Larkcall Lowlands The Busy Man's Guide

@Namir set it to private bc i don't think we're doing the thing yet but if you want it switched to AW just lemme know <3

So Big Buzzard and Little Crow had made their way north. The exact direction he had been going away from but he kept his mouth shut. If she was mostly feeding him and he was apart of her manhunt now then who was he to complain? Buzzard could easily keep going on like this even if it meant returning to the dreaded north were all those weird wolves lived.

In the morning he had risen with the sun, given a firm woof to Little Crow to alert her he'd be going for a brisk jog. She was free to follow after him if she wanted to. They were partners in crime now. Of course, that didn't mean he was gonna be slowing down or waiting for her. He was off into the morning light through the tall grass that surrounded them. This wasn't his ideal place to be but it was better than staying in that death trap place down south. The only thing good that had come from there was Little Crow. And even then he figured that good might not be a word to fit their situation.

He yawned and let his tail sway behind him with ease as his body still hung with grogginess. Maybe he could find something to eat or drink around here. Anything to speed up the process of waking up.

Namir stretched lazily, watching with amber eyes as her new travelling companion set off at a brisk trot to do…whatever it was he did when he went off. She yawned, tongue rolling out of her mouth as she considered her options. The fog that had obscured her view before still seemed to blanket both the forest and the open lands beyond. So far, they hadn’t run into anyone who had information about their queries. It was hunting, and sleeping, and looking for wolves who might know something. She could waste an entire arvo just lazing around -- or she could do something.

They were awful near borders now – and that gave her a wee little idea.

With a grin, the loner gathered her feet and set off at a lazy lope, catching up with Buzzard easily. She bumped into his haunches before rolling in front of him, urging him to halt. “Hey now,” she drawled, ears pushed forward. “I gotta idea. We’re real near a pack, see? Can smell ‘em on th’ wind. Now, I know a thing ‘er two ‘bout gettin’ easy dinner, but we gotta be quick, and we gotta do our work first, and you gotta listen to me. Got it?”

Little Crow grinned up at the older wolf, tail waving behind her easily.

A soft smile laced the large male's lips as he felt a bump on his haunches. Mentioning he didn't think anyone else around he knew exactly who it would be. This thought was only solidified as that voice reached his ears. It was indeed his work partner. He was half hoping she'd get up off the ground and follow after.

"Hey," He spoke back softly before she went on to speak. An idea? Buzzard liked her ideas because they usually involved food and while the big male was by no means starving, he wasn't going to turn away any possible idea that might or might not involve food.

A brow raised up softly as he listened, his tail swaying easily behind his form. "Yeah, got it." His head nodded for a moment before it settled down. "Just tell me what I gotta do." He wasn't that quick but he also wasn't deathly slow. The lone yearling would be willing to push himself a bit for an easy dinner. Sounded rather nice really. Little Crow really was holding up to her name, wasn't she? Part of him hoped he was holding up to his name. Big Buzzard. He knew he had at least the first part down.

Saros is currently going under the alias Big Buzzard or Buzzard - thanks to a name given by Namir

Huh.

She’d never had such an easy time convincing someone to do something. Sure, most of it was probably because she was an omega’s daughter, but most of it was because she didn’t have that bit of meat hanging behind her back legs all the powerful wolves seemed to have. It took Little Crow a moment to process, that she was actually being taken seriously, and gave Big Buzzard a wide swing of her tail.

“Okay – first things first. Gotta get wet an’ muddy. Mask our scent. ‘Cos it’s important not t’go in blind, but if they smell strangers, they’re gonna know before we even try, right?” she explained, turning to lead her partner in crime to their most recent watering hole. Once they arrived, she wasted no time diving right in, wetting her fur and smothering herself in mud. It would go far to dampen her smell, and make it unfamiliar enough that they wouldn’t know just who was on their borders. Glancing over, she wiggled her tail at the other wolf, raising her brows. “C’mon in. Gotta get real covered. Then we go check out the borders. Try t’ find a cache near, so we get in, an’ get out, real fast.”

Huh. Buzzard hadn't really thought of something like that. Then again he was so bullheaded and cocky he couldn't give two flying owls if someone caught him. But now he had a partner in crime and he couldn't afford to bite the hand that was feeding him. Not yet at the very least. Little Crow was doing him good by keeping him fed and teaching him a few tricks of the trade when all he'd really done was offer some shoving weight.

His long strides made it easy to keep up with her but he halted as she entered the water. For a moment he watched before going in after. It was kind of gross to wallow around but at least he knew Little Crow wasn't yanking his chain too hard if she was doing it too. The large yearling really focused on caking mud on his forehead, trying to hide his overly distinguishable 'birthmark'. That damn white star was a curse more than it was a blessing.

"Hey, think I got it covered? The damn spot will be too rememberable if they see it." He asked as he tried his best to look up at his own forehead. Only after a few seconds did that cross-eyed thing hurt and he relied on Little Crow's word. Of course, he still had much more of himself to cover with the murky substance.

Saros is currently going under the alias Big Buzzard or Buzzard - thanks to a name given by Namir

Little Crow rolled to her feet, pausing for a few moments as she fought the natural urge to sling all the mud off of her tawny coat – that wouldn’t do at all. Would defeat the purpose. At the sound of Buzzard’s voice, the bandit glanced up, mouth pulling into a scowl as she realized that stubborn white star was still poking through. Unless the guy near drowned himself, he wasn’t going to get it covered…or…

Heh.

