Red Fern Forest Devil on your heels

Hexamora, you encounter a bear that's woken from hibernation prematurely.
All Welcome! | 1/15 Mid-afternoon | Mist 13 ° F, -11 ° C

Where am I even going anymore? Alabaster limbs trudged passively through the sea of frosted mist and snow flurries, the occasional grouping of ferns yet to wither in a frozen death dusted free of their ivory coat by a likened hued tail to adorn the bleak, pale landscape with a splash of crimson. For three days now the arctic female navigated the confines of this maze like forest, her singular line of sight plagued by nothing more than an endless expanse of white and red while her scrawny frame suffered countless beatings from the northern winds that arose each night. A vigorous rumble of Hexamora's ravenous stomach serving as a stark reminder that a substantial meal demanded to be secured pronto. Three more days of eating pitiful scraps off frostbitten carcasses would not suffice.

Facial features morphed into a surly look, brows furrowing deeply in thought. Where would a half blind wolf find a meal grand enough to fill a stomach so empty? It would have been cakewalk had she stuck with the Cove wolves until winter passed and gorged on their stockpile, but she couldn't stand another second living among them. A scoff broke past thin pressed lips at the memory. I don't need them, or anyone else. She was beyond capable of fending for herself, albeit her thinning sides spoke of other truths. Gradually alabaster limbs continued their trek through the frigid landscape, a lowered snout sniffing about the collection of dead and barely thriving vegetation in search of a meal. The occasionally discovered mouse carcass succumbed to the harshness of winter gulped in a single swallow serving as nothing more than a mere snack. It would take countless amounts of the small rodents to curve her appetite.

Pine green optic squeezed tightly as another blast of frigid air stopped her dead in her tracks, the bombardment of falling snow flurries stinging the thinner furred portions of her face. "I hate winter." Hexamora grumbled under her breath with a shudder feeling the temperature of her skin plummet for the umpteenth time that day. Luck would be on her side though as the gust of wind brought forth the scent of fresh spilled blood, an aroma intoxicating enough to warrant a helpless moan and rumble of her stomach as the odor wafted through her nostrils. "Food.." Pearly limbs were fueled anew by the tantalizing smell as they struck swiftly at the earth sending sifted powder skyward in her wake. Snow and vegetation alike were strewn apart by her gallivanting sprint, ebony nose guiding the famished woman to a temporary paradise.

There slain in a small clearing if one could call it such lay the remains of a male white-tailed deer, a pool of crimson liquid seeping from a fatal wound to the neck. Instantaneously saliva began to pool within a hungry mouth, a coral tongue dragging over winter chapped lips. The petite woman heeded not to the danger that lurked just a few feet away. An early awoken Grizzly bear sated its hibernation induced thirst at the iced over creek located not so luckily upon her blind side, powerful paws making quick work of dislodging a portion of ice to form a sizable hole. Closer and closer Hexamora approached the carcass. A feral hunger overtaking as canines sank into the tender flesh of the stomach, skull shaking vigorously to sever off a chunk of meat. Once pale fur quickly began to dye red as blood splattered carelessly about from her actions.

Consumed in her euphoria the lumbering return of the killer had gone unnoticed. The guttural sounds of canines slicing meat blocking out all other sounds. Filling her stomach was her only concern, a careless mistake that could quickly prove fatal. A thunderous roar echoed behind the Beauvau woman instantly causing blood to run ice cold in fear. There was no mistaking what creature made such a noise. Shit. Spinning swiftly on her heels, a single pine green iris widened to the size of a saucer spotting the grizzled brown bear towering over her. Tendrils of saliva dangling from exposed tarnished fangs as Hexamora's tail wasted no time curling neatly against her stomach. Why was this Grizzly not asleep?! Winter was far from over! It was much too early for bears to stir from hibernation. This was not good, not good at all.

(This post was last modified: Jan 15, 2016, 08:43 PM by Hexamora.)

Just as Arion had recovered from the absence of his father the boy suffered another loss—the disappearance of his mother. He could not think of a single good reason as to why they had to leave without letting him know first. Parents were supposed to be there for their pups… right? A frown creased his lips at the thought. Although he was upset and angry about his parents abandonment Arion just wanted them to come home. He desperately wanted to go out and find them but he knew that he wouldn’t be able to survive outside pack borders. His best option was to stay with the pack so he was home when they returned. He had to remain hopeful (even though he didn’t want to); hope was all he had.

