straighten the rudder

OOC|| Also a good choice! HK is popular too-- there seems to be a lot of interesting drama over there. Good luck! ||

♦♦♦♦♦

Naia tensed as her hunting partner’s hungry snarl echoed across the bluff, and soon after came the furious stomping of hoofed feet pounding the frozen earth. Naia’s keen hearing picked up on an animal headed toward the game trail, but it seemed to be running at a different angle than she had predicted. She was hiding in the wrong spot on the trail—the animal was headed up the bluff, not down it! She sprang from her crouched position, prepared to barrel up the trail to cut the animal off as it tried to access the path. It would be a long shot, but maybe—just maybe—she could be fast enough. She had taken no more than a few steps when a curious thing occurred; from the sound of its hoofsteps, the goat had sharply changed its direction of travel. Naia skidded to a halt, lifting her ears for more information. Yes, the animal was on track once more, headed for Naia’s original hiding spot as she had planned with Quick. The tawny lady smiled to herself. Not only was her hunting partner quick-witted, but she was also loyal to her word. Quick could have caught her own goat with little regard to the direction Naia’s was running, but from the sound of things her ivory companion had gone out of her way to make sure they both got a meal out of this. Naia crouched low, waiting for her goat to make its appearance.

The crazed animal burst onto the game trail a few wolflengths down from Naia’s position, fleeing as quickly as possible from the snowy demon that had no doubt frightened it witless. Naia was after the goat as soon as it made its appearance, having lifted herself out of the crouch the moment its hoofs hit the trail. Since the animal had to slow down to change direction, Naia caught up in an instant. It was clearly not expecting to encounter another hunter, so the element of surprise was on her side. Teeth barred in a bloodlusty grin, she pounced for the unlucky beast, preparing to latch on as soon as she made contact.

♦♦♦♦♦

♥ Thanks! Sorry this is kind of meh

Quick hoped that her little arrangement back there had worked. Gaining in ground and speed she could not hear the fight that would ensure behind her. Part of her wanted to turn her head, but she couldn't spare even a second's worth of attention anywhere but her current conquest lest her share of the hunt vanish in to thin air. Instead she flew on the wings of necessity, steadily catching up on the second goat. He was beginning to tire, with legs made for climbing steep mountain ridges and not dragging a stocky body through feet of snow. The pale wolf, with her limbs long and regal, fared much better – though she could not deny the heave of her breaths when she focused on them.

The goat saw the end of its rope and decided not to accept the frayed knot, or at least not easily succumb to his fate. On a sudden whim he spun around, lurching toward his assailant with his head lowered and horns positioned to slash his death away. Quick planted her paws in the ground, sliding forward on the snow as she came to a halt to assess the situation. Even she, a skinny lone wolf with minimal pride and skill, would not be intimidated. Underfed by the winter, overwhelmed by the winter, but she would not be taken by the winter. Her ghostly silver eyes burned with intensity, a lust for blood growing in her chest and in her teeth as she bared them proudly. The goat was tearing up the snow-coated battlefield between them, coming closer and closer with each ticking second. The she-wolf lunged and snapped her teeth, accepting the challenge, waiting and watching those horns.

OOC|| Hmm... yeah this one is more graphic than I intended. ||

♦♦♦♦♦

Perhaps it saw her out of the corner of its eye, or maybe it was just a result of some inexplicable instinct of the prey animal, but the moment Naia leapt at the goat’s fleeing back it reared up. Her attack glanced off the goat’s rear end, sending it tumbling forward as Naia turned to face the animal once more. Eyes rolling with terror, the large goat scrambled to its hoofs—it could hardly believe that it was still in one piece— and it’s labored efforts steamed out through wide, flaring nostrils. Naia patiently waited for it to regain footing before attacking again. Doubtless it would be easier to make a kill strike if the animal was down, but when it was on its back there were four very sharp, very hard hoofs flailing in the air. If one of those blows landed on her jaw, she was as good as dead. A wolf with a broken jaw perished slowly of starvation, if one of her packmates didn’t have mercy on her and tear her throat open first.

