Thicket of Secrets Tattooed knuckles

whoops, forgot tag... @Nova!

She had to take a moment after coming above ground. It was too bright after have rolled like an alligator with the wolverine in pitch darkness. She blinked rapidly. Feet splayed to keep her balance she shook herself roughly, feeling warmth trickle down her right shoulder. The bite was not deep, thanks to the distraction of having a full grown wolf snapping at it's hind-quarters, but it stung as she hurried after the sounds of a struggle.

They hadn't made it very far. Just beyond around a large, twisted tree she found the stale-mate and stopped short. Now, Iopah had been a hunter for years now, but she'd never actually caught something by it's tail. It was almost... amusing. She approached, coming up on the wolverine's far side to avoid further arousing it. With every wheezing growl a fresh press of blood soaked wind-fallen leaves. Gaze lifted from the sight to give Nova an approving glance. The dark girl had done well. "If you hold tight and keep dragging back," she murmured from alongside Nova, "it can't turn around for you."

Nova gave her a look then and Iopah grinned conspiratorially in response, edging around to approach him from behind. Of course she'd never leave a family member hanging like that. And it had bitten her, wasn't it only fair that she return the gesture? Her teeth were still bared from her wicked grin to Nova, and she paused for a second before lunging forward swiftly. It never saw it coming, still trying to scramble away when Iopah's jaws closed around it's chest. She used all her weight to force it down and all her strength to bring jaws together around it's broad chest. Finally she heard something snap and it slumped into the leaves.

(This post was last modified: Dec 18, 2014, 06:00 AM by Iopah.)

and you can't see

nova

the wind in the trees

Nova's tail swished at Iopah's advice. She would have to remember that trick for later. She hoped she wouldn't have to use it against more wolverines, though. This one had given them enough trouble. Fortunately for now, their wolverine didn't have much fight left in him. Nova kept her grasp on his tail tight as Iopah moved at her side, holding onto the wolverine until the life was crushed out of him by her packmate's strong jaws. Nova almost felt sorry for the thing, just for a second. Almost. But her paw still smarted from where he'd bitten her, and now that the adrenaline had worn off it was starting to sting. Maybe if he'd have been nice and just ran off instead of putting up a fight, they wouldn't have had to kill him.

Letting go, she watched the carcass thump to the ground. Nova looked to Iopah with a panting grin. Nova had never done anything like that before, and was feeling a little bit of pride that she had helped someone out without messing everything up. The wolverine had still given her a bit of a run around, but they had gotten him in the end.

"Wow, I didn't think you could kill one of these things." Nova said as she looked somewhat in awe at the limp body, her naivety showing. As she glanced up at Iopah, she noticed the red smear running across the woman's shoulder. "Oh! Did he get you? Are you alright?" She asked in a worried tone.

Iopah grinned widely at the statement, exhilaration at their success burning away her new-wolf trepidation. "You can kill nearly everything. Just got to know how to do it." Licking her lips clean she pushed the wolverine over to inspect the clotting wound on it belly. The tongue curled in her mouth and she added, "They taste nasty though." Satisfied that it was undeniably dead she reached forward to pick it up. Distasteful it might be, it was still edible. Nova's startled cry made her look up sharply in concern. There was still enough adrenaline to cut the pain, but the trickling wetness had not escaped her notice.

She grimaced in reply, not looking forward to having to Aideen tut over the wound and the prospect of eating musty herbs. The first 'appointment' with the enthusiastic healer had been a hairy experience. Still it had to be done, it wasn't something she could reach herself. "It'll be ok. We should fill his den in so another one doesn't move in." The wolverine was thick with winter fat, weighing close to 40 pounds; She left him where he lay and went back to the den.

They'd already done a pretty good job just getting him out. As she approached a clot of dirt fell inward. It wouldn't take much to fill in the gaping holes. She set to work leisurely shoving pawfuls, watching her new pack mate curiously. "I'm Iopah. With time to notice, she realized Nova was younger than she'd thought. The tall girl was only a yearly. "Did you grow up around here?" After all, there were only a few familys around.

(This post was last modified: Dec 20, 2014, 02:28 PM by Iopah.)

and you can't see

nova

the wind in the trees

Nova didn't doubt that wolverine didn't make for good eating. They smelled foul enough and Nova wasn't really excited for a taste. It'd probably make a begrudgingly acceptable meal for someone much hungrier than she was at the moment. Nova still looked hesitant as Iopah assured her the wound was fine. Maybe it just looked worse than it was, and it wasn't like Nova could have done anything about it anyways so she dropped it. Instead she nodded as Iopah told her they should fill in the old den. She followed Iopah over to the burrow, taking her spot at the other opening and getting to work.

The dirt was already churned up from all the outward digging, making it was mostly a matter of stuffing it all back in. It was an almost hypnotizing sort of work and Nova quickly zoned out as she watched the soil sift under her paws.

