navigate the broken world

Solo Skill Post -- Word Count: 821

They had started to move towards the south, though she knew they would need to cross multiple strange terrains before reaching a warmer climate. The winter was settling in nicely, and she was fortunate to have wolves with her. She couldn’t imagine surviving a harsh northern winter by herself. She’d never needed to, and while she could navigate them to water and find her way through terrains, learning about them… well, hunting was not as strong of a forte as her sense of due north. She glanced up at the sky, bringing a deep breath in as the biting cold snaps bit at her lungs. The soft flurry of flakes fell from the sky to mark the cooling of the air around them. The wind blew south, and she could tell from how the flakes fell, seeing their slant for what it was: direction. Everything had a direction and a magnitude, and it was in her fortune that she had learned to read such things. The clouds blocked the sky, but she could tell from the fading of her surroundings that nightfall would soon be upon them. She had moved forward to scout ahead, but she knew that she should be joining her mate and his brother soon. They would need to rest for the night.

It was easier to move in the light, even when a storm such as this settled upon them. The snow made it harder to visualize her surroundings from farther distance, but provided it’s own subtle help every so often. The snow could give hints of harsher weather blowing in based on it’s intensity. Eirnan had observed such last winter, and had made use of it when it came to moving under cover. The snow in melt could allow scents to fade faster, and the snow could give away prey tracks. It made hunting easier for a skilled hunter, but to the untrained eye or unsteady paw it would almost certainly make things worse. Still, she was not a hunter, she was a navigator and a tracker. It was her job to find the hunting paths and allow others to guide the hunt. Sure, she still participated but strategy was not up to her. She could follow another’s strategy. Still, she would prefer to make her way as far south as possible as the winter settled in for the long haul. It would be best to get to a warmer climate total.

She squinted lightly as a gust found her face, her eyes closing for a moment to prevent the cold snaps from drying out her eyes too much. She hummed softly as she sniffed about. There were elk tracks heading south towards the water source she had seen earlier from the thralls of the icy point she had scaled… through the flurries she could see the steam in the distance, almost as thick as smoke though it held the wrong sight and smell to be a fire… and a fire this far north in the middle of winter seemed unlikely. She couldn’t help but frown, almost certain she had interpreted what she had seen earlier wrong. If that was steam, the water would be too hot to safely drink from and they would have to find some other way to access the necessarily fluid. Perhaps they could try someplace to the east. Heading further south would likely only result in injury and she regretfully knew that. It was something that she and her companions could not afford, at least not in the current moment… or really ever. They needed to start their lives, but first they needed to find a place worthy of it.

She had to admit she loathed winter. She much preferred the warm breezes of summer. It was easier to tracks, as the foliage could be used to navigate lands. Yes, summer was by far her favorite season. Fall had to take a close second, being not only the season of her birth but the crisp fall breezes simply warmed her heart and guided her true as well. Spring was nearly as bad as winter, dealing with the thaws, the potential for flooding from them and the mud that followed after. No, summer was her favorite season, and winter no doubt was the worst in her mind. Still, she persisted. She just needed to guide them through the winter. It was promising to be a rough season. “I don’t think we’ll be able to head farther south.” She mused aloud, sensing a presence behind her though she had no idea whether it was Caed or her love. “The storm is blowing south and I think it’s safer to traverse it rather than fall in line with it. It’ll be a little better for visibility, and the steam in the distance suggests that the water I saw earlier is not a viable source.” How she hadn’t noticed such things sooner was beyond her.

