Hydra again trailed the herd. They were still present, and for that Hydra was glad. She descended into the lower reaches of the mountain, where the forest had trees aplenty to shelter the sequestered beasts. Sure-footed strides carried her closer and closer to where they might be, now, and Hydra paused to inspect a broken branch; blood, again, near it, splattered in a similar pattern as days ago when she and Osiris had done their own investigation. Likely this yet again opened that older wound; her nose trailed against the offending tree, where blood and fur mingled in what appeared to be equal measure.
With a huff, the Ostrega moved onward. A hunt would be in order soon... but she also wanted to watch the prey. She had an idea, already, of who it was that would be taken down that day. This would either solidify the conclusion she had come to, or else bring about a better option for them to hunt. She forged forward through the shaded wood, mindful of her surroundings.
Hydra continued onward. As she moved, her head lifted and her nostrils flared to discern something else: the impending weather. Nothing bad, just more of the same; snow would soon come to fall again. A few hours, perhaps. An ear turned backward as something else registered; Hydra turned her head to see the tawny features of none other than her sister. Too lean, she was able to surmise even in her peripheral, to be her mate—too careful to be one of her cubs. They carried with them the confidence of youth, and this wolf hung back.
Easy enough to know who it was by that alone. Yama had still been quite quiet, but Hydra let her grieve a while longer. She did it for those who could not, the new matriarch felt. It had been some time since Yama had been scented near this altitude. Perhaps it was progress, or perhaps the upper reaches were too difficult for Yama to navigate now. Hydra had years of experience and her parents tutelage on how to navigate such treacherous grounds both on her side... Yama did not.
Hydra paused in her movement to look fully over her shoulder, now—she chuffed to her sister in invitation, should she want to accompany her.