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Kona growled softly as he sniffed at the snow. There wasn’t even a single scrap scent or fur clinging to the cold tracks. They were old, and the caribou had long since moved on from this stretch of forest. Even in the bitter chill, scent could linger for days.

He trotted back to his companions. “Joker, Kaiser, Tate, Shesh. There’s nothing down there, the herd moved on over a week ago.” Tate growled but said nothing. Joker looked distressed. Silak was ill in her cabin and too weak to care for herself. Plus Joker desperately needed food. She had recently delivered five pups of two different sires, and they’re incessant nursing had her bone-thin and wary. Kona nudged his mate. He wished the pups had been his, but Silak had had other ideas. She needed to get money somewhere, when the sled racing season was slow. Kona was glad to know that two of those pups would be staying past their weaning period though. Kai just looked out over the frosty valley, saying nothing. Kona looked at his vow-brother. Kaiser had been very distant lately, and Kona worried for him.

“Let’s go home,” he muttered, belly growling. Shesh looked like she wanted to argue, and being the senior of the group, she should have been in charge. But she wasn’t truly Silak’s, and didn’t know the territory, so Kona was the alpha. Both she and Tate were staying with them for several months.

As they came into view of the little cabin Silak had built on the ranch, Kona regretted his decision to cut the hunt short. Joker was padding in front of him, hips jutting out. If only Silak wasn’t ill. She could ride them to the trading post seventy miles south. Tate growled, “Is our storage all the way empty?” Kona nodded, and shivered. He envied Tate’s thick fur, “Must be nice and cozy with your coat, eh?” He nudged his friend playfully.

Kaiser gave a bark and Kona whipped his head around. The cream tokota was streaking across the snow to a still grey lump. “Griff!” Kona yowled, and barreled after him.

Kona pawed at the unmoving pup, his claws combing through the wind-whipped fur. Joker was there now, with Shesh right behind her. Kona pressed his ear to his adoptive son’s chest. At first there was nothing but the howl of the wind, but there was a low thump. Many moments passed and another came. Kona felt legs go to jelly with relief, but his son was near dead. Tate curled his fluffy body around Joker’s fallen pup. “Just give him a moment to warm up.” Tate rumbled, flipping more of his long locks of fur over the small body.

A few minutes passed with the bear-dogs shivering in the wind. He hooked his teeth into Griff’s mane and lifted him. Joker let out a pitiful cry. Kona had never seen his mate like this. “Don’t cry, dearest. He’s alive.” He puffed through a mouthful of fur. She nodded, and followed him as they walked another hundred yards to the huge barn where they sheltered.

Shesh slammed into the door, and the small pack rushed in. Joker quickly went to her nest to look for her other pups. Kona counted three fully heads poking out from the straw, all with terrified eyes. Kona felt a lump in his throat. Juniper wasn’t there. Joker rushed back to Kona and took Griff from his jaws, and he thought he heard a growl. She plopped the grey pup down in the middle of creamy furred siblings. She licked him furiously, “Kona, get more straw. Kaiser and Shesh, get off your lazy butts and find my daughter.”

Kona smiled suddenly as he felt cold paws on his back, “Joker, she’s right here.” He turned to see Juniper, pressing into his fur. He curled around her, “Juniper, why was Griff outside?” he asked sternly. She rubbed her damp muzzle along his and he got the feeling she’d been outside as well. “Hungry… We just wanted some of mamma’s milk.” She whimpered, and Kona pressed his nose to her head, releasing a warm breath to stop her shivering. “Griff went to find her. But he didn’t come back. I went out too. Too cold, and I came back.” She said, burrowing further into his mane. He suddenly wished he was a long-maned male. Joker was suddenly at his side and she licked his nose, “I’ll take her now.” Kona pushed his charge to her mother, and winced. He wished, so badly, that he was their blood father.

Tate moved to replace Joker as she carried Juniper away, “We were gone for no more than three hours and the pups had been feeding all night. They shouldn’t have been hungry…” he said. Kai nodded from where he say in a pile of straw. “Either she’s not producing enough milk to feed them, or it’s just not rich enough.”