"Eirnan"

When Eirnan had spotted sources of water to the south and east, the trio made plans to move further down south. Caedmon dutifully followed a small distance behind the tawny female, always on the lookout for any lurking predators and dangers. But this and seemed lifeless so far, however that did not ease his mind. There were more dangers than simply other creatures: unseen crevasses hidden beneath the snow, potential avalanches from the nearby snowy peaks, or even a sudden blizzard that could leave them lost and freezing to death. When she came to a halt he too, stopped, eyes watching her curiously as she seemed to survey their surroundings. While he did not have much knowledge on navigating the world he knew Eirnan did, and so he observed silently. As a gust of icy wind blew a flurry of snow particles in their faces the russet male narrowed his eyes, head turning to the side to try and stop the worst of it from hitting him directly in the face. This place was not very pleasant to be in, and he would be glad once they travelled to warmer lands. When the winds died down Caedmon stepped closer to the tawny female until he was standing next to her, deciding it would be easier to protect her if he was right by her side. Russet ears pricked when she spoke, lips pulling tight in a grim expression at her words. He trusted her judgement, so if she said they could not head south then he would believe her, but that meant they needed to come up with a new plan of action. "That is unfortunate," he rumbled, voice tinged with disappointment when she told him the water was not drinkable. At least they had not travelled too far from the lake where Eirnan had first discovered the potential water source, but that meant it would take that much longer to find a spot where the trio could quench their thirst. "Where do you suggest we head next, then?" Caedmon queried, yellow eyes glancing to look at her as his brows furrowed in a thoughtful expression. He remembered she said there was another water source to the east, and so wondered if that would be their next destination.

navigate the broken world

If winter met it’s end this season, and never returned, Eirnan did not think that she would bat an eye or even shed a tear of remorse. She supposed it was important, as was death in the cycle of life, but it did not mean she had to take joy in it. She turned her head to see it was Caedmon who had been following so diligently behind her. She expected nothing less; he acted every bit the guardian that she knew he was for not only her but her mate as well. He truly was the best brother-in-law she could ask for.

He kept them safe, and healthy, and the three of them operated as a unit, together as it should be. She handled the terrain just as they handled the defense and healing aspects of their lives. It was through travelling together that the trio had become a well-oiled machine. She caught his words and met the frown with a soft nod. It was indeed. Her ears pressed down lightly against her skull as she squinted into the distance. “I think it best to head east and try to find some shelter. This storm popped out of nowhere, and it would be dangerous to continue in it.” She explained, though she knew that they trusted her word for she would never guide them wrong purposefully.

Blue orbs tracked along the storm with a soft sigh. “East seems the best option. West is nothing but ocean, north would be foolish in the winter and the steam to the south suggests less than habitable conditions… it invites injury.” That was her final call about the decision. “It appears we have very few choices.” There was some dry amusement in her tone. The throngs of winter had a bad habit of taking away choice from the equation completely.

“I think the water source to the east was viable. Worst case scenario we could eat the snow… a last resort my tongue would rather avoid, admittedly.” It would be frigid, but it would get the job done in the meantime. It would hydrate.

"Eirnan"

Caedmon looked to the south, russet ears falling back along his skull at the storm way off in the distance. If they thought the snowy conditions were unsuitable now, he could only imagine how much worse it could get when the storm reached them. In his mind they had no choice but to continue east as Eirnan had suggested, and quickly at that. "You're right," he affirmed. The danger of a snowstorm was too risky to just wait it out in a cave nearby. A dry chuckle rumbled in his chest as the tawny female commented on their lack of directional choices. The world was funny that way, and it seemed to be herding them in a specific direction, but as to where Caedmon had no idea. He just hoped it was away from all this snow and ice. "If you think east is the best option we have, then I will follow." The russet male gently bumped his shoulder against hers, a small upturn of his lips in a smile on his face in an attempt to keep the mood somewhat lighthearted. It would do no good to let themselves fall into an emotional funk; survival was the top priority right now and they needed to be at the top of their game to make it in this cold and harsh winter. A look of distaste flashed upon his face at the mention of eating snow. No, that was definitely something Caedmon would rather avoid if at all possible. But if worst came to worst he would, though that did not mean he had to like it. "I agree," he said with a flick of his ears. If they wanted to avoid doing just that they would have to get a move on, and soon, for there was no telling when the storm would reach them. His gaze lifted upwards to stare at the sky, noting the thick layer of clouds up above. There was still daylight left, but at some point the sky would start to darken and the temperature drop even further. "We should get back to Quinn soon," he said, still looking up at the sky, eyes squinting slightly as another gust of icy wind blew snow in their faces. Caedmon did not like the group being separated for too long, as there were many things that could happen to a wolf when they were on their own. It was his sworn duty to protect his brother and Eirnan, and he had no intention of allowing harm to come to either of them.

