Sail away with me honey

<b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#222218;"> Although his hunt for herbs was going to be temporarily put on hold Lachesis was glad that he was no longer alone. He had been spending far too much time on his own since joining Darkwater Rapids, which was the exact opposite of what he should be doing. There were only a few wolves within the pack that the yearling was properly acquainted with (okay, two – Maksim and Anastasia) as he had been in and out of the pack territory in order to create a cache for his medical plants. Conversing and making friends wasn’t the deer-legged yearling’s strong suite, and he preferred to be on his own. Her voice, just barely above a whisper, reached his ears once more, her strange words leaving the yearling puzzled. A lop-sided smile remained glued to his lips as he followed her, large paws struggling to tread quietly over the leaf-covered ground. Pear eyes narrowed softly as he snuffed at the ground, trying to catch the same scent that the dark female was searching for. With winter fast approaching Lachesis wondered if the lone female was pursuing a pack to join, and if so which pack. Had she already visited his former pack of Pitch Pine Trail, or was she on her way there now? He was getting distracted. Now was not the time to get distracted when they were tracking ‘wabbits’ – he needed to be focused. Giving his head a mental shake the boy crept forward, shoulders hunched as he finally caught a whiff of what they were searching for. Nudging the female’s hindleg XIX motioned forward with his muzzle as he stepped forward to walk alongside Penny.

stick with those who stick with you

Despite the fact that both had become a bit distracted by their counterpart, even without any words passing between them during the hunt, their noses led them closer and closer to the rabbit's trail. Lachesis was the first to catch hold of the most recent scent, and alerted Penny to it. She nodded and moved forward to catch a hint of eau de wabbit and began moving forward, half-crouched. She could smell more than one rabbit, which gave them the opportunity to catch one each- if they were quick enough. But if they started more than one rabbit, then chances were likely that they'd have a hard time catching two rabbits unless they were close enough...With rabbits, a second or two on either end of a chase could make the difference, so she decided it was best to be patient and stalk as much as possible before lunging.

She wasn't sure what Lachesis wanted to do- she hadn't had much experience hunting rabbits with other wolves involved, they tended to be more of a solo experience. So she sent a look to him, hoping that he might make the decision for them. It was probably for the best that penny had become an omnivore- she wasn't the best decision-maker, nor was she the most graceful of all creatures so her lack of coordination and undecided nature often left her empty-handed. Lachesis was young, too, but hopefully he had an idea of how to best tag-team hunt rabbits, because Penny felt at quite a loss.

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feel free to pp lach scaring the rabbit's in your next post! :)

<b style="font-size:12px; color:#909892;"> As they pursued their prey Lachesis was struggling to come up with some sort of ‘game plan’ of how to catch them. Like Penny, the gangly yearling was accustom to catching rabbits on his own and without the help of another – how was this going to work? There was more than one, which allowed both to catch their own meal – but how to do so effectively? A frown had appeared on his maw, creasing his dark lips as he matched the female’s steps, his paws treading carefully over the stick-littered earth. <b style="font-size:12px; color:#909892;">“Go around,” he muttered suddenly, voice soft to avoid disturbing the rabbits ahead. <b style="font-size:12px; color:#909892;">“I’ll scare them toward you – you go after one, and so will I.” XIX was better at fishing than hunting creatures on land. But, like hunting rodents, it was a lonely hunt and only required one wolf. Motioning to his right the yearling padded away from the dark loner, a soft smile now replacing the previous frown as he detoured to come up behind the rabbits. His lanky body was nearly pressed to the ground, long limbs bent awkwardly beneath him as he closed in on the furry creatures. He really wasn’t sure of if his plan was going to work but it was definitely worth a try. If the rabbit hunt failed perhaps the dark female could introduce him to some edible plants. The thought of eating leaves and berries for reasons other than medical dumbfounded the deer-legged youth, but it was something he was willing to try. She seemed… normal (for the most part) so eating a half vegetarian diet couldn’t be all bad. As he neared the rabbits he searched through the brush to locate Penny, his pear-coloured eyes narrowed softly as he waited for her to fall into the right position. Then the hunt could begin.

