Hush Meadow — survival of the fittest

<blockquote><span style='font-family:georgia'><span style='color:#565656'>the long, flowing grasses of the meadow brushed tenderly against the heaving sides of the ginger female. her rib cage protruded - if only slightly due to the hunger she'd been experiencing as of late. but determination pushed her forwards, the aching need to survive and persevere. amber eyes narrowed upon the fawn that grazed only mere inches from it's mother. it was the easiest target, considering kali's condition. her wounds had yet to fully heal and the fawn was the slowest of the group, currently. and while separating a mother from it's child tore at her conscious, it was the way of the world. another day or two without food would surely leave her absolutely helpless to any and all predators looking for an easy meal.

jaws salivated eagerly, ebony nostrils flared, taking in the scents and trying to determine their possible course of escape. the caribou were intelligent for prey, and kali knew not to underestimate them - especially if a male was present. luckily; however, such a scent didn't exist upon the wind. long, sleekly muscled legs stretched and contorted as her body lowered - readying itself for the coming hunt. the ginger girl's chest constricted slightly in anticipation, those vibrant eyes watching ever so closely the movements of the mother. as the protective creature turned it's head away from it's fawn to graze, the huntress lurched forwards hungrily. she closed the distance between the caribou child and herself within mere seconds, it seemed. a ravenous snarl ripped from her gullet in a craze, teeth snapped viciously at the back of the fawn's hind limbs.

flesh and blood entered her mouth all in once instance, kali's body reacted in a feral manner. saliva dripped from her tongue and canines, slipping onto the glistening hide of the struggling baby. the mother of the fawn bellowed angrily, but fear gripped her and she was forced to flee - unaware that there was only one wolf - as the creatures tended to hunt in packs. her baby cried desperately, and she responded...until of course, the huntress' jaws clasped mercilessly over the creatures tender windpipe. the power behind her jaws was impressive, as it took little to no effort at all to crush the muscle. the fawn grew silent, still. triumph shined within the blazing gaze of the ginger wolfess. a gentle yip and howl of victory pressed forth from her lips before a prayer took precedence.

"<b>blessed be mather, guide dis' wee child back ta yer lovin' arms an' embrace it, thank ya.</b>"</span></span></blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Dec 17, 2011, 03:15 PM by Kali.)

The male’s eyes rested upon the fawn with light interest. His belly was well fed – the cache at the River pack was well stored already for the winter, which had been a specific goal of his and others before he made his departure. Yet the temptation to bring something larger to the pack lingered in his mind, though his gaze set upon the protective mother caribou with careful calculation. The cool wind of winter swept past him then, brushing the undercoat of the tawny male and offering a light chill to those that embraced it. With mother nature’s breath came another scent, and before Ruiko’s gaze could linger along the brush of the meadow to determine where the stranger came from, the cinnamon figure shot out from her hiding place, fierce determination and starvation upon her.

She moved gracefully – the calculating attack to the creature's legs swiftly brought it to a standstill as it could no longer flee from her. The mother's balking figure leapt away, much to Ruiko's surprise, as he had expected the beast to protect it's youth with every fibre of it's being. He would. The braying of the baby was soon quieted with a vicious attack to the windpipe, and in a matter of moments it was over. Ruiko had lost a meal over his contemplation.

The Tainn male felt his tail lash in disappointment, though he made no move. He watched the short battle, noting the way the she-wolf’s sides bulged with hunger, which explained the desperation of her hunt so close to such a large and protective mother. Her victory was one to be applauded, and when the rustling of death finally fell to silence, the tawny regal swept himself up, prowling forward from the opposite side of the bushes. “That was a dangerous hunt,” he commented smoothly, his stoical gaze studying the wolf with mild curiosity.

<blockquote><span style='font-family:georgia'><span style='color:#565656'>the bellowing of the caribou mother could be heard over the rolling grasses of the meadow, aware to late that she could have saved her precious child. deep down, kali felt her pain. she knew the pain of losing a child, as it had happened all to fresh before her travels to these lands. two pups had been taken from her, stolen - and brutally murdered. sorrow had gripped her soul, tearing it asunder as if it were a delicate fall leaf. but hunger overwhelmed her thoughts now, as the smell of fresh meat and organs wafted in front of her face. trembling with anticipation, her jaws quivered hungrily and in a quick motion, the ginger girl sliced open the fawns ribcage. jaws worked tirelessly, the cracking of bones could be heard in the air - a sickening sound. the feel of tender meat between her teeth, sliding over her aching tongue was nearly enough to have her miss the scent lingering upon the air.

it was obvious the brute had been down wind of her during the hunt, as due to her other failing senses ( the sight within her left eye ), her sense of smell was acute. it was only as he moved closer, despite his large size, that the ginger bitch reacted. a snarl ripped from her jowls, instinct taking over. the need to protect her kill overwhelmed all logic, and the mingling scent of the swift river pack had her hackles bristling maliciously. though, to him, he'd like laugh. at the moment, kali appeared to be nothing more than a <span class='word'>gangrel</span>. starvation, travel, it had all made her beautiful, powerful build lack luster and it's intimidation factor. ebonys lips still peeled back; however, as the revealed glistening ivories. blood tinged, the girl salivated hungrily, wishing very much to simply return to her meal. yet, assuring he was no threat had her mind whirling with a distraught aggression. "<b>fierce er not, a girl's gotta ayte.</b>" she managed to sneer out lowly.

"<b>whut do ya want, stranger?</b>" her voice was a feminine whisper of savagery. she lowered her aggression a tad, but the defensive posture stayed. no longer did she snarl, instead - those vibrant eyes stared at him a bit incredulously.</span></span></blockquote>

His prowling movement forward stirred the defense of the she-wolf to stir; the bristling of her hackles and the sudden snarl that surpassed her lips caused his own posture to stiffen, but the sudden lash of his tail and halt of his pace was enough to reveal his intentions. Had he wanted her kill, he would have moved forward to take it by now, rather than make small talk. Ruiko Tainn had always been one for action rather than words.

The slur of her words caused a small pause from the male – a question was asked of him, yet his mind was still deciphering through the thick accent to determine what she had said before. The viciousness within her tone was not lost upon the male, and his own lip curled back to reveal his displeasure, exposing one ivory fang in careful warning to the starved female. “If I was a wolf to vulture and pick off a lone wolf’s hard earned meal, I would have done so by now,” he returned smoothly. Then, because he was unable to help the sardonic words that slipped past his muzzle once more, he snorted. “Besides. You clearly need it far more than I do.”

Feeling as if the point of this meeting was mute, the regal male gave the starving girl a light wink, knowing she was likely hoping to enjoy her meal in peace and quiet. Not one to usually offer any form of satisfaction to one he did not know, the male would have continued such banter had his own stomach not given a small rumble. Taking a gentlemanly approach, Ruiko Tainn then turned, leaving the she-wolf to her meal and went to find one of his own.

(This post was last modified: Jan 08, 2012, 04:02 PM by Ruiko.)