[snow flew from beneath swift witchpaws. a proud stag had bounded from blueberry basking with lestan upon its heels. he had lagged back near sunpetal harvest, but as a space between two large boulders opened, the mayfair found his speed again. roseweave loomed ahead. through its side tore the deer, leaving behind more than a few tufts of dun-white. closing his eyes, pinning ears, the camahanaich wolf followed suit, and now his own glossy fur also hung in wisps from the thorns. ahead, the stag slowed, snorting, its liquid eyes searching for a better way out of the weave. but it was a ring, and lestan panted as he slunk to a confrontational position. true to his word, he had spent time in thought. regular dosings of chamomile had smoothed his speech. the cold place nestled like a sharp seed beneath his skin remained. to better control it, he had gone back to his hunting, and newly with lestan was a sense of recklessness that he had not felt before. honeyblue eyes pinned to the quarry in silence.]

snow flew from beneath swift witchpaws.
a proud stag had bounded from blueberry basking with lestan upon its heels. he had lagged back near sunpetal harvest, but as a space between two large boulders opened, the mayfair found his speed again. roseweave loomed ahead. through its side tore the deer, leaving behind more than a few tufts of dun-white.
closing his eyes, pinning ears, the camahanaich wolf followed suit, and now his own glossy fur also hung in wisps from the thorns.
ahead, the stag slowed, snorting, its liquid eyes searching for a better way out of the weave. but it was a ring, and lestan panted as he slunk to a confrontational position.
true to his word, he had spent time in thought. regular dosings of chamomile had smoothed his speech.
the cold place nestled like a sharp seed beneath his skin remained. to better control it, he had gone back to his hunting, and newly with lestan was a sense of recklessness that he had not felt before.
honeyblue eyes pinned to the quarry in silence.

Skoll feels them before he sees. Thundering snaps against the snow-covered ground travel up his legs as his eyes gaze up to squint against the brightness. At first he sees nothing. Just whiteness against the rolling hills.

He stands as the stag races across his vision. Gracefully swimming through the snow, as if it had fared against the weather for some seasons before. The wolf follows the stag just as gracefully, kicking snow every-which-way.

Skoll's tongue flicks across his nose. Is this what a hunt looks like?

Snapping up squirrels and rabbits looks pitiful compared to the scene. Skoll follows behind slowly to not interrupt the hunt. He puts his paws carefully in the divots made by the runners, eyes wide with wonder.

His heart begins to race as the two become trapped within the ring. His teeth clench, rubbing against themselves as he watches behind them. A strange feeling overcomes his wonder. Skoll stalks closer - not enough to get in the way. He wants to bite.

He's too young for this hunt, realistically. Skoll watches intently, but readies himself to run if the buck gets the wrong idea.

Is this what Southeast was talking about?

[they circled. he stepped to one side and the deer another. flight was first. fight was second, but here in the weave, the antlered creature had little choice. lip lifted, a rare show of aggression from the otherwise docile witch. yet necessary. eyes shifted. a shadow approached, a tall young man gathered into the witching fold recently by his mate. lestan paused in his diligent address of the deer to look at the boy. by demeanour he was preparing to join, or at least to watch. hesitating, the mayfair glanced to the deer, who had begun to lower its head with threat, and the new member of camhanaich. stay back, he instructed, not with a harsh voice but a paternal firmness. watch for now. in his gaze, reassurance. the younger wolf may have reached his full height, but lestan with experienced knowing could see that readiness was not yet present, not for a trapped stag with a head full of razor-edged tines. a breath. lestan leapt at the deer, feinting rightmost at the last second. teeth flashed, clicking; snow flew around the pair in drifting ballet.]

