Fallen Tree Cove We all fall down

 

Samhain
is he dark enough?

She could smell them about, the other females. It would seem if it was a sickness she had then most of them had it too. It made her nervous, the freshness of their tracks, the way they criss-crossed across the cove so casually, so confidently. Where did that leave her?

She had been keeping to the edges of the territory since she realised she was not alone, going out of her way to avoid confrontation, gathering whatever scraps she could scavenge and making sure strangers knew that this was a claimed area and they were not welcome. She had chased off pesky coyotes and generally attempted to keep herself busy. She couldn’t get in trouble if she made herself useful surely? Still she visibly winced when she crossed the scent of another.

She was not quick to forget the way a wolf like her was treated when they accidentally stumbled across another. As much as she might want to convince herself that things were different here, @“Vespertio” was a good leader and Master was there to protect her (even if her vision of master did seem to change coats depending on whose scent she had most recently crossed), she still couldn’t shake the feeling that her current high position was a sin, and the looming storm cloud over her head warned that punishment would come if she ever dared to think herself any higher than she was. But something deeper and darker had been awakened since she had met Rhysis and it whispered that she should be here, she should take what was hers by right…

A shake of her head quickly rid it of such foolishness as she buried her nose in what remained of the snow (at this altitude there was plenty to go around), searching out lemmings now more accessible with the softening of the snow. A warm scent tickled her nostrils and she forced her forepaws into the snow, her nose frantically rooting around as her teeth made threatening snaps. She didn’t realise the scent at her back was a fellow predator, instead of prey.

 

How lovely are the portals of the night Namid Macieo when stars come out to watch the daylight die The Star Dancer treaded lightly across the earth, her normally clean creamy paws turned into a dull beige after being planted repeatedly in puddle after puddle of sloppy mud. The snow had begun to melt as the days grew slightly warmer, little by little the temperature rising and creating a warmth in her bones that she hadn’t felt in a while. She could feel the world being reborn, the birds chirping their songs in the trees and the thawing soil permeating the air with the scent of life. This put a small pep in her step, as spring was Namid’s favorite season. The one thing that she didn’t like about the spring was the heat is brought. The heat was named so for a good reason, for it felt as though her whole body was burning. Her skin crawled and her pelt bristled in an attempt to catch any breeze she could, rubbing herself against trees and rolling on the cleaner portions of the ground to try and alleviate the itching she felt. She was no fool, she knew what it was for and what it meant though it seemed to be stronger this year that it had the year before. When she’d started her first heat the year before, it had been mild because she had been late to do so and had not been in the presence of any males. It was as if she had caught the tail end of it, but now this was a different situation. Everywhere, the scent of men and other females in heat stuck out like a sore thorn in her paw. Namid was normally a placid female, very compliant and gentle in nature. But after spending a few days in recovery after being rescued by Vespertio, which left her still mending a slightly gimp paw, she had caught the sickness that plagued most females at this time of year. She was slightly irritable, though irritable for the pale woman was akin to a pouty puppy, and constantly restless. Because of this she figured it was a perfect time to go out for a walk, test out her paw and get some fresh air. As she went, she picked up on the scent of another female from their pack. She had yet to meet this one, as she had yet to meet any of them really. However, in her current state she would have thought it best to avoid the woman if it weren’t for the scent that tagged along with her. Creamy auds springing forward into alertness she moved swiftly forward, tracking the mingling scents.

Ayelie-stock @DA

      

 

Samhain
is he dark enough?

It wasn’t until she raised her head catching little but melting snow drift in her mouth that she realised her mistake. A quick shake of her head and a snort to clear her nose confirmed and her ears swung to sit atop her head while a small shiver of worry worked its way from the tip of her twitching nose to the end of her rigid tail, frozen level with her spine while her body processed the predicament she currently found herself in. Her joints were splayed and locked in place as she fought the urge to run. Her heart hammered in her ears louder than any war drum as her tail inched higher over her back, twitching downward and then back up again as she battled with herself.

On bandy legs she made her way towards the other female, a comical sight fighting to keep herself upright. She could easily be mistaken for the neighbourhood drunk the way she weaved her way unsteadily in the direction of her young opponent, dancing between holding herself as a dominant wolf would before shrinking back down to the stance she more usually carried. Finally she realised her folly and chose to stand her ground, a bark leaving her lips in greeting, not overly friendly but acknowledging the other woman who carried their leaders mark no less.

