Larkcall Lowlands One More Troubled Soul

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

If he could have known the younger wolf's thoughts about him, Drestig might have scoffed. He was no old man, despite the grey hairs, and he certainly wasn't gonna start carrying on like he was. Seriousness and proper manners had always bored him senseless, and he largely preferred to remain casual when at all possible; Conducting himself like he was better than anyone else certainly wouldn't help with that. He was beginning to understand that his new comrade was not the talkative sort though, every word leaving his maw appearing carefully chosen, so as to convey everything with as few of them as possible. The elder man shrugged to himself; To each his own… He had a feeling he might be overwhelming the lad a bit though, but it was hard to keep his tongue in check after so long on his own. Well, not entirely alone, he reminded himself, though Jessie was almost as reluctant to talk as Askan, especially in her current condition, and though he cared for her deeply, there was a limit to how long he could handle quarrelling with her at a time. It occurred to him as he mused, that this youngster might get on very well with his grey partner.

His thoughts were interrupted by the present, specifically Askan's apparent confusion at his exclamation. Ember eyes turned to look at the younger wolf, brows lifting pointedly, then it seemed the fellow hunter realized what was going on, catching hold of the trail as well. Drestig send him a wry smile, turning back to the path, now crouching low among the grasses. This was the reason he preferred the more grassy parts of the lowlands, where the vegetation offered better cover, further north, on the open tundra, there was little chance of a sneak attack, and hunting alone, that was his only option. Resting atop the small rise, looking out over the herd, the team shared their plans, Askan seemingly happy enough with the suggested division of work, even though his posture appeared a little tense. Drestig was left no time to ponder this however, as his partner pointed out a possible target. Glistening orange eyes followed the pointing muzzle, narrowing as they settled on the calf, already several steps away from an inattentive mother; possibly a first timer. He nodded; "A fine choice."

It wasn't a new calf, few of them looked to be, which meant it would be harder to catch, surer on its feet. But the extra meat made up for that tenfold, and besides, it was the best option, all the other does wisely keeping their children close. Askan got ready to sneak around the animals, cutting off the unfortunate calf's only lifeline, and Drestig turned his attention to the appointed hiding spot, a brief nod of approval telling the other that he agreed with the plan. Then he sipped through the grass, to the spot where a foolish tree had once attempted to take root. Nature had foiled its risky plan though, and all that was left was an old stump, almost covered in grass. It was by far the best cover in the area though, and the graying chap smiled to himself as he took his position; The lad has a good head on his shoulders. Then all he could do was wait, ears perked for the sounds of commotion that would indicate his team mate had made his move.

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Askan may have failed at hunting on his own more times than he could count, but chasing a calf away from it's mother seemed easy enough.As long as he didn't let the mother get in the way then everything should go to plan. And yet, he couldn't help but worry. Now, he wasn't usually a worrier, Askan took pride in being a self-assured wolf, but he knew that if this failed then a chance like this would probably not rear his head. If he wanted to get a filling meal in his stomach he had to do this right. As did Drestig.

Burying his concerns, Askan continued to slink along with his belly near pressed to the ground. He kept his breaths calm and slow, lest he alert the nearby grazing deer. Fortune was on his side, he managed to get in position without alerting the calf, and better yet the mother, who would no doubt protest to his presence. Askan briefly glanced over his shoulder, to check to see if his ally was in position. He was, they both as ready as they were ever going to be. 

His legs were trembling. Was that from excitement? Anticipation of the kill? Or was it because he was weak? Had hunger taken such a toll that he wouldn't be able to do his job correctly? He had only smothered his worries a moment ago, and yet they reared their ugly head up again. Drestig would have no doubt noticed his hesitation by now, and he feared that if he waited any longer the calf might wander back to his mother. Then where would they be? Their plan would be in tatters and the blame would fall squarely on his shoulders.

Enough! Lingering on this was doing him no good. He had to act and he had to act now.

