Sex: MaleIt had been a couple days since Oula and Pip had given birth and Veho had returned. That Cinder had come back with them had startled Rook and unearthed within him that same guilt he felt a long time ago when he had been unable to find her. For that, he stayed away, always remaining within calling range but distant enough to allow his pack mates' their own space. Today, he didn't stray far. In fact, he kept relatively close to the borders, just in case someone called for him. Really, what he had struck out to do didn't even require him to leave the forest at all.
With his head level and his tail bobbing about as he strolled along, he scoured the forest floor, searching the places where the snows had finally melted. It was much too early - and too cold - yet for any sort of blossom; any sort of berries or thornapple shrubs would still be "asleep" and, thus, no use to anyone in the pack if it was just a bunch of roots. An hour of searching yielded no results and after some time, he lifted his eyes to study the bark on the trees. He had an idea of what he was supposed to be looking for; Veho had helped clarify this information, based on what his Aunt Aniu had taught him. There were many types of cedar within this part of Relic Lore and most north american varieties had found themselves a home here.
His eyes squinted at a particular ancient giant, mentally trying to compare the kind of color the bark ought to be. The trunk had to be reddish and it had to easily pull away from the inner bark or cambium. This is what would be beneficial for when the weather warmed even more. A nice layering of redcedar bark would provide a good barrier against fleas and ticks, as well as provide a nice aroma for any enclosed space. He lifted a paw and let his nails catch in the gnarled grooves but it wouldn't budge. Nope, this wasn't it.
A step to the side and another tree had caught his eye. This time, he sniffed it first before trying to peel it. His nails caught and a downward swiped backed up with a bit of force and leverage shredded the bark all the way down to the roots. Rook's tail wagged. It wasn't much, but it was a start. Now, if only he could gather just enough to pile up and carry back for each of the nesting places within the Hollow.