Fresh powdery snow was beginning to drift in fat flakes from the underside of thick iron grey clouds hanging low in the sky, Coding the already snowy landscape with an unblemished layer of white. Between the snow, the frosty temperatures, and the way that each breath fogged in the air in front of mouths and noses, mother nature was giving the impression that winter was still lingering, though spring greens and warmer temperatures were beginning to blossom in abundance on the valley floor. Yet higher on the mountain's shoulders and head, winter still clung unforgivingly to the landscape.

As the moon hung heavy and full close to the western horizon, just managing to peek out under the lip of the cloud cover, two wolves threaded their way across the fresh powder in a winding line that threaded through the trees of the mountain forest, their lithe figures expertly maneuvering around snow laden bushes and frosty trunks, ears perked as they both seemed to be listening to a group of younger wolves farther ahead of them. Puffs of white fog erupted from their open muzzles as They kept up a steady ground eating lope, pink tongues lolling out as they panted With the exertion. The Larger leading wolf Was a shaggy thick coated male, his fur as blindingly white as the surrounding snow, but changed abruptly to black along each of his legs from shoulder and hip down to his toes and the majority of his face, save for the fringes of his cheeks and the top of his forehead, the color fading slightly closer to the edges, becoming a dark grey. A pale grey stripe also ran from the base of his skull to the middle of his tail, this raised high in the air behind him.

His companion Was a smaller and lithly Built creature, with ample Amounts of fluffy white fur That made her appear bigger then she actually was. But splashed unevenly across her back in a saddle pattern, tipping her bushy tail, And splashed onto each of her paws and ears As well as a streak above her pink nose was a russet brown. Then, As if this hadn't been enough, it appeared as if someone had taken paint the exact same shades Of her coat And randomly splattered the opposite color with speckles, creating a multitude of red speckles in her white areas and a handful of white within the red. If the way her tail kept waving In the air behind her was any indication, her personality was as sweet as the powdered sugar her fur resembled. At least, she was as much as she could, despite being a werewolf. Vivid gold eyes Sparkling with bright excitement, She somehow managed to bounce Forward and playfully nip at the end of The tail in front of her, erupting Into giggles as it brought her companion to an abrupt halt, his icy blue gaze falling on her And staring disapprovingly.

"Cassidy," he projected his thoughts sharply into her mind, releasing a loud huff, "This is no time to be playing games. You're old enough to know that, especially-" His ears turned back against his head as this resulted in further giggles that interrupted him, definitely not the result he had been hoping for. A small crease formed along his forehead, Making him look more worried than anything, especially not the anger that he felt bubbling up.

Briefly baring her white teeth in a wolfish Version of a grin, Cassidy seemed thoroughly unfazed as she bounced forward once again and swiped her tongue across the puckering in his forehead, probably because she knew she could out run the larger male if she needed to, The idea making her tail wiggle happily. "Aw, my dear brother Hutch," she chirped as she plopped her rump in the snow And began to create her own version of a snow angel with her bushy Appendage., "You're just grumpy because we have to plow through fresh snow." Her fur puffed up a little as she saw him open his mouth to refute her statement and she quickly added, "and the fact that no fresh game has shown up for the youngsters to prove themselves with." At this, she tilted her head in the direction of the three younger wolves, freshly turned and looking to prove themselves on a first hunt.

Hutch shut his muzzle With a soft click of his teeth, ears lifting Slowly as he regarded his Younger sister. She may not have been his full sibling, his father having found a new mate after his own mother had died, but she somehow had a softening effect On him that couldn't deny his fondness for her. And that was only part of the reason why he had asked her to accompany him. Her near perpetual sphere of happiness was just a bonus he was going to have to live with. Despite this, it didn't stop the small snort that escaped him in a cloud Of white. "I'm just... worried... What if I completely mess up this whole hunting assessment? I don't understand why my father asked the Alpha to give me this sort of assignment. I don't really... Connect with anyone else. ."

Cassidy's eyes lit up as if she had just accomplished something very difficult. Her brother didn't normally come out of his shell and admit so readily that he was worried, not even to her. "Exactly! You're so down and stressed that I can't help it. You should be happy that Father has spoken so highly of you to Thatcher. The Alpha is showing trust in the opinion of his second and in turn is trusting you with something very important. He would never trust me with something as major as testing young werewolves... Maybe he is trying to give you confidence to try and move up in the ranks." Cassidy piped cheerfully, Jumping up to her paws and shaking out her coat vigorously, dislodging any snow that had had the thought to hitchhike. "Why deny a bit of sunshine?" She asked brightly, once again turning towards the distant recruits and starting off at a trot, her tail held high.

