Blacktail Deer Plateau Waking up

Tending to Fox gave him a new sense of purpose, which helped him shake off the rust and feel awake (if not alive and enthusiastic) for the first time in a while. It also made him more aware of his grief-stricken loved ones. Some of them seemed to be dealing with the loss better than others. Peregrine worried, especially about the various coping mechanisms his kids had employed. He needed to do a better job of looking after them too.

His paw was healed enough that he felt prepared to start hunting again. Man up, man up, man up, he chanted to himself as he strode through the woods, tracking various scents. There was no more time to lie around, wallowing in his grief. Fox needed him. His pups needed him. His pack needed him. It would be hard to be there for everyone while still dealing with his own feelings, yet he needed to be up to the task, else he wasn't the patriarch the plateau deserved.

With a steely look in his eye, he lowered his nose to the forest floor, following a trail that eventually led him near a warren. He surprised a rabbit, gave chase and killed it swiftly and with ease. Afterward, the Alpha male stood panting over his kill. He'd felt useless, helpless and immobile for so long but, in this moment, he began to feel strong again.