navigate the broken world

She was glad to hear the steadfast guardian agreed with her train of thought. She couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps there had been some merit in the idea of holding out, finding some place to bunker down for the winter and set up camp. Perhaps if they operated out of one place for a bit, survival would be a little easier and they could continue their ventures in the spring… still, with winter so fresh, it did not seem ideal either, at least not until they got a little farther south. “I think we need to skirt around the terrain, get farther south before we set any kind of permanent plan.” She added in case it wasn’t already clear amongst all of them.

Eirnan couldn’t quite help the smirk on her maw as she let out a dry chuckle. “I’m glad I amuse you.” There was the faintest jest behind her tone as a result. Still, he agreed to follow the path she thought best and she nodded. They worked as a well-oiled machine for a reason, and that was the trust they all had in each other. He bumped her shoulder and she lightly bumped his back, though he towered her by three inches. “East is the best option we have.” She concluded in turn, keeping things as lighthearted as she could when she was in a work-related mindset.

She caught his distaste and was glad to know that she was not the only one who found a lack of interest in the idea. If only she knew of a way to build fire and control it, the heat would offer them some peace from the harsh climate. She glanced once more at the sky with a soft hum. “I thought I saw a cave just to the east.” She mused, knowing that travelling in the night would do them no good, not with the current temperatures as they were. He mentioned returning to her mate and she nodded. “A good idea.” She hated to be separated from him for too long, even if it was for a reason.

“We’ll regroup then investigate the cave together. Snow will have to do for now if we can’t find a viable water source on the way.” She mused, a certain distaste for her own idea in her tone, but then again survival wasn’t always pleasant, and she valued a dry place to sleep over venturing through the night any day of the week.

"Eirnan"

Caedmon smiled briefly as she returned the bumping of shoulders, glad she felt the same about keeping a more optimistic mindset for the time being. His ears pricked when she mentioned spotting a cave not far to the east. That could hold them over until the night passed and they were able to travel again. Wandering around in unknown lands while darkness took hold was a very bad idea, even without a snowstorm potentially heading their way. He just hoped there was no creature hiding in the cave that would react angrily to them intruding. While always happy to step in and defend his family with a show of brute strength, he would rather avoid it until they became more settled in a place where Quinn could find those healing herbs of his. A festering wound would only spell out certain death at a time like this. The russet male nodded again when Eirnan spoke, humming in agreement. As long as they were together they were safer, so for the moment his number one task was to return to Quinn, then go find that cave and hope it was empty and also large enough to fit the three of them. While Caedmon was not the largest nor heaviest wolf out there, he definitely needed a little extra space than his two companions, particularly if he wished to stretch his legs out. His eyes drifted southward back to where Eirnan had been looking before, eyeing the plume of steam rising ever upwards beyond the clouds. If she said there was no reason to head that way, what with the storm and undrinkable water, then he had no intention of getting any closer to it. Although warming up even for just a few minutes was a nice idea. He was tired of his paws being numb and nose stinging from the cold. Giving a rough shake of his whole body to rid his fur of the accumulating snow, Caedmon turned towards the north with a swish of his tail, giving a brief glance at the snow particles now falling steadily towards the ground before looking at the tawny female. He was sure she knew how long they had before night fell, but he was not one to waste time when they could be doing something, and so inclined his head in the direction that would lead them back to Quinn. An invitation for Eirnan to start heading back, before the weather turned for the worse. "After you," he said, patiently waiting for her to start walking so he could follow behind her.

