Briante sat back with a sigh, flicking the remains of the morning fire about with a stick. The hare took in a breath and then heaved herself up onto her footpaws. They had been roaming for a fair amount of days now with no conflict from outside sources. As usual there was plenty of internal conflict but that was nothing new. She thought about challenging on of the band to another duel but that just wouldn't do. They needed some sort of real action.
She had lead the group through the salt marshes and further down the southern coast. At the moment the band had spent a few days near a large drey of squirrels that made their homes in a stand of spruce trees. The coast was still not far away. Something about the sea shore continued to call to the hare though she could not figure out why. Normally she would have veered off inland days ago.
Well, there was only one thing for it. She would make one more trek to the coast and then leave it behind to strike out inland. There was much territory to be crossed. She wondered if the roaming band of foxes they had battered into submission had taken to arms again. They always gave the members of her group a good workout when it came to crossing blades.
"Listen up you lot!" she called out to the various beasts around the camp. "We're making one more trek to the coast, then striking off inland. Anybeast interested in being a forward scout for this one?"
Reahn glanced over to where his companion, Serge, was resting; both of the hares knew what the other was thinking. Standing up, the big hare addressed Briante in answer to her query.
"I volunteer as scout; it's been a while since I had a stretch of my paws like that." He looked over to the other. "I believe Serge might want to join me."
Even though Reahn was satisfied with the purpose and the movements of the fighting band, he had always felt disloyal to Briante and was under the impression that she should not be a beast in charge of the northern hare. He found a friend in Serge, though, a companionship that made Reahn feel more at ease. Perhaps we might leave for good, he thought as he picked up his pack for the scouting expedition. We'll see.