Red Fern Forest I am a good boy.

@Jessie

Sorry, It's a bit backdated. I would of made it after the birth of the puppies but I'm pretty confused as to what's going on with them right now haha.

How odd it was to actually be partaking in events that would benefit his pack. Even more peculiar the thought of him actually sharing positive feelings for his home. Darrah hadn't felt anything similar to this since being a mere pup. 'I have a lot of making up to do, I still owe plenty of wolves an apology.' with a grunt, the yearling took off on his mission for the day.

It was no secret that the amount of foxes had increased as of late. In fact, Darrah had already ran into a couple of them. One of which even attempted to snatch up his dinner while his concentration remained elsewhere. He'd tell the others it was unsuccessful, but whether or not that was true, well.. That was unimportant. What was important was making sure no more remained around pack territory. After all, a little birdie might of mentioned something to the prince about new siblings. If that were the case, foxes would be more of a threat now than ever.

The boy wondered somewhere deep into the Red Fern Forrest, a place he'd only been to once or twice. 'Gotta be careful, I'm not very familiar with the area..' He took a deep breathe, and to his displeasure, he smelt not a single fox in the area. Where were they all hiding? 'It's great that they don't seem to be around today, but could it be they're just really good at hiding? I might just be overlooking them all...' the boy let out an over-dramatic sigh before continuing his search. He had to bring something home to show his worth.

One king, One crown.

Darrah Tainn

(This post was last modified: May 24, 2015, 06:22 PM by Darrah.)

At some point,

I started looking at the ground more than the sky

It’s hard even to breathe.

The danger was still out there. The horrors of what they had faced were still existent and ever since Drestig’s little stunt within the Red Fern Forest, Jessie was sure to at least do border runs now in order to ensure the safety of her pack mates. As much as she did not like many of them, Jessie would ensure that her family was safe. He little spat with Drestig was just another bump in the road in concerns to their relationship. Even if she was still slightly irritated with him, she was still concerned with his safety. She had used her time to teach him her art and the ways of the pack. She would be damned if she let that time go to waste. However, while her thoughts strayed from her task, her nose did not, and as she ran the borders, her senses became increasingly aware of one of the children’s scents going away from the border. She had, successfully, remained out of the lives of the children the past year and she was thankful she was able to do so. Children were something she no longer associated herself with, not since she had found Rissa’s battered body laying against the ground in the Red Fern Forest, almost beyond recognition. A shiver ran through her body at the thought of the same thing happening to Darrah and her having to find it on her own, again. With this thought in mind, the Scout was quick to pursue the scent of the wandering child.

Her legs were quick as her nose obediently followed the scent of Triell’s child, her heart racing in her chest at the thought of him going missing. When the scent of foxes also accompanied that of the child’s, Jessie’s paw steps grew faster in order to catch up with him. When she reached the area where he was, her stomach gave a sick lurch when she entered. There was no time for her to hesitate and Jessie quickly tried to find where she was going, her paws guiding her through the unfamiliar territory, not allowing her brain to truly comprehend where she was. It did not take her developed legs long to reach the boy she was looking for, and when she found him, she was quick to call out to him, ”Darrah, what exactly do you think you are doing?” Concern was evident in her voice and she watched him carefully, her emerald eyes wide as she waited for his response.

A lynx has left behind the remains of a deer. +5 Health

The nearby sound of a slightly familiar voice startled the heir of Oak Tree Bend back into reality. Whipping his head around, Darrah quickly studied the female to ensure she was of no harm. Though it did take a few moments for him to recall exactly who she was, it relieved him to find she was only a relative. His Aunt as a matter of fact, however not by blood. It was mighty peculiar to see her up-close for a change.

"J-Jessie?" Voice laced with confusion, he hesitated before answering her question. "I suppose I could ask you the same thing?" Whilst the prince had been alive and well for a little over a year now, this would be the first time he'd ever exchange words with the peppered female. "I caught scent of some foxes.." It was almost like he was a pup again, trying to explain his wrongdoings to Triell & Nayeli while at the same time trying to convince them he wasn't eligible for punishment. His mothers kidnappers were still out there and Jessie, being a scout, probably wasn't too pleased seeing the yearling away from home.