Before he realized what he was doing Arion was heading south. He was growing restless confining himself to the Pine territory—and for what? To wallow in his own misery about the disappearance of his parents? How was that going to help? The best thing to do for himself was to remain positive and to keep himself busy… wasn’t that what every abandoned child did?

The mist clung to his dark fur as he stalked through the forest, his slender body weaving effortlessly between the trees. Today he was in search of solitude. Arion was typically accompanied by one of the sisters or Nalda (or all of three of them) and didn’t get much time to be alone with his thoughts. Most days, the company was more than welcome; however, lately R found himself craving isolation.

Which was why the scent of another nearby irritated him so much.

Just as the boy began to turn away from the stranger a loud roar cut through the forest. The ground vibrated beneath him, causing his pale blue eyes to widen in alarm and a small whine to escape through clenched teeth. He had never heard such a sound before—and it was terrifying. The smart thing to do was turn the other way and flee, which he was in the process of doing until he realized that the stranger sound was coming from the same direction that the stranger’s scent was. Oh crap, he thought to himself, his limbs quivering. After a moment’s hesitation the boy flung his body forward, his long legs closing the distance between himself and the female. Within moments a large (ugly) brown shape came into view—along with the stark white shape of an older wolf. “Hey!” He shouted in hopes to get the attention of both the creature and the wolf. “Get out of here you—you slug!! Leave her alone!!” He did not know if the creature understood what he was saying, nor did he care. For whatever reason the child believed that he was capable of rescuing the older wolf, and that's what he was going to do. Hopefully.

(This post was last modified: Jan 19, 2016, 09:41 AM by Arion.)

OOC! Sorry if this makes like no sense. ;-;

If Hexamora's pelt could have acquired fifty more shades of paleness it would have the instant her singular gaze locked on the chestnut hued snout agape just a dangerously short distance away from her own. The length of leathery pale pink lips curling away from a set of massive tarnished teeth all too eager to take out the competition for food. All it would take to write the final chapter of her life in the slow ticking, fragile moments following the surprised encounter was one heavy blow of a massive paw lined in four inch claws to any portion of her body, or a lunge forward by the clearly ticked off bear. What a crappy stroke of luck it was to be her in that moment!

The arctic woman squeezed an eye shut tightly as the agitated bear took two steps closer, internally prepared for the death blow that would surely come for her in the next second. Time seemed to stand still in that second as her life played back across sealed lids like a vintage cinematic film. When muscles tensed expecting to feel the searing agony of claws raking her ivory pelt, it was her auditory senses that were touched upon and not by a mountainous brown bear. "Hey! Get out of here you—you slug!! Leave her alone!!" the youthful voice rang within splayed ears warranting an eye to slowly peel open. Who the hell was this fate intervener? Whomever her savior was, it left a prime opportunity to get the hell out of dodge as the approaching bear halted in its place and rose to stand on hind legs. Its attention drawn away from the thief and to the wolf in shining black armor, a growl daring the dark hued boy to challenge his might.

"Are you fucking crazy?!" Hexamora exclaimed, surely not the rewarding praise the swarthy wolf may have expected in return for saving her life. Only once she was out of immediate danger did the ivory woman pause her fleeing, sides heaving from the extensive amount of energy it took just to keep her hide alive. Glancing toward the bear it would seem it had come to lose interest in the pair of wolves now, huffing roughly in their direction before burying its massive head into the bloated stomach torn open by yours truly. "You're welcome, fucker." She retorted under her breath with a snort, keeping her gaze on the gorging bear while slowly advancing toward her rescuer.

(This post was last modified: Jan 20, 2016, 03:52 AM by Hexamora.)

He knew he was no match for whatever this creature was but all the little prince could think about was rescuing the damsel in distress. However, he hadn’t realized that by diverting the attention of the creature away from the pale female, that it would redirect it's attack on him. Arion had not accounted for his. With wide eyes he stepped back as the creature turned to him, rearing onto it's hind legs as its lips pulled away from its bubblegum pink gums. A growl filled the air between them, challenging the little prince. So this was his reward for being brave? Getting torn apart by some ugly, fuzzy creature?

