and fill your heart with smoke

As she fell wordlessly behind him, the dark-furred male canted an ear backwards. Between huffs of fine snow he spoke, his voice hushed. "Stay alert. Be quiet." While it was command, it was done without any sort of admonition -- without halting to ensure her compliance, Dogmeat tentatively stepped further into the pack's perimeters.

About them, the frontier was rather flat -- flat enough that this time he was sure no wolves would spring from the rushes and take them by surprise. From their vantage, they would likely see a wolf long before it was within striking range. Easing himself into a predatory crawl, the lumbering canine slid in the direction of a small creek that gurgled besides them. He followed his nose, snuffing intently along the ground. Hunger fueled his brazenness -- and hunger alone drove him to be so careless of clear pack borders.