Anymore Gent could not tell if the constant commotion within the pit of his stomach was due to nerves or excitement. Any day now @Raela would be going into labor with their children. There was so much to look forward to, both opportunities that he never knew and corrections of falsehoods he had pursued before. Yet naturally he could not help but worry as well, concerned as always with the safety of his mate above all else. It was both the desires to protect the queen and to not miss a second of this wondrous new experience that kept him nearly always home, and certainly never allowed him to wander farther than a howl could reach.

The edges of their neighboring territories were not out of such bounds, and he had struck out after ensuring his borders earlier in the day in order to pursue a very specific goal. When able, Gent kept tabs on the outlying lands that surrounded his domain as his ever-vigilant priorities dictated he do. Recently, he had discovered a grouping of whistlepigs had woken from their torpor, thin and weak from their lengthy slumber. While normally such scraps would not be pursued, it wasn't the quantity of meat that drew him in but rather the significance they held for just him and his leading lady.

This took him over the river and into the Fjord, memory and nose both working together to return him back to their last known location. It wouldn't take long, they couldn't possibly be feisty this time of year, right? Yet it had been earlier in the season when he had earned that scar nestled between his shoulder blades. No matter. One way or another, by the end of the day, Raela would have her whistlepig.

He caught their scents, a lopsided smile forming easily along his lips as his crown leveled with his spine and his body prepared to enter stealth mode. Just as he recalled, they were here, and the minute sounds his attentive ears picked up spoke that they were out and about, ready to be picked off. With a practiced gait he swerved to and fro, traveling with the scent cone to pinpoint the tiny beasts exactly. Before too much progress could be made, however, yet another scent infiltrated the air, snagging his attention completely. Not but a few seconds later, a song crawled through the air, beckoning what must have been him in particular.

Immediately his strides ceased, head lifting as his large ears swiveled to better catch those ending notes. His curiosity roused, he had only minor qualms about changing his course. The whistlepigs would, after all, still be there after checking out this novelty. So the king picked up his paws once more and sought out this other wolf. Truly, his only reserve was who exactly he might find on the other end of that howl, and what their intentions might be. Still, Gent was a confident beast, and even as he began to make out the female's form, worn by her time alone but still as massive as his own stature, he failed to be worried.

His nose wriggled as it did its detective work, deciphering all that it could from her scent.

"Hey there," he greeted neutrally. Questions were plentiful within his head, but he wanted to see how she would present herself without the influence of any prompts.

Given her mammoth size, he had anticipated her to hold a demeanor similar to Moraxia's or the alluring woman whose name he never picked up. Instead, she surprised him by immediately displaying deference, solidifying her place below him in the world. Despite his personal growth, Gent still found himself thriving on such catering to his preeminence; already the girl was a shadow away from his good graces.

His ears picked up again as she spoke, simple and direct sentences. Without any prompting she had given him her resume, and with such readiness that either she was very well practiced in delivering such an introduction, or each word was truthful enough in her eyes to not need much thought. Only a pause later, however, hesitation creeped in. Interesting. Would she really join with him so easily? Loyal to the death, regardless of the creed? Or would there be questions before allegiances if she knew exactly who he was?

Gent took a moment to answer, thoughtfully considering the options her presence and statements had provided him with.

"Yes," he informed. "I've got a pack, and I believe we might be able to help you out, but I need you to do something for me first. Not far from here is a group of woodchucks; I'm on my way to snag a few to take home. You can show me those hunting skills, yeah?"

Her motions swiftly told him that she was willing to take up such a bargain, and a smile found its way to his muzzle. So long as they were successful, regardless of where @Urokh ended up by the day's end, Raela at least was now guaranteed her sentimental meal. When her maw parted to speak her thoughts, he again was impressed by how concise she was with her words. The more she spoke, the more he strongly he felt that she was a genuine wolf, and certainly not one of turpitude nature. Simple as it was, it shone brightly for the alpha. Manipulations of any kind were best left as devices within his tool belt alone; he was, after all, the only one in the correct position to safely utilise such measures. Of his subordinance, he preferred this unabashed integrity; it could be trusted, and that mattered most.

"Take down team, eh?" he eased, picking up his paws and gliding past her to lead the way. "That's where I always get put, too. We'll do this together, don't worry. After all, if you're going to join the party I'll need to make sure I can work with you."

It was only half-teasing, but good-naturedly so. Doubts about the woman were few, but even the most inconspicuous of wolves could turn dangerous at the drop of a leaf. If she had any hair triggers, hopefully they should show themselves under the pressure this little performance would provide.

The distance between hadn't been too far to begin with, but it allowed them enough time to discuss tactics. Gent's posture perfectly reflected how close they were drawing as each step saw a diminishing of his stature into something far more stealthy.

"I like the comin' from two sides idea," he told her. "They're close enough to the river that we can use it, as well. Not sure how well they swim, but we'll find out. Even if it doesn't make 'em hesitate, hopefully it'll at least slow 'em up."

There were five of them, he discovered as they closed in on them at last. With a nod of his muzzle he gave Urokh one direction and then slunk off in the other to get into position.

Having no doubts about the woman's ability to follow something so instinctively patterned, Gent did not feel the need to monitor her as they went their separate ways. Confident that she would settle into the best position for the job, he focused on his own portion of the trap. The woodchucks were foraging in a loosely spread group, greedily munching on the new spring growth without much discrimination as to what they were putting into their mouths. Their bodies were emaciated compared to how incredibly plump they would come to be in the months following, but that was only good news for the wolves preying upon them. Weak and stuff, this should prove to be easy.

Once at the ready, having found the perfect angle in comparison to where he best could gather @Urokh lay in wait, Gent burst forward from his cover and into action. One unfortunate whistlepig had been close enough for the man to snatch up without much warning given to the small beast, and his corralling strides did not slow as his powerful jaws closed down over its neck, puncturing and crushing. Sufficiently wounded if not already dead, the carcass slipped from his jaws and hit the ground, already behind him as he continued to power forward.

Every step was purposefully placed to guide the marmots to their deaths, where either he or Urokh could get a hold of them; his arctic gaze tracked each one of them, sparing seconds in between to find his hunting partner so that his efforts might compliment hers.