A change was thick in the air and the seasoned female knew it long before the first of the local foliage began to make the annual transition from vibrant greens to fiery hues of reds, oranges, and yellows and eventually break off completely from their mothering branch to form a sea of fire upon the ground until the first snowfall stole them away from the eyes of wandering creatures. The air had held the promising scent of rain for days now and it was only a matter of time until the slow-moving clouds on the horizon that looked so gray, ugly and mean unleashed their downpour on those below.

Ebony limbs sauntered casually through the dying field of flowers that had more or less become a soddened field of mud by now thanks to those very clouds Enoki had been watching days prior opening their floodgates to unleash the heavy downpour within. Each stride flung more of the muddy mess onto the drenched fur of her belly and caked on top of that already covering her limbs, but the magpie matriarch didn't care, didn't mind. It was a refreshing break from the sweltering heat of summer and no doubt her children would enjoy the change as well.

The rain meant puddles and mud galore for them to splash and roll in; meaning overtime when it came to giving them baths, and a new array of creatures to learn about now that most of them would be undergoing the annual migratory trek from their feeding grounds to breeding grounds. Something the Archer woman was still apprehensive about teaching them, but it was a part of the world they lived in and she could only shelter them from such lessons for so long.

Already the rutting season of the Elk had reached full swing and the sounds of bulls bugling out obnoxiously to woo cows into their harems filled the early hours of dawn and continued into the late hours of dusk just before the sun could set completely. It was this very call that now lured the huntress into the depths of the Ridge's hunting grounds, smoldering amber irises scanning the scattered patches of brown that moved along with the ever looming mountain serving as their backdrop.

Of course, Enoki would not dare take on one of them alone, but if a prime target presented itself then what kind of huntress would she be to let a potential feast that could fill their caches and their bellies; and they needed to gather as much as they could within the next couple months to prepare for winter, slip right between her paws. Besides, it was overdue not only for the cubs to experience their first pack hunt but for the pack itself to engage in something that would bring them closer together and strengthen their bond.

For now, though, the piebald huntress would watch and wait. Patience was a virtue.