Aithne moved with precision and grace, as well as a deep-seated purpose that caused her to constantly thrum with energy. For that reason, Kneph noticed her move away in mid stroke of his lapping tongue, and halted his swift grooming session to follow the female. In one fluid movement he was off his haunches and on all fours, tail flying at full mast in anticipation of a full belly. The dark wraith kept up a steady pace, and the blue-black male matched it step for step as they traced the river. He found it oddly satisfying that, although it was winter and snow fell thick and fast, it barely penetrated the trees above their heads and, if it did manage to find its way through the thick carpet of foliage that made up their natural ceiling, it soon melted in the humid air that hung, soupy and warm, above the pools. Speaking of pools, it wasn't long before Aithne crested a rise and drew to a halt, transfixed by something Kneph couldn't yet see. He trotted the last few paces, before drawing up sharply as he saw what made her stare. There, dotting the shoreline like scaly green pock-marks, were a dozen or so alligators and, he reasoned with horror, obviously today's prey.

Kneph's jaws opened, but no sound came out, and he shook his ruff that stood on end, awash with his confusion. It wasn't so much that he was afraid of those deadly jaws, no, but more afraid of what those jaws meant. It was not common for wolves to consume other hunters. Kill, perhaps, but rarely consume. In fact, it was a ritual so sparsely practiced that it had become a sort of unspoken taboo. A tooth for a tooth or something along those lines. Hardly seeming to notice his sudden apprehension, the girl began to speak, ears flattened as she motioned towards their chosen quarry. Kneph followed her gaze, slightly relieved to see that she had chosen a younger reptile, who seemed at odds with himself and rested quite a distance from the others. She explained the required tactics and grew vibrant as she discussed the kill itself, a feral glow alighting within her chest. Her excitement was infectious, and soon even the male could not help but feel less anxious at the prospect of killing (and eating) another hunter. Pickings in the swamp were thin and beggars could not be choosers. Suppressing a sigh, Kneph flicked an ear in aknowledgement and moved away from his companion, and towards the forest of teeth waiting below.

The creatures were fairly lethargic, sunning themselves and paying little attention to the wolf who moved amongst them, although he still made sure that he stayed as far from their snapping maws as he could. It was a strange feeling, to be able to walk amongst those you intended to kill, unmasked and confident. He assumed it was because they did not know the prey-fear, only what it tasted like. A shiver rippled along his spine and he darted forward, moving swiftly and more silently until he drew near to the youth. Their alligator had crawled out on a particularly slippery and rather steep stretch of bank, hauling himself up aways in an attempt to keep the rays of the moving sun on his back. His giant jaws gaped open, the pink gums startling against the white of his teeth. Kneph would have to draw him further out, away from the drop if either of them wished for success. Quick-stepping, the male began to dance forward, his tail swinging, a guttural sort of noise (the only sound he could make) pouring from his gullet. Unmoved, the reptile observed him with callous, cold eyes. It seemed an eternity before it grew tetchy and began to close its jaws, its head weaving with his rattlesnake sidestep. It too had the patience of a killer, and it did not attack instantly. Rather, it would bide its time until this troublesome gnat of a meal drifted close enough and then snap, in he would go to join his ghosts in the otherworld. Kneph recognized then that he would have to anger the beast (who was almost as long and probably as heavy as he was), and goad it into making a lunge. He danced close as he dared, stretching out a brave paw to tap the creature on the nose. Swift as swallow, the alligator flew towards him, almost crushing his leg in two and causing Kneph to fall back on his haunches in the mud from the speed of his retreat. Ungainly as they seemed on land, they moved faster than he had ever imagined. Ah well, for all that, at least the great chunk of living flesh had moved away from the riverside. It now lay beside a small sapling, uttering angry grunts, clearly upset at being roused from its warm bed. The boy circled it slowly, feeling its eyes piercing his soul, snatching in to nip at its tail. The alligator still swung its whole body around, something which wouldn't do for Aithne's killing blow. At last, the boy managed to rip an armored scale from the creature's toughened hide. It lifted its head and forefeet slightly from the ground, roaring its rage to the forest. If there were ever a time for the she-wolf to strike, it would be now.