Ylwa ran through the woods, picking up speed as she went. The damp, earthy smell of the forest floor filled her nostrils, along with the scent of the bull elk that she was tracking. In places, the silvery moonlight peeked through the canopy of darkened green leaves above her. She ran until she felt as though she was one with the wilderness around her, her paws coming in contact with the cushiony carpet of humus below her only long enough to propel her forward. The wind created by her speed whooshed through her fur. She breathed in the deep, invigorating aroma of the land, and allowed it to flow through her, both satisfying her and driving her onwards. She must keep running on, on, on, until all of her needs were met, or until she was so exhausted she didn't care. She needed to run, to become one with the nature around her. She needed the thrill of the hunt – to find the choicest animal that she could – not an easy catch, but something that would give her a challenge – and to pursue it until it was hers. Then there was the other need – one deep down that she had not found a solution for in her nightly ventures. There was an empty space in her life, and this empty space drove her to go out and run, night after night. These runs had become a regular thing as of late – she would leave as soon as it was dark, and run and hunt until she had no energy left, dragging herself back home in the morning, finally spent enough to sleep.

Sensing that she was nearing the elk she had been seeking, Ylwa slowed down and steadied her breathing. Once her breath was again light enough that she did not fear being overheard, she began to creep towards the elk. He was an enormous bull elk, with an antler span so large that he certainly had to be selective when choosing a path through this forest. Ylwa crouched down and observed him. He was lying down, his legs folded under him, asleep. Ylwa's heart dropped a bit at how easy this would be. She could leap on him and rip out his throat before he even realized what was going on. But there would be no fun in that. The thrill that she sought was a long, challenging chase before a satisfying end to her hunt, with the prey struggling the entire way. She let out a low growl. Her prey lifted his head and began to move his ears about, assessing the danger of the sound he heard. Ylwa growled again, a bit more fiercely this time. The elk jumped to his feet and took off in the opposite direction. Ylwa ran through a thicket after him, intentionally making as much noise as she could. She smelled his fear as his heart rate spiked and he began to run at top speed. Good! She raced after him.

Ylwa followed the elk for at least an hour, but possibly longer. Time passed differently when she was in a life-and-death pursuit. He eventually led her onto a plain that went on and on. After some time, Ylwa tired of pursuing him across the barren land, and decided to end her chase. She slowed down as they neared a pile of boulders, allowed the panting elk to pull away from her and eventually stop to catch his breath. As she hid behind the boulders, she slowed her own breathing down and then began to creep towards him again. As she slowly approached the elk, she noticed that none but the brightest stars were visible any longer. When she was several yards away and still unnoticed, she made a combination of dashes and lunges, ending in a massive leap towards the elk's back. At that very moment, he took off in a run again, and she almost missed, just barely grabbing hold of his hindquarters. He nearly lost his balance as she dug in with both teeth and claws and hung on for dear life. He kicked at her and hit one of her hind legs. Undeterred, she pulled herself up onto his back and began to climb up towards his neck. The elk shook and broke the rear half of Ylwa's body loose. As her rear legs went flying off the side of the elk, he was thrown off-balance and fell over. Ylwa used this opportunity lunge for his throat and end it all. Taking down a bull elk on her own was quite a feat. She wished someone had been there to witness her accomplishment, as surely no one back home would believe her when she told them about tonight's adventure.

By the time Ylwa had finished her meal, the sky was grey, and she could see strips of color beginning to peek over the horizon. Exhausted, she began to think about sleep. It was only thanks to the elk heart she consumed that she had not lost her hunter's form already. There was no way that she could make it home before collapsing from exhaustion, so she decided to find a place to bed down for the day. Maybe her adventures tomorrow night would take her closer to home, so that she could drag herself back to her family in the morning.

The openness of the plains that Ylwa found herself in made her feel unsafe, so she headed back towards her forest at a casual lope. On her way back, she smelled something that caught her attention. She changed her course and approached the smell. She found a place where the grass was all trampled down, and saw a few places where it looks like bodies had been sleeping, all surrounding a cold fire pit – a campsite of sorts. What piqued her interest, though, was that these didn't smell like regular humans. Regular humans she has seen plenty of from a distance. This smelled like…. more of her kind? A different pack? She supposed that other packs could exist, but her family were the only others like her that she had ever heard of. She quickly moved along, not wanting a run-in with these others, and made a mental note to ask about the subject when she arrived home.

Once Ylwa was deeply enough into the trees that she felt safe and relaxed again, she began to seek out an unused corner somewhere in the woods that she could sleep the day away in. She eventually found just the spot that she was looking for – a nice, cozy place (but what part of this cushiony ground would not be cozy?), hidden away from sight by some shrubbery. There was also a creek not too far away. Ylwa walked right into the creek and drank deeply of its cold, refreshing water. She then rolled around in the shallow water until most of the blood had rinsed out of her fur. There would be time for a more thorough bath once she woke up that evening. By that time, it was broad daylight out, and she was ready to settle in for some rest before she changed into her more vulnerable form.

As she settled down in the nest of leaves and other soft, comforting substances that the forest provided, she closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep. Her muscles were exhausted and her mind was satisfied with the hunt that she had experienced, but that restless empty feeling had not abated. She would rest much better if it would go away, but instead it only grew worse with each day that passed. Eventually, she was able to shut her thoughts off and drift off to a light, fitful sleep.