Dixie

Dixie had participated in her first hunt that the target had been a large animal. Adrenaline from this hunt still ran through her veins, though the edge had worn off. She no longer felt that invincible feeling but she was still feeling pretty excited. She had thanked Argolis for telling her that she had done well, through the big chunk of meat that was in her jaws. Then the pack had set off towards the den.

Her steps were taken with purpose and it would be obvious that she was in a good mood, the pack had been successful in their hunt and she had helped to bring down an animal that was bigger than she had ever seen before. And, it did not take long before she reached the dens along with the pack. Once there she put down the chunk of meat and waited for Argolis to give any further orders.

Argolis & Others

Even though Rexina had showed great skill and courage in the hunt, and had been a keypoint in bringing the bison down, Argolis found his mind fixated on Dixie; something about her had caught his eye when she first came here, though he couldn't figure out just why. Maybe it was her looks? Maybe her personality? Either way, he found himself traveling nearer to her than anyone else when they entered the old factory.

"Those of you able to travel," The solo alpha spoke out, raising his powerful voice for the whole pack to hear, "-you can follow our trail to the Ashen Domes, where there's plenty of meat for you all get your fill. For the old and young, we've brought meat to share." The piece of meat that he'd carried was set down near Dixie's piece.

Desmond, Pistol, and Bullet filed in shortly after the alpha and the boxer, each with a hunk of meat that they added to the pile. "So, what'd you think of the hunt?" Pistol whispered this to Rexina once he'd deposited his meat to the pile. "It's not terribly often that we take on big game like that, but fresh meat will be greatly welcome to the rest of the pack."

Rexina

Rexina came in after the others, and deposited the meat where they had, then moved away a bit to clear the area a bit for those who was to eat.
She listened to Pistol, then answered in a low tone bordering on a whisper:
"I think the hunt was good, good teamwork, good leadership. I think we were lucky though, or the beast might have been tired. It didn't put up much of a fight."
She was glad no one had been hurt, but also a bit surprised. She had expected more injuries since the others of the pack were not purely feral.

Auri; Juliet

Auri loped out of one of the rooms on the second floor and practically slid down the stairs like jello. The thin, underweight steel-gray coywolf almost had to drag herself to the group. It had been days since she had last eaten, and she was much too weak to hunt. She had been weak since birth, and if it weren't for the Lurkers, either Saydin or natural selection would have taken her by now.
It was cold. Really cold, and the thin canine could barely regulate her temperature. And the white snow outside reminded her of Kahvi's white fur. "So many losses..." She mumbled, tears forming in her eyes. "It's been years since my father died, but I still miss him." Her own mother had killed her father, and Auri never found a reason why. Was there even a reason?
Her golden eyes then seemed to light up with raging fire. "As soon as spring comes..." She paused and looked at the group. "I'm going to kill Saydin. I want her to suffer like I have suffered. I'm going to watch the light leave her eyes." For such a timid creature, she spoke very sinisterly.
Moments later, she snapped out of her trans-like state. She began shaking, almost unable to stand. "Desmond?" The canine whimpered, stumbling toward her friend. She honestly wasn't sure if she was going to make it through the winter.

Juliet jumped in fright when the hunting party arrived. She had gotten used to being around the canines in the alleys, but she wasn't hiding in the shadows anymore. But she quickly regained her composure and took a few very cautious steps toward the group. The long-legged, lean tortoiseshell mixed-breed cat, who was also chimeric as evidenced by her "half-and-half" face, spoke up in a meek, squeaky, kitten-like voice: "Hello, I was...I was wondering if I could speak to the alpha of this pack?" Her tail was instinctually bottle-brush-fluffy and the fur along her spine was raised. She was absolutely terrified of what might happen...but she would take that risk.

Dixie

Dixie had not really noticed when Argolis had traveled closer to her than he had any of the others. Though, as she walked back she did find her thoughts on the alpha male. She had the greatest respect for him, but here lately her thoughts had been on more than her respect for him. She found herself being drawn to him for other reasons. Though, she tried to push these thoughts from her mind it was impossible. Just the way he spoke to her like an equal while he was far above her was one thing that she liked. As Argolis spoke, she just backed off slightly, away from the meat to allow the old, young, and disabled access to the meal. She hoped that Argolis might take time now for another conversation with her, but she would understand if he had other things to do.

