Willow Ridge Tomorrow never knows

Pik, pik, pik, pik, pik. Silence resumed within the darkness behind Enoki's sealed eyelids. Pik, pik, pik, pik, pik the noise came again warranting an idle flick of a single audit to and fro. Dawn had barely began to peek over the horizon and intertwine the first pinkish hued rays of sunlight through the whip like boughs of the willows as the bi toned wolf began to stir, the filtered light slowly illuminating the entrance to her chilled, secluded den. There was something different in the air, in her this morning as the piebald female arose. Ebony limbs sprawled out in front of herself to stretch away the last traces of sleep from the once slumbering body, a salmon tongue uncurling from between parted jowls before a high pitched yawn followed suit. The heat from her breath transforming into a thin cloud of vapor.

A subtle groan of protest passed over leathery lips during the process of rising to all fours, joints feeling more sore than usual that frigid morning. Not much thought was given to the dull and bearable ache, though, its source credited to the kerfuffle of yesterday's tumble into Yvly; or Crystal as the tawny female preferred to be called, when the truth of the matter was that the unique coated woman was feeling the first symptoms of her elder years. What would begin as minor occasional aches today brushed off as a hard days work would begin to gradually grow worst for the aging Timber wolf with each passing year from this point on. Already Enoki's sixth year was rapidly approaching. Slinking out from beneath the tangled roots of an equally mature willow tree it took a few fleeting moments for dark amber irises to adjust to the sudden change in brightness.

Pik, pik, pik, pik, pik. Pik, pik, pik, pik, pik came the nuisance that awoke the Ridge subordinate. Where is that coming from? she grumbled mentally, gaze panning all about in search of the sounds maker. Nothing but blankets of collected snow greeted her eyes, silence ringing in her ears. There were no signs of the others being roused from their dreams yet to mark them of being possible culprits either. Pik, pik, pik, pik, pik it came once more and this time a soft fluttering of wings accompanied it. This caught the attention of Enoki, skull turning to catch a glimpse of the obvious bird that was making the early hour ruckus. Overhead a downy woodpecker flew between the barren branches warranting an exasperated sigh. I was really disturbed by a woodpecker..?

Annoyance began to appear on tired facial features as lithe limbs turned about to pad back towards the warmth and more sleep the dug out hole promised, embodiment collapsing unceremoniously inside with a gruff huff. Her plush ivory dipped tail the only indication the Ashrelle woman resigned inside as it lay partially exposed against the contrasting foreground of the outside snow. Today was not her day.

@Enoki, @Morganna Just making some stuff up for fun, hope it's okay, let me know if it's not!

Something rather more insidious than a woodpecker had woken Craw that morning, but by the time he had registered the high-pitched giggling of something not-quite wolf it had been too late. Coming out of the den, still quickly waking up, Craw disturbed the trio of crazy-brave coyotes which had come to steal from the pack's hard-filled cache of meat, and though he quickly put an end to their frantic feasting, they had promptly grabbed mouthfuls and fled; having to make a split-second decision between trying to wake the others in the main den up to help catch them and in so doing waste precious time, or just go after them himself, Craw had lunged at the one which was trying to make off with a fat rabbit caught only yesterday.

Three coyotes had crossed into the territory, and only two crossed out, shall we say. Craw had placed the rabbit back in the cache and dragged the bloody coyote corpse along with it, for while eating the flesh of a predator was degrading, they might have other uses for it. Perhaps they should hang it in a tree along the edge the trio had first entered as a warning. Maybe he would chew its head off and disembowel it and trail its insides along the border, a promise to any other scavengers who had the same bright idea.

So already in a foul mood, Craw had gone back to the den to wake Morganna up and tell her the bad news. It looked like Craw's itinerary was going to be changing. As such, he found himself navigating to the private den at Morganna's directions, within which was the piebald hunter he was seeking. Pek pek pek went a small, sharp-beaked bird overhead, but Craw barely paid it any mind. "Enoki?" he grunted, coming to stop outside of the den, his yellow eyes falling on the white-tipped tail which was left poking out of it. "Get up. The cache was raided, Morganna's told us to replenish it." With what, though, Craw wasn't entirely sure; the local herds had travelled elsewhere for the timebeing, but perhaps this seasoned hunter would have a good plan. If necessary Craw intended on gathering others, for if they found something large and worth taking down, it would take more than two of them. In and ideal world, though, Craw's response would have been to track down the remaining two thieves and gut them.

Shallow water has trapped several fish in a small pond. Hunt Opportunity

Works with me! And don't mind Enoki's bad attitude. @Craw

Not even two seconds after her eyelids had closed swarthy audits picked up on the faint crunching of snow beneath heavy paws, a hushed groan slipped past her lips noticing the sound grew louder and louder with the passing of the seconds. Who could possibly need her assistance at the crack of dawn? Enoki would come to regret asking that question mere seconds later as a foreign male voice raspy in tone grunted out, informing her the cache had been raided and under an order given by Morganna instructed the piebald huntress and this stranger, pack mate or not, to replace what was lost. Great, so much for trying to gain a couple more winks of sleep.

