Larkcall Lowlands Needle in a Tundra

As they carefully scuffled across the ground, Kajika piped up with his own idea. The female drew to a halt, turning to face him as she kept her voice low. "Maybe. I got an idea, though, so listen close Kaj," she rumbled, eyes sparkling. "We're gonna find one and split up. I want you to flank it, and then run at it. Be as loud and as big as you can – you chase it to me, yeah? I'll spring up into the air and catch it when it takes off. You watch how it's done, and we find another. Then I'll flush one out for you, you can catch it, and we each get supper!" Realizing her volume was increasing rapidly with her excitement, Desideria shut her jaw with a quick snap, ears swiveling back with a sheepish expression. Hopefully, none of the birds had noticed. With a bob of her head, she continued towards a particularly large patch of scrub brush, far more likely to have pheasants than the tall grass. Laying down, she strained her ears, and once she heard the telltale knocking, she leaning into the young male to whisper harshly, "Hear that? That's what we want. There's a bird in the bush." Nodding towards the scrappy looking plant only a few yards away, she motioned for her partner to begin slowly making his way around. "Remember – quiet as you can until you charge it. Then, be the big, bad wolf. Got it? Good luck," she murmured, flattening herself even further as she lay in wait. Hopefully, Kajika could handle the simple task. He had, after all, startled her, and that was all he needed to do to flush the pheasant out.

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When Des stopped and looked at him he was a little worried that he might have said something wrong however it was made clear that he had not when she spoke about her plan.  He listened closely, ears pointed in her direction as she spoke a smile forming on his lips as she continued explaining what he needed to do.  “This is a good plan, one that I think will ensure that we both get one and we both have the opportunity to have a go. I thought you said you weren’t very good at plans,” he said giving her a small shove as he said the last part.

As they moved forward Kajika took note that the area they were moving towards had more scrub brush than actual grass and stored that away for later.  It would be useful information to have if he happened to be hunting Pheasants without Des. When she stopped and laid down and followed suit.  Remembering she had mentioned something about a sound they made he scanned the area with his ears listening to every sound and then he heard the knocking she had described before.  “I do,” he said when she asked if he heard the knocking that the bird made.

He glanced toward the plant to make sure that he had the correct target and looked back once more to find her motioning him to start his task, “Big bad wolf, got it,” he said before he crawled as quickly and as quietly as he could around the area so that he could come at it from the opposite side from where Des was waiting.  When he reached the point that that he would need to charge from he raised his body to its full height and charged the scrappy plant, thundering through the scrub brush and causing the grass to rustle and twigs to snap loudly.

 

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The male's gentle tease drew a smile from her eyes. Okay, maybe she wasn't terrible at all planning – but no one else needed to know that. The important part was that Kajika was following her lead. Hopefully, he could see it to until the end. Despite having just met him, she had faith in the younger creature to pull it off. As she disappeared into the dry blades, her tawny pelt blending into the cinnamon and nutmeg waves of grass perfectly, the dark wolf continued to slink like a shadow around the indicated bush. Soon, he disappeared from sight, and the woman trained her senses on their prize. It continued to make its calling noises. Blind as she might be, she knew it was not onto them. Luck was on their side today. The wind remained with them, and the pheasant remained blissfully unaware of its imminent demise before Kajika sprung. When the youth bolted to his feet and sprinted towards the rooster, she tensed, listening to the snaps and cracks of plant life. A few seconds later, the sound of wings slapping against air rang out and the small wolf rocked onto her haunches. A breath later, she rocketed into the air, jaws cavernous before she collided with the young male bird. Ivory knives sunk into prismatic plumage as gravity reclaimed her, hot blood spilling across her tongue as pads hit the earth again. As soon as she was grounded, Des shook her head wildly from side-to-side, effectively snapping the creature's neck and quickly ending its misery. Certain it was dead, she dropped it from her mouth and waited for her hunting partner to rejoin. "Good job!" she crowed happily, feathers hanging from her maw. "You ready to take a go at it? Think you can find one? It's fun, right?"

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Kajika was glad that she had taken his teasing well.  When it was time for him to do his part of the hunting he was only slightly nervous that he would mess something up.  Though he had hunted plenty it was mostly rabbits and larger prey though as he went about his task he thought that this wasn’t too much different.  There was still the keeping out of sight and hoping the wind would not change and alert the prey to his presence.  The keeping out of sight worried him most with his large frame and black pelt against the light browns of the grass that he was crawling through he was sure that he stuck out like a sore paw.  The calls the bird continued to make assured him that he had not been noticed and his hope was that he wouldn’t be until he was ready for the bird to notice him.