Guess

Guess' tail wagged to and fro merrily as the female canine had spoken to him, introducing herself and also the older male. He was not sure what a beta was, truly, but he did not ask. After all, he figured it was some type of rank that he had heard about but he was not sure so he just nodded. As he had began to reply, the cat dropped in startling him.

He made no judgement of the cat until the others spoke, saying that the cat could possibly be an asset, so he just stood by still as the cat spoke her name. Not long after that, the hunting group returned and the cat made her way to the alpha, wanting to speak to him. Guess followed behind them, unsure what else to do and not making any other movements or saying anything, just waiting to be acknowledged with his tail still wagging.

Argolis & Others

The alpha had it in mind to speak with Dixie, and would have too, but his role as the leader of the pack got in the way and he was forced to postpone the conversation, for a few minutes at least. The first thing that he noticed shortly after entering the building was the return of Audra and the others. He acknowledged them with a questioning expression if they happened to look his way, but before he could get to them, something else had his attention. Argolis flashed his fangs and stepped briskly forward, with his brindled head held low to the ground near Juliet. "What business does a cat have with me and my pack?" Obviously, his reaction was in stark contrast to the friendlier responses of Audra and Ninaki, but then, that was all a part of the fiery male's personality. "Speak quick, cat."

Desmon eyed the cat in a more sympathetic way, but didn't dare interfere with his alpha's business. In any case, it was Auri that caught his eye, whose sorry condition brought a pang of worry to his heart and urged him forward to meet her as she came down from the stairway. "Hush Auri." Desmon whispered kindly. He knew that she could get into states like this, trance-like in quality, and he always tried to snap her out of them. "That's talk for another time." The hybrid moved up beside her, offering his thick coat and warmth to help warm her up, while his sturdy side could be leaned on for support if she needed it. "We've just made a kill, and there's plenty of meat brought back."

Pistol watched as Kambode Jr., Orchila, and Rataska all headed out into the dark of night to retrace the pack's scent to the kill. Skeil decided against venturing out tonight, preferring to stay out of the wind, where her shorter coat left her more vulnerable to the cold, and so the aging terrier was one of those feasting thankfully on the meat brought back by the hunters. Pistol felt a sense of satisfaction settle over him at having helped feed the pack tonight, and turned back to conversation with Rexina, "A mix of luck and skill." The mixbreed summed up with a touch of a smile, before he sobered and spoke more seriously, "Though I'd definitely say the beast was weakened and sick. A lot of bison died this year from some illness, and no doubt that bull was affected by it."

Rexina

Rexina eyed those who went to feed from the kill, then back at those who didn't. She didn't like them going off alone, when that coyote had sniffed out their kill. It might have a pack of it's own. Either way, she stayed put and listened to Pistol.
"If it was sick, it might carry on to us. Wouldn't it be safer to hunt safer food for the little ones?"
Her eyes wandered to the young ones. Had she been more considerate she might have warned about the elderly getting sick too, but she wasn't. The young ones would grow up to be useful, the old ones.. not so much.
"Perhaps it could be tested on the malformed one before the others were allowed it?"

Audra & others

Upon hearing noise, Audra looked up, wondering what was going on. She spotted a unknown vixen before her holding a considerable size of meat in her jaws. Her mouth slightly watered at the scent, but otherwise her senses were checking for her pack members. Her body had tensely stiffed up afraid for a moment that something had happened when she didn’t see Argolis and the others with Dixie right away. She calmed down when she soon saw her new alpha, and ears pricked she spotted Desmon, Pistol, and Bullet coming in behind along with another new canine. This one was even more new then the pups and the fea Dixie, she must of joined right before the hunt. Curiosity to meet both femmes came, but for now she backed off. Silvery black auds swerved in the direction of her leader when he spoke up, his voice hard pitched. A wag of her tail was given at the thought of another journey to the wild lands. After the one from today, her muscles had tenses up from relaxing too much, and it would be nice to stretch them out again.

