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Today was the day. Foxtail had been holding off on going to find a new wolf-friend for a bit now but it was finally time. For ages she had had her eye on Red Paw, a strong and fierce yearling wolf. Most of the tribe felt for sure that the unbonded male would leave the pack eventually and set out on his own. Foxtail was determined to prove them wrong. He was a fine figure of a wolf. Strong, daring and independent with a sturdy physique that would make him a proper companion for a young chieftess in the making. That was at least her reasoning on the matter but Foxtail was pragmatic enough to realize she might fail to sway him as her first choice. In case that were to happen, she had waited to go and try when the new cubs would be outside the den. That way she wouldn't come back empty handed. It was only a short walk over to the dens and Foxtail only replied briefly to any greetings she heard on the way. Her sole focus was on Red Paw and trying to cajole him into being her wolf-friend. Sure enough he was there at the dens, as he most often was when the pack wasn't out on hunt. Once again she paused to admire the beauty of him. Maybe it was strange to think of a male wolf as beautiful but Red Paw certainly was to her. He had an odd reddish gray coloration that was brightest at his paws and a strong build that looked as though he could run forever. It was enchanting in a way to picture herself astride such a magnificent beast riding off on the hunt. For his part, though, Red Paw didn't pay her a bit of attention. He glanced her way when she wandered into the clearing and gave her the wolfish equivalent of a shrug before closing his eyes again to enjoy the sun. Foxtail was not one to be put off, though, and walked to within a couple of wolf-lengths of him. “My, but you are such a strong and fierce hunter,” she said in a low tone to the wolf. “Wouldn't you like to come join me for the hunt? Imagine what we would be like together.” She sent him a mental image of the two of them together, loping through the woods on the trail of a fat stag. Her imagery continued with them howling after the kill and the rest of the tribe looking on with envy. In her mind's eye Foxtail was every bit the fierce hunter and future chieftess she supposed herself to be one day. For a moment Red Paw looked at her with a curious gaze. As her sending played on, though, he seemed to grow less and less interested. While he could easily comprehend the thrill of the hunt, the various nuances of her desire were beyond him. Her vision was too tied up in the hope of being the envy of others and that was beyond the wolf's scope of understanding. “Now don't be that way,” Foxtail said, her voice almost pleading as Red Paw looked away. “We would be so perfect together....” She didn't get any further than that before letting out a squeal and jumping up from where she sat. A cold nose had been pressed against the back of her arm and the shock of it had made her jump. Red Paw jumped, too, at her surprise and backed up several paces before fixing her with an irritable scowl and laying himself down again… facing away from her. Foxtail turned, an angry expression on her face. Who was it that was sneaking up on her while she was so busy? There, behind her, was another of the yearlings that the tribe called Briarfoot. She was one of Red Paw's littermates, but didn't cut nearly as impressive a figure as the male did. **Play!** She frowned at the sending as Briarfoot bounced around a bit at her side. “I don't have time to play, you silly wolf,” she said in a huff. Red Paw was clearly ignoring her now and not even the new cubs were out of the den yet. This wasn't going at all like she had hoped. Briarfoot was not one to take no for an answer, though. As Foxtail settled in again to try and talk to Red Paw, she parked herself right by the elf's side. She actually seemed to be trying to lend a bit of moral support though it was clear she would rather play and had no real idea what the elf was going on about. Red Paw was having none of it, though. The more she talked the less attention he paid. Eventually he got up in a huff and loped off into the woods, leaving Foxtail with a disappointed expression on her face. As the male wolf retreated the female one by her side fixed the young elf with a curious stare. **Hunt?** The wolf-send was filled with hope and simple longing. It had none of the nuance that Foxtail had tried to share with Red Paw. She looked down and gently caressed Briarfoot's head despite her disappointment. “He would have been such a fine partner,” she said in a sad tone. Briarfoot's reply was full of feeling and short on words but she made herself understood, though. Her opinion was that no, he wouldn't, because he didn't understand how to play. As if to prove her point the wolf rose to her feet and bumped Foxtail roughly before starting towards the woods. **Catch me!** The elf laughed despite herself. Maybe there was something to what Briarfoot said after all. Forgetting disappointment and ambition for a moment, she rose to her feet and gave chase. Perhaps she hadn't found what she was looking for but maybe she had found something more important. She would sort that out later… for now she had a wolf to chase as their new bond took form.
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