The loner reared upwards on her hind limbs, balancing precariously before placing a small paw firmly between his eyes. <b.“Boop!” </b>she hummed, pulling back and splashing back down as she tried to admire her handiwork. There! “Yer a different man now, Buzzard,” Little Crow announced, clearly pleased with her brilliance. Mud was still dripping from her tail and undercarriage as she turned, motioning for the larger wolf to join her as they made a beeline towards the pack borders. Which meant it was time for the next lesson.

“No straight lines,” she told him, careful to follow her own advice, zigging and zagging, doubling back as they travelled towards the homestead. “When we run, yeah. But when we scout, no. Don’t want them t’track us if they got like, a super sniffer ‘er somethin’, yanno?” She loped an easy circle. So as we get close, y’keep yer nose open fer somethin’ that smells like food. Got it?”

Before he could ask just what the hell she was doing rearing up like that a dainty paw was placed in the middle of his forehead, right where that stubborn white star was. Even if it was unexpected he appreciated her covering him like that. Ivory teeth became exposed in his muddy face in the form of a smile. He was indeed a different man now. Going by the name Big Buzzard, caked in mud, stealing practically from the mouth of others. The whole stealing thing hadn't been exactly part of the deal but he knew his place in this moment. He was learning from Namir how to get an easy dinner. Buzzard had to wonder if it was really easy but as long as he came out of this situation with a dinner he wouldn't complain.

It was hard at first to not just jog straight after her. Bright green eyes stared intently down at his paws, willing them to move back and forth in that silly manner. "No straight lines, no straight lines, no straight lines..." He mumbled to himself before he finally got the hang of it a bit better. Buzzard wasn't used to wasting his time with such a foolish walking pattern but he had said he would listen real close to Little Crow and he was going to do just that.

"Got it." He hummed as he zigged around. Maybe this mud was helping some. He smelled less of Little Crow and him and more of the surrounding area. What a head on those lean shoulders.

Saros is currently going under the alias Big Buzzard or Buzzard - thanks to a name given by Namir

“Good.” She grinned to herself, continuing the irregular pattern as easily as she did breathe. When this was all you grew up knowing, it came like second nature. “Y’know, y’ain’t half bad, ‘fer a big brute. Most of ‘em can’t even pick up this shit.” She wasn’t sure if it was the Big Bad Male syndrome, or maybe if a pair of balls just made it harder for them to think, but either way, this guy was different. Maybe he didn’t have an alpha daddy, or something.

They made it to the rye fields quickly enough, stinking of a sizeable pack with several males, and at least a pair of females, if not more. So that meant two things: lots of caches, and probably lots of guards. They’d have to be smart, find something within striking distance, and take off again. Little Crow wondered if her new companion was any good at eating on the run. Multitasking seemed a little…difficult for him. But that was okay. As long as he could bite a jerk or two in the face, that was all she really needed.

Slowing down to catch up with her companion, she tipped her head and spoke softly. “One cache. S’all we’re lookin’ fer,” she drawled, eyes scanning the waving grasses. “Smells like lotsa wolves, so we gotta play it cool. Play it quick.” Her tail snapped from side to side and she was moving again, not wasting any time while the mud continued to dry. They’d have to leave again before their scent became apparent.

"Thanks, I suppose." He chuckled softly as he kept trying to nail the irregular pattern of walking. Buzzard wasn't really sure of the connect with his smarts and his size. Yeah, maybe he was used to using his weight and so were other bulky wolves but what was the point of not using it if he had it? He was fairly smart too. Perhaps not as much as Little Crow mentioning she was teaching him some stuff but he still had a brain, could still use it like she could. Regardless of these thoughts, he kept his mouth shut. Maybe Buzzard would bring it up after all of this.

Last time he was here he hadn't paid that much attention to the smell of things mainly because someone had popped right out of the fog into his face. Wait...fog. That was it! "Some of this fog and tall grass might be a bit of an advantage to us. Easy to loose them in." He raised a brow and wondered what his partner in crime would think. She might have already thought of that just like she seemed to have already thought of everything else but he could at least try to be more helpful than just a set of paws.

"I'll be right on your trail." He said with an easy going nod. Buzzard wasn't fast but he had the stamina and if he got caught (which hell below and heaven above he hoped didn't happen) he had a bit push to give.

Saros is currently going under the alias Big Buzzard or Buzzard - thanks to a name given by Namir

That wasn’t a half-bad idea…and not actually something that had occurred to Little Crow just yet. The tall grasses seemed pretty perfect, but her companion was absolutely correct. The fog was gonna help them. It dampened the smell over everything, and it would make two murky wolves difficult to find. She hummed thoughtfully, giving the older wolf a small nod of approval. “Yeah, good call. Think I smell somethin’. Remember this spot.”

She turned about, slinking down to her belly and disappearing completely into the grasses. There were definitely some advantages to being small and slender (not that she ever complained, not her), becoming one with the landscape as she waited for Big Buzzard to do the same. It was quite a test for a pair of wolves who’d only just started to work together…frankly, she’d never done this with another wolf in tow at all. Her Mama had taught her, yeah, but any actual jobs? Her alpha sent her Mama until she couldn’t go anymore, and then it was up to Little Crow, even before a year of age.

But she did it.

That’s why she was Little Crow now. That’s why she had a place at Crow’s Crossing – even as omega’s spawn – if she came back. Because she was Little Crow, and she knew what she was doing. “C’mon. Let’s not waste th’ opportunity.”

Exit.