Combinations

Blitz grinned at the excitement of the two wolves. He studied the herd a few more moments, waiting for the pair of bucks to wander closer to them, before he nodded to Inferno. He would go for the smaller one, while Fallon and himself would go for the larger sickly buck. He waited only one more moment before he signaled for them to go, and he leaped out of the trees, darting betweent he sickly bucks and the herd, separating them and ensuring an easier hunt. The herd scattered, sending the sickly bucks right into Inferno and Fallon's jaws.

Molly smiled silently as Coven spoke, sighing and relaxing as he began to lick her, making her sleepy. She yawned softly, nuzzling against him and dozing off peacefully, enjoying the calming, soothing grooming that he seemed to enjoy just as much. His warmth prevented the cool winter air from making her shiver, and she soon began to dream, resting peacefully and gaining more strength as Coven remained curled around her.

A cold wind shook the thicket as Casanova lay within it, and he growled softly, shivering from the cold. He wasn't built large and muscular like Biltz or Inferno, so his body was not accustomed or prepared for this cold weather. He curled up tighter, burying his nose under his tail in hopes that it would help keep him warm while he waited at the edge of the pack lands.

The moment that Fallon got the deer down, Blitz lept at his throat, latching onto it tightly and holding tight, refusing to let go. The deer struggled, but Blitz used his enormous size to pin it down, holding it still as the life slowly drained from it until it lay limp in his jaws. He shook his head a few times, ensuring that it was dead, before releasing it and panting as he looked over to see how Inferno was fairing.

Molly while Coven groomed her, the soothing licks holding her in her unconscious, relaxed state for as long as he continued. Her body was relaxed and limp as it rested against him, nuzzled into his thick fur, mixing the white and black in interesting patterns. She sighed softly in her sleep, and it was almost as if all the burden and worry was lifted from her shoulders, and she seemed healthier as well, if that was even possible.

Fallon continued to hold the deer until it was weak enough that Blitz could keep it down on his own. The deer was dying, so she charged over to Inferno and the deer he'd latched on to, which was taking a bit longer to go down than Blitz's. Inferno had been slowly shifting his jaw to get closer to the windpipe, hoping to crush it and take the deer out that way. This plan was no longer necessary when Fallon came up and, as she was unhindered by the need to hold the deer back, ripped at the buck's throat. Within a minute of continuous tearing by her and Inferno, the deer was dead. It was much more messy than how Blitz had done it, but it was done. Fallon and Inferno both grinned and looked across at Blitz, nodding and relishing the kill. This was heaven! Now for the part of dragging them back...

Coven continued to groom Molly, as he didn't need to sleep and wanted to make sure he was at least paying some attention to what was going on outside. It was hard to focus on anything but her at the moment, though, especially as she was beginning to look so much better. The wolf was thoroughly convinced right now that just the little bit of help Molly had received was making a difference, and he didn't want to stop as long as it mattered.

Blitz grinned as Fallon helped Inferno bring down the deer and kill it. They made a mess of it, but they got the job done. He wagged his tail, sitting down to catch his breath before they started the task of dragging the bucks back to the dens. "Good job, you two." He complimented, wagging his tail and panting softly. Their first successful hunt in a while. They would need the food for the coming winter, and these bucks would help them a lot in that aspect.

Molly remained curled up against Coven's side, resting peacefully and sighing gently as he groomed her. She dreamed peacefully, and grew stronger by the minute, her energy replenishing as well as her body fighting off her sickness. Soon, white flakes of snow began to fall outside, settling down on the frozen ground stubbornly, leaving a thin layer of snow on the ground. The first snow, signally the beginning of winter, and the beginning of the mating season. Soon all the females would go into heat, increasing tension in the pack, mostly the males, but also aggression and irritation in the females. It would be a difficult time, and hopefully the pack would be able to withstand it.

