The Baranski prince had finished his morning rounds, noting - with no small amount of pride - that the cashes were still looking well-stocked despite winter making its tentative entry on the land. It would be good to have a pack hunt before the snow truly began swirling, driving away most of the larger prey, but he didn't feel confident calling one personally, and was unsure who to go to with the suggestion; Everything seems so chaotic right now... Orren still felt guilty for being out scouting for herds when his father had been injured, like he had failed, not just by not being there, but by pursuing his passion for hunting, rater than studying guardianship, even after Aleksei had disappeared. Now @Maksim was once again in recovery, his post temporarily handled by Karpos, after Lachesis had decided to focus on helping the king heal.

Orren had tried his best to just keep out of everyone's way, tending to the cashes as his way of contributing, quietly, keeping mostly away from the pack den. Filling stores with only small prey was a full time occupation, so even though things were looking good at the moment, he knew he should try to catch a hare, or maybe even two, today. But as he trotted back through the territory, trying to remember where he had last seen fresh tracks, a sudden idea struck him; In his self-ordained seclusion, he had seen very little of his younger sisters and he missed them. So resolutely, not allowing himself to think any further, the yearling turned towards the center of the land, going in search of his younger siblings; It's about time anyway!

A wide grin was already plastered across his masked face, persimmon eyes aglow with excitement as he made his way through the fresh powder of snow. The conditions were perfect, the snow making tracking easier, and the crisp air and light breeze carrying scents strong and clear. Orren fondly remembered his own first hunting lesson, @Naia teaching him about scent-tracking; In the snow as well... They had already introduced Inna to the idea, and she seemed to have talent; Now let's put it to the test! Reaching the small clearing were the pack den lay, the copper and charcoal lad called joyously, hoping to find both of his sister's ready, able and excited to join him in a small hunting adventure; "'Kalta, Lightning-bug , are you up for a little fun?!"

Word count: 408

Lekalta was the first to appear, Orren hardly managing to take a breath before his paler little sister was upon him. He grinned widely, orange eyes twinkling down at her as she greeted him fondly, her enthusiasm building up his hope for their little adventure. Unlike her littermate's unusual, dark fur, Kalta fit in nicely with the rest of the Baranski line, her golden colors almost the spitting image of their mother, though the splashes of grey and brown were more distinct, a witness of their father's heritage. Her impatience though, reminded the brother more of himself than anyone, and he laughed lowly at her clear disappointment in the need to wait for the other sister. Not that it took long for Inna to appear, bouncing through the snow to join them, seeming as excited as her siblings.

Orren looked between his sisters, bright eyes watching him expectantly. The big brother's chest was warm with pride and love, and his heart raced in his own excitement; This was a very special kind of fun he had been planning, and he hoped they would enjoy it as much as him. "We are gonna go on a little treasure hunt!" The yearling announced grandiosely, wagging his tail energetically. He looked around for a moment, considering which direction to take before looking back to the girls; "I think it's about time we taught you two how to hunt." Without waiting for their reaction, he turned, expecting them to follow along as he trotted off into the woods.

It wasn't far to an area that the aspiring young hunter had spotted just around the time the snow started to fall. Here, the large redwoods had left an open area where smaller, fast growing trees could take hold, birch and alder reaching towards the sparse sunlight, and, most importantly, dropping their fruits to sprout new trees. These shoots were the preferred food of a main stock in the wolf winter diet; Hare! Stopping at the edge of this clearing, Orren turned to his sisters, eyes settling on Inna as he spoke in a hushed voice: "Now we have to track, remember?" He raised a brow at the swarthy girl, then turned to Lekalta and added: "The nose is a hunters most important tool! Think you can smell some food?"

Word count: 384