Drooping Willows the only thing worse than not knowing

For @Craw and @Morganna if she wants to jump in. Set after this thread but before their departure.

Celandine couldn't deny that her new-found proximity to the Ridge's borders was unnerving. She hadn't slept well, and sustained herself only on the bits, and pieces Craw brought her from their caches. She wondered how long it would be before one of the subordinates came to escort the free-loader-who was by all means supporting the current alpha female's escape-away. Sighing, the woman nudged at the small collection of bones she'd been hoarding. What else was there to do?

She'd come to know only the vague details of their plans, something Craw seemed keen on discussing with her during his visits. The willows were divided, the alpha male a threat to the cubs currently residing within Morganna's swollen belly. The pale woman still had no idea who the father was, or if she even cared. Another male would be joining them, Wraith, though she knew nothing more of him. A small part of her had hoped it would have been Greer; Keep your enemies close and all. Not that the boy was an enemy by technicality, but rather, a loose end that needed tying. She wanted to make sure that he kept their little rendezvous a secret, and what better way, than to have him follow along on their little escapade? Too bad.

When the familiar scent of her soon-to-be King fell upon the breeze, she stood. 'Was it time?'

(This post was last modified: May 04, 2016, 10:24 AM by Celandine.)

Not about to force Celandine to continue lingering in the peripheries of the willows, as she had done for who-knew-how-long, Craw had insisted that she take up the old temporary den which he and set up with @Wraith while they had waited for the Ridge to accept the dark wolf. It was safe, not too far away from the pack territory (but still outside of the borders, so while it was a lot closer than her previously-sensible distance, it was technically permissible) and Craw knew exactly how to get there in short time. Knowing the difficulties of pack life, and unable to yet give the white woman a proper pack rank - an unwilling to drag her into the Ridge temporarily, even though it would've been Morganna's right as leader to do so - Craw had made sure to visit her over the last few days to bring sustenance from the pack's cache. It was meat which he had provided himself, so it was his right to do with it what he willed.

But he did not bring any today.

He was pleased to see her still present and well when he arrived, though wondered if he could sense any frustration at her idleness; in her position, he would have found it hard to be patient. With their relationship in a state of temporary flux, he did not stand with any particular authority in his posture, because until she bore a pack scent Celandine was beholden only to herself - she could renege on the agreement at any time. Each time Craw arrived to find her still there, he hoped it was a promising sign.

"Celandine," he greeted roughly, stepping towards her just close enough to touch his nose to the side of her muzzle, always valuing small physical affirmations of their relationship. He still hadn't worked her out enough to know if she appreciated it or hated it. "I thought we might catch something fresh today," he rasped, glancing at the arrangement of bones tucked nearby, not questioning them. "If you would like the exercise. I certainly need to kill something, don't know about you."

Craw came without food, which sent the woman's heart into an unusual flutter. So it really was time? Gods be good, she really hated being kept waiting, knowing not the status of the Ridge within the borders. So she greeted the man, and awaited directions with the hint of a smile. Though she still did not trust him, Celandine appreciated the fact that he never asserted his dominance outside of the willows. He was not her King yet, though she was sure he'd be bane to admit it.

"Craw." Her own greeting was curt, but no longer unkind. It wouldn't do to set herself up for failure when she still had no idea what his game really was, and how could a pawn work it's magic without a strategy? Of course, she would like to see herself more as the bishop, but that was a long way off yet. One step at a time.

The woman stood still as he ran his large nose down the length of her maw, something very unusual indeed. He was touchy, where Phineas had not been. She wondered how different this pack would prove to her own, and also whether that was something she valued, or disliked. 'In time.' Oh how she hated having to be patient.

Pale ears fell by a hair at his words, knowing that she would remain in limbo for little while yet, but her disappointment was short-lived. Celandine had imagined herself to be a little more regal about his offer, but found even her tail betrayed her with it's slow wag. "Well, that certainly depends on whether I get to it first or not." She had to give him a little trouble now and then, right? The smile on her face was genuine at the glee of ripping something to shreds. She'd always hated leftovers. Prey was meant to be eaten warm, with the blood still pumping through it's dying veins.

