Redhawk Caldera The heart wants what it wants

Elwood laughed as Peregrine shared his opinion of patrols. The Alpha spoke the truth; it was not one of Elwood's favorite things to do -- he would much rather be hunting or tracking prey -- but, as Peregrine said, it was a necessary evil. And he did want to be able to add "warden" to his title, so the more experience he gathered, the better.

"Good point," he agreed as he fell into step with the larger male. He allowed Peregrine to take the lead, staying a few paces behind him as they descended the slope. Elwood noted the care with which Peregrine moved, and he, too, was cautious, especially because he was less familiar with the terrain.

All was quiet when they reached the edge of the territory, and Elwood paused to glance out at the neutral land that stretched far and away from them. "Thrilling is right," he murmured, for there wasn't a single movement to break up the beautiful wintry monotony. "I guess that's a good thing, though," he added in the next breath, wheeling to walk at Peregrine's side. "We're pretty far from the other packs, aren't we?" he then inquired, pausing to briefly examine a broken branch across their path.