Cedarwood Forest Snow Shoe

@Naia - No rush on this, I've just wanted to get it up for a while now :)

- Late afternoon, Overcast  - 24 ° F, -4 ° C

The sun was moving towards the horizon, persimmon rays shining down through the pine needles, making the snow-covered floor glitter. It was time for young wolves to start turning homeward for the night, especially little boys who were not suppose to be out at all; but, as per usual, that wasn't much of a worry for the boy in question. Orren Baranski was on a mission, and damn it if he was gonna go home before it was accomplished; I WON'T fail! He told himself stubbornly, like he had been for the entire day, with increasing desperation; Damn it! Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT I won't fail! Huffing agitatedly he pushed on, trotting through the Cedarwood with his snout alternately high in the air and close to the ground, sniffing intently. He was hunting. Ever since the pack hunt, the young prince had been obsessed with it; tracking, chasing; Killing! Though he hadn't actually done much of any of it yet, not for lag of trying; but since his adventure to Drooping Willows, he had been under tight observation, stuck behind the borders where there was nothing to hunt. Today though, he had managed to slip out - whether it be because of his own ninja skill's or simply because his guards had loosened up he didn't know, but neither did he care! He was out, and he was gonna make something of that! It had proved rather hard though; A few times he thought he had caught a scent, only to lose it again shortly after, and any tracks he had been able to identify were clearly days old. By now he was rather irritable, a light growl rumbling in his chest as he stopped to sniff at a new set of prints in the snow, their shape familiar, even to the inexperienced lad; HARE! And not only that, but there was still a strong scent to the tracks, making his heart beat faster. With newfound energy and tail raised high behind him, the boy started following the trail, a toothy grin spreading across his face as the scent remained strong; FINALLY! Word count: 354 Thoughts ”Speech”

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de

(This post was last modified: May 12, 2015, 03:30 PM by Orren.)

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It was nearing Naia’s favorite time of the evening, when all of her family members that had scattered around the forest on their daily errands gathered up to reconnect, feast, howl, and then curl up together to sleep. However, twilight was also peak rabbit time, and on the occasion when Naia’s route home took her past the warren, she found herself torn between rabbit hunting and catching up with her family. If she chose to stay and catch a rabbit, she would likely miss out on most of the family bonding, as catching a rabbit alone required considerable time and patience. She was still deliberating over the choices when he heard something distinctly non-rabbitlike crashing through the woods behind her. She lowered her body to the ground and waited for the young man to appear.

 

As Orren came into sight, she chuffed a low greeting to the Baranski boy—a summons to quietly join her. ”Rabbits?”  she whispered, nodding as Orren approached. She gave no indication that she thought he ought to be home, or that the task was too difficult for him; she simply regarded him as an equal, and why not? The boy was noticeably larger than her already—it was only a matter of time before he was bringing home the big game.

 

”It took me half a day to track down this warren,” she commented, wanting to highlight his achievement. Of course, on that day when she finally realized she found the warren she was right on top of it, frightening the animals so thoroughly that none of them emerged that evening for her to catch. By calling Orren over to her she had saved the boy from making the same mistake, and maybe—just maybe—he would make a kill.

 

She began crawling forward, taking care to be as quiet as possible. Sampling the wind, she shifted her approach so that the pair were downwind of the warren.  She did not look back or urge Orren to follow her example but she hoped he would. She had a hunch he would be a quick learner. She halted as the warren came into view; several large bushes draped in ivy and protected by overgrown weeds. The scent of rabbit emanated from the warren like a beacon.

 

”Look,” she whispered, drawing Orren’s attention to the little quivering rabbit nose emerging from the bottom of the front bush. ”Not.. yet..”  she said to Orren, still frozen, focused on the rabbit but anticipating her young friend’s urge to charge. ”When you haven’t got your pack to help, hunting takes much more patience. You have to wait for your prey to come to you.. so you’re closer to the rabbit than the rabbit is to it’s escape..” The wind shifted, and suddenly the rabbit caught scent of her stalkers. The prey animal disappeared back into the warren. Naia looked to Orren, smiling in silent laughter at their poor luck. Hunting could be frustrating.

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OOC: No idea why this turned out so long, Orren muse-splotion! I'm sorry.

