Grizzly Hollow dirty paws

Her dirty paws and furry coat

After being accepted by Veho, she had taken the time to find a quiet place. She needed to rest, and wasn't keen on facing anyone. She hoped until she was ready they would leave her in peace. The white wolf found her sanctuary near the borders. There a great tree that had long been fallen, and she carved out a small niche for herself. As each day passed she would increase the size, going beneath the log for more shelter. Often spent time sleeping, she did leave it a few times for a drink. Check her surroundings. After a week she no longer felt sore. She sure as hell wasn't better. She had no idea what to do any more. She really didn't want to care.

The sun that had long been hidden by gray overcast peeked through the trees, and broke upon her coat. Maybe, it was its warmth, maybe it was something else but she had a smile. All right. She internally thought, taking a moment to stand, and stretch her cramped limbs. It was time she found something to eat. She was certain there must be a cache she could have, but her pride sent her to a collection of small pines. She might be able to find a sleeping inhabitant here. A new form of energy she began to dig beneath their short, needled branches.

He hadn't been entirely sure of his rights when he had come across that familiar scent on the borders once more. He'd never been close to his grandparents, seeing them both as rather elevated, transient beings, coming and going as they wished, elders to be respected and never disturbed. Not one for causing disturbance, Tomen had complied with those unspoken rules, but now, he wondered, were they really the rules? He'd been nosy and poked about near the fallen trunk that Jaysyek slept now, and worried that she was sad and lonely. An irrational feeling of intimidation kept him at bay, but she lingered in his mind, and when, that day, he saw a pale figure walk past his shadowed resting spot, he decided to be bold.

Emerging quietly from his shelter, he had only taken three steps after her when she stopped, the light bathing her figure as it broke through the canopy, and he paused. She was quite beautiful, really, with that strikingly white coat that was relatively unusual to him, and though he couldn't see them from this angle, he knew her eyes all too well.

She turned her nose down, rustling about in the dense needles of the low trees, and Tomen just watched for a few seconds before taking a breath and stepping forward again, tail raising to wag in hesitant but earnest greeting. "Hey g'ma," he woofed softly, not wanting to alarm. "Lost something?"

<3 @Tomen

Her dirty paws and furry coat

Trying not to exert herself she dug a little further, about to check if she was getting any where. The elder wolf had no idea she had caught the attention of her grandson until his voice reached her. Head jerked up, eye catching his dark figure, pleasantly surprised. His remark caused  an amused smile to tilt the corner of her muzzle. She had lost many a thing.

 "Not particularly," she murmured in reply. Mismatched eyes swiftly scanned him from toe to ear. Why she may have saw him here or there, she had not this closely for some time. How much he had grown. How strongly he resembled his mother and Uncle Rowan, and yet she could see hint of Lyall in him. Forcefully, she had to clear her throat not to let herself get out of hand in her thoughts and memories. Instead happily her tail swayed behind her. "I was hoping to find a snack but, maybe you know a better place?" She always cared about the opinion of others. More so what his thoughts might be, and what better way to engage him but ask for his advice? 

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health

The smile on her face as she spotted him gave Tomen the confidence that he hadn't overstepped any boundaries. Tail wagging a little more loosely, he trotted happily forward to close the space between them as she offered a somewhat cryptic reply to his question (not that the boy caught any of her underlying hints), leaning his cheek into her shoulder briefly as a token of affection. She'd just been looking for something to eat, apparently, and Tomen glanced at the pines she had been snuffling through, considering them thoughtfully for a moment.

"There's some meat in the cache right now," he said after a moment, his eyes turning to meet her own. "I caught a hibernating marmot this morning!" And its value as a sign of his usefulness had far outmatched his own mild hunger, so he had brought the fresh kill to the pack's reserves and taken instead an older and tougher piece, though well-preserved by the winter chill. "Though, if you wanna get something super fresh, I've been hanging out by this pond outside the borders, and there are usually loads of ducks around there." He had tried to hunt them, of course - when presented with such an opportunity, who would not? But the birds were too quick and the boy too inexperienced, and he could swear that there was a particular drake who laughed at him after each attempt.

He licked his lips as a manifestation of a small wave of uncertainty, but determination to be bold and confident won out. Mostly. "Y'know, if you want to. They're not easy to catch, and uh... I'm pretty sure they know me by now."

@Tomen

Her dirty paws and furry coat

His touch, though brief, warmed her heart. Some how making it a little more bearable to smile, keep her in the moment like she needed. She knowingly nodded at his comment. Everyone seemed to keep them that way, but for the time being she was still set on getting her own meal. Their pair of eyes met, and she beamed. "Awe, you got a sharp nose do ya." It was rather impression for his age, the fact he was keen on taking up his place already. What else could she expect from an Attaya-Lyall?

Ears perked in interest at the mention of a pond, and ducks. She doubted she was a quick as she use to be, but the idea of at least seeing this was enough to make her want to go. She didn't wander far from the Hollow these days. Her paws had healed nicely, but after all things she preferred to remain in or near the forest. There was little reason for her to wander. Surely her recruiting days were over, and she rather get to know the wolves here than else where.

