Hearthwood River with every rising sun

For glorious @Orren ~
Dawn, sunny, 64F

A great yawn cracked from Kjors' jaws as he pried open his single eye. It was rare he had such a restful sleep, he noted, and could not help the small hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. With a groan, the male heaved himself to his feet and slipped free of the quiet den, careful not to wake @Karina on her side of the shared nest. There were benefits to being small, he supposed, and one of them was the ability to creep around others without being noticed. Once outside, the one-eyed dragon bowed down into a long stretch, head rearing back as he curled and flexed his toes. How pleasant the morning was! The sun was only just beginning to peak over the horizon, throwing a multitude of colors into the lightening sky and hovering clouds. With a dawn such as this, it was easy to see how some wolves took to heliolatry, assuming such beauty could only be crafted by the skillful will of the sun's own doing. Kjors knew better, of course – nature was beautiful, in all its wrath and its glory, just as the Mother had intended it to be so. With a pleased hum, the subordinate set out towards the common den. It was rare that the asocial wolf sought out company, but today…well, perhaps it was something in the late summer air, or perhaps it was the shade of purple the clouds had taken on, but the older male decided to seek out a pack mate or two. With luck, he would find one of the other yearlings, though he supposed the puppies would be acceptable, as well. Why were the youngest the best company? "Orren? Abstyrus? Either ya awake?"

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(This post was last modified: Nov 10, 2015, 08:12 PM by Kisla.)

Ever since their hunt, Orren Baranski had been going back and forth on his opinion of the strange phenomenon that was Kjors. Hunting together with the older male had shown to be both exciting and rewarding, Kjors in the end admitting that here was something Orren did better than his brother; Which, though he had pretended to ignore, actually meant the world to the youngest River prince. Still, he didn't quite know what to think of this murky wolf who seemed to be mostly a recluse, yet had drawn the full attention of his gentle and shy sister. Ever since Kjors arrival in the Hearthwood River pack, Karina had grown more and more detached from her family, choosing instead to spend her time with this dark stranger, seeming to revere him as some sort of prophet, Or who knows what! And this made her brother both jealous and suspicious.

He had no idea what to do about it though, he didn't exactly have the word in his power, and mostly when he did try to talk to his oldest sister, it ended up in arguments. Instead, the best course of action seemed to be getting to know this home wrecker more closely, finding out exactly what about him was so fascinating to Karina, and whether it posed a threat to the Baranski family. That was no easy feat either though; Orren was no spy, no wall flower capable of studying and learning in silence. In order to know the one eyed wolf he needed to actually talk to him, build a relationship with him, and in order to do that, he needed to find him. but, as mentioned, Kjors was no social man, in fact he seemed to enjoy his solitude, and his privacy, and while getting to the bottom of this whole situation was important to the young adventurer, he could not spend all his time looking around, hoping to get a glimpse of the bistre chap, and maybe exchange a few words, he had other things to do; Like hunting!

And hunt he continued to do, morning, evening, dusk dawn, among the trees or out in the open, the aspiring hunter followed tracks, traced scents, kept watch of larger herds and took down smaller critters on his own, filling the caches and often bringing special treats to his mother, @Inna and @Lekalta. This was hard work, and a long day of hunting often left the lad exhausted, collapsing in the communal den in the evening and sleeping long into the morning. Orren had never been an early riser, and in these summer days, he especially enjoyed sleeping in, taking advantage of the coolness of the mornings to catch up on some, much needed rest. And this day was no exception, in fact, he could have easily slept a few hours longer, had a rough, yet not unfriendly, voice not broken into his dreams. Persimmon eyes flicking open, a low grunt escaped the boy before he lifted his head, shaking it thoroughly to clear the fog of sleep. Had it been someone else searching for him, he might have simply gone back to sleep, pretending to never even have heard the call. But he couldn't exactly pass up this opportunity; How often does HE come looking for ME?! So he got up, stretching himself as much as possible in the cramped space and then quickly wiggled his way out of the den.

