Lost Lake Lies of the lonely

@Nathaniel

Well thank god I don't have nobody blowing up my phone

The hike up Bramble Falls was becoming a familiar one. As the land plateaued around the lake Morganna made sure to skirt well to the south and west of the pack to the north. She recognised the scent of those who had tried to poach on their hunting grounds, a disdainful wrinkling of her muzzle at the unpleasant stench of the place. Had they perhaps sent an envoy ahead perhaps some agreement could have been reached. As it stood though the relationship was beyond repair.

The paths that crossed here and there were fewer than those around the willows so she remained confident they posed little threat. As another wave of hormones sent a flaming hand running down the length of her spine a very vocal growl voiced her frustration with no trees in sight to drag her flanks along, and anyone who thought she might go throwing herself down in the snow was sorely mistaken. She was almost home. @Skoll might see her, the shame! 

Her flank twitched with frustration, her head quickly turning to try and bite just behind her shoulderblade, but she Couldn't quite reach...

As his personality normally dictated, the man was on satellite patrol, edging far without of the pack's territory while still traipsing what could be considered their domain. It wasn't that he necessarily did not want company, he just didn't want any of theirs. The men were of no interest to him, he didn't have the patience tonight for the children as endearing as they had proven to be, and to cross paths with @Namid during her heat was only begging trouble from the man.

Maybe he might as well have stayed close to home, however, as it seemed trouble was bound to find him regardless. It was her scent he caught first, so kenspeckle in its strength, and he considered that perhaps he ought to turn the other way round. Yet his curiosity (and perhaps a bit of something else) got the better of him all the same, and he pawed himself toward her, heedless of caution. What was a pack bitch in heat doing out this far on her lonesome? There had to be something interesting in why being without the protection of others seemed a safer bet than staying home.

The closer he drew the more that scent of hers drew out of him, encouraging him toward a more playful demeanor. It was easy, and so comfortable to melt into; a blessing to be given a moment where that guardian armor could be hoisted from his shoulders. Slinking toward her like a sidewinder, his head ducked low and his tail curled only at the tip, a mischievous and wry smirk upon his chocolate lips. Nevermind that she seemed irritated, maybe a handsome mug was all she needed to turn that frown upside down. Ha.

"I'll scratch yours if you scratch mine," he offered once prowling close enough.

A dark ear turned to catch the offer, her own smirk answering his question with a swing of her head and a click of her teeth, lips pulling back in a silent, playful snarl. Oh she'd scratch his all right... He was close enough for her to catch his scent, her lips twitched back in a smirk as she continued to walk "Been stompin' on anyone else's huntin' grounds lately?" She might not have known him personally, but she knew which pack he belonged to. A quick glance was enough to confirm that this one wouldn't kill her if she stuck around just a little longer...

Morganna was slow to stop, her tail sweeping as she turned about to face her strange companion. Her tail waved steadily as she looked him over, Much like the rest, really... she thought, until she really looked at his eyes. At first she had mistook them for some shade of grey, but there was no greenery out yet to reflect that particular tint of green. "Hmm." She smirked to herself again. How curious. Perhaps she should just keep heading home, would he pursue her further from his home, to somewhere more secluded? There was only one way to find out. Without another word she turned, a flick of her tail to antagonise before she continued her leisurely stroll. She was in no hurry to be anywhere in particular.

As her strides didn't cease, neither did his, constant motion bringing him within a distance comfortable enough to just barely reach between them before drawing parallel to her. The reaction she gave him only egged on his mood, lips pulling apart wide enough to display a few teeth. His countenance did not falter when she spoke, easily aligning herself within his mind under the Willow pack's domain. Perhaps he should have taken this as his umpteenth hint to turn away now and head back home, but there was no threat within her eyes when at last she turned to face him.

In fact, she was nothing but inviting. There was an aura about her, an energy that was both playful and dark, a thin lacing of danger that pulled him much as it had with Primrose. Fuck caution; he wanted a taste of the freedom that had been robbed from him by the lake-bound pack.

"Nah," he answered her as he followed without a missed beat. "Stayed home with the kiddos that day. Heard quite the mess had been made."

A few of his pack mates had been a bit shaken up by the event, from what he could see when they returned. Something had shifted between Athena and Vespertio after that, and he recalled the story that had been told him. There had been no attempt to speak about matters, despite the lead pair making a thin attempt to stand their ground and own up to their mistake. The Willow wolves had descended upon them with an indomitable viciousness, led by a black pelted woman who's guard hairs and eyes were like fire.

His ears flicked forward as he took a moment to more carefully take in the details of this mystery lady, and he found himself hoping.

"Made for an interesting story. Said there was this woman who led a charge against them, and gave a rather striking description.

I think I'd fancy meeting her."

(This post was last modified: Mar 29, 2016, 05:03 PM by Nathaniel.)

Well, Morganna supposed, at least they had the sense to leave their children at home, and with someone to watch them, no less. "We didn' think 'em capable o' that much intelligence, after all it wouldn' take much sniffin' around ter realise." hell sometimes she wondered if @Enoki only came home to stock the caches and drop in to check on her mother before she was out there again, working her ass off to make sure there was always food on hand. When everything settled down she would have to track her down for a hunt.

