Get Your Paws Dirty

Alastor gave Malico all the time he needed to assess his surroundings and draw conclusions from the evidence presented to him. The first steps to becoming a master hunter were learning how to read and infer clues from the surrounding environment. His son did well for his first time, and Alastor watched the pup with appraising eyes. He nodded his head when Malico concluded his assessment and looked up to him for his approval. "Well done, son. These are deer tracks. A good herd by the looks of it. A good hunter knows how to scan their environment to learn about the prey they’re hunting. A master hunter knows how to make a plan based on what they learn," he explained with his trademark toothy smile. "Come. Let’s see if we can track them down. Remember to keep smelling the air as we go. We don’t want to get too close and scare them off."

Motioning with a nod of his head for his pup to follow him, the giant sire began to lead the pair off in the direction of the tracks. Every few steps he took, Alastor would sample the air, following the stench of deer musk as it grew stronger and more prominent on the air. They were close. Moving about the varying sized boulders of the Rock Garden, Alastor eventually heard the nearby call of one of the deer. He stopped abruptly and raised a large paw to catch his son, unsure if Malico heard the sound of not. He glanced down at his child and put a paw to his lips, motioning for them to stay quiet. Leaning his head down to whisper right into Malico’s ear, the dire brute said, "They’re close. From this point on, we are silent. Move slow, keep your eyes up. Use your nose and find them. You lead, I’ll be right behind you." Alastor let Malico take the lead so he could observe his son, providing backup as the young pup learned by doing.

"Alastor Mendacium"