The youth lay stretched out on one of the slabs of stone part way up the steps. Behind him stood the rest of the mountain - gleaming and white and snow capped, while before him lay the patchwork of cliffsides and pine groves and foothills and meadows dotted with brown pin-heads, each a mountain bighorn. The land was beautiful, but it was deadly. Not that it bothered Criss anymore than the other dangers in life. See, that was just it, he accepted that his family was moving and he was ready to follow along when the time came, but he couldn't figure out why. There would be death and danger wherever they went. Some of them talked sadly about how they missed 'the good old days' back in Glaciem. Blizzards and bears ands rogue wolves sweeping in to slaughter a new wolf every other season? Good old days? Cross let out a hot, troubled sigh from his coal black nose. He was blessed with good parents and a whole pack to look out for him, but he had already seen things that altered how he viewed the world.

He was going to die. He didn't know where or when or how, but eventually it was going to happen. Did it scare him? Of course! But showing fear wasn't going to help anything. The not-quite- yearling was dealing with what he'd seen. He was drawing his head back out of the shell he'd gone into. But the wolf coming was different. He didn't feel the need to bladder on about everything he did and saw. He didn't mind the chatter of others, he just didn't feel like it himself. Didn't enjoy games like e used to either. Cross sighed and stretched out his neck to rest on his forelegs. That was why he was up here watching the world roll by. There wasn't anything else to do.

Her paws were the bosses these days. They took her wherever they wanted to go and she didn't fight the paths they chose. As she strolled through the Tortugan lands, Eria's eyes looked up and around at the scenery going by. The spring season had brought life to Alacritis, like the singing birds and blossoming flowers in random bushes placed here and there. She enjoyed seeing the land filled with life again. One of the main reasons she loved it was because of the extra prey that found itself among the wildlands of the continent. For this reason, she was out so early. The sun was still behind the volcano, causing its shadow to stretch over the land. Nothing was awake yet, which gave Eria plenty of time to sniff out their scents when they finally decided to rise. She halted at the clearing where the woods' entrance was a quarter mile away from her. Her mind started to work, thinking of the places that the different types of meal tickets would be located. Before she made a final choice, a large amount of white appeared in the corner of her eye. Eria turned her head to the left and was caught offguard. A pup, definitely larger than others of his age, was resting on a slab of stone that jutted out from the steps. Curiosity took over and she slowly padded in his direction. The male's scent reached her nose and she realized that he was a member of the large clan. There was bit of Crusade about him, and her curious nature became relaxed. She maintained the slow walk until she stopped near him and leaned her head to the side. "Good morning," she said, tones gentle and nice to the ears. "What brings you out here so early?" Speech,

CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO FLY ~*~ The morning solitude was not to last for long; Cross caught the scent of another pack wolf, and she came along her merry way there was little chance that he would pass unseen. Of course that meant he observed her too. He recognized her easily enough. Blue-black fur and azure eyes - this was the female that his mother had said she invited to the pack; the same one who had stood up loyaly in the meeting with the usurpers at Sparse Pines. Airie-er-Erica-no....Eria that was it. Yes. She was a packmate so Cross could be at ease around her, but 'comfort' didn't come easily to the boy anymore, despite how cozy he might look laying upon the sculpted stone of the mountainside. The adult called out to him, wishing him a good morning as she came up and halted nearby. Cross flicked his charcoal coated tail in return of the greeting. (Lately he become quite adept at nonverbal communication.) However the next words from the dark denmate deserved more of a response. He might've just shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes, instigating an end to the conversation, but he was in a better mood than that this morning. Only his immediate family members had been privy to his voice ever since the incident, but now he spoke up. One single, solitary word in a voice that was only just high enough to register as a pup's and not a full fledged adult's. "Thinking." ~*~ I WILL LIVE TO SEE YOU DIE