"You'll never be great without taking a chance" ORREN BARANSKI His advance was far from graceful, the rapid growth of his body still so intensive that it left him off balance and ungainly. Not that he minded much, it was a great feeling to be rising above everyone else; even if he was still lagging a few inches on @Aleksei. Still, his crashing through the snow covered underbrush was less than stealthy, and as he closed in on his target, he became more and more aware of his inexperience; How am I gonna manage this? Luckily, fate was on his side, as a sudden flash of movement up ahead made him slow down, the familiar scent of his pack mate filling his nostrils. With a, slightly nervous, smile and tail wagging happily behind him, the brunet boy emerged from the cedars, gamboge eyes bright as they met the woman's brighter saffrons. She welcomed him, beckoning him over, almost like she had been expecting him for a while. The young prince's smile grew wider and he merrily skipped over to her, giving her a small nip at the nape in greeting. Respect was not something the younger Baranski son gave easily, but Naia was one of the few who had it. He admired the scout greatly, and her approval warmed him, even in the increasing evening cold. He mirrored her movements, lowering his belly to the ground and trying to make his large frame as small as possible, ears flattening and tail falling low. Her praise made heat flush to his face, and he averted his gaze to try and hide it, heart pounding strangely fast against his ribs. Then they were on the move, and Orren kept close to the smaller female's side, keeping his head down and creeping along the snow as smoothly as he could; which was not nearly as masterly as Naia. Every time he made a noise - brushing against a bush or stepping on a twig - he flinched and grimaced, casting a sheepish glances at his mentor; but the agouti scout was focused on her task, moving determinately, like she was leading a pack hunt, not guiding a novice who'd never made a kill before. The younger prince felt spirited at this show of confidence, eagerly keeping watch of even the smallest action taken by the older wolf, absorbing as much knowledge as he possibly could. All of his attention captivated by the experienced lady, Orren was momentarily confused when they came to a halt, brows wrinkling as he tore his eyes away from the agouti form. The area before them was mostly free of trees, bushes and large weeds instead dominating the small clearing. It took the boy a few moments of looking around before he realized, what his sister would have done instantly; Idiot! He closed his eyes for a second, breathing in deeply, and the target was immediately clear to him. Omce again, he glanced sheepishly at Naia, if she hadn't been there he would have trampled right into the clearing and ruined any chance of catching anything. Like before though, the scout did not call attention to his faults, instead helping him to direct his eyes to the right point; and he almost jumped in excitement. Every hair on his body stood on end, eyes wide as his gaze locked on the bush where the tip of a rabbit snout could just be discerned. His breathing stopped. It took every ounce of self control he had to not jump right out into the open, and if Naia hadn't subtly warned him to stay put, he probably wouldn't have managed. Now though, he turned his head to watch her again, ears perking as she once again spoke in her honey-smooth whisper. Orren recognized the sound of a lesson at the very first words, and under other circumstances, he would probably have zoned out. The middle Baranski pup, unlike his siblings, was a physical learner, unable to keep his attention on still lectures for more than a few moments at a time. But this was different: this was in the heat of action, and it was hunting! Something about this particular part of wolf life attracted the dark pelted lad more than all else, the thrill of the chase making the blood rush through his veins, tracking and following trails making him feel like an adventurer out on a foreign route, making new discoveries. It also didn't hurt that it was Naia giving the lesson, the slight, lively woman having a special knack for drawing the young man's attention. A flash of movement out the corner of his eyes caught the boy's attention, and he turned to just catch sight of the tip of the rabbit's tail disappearing into the safety of the warren. Orren couldn't hold back a disappointed sound, rumbling from his chest as something between a growl and a sigh. He turned back to look at his hunting partner, her soundless laugh making a similar smile appear on his own face, despite the frustration. Shifting lightly to lie more comfortably in the snow, the youth finally spoke, voice raw from lack of use; "So, what now? We just go home?" He couldn't believe it, after all this effort, and even with Naia to help and guide him, would he really still be coming home empty mouthed? Unbelievable! Word count: 888 Thoughts ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de

(This post was last modified: Mar 11, 2015, 09:56 PM by Orren.)

PLOT WITH ME!

I loved it! Is Orren hot for teacher?? Breeding season probably doesn't help that issue any. Hahaha soo cute.

