Prepare for the main event

Arcturus smirked as he watched Malico hurry off in the opposite direction as him so they could fan out and search for clues of the large prey animals they hoped to find. The young man had enthusiasm if nothing else and that was something he could appreciate about the Elysium boy. It reminded him of a time when he was young–probably younger than Malico is now–when he would go out hunting or have a training session with one of his parents. It was a bitter sweet thought that made his smile falter a bit before he turned to start moving off through the Redbud Nook. He had no idea if ever being a parent was in the cards for him or not, but there was a hope that one day he'd get to relive the hunting trips he took with his father but on the other side of the equation. In the mean time he was enjoying opportunities like this to take younger wolves out with him to show them the ropes and teach them what he knew. Malico seemed to be able to stand on his own already, but he had no doubt that he'd be able to find some bit of knowledge to impart before they returned to Valta's territory with the information from their scouting mission in tow.

He moved slowly and methodically through the cluster of redbud trees, sapphire gaze scanning the ground and the near by tree trunks for any noticeable signs that the large beasts had moved through here recently. He knew that they occupied the buffalo knolls which wasn't a terribly far walk from here, but the closer that they came to the pack's territory the easier it would be to get a hunting party together and it would be far less of a hassle to get the huge amount of meat, hide, and horn back to the pack to be used. Buffalo and other huge animals like that were a boon when it came to stocking up their supplies and food stores for a long stretch of time, but it was a lot of work not only to hunt them but also to prepare what they got from the animal to be able to keep for long enough that it wouldn't spoil before they could make use of it. He knew he'd not only have to plan the hunt itself, but also what they were going to do with the animal when it was all said and done. He wasn't really someone who cared to hunt for fun or for sport. He did enjoy hunting, but he never wanted to do it wastefully or without purpose. This hunt that he was planning was to make sure there was proof that this place would be a valuable asset to the pack, yes, but he also would make sure that the buffalo wasn't going to be hunted in vain.

It didn't take him long to find a series of deep gouges in the earth that had the distinctive shape of hoof marks. The grass and dirt was fairly disheveled from the herd moving through here at some point and it was obvious proof that he had been right about them at the very least passing through. Now he just had to figure out how recently that was and maybe find evidence that they moved through here more than once. If it was just a one off excursion for the herd then they would be waiting a very long time for them to never actually come back. He followed the hoof marks, spotting gouges in the bark of some of the trees where they had clearly hit or rubbed their horns on the trunks. Some of the marks on the trunks looked fresher than others with some even beginning to grow new bark or the exposed wood looking dried and slightly aged. Other marks were so fresh some of them were still slowly oozing sap. So not only had they moved through here multiple times, but he suspected it had been fairly recently. That was very good news for him and his plans. As he moved a bit further he of course found a large pile of their manure. Big animals meant big droppings after all. Just like the marks on the trees, some were more fresh than others, some more dried and some more... fragrant.

Just as he was wrinkling his nose at that and moving away from the stinking poop, Malico's howl surprised him and made him jump a little before he turned toward the call. Well... if any prey had been nearby they certainly were long gone now. Perhaps he should have been more clear about what he meant about "calling out" to him. With a chuckle he made his way back across the woods till he found the violet young man again. "I found plenty of marks on the trees, hoof marks, and droppings. How about you?" he asked as he approached and gave Malico his full attention while the young man showed off the fur he had found caught in the bark and the similar torn and trampled grass that he had found before. Arc nodded approvingly and replied, "Good! I think it's pretty obvious they've been here–and recently. Come on, let's head back. This is all the evidence I needed."

WC: 891
Total: 1747/1500

"Arcturus Indarra"