Thicket of Secrets Eyes on the prize

@Iopah We're so close to closing this thread out! :D

His eyes widened with anticipation at the renewed sense of energy that flowed through his veins, he knew that within time the deer could no longer put up much a fight, the blood that drained from its wound was bleeding profusely, and yet he was not foolish enough to assume a frightened deer would not fight until the end. A growl left his lips as he watched it advance, a look of fright in its eyes as it sought out a safe route to exit but with both wolves on the bank, there was no escaping without a few lethal teeth to its hide--with Iopah at his side, he was no doubt a mighty opponent.

Hearing the agouti woman at his side bark with excitement and triumph, his ears perked forward and he couldn't help emitting one of his own with a few quick wags of his bushy tail. This hunt had gone better than he had anticipated and though it was not over yet, he wondered if he would be able to say that with Iopah at his side, he was able to help feed the pack for a few days. He turned toward her when she looked him over for injuries and he took the time to do the same, and noticing none, turned his attention back to the deer that had finally gotten the courage to attempt passing them and though both he and Iopah were quick to react with bared teeth, he applauded the deer for going down in style. After latching onto the opposite side of the deer he allowed all his weight to drop in an effort to pull the creature down despite the freezing water that played at his limbs--he ignored it long enough to pull the deer forward and onto the bank.

When the deer had buckled under the weight of both wolves, the pale male took the opportunity to tear into flesh without hesitation and tasted the sweetness of victory on his tongue. With a blood stained mouth and a few chucks of meat to subside his hunger, he turned to Iopah to see what she intended to next.

Arla and Emma are the ish and made my pretties!
Koda will most likely always be accompanied by Chiron unless otherwise stated, or requested.

@Koda I know! We have a lot of SW-era threads to finish out! we still have 4-5? posts to go, i say we just wing it xD

Between the deer's panicked bleating and the turbulent slosh of frigid water, it was hard to tell where Koda was. She had a job to do and simply left to trust that the large male was there. The deer weighed much more than she did. When it moved she was carried along with it, snarling and jerking her head side to side. But they were winning, every step was more frantic than the last and the beast was falling more than it was getting away. In brief flashes, Iopah could see that the blood that had stained the creek pink. The whole lower half of her was already tinted a most decidedly delicate shade of death.

It jerked toward the shore, while Iopah tore and hung after it like an anchor. Finally, it buckled. Iopah heard the slam as it's knees made sudden contact with the solid-frozen ground. It was still moving though, legs jerking about in the air. She watched the sharp hooves on the ends of those slowly twitching feet. Now she could hear the rustle of Koda's pelt as he moved to finish the hunt. Hurriedly she latched onto deer hide just above the sharp-edged limb that swung closest to him and pulled it away hard. She missed the final bite that ended the deer's life, instead feeling Koda's gaze on her.

Iopah dropped her grip on the deer's shoulder and glanced down at it's still body. Her gaze swung back up to Koda and a wide grin split her face. Now matter how many times she did this, it was still a rush. She leaned over to bump her bloodied chest against him, knowing he was as smeared as she was and not caring. Their rapport was more than just superficial; they worked well together. She licked his muzzle briefly and settled down to eat herself. They still had to bring a portion back to the cache, but certainly she had earned the right to take a few mouthfuls before calling in their pack mates.

His muscles were tense as he worked to keep the deer on the ground to prevent it from bucking, any wrong move and those hard hooves could cause permanent damage, a circumstance he was not prepared to have happen on his watch. With what remained of his strength he worked to keep the deer from fleeing and could feel Iopah working just as hard at his side, and only when he felt the deer collapse did he hold back the grasp he had on the beast. He could still hear the cry echo in his ears as the creature expelled its last breath, and the body fell stiff to their advances to admit silent defeat--without missing a beat, he turned to his partner after stealing a few chucks of meat for himself. The blood that stained his chest and cheek bones filled the air with a metallic scent as he felt the slender chest of Iopah along his own, a triumphant clash for their successful hunt, and he leaned into her as though she would disappear from his sight. It hadn't occurred to him until this moment that this woman, of whom he had so easily worked alongside with, was the only wolf he sought to have at his side forever.
He watched as she took a few chunks of meat for her own and took the time to give her a once over, happy that this hunt had no produced any injuries for either of them. It was rare, but they had taken down a deer without the need for extra bodies and had done so tactfully. He was sure that it was because they had learned to work so well at each others side.   "You know, you are quite good at what you do." he said, licking his lips in an attempt to wash the blood from his face, from this moment he wanted to impress her, as if killing a adult deer was not impressive enough.