Just as the goat regained footing it pivoted away from the game trail, so Naia’s aimed pounce landed her square against the beast’s back. She buried her teeth into flesh at the base of the goat’s neck, squeezing tighter at every attempt it made to buck her off. The animal screamed in terror, and the sound awakened a murderous desire hidden deep within Naia’s predatory heritage. She could taste the metallic tang of the anmial’s lifeblood as it seeped through the goat’s wiry fur, triggering further Naia’s intense lust for more. Her teeth burrowed further into the back of the animal’s neck, tearing and gouging flesh away as the animal’s attempts to throw her became increasingly frenzied. If someone had looked her in the face just then, they would see no hint of the friendly, golden-eyed lady she had been before the hunt. Her bloodshot gaze was almost as wild as that of the goat she clung to, and peering closely—it was paired with a maniacal-looking grin.

♦♦♦♦♦

xDD It was great!

Quick whipped her head back as she dodged an angry hoof, allowing the goat to instead fall on all fours and charge again. She danced around its head as he thrashed his neck, trying to impale her with one of those thick horns. The arctic female was used to these antics, however, having been born in the mountains where they were often the main course of a familial feast. Boldly she leapt forward as she circled the animal, sinking her teeth into its thigh. The pained grunt that followed was accompanied by further thrashing so she was quick to withdraw her head before she lost an eye or something. With all that defiant ferocity Quick could not go in for an easy kill bite - she would have to wear him down, little by little, until his will was depleted. As he charged, she retreated. As he retreated, she chomped him good, once and done before he could have her in his retaliation. They went on for a while, until his rear was nearly all red, and she could see each angered attack growing laborious.

It had been a good fight, she decided, and sprang forward again. She threw her body at his side, knowing the force would make it harder for him to fight back, and craned her neck to sink her teeth in to his. He went limp from the waist down almost immediately, having lost quite a bit of blood in his hind legs from her non-stop attacks, and he soon lost enough blood to fall completely. As the life drained from him Quick was certain not to waste it. She tore at its side, opening up a cavity to reach all the tender, life-giving organs in side of him, but before she could lose herself to the hunger she recalled a tawny wolf who had brought her here in the first place. Ashamed that instinct had gotten the best of her, she withdrew herself from her kill and wiped her bloody face along the snow, removing the stain of her rudeness.

A ridge of snow had separated the beasts and she could not see past it to determine if Naia had also been successful. She didn't want to go dragging a carcass into a scene that was not yet played. Instead she lifted her blood-soaked maw to the sky and called a victory song, hoping to hear one back.

♦♦♦♦♦

Perhaps it was just wishful thinking, but Naia thought the animal's thrashes were getting weaker. She could taste the warm, metallic tang of her imminent victory as the goat's life surged out between her jaws, soaking her front in warm, wet liquid. In a moment that felt like an eternity but in reality lasted just a split second, the Timber wolf felt her weight shift to the bucking goat's side, and still clinging to her target, she pulled the dying animal with her to the ground. Her victim's hoofs were flailing in the air once more, but this time the goat seemed to give up, accepting the hand it had been dealt this bitter winter day. If Naia could see it's eyes, she would have watched them cloud over when the exhausted animal gave up the fight. Sensing its shift in attitude, in a flash of movement she released her hold from the back of the goat's neck and ripped the throat out. The goat instantly stilled. Hot blood oozed out of the wound, steaming as it pooled out over the snowy ground. Naia suppressed the urge to rip into her kill's still-warm gut, knowing the carcass would have to be intact as she dragged it back to the cache. Her family would have full bellies tonight. Naia smiled as Quick's victory song met her ears, throwing her head back to add her own joyful tones to the song.