Glancing toward Ninaki, her brown eyes filled with slight worry, she knew he wouldn’t be making the journey there. For a moment he wondered if he would be alright without her warmth, but she soon decided that there were plenty of other pack members here. Surely he wouldn’t be so stubborn not to ask for help if he needed it. He may be beta, but he was the same as the rest of them, and she just knew some how that he understood that. Before getting to her paws she gave the elder a few more cleaning looks, deciding that she would check on him when she returned. Audra wouldn’t ever voice it, but she was growing worried that the brute wouldn’t last through the winter, and if he was it would be with some serious looking after, and she would help all she could. The lurkers have lost so much, they couldn’t loose another valuable member. Padding toward the return group, she carried herself in subordinate position, giving a bow of her head toward the new alpha. Picking a chunk of the meat up, she moved back to where she came from, and once there she placed the meat down by Ninaki, not sure if he ate the rabbit or not. Either way the skinny elder would need some meat on his bones. Giving him a respectful dip of her head, she backed away, glancing to Guess, who she assumed would still be in the same spot.

Hearing a new voice, she spotted Auri, another pack member. When she saw her thin she was, Audra began to worry. Listening to her words she couldn’t help remember that Saydin was the young coy wolf’s mother. The silvery black wolfess had never met the monster that had caused so many problems in the valley, but even she knew she must be really bad if her own children despised her. Blinking she watched as Desmon gave over and spoke to Auri. Waiting till it seemed that their conversation was done, she came forth, making sure her approach would be known. She didn’t like to eavesdrop on others. She spoke to the young female, her voice soft and timid as usual. Her brown orbs almost traveled down to look at her paws, but she stopped her self from doing so. If she couldn’t be confident among her own pack, she couldn’t be confident at all she chided herself.

Auri, I have a favor to ask. I‘m going to get some food, but could you keep Ninaki company?

She wasn’t saying that they both could keep each other warm, she didn’t want to point out Auri’s conditions if the fea wasn’t wanting it pointed out. In a way she was making it seem like Auri would be doing a favor for her, and helping out her pack mates. She hoped the other wouldn’t be offended, but once she got a reply, she moved on, a soft thank you given if she said yes or no. The alpha came into her brown orbs, and she caught his glance. She would have to explain their absent to the confused alpha, and for a moment she wondered if he would be hostile. She saw how he was addressing Juliet, and it made her nervous, but she forced herself forward, taking a stance near Guess, Dixie, Argolis, and Juliet. After the conversation with the cat, she spoke her voice timidly soft, and her eyes barely meeting the alpha’s.

I’m sorry for our absents, we stayed behind to bury Taros and Kane. We finished some time at night, and we thought it’d be best if we waited to travel during day. I‘m sorry to hear about Lyckos, but I‘m sure you‘ll take good care of us Argolis.

After explaining herself to her alpha, and getting a answer, she turned to the three legged wolf beside her. She spoke her voice a little excited at traveling with family and friends. She would make sure she brought plenty of meat back with her for everyone, and even if their was too much, they could always store it for later when it was harder times. Stretching her legs out, she spoke to Guess, wondering if he would take her up on her options.

