Blue is the wolf above (Enlarged).

"You've grown a lot since you were a pup." Cave murmured, trying to make awkward conversation.

Adder nodded, looking at himself in the process. He had in fact almost tripled his size, and he was only a paw shorter than Cave at the shoulder. Adder continued walking. "I hate dawn patrols," Adder muttered.

After Cave didn't say anything, Adder spoke instead. "So, why did you choose me? To go on the patrol, I mean." Jumping over a log, Cave answered once on the other side. Adder leaped right after. "Because, I trust you." 

Adder furrowed his eyes but didn't reply. He didn't ask why, because if he had Cave's trust, he planned to keep it. "So what border are we heading to first?" He asked, sniffing the air. It smelled a bit like place he had been for the hunt the previous night. It tired him to think about the night before, hunting, and then sleeping for what felt like a heartbeat before he had to wake up again and start the patrol with Cave.

"Figure it out, you should know anyway," Cave replied, giving a bad answer. Adder sighed but continued following Cave's lead on a somewhat padded-on trail. "Those pawprints you see on the trail, those are from countless generations." Cave murmured as if reading Adder's thoughts.

Suddenly, a strong reek filled his nose. It wasn't familiar at all, but it did have a small wolfish scent to it. But it also smelled quite different than a wolf. 

Cave stopped walking forward. Adder did the same, afraid he might endanger himself. "I smell it too," He whispered. "Fox." Adder gave a confused look. Fox wasn't here. He means the animal, stupid! "Smells like a lot, too," Adder commented, the black wolf dipping his head and walking forward slowly, sniffing the ground. Adder glanced at his gray paws that were sitting in the prints below him. Looking back up, he saw Cave rear back unexpectedly. "Run!" Cave yowled loudly, causing birds to flutter away, chirping alarm calls. 

Adder went to turn around, but too late, a fox jumped out of the undergrowth and onto Cave. Another appeared, and then another, the third which jumped onto Adder. He had no experience in fighting except with his friends. And that never hurt anybody.  

But, fortunately, as pointed out a bit earlier, Adder had almost tripled in size. Taking Ember's share of food must've paid off, finally. Adder was bigger and stronger than the fox. Fighting it off, he threw it into a tree with a thud. One of the foxes barked, "Rose!" I didn't know wolves could understand fox. I didn't know I could.

"Focus, Petal!" A male voice growled, battering at Cave's ears. Adder howled a battle cry he had never heard before, which sounded a little frightening even to him. He leaped onto the male fox that had spoken to "Petal." Easily, Adder shoved the male and Petal, but only the vixen ran away with a whimper, who of which ran straight to Rose and dragged her away. All was left was the todd. Cave stood up after the remaining fox growled, standing on his paws after Adder had shoved him and Petal. 

Adder growled threateningly, showing off his teeth.

"Snake!" A distant voice Adder knew as Petal's screeched. The fox snarled before turning and running away into the forest. "Cave!" Adder gasped when he turned around, seeing the big black wolf laying on his side, his yellow eyes blinking. "I'm fine," Cave stumbled as he stood, and then started to stumble again, Adder quickly supporting the wolf. 

"Continue the patrol. I'll go home." Cave muttered gruffly, hiding almost completely the hurt sound in his throat. "No, you'll-" Adder held back another gasp as he saw blood drip from Cave's flank. "No. Come on." He ordered. Adder guided Cave onward, holding up Cave's massive weight.

"Cave! Adder!" Frost's screech was almost unbearable to Adder's ears. "Mother, I'm fine." Frost sniffed Adder's fur then quickly went to Cave. He flattened his ears in embarrassment.
"Fox! Berry!" She yelled. Fox and Berry came over immediately, investigating the scene. The camp was overflowing with chatter, Ember, Misty and the pups were all huddled together, talking without him.

Alpha Pine, with Sun and Clover at his sides, walked out of the den. "What happened, Adder?" Alpha asked once he had reached the group of wolves. "Three foxes attacked, Cave's badly injured. I brought him back here, we didn't even finish the patrol." He whispered.

"Come, you've seen a lot of deaths recently." Berry murmured, resting her tail on his flank and walking slowly away, and Adder slowly followed.

Adder glanced back at Cave, who was sprawled out on the ground, still breathing. "Death?" He barked, outraged. "He's not going to die!" He left and ran over to a tree to sit alone. How could they say he would die? It was only a few foxes. 

"Well, no, Adder, he's not going to die." Berry came back over to him, much to his dislike. 

Where's Snow? He ignored Berry as much as he could, but all the words she said went into his mind anyways. "Even if he doesn't, you need to understand that life works in mysterious ways. Although Fox and I know much about herbs and healing, even we can't stop death." 

He sighed. "I know." He muttered in reply. When Adder looked back up, Berry was gone. Alone at last.

"Tell us everything." Adder looked up to see two wolves happily smiling with interest, and another standing a little farther back with a much smaller smile. "Ember?" He asked hysterically, peering behind Oak and Misty. "She wants to know how her- how you saved Cave. Everyone's talking about it." Misty answered for Ember. Adder was going to mention the stutter in Misty's sentence but didn't, although not without some hesitation.