The closer he got the more he felt at ease that everything would work out in their favor.  Then the time had come for him to do the most important part and that was to charge the creature to scare it into Des’s waiting jaws.  Her words ‘big bad wolf’ drifted through his thoughts once more right before he sprang up from his position making himself as big and loud as he possibly could.  It wasn’t his normal way of being but it had worked, the bird had taken off.  He stopped and watched as Des was in the air her jaws clamping around the bird, a smile crossing his face at their success.

With the bird secure Kajika made his way over to where Des was putting the pheasant out of its misery.  By the time he had reached her she had dropped it to the ground, “Thanks,” he said when he reached her the scent of pheasant and blood filling his nostrils, “I believe I can.  It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be and yes it was lots of fun,” he stated before he tried to wipe the feathers from her muzzle with his own.

First things first and that was finding one for them to catch and that was something that Kajika new how to do quite well.  He scanned the area all the while scenting the air for the smell of the bird that would hopefully be his next meal.  His eye finally landed on a similar scrappy plant like the one that he had just flushed their recent catch out of.  “I think there might be one there,” he told her indicating where with a point of his muzzle.

 

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A bubbling laugh escaped the she-wolf at the touch, feathers tickling her whisker pods as her companion brushed them free. "Thanks. Would make a nice trophy, huh? Wear them around my neck, or maybe around my paw." She glanced down at the brightly colored plumage, blues and reds against handsome shades of browns and whites. They'd look good against her own tawny pelt, she thought, the same earthy tones as the deceased bird. Once Kajika had determined a good bush for their next hunt, the female scooped up her kill, and trotted over to the site they'd frightened it from. It was unlikely any birds were to return there anyways, and she imagined her rooster would be safe there until she was done helping her new friend. They were friends, weren't they? Shared a hunt, and a meal – seemed like the sort of wolf she could trust, at least as far as prey was considering. (And truth be told, that was a lot more than she could do with others.) Loping back to his side, the female lowered herself back into the grass and nodded towards his bush. Upon her belly she began to crawl, underside scraping against gravel and dust as they began their slow approach. The wind still hadn't changed, and hopefully the birds would settle after their previous commotion. The kill was downwind, after all, and with any luck, the animals would feel bold with the predators 'disappeared'. Turning towards Kajika, she pressed her nose into his ruff. "Do you hear it?" she whispered, ears straining. "Tell me when you want me to go."

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A wide grin crossed his face at the sound of her laugh, sometimes as a lone wolf he felt there weren’t many opportunities for happy moments so he was glad that they were having this one.  “You are quite welcome.  I think it would, actually there are plenty of feathers here for you to have both.” Some to go around her neck and around her paw.  Between the two birds they would surely have after they caught their second bird.  Kajika thought that she should have both, the blue and green feathers would certainly go very nicely with the colors of her pelt and her eyes.  However Kajika had to get back to the task at hand and that was catching himself a meal as he was starting to get a bit peckish.

 

He had already determined where he thought that there would be a bird for them to catch and it was going to be his turn to do the catching.  He hoped that his aim was on the mark today, it would be rather embarrassing to miss his mark in front of Des.  Kajika watched as she went to the place they had scared their most recent catch from to store it away till they were ready to eat and he watched her as she came back to where he stood.

 

Then it was time to get on with catching their second pheasant, Kajika lowered his body once more into the grass next to Des and this time he stayed beside her since he knew what to do.  As he felt the ground pass under his body as he crawled across it on his belly he noted that their hunting conditions and he hoped that they would hold for a while longer so they would have equal chance of success with their hunt.

 

Kajika felt her press her nose into his scruff causing him to close his eyes relishing her touch, “I do,” he whispered back.  The knocking sound had reached his ears telling him that they were very close to the bird and she wanted him to tell her when to go which brought him back to what they needed to be doing.  He opened his eyes gazing in the direction and then at her, “Now,” he told her as he prepared himself to catch the bird.

 

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Again, the younger wolf earned a laugh, the smaller female throwing her body against his in a friendly gesture. He reminded her, in some small way, of her own missing brothers. Kajika hardly seemed as meddlesome (or wicked, truth be told), but he had a knack for pulling free her humor and returning that sparkle of mischief to her August eyes. She made no comment on the matter, and simply resumed their hunt. Once they had settled into a high patch of grass, the pair settled their breathing as each listened for the telltale knocking of a male trying to attract a mate. Waiting for her partner to indicate he'd scouted their prey, Desideria gave a small nod of approval once he spoke. The female remained still until given the word. Once her companion had made himself into a mere shadow among the grass, the female began her belly crawl once more, slowly inching her way around the scrub brush. She was careful to give the lek a wide berth, least she alert their prize. Each step was calculated, careful, no different than when she was raiding a cache, and once the female settled, she finally caught the pheasant in her line of sight. With a feral grin, she exploded from the grass, whooping and shrieking as she barreled towards the startled bird. Jaws snapped in the air as feet thundered across the dry tundra, sending small insects fleeing and the bird up into the air as she barked and rumbled. As the pheasant flew towards Kajika, she put on the breaks, and waited— --would he make his catch?