She noticed the details in his fur as she approached him. The 'X' mark that danced across his lower back took her attention first, but she didn't voice her opinion. Eria figured that since he was born with the unique fur pattern, he was well acquainted with it. She had never seen such a design as that, yet she figured there were many different kinds of wolves. Therefore, many kinds of patterns would exist. These were the things that crossed Eria's mind as she waited for Cross to answer. Her tail idly flicked behind her as she stopped to stand next to his chosen perch. When he finally looked out and answered her question, her mind automatically snapped back to the young male in front of her. She gently nodded her head and said, "Ah. That does make sense." Her gaze moved to the land that stretched far and wide from where they were. "There's hardly anyone out so early and a certain peace is still hanging around from the night before." When she thought that she had said enough on the subject, she lightly cleared her throat and continued. "That's why I decided to head out and get an early morning hunt..." She turned her head to Cross again and her light ocean blue eyes had a bright twinkle. "Would you care to come with me?" Speech,

CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO FLY ~*~ Cross didn't make any sort of move or glance the she-wolf's way when she spoke. If they hadn't been so close, an observer might've wondered if he'd even heard her. It wasn't that Cross wished to show any sign of disrespect, he just wasn't in a mood to go out of his way to suit social norms. He was more comfortable doing what he was doing, and in fact, he was a little annoyed at being disturbed. Most wolves would've taken his reluctance to speak more than two syllables as a sign that he was best left alone. But it was hard to feel anything negative towards this adult. She too appreciated the morning's serenity, and more than that, she was willing to share her bit of it with Cross. An invitation to hunt? Cross raised perked his ears, his head raising up from his paws, to tilt to the side like a shepherd's. Cross was bigger and more clear-headed than any nine-month old had a right to be, and he'd been on a number of small hunts, but he was still terribly inexperienced. She was sure she didn't mind him tagging along? This adult was nice, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to get his legs moving and his blood pumping. Cross nodded, acceptingly and rose to his feet, ready to follow wherever the woman would lead. ~*~ I WILL LIVE TO SEE YOU DIE

His answer wasn't with words, but with actions. She watched him rise and stand on his perch, looking at her for the next move. Eria's heart raced at the thought of being on the hunt, especially with someone who could learn from her. It was true that Eria wasn't one hundred percent confident in her own hunting abilities, but she knew enough to keep her stomach full and her thirst for the chase and kill from overpowering her senses. With the possibility of their future hunt being successful, she met his tall gaze and nodded. Her smile danced across her face and a gentle yip of eagerness escaped her lips, followed with "Alrighty then. Let's see what's out there," before turning her gaze to the landscape that stretched. Eria made up her mind and began to descend from where they stood. Her paws gripped the slanted earth that could turn around and make her lose her footing. She made sure to adjust the angles of her paws in case this happened, but the moisture that hung around until the sun met the dirt clung to it. The footholds were easier to manage and before she knew it, the leveled ground met her and Cross's paws. Looking to see if Cross was nearby, she turned her gaze back to the hunting grounds in front of her and she set off. Speech,

CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO FLY ~*~ Cross blinked a pair of emerald eyes at Eria's words, and then watched her begin her decent. He followed her down the slopes on black paws that showed he would have even more growing to do. The boy was in a quiet mood, and his every step reflected it - slow, slinking, controlled and quiet. The still smooth pads of his feet just barely brushed against the volcanic stone - And they hadn't even come into sight of prey yet. But then, Cross was pretty certain they would soon. Now that he was searching for it, now that his lungs swelled with the mountain air, and his nose was stuck into the wind, he was smelling all sorts of tantalyzing scents: Mountain big horn was the most prominent thing - and they were already upwind of the little brown buggers, the best angle to hunt from. But then of course there was also deer, and rabbit and fox and mountain gopher and all sorts of other woodland creatures. Birds too. As for them, Cross had always never really tried hunting them. The small ones weren't worth the effort, and the big ones were too pretty. Heck, he'd had a conversation with an eagle once in the south. So, for him anyway, that was off the menu for life unless he found himself starving. Even as his nose searched the breeze, however, his eyes were trained on the hunt leader. He watched Eria's movements for some new lesson, and did his best to adopt the steady angle that she used on the steeper parts. He was looking forward to this hunt. ~*~ I WILL LIVE TO SEE YOU DIE