A spark to her eyes, and mischievous curve to her smile she gently bumped her shoulder to his. "Lead the way. Perhaps we can think of some way to get one.  Sometimes ducks aren't as clever as they act." Mind began to race with a few ideas. Maybe, the two of them together could be up to the task. Old and young.

(This post was last modified: Mar 16, 2016, 06:37 AM by Jaysyek.)

There was something magical about the gentle, teasing approval of a grandparent, something which almost made him giggle as she smiled at him and praised his accomplishment. Instead he just grinned and looked away for a moment, bashful in his modesty but (not so secretly) pleased with himself. He didn't really like to boast, but it felt good all the same.

Not that he'd have much to really boast about if they did go duck hunting, something which peaked her attention. His eyes had made their way back to her face by the time that sly smile reached her lips, and he found himself grinning all the harder at her companionable nudge to his shoulder. Like they were equals about to set off on an adventure together! Any adventure which involved getting revenge on the birds which had foiled him so many times was incredibly appealing, and with his grandmother no less. Quite quickly the air of reverence and 'do not touch' which he had attributed to her was peeling away, revealing a friend beneath. He really should have sought her out sooner, gotten to know her better. It was not lost to him that he had missed out on that very opportunity with his grandfather.

"Okay!" he yipped, tail high and hitting an excited beat as he jumped about and began to lead them out of the territory, towards the ponds he liked to visit. "It's when they get in the air," he explained, for how better to coordinate a plan of attack than to understand their weaknesses? "I can never get close enough. I mean, I'm fast, but it doesn't matter 'cause I have to start so far back. Have you caught birds before?" Old and wise, surely she had - Tomen had so very much to learn.

@Tomen

Her dirty paws and furry coat

The grandmother was amused by his reaction, a combination of pride and modesty. It was its simple honesty, how it reminded her of her children in younger days that truly made her smile.

Whatever invisible barrier that had separated shattered when he mirrored her expression. She somehow felt they were going on more than a duck hunt. But, she wouldn't let him get into any real trouble. What were grandmothers for if it wasn't for a little adventure too and again?

A chuckle she trotted after him, finding it wasn't fairly hard to keep in time with his steps. Today was one of her good days. Ears erect, she bobbed her head, thoughtful. It wasn't hard to picture an enthusiastic Tomen lingering in the reeds, waiting for the opportune moment, and failing to snag a thing. "I have a time or two," she declared, not fully remembering how, just she had eaten them and hated their damn feathers. "Yes, they, like other prey, are usually quite aware of their surroundings. Specially cause they could have nests their trying to make and tend so they really get watchful. I have least one idea we can try. They can easily keep an eye on you, but if I'm there stirring up trouble while you sneek in behind maybe you'll be the one surprising them." It was the jist of the plan, but she would have to see this location to really show him where he ought to hide, and where perhaps she could make a racket for those ducks to really worry about.

As they came upon the pond it was what she expected. There was lots of tall dead grass, some reed, little snow, and small group of willows. Eyes tried to see the ducks, but maybe she couldn't. "Hmm," she murmured, still wondering if they were on the pond or hiding. Gaze flicked to him, feeling he would know.

His tail found a cheerful rhythm, waving high over his rump as they trotted, his excitement mounting. His eagerness was threefold; not only to spend quality time with his grandmother, but to possibly show her how fast he could move, and maybe, possibly, finally catch a duck! As she spoke of her experiences with the water fowl, he hung on to her every word, particularly those which involved a cunning plan. The ducks were always pretty quick to take flight, but there was usually that brief period of alarm and confusion just beforehand... and if they were fleeing away from grandmother and towards him then maybe luck would be on his side...

But it wasn't. Confidently steering them towards the pond, Tomen's ears pricked up and his head was high as he strained to see over the reeds and tall grasses to spot what was normally a water covered in ducks. Yet the pond and surrounding area was conspicuously quiet and devoid of all birds. Huh. That wasn't what he'd expected... How was he supposed to show off now? Plus he kinda looked like a fool. "They're normally all over the place..." he said, voice trailing off as his brows knit together, eyes darting about the area trying to make sense of how empty the place was. "I mean, they vanish like this right after I've tried to catch one, but..."

Her dirty paws and furry coat

"Now hold on, I'm sure they are here. We'll just have to wait a little bit." Hunting was as much as a waiting game, as it was thinking. It wasn't like they had much else to do. With a gleam of determination to her gaze, once again she scoped out the area. There were a few little willows on this side that looked rather dead.  They were inadequate for what she wanted.  Pale face scrunched up, she continued to scan the grounds.  She noted there were some yellow grass crumpled in odd piles around the pond that the snow had crushed.  By the curve in the pond the grass remained up. It would be enough for them to lay down, and watch for their prey.

"Come on @Tomen." There was a note of cheer in her tone, as she bumped her nose to his shoulder.  Swiftly, she hunched down, stretching out her legs in an exaggerated motion, creeping toward the pond, leading him to a nice dry spot where she fell to her stomach. Come on ducks. She would be damned to come out here for nothing.

(This post was last modified: Apr 06, 2016, 07:11 PM by Jaysyek.)