Hellebore

Hellebores heart raced and her heart pounded. The whitetail deer's scent stuck in her nostrils and filled her mouth. The deer was running to her left and she could see its wide eyes, out of fear. It's sclera showing white. Hellebore clamped her jaws around the deer's leg, just above the elbow. The deer stumbled and Hellebore yanked, sensing weakness. The deer let out a grunt and faltered, collapsing on the ground. Hellebore skidded on the ground and closed her jaws around the deer's trachea. He family would be well fed tonight.

- Isn't much of a puppy loving wolf and prefers to spend her time with the adults or alone.

- Was the first wolf to join Honey in the fallen valley pack and holds a sisterly connection with the lead female.

- Hates being told what to do and getting bossed around.

- Prefers to hunt alone, but travels with a patrol instead.

- Gets angry easily and snaps at others often.

- Is the mother to Grackle and Briar, but never formed a motherly connection with them.

- Likes hanging around with those she loves.

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It felt like her ears would fall off. She held her head low, as if wishing the ground would swallow her up and stop the constant rambling. Raven was on a hunting patrol with Raven and they'd brought bossy Spruce and Hickory. Hellebore  felt like they were destined for each other and couldn't get their questions out of her head. Why couldn't they just be quiet and enjoy the scenery? They'd scare all the prey away if they kept this up.

"If you two could be quiet we'd actually have prey to take home. Is that clear?" Hellebore stopped, rounding upon the two puppies with a snarl. Hickory keeled back in submission, but Spruce stood her ground and scowled.

"Is. That. Clear?" Hellebore growled, keeping her voice low as to not scare any nearby prey away. Spruce met her gaze and it took every fiber in Hellebores being to not pin her. With a reluctant look, Spruce nodded and averted her gaze.

"Okay, let's go."

"Well I think they were discussing things just fine. We wouldn't want to dull their feeling would we?" Raven sneered. Hellebore turned and locked eyes with the she-wolf as she continued walking.

"I was talking to you too."

The walk was silent after that. Hellebore held her hackles high and her tail straight out in a stream behind her, a sure sign of confidence. Hellebore didn't want them to scare the prey as much as her head hurt from their blabbering. In reality, the forest was alight with sounds and life. Squirrels eyed them in the branches and birds took rapid wing beats to fly up and away from the group of wolves. She had spotted a hare earlier, but it was scared away quickly from the never ending rambling.

Suddenly, a scent hit Hellebores nose. She froze and shot her tail up in the air. Everyone stopped around her, their ears pricked and eyes wide, she could practically feel the adolescents excitement. She took a deep breathe in, looking at the adolescents as she did it to signal for them to join. Spruce and Hickory took quiet breaths, gulping the air. 

"What do you guys think that is?" Hellebore whispered. She as met with a confused gaze from Spruce. Hickory however, piped up, his voice squeaky from excitement.

"Pheasant?"

Hellebore smiled. "Close, it's a grouse. Small birds a lot like pheasants who like to spend their time forging for insects on the undergrowth. Watch me."

Hellebore locked eyes with Raven, the marengo wolf tense with excitement. She jerked her head towards the grouse. Raven nodded, and disappeared into the brush.

"Where did she go?" Spruce whispered. Hellebore turned to face them.

"I just motioned Raven to go behind the grouse. She will be lying in wait while I ambush it, so if I fail to catch it, Raven can grab it instead. If she's quick enough" Hellebore whispered the last part to herself as she turned away. Lowered her body, ears forward and pricked, Hellebore crept towards the bird. Her paws fell on the soft moss that grew underpaw, careful as of not to step on a twig or crunchy leaf from the past winter. Hellebore crept forward, more, more until finally the grouse had its back turned to her and was pecking away at a beetle. Hellebore bunched up her muscles and started creeping forward quicker. With a loud squawk the grouse went to take flight, before it could alight into the air Hellebores gave a big forward leap and her jaws sank in around its neck. Head held high, she turned to face Spruce and Hickory while Raven emerged from the bushes. 

"That was amazing!" They both exclaimed at once.

"Can you teach us how to do that?" Spruce asked, her tail wagging so hard Hellebore thought it would fall off. 

"Yes, I can, and I will." Hellebore said and lied the grouse down. She lifted up her snout and took another breathe in. Under the overwhelming smell of grouse Hellebore caught whiffs of others. There was a white tailed deer, maybe a few runs away, a pheasant was rooting around a bit to their left, and far off she could sense a mouse scurrying in the under growth.

"What are you smelling? I think I catch deer," Raven interrupted her thoughts. Hellebore took it upon herself to ignore it, and nodded.

"Yes, there is deer, but we don't have the tine nor the energy for that. Lets go... left. I smell a pheasant, maybe Spruce can give it a try."

"Yes, yes , yes!" Spruce yipped, quieting her voice once she was shot a stern look from Raven.

"Alright, we'll go left." Hellebore picked up the grouse carcass motioned for them to follow her. As they trail her footsteps Hellebore couldn't help but think; I am training the future of the pack. It is up to me to keep us strong.

And I will do everything in my power to keep it that way.