Ember stepped forward a little bit, her brown neck fur a little on edge. He inwardly chuckled, seeing her nervousness. Adder wasn't dumb, he had noticed how Misty avoided the word "tormentor," but he didn't care. His friends wanted to talk to him, so that was all that mattered. He wondered if Ember had told them about what had happened during the hunt.

Not if they're acting like this. They'd probably be ignoring me if they did know.

Adder began his tale of how he had "saved" Cave, how he had heard the foxes talking and how he had brought Cave back home. But the only thing he left out was when Cave had told him he trusted Adder. And then he went and saved his life. He better treat me like an alpha after this. 

Adder stretched a leg with a scratch mark. Throughout the story, Oak and Misty had "oo"ed and "ahh"ed, but Ember had never spoken until now.

"You should get that scratch checked. It could get infected." Ember was sitting beside Oak now. Adder opened his eyes a little more to show his surprise. "Yeah, okay." He said, unsure of what else to say. She's just being nice so Fox and Berry will get off our case. But when Adder looked for the two peacemakers, they were well into healing Cave near the Soft Fang tree.

Practice.

Reluctantly, Adder had taken Ember's advice, but way later after Cave had been taken care of. He was listening in on gossip from the Long growls and Loud barks. 

"And he flipped her over, sending her into a tree," Cave was explaining the earlier fight. Cave glanced at Adder with no emotions in his gaze, then continued on with his story. "Hey, Adder." Sand walked up to him and lay beside him, touching fur. "It's really chilly tonight. I hope it doesn't stay like this all Rain fall." She murmured. The sky was dark, extremely dark, the stars the only thing shining. The moon wasn't out, not even the slightest bit.

"Yeah, I just wish I could sleep in the cave again." Adder murmured, looking back up at the trees that whispered in the wind. "Well, I'll be out here in a half moon or so to join the fun." Sand's eyes twinkled with delight, and Adder smiled.

"I've seen Ember look at you before." Sand randomly murmured, her eyes still twinkling. He scoffed uncomfortably. "So?"

"So," Sand sighed. Adder stood up. "I'm hungry," He murmured, walking away. He heard Sand sigh again. She's a good friend. I'm just not a good friend in return, and she tries to help.

Somehow, that made him feel a little better. At least I know I'm wanted. When he reached the dimly lit fresh kill pile, he picked through it as he saw a plump rabbit on the other side. That's when he noticed Ember standing back a few steps, waiting for him to take the rabbit. 

Adder sighed a little, looking behind him as he saw Fox and Berry had their backs turned, listening to Cave talk.

"You go ahead, have it." He muttered, but this time, he didn't say it too harshly. It wasn't a scolding, it was just a "go ahead, no use in fighting over it now" kind of thing.

Ember's gentle green eyes widened before she grabbed the rabbit. "You can have some if you want." She murmured, hastily adding the last part. He shook his head. That would end up with him having to sit near her to eat the rabbit. She probably didn't think that far ahead. 

Adder eventually plucked off a small mouse and finished it quickly. Wolves shouldn't be eating mice. They're way too hard to catch for one, and for two, they're not filling at all!

Snow was talking with Yowl and Misty eagerly. "Oh, look! There he is now!" Misty pointed Adder out to Yowl and Snow. The four met in the middle of the clearing. "Hey guys," Adder murmured.

Snow looked at him, then back at Ember, who was still eating the rabbit, except with Storm at her side talking her ears off now. Storm, don't you understand that she's a pathetic MountainPack pup? He's probably only doing it to get some prey. After all, it's not like those two talk much.

Then, he realized something: Storm and Ember did get along. They talked, they played, they shared prey. Storm likes her! Ew! I should definitely warn him how much trouble she is, walking around like she owns the pack and all.

"Hey," Snow murmured back. 

"You can ask him how he fought the foxes later. I think these two need some catching up." Misty woofed, pushing Yowl gently by the shoulder, him nodding and going to sit beside each other under the Soft fang tree. We don't need "catching up." Adder thought. But the next thought pinned him into a corner: We already know everything going on in each other's lives.

"Those two are so cute," Snow sighed dreamily. Adder nodded abruptly. "Oh, erm, yeah. I guess they are." Adder stared at the two wolves that were talking endlessly, a small gleam in both their eyes.

Snow nuzzled Adder affectionately. "Are you alright?" She asked gently. He nodded, he was absolutely fine. "You seem a little different, since last night." Adder tried to stop Snow with his thoughts from finishing that sentence, knowing it wouldn't do anything, though. No! Don't say things like that! He couldn't have her pity him. He was supposed to make sure she was feeling fine. 

"I'm going to go get some rest. I've been busy all day," He murmured, walking away. He noticed Snow made a long sigh, probably to annoy him. 
You're screwing things up. She's going to hate you one day, and then what? Are you going to mope around while she goes to share prey with Rain, or Birch, or worse, Tree? You would. Go figure, because you're weak. You can't do anything, and that worthless pup Ember is better than you.

But Adder's thoughts stopped him. That worthless pup didn't save Cave from three foxes! I did!

Adder stopped arguing with himself and lay down as close to the tree as possible, away from everyone that was awake. If he could escape the constant congratulations, he would.