Hellebore carefully picked her way down a steep incline, each paw barely touching the rock before springing to the next precarious hold. It had been quite some time since she had been this far down the mountain - though she had been born near its base, her steady ascent through the ranks meant that she spent most of her time at its peak training Warriors, assisting the Alpha, and speaking with those who spoke to the moon. A series of important jobs - she didn't become a Beta by napping all day, after all - but the pack's low membership meant she had to take on more work. While hunting and hauling were great ways to train one's strength, she had a special place in her heart for scouting: she briefly wondered if Black Forest knew that when he sent her out this dawn.
Hellebore lept neatly from a cluster of boulders to the ground below and took a moment to soak in the view. The twin rivers, the forest, the gentle curve of mountains - it was breathtaking. A wave of nostalgia and pride overcame her as the words of the Moontalkers echoed in her mind: The moon is testing us with harsh winters and those who could not withstand them. We must prove ourselves. She would. For the Moon, for the Mountains, for her Alpha - she would see this pack prosper like it once did, not long ago. It'd be many moons before the winter would arrive again, giving her and her Warriors plenty of time to train new recruits. They could do this.
A sudden - and familiar - caw from high above her derailed Hellebore's train of thought completely. That was Aphid, and that was a warning call. Was someone else here?
MiddyGlow