(Thoughts Speech)

Quinn looked around him at the walls of the small canyon he walked through, the ice forming jagged edges everywhere that it broke off, leaving shattered piles on the ground like tiny little mountains. He glanced up at the sky above him, he wanted to see if he had picked anything up from his darling. "Well... clouds mean that it's going to get snowy." he said, bemusing himself as he realized that it just wasn't his forte to navigate. As much of an airhead as he could be at times, he still preferred to stay grounded, he liked looking at things that were right in front of him, hence why he took to plants, the smells, the tastes, the beauty of them, knowing where they grow and what they do, it was calming to him, and let him get out of his head every once in a while, AND it let him be sure his brother would be okay when he got hurt.

He perked his ears up as he caught a sound, it was that of his brother's and mate's voices, and he was about to shout out to them when he noticed a trail of prints on the ground, coming from in front of him, and going up a slope to his left. "East." he said to himself, noticing that he maybe did learn something after all.

He smelled the prints, they were laden with the smell of sheep, and he noticed another scent too. "Fear, and pain." he whispered softly, his instincts told him all he needed to know, this sheep was hurt, and while he wasn't sure he could track it alone, maybe together they could.

He ran ahead and rounded a corner to his right, jumping onto a ledge above him and expecting solid footing, instead, he gasped and called out as he tumbled down a few wolf-lengths to come to rest on the ground, right in front of his brother and mate. he stood up with a slight groan and said: "I found tracks going east, anyone wanna try for some food?"

navigate the broken world

A faint grin etched her features, though it was hard to maintain with the biting winds that whipped around them. It came with the territory, with their harsh landscape and even harsher weather. She knew it was important to keep the morale up between them in order to make it through. She prayed for an early and quick spring because she truly longed for the summer months that she knew lay ahead. She looked forward to finding a cave that hopefully sheltered them for the winds. She wanted nothing more than to curl up alongside her mate and sleep the darkness away. The day had been terribly eventful, and admittedly she preferred it be dull.

She started to move when Caed mentioned following her, a soft nod on her features as she started her venture. It was not long before she caught sight of her mate, a soft smile on her face as she moved forward, halting when she saw him tumble with a soft and slightly amused chuckle. “Are you alright, Love?” The question was laced with concern but also humorous in nature, gently bumping her maw against his for a moment in greeting as he scurried to his feet. The question fell and she hummed with a nod. Food sounded wonderful, and she was certain in that moment she felt her stomach start to grumble, clearly awoken with the idea of putting food in it. “Aye, and then we should try and find someplace sheltered for the night. The sun will be setting soon, and with the storms as thick as they are we will not be able to see the stars. Travelling by night would be dangerous.” She mused aloud, having clearly thought about this beforehand.

They were working with limited daylight, but food was just as important as water, and would sate them for some time as they continued their ventures, through to the east and then hopefully south afterwards. “And we’ll want to start east and then south first thing in the morning. The sooner we get to even slightly warmer temperatures, the more happy I will be.”

"Eirnan"

It took no time at all for the two wolves to return to Quinn, although not to the sight Caedmon expected. He watched as his brother tumbled from a snowy ledge to land at their paws. Russet ears flicked forward as a mildly concerned look crossed his face. The fall was not high enough to worry about any broken bones what with the snow padding on the ground, but he did wish for Quinn to be a least a little bit more careful. Caedmon hummed softly at his brother's question. It would be getting dark soon, but they did have enough time to try and track the creature down. And he was starting to get hungry, too. A meal would make sleeping through the night a little easier. He nodded curtly at Eirnan's words. She was right. Not only was travelling at night dangerous, but travelling at night while a snowstorm was raging was even worse. That was just a recipe for disaster. "East sounds good to me." He glanced eastward with a hopeful expression. Surely the snow would ease up shortly; he did not know how much more of this snow he could take. But first: food. His stomach rumbled softly in agreement. While none of them were experts at hunting, they had enough knowledge between the three of them to track something down and hunt it, although he did not have much experience hunting in snowy conditions. Caedmon looked back at his brother with a determined look. "I could use something to eat," he said with a motion of his head for Quinn to lead them to the tracks he had found. The sooner they started tracking it down, the sooner they could eat.

