Luna was on a break from patrolling all night. She trotted into the clearing where the dens were, tucking her tail in and dipping her head as she passed Angelwing's den. She sat in the middle of the clearing and she laid down, resting her head on her large paws with a tiny huff. She had been barely sleeping all night, finally deciding to get a patrol in. Angelwing might get on her back about it, but how else was a young warrior supposed to spend the time she couldn't sleep? In the early morning light, her red eyes glimmered as she looked upward. She thanked the ancestors that she didn't run into any trouble. She only wondered what was going on with the others.

@Nikki Moonlight
The leader of the wolf pack was already awake before the sunrise, sitting in the entrance of his den doorway and waiting for others to wake. He got into the schedule of waking up and taking care of the pack before it was even active so this was normal. However the recently sent Warriors were still wandering, as he noticed one of the younger pack members, Luna, out and about. The wolf only did a small nod as the Warrior passed by, his mane fluffing up slightly from the little movement. A small snort huffed out of his nostrils before continuing to scan the clearing that kept the pack. Other than the lone wolf in the middle of the area, the place was empty. The silence with the background of rustling leaves kept him silent as well.

A small twitch started on Angelwing's nose, turning his attention towards the pile of leaves that covered the pack food supply. There was only enough to feed half the pack unless they shared. Tsk tsk, he thought, his peaceful moment being disrupted by that. With a quick push of his hindquarters he got to all fours, taking a few steps out of his den to take a better look around for the Hunters. They had to push up their food supply soon due to the upcoming cold. The prey would start hiding and other predators will start fighting for it. It never happened before with them, so he was going to keep that streak up.

---

Deeper into the overgrown forest a lone wolf was quietly pacing around trees. Their nose was kept against the ground as they sniffed out for prey to catch, food to eat - or steal. Crescent Moon was trying to find something before full sunrise, the time where wolves get awoken by the light and become active. Her fur blended in the shadows as she traveled, tricking nearby prey to be unaware of what's coming for them. The only visible detail was her glimmering, fierce eyes that seemed to always stare off into the distance.

As a small breeze rustled through her area, Moon picked up the animal that she smelled, her claws suddenly curling out from hunger. The rustling of a lost doe was picked up in the distance. Scared munching of plants echoed in her ears, making them twitch. With only a few adjustments of her place in the shadows she could see the deer standing alone, their eyes rapidly checking their surroundings. In only a flash of seconds the two started speeding off - and towards the nearest pack's territory, Ai Espiritus.

@oWhiteDiamondo

Luna's ears perked a little as she saw Angelwing looking for the Hunters. She wagged her tail a little but she pushed herself up and trotted to the leader. She sat behind him. "The Hunters are still sleeping,if you're looking for them..." She spoke for the first time in a few days. She wagged her tail a little shyly. "I could go hunt for something if you would like me to." Her head was respectfully dipped, red eyes glimmering in the early light.

It wasn't often Kinow rose early. But the few times he did, he couldn't help but marvel at how different the world seemed. The rays of the newly awoken sun slowly seeped past the canopy. Fallen leaves crunched and crinkled as the tiny paws of squirrels and mice scurried across. From somewhere, the last cricket song died away, replaced by the deep calls of frogs and the twittering of delighted songbirds.

The red wolf raised his head to the air, inhaling deeply. Familiar smells danced across his nose. The sharp metallic tang of dirt, the earthy smell of fallen branches, the perfume of blooming plants. And there, amongst it all, delicious traces of game amongst the undergrowth. With a confident curl in his mouth, Kinow took off towards the direction. Deer. Perfect. Big parties were usually needed to take down a stag, but this one smelled small. A doe or dawn. Something easy and quick.

He sniffed the air once more, his pace faltering ever so slightly. The scent was there still, but it was followed by something else. Something...unfamiliar. A small growl rumbled in his throat. With a quick burst of speed, Kinow followed his nose towards the scent.

