Larkcall Lowlands Did you loose yourself somewhere out there?

Cessair had expected this little chase to be fun, and fun it was!  She had turned from her own fleeing victim to see Raela latch onto another coyote's tail. That situation obviously under control, Cessair adjusted her trajectory without reducing her pace to home in on the last coyote.  It wasn't often the lithe woman could justify galloping at full tilt, so she relished in the sensation of her paws pounding the earth and the grass whipping by her sides as she caught up to her prey.  Sprinting so hard would certainly exhaust her before long, but the feeling was intoxicating and besides, she didn't want this little vermin getting any further away before she delivered its own personal warning message.

Entertaining as the activity was, Cessair almost felt bad for the coyotes.  She was bearing down upon her target now and wouldn't give it up, but she couldn't help but think that wolves weren't the only carnivores who needed to eat.  Then again, coyotes had smaller bellies to fill.  And they could fill up on smaller prey.  Like rabbits!  The thought of her rabbit-hunting failure reminded the fawn wolf of her embarrassment, and she decided it wouldn't hurt to release the emotion on the coyote whose tail was now hitting her face.  She moved to the right a little before quickly shooting forward to the creature's side.  Then, she pounced.  For a second that felt like a minute, Cessair was soaring above her prey.  Her body soon crashed into the smaller form, forcing a sharp yip to escape its jaws as the air was crushed from its lungs.  The impact sent the two rolling, but Cessair landed on top.  Pearly fangs sunk into a tan shoulder while the terrified victim delivered a kick to Cessair's stomach.

With her point made, the wolf launched herself off and back toward the caribou, hearing the coyote flop as it struggled to its paws to make its retreat. Suddenly, the pain from the coyote's counter-attack took hold and Cessair slowed to a stop to breathe for a moment.  She watched as crows took off from the distant carcass and landed again, refusing to stay aloft just like persistent little gnats. Realizing Raela must be fending them off as she waited for her superior's return, the mottled  lady took off again at a quick but comfortable trot.  "Thank you," she panted upon her arrival at the caribou carcass.  It felt odd experiencing her subordinate's deference to her, and though Cessair knew that it was normal and expected in an organized hierarchy, she appreciated the gesture nonetheless.  Not wanting to make Raela wait any longer and quite famished herself, the Crest second dropped her muzzle to the food and began to eat as her tail lazily swayed in satisfaction.

Cessair's approach was not truly taken note of until she was close enough to speak. Her head still craned upward with bared teeth as another black-feathered scavenger ascended, a single orange ear tipped itself back toward her companion. Her expression settling and softening some, the woman licked her now-sheathed weapons once before responding. “No problem,” she replied, her voice a little winded from so much activity. It was clear that the paler subordinate was tired as well; judging by her lolling tongue. A smile pulled at the corners of Raela's mouth as she stepped aside, allowing her superior the first bite. She stood there for a few seconds, appreciating the other woman's quiet and unceremonial behavior as she took to the carcass. It was nice to stand near a higher ranked wolf who was eating and not get snapped at or bitten. Cessair didn't even give her a second scrupulous glance. The russet-furred woman's attention returned to the deceased Caribou; her eyes passing over the body as she stepped toward it's head.  The animal had most certainly been ill. There was mucus around its eyes and nose, and the muscle was poorly built. It was lucky for them that these illnesses didn't seem to pass from prey to predator, at least not in her experience, and it was lucky for the caribou that the dead could not become ill. Sighing mentally, she maneuvered herself to the other side of the buffet, still snapping at a crow or two that came too close. Cessair would have the belly of the creature, and any vital organs it may somehow have managed to retain after the coyote onslaught. The taller female settled for the beast's back, sinking her teeth into an exposed section of muscle and tugging as the flies scattered from the spot. The tiny flying creatures were pesky, but a toss of her head every now and then kept them off. They were far more interested in the sun-baked reindeer than herself anyway.  She looked up, having filled her stomach to a more comfortable level. Cessair seemed to be enjoying herself as well; even wagging a bit as the animals blood soaked her muzzle. Raela offered a brief smile, gnawing on a section of vertebrae as she thought up something to say.  “Those coyotes give you any trouble?” In truth she was rather curious. She had missed the terrorizing of the last one in favor of chasing crows. The words had just left her mouth when a particularly impatient avian scavenger clamped its beak around her tail. With a roaring growl she turned; her teeth snapping shut on air with a hard click not an inch from its fleeing feathers. The woman glared, assuring the rest of the congregation that they would get the same treatment if they tested her. Rae's gaze settled once again on her pack mate; a knowing smile parting her lips as she laughed.  Image © Chris Smith Photography Manipulation © Jenandra