(This post was last modified: May 09, 2016, 07:12 AM by Celandine.)

Have you seen my OOC preferences?

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

Want to use the SoW drop? :)

The patience she was demonstrating was very much appreciated, for it was a lot to ask of a relative stranger to lurk at another pack's doorstep and wait for command. Similarly, she seemed accepting of their relatively unusual, informal hierarchy, not protesting at his physical touches though she never returned them, suggesting that she was not so used to that kind of closeness. It sit ill with Craw to accept a stranger into his midst at this vulnerable time, but, fortunately, they did have time, and he fully intended on erasing Celandine's status as a stranger by the time they all left.

Hopefully, that would be any day. And though neither spoke it, he wondered if she was just as impatient as he, and was again grateful for her patience.

His offer was met with a soft wag of her tail, and he returned her eager smile with one of his own, touched with a smirk as he remarked: "I have no doubt you're faster, I just question your stamina." It was a friendly tease, well-meant, a not-so-subtle hearkening back to the manner in which they had met - for she had outpaced him for a long time before stopping. He expected it was only because he had the advantage of being a well-fed pack wolf compared to her more struggling existence, but the taunt was out there all the same. When enjoying the comforts and security of a pack, what splendid creature would Celandine blossom into?

As if on que, the tantalizing scent dinner drifted towards them. How timely, yet unfortunate for the small heard. "I guess we'll just have to see about that." Without waiting for his reply, Celandine turned. Nose to the air, she began tracking them, weaving this way, and that. If they were lucky the deer would have just have dropped their fawns, and if not, well it made for a better hunt anyway. 

Celandine was a deal more excited for this hunt than she would have usually been, but not because the taste of venison had become quite the commodity with her current status. She was curious to see Craw in action, to get a just a taste of what the man had insinuated upon their first meeting. She knew he was dangerous, but wasn't sure exactly how dangerous he could be. It was also a perfect opportunity for her to show him a little bit of what she could do. After all, the former princess wasn't just airy courtesies, and impeccable fur.

She wondered briefly how compatible their hunting styles would be, since their ways of life already seemed much different. Was he strategic, or simply brute force? Would he run the deer like he had done to her, or ambush them? She felt his technique would reflect his thought processes, show her what she had gotten herself into, for she still did not trust him. They had a... comfortable truce, sure, but it was little more than that. They were nearly strangers as far as the alabaster female was concerned. She was his pawn for the time being, and understanding even a minuscule amount of what that would entail would have to do for now.

Have you seen my OOC preferences?

She met his tease with a challenge, a response which drew a dark smile across his maw. Fire, so much fire, she would be impossible to put out. Would Celandine Argyris be a controllable flame or burn like a wildfire and consume everything? Time would tell, but for now he enjoyed her gumption, enjoyed how she didn't take his jibes personally, how she bit back just as hard with no shame. She'd keep him on his toes. Of course, with Morganna and Wraith alongside him, it wasn't as though he would be leading a bunch of opinionless sheep. This group was going to be a handful.

With a deep, slow chuckle in his chest, Craw trotted after the white woman, the scent of deer on the wind having caught her nose. He was equally curious to see what she was made of, to see her in action, to see if they would be able to work together effectively. He thought he saw a similar eagerness in the way she moved, an enthusiasm in her stride which showed that she did not partake reluctantly, she did not need to be dragged or forced, and, unsurprisingly, he liked that very much.

The soft, pleading bleats of the young deer - a yearling as of this season, Craw suspected - belied his position and how vulnerable he felt. The scent of the herd was thicker in the air here, having clearly passed through this way only recently, and had managed to isolate and lose one of their member. As his twitchy, anxious frame came into view, Craw slowed, not wanting to betray to the beast that he truly did have something to be afraid of. Chuffing to Celandine quietly, he was already beginning to salivate as he observed the young buck, deciding that, if successful, the meat would be for his allies - @Morganna, @Wraith, Celandine, @Greer, @Capable and himself would feast on its flesh, and them alone, if he had any say in it. With freedom so close, surely only days away, Craw was done with serving the Ridge. The pretence would soon be over.

