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"Wakey wakey! Bright and early sunshines!" The crisp, cold late January morning was shattered as the authoritative voice boomed out across the clearing. The sky was partly cloudy and bright streaks of color heaved heralded the sunrise. A small, kempt shack stood at the edge of the trees, a sprinkle of returning wildflowers covering the grind in front of the shack. There was a three sided lean-to butting up against the shack, straw spilling out the front. Peering into the lean-to was a great stone grey beast. "No time for sleeping in. Get up lazybutts!" The beast woofed at the two prone shapes in the straw. Her ears were shoved forward, eyes wide, buzzing with authority. A mist and bone piebald female blinked sleepily at the grey one. "Winter," she yawned. "What is going on?"

The grey beast was a female officially registered as White Winter Hymnal but called Winter. She was rock grey with a dark patch on her back, white markings, a liver nose and ice blue eyes. Winter was infertile due to inbreeding, rather bossy and overprotective of her handler, Ned. Her packmates were the piebald female, Storm Petrel(aka Petrel) and a merle piebald male called Feverfew. Winter was the unofficial pack boss, which was not necessarily a good thing, but nobody cared enough about it to do anything.

Winter snorted at Petrel's question. "It's time to get in shape, Petrel. Wake 'Few." Winter turned and strode to the center of the clearing. Petrel rolled her eyes for the first time of what would inevitably be many that day and poked her sleeping companion. "Feverfew. Get up, Winter's orders." Feverfew groaned and rolled over, scraping the sleep from her eyes. "Shouting.. Who was shouting.?" He mumbled, pushing himself to his feet. "Winter, she says it's time it get in shape." Petrel answered, shaking the straw from her fur. Feverfew let out a sleepy wail and slumped. "No..! She mentioned that last night. I just want to sleep..." The merle and white male cried, shutting his eyes.

From the center of the clearing, Winter scowled and barked at Feverfew. "You too, Petrel. Quit the moaning and groaning and skit over here!" Winter snapped her jaws at them. Petrel slunk over to her bossy packmate reluctantly followed by Feverfew. "Today is the first of many days," Winter began. "Days in which you shall - aww screw it." She snarled. "Fever, gimme fifteen!" Feverfew jumped in surprise."What? Fifteen? Fifteen what? Give you what?" He stuttered, shocked awake. "Pushups!" Fifteen pushups! Now! Or I make it twenty-five!" Winter boomed. Feverfew shook his head in confusion. "Pushups? How am I supposed to do that?" Winter smiled wolfishly, putting a glint of fear in Feverfew's eyes. "I'm sure you'll manage."

Somehow Feverfew managed to pull off fifteen pushups. Winter ordered Petrel to lap the clearing while Feverfew labored. As she watched her packmates huff and grumble, Winter felt a glimmer of pride. She would get these lazybutts in shape and nobody would make snide comments about them again. Winter snarled silently, if she ever met the crapface who stuff those things about Petrel and Feverfew, they wouldn't leave alive.

Feverfew finally finished, crawling over to Winter. Petrel skidded to a stop beside the stone grey female, her jaws cracked open as she panted. "Stellar!" Winter boomed. "Now keep up with me." She snapped, whirling around and sprinting into the forest. Petrel and Feverfew exchanged a long look and then reluctantly ran after Winter.

From the door of his shack, Ned watched the three beasts. He yawned and leaned against the doorway. As long as they were back by evening, he trusted them to stay out of trouble. Ned had a hunting trip with a sort of friend and that sort of friend's friend at dusk. He'd never hear the end of it from the sort of friend, a wild half-elf called Icarus, if he skipped out. Listening to the faint sounds of his Tokotas blundering off into the trees, Ned yawned again and disappeared into the shack.

Winter bounded through the undergrowth, Feverfew and Petrel close behind her. Despite her head start, the two had caught up to Winter quickly. They were no slouchers when they put their mind to it. She sped up. Winter skirted a tangled mass of brambles and briars and powered through the thinning trees to the lake shore. Pebbles scattered beneath her paws, peppering the ankles of Petrel and Feverfew. Winter skidded to a stop, the lake water wetting her feet. Petrel halted in front of her, Feverfew only a stride behind.

"What's this all about?" Petrel scowled, glaring at the grey female. Winter sank her claws deep into the silt and pebbles beneath the water. She was silent for a moment. "This is getting in shape." She said shortly, meeting Petrel's eyes as though she had nothing to hide. Petrel huffed and Feverfew frowned in a disbelieving way. "Honest!" Winter snapped. "It's just after the lazing about during the holidays, I decided we need to work off that holiday weight." Petrel growled deep in her throat. "Really?" She hissed. "You're a bad liar, Winter."

Winter felt her hackles prickle and her lip curl. She really did trust and love Petrel and Feverfew, really. But Petrel and hers faults had a way of rubbing each other wrong. Petrel was cynical and spiteful. Winter was impulsive and prideful. It didn't mix well.

Winter stalked forward till she was nose to nose with Petrel. "Do you really want to get in my bad side?" She snarled, low and deep so only Petrel could hear. "Liar!" The piebald female spat. Ice blue eyes flashed with anger and Winter jabbed her shoulder into Petrel. The female recoiled from the blow but then latched onto the back of Winter's neck, tearing out tufts of stone grey fur. Winter snapped snarling jaws shut on one of Petrel's legs, biting deep.

Suddenly Feverfew was there, grabbing Winter's tail and pulling her away from Petrel. Winter spun around, growling viciously at Feverfew. The merle and white male scrambled away, tail between his legs. Winter froze, chest heaving. She stared at Feverfew and tasted the blood in her mouth, Petrel's blood. Winter wilted, her head dropping. A quiet hiss of pain came from behind her as Petrel inspected the bite on her leg. Winter sat down heavily, unable to meet the surprised and accusing eyes of her pack mates. She felt sick to her stomach. The taste of blood in her mouth like a relentless curse, staining the white around her mouth red. "I'm sorry." Winter whispered. "I - I...." She sank to the ground, curling around herself and the teeth tearing at her heart. There was a crunch of pebbles and a nose gently touched her shoulder.

"Winter," Feverfew asked quietly, "what happened?" So Winter told him, her voice cracking, of the wretched shank who'd said terrible things about Feverfew and Petrel. She told him of her plan to get her pack mates into shape so then no one would ever even dare think those words about them again. Feverfew laid down beside her and poked his nose in her mane. "I forgive you." He whispered to Winter. Petrel came over, her paw held gingerly off the ground. "I understand." She told Winter. "You are forgiven for biting me and I'm sorry for provoking you." Petrel apologized, sitting down beside Feverfew and Winter.

The grey female sniffed and buried her face in Feverfew's mane. "I'm so sorry for making you do pushups." She murmured. Winter turned to Petrel and stood up. "I'm sorry for lying to you, and to 'Few." Petrel nodded and touched her nose to Winter's. "It's okay." She reassured. "Maybe we just go back to Ned's?" Feverfew suggested, smiling hopefully at Winter and Petrel. The grey female dipped her head as a yes, guilt heavy on her shoulders. Petrel and Feverfew met eyes, worry apparent in their gaze. But as Winter looked up, both smiled at her and turned towards the forest. The three pack mates disappeared into the trees, heading in the direction of home.