As Balthier was coming to a year of age, he wanted to explore and learn more of what he could do with himself. He wanted to provide for Abaven like his father did, and one day provide for his family. He was still too young to think of any girlfriends or things like that, but he had already made this picture for himself of where he wanted to be in three or four years time. He went to the hunting stores of Abaven, looking through the storage of many different supplies and wondering what he could find to help his hunt. He pulled out a trip wire, laying it out with his paws and measuring the length. He started wrapping it in a circle for the travel while he whirled through the vague plan in his mind. He would go to sunset falls and set it up there, and hopefully catch something big, something he couldn't normally catch with his younger size. Walk "Talk"

Despite the strange weather they'd dealt with for the last few seasons, things in Abaven - at least for himself - were beginning to go back to normal. The grief he and Twig had suffered during their miscarriage seemed duller now; though it was still there, it was easier to focus on everyday life rather than wallow in his feelings constantly. Not that he'd opened up to anyone except Twig about it. It was easier to simply focus on what was going on around him, on what they needed, on what Abaven needed. That sort of thing came easily to him anyway.

And today, he wasn't quite sure what that was. He'd been scouting the borders somewhat aimlessly when he caught the scent of one of the youngest pack members leading away from the pack borders. It wasn't too far, sure, but he was still curious. After some time he saw Balthier up ahead. Though part of him was always looking out for the pack's children, and though he did worry for them, more than that he just wanted them to know he was here for them - he wasn't really the type to try to parent everyone's kids, but he knew it really did take a pack to raise them, so he was happy to help contribute. "Hey, Balthier!" Corvus called out, his tongue friendly and light. "Want some company?" Whatever he was doing, it didn't matter. He caught sight of something he was carrying as he loped up toward him but couldn't quite tell yet what he was up to.

When the voice called out, he stopped gently to turn towards it. He recognized the man approaching him, but it wasn't like him either way to shy away from company. So when he asked, Balthier obliged, "Yeah, sure thing!" He offered him a heavy smile before motioning to the metal coil he had wrapped around his neck. "I was bringing this to help me out with a solo hunt, but I don't mind the help at all. I haven't used anything like this before." He would move forward towards the falls as the man joined him, continuing in conversation, "Corvus, right? You helped my dad with the mammoth hunt." He could barely remember his name, but he didn't know many wolves in Abaven even though he had lived there his whole life. He wished to change that though. They would come up to the top of the falls, but Balthier would travel a little down hill looking for a spot he wanted to set up the trip wire. "I was thinking something like this," He trotted slowly to two trees that were not facing the cliff side, but actually along the descending grasses beside it. He figured that the prey would know about the cliff side and avoid it, so that's where the trip wire would come into play. "These two trees so that when the prey turns away from the cliff, it'll come this way." He removed the wire from his neck and started to straighten it out to fit the length he needed for him and Corvus to work. Walk "Talk"

Balthier quickly agreed to his company and Corvus grinned, pleased. At his core he was far from an introverted; though he often struggle to connect with those around him as effortlessly as he might like, at the end of the day he lived for his pack and his family. Balthier was no exception, even if it was hazy to him just how the two of them were related, though given the complexity of the Destruction family that hardly came as a surprise. "Can't say I have either, but maybe we can figure it out together?" Some wolves were afraid to admit that they had more to learn and room to grow, but Corvus wasn't one of them - even if occasionally his lapses in knowledge weighed heavily on his self-esteem. Not in this case though. Instead he was eager to learn and figure out things with Balthier together.

"Yep, I'm Corvus. Related to you... somehow," he explained with a shrug. The actual relationship they shared via their lineage didn't matter. Family was family and that was that, no matter how closely or loosely connected they might be. "But yeah, I did. That was pretty wild, huh?" Change seemed a consistent in these lands, but at least the arrival of the mammoths wasn't something completely catastrophic. At the very least it kept them all on their toes, let them get some good training and work in together, which was always valuable.

He watched as Balthier moved, trailing after him but giving him space to demonstrate what he meant. "That sounds good," he nodded along. "So one of us chases the prey this way and the other strikes once they hit the wire?" Making sure they knew what they were intending to do before jumping into a plan was the best way to go about things, though Corvus was interested in seeing Balthier's plan in action, moving to help him grab the other end of the wire and pull it taut.

