Neverwinter Forest Believe that time is always forever

To work towards his gamekeeper trade.

 
Alastor had spent quite a bit of time on the mountain, getting use to the terrain and learning where key parts of it were located. It was normal, for him at least, and he always took his time when it came to learning a new territory. Before long, though, he’d completed his little quest, and sought something else. A bit of adventure, if you will, accompanied by an opportunity to learn more about the area he now resided in. So, without giving himself the chance to come up with a reason as to why he shouldn’t go, the boy set off into the land beyond Silvertip. As he traveled, he was met with the realization of just how different it was from the valley he’d dwelled in for such a long time. He refused to linger on such thoughts, however, and instead focused on mapping out where he was going. Each step he took was engraved into his brain, each place he viewed earning a mark on his mental map. He wasn’t sure how far he’d end up going just yet, but was certain it wouldn’t be too great a distance away. After all, he still wished to head towards the sea and locate the bay pack, having the desire to meet with his friend Aesop. Whenever he reached the territory, however, he was bound to be in for quite the surprise.
 
No matter, such things were unknown to the Greek wolf, and therefore absent from his mind. The only thoughts currently lingering were those revolving around where he was, as well as where he was going. Before long, he came to a stop, and then proceeded to take in his surroundings. He had, of course, noticed hit entering of the forest, but it wasn’t until then that he actually took the time to look around at it. Pine trees filled the spaces around him, seeming to touch the sky above, and stretch out in all directions on the ground. The shade they brought with them caused the air surrounding him to grow chilled, but Alastor found it to be barely noticeable. His coat was thick, after all, and he was healthier all around thanks to his recent joining of a pack. No longer did he really need to scrounge for food, and even his paw was more or less fixed—though that hadn’t been effected by his joining at all, since he’d still walked around with it, prolonging the time necessary for it to fully heal. No matter, he was still better, and happier, too. The pack was a nice one, though small, and he enjoyed it quite a bit. Even now, as he walked through the forest, he could not help but think of the mountaintop and what was going on there.
 
As the argent wolf went deeper into the woods, a familiar scent passed through his nose. It felt as if it’d been ages since he’d last gone on a hunt, and though he knew he couldn’t bring down a deer on his own, nothing was stopping him from checking out the herd, or herds. Alastor’s pace quickened, then, and he grew thankful for the pine needles that littered the ground, softening the sound of his steps. He kept his body low as he trailed after the scent, eager to have the deer within his line of sight. As the distance between himself and the cervines lessened, his mind went to work making note of where exactly in the woods he had first caught onto the scent. He planned to keep track of the herds the best he could, and perhaps even ask for someone from the mountain to accompany him in order to take one down at a later date. For now, though, tracking them appeared to be his only option, as he had set off on his own. He did not know enough of the area yet, either, leaving him to believe that he was, currently, alone in the woods.

June was being a little missus today. She wanted to go out but FitzDutiful had told her not to go far. In her typical, retort she waited until his back was turned and then stared daggers at him. How dare he tell her what to do?! When she had calmed down, thanks mainly to @Mason, she realised the sense in his words. The nights were getting longer and every so often she noticed leaves falling from the trees. The leaves weren't green any more either, in the ruined destruction of the forest it made things only look more haunted.

She noticed a new pack member, Alastor, walking past her and towards the forest. That wasn't very far was it? Letting Mason know she was going, and caring not whether he joined her, she headed off behind the pack member, doing her best to be inconspicuous. Whether she was good at stalking, or Alastor was too caught up in thoughts, she would never know but she followed him all the way into the forest. She watched him look around it as if it was his first time in here and so she did the same, appreciating the sight. She almost missed him when he started to continue walking again.

A scent wafted through her nose. Meat, but not meat. It wasn't the same as the scent on the meat that father brought back from successful hunts and she excitedly whispered to herself (or Mason if he was there)  that she wondered what it was and copied Alastor's movements. She wasn't as stealthy, though, and broke numerous twigs before coming up to the side of him. 

"What doing?" she asked him.

Mason hesitated on tenterhooks for the barest of moments before slinking behind his father’s back and following his little sister. Loathe to snitch on her, nor did he wish to let her out of his sight – she was littler than him after all, in more aspects than one. He was hot on her heels within seconds, but he didn’t speak. Instead he let June lead the way and followed a few paces behind, letting her take her own path whilst he offered silent support.