After a moment, Hutch bounded After her retreating figure, gently biting at her neck as he passed by, prompting them into both running again. "It's night time Cass." He said with one of his rare chuckles.

"Exactly why it is called for!" The she wolf said in a matter of fact tone. "There's nothing quite like the happiness you get from making your brother forget his worries momentarily." Her head tilted back slightly, her mental laughter strong enough that a barking version of the noise escaped her maw, bubbling up towards the night sky.

"well if you want that happiness to continue, you better shut your mouth before you scare off all the prey on the entire mountain." Hutch growled over his shoulder, receiving a cheeky and completely silent grin in return that made him shake his head ruefully, but smile softly when he was sure his sister couldn't see him doing so.

But soon, sooner than he would have liked, Hutch found himself sinking back into his surly mood from earlier, his thoughts drifting back into all of his concerns. For if Cassidy was right and their father was trying to push him into challenging for a higher rank, a fight between them would break out inevitably. He wasn't concerned with rising in the pack hierarchy, content with living his life in the middle, showing his dominance just enough to not attract an endless amount of fights, but not giving into the pressure of becoming submissive and sinking to the bottom of the pack where he would be guaranteed to end up The target of someone else's frustration. Growl rumbling silently in his throat, the white and black werewolf pushed himself up onto the crest of a low hill, coming to a slow stop as the land fell away before him in a sheer cliff that looked out over an indentation within the side of the mountain where his people called home.

The village, Snowden, wasn't very large in comparison to the nearby Colorado city, but Hutch could have named every single soul that lived within its secretive boundaries. He had touched most of their minds with his own thoughts as they ran together as wolves. He could have counted the completely human inhabitants on one hand, something that would have been impossible within the city boundaries. The Alpha of the Snowden pack of werewolves hadn't wanted to put his family through The added stress of trying to keep their condition a secret from the humans by putting them in a city as other packs had chosen to do... He didn't want to restrict the changing of their shapes as they desired... He didn't want them to feel like monsters.

Releasing a slow controlled sigh, Hutch flickered his thoughts towards the new wolves, tasting some of the disappointment and anticipation from the emotions that they had yet to learn to keep from leaking over their thoughts with every connection. With that touch, the reminder of his task washed over him again, his body turning away from the village and plunging him back into the forest.

Hours had seemed to drag by as the wolves had steadily threaded their way down the mountain side, searching for prey that had fled from the storm. It wasn't until they were nearly to the ground level when they discovered a herd of deer grazing on tender shoots of grass, The younger wolves excitedly working together haphazardly to separate a large buck from the others, Hutch doing his best to guide their actions with comments and images, gaining additional insights after prompting Cassidy to do so. Finally, as the sky was beginning to lighten to a pale grey tinged with pink, Hutch at last allowed himself to feel a surge of pride as he watched the trio of newcomers overcome the struggling deer, The animal sinking to the ground amidst a mass of grey and brown fur.

Suddenly uncomfortable with the swell of emotions, the Black and white werewolf turned his head to look down at his sister, shuffling his paws. "can I trust you to watch them until I return?" He asked her, watching an expression of surprise cross her face before she nodded once.

"where are you going?" Cassidy queried curiously, tilting her head to one side.

He had to think quickly for a moment before he found his excuse, already turning towards the forest. "I am going to check the border while we're here, give the young ones a chance to enjoy their first kill without me watching over their shoulders.

The look of confusion that had been coloring her expression faded away at his words, her ready acceptance of his excuse refreshing. She blinked her golden eyes at him once before she sank to her haunches in the snow free grass, turning her attention back to the feast. One last thought was sent his way as Hutch vanished into the trees. "be safe.."