they circled. he stepped to one side and the deer another. flight was first. fight was second, but here in the weave, the antlered creature had little choice. lip lifted, a rare show of aggression from the otherwise docile witch. yet necessary.
eyes shifted. a shadow approached, a tall young man gathered into the witching fold recently by his mate. lestan paused in his diligent address of the deer to look at the boy. by demeanour he was preparing to join, or at least to watch. hesitating, the mayfair glanced to the deer, who had begun to lower its head with threat, and the new member of camhanaich.
stay back, he instructed, not with a harsh voice but a paternal firmness. watch for now.
in his gaze, reassurance. the younger wolf may have reached his full height, but lestan with experienced knowing could see that readiness was not yet present, not for a trapped stag with a head full of razor-edged tines.
a breath. lestan leapt at the deer, feinting rightmost at the last second. teeth flashed, clicking; snow flew around the pair in drifting ballet.

Skoll's intent watching is interrupted by the very wolf hunting the quarry. Skoll isn't upset, he was thinking about helping the older wolf. Instead he stays put and nods, eyes intently scaling the determined buck.

The prongs of his antlers look scary. Skoll can't imagine why someone would choose to hunt one of these on their own - is the wolf not scared of being gutted? His worries dissipate as he watches Lestan go for the deer, snow kicking up around them once again.

Running deep into the circle seems to have been a bad idea. For the deer, anyway. The wolves of Camhanaich know their territory inside out, they can easily scale the rows of plants.

His tongue swipes over his jowls in anticipation.

[the boy heeded, which soothed many of lestan's worries. focus then, placed back and almost fully upon the creature. antlers swept at his heels. fangs glinted toward dun flank and earthen shoulder. in time both bled through streaking wounds which wet their coats. but in the presence of wounding, lestan was more confident to have the boy at his back. there was no such relief for the deer, whose eyes began to reflect fear. this too was dangerous. swing! swing! came the tines again, seeking to cut lestan, to maul him further. he parried with low dodges and bites sank deep into flesh, metallic taste a reward for all he was in that moment. a hunter. a killer. a teacher. lestan ran for the far round arch of the ring, directly toward tangled branches. at the last, he swerved right. stag crashed; heels drawing back, hooves flailing in rear, left side of the antlers caught in twisted vines while the witch wavered, bruised but triumphant. a mistake now for either would prove fatal.]

the boy heeded, which soothed many of lestan's worries. focus then, placed back and almost fully upon the creature. antlers swept at his heels. fangs glinted toward dun flank and earthen shoulder. in time both bled through streaking wounds which wet their coats. but in the presence of wounding, lestan was more confident to have the boy at his back. there was no such relief for the deer, whose eyes began to reflect fear.
this too was dangerous.
swing! swing! came the tines again, seeking to cut lestan, to maul him further. he parried with low dodges and bites sank deep into flesh, metallic taste a reward for all he was in that moment.
a hunter. a killer. a teacher.
lestan ran for the far round arch of the ring, directly toward tangled branches. at the last, he swerved right. stag crashed; heels drawing back, hooves flailing in rear, left side of the antlers caught in twisted vines while the witch wavered, bruised but triumphant.
a mistake now for either would prove fatal.

With blood came the scent of a metal tang on Skoll's nose. It should be scary, but his eyes are on the charge Lestan is taking down. When the buck falls, Skoll knows its over.

There's not much anyone can do when belly-up.

The buck will serve as food for the pack - ever growing - and Skoll is excited to get his chance to help collect it. Soon.

He waits for the signal from Lestan, not wanting to interrupt routine.

[soon! lestan dodged between the flailing hooves to cut. blood rushed. a glancing blow to his temple left the eye on that side aching with red, but the crucial moment had passed. the creature was in its final throes. standing close, waiting until the very last seconds of the stag's life, the witch whispered a prayer in tones lifted enough for the boy to hear, committing its energies back into the grounds of the rise and calling upon honor. respect and gratitude given, and lestan dipped his head. at last the twitching had stilled and he gestured toward the tall young wolf. h-hello, he said when he had caught his breath. h-have you ever b-butchered anything before? one day his children would be this age, he realized, with a lurch of happiness and thrill of fear as all parents must for a future unseen.]