@Nikki Moonlight
Angelwing's ears curled back behind him to the familiar voice. At least she finally spoke after so long, he thought while curled like a 'U' towards her, his back-half only following after when looking directly towards the speaker. "No, it's fine, Luna. You've already went on patrol and should rest until the next assignments. The Hunters should be getting up soon anyway," he would explain to the she-wolf, no tone in his voice. Using his tail he motioned back to the area Luna was previously at using his tail. It seemed to be a signal to go back to resting so he could handle it himself, but the blank-faced leader said nothing.

As he turned away towards the Hunters' den his nose twitched again. Prey was becoming active just as the Hunters were. Perfect timing. Kinow, the only Hunter he could remember on the spot, was already peering out of the den to catch a scent. Angelwing stayed quiet as he let out a grunt, not stopping the red-furred wolf from speeding off into the distance. Due to the small amount of pack members, some things were allowed like random hunts, so the leader didn't disrupt the wolf from going.

The wolf faded into deep thought as he stared towards where the Hunter sped away. Something was off. A familiar scent of a running doe was obvious, but something - or someone - was after it. He could almost put his paw on it, but the scent was too far to recognize it. He only turned back towards the clearing with squinted eyes, pacing around the dens while thinking. Just thinking, nothing else.

---

As the dark wolf sped closer and closer to the doe, using techniques of turning and keeping on his paws as much as possible, she got close enough to the hindquarters to leap on. When they got closer to the territory where trees got thicker near the edge, the deer got confused and suddenly crashed into a tree. The she-wolf left no mercy, leaping on the terrified deer and tearing it apart. Teeth were used first as all claws kept it down, ripping around the neck until the animal slowly stopped struggling until limp. Simple prey, big workout, Crescent Moon would think to herself, the edge of her mouth twitching into a snarl. With a few individual lifts of her paws, the claws unlatched from the body, letting her rip the skin off around the ribs and dig into the flesh. A twitch of her nose and ears distracted her slightly from her hunt, but she wanted to finish eating first at least.

Luna dipped her head and trotted off, leaving large paw prints in the dirt. She settled down and laid her head on her paws with a little huff. She looked down and then around, her tail tucked between her hind legs. She probably only spoke at all to Angelwing, possibly some other wolves, if they spoke to her first. Considering hardly anyone talked to her much since her littermate's death, it was rare for another wolf to speak with her. They normally thought she was still grieving. Which in truth, she kind of still was. Silence was her way of grieving.

Robyn padded out to the clearing, sleepy but eyes full of excitement. She was usually part of the morning patrol, and in all actuality, she was quite disappointed that she woke up so late. She caught a glimpse of red running out of the clearing and into the forest. It originally bewildered until the scent of a deer caught her nose. Thinking that Kinow had it covered, she paid no further attention to it. She was sure the other Hunters would follow suit, or Kinow would howl if he needed any help.

She felt that today was a good day. Then again, she felt everyday is a good day. She scanned the clearing for any other wolves - there was their resident albino wolf, Luna, and then the pack leader, Angelwing. No surprise there. As far as she could remember, Luna was part of the night patrol. She must've been tired. Her mind raced to whether or not she should approach Luna, ask how the patrol went and if there was anything to note. The internal battle would go on as she slowly walked towards her but was snapped out of it when she noticed the dirty white fur of the Alpha only a few inches away from her. Although she wasn't on a crash course towards him, but she at least should greet him. "Good morning Angelwing." She said, happiness oozing out of every word, and then she dipped her head.

Figuring that he was waiting for the others to rise, she finally approached Luna and sat beside her. Psyching herself up, she spoke, "Hey Luna, anything to watch out for on patrol?" It sounded like Robyn chose her words carefully. She tended to do so around Luna, given that the wolf never spoke much to others after her recent death of her littermate. Like other wolves, she figured that she was still grieving, but that shouldn't stop her from at least talking to the wolf - even for a short while... right?

@Nikki Moonlight @oWhiteDiamondo

@Polaris North

Luna blinked a little, glancing over at the other she-wolf. "...Nothing that I found..." The young female finally said quietly. She looked away from Robyn. Then the scent of something else got caught in her nose and her silky colorless fur began to bristle, a growl involuntarily coming from her throat. She sat up and she scanned the area with her very sharp eyes, ears perked high. She got ready to spring to Kinow's aid.

