Riddle Heights If I lose myself

Pyriel listened ears perked forward as Elias assured him that he would think of something. He nodded sure that the man could at least do that. “I'm sure that will work, just not too loud you scare the thing away.” That was the important thing.

With that he gave a nod to the man before slipping away into the forest as if he were leaving. Then he disappeared behind a tree to watch his packmate try to distract the goose. It was a good sign when he no longer heard the sounds of the honking goose and when he peeked around the tree once more he could see the gooses attention was in Elias completely. Pyriel took that as his cue, he quickly and quietly moved around to the back of the bird. As he crept closer to the goose he found hear what was being said to the goose. Then Elias started chasing his tail, Pyriel rolled his eyes but he supposed that was one way to do it.

He had to keep from laughing out loud as he watched the scene before him. Each of his paws was placed carefully before he finally sprinted and pounced jaws open wide. He caught the birds neck and it started flapping it's large wings.

“Do something Elias,” he tried to say around the goose's neck but it came out all jumbled. All the while he pulled the bird around as he tried to avoid being hit by it's wings.

The goose, understandably, didn't know what to make of Elias' act. It was so distracted that it didn't notice Pyriel approach it from below, hunched and ready to pounce. In a sudden flash of movement Pyriel was upon the beast, his jaws snapping as he struggled to contain and subdue the struggling bird. It beat it's powerful wings and honked furiously, as if offended that it had been tricked. Elias saw the fear and panic in it's eyes, was that the look he'd had when he'd been pinned down, violated?

Elias shuddered and his mouth went dry, it was hard for him not to compare himself to the goose. Two lonely souls so far away from anyone who cared. Pyriel's jumbled words snapped him out of his reverie, he shook his head as his gaze focused on the struggling duo once more. Geese were strong, not easy prey, of course his packmate needed help. And yet....

He rushed forward and used his large mass to push down upon the goose, it wriggled and fought beneath him, even though by then it must have realised that it had lost this battle. Why didn't it give up? Why did it reach out for that tiny glimmer of hope? It was wasting everyone's time and energy, perhaps that was the point. It didn't want to make it easy for them, it wanted them to work, to struggle to take it's life. Elias could respect that, it was brave, in a way.

Soon the fight drained from the beast, the tang of blood lingered in the air. By the time Elias pulled away, pushed himself to his bird-feet, the bird was still and the snow stained red. They'd done it, but at what cost?

The first part of the plan went off without a hitch. Elias had done his part and kept the bird distracted quite well. It had allowed Pyriel to sneak up on the bird until he was nearly next to it. He didn't take any chances though, as soon as he was sure that he had a clear shot at the goose he took it. Wasting anymore time would inly open them up for mistakes that could lead to losing this meal.

Once he had a good hold in the bird though everything went South. He could feel it each time the birds wings hit him and it hurt, he was sure he'd have a bruise or two from this struggle. He did his best to avoid the wings moving this way and that dragging the bird in hopes it would keep him from the brunt of the flaps. He'd called to Elias to help but all that had come out were a string of sounds that he hoped would give the other man the hint.

It seemed it had because next moment all he saw was a motion of blond fur and then weight on the bird. It still struggled not wanting to give up the fight just yet but at least it wasn't beating him with its wings any longer. It gave him the chance to finish the job which he did closing his jaws around the goose's neck. He could feel blood coming into his mouth and the birds struggles started to slow.

Soon everything ceased and he stood there panting around to goose's neck until he was sure that the bird had been ended. Dropping his mouth full he looked to the blond man, “Thanks for that,” he said just before he shook his coat out. “That was some good distracting, I think he really like you chasing your tail. We should probably get this thing back though."

"It was nothing. But...thank you, for being patient with me, I guess. It made me feel a bit out of sorts." That was putting it lightly but he wasn't going to bore him with the details.

Elias had a lot of baggage, probably too much.

Shaking his head, he looked down at the bloodied maw of his pack mate to the dead goose, warm but lifeless, it's fire snuffed out. At the very least it's meat would serve a better purpose, it would help the wolves of the Height through the long winter. The more food they had in the bellies, the better. Even if it was the remains of one very sad goose.

"I can carry it if you want? It's only fair, considering you did most of the hard work."He said, shrugging a little as he limped forward, ready to bare the brunt of it's weight.

Pyriel looked down at the dead goose, it was good size and would serve the pack well. His emerald green gaze turned on the blond man as he spoke. His head tilted to the side slightly as Elias spoke of being out of sorts wondered what that was about though wasn't going to ask. If the man wanted to talk about he would listen but it didn't seem to be happening just then. “Don't worry about it,” he said reaching over and bumping him on the chin with his muzzle, “I've been there too.”

He seemed to have gotten out of the funk he had been in and was thankful for that. He was also thankful that his shoulder hadn't acted up during the hunt so they could take the goose down. He was sure he would feel the struggle later though but that was neither here nor there. It would happen and he would deal like he always did.

His gaze went back to the goose once more as Elias offered to carry it. “Sure,” he said stepping away so the blond man could get at the goose. “When we get back we could share a rabbit or something?” He offered. Perhaps he'd been a little harsh in his judgements of Elias.