Kona said nothing, absorbed in thought. He was failing as a mate and a father. “We’ll go out again soon. Once the sun sets.” He said to them. “Joker will stay behind. The pups have proven they can no longer be alone.” Then, he turned, and climbed up the ramp to the converted hay-loft. The entire upper floor of the barn was lined with straw and furs. He settled into a corner, and pushed a layer of bedding against the walls to block the chill. He could hear the mewling of his pups below him. No… not my pups. He thought with chagrin. But weren’t they? What did blood matter so long as love bonded them?

Suddenly a pale head poked over the edge of the hayloft. Kaiser flopped down beside him. He was covered in snow. “I went to check on Silak. She’s no better.” Kona felt his heart skip a beat, and he jumped up, startling his vow brother. “How could I have forgotten her!?” he cried, racing down the ramp. Shesh snarled as he stepped on her tail. He barged open the door and moved out into the snow. Tate was outside, digging in the snow where they'd kept mean and fish, looking for a scrap. But Kona didn't give him a second look as he bolted to the cabin, and pushed open its door as well. He made sure to close it tightly behind him. He padded carefully through the small rooms. “Silak…” he groaned as he saw her. She lay on her bed, wrapped in about a million blankets. Her fire was long cold. He padded closer, feeling her shallow breath against his nose.

Kona looked at her pale face. The sunken eyes and bluish lips worried him. He licked her a few times before she woke. “Kona…” it came as a soft croak. Kona was alarmed by how creaky her voice was. He climbed on her bed. Ccreeeeeeaaaak SNAP.

Kona looked down. All four bed legs were broken. “Idiot,” Silak scolded softly, petting his nose. Kona curled around her like he had done with Juniper and pressed his warm bulk to her chilled body.

Kona blinked, momentarily confused at his surroundings. He hadn’t even realized –or meant to, for that matter- fall asleep. He looked at Silak and sniffed her over. She was in much better condition than when he’d drifted off. She had a rosiness to her face and was no longer shivering, and her overall scent was healthier. He pulled the sins and blankets tightly over her and rolled off the bed.

His belly rumbled. It was time to hunt, and tonight, he had to catch something. Silak and Joker needed food badly. Kona stepped from the cabin and howled, long and slow. He saw three figures appear from the barn. Kaiser and Tate were running, with Shesh coming at a more subdued pace. Their fur rippled under the blue-green light of the aurora. Tate got to him first, skidding to a halt. Snow sprayed up from under the yeti’s paws, and showered over Kona. Tate gave him a grin, not looking sorry in the least. Kona flipped his mane, suppressing a laugh. “We hunt on the plains tonight. If the caribou are not present, there is always small game to be had,” Kona said gruffly, and took off at a steady clip.

If anyone had the ability to fly above the tokota’s they’d have seen something breathtaking. Tokotas moving through snow is not really glorious from ground level, but from the air, plumes of snow erupted from under them as they carved their way through the drifts. These puffs caught the pulsating colors of the northern lights, and seems to wrap the beasts in a halo of light.

Kona crouched low as they reached the plain. Nothing stirred, and for a moment he felt bitter disappointment. Then he noticed the lumps in the snow. Hundreds of them, scatted over a stretch of the snow-covered grass. “They’re here.” He flicked his ears to Shesh, and she darted forward, snarling. About three dozen caribou woke in an instant. More rose as the smell of fear wove its way through the herd. “Kai, Tate, let’s test them.”

Kona began darting through the herd. The only ones that were weak were the ones who had reason to be afraid. A healthy caribou should have no reason to fear a tokota, for they don’t usually hunt the strong. He charged a bull, but got no response. That one was nowhere near ready to be prey.

He saw Kai turn away, tail tucked, as a cow stamped at him, her hooves flashing in defense of her calf. Suddenly, Tate yowled from over a hill. The prey call! Kona jumped through the deep snow piled on the north side of the mound. He saw Tate was already on the heels of an old bull. His antlers were massive, but clearly weak and brittle, characteristic of aging. Kona was impressed with how quickly Tate had singled out the animal.

Shesh appeared out of nowhere, and flanked the caribou, driving him back to Kai. Kona leaped beside his vow-brother, ready to tear into warm flesh. Finally, they would eat.