The quick snick-snicking of his nails over the surface of yet another mostly buried Boulder was the only company that followed the white wolf as he wove his way around and through the sea of ever thinning trees, his thoughts focused on unknotting the tension lacing The muscles in his back and neck. Despite the enticing shadows of the trees that were just starting to acquire their true colors, he seemed to prefer avoiding them and allowing the sunlight to dance over his glossy thick fur. For a moment, his vibrant blue eyes flickered towards the sound of fluttering wings and his body paused with one paw lifted in the act of taking a step. Head turning slowly as he watched the startled bird flee into the sky. Hutch then let out a soft snort before continuing his wandering.All at once, without any warning, the undergrowth and trees suddenly fell away into a large field of early spring wildflowers that were finally starting to bloom after the long months of winter. Blinking a few times, he stumbled to a halt and looked around slowly, giving his tail a few flicks before he approached cautiously, tilting his large ears forward. Once he was a foot or so away from the first of the flowers, he stopped again and tilted his head to the side, considering the delicate white and purple petals. Then he snorted, trailing forward into the sweet smelling mass and sank to his belly with a sigh, resting his chin on one of his heavy front paws before he closed his eyes, taking the time he needed to work the bubbling anger out of his system before he returned home.

Dree dodged the razor sharp white teeth that came at her neck as she retaliated with her own snarl and snap of her jaws. “Don’t you dare!” Dree said, projecting her thoughts onto her brother Raj. He backed away but continued his dark glare at Dree. The last slab of deer meat sat right in between them, so enticing as its scent enveloped the small hut. Raj, knowing his sister too well, anticipated Dree’s next move as she attempted to lunge at the meat again, but he easily swiped it before she could. Dree yelped in surprise at her brother. Raj’s low rumble of a chuckle projected into her mind as he swallowed the slab of meat whole, “What is it that the humans say again? You snooze, you lose?” Dree angrily snapped at Raj’s neck, cutting his chuckle short as she bit into the tender part of his throat. “Raj is such a pain”, Dree privately thought to herself, “but I can’t help but love his mangy hide.”

Suddenly, Feryl walked into the hut, his intensely aggressive mood strong enough to be felt in the air. Feryl had been in an extra aggressive mood since Herule had gained Alpha position. Dree and Raj quickly stopped their sibling rivalry and looked submissively up at Feryl. They tried to avoid his attention as they headed for the exit, but Feryl caught Dree’s ribs as she tried running past him. Pain shot through Dree’s side as Feryl’s teeth sank into her flesh. Her knees buckled in pain and all she could do was wait for Feryl to eventually let her go. Raj avoided getting involved, he knew his ranking in the pack and wouldn’t risk standing up to Feryl, so he ran out of the hut instead. After Dree was finally able to tear away from Feryl, she sprinted for the exit. Blood speckled her side from where Feryl had ripped into her flesh.

“Are you okay?” Raj asked Dree as she caught up to him outside. Dree gave a quick nod, acting like it didn’t phase her, but Raj knew she was affected by the interaction. Although Dree was arranged to be bonded to Feryl, that didn’t stop him from taking his anger out on Dree or anyone else for that matter. “I just need to go be alone for a bit” Dree said to Raj. He nodded understandingly and let her run off in the opposite direction towards the mountains.

Dree had a favorite spot in the mountains that she liked to go to be alone. With the type of wild and aggressive pack she lived in, she needed her alone time. She was quieter and more contemplative than the rest of her pack so she often escaped to be alone. When she got higher up in the mountain, she looked down at her village, Ferox, as it got smaller and smaller. Dree tried to forget the pain in her side as she walked up the mountainside. Luckily, wounds heal quickly but this one she just received from Feryl was pretty deep so it would still take a little while to fully heal. Dree felt deeply distressed as she thought about her arranged marriage to Feryl. He was the pack’s most aggressive and hard-hearted wolf. He only gained respect through fear and violence, yet this was the wolf she was destined to be bonded with. Dree didn’t feel an ounce of love for Feryl, in fact, tough as she was, she was terrified of him. Unfortunately for Dree, her father owed his life to Feryl and had promised her to Feryl. Dree was lost in this sombre reality as she continued to trek up the snowy mountainside.

Suddenly, the scent of wild flowers trickled into Dree’s nostrils which made her lift her head in interest. She decided to make a detour to find out where the scent came from. After walking for a few more minutes, the trees became sparse until they disappeared completely around a large field of wildflowers and grass. The scene was absolutely beautiful! Snow covered pine trees that surrounded a colorful spring meadow full of green grass with breath-taking white and purple wild flowers. Dree blinked in amazement as she took in another large whiff of the air. She breathed out deeply. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something white with black and grey sections in the meadow. Dree slowly walked closer until she realized that she was looking at another wolf whom she had never seen before. Then, her heart skipped a beat.

