Secret Woodlands move or move on

Feb 16th, 3:15pm, Clear 12F/-11C

Pacem's disappearance had only thickened the shell that Silentium wore. Had it been Unitas that had vanished perhaps it wouldn't have mattered as much, but it wasn't. In the nine months that he had lived the blonde pup had only wandered from the territory twice and now he stuck well away from the borders. The very sight of the markers made Si's stomach clench and turn and now he stayed far enough away that they were out of eyesight. Once had had wished to become a guardian or a hunter but now both of those pursuits were out of the question, that would require him patrol or cross the border.

The days had slipped by one by one until the Hervok boy couldn't even remember the last time he had sighted his dark pelted brother.  A depression had taken a hold of Silentium, growing deep and dark inside of him, consuming him whole every second he was awake. While he once could have been considered independent and somewhat of a loner he had become a total recluse in the last few weeks. He avoided everyone, even @Iopah and his mother, the two wolves whose company he actually enjoyed.

Now the golden pup laid in the deep snow, head rested upon his paws as he stared off into space, hardly blinking. The crystals piled around him, but for once they didn't fall from the sky they only rested upon the earth.  The emerald eyes idly watched as birds flit to and from a tree in the distance enjoying the afternoon sunshine. Silentium personally couldn't bring himself to enjoy it, how could he enjoy anything when his brother was missing and probably dead?

 

@Silentium !

Her days still continued much the same as they had before, accented by subtle changes that she tried to ignore. The taciturn wolf became even more so. She still let herself slip in beside Koda every night, but found she had little to say to him. Her breath was being held for good news and the silence was starting to fill up her days. Yet, the woman was far from idle. The days were spent hunting (actual prey now) for the distraction it offered. Her usual, common-day habit of checking in on every pack-mate each morning had escalated.

She returned from hunting late afternoon. A dangling pheasant scuff the snow on it's way to the caches. There was no satisfaction in carefully placing it on the small pile. Iopah did not even glance back as she started searching. They were all spread out, two at the borders, the others in various dens. All but Silentium.

Again.

Her breath slipped free in a sigh and she turned toward the heart of their territory. Every day was the same. He said nothing, and Iopah would say nothing either, just watch him for a moment and then leave quietly. She wasn't even sure what to say. She wouldn't lie and say Pacem was fine, nor would she tell the boy she feared his brother was dead.

He was in the deepest part of the snow, nestled between two white drifts. Iopah watched him for a long time, much longer than usual. She had no where else to go besides her cold, empty den and nothing to say to Koda when he returned from patrol. Pale paws drew her forward, a low whuff announcing her presence. Deliberately she laid down beside him, far enough that their coats did not mingle and close enough to hear his soft exhales.

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

Iopah's scent entered the pups nose as it often did these days but to his surprise she didn't slip away silently as she often did. In truth he had picked up her recent habit and forced himself to rise earlier than the rest of the pack so he could check on the remaining members he cared about while they still slept. That really only included four members, his mother of course, @Pacem, Iopah and @Koda. Besides when checking on his mother who he ended his search on he usually poked his head into their dens, checked that they were in fact still there before moving on and ending up with Nina. Still, today was different, instead of moving on to check whoever else she looked for the pale woman came to lay by his side.

Silentium had grown significantly since his birth and early puppy days, as he approached yearling status his body had changed from chubby to a sturdy box-like frame. He had surpassed his mother height and easily outweighed her in sheer size, even laying beside Iopah is was clear he larger than her. For a while neither said anything and they lay there in silence just immersed in their thoughts or in Si's case trying to not think anything at all.

It was in this state of thinking about trying not to think that the blonde boy's nose twitched instinctively. The breeze had changed slightly and with it came the scent of prey, with his limited experience he could tell it was deer and there were a few of them but he hadn't learned enough to be able to tell exactly how many. Glancing over to his right where the scent came from Silentium finally broke the quiet, "Do you smell that? Is it worth going after?" His voice had progressed incredible amounts from his past but he was still self conscious about it. His words didn't come as slowly, at least most of the time but his actual voice had deepened and become gruff from its lack of use. Between that and his size the boy could easily be mistaken as intimidating, even if he didn't have the personality to back it up.

 

@Silentium is up to you if we try for skill points (Io doesn't really need them), I'm game with whatever you decide!

Perhaps it was having known him since birth, maybe it was the fact that Silentium used less words than she did. She'd said nothing as greeting and the growing boy had offered nothing that could be take as acknowledgment of her presence. The silence bothered neither, the quiet that swallowed up the space between them was comfortable.