It touched his heart a little that the older man hadn't used the same method and they would be learning together. His father was very crafty, so maybe he just thought that everyone was that way. He was after all following in every foot step of Allegro and assumed one day he would be just as crafty. When Corvus ran over the plan, Balthier nodded, now that there was two of them that made a lot of sense. "Yeah I think you should be the striker since you're more experienced." Balthier was after all doing this for a solo hunt, but if nothing else he liked the company and he was eager to learn from Corvus too. He pulled the line straight, starting to wrap it around the tree he chose, but still staying in some conversation, "I wished- the uh mammoth hunt." He wasn't quite used to speaking to others, he almost assumed that Corvus would be able to read his mind. "I wish I could have done more, but I know I wasn't quite ready for a better part of it." He watched the young ones when they did the hunt, making sure they all stayed in line where they were supposed to. Balthier knew where to draw the line for himself, and if nothing else knew to follow directions. Looking over at Corvus' side, he noticed a bit of slack from them pulling at the wire trying to set it up at the same time. He worked to get it a little tighter and asked, "Does it seem strong on your end?" Walk "Talk"

Corvus tended to be more practical than crafty; not that there was a particular way that was any better than the other. He just was accustomed to thinking on his feet rather than planning ahead, not really the type to dwell on the future and plan too much. He supposed there was benefit to being a bit more forward-thinking but that just wasn't how he was, but that didn't mean he wasn't interested in learning when he could. "Have you smelled any prey around here?" Corvus hadn't gotten the chance to really scout things out, but he assumed Balthier had an idea of what prey animals might be roaming if he'd come out all this way for this.

He followed Balthier's lead, moving toward a tree a decent distance from him and beginning to wrap it around a small tree. The two of them carefully adjusted things until they seemed right, and he gave it a few more twists around the tree until it seemed taut. "I get that feeling. When I was younger I felt like that a lot. I wanted to do more, and felt really shitty - uh, sorry, I felt really bad," he corrected himself quickly. Balthier was family but he didn't know how his parents wanted to raise him and certainly didn't want to be held responsible for corrupting his language. "-when I couldn't do more. It's kind of overrated though," he admitted with a small laugh. "Being responsible is hard. And scary sometimes."

Being a child felt really hard when you were one, he could remember that - and then when you were an adult, you wanted to be a kid again. There were so many more things to worry about, so many more emotions to suffer through. He knew no amount of convincing would make Balthier realize just how true what he'd said was though. He'd have to learn it himself, like Corvus had. "Looks good to me!" He called out to him, flashing him a pleased grin as he stepped back. Once Balthier set off to scout out something to chase this way Corvus would get into position, maybe finding somewhere to crouch behind, depending on which direction the boy went off in.

Balthier had mostly just come out here on a whim, with the warmer weather returning and the falls unfreezing, he used the teachings of his father to know that the herds would be coming back. But he had noticed a faint scent of deer in the area a couple times before, he just hadn't went out and tracked them. "I've sensed a few deer nearby a few times. I'm not quite big enough or fast enough to take one down on my own yet, that's why I had the idea with this wire." But it would be easier for the pair of them regardless. He let Corvus' swear run over him without much notice, maybe a tiny grin from the corner of his maw. He knew of curse words, but Allegro had raised him differently than to use them. At least at this point in his young life. He did have some pretty strong morals like his father did. That being said though, he wasn't bothered by Corvus' words, or his correction of them. He did though like to think he wasn't the only to feel that way. He expected his life to change while he was getting older, but he must have not expected anyone else to feel the way he felt. He didn't have much down time with Solo, so his time around others or other boys or men was limited. He did have to admit that Corvus did seem like a pretty cool guy, even with their big age differences. Corvus' advice wouldn't go unheard through Balthier's mind. When Corvus gave him the go ahead, he gave him a nod before heading back north east to the top of the falls. He figured any of the prey could have sensed them setting up their trap, so he moved pretty far out and around, probably keeping Corvus waiting a little longer than expected. He was quick to track the deer though. He spent many months working the senses in his nose while he wasn't big enough to actually catch the prey. He took his training seriously and one day wanted to be just like his dad. He drove the deer in the direction of the cliffs, but knew he was struggling to keep up with it. He had worked on more finer details, not so much his stamina or brute strength. This was his testing moment, noting everything that he had to work on. He let out a bark for Corvus while he still chased after the deer, hoping he would get the cue to help meet him in the middle, and keep driving the deer towards their trap. Walk "Talk"

Deer, he'd said? Good! He and Balthier could definitely take a deer by themselves, especially with his trip wire contraption. "Sounds good to me," Corvus grinned in approval as they readied themselves to start their hunt. He hoped the younger boy was enjoying his company even if nothing else - he didn't think he had the greatest advice in the whole world but he knew something and he hoped he could impart some wisdom on him anyway, however minor. And even if not? At least they were working on both of their hunting skills if nothing else, and hopefully bringing some food back to Abaven in the process.

