Rather than seeking out her den and sleep when she had left her meeting with Aurielle (and the warmth of the fire there), she made her way to the stone circle and settled on her haunches in the lee of one of the huge stones, out of the chill of the wind but where the sun could reach and warm her slightly now that day was well under way. Once settled she lifted her muzzle to call out for Brandr and Laisren, the pack's two experienced hunters. While Laisren was officially a legionaire, not specifically a hunter, he had more experience with hunting than most of the pack did. He'd worked alongside Mask, the last hunter, enough that Gwen was confident in his skill. She wanted to meet with the both of them while the meeting was still fresh in her mind. While she'd informed Aurielle of her intention to meet with the hunters and the younger alpha could also choose to attend the meeting as the primary leader of the pack, Gwenevere wanted to speak with them as soon as possible while the meeting was still fresh in her mind. They had time before winter set in to do everything that needed doing without a rush, but the pups would need practice before they were able to contribute to the effort so she wanted to get that rolling as soon as she could. She'd chosen to come here, rather than call them to the Adravendis' cave over in the plains, because it was partway to Brandr's den and he'd be more likely to be able to respond quickly. Even with the thick coat that was growing in with the fall weather, the cold was quickly setting back into her joints as she waited, and she admitted to herself that Aurielle's suggestion that they kindle another fire in one of the alcoves of her own den definitely had merit, though it meant even more wood to be gathered. Glancing around the circle of stones, she wondered idly if it might not be better to keep a fire burning here somehow rather than in her den where it wasn't as accessible for the rest of the pack. Or maybe they could build small fires on the walls for the sentries to keep warm by while they guarded the borders. She frowned at the thought of that though - the warmth gained might not be worth the security risk of their sentries being clearly outlined in the light of a fire for invaders to see.

He had just settled down into the plains to let the sun warm him. Sprawled onto his back so that his darker fur was being hit by the sun. It had only been merely a few moments before Gwen's call rang out over the territory calling for both him and Brandr. He was quick to roll to his feet and shake out the dirt from his fur before taking off in a quick, long legged stride. He wanted to be timely like he had been trying to be. He was thankful that activity seemed to be picking up a little bit, but things were still very quiet within the pack. He craved the social interactions, finding this quiet nature unnerving and eerie. It didn't take him long to find Gwen and he was glad that he was not late. His tail wagged gently back and forth in a friendly greeting to her and he smiled. He had no clue what he was being called for and he hadn't felt as if he had done anything wrong as of late. It made him curious at what her call was for. He settled into a sitting position while they waited for Brandr. Winter was around the corner and he himself was not looking forward to it. "Talk" "You" Think

Then they went on to say the pearly gates

Brandr shifted the rabbit that he held in his mouth. It was a small morsel that was meant more as a snack for his kids than a meal for the pack or himself. He was headed on his way east when he heard Gwen's call. Curious he opted to turn back and see what it was she needed. He shifted the rabbit in his mouth and trotted into the moor to find her sitting in a ring of stones. Laisrén was already there. His first thought was that some prey opportunity had presented itself. The three of them usually made up the hunting party after all. Brandr set the rabbit down. "I'm sorry to dawdle. I was just getting a snack for the kids."

had such elegant graffiti

Laisren's arrival drew her from the thoughts and vaguely formed plans and ideas, and Brandr's arrival moments later. She smiled at them both. "It's all right, Brandr," she told him quietly. "This isn't terribly urgent. You are the two most experienced hunters in the pack, and with winter coming, I wanted to speak with you both about getting preparations under way. Do either of you have any amount of experience with preserving meat? With the children, both yours and mine," she nodded to Brandr, "still growing, we want to be able to have a steady supply of food and not depend so much on what we can hunt during the winter months. The animals will be fatter now than they will later on anyway, and goodness knows we'll need that extra fat. Some of us aren't as good at putting on winter stores anymore," she added wryly, with a vague gesture at her body. She was built on sturdy lines, true, but age and her recent litter had taken away much of her fat stores and left her with little but wiry muscle stretched taut over her bones. This winter would be hard on her, she knew, and there was a very good chance she wouldn't make it through to see spring. But she'd do what she could to get the pack - and her children - prepared before then.

Following the Tides and Carried by the Wind

Brandr listened attentively as Gwenevere laid out her concerns. She had a good point about making sure the food stores were taken care of. That was one thing Brandr had wondered about with winter being right around the corner. When he and Corentine had first come to the west it was during the winter and it had been a challenging experience though thankfully they wouldn't have to worry about as much snow and ice as up north. He smiled softly at Gwen's jab at her own body's condition but inside he felt a quiet dread growing. Gwenevere was getting on in age and it showed. He couldn't help but wonder how much longer she had on this earth but he prayed that she still had a few more years.

"I know a little about drying meat but my experience is rudimentary. However, we are near to some good drying spots in the more arid parts of the terrain. The Redwater Rocks are close and they would be an excellent place to lay out strips of meat to dry. Of course we'll likely need to make a pack affair out of it. Moving a large animal and then guarding the meat while it dries will be a task." The longer a kill was left uneaten the more likely it was to attract predators.


"Talk"