Gargoyle stepped out from under the shadow of the surrounding rock formations. He could smell the salt and grass upon the sea. His keen ears caught the occasional cry of gulls, brought only icy, bracing winds. It was good to be back in the North. He might no longer be what most wolves would recognize as an alpha, or even a pack leader, but he was a chief. His family still looked to him for guidance. Some had left of course; some had chosen to find homes in other lands or with other wolves, and Gargoyle had to concede that he understood, - but most of them, most of them had staid. The quiet, taciturn Cross of all creatures had taken to calling them the 'snow rogues', a name picked up by some of the adults - including Midnight, the group's bear tracker. Well, perhaps Gargoyle would have to find something to call them all eventually, but that would do for now. The male howled a long low note, up into the air. They'd traveled together to this cove, and while the main group searched for caves and shelter among the cliff faces, Gargoyle intended to lead a hunting party and find everyone some food. How long had it been since he'd had the pleasure of just focusing on a hunt?

(ooc: tag for wanderer, but open to any of the family)

Eria had been with the rogue family since the decision was finalized. Her heart was with Crusade and her brother, as was her devoted promise from so long ago. After only being with them for a season, she was determined to prove how worthy she was as a pack member. This main reason was what had her answering to Gargoyle's call. Rather than return his howl with her own, she rose from her claimed piece of sleeping ground and raced at a brisk trot. Her dark black and blue form appeared to the giant's left. With her tail gently swaying behind her and an expression of excitement in her eyes, she was the perfect vision of a wolf who wanted to prove her abilities. Rather than standing in one place and staring, Eria approached Gargoyle and gave a soft yip. "Good morning, Chief Gargoyle," she pleasantly said. Fluffy form stepped sideways to face the same direction as the chief, taking in the beautiful scenery that danced in their eyesight. "If I may ask, what is on the agenda today?" Her curiosity played in her words, tail wagging again with the simple inquiry. Speech,

Awaken was at the moment, out cold. He was asleep and wasnt gonna wake up. That is untill Gargoyle howled loud enough to wake the dead, that is. As usual he awoke abit groggy and grumpy. But, his packmates should know that by now. Right after a nap, awaken was never really that happy. He grumbled his way out of the cave like a clumsy bear.

"oh hey!" he said mid-yawn, trying to shake the sleepy from his eyes. "whatare we doin today?" Awaken wasn't on any kind of lazy streak. He'd just been super busy training and scouting and noe aparently he was gonna hunt! Fun. Last time they went on a hunt he fell in a bear hole and almost didn't get back out! Hopefully it would be something less aufensive.. Like a deer or something that was meant to be hunted. Not that he didn't like danger... He just wanted to see his pups.

Midnight had been helping in the search for a cave, many that they had found where small and though their number had reduced since they had first left the northern reaches most where to still to small to accommodate the group, still she moved between the few available options checking each not only for size and warmth but also for scents or any other signs of wolves, coyotes or bears. So far she had found no trace of the latter and only the passing traces that spoke of rouge wolves and migrant coyotes. She let out a long sigh sitting for a moment in the mouth of one of the more spacious dens, so much had changed but they where still a family there was no doubt in her mind of that, she could see the rest even now moving about their jobs each doing what they must so that they could all survive and they would survive. This had been the first time she had seen the beach the water and sand in such large qualities had been foreign to her, but it was beautiful she looked forward to taking a break after they had settled the pups in and checked the area to just wander along the beach figure out some of the new scents that where here and work out what grew in these parts, she was at best an apprentice healer but at the moment it was all hands on deck and she would of coarse offer her services where she could. Her ears pricked as the wing brought gargoyles call soaring over the cries of the sea birds it could only have been his voice calling for a hunting party and she smiled, stretching she climbed to her paws, it would be nice to get out for a proper hunt her last one well it must have been months ago certainly before all this travelling, she gave a yip to inform those nearby, the team she had been working with, that she was going hunting then started down the steeply sloping bank at a trot. It took her only a few moments to reach gargoyles hulking form and the two others that had already gathered, she offered a nod and a grin to awaken she had for a time harboured feelings for the brute but she accepted that he had found his mate in Merciane the other was a stranger to her but she offered a smile all the same before turning to gargoyle and offering a shallow bow ?chief,? she dropped to her haunches glancing around before continuing, ?you chose a good spot, plenty of dens and no obvious signs of predators, its good to have you with us this time,? moving to tortouga had been chaotic to say the least not only had winter been upon them making movement harder and colder but the underlying fear that they where chasing ghosts had haunted her at least, all the way through the journey and had not abated till she had laid eyes on their alpha once more . No it had been far easier this time far more organised, a leader does mean a lot, she thought. Speech,