            

Sorry for my aggravatingly ample alliteration.  I'm not quite sure what's gotten into me today. :P

The meat hardly compared to taste of a fresh kill, but caribou was more filling than any silly rabbit could have been, and this particular carcass was more appealing than any others the two wolves had come across on their journey. Cessair really appreciated the meal shared in peace with her packmate. Well, almost peace. The general cacophony of crows above and behind told of the pesky birds' impatience. The fawn fae would occasionally note that one cocky corvus had wandered a little too close, so she would have to whip around and snap at it. Such displays never kept the birds away for long. Still, amongst all the calling crows clamoring for caribou, Cessair was content.

Her appetite waning at last, Cessair looked idly around as she finished up her last bite and caught sight of Raela's smile. Returning the gesture caused a drop of blood to slide off her muzzle and splatter onto her paw. As her companion asked about the preprandial coyote chase, Cessair attempted to lick her stained maw clean before the flies settled in to do it for her. "No, they--" Raela's abrupt eruption halted Cessair mid-speech, and for an instant she wondered what was wrong. By the time the younger woman's empty jaws snapped shut, Cessair realized that it was merely another covetous crow, and she watched in amusement as it flew off and Raela glared at its companions. The measure would do little to deter those pests, and the irony of two wolves driving off three coyotes but not a flock of crows evoked a quiet laugh from the Crest second that grew as her companion joined in.

”No,” Cessair began again with laughter lingering in her voice. The coyotes didn't give me nearly as much trouble as these crows!" She paused to stifle a quick giggle, then proceeded: "That last coyote wasn't particularly fast, so I decided to have some fun and tackle it. It got back at me with a hard kick to the stomach, though... The mention of the vermin's counter-attack reminded Cessair of the now dull pain, so she shifted her position to get a better look at her middle. It seemed a clump of fur was missing, but no other damage had been done. Satisfied, Cessair looked back up at Raela with a playful smile.  "Still totally worth it!"

OOC: No I love it! xD  One more post each and we can wrap this up! 

Her smile never waned while Cessair spoke. The idea of the small, usually reserved woman full on tackling a coyote was cause amusing enough; and she had seen how aggressive the tawny woman could be; she'd fed on Raela's energy and posture when they descended like hell hounds on the lesser canines. The mention of possible injury managed to change the subordinate's expression, and her bright golden eyes traced Cessair's own as she stepped back; inspecting the site for any wounds. Raela couldn't see much from where she was standing, but her companion's demeanor seemed to proclaim that all was well. Another laugh parted the agouti female's lips and her eyes closed in response. “Oh it definitely was!” Her gaze trailed to the length of the great creature at their feet. “It's amazing we stumbled on it when we did. Too much longer and they would've shredded the thing.” A pack of coyotes did enough damage, but avian scavengers of all kinds could strip a caribou to bones in no time.  The woman's tongue passed slowly over her muzzle, wiping at least a little of the blood away. It was all over their faces now, and would have been quite the fearsome sight to any nearby rivals. Raela returned to the meal; sinking stained fangs deeper into the carcass and tugging to reveal fresher meat. Thankfully the areas of unbroken skin had preserved the carcass a little better than in other places. She succeeded in sating her hunger further; pausing only when she fully remembered the distance they had yet to travel. An overly full stomach would be nothing but a hindrance then. The Crest wolf took a step back, eyes moving carefully over each piece of the animal. Her idle thoughts had been of Minka and the rest of the pack. The new mother could benefit greatly from so much sustenance; and the others needed food of course. The newly created pack caches were not nearly as full as they had been back in the Downs. This was new land; and they were still settling.  She glanced to Cessair, assuring herself that the smaller girl had had her fill before speaking. “We should take some of this back.” It was spoken more as an affirmation than a novel idea. Cessair had probably already expected to carry some home. “They'll be real happy to see this,” she grinned. Figuring that a haunch would be a good section to separate, the woman worked her way around the beast only to drive her teeth into its hip. More words slipped from behind clenched jaws as she tugged. “'An't let the scavengers 'ave it all.” The crows, seemingly thrilled that the wolf had stepped away from at least one side of the carcass, began creeping forward and trying to take stabs at its back. They were of less concern now though. Raela would wait for Cessair to take a cut and to set off on the slow trek to the mountain. She was a superior after all, and Raela was content to let her have a bit of a lead while they walked together.  Image © Chris Smith Photography Manipulation © Jenandra

