Phoenix Maplewood 'you were,' my dear, is the saddest sentence left to say

Wildfire could scarcely think. Despite huddling in the the commander's cave all night, she hadn't caught much sleep. And now that they were up and at 'em, quite literally, the she-wolf felt very jittery. She fell back to mingle with the other wolves as they gathered around Thuringwethil and then began making the trek south. Her heart jumped into her throat and Wildfire struggled with nausea even as she inwardly coached herself to stay calm and keep it cool. It was crucial that she kept her wits about her this morning.

When they stopped outside the familiar forest, Wildfire wanted to creep to the back of the group. Of course, the Heda summoned her to the front. She swallowed, then weaved forward and stood at her leader's hip. She wondered if Thuringwethil could hear the fierce beating of her heart. If she did, she didn't mention it. They exchanged a very brief glance before the Alpha stepped forward several yards and unleashed her war cry.