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The scout smiled to herself as she heard Orren fall into formation behind her. She could tell he was trying hard to be quiet, his footfalls louder than her own silent, graceful steps but muted compared to the crashing caused by his full-on charge moments ago. He had a ways to go before he would be covert enough to hunt small game on his own. He was a good deal larger than lithe little Naia and growing still, so he would need to spend extra time honing his stealth to compensate for his size disadvantage. Without even glancing back, she knew when Orren spotted the rabbit when she felt his excited energy spike. Her own tail twitched in response, a more restrained movement than the usual flicking back and forth that it did when she was on edge.

The boy was understandably disappointed when the rabbit caught scent of them and retreated back into the warren. The smile dropped from Naia’s face for a moment as she assumed a more sober expression. “Yes.. that’s right. Or rather, it would be right.. if you were alone.” The grin was back, wider than before, and she winked at her young apprentice before turning back to survey the scene in front of them. She nodded her head toward a boulder a few wolflengths away. “Try crouching behind that boulder, and be ready to pounce.” She let the boy settle in his new hiding place and watched him for a few minutes, wondering if he would take the time sniff around his surroundings and discover why she sent him to that spot in particular.

After the slight delay in action, Naia flicked her tail as a sign to Orren before darting directly at the warren, barking and snarling and causing a colossal ruckus. She dashed in tight circles around the overgrown clump of bushes, every now and then sticking her nose in to bark at the terrified creatures. Rabbits darted left and right from beneath the bush, but Naia paid them no mind, continuing to raise hell and flush the creatures out. Her observant scout’s eye had noticed the tiny game trail alongside Orren’s boulder, revealed only by the tiny depression in the grass that suggested frequent travel by very small creatures. Rabbits might be fast, but they were dumb animals that let their patterns and instincts control them utterly. If the rabbits were used to accessing the forest a certain way, they wouldn’t break that pattern now that they were terrified. 

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ooc: :D I'll say he's definitely got a crush <3

"You'll never be great without taking a chance" ORREN BARANSKI Eyes wide and worried, the boy stared at his teacher, mouth turned down in disappointment. When her face grew similarly serious, he felt his heart sink; I messed up, AGAIN! The young Baranski clenched his teeth as Naia confirmed the failure, his ears starting to sag, but then her smile returned, and she proclaimed that they still had a chance; What? How could them being two matter when the rabbit was in the burrow where they couldn't reach it? He looked at her with puzzled eyes and she winked back, sending a flush of warmth to his cheeks. Quickly, he turned his eyes away, looking over the clearing before them to try and hide his embarrassment. It was only when the agouti woman spoke again, that Orren realized she'd been doing the same, though surely gaining much more knowledge from the scrubby scenery than he. He followed her gaze, narrowing his eyes at the boulder, which lay in the almost completely opposed direction of the burrow entrance. He send Naia a questioning look, but didn't hesitate to comply with her direction; She knows what she's doing. At least he'd thought so, but when she started barking and circling madly, he began doubting it. Her odd behavior made him rise halfway from the crouched position he'd taken up in the shadow of the rock, an utterly surprised expression on his juvenile face. A fluffy form suddenly darted from the bushes, terror driving it to run from the protection of its underground home and towards the forest. At first it seemed to be coming straight for Orren, but then apparently changed its mind, disappearing in the underbrush before the boy could even move. But he'd finally understood, brows furrowing as orange eyes zeroed in on the trampled, and in some places patchy, grass leading from the burrow and right to his hiding place. Hurriedly, the rust pelted lad ducked back down, fixing his gaze on the small path, ears laid back and body coiled like a spring, ready to pounce. And pounce he did, as the next furry prize dashed past, his lanky hind legs uncoiling and sending him forwards with great force. But the jump was too long, and his reflexes too slow, so he ended up sprawled across the snowy grass, another hare vanishing into the forest. To his luck though, a third animal had been hot on the formers heels, suddenly finding its way blocked by 100 pounds of teen wolf. Panicked, the rabbit froze for a heartbeat, and Orren seized his chance, snaking his neck around to clasp strong jaws around the tiny body. It was with a satisfying snap that his teeth caught hold of the bunny, the feeling of breaking bones resounding through his jaws. He felt the small animal go limp, and the sweet taste of fresh blood filled his mouth. With triumph glowing on his face, the boy struggled to his feet, shaking the listless rabbit a few times in excitement. Then he looked over at Naia, smiling as widely as it was possible without dropping his precious catch; I DID IT! Word count: 518 Thoughts ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de

PLOT WITH ME!