Kinow slowed as the scent grew stronger. There was no denying it now. Whatever, whoever, this was, it didn't belong. His fur bristled as another smell joined in--blood. Whose, he didn't know and, quite frankly, he was scared to find out. He slunk close to the ground, delicate paws treading the ground as he carefully slunk further towards the invader.

A flash of dark fur made him freeze, a soft growl rumbling in the base of his throat. He forced it down, his ears flat against his head, and moved forward to get a clearer view. Sure enough, barely a few feet away, crouched a dark wolf. A she-wolf, he decided after a quick sniff. She was a little bigger than Kinow, with black fur dappled with lighter shades. Lying limp before her was the corpse of a deer. His deer. Instinct screamed at Kinow to turn back. To run as fast as he could and alert the warriors. To just leave before regrets were made. Scandalized pride, however, forced that away.

Kinow slowly rose and quietly approached the she-wolf from the back. A low growl rumbled in his throat, his red fur bristling in a vain attempt to appear larger. He stopped a few feet away, body tense and ready. "You've got some nerve," he growled as he took a step forward, "to steal from my pack."

---

Rymen slipped out of his den, a yawn stretching his large. His eyes bright eyes, still a bit hazed from what little rest he received after the nightly patrol, flickered idly around camp. The slumbers of camp were slowly fading, a few wolves milling around the central clearing. Luna, the wolf with ruby eyes; Robyn, the cheery hopeful that brought smiles her way; Kinow, the sharp tongued youth eagerly dashing out of camp; Angelwing, his most trusted friend and leader, ever watching, ever stoic. He smiled and stretched, dipping his head in greeting towards them. The pack these days was dwindling--a fact he would never dare say outright in the presence of others--so when he saw activity, he always took it as a sign from the spirits that perhaps there was hope after all.

He padded over to join him, a coy gleam in his eyes. "Good morning," he greeted cheerily, sending a cheeky smile towards his companions. "You're looking beautiful this morning." Rymen lay beside Angelwing, nodding towards Luna respectfully. He was careful with his usual demeanor around her for fear of coming off as insensitive or a fool, but he was far from avoiding her. If anything, he empathized with her. The loss of littermates was one he knew well. Too well. It had been years since the flood, the memories of his family washed away in the river of time. What he did recall--the soft fur, the warmth of his mother's tongue, the excitement whenever they could explore--he could never let go. That he could never forget. Rymen stretched away the last bits of sleep from his mind. So, what's today's plans?"

He tensed as Luna suddenly growled, his nonchalant attitude sharpening in attentiveness. His eyes darted around, the fur along his back bristling. "What? What's wrong?"

@Polaris North@Nikki Moonlight@Fubsy
Angelwing paused on his tracks, looking up from the ground to only stop and nod at the Warrior that happily said his name. He could've just done an indirect greeting to let himself continue thinking, but he was the leader, and he had to at least act like it from time to time.

Now that the familiar scent has stopped in the distance, being mixed in with the deer that he sensed before, it was very slowly coming back to him. He was frozen in the same position but with his head towards that direction. Angelwing's ears and tail tip twitched occasionally as his eyes slowly started to squint. It was- a year or two ago- when he was still Deputy of the same pack. It was from a she-wolf covered in blood as well. He couldn't bring up who this was and why the blood was involved in the situation, nor the reason why this seemed so important now.

Kinow. Kinow. Kinow is out there with this wolf, Angelwing realized, suddenly bouncing to a crouched stance and almost hitting Rymen with his body. "Warriors!" he suddenly boomed his voice towards them, "A wolf that I recognize is out with Kinow, and due to the distance and time span of the last time I met this wolf, I don't know why they're so important to us. But- I recommend one of you two going out for them now. And do. Not. Engage."

