Hunger bit into Naudir's stomach as she travelled farther south. It wasn't the most logical thing she supposed. Her siblings were likely still in the north but they'd split up again for the time being and she could not say when the would reunite. It would probably not be til the solstice. Her raven companions soared above her, eyes keenly searching for prey that might yield to the jaws of a lone wolf. Balthazaar was cloaked in ebony plumage while his mate Branwen, a leucistic bird, was cloaked in feathers of ivory. They danced through the sky perfectly mirroring each other before finally finding rest on the middle of Naudir's back. In this vast grassland there was naught for trees and the wind was picking up. Her nostrils flared. She could smell a storm brewing in the bite of the wind.
"Naudir, there is another wolf to the east of here, of a ruddy hue," said Balthazaar. She nodded, brow wrinkled. She was not near any packlands that she knew of. The southern territories had been void of a pack for months now so the change of the stranger being a loner was high. Had she found an unwitting ally in the hunt? "Very well, let us see what brings them here. Branwen, did you find anything promising in terms of prey?" She could feel the excited shuffle of feet on her back as Branwen hopped up between her shoulder blades. "Oh, Naudir! The gods smile on us this day. There's a small herd of whitetail deer to the south of here, one is badly wounded and struggling to keep up with the herd." Naudir nodded sharply. Had it been wounded in the rutt? Winter had only just overtaken fall, this was a prime time to hunt.
Naudir turned to the east, intent on seeking out the wolf that Balthazaar had spoke of. In the barren stretch of dead grasses it wasn't long before she spied the tawny, reddish coat of a yearling femme. She strode toward the other and barked out a greeting to get the others attention. "Hail traveler! Are you searching these lands for prey?"