It only took a few fleeting moments for the laying piebald to rise to her feet and turn herself about, sticking her head out of the den opening to focus smoldering amber optics on the form of whomever this male was disturbing the huntress. Blinking her eyes to adjust to the change of light, the wolf that stood before her was not one whom she expected based on the gravelly voice she had heard moments ago. This male was easily at a larger size advantage than herself sporting a tall, stocky embodiment in comparison to her more slender, lithe form. An array of dark points adorned a generally pale grey pelt spare in various spots, the most intriguing feature being the far superior collection of scars that seemed to zig-zag across the expanse of his muzzle. A pair of illuminated canary yellow eyes nestled between another set of dark points that did well at enhancing their coloration.

But his impressive and dare she say handsome features did little to sway the foul mood the constant pik pik pik had induced in the woman. "And who may you be? I can't recall seeing you around before." A neutral tone lacing her otherwise suspicious words. This man may have the scent of Willow Ridge upon his fur, but that didn't guarantee him as a trustworthy pack mate. Let alone a wolf Enoki would so easily take commands from, regardless if they were indeed bestowed upon him by the fill-in matriarch.

pff what bad attitude 8)

Craw waited, calm but impatient, as the piebald female turned herself inside the den, a dark head sticking out of the entrance where her tail had been previous. The long, deep scars across her muzzle drew his attention for a moment, but far more of note was the unimpressed expression on her face as she looked up at him. A moment of silence passed between them as he let her absorb what was happening, wondering if she had been awake enough to even process what he'd said. He really wasn't in the mood to repeat himself.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, their lack of properly making each other's acquaintances prior to this ungraceful meeting was a problem. Craw's lips drew back for a moment in displeasure, though it was more of an agitated expression than a hostile one, and he quickly relaxed again, though with eyes narrowing as he regarded the huntress.

"Then you should sleep in the communal den like a normal creature," he said coolly, for it wasn't his fault if she was reclusive and avoided social contact. He had hardly been hiding around the territory and making a secret of his presence. He was already resenting the task ahead, and had hoped for "My name is Craw," he offered sharply, if that helped at all. "I was accepted by Angier and Elettra." That should imply how long he had been with the pack. "If you need to get the order from Morganna herself, then she was still back at the den when I left." Make it quick, said the look in his eye, though perhaps she would be more professional and they could get on with it. He didn't know that her sleep had been disturbed and she had her own reasons to be cranky; he liked wouldn't have had much sympathy even if he had.

A snort was Enoki's response to the Valley wolf's cool comment on being a normal creature before she easily brushed past him to fully emerge from the confines of her den, a small shake of her bi-toned pelt freeing any filth that may have collected during the night. "Do I happen to look normal to you?" She retorted in the form of a rhetorical question with a quirked brow. Obviously this man was blind to the fact she was already as abnormal as they came just by glancing at her contrasting pelt, or he refused to acknowledge this piece of information. Regardless, the timber woman disagreed with his statement finding that sleeping in a personal den did not label her as abnormal for there were others in the pack whom slept in a similar fashion.

An ebony audit pivoted toward the pale gray man as he informed her of his name and who had been the ones to accept him; Angier and Elettra to be exact. Not Morganna during her short time thus far as matriarch. A brow quirked upwards once more, this time with genuine interest. If Elettra; a wolf held in high regards and highly respected by the Ashrelle woman, had seen something worthy in this brute to welcome him into the fold the patchy pelted woman could not second guess the former dark queen's decision. Though, coming to trust this Craw would still be a task in itself, this first encounter doing little to persuade her otherwise. "Double checking with Morganna will only waste time. The names Enoki." Dark skull turned away to focus her amber gaze upon the distant willow trees separating them from the tilled knolls of the rise thanks to the wild hogs recent and sudden appearance in the land.

A hushed grumble reverberated in her throat as she contemplated a plan on how to best restock the cache in the shorted time possible, knowing the Ridge's hunting grounds like the back of her paw. The meadow was quiet this time of year as the herds migrated for warmer areas plenty in succulent vegetation to feed upon, leaving behind the smaller quarry such as snowshoe hares, pine martins(lean during the  cold months and hardly worth the effort in catching) or if luck was on their side stumble across a hibernation den of a woodchuck. A rare chance, but still a possibility. "The meadow will be abundant in hares this time of year, but they make for meager cache fills if not caught in bulk. If you're adept at fishing we can try the marsh for catfish which are sluggish in the morning making them easy catches, or we can try scouting the Rise for larger game. Take your pick."