Blitz nodded in agreement as Fallon spoke. They had no choice but to come back for the second. He took the first, larger deer, into his jaws, beginning to drag it towards the dens slowly, waiting for Inferno and Fallon to help him. The dens weren't too far, and soon they would be able to drop it off and then come back for the other, hopefully before the storm got too bad and the scavangers got to it. He dragged as hard and fast as he could, wanting to get this over with so that they could regain their energy for the next hunt that would most likely occur in the snow.

Molly shivered slightly as a gust of wind carried a handful of flakes into the den to circle around them, making her curl up and blink sleepily up at Coven in confusion. What was that cold coming from? She whined softly, pressing against him slightly and burying her head in his thick fur, her thin form drawing warmth and protection from the wind from his large black body.

Laek took the rather large hare that Fallon had tossed her and followed her between the dens. Laek took large bites out of her meal and looked around. Not too far from them, the others were gathered, but she didn't take much note of it. She hadn't even met much of the pack. She didn't flinch much when Fallon decided to toss bones at her and Inferno, but instead just tossed them back. Only to have her new found friend bop her on the head as she passed by.

There seemed to be something going on near Molly's den, but Laek didn't question it. It was not her place as a newcomer to be pushing her muzzle into places. Eventually she watched as every one got up and walked away, Molly and Coven to find Chaos, and the rest to hunt. Laek would have liked to hunt, but before she could think about it, she was fast asleep next to the bare bones of the once hare.
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Laek didn't wake up to much; unless you count some snow on the ground as much. She awoke to her rusty fur spotted with snow. The snow was very light, and didn't look as if it would end up being too bad. The wolfess stretched and got up from her sleeping position. She shook the snow from her fur and looked around.The hare bones were still next to her, so she scooped them up in her mouth and attempted to find her way through the woods to the nearest water source.

Eventually she found a small stream and dropped the bones carefully into the running water. It was too much of a habit of hers, too much that she just couldn't drop it. It was an old pack tradition. Through the snow, she could sense Inferno, Fallon, and Blitz all in one direction. It also seemed like they had gotten a kill, maybe two. She decided to run over and see if they needed any help.

Before heading off, she looked down at her paw, which she immediately assumed was okay, since she wasn't feeling any pain or soreness. She quickly found her way to the scent, and saw the trio pulling a downed deer. It was very fresh. She looked at them and asked, "Do you need any help with that?" She tilted her head in questioning.

Fallon and Inferno stepped up next to Blitz and helped drag the deer back. Though it was not far to the dens, it was still a fairly slow journey with such a large hunk of meat. They were about three quarters of the way to the den when Laek appeared. Releasing her grip on the mean, Fallon grinned and wagged her tail in welcome. "Laek!" she exclaimed happily, as if Laek had been a long-standing member of the pack and was not just staying to recuperate.

Inferno also lifted his head and nodded in welcome, though he looked to Blitz to answer her question. The wolf had been told before that he had horrible judgment in how much injured pack members should work, so he decided to let Blitz handle this. If she was up to it, though, he and Laek could finish taking this buck back while Fallon and Blitz went to begin bringing back the other.


In the healer's den, Coven frowned down at Molly as she shivered and said seriously, "I think we need to figure out how to insulate this den better...way too much wind comes through. It's either that or you sleep with someone all winter." The white wolf was far to fragile at the moment to take such a chill, a chill that was only going to get worse as winter progressed. Sometime today, Coven would check it out and see what could be adjusted.

Blitz smiled in greeting to Laek, but he shook his head when Inferno looked to him for an answer to her offer to help. "I'm sorry Laek, your leg is almost completely healed, but we can't risk it getting injured again so soon. The three of us can take care of this." He said, looking back at the carcass. They weren't too far, and this was the larger of the two, so they could manage to get the other one soon. The snow was still falling, so he looked back at the new female and sighed. "Laek, would you mind gathering some pine needles and moss for the dens? This winter is going to be cold and we need to make sure that all of the dens have thick, clean bedding to help keep us warm through the snows." He explained, planning on helping her with the task as soon as they finished dragging the two deers back to the storage den.