Dawww so cute!

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As much of a racket as Naia was causing, the real show began once Orren jumped in on the action. The Timber lady barked with delight and humor as she watched her pupil tumble through the snow, and then she barked again as encouragement for him to quickly rise and try again. The young man did not disappoint, and in an orange-tinted flash he was on his paws once more, every hair standing on end as he blocked the way of a hapless rabbit. Before Naia could blink the creature was hanging limp from her student’s jaws. The agouti lady sprung into the air and howled out their victory for everyone in the Cedarwoods to hear. How proud she was of Orren; making such a quick kill on his first rabbit ever, to Naia’s knowledge. She had expected it to be messier for the boy, but it seemed he had a knack for this work.

As she settled back onto four paws she heard a rustle in warren.  Much to her surprise, one last rabbit came darting out from beneath the bush. Despite her sharp reflexes, the scout was taken aback by the animal’s belated appearance. She lashed out as the rabbit exploded from his hiding place, but caught the critter only by a single back leg. The rabbit screamed, flailed and twisted, and freed itself from Naia’s jaws with the panicked movement. Naia felt its flesh tear and bone grind against her teeth as the rabbit pulled free. It disappeared quickly into the forest, with Naia giving it only a rather halfhearted chase for a few wolfslengths before giving up and turning her attention back to the successful hunter of their party.

“Orren!” she gushed, a few leaps bringing her abreast her young student. She reared and wrapped a front leg across the youth’s shoulders in a playful, wolfish hug, nose burying itself in the fur behind his ear to nuzzle her congratulations. She mouthed his ear affectionately before pulling away, out of breath in all her excitement. “What a catch! And such a quick kill! I doubt it even felt a thing.” Her pupil looked downright fierce, fiery eyes blazing after the kill and blood dripping from his maw. “I think you’re a natural,” she said finally, hating to admit the fact only because she was hoping he would take to scouting as she had. Although.. Cut Rock River lacked an official Hunter, so perhaps Orren would remain under her tutelage, at least for the time being.

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Shallow water has trapped several fish in a small pond. Hunt Opportunity

"You'll never be great without taking a chance" ORREN BARANSKI The young wolf was shining in his victory, dark tail waving like a banner, high behind him. He stood with legs placed far apart in the snow, blood slowly dripping from the bunny, clenched tightly in his maw, forming a carmine stain in the white surface. His shimmering, marigold eyes locked on his mentor's slight figure a few lengths away. Naia seemed as excited as the aspiring hunter, wasting no time in celebrating their catch. Orren's ears twitched at her triumphant howl, had his mouth not been full of rabbit - which he had no intention of dropping - he would have joined her; now instead, he took a few prancing steps in her direction, rearing up like she had done and shaking his prize again. It was just as his paws once again hit the snow, that he saw the smaller female twist as another white shape erupted from the warren. Caught up in their celebration, the black saddled lad had not even heard the animal before it suddenly appeared, but of course the experienced woman had noticed. Still, her strike was too late, even Orren could see that, and though she managed to grab on to the fleeing critter, it managed to free itself using the immense strength in its hind legs. The young Baranski was surprised to see his idolized pack mate loose her prey, and though she attempted to chase it a short way, she eventually let it escape into the forest; But... It was a strange and unwelcome truth, to learn that the one you thought perfect was in fact, just a wolf, and Orren felt a numbing disappointment deep in his chest. The feeling was quickly chased away, tail between its legs, as Naia turned and beamed at him, shouting her joyous congratulations and coming bounding back. The successful, young hunter felt a warm tingle all over his body when the honey eyed woman embraced him, her light weight on his shoulders hardly weighing him down, and yet his muscles seemed to burn under her touch. He felt her hot breath tickle his fur, and warmth shot to his cheeks when she nibbled his ear; though the affection was purely platonic, Orren felt a fluttering in his chest at the contact. When the slender scout pulled away, he felt both relieved and devastated, glowing, orange eyes darting around the clearing for a moment, while he tried to get control of his rapid heartbeat. Her words made his chest swell with pride though, and he looked at her with a smile in his eyes, straightening up and basking in her praise. He felt like the biggest man on the planet, a hunter! With regained confidence, Orren bumped his shoulder against Naia's in thanks, still not ready to release his prize. Still, he wanted to let her know how much he appreciated her help; Without her, I would NEVER have caught anything! So after a pause her, only slightly reluctantly, placed the bloody hare at her paws, offering it to her. "I couldn't have done it without you." He said weightily, smiling warmly up at her; But maybe soon... He found himself dreaming of the day when he would be able to bring her a rabbit he had caught all on his own. Word count: 547 Thoughts ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de

