The silence across the land is deafening — the familiar thud of soft paws falling to the earth is no more, for there is nothing to give chase to. The birds have migrated to the southern regions, and spare for the sparse cry of a raven every so often, there is nothing to be heard.


Dark grey clouds roll above, signifying that mother nature has yet another storm to set loose upon Relic Lore. The sky could erupt at any moment, and if the beasts walking upon her land were intelligent, they would seek shelter as the sharp wind whistles past.


Yet something moves across the quiet lands. The gentle crunch of snow can be heard as hooves sink through the icy terrain, and a grunt emits from the creature. A moose has drifted back in to the Lore. The wind whips past once more, stirring a deep grunt from the beast as it tosses its head. Its scent trails across the lands now.. perhaps in the very direction of a near starving group of wolves.

Maksim felt sluggish with hunger. His stomach had never been emptier and he was desperate to feel flesh against his teeth—all the wolves of the Lore were. He simply wanted his pack to survive, to fuel the wolves he considered family until the end of this god forsaken winter. Was that too much to ask? Still, Spring was growing closer and closer. The moon would soon be full and then perhaps the snow would begin to melt and prey would return to the lands. One could only hope. As soon as the first sign of herds returning showed, they would hunt and they would feast. Yet the smell of prey was already caught by the River king and he reacted immediately. Moose. They would not lose this one like they had lost the elk. Throwing his head back, he summoned his followers with a howl before leaping forward, charging through the thick snow. He followed the scent trail, dashing through cedar trees before they thinned out. Maksim had never been to the marsh before, yet he had little time to dwell on such a thought. Adrenaline was already coursing through his veins, his desire to best the pack(s) that showed up pushing him on. Cut Rock River needed this meal and damn anyone who dared to try and claim it before them. They were strong wolves, more than capable of fighting for what they needed. He arrived to see two wolves already, females who carried the scent of Whisper Caverns. He did not know them though they were followers of Minka and, in turn, allies … for now. If they proved to be too pushy and demanding, ties could be severed. But, for now, he would wait in silence for his followers to arrive. Then, and only then, would the chase begin.

Gaerd, as he wandered along the cover of the tree line, occasionally stopped to nose the cedar trees. He smelled wolves, but that didn't really bother him much. There were always wolves. This was "their land." Gaerd began to laugh as if he had made some funny joke, tossing his head about in merriment. Fucking wolves, he'd show them if they ever dared to get close enough. The humans much farther south thought themselves masters of the land too, but Gaerd had seem their car wrecks. Their silly little metal boxes crumpled under his weight, and though they caused him a good deal of pain, he had always made it out. The humans never did. These wolves would meet a similar fate. Gaerd was never outright violent. In fact, he was usually quiet tame, morosely ambling through the woods and staying out of trouble.

But that didn't mean he wasn't dangerous.

Sure enough, those blasted dogs were sounding the alarms. Let them, thought Gaerd with a mighty sigh, Let them come. He wasn't quite sure where they were, but from their cries they sounded close. Probably less than four kilometers away. Too close for him to make any reasonable escape. Alright. He began to assess his options, reaching up towards the upper levels of a conifer and stripping the branch of its acrid needles with his prehensile upper lip. He chewed slowly. You don't know how many there are. You could fight. You stand a good chance.... Oh, how he longed for his palmate antlers. Still, at 6 feet (1.82 meters) tall, Gaerd was nearly 3 times the size of any puny wolf, and enough bulk to land some serious hits.