sharpen your knife

The boy watched, awestruck, as Kjors came barreling forward like a bullet from a gun, a blur of white, black and dark brown. It was as if the world suddenly slowed to accommodate the precision of the hunt, with the One-Eyed Dragon's maw opening wide, canines exposed as he launched towards the fleeing fawn, paws thrumming the ground in just a few lengthy strides. Aleksei blinked and missed the meeting of teeth grasping skin and flesh, the fawn buckling as the hungry male tugged at its leg. Without missing a beat himself, his memory of the pack's hunt still fresh in his mind, the tawny prince bounced forward as if a pup at play, his tongue swimming with saliva that pooled in his mouth and spilled in gloopy strands from his jowls.

The young deer thrashed wildly, wide brown eyes staring at nothing in particular, trying to shake off the predator at its haunch with kicks and swipes. It was a valiant effort, really, for such a small creature ... but it was a futile one. There would be no escape with two hunters baring down on it. Aleksei quickly threw himself into the fray, sphene eyes focused on one spot: the throat. That was the fatal zone--the prince could remember that much. A secured bite held there and the prey would be asphyxiated in a matter of minutes. Clamping down on the windpipe of the deer, the larger wolf threw his weight down onto the deer, large paws flailing as he tried to find a foothold.

And for a while, Alek remained still, huffing into the struggling deer's neck as he occasionally shifted, twisting his jaws into flesh hungrily. The fawn's breaths slowed, its once heaving chest now barely twitching as it tried to find air in vain. Its bleating and squawking cries became ragged gurgles. Those sharp kicks became slow and tired. It felt like an eternity choking the life out of the thing and the tawny prince allowed his gaze to drift to Kjors with a smothered grin.

Let the roots & soil drink of me
Whispering leaves & pointing branches will tell them where I'm lying

Wildly, the fawn fought on, wrenching Kjors forward as he locked his jaw downwards like a spring-loaded trap. He refused to let go until he was forced, until he literally could not. With a growl, he shook his head, fighting back against the creature as he waited. Waited. It seemed like an eternity, seconds drawing by weeks as he waited for his partner to move. He could not see, could barely hear over the roar of blood in his ears as adrenaline surged through his body, but he could feel it in the moment Aleksei assaulted the young deer.

The creature gave a suddenly jolt as its neck was grabbed, canines buried in its throat. The kicks slowly became weaker, and its breaths began to slow. At some point, ragged pants became gurgling gasps for breath and the critter dropped to the fallen leaves. He could not see Aleksei's grin, but he could feel the other's presence. When the animal halted altogether, he finally released his grip, shaking his head out as he worked his jaw. Then, he reared back, and finally returned the young prince's grin, accompanied with a wink (though it may be difficult to discern with the single orb). "Good on ya, laddy," he rumbled, turning his golden gaze back to their prize.

For two wolves, it wasn't bad at all. A young fawn, yes, but of decent size and deliciously tender. It would be an excellent change to the usual meals of squirrels or chipmunks. Leaning over to bump his shoulder with the youth's once in friendly camaraderie, he leaned in to begin to feed with great vigor, assuming his partner would do the same. There was plenty of them to partake freely – he was not concerned with the matter of sharing.

Only when his belly was full did he finally rear his head back up, licking his chops in satisfaction. "Not half bad, friend. Y'wanna bring yerself a prize back t' show yer pack?"

When the fawn finally gave up the struggle for life, Aleksei let out a whooshing sigh he hadn't realised he'd been holding.

Feeling Kjors pull away from the prey, now a carcass, the prince released his hold on the tender neck, his teeth and jaw bloodied. It had been an exhilarating experience for the youngster, left his chest glowing with satisfaction and pride. Mother and father would be impressed, of that he was sure! His eyes drifted over the crumpled figure, taking in the little details. Its eyes were now dead and glazed over, unfocused. Limbs that once kicked and strode through the forest were now limp and lifeless. Its very form sagged into the dirt ... and it looked absolutely delicious.

Barely registering Kjors' words, Aleksei lifted his head and met the one-eyed male's gaze. A grin accompanied the dark male's praise and the River prince's tail began to wag behind him. "Thank you," he mumbled sheepishly, returning his attention and focus to the fawn. Spittle and droplets of blood clung precariously to the hairs on Aleksei's chin. He approached the meal shortly after the One-Eyed Dragon began to tear into the belly of the deer, licking his jowls hungrily; just a little bite wouldn't take away too much from his family, right? No ... no, of course not! He did deserve some sort of reward for his efforts in the hunt, after all.

Snapping back morsels of meat and tissue here and there, the young Baranski ate what he felt he deserved, sitting back on his haunches with a satisfied lick of his lips when all was said and done. His tail thumped against the damp ground. "For my mother, yes. I think ..." he furrowed his brow a little. "I think I will be getting more siblings. I want her to know I can provide. That she doesn't need to baby me or watch over me anymore." Barely a yearling and he was already growing confident in his abilities ... perhaps too confident. "Thank you, sir. For your help."

