White Fir Notch all my friends are heathens

@Lucia

Her pelt was pristine, freshly groomed after having returned from pressing the borders once more, marking them thoroughly… she did have a list of duties that had been assigned to her, part of the agreement, she’d known… slowly, perhaps, she’d be able to gather her resources, but it helped to have a stable location to do so from, so for now she’d bide her time, garner support from both within and outside of the pack… she hated to admit it, but she liked Gent. She liked the way he thought, at least, and that meant she could not put her trust in him.

He could play the game just like she could, and so she needed to play it better, right? The territory they’d chosen to settle down in was interesting, a unique choice in and of itself given the advantages it had in the summer, and the disadvantages it might have come winter should it be harsh. She was interested to see how it would pan out in the long run. A hunt… a hunt would be good – catch herself some dinner, perhaps get something for the children to help bolster her “prestige” within the pack, her position as an active member within the pack, someone they could rely on… she’d need that to her advantage, she could almost guarantee it.

Emerald eyes were following where her snout led her, following a rabbit trail – the prey was going to start migrating soon, the bunnies burrowing away for the winter and the deer heading south… they would need to start stocking up on food now if they were to survive, if she was to survive.

Note to self: Lucia is 5 months old.

Unbeknownst to her (and probably the other wolf), Lucia was working on the same scent cone, attempting to pin down the source so as to snatch it up for dinner. The children had not yet gotten the opportunity to see the pack hunt large prey, but rabbits and the like were by now familiar prey. She wasn't the most skilled of hunters, still quite short on needed life-experience to fully anticipate and plan during any hunt, no matter how small, but the girl kept herself fed and took pride in her work all the same.

Her black paws devoured the ground as her lungs did the air, her slim body moving rapidly but silently. While Ryker and Aleris were creeping up toward their mother's height, Lucia's body lagged behind. She hated how thin her bones were in comparison to theirs, how she had to always look up at them, but the girl had to admit that when it came to agility, she certainly had the advantage. Times like now, that was useful.

Sensing that she was closing in, Lucia had to exert willpower to keep her tail from wagging. This wave of excitement was suddenly quelled, however, when another scent hit her nose and caused it to wriggle unhappily. Another wolf was nearby, and that meant they were probably onto the rabbit as well. With a few quick breaths Lucia knew this interloper to be the newest addition to their pack, the one her father had randomly brought home not too long ago. An annoyed chuff spilled from her throat as she turned, veering off track at an angle to intercept the young woman.

Growing up the runt of the litter, Lucia had learned quickly that it was necessary to clearly establish what was hers. No matter who this wolf was or what she was like, the girl would not shy away from declaring her intentions and making sure that this other pack mate would not get in her way. When Nascha came into view, Lucia locked her golden eyes upon the newcomers face and stated, calmly and absolutely, "the hare is mine."

@Lucia

Nascha’s deal with Gent had been very tricky in her mind, and not as fluid as she would have liked. She understood the rules, and a home for biding her time through the winter months was definitely worth it, even if it could be quite annoying at times. A scent caught on the wind and it had Nascha’s head turning, seeing a small pup stating her intentions, her eyes narrowing in return. One of Gent’s children? It had to be – he didn’t seem the type to allow others within his ranks to breed. “Is that so, young one?” She asked with a small smile on her face. She had a part to play, didn’t she?

She had to admit, she was impressed. She hadn’t realized the girl’s presence until she made it known… but Nascha would attribute that to the fact that she’d enveloped herself in the hunt… it hadn’t been the wisest decision, but one that had been made unintentionally.

She thought about the best way to go after the hare, or more of, find a way to contribute while letting Lucia do the work she seemed to be itching to do. “I won’t stop you… but I could watch you and give you pointers when you’ve caught it?” Instruction? Perhaps that was the best way to let things roll? If the girl lost the rabbit, then Nascha could slowly slip into the role of teacher, teaching the very offspring that would be joining the adult ranks in less than a year’s time and develop a friendship with them even.

“Show me what you can do.” She was careful to make her voice soft as to not scare off the hare, motioning with her paw as she took a seat. There had been a definite challenge in her tone. It was most definitely a test of the girl’s potential.

