He had awoken to a fresh, light coating of snow spotting here and there among the weeping woods, the tree tops dusted in a fine layer of white crystal. Winter was finally here and it left the large male wondering where had the time gone. He didn't take much time to mull over it as he headed off to the border of the pack and began his morning patrol. Taking a long legged lope of a pace around the borders of the two territories and looking to make sure everything was in place. It took a decent amount of time to clear all that ground, but he did it every morning and it was becoming a normal part of his routine. There was two more newer packs within the south and he was worried that they may be in for some trouble. Legion's alpha seemed fairly reasonable, but the other pack he had not visited yet. When he finished his morning rounds he headed into the plains until he came across a fresh trail of deer. With him having the time he decided to at least track the prey for a bit. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to hunt because he didn't want more food then the pack needed. They had plenty of meat within the storage dens and he didn't want any of it to spoil. He figured he would track just for the fun of it and to give his nose a proper workout to keep it sharp and handy. Plus it was something to pass the time until the rest of the pack would wake. "Speech"  'Think'

Holly had kept to herself ever since she joined the pack. She did well to avoid everyone, and they probably saw her as a bitter old recluse because of it. When she hunted, it was usually early in the morning or late at night while everyone was still sleeping. She did occasionally drop her bigger catches at the food stores, but she would leave as soon as she did. She didn't want credit for anything, didn't want any attention. She was almost like a wild creature, untamed and apprehensive of anyone who got close. She had been on her own for so long, fighting for her food and just trying to survive, that the return to pack life was hard for her. She still dealt with the issues thrust upon her by her mother and father...and her siblings. Her and Rhava went out early to catch a quick meal. Unfortunately, so had someone else. Holly was chasing down a rabbit, and that rabbit just so happened to run right past Branch's prospective path. The only warning Holly had of knowing that someone was nearby, was Rhava's growl. But by then, it was too late. She spotted Branch out of the corner of her, and immediately she put the brakes on and came to an abrupt halt which kicked up dirt and dust. Drat! This was perhaps the first time she'd been caught outside. Well...not much she could do about it now. She couldn't just take off and pretend he wasn't there...so instead, she turned to face him. "Erm...good morning, Branch." "Too bad we almost made it."

For the most part things were quiet as he moved, hopping from scent trail to scent trail, curious to see what prey animals were traveling through the pack territory. So far he was getting a lot of rabbit trails which were good, hopefully they would continue to populate so when it’s needed they could restock thier meat den. It didn’t take him long before a rabbit ran out in front of him making him stop suddenly. He didn’t have the proper time to react in chasing the rabbit so he simply watched it run away. He then looked around to see what had spooked the rabbit and he found one of his newer members. She at first wasn’t facing him, but soon turned to face him and greeted him. Branch lifted his head and gave her a friendly smile.

“Good Morning Holly, settling in well,” he greeted. “I’m sorry if I messed up your hunt.”

He hadn’t seen her out much, but he just assumed that it was due to her picking a spot and making a den. He was glad to see her out today, maybe he could see what her skills were and where she wanted to go rank wise in the pack. Assume if she was hunting the rabbit maybe she would want to be a hunter for the pack, but he wouldn’t know until he asked.

“Good Morning Holly, settling in well,” Ears flicked as she gazed at him, “I’m sorry if I messed up your hunt.” Her gaze turned towards the trail that the rabbit had taken, but she shrugged it off. Shit happened, she just had to be more aware next time was all. "It's alright, I wasn't too hungry anyway." She cleared her throat as Rhava sidled up next to her, the feline staring unblinking at the alpha male. Holly wasn't sure what to do now...she felt uncomfortable, and she knew it could be remedied if she just...talked. She straightened out her posture and met his gaze. Her eyes weren't kind, however. They were hard. She didn't mean to look at him with those unfriendly eyes of hers, but she couldn't help it. "Listen, Branch...sorry for not being more productive around here. I'm...still getting used to being in a pack again. It's been a long time," She glanced at Rhava for a moment before returning her gaze to him. "I hope you understand." "Too bad we almost made it."