(Thoughts Speech)

As Eirnan asked if he was alright, the tawny male stood up on the now-packed snow beneath his paws, chuckled and nodded before he nuzzled her, a wordless assurance that he was okay, and that she need not worry. After he asked his question, he stood patiently, the wind whirling through his long fur, as he listened to his brother and mate give their replies. "Great, I think it's a sheep of some kind, but I couldn't tell by the smell, however, I'm almost certain it's injured, I smelled fear on the trail."

He then perked his ears and sat down on the cold ground, his fur guarding him from the chilled surface, as the tawny woman explained what she felt the best course of action for travel was, and smiled at the comment about warmer weather making her happier. He gave it all a moment of thought. "Chances are, the sheep will also be looking for shelter, trying to hide from the storm, perhaps the hunt will yield more than just food?" He nodded and agreed with her, leaving his thoughts out of it, lest he get their hopes up and have them be disappointed later, the plan seemed solid in his mind, but he didn't have anything else to add to it.

He turned to his brother who motioned for him to lead the way, and with a nod and a curt "Follow me." he turned and climbed up the snowy hill to his side, his paws crunching into the first half-inch of yesterday's powder with a satisfying sound, going back the way he came, and gently stepped down from it, grunting as he arrived on the other side. He looked ahead, around the corner and saw the tracks again, still clear and visible, the snow hadn't covered them up yet. "Good." He thought, his mouth watering as he caught the strong musk again, and his eyes began to widen with every second. The hunt was setting in to his mind and body, making him ready for the chase.

He then turned around to eagerly watch for his mate and brother to come over the mound, excitement to hunt and feast with his family welling inside him.

navigate the broken world

They moved as a unit, as things should be she supposed. He nuzzled her softly which gave her the comfort she needed that he was indeed okay. It didn’t take him long to shift gears, and she smiled at the news that their prey seemed injured. She hummed softly and started to follow him, light in her steps. She was in the mindset that all sane creatures would be looking for a place to escape the vicious winds and it was possible that their meal would lead them to their place of rest for the night. She just hoped that the creatures he had found tracks to were sane, that they were near a shelter that Eirnan and the brothers could use to their advantage.

She followed him, staying about a tail length behind him so she was still next to him, but he was leading them. She preferred to remain as close as possible to him if she could help it. He was following the tracks, and she was keeping her eyes and ears out for anything that might disturb their hunt, acting more as a century to give him full time to look around and find their prey. She caught him watching eagerly from a mound, moving over to it as she lowered herself on her haunches, staying close to the ground as she spotted the prey, a smirk finding her features as her stomach rumbled once more. His predictions had been correct; the prey was injured and she made a motion with her maw. “Excellent find, Love. What's our strategy?” She whispered softly, eager to land themselves a feast… and then a place to lay.

"Eirnan"

A sheep would be easy enough to take down as long as it had no horns, especially if it was injured. Caedmon licked his lips in anticipation, feeling hunger gnaw at his stomach. Just the thought of eating was making him even hungrier. He followed behind both Quinn and Eirnan, yellow eyes searching the ground for any signs of tracks or disturbed snow. The scent of their prey reached him before he saw the tracks, and he could feel himself begin to salivate. It had been a while since they had had a proper hunt, long enough that excitement began to course through his veins as they followed the trail. He kept half of his focus on tracking their prey, and the other half on checking to make sure there was no creature around that might interrupt them. When they caught up to their prey he dropped to his stomach, russet ears pricked forward as he eyed the sheep. As it was injured, the chance of it escaping by running would be slim, but as the wind was on their side an ambush was still their best bet. While Caedmon usually left making the plans to his brother, he decided to offer up his thoughts on the matter. "If the two of you herd it to that outcropping of snow and rock over there I can jump out from behind it." He glanced at Quinn and Eirnan, waiting to see if they thought that was a good idea.

