Out again. The urge to wander had once more gripped the dark man, despite the regrettable result of his last stray from The Bend. This time he had pulled more eastwards, the peculiar red mountains flanking that side of his forest home, piquing his interest. The Sierra Hills, his pack mate called them, though hill was a bit of an understatement in the black lads opinion; And that's from a wolf BORN in the mountains! He had reached the foot of the hills, and was studying their rising glory with awe in his orange eyes - he wouldn't try to climb them, not now with the snow making their winding paths slippery and the winter making him judge even the smallest exertion; at least not unless an obvious benefit showed itself; Like food...
FOOD! A spiteful snort escaped him. What was food now but a feeble dream, a distant memory carried on the icy winds? And just then, a howl rang, sounding a message to good to be true - in a voice he did not know, but that mattered little - he went after it, paws carrying him speedily along the foot of the hills. As he ran, a new, and much more familiar, voice called confirming the unbelievable, and this one demanded his presence - if not by name, then by merit - for it was his alpha who called.
He soon reached his leader, who was surrounded, not only by his own pack, but by others, reeking familiarly. Drestig held back a snarl and chose to focus on Triell, coming to a hold at the young man's side. "Triell." He gasped, cold air wheezing in and out of his open maw after the run. Fiery eyes ran over the opposing wolves, lips pulling back from his teeth at the sight of the young boy he had run into, just a few days earlier, but his full interest quickly swept out to the lone caribou, whose smell was filling his nose; Oh blessed heavens! It was true.
Body tensing, every muscle at the ready, Drestig looked to Triell, one ear still turned at the prey. Should he wait for his alpha to lead the hunt? But others were already running for the bull, and with a loner's instincts still echoing in his body, Drestig threw his weight into the hunt, speeding after the others, quickly catching up, trailing out to flank the animal and drive it back towards the rest of his family.
Word Count: 415
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