"I decided it best to hunt them off while their perfume still lingered heavy in the air.. I was just ensuring my soon-to-be siblings a safe future." convinced that he'd get a good scorning no matter what excuse he laid forward, Darrah winced in anticipation. Even if he hadn't known Jessie all too well, it was easy to detect a distressed pack-mate.

One king, One crown.

Darrah Tainn

At some point,

I started looking at the ground more than the sky

It’s hard even to breathe.

Hope this is OK. <3 I can change it if you need me to.

The young man was quick to whip around, making it quite clear to Jessie that her presence had not been known until she had announced it. This is why she did not like the children, they were so blissfully ignorant to everything that was going around them. They did not think about anything except their own damn curiosity. At Darrah’s shocked, clipped words at her, the gray woman lifted her lip into a scowl, making it clear that she was displeased with the tone he had used with her. This was, after all, the first time they had truly interacted with one another. She was about to thoroughly give him a scolding, not pleased with the way their interaction had gone thus far. However, before she could get a word in, he spoke again. Jessie did not know what it was, it may have been the words themselves or the way he said it, but something about them resonated within her. It made her understand what his goals were and they were a duty to his siblings, to the pack. That was a concept that Jessie could understand perfectly well. She may have been in distress but his words had a certain calming effect to her. The sound of killing foxes appeased her and suddenly she wasn’t so against finding Darrah out in Red Fern Forest.

Looking over her shoulder, as if asking herself if this were a good question or not, a small smirk made its way back onto her lips as she pinned her emerald gaze on the boy. Her voice was clipped when she spoke, a light edge of excitement lacing it, “Let’s go kill those filthy bastards then.” She moved forward effortlessly, deciding that it would be best if she took the lead. After all, Darrah was still young and if anything happened to him during this, she would be the one to blame. What she had been trained to do took over and Nose instantly pinpointed the direction in which the foxes were heading. The young man had been accurate in location and direction. Certainly, he had the potential to be a Scout should be prove to be one…or if he even chose to remain with his family. Jessie certainly hoped he did because this new find that she had discovered would certainly be worth keeping.

It did not take the two long to reach where they needed to be. It seemed the foxes also needed to take a break and rest for a moment. It was no surprise once Jessie took a look into why. There were three foxes: one female and two children. If the three lived on, it would surely cause problems for the pack and Oak Tree Bend could not afford anymore losses. The thought of those sick psychopaths still out their irked her. The gray woman knew that the pack did not need to worry about anything else. Not knowing if Darrah had any experience in killing anyone, Jessie recalled a lesson Ice had taught her long ago, when she had been in training to become a huntress. Opening her jaws, she spoke, her voice quiet as to not alert their prey, ”Keep in mind when you get an opening, go for their windpipes and crush it. It’s the easiest way to get in a quick kill. If your bite doesn’t kill them, then crushing the windpipe will, it blocks off their air supply.” Silently, the Tainn waited for Darrah to acknowledge her words and to give some sign that he understood her.

Life's been chaotic! I promise my replies won't take this long ever again, and I really do apologize :(!

The thought of hunting with Jessie was nerve wrecking, but she was far too enthusiastic to decline. Darrah was far from great at the sport, though he'd be making attempts whether or not she had revealed her presence. 'What's the difference, I suppose..' he stood idly for a moment, contemplating possible outcomes in which he'd make a fool of himself, then flashed a faux grin toward the woman. "I'd be honored!"  

Following Jessie to their destination, Darrah flinched at the sight sprawled out before him. 'Tch, Children..' evading his glare, the prince didn't quite appreciate the thought of killing infants. It just didn't settle right with him. 'Put it in a new prospective.. It's them or your siblings, who's life is more important?' holding back his wince, the young Tainn listened closely to what his elder had to advise. "Ah, I see. Thank you." he nodded, softening his previously held grin. The act sounded gruesome, though it wasn't anything new to him. The prince had done the same with rabbits, and even similar methods with squirrels. None of which involved children, for the record.

"Would you mind going first?" he requested quietly, hoping not to sound too pathetic. "I'll be right behind you, but I'd like an example if.. possible.." Truth being it wasn't very possible at all, once they moved in for the kill the foxes would take off. Common knowledge, but he'd do anything to get a few extra moments of preparation. "It's not necessary.." he added, sighing over what was to come. 'You have to protect them, Prince.. What a horrible taste in my mouth..'

One king, One crown.

Darrah Tainn

At some point,

I started looking at the ground more than the sky

It’s hard even to breathe.