(Thoughts Speech)

Quinn looked at his brother, as he answered Eirnan's question for him, suggesting an ambush tactic. Simple and effective. but the question was, who should start the charge, and from where? He looked toward the sheep, a female, with small spindly horns sticking out of the top of its head. He watched it move, limping on each step as it favored it's rear left leg, huffing with each step, it seemed like the hip was dislocated, and that meant that it wasn't able to run at all, so it would be likely to simply turn and try to fight them instead, a last-ditch attempt to survive against the trio.

He pondered for a second, and turned to his brother, saying: "I have a slight change to the idea, we'll keep it distracted, you'll circle around the outcropping to the left and work your way up behind it, it'll probably try to fight, or even pin itself against a wall, so you'll have to move until you can jump on it and knock it over."

"Love, you take the first move, you'll be more intimidating, being stronger than me, so you circle over to the right, and try to scare it to me, then I'll jump out and make it feel trapped, it'll focus on us so Caed can have his opening." He said, his voice hushed like the breeze that blew over them from the north, and he grinned as he flicked his tail, a wordless signal meaning to get to their positions, because their prey was starting to wander off, and he didn't want to risk it going somewhere they couldn't follow, down a cliff being one of them. He growled slightly at the thought of losing this easy meal, and he snarled the word: "Go!" as he moved forward ever so slowly, his paws gently crunching the snow as he blocked out all other sounds, positioning himself to get ready for the ambush.

navigate the broken world

Eirnan was ready for the hunger to be sated, and the looks of the injured sheep were appealing to her. It would be fulling for all of them, even in this winter weather. They were fortunate it was first snow, otherwise the sheep might be thinner and they might not get as much for it. She licked her chops as she listened to the other two spreading their ideas about with a sharp nod. That sounded like a good plan, both from Caedmon and the extension off of it from her love. She was told to go first, a smile as she nodded. “I can do that.” She assured them as she eyed the prey. Circle to the right and separate it, chase it to Quinn who would help her distract it so Caed could swoop in with the final blow.

She waited until she they were in their positions, a sharp nod before she bound out, circling to the right towards it which spooked the sheep, jaws snapping to drive it away from the rest of it’s heard which it did. She was funneling it right in Quinn’s direction, a satisfied look in her eye. They would all be eating well tonight, of that she had no doubt. She got close enough to nip at it’s heals, using her size and the strength in her legs to her advantage.

"Eirnan"

He nodded when Quinn finished speaking, eyes turning back to the injured sheep. It was a good plan, and he felt confident enough in his abilities to take it down when it was his turn. As his brother gave the signal he prowled off to the left side, head lowered to the ground and tail still against his legs. He circled around the sheep, body as low to the ground as possible, silently cursing his red colouration that made him stick out against the pale shades of the snow. But it seemed the sheep was far more focused on itself, and so he crept his way around until he was in position. Caedmon watched as Eirnan sprung from her position, jaws snapping at its heels to drive it forwards and away from the rest of the herd and toward his brother. He could hear the thrum of his blood pumping in his ears as they both began to chase it his way. Waiting with baited breath, muscles tight and ready to pounce, he eyed the sheep as it got closer and closer. When the time was right he leaped from his position, jaws wide open and teeth bared as he aimed to grab it right in the throat. If successful, he would latch on with all his might, forepaws wrapping around its neck and hold on until the sheep moved no more.

(Thoughts Speech)

The wind blew gently across the tawny male's fur as he moved forward with intent to kill. He looked to his sides to make sure that Caed and Eirnan got to their positions quietly and unnoticed, seeing a nod from his love as she darted out to snap at the ewe in front of them. His heart quickened and he felt his claws dig into the ground as the sheep ran at him, before he jumped and snarled heavily, eyes flared out and teeth shown in the most intimidating display he could remember pulling off, his head lowered to add to the menacing look.