Normal? She had four legs, a full set of teeth and all the required sensory equipment every other healthy wolf came with, or so he assumed from the way he saw her eyes and ears react during their conversation. Additionally, she could hardly be an accomplished hunter without an excellent nose, so what made her so abnormal? The flashes of white in her pelt? Craw snorted; it was a superficial abnormality, about as strange as the dark marks around his eyes. Did she think it made her special? If it had no impact on her value to the pack then he didn't give a single shit what she looked like.

At least she was more reasonable when it came to business. She offered her name, and he huffed again, for he already knew it; Morganna had told him, and he'd used it to wake her up. But there was no point clashing with this wolf if he was going to be working with her, so Craw chose to bite his tongue, keenly aware that if the circumstances had been different...

Having stepped away to give Enoki space to properly emerge from her private den, Craw watched her as she began to discuss their options. Hares and catfish, pah. Why did it always have to be small game? But unless they could track down something more substantial, they were the best options. "I prefer big targets, but I haven't scented any near the normal hunting grounds for days. I was hoping your experience as a hunter might get us more success. If we find anything worthwhile we could gather a proper hunting party. It's time the pack feasted on something more substantial than vermin."

Pausing a short distance away from Craw patchy haunches lowered to connect with the snowy ground, a single ear panning to the side to catch the words as they tumbled from his mouth. The smaller game was out of the question by the sound of it, whether it was the pale coated wolf thinking himself superior to hunting less adequate quarry or truly wanting to bring home something worth while she couldn't say. "God forbid those wretched hogs didn't demolish it all themselves first like they had with the Rise our best bet is to trek toward the northern area of Sacred Grove in hopes the caribou haven't moved on completely yet, or try our paws at the pronghorn on the mountain. They are always a reliable source, though a bit harder to catch than caribou." It was during last winter she noticed the constant presence of the russet coated herbivores upon the craggy heights, studying them though never daring to go for a kill on her own.

Tossing a glance over her shoulder at Craw, Enoki waited for his input on the idea. Regardless of whichever route they decided to take, two wolves would not be enough muscle to bring down either quarry. The caribou took at least the strength of four wolves to bring down while their mountain inhabiting counterparts needed at least a mere three by the looks of them and a bit more wit than just running them into a deep exhaustion. Pronghorns were by far greater at outrunning the canines than caribou, but had horrible abilities at jumping obstacles. If they could form a proper rally and manage to trap an adult upon the rocky mountain a meal would surely unfold for them. A meal, a feast even, far more substantial than vermin.

Hope it's okay if I tweak the timeline of this thread a little to forward-date it - only enough that @Wraith is part of the pack now.

An ear twitched back in distaste as Enoki mentioned the pigs. While Craw hadn't crossed paths with one of them himself, he'd heard them mentioned within the pack. Nuisance animals. They made for good eating once dead, but too often were more trouble to kill than their meat was worth, and Craw had seen what happens to a wolf careless to the danger of those tusks. She did not suggest tracking them down, and he was plenty content with that.

Since she accepted his preference for something larger without much problem, her suggestions were between caribou and pronghorn. He hadn't considered the prey on the mountain, and unconsciously he turned his head to gaze at the distant peak as he considered it. Content with the willows, for now, Craw hadn't ventured to the mountain range ever-present high on the horizon, and the thought of it made his mind leap immediately to another possibility.

"I know someone who would make it easier," he rumbled, yellow gaze turning back to Enoki. "@Wraith comes from mountains far in the north - he should have skills useful to such a hunt. That would make three." He left the implication heavy in his tone; did she have a suggestion for a fourth or more? Caribou required brawn, but fewer should be enough for the light-footed pronghorn if those hunters were good enough. Still, he had made it clear that she was the lead in this endeavour, given her formal hunting role, and though they had gotten off to a prickly start he could respect her ability to get down to business; if they could bring back good meat for the pack, then even more so.

I have no problem with it. :)

The distasteful way a pale ear pivoted backwards at the mentioning of the foul smelling swine had not gone unnoticed by the magpie colored woman. Craw seemed just as opposed of the unspoken idea to engage in a formal tango with the large tusked beast as she in order to bring back fresh meat, an internal sigh of relief ensuing. Content knowing wild boar were crossed off their list of potential targets, swarthy audits listened to the input he had to offer on increasing their strength.

An ebony skull tilted sideways a fraction at the mentioning of a wolf named Wraith, an evident look of mild confusion contorted Enoki's features. She had noticed the cologne of a new wolf staining the smooth barked willows, but had yet to scout out this strange new pack mate. Another fault on her behalf surely for being so disconnected with her extended family recently. "I can't recall having met this Wraith you speak of, but if they are as well trained in the mountain like myself as you suggest we could use the skills. Three of us should be enough." Hopefully he was as salubrious as his pale coated companion painted him. A swift glance was cast toward the heart of the territory, pondering where this Wraith could currently be found. "Shall we call this friend of yours then?" Attention returning back to Craw while rising back to stand on all fours.