            

A couple more bites, and Cessair decided she had eaten enough. She was small and hardy, so it didn't take as much food to fill her -- a trait that undoubtedly preserved her life when she was starving as a loner. Satisfied, then, Cessair set about languidly lunging at crows. Given the journey ahead, she did not want to waste much energy; she just wanted to keep enough crows away that Raela could finish eating in peace. The sooner they started back for home, the better.

Honey eyes met copper, and the older woman responded to Raela's glance with a smile. "Ready?" The agouti woman suggested they bring some of the meat back, and Cessair nodded. She had expected as much -- the Crest's caches could use filling, and the pups would benefit too -- but she did not look forward to carrying a large piece of meat all the way back to their territory. A small stature meant she could get away with eating less, but she could also carry less. The load would also inhibit some motion and hinder panting. Cessair smiled again as she watched her companion pull off a haunch. Inconvenient though it may be, carrying meat home was certainly better than returning with empty jaws and empty stomachs!

Raela retreated from the carcass with her cut, and Cessair moved forward to extract a cut of her own. Despite their own work and that of the other scavengers in tearing apart this caribou, the fawn woman struggled for a few moments before she finally managed to separate a chunk of flesh. She set down the prize for a moment to shake off the strain, then gently took it back up in her jaws. A glance to Raela informed Cessair that, as the higher-ranked wolf, she would be leading the expedition home, at least for a while. Copper eyes did the work of smiling as the Crest second exclaimed around her burden ”'Omeward, then!” and set off, her tail waving in contentment.

(This post was last modified: Jul 10, 2015, 11:02 PM by Cessair.)

Watching the smaller woman struggle against the caribou's flesh was beginning to make Raela wish she could assist in some way. The feeling didn't last long however, and her companion retreated with a fairly sizable harvest all by herself. Cessair received the expectant glance; returning it with another cheerful smile before setting off. The larger girl chuckled at the exclamation, shifting the weight of the creature's haunch in her mouth. Cessair was such a jubilant sort. Her wagging tail was darn near contagious. Once a superior grip was achieved, she too took up the trail. The crows piled in on the meat in seconds; swarming the carcass with gleeful exuberance. The Crest subordinate shifted her yellow eyes long enough to smirk at their raucous arguing. Silly creatures. The towering pines were just visible in the distance; covering their beautiful hilltop sanctuary. New energy flowed into her gait with thoughts of the pups; of the pack. Perhaps they hadn't managed to find a trace of Noble, but they would provide for the new heirs of the Crest. They at least were certifiably alive and breathing, and very much in need of care. She only hoped the fabled Lagina princess had found somewhere to live by now, or at the very least, that her end had been peaceful. All the time her hope of finding the girl dwindled. It seemed the rest of the pack was no more hopeful than she. At least Minka has her children. Her and Cessair had purpose today. Fatigue from carrying the hunk of meat into the woods and up the small mountain was sufficiently countered by this fact. And at the end of the day, Raela found herself quite liking this other woman. The shy, pale coated wolf was not unlike herself at all. She supposed, if their ranks were to one day change, she only hoped that it would be a peaceful, honorable match. It was a foolish thing to loose a friend over, and she couldn't imagine laying a paw on Cessair. The idea alone was enough to quell any faint musings of advancement, at least for now.  Image © Chris Smith Photography Manipulation © Jenandra