Would you like to travel to the food with me and my siblings? Your siblings can come too, if they want. The more jaws, the more meat we can bring back.

~~~Vixen~~~
The black vampress looked up to see the pack and alpha return. Listening to him, she wondered what kind of prey they caught. At Lerna’s question she gave her a smile also acknowledging the fact that they were healing. She parted her music box and spoke, her voice calm and collected.

I feel good, I’m lucky I didn’t get hurt as bad as everyone else.

She didn’t flinch when her pack mate looked over her wounds, and she glanced at her own pack mate’s wounds. Listening to her sigh, Vixen wondered if she had taken this too far, had she spoken out of rank? Watching Lerna she was relieved to hear her speak after her sigh. So she had had doubts at first too? She didn’t fell she bad now. At the older fea’s words, she gave a smile as her voice came out as a soft tease.

Was there any doubt? It’ll take more than a few felines to keep me down.

Black ears pricked when she heard the sound at the same time as the hybrid in front of her. Turning to see what was going on, she saw a cat? What the hell, why would the feline venture in a place full of canines? She looked to Lerna to see her reaction, but she was concentrating on something else. Turning her head, she raised it to see who had caught her attention. A hint of her brown chin was exposed as she caught sight of her siblings. Hedes and Breeze. Where was Falcon? She watched as Hedes curled by himself, and she mentally told herself she would have to check on him, and clean his injuries. Waiting for Breeze to make it near her, she listened to his words, thankful that he wasn’t hurt. Brushing her tail against Breeze’s and Lerna’s pelts she moved on toward some other members, wondering about the hunt.

Pistol was talking about bison getting sick, and how the one they felled had it too. She was going to ask if it was safe, by the new fea, who she hadn’t met yet, spoke before she could. However her words brought a fierce anger to her eyes, and a low snarl coming form her throat. Her bristling hackles were raised, and it was clear she was furious. How dare she! Vixen’s words came out like a lashing whip, her tone cold but calm, for now.

We don’t give meat to our pack members to test it for sickness. The weak and older wolves have just as much respect as the strong and young. How about we let you try it?

It took her a moment to lower her hackles, but she finally did as she waited for a response. Old wolves were just as important as the young ones. They had knowledge the young still hadn’t learnt, and they teach us. Her mind couldn’t help but think of Skeil, Ninaki, and many of the other older wolves in the back. They didn’t deserve to get sick by testing the food, it was wrong, and Rexina’s suggestion had been foolish, even if she had only been trying to help. Forcing her fur to lie flat, she tried to calm herself before she went off on her new pack mate. Still these were Vixen’s friends and family she had just so calmly suggested be used like lab rats. It was sickening, didn’t she care for her new pack? She was strange, and for a moment she wondered why she was so willing to let the old and deformed pack members be tasters for diseases. Perhaps she had over stepped her bounds by challenging the fea, but Vixen was being very protective of her pack members, and she really didn't like her idea and how she spoke it, like it was no big deal.