The bright sunlight made him blink, pausing as soon as his tail was free of the burrow, to adjust to the light. Finally, a lanky, brown silhouette appeared before his eyes, and Orren smiled at him, waving his tail affably. "Kjors?" He said, yawning widely; "What'a'ya need?" With a less than graceful thump, the yearling planted his sizable rear on the dirt, lifting a leg to lazily scratch himself behind the ear. No one had ever accused the lad of being elegant, and they certainly weren't gonna start now.

Word count: 662

Thoughts "Speech." 

PLOT WITH ME!

A few moments of patience and forth came the only prince present among Hearthwood River's wolves, the last tendrils of sleep still clinging to the boy. Despite presumably having been woken up, @Orren seemed pleased to see the older male, so the one-eyed wolf bowed his head in a proper greeting. His own tail remained low, with no interest in proving dominance over the yearling, but waved in slow serpentines as he approached. "Good morning, prince," he rumbled, his own voice still thick from his recent awaken. How good did it feel to be so well rested? Allowing himself to join the boy, he settled across from Karina's brother as the boy scratched his head. While the dragon did not partake, he watched with an amused smile before continuing – he had come here with a purpose, after all. Even at his friendliest, Kjors would never enjoy conversation simply for the sake of it. "Ah can't say Ah'm in need a' 'nything, save perhaps a bit of company," he hummed, bobbing his head again to indicate Orren was in fact the sort of companionship he sought at the moment. While he'd never admit his mood was so pleasant, it was obvious in his facial features, the twinkle in his eye, and the general relaxed nature of his posture. "Ah was enjoyin' th' mornin', as it were, an' got t' thinkin'. Was wonderin' if ye'd be interested in sparrin', mhm? Ah've been teachin' yer sister t' defend herself, an' thought it wouldn' be right not t' offer th' same t' ya." The prince's situation was quite different of course – he was neither shy, passive, nor was he disability, but he was still a young wolf who could benefit from the mistakes and triumphs of his elders if he so wished it. "Jes' an offer. Thought it might be fun." Since when did Ah care 'bout fun?

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

A young deer has been separated from the rest of its herd. Hunt Opportunity

Sorry this took so long, my muses have been sticky lately :/

The last stray strands of sleep still hung around him, making the world slightly blurred, sounds and smells dulled as if coming from far away. The feeling was not unpleasant though, and the boy smacked his lips contently while slowly blinking the last haze from his vision. He managed to see Kjors' slight nod and, more importantly, hear his cordial greeting, which made the smile widen into a full blown grin. It wasn't often others chose to remind Orren of his lineage, mostly he suspected because they were either of that same blood or just didn't put much weight on it, choosing instead to see him as the yearling whom they had known since birth. But Kjors fit neither of these groups, and while that left the River prince especially wary of him, as a stranger, it also put him in a unique position, suddenly someone looked at the boisterous lad as more than a kid, seeing him in his entirety rather than focusing on flaws and shortcomings. In short, it was hard for Orren to dislike the one eyed dragon, but there was also something, evasive and impossible to put into words, but something, unsettling him in regards to the older man.

Today though, he was well rested, his mood was good and attention, as most often, was on the concrete rather than any subconscious, fishy feelings. Tail thumping happily against the ground, Orren nodded back, returning the older male's greeting while he took a seat across from him; "And mornin' to you!" There was even a smile on Kjors face, nowhere near as wide as the yearling's broad grin, but for the usually standoffish brute, even this small grimace was a lot. He then proceeded to explain that he had come for company, making Orren's eyes widen quite a bit; He's here to CHAT?! The boy tilted his head slightly, smile fading in his surprise and ears waving questioningly. He wasn't exactly sure he could make for particularly good company, though he usually had no problem running his mouth, he wouldn't know the first thing to talk with the man about. Persimmon eyes sought the singular golden one in a moment of helpless panic, then he saw; Is that... Is he JOKING?! There certainly was humor in the aging chap's sharp gaze.