The brisk trot she had for the beginning of their journey had a nice tempo to it. Eria was used to traveling at great lengths for unknown amounts of time, so the hunt would be a piece of cake to her. As she kept the same rhythm to her pace, she lowered her head to the ground and began to sniff. Scents from wandering prey from the night before were scattered in different directions, all trails that could lead to dead ends or prizes. What Eria had in mind for breakfast, however, was something she wouldn't mind searching for: deer. Imagining the buck she would bring down with a fire in her eyes made Eria's mouth water. She kept her mouth closed, however, as she focused on which scent would take her to their destiny. Eyes darted left and right, head following tu suite, as she started to sniff faster and quicker, tossing unneeded scents to the side until she found what she was looking for. It didn't take long for her to find the perfect scent and dart quickly through the woods. She had silent paws as she stepped through the underbrush and trees, avoiding any obstacles that were in her way. A dead log was across their trail, of which Eria lightly leaped over without much difficulty. She looked back to see if Cross was following before getting back to her main focus.The sun was slowly starting to rise, the heat coming with it and stretching its long fingers out to the land. Eria remained in the shade, letting the shadows cool down her body after the light jog she had taken with Cross. Her eyes roved around them, the scent pungent in the air in the surrounding woods. Finally, among the trees a few meters away, Eria saw them. Two grown deer, one doe and one buck, were grazing in a small clearing that enveloped the pair from just anyone's view. Eria sniffed the air, checked to see if her scent could be traced by the wind, then quietly walked to the right of the grazing deer. Her pelt helped her blend in with the shadows as she stalked through the foliage. Hunger danced in her eyes, but she maintained the stealthy movements as she got closer to her catch. Speech,

CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO FLY ~*~ Seemed Eria was not in the mood for sheep. Cross gave the herd down below a last look over the sheer stone side, and then followed Eria along, deeper into the woods that clothed the mountain side. He went along with careful pace and wary eyes. When they came to the fallen log, he took it like a Shepherd, leaping to the top, and then pushing off to go for a long distance jump. He staid alongside the black huntress for a time, ears swiveling back and forth. She was going for something else this day... but what? He searched for scents and was reward with deer. Oh, so she was feeling bold? Cross would have to work hard to do his share of help. When they came to the clearing, Cross glanced at Eria for signals, but none were given. He'd just have to do his part. She went off to the right, he assumed planning to go for the buck. Well, he'd take the left and that way they could go from different directions. What Cross didn't quite count on, however, was the wind. He walked right into the breeze, and before he had gotten to the side of the woods, the deer both stiffened. Tails wagged, ears flinched, heads raised. Cross's heart thudded in his rib cage. Dang it. The deer both bolted! And Cross desperately launched himself out of the shadows of the trees, racing after the buck. Turned out though that the creature, unknowingly, was headed right for the second hunter. ~*~ I WILL LIVE TO SEE YOU DIE