It appeared they were heading after one of the newest members, into the trees of the forest. Mason sniffed in deeply when they hit the pine tree fringe. It was majestic and a little bit scary when he looked right up to the tops of those trees, and imagined how many years it took for them to grow. Generations of wolf-pee would adorn the tree’s bark from the very tip to the bottom; thoughts of this nature caused nature to call and Mason trotted sideways towards a tree and cocked his leg to squirt a yellow stream at the giant trunk. 

Upon finishing his wee, he looked around to see June had continued on add she had stumbled upon the wolf in question. Her pale form was stealthing towards Alastor, cracking numerous twigs as she went. Mason dashed after her – thanks to his stumpy legs he was already lower to the ground than most his size, but he attempted to slink even lower as he caught up and tiptoed the last few metres to the two wolves. 

He was near enough to catch the cadence of June’s voice and Mason whispered to her as he looked up at Alastor “Huntin’, right? Can we help?”

While the male had, somehow, been unable to hear the children following him away from the mountain, the snapping of twigs coming from behind him did not go unnoticed. Before the girl had voiced her question, he’d turned his head in order to look back over his shoulder. His muscles, which had tensed slightly when he’d heard the noises, relaxed once he’d noticed who was there. Though he had yet to officially meet either of the children, he knew enough to recognize them when he saw them. Before he was given the chance to answer her question, the boy had come up and answered for him. To which, he gave a slight shake of his head. “Tracking,” he answered, careful to keep his voice down low, just in case the deer were closer than he’d thought. Hunting had crossed his mind, but without the assistance of another, doing so wouldn’t end with favourable results. Turning around entirely, then, he gave the siblings a closer look, thinking over the idea of them helping out. He wasn’t sure if it was a good idea, but also didn’t want to disappoint them.
 
“We can try to catch something instead,” he offered, having decided on something. “Both of you must promise not to get too close if the prey lashes out first, though.” Alastor didn’t want either of them to get hurt. Not only were they the offspring of his leader, but they were also still just children, and he didn’t want any harm to befall them—especially not under his watch.

June had never been involved in a hunt before but the prospect excited her immensely. She nodded her head excitedly, making the promise that Alastor asked of her. She was liking the male before her, not only because he hadn't asked for introductions - a nicety that irritated her to no end - but because, well, he was so handsome. The different shades of grey that ran through his fur appealed in a way that she couldn't describe and his accent sent chills through her body. She wanted to impress and would do anything that the older male asked of her.

"I do anything you say," she said, the words just seeming child-like innocence and wanting to be good for the adult. Even though it was more than that. She glanced at Mason to make sure he was in on it too - he had better be because she wanted to hunt with Alastor and if he got in the way of that... well, words would be had.

Apparently his assumption had been wrong. To Mason’s eyes, tracking and hunting were the same thing. After all, why the heck would you track something if you didn’t want to eat it? The boy shrugged off the slight to his pride in being corrected. The larger man then turned to consider them carefully and went on to confirm that they could catch something. Mason’s smile could have lit up a room. Dad had taught them hunting skills, and set them onto rabbits, but this showed a promise of something much more exciting. After all, rabbits didn’t tend to lash out much – just hop away.

His sister got her promise in first. Mason shot June a funny look – he was not sure of the wisdom of telling a near-stranger she would do anything he wanted. He took a step towards Alastor, attempting to draw attention back onto himself. After all, he was the second in command here, as second-oldest (by a few seconds) and second-biggest.

“Yessir, we will make sure to stay ‘way from lashes!” Mason burbled excitedly, then he realised his first error and quietened his voice to add “and we’s got to keep quiet too han’t we?” Immediately he pressed himself to lay on the floor and await further instruction. In his mind, he was ready to follow the silvery wolf to the ends of the earth if required – so much for thinking June was stupid at utilising her stranger-danger skills…

Alastor offered a wag of his tail as they made their promises, relaxing slightly, but not being put entirely at ease. He wasn’t sure what types of skills the children might already possess, but didn’t see it as being too big of an issue. They’d promised to take cover if their prey got testy, and that was all he needed to know. After all, their safety was his top priority. “Very good,” he voiced, smiling at the both of them before looking right at the boy and nodding his head. “Yes, silence is one of the most important things when hunting. Wouldn’t want to scare off all the prey,” he said, looking between the both of them. Silence and stealth, as well as teamwork. Three things that were necessary when it came to hunting, though the latter was more flexible depending on the size of the targeted animal. “Remember to walk carefully, be mindful of what surrounds you.” With that, he turned around and took a few steps in the direction the scent of the deer came from. He placed his paws on any pine needles he could find, making sure to avoid the crunch of the dead leaves, then stopped and looked back at the children. “Make sure the wind is always coming towards your front, or else the prey might smell you coming and run away.”
 