Leaping into action, Askan's paws flung up clumps of dirt and grass as he burst into a sprint. He was by no means a fast wolf, nor would he be able keep with the deer in a chase, but he had the element of surprise on his side. And it made a whole lot of difference. His paws thundered upon the ground as he gained on the the calf.The mother, who was several feet away let out a shriek of surprise and for a second seemed to decide to flee for her life. And then, as Askan sprinted with all of his might after the fumbling calf did she realise that she was not the one in danger. Her offspring was. 

She gave chase, but it was fruitless. The distance between them was too great, and most noteworthy of all, Askan had no intention of killing the calf. He was leaving that to Drestig. The calf blindly ran forward, it was too young to realise that it was running into a trap. It's movements were automatic and based of instinct, it didn't have experience to realise that Askan was herding it, pushing it towards the wolf lying in wait. 

Askan's heart hammered in his chest, and he couldn't help but grin at the feeling. It felt good to run for a purpose, to achieve something as he did so. But he couldn't get distracted. The calf was just about to approach the stump, and run directly into the jaws of Drestig. To ensure that Askan did not get caught in the fray, and worst yet be rammed by the angry mother who was fast approaching, he suddenly veered to the left to lead the mother astray. And as soon as he did so, he heard a pained cry from the long grass. Success!

Breathing slow and steady, the dark man waited for his moment. And waited, and waited; Come on kid, what's taking so long?! His ears strained for any sound, any clue as to what might be going on, but all he heard was the quiet sounds of the herd grassing. Creeping forwards, he stretched his neck to peek around his tree stump, careful to keep hidden in the grass. It wasn't easy to spot anything, the waving blades blocking his view, but he spotted movement, and moments after he heard what he had been waiting for. Every muscle in the elder wolf's body tensed, curling up like a coil ready to spring, as the fearful roaring of the deer filled his ears. Soon animals were jumping in every direction, fleeing the predator that had suddenly appeared in their midst, but Drestig's eyes were focused on only one, coming straight towards him. Askan had delivered as the terrified fawn ran straight into the waiting ambush.

It was a matter of timing now, jump to early and the prey would see and have time to veer off, but wait too long and the fleeing calf would spring right past before he managed to get his teeth at it. Heart beating loudly in his ears, Drestig readied himself, his eyes locked on the approaching animal. And once it reached him, he struck, jaws parted as he jumped towards the fawn, snapping his teeth around a front leg. They tumbled to the ground, wolf pulling down with all his weight while the deer fought for its life, tossing back and forth and pulling against the hold with all its strength. It was a young bull calf, strong and brave and not about to give up easily. Drestig snarled, biting down harder, hearing the satisfying crunch of bone. The fawn squealed, thrashing more, even kicking at its attacker with the free leg; He's a tough one! The mother was long gone, having given up on its offspring in favor of saving its own hide, she would get another chance next year. But the dark man still didn't dare loose his grip, even with a broken leg the young deer could manage to outrun them. All he could do was keep baring down, digging his paws into the dirt, returning the calf's thrashing with his own tugs at the injured leg. He just had to hold it down, keep it in place for long enough so that Askan could catch up and deliver the killing blow; Where is he anyway? Come on now, just a little longer!

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(OOC Ah sorry for the delay, was finishing off uni stuff and got swallowed, but I'm done now for good!!)

Askan ran as fast as his legs could take him.  His lack of speed was one of his greatest frustrations. Sure, he wasn't slow like a lumbering bear but he wasn't as swift as a hare either. He just was... He could get around well enough, but Askan still felt frustrated. He had to be the best, he was always striving to be better and yet he was always going to be limited by his body. Ugh, the thought of it made him cringe. But now was not the time to get distracted. He could hear the struggle between Drestig and the calf, and he knew that if he didn't offer a helping hand (or paw) then they could easily loose this meal.

Askan was not fast, but he was strong, considerably so for a wolf of his size. He was all bulk and lean muscle, compacted down into a medium sized wolf. So he was confident that he could do this. Askan bounded towards the struggling duo, and using body weight and momentum combined, he ploughed right into the calf and before it could regain it's bearings he clamped down onto it's neck. Askan savagely thrashed his head back and forth, ripping and tearing into the calf's tender flesh. 

