He took to the woodlands, mostly just bored and looking for a way to keep himself entertained. Prey had been sparse closer to the borders of Iromar, mostly because he wasn't allowed to hunt his own pack mates and now he wasn't just hunting for himself anymore. It was almost like having an adopted son. The little punk Boneskull, as the other pup said he was called, was like a shadow that clung to him everywhere he went in Iromar. Mostly he didn't mind. He liked to keep the little bugger fat and happy. Somehow it gave him an odd sense of satisfaction to know that despite his immaturity at times and his evil nature, he could still keep another wolf alive. He didn't know what had happened to the pup's parents or anything but he didn't care. They must not care about Boneskull much if they weren't going to go looking for him or anything. As far as Cuirass was concerned, he was just as good as his own.

But today he wanted to get some "me time" so he took off before Boneskull woke from his morning nap. He had just brought him a big leg bone off some scrappy wolf by the lake and after chewing all the meat off of that, Boneskull had felt full enough to curl up for a nap. Cuirass had stayed close by until he was good and asleep, knowing the pup could get quite anxious if he thought he wasn't there. Once the snoring started, he knew he was in the clear so he took off over the borders of Iromar, wanting to do some good hunting for himself this time. Boneskull was growing and with the next season, he would be a yearling. Cuirass was almost disappointed with how fast he was growing. Soon he wouldn't need him to hunt for him anymore but by then, Cuirass would be teaching him how to hunt. That should be interesting. He didn't know if Boneskull knew he was getting mostly wolf meat at this point.

But enough of those darker thoughts. He ventured deeper into the woodlands, trying to smell out a good victim. That's when he heard the voices and grew curious, sneaking in closer for a better look. It was a male a female and they looked like they might be related though he couldn't tell for sure from here. The male looked downright unhealthy while the female was thrivng and prosperous, even pretty in her own way. The male looked scared for a moment but then he looked up at the female and started....making strange noises. It was like he was hissing at her but his eyes got big and demanding, like he was trying to say something to her. Maybe he couldn't talk? Cuirass' ears folded forward as he crouched down in the bushes, watching and waiting. The female was obviously resistent to whatever it was he wanted, backing away and telling him no but then the male got violent. He started snapping and biting at her, still making the odd noises. Cuirass almost got up to go protect her but stopped himself. No, this wasn't his fight.

The girl continued to resist but then the male charged and Cuirass leaned forward like he was watching a good show. The male was clearly demented but determined and Cuirass was almost surprised when she decided to defend herself. With the way things had been playing out, he had expected her to just let him take her out. The male didn't even put up a fight, instead lying at her feet like a loyal pet and curling up with a smile on his face. Definitely strange. Cuirass could smell the blood pooling from his neck and he licked his lips, fighting the urge to go drink it while it was fresh. He didn't want to give up his position too soon lest the female attack. He was sure he could take her but then he'd have two bodies to worry about and she had the smell of a pack wolf. It might be what Pine considers an ally so why chance it? He had a perfectly good candidate right in front of him. He had only to wait until the male was good and dead. Then the female licked him in affection one last time before wandering off to wherever it was she had come from.

Cuirass sighed in a "FINALLY" way before he moved out of cover and over to where the male laid. He sniffed at the corpse, checking for disease but it only seemed to be of the mind. There wasn't a whole lot of meat on the male's bones but it would be enough to satisfy him tonight. He licked at the blood still trickling from the neck, finding it lukewarm at best but still better than nothing. Once he got his fill of that, he tore into the carcass, eating the entrails and organs as he would any other prey before he started on the actual muscle tissue. It was wirey but enough for now. Before long, there wasn't much left to identify the male and he felt the female might owe him a favor for that one. He buried what he didn't eat and took a leg bone back for Boneskull to chew on, making sure to memorize the female's scent in case he ever comes across it again.