Mountain of Dire Good enough for anyone

OOC: For @Nalda - *Casually traumatizes Cernan some more* - sorry, kinda turned into a novel on me xD

4/3/2016
Weather:
33° F, 1° C
Sunny
4:30 PM

This whole side of the mountain was starting to fall into shadow. At least the sun wasn't getting in the boy's eyes so much anymore; hunting up here was a pain on its own. Still, a mountain prince ought to know his way around the rocky ledges and slopes, and be able to track down a meager meal for himself in weather as pleasant as this. The normally turbulent winds had calmed some as sunset approached, but he was still a little chilled. Snow clung to his home, and this mountain even moreso. One could perhaps go a few months back in time just by climbing. 

The young Vuesain was a bit hungry, and the distant scent of prey had drawn his pudgy self along the rocky inclines; golden eyes searching for a particularly clumsy or very much expired critter. The latter was undeniably preferable, but the stench of death was nowhere to be found. Cernan wasn't even sure if he'd be able to dig up anything at all. His thick beige form strode leisurely from between short scrub pines and boulders of considerable size; careful to keep his distance from the cliffs. The flatter areas promised relative safety, and he was no daredevil. The pup ascended further, and abruptly wished that he's stayed tucked beneath the trees. 

His golden eyes flashed open, focusing with a chill of fear on the dark shape above. The lake prince recoiled; legs splaying defensively as he tracked its movements. It just had to be another bird, didn't it? It was with a twist of confusion that Cernan discovered the creature's intended direction. It was heading for the cliffs above; seemingly uninterested in the nervous child below. Nimble white shapes appeared there, shapes he immediately recognized to be mountain goats. The monster was headed right for them, and morbid curiosity held tight to the youth's eyes. He didn't figure it out until it was already happening. 

The eagle's talons reached out at the last moment; catching ahold of a smaller goat. Had he been more knowledgeable about the other animals, Cernan might have recognized it as a near-yearling, just like him. Breath hitched in his throat as he saw the demon take flight once more; dragging his bleating victim by the head. His ears pinned back against its screams as it was ripped from the cliffside and left dangling in the air. Then it started to fall. Dropped to its inevitable death by the eagle, the young goat plummeted toward him, filling his stomach with a sickening emptiness as he watched the earth draw nearer and nearer. He knew what was next. The thud filled the boy's eardrums and he winced as it tumbled, ledge after ledge, now limp and hopefully, very dead.

It rolled toward him, coming to a stop only wolf-lengths away. Cernan was frozen, feeling his heartbeat in his chest as he stared at it's mangled, bloodied neck and limbs. His muscles ached from how rigid they'd become, and his shocked stare broke at last only when he saw the dark shape coming closer. It probably wanted its food. Something took him then, perhaps his own hunger, and he slowly straightened. The thing was hovering, almost circling him now – deciding whether or not the dead goat was worth an encounter with this hefty looking wolf. The bird's hesitation was strange, and as his golden eyes tracked its indecisive path a memory surfaced. Was it... afraid of him?

The prince swallowed, never removing his gaze. Square your shoulders... He lifted his head, daring even to bring his tail higher just to see what the creature would do. Cernan was still only a hair from bolting and giving the thing back its kill, but if he could somehow convince it to leave, what congratulations he would get! Ma and Pa would be so proud that he brought back a whole goat; if he could get it down to the lake anyway. He could provide for everyone, just like the adults. His pulse was deafening as he watched it, and still the eagle circled. The wolf was bigger now, and it was watching him.

They were locked this way a few moments more, and the shaky youth stole a sideways glance. Gingerly, he started to move toward it, and the eagle made no move to threaten him. Bit by bit he edged up to the base of the slope, and when at last the goat was within reach he nearly jumped out of his fur. The bird screeched at him and Cernan whirled, hair bristling defensively. Instead of diving, the prince was baffled to find that it was moving back up the mountain; exhaling his tension only when the creature perched indignantly on a lofty boulder and ruffled its feathers. He was afraid to look at the goat even to eat it; should the bird plan some sort of sneak attack the moment his guard was down. In the end he decided to drag it; at least over to the scrub trees before treating himself to dinner. The eagle did not follow.  

(This post was last modified: Apr 04, 2016, 01:37 AM by Cernan.)

Haha - well a long post gets a long reply ;)

She was higher than she had ever been before, having trekked for hours along the rocky paths of the mountain. She didn't know what had possessed her to climb the monstrosity, but when first she'd begun, she wasn't about to give up. It was a tiring affair though, requiring periods of rest every so often. So she'd found herself a nice nook, nestled between some large rocks, where she'd curled up, enjoying the view from such a high vantage point. The world below was still decked in white, sprouting leaves hidden by the persistent cover of frost. Baah..! The young shewolf thought, wrinkling her nose and turning her gaze pointedly away from the winter-stuck forests. Instead she looked up, the hint of a smile tucking at the corner of her mouth. At least the sky was clear, a ceiling of bright, azure blue, allowing the sun to reach down and offer a small semblance of heat to the frozen creatures longing so for it. Nalda herself was overjoyed to have even this small bit of her old friend back, relishing the bit of warmth she felt, behind the cover of her rocks, fur fluffed thick. Up here, she felt a bit closer to the returning sun, even stretching her neck to reach, just a touch closer yet.

