As much as she disliked it, the children were all growing up. By now they ought to be starting to learn and hone valuable skills for themselves and amongst that included hunting, something so far the pack had of course shared amongst themselves. It wouldn't be too long before they could hunt their own meals and before she knew it they would be ready to join in the pack hunts for more dangerous prey though before they could do such things, they needed to be taught. With the distraction of the storm many lessons had been completely delayed for the pack, the Drafts obviously included and today she intended to officially begin their lessons once more. So not to start them off on a task too difficult and ensure that they did eventually get food, Novella had still completed the hunt for them. Rather than bring them their dinner as she normally did however, she had left a scent trail for them to follow to where their dinner was hiding. Of course normally they could rely upon other senses when tracking, now she would teach them how valuable their nose was for the initial stages of a hunt and they could practice their tracking. She would let out a howl for them and wait.

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They certainly were growing, Aslan had always been the largest of his siblings though that size difference had not only been sustained but increased as the dark boy continued to grow larger. Already he was gaining upon the smaller adults within the pack, a fact that seemed almost unbelievable. How had time gone so swiftly? No such thoughts would make their way into the boy's mind, he of course noticed the changes as his body continued to stretch though would think little of the developments. At his mother's call he would make his way to join her, the first to arrive and Aslan would bound up to her to nuzzle the woman in greeting. "What's happening?" The chocolate boy would question as he took a little step back. The last time a meeting was called it was because of the storm, the weather had certainly improved now so surely they wouldn't be leaving anywhere again. He was also curious as to why none of the older would be needed, she had only called for Drafts.

The call for a lesson would catch F?licien's interest. It seemed like forever since he last attended a lesson. It felt like he was in a rank but simply didn't bear any experience to get there. He still felt more like a draft, in all honesty. But would that make him give up? No. It meant that there was work to be done, so he could improve on himself. No matter the lesson it would be important to attend, even it was aimed towards the drafts. The golden boy would turn to Novella's call, breaking into a trot to reach her. Surprisingly to him he was one of the first to arrive. His ears would twitch some, looking to Aslan and then his aunt. He'd dip his head to her, giving a small smile. "Do you mind if I participate as well, aunt Novella? I can try helping the drafts too." Share what knowledge he knew and help them grow... develop further bonds in the pack. All of it was vital to the pack being successful, wasn't it? "Speech"

It seemed like it was only yesterday the girl was splashing in the streams, romping through mud and asking extrodinary questions. That just passed so quickly. But what was happening today? She was simply growing, preparing herself to embark into adulthood. Although she was still a pup, that didn't mean she was as small and weak as she was before. Sure, Aslan probably outgrew her, as he always was a large boy, but she had gained some height and weight herself. But it wasn't only in size she had changed, she had also learnt many things whilst her adventures and explorations. Today she wanted to expand her knowledge, and she hoped that was why her mother had called them to the falls. Her brother and another pack member (who she had seen at meetings) had already arrived to answer her mother's howl. Aslan would simply ask what was happening and the other older male would suggest his assistance. For now, she would stay silent. Her presence was enough for now. "Speech" Thoughts

When his mother's howl rang out, Herne took his time in appearing. He did not take an overly long time, but he did not rush. Instead the chocolate colored boy gathered his thoughts before making an appearance, limbs stretching out to carry him across the soil. Even with taking only a short time, he was still the last of his siblings to arrive, and he hesitated at the edge of the gathering, orange and yellow gaze flicking to take in all who had arrived. Varda and Aslan were already there, along with a stranger and his mother. It wouldn't be too bad - and Aslan had already asked what was happening. Saved from being required to ask any questions, Herne stepped forward, settling back from his siblings. He would stick closer to Aslan than to Varda, turning his thoughtful gaze towards his larger, bolder brother. Aslan had always tended to be the voice for his siblings, and now, it seemed, was no exception. Varda had been quiet, and Herne had nothing to contribute to the conversation thus far, leaving Aslan the only one to raise his voice. Perhaps once his mother elaborated on why they were there, Herne would have something to say. But there wasn't much for him to contribute just then, it seemed. And so the pup would wait in silence for the explanation to arrive."Speech"