soon! lestan dodged between the flailing hooves to cut. blood rushed. a glancing blow to his temple left the eye on that side aching with red, but the crucial moment had passed. the creature was in its final throes.
standing close, waiting until the very last seconds of the stag's life, the witch whispered a prayer in tones lifted enough for the boy to hear, committing its energies back into the grounds of the rise and calling upon honor. respect and gratitude given, and lestan dipped his head.
at last the twitching had stilled and he gestured toward the tall young wolf. h-hello, he said when he had caught his breath. h-have you ever b-butchered anything before? one day his children would be this age, he realized, with a lurch of happiness and thrill of fear as all parents must for a future unseen.

Skoll listens intently to the prayer - he'd never seen this ritual before. Does the pack do this when they hunt? He hasn't learned about the traditions well yet.

As quick as the fight had begun, it had ended just as swiftly. Skoll eyes the red coating the ground underneath the two bodies, and only stands when Lestan has stood himself. "Hello."

"I haven't yet." He replies, shaking his head.

The still body of the stag is eerie against the life around it. Skoll knows things must die for them to live, but seeing something so large is intimidating. How fleeting the life of a stag must be. Do they talk with their kind like the wolves do?

He doesn't want to think about someone begging for their life as they die. Perhaps the stag was okay with this. Nature commands the cycle of life and death.

[come, come. lestan's motions were genteel, if still bloodstained. the antlers are t-taken off last, he explained, backing away to let the younger wolf move closely against the carcass. be c-careful. life did not leave the body with ease; a jerked leg or kicked foot might injure the youth before the mayfair was able to call a warning. he glanced at the other a bit, considering, but ultimately he returned his focus to the stag. at this size, it would easily be divided into several caches with a prize for the other besides. i am lestan, he said, indicating a place just below the armpit of the creature where it was good to bite and peel back the skin. kirain's mate. it was better to describe himself that way, adjacent to her rather than toisiche or guardian or even hunter. simply lestan; simply wedded to the woman who was the true core and helm of camhanaich. pull f-firmly, but not quickly, the witch went on in guidance. otherw-wise, the pelt will tear. it is good to g-get as much off in one p-piece as possible. honeyblue eyes were expectant. with the deer down, there was little reason to fear now, and the newcomer could attain a good lesson here, if he was devoted.]

come, come. lestan's motions were genteel, if still bloodstained. the antlers are t-taken off last, he explained, backing away to let the younger wolf move closely against the carcass. be c-careful. life did not leave the body with ease; a jerked leg or kicked foot might injure the youth before the mayfair was able to call a warning.
he glanced at the other a bit, considering, but ultimately he returned his focus to the stag. at this size, it would easily be divided into several caches with a prize for the other besides. i am lestan, he said, indicating a place just below the armpit of the creature where it was good to bite and peel back the skin.
kirain's mate. it was better to describe himself that way, adjacent to her rather than toisiche or guardian or even hunter. simply lestan; simply wedded to the woman who was the true core and helm of camhanaich.
pull f-firmly, but not quickly, the witch went on in guidance. otherw-wise, the pelt will tear. it is good to g-get as much off in one p-piece as possible.
honeyblue eyes were expectant. with the deer down, there was little reason to fear now, and the newcomer could attain a good lesson here, if he was devoted.

Skoll approaches slowly, eyes carefully trained on the bleeding stag as he moves. Will Lestan be teaching Skoll how to cache the stag? His curiosity beats out the strange feeling of seeing something so large be dead.

"I'm Skoll." He replies.

So this is Kirain's mate. They seem to suit each other well enough, Skoll thinks. Not that he knows either of them particularly well.

He nods quickly at the directions. Pull firmly and slowly. Will this pelt be added to their collection if Skoll does well enough, or is it too cold for tanning? His tongue swipes over his nose nervously.

He plants his teeth into the spot directed by Lestan and starts pulling slowly. The sound of tearing sounds out in his ears, but Skoll does not let go.