Kintla Flatlands The fall of the dream machine

The Dragonwatchers' ranks were sparse. Currently, only a handful of wolves called the plateau home. They were good wolves, though Koontz worried whether her pack would survive the coming winter. There were two Windwalkers and if they were effective, she could count on them to recruit members. There was only one Leviathorgan now, with Verrine's sudden departure. Yildun would be an asset as a Dreamserpent, yet the pack still needed those capable of physical labor: fighters, medics and hunters, especially.

The Alpha female did not want to wander too far outside her territory—she was doing her best to complement her brother's tireless patrols—but she roamed into the larger plains of the flatlands, pale eyes shrewdly scanning her surroundings even as she pondered the state of her pack. It's up to you, she thought to herself. Despite her penchant for advising others, Koontz could not take the role of a Dreamserpet. Yildun could cover that field for her while she took it upon herself to provide the pack in a more active and crucial way: by feeding it.

I guess that makes you a Boneknapper, she thought to herself as her paws carried her across the breadth of the land. It felt strange. She wasn't a particularly gifted hunter, despite her mother's prowess. Well, you'll just have to get better at it, her inner voice answered firmly. You really don't have any other choice. You can't survive the winter without at least one hunter. Koontz bit her lip and nodded, acknowledging the wisdom of her inner voice.

There was no time like the present, so Koontz sped up her gait and dropped her nose to the ground. She would hunt up whatever small game she could, then start stockpiling game in the woods on the plateau. It was only the middle of September, so she had several weeks before the temperatures really fell. The clock was ticking, yet Koontz didn't let herself feel overwhelmed by the task laid out in front of her. In fact, despite her mediocre natural skills, she embraced the challenge and rose to it with enthusiasm, hoping to make her faraway mother proud.