Suddenly pulled from her absent minded daydream, the girl's head jerked up and her batty ears pricked forwards as the woman introduced herself. How funny it was they had spent the day working together and they hadn't even known each other's names. "I'm Nova," She responded with a smile.

"Uhm, I guess so? I was born on Mount Dire, but the storms last winter got really bad and forced us down into the woods just below," Nova answered, looking at the other female momentarily before returning to her digging. "What about you? I mean, where are you from?" Nova awkwardly asked in return, again glancing up to Iopah for a second.

just dropping a little random drama... Nova!

The task was mundane and simple compared to the feat the two woman had just accomplished. Iopah let her pale ears flick to Nova's direction as her attention turned downward. Dark agouti shoulders rolled with each backward sweep. At the longest point of her last stretch the pale hunter winced. A sharp twist of dark lips when the movement pulled at the narrow wound the wolverine had created on her shoulder. The bleeding had stopped and what remained dried quickly in the breeze to form small spikes. Iopah was beginning to wonder if it was worth eating whatever plant Aideen eagerly set before her. The healers energy was a different sort than Iopah's, but the two had become friends despite their opposing personalities.

Pale ears twitched at Nova's words and Iopah let her head rise up to listen politely. She knew all those places: the mountain that rested on the horizon and the woods at it's base. There was only one pack that had traveled from the mountain, Sage had called herself a 'nomad' once. Only one pack who lived in those incessantly creepy woods, she had explored the remains of their home. She could think of nothing but to gape in shock. This was a Keep child! She knew them! As the surprised stare continued for a second another thought occurred to her: she knew who'd attacked them. Her head jerked away and toward her shoulder. All the implications didn't matter to her, she was family now, and Iopah would treat her no differently. But Nova might feel otherwise.

In a effort to disguise the odd behavior she made a show of fussing over the wound. Hoping Nova's unfamiliarity with her would disguise her eagerness she quickly added, "I'm from a mountain too, one many months south. But now I've been here so long," Her gaze drifted to the wolverine. Now that the den was obliterated they may as well bring him to the cache for whoever would eat him. "I'm not sure I could even find it again."

(This post was last modified: Jan 02, 2015, 05:58 AM by Iopah.)

@Iopah Maybe we can get on wrapping this up?

and you can't see

nova

the wind in the trees

Nova shifted with a little bit of discomfort as Iopah continued to stare at her. The girl licked her ebony lips and returned her gaze downward, wondering if she'd said something stupid. Maybe she'd made her family seem weak, by mentioning that they had to relocate when the weather became too difficult. Nova really had no idea what it was Iopah thought of her, but was feeling embarrassed regardless. She returned her idle paws to the busy-work of shoving the last few clumps of earth into the wolverine's den. Firmly pushing down the dirt on top, it almost looked like there was never a den here in the first place. She tried to keep her attention downward, but noticed out the corner of her eye Iopah was fretting over her shoulder.

Nova thought for sure she'd killed the conversation, and was a little surprised when Iopah continued. Her ears flicked and she smiled a little as the other woman said she had also been a mountain wolf. Her smile fell slightly as Iopah mentioned she'd probably never find it again. Mount Dire was a constant in her life, and just thinking about being so far away from it that she couldn't find it made her feel homesick. At least with it always in view, it was easy to imagine the cozy little den she had been born in, and the forest she'd grown up in right at its base. It made it easy to pretend things weren't so different now, that those places weren't empty of the family she'd cared about.

"Do you... Need any help with that?" Nova asked as she followed Iopah's gaze to the dead wolverine. Caching the thing looked more like a one wolf job, but she figured she would ask first.

@Nova, sorry for the detour, this fade ok with you?

The pale huntress wasn't nearly as bothered by her revealing statement as Nova imagined. The Black Hills was just a place and she had no desire to return; her life was far more stable now that it had been then. Golden gaze lifted from the carcass just in time to catch Nova's thinning smile. Well, at least she'd distracted the Keep wolf from her unexplained staring earlier. That was bit of information she planned to keep to herself.

Unsure of what to say she looked back to the wolverine. The wind had not lessened and a few leaves had swept up against it's side. Someone would eat it eventually and it would be good for the boys to get the scent of it. The spiky, sticky area on her shoulder pinched slightly as the woman made in it's direction. Nova's offer was brushed off with a determined shake of her head. Iopah was a little bit proud and didn't want to admit that the slight movement had sent another trickle of wet down her shoulder. The cache was nearby, and Aideen's herb den not far from that. Just a short jaunt and then some rest, maybe curled up to a warm body. Her cheeks flushed under thick pale fur and her head lowered to the wolverine before she realized her thoughts had run away with her and Nova was still standing there, probably watching her.

"I could give you a little tour, at least show you where the main cache is?" The offer was matched with a tentative sway of her tail. It was the least she could do after Nova's help and it was right along the way. Iopah picked up the wolverine and let it's tail drag as she lead Nova into the thickets. Behind them the leaves continued to sweep, further obscuring the den the two women had concealed.

Fade to Black