He waited while Balthier tracked their prey here. It took quite awhile but he didn't mind. He scouted near the edge of the falls and noted the various scents that he came across, as well as the foliage that was trying to peek through as the cold that gripped the land slowly began to fade. He suspected prey were hardly having an easy time and while that meant smaller prey that would feed fewer, it also meant that a slightly scrawny deer might be easier for the two of them to take down.

After some time he heard the telltale signs of Balthier's return. First the hooves beating against the ground, and then a faint bark to signify the boy was pressing in on his prey. Corvus readied himself, pacing near the edge of the tripwire in case he needed to redirect the deer toward it if its path strayed, moving back toward the deer's approach. Fortunately Balthier did a good job of keeping the deer going his direction - and then suddenly everything happened at once, the deer barreling toward the wire and then stumbling. Corvus took the opportunity to strike, diving in fast and hard toward the deer as he aimed for its exposed throat, hoping Balthier would catch up and aid him.

Balthier kept his pace up, he was starting to get used to the burn in his breath and his unused muscles from running. He knew now this would have to be the next thing he needed to work on, maybe even before going out to hunt again. He drove the deer to the cliff where it veered off to avoid going over the edge, just like he suspected. Corvus was there by the wire to catch it when it fell. Balthier would move forward, slowing as he saw the prey trip and fall and Corvus moved to it to finish the job. He trotted to the trip wire, leaping over it to the other side and joining Corvus quickly to make sure he had the rest. If not, Balthier was here to help him, or if the deer somehow got out of his grasp before he could take it. Walk "Talk"

Everything happened all at once, though Corvus had enough experience in hunting that he knew that was often the case. Making plans was one thing, following through with them another entirely - but oftentimes it came down to just acting on instinct and hoping you made the right choice. This moment was no exception. He sprung forward for the deer's throat as it collided with the wire and stumbled. In a moment of panic it bucked back hard, kicking Corvus hard in his midsection.

For a moment he stumbled, the wind knocked out of him; but after a moment of regaining his composure, as the deer fought to stand, he too found his bearings and struck again, this time harder. Fortunately Balthier wasn't far behind their prey, though Corvus focused on his jaws closing down on the deer's throat. Though he felt blood trickling onto his tongue the deer still kicked back at him, swinging its hindquarters away from the two wolves in a last ditch attempt to shake himself free, not that he'd get far now even if he did escape.

Corvus had taken a good blow to the chest, and Balthier leapt forward at the deer though Corvus was still quick to react and not let the creature prance off. He grabbed it by the throat, but the deer simply didn't seem to want to die. Who would? Balthier stood for a moment, watching as Corvus moved and avoided the deer's hooves as he tried to get the proper hold on it to kill it. Balthier didn't like to see it suffering, and he hoped that there wouldn't be many times he had to take down a prey with such difficulty by himself. He supposed he should grow used to it. After all, this circle of life was meant for him to kill the deer. To provide for his family and his pack. This is what he would have to do to survive. He guessed that having Corvus here was nearly a blessing, because he wasn't sure if he could follow through with a creature fighting so hard for it's life.

Balthier stood dumbfound for less than a minute before he moved forward, grabbing one of the deer's legs in his teeth and then laying his body over the hind end. At least if he controlled this end of the deer, Corvus could follow through and finally finish the deer off. Balthier would be relieved then.

"Balthier"

Suddenly it hit him just how much danger he could've been in, had the deer kicked just a little bit harder; these latent dangers were always there when hunting larger prey animals, even when he didn't acknowledge them. Something like this could've easily been responsible for the miscarriage Twig had suffered through. Hell, a misplaced kick could've meant internal injuries of his own too, he was sure. Somehow he managed to regain his composure, his adrenaline masking any pain. Surely later he would feel the full effects of the kick - but right now he was able to push through the pain and finishing taking down the deer.

