In the depths of winter, when the Polar Sound was frozen over and blanketed in snow, Aresenn stood against the desolate scenery. The bitter cold nipped through to the bone and whipped through his fur as he surveyed the barren landscape. His breath formed swirling clouds in front of him, as if the frigid temperatures could possibly be forgotten

With a low growl that rumbled deep in his chest, he released a summoning howl that pierced through the silence. The sound echoed off the frozen cliffs and carried across the icy expanse, calling out to the hunters of the Syndicate once again. His voice carried on the biting wind, traveling far and wide throughout the territory to gain the attention of those he sought.

"Aresenn Praetor"

"You must really be hungry," Kai spoke jokingly to Aresenn as she came up behind him. This was the second hunting lesson in a short period of time. Kai and Riot had been doing a decent job of filling the stores, but with winter upon them, it was always good to have the stores overfilled rather than underfilled.

Kai moved into the empty space where the group would congregate and settled down upon her belly. She was always happy to listen. Always happy to learn. Always happy, really. The woman's bobbed tail flicked back and forth and a lazy smile remained plastered to her lips. She was always in her element. Not a care in the world.

"Speech"

While the cold of the north may cut through and leave a bitter taste in many wolves mouths, Zeke finds that he rather enjoys it. It is bracing and reminds him that he is alive, something that he has needed a lot more of lately. A cold breeze sweeps across the frozen landscape, pulling the loose top layer of snow up around the man’s dark legs as he moves to join Aresenn.

The red man has summoned the hunters of the pack once again and the dark male will no longer shirk his duty in favor of sulking. Finding the red form set against the frozen backdrop, Ezekiel comes to a stop near him and Kaino and dips his head in greeting before settling in to wait for others to show up.


"Ezekiel Saxe"

Cold that sliced through the girl like a knife, coat or not. Iscariot is less than pleased about the weather, but she's not going to bitch out loud. Not this time. Enough to set her mood in a foul direction, but that's scarcely different than usual. It's the sharp report of yet another one of Arsenn's calls, crackling out over the frozen wasteland, that finally draws her forward. It's only worse on the Sound. Right, right, the whole having polar in the name. Fuck. Iscariot arrives quickly, settling beside Kaino. Ears flattening to her skull in an attempt to keep them out of the cold, futile as it was.

table coding by bunni ♥

Another hunting lesson? My, this male was determined to find Sephiran an Effendi Sayad. He’d made it clear he wanted one by winter, so this wasn’t surprising to say the least; the tigress was just taken back by his willingness to hold another session so soon.

Leaving the Sidi dens and heeding Aresenn’s call, Azoula emerges from the forest with predatory ease. Once again she is the last to arrive, which is a bit irking. But she drowns out the irritation quickly, taking a seat with the others and waiting for Aresenn to say his piece. A breeze ruffles through her coat, the cold nipping at her flesh which earns a shiver from the tigress. Damn winter wasteland.

"Speech"

As the hunters gathered, Aresenn nodded in acknowledgment, his gaze sweeping over each member of the pack. Despite the biting cold, their determination to learn and improve shone through, and it brought him something akin to pride. "Today, we focus on practicing winter stealth and camouflage," he began, his voice carrying through the icy air with authority. "In this season, prey animals are on high alert, and our success as hunters depends not only on our tracking and hunting skills but also on our ability to move undetected through the snow-covered terrain."

With a flick of his tail, Aresenn gestured towards the surrounding landscape, where snow-laden trees and frozen bushes provided ample opportunity for concealment. "Study your surroundings," he instructed. "Blend in with the environment, using the natural features to your advantage. Remember, the key is to move slowly and deliberately, minimizing any disturbances that might alert your target."

"Aresenn Praetor"

Aresenn explained what the lesson was about and what he wanted the group to do. With a little shrug, Kaino gave a rabbit-like hop. How fitting, right? The amaranthine fae sailed over a fallen pine, using the light of the sun filtering through its branches to meld in with her striped coat as she sank down to the ground on her belly. They were supposed to show examples, right? Right? Kai looked towards the group, wondering if any of them would be following suit or if she'd been the nerd to read the room wrong.

"Kaino Saxe"

This session was focused on practicing their winter stealth, meaning, Aresenn wanted them to work on blending in with the winter scenery of The Polar Sound. A fitting topic truly, given their territory was just that- an expanse of forest shrouded in layers of snow, and they haven’t seen the worst of it yet. Most of them stood out against an ivory backdrop, because a majority of the Saxe wolves were swathed in amethyst hues. Even Aresenn stood out like a sore thumb, with that bright, crimson coat of his.

Azoula wasn’t much better, but at least her pelt was earthen colors. Sauntering over to the towering pines, she’d lean in close to the russet trunks, blending with the brown hues to help conceal herself from wandering eyes. She’d turn to Aresenn then, the tip of her tail twitching to and fro. Was this what he wanted?

