Cedarwood Forest selfish impulses

For @Sphinx ! Overcast, 17C/62F, early evening

The father had been out scouting a nearby herd of deer through the forest to the west of the pack, and had almost left track of time. At this rate his body was reminding him that he was usually napping in the early evening, and the dark eyelids felt heavy as Viorel made his way back towards the Backwater. A deep yawn stretched his jaws and for a few moments he considered just settling for a nap out here instead of going all the way back.

Glancing around at the impressive trunks, the temptation gathered gumption and Viorel could almost not resist. But, he knew that he couldn’t just not show up back at home without causing some kind of concern. He had developed a pretty steady routine with his family, and with a mate, five children, and a pack to lead, odds are someone would notice that he didn’t return. Sure, his routine varied by a few hours, but he never just did not return without first warning someone he was going on a longer trip.

Rolling his shoulders and shaking his ears in an attempt to wake himself back up, Viorel sighed and kept walking slowly back home.

There was a certain determination that fueled speckled limbs as they wound themselves through thick trunks of cedar, greyed muzzle lowered to the ground to keep tabs on the lingering scent of what appeared to be that of a decent-sized herd migrating through the area Sphinx had deemed her temporary rest point. How long the Avalon woman planned to recoup in these parts was unknown, but there was also no rush to get where she was going. Certain things she had in mind still needed to be properly planned out.

A salmon tongue licked quickly at hungry chops as amber irises lifted to scout the area ahead, hopeful that lady luck was on her side this day. While the likelihood of a single individual such as herself conducting a successful hunt was slim to none, that low probability didn't deter the strong-headed woman. Perhaps amongst the group, there was a sick member struggling to keep pace, a golden opportunity for the hungry canine. An easy kill? What a treat that would be.

Onward Sphinx tracked, silvered ears ever-rotating to catch the slightest noise that either revealed her targeted prey's location or warned of possible competition from the other local predators. Suddenly, though, a new scent began to permeate amidst that of the herd, growing heavier with each stride forward and all motion was soon brought to a halt. Huh, so she wasn't the only one that had been in pursuit of the herd. Consider her interest piqued. The Avalon woman let out a low chuff, curiosity settling upon her facial features as silvered ears pricked forward, pondering if she was even within the range of this stranger to be able to hear her call.

At first Viorel thought that he had imagined a chuff that muffled its way through the trees. Ears perked and flipped backwards towards the sound, before he came to a stop and craned his neck to see if he could see anyone. When his yellow eyes came up with nothing but empty trees, curiosity got the better of the leader and he changed directions, making his way back towards where he thought the sound had come from. Being upwind put him at a disadvantage, he had no way to accurately track.

It took a minute or two, but eventually he set his sights on a woman he had never seen before. Taller than him, and lighter, but similar in colouring. Dipping his muzzle respectfully, he grinned his signature cheeky smile, ”I thought I heard someone else wandering around these trees.” It wasn’t often he ran into strangers while out on his scouting trips, but a new face - provided they’re friendly - was always welcome.

For a minute or two there seemed to be no response from the other as amber irises studied her surroundings for any subtle movement that revealed their whereabouts, silvered ears picking up on no returned chuff or heavy paws crunching the debris scattered about the forest floor. This was fine with Sphinx, though, if the stranger wasn't quite in the mood for some unsolicited company. She would wait a couple of minutes more before shifting her attention elsewhere, most likely back to tracking that of the herd.

As luck would have it a shadowy mass began to manifest between the trunks of some cedars ahead, a set of bright yellow orbs breaking up the darkness until eventually, more detailed features came into view. The man that appeared before her was smaller in stature than herself but adorned a similar pelt although darker in hue. Younger as well. Had he sported a pair of amber eyes that matched her own Sphinx almost would have pegged him for a clone of her father back in the good ol' days. The memory of her late father almost caused the speckled woman to frown. It was the cheeky smile from this stranger that kept it at bay.

Dappled tail swished neutrally at her haunches while her silvered maw dipped respectfully in turn, well aware of the signature scent of a pack wolf that cloaked his fur heavily. "That would be me. A herd migrating nearby caught my attention."

The mention of the migrating herd caused the man’s eyes to flick past the stranger and towards the trees behind her. After a moment he looked back and nodded, ”An evasive bunch aren’t they? I also spent the day trying to track them down, but alas, they always seemed slightly faster than me.” He had never been the best hunter, and definitely not the fastest tracker, so this was not the first or probably the last time that a herd was quicker than him.

Holding back a yawn, he did his best to be polite, ”Viorel Valle, of the nearby Dead Empress Backwater pack.” Some wolves might like to be secretive, but he was proud of the family they had built here and would shout it from the mountain tops, if he wasn’t afraid of heights that is. Rolling his shoulders to loosen them up he followed up, ”You from around here?” She didn’t smell like any pack, but it seemed like a nice thing to ask. Viorel was always interested in learning of potential neighbours.

If it was any consolation to this gentleman, Sphinx was far from an expert at hunting herself. Back in the days of Wild Rye Fields, it was the role as a scout and guardian that truly piqued the speckled child back then's interest, following Askan like a shadow to and from the Lookout. It was there the former guardian shared his knowledge of the vast landscape that made up the lowlands and the few neighbors they had. An inky corner of the Avalon woman's lips twitched with amusement.

Fiery amber irises noted the stifled yawn before a proper introduction was made but paid it no mind. Viorel Valle, Dead Empress Backwater. Neither name rung any bells for Sphinx, alas, that was to be expected she assumed considering the expanse of time that had passed since she left the lore. It was by a pure stroke of luck she had crossed paths with Vasilisa again. "Nice to meet you, Viorel." Once more her head dipped in a respectful bow.

A silvered ear pricked curiously at the posed question. "Not around here, no. But I was born in these lands." It was doubtful, but outside those that had dwelled amongst the stalks of rye themselves, did anyone here now know of its existence? "Where I was born there were waves of gold that stretched for miles and rolled with the afternoon breeze. Wild Rye Fields we called ourselves." Pride swelled within the dappled woman's chest as she recalled her natal pack and the home she loved so dearly. "And I'm Sphinx Avalon."

Viorel dipped his own dark muzzle again in respect to her introduction. She seemed polite, maybe overly so, but there was no gain in being rude in retaliation to someone being so kind. Her sudden extra attention was not lost on him, and brought a charming smile to his tired face. It would seem that he wasn’t the only one who perked up at any chance to speak about his home, either where he was born or where he was from now.

Tilting his head in interest, Viorel plopped his rump onto the earth with a certain lack of grace that came from someone who was travel weary. ”I don’t think I’ve ever seen a rye plant, let alone a field of them that created waves of gold,” it sounded like an unbelievable sight, and he couldn’t help his interest. Showing the eagerness to hear more plain across his face he prompted for more, ”Please, tell me more about these lands you’re from. My children have been dying for new bedtime stories and this sounds like it could be the perfect fix.” He was sure they were tired of hearing about the sea, even though the Valles never tired of talking about it.

Vultures are circling something out of sight. Hunt Opportunity! +5 Health