vritra
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That One Girl
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Post by vritra on Nov 7, 2012 2:47:52 GMT -5
For a while, Aeron was happy to soak up the spring sun. He’d been walking for days and it was nice to have a chance to relax and sleep knowing that he was safe. No longer was he a roaming male, on his own with no one to watch his back. Now he was in a pack… He had a position to maintain, a pack to feed. He was important. Or so he thought. Aeron was still the newest member of this pack and it was a little hard to believe that Big Yan would prefer him over his own daughter.
Around midday, Aeron stretched and gave a little yawn before he stood up, shaking the dirt from his fur. He felt good after his little nap, but he was eager to see to the new territory. He walked up to the rock where he’d seen Big Yan last and moved until the older male was in view, smiling up at his new alpha.
“Afternoon, Sir… I think I would take you up on that tour if you are willing. I’d like to get a sense of the area… Perhaps Elsa might show me the hunting grounds?”
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Post by Lady Cattenborough on Nov 8, 2012 18:11:29 GMT -5
The afternoon usually meant domestic activities – cleaning out dens, hunting small vermin, and similar. Elsa had been busy that morning, so father and daughter were taking the time to lay on the flat rock, soaking up the much-missed sun. They laid side by side, brown and grey, in the sun. Big Yan was so much bigger and heavier than his daughter – nearly three feet longer than her, too. Both were starting to moult their winter fur.
Elsa was the first to raise her head as Aeron approached. Her grey eyes met him with suspicion, but she did not rise. Her father only opened his eyes when the new wolf spoke.
“Aye, awrigh.” He said, before dragging himself up and having a small stretch. “Ye comin’, Elsie?”
For a moment, the female looked conflicted. On the one hand, she didn’t want to be anywhere near the stranger. On the other, she didn’t want to be away from her father. She rose, however, and followed her father back down the rocks to the ground.
“Th’ land isnae th’ biggest I ha’ seen, bu’ tis big eneuch, fer us, an’ tis quite th’ bonnie place.” The alpha started walking slowly off towards the lake shoreline, little daughter trailing like a shadow after him.
[ooc: i'm SO SORRY this is late. I am not the healthiest cat right now.]
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vritra
New Member
[M:70]
That One Girl
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Post by vritra on Nov 8, 2012 18:47:12 GMT -5
Elsa was still watching him with wary eyes, but he tried not to let it unnerve him. Aeron had not met too man stable wolves that gave him that look… But she was big Yan’s daughter, and if he trusted her, then so would he. As the two descended the rock, Aeron gave Elsa her space, letting her do as she wished for now. As long as it did not interfere with the hunting, Aeron could tolerate her being wary around him; he was new after all. Perhaps after a few moons had passed and he earned her trust…
He walked alongside Big Yan, naturally on his other side so that he gave Elsa her space. The land was indeed beautiful… And the lake looked more than inviting. When they reached its shore, Aeron stopped for a quick drink, lapping the water with his tongue into his mouth, happy that his thirst had been quenched. When he straightened, Aeron looked out over the lake, smiling. This was a beautiful place to call home.
“You were right… It is beautiful to look at.” He turned to Big Yan, a little more serious now. “How long have you and your daughter been here? Do you know when the big game appears?”
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Post by Lady Cattenborough on Nov 8, 2012 19:27:09 GMT -5
Elsa didn’t actively dislike the newcomer. She just hadn’t decided whether or not she liked him yet. Her father encouraged her as much as he could, but the girl was always anxious around new pack mates, and this proved to be no exception.
Never the less, Elsa liked the lake, and sat down while her father spoke to the stranger. The water was calm, and birds were starting to reappear, hovering overhead. Pelicans were floating on the surface, looking for fish below. She didn’t much like pelicans – a hard-learned lesson of her childhood had taught her what those sharp hooks could do to a pup. The one of the scars on her face ached from the memory.
The Big Yan watched Aeron, overall rather pleased. He was a strapping and strong lad, and reminded him rather of his eldest son. Said son had been quite a larrikin, however, always teasing and playing and rough-housing.
“Och, aboot a year, bit more. We arrived late winter afore last. We daena get the largest animals, bu’ the big deer an’ wil’ coos an’ horses, bu’ I wouldna suggest huntin’ th’ horses. They are awful strong. Tis a guid place fer small game, though. Lots o’ rabbits an’ mice an’ fish.”