The female’s voice finally broke the air, causing the boy to glance in her direction. Honestly, he probably was crazy—there was no denying that—but he had just saved this girl’s life, so being crazy was worth it. Taking another step back, his icy gaze focused on the bear once more, who had disregarded the two wolves and settled into the deer. He exhaled, not realizing that he had been holding his breath the whole time, and turned to the ghostly female. “Most likely,” he finally answered with a lopsided smirk resting against his lips. He took another step back, wanting to put as much distance between himself and the bear as possible. With a soft flick of his muzzle he motioned for the female to follow him, so they could allow the creature to dine in peace. “What was that thing?” He asked softly as he studied the older female, his eyes bright with youthful curiosity.

sorry for the late/short response <3

OOC! No worries!

It was only once she found herself outside the immediate danger zone that her singular optic transferred it source of focus from the gorging bear to the swarthy features of the wolf; or pup she would come to realize, whom rescued her. An ivory audit flicked at the simple question muttered, noting the youthful curiosity within a pair of icy irises. "That was a grizzly bear. Something you never want to cross paths with, yet I'm confused as to why it's out of its den this time of year." Facial features contorted into such a look that reflected her words, pine green irises glazing over with said confusion as it stole one last glance at their enemy. Talk about a stroke of bad luck for her to come across an early rising bear.

A defeated sigh left her lungs as he head swung back to the young male, a question of her own floating inside her mind. "What's a young pup like you doing out here?" Hexamora was not fond of pups of any age, yet she was smart enough to know they rarely left the safety of the den without an escort of some type. At least so she had come to learn from her stay at Fallen Tree Cove. Warily she glanced around their surroundings subtly for any indication such a wolf lay hidden among the thick collection of snow dusted ferns. The last thing she needed now after the incident with the grizzly was some enraged pack wolf charging blindly after her thinking she had done something wrong the kid.

(This post was last modified: Jan 28, 2016, 08:53 PM by Hexamora.)

Grizzly bear… definitely something that Arion never wanted to encounter again. Wrinkling his nose in the direction of the furry creature, the smudge returned his attention to the older female as she mentioned her confusion about it's appearance. Blinking slowly, he furrowed his brows as he mirrored her confusion, although it was for a different reason. “Are they normally not out and about around this time?” As curious as he was (all the time) Arion detested being the stereotypical ‘how, when, why, where’ pup; he just felt as though he was nagging, and that he should already know the answers. Alas, he was nothing but a pup, and unanswered questions was all he had to offer.

Just as he was mentally scolding himself for asking the stranger so many questions, one had rolled off her tongue. His brows raised in surprise as he studied the pale female, watching her own icy stare glance around their surroundings, as if she was expecting someone to jump out from behind a tree. Wanted to explore and get away from the hustle ’n bustle for a little bit,” he answered honestly with a flick of his tail. He adored his little family—despite his actual family abandoning him—but sometimes a little Arion-time was needed. As much as he enjoyed being the carefree, energetic spitfire he was, the smudge required some downtime to recharge. Especially when the sisters were always gogogo!—they definitely required a lot of recharging.

The boy wanted to return the question to the older female, but he did not want to test his luck. She was both older and larger than him; therefore, he did not want to annoy her. Instead, he gave his name and tightened his lips once more: “I’m Arion.”

OOC! Here

Her snowy skull gave a vigorous shake from side to side as an abrupt laught escaped her lips, cut short by words to answer the young boy's question. "Usually they won't be seen for another couple months at least. Rarely do they come out of their hibernation dens with this stuff on the ground still." Forelimb gave a small flick of her wrist to disrupt the powder laying idly beneath them. The furry bastards. A twitch of her leathery lips at the corner threatened to vocalize her very sentiments toward the massive beast, but a slowly exhaled breath doused the flames of anger ebbing in the pit of her stomach. It would serve Hexamora no good to be cross with a predator capable of easily discarding her scrappy frame, nor would it earn her another option for sustenance that day. The fickle idea was nugatory. 

Scouting the white washed landscape for a feral parent of some sort was laid to rest upon the boy's voice tickling the inner workings of her ears, head turning back to focus her single eye upon his face. "Acceptable, I suppose." It wasn't long ago she had opted to follow the same path of reasoning that led to her twilight escape from the confines of Fallen Tree Cove. A chill swiftly ran its course along her spine at the memory of living with those wolves, how nobody dared to care in her time of need during the process of coming to terms she would live out the remainder of her days a half blind woman. Bitterness still present upon the taste-buds of her salmon tinted tongue.