The ewe immediately turned and ran the other way along the wall, just as they'd hoped,  crying in pain as it turned on its bad leg to try to run, with what speed it could muster. The snow was now blaring and strong, a heavy downfall that peppered Quinn from the side as he looked at his mate, hopeful. It was all up to his brother now. "Do it, Caed, snap it's neck and bring our meal home!" His mouth watered at the thought as he kept moving forward, pushing the sheep along the wall of ice, towards his brother, the sound of it's feet building his hunger, and the smell... oh that smell. "Intoxicating."

navigate the broken world

She loved the way the blood rushed in her ears, the way it pounded as the hunger and her drive as a hunter overtook her. Jaws continued to snap as she drove the creature towards her love and he joined the hunt. He lunged out and both of them were driving it towards Caedmon who was waiting at the end to bring it home. She watched with a glimmer of satisfaction in her eyes as the creature fell, and Caedmon delivered a fatal blow that no creature, much less a sheep, could recover from. She trotted forward, licking her chops as the scent hit her.

The sweet scent of blood always did it for her. She moved in, sniffing the sheep up and down. “Absolutely stunning… good work.” She hummed softly to both of them with a wide grin on her features. “Caed, since you delivered the final blow, I think that means you should get first dibs.” They would all split it evenly and share equally, but Caed should get the first bite because in her mind, it was only fair. Besides, he was larger than both she and her love, so they could afford to wait a little while longer.

"Eirnan"

Caedmon felt his teeth sink into flesh and he clamped his jaws shut, intending to hold on no matter what. It seemed a combination of his weight, its own injured leg, and the fact that he had its throat in his mouth proved too much for the sheep and it stumbled, falling hard on the snowy ground. He shook his head forcefully, jaws still grabbing tightly around its throat, eager to quickly kill the sheep so that they could all feast. When the light finally drained from its eyes he finally let go, licking his lips as he turned to Quinn and Eirnan with a proud grin on his face. They made a great team, the three of them. He dipped his head at her praise, agreeing with her comment. His eyes widened slightly when she said he could have the first bite, glancing between her and his brother. Although they did not have an official hierarchy between them, he always felt like they should go first, being the ones that would eventually take charge and lead the pack when they gathered enough members. But something told him she would not allow him to let them go first, and so turned to the sheep and dug in, eagerly taking mouthfuls of the delicious meat. They would sleep well tonight with full bellies.

(Thoughts Speech)

The kill was done, the hunger was filling him, the snow was falling fast, and the family he loved was here to share it all with him. Quinn moved forward and watched as Caed turned and dug into the kill, smiling as he watched his brother filling his stomach with ravenous bites. The flesh of the sheep tearing easily as blood poured out, staining the ground a deep red as the smell filled up Quinn's nose, a strong and rich odor that made his stomach cramp with the hunger coursing through him. He looked at his mate and nodded, before moving in to find their spot for the meal. Quinn chose the hindquarter, it was stringy and tough, but there was a fair bit of meant in a small area, so he wouldn't bother the others as he ate, digging in and savoring the delicious flavor of every bite melting on his tongue, the fat and blood acting like a perfect accompaniment to the strong, distinct flavor of sheep's meat.

When the meal was done, Quinn sat down, feeling his full belly weighing him down for the first time in weeks. A satisfied belch and sigh escaped him as he spoke to his brother and mate: "Sorry, excuse me, anyone else too full to move almost?" his tone was half-joking as he looked around him, glancing at the carcass as his eyes scanned the horizon, when he saw it. Eyes widening, he shouted "A cave! Look!" and sprinted over to it, huffing as the meat weighed him down and made it hard to breath while he ran. He reached the cave and sat down immediately, admiring the cave's depth, as it was several times longer than he was, making it perfect for sheltering from the wind. "I guess I know where we're sleeping tonight." He said, as his eyes lit up with an idea. The tawny man ran over to the carcass and pulled the pelt of the sheep (or what was left of it anyway) along with him, rubbing it in the snow to get the blood off the pelt, before laying it on the floor of the cave and spreading it out. "We can use this to lay on, and keep us off the ground." He said, casting glances that searched for approval to his brother and his love.