"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” -Elizabeth Stone

It was now or never she could not prolong this milestone any longer. Her children were half a year old, and they had to learn to do things for themselves. Hunting had to be taught, as it was definately the most important for survial. If her children were to thrive in this world they needed the skills to do so, and the ability to pratice. And like anyone to make mistakes, learning from them how they could do better. She had wished her own mother could have taught her, and right away she decided she would enjoy this moment, and cherish it no matter what it brought. Though it meant just how close they were to not needing her. White head hel high, and her tail swaying behind her she trotted back across the boundries of Grizzly Hollow. She figured somewhere familiar would be best, and she rose her mouth to the sky calling her children to find her.

She made sure not to make her note sound too urgent, but just a long joyful melody for them to come to her. It slowly faded, and she smiled though sadly she wanted to cry too. How big they had grown, she was happy and sad at the same time for one emotion could not quite override the other one. She knew of coarse she was only sad because she wasn't sure how close her children would stick around. She would never try to keep them from wanderlust, but just thinking to be alone was unbearble. Who knew if she would have any more pups. She kept her smile strong, and reclined to her haunches having faith they would find her.

Now it was her time.

Head high, the young Lyall looked between the faces of her siblings, a slow, dark grin growing on her muzzle. It was time. Her mother's song had rung out, calling them together, and Trisden just knew what it was for. The pack hunt had been a disappointment in that she had been relegated to the sidelines, but no more. Now Trisden would show them all just what she was capable of.

"C'mon guys," she said authoritatively, assuming the lead position whether they protested or not. In a quietly excited group they filed towards the sound of Jaysyek, Trisden's eagerness building as they were led further from the heart of the packlands. It was still comforting land, but just being near the borders was privately thrilling. Who knew where their mother would take them next?

"Mother!" she yipped happily upon catching sight of the beloved white figure, leaping forwards to be the first to bury her head into Jaysyek's chest. Her tail was already in overdrive, and she beamed at everyone who would look at her. Now they would all see.

Mother's call had her attention, and her tail waved behind her with glee. Her face mirrored Trisden's for a moment, because she was excited to finally try this hunting thing despite having some minor fears. A look between them, she let out a yip of her excitement. Then she was quick to follow the command of her sister, becasue she much rather follow then lead. Her growing limbs trailed behind Tris with ease, and she made sure to look to her brothers, sometimes trying to compete for second.

She was braver this time, trailing through the forest. It was not as scary, and she was not alone.

Trisden saw Mother first, and Lettie was quick to greet her next with a lick to her chin, and a tail that could not stop wiggling. This would all be metempirical to them, but she was eager to learn. She grinned looking at her mom, and her siblings around her.

A particularly cynical mood afflicted Hocus today. Perhaps he had woken up on the wrong side of the 'bed' or maybe it was something he had eaten, or perhaps it was that his sister Trisden kept bothering him with pointless annoyances and trivialities. And then there were the complaints...

Hocus looked very despondent at having to leave a place he had just gotten comfortable in, but which in a few minutes he would undoubtedly have found to be both rather stony and almost too smooth. Yeah, it was going to be one of those days. He half hoped that Trisden would look back when he didn't follow, but alas she didn't, as so he had to let his displeasure be known to himself.

So what were they going now? Somewhere else god-forsaken, no-doubt, likely damaged by another element, if they were following a pattern. A flooding river, mayhap or a wind-swept hillock? Oh the joy. In spite of his cynicism, however, he was quite happy to see his mother. Logic screamed that she was not to be trusted, but he could not deny his natural instinct to trust her, even if she was leading them into a fiery, explosive, elementally challenging arena of death.

I guess we'll incorprate Theo here in little ncp. We'll try to start the next round by Nov. 13

When they each arrived she made sure to give each one an affectionate nuzzle to the head. They were bigger, but as long as she could get away with it, she would keep at it. She smiled most proudly, and it was certain there was something different to the smile on her face. What mother could not beam at the picture before her? Four children getting along, no catastrophes today. And they all appeared to be happy.

There was Trisden, ecstatic for change,Theo ready to compete, Lettie willing to try, and Hocus seeming to be the calm in it all. She didn't mind. She actually liked how they each were different, maybe because she couldn't imagine if they were all as driven as Trisden what she'd do, but really it was because they all complemented each other with their diverse talents. She grinned looking at the small pack of light colored wolves. She'd certainly never imagined such a picture.

"I promised I'd teach you to hunt, so the five of us are going to see if we can catch a rabbit today." She knew there were burrows around here, and they should be able to find one. It was more if, and how they'd catch it. She stood up, and took a few steps looking a short distance from their soon destination. Over there was the smallest, and roundest of hills covered in short brush surrounded by the tall cedar trees. "See, there is a whole mess of rabbits over there. Right now I want you pups to decide how we are going to catch one." She didn't care if they decided they each would try, or they'd do this in a group. All hunting didn't have to be with another, but working with other wolves was much trickier. What she really wanted was for them to draw out a plan of action themselves, and try their best.