~~~Hedes~~~
Hedes looked up from where he was laying when he heard the feline crash through the beams. What the crap was going on now? Looking up, his face filled with some annoyance and curiosity at being disturbed from his sleep. Giving a small yawn, he was about to go back to his slumber when he heard more noises. Sniffing the air he smelled the returning members of the pack, along with the scent of meat. His stomach gave a protest, reminding him how hungry he was. Getting to his dirt covered paws, he stretched before giving a nod to Argolis, who was holding himself in alpha position. It didn’t take much time to guess that Lyckos was gone on absent or something, and he’d ask someone later what had happened. Right now he was hungry, and he was going to take care of that first. He just hoped that the old alpha hadn’t been killed or something. That would be another tragedy brought to the pack after the death of Taros and Kane. Shaking the thoughts from his head, he moved on toward other thoughts. All that mattered was that they had someone to lead them during these times. For a moment he watched as the unknown feline approached the wolves, and asked to speak to the alpha. It wasn’t long before Argolis let himself be known, and soon he was upon the feline with fierce questions as to why she was here. He didn’t blame the new alpha, this cat could be a spy that had been watching them for days, or what not. They didn’t know if what she said was true. Although he did pity the small creature for having to face such a larger foe, and it was clear this one would be no match against one dog, let alone a whole pack. Oh well, she had gotten her own self in this mess, and she would prove smart and brave if she could get out. At least that’s how he saw it. Then he gave a wag of his tail before following after Kambode Jr., Orchila, and Rataska into the cold night. He really didn’t feel it, thanks to his thick fur. It wasn’t long before his paws began to hit upon the ground in a fast rhythm to catch up his pack mates, and walk along with them, enjoying the silent company as he made his way to dinner.

~~~Breeze~~~
He listened to Lerna’s words, and simply gave a nod to let her know he agreed with her. He turned his attention to where his pack mates were returning through the doors, their jaws full of meat for the weak and sick. His tail gave a wag for a moment at the thought of something to eat. However, he knew he would have to travel to get it, and that was okay with him. A night run would be fun. His orbs were watching as his sister, Audra went to talk to their new alpha, probably explaining their absent, and so he watched on. It seemed like his shy sister was getting some of the timidness out of her system. Breeze wondered what was going to happen to the cat that snuck up on them. Giving his light brown pelt a quick shake, he was about to go join Audra when he noticed Vixen’s angry attitude toward one of the new comers. Uh oh, what could possible of happened now? He stepped away from the dark area of the stairs, letting his pelt catch some moonlight from the windows, as he headed toward Vixen to calm her down. The white spots on his cheeks would be noticeable, resembling a kind of blush on each side. He figured that fea just wasn‘t in a talking mood, and perhaps his sister was just taking it the wrong way as a insult. He didn‘t know, but he did know that he didn‘t want any kind of trouble that might be coming after her aggressive actions. Coming closer he heard his sister’s words thrown toward Rexina, and he wondered for a moment what the femme had said that was so bad. Something about letting the pack members try food to see if it had anything wrong with it? His yellow orbs widened as he glanced toward Pistol, wondering what his pack member’s reaction would be. Surely he couldn’t agree to this disgusting idea, it was cruel. Waiting for a reaction he stayed near, ready to break up any fight that might occur. He looked around wondering where Argolis or any ranked wolf was. Body tensed he waited for something to happen.

Rexina

Obviously Rexina had forgotten to whisper this time in reply to Pistol, a mistake that can happen to anyone. As the angry female spoke to Rexina, she kept her head and eyes down. She didn't want to fight, she'd only been thinking about the pack's best interest.
"Sorry."
It was all she said, though she'd wanted to tell the other that she'd already eaten of the meat. She figured it best not to bring that up, the other being higher in rank than she, as would everyone else in the pack be.

Dixie

Dixie

Dixie had hung back from where the meat had been placed, staying near to where the rest of the hunting party was. Her white pelt was shaken slightly before she lowered her rear end to sit down on the paved ground that was inside the huge factory. She watched as the rest of the group continued to fill in, though she noted that Holly and two of the pups who had been in their care since they were young had not yet arrived. Her brown eyes looked for them and she was relieved when they did come in to sight. All of the others who she had yet to meet had filed in as well. She gave a friendly nod to them all if they looked to her and her stub of a tail wagged slightly. That is until she heard the statement of having the deformed try the meat to make sure it was safe before feeding the rest of the pack. Well, she knew Guess to be considered deformed by most being that he only had three legs, so this statement obviously rubbed her the wrong way. Her tail ceased to wag and the fur along her spine bristled as she turned her head to look towards the wolf. Though, before she could say anything another female had already spoken up, taking defense for those in the pack that were old or deformed so Dixie just stayed put, her fur still bristling and all of her attention on this newest canine as she just waited... If worst came to worst then she would not hesitate to physically stick up for those in the pack who were either older or deformed. When the other just backed down and apologized, though, she allowed herself to relax slightly.

Guess

The three legged teenage canine had approached the place where the meat was, though he did not eat any of it. He thought himself strong enough to travel to the kill and eat his own fill there, he was better off than some in the pack, after all. He knew nothing about what it was like to live with four legs, so he did not know that he was missing out at all. So, when the female he had spoken to just moments before spoke to him about joining herself and her siblings in going to the kill he had nodded.

Sure, I would like that...

By this time, Asrai and Dagda had approached them and stood by his side. It would be obvious that they really were not his siblings by blood but they had been raised by his mother so they were like siblings to him. So, after accepting the offer made by Audra he quickly filled them in.