Burn the land and Boil the Sea; but you can't take the sky from me Gargoyle's call had not graced the seaward winds long, before it was answered with a couple yips. Soon enough three dark pelted wolves appeared, first, the blue eyed Eria, who came to sit upon his left. To her greeting, Gargoyle returned a slight dip of his head, and a low rumbling, "Morning." But before he could answer her question, he was being hailed in Awaken's rather's loose fashion. Both of the wolves looked good. Didn't seem as though the trip had done them much harm, and what's more, they were still willing to do more. "Today is a day for hunting," the chief said, answering them both. His tattered ears swiveled back and forth, the flayed edges of the left one wagging in the breeze as he searched for sounds. "Everyone will be hungry after the move, and it seems the right thing to make the place seem..." he paused, searching for the word as he shrugged a pair of massive shoulders, "-cozy." "chief-" Gargoyle's head tipped round to face the coming of what would be the final member of their hunting party. The male was pleased to see that Midnight had been one to answer the call. She was a keen tracker and couragous hunter, and, on top of that, Gargoyle liked her. She was one of the pack members he'd had enough time with to feel a real connection to. Awaken was another, but that was a whole different kettle of fish (for one thing, Midnight had never asked Garogyle to kill her). Midnight had earned her place amongst the ranks, and, having watched her go from wounded and scared to healed and rather brave, Gargoyle couldn't help but wonder with a mild interest as to why this woman hadn't found a mate yet. Perhaps it was his own fault - moving them around so much as that next to no one would want to join the pack. Every time he started to wonder about this problem and what he could do, his thoughts got somewhere along the line of perhaps I could conk a couple of rogues on the head and bring them back for her to choose from! before he realized how out of bounds he was. He was a chief. Not a match maker. True, he'd found the most wonderful mate in the world, but that was more luck and understanding on Ocena's part than anything else. Back to the present moment, Midnight was saying that the land was looking well enough for their group, and she even added that it was good to have him with them - unlike last time. To this, Gargoyle couldn't agree more. The words softened him a little, and the grateful nod that he grave was far less stiff and formal than usual. "I don't intend on ever leaving again," was the reply that the brute made when he raised his head. It was a testament to the strength of the pack that they had completed such a move without him once. Every Alpha wants to feel as though they are desperately needed- the glue that holds everyone together in order, but the downside to that power hold, is that the moment they slip up, things start to fall apart. Not so for this group, this family, Gargoyle had lost. He hadn't been dethroned and cast out of their home - into the wind as he tried to live through the bloodloss and the wounds. And yet, even without a lick of his help, his pack had stood together, defied the incoming strangers, and managed to leave en mass to Tortuga. It had been a wake up call to many things - one of them being that this was not a monarchy. Gargoyle had power amongst his packmates, but only because they trusted him. He was their protector for as long as he was physically able, and he was guiding star, but he was not a King in the absolute sense that most alphas would wish. But that was alright. In fact, perhaps, this was the way it was supposed to be. Enough introspection, however, it was time to get down to the order of the day. Gargoyle straightened up and found himself shaking out his grey-black mane. His paws itched to be on the move - to be pounding the earth in a dead sprint, but first things first. "Miss Midnight, if you'll take point, please? There's sure to be deer and other creatures by the droves in these parts; We'll head inland and try to sniff out something to fill the bellies back home." So saying Gargoyle turned his back on the lovely vista of sky and sea, and pointed his nose towards the only northern forest that could boast a couple of weather beaten palms at the fringes. He gestured with a paw for Midnight to go first, his intension being to fall along in step with Awaken. He did want to keep an eye on Eria, though, he'd never gone on a real hunting party with her, and wanted to see how the young woman handled herself. She'd said before that she had some skill in fighting and some in hunting, but was a master at neither. Today, Gargoyle would be making his own assessment. So far, the day seemed rather promising. GARGOYLE 41 inches of doberman & timber wolf been just about everything but a saint