It extended for so long that her form stretched out, hind-legs kicking out behind her and torso resting perpendicular on the snow. Silentium's regular breaths was merely keeping the time for them, her ears had turned away from that soft sound and focused on the forest. She was half-way between asleep and awake. Her ears went through the motions of alertness, but her mind was utterly sleepy and relaxed. The breeze came and went and Iopah remained groggy to the details it carried with it.

Silentium's question made her head turn slow, regarding the youth with a slow blink as she took in a short, deep breath. A trace of deer was mixed in with the earthy smell of long-dead leaves and stale dormant forest. Oh, she thought, that. Her stance shifted silently, going from laxity to a subtle readiness, and her eyes peered in the same direction as Silentium. Communication was more than Iopah's inelegant words and Silentium's heavy speech. She rose to her feet, showing her interest in the situation without words.

There was a brief pause as she dipped low in a stretch and her tongue curled into a yawn within the confines of her mouth, then she was stepping away. The cold and activity jolted awakeness back into her and she was quick to turn to the boy. "Up for a little activity?" She queried easily, curve of a grin indicating that she didn't really expect him to decline. Even if they could not manage a kill it would distract them from what clearly wore at them.

As pale feet swept along the worn wolf-path, her mind fell into the pure simplicity of the hunt. There was no grief, no desperate searching here. This was just the woods both wolves knew by heart and the diminishing distance between them and their quarry.

I would love some skill points as Si has none, even if we go for a failed hunt (which is realistic xD) So I think this counts as 1/8 of active hunting

Si took Iopah's stretch as a confirmation and he mirrored her actions, standing himself and sinking into a low stretch. He moved through the actions without thought, leaning first one his back legs and then on the front before standing upright. Ruffling his fur in response to her question the blonde boy gave a slight nod, falling in behind her on the worn trail. He knew the territory like the back of his paw, he could probably move through it with his eyes closed without getting snagged or run into anything. His movements were easy as he loped along the trail, paying more attention to his nose than to where he placed his paws.

They continued in silence for a few moments as they pushed through the territory before they had to veer off of the worn trail. The snow was deeper so the going was slower, Silentium's long legs not helping him much as his burly frame caused his belly to graze the top of the drifts. Slowing even further the boy dropped his weight so he was well hidden behind the thin foliage that was left in the winter months. Creeping forward until the prey were in clear view the emerald eyes surveyed the scene, one buck was accompanied by a few females. The boy knew better than to go after the buck but he didn't know much else about which to target as none of them were obviously injured or otherwise defected.  Silentium looked to Iopah for guidance, waiting for a silent signal as to how they should continue.

 

sorry, I type slow. and realistic is good

Even her slighter weight was not enough to keep Iopah from sinking into the drifts with each step. Her toes splayed widely against the softer snow, trying to turn narrow cream paws into showshoes. The scent lead through a sheltered, isolated part of the thicket. There was no wind to compress the snow and no other wolf paws to break the trail for them. She huffed softly when a foot sank to the elbow before catching enough resistance to stop itself. It was a nuisance, but she didn't so much as slow or glance down. She just withdrew the foot and lead them closer.

The deep snow was a nuisance, but it might work in the wolves favor. Whatever made travel difficult for them would make escape difficult for the deer. Everything was a balancing act and this was no different. They just had to be a little faster than the deer was all.

They crept forward, slow and deliberate enough that even Iopah's step punched through the surface of the snow now. They were moving so slow that the difficulty couldn't slow their pace any. The deer were in sight now and patience was all that mattered. She watched the deer as Silentium did. Her eyes roved over them and paused at small details -the narrowness of their sides and the number of antler tines- but stopped at nothing. Iopah was still looking when Si turned to her in silent question. "I don't see any injuries," was offered as she dared to reveal herself slightly. A doe watched her with a wide eye, surprised to see a wolf materialize and wondering if that mean she should run from it. Iopah didn't move forward and the doe didn't move back. They stared each other down as the woman continued her explanation. "Injury is easier to see when they run and," she looked sharply to the boy "never attack if they are facing you."

Luckily it was easy to make this group run. Iopah stepped forward and heard the spattering of cloven hooves as they all jumped away from her. She barked excitedly for Silentium and started forward. This wasn't a full-out race out and Iopah was careful not to startle them more than necessary. The chase would only really start if they found something worth really running after.