stick with those who stick with you

Fortunately, though Lachesis seemed to be on the meek side (for a male, anyway, Penny thought) he took charge of the situation and gave her directions. She opened her mouth and tilted her head back, suggesting that she understood and approved of the idea. Despite this, it still took her a moment to collect herself and actually turn away from him so that his hunting plans could work. It wasn't like he was telling her to go away, but Penny was the sort of wolf who liked to hang around with others- and stick close with them, so even in the event of a hunt, she tended to skirt alongside someone else. She'd already grown attached to Lachesis, even though she hadn't quite sorted out a nickname for him yet.

Penny moved away from Lachesis, for a moment doing so somewhat absent-mindedly until she reminded herself what she was supposed to be doing and hunkered her body to the ground. She found hunting difficult, mainly because her ability to focus on one task at the time was...Well, there wasn't much of an ability there to speak of. Still, instinct and hunger worked to her advantage on most occasions, over-riding the impulse t- SQUIRREL!!!!

The distraction of a furry brown tail caught her eye for just long enough so that when Lachesis broke from his cover, he startled both the rabbits and Penny, who hopped sideways in surprise before she regained her focus and darted off after one of the rabbits who had been frightened from the cover. Fortunately for Penny, speed was one of her main assets and she had small, nimble feet, perfect for zig-zagging this way and that. Small critters made up the majority of the carnivorous part of her diet anyway, so chasing rabbits wasn't too much of a challenge, once she'd stalked close enough.

Once on the rabbit's trail she forgot about Lachesis and the only thing on her mind was rabbit. This way and that way it weaved and dodged, but it couldn't throw off the speedy predator, who knocked the feet out from underneath the fleeing hare as it made a sharp turn, sending it arse over tea kettle and into Penny's grasp. Once she had it in her grip, it didn't get loose again. Heart beating quickly, she let the dead rabbit fall to the ground as she lifted her head and scanned the area for her pal. "Hey Boo! How'd you do?" She called out, hoping to see Lachesis somewhere with a rabbit in his mouth.

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<b style="font-family:georgia; color:#909892;"> He moved without thinking, body reacting completely on instinct as he chased after the two rabbits. Long, willowy legs sprang forward as his large paws carried his slender body quickly over the terrain. He hoped that his plan was a good one – typically a solitary hunter, Lachesis wasn’t used to giving directions. Although an independent wolf the yearling preferred to follow rather than lead – it drew less attention to himself and there were no responsibilities. Leading involved too many expectations that XIX did not possess. Listening to the tiny heartbeat of the rabbit ahead Lachesis quickly closed the distance between them, brows narrowed in determination as he moved with an awkward grace. As much as he enjoyed being on his own – and hunting on his own, especially of the fish variety – he was quite enjoying the company of the dark loner. Her bold, infectious attitude was like a tall glass of water on a hot summer’s day (whatever that meant); something that the troubled yearling desperately needed. He was positive that a future friendship was going to sprout from this meeting. Even though they were complete opposites – Penny daring with a loud mouth and Lachesis tight-lipped and reserved – they meshed rather nicely, as far as he was concerned. His thoughts were thrown to the wind as he pounced forward, forelegs extended to pin the rabbit upon impact. A sly, lop-sided grin was pressed to his lips as he landed squarely on the small body, his large paws catching the rabbit beneath them. The fight was short-lived, which was a nice change from that battle that came along with fish (all the flailing!). The female’s voice broke the sound of his own heartbeat echoing in his ear drums, causing the yearling’s head to spin ‘round to locate her position. Scooping up his kill XIX trotted over to meet the girl, tail wagging excitedly behind him. Boo? An odd nickname, but the youth would take it – it was just another name he would add to his collection. <b style="font-family:georgia; color:#909892;">“Pretty good, I’d say. Looks like you did too!” He responded after dropping the rabbit between them, his hindquarters slumping to the ground as he offered Penny a lop-sided grin. <b style="font-family:georgia; color:#909892;">“Do omnomnivores prefer rabbits to leaves ‘n stuff, or would you like me to make you a salad to go with it?” The snarky words dropped off his tongue before he could stop them, and XIX added a quick wink at the end of his speech to show Penny that he wasn’t being mean.

