<blockquote>The first call had reached Atiris like a voice whispering to her in a dream. She looked up from the rabbit's trail she had been following just as the call ended, ears flicking forward and back. Had she heard it? Or had she imagined it? She'd heard calls much like that before, and the memory made her shudder...She did not like to hear that type of call, one filled with dread, anxiety, frustration. It was a call to arms and Atiris had been through similar horrors before. She frowned, and decided that she hadn't heard the first call at all. It had been the wind through the trees or maybe just some figment of her imagination.<p>
She continued with every intention of catching the rabbit and eating a bit of it while stashing the rest. In the winter she could not expect to find a rabbit every day and even if she did, there was no guarantee that she would catch it every time. In the winter hunting became harder than ever especially for petite Atiris who had small feet which did not help her to stay above the snow at all. The only hope she had of catching a meal would be on days when there was a crust thick enough to bear her weight even while running.<p>
The scent became fresher and stronger still but the terribly loud call of her beta male ripped through the air, snapping her to attention. Borden was calling for help quite urgently, and Atiris pranced on the spot for a second in hesitation. She wanted that rabbit...But it could wait. With a worried and frustrated yelp she left the rabbit's trail, her stomach gurgling and her mind racing. Had it been Borden's call she'd heard first? What yearling was it he was referring to?<p>
She was a swift wolf and arrived punctually in response to Borden's call. There was another female present and Atiris could not smell blood, though she could sense panic and frustration, the air was thick with it. Her ears flicked back as she skidded to a halt near Borden, out of breath. The female certainly wasn't the yearling, and confusion showed plainly on Atiris' face as she puffed out two words: <b>"What,"</b> and <b>"Help?"</b></blockquote>