She laughed when he claimed it made for an interesting story, "A cautionary one I hope..." the edges of her eyes pinched with a smile she was struggling to contain. It was true with Asriel gone, the Archers that remained tended towards black and silver or brown. She supposed she would stick out a bit. "Oh I hear she's very young ter be leading." Her smirk morphed into more of a wry smile, a hint of coyness in her tone. She spun around to drag her flank along his as she spoke, pausing just long enough to try and swat at his chin with her tail. "An what would yer do with her if yer did? ...Just so I can let her know." She bounded just out of reach, pausing with a wave of her tail. How long could they keep this game up?

(This post was last modified: Mar 29, 2016, 08:37 PM by Morganna.)

There are several fresh rabbit tracks in the mud. Hunt Opportunity

It didn't cross Nathaniel's mind to take offense to the slight so casually passed upon his pack mates. When they had come back with the tale and no meat to show for it, he'd only been able to scoff. It had been such a sudden thing, the woman who was more stranger to him than any of them appearing from the blue with a howl calling the pack to a hunt, and he had to wonder what the ramifications would have been if he'd chosen to join them rather than opting out so that the children would be watched after. Would any of them have even listened to him before brushing by all the warning signs of a nearby pack? His company this night was completely right; they should have known better, they should have turned around.

It wasn't something he had would have voiced to any of them, however. It seemed their lesson had been earned, a lot less painfully than it could have been. What shred of loyalty he did have to the Lake pack compelled him to keep his mouth shut, allowing the event to fade away with a much more appealing transition. The past didn't interest him; he was far more keenly drawn to what was directly in front of him at this present moment.

Suddenly she shifted, turning back onto him to at last connect, and the heat of her against his skin sent a shiver down his spine. Lazily he clicked his jaws closed at her tail, purposefully missing so that nothing but the sound came of it. As his body curled to follow she was gone again, and he bowed playfully with a devilish grin.

"I'd test for myself if she's as fierce as they claimed," he answered wryly, before leaping forward to take chase.

(This post was last modified: Mar 30, 2016, 02:36 AM by Nathaniel.)

Morganna continued to keep herself just out of reach, ears tipping back to catch his response. She laughed easily, a carefree "Oh yer pack was very lucky, I'd be very careful if I were you." thrown over her shoulder as she surged forward again. In an attempt to take him by surprise she turned and held her ground, head lifting but chin tucked to brace for impact just in case he missed the rudder-like sweep of her tail before she spun. 

She leaned in close, eyes wide and high brows feigning a look of innocence as her voice dropped to a whisper, "I hear she keeps a collection..." the edge of her mouth pulled into a smirk on the last word, sure to leave him wondering of what, so she wouldn't leave him hanging. "Of scraps o' fur of those who crossed her. I hear she even has an ear." she launched forward on the final word try and land her blunt nose on his temple, just below the emphasised extremity, her waving tail betraying the tease and fanning her scent around them both until it was almost suffocating. 

Perhaps she would scare him off and create an opening to make her exit, maybe he would hold his ground, but standing face to face limited her options to make a hasty retreat. She supposed it was a good thing she was in no hurry to get home.

His steps were swift and softly paced as he slinked along after her, playing her game according to the rules she created on the spot. Her warning caused his ears to tilt back, a show of teeth making his amusement at the idea evident.

"Careful's getting awfully dull," he confessed, the words far more truthful than the coy turn of phrase they appeared to be. That cozy little box the Lake tribe kept him in was getting far too cramped; that was why he needed this little venture here. It delighted him to hope that she would see it through, rather than just tease him for this long. If it was the latter, he anticipated that he could add hubris to her description.

Not a few steps farther and she took an unexpected turn, literally. His body slanted backward to brace into the halt, her jaws and the expression on the face the only things keeping him from willfully colliding with her. The closer she came, the more the air between them seemed to crackle with a tension he so badly wanted to physically abate. Her words only increased this pressure. The more dangerous she tried to sound, the more he wanted a taste.

His jaws parted reactively with her joust, but stood his ground to allow the touch regardless. His own muzzle reached for her neck to attempt and graze his teeth through her fur and over her skin, and ultimately to seek her scruff.

"Cross her? I'm here to please."

You can fade and then we can claim LP ;) @Nathaniel

Careful's getting awfully dull. Well wasn't that the truth. Morganna dared to lean in closer, pressing her shoulder against his chest, no attempt to concealing her suggestive tone. "Sounds like yer due fer a change o' scenery." If things truly were so dull, then why would he hang around? There was a whole world of possibility just down the mountain.

She hadn't expected to land her hit so easily, until he countered and she knew she was ready to surrender. When his teeth raked through the thick fur around her neck she growled, but the sound was far from one of aggression. Her tail waved when he spoke again. "Maybe one day yer can pass on the message yerself..." she suggested as she moved to brush past him once again, much slower than before. She looked back over her shoulder a smirk playing on her lips. "Until then...?" The arch of her brow and the sweep of her tail were surely invitation enough.