She had heard the tell-tale clicking of Caribou legs echoing across the expanse of the submerged woods, but what had truly intrigued her was the sound of just one. Caribou were large and fierce, and both sexes carried those dangerously sharp antlers. It made sense for them to be migrating further south as winter was just around the corner, but from past experience she knew that they travelled in large herds rather than solo or in very small groups. It was an opportunity, and one she would not pass up.

Deciding she'd at least check it out, Iðunn followed the clicking sound, soon coming across hoof tracks in the thin layer of snow which covered the icy lake. The tracks had her pausing for a moment, brows furrowed in thought as she examined them more closely. It seemed as if the caribou was limping, as she noticed the tracks had a dragging motion in the snow with every other step. Perhaps it had become injured and could not keep up with the rest of the herd, and had therefore been accidentally left behind?

She picked up the pace, keeping an ear and eye out just in case there were other caribou around, or something more dangerous than an antlered ungulate.

Word count: 210/1500

It had been some time since he'd been to the North. He and Finan had been around these parts before splitting off. But then they ended up reuniting at Avalon. Funny how things turned out like that. His nephew was the only one he had left that he truly considered as family. His half-brother Ignis was dead to him, as well as the rest of the Praetors. He hardly knew that side of the family anyway, but Finan so far hadn't turned out like any of them. He and his nephew had gone out to scout and hunt, tracking the herds and their patterns to try and determine ahead of time where they would travel before Winter hit. Cloud, of course, would begin in the North. The herds that resided there would be moving South pretty soon, and on the way, he had already noticed tracks and heard the distant sounds of herds on the move, or at the very least, gathering in preparation to move before the Winter frost hit the lands. The monochromatic male walked in silence, eyes, and ears listening and watching for signs of the Northern herd. He paused here and there to study the ground, and as he was doing so, he heard the telltale click of a familiar beast. His Head lifted, ears perked as he listened. Indeed, he had caught the sound of a caribou. He knew that sound all too well, and upon further listening, realized it was just one. Strange. They weren't really solitary animals, much less when migration season was upon them. Following the sound, he moved swiftly despite his age. Quietly, blending in with the snowy surroundings, the tag on his collar was silenced and muffled by a strip of cloth that he often wrapped it with when he was hunting. He was on the opposite side of the path that someone else was apparently following. The sound of the caribou drew closer, and soon enough, Cloud had found the beast. That wasn't all he had come across, however. It appeared someone else was also tracking it down. The pair were soon to cross paths, both seemingly wanting to hunt the same prey. He wasn't opposed to cooperating with someone else when it came to hunting...but he couldn't say the same would be true for the stranger. WC: 598/1,500 Walk, "Talk" Think

It didn't take long for her to catch up with the caribou, her pace much faster than its slower and somewhat hobbled one. From what she could tell it didn't seem in a hurry, and whether that was because the rest of the herd was close by, or it had already accepted its fate, she was not sure yet. But she'd find out soon enough, and it seemed she wasn't the only one who had tracked down the caribou. Past the caribou - which she noted was not quite an adult yet based off the smaller stature and lack of antlers which were still just nubs upon its forehead - was another wolf who would have blended in with the snowy landscape if it wasn't for the darker colouring upon part of their coat.

The young caribou was slowly trudging along, dragging a hind back leg which was no longer bleeding, but even from this distance she could tell the injury was severe enough to prevent it from placing weight on the limb. At the very least she could put it out of its misery before a pack of coyotes came and tore it to shreds. Or perhaps... the other wolf could assist her. Working together, its death would be swift and painless.

Her icy blue eyes stared past the young caribou towards the other wolf, motioning with her muzzle a few times toward the ungulate, hoping the other wolf would catch her meaning. They were too far apart to speak without alerting it, and she didn't want to chase it more than she needed to. If the other wolf agreed she would begin stalking up behind it with the intent to hobble its other back leg. That would make the hunt almost too easy, considering the lack of risk from any other herd members.

Word count: 903/1500

He slowly made his way forward. Silent step by silent step. The stranger was also on the young ungulates tail. Figuratively, of course. But he had no doubt that they would be literally here pretty soon. Bi-colored gaze moved from the prey to the wolf, back and forth as he tried to decide what to do. It was clear the animal was hurt. Its hind limb dragged in the thin snow and it appeared unable to put any weight on it. Maybe that's why it was alone. Perhaps the herd decided to move on without it and just left it behind. The world was cruel, and it would be no different for this young bull. Left behind in a dog-eat-dog world. Or in this case, wolves eat caribou. He took a breath, pressing his head lower so that the veil of mist that came out wouldn't give him away. He was mostly able to blend in with the snowy landscape, save for his black markings, but to unsuspecting prey, he could often be mistaken for simple snow and rocks. He glanced again at the stranger, wondering if she was going to make a move or not. But instead, he happened to catch her staring back at him. She seemed to be trying to get his attention, motioning between him and the caribou. It didn't take an expert to understand what she was getting at, so he nodded quietly and started to move into position. He couldn't deny he was good at what he did. And those that knew him from his past would also probably boast about his skill in a hunt. Though he was a humble man, he took pride when it came to hunting. It was the one thing he had always been truly good at, and he hoped the stranger was good, too. Cloud moved forward with stealth, one paw after another, using what he could for cover and stopping at a standstill whenever the young bull looked in his direction. So far, it seemed like the two wolves might be able to take a completely silent approach to this and get close enough to kill it before it even realized what was happening. But even if it ran with that injured leg, there was no way it would be able to get very far. Not with two healthy wolves nearby. Still, just in case, Cloud made sure he'd be able to block off its escape should it see the other wolf and make a run for it... WC: 1,324/1,500

The monochrome wolf appeared to understand what she was trying to convey, moving quickly into position. Iðunn used the fact that the young caribou had its back to her as an advantage, able to stalk forward without too much worry about being spotted. Her earthen-hued coat was a bit of an eyesore amongst the snow, but luckily there was the occasional shrub or treetop she could hide in when needed. The two wolves moved in closer and closer on the unsuspecting caribou, and she extended her fangs into their attack position once she was close enough to begin the next phase of the hunt.

Giving one last glance toward the other wolf to make sure they were ready to go, Iðunn leaped forward as silently as she could into a dead sprint. Immediately the young caribou noticed her, whether it was from the sound of her paws against the snow or the vibrations each paw step caused she wasn't sure. It let out a surprised snort, almost a squeal, and attempted to break into a run. But she had the advantage of speed on her side, and it barely took a couple elongated steps before her jaws had clamped down upon its uninjured hind leg.

Sharp front fangs tore into the strong tendons of its leg, and she dug her hind legs into the snow to try and stop it from running off with her in two. With one bad leg, and the other about to be just as injured, the young caribou wasn't able to get very far, even as it tried to kick out somewhat uselessly at her. She just hoped the other wolf would take the opportunity to give it a swift death while she had it moving at a hobbled pace.

Word count: 1619/1500