Spring had arrived with a surge of warmth and growth. Even this far north, the freeze of winter had not been able to settle its cold grasp as deep as it had in previous years. Evidence was ample everywhere he looked. Between every massive redwood trunk, he saw shoots sprouting through the last sheet of frost and the buds of berries poking out through new leaves. Not only did the fauna have something to celebrate, so did the animals as well. The multiple sets of tracks winding through the forest toward a wide clearing was evidence that they were not shy to show their faces. Hunger rumbled in their bellies and the sweet scent of fresh grass and new blossoming flowers was too much to ignore.

These notes of life is what brought Wilder out north of Dreamer's Col and Mile-High Woods. The denser trunks of the redwoods provided more safety from predators and the elements. With his nose nearly to the ground and bright eyes following the tracks before him, he knew he was closer to the clearing where he could hear the sounds of whitetail deer mingling. Their teeth rip at the grass, their hooves thudding against the mushy ground, and even the bugle of a few bucks challenging each other to who would breed with which doe that season.

As he draws nearer to the clearing, Wilder settles off toward the side of the game trail to watch. Tucking his earthy toned body against some brush and a wide tree, he takes his time to examine their behavior. The group of deer was rather large, larger than he expected. Any sudden movement or sound on his part would have them stampeding away faster than he could catch them. For now, he utilized his patience to pick out which ones might be sick or too old to keep up.

WILDER

The arrival of spring was a welcome change for the north, even with the mild winter they'd been blessed with. It was still a relief to feel some of the region's ever-present cold beginning to ebb away, and to see the life begin to bloom anew. The evidence of the season was present everywhere, color beginning to return to the forest floor as new vegetation sprouted out from piles of brown debris. Everything even smelled alive, the heady smell of blooming plants and fresh forest growth filling the air all around her as she moved through the forest. She'd caught Wilder's scent moving north-east away from the col and she couldn't help but wonder what he was up to. Not that he was necessarily a friend - Tethys wasn't even sure she had any of those - but he was more familiar to her than most non-family wolves, and she was intrigued. His scent was mingled with the trail of some deer, and imagining he might be following them seemed a reasonable enough thing to deduce. Making her way closer, when she was just within earshot she slowed, not wanting to ruin his hunt. Maybe he could use with a paw though. It wasn't like deer were always the easiest target to take down with just one wolf. A clearing opened up just ahead, with Wilder lying in wait. Letting out the quietest of barks - making sure her voice was low enough to not be heard by the prey - she announced her presence and then slunk down low to the ground, creeping forward into the underbrush beside him. "Mind some help?" Maybe this was a solo quest of sorts. She'd be quick to back off and find her own prey if that was the case.

Nestled into his hiding spot, he begins to see the forest around him from a different perspective. The way the deer huddle into the sunnier bits to keep warm. How each game trail leading from the meadow was worn down over time from thousands of hooves and paws beating into it. He sees which trees have been rubbed at, whether by antlers, claws, or body, the signs are there. Animals of all life leaving their scent, their mark. A silent communication to tell others who belonged where. From the looks of it, other predators have been around lately too. Chunks of bark missing from the redwoods, branches crudely broken from the brush, larger tracks seeping into the wet ground. Hopefully the newly awoken bear would wait until after his hunt to come berry picking.

As his eyes explore the meadow, an ear turns toward the quiet bark of someone familiar. Though his body remains unmoving, Wilder lets his tail thump softly against the ground in a friendly manner. Waiting for her to crawl up beside him, he turns to give Tethys a cheeky grin. “Teth, don’ min’ at all,” his whispering voice is chipper, glad to see her willing to join him in another hunt.

“I’m jus’ watchin’ them fer righ’ now, but if ya look out to the south of the meadow,” he turns his nose to point in the general direction of south. “There’s a few older does lingerin’, kinda bein’ protected by the younger ones,” his gaze trains on the does to watch their behavior. Slower movements, smaller mouthfuls of grass, their bodies more bony than the rest. “If we wanna snag one, we’ll have to sneak up closer,” Wilder adds on, a brow lifting to see what Tethys thinks of the idea.

Given that she wasn't necessarily the most skilled fighter in the Armada, lately Tethys found herself leaning more toward hunting. Not that she was the most proficient hunter ever, either, but hunting prey seemed a lot more forgiving than fighter other wolves - wolves she hardly understood in the first place. At least the cycle of life and death that hunting helped work through made a lot more sense to her. Contributing to the pack she'd been raised in and her family resided in was important to her, even if she didn't always know how to show it. At least providing for them was a tangible way to do just that. The world seemed quieter than usual today and she was careful to not disrupt the tranquility. Her own tail gave a few soft thumps in response to Wilder's greeting, quietly tickled that he seemed pleased to see her. Maybe that was one of the things she liked most about him, that he didn't seem terribly hard for her to read. His gaze shifted and her orange one followed, noting the small group of older deer that he had his eye on. She nodded easy agreement. "That sounds doable," the galaxy-pelted woman agreed. The younger ones would probably spook easily enough to send at least a couple of them scattering, and then they could find the easiest target of the older few. "Lead the way," she offered, raising a brow as she studied him. She'd never had an issue letting others lead, especially when the idea was theirs to begin with. Surely he wouldn't mind?