Balthier lunged toward the deer's legs and helped keep the thrashing animal down on the ground. This enabled Corvus to get a better grip on its throat and lean his weight in to deal the killing bite. The animal went limp, slowly at first and then all at once as the life drained from its body. Corvus lapped blood from his mouth as he let go finally, his chest heaving as he began to catch his breath. "Good job," he managed to get out after a moment, giving the young boy a nod. "That one didn't want to go down." Hunting real prey wasn't an easy feat, and often could be as draining mentally as it was physically. But this deer would feed more than just the two of them and he knew sometimes sacrifices had to be made for those that you loved.

Corvus had finally been able to finish the creature's suffering, Balthier was relieved when it was finally over. The dead prey didn't bother him as much as the dying prey. As much as he knew that killing prey was what was needed for his survival, he did have the thought of hoping he never had to kill another wolf. He knew that there was always a possibility, there were evil minds out there. But watching the deer struggle in Corvus' grip, it made him think of the more intelligent creatures like themselves. It was a painful thought.

He let go when it was finally free of it's suffering, and walked over to the tree with the trip wire starting to unwind it. It was easier to wind than unwind, but he knew it would be easier to drag the deer with it. And he didn't want anyone stumbling over it had they abandoned it.

With Corvus' help undoing the wire or not, he would take it over to the deer and lace the metal wire around the deer's two back legs making a "U" shape so he could carry it almost like a sled. He silently offered to pull the weight of the deer himself, but he figured it was good for his strength even after all that running. He looked over to Corvus before started off back to Abaven, setting himself inside the makeshift harness, "Are you alright?" He spoke quietly, wanting to make sure the blow he took wasn't causing him too much trouble.

"Balthier"

It took a good moment for Corvus to catch his breath. That hadn't been an easy feat for the two of them to pull off but he was proud of what they'd accomplished. As the adrenaline wore off he began to feel the ache in his midsection, where the deer had kicked him, more clearly. But they'd have to either work at dragging their kill closer to Abaven's borders or calling the pack here before he called it a day. Balthier immediately set to work unwinding the trip wire and tying it around the prey's back legs. Perfect, that'd make the job much easier.

He tailed after the deer and Balthier, helping keep an eye on the load he was dragging in case it slipped off the wire or proved otherwise tricky to pull on his own. The boy seemed to be handling it perfectly on his own though. "I'm fine, I think," he admitted. The soreness had spread but he was still walking, just a bit more slowly than usual. "Tomorrow will be a different story, but I'll survive," Corvus added with a chuckle. He knew he'd definitely be feeling the effects of this hunt tomorrow once he woke up, but for now he just wanted to get their kill back to the pack so that they could all have a solid meal tonight.

He looked back at Corvus a few times to check in as they moved on, he insisted he was fine for now but tomorrow he'd probably hurt a lot more. "Don't know much about it, but maybe you should see a healer when we get back. Or tomorrow." He wasn't sure what could be done for bruising if anything at all, since Corvus didn't seem to be bleeding out or anything. He wasn't quite sure if Corvus was just playing tough but he didn't really care either way. He guessed he would too.

As they continued on back home Balthier stated, "You and uh, Twig? Can have this one. My dad brings back plenty of meals. I just wanted to test some of my skills." He glanced a smile back at him, lugging the dead deer along. He hoped Corvus would take the gesture, after the help he gave him, and now the aching bruise he received in return.

"Balthier"

The hunt had been an long, arduous one and Corvus had to remember he no longer has youth on his side. It was a strange thought but he was well into adulthood now and very likely nearing the middle of his life. Not that he'd dwell on that for long, he just knew he wouldn't bounce back as quickly as Balthier would. He'd have to spend the rest of today resting and he didn't doubt that he'd be sore well into tomorrow. "I think rest will do it, but don't worry, I will if I need to." He didn't want the younger wolf to worry, and he flashed him a smile as they continued on. Corvus was a bit stubborn but not annoyingly so; if he needed help he'd get it, and he wouldn't be too proud to admit it.

As they got closer, Balthier invited him and Twig to have their prey. "Hey, thanks. And I'm no expert, but you seem pretty good. Keep at it and you just might be one of Abaven's finest hunters here soon." All it took was time and practice to excel. Balthier was clearly on the right path. "And thanks for your help." He was glad for a good meal, still finding himself worrying about Twig and her physical health. Once they neared the borders and dropped the prey off he figured this was far enough. He'd call Twig soon and they'd eat together. "I'll see you around," he gave the boy a thankful smile and a dip of his head before he went off on his own way.

-exit Corvus-