His large limbs moved with a stealth that held purpose; the prowl of his paws on the snowy ground gave the male purpose, and as he wove his way closer to the borders of his home, his muzzle tilted back to release a howl across the winter air. Dusk settled across the horizon, painting the almost clear sky a pale shade of mauve and inky blue, though the grey clouds that scattered throughout the heavens offered a myriad of flurries to fall across the terrain.


His song echoed across Willow Ridge, beckoning those that were able to come to him – they would hunt tonight, and if enough showed, they would feast heartily. If Willow Ridge needed anything, it was this. Narime’s close encounter with the exploited caverns and Koda’s injury weighed heavily on the hearts of the pack – one thing he could say for Willow Ridge was that they were a closely knit unit.. and in turn, they deserved this.


Finally, his cry faded to the oncoming night, and the large male stilled, waiting for any to come to him. His fiery eyes scanned the brush of his home, seeking them out, his mind formulating the plan of their hunt. Elettra had given him approval of such an event, and he was eager to fully hunt with his companions for the first time.

He did not need to wait long – first to appear before him was Narime, the slender silver girl seeming to emerge from the foliage like a delicate wraith. He was not surprised she was the first to answer his call – Narime seemed to be the first to arrive at any beckon of her pack mates. He greeted her with a smile, bumping her cheek with his cold nose when she came to him and revealed respect for him. He was glad to see her here, healing so well, and softly his eyes flickered from her to the next rustle of bushes.


Rosealia was soon upon them, and at the sight of the she-wolf, the male allowed his muzzle to tuck slightly in her presence, his eyes averting from her own in submission. She was above him in the ranks, and while he might have been the one who had called the hunt, he did not fool himself to believing he held any authority over her. He greeted the she-wolf with a lick to her chin in return, revealing that he respected her rank.


Guiness was next, and Phineas offered the male a nod, though his tail curled slightly higher once more, as he was above the other within the ranks. Still, with what he hoped would be a subtle message, the ivory male gave a light nod in the direction of Narime, hoping the larger male would take notice and gain meaning from this action: keep watch over her.


The moment’s passed, and soon Shade came upon them as well. Phineas emitted a low ‘wuff’ of greeting to the male, prowling forward to give the pack’s Second a nudge beneath his chin, his own figure held lower, despite his size in comparison to Shade.


His bright eyes flickered over the gathering, pleased at the outcome. There were others not with them, but it was not unexpected. The call of the hunt had come on suddenly, and it was likely others were too far to come to his summon, or were already busy. Not willing to wait any longer, Phineas gave a nod in the direction he had come, his paws beginning to lope in the direction of the herd. He was silent for a few moments, his ears swivelling to the silent pawfall’s of his pack mates. Finally, as they walked, the male cleared his throat. “There’s a small mule deer herd not far from here. There are only four of them, but one seems to have experienced a harsher winter than the others. She is the one we will aim for.”


Soon, his steps halted, and his eyes flashed to the small clearing within the willows. There would be no given instructions – Phineas assumed his comrades knew the simplistic instincts of a hunt, and with their target obvious, the male emerged from the foliage, slowly trotting to the deer. Naturally, they stiffened upon his entrance, though did not flee just yet. Testing them, the male slowly loped about the herd in a circle, noting the sickly doe to be the most nervous of his presence. Angling himself to drive her towards his pack mates, the ivory male elicited a sharp snarl before charging her, driving her to the presence of the others, his jaws agape as they clicked shut just behind her back limbs.