With the strength of two hungry wolves combined, the calf's fate was sealed. Even if it could run on it's damaged leg, it's neck had been torn into. It was going to be bleed out and die even if the wolves suddenly decided they no longer wanted the calf. 

Panting, Askan released his hold on the calf and shook his head a little. The rush of adrenaline and the aching need to eat had spurred him on, and had given him the energy and power to do what needed to be done. But now, he was tired. He needed to sit for a moment to catch his breath. The calf wasn't going anywhere, it couldn't even get up now. Blood soaked into the grass, and the surrounding deer bellowed and called out in alarm. The scent of blood scared them, but they knew that the wolves wouldn't bother them now that they had made a kill. 

From where he sat- somewhat slumped on the floor-Askan glanced over at Drestig. He looked no worse for wear. That was something, Askan supposed. He didn't like the wolf, but he wouldn't wish harm on him. Besides, he had helped him get a meal, so he should at least show him a little
courtesy. Beside him, the calf bleated weakly. It's eyes fluttered and it strained to breathe. It wouldn't be long now, hell, they could tuck in now if they wanted.

"Tuck in. I.... I need to rest for a bit." Askan didn't want to show weakness, so he didn't bother explaining the whole extent of it. There was no way that he was ever going to admit that he felt a little light headed.

He clung on for dear life, every thrash of the calf reverberating through his teeth. He'd keep his hold until every single one was torn from his jaw though, rather than let the meal loose. Luckily it didn't come to that, as Askan was relatively quick to catch up, hurling himself at the fawn without pausing. His weight knocked the helpless creature to the ground, Drestig's neck twisting to follow the motion without releasing his hold. It was unnecessary though, the younger wolf had already as good as finished the job, canines buried in the young deer's neck, the life slipping swiftly from it. Satisfied, the elder man finally let go, opening and closing his jaws repeatedly against the discomfort. Meanwhile Askan completed his ripping, leaving the animal wheezing in the grass, gasping for air through a broken trachea, it would be dead within minutes.

The wolves too were gasping, the rush of the hunt quickly ebbing from their bodies. Rather than the kill, Drestig watched his companion through half-closed eyes, noting the increasing shaking in his limbs. The lad sat slumped over, ribs visible with every exhale; He's been at this a lot longer than I have… His body was clearly protesting against the exertion; At least it paid off! Ember eyes turned to the calf, still fighting the inevitable, stubborn little bastard. "Good work," He rumbled lowly, almost as if speaking to himself. The sharp scent of blood filled his nostrils, a demanding growl rising in his stomach, and he licked his lips in anticipation. They had a deal though, so what was the kid waiting for? Just then, the younger wolf piped up, his words confirming Drestig's earlier thoughts; Rest, huh? But rather than pressing on, he shrugged his shoulders, stepping up to the, now dead, deer. He had already earmarked his half of the carcass for Jessie, but perhaps that could be amended, just a tad; Just a few bites..! He told himself, tearing open the fawn's belly to get at the, still warm, entrails.

It might have amounted to more than you could reasonably call a few, but Drestig did manage restraint and stopped after a few moments of eating, the worst of his hunger sated. Pulling back from the kill, he plumped back down on his hocks, a few lengths from the other, tongue stretching to lick every last drop of blood from his muzzle. "Eat," He encouraged in the same low, almost indifferent, voice as before, eyes on the deer rather than his companion; "It'll help." He continued to groom himself, leaving Askan to feed in peace, gaze drifting out over the plains, along with his thoughts. He'd ended up travelling quite a distance today, it would be a long way back home. Though, once his fellow hunter had eaten his fill, the load should be manageable enough; And I'll be bringing food! It was far from everyday he could return from his hunts successful. Even the help of one, emaciated wolf had meant a huge difference. The graying man furrowed his brows in thought, glancing over at the boy. After another moment to ponder, he shrugged to himself and mused out loud: "It's been a while since you ate like this, hasn't it?"