He whipped his head back to the source's direction. "Keep yourself hidden away from the wolf's senses unless Kinow needs backup," was the last thing he said before going back to pacing, much faster than before. Angelwing's body seemed to be twitching aggressively in a few places as he tried to force the thoughts of the past back. Occasionally he looked up from the ground to give the current Deputy some glances, but said nothing to explain what was happening. He only did so to show that he was still aware of his presence being there.

---

@Fubsy
Just as she finished her meal, Crescent Moon heard a growl of an obvious member from the close pack. Her head only raised up from the barely eaten doe, taking a moment to clean off her snout before turning towards the wolf. Scarlet brown. Few scars. Confronting her about food. Hunter. Of course.

"Ahh, yes, a pack Hunter. The jumping-to-conclusion wolves," she said in a low tone. It was a calming voice except the look in her eyes seemed to show she has dealt with this enough times already. She wasn't lying about the jumping-to-conclusion part to annoy the wolf either. After all, she knew from experience.

"I'm sorry for chasing this hunt for maybe a hundred meters and 'stealing' it from your pack. Oh well, 'that's my problem'." Her voice sounded the same the entire time but with the way she explained it, sarcasm was clear in her talk. However she didn't sound like she wanted a fight, nor even interact with the wolf at all.

Crescent Moon let out a snort from her nose and turned her head the opposite direction. "Are you going to that whole 'stay clear of our territory' speech for me or just let me go for the food, hmm?" she casually asked the Hunter that was still growling beside her. She looked distracted but looks deceive, just like her appearance compared to how she was currently acting.

@Nikki Moonlight @Fubsy @oWhiteDiamondo

Robyn nodded at Luna as she replied. Well, it was a start right? She didn't know how to follow it up so she simply sat down beside Luna. She was looking down between the paws of her forelegs as she waited for further orders. The deputy was the one in charge for assigning the patrols. Although she didn't blame him for being the late riser, Rymen, along with Luna, was part of the night patrol. Robyn was never ecstatic for night patrol because it meant less time to sleep. While they were given a chance to sleep and rest for a few hours, the noise outside isn't something one should akin to a lullaby. "Mornin' Rymen!" She greeted, much like how she greeted Angelwing, but more informal but still laced with respect.

When Luna began growling, she tensed up. Did she do something wrong or was there something wrong with their surroundings? Taking another deep breath to sniff out anything, she knew that the doe was still present and Kinow heading over. But, there was something wrong. There was another wolf, another scent. It was unfamiliar. 'A rogue' was the first thing that crossed her mind, and along with that thought was her standing up.

Angelwing gave the order. "I'll go." She quickly said. Luna was probably tired from the night patrol while Robyn, herself, was still full of energy. Not waiting for an argument to break out, she quickly dashed off to the direction of the doe and the two wolves. She wasn't as fast as Kinow or Angelwing, but her speed was quite close to the two, assuring that she would get to the destination quickly.

Once the scent started to grow stronger, she slowed her run to a walk. She was sure that if she could smell them, they could smell her too. She stuck close to the ground and hid behind a shrub. She was close enough to hear them, but not too close as to let them see her. And like Angelwing had ordered, she would not engage them. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to. It would be ideal to get out of this without a fight breaking out. That was the last thing she wanted.

@Fubsy@oWhiteDiamondo@Polaris North

Luna got up, but Robyn was already bounding away. So Luna laid back down with a little huff, resting her head on her huge paws again. She didn't argue, she was tired. She yawned, lifting her head a little for that. She mumbled, "Morning, Rymen." She began trying to groom her fur for a little bit, trying to get the dirt off. Being a colorless wolf meant she got dirty all the time. After a while she yawned again. She would go take a nap. She got up and trotted off into the Warrior's den.

"Yeah, because killing something on my territory definitely isn't stealing," Kinow retorted, rolling his eyes.

He stepped forward, and all too suddenly he realized just how much bigger she was than him. His body tensed, but he pushed all apprehension aside and walked around the wolf so that they were face to face. Dark, amber eyes bore into cold, blue and golden ones. His ears were flat against his head, and his lifted his head higher. This was a stupid idea. Confronting her with no back up was a stupid, stupid idea. But he wasn't ready to admit that yet.

