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Fenris never got desperate, even in the jaws of winter, with everyone's bellies pulled tight up against their lean spines, hunger a constant gnawing companion as they went along their way. He'd endured worse winters than this one and they as a pack would endure far worse successfully under his supervision. There were no doubts, there was no room to doubt in his mind, only absolutes.

Fenris was a huge wolf, built in a way reminiscent of the long gone dire breed, with thick fur which shifted silver and dark in ripples across his body, pooling in shadowy accents and fading almost white on his underbelly and paws which were topped in strong claws.

He'd scented the elk and he let the pack get riled up in anticipation of the hunt, you always did, you needed to get their blood up and pumping before you left and it was always the younglings that helped. "Bold." he barked at the young wolf. "I want you to scout the trail, take your brother, find it and wait for us."

"..where is your brother?" he asked.

Gifted wasn't with the others, much like his brother had guessed, he was sleeping, not in the den with the others but in a cosy snow bed he'd dug underneath the thick snow, curled up in a tight ball with his long sandy tail covering his nose, he stirred only when he heard the bark of the alpha calling him, starting and scrabbling out to pull himself onto the snow, panting with a big grin.

"Heeey. Here I am." he said brightly but could tell already that he was trying the Alpha's' patience with his attitude. He got behind his brother. "Hey Bold." he said, licking his face and nose. "What're we doin?"

Hungry, true to her name, was hungry. The lean lithe b***h was in the same den as sleeper and she bared her fangs tetchily at him for his comment. "You could have the decency to be less lazy." she said, nipping at his rump as she got up. "You are coming with me, I'm not hunting down prey alone while you sleep till sundown. I'll pull more of your fur out if you don't get up." She was used to her lazy mate and was more than happy to deal with him as the situation saw fit.

Deceiver had found things tougher since he'd lost his paw to a hunter's trap, and by all rights of the forest should have been dead. He refused to quit though and had mended off of the regurgitated meals the pups usually got fed, treated like an invalid as he was one. But he hadn't gotten so sleek and old - with his sandy coat turned grey about the angular face - without a few tricks. He'd found them some edible things, sneaking them a hare he'd managed to coax within the reach of his jaws down into their den. He wanted to look after Soft and was adamant that she would be well throughout this winter, even if her mate had been forced to gnaw off his own foot.

He wouldn't be going on the hunt, more a liability than anything else, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't find her something from elsewhere. The forest was dire but there were hidden troves of insects and other treasures to be found for someone who knew where to look. He'd lived though more winters than anyone but the alpha and he knew the lay of the land. "I hope the boys aren't stupid." he snorted. "Though the Alpha'll keep them safe I'm sure, even if they are."

He moved to lick the other wolf on the nose. "How are you doing?" he asked, more gently.

Hungry snarled loud enough at Sleeper it was practically a roar. It was pretty normal though, she was known for her temper and before the relaxed wolf it had been the general unspoken opinion of everyone else that she'd never find a mate who could handle her. She'd had aspirations of being the alpha female but after a few direct run ins with the alpha, fen had very firmly put her in her place and sent her off. He wasn't interested for his own reasons and instead permitted another couple to provide the pups the pack would sustain. Hungry was mad about this and had been for the whole mating season and her irritation hadn't quite sloped off.

"They won't get less ELKY but they will get MORE GONE." she hissed, moving to shove him roughly with her forepaws. "They'll leave without me and there will only be you to blame you useless mangy sack of fur." The chin lick seemed only to have stopped her biting him, which was progress of a sort.

"Get. UP."

Gifted whined happily at his brother, bucking and doing a playful imitation of a struggling elk. He laughed at the comment about his taste. "I found some really great musk to roll in!" he announced brightly. "I'm in-vis-I-ble." he said.

"Yer ******** stupid." came a grinning voice from nearby. "Could smell ye a mile away. Think the elk won't?" Good Boy was anything but, a huge broad shouldered wolf that some of the pack assumed had a bit of domestic in him, though no one would say it to his face. His markings were all wrong, with strange blotches here and there. He had bright blue eyes. "Help him groom that shite aff his fur." he said with that same broad smile and a relaxed pant. "Or ye wullnae be tastin any elk at aw'"

Deceiver nuzzled his mate with a pang of determination and pride. He wouldn't fail at being a provider when it was how he defined himself. He was a father to big strong pups and a partner to his mate. Soft wasn't in any condition to be out risking herself on a hunt and this was the slim time when had to do things himself.

"I have some ideas. I'll find something, and maybe the pack will bring something back too. If I fail."

He hoped he didn't fail.

Strange, a young female of small frame and reddish fur stirred from a small neighboring den, the ruff of her fur was decorated with dried flowers wrapped in ivy. She shook herself, removing ice that settled in her coat through the night and padded out at the sound of others talking. Strange was quickly and attentively followed by the mostly-white Snow whom possessed a very large presence and unusual black markings that caped over his head and spread out across his back like wings.

Snow followed Strange in a way that seemed like an over-protective mate, but didn't dare claim her.

Death had been up for some time, his thick wooly black fur covered in a light dusting of snow as he sat out front of a den, he turned to bark at the den behind him, "it sounds like the elk have returned."

The young grey-furred male within the den grumbled groggily and turned over.

Death didn't even bother to look up as Bone approached. He accepted the staring however for only a short time before turning his head on him and staring right back, the whites of his eyes very evident as he curled his lips in a toothy grin.

Raven grumbled even louder when Quiet moved and even followed him with his muzzle. "It's too colllld, come baaack," he whined obnoxiously.

"I don't wannaaa," Raven flailed his limbs in the air as he rolled over. "Can't the bigger meaner ones do it?"

Death predictably did not break the stare either. "Why don't you go back to digging up your rotted scraps?" he spat through gritted teeth.

"Mmm... maybe..." Quiet at least succeeded in getting Raven's head out of the den, he snuffled the icy ground curiously before taking a few testing licks.

Death responded to Bone with a loud warning snap that was accompanied by a vicious sounding snarl.

Raven bristled at the sound, "those two are already at it?"