Adrenaline and endorphins pumping through her system, Naia took off at a sprint for the ivory wolf's voice. She didn't intend on leaving her kill alone for long, but she couldn't depart without bidding her new friend goodbye. She barked happily as she came upon her hunter partner standing over her own carcass, slowing to a walk and offering a congratulatory wag of her tail. ”Excellent hunt!” she breathed, a little winded from her run, ”And what success!” Though Naia left her kill behind, the deep red stains down her front were evidence enough of her own good fortune. ”I need to hurry and get the kill to the cache...” Doubtless some curious, hungry loner had heard her victory call off in the distance, and the last thing Naia wanted was to have to fight a thief over her own kill. ”..But I very much enjoyed meeting you, Quick. Call for me at the border if you decide life in Cut Rock River would suit you.. Or any other time you want, really.” Naia grinned at her new friend, pausing for the snowy lady's reply before she dashed back to her own goat carcass.

♦♦♦♦♦

Naia's voice rose to join hers in their celebratory song, causing her smile to widen into a grin as she let her notes fall into silence. She was happy that she hadn't exponentially screwed up the hunt and that her minor rodeo interference had given Naia a fresh, hot meal. To her surprise the tawny wolf came riding her own wave of adrenaline in to Quick's sight. Without thinking her grin reappeared, toothy and happy in the most genuine way, while her tail began to wag behind her. "You too, she returned the compliment, eyeing the red stains on her muzzle and her chest. It was a powerful sight on the chatty, optimistic wolf, but Quick found it fitting. Naia was capable of friendliness, kindness, and a deadliness too. The success of her friend made her very happy, but it would take Quick a little longer to place the idea on the light feeling in her heart. Not to stress it, however, the Arctic wolf simply listened to the smaller wolf's change of pace. They had to cut the adventure short here, and she understood.

"Great getting to meet you too," she responded quickly, her eyes shining with the truth. Their encounter had been the most pleasant time she'd spent with a wolf since she took a tumble off that mountain what seemed like so long ago now. So it was with actual consideration that she listened to her invitation, her grin minimizing into a meaningful smile. "If I get the chance, I will." She dipped her head, giving both thanks and permission. The she-wolf had a pack to get back to and Quick would not hold her back. For now she still had not formulated a plan regarding her own future, but she couldn't bring herself to tail the wolf home even she had really enjoyed her company. Perhaps they’d cross paths again, and if that day came she would not be angry.

OOC|| I'm going to call this a wrap! ||

♦♦♦♦♦

Naia's grin matched the ivory lady's as she responded in a similar tone. The hunt had transformed Quick from the quiet, thoughtful wolf she first met into the warm and bright-eyed companion who stood before her. Quick responded politely to Naia's invitation, though she didn't yet seem keen to follow her new friend back to Cut Rock River. It was a little disappointing that she would have to say goodbye to her hunting partner, but Naia took comfort in the fact that that Quick was doing well enough on her own this winter. In light of all the starving, desperate wolves that showed up at her border since the weather turned for the worse, it spoke volumes about Quick that she was self-sufficient enough to turn away such an offer.

"Farewell then, Quick” she spoke with a valedictory wave of her tail. She turned and dashed off to her kill site, anxiety mounting the longer she was apart from the hard-won carcass. The fresh scent of blood was a beacon, calling her back to the goat with every breath she took. Relief washed over her as she sighted the goat once more, grasping it by the back of the neck (much like the way she had killed it) the moment it was in reach. She began dragging the carcass back up the game trail, knowing her ascent to the pack cache was going to be much more difficult than her previous trip down the side of the bluff. Her spirit could not be dampened though; she was spurred on by the taste of a fresh kill between her teeth, and anyway the difficulty of the transport only meant that her family would feed better later. Content spread through her as she passed her pack's border marker, and she knew that soon the wolves of Cut Rock River would have full bellies reminiscent of summertime.

♦♦♦♦♦