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vritra
New Member
[M:70]
That One Girl
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Post by vritra on Nov 8, 2012 22:26:22 GMT -5
A year… Not a long time to have been living on the land, but long enough that they’d established their territory. Aeron nodded to what Big Yan said, smiling as he watched a pair of pelicans fly overhead before they swooped down and landed in the lake, either oblivious or unafraid of the wolves on the bank.
“No… My father tried to hunt a horse once; that’s how he lost an eye.” Aeron shook his head and then sat down, scratching his ear with a hind leg. His claws scratched the itch well, and he shook his head when he was done, setting his foot back on the ground.
“When the deer come, I shouldn’t have any problem taking down a youngling with Elsa’s help… And maybe we’ll even be able to manage a larger doe or buck if the pack grows.”
He shook his head again, eying Elsa over Big Yan’s shoulder. The pack might accept wandering wolves, but not even that would make up for not keeping the pack strong with well-bred pups. “If you don’t mind me asking… How long has it been since the pack’s had pups?”
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Post by Lady Cattenborough on Nov 8, 2012 22:40:47 GMT -5
A low chuckle escaped Big Yan, and he said, “I wish my story were tha’ romantic.” His scarred, damaged right eye closed for a moment. Opening it, he continued on.
“Sometimes, we dae get th’ elk an’ th’ sheeps an’ what not, bu’ it depends on the weather.” Attacking a buck? Obviously not a pack wolf! “Ye daena hunt th’ stags an’ the boars, me lad. Ye hunt th’ does an’ the foals. Th’ lads’re fierce protective o’ their lives an’ their lassies, an’ ye’ll wind up trampled or gutted if ye dae no’ think aboot wha’ yer doin’.”
Pups? Hm, now that was one that Big Yan had to think about.
“There was an auld leddy wha’ had a litter last year. They left fer th’ warmer lawlands, though, an’ wha’ happened to them, I daena ken.” He said, pausing to think about it.
Elsa seemed to understand the implications of the conversation, unlike her oblivious father. She had the look about her like a cat in a corner, although rather less likely to hiss about it. Her ears were tucked back, and she leaned her belly down to look at the stranger around her father’s enormous chest, her head hovering just above the water. She had a rather furrow-browed expression, somewhat curious but mostly concerned.
Big Yan, however, just kept talking. He was by no means stupid – what he was, was simple. He saw the best in others and tended not to read into things too much.
“I ha’ sired many a bairn, Aeron, an’ I dae sae delight in watchin’ ‘em grow an’ learn – too auld noo’ tae teach them, I am afeart.”
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vritra
New Member
[M:70]
That One Girl
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Post by vritra on Nov 8, 2012 23:02:17 GMT -5
Aeron grinned; no… He’d never run with a pack. When you were a lone wolf, you had fewer options. Normally he’d go for the smaller game like rabbits and squirrels, but when the winter hit and the small animals went into hibernation, he was forced to track and bring down the large animals like moose and elk. A desperate wolf would do well to keep out of the way of their hooves, but when you hadn’t filled your belly in a week or so… But now Aeron was a part of the pack. He couldn’t take those risks. And since there was better, smaller game to hunt…
“Don’t worry about me… I won’t risk it if we can help it.”
So it had been a while since pups had been members of the pack… He noticed how Elsa reacted and thought about shrinking back away from that glare she was giving him. She was using her father as a barrier, a barrier Aeron would never think of crossing. Big Yan seemed oblivious to Aeron’s hint, but he didn’t think that pressing the matter with Elsa around would make him any more popular with her.
“You’d need a mate too.” He cracked another grin, finally standing back up. “Perhaps pups will come… The season is just beginning.”
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Post by Lady Cattenborough on Nov 8, 2012 23:13:33 GMT -5
Elsa still continued her incredulous staring. When her father looked at her, she hurriedly started lapping up water, to conceal her actions.
The alpha shook his head. “Nae. My wife ha’ lang since died, an’ there is naethin’ in Heaven nor on land wha’ can replace her.” The Big Yan was a traditional sort of fellow. His mate was gone, and that was the end game for him. “She wa’ a bonnie leddy, our Jeannie. Wee Elsie leuks a lot like her, rather’n like me. Bu’ better her ‘n my ugly auld face, righ’, lass?”
Elsa was looking sadly at her father. When he looked down at her again and spoke, she tried to look in agreement, wagging her tail over the dirt.