After getting those last few words out, he closed his mouth and motioned for them to follow him. “Keep close,” the Greek murmured, voice hardly raising above a whisper. He lead them along through the woods, changing their path every once in awhile to accommodate the shift in the winds. Though they’d been farther off than what he’d originally believed, they eventually came across a small herd of deer. The cervines nosed around the space, searching for spots that provided the best source of nutrients. He stopped and crouched down, silently informing the two to repeat his actions. “Which one do we go after?” Alastor asked, his voice low as he motioned towards the herd with his muzzle. He wanted to figure out some of what they already knew when it came to hunting, to figure out what all he would need to explain. The foreigner had no problem taking the time to teach them, but didn’t want to waste any time telling them things they might already be fully aware of.

Silence was important, Alastor said, and June nodded enthusiastically - it wasn't going to be much of a problem for the silent princess to be, well, silent. She didn't realise that it extended to her movements as well as her voice. She had never tried to be silent and moving before. Alastor soon clarified that's what he meant and June vowed, internally, that she would walk the quietest of them all!

Following Alastor as he set off, June made sure to get right behind him - cutting off Mason and pushing her way in it was required. She wanted to be next to him and Mason would get a stuck out tongue if he so much as made a grumble about this.  When Alastor stopped and looked back, June thought her heart would beat out of her chest when his eyes glanced on her. It was if he was talking to her, and only her.

June was keeping as close as she could without being kicked or being in the way (she didn't want Alastor to think her a nuisance after all!)  and when he asked which one they should go after, June was quick to answer. "The big one!" she whispered- remembering the stay quiet. The big one would be lovely and juicy and have lots of meat to feed her and Alastor after all.

Mason drank in the advice given to them by this new mentor. Silence. They needed to watch the ground. And the wind needed to be blowing the other way – Mason almost giggled when wondered what you were supposed to do if you created your own smelly wind – but he managed to keep it swallowed in his throat.

He followed immediately after Alastor (although behind June who pushed ahead) when he was commanded to keep close. He tried to place his paws – large on the ends of his skinny legs – pretty much where the adult did. He could understand not making a noise but it was harder than anticipated. He did make a few crunches here and there. Luckily once they neared the deer, his noises had been stemmed by more careful placement.

He looked past the male’s grey body to spy on the deer. There were a few huddled together in a group – they were out because when they split he knew they would all go in different directions, leaving him uselessly lunging after one. He knew this because rabbits did the same thing and he had encountered it enough times to know not to bother. 

June’s outburst mimicked his original thoughts – the big one! More food for everyone. But something niggled at his mind, something his dad had told him. Always find the weak, old or young one – especially if they were on their own.

He looked over the herd again and spotted one grazing next to a tree, a little ways off from the rest. A branch cracked overhead and a leaf dribbled down, causing the deer to start and trot awkwardly some paces away before it stopped to look around. “That one” he breathed quietly, “with the funny walk.”

I went ahead and rolled the dice to see if they’d succeed. Sadly, they fail to catch the deer. :c Better luck next time, I suppose.

 
Alastor had anticipated the answer presented by June. It was the most common thing said by those learning to hunt, and he himself had been no different. Slowly, he gave a shake of his head to the little girl, before looking to her brother. Hearing what the kid had said, he turned his head and looked back out over the herd, eyes finding the one that had been pointed out just in time to catch its strange gait. Examining it from their hidden space, he could not see any obvious signs of injury, but waved that off as being of little concern. Though nothing showed on the outside—from what he could see, anyways—that didn’t mean the inside was the same. It could have hurt itself in a way that would make it an easier catch without breaking the outer layer of flesh. Glancing at Mason, the elder wolf gave a nod of approval. “Nice pick,” he praised, before then looking to the other child. “When hunting big animals like deer, you don’t want to target the largest one. That could get you hurt, or worse,” he explained, his tone signifying just how dangerous it could be. “You’ll want to go after the ones that are old or already injured in some way. They won’t put up as much of a fight.”
 
