Duskfire Glacier Birds of a feather

@Phoryn and @Tikigak, other members welcome to join the hunt.

the scent of the caribou herd was fresh, mingling with the cold, sharp air. his muscles rippled with the ease of one who had walked this land a thousand times, sure in his steps, as his mate, tikigâk, followed closely behind. the stranger woman, a shadow on the edge of their small pack, kept pace near his side.
the trail was faint but clear— the rhythm of the hunt setting the pace. faust’s breath came in steady bursts, mingling with the winds that howled across the frozen expanse. the air was crisp with winter’s bite, yet he was unbothered by it. he had been born for this land, made for the cold.
they’re close, he muttered, glancing over his shoulder to ensure the others were still following. his eyes met tikigâk's, the unspoken communication flowing between them like a current. she would know the hunt as well as he did, and together, they made a formidable team.
his voice dropped lower, quieter as he addressed the stranger woman, keep your distance, stay downwind. a glance toward tikigâk—then back to the trail, the sense of the hunt growing sharper in his bones. they would find the caribou, and when they did, the hunt would begin in earnest.

He led the stranger deeper into the territory. And so, if the stranger failed to gain Tikigâk’s faith, he had thusly signed the others death sentence. Tikigâk was not inclined to let others live that knew the lay of their land when they might seek to come back for some matter of revenge. She could not know the mind of the other, nor would she waste minutes guessing. Having seen the other capable of stupidity, it seemed an inevitable outcome should this wolf fail in this, too.

Terribly, it seemed to her like an inevitable outcome regardless. Faust gave the other a chance Tikigâk would not, and so she would see this through—for him, and him alone. Could the other redeem herself? 

It would take more than this hunt. But it was a start, the very beginning of a perilous path. 

Tikigâk heard her mate, ear twitching. She peered to him in silence, stepping toward his side and sharing a quick look with him, slowing some to indicate to him, she will take us downwind. It would be important for them to know in their future hunts if this one could follow her nose, or if this sense was something she had been born without. It did not mean she could not hunt well beyond that, but it would mean that the other could not track the things they might someday ask of her to, if she succeeded this day. 

The bear of a wolf looked toward the one that had trespassed and gestured. The wind shifted. Show us the way, Tikigâk rumbled. Not an offer to lead the hunt, but an opportunity nonetheless. Are you capable of being a guide?

She scented them--caribou--upwind. Close enough, though they’d still need to travel a bit. As long as the wind held, they were hidden.

Caribou had sharp noses, able to catch even the faintest trace of a predator on the breeze. One whiff, and the herd would scatter, ruining the hunt.

And in this, she could not--no, would not--fail.

Her gaze slid to the bear of a woman who was flanking the other with steps measured and silent. Ice sharpened in her eyes, dagger-like, as she stared into her executioner’s back. The message had been clear before: fail, and punishment would follow. Severe injury, maybe death.

Neither would happen--not by any male, nor any female. She would see to that.

Just as the male had spoken, her devil stirred, acknowledging the same proximity. She gave a single nod in response to both voices. Her focus narrowed. Nose low to the ground, paws light over the hardened, frigid, earth, she followed the trail.

The wind shifted and her fur stirred with it.

The bear-woman challenged her. A test, perhaps.

Phoryn bared a hellish grin--and stepped ahead.

Smell their fear, their stench.
Hear their pitiful hearts beating--rapid, blood pumping.
Taste their cries on your tongue

The wind shifted again, and her nose turned instinctively, cataloging the scents that rode its back. There.

The herd had moved, just slightly off course, but they remained slow-moving. Still oblivious.

Unaware of who followed. Unaware of what hunted them.

She glanced at the others, the shadowed side of her catching the light as she looked back. A glint sparked in her eyes—wild, dangerous, predatory. But it wasn’t meant for them.

No, it was for the blood yet to be spilled.

They’ve moved, but remain unaware. We are still hidden. Her voice was gruff, darkened by the anticipation of what would soon follow.

A sharp nod, pointing toward the herd’s new path. There.

She eyed the others, head cocked, as her lips remained upturned. Test the wind. Know that what I speak is true.

faust watched her closely, his eyes narrowing with a quiet assessment as she spoke. there was strength in her, a raw edge that stirred something deep in his chest. this one had potential, but potential wasn’t enough to earn trust. she would have to prove it with more than words. the hunt would tell him what she was capable of, and if she faltered here, it would be the end of her.
he nodded at her assessment, a grunt of approval escaping his chest. you're right, he said simply, voice like gravel, low and steady. his eyes flicked to tikigâk, acknowledging the silent agreement between them.
he stepped forward, his body rippling with the strength of a seasoned hunter, muscles taut and ready. we follow, he added, his voice now carrying the weight of leadership. he would not tolerate failure—not when it could mean the life of his pack. lead.
his gaze remained fixed on the woman, the challenge still hanging in the air, thick with the tension of what was to come. she had the scent of something fierce about her, something that would either break or strengthen the pack. he had no time to waste, but there was something in the way she moved, the way she spoke, that made him think this hunt would prove worthwhile.