 3/8 hunting posts

 

Being faster than the deer might be a problem for Silentium, he had never been very fast and it probably wasn't going to start now in the deep snow drifts. While he enjoyed hunting well enough as it was an activity he typically performed with Iopah he was not very good at it. His frame lent more towards guarding, as did his protectiveness of his home and those he cared about.  After failing to spot any physical short comings the boy had turned his attention to the woman by his side, observing her movements as close as he observed any deer. He nodded at her words, storing both points away in his memory for further use, make them run, don't attack when they face you. He wondered suddenly if it was the same for wolves, was it better to attack when they faced away or would this make him a coward?

He had been thinking about it a lot recently, how to defend himself as well as the rest of his pack. Since Pacem and Aideen's disappearance had made him realize that being part of the pack didn't mean that he was always safe. Suddenly Iopah was on her feet and barking out for him, had she actually spotted something then? He assumed so since her fawn like form moved forwards towards them, she had seen them run and now she must have chosen their target.

It was then that the boy did something foolish enough to portray exactly how little experience he had at actual hunts. Excitement at the thought of taking down a meal got the best of him and Silentium barrelled past Iopah, running towards the deer full tilt. The deer took notice of him and instantly increased their speed, baying out in distress as they headed towards the denser trees. The boys large frame plowed through the deep snow in an attempt to keep up but he was quickly becoming short of breath. This wasn't going so well.

 

um... my little warstarter Iopah really wanted him to ask that question aloud so she could answer it xD

The deer snorted angrily at her. Iopah let her tail flick in amusement and continued her non-hurried trot out towards them. There was another exasperated snort and she felt the reverberation through her feet as one stomped a cloven foot. If they had middle fingers they likely would have been trained on her. Iopah let a smirk start along her lips and lifted her head to show the calculated flash of teeth. The reaction was predictable. They all lurched away, jostling each other in their alarm and uncertainty. Iopah had not outwardly attacked yet and they were confused. Should they be running or were these wolves just lost? The buck took a high leap through the snow before turning to look back with wide eyes. Iopah watched it, saw it stick the landing, and veered casually closer to the others.

A panicked bleating made her turn hopefully, head lifting to squint over the expanse of snow. At this point she was looking for injury or even an unnerved animal, anything to tilt the odds in their favor. Stupid and frantic deer were just as vulnerable as the wounded. Her eyes narrowed, looking for their target, then widened in surprise as Silentium plunged forward. The deer scattered in every direction and an older doe turned to race at the wolves in the confusion. All of Iopah's hackles rose as the 170-pound animal hurtled for them, hooves striking the ground dangerously.

"Move! Move!" She shouted, leaping back from it's path and trying to shove Silentium aside with her own body. The doe passed by them harmlessly and she spun without word to race down the others. They were headed for the shelter of the thicket. The snow would be thinner there, but the closely-growing trees would make it harder to follow them. Iopah was running flat out now, the snow flying in her face as she blindly followed the sound of bawling deer, but they still made it before her. She waited only long enough for Silentium to catch up and then rushed in after them, making sure to stay within easy sight of the boy. It would be too easy for them to get separated. "Keep them moving, but don't get too close!" They had to wind the deer for a chance, but the wolves safety would always be more important than a meal.

5/8 hunting posts

 

Silentium didn't have the experience to know that Iopah was giving the deer a spooking and that was all. With age and even after this hunt he would know that unless a target was chosen he should never lunge full tilt, but for now he was prone to making mistakes. As the woman flashed her teeth and the prey stomped their hooves he shot past her and tried tactlessly to plow through the snow. Most of the deer fled for cover in the denser trees and away from the large blonde form rushing towards them but one got confused and headed directly towards him. The pup panicked, he had never had prey run at him before and like a deer in headlights he froze, emerald eyes wide. Legs splayed out wide beneath him as his muscles tensed prepared for impact which came but not from where he was expecting it.

Suddenly he was shoved to the side, his body toppling haplessly into the snow as he had been unprepared for Iopah's shove. For a moment he was disoriented, he had to clear his head before he could register the sound of paws and hooves moving away from him now. Getting to his feet Silentium started up after the fawn coloured woman, though in his heart he seriously doubted that this hunt could be saved. Once more he had proven what a disappointment he was.

The all out sprinting from before and the wind knocked out of him from his tackle had already taken its toll. Silentium did his best but he could quickly feel himself getting out of breath once more and the muscles in his legs began to protest. The boy did his best to keep up but slowly he began to fall behind, panting by the time he reached the tree line. Iopah was still in his vision ahead of him and the deer before her so Silentium mustered up all the strength he had to pick his pace back up to a slow run. He just hoped one of the deer fell behind soon.