The area was dense with willows, leaving no obviously open space to chase the deer down, only tight turns and uneven ground and obstacles. With only two wolves, one strong and one fast, Craw knew how he would approach it, but, ultimately, this was about getting to know Celandine. Was she more of a fighter than a hunter? Spontaneous or strategic? Licking his lips, he glanced at her, and, with a jerk of his nose towards the deer, rasped: "What are your instincts?"

They didn't have to track the deer for long, as it's worried cries rang out through the willows. Surely it hadn't noticed them yet, had it? Lowering her head, the woman moved silently, attempting to get closer without startling the doomed creature. Brilliant eyes, wild with the thrill of the hunt, surveyed the scene before them. A young deer, though not newly fawned beckoned it's family who had seemingly left him behind. The heard wasn't too far off, the sickly sweet musk of them still clinging tightly to the air. Saliva pooled on her tongue at the simple thought of something warm, and fresh. Her pulse quickened, as it always did before a hunt, while her pale ears danced atop her crown in search of the soft padding of hoof beats. It didn't seem as though the herd planned on waiting for the young male, making him completely, and utterly alone. Perfect. 

She stopped, allowing Craw to pull up next to her. "What are your instincts?" Quietly now, she turned to the man, her nose nearly colliding with his chest due to the height difference and general proximity of the pair. "I'd get around him, somewhere over there." She spoke with her muzzle pointing far beyond the deer. "I'm agile enough to run him the short distance through the willows, and straight into you." Celandine hoped that fear, first instilled to be the deer's greatest asset, would now be his downfall. "He wouldn't scent you. He'd be far too busy trying to maneuver the willows, and get away from me." With the wag of her tail, the woman spoke again. "Now what are your's?"

Have you seen my OOC preferences?

This is 4/8 hunting post by my count?

The buck bleated and stomped his feet childishly, as though the louder he complained the more likely they would come back for him. Watching his little tantrum, Craw could almost understand why they might have deliberately left him behind. If he was right, what a morbid thing for his herd to do! To isolate him was to condemn the beast to death. If not Craw and Celandine, then it would have been some other carnivore.

An ear trained on the white woman as she spoke, and in response to her question, Craw only smiled; their instincts were very much aligned. Rather than offer coddling praise, he would instead build upon her plan, for the underlying message of approval was the same. "If you drive him there," he said, tossing his snout towards a narrow path through the trees which would offer the buck an obvious escape route, "I'll be waiting. If I miss, that path continues to wind until it reaches another clearing, so you'll have an opportunity to show off some of that agility."

(I'm going to let you decide whether she gets the chance to get into position or not)

Speaking strictly as a pawn, the woman wasn't overly enthused to find that Craw was more the scheming type. What would her latest discovery mean for her future? If only time would tell, Celandine Argyris would be quick to note that she had never considered herself patient. "Well let's hope that you don't miss." And with that, she was off. A lithe body moved between the willows, as her careful paws avoided any haphazardly placed branches. All it would take to spook the already frightened deer was the snap of a twig in the distance, and she'd prefer the chase to be on her terms. 

Celandine wondered briefly about the man she'd bowed to, and if his enormous size would allow him the same sort of discrepancy with sticks that she had been granted. Gods if he set the buck off before she got the chance to get in position, all hell would break loose. A smile crept along her maw as she considered it. Craw's unnaturally large form scraping the bark of the willows he was trying to avoid, while praying he could keep an eye on the deer. It was positively hilarious, not that she'd ever mention it. 

Nearly in position, the fae let her eyes sweep over to the buck. He was still exactly where she needed him, bleating his distress for the world to hear. The man she'd spoken to only moments ago was out of her line of sight, so she took it as a good sign. Almost there, a few more wolf-sized spaces, and she'd be ready.

(This post was last modified: Jun 13, 2016, 10:21 AM by Celandine.)

Have you seen my OOC preferences?