((OOC:: Pfft if midnight could read minds she would be bright red and trying to hide under a rock))

Midnight shifted as he spoke giving a nod and a slightly sad smile but perked up again as he suggested she take point, her tail waged slowly behind her as she stood and turning her back on the ocean brine trotted towards the place where grass took over from sand. She paused as she reached the border casting around for scent it was harder wit the smell of brine and dead fish hanging so heavy in the air the other scents where masked. She sneezed shaking her head then moved forward again they may have to double back round but she needed to get further from the overpowering smell of the sea before she would be able to properly smell anything. She lead for a while checking back frequently to make sure the group was keeping up, but it was not till they where in an area of saplings when she finally caught the scent. Casting around for a moment to make sure she gave a soft huff, the deer had clearly come through this area their musky scent clung to a few of the immature trees, her nose went down this was the area they had been in now she just had to find their path. Her tail waved behind her high in the air to mark her position as she focused in on the scent she could still hear the others behind her but she no longer focused on then, it was their job to keep up, the deer had beded down the previous night in the coups of trees then moved out into the open of the plains to graze, they where headed up a small incline when she paused, ? I think there over the top of this hill,? she stated checking the scent and the wind again before dropping low and crawling the last meter or so. And there the where in the valley bellow the hill the wind was in their favour sweeping the creatures scent towards them as midnight watched the 9 deer grazing peacefully in complete ignorance of their danger. One bull male presided over the herd a male with a large set of antlers on his crown, that he was yet to drop despite the lateness of the season, he occasionally lifted his head from the grass searching for danger before lowering it again to feed. Two immature buck also stood off to the right locked in mock combat there shorter horns doing little to threaten or intimidate. And then there where the does three in total they ranged in age as they meandered around the males their fawns at heel they had no reason to hide them, or at least so they thought, usually the wolves coming through where loners incapable of bringing down one of their number without serious injury. And so the fawns, a set of twins and a loner frolicked around the meadow without concern. One of the females was still heavily pregnant her stomach hanging low as she feed on the sweet spring grass. She slowly slipped back down the hill and waited patiently for instructions, she was always proud when she achieved a goal and although this search had taken longer she had completed her goal now they simply needed to locate and animal and bring it down, it wouldn't be easy but at least they weren't looking for a needle in a hay stack in fact they had the pick of the herd. Speech

Eria could feel Gargoyle's gaze on her as she started to follow Midnight. A slight smile to herself crossed her face, being the only reaction she would make to his gentle stare. With alert ears and keen eyes, the dark she-wolf followed the leading female with the intent of doing her best for the hunt. After all, she had told Gargoyle before that she knew a little about catching food for herself to survive. This would be one of those times when she would get to prove her value to the pack. Her paws lightly leaped over the sand as it changed to the soft, spring grass. Anything that intended to distract Eria were only parts of the background noises in her mind. She was only eager for the hunt, the chase...the end result of bringing down a prey that outweighed her and was beat her in height measures. With a flick of her tail, she caught the scent that Midnight had found and followed with head lowered to the ground, body aligned for the path of the unseen trail. When they reached the part of the woods that showed the deer, another smile broke out on her face. A gentle full wag of her tail symbolized her excitement and thoughts as she started to strategize how she was going to get her prey. There were different ways to approach the group of deer, let alone the chances of them escaping with each one. Her eyes finally met with the body of one of the does that had already given birth. She knew that the pregnant does would be easiest to catch, but why kill their babies so early when they could be taken down later in life? They would have more meat on their bones, be able to last longer in chases, and of course, probably pop out a few more deer fawns before their demise. Eria waited for the signal, turning an ear back to Gargoyle's direction, catching anything that would be said or heard from that way. Speech,