she saw the frozen leaves she relaxed again.
"So that's what it was..." she sighed.
"You seem to be scared of the smallest little things," remarked Polaris, half scornfully, half blankly. Sunfire looked at him sharply.
"And your point is?" She snapped back, her voice lowered in case Viral happened to be around. Polaris sighed.
"Whatever. Just be useful and see if you can sent Viral anywhere around." Sunfire, annoyed, put her nose to the ground anyway and started sniffing for any signs of Viral.

Celeheit took a deep breath and flew towards Polaris ans Sunfire. She rolled her eyes when she saw Sunfire put her nose down to the ground. Too bad, she thought. You should have checked the sky first. And she folded her wings and dived down, aiming her outstretched claws at Sunfire's head.

Viral cursed silently in his head when he saw Silvermask approach him. He slowly edged back into the undergrowth, until Silvermask couldn't be seen.

Silvermask flickered her glance to Polaris, she nodded at him, to say he was here. Her eyes widened as she saw Celeheit speeding towards Sunfire.
"Sunfire!" She yelped, kicking running at Sunfire and bowling her over.

Sunfire, now on the ground due to Silvermask's push, leapt back on her feet quickly.
"Thanks, Silvermask, I owe you one." she growled. Sunfire turned to Celeheit. "I remember your scent being at the Rock caves. Judging by your actiuons, you seem to be in league with Viral." she bared her teeth. "You're practically siding with insanity!"
Polaris turned briefly as he listened to what Sunfire was saying.
"If you're going to fight us, we'll kill you." he remarked, bluntly. "Three against one is easy game." Then he turned back to the bushes and continued searching for Viral, frost crunching under his paws all the time.

Silvermask bowed her head. "No. We are equal. You took away my pain"
She looked back to Polaris.
"He's in that bush" she whispered, pointing her snout

Celeheit hesitated. "But I've still got to prove myself." she said and circled them.

Viral waited in the bushes, another plan forming in his broken mind.

Sunfire flashed a smile at Silvermask before turning back, ready to fight. Polaris snarled ferociously at Celeheit.
"Let me get this clear." he growled. "You're weak, you're fighting three ferocious wolves just so you can probably die trying to prove yourself to another wolf who is already mad and corrupt." Polaris snorted. "It's practically suicide."
Polaris, after locking his gaze with Celeheit's for a few seconds, turned around quickly and without warning and froze Viral's bush, before firing some shards into it. "And you should stop with the cowardly hiding, Viral." he snarled.

Celeheit snarled and the temperature rose immediately as the ice melted. "Not so brave now Polaris," she mocked. "Think you can stand the heat?"

Viral vomited as the immediate transition of icy cold to blazing heat occurred. He then silently fled from the scene.

Polaris pushed his powers to almost their limits, trying to keep the temperature icey cold. "You're good, I'll give you that." He snarled, before giving up trying. Instead, he turned to Sunfire.
"You can share power and split pain and stuff, right?" he asked. Sunfire nodded.
"Why?" she asked. "What are you planning?"
"As I lower the temperature and get tired trying to regulate it, take away my tiredness," he explained. "That is my plan."
Sunfire nodded; it sounded possible. Polaris took a deep breath, before blowing huge waves of freezing air from his mouth, immeadietly freezing trees and bushes that it passed. As he fought the strong temperatures Celeheit had created, he realised he was getting exhausted.
"Sunfire! Now!" he barked. Sunfire lowered her head onto his back, and began to drain his exhaustion. As she carried on, Polaris pushed his powers again, and managed to drop the temperature to minus seven degrees. Sunfire shivered with cold and struggled against the exhaustion she now felt, but kept her muzzle pressed firmly to Polaris' back.
"That should do it!" growled Polaris. He summoned some large shards of ice, being careful not to knock Sunfire's head off his back, before sending them at top speed towards Celeheit.
Sunfire finally staggered back, off Polaris, struggling to stand on her feet. That had been harder than she'd expected.

Silvermask supported Sunfire, and let her warm fur warm her. Silvermask had been born in the snow. And she liked the cold.
"Viral" Silvermask hissed, sweeping her eyes over where he'd been.
She looked at Polaris and Sunfire. Unsure wether to leave them.
"Viral's gone!" She shouted abovwe the uproar.

Celeheit bared her fangs at Polaris and dodged the ice shards. "Why don't you try some of your own poison?" she snarled and froze the air around Polaris but collapsed in the process. It was simply too much for her to stand.

Polaris laughed. "The cold does not affect me. If it did, why would I freeze the air around myself anyway? You're so weak." Polaris privately knew that he would not have been able to get further than her if it hadn't ben for Sunfire, but he wasn't going to let Celeheit know that.
"I'll be fine..." muttered Sunfire. She got up with difficulty and struggled over to Celeheit. She collapsed near her, her nose touching one of Celeheit's paws.
"What are you doing?" growled Polaris. "What if she gets up again? She may have fallen but she probably has more energy left than you!"
"Exactly..." Sunfire growled back. "I'm going to transfer your exhaustion onto her. Then I should be able to come with you, and she won't be in a fit state to come after us for ages."
Polaris nodded, but he was doubtful as he stood watching her. "Hurry up, we need to follow Viral," he sighed.

Celeheit laughed dryly. "You won't be able to defeat him, I assure you." she rasped. "You'll all be definitely killed. I warn you, Viral isn't scared of you, just annoyed. If you value your life, then don't try." Celeheit closed her eyes and hoped she would wake up again.

Viral glided over the Sunwood territory and used the air currents to travel on. He swooped down and landed in the centre of Sunwood.

Silvermask nodded, following the thin scent trail.

Viral landed and immediately scanned the area surrounding him. He pricked up his ears and growled deeply. Someone was following him. Who cares? he thought. They won't dare to come into Sunwood territory.

((I think we need to post more into Sunwwod now))

Silvermask looked back at the lone tree and followed the scent.

Polaris and Sunfire landed softly behind Silvermask.
"Wait..." Polaris called. "Are you sure it's safe just to go straight into Sunwood territory like this?"
"Do we have a choice?" answered Sunfire. "We need to catch Viral... that's our top priority, I guess." Polaris shrugged.
"Whatever you say, but it's not my problem if we end up dead." he said sarcastically.

Silvermask grinned.
"I have the power to disguise many, not just myself" She murmed.
"I''ve see Sunwood Wolves before" She paused. "I'll be one of their hunters..."

Viral spun around to face the source of the noise. His ears flattened onto his skull and he snarled at the air in front of him. He whipped around and stalked off. "Hmph," he snorted. "Fine, if they are so determined, then let's play a little game." He smiled smugly and advanced towards the Alhpa's cave.

Silvermask looked around Sunwood.
"It seams pretty deserted anyhow"

Celeheit dreamt nothing but blackness. It was suffocating her. She couldn't breathe. I need to awake, I must. She thrashed around, but the dark held her down, Celeheit felt icy cold and shivered. Flashbacks zoomed into her mind, blocking out her common sense. Wake. Up.

Polaris looked surprised.
"That's handy. What are we going to be, then?"
Sunfire smiled. "Thank you, Silvermask. When we get in there, shall we look out for Viral?"