Lastly, Trisden had turned to grin at Hocus, noticing at last the grim look on his face. Though she immediately fell quiet as her mother began to talk, Trisden shoulder-bumped him purposefully as she listened, indicating in that simple action the complex message that she knew he was being a bum, and to stop it and have fun or she'd make him suffer... and, as an afterthought, that he shouldn't try to be better than her in the imminent hunt.

A rabbit! Trisden was far too excited to be disappointed that it wasn't something more grand, but even with her considerable ego she understood that bigger things would come in time; successfully hunting a rabbit was a badge that she hadn't earned yet. Stalking and succeeding at scaring them all away didn't quite count. Decide how we're going to catch one, mother said, and Trisden's mind automatically went to - easy, I'll do it but she stopped herself, by now old enough to comprehend that a little more thought had to go into it.

She thought back to Elettra, her calm confidence, infallible wisdom and endless knowledge when it came to the hunt, how she had dictated how it would all go and the way in which everybody had fallen in line. I want to be like that. "We should work together!" Trisden declared, perhaps to the surprise of those gathered. Perhaps what followed would be more expected. "Me and Hocus should hide and wait. We're the ambush." What had come next? She vaguely remembered a warning, but really couldn't think of anything threatening about the rabbits at all. "Lettie and Theo, you chase the rabbits towards us!"

She turned towards her mother, seeking approval of her initiative. Nobody had questioned Elettra at the adults' hunt.

Well, except perhaps Trisden herself, but that was easily overlooked.

{i} ehh i failed../i]

Though she could tell Hocus didn't care for this, she was sitting by Theo, and playfully nudged him. When her mother began she was wrapped up in the idea, they, not the pack would try to catch a rabbit....by themselves! Rabbits were not scary, and she was eager to have this under way. She felt Theo's anticipation reflected her own. When the question came that they were to decide, she clearly held still, becoming very thoughtful. She began thinking about the pack hunt, the deer. It was not she who spoke, it was Trisden. It did not break her heart, to come up with a plan. If anything she was relieved that Trisden knew what she was doing, she didn't question they probably knew the same.

Head bobbed, and she softly, "Emhmm," in agreement. What could possibly go wrong? They were all much bigger than a rabbit surely the four of them could get one. Wait, Mom said the five of them. "Mom, what you do?"

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Theo stood up, white face cantered toward his elder sister. "Tris, I want to ambush, why can't I?" He asked, knowing she often preffered Hocus over him, but he didn't want to chase the rabbit. It seemed like more fun to catch. Maybe Hocus wouldn't want to.

Trisden was the only one with an idea, and it surprsied her she decided they should work together. It was a nice suprise,however, and she smiled in approval. "Trisden that was well thought out." She said, not wanting her to be disheartened by the fact Theo wanted to trade, and Lettie was wondering what Jaysyek would do.

"What do you think I should do?" She reversed the question once more to leave the decision up to them. She wouldn't always be able to tell them what to do, so it was good pratice letting them make their own choices, own mistakes. Least they'd be supervised in this case, or if they didn't catch a rabbit well they'd learn something for next time.

For Theo's question she saw Hocus offer to trade, but her eyes were on Trisden. Leaders did choose places, but sometimes someone wanted to do something else. She was curious how Tris would handle this. Would she let them trade, or would she say she chose, and that was that?

She quietly looked where the prey was waiting once more, while they decided.

Having felt that her emulation of Elettra had been quite exceptional, it would have been a lie to say that Trisden wasn't disappointed when her proposal didn't go down so smoothly. Though the compliment from her mother made her heart and head purr, Theo's outright insubordination was just insulting. So what if he wanted to chase? For a moment, Trisden inflated with barely suppressed indignation, but some semblance of common sense held her back; after all, unlike Elettra, she did not technically hold rank over her siblings.

Had the case been otherwise, she would have insisted that her plan remain, but she did understand that she had no real grounds to demand his obedience.

Of course, then Hocus stepped up and gave her an easy way out. She wasn't sure if he had done it on purpose or really did want to trade, but either way, she had to acknowledge it as an easy solution. Keeping herself as aloof as possible, so that hopefully nobody would think she had been too ruffled by it, she turned to Theo and nodded. "Okay. We ambush, and Hocus goes with Lettie. Is that okay for everyone?" Was she really compromising? It felt difficult, but hopefully her mother would approve, and in the end that was the highest goal. As such, when her mother outright asked for what her task should be, Trisden was speechless; she, command her parent, her leader? She understood the question had been borne from the intention to keep everything in the children's hands, but Trisden was still at a loss. "What would you like to do?" she asked, having previously thought that the hunt would be her's and her siblings'.