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Askan gathered his wits and strength as Drestig tucked into his meal. Just watching him was enough to make his stomach-no, his whole being- ache with hunger. But he had meant it when he said he needed a moment to gather himself. He didn't want to collapse face first into his meal. He'd never live it down if he did. So he waited and watched, and the minutes ticked on by. He hadn't responded to the compliment, after all it didn't sound as though it was aimed at him, but he couldn't help but dwell on it.

He scarcely received compliments back when he lived with his pack, and these days they were even rarer. He couldn't help but feel proud of his handiwork, he had done this. It was efforts that had cinched the kill. Without him they wouldn't have this meal, or so he told himself. Repeatedly, over and over again till he was convinced of it.  It helped, he felt more at ease. He felt as though the ground beneath him was solid and certain, as though there was no chance of a gaping chasm opening up and swallowing him hole. Askan shook his head a little. He had always been... naturally unsure of himself and he hated it. Loathed it with everything he had. So when he got the opportunity to applaud himself he grasped it firmly and never let it go.

His thoughts escaped him, and by the time that he glanced back at the elder wolf, he seemed as though he was done. Or about done at least. Warily, Askan got to his feet and nosed at the still warm calf. Gods, he was starving.  And he didn't need any more encouragement from Drestig. 

He ate like a famished wolf, which he was. He disregarded all decorum and propriety, and just gorged himself. Blood coated his snout and teeth, but he didn't care. He didn't have it in himself to do so. He could have gorged himself till he was full to burst, but even he knew that was not a wise idea. By the time that he slowed and hunkered back down again, he was full. Sated and pleased. His stomach ached with the sudden change from empty to full, but it was a nice ache. The sort that made him a little sleepy.

Askan turned to his new found ally. He didn't want to admit his weakness, but why deny it when it's plain as day? Besides, didn't they have some sort of rapport now? Not really. But it was something. It was nice to know a wolf who didn't want to tear his throat out. Licking his lips, Askan sat comfortably on the grass and took a moment to wipe off his snout. 

"It has. Much, much longer than I'd like. But things are looking up now..."He hesitated, but pushed himself on. "And I suppose I've got you to thank for that. So..... Thanks?"

Silence stretched between them as the younger wolf gorged himself, and Drestig let it, his gaze wandering out over the plains around them. They'd ended up farther north than he'd previously gone, the grass shorter and starting to give way for more durable, tundra flora. In the far distance, a strange silhouette rose above the otherwise flat land, it's shape unclear so far away. He committed the oddity to memory for later, glancing back at Askan and the, now half-eaten, carcass. Ember eyes narrowed a bit at the shrinking body, but then again, who was he to judge? The lad was clearly starving, and their deal had been clear: He got to eat what he wanted.

It didn't take much longer before he retreated though, slumping again on the grass, though this time appearing more contend. Drestig didn't push for an answer, and in the end the brown male did start talking of his own, giving the predictable answer. His older ally listened attentively, not looking directly at the other, but clearly focused on his words. The hesitancy was to be expected, though the thanks came as a surprise, prompting a low, breathy chuckle from a silver-tipped muzzle. "You're welcome kid," He grinned, looking up at Askan with twinkling eyes; "We both did the other a favor today!" His gaze drifted down to the remains of the calf, lips pursed in thought for a moment, before he added, in a lower more serious tone; "I've got… Someone waiting for me who'll really appreciate that," He nodded at the meat, lips curled in a tiny smile; "So thank you."

For a moment he was silent, lost in his own thoughts of the home he was trying to build, then he returned to the present, looking back at his younger companion. Straightening his shoulders a bit, he put on a serious air, trying to express himself as clearly as he could; "It's always better to hunt together than alone. I don't know why you're on your own, but if you're looking to change that, I could offer you a more… Stable situation?" A small hint of smile returned to his features, adding friendliness to the sincere offer; "We're starting a pack, a little ways south of here… Me and my partner, we could use a capable young wolf, if you're interested?" He had no idea how his proposal would be received, Askan wasn't the most forthcoming of wolves and he couldn't tell what kind of impression he might have made during their short relation. Never the less, he meant what he'd said, this lad would not be a bad wolf to have in his ranks, and he would happily offer a home to any loner who was intend on pulling their weight.

