For the briefest of moments Vesper could have sworn he saw a look of disappointment pass across her countenance at the mentioning of his future plans, but as soon as it was there it was gone leaving him to do nothing more than to brush it off. His attention was enraptured elsewhere soon after, his golden gaze following the slow circling motion Opella made around his slender frame while letting talk of her skill as a hunter fall from her lips. It was almost boastful the way she spoke of herself, a trait that the Vuesain man held within himself and almost made him grow to like the young girl, but it wasn't easy to win any form of revere from him. One would have to work hard to earn even a sliver of his respect.

The circling soon came to a stop as Opella stood at his side while he arose to his paws, an almost smug smirk lifting the corner of his lips while dipping his ebony rimmed head in the form of a slight nod. She was clearly asking for a try-out so to speak and he would give it to her. If anything if her 'trial' failed she would just add to his entertainment for the day and if she managed to actually succeed minus her boastful words and make a kill(which he would happily feast upon right now) then there was a chance Vesper would lead her back to the Lost Lake where he would let Athena take a gander to get her insight before a formal invitation was issued to the young girl. He know very well that Athena wanted hard working members and if Opella could pull her weight from the get-go as a huntress then maybe she would find herself surviving the winter to see another year. Besides, with the upcoming winter Vesp would be a fool to pass up the opportunity to recruit an able bodied hunter who could help stock up the caches they would need to build for winter. Again, if she failed he would leave her to be on his way instead of wasting more of his time and if she passed, then she may find herself a new pack to place loyalty to.

"Alright, Opella. I'll bite and allow you to prove your worth. Make a decent kill and i'll consider helping you out." He offered his challenge while taking a glance around the mossy forest. There didn't seem to be much larger prey in the area, the scent of deer far too faint to be a feeding ground for them and instead the scent of marmot was much more predominant and thus that would be her target. "As for your prey of choice, take down a marmot." A coy smirk then tugged at his lips, knowing very well that marmots weren't the easiest to catch, though were a typical one wolf hunt sometimes two. This would be her test.

Silently he followed suit behind the white pelted woman at a casual pace, allowing her to 'work her magic' while he observed from the sidelines never straying closer than a foot or two from the tip of her tail. Her nose went for the ground, following the line of rotted tree stumps, regal trees covered in moss that still stood tall and bushes that made up the forest in search of a marmot that would not only serve as her initiation(partially) but also as another small meal for the two of them to fight off the hunger for the trip back to the lake. There would be no time to waste in getting back there.

Time seemed to drag on forever with no reward as the two continued deeper and deeper into the forest, an almost bored look creeping onto Vesper's face with thoughts of doubt rising to the front of his mind. Was she really this keen hunter, or had whoever told her this only said it out of kindness? All he knew was that she needed to come up with something and fast before he lost interest and moved on. And then just as he doubted her abilities she stopped at the base of a tree trunk with her nose twitching wildly about, the scent of marmot faint yet still strong enough to be tracked. For evidence sake that she had truly found a scent Vespertio took a step closer to the trunk and lowered his own head to the level of her own, scenting at the distinct odor of marmot. So she was correct so far. Now came the true test. To follow the scent and come up victorious, or come up empty handed. It was up to her what the result would be.

Back and forth, back and forth. That was the repetition Vespertio's footsteps now held as he paced along a small divot his motions had created in the dirt of the forest floor. Opella had smelled the marmot and after wanting him to follow her to prove her skills she now had him waiting while she went after it alone even if her point that there were other marmots around and they may spook them off was valid. Still, he silently grumbled as his lean legs continued in this back and forth pattern, deepening the divot of his path. "I Dont like waiting on others, nor do I like taking orders from them." his muttered under his breath, waiting for her howl to echo and break the silence with the news that she had been successful and she better be for making him wait. Talk about impatient.

Then in the midst of his silent brooding his ears pricked forward and his pacing stopped, a howl clear as a bell chiming with the triumphed news that the marmot was dead and his presence was required now. 'It's about time.' So without a moments hesitation the dark saddled man trotted off in the direction her howl resonated from and shortly the stark whiteness of her coat became visible. Once the distance was declined to a few feet his golden gaze glimpsed down to the creature that lay dead at her feet, a satisfied smirk playing with the corner of his dark lips before granting a look to Opella and a nod of approval followed. "So you managed to succeed. This may not be a deer, but I can see the potential you have and it will aid us well. Come and bring your gift for Athena." Without another word he turned away from her knowing that she would follow.

His pace was casual, but determined as the pair made their way towards the exit of the verdant mosses, occasionally having to lower ones head to avoid a gossamer from hitchhiking on their foreheads. Their destination was to be the Lost Lake and for Vesper to grace his ivory queen with a present, Opella; a hopeful pack huntress with a marmot to please the queen. Inside he knew that Athena may not be pleased he brought home another girl, but he hoped she would overlook his ways of herding woman and see that he had instead brought back an important piece to their plans. A wolf capable of hunting for them efficiently would do wonders in surviving the brutal winter that was creeping closer and closer. 'You'll be proud of me, my vixen.' His thoughts chimed before their frames of ivory and agouti became nothing more than silhouettes in the green abyss. They were going home.