Allen awoke to growling stomach. He'd probably lost several pounds of weight on their journey north by now. He was very hungry but he refused to take the food offered to him by the female wolf. He did not wish to be indebted to anyone or anything. Plus his pride would be hurt if he accepted handouts when he had been independently living by himself for years, and the smug look he got from the mutt helped his resolve stay firm. He would not be a xharity case.

Though hungry Allen wasn't too worried. He'd gone longer than a few days without food before. So when a chance encounter with some venison, a rarw find in this day and age, came Allen pounced.

Standing from the area he'd claimed as hia during the night Allen stretched out his forelegs and back. Straightening up he gave a good shake to loosen any stiff muscles. Opening his eyes finally he saw that Kanda, the mutt, was already awake.

Kanda had been awake long before dawn came to greet the earth this day. He had been alerted that there would be a treat passing by. Kanda knew this because the spirit of the moon was helping them. The moon spirits were something like children to the sun spirits; in which the sun's light reflects off the smaller surface of the moon creating a faux sun in the night.

Awaiting the promised treat Kanda decided to study the white lycan pup. He'd been keeping an eye on the pup since they started the journey back to his territory. Observing how skittish he acted when offered food or when Rinali changed his bandages; or how he was always ready to fight or run if necessary, definitely disturbed Kanda.

This time Kanda studied the pup's looks instead of his behavior. Kanda called him white but his fur seemed to be closer to silver in color, the only exception being his dyed left arm. The color red started at his shoulder and traveled to the tips of his paw. Other than the bandage, which Rinali changed daily, Kanda could smell the plants used to dye it telling him it was not naturally red. It was a sign that he had once been a ppart of a tribe. Question was, why isn't he now?

That was the answer Kanda wanted the most. If it was not answered he could never trust such a wolf, pup or not. Speaking of which the pup had begun waking.

Smaller in size than Kanda or Rinali aggravated him that such a young lycanthrope was alone. trusting no one enough that he'd even starve himself than take any meal offered. Noticing that the kid had lost many pounds since joining him and Rinali, Kanda sighed.

At the moment, Kanda and Allen stared unblinking and unyieldingly at each other, neither willing to be the first to look away. Then the wind picked up carrying the scents of the promised treat. Turning Kanda dashed through the brush to follow the scent find the best place to attack. He could feel that the pup was close behind, probably starving to sink his teeth into the tender hide of a deer.

Allen stopped when Kanda stopped and followed when he moved. In this Allen knew that working together as a team would yield better results than trying to go it alone. Mouth watering he crouched down lower and lower the closer they came to the grazing animals.

Allen knew he would take any chance to eat here and now while saving his dignity from Kanda's smugness over winning the fight.

Meanwhile...

Rinali awaited the two lycans return while keeping an eye on Tim. The bunny was still sleeping next to her chatting the morning chill away with her body heat. His little legs would twitch every now and then, she assumed from a dream.

Laying here head down Rinali allowed the spirits of the sun to tell her of how the hunt was preceding. Smiling as only a wolf could smile, Rinali was happy to hear that Kanda and the boy were working together almost seamlessly, well except when the pup slipped slightly on a call slope. That ened up with him sliding into Kanda who huffed in annoyance. but gave a smug look in the end about the boy's clumsiness. He in turn ended up walking into a tree branch that had not been there when Kanda tirned around.

Rinali enjoyed being told of the hunt, especially when unintended or unexpected things happened. At times she sensed that it was but accident like when Allen slide into Kanda, and on purpose like the branch Kanda walked into. Or when the spirits decided to play their own pranks.

Tuning back in to her surroundings Rinali noticed Tim was no longer asleep but chasing a butterfly around the small opening they had bedded down in.

By the time the sun had reached the highest point in its journey, Kanda and Allen had dragged a small deer back with them to share with Rinali. Kanda ened up dragging the front half while Allen brought up the latter half.

Entering the opening Allen pkaced the meat next to Kanda's half. Knowing that the alpha would sort the meal out and gve each a fair amount, Allen walked to his area and waited.

Rinali and Kanda were both surprised when the younger lycan showed pack mentality when he placed te killed for the day on the pile. Pack were known to gater food and split it between the group evenly so none were left to starve. Though the amount eac gogot was still decided by the alpha who could withhold food as punishment or outsiders.

Assuming the pup had been a lo e wolf for a while, Rinali had thougt he would hoard his part of the kill. Which on turn would have angered Kanda. She looked between the two wolves deciding their outing had been a good bonding experience if they wished to learn more about the boy.

Kanda was just as surprised by the pup's actions assuming he would have to exert his dominance as an alpha. Keeping an eye on the pup as he lay down in his area, Kanda began to shred the meat in to smaller portions; before making three evenly split piles.

Allen waited with baited breath. Not even realizing that he'd acted as a fellow pack member and not the lone wolf that he was.

Nearly a week later...

Rinali allowed Tim to walk around as they walked theough a field. They were almost at a stopping point for the day when she noticed the boy flicking his ears around listening. She remembered that the first time they'd passed through here she'd smelled the decay of zombies. The idea thet there might be some still around made her nervous.

Looking to Kanda she saw that though he was relaxed he was keeping tabs on any changes in their surroundings. Suddenly Kanda stopped and let out an earsplitting howl. Not a moment later a howl was returned. Recognizing the howl Rinali howled once herself to greet her packmate.

Allen remembered the area they were in as it was where him and Tim had first traveled to after they had met in the woods. It would take less than a hour to get there if they continued to follow the path that they were retracing.

Returning to an area he'd left made Allen uncomfortable, it was dangerous. Not only was there a chance of zombies and ghouls showing up but returning to places that you know have little or no resources was just a bad decision. Allen made it only once when he had first became a loner. Nearly lost his tail to a ghoul.

He almost had a heart attack when Kanda howled, was answered, and then Rinali howled. Not calming at all, Allen thought. The only thing he figured was another of Kanda's pack had been in the area. And Kanda somehow knew.

Just as he suspected a lycan appeared, and by the reddish fur probably from a canis rufus breed.

Allen was not happy that now he would have to put up with another wolf.