As luck would have it, Whitestone Monadnock's Second was out on a routine patrol when he heard the call. Quirking an ear, he recognized the voice as belonging to their newest recruit. The black man wagged his tail and lifted his muzzle skyward to signal Lorcan back to let him know he was on his way.

A short hunt was more interesting than his currently boring patrol. Thankfully, he'd spotted nothing out of the ordinary, but Wraith had to admit he could use some break from the daily norm every now and then. As long as that break did not include a certain loopy female from one of the bordering packs... It was a miracle Sylva was still among the living after how that mouth of hers could run off at the most inopportune moments.

Making his way through the scratchy fields of stiff grass, Wraith found Lorcan standing watch over a bevy of tundra swans. He'd seen the large birds many a time flying over the mountains of his homelands, but they'd never settled so far up in altitude for him to get such a good look at them. They were larger than he expected and could put up for an interesting hunt.

Upon approaching Lorcan, Wraith growled his greeting gently, teasingly nipping at the younger wolf's ears. "Looks like you're getting the hang of the tundra. Are you after taking one down, then?"

@Lorcan's polite, yet playful greeting was appreciated as always. Though the wolf's time in the pack had been short, Wraith had yet to find a single instance in which the younger male had fallen out of line or shirked assigned duties. In fact, he seemed to relish each opportunity to prove himself. In this instance, Wraith was more than happy to continue to extend that branch to see just where he would take it.

At Lorcan's question, Wraith turned and smiled back at him. "How do you think we should take them?" he challenged. The northerner already had his own plan formed on how to take one of their flighted quarry, but he was far more interested in seeing how the other would work out the challenge both in theory and in practice. He would learn more if he was able to formulate his own plan and try it out rather than simply follow Wraith's direction. It was how his own father had taught him how to hunt and how Wraith felt was best for others to learn. Try, try, and try again. Only then would a helping paw be offered.

Besides, Lorcan was hardly a pup. He was capable. All he needed was the confidence to follow through with it. "Walk me through what you would do," Wraith suggested quietly, amber eyes tracking back towards the aggressively dabbling bevy.

Lorcan was capable, that much was clear. His strategies weren't horribly detailed and Wraith noted the two-dimensional mindset of a younger hunter with acceptance. Of course, the northerner had grown in a world where land was never flat and there were plenty of ledges to use to one's advantage. Front, side, behind. Nothing on how to keep them from simply flying off or using the wind to help them. The black male lifted his face to said wind, mouth slightly ajar as he took in a deep breath. It was blasting powerfully enough to ruffle fur and feathers alike. Strong gusts almost seemed to pummel down upon the land. Wraith imagined it would be rather difficult to get lift off without a good running start.

He nearly allowed the younger wolf to have his way. Experience was often a better teacher, but there was little point setting Lorcan up for failure. Still, he didn't intend on giving his answer away. "Look at the way they stand," Wraith encouraged patiently. "Too many eyes in too many directions and those necks are fast enough to swivel in whichever direction we would come from." The black brute allowed for a pause, hoping the youth would catch on to what he was trying to communicate without blurting it out for him.

"There is something else that could help us. It's useful in most hunts, especially for herd animals. Though I've heard birds have a poor sense of smell, so I imagine these ones will have to rely on sight and sound to learn of our presence." And with the way the wind was buffeting across the plains, it was likely they would have plenty of cover in terms of sound. "But yes," he murmured, smiling at Lorcan. "Attacking one from behind would be ideal."

It was more than just a test of the boy's ability to hunt. Wraith wanted to know how amiable to changing strategies Lorcan could be. While he could work with a stubborn mule for a hunting partner, it was nicer to have one willing to take advice to try a different technique on the gamble that it may not work. Not so set in his ways that he was incapable of growing, this one. It pleased the dark northerner that their pack was growing in more ways than just in number.

"I like it," the brute complimented with a gentle smile. Soon enough, he'd be helping to take the pups through the same paces. It was nice to have the practice now with someone who already had some experience so he wasn't starting from the ground up. Already, he'd been working on training techniques catered to the pups' age. Games made for perfect lessons, even if they thought they were only having fun. Hiding a rabbit hide around the monandock was one such game Odin and Kara seemed to enjoy, giving them plenty of scenting practice.

"I'll follow your lead," Wraith murmured, inclining his head. Letting @Lorcan get the practice leading a hunt was another such test for when the pups would be old enough to go out on their own. Knowing if the younger male was trustworthy enough to lead such a hunt would be another good thing to know.