PLOT WITH ME!

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The Timber lady cocked her head as the boy appeared to be debating something. Hesitantly, as if saying goodbye to his true love, the young hunter let his tatterdemalion catch fall from his jaws to Naia’s feet. A hint of confusion crossed the agouti’s face before Orren spoke his gratitude. “Oh, Orren.. thank you,” Naia breathed, delight lighting up her honey eyes. “Perhaps not tonight.. but soon you won’t need any help at all. “ The comment was meant to please Orren, but it was a melancholy thought for the little scout. Just a few hunting lessons here and there was all she would get before Orren wouldn’t want or need his teacher any more.  A slight shake of her head tossed the sobering thought aside, and once again a playful smile crossed Naia’s features. ”..And then I’ll be able to take all the credit for training up the great rabbit hunter Relic has ever known.”  

With a wink Naia turned from her student and took a trotted toward the warren, sniffing the spot in the snow where she had briefly struggled with her escaped rabbit. Honey eyes glance toward the sky, where the first few stars were winking into existence, and then to Orren. She was only a few wolflengths from the pup and all she could see was his silhouette and his fierce eyes smoldering in the shadows. “The other one you’ll keep all for yourself, promise?” She asked the boy, wondering if he was up for a nighttime track. The wounded critter wouldn’t have gotten too far, and it would be a shame to leave it to die slowly and then be scavenged by some lesser hunter. It would be a good learning track for Orren; in the daytime the rabbit’s blood glistening on the snow would have been far too easy a track, but in the dark the boy would have to use his nose instead of his vision.

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(This post was last modified: May 19, 2015, 04:21 PM by Naia.)

"You'll never be great without taking a chance" ORREN BARANSKI He basked in her praise, grinning joyfully back at her warm smile. The promise of future success made him warm all over, and especially coming from the nimble scout, it meant the world. Wrapped up in his own victory, the young hunter did not notice his mentor's light faltering, but her last comment earned her a bark of laughter; he wouldn't mind it at all if she wanted the credit! The boy watched with unwavering interest as his teacher moved back to the site of her lost battle with her own hare, sniffing at the blood and then gazing up at the sky. The light had faded significantly, the sun long gone and only a small sliver of moon and a few stars on the deep blue canopy above. Still, Orren felt far from tired, eyes wide and nostrils flaring with the scent and taste of blood; Let's keep going! Just as he thought it, Naia spoke again, her words clearly implying that she was of the same mind, and the black and copper lad grinned widely in response; "Deal!" He said, with vigor, bright eyes ablaze with his excitement. Lowering his nose to the ground, he quickly crossed the distance between them, following her example of breathing in the scent of the wounded rabbit, then gazing up at the heavens. Tracking this one would be very different from his initial discovery of the warren, the darkness making it impossible to see the trail left behind by the wounded animal, even though it was bleeding; I'll need to use my nose! He flashed a quick, enthusiastic smile at Naia, then swiftly started moving, snout still hovering right above the snow as he followed the trail of their escaped prey. The forest soon closed in around him, branches and leaves blocking out the celestial lights, but the energetic lad was a quick learner, and he focused on the information received through his nose, breathing deeply to catch any hint of scent around him. It was hard, not using his eyes, but it was also exciting. For a moment he thought of Karina, remembering that this was how she mostly saw the world; It's so... Awkward! Thought's of his sister was soon pushed to the back of his mind, as he flicked his ears back, listening to make sure Naia was not far behind, body tensing up as he noticed how the invisible blood trail was growing fresher; We're close! Word count: 408 Thoughts ”Speech”

Dawnthieves.de

PLOT WITH ME!