stick with those who stick with you

For a second, she missed the rabbit he'd caught as its fur blended in with the pale fur of his chest, but then she saw it dangling there as he trotted toward her, victorious. Both of them, then, would have something to eat- not that Penny wouldn't have shared, but a rabbit was hardly a snack when split between two wolves. She smiled when he responded and joined her, dropping his catch to the ground between them. "Go team!" She commented exuberantly, giving her partner a nod of congratulations. Even though they'd only just met, it was clear that they were well matched, both in terms of personality and hunting compatibility.

She was about to tuck into her small meal when he spoke again, and a faint smile came to her features as soon as he said omnomnivore. The words that followed had a trace of attitude, but Penny reacted gleefully, whipping her head back with a flick and grinning widely. "Ain't you a funny boy!" She said, returning the brazen wink she'd been given. She stretched out her shoulders slightly, rolling her head from one side to the other. "Nah, I like meat most. I like my greens, but most of 'em were kinda of an acquired taste, y'know?" She said with a small laugh. "I 'spect you don't. BUT, how 'bout on our next lunch date- well, y'know, when there's more for plants and stuff around, I spice up your catch a bit to see whatcha think?" She flicked her ears forward. She knew most wolves didn't like the taste of plants, and was fully prepared for him to refuse- but she'd already resolved that the newest item on her bucket list was to make her 'Boo' try some greens with their next shared meal.

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<b style="font-family:georgia; color:#909892;"> Her reaction was precisely what the boy had hoped for – she did not seem the type to anger easily, which had worked to his advantage. The shadow female was what the nimble yearling aspired to be: carefree and outgoing. The words that launched off her tongue did so with ease and without hesitation; she spoke what was on her mind without worrying about any consequences. While he didn’t know her very well she was someone that XIX felt instantly comfortable around, much like how he had felt during his first encounter with Capella. What was with all these female friends? A mental chuckle roared through his mind at the thought as a crooked grin worked itself onto his maw, pear eyes focused on the dark female. He was a ladies man with zero game – forever stuck in the friend-zone. A next lunch date? Well, the deer-legged yearling was definitely alright with that. However, trying to munch on some plants? He was not so keen about that… but if it meant being more adventurous and seeing Penny once more, Lachesis was willing to try these greens she so fondly spoke of. <b style="font-family:georgia; color:#909892;">“As long as you don’t try to poison me – maybe knock me out and kidnap me – I’ll try some plants,” he replied with a flick of his tail before settling down on the ground, a forepaw pinning the still warm body of the rabbit as he took a mouthful. <b style="font-family:georgia; color:#909892;">“Why’d you start eatin’ plants, if you don’t mind me asking?” He mused aloud once he had swallowed, chartreuse gaze remaining focused on the shadow female as he awaited a response.

stick with those who stick with you

A slight trace of something came across Lachesis' features for just a second before he replied- but for some reason, she instantly got the impression that it wasn't the use of the word date that put him off, but the idea of eating plants, which was certainly easier for her to digest. He expressed his willingness to let her experiment with him, albeit with a few restrictions which caused Penny to laugh and shake her head. As though entertaining the idea of kidnapping him, though, she tilted her head to the side and donned a thoughtful expression. "Hmm, I never thought of doin' that. Darnit; guess I can't surprise you, then," She said, givig the pear eyed lad a grin.

She had a mouthful of rabbit when he asked her a serious question about her eating habits, so she hastily gulped it down, swallowing twice in order to avoid choking and spluttering. She was quite aware that she wasn't the most elegant or etiquette-savvy wolf in the world, and most of her social graces had been taught to her, rather than simply knowing them by instinct, but she did try to fit in and seem relatively normal anyway. "My dad," She said, and licked her lips. "He's a medic, HUGE into herbs and such. He started studying and experimenting and learning what he could from others, and passed that on to a couple of us. " She said, assuming Lachesis would understand that she was referring to her siblings. "Not everyone wanted to eat plants or be a medic, but....When you consider how may of us there were, we ended up having a total surplus of omnomnivores and medics in the pack." She said. "How 'bout you, Boo? You got a big family? " She asked, tilting her ears forward as she continued to eat her snack.