Molly remained silent as Coven spoke, although she agreed with his assessment. It was far too open and not well enough insulated for the winter. But she had no idea what they could do to make it better. She had looked it over before and had been unable to find a solution. She wasn't sure what he'd be able to do better, but she would let him try. She pressed her body against his a bit more, burying her head in his thick fur for warmth, but she also found that she did it because he was comfortable and smelled good too, and she liked that.

The she-wolf saw Fallon exclaim at her arrival, whilst both Blitz and Inferno just gave her a nod and a smile. Laek nodded as Blitz denied her help, for her health and safety. Instead, she were to find pine needles and moss for the bedding in the dens. She would rather hunt with them, but it was not her place to. So she accepted the decision.

Laek left the trio to their business, and began to sniff out beneath the thin layer of snow building on the ground. It wasn't very hard to find any, since she knew the smell from so many times searching. She kept passing some though, planning to find the very good stuff. The moss that was thick, that was comfortable enough to keep warm. And the pine needles were easy enough to find; piles underneath trees, fallen pine trees that were easy to reach.

Before she realized it, she was at the edge of the pack lands, where Fallon had previously been, Laek could smell it. Cautiously, as she figured that she was at the border, she found a large patch of thick moss. She clawed at it, slowly removing it from the rock that it had made it's home on. She pushed her muzzle on it, at an attempt to help herself. It slowly came off, but it was almost off before she snapped her head up.

She was just discovering the scent of Casanova, whose scent had mixed in with the strong scent of pine and mud. She hesitated, but she decided to leave it be and began to pick at the moss again.

Blitz was grateful that Laek didn't disagree with his assignment. It was obvious that she wasn't pleased, but he definitely considered asking her to be a full member of the pack the moment that she agreed to do it. But he would worry about that later, right now they needed to finish dragging the kills back to storage. He lowered his head, picking up the animal and beginning to drag it once more. They were very close to the den, so they would be returning to get the second soon. The snow was falling harder now, so Blitz wanted to get them to the den before they froze.

Casanova was dozing when Laek arrived, but he lifted his head the instant that her scent reached his nose. He took a deep breath, slowly getting to his feet and crawling out of the thicket. That's when he saw her, and he was surprised that, although her scent was covered in the scent of the pack, it seemed like she was not actually a member. He slowly stepped into her view, wagging his tail and smiling, his ears perked and eyes on her form. It surprised him further that she looked quite similar to the female he had seen earlier. "Hello there." He said, wagging his tail and flashing her a charming smile. There was nothing but friendliness about his appearance, well, that and curiosity, for she intruiged him greatly.

Laek kept her muzzle down on the moss, but looked up as she saw a form appear in her peripheral vision. It was that scent again, the one of Casanova, but she wasn't aware of this at all. He spoke, and he looked happy. But Laek could only guess that he wasn't a pack member, considering the fact that he was straddling the borderline. Or the fact that he wasn't covered with the pack scent either.

She looked back at the moss, debating whether or not to speak. But he seemed friendly enough, but she knew she'd have to watch his every move. And even her own, she knew that she could not mess anything up, especially if encountering a loner. Especially on the pack lands that were letting her live there. She clawed the moss a last time before lifting her head and speaking, with a strong, quiet tone. "Hello."

Laek examined the other wolf. He was a tall wolf. A tall, funny-looking wolf. His fur was weirdly set, his large ears that crowned his face. And his neck, the mixed colours and it was sticking up too! It was an odd sight to Laek, but she didn't say anything about it, instead just waiting for his reply. But yet, he seemed too nice, too eager, just from how he was standing there and greeting her.

Fallon called out a "see you!" after Laek before returning, along with Inferno and Blitz, to the task of dragging the buck back to camp. All the wolves were silent and working hard, as all of them felt the urgency of moving fast and beating the falling snow before it became too much.