Then he spoke again, and Orren released a light breath in relief. Kjors hadn't come for idle chatter, as always, he had a plan. He did definitely seem to be in a talkative mood though, not only commenting about the day and posing his offer, but revealing a bit about his classes with Karina as well; Defend herself?! The gentle healer seemed about the last member of the pack interested in fight training; She doesn't even like hunting! Weird as she was. How had the mysterious stranger managed to talk her into that; And why?! Orren's brain was abuzz with questions, but his body also tinkled with excitement, a bright light in his eyes at the prospect of a brawl; He agreed that it would be fun. It had been many months since he and Aleksei had last squabbled, rather in argument or for fun, the boy couldn't even remember any more, and since then no one had ever offered something like this to him. Even a playful tumble would have been eagerly welcomed by the lad, and the proposal of actual battle training was enough to push all other broodings to the back of his mind. Just looking at Kjors, there was no doubt he had lots of experience to share from.

The yearling jumped to his feet, restraining himself from nodding vigorously. The smile was back on his face in full force, and his eyes were practically shining as he looked at the adult. "Yes!" He breathed, swallowing something as he bobbed his head; "I mean, I can defend myself alright, but I'd like to learn more. Ya' think ya' can teach me some tricks?" He grinned now, consumed by the idea of spending another day with the dragon, during something he loved.

Word count: 679

Thoughts "Speech." 

PLOT WITH ME!

@Orren would never be any sort of scout or spy, the dragon decided with a wry smile – he wore his heart right on his sleeve. Thankfully, the man took no great offense to the youth’s great surprise. He was at peace with himself, after all, and knew better than anyone how asocial he could be. That he willfully sought out companionship shouldn’t have been met with anything else, except perhaps suspicion, but the man would have liked to think he’d given the prince no reason to doubt him. Waiting out the mental debate, the subordinate’s bushy tail drifted slowly – he allowed himself to enjoy the gentle warmth of the morning sun until the prince finally came to a decision. The smile was contagious, and Kjors’ eye twinkled like a single sun. He awarded the yearling a small nod. “Ah’ll do me best,” he replied with a soft growl, tail swooshing as the elder wolf gathered himself and stretched but once. Even at this age, the yearling was larger. He was still growing into his frame, perhaps not as heavy as he might become, but the male was tall, and large (not unlike his more delicate sister – Karina had some size to her, despite her fragile nature). Once up, he tossed his head, inviting Orren to have the first attack. “Ah wanna know wha’ you know ‘for Ah start runnin’ me mouth,” he offered by way of explanation. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, his ears folded back against his head to a much safer position. His nose began to curl up and Kjors sunk a bit lower to the ground, digging his feet into the dirt as he readied himself, tail flung outwards by way of balance. “Go fer it.”

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

Second try then... I'll let you play out the miss.

The boy's excitement only grew when he saw it mirrored in the opposer, or opponent, 's single eye. He rolled his shoulders, bending down a little to stretch out his front legs, and waved his tail high in the air, all while watching Kjors making his own preparations. When they were young, Orren and Aleksei had often brawled, rolling around and tugging on each other's ears, the way pups do, but as they grew older and grew apart, those friendly fights became less frequent. Being the first born, destined, and eager, to follow in his father's footsteps, Alek had trained in the ways of the guardian, sparring with @Maksim on several occasions. Orren had never been that lucky. - Of course that was just as much, if not more, the audacious younger prince's own fault, while his brother had acted their father's shadow, he had been busy adventuring, exploring or hunting. But blaming everyone else was always easier. Regardless, the lively Baranski was more than enthusiastic about this opportunity to prove himself.

So when the murky dragon declared himself ready, asking Orren to show what he could do, the bulky yearling was not late to act. The boy lunged forwards, figuring that his bigger size and weight would be his forte, while lack of speed his biggest weakness; These were concepts easily transferred from the art of hunting, and really, fighting wasn't much different. Teeth baring in a gleeful snarl, the large yearling threw himself towards the lankier foe, pushing aside his immediate impulse to go for the jugular - There's one difference - in favor of thrusting his shoulder into the older man's, trying to knock him off balance. Once he was down, it should be easy enough to keep him there; I'll show you what I've got!

Word count: 299

Thoughts "Speech." 

PLOT WITH ME!