Aslan would be the first to arrive, enquiring as to what was happening. "I'll explain in a moment." She promised the boy nuzzling him in return and encouraging him to go and sit down. He would do so, though she could see he was rather eager to get going and find out what all of this was about. F?licien would arrive soon after, a surprising face to see appear given that he was no longer a Draft himself. Perhaps it was the lack of lessons, he was rather eager to learn. She would smile at his offer for help and give a small nod of her head in return. "Thank you, you may if you wish F?li. I'm afraid it's not the most interesting of lessons for you to jump into though, hopefully more will be started up soon." In order to progress the Prologues certainly needed more lessons, she would visit Sawtooth and Abaven soon she promised herself, check up on when they would be ready to begin lessons once more. Varda and Herne would appear though there would be no signs of her own younger siblings. If they arrived perhaps she would have to start them off a little later in their search for food unless they appeared whilst she talked her own children through what they were doing. "You three are getting big enough that you'll be ready to start trying to hunt for yourself before too long. I've planned a little exercise for you today to get you started with that." She would begin to explain. "Tracking is a very important part of hunting, prey doesn't just appear in front of you shouting 'hunt me' you have to look for it and so today, you'll have to look for your dinner as well. I've hidden it and if you want to eat, then you will have to find it." She would pause there and await any questions, if not well then they were free to start looking and F?li free to begin helping them as they needed it.

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F?licien would give a smile to his aunt, giving a nod. "That's alright. I'll be happy just to help my cousins." Not that he would give away any answers or anything, but F?li certainly didn't mind pointing them in the right direction. Family was important, no matter how distant, and his cousins were part of the future of the pack. Raising them all up to be strong was certainly necessary. Besides, F?licien had hopes his own training would pick up soon. He'd wait patiently for Varda and Herne to arrive. They were not waiting long, and Novella would waste little time in explaining to her children what they would be doing. Ahhh a hunting exercise. It sounded interesting, kind of similar to the scavenger hunt that he and his siblings went on while in Ludicael. He'd perk his ears up some, a grin on his face. He'd glance to his cousins, tail wagging a bit. "Alright guys. You can do it. I'll be with you too to help~" His voice was encouraging and a bit cheerful. He had no doubt that they would be able to do it. "Speech"

Aslan would have to wait of course to find out what was happening and so his mismatched eyes would keep a lookout for his siblings, awaiting them to join him and the answers to be revealed. F?li however would get his answer right away which was mildly annoying though certainly not enough to truly wind the calm boy up in any manner. At last his siblings would arrive and finally his mother would acknowledge the three of them and explain why she had called them. They had to find their dinner. A growing grumble in his stomach protested at such an idea, he could find things. He had played hide and seek with his siblings and now had learnt to acknowledge the different smells of borders, not that he always cared that the borders were in place. After the short statement from his mother it seemed it was time to begin. That was it, that was all they were getting? He looked to his cousin now as F?li began to speak, offering them words of encouragement. "Where do we start looking?" He questioned, gaze flicking from F?li to Novella, not sure who would answer. Obviously his mother would no best but would they be allowed that clue?

Shortly and simply her mother would assign the three pups their task, to scent and find their prey. Varda would briefly remember the times when Novella would bring them their food when they were newborns. But now to slowly build up their skills and abilities, they would have to look for their prey. Cousin F?licien would give them all assuring and helpful words but the girl was more than confident to do this. Aslan would ask where they should start looking, expecting a clue or hint from the older wolves. But that would give their prey away, wouldn't it? That would make it too easy...and in order for them to learn, it had to be challenging. "You can tell Aslan where to start looking, I'm going to go ahead and start searching." She informed her mother and cousin with a proud look before slowly heading off through the grass. Of course the food would be hidden, so her eyes wouldn't deliver as much help as she needed. She began with a deep breath, trying to distinguish each scent. She could smell grass, berries and the faint scents of her family but no prey. She knew what smell she was looking for but perhaps she had to look around and hope she was close by. Another deep breath, no luck. Maybe she was too close to the falls. Advancing back the way she came, she took in another breath, losing her reassurance that she would find something. Suddenly it hit her, the faintest of all faint scents. Rabbit! Worried that she might lose the scent, she tried to find where it might be coming from. What direction was the smell coming from? She was so close! The determined girl couldn't give up now. "Speech"

F?licien would agree to help and offer encouragement to the three children as they prepared themselves to begin. Aslan would question where they would start from whereas Varda would go ahead and begin. She hadn't intended for them to make it any sort of competition though she would leave them to it. Apart from Aslan's question. "The trail does start close by." She informed him simply. Unlike typical scents hers would be mingled with the scent of the rabbits of course, though given the fact that the scent of herself and the other wolves in Threar was all over the packlands it surely would help or hinder them in any way at all. "You boys better catch up." She would prompt them with Varda still off on her own little search.

