The morning sun had begun its daily ascent into the sky splashing the patches of clouds with shades of pink and orange, a soft glow illuminating the trunks of weeping willow trees that made up the forest and gave name to the pack that called it home. A dark silhouette weaved her way through the mass of glowing trunks intent on finding something small to hunt and serve as her morning breakfast to avoid depleting the ridge's caches that needed to remain as full as possible for the up coming winter months. Besides with the chill that accompanied the morning air a little hunting would do some good in getting her body warmed up for the day.

Head lowered to the ground and nose twitching over every scent trail that filled her nostrils, Enoki continued to weave between the willows until a delicate, but prosperous scent tickled her senses. Rabbit. Hunting mode activated now her slender frame shifted towards the north west in order to follow the rabbit's scent trail, paws picking up her once leisurely pace to a more determined one while her nose sifted through fallen foliage and twigs. Following the light musky smell it didn't take long for the she-wolf to come upon a burrow reeking in the fresh scent of rabbit. Luck must have been on her side that morning and happened to catch the trail only minutes after the rodent had passed by the specific tree in which she caught first whiff of it. Tongue breaking through her lips she gave a quick lick to her chops at the possibility of having a nice plump rabbit to fill her stomach that morning.

Now came the hard part of the task, catching the furry thing. Sticking the tip of her muzzle into the small entrance she gave a deep inhale and almost sighed contently as her senses were greeted by the strong, fresh smell of rabbit. Whoever made this burrow was home and now had an unexpected visitor at the front door. Removing her maw from the hole Enoki soon replaced them with her paws as they began to dig rapidly to expand the hole, dirt and fallen leaves flinging beneath her belly to land in a heap behind her rump. Slowly but surely the hole was beginning to grow wider and wider to a more suitable size that would allow the she-wolf to dive head first into the hole and snatch the meal on legs. Once the renovated burrow pleased the skunk colored woman her paws quit their furious work and moved aside to allow her head to plunge in, a squeal of torture resonating on the quiet morning air as moments later she pulled her head out with a limp rabbit clamped between mighty jaws. Breakfast was served.

If she didn't know better Enoki would have settled right there to enjoy her light breakfast, but sticking around a kill sight whether it was large or small was never a smart idea. The scent of fresh blood would without a doubt draw in other predators to the scent and Enoki was not about to give up her meal to a bear or lynx so with prize in mouth she trotted off in search of a pleasant place to dine that chilly morning. Once more weaving through the thick trunks of the willows the woman came to a stop as a new yet familiar scent crossed her path. Tilting her head skyward slightly to better detect the scent her brows furrowed slightly in curiosity. The mix of earthy soil and piquant of the willows could only belong to a member of the ridge, but the scent was also foreign to Enoki. Perhaps she had stumbled upon one of the many members she was yet to meet since joining their ranks. There was only one way to find out and her previous task of indulging on rabbit was pushed aside in order to focus on discovering who this mystery pack member was, maybe even share her food with whoever it was she came upon.

Using her excellent tracking skills Enoki followed the aroma deeper into the willow forest until they began to thin, revealing a small clearing where the scent grew strongest. Amber eyes glanced around the clearing and settled on the small form of a swarthy pup nestled in the grass that grew around a large boulder, his pelt cloaked by the warming rays of the morning sun. The little prince didn't seem to be sleeping(yet) as she slowly approached his resting spot, pausing only momentarily to deposit her rabbit on the ground in order to send a woof in his direction alerting him of her presence. She wondered who this prince could be and why he was alone this far from the pack.

At first it appeared that her announcement had gone unheard or ignored by the swarthy pup as he did not make any distinguishable gesture to prove other wise other than a small swivel of his hears, that too almost unseen by the blackness of his pelt. Pausing a yard or two from the pup that didn't seem eager at all to interact with her, she gently deposited the dead rabbit on the dew-coated blades of grass that brushed against her paws before lifting her head to study the young prince. Unlike his siblings that she had encountered there was no secondary color blemishing his coat and instead he held a pelt as black as the night its self with a pair of ghostly silver orbs to match that studied her with a look of scrutiny for disturbing his peaceful alone time.

He did not speak upon her arrival, but the look that settled upon his countenance was wordy enough to portray what his tongue did not speak, what was she doing here. Briefly meeting his phantasmal gaze with her bright amber one her haunches rolled back into a sitting position against the frigorific grass while a single paw lifted to softly nudge her kill to the side a bit. Her attention was more interested in the lone pup than the small breakfast she acquired. "The name is Enoki Ashrelle, little prince." She introduced herself first before continuing onward to answer his silent question. "I was out catching my morning breakfast when I caught scent of you and was curious to know why you were this far from the pack den. I wanted to make sure you weren't in danger." Truth filled her words as they fell from the ebony lining of her lips, amber orbs scanning over his onyx fur to insure that there was nothing the matter with him. He checked out with the Ashrelle woman, but his physical fitness didn't ease the light worry she held inside. The other Ridge princes had been eager to find their litter mates, but this one seemed to be the exact opposite. He came off as a loner among his own kin. This was an interesting thing to the woman.

"May I have your name, or is little prince fine with you?" Enoki inquired, head tilting to the side a fraction of an inch out of curiosity. Little prince was the nickname she had given all the pups until they offered their true names, but the other siblings had enjoyed the regal nickname she adorned them with. Would he reciprocate the same way or be offended by the nickname? The thought disappeared as soon as it arose when her stomach gave a soft gurgle, demanding it be fed something to sooth its hunger. Stealing a glance at the rabbit carcass that remained untouched she pondered if the dark hued prince wanted a bite to eat. She did not ask and as she awaited some form of an answer as to what his name was her head lowered to the motionless rodent, sinking canines into tender flesh to tear open the belly. Fluffs of fur stuck to her mouth as she did so and once the stomach was opened Enoki tore off a good portion of meat and liver for the pup, tossing it at his feet with a flick of her head. Perhaps a little food would encourage the little guy to open up a bit to her. Maybe not open up a lot, but getting a name at least was a good start here. Now that his portion was handed to him she rose her ebony crown, refusing to take a bite of the rabbit that remained out of respect. It may not have been a pack feast, but even she knew how disrespectful it was for one to eat before a pup of the pack or to eat the best parts for themselves and that was why she waited. She would not eat until he did.