In those next moments, it's as if the forest stills around them. Wilder's focus zones in on the group of deer, his chin nodding slightly in agreement to Tethys' offer for him to lead. His large paws slowly creep from their hiding spot. Every nerve along his body tensed and ready as he keeps a good distance from the meadow and its herd of grazing deer. It might surprise some that a wolf as large and thickly built as Wilder could be so silent, but this is what he had been made for. Hunting was his forte and he was now in his element.

Utilizing the soft bed of needles beneath him to muffle the sound of his approach, he continues to keep himself low to the ground. Not even the squirrels that snack in the nearby branches notice his mud and moss form sliding between brush and bark. His breathing slows, his heart rate an even pace as his lungs deliberately pull in air as deep as it can go before easing back out. One with the forest around him as it came to life before his very eyes. The way the grass rippled in the breeze, parts of it flattened by hooves and other parts ripped by grazing teeth. Light and shadow shifted as the sun carried across the sky, a sea of clouds moving the warmth for the deer even closer to their projected hiding place.

The rest of the forest doesn't mind the deer. As he watches, he notices that it welcomes them. Even as they shred the bushes, pulling berry and leaf right off of it, the plants seem to give way. As if they want the deer to take what they want. A circle of life that he doesn't quite understand, but he's the apex predator in the situation. All he cared for was how many pounds of meat they would be able to harvest. It's then that he notices the one they should hunt.

Vermillion gaze locks on a particular doe who is older, her muzzle grey and skin sagging from many years. She stands off to the side, mouth churning away at the grass as her tail swats away gnats and mosquitos. This one is different than the other older does. A baby does not stand at her side and the others don't seem as concerned for her safety. An easier target. Almost as if she's ready to complete her circle of life. Wilder wouldn't feel any remorse for taking this one. There were plenty of other deer for the herd to care and worry for.

A low chuff exits his nostrils as he pauses in the shadows, just on the other side of the tree line. Giving the herd a moment to settle after a few birds had taken to the sky, Wilder looks from the deer to Tethys and then back to the deer. His muzzle points to the older one that stands off to the side, an easier target compared to the others. "We go together. Get real close, real fast before we make noise. Let the others spook while we grab her," his voice comes out as a rumbling whisper as he settles into his haunches, setting up his muscles for what was to come next.

Just as the deer quieted and seemed unbothered by their surroundings, Wilder pushes off with as much speed and strength as he can. Like a bullet shooting from a gun, he darts straight for the older doe he had set his eyes on. Ears and eyes alert as he snaps at the other deer around her. Teeth clack together as he continues to push the doe as fast as she can go. If they tire her out for just a moment, taking her down would be all the easier.

"Wilder"

Something about the forest, especially right now, really was enchanting in its own right. The north sort of was always like that to her though. This was where she'd been born and raised, these lands were all she knew. These lands where only the strongest could survive, which could often feel quite desolate, but she could easily see the beauty where others might not. The forest was still, nearly silent save for the subtle noises that are easily picked out by the two wolves paying careful attention. Tethys is zeroed into the sound of the grazing deer, trying to dampen her own movements as they stalked forward. Their paws moved over the uneven terrain effortlessly, demonstrating just how familiar they both were with these lands. Tethys took a slow, intentional breath, the frigid air filling her lungs and allowing her to further focus on the task at hand. Her orange eyes were fixated on the deer, slowly the rest of the herd fading away as the focus of their hunt comes into focus. A few of them were older, their health so clearly beginning to fail them. They'd all be suitable prey, but hunting wasn't just about finding a good target, but the best one. Weighing each of the older deer, she comes to the same silent conclusion as Wilder. One who stands just away from the others, without hardly any of the herd's attention. She was the best target. It was a decision made in a matter of seconds, despite how many factors went into it. That fast-paced decision making was an integral part of hunts like this, and a challenge that Tethys enjoyed engaging in. It wasn't even something they had to verbally discuss, they both just knew. Tethys tilted her head toward Wilder, a single ear flicking in his direction as he spoke softly. "It's a plan," she agreed. Go together, spook the others before they focused on their chosen prey. They crept forward, quietly at first, and then all at once. Tethys allowed a small bit of distance from him but not much, keeping their bodies fairly close together still. She too kicks off hard and fast, letting out a threatening growl out of instinct as they shot forward. The younger deer seemed to scatter more quickly, the older one they were chasing falling behind - slowly at first, but surely. After a short chase Tethys was able to lunge forward, jaws snapping as she just barely snatched one of its hind legs, just above the hoof. She only held on for a split second, briefly rewarded with the taste of blood, before the deer found a brief surge of energy and sprung forward away from her.

It would only take a few strides before the older doe would begin to slow. He sees Tethys take advantage of the opening. Watching her clamp down on a leg, blood droplets falling down onto the pine needle floor. Yes, this was their chance! Wilder pounces forward, snapping at the doe's other hind leg, but instead clacks his teeth together loudly instead of around her thin bone and tendon.

Surprisingly, the older doe had found a surge of energy and burst forward from their grasp. A growl rumbles in his chest as he lets his ears fold backward, determination clearly reading across his face. "We can get her," Wilder calls out to Tethys as he surges forward with his own burst of energy back toward the doe. This time, he doesn't taunt her into continuing to run. No, rather, he bends down and uses the motion and force to propel himself upward and onto the doe's thigh.

His teeth dig into her thigh, dull claws trying to find purchase as she kicks out. Her terrified bleats are soon muffled by sounds of pain as Wilder continues to bite down on her, pulling himself closer toward her spine so that his heavy weight might make her stumble.

"Wilder"