Carefully, so as not to alert the deer to their presence, Alastor started moving in the direction of their target. He kept himself out of sight, and motioned for the children to do the same. After reaching a new spot, one that was close enough to keep an eye on the deer but far enough to prevent them from being noticed, the Greek settled down on his haunches. “We’ll need to herd the deer away from the rest of the group completely,” he whispered, looking between the prey and the children. Taking a moment, he thought over his next words carefully, trying to figure out the safest way to proceed. “If you two think you’re ready, you can be the ones to steer it away and towards me,” he started, figuring that would hold a better chance at keeping them safe. As long as they kept a good distance, the deer shouldn’t be able to harm them. It was better than risking the cervine running right into them, potentially trampling them in the process.

June had it wrong and Mason had it right again. With a sigh, June resigned herself to not being the star pupil here - even as it bugged her. She wanted Alastor to see her more than Mason but it appeared Mason was the better student and he got praised whereas June got an explanation of why hers had been a bad choice. A tiny sulk entered her and she didn't look at Alastor, instead she pretended that she was focused on their meal options.

Alastor began to move, apparently happy with the choice that Mason had made, before motioning to them to join him. She pretended not to see for a few seconds before the excitement made her forget why she was upset and moved to join him, trying her best to be quiet. Alastor offered to let the two youngsters herd the deer and June nodded happily, accepting the offer. She wanted to be a part of something and maybe she could redeem herself there.

"Where go?" she asked, wondering where she was supposed to herd the deer to; she didn't realise that she didn't know how to herd it.

Mason had never meant for June to feel inadequate in her choice – he only knew himself because Dad had told him recently and it had stuck in his brain. He nodded, accepting Alastor’s praise quietly. He glanced at June but she was studiously staring at the deer. He was about to whisper to her when Alastor set off. Mason lingered for a second then set off after him – he heard the rustle of June’s paws behind almost immediately and felt relieved. 


It appeared they were going to be allowed to herd the deer themselves. Mason was extremely excited. He nodded enthusiastically, his wispy fur bouncing with the movements. June asked a question, but Mason thought he knew the answer. He didn’t say anything for fear of sounding like a goody two-shoes and alienating his best friend. 

He looked to Alastor for direction, ready to set off around the outskirts of the herd – did he want Mason and June to split, or would it be better for them to stay together?

His attention turned towards the deer once more, confirming the placement of the one they’d decided to bring down. Thus far, the three of them had each remained quiet enough so as not to alert the creatures of their close proximity, which pleased the elder. He believed them to have a moderate chance at success, but understood the scale was capable of tipping in either direction. Of course, he hoped they would be able to make the kill, but didn’t allow his spirits to reach too high. He turned his head to look at the girl when she asked a question, but did not answer right away. Again, he scanned the area around them, gaze stopping a little ways off. There was a space between the trees that created a sort of pathway, though it was not overly wide. On either side, a scattering of bushes were stationed, creating a decent enough covering for the argent boy. Settling on that as his place of waiting, he used his nose to point it out to the children. “Herd it over there,” he said, looking to June first (since she’d asked), and then to Mason.
 
Alastor was about to start towards his designated area, but stopped as he was reminded of something. “You will want to move along opposite sides of the deer,” the male stated. “It will give you better control over the direction it goes in.” If both lingered on a single side of the animal, then that provided it with the perfect direction to run off in. “Remember to be careful, and fulfill the promise you each made. If it tries to go against you in any way, move out of its path.” Each of them received a stern look to show he was being serious about what he’d said, though it looked extremely out of place against his usually soft features. His expression became far more natural-looking when the hard stare morphed into a look of encouragement. “You two will do great,” he assured them, though his words had not been requested. With that, he nodded them off, signaling for them to sneak around and over to the doe. He then started moving, too, readying himself to attack.

June was ready. She watched with a small whine of dismay as Alastor wandered off, ready to take down the deer they would herd and so she turned her attention onto Mason. Watching him, she waited for him to take the first move to chase the deer and she would be right behind him. Literally.