Words did not have to be said between the two wolves that day. Cross had done the deed by having his scent rise and flow to the noses of their so-called "captured" prey. Any situation that had a fluke in it would be taken care of by both wolves. Eria waited until the precise moment to leap out of the woods, spooking the deer even more from where they had been grazing. She enjoyed the thrill of the chase, but the morning's hunt was meant for both of them instead of just her. Eria decided to swipe the deer that was smaller in size and slower in speed. The bigger piece of meat would be the one that would either make more babies for future hunts or be caught himself in the end. With this decision quickly made, Eria then chose to zero in on the doe that had accompanied her chosen mate that fateful morning. In the case of this hunt, Eria figured it would be better to have Cross participate in the capturing of the deer. She cornered the doe, causing her to turn on clumsy hooves and turn in the opposite direction. Eria goaded her, snapping her jaws playfully at her hind legs as she pushed the large piece of dinner meat in the direction of her partner. The dark wolf's words directly aimed for Cross's ears, eyes alight with the thrill of the chase. "Get her, Cross!" she exclaimed, only being a few barks to the doe's ears. In case the plan backfired, she was thinking of an alternative route to choose to keep the doe from escaping their clutches. She was going to die today, oh yes. Better let it be now than later on. Speech,

. . .



Cross had assumed that they?d be going after the buck, but perhaps that had been a rookie mistake. More meat was a bonus, but not if it came at the price of antler wounds. As he ran after the two prey animals, he saw a shadow break away from the tree line. Suddenly Eria was there, blocking the doe?s path and forcing it to turn. She was so fast she made the deer look slow by comparison! Cross switched tactics, leaving the hart to escape while he ran to cut off the doe. He heard Era?s frenzied shout ? all he needed to know that this was on his shoulders now. Great.

With a new spurt of determination, the boy ripped across the plains to come at the doe from the side. His lips peeled back in a snarl. His emerald embers blazed. He didn?t want to make another mistake! He wanted to be worthy of the job that he was being given! The hunter and the hunted came together in a corner, but Cross didn?t try to speed up to get in front of her, or slow down to get behind; he just kept going, straight as an arrow. And as he ran straight- he leapt upwards as though trying to clear a wide stream. The timing was perfect ? his jaws closed around the deer?s throat, and as his weight and momentum pushed his body forward, his fangs ripped and tore away the tender throat, severing the windpipe and surrounding veins. His angle made it so that the cut went straight across the throat.

It all happened so fast, that, to be honest, Cross didn?t know for certain what had happened until he was tumbling away into the ferns and brush off to one side, with a mouthful of flesh and a chest stained bright red. Still, clamping onto the meat, he shook his throbbing head and stood, ignoring the bruises that were sure to be sprouting up like daisies under his coat. The doe was thrashing in a heap off to the side a little ways away, ready to be pounced on by Eria and finished.

Cross just stood there panting, eyes twitching and twisting in disbelief.

?. What had he just done?






. . .

It all happened so fast, but Eria was sure to capture the events as they played out. The doe had run away from her and towards Cross, which made her turn again and try to dash in another direction, away from the large male. In a blur of white fur and growls, Cross had made some holes in the doe's throat, but not enough to fully crush the bones and windpipe that supplied life to the deer's brain. It was a painful, slow death that the doe went through as Cross stepped away from its thrashing legs. The opportunity was enough to have Eria ready. The dark female approached the struggling doe at a brisk trot, her paws rising and falling only a few inches off the ground. Avoiding the hooves that could cause damage in this delicate piece of time, Eria sidestepped around the doe's back. The doe was slowly losing oxygen and the will to move as blood from the wound continued to pour in small jet streams to the ground. Without a word, Eria's head lowered, teeth meeting around the already damaged throat and punctured whatever had been left intact. Life ceased to exist in the body and the doe was no more. She licked her blood stained lips as she raised her head to gaze at Cross. Blood had found its way on his beautiful coat, but it wasn't something that would be permanent for the young male. Eria noticed the surprise that seemed to seep from his frame. It had been the first time he had hunted, she assumed, which was probably why his bite hadn't been one-hundred percent effective. Nevertheless, she was proud of him and she said so. "You did a very nice job, Cross," she truthfully said, watching him with a careful gaze. "I know it may have been a surprise at first, but the more you get to hunt, the better you will get." Eria lowered her head to the doe's now lifeless body, lapping away at the blood that had formed over the teeth punctures. "If you would like, I could show you what parts of the throat are best to clamp down on..." Speech,