The first sounds I heard were the crackling spits of a fire and the scream of a kettle coming to a boil. When I first opened my eyes, only fuzzy images appeared. In front of me, I could just about make out a figure which slowly cleared until Gale's face came into focus.

"Hey," he said softly.

I was lying in a bed, smothered by blankets whilst Gale sat on a smooth stall beside me, holding my hand. From the window, I could tell dawn had only just broken but the sun still sat proudly amongst the blue of the sky, welcomed by the chirping chorus of the birds.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Our new home," he replied with a wide smile. 

"What?"

He let out a short laugh at my confusion before tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

"When you had passed out, Rhydian took us to a woman named Sage. She lives here with her family and thirty or so others. They all leave packs like ours in search for a new life and this place offers it to them. Everyone here is an outcast if you like," he explained. "And they protect each other."

"A pack of outcasts and Sage is the Alpha?" I asked.

He nodded, "Kinda except we are free here. And safe. Just as we always wanted."

I smiled and a rush of emotion swept over me as I squeezed his hands.

"We made it?"

"We did," he said before kissing my lips gently.

"Tea?" he asked afterwards. 

"As long as it's not elderflower," I replied.

"Jasmine and chamomile. We will never have to look at, smell or taste an elderflower again."

I watched as he made the tea. The hut we were in looked to only have one room, maybe two metres squared and the ceiling was only just tall enough to fit Gale. There was one bed, a fireplace, a stove with a kettle and a little table with two chairs.  But it was cosy and homelike and just perfect.

"When you've gathered your strength, you can meet Sage," Gale said handing me the tea.

I nodded and pointed out that we also needed to thank Rhydian for all that he did for us and Gale obviously agreed.

"What are you doing on that stool?" I asked putting as I observed him still perched on the wooden item.

It looked as though it could give way any moment with his weight so I moved along the bed and tapped the cleared space.

"Come here," I said and he snuggled in beside me on the bed.

I spent the next hour or so in Gale's arms. We talked a little and laughed a little but mostly just sat quietly just enjoying each other's company.

At midday, I felt better than I had in months so we ventured out into the woods to find Sage and Rhydian.

"You must be Robyn," a woman with dark hair down to her hip and gentle skin said.

She must have been around forty and the lightness of her step and elegant physique reminded me of some kind of fairy. 

I nodded and shook her outstretched hand, "Yes. That's me."

In many ways she reminded me of my mother too. I always used to feel safe and relaxed around her and the nuturing twinkle in Sage's eye made me feel the same way.

"Welcome to the valley," she said with a kind smile. "I'm Sage, the Alpha of sorts, but please. Just call me Sage. From what Rhydian tells me, the two of you are from the Elder pack?"

We both nodded.

"I won't ask you for details. Regrettably, you aren't the first from there and you won't be the last. Just know that I understand and that you are welcome here for as long as you want."

"We can't thank you enough," Gale said placing his arm on my shoulder. 

"Allow me to show you around," she said with another soft smile.

Sage then showed us her beautiful pack. A large lake with water so clear you could see the entire pebbly bottom was situated in the centre of the valley and fed by the stream leading from the water fountain. The rest of the land, which was only four or five square miles, was covered in either woodland or colourful meadows dotted with poppies, daisies, buttercups, corn flowers and all sorts of other varieties I'd never seen before. The Elder Pack lands were scenic too and at first glance even peaceful but it was the people that were the biggest difference. In dramatic contrast to Elder Wolves, everyone here was friendly and the community was small and tight. There were three or four families, all with the happiest of kids; four or five young and elderly couples and about a dozen unmated wolves. Some had been born and raised in the Valley, others had sought asylum there and others had been rogues that had chosen to settle down but they were all just as accepted as the next and before long, so were Gale and I.

"Sage, do you know where we might find Rhydian?" I asked as she lead us down a path through the woods in the direction of another small cluster of huts. "We need to thank him."

She let out a delicate laugh.

"If only. The man disappears for years at a time. You're very lucky to have found him in the first place," she replied. "He first came here completely by accident when he was a young boy and he's been in and out ever since."

"I hope you don't mind me asking but why?" I asked. "This place is beautiful and safe and friendly and out there is certainly not."

"I wish I could tell you but I simply don't know. He seems incapable of staying in one place for too long and doesn't particularly enjoy company," she explained. "I tried to take him in as one of my own long ago but he resisted."

"Oh," I said seconds before we heard footsteps from behind us.

We stopped and turned to see the one we had just been talking about.

"Talking about me again, Sage?" he asked with a pile of firewood in his arms and a rabbit over his shoulder. His tone was half serious, half playful but he wore a smile on his lips.

"Nothing bad. Just your habit of disappearing. You'd think you could do better than to visit once in two years?" she replied. "I worry, you know."

"I'm sorry, Sage. I really am," he said stepping forward and hugging her before turning to me. "How are you feeling Robyn?"

"Much better," I replied. "And we'd like to thank you for everything you did for us. I don't know how we'll ever repay you."

"It's okay," Rhydian said. "I was like you once. Running from the Elder pack. And as my self-appointed mother has made clear, it was about time I came back to this place."

Sage then smiled and squeezed his hand.

"Yes. It certainly is."