Finally, they dragged the carcass into the storage den. It was a relief to see how much of the den the carcass filled. Inferno actually smiled looking at just the single kill in front of them. With two, the pack would at least be able to survive the winter, and if hunting for the rest of the winter was even half as successful, there would be little to worry about as far as food. Silently, Inferno thanked the spirits for coming back and bringing this food with them. Thinking about his, the male frowned slightly, caught up in the thoughts of how he could continue to help the spirits come back. There were definitely ways, he knew, in which he could be at least less stand-offish with the pack. He highly respected Blitz and got along very well with him and Fallon, but his drive to work and stick to his job had cut him off a bit from the pack. Just in case that was hindering the progress of the pack, Inferno decided to try harder...just a bit was all he'd be able to muster probably, but still.

"Ready for the other one, guys?" asked Fallon, stretching her strained muscles as she looked out into the increasingly thick flurry of snow.

Blitz smiled as they placed the deer in the storage den, wagging his tail as he realized they would make it through the winter fine. But they still had another, and he nodded towards Fallon, turning towards the direction they had come and heading back for it. This next one would be easier to drag, and he could probably do it alone, but it would go faster with Fallon and Inferno by his side. He trotted towards the kill, shaking his body to release the snow that had landed on it, sending flurries all around him before he continued. The snow was falling harder now, a thicker blanket covering the ground as he moved a bit faster, wanting to get the kill back before it was completely burried and frozen.

Molly shifted slightly, sighing a bit as she rested against Coven's side, enjoying his warmth and his strong scent. She wasn't even this comfortable with Blitz, and it surprised her to find that she didn't want Coven to leave. But she said nothing, instead she buried her nose into his fur, inhaling deeply and sighing softly, her eyes closing as she relaxed and rested beside him.

The two wolves padded quickly after Blitz. Inferno, who hated water and any sort of moisture on him, shook the snow off his coat every few steps while Fallon pranced around snapping at the flakes in the air as they moved. She got back to business once they reached the deer. It was true that either Inferno or Blitz could have taken this back by themselves, but with the incoming snow, the quickness with with the three wolves together brought back the carcass was welcome.

In little time, the wolves were all gathered in the storage den, pushing the carcass toward the back wall. Fallon stepped back when done and exclaimed, still breathing animatedly from the jog back dragging the carcass, "Guys, I think we're gonna be ok!" She looked over the two dead bucks proudly before beaming at her pack mates who had helped. At times like this, after seeing how well they all worked together, she really understood how much she loved them and the pack.

Coven had relaxed so much into Molly that his head was now laying comfortably over her neck, encircling her as she moved increasingly into him. He couldn't help but feel way too comfortable so close to her, though he was just naturally not an adherent of personal space boundaries for anyone except those who could kill him.

Blitz grinned as Fallon snapped and bounded in the snow, obviously enjoying it while Inferno shook and paused and obviously hated it. He couldn't help but chuckle slightly, but he wanted to get the meat back quickly, which they did. When they finally got it into the den, he smiled at Fallon, who exclaimed happily, causing him to nip playfully at her ear in affection. He was happy too, for the pack would definitely survive the winter now. But as he looked over at the den entrance, he frowned. There was a thick snowstorm, and Laek had left to get moss and pine needles, still not returning. He was concerned for the female, but it would be suicide to go looking for her in this weather. By the time he exited the den, the wind was so strong and the snow fell so fast, that he could barely see a thing.

Molly, now completely encircled in Coven's body, curled up against him, sighing softly and closing her eyes. The storm waged on violently outside, but she was warm and safe in the black male's body, and she hardly noticed. Soon she was sound asleep, enjoying his scent and his warmth, and dreaming peacefully. She was surprised that the closeness to such an aloof male wolf had happened, but she found that she was glad that he had offered to help her, and that he had remained beside her and cared for her. She now couldn't think of anyone else that she would have preferred.

