The pack had been too quiet as of late, and though once he would have enjoyed his solitude, enjoyed the peace and quiet, he found himself now missing the company of his pack mates. He had wanted to spend time during the quiet months of the winter getting to know them all better. There were a few of them that he had already known for a while, like Khaleesi. Aindreas had known her mother before Khaleesi was ever born, let alone adopted by Hellene, and had been granted the gift of watching Khaleesi grow up through the years. Of anyone in the pack, he trusted her the most, especially because she was always so bluntly honest with him, no matter what it was that she was saying. It helps that the two had experienced the whole change together, and had been equally thrown off kilter by the terrifying upheaval to the topography. But even she had been gone recently, off on one of the missions that he had sent her on. He wondered if she was also exploring some of the free lands, for they certainly too had been affected. Of course, he also trusted his brother, or rather half brother, although the two did not know each other well. But at least he and Vladimir had finally spoken about everything that had happened this year to date. It was awkward between the two of them… After all, Vladimir was the true heir of this land. He was the first born son of Kalgalath's and Sebring's, whereas Aindreas was a bastard of Kal‘s, whelped by Kalgalath's childhood lover. And yet… Vladimir was too young to rule as of yet. He had not experienced enough of the world, and all too often, it was his anger that led him and not his head. But… Perhaps… Perhaps with Aindreas, just the opposite was true. Too often he was logical and did not let emotion flood into him.

At any rate, Aindreas could only hope that being a father could help Vlad become more mature, could help him prepare for the role of Alpha once he came of age. And yet the same time, Aindreas was fearful for his brother - after all, having the trait of being a poor father seemed to run in their family. Or, at least, having the trait of being a first-time bad father. Kalgalath had been an immensely better father with Vladimir and Castiel than he had done with his first litter. Granted, Kal did not know about his first litter until they were already adults. But still… It seemed to be a curse that ran in their blood. Aindreas hoped that it did not continue for Vladimir… And also hoped that if he ever had the chance for a second litter himself, that he would do better by his second litter than he did by his first. Although… He had to say that he was glad too that he was getting a second chance with his daughter. Perhaps he could make up for it all…

The king found himself now traveling outside of his boundaries, but only just. He was still near to his pack… He could smell the territory line quite clearly. But his reasoning for leaving was to continue tracking his prey - for near on an hour now, he had been searching out the trail of something injured. While he was not particularly starving, he could not resist the broken path of an injured caribou. It was alone, a singular set of prints that showed quite clearly a dragged toe on the left hind. It would still likely be dangerous prey, especially if it was a buck, but it was worth the risk. If he managed to bring it down, although he was alone, he would be able to bring it back and provide the other members with an easy meal, something he knew that Vladimir and Seraphina in particular would appreciate. He had worried that perhaps the gently falling snow that even now haloed his figure would hide the Caribou from him, would fill in the hoof prints… But he could tell that he was getting nearer now, for the tracks were fresher, and he had finally picked up on its trail. His long limbs slowed from their gentle lope into a slower and more reserved trot. His electric blue eyes glowed, and he peered about, looking for any hint of a soul. And there it was… Still about half a mile ahead, and partially obscured by the thick copses of trees… But it was there. A smile grew on his lips and he hunkered low to the earth. His trajectory changed slightly to ensured that he was not upwind of his prey so that they would not catch onto his scent. And then, he moved slowly, releasing his focus so that his glowing eyes would not give his position away. In this environment, he thrived, his pure ivory hair helping him to meld perfectly into his surroundings… And bit by bit he neared the fallen Caribou, and he was glad indeed to see that it was a old female caribou limping away from him… Although she could still do significant damage to him, she did not carry on her head a rack. But before he could near her anymore, his pinnae flickered backward as he heard the sound of someone else approaching. He stopped and turned his nape to peer about, wanting to catch sight of them before he got too close to the Caribou so that he would not spook her…