“Per’aps some poor maid will bring her wee bairns wi’ her. Whatever happens, happens.” Standing up again, he turned. “Come on, laddie. There’re ither places to see.” He started to walk before Elsa could move, leaving no barrier between her and Aeron. She tipped her ears back again, her brow muscles quirked in a look of complete puzzlement and curiosity, before she got up and returned to shadowing her father.
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vritra
New Member
[M:70]
That One Girl
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Post by vritra on Nov 9, 2012 20:25:09 GMT -5
It was sad to hear how Big Yan’s mate had died. Aeron’s ears tilted a little, his lips pulled tight. He hadn’t meant to bring up painful memories… It was a little romantic of him, he supposed, to not find another female to take as his mate and have pups with. In the end, it did look like any pups that were to be born into the pack would have to come from either an already pregnant female or…
Aeron’s thoughts trailed off, following the alpha when he got up and left. Elsa didn’t look too happy that her barrier was gone, and he waited until she looked comfortable enough following her father before he trotted up to Big Yan, continuing to look around his new home and smell out the game. Spring meant new life for everyone, and there would be plenty of lambs and kits to hunt.
“You said the territory is small… Have you ever thought of expanding?” He looked over at Big Yan as they walked, cocking his head to the side. “I am sure I am only the first of many to come seeking a new home with your pack. We might have plenty of new mouths to feed soon. If we have a larger pack, maintaining a larger territory would not be as troublesome.”
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Post by Lady Cattenborough on Nov 9, 2012 21:59:19 GMT -5
“Oh,” Big Yan said thoughtfully as he trotted along, a moving mass of fur and muscle. “Aye, aye. When th’ time comes, we’ll prob’ly tak th’ castle an’ the shoreline. Fer noo’ it is guid eneuch.” The alpha was approaching a cluster of trees.
“Th’ wee woods are a guid place fer small things, rabbits, an’ the like. Tis Elsa’s favourite – she’s got a skinny wee heid, ye see. She’s guid fer flushin’ the warrens.”
Elsa looked bashful and sheepish, but easily concealed herself behind her father. They stopped a few feed from the edge of the tree line.
“On tither side, there is a bonnie field where th’ deer an’ what no’ tend tae graze. Should ye want tae see it, I will ha’ Elsa tak ye there, brigadier, and ye can direct her on yer first hunt, or, a’ least, ye can try.” Idly, Big Yan sat down and started to lick and groom is paw. It was his sore one, his front left, and it was giving him a bit of grief.
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vritra
New Member
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That One Girl
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Post by vritra on Nov 9, 2012 22:12:09 GMT -5
Aeron had seen the castle from the densite; it was quite intimidating. Taking it, though, would provide the pack with relatively more protection than just the densite. It was mostly ruin by now, but it was a high advantage point and would offer them the high ground if anything happened. He had not caught the scent of any other packs on his way to find this one, but that did not mean that there was not one was not lurking either to the far north or much, much further south. Conflict was always a problem…
A first hunt… Yes, that sounded like a good idea. “It’s a plan.”
Aeron walked up to the tree line, looking back at Elsa and tilting his head so that she’d follow. “We’ll meet you back and the den then, Sir, and hopefully with a good sized dinner.” They’d be able to catch at least a few mice, perhaps even a rabbit or two. If it came down to it, Aeron could share with Elsa while Big Yan by right got his own meal.
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Post by Lady Cattenborough on Nov 9, 2012 22:35:14 GMT -5
Elsa looked just the tiniest bit miffed when this was agreed. She made no attempt to voice this, though, just trotted forward towards the trees.
“Oh, tak yer time, lad. Elsa’s no’ exactly guid fer conversation, bu’ she’s awful quick.” Big Yan got up and trotted off again, leaving his daughter alone. She seemed…accepting of the situation, and made off into the trees, a scrawny wolf on stilts.
Polar Bear Verdict: Hunting about, you have come upon a small family of five bunny rabbits, 3 adults and two childrums. Being bunnies, they are essentially defenceless, but being bunnies they are also terrified... But they aren't quite as fast as you are, and you manage to get ahold of 3 of them. You get hold of 2 of the adults and 1 of the children.