"How about we skip to the part where you leave the deer and the territory?" he threatened, daring to place a paw on the carcass. A familiar scent tickled his nose, his body relaxing ever so slightly. So he wasn't alone. That was better than his previous predicament at least. Kinow narrowed his eyes. "What are you called, anyways?"

---

Rymen rose up, finally catching the source of the alarm. Unfamiliar scents. The faint whiff of blood. Signs of ill comfort. He caught Angelwing's eye, a flash of nervousness conveying his alarm. His tail curled inwardly, though he flashed his leader a benevolent glance. "I'm sure they'll be fine," he soothed, nudging Angelwing gently. "We've had rogues before, have we not? A quick yelling at, and they'll be gone in no time. In the meantime, I can organize a patrol to renew the borders."

Despite his casual tone, it disturbed him to see his leader so...unnerved. "They'll be fine," he repeated, gentler this time. His voice dipped in volume despite Luna disappearing off for a rest and Robyn going after the intruder. "This wolf...how dangerous are they? Should I post sentries around camp in case?" Rymen's ears twitched, his gaze flickering once or twice towards the entrance. He wanted to run out there, to make sure everyone was alright. But duty rooted him to camp. For now, at least.

@Fubsy
Angelwing immediately stopped pacing to look at his Deputy trying to lighten the mood - which only made his senses turn more aggressive. "Fine? Fine? The only detail I remember of this wolf is-" This was starting to give him a headache, forcing him to sharply turn his head towards the other direction as his mouth was twitching into a snarl. "I said this once, I'll say it again: I don't want anybody engaging this wolf unless it's needed. Don't send more out or they might sense the group and start something with the wolves already nearby. The most you can do now is warn the others to be aware of the new, possibly dangerous presence," the leader growled in a low voice.

The wolf didn't want to act so violent about the situation, but this was an emergency. This wolf- Small details were coming back, but not enough to tell him about the loner. They were definitely a former member of the pack, a Hunter to be exact. Was that why blood was involved the memories, or something much worse? They had to be kicked out of the pack for something severe after all. Was it of another member? Was that why the scent of blood on the wolf was so important that it caused him to start all this commotion?

More and more questions spread out in his mind, pushing him towards his den to try concentrating more.

---

@Fubsy@Polaris North
The she-wolf let out a chuckle at the wolf's response. Compared to the other encounters with pack wolves, this one was actually entertaining her. Watching a Hunter, specifically from her former pack, trying to stand up to a much larger wolf that is herself. Watching him circle, changing his body language to try acting more powerful - no use. Crescent Moon could only make a dumb grin on her furry face, her sharp fangs glimmering in the light. She sensed the regret from the wolf before her.

"No need to make threats, Hunter, and you could at least have the mind to say 'please' every once and a while. It might actually help," she teased, flicking her tail at the wolf. This was just too funny. Although another small detail started to annoy her, ears twitching like before. By now she knew that more wolves should be nearby, but it didn't seem like there were enough for her to easily track.

"Before I say my name, I'd like to know if you asked your pack for backup before coming out here. This is a private conversation, isn't it?" Her eyes went off the scarlet brown male to scan her surroundings then looked back at the wolf. "Even though I may be a bit chatty, the conversation shouldn't last long enough for other wolves to think of me as a threat. If you weren't here I'd just be saving this hunt or even letting it rot, but I said you can take it, did I not?" A single paw was set on the carcass to let the claws dig into the body.

She faded off to silence to let him talk after letting her mouth run for so long. Crescent Moon took the moment to actually scan the wolf properly, trying to look for any details to determine the age, abilities, and other things that may benefit her situation.

@Fubsy @oWhiteDiamondo

Robyn listened intently, finding any tone that showed aggression. There were none. Kinow was asserting his dominance - the pack's dominance - over these lands. She was quite worried for the rust colored wolf. He was a hunter, and was born in a pack. And this pack was Ai Esperitus, one that relies on skill and knowledge just as much as strength. He was built unlike a loner. Loners tended to be all-rounders, experts in living and surviving by themselves. If anything, Robyn would think that this other wolf could take him down should he not have help.

