Sawtooth Spire angst.

instinct.
it was something to which ancelin bearclaw had learned to listen. and it was what drew him out of the valley in a trot toward the mountains.
he had only told @Ameline where he was going; he left two deerbones for @Athalia and @Amneris, not wanting to discomfort them with talk of his brief departure.
instinct told ancelin that two wolves would not be enough to hunt for the children. to support a new litter would mean dropping their two hunters to one for a while.
and this was without the threat of the other, much larger packs bordering the bearclaw valley. with its involvement in his personal story still missing from his memories, ancelin had little attachment to the land itself.
blowing snow reminded ancelin that he and ameline had not dug or found a permanent den.
he explored lakes and vales, the base of three mountains, a canyon. two ridges and a couple of spires. he hunted small game and slept in the open, traveling light and with the determined step of a man seeking a home for a family which has already grown by two.

Void saw the young man exploring the mountains. He didn't look like he was new here but he did look like he was looking for something or some place, and Void's curiosity got the best of him, so he approached slowly. 

Still feet away, but a close enough distance to talk, he let out a low bark, to announce his presence. Then he said. "Hello. You seem to be looking for something."

dude was huge. ancelin, who had not been expecting to confront so bearlike a foe, stepped back quickly.
"me? nothing. just — hangin' around," he joked softly, foolishly. the indigo eyes blinked, and for now ancelin decided to say nothing about the other bearclaw wolves. "what can you tell me about this place? pretty big freakin' mountain."

Void nodded. "Cool." He said when the young man said he was just hanging around. He knew his big appearance was scary so he tried to make himself look as non threatening as he could.

When the boy asked about the mountains, Void knew he could talk a lot. "Yeah, these mountains are my home. Have been for a loooong time. I really like the sanctuary and safety they give, I raise my family on one of them. Lots of caves and dips, great places to make dens and start packs." He advised.

while the wolf spoke, ancelin glanced around. he wasn't willing to talk about the family he had left in the valley, not yet. but the mountain was huge and vast, with a frozen river and high stretches into the snowy expanse above.
it was more different than anything he'd seen, or anywhere he had yet lived.
"can i ask how many of you are here?" the bearclaw hunter asked tentatively. "oh, also, i'm ancelin."

"there's another pack or two around here and I don't know how many members they have, but my family is just me, my wife, and our 3 pups." Void told him. "The other packs aren't too close to us either. There's enough room for a lot of wolves in these mountains." He told the boy.

His name sounded familiar. Then Void remembered. It was the name Bear had originally claimed as his own. Void debated bringing up who he thought was this boys brother, but decided it was best not to. "I'm Void." He said.

another pack or two.
hmm.
ancelin considered the intelligence of grouping with another for the wintertime. he glanced around the mountain again.
"thanks, void. i'm just scoping stuff out. never lived on mountains before."
he stared upon toward sawtooth's snowy spire.
"what's to fear up here? bears? avalanches?" half-joking.

"Mostly just coyotes, raccoons, and other typical animals. There's some large deer and moose but nothing a wolf can't handle. I think i've maybe seen one bear here my whole time living here, and that was only in the spring and it looked weak. They don't really like the bitter snow." Void said. "If they ever are here, they're just in caves. And I've never personally seen an avalanche happen here but I guess its all possible." He added.

void was a wealth of information. ancelin looked around, nodding quietly. a man could get used to being up here, he supposed. "thanks for all that, man. maybe we could hunt before i take off?" he offered, seized by a bit of goodwill for the knowledge he'd been given.

"For sure." Void said. He sniffed the air and caught the strong scent of rabbits. "Theres rabbits nearby." He said. "Want to go after them or try to find something better?" He asked.

"hm. smelled some boar on the way up. rabbits would be more guaranteed, we could get more than one. but a boar, hm. dangerous. but a lot of meat."
his tongue lolled; he let his delighted eyes ask void what he thought.

"i'd be down to try to hunt the boar. I'm good with horned/tusked animals and my larger build helps me take on larger animals. If you're up for the risk I say we go for it." Void said, excitement in his tone at the idea of a good hunt.

"let's do it," ancelin agreed, bumping shoulders with the other dude before he led the way down toward where he had scented the animals.
their scent was thick here, their dung fresh, their tracks new. the variegated man moved into a hunting slink, looking at void as if to surrender the lead on this.

Void took the lead as the boar came into sight. It was a bull, a male, and it was a big one. "He's a hefty dude." Void breathed, making his words as light as the wind as to not startle their target. "We need to try to avoid the head. The best course of action would be for us to each attack it on either side and try to get it to the ground. If we can get him down, I can hold his head down and keep the horns out of the way while you kill it. Are you down for that plan?" he asked.

a switch of his tail agreed. "good plan, man," ancelin complimented, impressed by void's grasp of hunting.
when the big man went, he would move, slipping easily into his role and striking for the beast.

Void lunged to the beast's left as his company went for its right. As the boar weakened, Void took out its leg, making it buckle. The second it hit the ground he went for its thrashing head and gestured with his tail that it was Ancelin's time to shine, aka, kill it

the mountain-man moved with a raw power that ancelin would never be able to achieve at his most rugged. beneath his hard grasp, the pig surged and squealed but to no avail. after psyching himself up for a minute, ancelin darted forward, under the tusks, and ripped the animal's throat open.
a final piercing scream echoed over the cliffs, and he looked in awe toward void.