Stone Circle A game of ego

@Nanook , Valette told her BTS about the wolverine attack.

Hawthorne remembered where that delicious looking pup was hiding. It was within the pack lands. He wasn't familiar with marking a territory or claiming lands. He roamed where he wanted to roam. However, the wolverine wasn't stupid. He knew that wolves claimed their territory and that they would fiercely protect it. Last time the wolverine didn't obtain a lot of damage from two wolves. He had grown confident. 

Though this time he decided to return under the cover of night. Normally he wouldn't go through so much effort of getting one snack. But with these wolves, he wanted to prove to them that he was better and that he could take their children when he wanted. Now it was more a game to stroke his own ego instead of having 'just a meal'. The predator ran towards the territory.

He ignored all scent marks that didn't mean anything to him and crossed the borders into the territory. Now he only needed to sniff out the child. He could still remember her scent, along with the female. He assumed the female had been the mother. Thorne loved the night, as he felt like a shadow with his dark coat and his vision being even better.

Her breath puffed like a ghost in the sharp and chilly air. The night embraced her, and she slipped through Easthollow like a shadow herself. Since Desna had told her of Steph's near death, the Apaata's eyes rarely lifted heavenward, even in the night. She trusted the stars still lived somewhere behind the cover of cloud, but even if their eyes were watching unveiled, she found her affections increasingly drawn toward things more precious than they. Fuzzy little squirmy things she didn't think would rub her like they did - but they did.

There was nothing odd about tonight, and like most of the nights before, the world fell quiet and at peace. A soft rustle through the grass marked the movement of a rodent or bird, the wind rippled through the leaves. The soft gurgle of the stream lapped many strides behind her, and the scent of Easthollow sprung more clear as she neared the edge of their home.

She approached to mark - and she stopped, legs stiff. Jaws parted. Breath puffed with a catch of fog. No - and she swung herself around, back over the flats with a swift and sudden lurch. The scent trail, fresh, and headed toward their heart. She didn't give thought to what she was doing, and pursued on legs as fit for the night as the stars.

Hawthorne didn't realize yet he had someone on his trail. He expected the wolves to be a bit more alert after his 'snack adventure deluxe'. But so far he hadn't met them. Hawthorne couldn't believe that it was going to be this easy. He grinned in glee as he rushed further into the territory. He tried to sniff out the mother as her scent had been there strongest here for some reason. 

He could see the forest looming before him. He was pretty certain that a mother wolf wouldn't keep their children in the open after an attack. The wolverine almost let out a yowl in glee. He continued on his wobbly type of run. Once he was in the forest the hunt could really begin.