Atlas, once again, found himself going through Blackberry fields. With the amount of time he spent in that area he felt he had every bush and berry photographically memorized. However, this time he wasn’t here to taste the sweetly tart berries that grew abundantly on the bushes. No, today he was out to practice his hunting skills. He’d always been a decent hunter despite his large appearance, which would make one think he made the ground quake with every paw step. This gentle giant was as silent as a snake, and most of his prey didn’t even see it coming. Ok, maybe some of them did. He still recalled a particularly peeved goose that he’d tried to catch when he was much younger, and the damn thing had nearly pecked out his eyes.

He lifted his nose to the air, drawing in the scents around him. He automatically threw out the stale scents and took in the new ones, then went the task and deciding which ones were near enough, then the task of deciding which one he would go for. Finally, he picked a stoat. He hadn’t had one in a while and the taste was something he didn’t remember. They were quick, mean little suckers but he knew he could catch it.

Pinpointing the direction it was going he moved toward the animal at a slow, meaningful pace. As the scent grew nearer he was so focused on it that he was unaware of the scent of another wolf so nearby. Instead, he kept on his path until the Stoat came into view. It was chewing on a berry, its quick little movements so strange and jumbled. His auds pricked forward, movements stilling at the sight. The speckled yearling’s dark auburn gaze narrowed into focus as he readied himself to leap. His haunches bunched beneath his powerful frame before he soundlessly leapt forward with jaws gaping. The Stoat gave a terrified squeak before darting off in a different direction, which caused Atlas to make a sudden change of direction. His legs pumped as he gained speed, keeping his gaze firmly on the small mammal which was darting this way and that. As he gained space it changed direction yet again and this sent him scrambling to do the same. Even with all this, it wasn’t able to evade capture as he gained on it. Scooping his head down he sank his teeth into its neck and firmly bit down, slowing down before violently jerking his head. After a moment a sharp crack could be heard at the Stoat’s neck fractured, rendering it dead.

A prideful gleam settled in his gaze as he dropped the mammal, running his tongue over his spotted maw. Now, he was able to scent another smell. A smell of a she-wolf and he automatically went on the alert again, looking around. Even though they weren’t in Black Thorn Down territory, they were still fairly close to the border and one couldn’t be too careful.

There she was, the wolf that he’d been looking for. She moved into his field of sight, and while he kept his gaze on her she did likewise with him. Honestly, he half expected her to turn away and flee, but when she bent her head in a snarl and actually growled at him, he took offense. Who was this wolf, threatening him so close to his border? He felt bad that he’d scared away her prey, as he knew the struggle that it was to find food as a lone wolf, but he couldn’t help it. He’d been hunting for his own pack, whose hunger had to be sated first before any other.

That giant gave a blink at her demand, pulling in a quick sniff. It was true, there was a deer around them and he considered the odds. A large yearling and a larger than average medium sized wolf may have seemed like a decent pair, but that pairing against a deer would be difficult. The chances were heightened of them getting hurt in the scuffle, and it may have been something he wasn’t willing to risk at that time. There was a lot to do for him to get settled into his pack, and getting injured surely wouldn’t help him in proving that he was someone worth keeping in their ranks. “Miss, I’m sorry that I’ve scared away your prey. But taking down a deer with just the two of us is very risky, what do you honestly think the odds are of that?” He asked honestly. There wasn’t any malice or snide tooth in his words, but he was honestly curious as to what the female thought. Considering another answer he opened his maw to speak, “I can give you this Stoat, if you like?” It probably wasn’t the wisest choice, as the pack really did need the food. But he felt the need to make amends for what he had done, even if it had been an accident and he’d done it unwittingly.

Ah, so there is a nice wolf in there, he thought to himself. Even when the she-wolf had been rather rudely demanding compensation from him, his ability to read into wolves saw a lone wolf who was hungry from a journey, that much could be seen in her wide eyes and slightly showing ribs, and one who was not normally on the ferocious side. He hadn’t been worried of an attack to begin with, if he had to be honest. His large, powerful frame and body weight easily over-shadowed hers which would have made for an easy take down even if he hadn’t been trained most of his life to become a guardian.

Atlas felt little pleasure in her admitting he had been right about the situation. He was far from a pompous, prideful jerk. The attitude that could most fit the young male was that of a gentlemen, a very in control one at that. By this, he wasn’t going to say something like “I told you so” to the woman. That would be petty of him. Her statement that she could find her own food was taken in the wind as far as the male was concerned. “Trust me, I’d have loved to go after that deer as much as you would have but I doubt either of us really need to be hurt right now. It’s nice to meet you Laurel, my name is Atlas Nytrox. I belong to the Black Thorn Downs pack that resides nearby. I’m afraid I may have to report my finding you so close to the border, but don’t worry. It’s just standard, and you’ve given me no reason to think of you as a threat.” He replied kindly. Looking at her slim frame and her obviously tired eyes, he thought of something, “Would you like to meet our alpha? She’s very kind, I joined not long ago myself. Perhaps we can work something out that would help you?” He suggested. Their pack needed new members, that was for certain. Laurel, despite their first encounter, already seemed like a genuine character and if she were to join then he well-being would already begin to rise. He’d noticed changes in himself since joining Black Thorn Downs. Such as he was slowly becoming more personable, finding it easier to speak to others and be slightly more expressional. He found himself rarely with hunger pains that were too bad, which was all the better.

She spoke in a way that reminded him of his life in the past. She spoke of following rules and standards and all of that, it memories surfaced. Memories with flashes of tawny fur, yelling, and pain. They were memories he would much rather suppress into the back corner of his mind, until he found a time that he could deal with them appropriately. But there was one thing he knew for sure, and that was that she couldn’t blame herself for whatever had happened. She was obviously afraid of mistakes, that what had happened in the past might reoccur. He tried to bite his tongue, but before he could the words came spilling out.

“I know about rules and standards, it’s something that was ground into me since I was four months old. I also know what it’s like to feel guilt, and betrayal, and anger all rolled into one. I understand that you must feel responsible, and that you have a debt to pay. If you really want to repay it, don’t you think that the best way would to be to set it right in another pack? To protect them and serve them like you would have before? They’ll never replace your blood, but they’ll be a family that is pretty damn close.” He said. Honestly, that was probably the most he had ever talked in his whole life to a stranger. It was just that, he related so much to it and no one deserved to have those feelings. They weighed one down so much and left one with so much trauma in the end, it just wasn’t worth it.

“I’m sorry, it’s your choice in the end. Really, I insist that you take this Stoat. You need it more than I, I remember being a lone wolf and how hard it is to get decent food. This isn’t a lot, but it’s better than nothing. I’ll find something else, unless you’re completely set on a hare as your favorite food.” The speckled yearling finished, apologizing for his intrusion on her private affairs.