Clouds passing high above cast misshapen shadows on the waving, golden grass. In between them the sun shone brightly, warming the back of the graying, black wolf as he looked out over his land. He'd been circling the fields regularly for some time now, slowly marking a border for the formed pack; They were small yet, but he felt they would be able to defend themselves decently now. And he was tired of waiting! So far they'd been mostly undisturbed, there'd been a few run-ins with the neighbors, but there seemed to be enough distance between the packs, not to cause strife; I hope… Winter would test them, and he would have to take a diplomacy round soon, to make sure everyone was on the same page. For now though, the Lowlands were rich with prey, and his family was thriving.

As if a confirmation of his thoughts, the alpha caught sight of movement in the distance, a small herd of Elk picking their way through the rye. A wolf's grin lined his muzzle, eyes narrowing as he studied the group: maybe six or seven females, trailed by a young bull, his first harem. This was perfect! If they all joined in, they should be strong enough to take down an animal, and it was about time Percy started learning too; Watching… And what better way to unify the pack than with a proper hunt. Eyes glowing, Drestig tilted back his head, howling a loud, strong call for his pack to join him; Let's do this!

Word count: 256

Thoughts ”Speech”

She was hot on its trail. It would not be long now before the rabbit was within her jaws and she could take it back. Jessie would more than likely offer it to Phoenix before she even thought about eating it. Their group had certainly grown and the Tainn felt as though she could finally be comfortable leaving her daughter alone for longer periods of time. As she grew older she would, no doubt, get into even more mischief; Jess held onto the hope that the others would minimize Percy's relationship with trouble. Even though the others could certainly provide for her little girl, she felt as though it were her responsibility to do everything for Percy. The rabbit, as it would be, never made it into her paws.

A call, for the pack, from her lover distracted her from the hunt. It did not take much deliberating before she changed her direction towards where Drestig's call sounded from. Her pace was not slow but she was not in any rush to reach them. If he had been panicked, she might have changed her course of action, but as of then she had no concerns. Unsurprisingly, she was the last one on the scene. As one would, she greeted each with a brief nod of her head, holding eye contact with Drestig a little longer and leaning down slightly to give Percy a small nudge on the cheek in greeting before moving to her mate's side. The Scout's expert nose was quick to detect the scent of elk and while she had made no comment on it, as she slide up next to Drestig's side, she commented softly, ”Good find.” A small smirk played at the corner of her lips at the compliment that she freely gave to him. If they were successful, they would certainly have a feast.

Turning his head towards the forest, the king didn't have to wait long before the first body appeared. A grin spread across his face as he watched his daughter gallop towards him through the golden sea. She'd changed so much already, from that tiny smudge Jessie had brought into the world, now tall and gangly in her youth, with more and more brown showing in the dark fur. Short work was made of the distance between them, and she climbed the small rise to join him with a warm greeting. The father's heart swelled as he returned the gesture with a soft hum, looking down into her shifting eyes and seeing an odd familiarity on the maturing face; My child! Meanwhile there was a clear question in those same eyes, but Drestig just smirked, turning back towards the woods to wait for the rest to arrive.

It didn't take long either, first Askan came with characteristic attitude, prompting a casual raised brow and rumbled: "Kid." Next was Icicle careful and cautious, and the leader gave him an encouraging smile; They were family now, and he would fit in perfectly. Jessie was the last one to join them, contrary to in the Bend when she was always punctual. Of course, now she was in her full right to take her time, and her mate couldn't help but wonder if perhaps her tardiness was at least partly a ways of reveling in that freedom. She made it though, and greeted the young men in a manner worthy of her rank, saving a light show of affection for her family. Drestig smiled crookedly, meeting her deep green gaze as she praised his find, then turned to the others; "It's high time we celebrate what we've accomplished! Show everyone exactly how strong we are, including ourselves." His voice was booming and filled with joy, gaze travelling from Askan to Icicle, before landing on Percy, ending his speech with a playful wink. Then he turned to look back out over the Fields.

The herd was moving slowly, the air not yet cold enough to put a rush in their steps. They paused to nibble at the weeds peaking out among the rye, oblivious to the wolves watching from downwind. Drestig grinned, waving his tail high above his back as he turned to look at his pack; "That bull's young and inexperienced, to preoccupied with rivals to concentrate on us. But he'd make a worthy feast, what say you?" Head craned over his shoulder, ember eyes glistening at the rest of them, then he jerked his head as signal to send them moving towards the elk. Though, as they went past, he stopped @Phoenix with an outstretched muzzle, smiling faintly at her. "I won't let you into the thick of it, not yet!" He explained in a low voice; "You find a good place to watch, learn, and join us once he's down." Though he kept smiling, there was an unusual firmness to his voice, eyes meeting his daughter's levelly; He wanted to make sure she didn't get hurt.

He would follow the rest of them, down into the cover of the swaying grain. Speeding to a trot, he passed them each, whispering instructions as he went: "We need to get them running, send the does scrambling and cut him off. Askan, you go with Jessie and swing behind, start them up once we're in position. Icicle, your with me, we sneak ahead and slip in to stop the bull." Once all was understood, he would nod, moving up through the grass, expecting Icicle to be right behind.

Word count: 602

Thoughts ”Speech”