☽ Trill ☾

          The young she-wolf trotted along next to the red and golden adult— her new leader— who had come to take her to her new home. Other adult wolves flanked her and the alpha as they made their way across the strangest nearly flat terrain she had ever encountered. Her former pack had lived in the mountains where climbing was the primary mode of movement, so the moor was a thoroughly alien sight. The young one thought back to a few hours ago when she had been told that her leader had made a deal with these wolves which included her going to live with them. She already missed her mother and siblings, and she was apprehensive about her future, which still seemed to her to be quite uncertain.
          As if the alpha, Fenn, had heard the young wolf's thoughts, she looked over and said softly, "don't worry, young one. You've ensured peace between ourselves and your old pack. There are others your age back at camp that will make you feel more at home when we arrive."
          The small, red tinged she-wolf kept her eyes forward on the path ahead, wondering what lay ahead and at that moment promising herself to make whatever it was good.

-
          Trill stood tall as she reported all she had found in her first scouting mission to Fenn. The report went on for a while then the young wolf stopped and took a breath, indicating that that was all.
          Fenn smirked and gave a little chuckle, "very good, if a little long. Now, it's been a long morning and you've done well as far as I'm concerned. I think you've earned some time off."
          Trill nodded gratefully to her alpha and turned to go and find something a little more fun to do. As she scanned the camp her eyes fell on her friend— and as it turned out distant relative— Hakaan. They had joined the pack at about the same time, so they had become good friends over the months they spent in scout training with Iaus. The red-tinged she-wolf bounded over to him now, nearly bowling into him as she skidded to a halt.
          "Trill! We were all just about to head to the river to cool off, want to join us?" A mottled she-wolf whose pelt looked like the forest floor in fall piped up.
          "Oh, hello all, Vaike. I'd love to join you all," Trill greeted the cluster of young wolves that Hakaan had been standing amongst when she nearly ran him over.
          There was quite a group assembled, including Hakaan, Vaike and Celwynn's youngest pups. This would be quite the energetic outing and after the busy morning she'd had, Trill would take it!

-

          Trill trotted into camp after the gaggle of puppies she and Vonnegaine had been training. The old, grizzled golden she-wolf trotted by her side, both of them heading straight for their den as if their paws had minds of their own. Trill shooed the pups off to their own den to get a well earned midday nap in as well, then ducked into the den entrance after her packmate. Inside, they tiptoed around a couple of others who had been up all night hunting and made their way to their nests to sit and chat as had become their wont.
          "I thought Liko did well today. He's really getting the hang of things compared to how he used to be," Trill noted optimistically.
          "I agree. He's doing very well. So is your charge, though. You're doing a wonderful job turning her into a scout for her father," Vonnie replied about Hakaan's daughter, Ataahua.
          "You think so? I still wish I could be half as good a teacher as you, Vonnie. What would I do without you to keep the order in the pit?"
          The two she-wolves exchanged a smile, spoke for a while longer, and eventually settled in for a great midday nap before more training later on in the day.

-

          Trill sat with Hakaan in the shade of a honeysuckle-covered fallen tree as they enjoyed the crisp fall weather and spoke about pack matters. Mostly it had been concerning the coming winter's possible hunting difficulties, what with the pack being in still largely unfamiliar territory that year. Trill had glanced up at that honeysuckle several times, silently willing the once lush vine and the whole forest around it to go back to summer when good hunting had been all but guaranteed.
          "However, we don't know for sure that hunting will slow down after all. Our... previous home was a harsher place; less cover for prey, not as abundant water sources and so on. We may well be just fine," the golden alpha broke Trill from her desperate thoughts, probably sensing that she was still very worried about the pack's new situation.
          "You're probably right. Just with our numbers down since most of the elders— our advisors! Then wolves left us during our struggle," the red-tinged she-wolf sighed and set her mind straight once again, repeating, "you're probably right, though. We'll figure it out."
          Hakaan fixed Trill with a quizzical smile, "you know we're the elders now, right cousin? It's our job to advise all these youngsters running around here like quail. It surely doesn't mean we'll know everything all of the time, as I'm sure Iaus and the rest of our elders didn't. What it does mean is that we've the experience and knowledge now to make the best decisions for these quail in those times of uncertainty. And if any of us isn't sure," he added with a grin, "we've got each other to turn to for some mid-crisis inspiration or load of crap as needed."

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