Let the roots & soil drink of me
Whispering leaves & pointing branches will tell them where I'm lying

Once they were both satisfied, Kjors allowed himself a lazy yawn.  Shaking out his fur for a second time, he settled upon his distended stomach to begin to groom, lapping up bits of blood and tissue from his forelimbs as the young prince explained his situation.  One ear tipped forward, and he disguised his grimace with a busied grooming, brushing his paw up over his face.  Only when he was clean did he glance back over, his expression one of consideration.  "Ain't easy, bein' th' oldest," he rumbled with a heavy sigh, expression still dark.  "Ah was me folks oldest – th' bitch had 'nother son, after me.  But see, he was bigger and she liked him better, so when me father was killed –"  And there he paused, the memory of his sire as sharp as a knife.  If only, if only…if he'd had just a bit longer with the man—

Shedding the sour recollection, he continued.  "—when me father was killed, she tried t' kill me.  Fer me brother, a' course.  So he could rule."  He rolled his shoulders with a huff. "Didn' much matter, Ah suppose.  But keep yer head on yer shoulders, Aleksei.  Yer a smart lad – full grown wolf don't need t' be babied."

Gathering his feet beneath him, the timber wolf stood and regarded the remains of their kill.  He'd allow the prince to take the most, saw no reason to be greedy, especially if the youth had something to prove.  "Y' won' mind if Ah take a leg, eh?  Back t' th' badger woman."  Perhaps if he fed her, she'd be more amicable…  "Th' rest, y'can do whatever y' wan' with.  Fer yer pack, yer mum…never does hurt t' prove yerself indispensible, aye?"

(This post was last modified: Apr 12, 2015, 10:48 PM by Kjors. Edit Reason: Tags )

Aleksei nodded, watching the one-eyed wolf as he listened. Kjors had been the oldest then? But his story was far from the life the River prince had led, his mouth suddenly feeling very dry as the older male openly referred to his mother as a bitch. His mouth fell open as his company paused, reliving some distant memory that Alek was far too otherwise preoccupied to notice.

Never would he call @Kisla a bitch. Ever.

Still, he continued to listened, not wanting to interject with a demand to apologise for using such foul language in reference to the woman who raised him. His ears strained as he leaned forwards a little. She tried to kill him? ... Oh. His brow furrowed as he looked down to his paws, trying to understand just how you could love one child more than another. He was certain that his mother and father loved each of their children equally! And yet he felt a sting in his heart at the possibility that they might be playing favourites with the soon-to-be yearlings.

Blinking, he was snapped back to reality as Kjors rumbled his name with that strange accent. A smile, however slight, tugged at the corners of his lips. He nodded again. A full grown wolf most certainly did not need to be babied, especially when said boy--no, man--had successfully hunted alone! Well, not quite alone. But without a babysitter or teacher of any sort; just a companion.

"I don't mind," he said with a shake of his head. "I'll have more than enough to take back to my mother." Lifting his gaze from his paws, wiggling his toes into the moist mud, Aleksei couldn't help but extend some form of invitation to Kjors. "My homeland isn't far from here. Maybe ... if you ever needed help, or wanted somewhere to settle, you could talk to my parents. I could vouch for you, if you really wanted."

Let the roots & soil drink of me
Whispering leaves & pointing branches will tell them where I'm lying

Oh, if only Aleksei knew the true extend of it. She'd tried to kill him, but in such a passive way. Lacing his food with poison, convincing a healer to feed his sickness instead of cure it – when he found out, when he found out… The thought still rolled a storm across his mind and he resisted the urge to bear his teeth at the woman's ghost. As much as he despised her, wished to steal her soul from her worthless sack of flesh, he could not imagine she walked on the earth any longer. He was old – she was older. Older than any wolf he'd since met, and even if she did still plague the living realm, she was far away from Relic Lore.

He was free – even if he still bore his cross daily. Never would he have what he deserved, denied her love and his own opportunities, his own birthrights as his father's oldest, and favorite.

May Soren's soul rest in eternal peace, he thought with a sigh, memories of his sire much fonder than the other half of his parental pair. Hopefully, the Mother looked upon such a glorious wolf with benevolence, and he rested easy, wherever he was beyond this life.

The youth's voice shook him from his dark thoughts, and he offered the lad a small smile at the gracious suggestion. "Thank ya, prince. Ah'll keep it in mind. Ain't of th' mind t' settle jes' yet – more t' see, more t' do – but if me feet ever stop itchin' like they do, Ah might come lookin' fer ya. If th' rest a' Cut River Rock 's anythin' like ya, Aleksei, Ah think 's a place Ah could get along."

He hummed softly and bobbed his head, absently wondering if the pack alphas realized what a good ambassador their eldest child made. They would be fools, not to favor him and support him as their future leader. Leaning down, he moved to grab a hind limb and tear it free from the carcass. As he said, he took no more, leaving the majority of the kill for Aleksei and his mother (or whatever he deemed fit for his prize). Dropping his own reward for only a moment, he inclined his head. "Pleasure, Aleksei. Ah'll be bringin' this back t' th' badger lady now. Best a' luck t' ya, Prince. Ah'll see ya in th' future."

Exit.