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Kajika laughed along with Des, he was happy to have found someone that he could have fun with.  It had been a long time since he had had this sort of comradery with another wolf and he found that he rather missed it.  The last few months with his pack had not been the happiest and the months alone had put him in a mental place that he really did not like being in.  Whatever thoughts that accompanied that place could be dealt with later on the nights where he couldn’t sleep.  Just then he wanted to enjoy the company of another wolf and continue their hunt.

Once they were close enough to where Kajika believed their prey to be a quick listen had confirmed his suspicions.  It was time for them to set their plan into motion so he had given her the word and with it she headed of just as he had previously.  He had lowered himself as low as he could in the grass to keep hidden till the time was right for him to show himself.  As Des moved away from he watched her till she disappeared among the various plant life that surrounded them.  She was at a bit more of advantage with the lighter colors of her pelt and small size she virtually disappeared.  When she was gone from his view he waited and listened for the sounds that would indicate it was time for him to take down his prey.

The moment he heard Des he prepared himself for the moment that the bird would be within his grasp, he didn’t have to wait long.  When the bird was in sight Kajika sprang up from his hiding place, launching himself into the air jaws wide the moment he felt the feathers of the bird in his mouth he clamped his jaws shut and landed lightly back upon the ground.  He almost immediately tasted the blood running into his mouth from the bird and gave it a good shake to ensure that it was in fact dead.  That done he drop it to the ground and waited for his companion to join him.

 

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Pebbles scattered beneath her feet as the she-wolf slid to a stop, her job complete once the pheasant rose into he air.  They weren't particularly graceful birds, these, and she watched with baited breath as the colorful male reached the apex of his flight.  Like a cannonball, her partner erupted from the reeds, massive jaw gaping as he surged forward.  Time seemed to slow as predator and prey collided, the snap of teeth almost automatic as Kajika captured the helpless bird before gravity sent them hurtling back to the ground.  Once he landed, he mimicked her kill and shook the animal until its neck was broken and all struggles had ceased.  The woman crowed with delight, breaking into an easy lope as she closed the gape between them. Reaching out, she snuffled at the male's prize before giving him a firm nod, ears pressed forward with a grin.  "Good on ya, kid!" she rumbled, eyes sparkling.  "Took me a couple tries before I could actually catch one in the air.  You have good aim.  And a good hunting companion."  She offered him a cheeky wink before turning tail, returning to the spot she'd stashed her own bird.  All this hunting only served to increase her hunger – and why wait while the meat was still warm? She tore through the feathers easily, sighing with delight as she reached the muscle below.  Perhaps not the most tender, but it filled her belly all the same, and Desideria was content to finish her meal in silence.  Only when she had settled on her belly to gnaw on a bone did she finally speak back up, glancing over to where Kajika enjoyed his own kill.  "So, Kajika, you just wandering around too?  You looking for a pack, or something?  Bet anyone would be happy to have you as a hunter."

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(This post was last modified: Apr 30, 2015, 02:22 PM by Desideria.)

 

Laying there in the brush Kajika had been a little worried that something might go wrong, the wind would change or his aim might be a little off but as it turned out nothing went wrong.  The wind hadn’t changed keeping them from being noticed by the bird and his aim was as always right on the mark.  All those months hunting with his pack and on his own paid off giving him excellent aim.  When his jaws clamped around the bird and he had the first taste of blood in his mouth he wanted to start eating it as soon as he landed but his manners were too ingrained by now.  He waited for Des to rejoin him just as she had done.

Her words caused a prideful smile to cross his face, “Thank you,” he told her, “I’ve had a lot of practice and a great hunting companion only make it easier.”  That was the truth though if you had one that didn’t know what they were doing then everything would go wrong, “And let’s not forget that my hunting companion is also a great teacher as well.”  He wanted to make sure that she knew he thought she had taught him well.

When she went off to gather her own kill he followed her the short distance with his own meal before placing it on the ground.  Kajika waited for her to start before he torn into his bird and when she had he didn’t waste any time getting to the meat and having his first taste.  She had been right, he enjoyed every bite.  Once the majority of the bird was gone he laid down to pick some leftover meat off the bone did they speak again with her asking his intentions.  “For now I am but I would like to find a pack eventually but I want to find the right one, you know?” He offered her a smile when she complimented his hunting skills, “I hope that whatever pack I join will be. What about you? Are you looking for a pack as well?”

 

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