A bushy brow of ivory quirked skyward upon hearing the muttering of a name, head lowering slightly in the form of a small nod. "I'm Primrose." Hexamora introduced herself, alias name slithering off her coral tongue with liquid ease despite the length of time since she had used it last. Very few came to know her true name and she planned to keep it that way. Nobody was to be trusted.

(This post was last modified: Feb 05, 2016, 05:31 PM by Hexamora.)

His ears were pinned forward as she spoke, her words only adding to his ever-growing curiosity. Whatever this hibernation-thing she was talking about must have something to do with sleeping, otherwise it didn’t really make sense. As much as he wanted to confirm with the older female Arion also did not want to annoy her. Some adults weren’t particularly fond of inquisitive children. Even the little shadow was occasionally annoyed by his own curiosity, but it was often impossible to ignore.

The little Celencio made a mental note about the bear’s appearance. It would be important to notify his pack about it's whereabouts—or, at the very least, that it was awake and active. As soon as the thought entered his mind he grimaced, his pale eyes falling away from the female before him to study the cold substance between his toes. Gross—he was already thinking like an adult. Was this what growing up was all about? Becoming boring? If that was the case Arion never wanted to grow up. He was much happier as a child—er, teenager. Whatever. Just not an adult.

Once the female was confident that there were no Broken Timber wolves lurking nearby, she focused her attention on his lanky body. After a brief pause, the loner finally introduced herself, Arion completely oblivious to the fact that the name she gave wasn’t actually her name. He was just excited to be conversing with someone outside of his pack. “You from around here, Primrose?” He asked suddenly once he decided his silence was enough. His playmates were easy to interact with and easy to amuse. Adults, on the other paw, were a completely different story. Most of them required actual conversation—involving WORDS. The thought alone was terrifying, but acting upon it? Terrifying.

OOC! Here

A subtle shake of her head. "Not really, no." She admitted while lowering her pale haunches to connect with the chilled ground below, forelimbs tucked neatly together while the plush of her tail draped over her paws to provide at least some warmth. "I use to be with a pack that lived beside a lake, but I left." Obviously, or else she wouldn't be sitting here having this conversation with the young lad. Then an idea manifested itself upon the realization this pup's pack had to be near by and a pack always had food. A grumble of her depleted stomach solidifying her answer. It was worth a shot.

Training her single pine green irises upon the boy for the umpteenth time, a faint hum of amusement resonated internally against the bone plating of her chest. "You must live near by, though, am I right?" A curious tilt of her head following suit. If this wolf was as gullible as Hexamora was beginning to conjure due to the newly hatched idea spreading roots inside her mind, perhaps he could cure her rumbling stomach. The plan would be simple and even a pup his age, or younger should be able to handle it without complications. All the ivory woman needed Arion to do was to happily guide her toward one of probably numerous coveted cache sites, but first she would have to weasel her way into his good graces. To plea and manipulate the goodness and innocence in him to sustain the evil and selfishness in her. It was simply survival of the fittest.

His curiosity only sky-rocketed with her response but the little smudge forced himself to keep his dark lips glued shut. He did not want to annoy the older female with more questions; he was no longer a child and couldn’t get away with being annoying. Now that he was bigger and (sort of) older, it was just irritating not cute. It was none of his business why she had chosen to leave her former pack and either temporarily (or permanently) pursue the life of a loner. Of course there were a million and one reasons floating around his head; made-up answers that he desperately hoped to be true but would forever remain a mystery. Due to the nomadic status of the female it was highly unlikely they would cross paths again unless she chose the Pines to call home. It was a pessimistic way of looking at meeting strangers, but with his age Arion was beginning to realize his optimism was slowly abandoning him. It also did not help that he had been abandoned by both parents…

A question rolled off the female’s tongue as he kept his own lips glued firmly shut, his pale blue gaze fixated on the pale loner. He blinked slowly before giving a short nod: “Yes — a little north of here.” He was young, yes, but stupid he was not — especially when it came to wolves who were older than him. Those close to his own age were much easier to read; this female, not so much. The little smudge was naive and was at fault for trusting almost everyone he encountered, a trait that would certainly catch up to him sooner than later.