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vritra
New Member
[M:70]
That One Girl
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Post by vritra on Nov 9, 2012 23:11:11 GMT -5
The forest was quiet and he and Elsa moved silently, their paws carrying them over fallen trees and through the slushy puddles of snow. The sun was still high enough in the sky that they had light to find prey, though their noses and ears would be their best guides. He didn’t try to speak to Elsa yet, trusting her to try and get his attention if and when she spotted anything…
And when she sudden got a little closer to him and he turned to find her looking at him, he followed her to tiny meadow situated inside the forest, the little clearing silent and looking mostly barren, the light shining directly into it and effectively blinding anything inside when they looked out into the darkened forest.
There was a group of rabbits, a small one by the look of it… Their den hole was also tiny and there was only one that Aeron could see, so perhaps it was a den just starting out. Whatever the case, there were three adults and two kits… Mighty tasty looking kits at that. He belly crawled a little closer, Elsa by his side. He licked his lips and spoke to her softly, though his eyes never left the rabbits.
“We need at least two… Go for the kits if you can; they’re slower.”
Slowly, they crawled forward, trying to get as close as they could before they launched forward… But a snapped twig from somewhere in the forest startled them and Aeron and Elsa had to act fast. They raced forward, maws open and their legs carrying them faster than the adults. Two of the kits had been right by the den door, and they flew down as quickly as they could, escaping their jaws. But then Aeron’s teeth sunk into one of the adults who’d taken off in another direction, perhaps after another den hole, and Elsa had the other one that followed him equally as quickly.
The blood flew down his throat as he delivered a death bite to its spine, cracking it in half and leaving a bloody corpse for dead when he spotted one of the kits running towards the tree line; it was dead before it knew what was happening. The entire kit almost fit completely inside Aeron’s mouth, though he dropped it next to his other kill as he paused for a moment to catch his breath. Grinning, he looked up at Elsa and noted she looked pretty please.
“We’ll take these back to your father… Yours is larger; it should be his. The kit and mine we can split.” Without waiting for an answer, since he knew he wouldn’t get one, Aeron picked up both rabbits between his teeth and started back to the den site, having already burned its location deep within his memory.
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Post by Lady Cattenborough on Nov 9, 2012 23:36:22 GMT -5
The hunt successful, Elsa started back towards the den, at rather more of a gallop than a walk. With such gangly and disproportionate legs, it was quite a sight. She was quite clearly proud of her catch, which was only around five pounds, but that was rather large for this sort of animal. It was, however, heavy to her slender head, and by the time she made it back to the dens and bounded up the rocks to where her father was sitting, she had grown quite tired.
The Big Yan was simply staring out across the bare hillside, seeing clearly to the trees by the shore. The dying sunlight was red and gold, casting a strange filter across his dark grey and cream coat. Elsa, however, looked as brown and patchy as ever.
As the rabbit was dropped to him, he looked at his daughter, her tail wagging back and forth with much enthusiasm. She was waiting to be praised.
“Ye’ve done a guid job, me lass.” Her father could never resist encouraging her. “Under th’ circumstances, though, th’ brigadier may ha’ the big ane, an’ we will share wha’ he has got. Ye mus’ be tired an’ hungry, Aeron, an’ we ate only yesterday. So ye tak it.”
The corpse of the brown rabbit was nudged towards the brigadier. Elsa needed more food than the alpha did anyway, and to him, Aeron looked half-starved.
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vritra
New Member
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That One Girl
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Post by vritra on Nov 10, 2012 1:19:32 GMT -5
It was hard not to laugh when he saw Elsa’s happy face, her gangly legs carrying her ahead of him as they journeyed back to the densite. But he was smiling, the rabbit and its kit held tightly between his teeth. They were nothing to his hulking frame, though he had to admit that it was almost very, very tempting to just stop and start munching on their flesh before they reached the densite. But Big Yan was the alpha, and he should eat first… Aeron was going to have to get used to pack life.
When Elsa dropped the rabbit in front of him, Aeron was expecting a good job, but was a little amazed when he gave the large rabbit to the new male. He gingerly dropped the rabbit and the kit in front of Big Yan and Elsa, taking the larger rabbit for his own with a soft ‘thank you’.
He lay down not too far away, the rabbit situated between his front paws as she started pulling on the flesh, tearing it a little more to get at the soft flesh. Big Yan was right; he was incredibly hungry. A peaceful silence fell over the densite as everyone ate, the sounds of bones cracking and three wolves happily munching carrying off into the wind.
[thread be done or...?]
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