June, as much as she wanted to, didn't pick things up quickly. In the heat of the moment she forgot what Alastor had said to stay on opposite sides of the deer, instead she followed Mason constantly; snapping and snarling at the heels of the deer. Once she got completely confused and went after the wrong deer before she realised Mason after that one and reorientated herself to focus on him.

When it was over, June took a while to loose the bloodlust she had gained, a moment to come back to herself; she snarled at anyone that approached her for a good few minutes. She couldn't even recall what had actually happened in terms of details of her first hunt.

It didn’t even occur to Mason that they may not take down the deer. Whilst he understood that sometimes hunts failed, he merely presumed this was because a deer could not be found which had an ailment or was poorly. Alastor looked about and then advised them of where to herd the deer to. Mason bounced on his paws, all excitement and enthusiasm. He agreed with a soft murmur of assent to the adult’s reassertion that they should move out of the way of any danger.

Mason took off like a streak of lightning, pressed low against the ground. He knew June would be close behind, and he hoped she had understood Alastor’s explanation of how they were to split and herd the deer. Unfortunately he had not been clear enough, because June stayed with Mason. Or perhaps she was just scared now that they were in the middle of a herd. He heard calls of dismay from the deer as they herded their own younglings away, scattering and bolting like ants in a rainstorm. 

Mason felt his heart pounding with the thrill of the chase. He managed to angle around the poorly deer and they had it in their grasp. He moved off to one side of its haunches, careful not to get in too close and risk a kick, and growled viciously. Things did not go to plan. As they were pressing it towards Alastor, the deer veered off. Mason went after it, nearly received a kick to the head as the deer half turned to face them. The slender youth immediately veered away, Alastor’s warning chiming like a bell in his head. He crossed the path of June, gently buffeting her before she charged, ensuring that she was realigned to move towards Alastor.

The deer realised the hunt was off and made good its escape on gammy legs. Mason felt a little downhearted, but he could not deny the thrill was awesome. He trotted sedately to their hunt-master, his breathing hard and deep, ensuring June was following. Her eyes looked manic and he wondered if she knew what had happened. Mason stopped before their master, and cocked his head. How did we do? 

The second the two had taken off, he was sure the hunt would not end well. His words, he assumed, had been forgotten, overruled by the adrenaline of the hunt. Despite his findings early-on, he did not step in to assist them. The elder remained in his spot, observing their actions and mentally taking notes on what techniques they both had to show. The idea of failing a hunt bothered him, slightly, but success could not exist without failure, and he understand that well. Things had eventually shifted, however, giving the young wolves an advantage over the deer, but it hadn’t lasted long. One moment their prey was moving towards him, and then the next it’d veered off in an attempt to escape death—an attempt it had succeeded in, too, no less. When the boy had turned to head after the cervine once more, Alastor was quick to jolt upwards, but settled back onto his haunches the second the younger had backed off. While his instructions had been forgotten in the midst of the hunt, his warning had not, and for that he was glad.

When the children approached him, Mason in the lead, the Greek stood up entirely and looked them each over briefly. His gaze flickered off in the direction the deer had run, knowing they would not return to the area again anytime soon. He then focused his attention on the face staring up at his own, deciding to leave the issue of the herd for another time. “For your first hunt, you two did well,” he voiced, never stingy when it came to dishing out praise. A smile pulled at the corners of his lips and his tail swayed gently, silently assuring the children that their miss was perfectly fine. “It may have gotten away, but trials are never without errors. Someday in the near future, you’ll each be able to hunt with ease, I am certain of it.” Being taught specific methods of any task was important, but many skills could also be obtained by instinct alone. The same instinct he felt they both possessed. “If you would like, I can take you both out again later on for more practice,” Alastor offered, figuring it was the least he could do. Besides, it’s not like he minded spending time with the siblings. “For now, I think we should head back home. I’m sure your father is wondering where you’ve run off to.” He hoped Fitz would not mind their absence too much, but if he did, keeping him waiting any longer would not be the wisest of his decisions.

June nodded quickly and vigorously to Alastor's statement. Going out again sounded like a wonderful idea! With a skip in her step she started the walk back home. She was still feeling excited and happy at her first ever hunt. The bloodlust had been magical and raw, mystical - something she loved for she had named herself that too. As she walked she twisted and twirled through the trees, skipping forward and weaving her way back so she didn't get too far in front of Mason or Alastor. One or both of them would be in her sight at all times.