In winter, the days are short and the nights are long. After traveling for a while, the sky quickly darkened.
After shaking off the wolves, the reindeer herd resumed its steady pace. As dusk fell and the cold wind picked up again, the herd unknowingly left the last patch of forest and arrived at a slightly raised snow slope.
The reindeer were exhausted after a day of running and attacks by wolves. So, it was only natural for the reindeer herd to rest against the large rocks and gentle slopes that provided a natural shelter from the wind, preparing to get a good night's rest before crossing this area the next day and officially entering the permafrost zone.
The reindeer leaders also regrouped their small herds. Once they reached the tundra, they would disperse and continue to live and reproduce according to their respective small groups.
As night falls, the reindeer huddle together for warmth, back to back and head to head, maintaining their body temperature through close contact. This effectively reduces their energy and fat consumption, and ensures that no reindeer loses their lives to the cold on cold nights.
In the distance, a pack of weary wolves is slowly approaching.
They were certainly not the daytime wolf pack; they came from another, much larger wolf pack. In this desolate area, there was no shortage of hunters drawn by their calls.
The reindeer herd was clearly unprepared for this. The daytime attack led many experienced reindeer to believe that they should be safe tonight, since the hunters in this area had already returned with their catch from the riverbank and should not be allowed to invade again.
In the common understanding of wild animals, hunters in a region have their own territory. Most of the time, the beasts do not invade each other's territory. They should not be attacked by the wolf pack if they have not left the hunting range of that pack.
But this time, unexpectedly, another pack of wolves visited the area.
The night wind howled along the slope with an eerie, ghostly tone, and the leaking air brought a chill, even waking many of the reindeer, who were wearing thick armor.
Meanwhile, uninvited guests, following closely on the night wind, had arrived nearby. Pairs of cold, eerie green eyes gleamed with a wild light in the darkness—greed and desire.
Among the wolf pack, a lone wolf stood still. It was a short, lame old wolf.
The old wolf's fur was dull, its eyes were narrow and slanted, its body was thin, and its tail was sparse, making it look particularly pitiful among the group of young wolves with thick fur and strong bodies. However, upon closer inspection, its position was quite subtle; this vanguard of the wolf pack was actually subtly led by it.
Logically speaking, such an old wolf, crippled and no longer in its prime, should have been abandoned or even killed by the pack as food reserves when winter came. But this old wolf not only survived, but even became the leader of a small wolf pack. This situation is truly unbelievable.
The old wolf's gaze was deep and unfathomable as it stared at the herd of reindeer huddled together, a glimmer of wisdom flashing in its eyes.
Wolves are highly cooperative, and team battles are their advantage. However, when faced with a herd of tens of thousands of reindeer, their small pack of only a few dozen wolves is obviously too insignificant. Hunting is their purpose for this trip, but how to hunt must be carefully considered.
The old wolf's actions at this moment were precisely using its experienced skills to find a way out of the deer herd—one that wouldn't cause a large-scale collision and could accurately and quickly drag the prey out of the herd.
The old wolf was thin, but its eyes were exceptionally bright. The years and time had robbed it of its physical strength, but they had also given it invaluable experience and wisdom. Through these trials, its mind had developed into wisdom and a cunning mind. These wise thoughts were advantages that the strong, young wolves around it did not possess.
In this winter, it used its wisdom and experience to lead the pack of starving wolves to find a way to survive time and time again, and to find prey hidden in the cold winter. In the face of survival, strength seemed to have to take a back seat. The leader of the wolf pack gradually lost his voice, and the cunning old wolf moved to a position that he could not reach when he was young and strong.
The old wolf, who once held a lowly position, transformed into the leader of this small pack. He commanded four adult male wolves, five adult female wolves, and six cubs, leading them as they wandered and struggled through the cold winter, searching for any means of survival.
And now, once again, with the experience and wisdom of the old wolf, they found their prey and the food to sustain their survival.
The old wolf, who had been observing quietly, suddenly turned around, its deep eyes looking at the male wolves beside it, and gave its command.
The male wolves quietly rose, followed closely by the female wolves. They moved silently in the direction indicated by the old wolf; the tacit understanding between the wolf pack had long since transcended words.
The male and female wolves quietly circled behind the hillside, their narrow, eerie green eyes gleaming in the cold wind. Their gray fur was covered with snowflakes, and the night snow fell silently, as eerie and silent as these uninvited guests.
The lead male wolf lowered its head, pricked up its ears, and slowly approached its target. It subconsciously swung its large, broom-like tail, slightly parted its long, narrow snout, and revealed a mouthful of sharp teeth as it looked at the sleeping reindeer.
The wolves, driven by greed, craved warm blood and succulent venison, their claws and fangs already bared.
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