Just as Hutch was finally beginning the process of loosening the tension in the muscles lining his neck, there came a soft exhalation from somewhere within the trees that had his eyes snapping open and immediately scanning the fringes of the woods, ears perking forward. He waited there for the space of what felt like a dozen heartbeats, on tenter hooks for the appearance of a set of gold eyes... Or a flash of red and white fur... Anything to tell him that Cassidy had come sneaking after him to make sure that he was actually checking the border. Which he wasn't, but that was besides the point. But after several long minutes of watching the edge of the trees, scrutinizing the shadows and even going so far as to look back over each shoulder, nothing happened. No bouncy little sister appeared, no new changeling horde falling over one another coming to drag him back to the hunt came bursting out of the undergrowth.. He didn't even see any hint of a bird or some other small animal that could explain the sound he heard. Blinking mildly, Hutch tilted his head slightly as he considered The different possibilities, finally concluding that it must've been the wind rushing around the trees, a residue from the storm earlier that day, or perhaps a squirrel zooming up a tree trunk. Growling softly in his throat, The white and black werewolf lowered his chin back down to his paws, Turning both of his ears back and determinedly Focusing on relaxing his muscles and not on listening to the forest around him, letting his eyes slide shut to reduce the temptation to continue squinting into the shadows.

He was not, therefore, prepared to handle The surprise he got when the other wolf unexpectedly joined him in the field of wildflowers. She didn't make a sound as she moved out from the cover of the trees, didn't give away her position as she picked her way through the flowers to his side. And it was only when she came to an abrupt halt a few feet away from him and her scent was wafted in his direction, the sound of her toenails digging into the ground accompanying it, that Hutch even realized that he was not alone. But as soon as that reality settled into place, his muscles went taut, eyelids flying open and muzzle wrinkling to expose his fangs, and he half sprang into an almost Crouch as he stared at the unfamiliar Black patched brown Wolf that had come to a sudden standstill in front of him. The expression of shock that colored her features, the sudden pounding of her heart, and the unmistakable scent of blood and pain that tainted her scent were perhaps the only reasons why he didn't immediately spring into an attack.

Hackles stiff along the back of his neck, Hutch tried to work the snarl off of his face as he carefully studied the she wolf, and had just managed to soften the expression into something that managed to hide his teeth but kept his muzzle wrinkled somewhat when he finally sank down to his haunches slowly. Nostrils dilating as he breathed in her unfamiliar scent, Hutch began to wonder just who this newcomer was. A new member of the pack perhaps? Someone brought in from another pack for rehabilitation purposes? That had been known to happen on occasion, though it was a rare occurrence. And if that were the case, why would the Alpha be sending her out so quickly after joining the pack? There was no way he would be trusting enough to ask Hutch to oversee the integration of an outsider on top of testing young werewolves... Would he?

Tentatively, Hutch stretched out A curious thought, projecting his question about the wolf's identity in the direction of her mind... And found nothing to connect to. He blinked twice quickly with surprise, his head jerking back slightly with his shock. He had only thrice before in his life met another werewolf who's thoughts he couldn't connect with. None of them had been part of his pack. The idea of a wolf from another pack or even simply a loaner behaving so submissively around him made his thoughts reel with bewilderment. He had never encountered such an anomaly. Unable to project his question therefore, Hutch found himself instead tilting his head in such a way as to ask the question. Who are you? Where are you from? He hoped she would understand.

Dree stiffened as the black and white wolf's eyes snapped open and looked directly at her. She didn't recognize this wolf and he wasn't brown and black like the rest of her pack was. His scent was unfamiliar and mixed with the smell of the wild flowers in the meadow that surrounded them. Dree considered sprinting away and running from the male wolf, but for some reason she was frozen in place, watching the wolf and looking deeply into his strange and vibrant blue eyes. She tried to regain her composure and project her thoughts asking for his name and where he came from into his mind, but got nothing. This must be a wolf from a different pack since she couldn't communicate with him through the mind. This intrigued her. She never before met another wolf that she couldn't speak with using her mind. They sat in silence for a moment, just watching each other as they tried to communicate through thoughts. Dree relaxed a bit as she realized she was not in danger. If this wolf was going to attack, he would have already.

Dree's heart was still beating hard. She didn't know why she was feeling this way. Usually when she met stray wolves that wandered from their packs it was all game to attack. Being a member of the Ferox pack, it was normal and expected to always attack wolves of other packs since friendships outside of our own pack was forbidden. Being the most aggressive wolf pack in the known land, this was a reputation that was honored and expected to be upheld. But, Dree couldn't help but stare this wolf in the eyes in curiosity.