It seems either the wolf knew that she was here, or is expecting a wolf from the pack to come. Either or, the wolf didn't show signs of fleeing just yet though, even with this knowledge. Robyn took in her scent again. It seemed familiar, now that she thought about it. It was like a memory tried to squirm its way to the surface of her mind. It was back when she was still a new member, or a year after that? She wasn't entirely sure. But she was sure that she had taken in this scent before, within the pack. But who it was, or the appearance or any other memories, never surfaced.

Once the wolf said her name, Robyn would probably remember. So she kept quiet and let the conversation continue. After all, it wasn't necessary that she should engage with the other wolf considering that they weren't fighting, nor does it look like it was leading up to that.

All too soon, the intimidation gradually faded to a flicker of irritation. Kinow huffed, his eyes narrowing. Spirits, this wolf had a mouth. She had enough snark to kill a bear by talking. Still, he couldn't help but hold a slight measure of respect. Slight. But that didn't change the fact that she was somewhere she wasn't meant to be, doing things that went against the laws of Ai Esperitus. Her smartaleck tone only have Kinow more reason to drive her out. Or at least, try to.

"Please stop being a pain in my tail," he remarked dryly.

The scrawny hunter flicked an ear, his eyes darting around. He had caught the faintest of whiffs, but so far no one had appeared. No sign of reinforcements, or howls of affirmation. All he could do now was wait for the best. Whenever that would come.

"As far as I know, I came out here alone," he answered slowly. As the morning sun had begun to rose, he'd been too quick and too eager to leave camp without calling for aid. It was supposed to be a calm and contemplative day, and a patrol would have slowed him down. Now, he didn't mind the prospect of at least a few others by his side. "Others should soon be coming," Kinow hurriedly stated with a glare. "The sooner you go, the better for the both of us."

---

"...Yessir." Rymen ducked his head, his eyes glowing with concern. He stared after Angelwing, heaving a sigh of unease. What wolf, and a loner at that, could cause so much distress?

Rymen closed his eyes, scenting the air to catch the gradually fading whisps of the strangers scent. It was slightly familiar, now that he thought about it. Something that he could vaguely recall from the beginnings of his apprenticeship. But that was years ago, and memory was a fickle thing. The familiarity did little to comfort his growing tension. If anything, he was twice as wary now.

With a small shake of his head, Rymen gridded towards the Warrior den. It would do no good focusing on such grim thoughts. He had a job, and that was to make sure no one got hurt. He forced his expression to lighten, the storm clouds of anxiety brushed away as he smiled at those in the den. He settled next to the nearest wolf he could see, Luna, and winked at her in greeting, his thoughts tucked way back into his mind.

"Sorry about keeping you up all night," he apologized with a chuckle. "I hadn't expected for last night's patrol to last that long. How are you faring?"

@Nikki Moonlight@Fubsy
The aggravated leader continuously moved around his den as he was deep in thought. Pack, member, Hunter, blood, loner. Pack, member, Hunter, blood, loner. It repeated in his mind over and over. Every round of getting up, pacing, sitting down, laying down, and getting up again let him think of each detail to try connecting everything. To remember. If his memory wasn't so packed he knew he would've remembered everything by now. If was a year less ago he would remember. But no, he has to suffer with the thoughts in his mind, nothing flickering a memory back to him.

A former member of the pack, previously a Hunter, has had blood involved in her past to cause her to become a loner. A former member of the pack, previously a Hunter, has had blood involved in her past to cause- He stopped on his tracks. The only member of the pack that I remember getting into a fight over the past years that's still alive is-

Angelwing sharply turned towards the entrance of his den. "CRESCENT MOON!" was the name that echoed out of his den to the pack area.

---

@Fubsy
"Please? Okay," was her only, fortunately simple response to him. She said it might help to say 'please' after all. Might as well show him that it does. The she-wolf doesn't mean to babble on purpose after all. Moon would still notice the small details in his body language, letting her receive more signs of what he might be thinking. From what she's learned many times before, if a backup Warrior was sent out but nowhere in sight, they were only going to engage if the "threat" was actually one - and she wasn't.