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<b style="font-family:georgia; color:#909892;"> He continued eating as a laugh rolled off the female’s tongue, his pear eyes shifting up as he caught the words that came next. A chuckle attempted to work its way up his throat, though temporary struggling as it met food on the way – the laugh soon flourished into a series of coughs, leaving the zombie feeling extremely embarrassed. Did that seriously just happen? Swallowing hard the boy glanced away awkwardly, ears flattened as he shoved another piece of rabbit in his mouth to avoid speaking. She must think I’m a complete nimrod… Once the dark female started speaking once more XIX returned his focus to her, his consumption of the rabbit paused as he listened to her response. He couldn’t help but wonder what it would have been like to have a large, close family. His parents, while they had cared for the spider-legged yearling and his siblings, had been accustom to the pampered and strange lifestyle of the Reserve – his father especially. It had been his mother who had taught him how to hunt and how to properly use medicinal plants; she had wanted more for her children, while his father was oddly fond of life on the Reserve. Prior to leaving Lachesis had also been satisfied – it was safe and comfortable, unlike the nasty world outside the fence. That was until he was forcibly removed by his brother. Nineteen had been terrified of the outside world and the feral wolves that came with it at first, but after meeting Anastasia and actually enjoying his adventures, the yearling knew he would go crazy if he returned to his family. He still worried frequently about his brother, Pyrrhus, and his family but this was his life now. This was where he belonged, not behind a chain link fence. <b style="font-family:georgia; color:#909892;">“A whole bunch of omnomnivores? I bet the deer were happy around your pack,” he joked in a soft voice, a lazy smile sprawled across his maw as he allowed his pale gaze to meet hers. Her question, however, startled the boy, causing his brows to rise suddenly. XIX had only told Anastasia and Capella about his former life – when he had first arrived in Relic Lore it had been difficult for him to talk about. <b style="font-family:georgia; color:#909892;">“Sorta,” he started with a soft shrug as he pawed at the rabbit before him nervously. <b style="font-family:georgia; color:#909892;">“I had two brothers and a sister… and my parents, of course. I never knew any of my extended family. Don’t even have a family name,” he continued in a quiet voice, a frown replacing the former smile. <b style="font-family:georgia; color:#909892;">“I didn’t grow up like a normal wolf.” With that, the boy reached forward to grab a bite of his rabbit, attempting to shut himself up by filling his mouth with food.

stick with those who stick with you

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<b style="color:#ADBCA0;">One eyebrow lifted when Lachesis started spluttering a bit and ended up launching into a coughing fit, eyes watering. What amused Penny wasn't the fact that he'd just nearly choked on a piece of meat, but that he tried to hide his coughing fit by going on as though nothing had happened. She chuckled. <b style="color:#ADBCA0;">"I hate it when it goes down the wrong tube," She said, thereby offering whatever little empathy she could without drawing too much attention to something he obviously didn't want to be publicized. But Penny had never been terribly adept at doing that. She shrugged slightly when Lachesis commented about the deer around her home. <b style="color:#ADBCA0;">"Eh, not everyone was an omnivore. Most of my extended family wasn't," She said fondly. Her extended family was still very close to her heart, given that her pack had been made up of wolves were mostly related- through blood or mateship. They were a tightly knit society. He looked surprised to have questions turned on him, and instantly she got the feeling that Lachesis had been separated from his family in an unpleasant way. He didn't smile or joke when he talked about them- instead, they seemed more like ghosts from his past. She didn't like the way he spoke of them in past tense, either- t made her think, for a moment, that they might be dead- either dead or distant. He resumed eating quickly, and while another wolf would have taken this as a hint, Penny wasn't so clever, but she was, at least, sympathetic enough to avoid sensitive topics. She lowered her head, looking for his eyes and gave him a small grin. <b style="color:#ADBCA0;">"I don't think you're normal at all. You're better than normal."

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