Lucia did not cotton on to the stranger's initial response, her gilded eyes narrowing ever so slightly. Whether intended by the newcomer or not, the monthling understood the words as patronising. Especially that placename, little one. The girl hated to be reminded of her miniature stature, no matter the context. Her cheeks puffed out with silent indignation. One day I won't be so elfish, she told herself. Then she'd be able to shove over anyone that wanted to get cute with her, just like her dad could.

I won't stop you, the woman then told her, and Lucia's mind quickly chased after the words with a darn right you won't! but then she went on with an offer to supervise and correct the youth. Her internal salt levels rose to dangerous heights at that. Had it been her mother or father, or even someone she knew as well as @Jynx or @Sylva, the response would have been very different. As it was, the child didn't know this woman from Eve, and sure it was beginning to look a lot like Christmas, but Lucia had no knowledge of the list that Santa was making and wouldn't much care for where her name went anyways.

Still, this was her pack mate, and that was important. For whatever reason, her parents saw it fit to let this one into their lives. Even if Nascha's advice proved to be plonk compared to the Chateau Margaux quality wisdom the alphas often imparted, Lucia begrudgingly understood that it could still help her learn in some capacity. Alright, I'll play nice-Lucia...

"Whatever."

Nailed it.

Nascha had planted her rump and made it clear she wouldn't be in the way, so Lucia slithered forward and wasted no more time in zoning in on her prey once again. Trying to ignore the fact that she was being watched, she put effort into clearing her mind. She knew how to do this, and her confidence wouldn't falter just because she had an agitating audience. The closer she drew to her prey, the more accomplished she became with her focus, until there was nothing but the hunt left within her thoughts.

When the distance was eliminated and there could be no more hiding, the child sprung. The snow was certainly a new challenge, but her light weight kept her from sinking entirely through it as often happened to her hefty father, and plenty of play with her siblings had given her exercise in navigating it. The rabbit, of course, was better, but with the element of surprise on the wolf's side, this wasn't enough to keep it from her grasp. It shrieked as it felt her jaws press down around its shoulders, and then everything went wrong for them both.

Instinctively the animal kicked out, catching Lucia's throat with powerful hind legs. The sharp claws dug into her skin and startled her enough that the rodent was able to wriggle free. Yet her teeth hadn't released, and the snow melted under a deluge of warm blood as the hare tore itself open from its struggle. It desperately tried to run, but the upper muscles of its forelegs were too damaged for the animal to do anything but flop forward a few times. Lucia backed up, shaking her coat out repeatedly to try and chase away the vicious stinging both from her skin and her wounded pride.

Someone just had to watch her.

Nascha was all for being a broody teen, she’d had her own times surely… but if Lucia wasn’t careful, it’d come back to bite her in the ass. Of course, Nascha would never admit that out loud. It wasn’t something that the Dreamweaver felt it was her place to share. Perhaps with her father, once she felt her place within the Notch was settled down and set in stone. She wasn’t going to step on any toes just yet… bide her time until she called on Gent to hold up his end of the offer – help. She had to play it out right.

The girl almost blew her off, sort of in her own “cool” way as it were as the Stjarna woman watched with mild amusement. She seemed to focus up, and focus was a good thing. She kept herself hidden for the most part which was also something the girl noticed was good… her mistake was not going immediately for the kill. With small prey, the faster you could permanently keep them down, the better. She paid the price for it. She’d damaged it enough to kill it, or at least subdue it so it couldn’t get away before it died from the blood loss… but she’d been injured in the process.

Great. Nascha had better not get blamed for this one…

“That was good…” Was it great? No. Perfect? Definitely not. But, she’d killed it, and that was what mattered in the end… well, that and keeping your life. “You have to go for the kill sooner, hitting all of the weak points – neck and spine. Otherwise the prey will fight you back. We’re superior, but even wolves aren’t invincible. The smallest thing can kill us.” She expected that she’d get some kind of whiplash for the advice she gave – after all, the girl had proven to not truly be interested in the idea of Nascha saying anything to her… a little entitled if you asked the monochromatic woman… but that might just be youthful ignorance. It was truly too soon to tell.