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"The plains?" Riyora echoed softly, mostly to herself. Iarni turned to share an expression of bewilderment to her sister, before proceeding onwards. Both wolves walked with a new ambition, a new excitement. Suddenly Riyora's nervous fear had evaporated, but much quickly, however, than the rainwater that was being eased out of the wood by the sun. Light shone down in frequent pillars through gaps in the leaves above, like weightless, golden curtains, and the two wolves crossed pools of yellow which had gathered in puddles on the forest floor.

Suddenl Zev came to a stop so abruptly Iarni almost tumbled into her back legs, and the cub retreated with a little "ngrng!" Rioyra, noticing how the white wolf sniffed the air, copied the action. The moisture still made scent-finding a considerable challenge, but the freshness of the air still betrayed the scent of another wolf - undoubtedly, a member of Zev's pack. Instinctively Riyora's hackles arose slightly, not in a threatening manner in the least. It was simply a gesture she could not completely suppress, activated by fear and uncertainty.

"Who's that?" she Zev. "That wolf on the wind. Is he a part of your pack?"

Riyora stared in utter shock at Zev. "You're trusting me already to hunt with you?" she questioned, eyebrows raised. She then cast a glance at the shadowy figure lying crouched at the mouth of the forest. He had a lean, muscular build, and was large for a male wolf. His fur was pale and silvery, and beautifully dappled by the shadows cast by the leaves up above, contributing greatly to how mysteriously predatory he looked... This unnamed hunter had not seen them yet, and from this angle, Riyora could not see his eyes.

"And... it looks like he's going for that fawn," she pressed quietly. "He can't take an adult but he should manage fine with the youngster... All he needs to do is separate it from the others, pursue it until it becomes tired, and, well... He'll have a kill. Let's just... wait..." There was something about this wolf, by his lean build and tense form, that told Riyora he'd already calculated his actions and fore-planned the consequences.

* * *

With hardly a rustle of the leaves Kaytar was thrust forward by the invisible springs in his back legs. As such, the nearby herd scattered - just what he'd expected. The fawn, its mother, and three others darted off to his right. The wolf turned slightly and watched patiently as they sped off, gaining speed and leaving him behind whilst he continued on a steady lope that neither increased or fell in speed. The four does were swift, and the fawn was flighty, but not as precise in its bounds. Its thin legs splayed awkwardly against the sea of grass, and soon, it found itself drifting further away from the safe presence of its mother. This was when Kaytar began to quicken his pace, his tongue flying and his hungry eyes burning into the bleating body of the baby deer.

* * *

Without a word from Zev for approval, Riyora took a deep breath, and burst forward, weaving through the trees with a new, focused intent. She flew into the green plain, following the narrowed path that Kaytar had forged in the soft, wet grass, and pursued the pair with her eyes on the fawn, now hopelessly cut-off from its mother. The hunter and his prey were quite a distance from Riyora.... but she would catch up.

Kaytar increased his speed very gradually, not enough to be sprinting after the fawn like a wild cat, but enough so that the distance was slowly being cut. The fawn, however, maintained a strong and bounding pace, out of fear more than anything. The youngster was beyond the help of the rest of its herd now. Its torn mother and the three does watched from afar, motionlessly observing its end with the passive sadness grazers have adopted after years of watching their offspring be chased to their deaths.

Kaytar was now almost upon the fawn. He could feel the soft thrum of its hooves thudding the ground, see the grass weave and swing out of its way. He could hear its panicked breath, the odd bleat of fright. His jaws were inches from its hooves, open, preparing to close around a dainty shin, or an ankle, to drag it down. Kaytar was precise in his hovering, though, and watched carefully for kicks, always going at the same tireless pace. Almost... So close to snapping that fragile bone...

With a shriek of pain the fawn stumbled, and rolled, to a stop. Its legs flew and kicked once while Kaytar kept a strong hold on its back leg, twisting its lean form beyond escape. He released the wounded limb and moved forwards to stand beside the fawn, silent in its acceptance of death. Kaytar panted, turned his proud, satisfied face - and spotted Riyora easing to a slow trot before stopping several meters away from him.

* * *

Riyora froze and watched as the strange wolf's eyes widened. His hackles flew up. She shied away slightly, flattening her ears. Maybe, her intervention wasn't so much of a good plan, after all... He was a strong, experienced immature male, confident enough to let the fawn lie beside him without any hold, free to attempt escape, but knowing he would simply catch it again, and again...

Kaytar nodded acknowledgement to Zev, quite impressed by the swiftness of her kill. Not only had she been able to take advantage of the doe's stumble so quickly, but she'd also found the strength to break the animal's neck. Such a feat was close to impossible to wolves. Even now, he pondered hard over how to seal his own hunt. The fawn was still trembling at his feet, seemingly oblivious to its injured leg. Terror had bleached out its pain.

"Thank you, although your prize is a little more admirable," Kaytar replied to his leader. He then resumed the stare on Riyora, penetrating and fierce. And what about you? What's your name? Zev... have you taken in a new member?"

Riyora cowed, then shyly smiled at his iron face. "My name is Riyora," she murmured with obnoxious emphasis. "Myself and my sister, back in the wood, are the last wolves of the Diamond Mountain Pack... We had nowhere else to go, so-"

"I care little about your past," Kaytar broke in a little coldly. "I'm not interested in where you came from. I doubt I ever will be."

* * *

Back in the forest, bordering the Green Plain, Iarni crouched huddled underneath a prickly holly shrub. Her muddy, brown-and-black fur provided astonishing camouflage against the earthy tones of the floor and the leaf-litter, unlike the streak of blue on the wolf she could see up ahead in a clearing. Iarni could hear two voices yet only one origin could be seen. She shivered but made no sound, as still as a shadow. Where was Riyora...?

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