Inferno paused at the den exit, worrying as well about Laek. Like Blitz, he knew it would be impossible and extremely hazardous to try to go after her right now. They just had to hope that she had anticipated the signs of the storm and made it back. With that in mind, Inferno set out to check the dens of the other pack members to make sure they were there and to see if Laek had actually been able to make it back. He pushed through the wind and snow to Chaos' den and stood in the shallow shelter in the first inches of the den opening. Peering in, the wolf tried to see if Chaos was at least there before moving on.

Fallon sprinted to her den and lay down in the corner with her front legs crossed, her head lifted as she gazed intently out at the white that was swirling so think that nothing else was visible from where she lay. The thought of what the other wolves might be doing never crossed her mind, as things that weren't her responsibility rarely did, but she was slightly concerned at the intensity of the storm and what that meant for the rest of the winter.

Blitz couldn't help but make a wide circle around the dens while Inferno checked them, trying to see if Laek had made it back. But there was no sign of her, and he silently prayed that the spirits would protect her and help her survive the blizzard until she could be reunited with the pack once more. But as much as he wanted to go after her, Blitz knew that loosing an alpha would destroy the pack, and he turned back, trudging back to his den. But when he reached it, he paused, looking over at Fallon's den. She would be spending the night alone, and although she was healthy, her den was much too large and open for her to be warm and comfortable through the night. So he turned, poking his head in her den and sniffing. "Fallon, would you like to join me in my den for the night? It's much warmer in there. I would feel much better knowing that you're warm and safe, as well." He said, blinking to adjust to the light as he waited for a response.

Chaos lifted her head as Inferno's face appeared in her den entrance. She had seen the storm coming hours before, and she had prepared by building up a decent amount of bedding and insulation for her den before it had started. She snorted softly in annoyance at his appearance, but she did nothing else, no growl, no snarl, just a snort. Then she laid her head back down, closing her eyes and waiting for him to leave her alone.

Molly barely noticed that the blizzard was getting colder, or even the fact that Blitz, Inferno, and Fallon had returned. She was sound asleep and dreaming, relaxing and curled up inside of Coven's large body, safe and warm. There was no threat of the storm for her, not like the rest of the pack. She had Coven taking care of her.

Fallon turned her attention from the snow and smiled at Blitz warmly as he poked his head in. The female flicked her ears in surprise at his invitation, but quickly recovered and smiled at the concern of the alpha. Never one to reject a better situation, she got up and responded while walking over to the large white male, "I would love to! Thanks so much...Spending the night here alone was a very lonely prospect..." Would there ever be a day she wouldn't be grateful for having such a sweet and caring alpha watching over everyone in the pack?

Inferno remained stoic as Chaos gave her response, and silently he backed out, feeling zero loss in leaving her. She was both obviously well-prepared and obviously all to happy to live out her life in cold aloofness, and that was fine with Inferno. The tall wolf made his way quickly over to the warrior's den, going all the way inside and shaking the thick snow that had accumulated so quickly on his coat off. Coven was not there, and Inferno had a feeling he was with Molly, since that was part of the black wolf's job at the moment. The wolf stepped out of the den and caught sight of Blitz and Fallon moving through the snow. Inferno tagged along, since Blitz's den was near his own, and he was positive Molly was fine at the moment. Why upset her with his presence when there was no reason?

Blitz chuckled at Fallon's enthusiasm, looking up as Inferno fell into step beside them. "Would you care to join the slumber party too, Inferno?" He asked, tilting his head to the side curiously. It would be warmer with all three wolves inside his den, but he wasn't sure if Inferno would be interested. He might find it a bit crowded. But he could at least ask, so he did, and waited patiently for a response. He shook the snow from his fur, although it was snowing so hard, it was a pointless gesture. He chuckled softly, being built for such weather, it wasn't a big deal to him, but he still wanted to be warm.

As the storm raged on, Molly's dreams turned for the worse. It may have been the weather, it may have been lingering effects of her sickness, but she began to have nightmares. She whimpered softly in her sleep, burying her face into Coven's chest, her body trembling slightly as the wind blew through the entrance of the den and chilled her dreams, as well as her tiny, fragile body.