The woman watched quietly in anticipation, her emerald eyes low as her gray ears flickered towards the boy, her eyes meeting his once she heard the tinge of doubt in his voice. They needed to do this in order to protect the pack, it was their duty. However, Jessie reminded herself that he was still young and probably had not even participated in a pack hunt, because they had not had one in years. None the less, the Tainn took a moment to steady herself, remembering that she needed to be patient with Darrah, he was a kind soul. Opening her jaws, she spoke kindly but firmly, “If we wait they will get away…you can do this, I know you can.” In truth, Jessie did not know Darrah that well and had no knowledge of his capabilities. Surveying the scene in front of her, Jessie spoke again, her voice firm and business-like once again, “You go for the mother and I will go for the children.” Looking back one last time at the dark children for confirmation, Jessie was quick to go into action.

The smaller wolf burst through the foliage like a demon, her legs pumping her forward between the children. Hopefully, Darrah would be close behind so that Jessie would not have to worry about the mother. At the moment, the children were the only thing on her mind. Her eyes were pinned on the two children as a sharp bark left her muzzle. Snarls were heard from the other’s lips, along with the cries of the children. Jessie was on them quickly, her jaws snapping quickly to end their lives. They did not put up much of a fight and Jessie was thankful for it. Eventually, they would die, the snapping of their windpipes only confirmed it. Panting slightly, the Scout whirled around to look in on the progress of the yearling. Hopefully, he would not need any assistance but if he did, Jessie would be quick by his side to help. They did not need any more members falling, especially since the Bend was without a Healer.

Darrah's worries were slowly carried away as Jessie offered herself up to the task of killing the children. The mother was far from problematic in his eyes, without kits around what purpose would she serve other than causing harm to his siblings after their birth? Her new purpose would reside amongst the Bend's caches. Perhaps one day the Tainn would find it an easy accomplishment to slaughter the young, but that day simply wasn't today. 'I've got plenty of time before I become alpha. Plenty of time to grow accustom to.. morbid.. ughh..' with a shiver, the boy regained attention and directed it toward his company once more, nodding that the plan was to his satisfaction.

Without even a moments notice she was off, tearing through the dirt and violently displaying her intentions toward the small family. Darrah acted in the only way he could and trampled on after her. The unfortunate circumstance of which his eyes meeting his prey's occurred, and he was able to distinguish the fear (along with anger) residing within her. Regretfully, now wasn't the time to feel empathetic, and the prince knew he had to accomplish the hunt no matter what. His family was by far more important. The mother was fast, though the yearling was able to just barely catch her by the tail. After what seemed like forever, he managed to snap her neck. A lot of unnecessary injury was unintentionally dealt to the poor thing, though the young Tainn could only be glad that it was finally over. When had he resorted back to a baby?

Exhausted, Darrah peered over at his pack mate, wondering just how long she'd been finished with her kills. "I think I'm getting pretty out of shape!" he chuckled, though months of lazing around in a state of depression would clearly take that toll on someone. "Ahhh. Hopefully that's the end of the foxes for now."

One king, One crown.

Darrah Tainn

At some point,

I started looking at the ground more than the sky

It’s hard even to breathe.

The Scout remained distant as she watched Darrah fight with his prey. It was no surprise to Jessie that he had the skill to do so, much like his father in that manner. While it did take longer than she would have liked, he was still young and still had plenty of time before he would even have to contemplate killing something other than prey or predators. At least, Jessie hoped so. When the boy turned to look at her, she remained stoic, her emerald eyes peering at him without sympathy. She noted that he did not take in the dead bodies of the children and Jessie respected such a thing. She, however, looked over what he had done, remembering the moves he had used to dispatch the fox.

“You will get better in time…next time, try not to dally too much. You could get injured and at the moment, Oak Tree Bend does not have a healer,” Jessie was completely professional with her assessment and her last words were true. Really, ever since she had been in the pack with the Tainns, they never had a healer. It had been a curse on them. It was probably a leading cause as to why Corinna passed. While Jessie had never been especially close to the late Queen, she still held a high respect for her and towards the end of her reign, considered her a companion. Shaking such thoughts from her mind, she concentrated once again on the boy, “I suppose it is time that we head home, yes?” She remained with him, glad that she had enjoyed this little outing with someone other than her mate or pupil.