Normally, a caribou will turn in the face of a snarling tokota, but this one did not. It lowered its massive antlers and charged. Kona was too hungry to get out of the way. He was determined to kill the bull. To bring food for his pups, his mate, his pack, and his rider.

Had Tate not plowed ahead and slammed Kona out of the way, the tawny tokota would have been seriously injured. The bull had had no intention of stopping, and would have gored Kona. “You can be stubborn sometimes,” Tate growled, but Kona could see he was relieved. Kona turned around at the sound of a scream. Shesh had the beast’s leg in her jaws, and it flopped to the side, broken and useless. Kai had his teeth locked on an antler, which was starting to crack as the bull thrashed his head. Kona was about to call out a warning when it broke suddenly, sending splinters flying, and the other antler caught Kai full in the face, ripping a jagged cut just above his eye.

Shesh was having her face pounded by the other hind leg, but she didn’t release, taking the abuse. Kai had shaken the blood trickling into his eye away, and bit down hard on the caribou’s face. Kona had never seen prey fight this hard to live. “Hurry up!” came Shesh’s snarl through clenched jaws. Kona nudged Tate forward, “You saved me. You have the honor of the kill bite.” Kona said. Tate wagged his tail and padded after Kona.

Kona began the ritual of honoring the prey. He laid a paw over the caribou’s shoulder. It stilled, listening. “Thank you for the hunt. Thank you for the chase. Thank you for your life. You will sustain many.” Then Tate sunk to his knees, and slashed the neck of the caribou open with his teeth. Red sprang forward, staining the snow. Kai and Shesh released their grip. The caribou died with dignity, with not even a single thrash. The hunger would last no more. (2006 words)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay,here we go with a butt-ton of info:

Import links:

Hunting Journal Links:
Kai: blgodwin.deviantart.com/journa…
Kona: blgodwin.deviantart.com/journa…
Joker: blgodwin.deviantart.com/journa…
Tate: comments.deviantart.com/1/4867…

All tokotas get 19 HP besides Joker, because she wasn't in the image. She gets 11.

Tagging ShadowKuri

Description

Kona growled softly as he sniffed at the snow. There wasn’t even a single scrap scent or fur clinging to the cold tracks. They were old, and the caribou had long since moved on from this stretch of forest. Even in the bitter chill, scent could linger for days.

He trotted back to his companions. “Joker, Kaiser, Tate, Shesh. There’s nothing down there, the herd moved on over a week ago.” Tate growled but said nothing. Joker looked distressed. Silak was ill in her cabin and too weak to care for herself. Plus Joker desperately needed food. She had recently delivered five pups of two different sires, and they’re incessant nursing had her bone-thin and wary. Kona nudged his mate. He wished the pups had been his, but Silak had had other ideas. She needed to get money somewhere, when the sled racing season was slow. Kona was glad to know that two of those pups would be staying past their weaning period though. Kai just looked out over the frosty valley, saying nothing. Kona looked at his vow-brother. Kaiser had been very distant lately, and Kona worried for him.

“Let’s go home,” he muttered, belly growling. Shesh looked like she wanted to argue, and being the senior of the group, she should have been in charge. But she wasn’t truly Silak’s, and didn’t know the territory, so Kona was the alpha. Both she and Tate were staying with them for several months.

As they came into view of the little cabin Silak had built on the ranch, Kona regretted his decision to cut the hunt short. Joker was padding in front of him, hips jutting out. If only Silak wasn’t ill. She could ride them to the trading post seventy miles south. Tate growled, “Is our storage all the way empty?” Kona nodded, and shivered. He envied Tate’s thick fur, “Must be nice and cozy with your coat, eh?” He nudged his friend playfully.

Kaiser gave a bark and Kona whipped his head around. The cream tokota was streaking across the snow to a still grey lump. “Griff!” Kona yowled, and barreled after him.

Kona pawed at the unmoving pup, his claws combing through the wind-whipped fur. Joker was there now, with Shesh right behind her. Kona pressed his ear to his adoptive son’s chest. At first there was nothing but the howl of the wind, but there was a low thump. Many moments passed and another came. Kona felt legs go to jelly with relief, but his son was near dead. Tate curled his fluffy body around Joker’s fallen pup. “Just give him a moment to warm up.” Tate rumbled, flipping more of his long locks of fur over the small body.