Orren was certainly correct on that account – as a smaller, lither male, the one-eyed dragon was by all accounts not terribly strong and considerably more frangible than the prince, even at this age. In fact, his entire line of thought was on the right track. In the absence of brute strength, the swarthy male instead relied on his size and weight to evade opponents and strike with blinding speed. The yearling leapt forward while wearing his plan right on his face, a gleeful grin and wicked eyes as he lunged for the subordinate’s shoulder. One yellow eye glimmered in delight, and Kjors tucked his chin down, defending his neck and softer bits, despite that this was a play fight. Best his student learn through both example and instruction. Bracing himself, the older wolf waited until the ruddy prince was almost open him before fading left in a simple step, allowing the other male to rush by him in a blur. Kjors wheeled about on his hind legs as he was passed, never losing sight of the boy as he he lunged after him, bright, ivory knives nipping at one of Orren’s hamstrings. Were this a true opponent, he’d have ripped flesh with the intention to cripple – today, he simply meant for his bite to sting, and little else. “Never lose sight a’ yer mark,” he instructed as he fell back two steps, should the prince need a moment to collect himself. “An’ ‘spect him t’ play t’ his strengths. Chargin’ me head on prolly ain’t wise, huh? Ah’ll always outrun yah – so wha’ else y’gonna do?” ”Speech”

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The trouble was of course, that Kjors was already expecting the attack, having been the one to ask for it. No amount of confidence would change the fact that Orren's burly build slowed him down, and while a hit would have likely knocked his opponent down, his advance met only air. Another unfortunate consequence of his weight was the momentum he build, while he noticed as soon as the bistre male evaded his attack, there was no stopping the motion he had already started. Flying past the older wolf, Orren dug his paws into the dirt, grinding his teeth as he tried to slow back down. The pinch of his leg made him bite down harder, a definite sting left behind by the more experienced wolf's teeth.

The yearling spun around, suppressing a wince as he looked back at his teacher, feeling sore from more than just the scratch to his hock. Still, he managed a breathy chuckle, nodding as Kjors offered a few pointers; If you say so... It was occurring to the young hunter that the biggest difference between this and his chosen trade was that the target wasn't running away. In a fight, the goal of both participants was to overpower the other, not to escape. But what could he do then? When he was battling someone who was - while not necessarily smarter than prey - uniquely able to evaluate his movements and counter based on his weaknesses.

It was so much more frustrating because he knew that if first he managed to catch the one eyed dragon, the advantage would definitely be on his side. And while his size made him less nimble, he was not at all slow, he had chased down fast prey, even with a head start. But Kjors would not be fleeing blindly once the Baranski bared his teeth; So what is the answer? Shaking his head, a small huff of aggravation escaped the boy as he started moving again, slowly beginning to circle the older man. Had it been a pack hunting a quick target, they could have taken turns, tiring him out, but with one on one, Orren saw no other options; I need to get in close!

Trying to move quickly and without revealing himself beforehand, the rust and charcoal lad threw himself at Kjors again, using his teeth this time to snap at his flank. Already he felt certain he would not connect, knowing that the smaller wolf would never allow him to come in close. Snapping jaws around thing air, he growled his agitation, glaring up at the teacher with a eyes lacking a lot of the humor from earlier; "Don't s'pose you're gonna agree to wrestle?"

Word count: 451

Thoughts "Speech." 

PLOT WITH ME!

Kjors ignored the boy’s wince – it was likely as much pride as it was the actual pain of a nip to the hind end. It was no worse than his brother would have ever done, and babying him would do the prince no good. He’d shake it off, and it seemed to disappear altogether as the yearling rolled the thought around in his mind. Excitement was replaced by frustration, and for a moment, the man wondered if he should have pandered to his student’s pride and allowed him a successful blow before the real education began. Karina had accepted her failures and then built upon them, but the wolf worried the prince was already starting to get emotional where victory was not imminent. One ear pricked forward as one swung out to the side, indicative of thought, when his opponent came running again. While he ran head on, it seemed he wasn’t aiming for the tackle this time. When the dragon swept outwards again, it was not by such a large margin – he could feel the click of Orren’s teeth against the air as he grabbed for the wolf’s haunches. This time, he did not dance away, but throw his weight forward as he shoved into the prince’s shoulder, hoping to force him off balance. “Sure,” he agreed easily as he continued to press forward, hoping to grab Orren’s scruff to continue his tackle. He could manage a close combat fight, he thought, and while he might try to avoid it at all costs, there was nothing but education at stake.

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