The Wildwood Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)

Takes place after this thread. Late afternoon to early evening.

          The heart of the Wildwood was a sanctuary in itself for those misguided and surviving on their own terms. It was the main hub for all those seeking to escape from pack affiliations or just to spend some alone time in Nature without the worry of waltzing over pack territory unnoticed.There was a strange ambience of protection that settled over the Wildwood, one where Ecco gravitated to staying in this abundant area aside from several other mutual regions lying to the North and South. Earlier in the morning she already came too close to a territory boundary, and in this late afternoon she learned even if it was on the other side of the river, the pack wolves here were ruthless with protecting their regions even on the outskirts of their territory. Ecco would remember from the experience earlier in this day to keep her nose sharp, or else it could be her life entirely.

          The scent, the situation, and the intense steel-eyes of the male wolf she previously encountered amongst a slain Bobcat for his prize of the day was still burned in her nose, mind, and memory. For some reason she still couldn't shake off the strange encounter with him. He could have had the perfect opportunity to peck her off the straggling loner list in region, but perhaps there was a blessing behind his dominance that allowed her to choose the direction of the situation and let her run free. When she ran, the D'Oliva didn't stop until she was out of breath. She ran far enough to enter back into the Wildwood, and as soon as she was safe amongst the twisted and gnarled trees that called their home here, temptation instantly hit her nose.

          Prey, coupled with hunger on an empty stomach, amplified the giveaway location of the direction of Fallow Deer that wandered through the Wildwood like lost ghosts. There was a band of them: three adults, and two fawn. It was strange how the fawn were born rather late in the season, and it was the two fawn that drew Ecco in. Most prey was much too large for her to catch on her own; she was a loner for what was weeks now, losing a considerable amount of body mass and strength to bring down something minutely small. The two fawn were small themselves, perhaps suffering from a late pregnancy or were the runts of their band. There was no chance the D'Oliva could bring the adults down, but the fawns...

          She was hot on their trail. Her saliva was hard to swallow, to keep quiet. She had not hunted large game in weeks, and maybe there was a sure shot with the fawns. The worst that could happen, I can take a hoof to the head, and then it'll be over quickly at least. When survival was up for gambling, Ecco would take any hand she was dealt. Feverishly she stalked from a distance, quietly figuring out how she was to approach this scenario.

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His scarred muzzle dipped downwards, his nose practically implanted in the cold ground underneath him. There were various scents – including a lingering burnt smell that tempted the lad to turn away once more – but one particular had interested him. He’d picked up the recent trail of a female. She wasn’t a part of a pack as far as he could tell. A Lone Wolf alike him perhaps. Ears alertly swerving, his head rose, enabling him to better scan the surrounding area for the slightest rustle. Unsuccessful for the time being, Theo trudged on – following her tracks in a mixture of boredom and curiosity. He’d met many wolves recently, mostly natives that had lived here much longer than he. And something about the possibility of meeting someone new alike he to the area interested him. Perhaps it was him overly hoping that she was newer than himself, for Theodor always enjoyed being of assistance to others.
The fresher the scent, the slower Theo’s steps got. It wasn’t that he was hesitant or uncertain about meeting her, but rather, he didn’t want to miss her… it wouldn’t be a big deal had it been anyone other than the social chatter-bug that Theodor was. And at the moment, he desperately thirsted conversing with another. This female was unlucky enough to become his target for now. Ears swerving with his head rising again, he surveyed the area silently. His amber eyes found something other than the female, however, a group of walking hunks of meat. Mouthwatering, his attention snapped away from hunting for a chat to the grumbling pit of his endless stomach. ‘Food.’
Gently lowering himself when the small herd drew their eyes away, he began to creep closer. His large paws fell mutely one after the other in stealthily slow fashion. He wasn’t the best hunter, but his time as a Lone Wolf gave him enough experience under his belt that he knew what to do. Nose twitching, he noticed the scent of the female again. Perhaps she had seen the Fallow Deer and thought of the same thing. A Loner needed all the meals they could get. It was difficult being on your own compared to having a force of three or so in a pack hunt. Stalking towards the direction in which he assumed the female would be. He wore a pleased smile when he did indeed spot a small black female quietly stalking closer towards the herd. Now… how to get her attention without startling her.
Approaching from the side two feet or so in front of her, he hoped his shadowy bulk would capture her attention. His smile turning into a friendly greeting as he flicked his ears momentarily back – showing he was no threat. Theo glanced towards the herd, silently asking her if she was up to working as a team.

table by sam · stock from dawnthieves.de

Sorry for the delay. Would it be crazy to say I'm still full from this Thanksgiving weekend and not ready to go back to work in the slightest? :x

          Her adrenaline and heartbeat escalating, it wasn't helping her strategy was beginning to become frazzled by her excitement. Keep your wits about you, calm down. Anything in haste is going to ruin it. The D'Oliva had been learning since her past several attempts at hunting larger prey that it didn't make it anymore of a success if you sought out prey in desperation and haste. Your calculations would become off, you would make a move too soon, you would be acting more out of desperation than in a calm, collective manner. Fortunately Ecco was still blessed with breakneck speed to her paws; shedding weight also made her more light pawed and swift. It was easy to catch up to larger prey (almost mirroring their speed on their delicate hooves), but her strength to hold it down once it was bitten was another story. Ecco was petite as is, and didn't stand a chance against anything that was seasoned, strong, and healthy.

          From the corner of her amber peripheral vision, a dark figure shifted. Her attention instantly came upon a male lone wolf, materializing from the foliage to silently gain her attention. Stopping dead in her tracks, Ecco stared at the male before her, half surprise and half blank. Her nose analyzed him before her mind could scrutinize him on his physique. Smelling of the woodland and the pines like herself, there was nothing more than the mask of natural masculine cologne and nature upon his dark coat. He was a large one; peppered with gray throughout his otherwise jet-black fur. Large as he was, the effects of being an outsider without a pack also shown its affects upon the sinew of his limbs. Just like herself, he had suffered a bout of malnutrition as well. The strange thing was, his honeyed amber eyes reflected that of her own eye hue. It was almost as if she was looking at a drop dead mirror of her brother, Ascheri. Ascheri was large, peppered with gray but dominantly midnight colored, and held the same glowering amber eyes as this loner did. Oh, and the warm smile... that smile, it would have fooled her if it was Ascheri before her.

          The striking similarity in color and eye hue between the two threw her off temporarily. Ecco would have assumed he could have been a distant family member, a cousin, from her birth pack. For a moment the Fallow Deer disappeared from her focus, and her nose lingered a little longer with smelling the air between them, catching whiffs of his external aura in scent. Nothing that smells like anything I recognize? Her amber eyes lingered on his a while longer. I don't think we've met, had we? She shook her head to herself. While otherwise weary of other lone wolves, he on the other hand had an instant connection of comfortability. The warm smile was helpful, as well as his easy approach. All knowingly he must have picked upon the trail of the Fallow Deer as well. Shifting her gaze to the progression of the herd ahead of him and back to him, Ecco silently acknowledged his presence in a nod. She knew what this encounter could bring, and was willing to work with him. A newfound hope rose in her stomach to send her spirits high. Finally, possibly, a good meal at last.