A few minutes passed with the bear-dogs shivering in the wind. He hooked his teeth into Griff’s mane and lifted him. Joker let out a pitiful cry. Kona had never seen his mate like this. “Don’t cry, dearest. He’s alive.” He puffed through a mouthful of fur. She nodded, and followed him as they walked another hundred yards to the huge barn where they sheltered.

Shesh slammed into the door, and the small pack rushed in. Joker quickly went to her nest to look for her other pups. Kona counted three fully heads poking out from the straw, all with terrified eyes. Kona felt a lump in his throat. Juniper wasn’t there. Joker rushed back to Kona and took Griff from his jaws, and he thought he heard a growl. She plopped the grey pup down in the middle of creamy furred siblings. She licked him furiously, “Kona, get more straw. Kaiser and Shesh, get off your lazy butts and find my daughter.”

Kona smiled suddenly as he felt cold paws on his back, “Joker, she’s right here.” He turned to see Juniper, pressing into his fur. He curled around her, “Juniper, why was Griff outside?” he asked sternly. She rubbed her damp muzzle along his and he got the feeling she’d been outside as well. “Hungry… We just wanted some of mamma’s milk.” She whimpered, and Kona pressed his nose to her head, releasing a warm breath to stop her shivering. “Griff went to find her. But he didn’t come back. I went out too. Too cold, and I came back.” She said, burrowing further into his mane. He suddenly wished he was a long-maned male. Joker was suddenly at his side and she licked his nose, “I’ll take her now.” Kona pushed his charge to her mother, and winced. He wished, so badly, that he was their blood father.

Tate moved to replace Joker as she carried Juniper away, “We were gone for no more than three hours and the pups had been feeding all night. They shouldn’t have been hungry…” he said. Kai nodded from where he say in a pile of straw. “Either she’s not producing enough milk to feed them, or it’s just not rich enough.”

Kona said nothing, absorbed in thought. He was failing as a mate and a father. “We’ll go out again soon. Once the sun sets.” He said to them. “Joker will stay behind. The pups have proven they can no longer be alone.” Then, he turned, and climbed up the ramp to the converted hay-loft. The entire upper floor of the barn was lined with straw and furs. He settled into a corner, and pushed a layer of bedding against the walls to block the chill. He could hear the mewling of his pups below him. No… not my pups. He thought with chagrin. But weren’t they? What did blood matter so long as love bonded them?

Suddenly a pale head poked over the edge of the hayloft. Kaiser flopped down beside him. He was covered in snow. “I went to check on Silak. She’s no better.” Kona felt his heart skip a beat, and he jumped up, startling his vow brother. “How could I have forgotten her!?” he cried, racing down the ramp. Shesh snarled as he stepped on her tail. He barged open the door and moved out into the snow. Tate was outside, digging in the snow where they'd kept mean and fish, looking for a scrap. But Kona didn't give him a second look as he bolted to the cabin, and pushed open its door as well. He made sure to close it tightly behind him. He padded carefully through the small rooms. “Silak…” he groaned as he saw her. She lay on her bed, wrapped in about a million blankets. Her fire was long cold. He padded closer, feeling her shallow breath against his nose.

Kona looked at her pale face. The sunken eyes and bluish lips worried him. He licked her a few times before she woke. “Kona…” it came as a soft croak. Kona was alarmed by how creaky her voice was. He climbed on her bed. Ccreeeeeeaaaak SNAP.

Kona looked down. All four bed legs were broken. “Idiot,” Silak scolded softly, petting his nose. Kona curled around her like he had done with Juniper and pressed his warm bulk to her chilled body.

Kona blinked, momentarily confused at his surroundings. He hadn’t even realized –or meant to, for that matter- fall asleep. He looked at Silak and sniffed her over. She was in much better condition than when he’d drifted off. She had a rosiness to her face and was no longer shivering, and her overall scent was healthier. He pulled the sins and blankets tightly over her and rolled off the bed.

