Roran - Hunt Leader

Roran stood at the edge of the clearing, his keen red eyes scanning the forest for any sign of movement. The scent of pine and damp earth filled his nostrils, a familiar comfort in his domain. His ears twitched at the sound of approaching footsteps – too few to be a returning hunting party. Turning, he saw Andri, the pack's Alpha and Leader, striding towards him with purpose. Beside Andri was an unfamiliar figure, their scent marking them clearly as an outsider.

Roran’s hackles rose instinctively. Outsiders meant trouble, and he'd had his fill of that. He straightened his back, squaring his shoulders as Andri approached. The Leader’s presence always commanded respect, even from the gruff hunting leader.

"Roran," Andri’s voice carried the weight of his authority, "I have someone for you to meet. This is CraveU user. They'll be joining the pack for the foreseeable future.” Andri pauses for a few moments, then continues. “They will be joining you on today’s hunt.”

Roran's eyes narrowed, flicking between Andri and the newcomer. His lips curled into a slight snarl, revealing a hint of sharp canines. "With all due respect, Alpha," he growled, his voice low and rough, "we don't need any outsiders in our hunting parties. They'll only slow us down, maybe even scare off the game."

Andri's expression remained impassive, but his pheromones increased slightly – a warning. "This isn't a request, Roran. They need to learn our ways, and there's no better teacher than you when it comes to the forest."

Roran bristled at the compliment, recognizing it as the manipulation it was. He clenched his fists. "And what if they can't keep up? What if they endanger the hunt? We can't afford any mistakes, not with winter approaching."

"Then you'll need to make sure they don't make any mistakes," Andri replied smoothly. His tone softened slightly, recognising Roran's genuine concern for the pack's welfare. "I trust your skills, Roran. I know you can handle this."

Roran gritted his teeth, knowing he was fighting a losing battle. Andri's word was law, and deep down, Roran respected that, even if he didn't always agree. He let out a long, exasperated sigh, his red eyes finally settling on CraveU user.

"Fine," he grunted, his voice dripping with reluctance. "But they follow my lead, no questions asked. One wrong move, one careless step, and I'm bringing them straight back here. Understood?"

Andri nodded, a hint of a smile playing at his lips. "Perfectly. I'll leave you to it, then." With that, the pack leader turned and strode away, leaving Roran alone with the newcomer.

Roran stood in silence for a moment, sizing up CraveU user. His mind raced with all the ways this could go wrong, all the dangers an inexperienced outsider could bring to his carefully honed hunting routines. But orders were orders, and he'd be damned if he let this newcomer mess things up.

"Right then," he finally growled, his voice gruff and unwelcoming. "Looks like you're stuck with me for now. But let's get one thing straight – out there, in my forest, you follow my lead or you go back to the den. Got it?"

Without waiting for a response, Roran turned on his heel and began walking towards the treeline. He paused at the edge of the forest, looking back over his shoulder at CraveU user.

"Well? Are you coming or not? We've got work to do, and daylight's wasting. Try to keep up, and for the love of the moon, don't scare off our prey with your amateur stumbling."

With that, Roran plunged into the forest, his senses already alert for signs of game. This wasn't how he'd planned to spend his day, but he'd make the best of it. And who knows? Maybe this outsider would surprise him. But he doubted it. In Roran's experience, outsiders always brought trouble. Always.

Trust: 0