Her tail finally found a comfortable position sitting level with her spine, her splayed forelegs prevented the woman from burying her face in the mud and snow in front of her, but her head sat lower than it should while she tried to ignore the voice that screamed in the back of her head to RUN.

How lovely are the portals of the night Namid Macieo when stars come out to watch the daylight die Namid came upon the other woman and stumbled for a moment at the strange sight that beheld her. The scrappy, dust colored she-wolf was doing some sort of dance…thing. She bobbed up and down, her limbs and appendages going all over the place is if they couldn’t quite make up their mind on what they wanted to do. She approached cautiously, a brow raised on her expression is slight concern as she met the woman in the middle. Her pack mate had stopped and was sprawled awkwardly in a standing position, looking much like a newborn deer standing for the first time. The only indication that the Star Dancer had that she was trying to display a faint act of dominance was in the bark that greeted her and the position of her wobbling tail. Normally, this wouldn’t bother the pale woman and she’d just roll with it. But this was a different situation, her hormone levels were out of whack and the woman in front of her barely seemed to know how to walk much less have a right to show dominance over her. Her spine prickled uneasily and she, too, stood her ground. She held her posture steady, leveling her gaze with Samhaine and even going as far as to lift her chin slightly. She had regained some strength these past few days of recovery, her pelt regaining a gentle luster to its follicles and her form adding even a smidge of meat back onto her bones. At this point, she was still weaker than normal but even then she knew she could overtake the balance-challenged woman. “Hello, I do not believe we have met yet. My name is Namid Macieo.” She introduced formally, her mismatched gaze trailing over the form her company.

Ayelie-stock @DA

      

A lynx has left behind the remains of a deer. +5 Health

 

Samhain
is he dark enough?

The wolf before her not only called her bluff but even went so far as to raise. A gentle breeze could have pushed the brown wolf over but still she pressed her luck. Her head momentarily twitched upward, the tightness of her lips proving the strain it took her to keep it there. She could feel an impossible weight pushing her towards the ground and yet she dared to try and take a step forward. As the first limb stretched out the other wolf met her eyes, the air from her lungs alone with the words it carried enough to make the crack-brained wolf’s limbs lock up as she stumbled and fell heavily on her side with her legs locked out like some sort of startled fainting goat.

Quick to realise the battle was lost she tucked her legs and rolled over to expose her pale belly. Her right eye was squeezed shut to stop her from getting (more) mud in it but she quietly tipped her head back to expose her creamy throat. It was only as she lay there that the other woman’s words were finally processed. It was an introduction of sorts and she supposed the polite thing by these strange wolves standards was to offer her own in response. Her voice was quiet and shaky as the singular word left her lips, her tail tucked tight against her stomach daring a small wag to accentuate her harmless nature. “H-haine.”

It was only then she noticed the scent of food wafting on the breeze.

How lovely are the portals of the night Namid Macieo when stars come out to watch the daylight die For a split second Namid thought that the she-wolf was going to make an act on her subtle challenge. The other's chin lifted and she prepared to take a step forward when their eyes met. All at once the dusty woman's legs seemed to ceased any movement, her momentum carrying her to the ground like a rock where she seemed to curl in on herself automatically giving up the challenge. A sense of new power could be felt in the Star Dancer's bones, knowing she had just moved up in the ranks of the pack even though she hadn't had to put up a fight to get there.    It was strange, however, that she had felt the need to do that for she hadn't planned to stay very long. She had a job she needed to do, a promise she needed to keep. Looking down at the utterly submissive woman who had introduced herself in a stutter, she wondered if she should leave. The pack was small and needed help, though she knew that it would eventually begin to grow in numbers. Something at the back of her mind whispered that that wasn't the only reason she didn't want to leave, but as quickly as it was there it was gone.   Namid moved to stand near Haine, instinctively pulling back her lips to expose her canines, a small growl rumbling up her throat as she clicked her teeth to seal her new position with a final declaration of dominance. Stepped back she nodded her head to the fainting goat, telling her to stand up as her nose twitched. Floating through the air was the scent of Lynx, which made her frown. She had scented plenty of them in her time there, and if there were to be pups or younger wolves joining them the felines would cause a problem. The pale woman made a mental note to talk with Vespertio about it later, but the first order of business was the deer that overpowered the other scent. "Let us go get a bite to eat, yes?" She inquired. Now that the situation was over and her internal feral need for assertion sated, she was back to being her kinder self. They were both rather skinny and needed as much food as they could get to stay strong, and she was betting there would be enough left over afterwards to feed some of their pack mates. Turning, she abruptly headed toward the scent of prey.