Inferno gave Blitz a small smile, grateful for the invitation, but really preferring to sleep alone. "Thanks, Blitz," he said, "but I'm alright." They had made it to the break-off point in their journey, and with a final parting look, Inferno left the two and curled up in his den, falling quickly asleep.

With a quick shake of her coat, Fallon followed Blitz into his den and sat down, licking as much of the water off as she could from her shoulders. She'd get her feet later. "Thanks again, Blitz," she said, looking up at him and tilting her head with a humbled smile, honestly grateful that she didn't have to endure this cold night alone. Just the size of Blitz's den was enough to make a difference - it heated up so much more quickly than her large one, meant for much more than just one, could.

Memories of the night before and Molly's nightmares flashed back to Coven as the little white female began to whimper, obviously dreaming. The black wolf's first instinct was to wake her up, but on second thought he decided to try to soothe her while letting her sleep, too. He pressed himself closer to her and ran his chin and neck over the top of hers caressingly, hoping to warm her and stimulate her body enough on the outside to dispel whatever horrible thoughts were going on inside of her.

Blitz nodded as Inferno declined and went to sleep in his own den, and he followed Fallon into his den, laying down as he entered. He smiled as she spoke shaking his head. "Don't mention it, it'll be nice not to spend another night alone in here." He said softly, not even bothering with drying his fur, since it was so thick and accustomed to this weather it basically repelled the moisture. He rested his head on his paws, sighing softly and smiling over at Fallon. "I'm grateful to have you as part of this pack, Fallon." He said, completely relaxed as he laid there, watching her and smiling.

As Coven's body tightened around her, Molly's whimpers softened, but until he started gently caressing her to soothe her, the whimpers continued. But as his movements soothed her, she calmed down, nuzzling into his fur and breathing deeply and seeming gain comfort from his scent more than his warmth. Soon she was resting peacefully, calm and quiet as she remained curled up against his large form.

The female sat for a moment smiling fondly at her leader, looking down at him with almost a look of curiosity in her smile. Finally, she got up to move more inside the den, laying down a few feet facing Blitz. "I'm grateful to be a part of this pack as well. It's so different from my old one..." It was indeed different, though she couldn't quite put her paw on it. She had been loved in her old pack as she knew she was in this one, and she had loved the others from so long ago just as much...some she'd loved and lusted after too much, which had caused the awful rivalry that had ended up driving her out. One day, Fallon would understand what it was that made the difference. Until then, she would just enjoy it. "Thanks for being such a wonderful leader, by the way," she added with a deep nod, for once serious enough not to be bouncing off the walls as she spoke. "It has made a big difference to all of us."

Coven continued stroking Molly even after she had calmed down. It wasn't late in the day, just snowy, and because he wasn't deathly ill, the wolf was wide awake. This time alone in almost isolated silence - Molly's bodily presence wasn't enough to count as company for him - gave him a lot of time to think. He went through the pack members, the territory, and the incredible happenstance of him joining this pack and assimilating so quickly, at least with a few of the members. Never for a second could he have imagined this kind of settled life for him before. There was the intriguing question of how long this would last for him.

Blitz smiled as she spoke, his head still resting on his paws. He didn't think he had done any more for the pack than any other alpha would, but it was nice to hear that his efforts were pleasing the pack. All he wanted was the best for them, and he planned to do his best to ensure that happened. He didn't have much to say at the moment, so he simply laid there, relaxing in the presence of the huntress an enjoying the warmth of the den.

Molly slept peacefully, curled up againt Coven's side as he pondered the happenings of the past several weeks. She didn't even know how everything had happened, but she wouldn't change anything. She loved that she was a member of this pack, and that the pack had so many other wonderful members. No one knew what things would have been like if Blitz wasn't the pack alpha, and Molly had no idea where she would be without him. She didn't know if she would have survived this long without Coven, either.