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HERNE DESTRUCTION a scent and a sound; i'm hungry like the wolf He had listened silently to Aslan's question and to Varda proclaiming that she was setting off, his little brown tail wagging easily as he listened to the words that spilled from the maws of his various family members - even the rather unfamiliar one. He wasn't sure who the cream colored male was, but it didn't bother Herne too much; he understood that the Destructions were a large family. Practically wherever he went, he would be able to find family. It was only when their mother prompted them to set off that Herne stirred, glancing at his larger brother. "Will we look together?" He asked the other boy softly, head tilting slightly to the side. He would not be offended if Aslan wished to search on his own. Still, Herne wasn't entirely confident in his abilities to find the meal on his own. His limbs would tire quickly and then Herne would need a rest and by then, it seemed likely that his siblings would have found and eaten their dinner already. Ears twitching slightly, Herne rose carefully to his paws, orange and yellow gaze flicking towards Aslan. If his brother wanted to look with him, well, that was his choice. But Herne figured that he might as well get moving now. Carefully, he nosed at the ground, nostrils flaring as he sought any scents of food. He stayed still for a moment, ears pricked back towards Aslan before Herne began to pad slowly forward, still sniffing intently at the ground. "Speech"

{{Ooc:: Super sorry guys! I forgot all about this thread. ><}} Well now, it seemed that things were getting underway quick enough. Even if the training wasn?t really all that exciting for him it at least gave him something to do. He was unsure if Novella would give the kids a hint, as Aslan was asking, or if it would fall on him to point them in the right direction. Well, Varda seemed more than ready to start looking on her own. He?d chuckle softly, gaze following her. He?d look back to Novella however as she spoke before stretching some, gaze on the younger two males. ?I would suggest working together. Sometimes you notice more in a group, rather than alone. As your mother said, the trail starts near here. Try and focus carefully on the scents around you and you should be able to find it.? He would say, wanting to offer as much encouragement to his cousins as he could without actually giving them the answer. "Speech"

So they would not need to look far then to begin their search. That was good, made this task a little easier for truth be told, so unlike anything they'd ever had to do before Aslan wasn't sure searching all of Threar for his dinner with no clues as to where to start wouldn't exactly be the greatest game in the world. He prepared himself to catch up to Varda, nose ready now to begin tracking and attempting to find the trail though Herne would take the opportunity to approach him, asking if they could search together. "Sure." He agreed, the answer already in his mind before their cousin would speak up and suggest they search together. Hunting was an activity the pack sometimes did together, so they wouldn't have to chase their food today but they still were working towards that goal one day. He and Herne could make a good team he was sure. With that the smaller boy would begin to set off and Aslan, taking in F?li's words would begin to sniff around the area attempting to search for the right scent. "Hey, Herne. Over here, I think it goes this way." He would encourage, he'd let his brother check as well before they moved on, and of course let him pick up the scent for himself as well so they could both track it together.

Aslan and Herne would listen to her words, F?licien helpfully chiming in with a little bit of advice for the boys as well. It'd certainly be easier for them to cover more ground together than trying to turn it into some sort of competition though whether her sons actually viewed it like that or not they were happy enough to search together and set to work on catching up with their sister. Mis matched eyes would glance between her children, watching them all carefully as they set about their hunt. She would offer further advice if needed, as would F?licien she was sure but for now she would watch and see how they coped alone.

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Perhaps her brothers were not as keen as she was. They both seemed to be working together like a team. Shouldn't she be with them? What would happen if she can't find the food? She would look like a self centered pup that doesn't know what a challenge is when she hears it. She tried to ignore Aslan's call to Herne. Had they found it? Not unless she found her own prey first. She put her head back into the task. She walked a few steps before turning around to head the opposite direction. Whoops! Wrong way. Think I'm on the right track. And indeed she was. The scent was indefinitely the strongest smell she had reached yet. Now all the work was left for her eyes to spot the prey. She advanced slowly, her eyes looking in every direction. Where could it be? It was like as if she was sitting on top of it. On top of it? Wait a minute... She walked back a few steps to find that she was standing on a small abandoned rabbit den, exactly where the smell of prey was coming from. She reached her muzzle inside the hole to yank out the rabbit flesh. Her eyes lit up with joy. That wasn't too bad. She picked up the rabbit and followed her own scent trail back to Novella and F?licien in a proud skip. "I did it." She announced warmly, trying not to brag about her success. How were Aslan and Herne doing? Could she help them now that she was confident with her nose? "Speech"