His belly rumbled. It was time to hunt, and tonight, he had to catch something. Silak and Joker needed food badly. Kona stepped from the cabin and howled, long and slow. He saw three figures appear from the barn. Kaiser and Tate were running, with Shesh coming at a more subdued pace. Their fur rippled under the blue-green light of the aurora. Tate got to him first, skidding to a halt. Snow sprayed up from under the yeti’s paws, and showered over Kona. Tate gave him a grin, not looking sorry in the least. Kona flipped his mane, suppressing a laugh. “We hunt on the plains tonight. If the caribou are not present, there is always small game to be had,” Kona said gruffly, and took off at a steady clip.

If anyone had the ability to fly above the tokota’s they’d have seen something breathtaking. Tokotas moving through snow is not really glorious from ground level, but from the air, plumes of snow erupted from under them as they carved their way through the drifts. These puffs caught the pulsating colors of the northern lights, and seems to wrap the beasts in a halo of light.

Kona crouched low as they reached the plain. Nothing stirred, and for a moment he felt bitter disappointment. Then he noticed the lumps in the snow. Hundreds of them, scatted over a stretch of the snow-covered grass. “They’re here.” He flicked his ears to Shesh, and she darted forward, snarling. About three dozen caribou woke in an instant. More rose as the smell of fear wove its way through the herd. “Kai, Tate, let’s test them.”

Kona began darting through the herd. The only ones that were weak were the ones who had reason to be afraid. A healthy caribou should have no reason to fear a tokota, for they don’t usually hunt the strong. He charged a bull, but got no response. That one was nowhere near ready to be prey.

He saw Kai turn away, tail tucked, as a cow stamped at him, her hooves flashing in defense of her calf. Suddenly, Tate yowled from over a hill. The prey call! Kona jumped through the deep snow piled on the north side of the mound. He saw Tate was already on the heels of an old bull. His antlers were massive, but clearly weak and brittle, characteristic of aging. Kona was impressed with how quickly Tate had singled out the animal.

Shesh appeared out of nowhere, and flanked the caribou, driving him back to Kai. Kona leaped beside his vow-brother, ready to tear into warm flesh. Finally, they would eat.

Normally, a caribou will turn in the face of a snarling tokota, but this one did not. It lowered its massive antlers and charged. Kona was too hungry to get out of the way. He was determined to kill the bull. To bring food for his pups, his mate, his pack, and his rider.

Had Tate not plowed ahead and slammed Kona out of the way, the tawny tokota would have been seriously injured. The bull had had no intention of stopping, and would have gored Kona. “You can be stubborn sometimes,” Tate growled, but Kona could see he was relieved. Kona turned around at the sound of a scream. Shesh had the beast’s leg in her jaws, and it flopped to the side, broken and useless. Kai had his teeth locked on an antler, which was starting to crack as the bull thrashed his head. Kona was about to call out a warning when it broke suddenly, sending splinters flying, and the other antler caught Kai full in the face, ripping a jagged cut just above his eye.

Shesh was having her face pounded by the other hind leg, but she didn’t release, taking the abuse. Kai had shaken the blood trickling into his eye away, and bit down hard on the caribou’s face. Kona had never seen prey fight this hard to live. “Hurry up!” came Shesh’s snarl through clenched jaws. Kona nudged Tate forward, “You saved me. You have the honor of the kill bite.” Kona said. Tate wagged his tail and padded after Kona.

Kona began the ritual of honoring the prey. He laid a paw over the caribou’s shoulder. It stilled, listening. “Thank you for the hunt. Thank you for the chase. Thank you for your life. You will sustain many.” Then Tate sunk to his knees, and slashed the neck of the caribou open with his teeth. Red sprang forward, staining the snow. Kai and Shesh released their grip. The caribou died with dignity, with not even a single thrash. The hunger would last no more. (2006 words)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay,here we go with a butt-ton of info:

Import links:

Hunting Journal Links:
Kai: blgodwin.deviantart.com/journa…
Kona: blgodwin.deviantart.com/journa…
Joker: blgodwin.deviantart.com/journa…
Tate: comments.deviantart.com/1/4867…

All tokotas get 19 HP besides Joker, because she wasn't in the image. She gets 11.

Tagging ShadowKuri