Arla and Emma are the ish and made my pretties!
Koda will most likely always be accompanied by Chiron unless otherwise stated, or requested.

It was a grizzly scene. The ground was torn up, splattered with blood and tufts of hair. The air was heavy with blood and the overpowering scent of the deceased deer's fear. The wolves opened the carcass and the scene only worsened. Evidence of the death was everywhere. Over it all Iopah's eyes were bright and lively.

She watched him, a contented croon in her throat at Koda's perusal of her. It had gone very well. Despite the success, she couldn't forgot how dangerous hunts could go. To have the deer dead at their feet, no wounds on either of them, and him checking her for injury was a powerful feeling. It was his job to look out for her, and it was her's to look out for him in turn. This is how it should be. The rules were wrong if they said they shouldn't be this close.

"I can't take all the credit," She said smoothly rising from her place with a bloodied face. Inside she was proud. It was a dangerous job and she had been a huntress for many years now. Iopah would never discredit the seriousness of the job, but she felt something else right now. Playfully she advanced, watching as he tried to clean the crimson from his jaws. "I did call you for a reason...." Eyes quirked as she trailed off pointedly. Slowly she nuzzled his jaw, leaving a bright streak of red in the freshly fur, then drew back and watched him, a dare in her eyes.

Too lazy for a table....

His eyes grew wide as she neared him, giving his pelt a once over for any injuries as he did for her just moments prior; he couldn't stop his heart from fluttering at the short distance between them. He stood as still as possible, not wanting her to sense the nervousness that plagued him and once she concluded that there were in fact no injuries, he felt the breath he was holding leave his mouth. It felt good to have stolen away from the pack for a moment to share this fleeting time with the second of the pack alone, and he wondered if the feeling was mutual on her end; given her advances he was beginning to think he were rubbing off on her.

The blood that covered her maw caught his attention and he stepped closer as if inspecting the splattering of blood on her jaws and when he felt comfortable with the distance, he sent a few licks along her cheek to help rid the blood from her mouth. The metallic taste made him crave the fresh meat of deer on his tongue but he knew what remained of the deer was to be split among the pack, he had to resist the temptation to steal a few more chunks from the carcass. With his attention back on the pale woman he felt a smile spread the length of his lips at the flirtatious words she admitted--he was well aware that she had called him for more than his bulk. " I hope the reason wasn't merely for the hunt." he asked, brow raising on his face as he studied her, taking in her beauty at such a short distance, "but then again, I couldn't turn down any request from you..." he said with a smile, ears twitching behind him.

(This post was last modified: May 10, 2015, 04:23 AM by Koda.)

Arla and Emma are the ish and made my pretties!
Koda will most likely always be accompanied by Chiron unless otherwise stated, or requested.

@Koda

It was a game. He stepped closer, as the huntress expected him to. Playful smile grew and legs tensed under her, ready to dance away at any indication of playful retaliation. The pale banner of her tail swayed relaxed behind her, gradually stilling as his steps brought him closer yet. It a test of wills. How close could he get before she frisked away? Her eyes were fixed on him, clearly anticipating his next move. She wasn't expecting the gentle kiss. The same eyes intensely watched only seconds ago closed and she sighed breathy. Just like that the game was over.

She felt no disappointment; it wasn't that kind of game. He turned attention to the carcass and she pressed her muzzle pressed into the thick fur of his side, not noticing or intending to smear blood any further. They were so very close when he turned back. "Of course not," She murmured up to him, "you are just the only one that belongs at my side." Her eyes widened at his admission before softening with adoration . Anything was an awful lot to offer someone. It was a huge amount of himself to give her. The weight of the statement was something she let settle slowly over herself. She studied him as if contemplating her first request, single ear flicking in apparent consideration. Finally she made a decision and leaned forward to press her skull rest just under his chin. "Good thing I don't need anything else right now." It felt so good to be content. Iopah held her muzzle there a moment, reveling in his warmth, before drawing back. "But... maybe you could help me bring this back?"

It took another hour of teamwork to disjoint the deer enough to move it. Piece by piece it moved into the cache, and finally the pair took a much needed rest.

-Fade-