Lake Rodney Whispering

The fresh air did Shrike good, as he left the packlands, leaving behind mourners and those who had been quite quiet in the wake of the tragedy. He would have liked for the pack to come together more...But he himself was not yet ready to let go of the grief and anger he felt, so he patrolled the borders, assuming more solitary behavior as he protected the pack against any other intruders...But that would never be enough. He had made some very small ventures beyond the borders just to make sure that the murdering female had not come anywhere close to the pack, but when he awoke that day, he knew he had to broaden his search. He would stay within the Great Bear Wilderness, but rove a greater distance from the packlands than he had been in some time. 

It did not take him long, though, to happen upon a fresh trail of scent that made him writhe with fury. She was still in the area- he simply had been sticking far too close to the borders to have had any chance of crossing paths with her sooner. His breath quickening, he raised his head and howled like a hound who had caught a fox's trail. 

Shrike was an adept tracker and could follow the female's scent at a good clip, drool collecting in his mouth and frothing as he gnashed his teeth in fury. He cut through the tall grass like a scythe through wheat, silver eyes flashing like polished silver in the sun. As tired as he'd been, and malnourished too, adrenaline was sent singing through his veins, burning like battery acid as it churned his insides and spurred his muscles into action. There was no missing her this time- her scent was strong, he could smell her in the area, not just on the leaves and blades of grass she had touched as she had moved along. 

He slowed as soon as he came close enough to catch sight of her, and at first, he couldn't pick her out. He expected to see her running away from him, as he had not been cautious in his approach at all- but instead, she lay on the ground, flat on her side just at the edge of the lake looking thin, sick and weak. Peregrine's words rang out in Shrike's mind and he felt satisfied knowing that, if she was as weak as she looked and not just pulling a trick, he shouldn't have too hard of a time hauling her close enough to the Caldera for the alpha pair to come and seek their revenge. 

He approached at a walk, hackles lifted. He bared his teeth and growled as he stalked toward her, licking his lips and snapping his jaws to get her attention. He came within a few feet but was still wary should she lunge at him. He wanted to make sure he could fulfill his task without being injured or killed himself, and was not ready to simply trust that she was as ill and feeble as she looked.