Ayelie-stock @DA

      

(This post was last modified: Mar 17, 2015, 10:45 PM by Namid.)

 

Samhain
is he dark enough?

The click of teeth near her face sent a wave of relief running down the pelt of the brown wolf on the ground. She had been expecting a much harsher reprimand to be honest, and the total lack of physical enforcement she had been put through since joining the pack only helped the girl to grow more confident. Yes this woman was above her now, but she had not fallen so far, given it was not a position she had risen to claim but more slotted into by default.

The gesture to get up was met with a puppy-like enthusiasm, her tail dragging between her legs while waving somewhat frantically and shoulders hunched as she greeted her new superior with an excited bump of her muzzle to the other woman’s jaw. She all but pranced forward before quickly spinning around in the mud and snow to zoom back past the other wolf and settle in a step behind.

Her wide eyes betrayed her excitement, and even at a slow walk she managed to bounce up and down like an excited child that had been told to walk instead of run. Finally the splayed remains of the deer came into sight and stopped, laying a few wolf lengths back with her head resting on her paws. She had already been put in her place and she knew better than to presume she would be permitted access to the kill before the more dominant wolf had eaten her fill.

How lovely are the portals of the night Namid Macieo when stars come out to watch the daylight die Haine seemed to act with a puppy-like enthusiasm once she was given the go ahead to get up. She’d shot up like a comet and rocketed around, moving in a brown, floppy tongued blur before going to settle back behind Namid once again. Namid cracked a grin, a chuckle rolling from her throat at the antics of the woman who was older than herself. It seemed that was only in bodily appearances, though. She could feel the dusty pelted she-wolf jumping up and down behind her, and where she got the energy from left the pale woman curious for Haine seemed to be in no better shape than herself. Though she was healing, she still found she got tired easier than she used to. Of course, that was all part of the road to recovery and it soon would pass. As they neared the prey the Star Dancer let her gaze drift across the carcass, assessing its worth and what would be the best point of entry. Various teeth and claw marks scattered along the body, which left a sour taste in her mouth. She didn’t particularly enjoy eating after the scraps of another mammal, especially one that was so far below in her in the food chain. Who knew what they could be holding in their saliva. However, she knew to not be picky about where she got her food. She was still on the road to gaining her weight back, and with her freshly acquired position she needed to be in top notch shape to enforce it. So, she ventured forward to the slain deer and settled along its belly where the best of the openings were held. It didn’t go unnoticed by her that Haine had stayed back as she was supposed to and was waiting for her share as well. It felt a bit odd to her, to be the one allowing when another ate. Nosing her way around certain parts she settled on the liver, pulling it out to begin her meal. After taking a few bites, surprising herself with the possessive growls that emitted from her throat, she turned her cranium and gave a nod of her blood stained head for the woman to eat before returning to her own portion. This would take some getting used to.

Ayelie-stock @DA

      

@Namid - One more should wrap it up :) Happy for this to be Haine's fade

 

Samhain
is he dark enough?

The invitation was unexpected, but she realised that perhaps she wasn’t as far down the totem pole as she had been raised to believe and just maybe she might have managed to graduate from scraps of skin and meatless horn to something a little more appealing. She hunched her shoulders as she crept forward, keeping a weary eye on the silvery wolf, ready to jump out of the way if need be. She began to gnaw on a rib bone, the satisfying grating and cracking of bones against her teeth and breaking in her jaws sent small ripples of pleasure down the brown wolfs spine as she began to think that this was something she just might be able to get used to.

Becoming a little more bold in her ravaging of the carcass her head disappeared to feast on vital organs, such a rare opportunity she wouldn’t readily pass up. Her jaws clamped tightly around a length of intestine and she made her retreat, the grey organ dragging behind her like a long string of sausages. She settled herself within sight but far enough away to not be perceived as a threat and began to devour her prize, watching closely for the next opportunity to stuff her face. She planned on eating until she was so wide she would have to sleep to get further than a few meters from the kill site.