"Speech"

They're playing hide and go seek-- don't call it something it's not. Still, it's not a bad thing to practice. Learn how to camoflauge themselves in the winter, in the snow. Iscariot has a bit of an advantage on her more loudly colored companions, at least. Her topline pale, the darker streaks bringing her yet another idea. A pile of rocks within the snow, Riot sets her sights on them. Dashing eagerly towards the stack and curling up among them-- hell, she's even insulated from the wind. Tucking her tail over her nose and freezing, going so far as to hold her breath for as long as she can manage it. If it wasn't for the occasional giggle, the pile of rocks would be entirely non-suspicious.

table coding by bunni ♥

Others gather and Zeke briefly acknowledges them before turning his attention back to Aresenn, ready and eager as he can be, to learn. Today it seemed that they would be learning about winter camouflage and the man’s brows lift slightly. Duel-toned eyes turn out over the soft powder, scanning the frozen bushes, snow-laden trees, and snow banks as he attempts to figure out a good spot to hide.

Finally, he spies a thick trunked tree and begins to move over to it but suddenly stops and plops down in the snow where he rolls around to coat his dark form first. When he stands, white clings to his darker parts and he does not shake any of the remaining powder free. With that done, he moves behind the tree and finds a small bank of snow where he quickly sinks to his belly and attempts to quickly bury his back end.

From his hiding spot, Zeke looks to Aresenn and silently questions if this is good.


"Ezekiel Saxe"

Aresenn watched as his pack members dispersed to find their hiding spots, each one approaching the task in their own way. He observed Kaino's agile movements, blending in with the fallen pine with ease, her striped coat disappearing into the dappled sunlight. Azoula, on the other hand, chose to use the russet trunks of the towering pines to conceal herself, her earth-toned fur blending in seamlessly with the bark. Iscariot's approach was more unconventional, choosing to hide among a pile of rocks, her pale fur contrasting against the gray stones. Zeke, with his dark fur, opted to coat himself in snow before finding a hiding spot behind a tree, using the white powder to blend in with his surroundings.

Nodding in approval at their efforts, Aresenn called out to the group, his voice carrying across the snow-covered landscape. "Well done, everyone. Practice moving silently through the snow, keeping your movements fluid and controlled. Use the shadows and the contours of the land to break up your silhouette, making it harder for prey animals to spot you. And above all, be patient and persistent. Hunting in winter requires a different approach, but with practice, you will become masters of the art of stealth." With that, Aresenn fell silent, his gaze resting on each hunter in turn, waiting to see how they would apply his teachings in the frozen wilderness.

"Aresenn Praetor"

Thankfully, everyone else had the same idea. Kaino watched as each member of the group followed suit. They attempted to blend into their surroundings just as she had. From where Riot lay amidst a pile of rocks, Kaino could hear her sister stifling a giggle. The larger sister immediately slapped a paw over her own mouth to not giggle in return. How ridiculous were they?

Aresenn followed up the lesson with a few more words of wisdom and Kai came out from her hiding place. She gently bapped her sister with one paw in a fake scolding, but she couldn't wipe the smirk from her own face. Of course they could hide and be stealthy, but being in class? That was different for the tricksters.

"Kaino Saxe"

Wild eyed, she's doing her best to keep it together through the lesson, stifling the rumbling in her stomach and the desire for something a little more fun. Kaino seemed to be on a similar train of thought, and she can catch the returned giggles on the breeze. Right, right, they're listening and not being disruptive. Controlled motion over the land, not making too much noise, making sure they're careful not to step through any crackly ice that will give them away. Watching Kaino come closer, as soundlessly as she can manage-- it looks silly, being on the receiving end of the stalking. Feels silly too, but she doesn't mind. An air-snap next to Kai's paw, all in good fun, giggling to herself as she unravels from her hiding place. "Dare you to sneak up on Aresenn," she whispers, tail wiggling as she stretches out. Dainty paws on the frozen ground, Iscariot flicks her tongue across her nose before lifting it skyward. Yes, there's the breeze kicking up. Using the sound of the trees waving within it to cover any residual sound, the girl tries it. Sticking to the spots where shade dapples on snow, carefully moving over the ground. First hide and seek, now statues? Hell yeah.

table coding by bunni ♥

Concealed by the tree and hidden amongst the snow, Ezekiel looks to the red man that is leading the lesson and silently listens to his words. It all makes sense and he nods in agreement, slowly standing and allowing the excess snow to cascade from his back end. For a few minutes, he considers his steps, slowly and carefully extending each leg to test the snow ahead of him before slowly applying weight.

The snow crackles softly but, other than a few small sounds, there is not much else to give away his approach. While it is painfully slow, he cannot deny the advantages of taking a slow and steady approach. Not only does the snow help conceal the darkness of his fur but it also dampens his scent and, as much it is painful, Zeke decides that it is wiser to try and conceal your approach in the wintery landscape.


"Ezekiel Saxe"