This is Audra and she asked if we wanted to go to the kill with her and her siblings.

The two other teens agreed and so Guess waited for Audra and her siblings to be ready to go. When they were ready to go he, Dagda, and Asrai would tag along.

Holly

It had taken Holly a few minutes to find the pups after she had seen the hunting party return. They had been playing hide and seek with a falcon who lived here so they were not as inclined to leave their game as she was to get to the meal. But, when they were found she promptly made her way to the gathering and then waited until Guess, Asrai, and Dagda were ready to leave so she could follow along with them to help assure the safety of the young ones.

Auri; Juliet

Juliet slinked back when Argolis spoke; she could feel the canine's breath in her face. It was unusual for a cat to be around so many dogs, and part of her mind realized that it was probably a bad idea. Nevertheless, she spoke up in her quiet, squeaky, kitten-like voice. "I don't mean you or your pack any harm, sir, and I hope you will hear me out." The tortoiseshell mixed-breed mewed, keeping herself low to the ground in a submissive posture. "My name is Juliet, and...well, I'd like to join your pack. I thank I can help out. I'm fleet, silent, light on my feet, and to this day not a soul has caught up with me. All of your secrets are safe with me, and I will bring back your enemies' secrets too." Her green and gold eyes were wide with fear, but she continued. "Wouldn't you like another spy on your side?"

Auri mostly ignored the interactions between the cat and the pack. Argolis was the boss, so he'd deal with her. Instead, she leaned against Desmon. It was clear that something was wrong, and it didn't really match the symptoms of the unknown disease. "I'm not hungry," Auri said, "and I don't think we should be eating meat from a sick--" She was cut off when she started coughing and heaving, eventually expelling the contents of her stomach along with a significant amount of blood. Then she collapsed. This was something bad, and it was highly contagious. This was parvo, one of the most feared illnesses among dogs.

Argolis & Others

Argolis found himself almost bombarded by one thing after another, and for a moment his irritation rose and his body tensed noticeably. His leadership skills were still in the works and he wasn't quite use to needing to pay attention to so many situations and voices all at once. This brief spat of anxiety almost spelled trouble for Juliet, who might have been an effective chew toy for him, but before he could let his anger take hold, Audra captured his attention and he was forced to look in the timid wolf's direction. The hard look in his feral eyes softened a little at the mention of Taros and Kane and the solemn reminder of their death. It also helped a great deal that she spoke of her confidence in him. Argolis let out a deep breath and took a hold of his emotions to reply more calmly to the fae, "Thank you for taking the time to honor their deaths." The brindle hybrid took a stilling breath in and exhaled in another deep sigh. His gaze flashed over Hedes and the others, and took note of those who were filing out to feast on the kill in the wild lands. One ear swiveled back and to the side to account for the sound of angry voices stirred by Rexina's comment. Argolis didn't hear what the new female had said, but he flashed a single fang in her direction as a silent warning that she and the others had best not start anything. And then it was back to the tabby. "You want to join with us?" The alpha sounded skeptical, and he was leery of her either being a spy, or on a lesser charge, simply trying to bum an easier living for herself by joining them. And yet... he didn't want to pass up an opportunity for a spy. After all, the falcons were great eyes, but during the night, they were hindered in what they could see, and they couldn't travel across the ground or squeeze into tiny spaces like a tabby cat could. This Juliet had potential. "We'll give you a chance tabby cat, and if you prove your worth to us before the next full moon, you'll have a permanent place here."

While Argolis was dealing with other matters, Pistol was caught off guard by what Rexina had suggested. His wide eyes betrayed surprise and contempt at her suggestion. The reaction from Vixen pretty well told Rexina that, while her idea was for a stronger pack, it did not suite the ideals and morals of this particular group. After Vixen had her say, Pistol himself spoke up with a hint of a rumble deep in his throat, "Tactics like that are better suited against our enemies, not our family and friends." He might have gone furhter than that, but Rexina had already drawn back and apologized, so he didn't see any reason to scold her further. Besides, Argolis was giving them a warning look now, and Pistol didn't want to anger the alpha.

It was a good thing that Ninaki and Skeil hadn't heard the remark; Skeil in particular might have been driven to prove her strength. As it was, the aging pitbull had taken up a piece of meat and padded over to rest with Ninaki, taking up the spot that Audra had left. Ninaki had thanked the shy wolfess for lending warmth to him, and also for bringing the rabbit and bit of meat for him to eat.

In the background of all these things, Desmon was keeping Auri company, and gave a small smile and nod to Audra when she spoke with them. With Auri sickly, Des had offered to keep Ninaki company - though that role was eventually taken by Skeil instead. Shortly after Audra turned away, Desmon was startled by a sudden bout of hacking from Auri, and even more alarmed by the coymix's vomiting. Something about the smell of it made his nose wrinkle, but he didn't know what parvo was, or that she was so contagious. "Lets lay down, Auri, maybe you need to rest a little more." Des gave her a few comforting licks on the muzzle and an encouraging nudge meant to guide her away from the others and to a quieter area. "Have you eaten anything strange lately?"

Rexina

She had not expected such a response to her suggestion, but then again, she had been raised quite differently than the others, it seemed. She replied no more, just took the scolding that was her due.
She did not like it one bit that Argolis hadn't finished the cat in a swift bite, but let the thing into the pack instead. Rexina had a lot to adjust to, but she'd do her best. She was startled by one of the females being sick, and surprised by the male who licked her comfortingly. Her old pack would have chased the sick one away. She was relieved he guided her away, even if it was for her sake and not for the healthy ones. She wondered briefly if it was always this busy here.