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Askan didn't like being called kid, it made him sound as though he was an immature fool, but the title was growing on him. Somewhat, like moss that clung to a dying tree. He was right though, at least in the regard that they had both done each other a favour. Things had worked out well, far better than he could have imagined. He had never been the gambling sort of wolf, but he had to say that it paid off. Or at least this time it did.  Askan simply nodded in agreement, but then Drestig continued and said something unexpected. He divulged some information that he didn't have to.

It wasn't difficult to surmise who someone was. Someone was family, someone who couldn't hunt for themselves. Whether it was because they were too young, or impaired was irrelevant. Drestig wasn't a lone wolf, or at least not in the same way that Askan was. Still, he knew that providing for others was a task easier said that done. His Father had told him that time and time again, it was a lesson he would never forget. So yes, he understood as to why Drestig was grateful, and he appreciated that the wolf was able to convey it in an appropriate manner.

"It was no problem. Not really." He shrugged his shoulders, trying to play it cool.

Silence settled upon them. It was a comfortable silence. The air was light and easy, and despite himself Askan couldn't help but feel... okay. He wasn't content nor happy, but he was fine and considering how difficult things had been for him as of late, he was glad of it. More than he could possibly say. Drestig on the other hand seemed focused, and when he broke the silence his words conveyed a weight that Askan quickly picked up on. His ears twitched a little as he focused. Drestig was making him an offer. A considerable one that was... Oh boy, he had not seen this coming. He had assumed that they would part on decent terms and go on their way and yet here Drestig was, offering him a permanent solution to a problem that had hounded him for weeks.  

Wolves, no matter their personalities and quirks, were social creatures. And even though Askan had chosen to leave his family, it hadn't made the solitude any easier to swallow. So his instincts were roaring at him to accept, to cave in and yet his mind.... He was a little scared, to be honest. Joining a new pack, or soon to be pack anyway, was rather daunting. And he was no coward, never ever ever, but he was hesitant. 

"I..." Askan huffed in frustration and tried again. Sounding a little  firmer this time. "I'd like that. If you don't mind and... Ugh. I can pull my weight, I swear it....What I'm trying to say is that I accept."

You can make a last post to finish it off? Then I'll get straight on starting a new one for Jessie :)

With the kill made, and a considerable amount of meat left for Jessie, Drestig felt much calmer, no longer in such a hurry to move on. It had been nice to hunt with someone else again, especially when that hunt ended in food. His belly might not be as swollen as Askan's (or Jessie's) but it was no longer sloshing emptily and that made a huge difference. So he relaxed, enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun against his graying pelt. The younger wolf's nonchalance brought a toothy grin to his silvered muzzle, but he only nodded, allowing the boy to keep his ego, it was the least he could do.

The offer seemed to take him by surprise though, clear shock on his face once Drestig's words registered. The elder wolf did his best to remain casual as he waited, not wanting to show desperation to this potential subordinate, nor intending to pressure him. It would be his choice entirely, of course the father-to-be was anxious to gather enough other wolves to help protect his family, but he couldn't make anyone join him against his will, nor did he want such a wolf in his ranks. Askan had passed the, admittedly low, bar, he was young, strong and capable and their little hunt had showed that he was able to both take initiative and follow directions. He was no bad card at all to have on your hand, and if he was looking for a home, for whatever reason, the Avalon would be happy to give him one.

Silence. For a long time nothing else. Drestig had to hold himself back from biting his lip, mentally preparing himself for a rejection, when the young man finally spoke. The one syllable was dragged out, hesitant, and followed by tense pause. Then fell the verdict and the silver-tipped man released the breath he hadn't known he was holding, smile returning to his features. "Splendid," He breathed, finding the moment to serious to take on a more grandiose air to fit the phrase. Instead he just nodded, moving his gaze from the dark youth to the remains at their feet; "You've showed me how capable you are, I certainly don't mind." A silent chuckle caused him to pause for a moment, then he added: "Jessie's the one you've got yet to impress. Come, help me drag this back and I'll introduce you." He motioned at the carcass, eyes light and lips still smiling as he looked over at the other; It's all coming together..!

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