When the wolf positively said that he came out of his territory alone at first, Crescent Moon easily believed him. With how much she has gathered so far, she couldn't call him a liar now. "I know, from experience, that if you had more wolves with you then you would have never gotten anything out of me," she quietly told him to make sure only he heard it.

She turned back to the direction she came from while pushing the deer back with a paw. "Hurry and take it back. Tell your little pack that 'The Moon' is back." The loner would pause, turning back to the Hunter and licking his forehead before bounding off. A mark of an ally - and an easy way to track him down.

@Fubsy

Luna felt her body get hot at his attention and she panted a bit, then she said softly, "You know, you don't have to hide your concern around me. And I'll be alright, Rymen. I just need a bit of rest is all." She rumbled a chuckle, laying her head on her massive paws. Her fur faintly glimmered, but there was dirt all over her fur, which was otherwise smooth and lovely. She glanced at him, then looked back down at her paws.

Kinow watched as the tip of the she-wolf's tail dissappeared in the undergrowth, the shadows swallowing what was left of her dark form. He waited a moment. Two. Three. Then, when he thought for sure he was alone, his rigid composure melting into a shaking mess. By the grace of the spirits around him, just what was he thinking?!

The russet wolf shut his eyes, struggling to maintain his breathing. He was a hunter. He hunted things. Small things, big things. Prey things. Another wolf, especially a loner a great deal bigger and tenfold dangerous, was not a prey thing. He groaned and wiped the locked spot on his forehead, but to no avail. 'The Moon'. Whatever that meant. With a shake of his flank, he turned to head towards camp.

He barely took a few steps forward when that scent hit his nose again. The familiarity of it made him narrow his eyes. Definitely a pack member, definitely real, and definitely close. He swung his head around, his already annoyed expression deepening in irritation. "Alright," he called, "I know you're there."

---

Rymen's smile faltered for a moment. Then, as if it had never left, his cheerful composure was once more regained. "You are kind," he chuckled, "but I don't wish to burden you with my troubles. Besides," His brow furrowed as his leader's howl echoed around camp," it seems we've bigger problems."

Crescent Moon. That name was vaguely familiar. Why, he couldn't quiet tell. But beyond a feeling of unease, he couldn't quite place his paw on who or what that implied. Yet they were dangerous enough for the usual stoic leader to be riled up about it. The whole situation only made Rymen's hackles raise in alarm. He wanted to run out there, to chase after this supposed threat. But orders were orders. His priority was the pack first. His curiosity, no matter how infuriatingly insatiable, had to wait.

With a shake of his head, his turned back to Luna. "Well, best rest up." He licked her pelt, a small sign of reassurance and affection. "I have a feeling tonight's patrol will take longer than usual."

@Fubsy

Her fur bristled, 'The Moon' brought back ever single memory that was somehow locked away in her mind. Crescent Moon, a name she wouldn't forget. Yes, it was only when she was a new pack member, barely reaching a year, when the incident happen. A black wolf bathed in blood of another packmate. She was exiled - as per tradition - despite other wolves thinking that it was an act of self-defense and not outright murder. Robyn had seen her go off into the wilderness alone and the white wolf felt a pang of guilt and sympathy. She knew how it feels, to be abandoned or abandon the pack you were once in. No matter how you hated them, how they didn't appreciate you, they remained your packmates and you stuck by them.

But when you are exiled, you are forced out into the wilderness alone with only a few lessons to keep with you. Robyn didn't know whether to feel relieved that the ex-packmate was alright or scared that she was back, back for revenge. But it didn't seem like it, just an accident when she crossed the border. She had to keep a lookout for the black wolf, but for now, she was no threat.

She heard Kinow call out to her and she emerged from the shrub that she was hiding in, and she sensed the irritation in the younger wolf's voice. "Before you snap at me saying that I shouldn't be here, Angelwing ordered me." She pointed out as she padded over to the rust-colored hunter. "Do you need help taking that doe back?" Was her next question, offering Kinow a small smile.