The sky even offered its own branch of entertainment, numerous, large birds circling in the hot air currents, their dark silhouettes standing stark against the brilliant background. The girl even found herself dozing off, hypnotized by the continuous turning of a particular raptor. It was only when the eagle in question suddenly swooped down, that she was loosened from her daze, eyes blinking to regain focus, neck craning to follow the path of the bird as it disappeared behind the rocks at her back. She had little time to wonder what the bird might have spotted, before it reappeared, a marvelous piece of prey clasped in its talons. Nalda jumped t her feet in surprise, watching wide eyed as the flying hunter dragged a white-furred creature as big as itself off a cliff side, suspended in the air for several seconds, before the animal tumbled to the ground. Bright eyes trailed it down with morbid fascination, mouth open in a wondrous half-smile; Which melted into a frown as the body disappeared from view, hitting the ground somewhere below, the eagle swooping after.

The boxy young wolf stood motionless for only a second, then she was off, snaking around the rocks to the same path she had taken earlier to reach the heights. She had to focus on her paws for the first, steepest part of the decent, and there were still some jagged cliffs blocking her view, so she was not privy to the first half of her fellow scavenger's face off with the bird of prey. Instead, when she finally rounded the last rocks, she was surprised to see, not an eagle snacking on a well-deserved catch, but a wolf, standing over the dead animal, the bird circling him. He was quite large, the strange wolf, pudgy in a way she couldn't quite tell if was muscle or fat. Or just a result of his puffed out, messy fur, an unruly mix of browns and grays. Despite his size, Nalda was pretty certain he was around her age, something about the look of him, that awkwardness that still hadn't quite faded, even as they reached adult measurements. His eyes were a bright yellow-gold, a few shades lighter than her own, and pointedly fixed on the eagle, screeching its indignation at him. She couldn't blame it, after all that work being cheated out of such a good meal, just looking at it made her stomach growl. Whatever animal it was, she'd never seen one like it before, it was big and bulky, kinda like the boy standing over it, and about the same size.

He didn't look triumphant though, rather he appeared close to shaking with fear. The eagle made a last move to reclaim its prize, and the boy-wolf looked to jump half a meter into the air, every unkempt hair on his back standing on end. A snicker spread on Nalda's lips, though she held back her laughter for a time, watching the agouti lad stand his ground, while the flying hunter retreated. Still, he kept watching it for quite some time, and the lass' smile grew wider, tail starting to flick around her hocks in her amusement. Finally the boy turned his attention to the food at his feet, but then, rather than eat, he starting dragging off with it, further down the slope of the mountain-side. Where he was headed, she didn't know, but she decided she had waited long enough, leaving her place in the gallery, to approach the other wolf on swift paws. As soon as she was close enough for him to hear without her having to shout, she called out, tone smooth and light, her face a mask of pleasant amusement; "You afraid'a birds?" Russet-tipped tail continued to flick behind her, ears turned forwards in an apparent sign of friendliness as she smiled at the lad, making her joke appear more harmless than the thoughts behind it.

Word count: 872

"Speech" Thoughts

Because of work, my activity will fluctuate every other week. For more information and OOC preferrences check out my profile

OOC: @Nalda I like the way you think! ;D 

With all of the fear and anxiety focused on the eagle, he hadn't really considered that he might not be alone up here. Grasping a fractured leg in his jaws, the chubby boy began to tug backwards; hauling the small goat away from its killer and leaving little smears of blood in its wake. It was a miracle the thing was still in one piece, in Cernan's mind. Surely it should have exploded after falling so very far. Above the sound of its body being dragged over rocks and gravel, came the distinct clicking of claws on stone. An ear pricked upwards, followed by his whole head as her movement startled him into dropping his meal. 

A girl, moving briskly his way. She was wagging, and the smirk on her face registered at the same time as the words. Cernan's ears flicked backward at the tease; he wasn't sure he liked the way she was marching right up to him, and by extension the goat. In reality, yes, he was very much afraid of birds, though he'd rather have put it differently. Perhaps out of habit, a wry grin dared to pull subtly at one corner of his mouth. Why would he admit to being afraid to this stranger? "They're monsters," he replied firmly, parroting what he had told Nineva back in the fall. Everyone had ought to be afraid of the things. Had she even seen what it did to the goat? "I don't like 'em."

How long had she been observing him? Maybe she'd already seen his fear, but it didn't matter. The lake child's golden eyes passed over her approaching form warily. There was no scent to judge her by; the mountain winds were hardly ever favorable, and she was too far from him yet. Something in his instincts was stirring; becoming uncomfortable with her proximity to his food and the way she so boldly came forward. It was but a tiny whisper in the Vuesain pup's subconscious as he watched her. He was hardly relaxed around strangers anyway. 

She paused in her approach as the boy's head lifted, bloodied leg dropping from his maw to leave him staring openmouthed. Nalda's smile widened at his dumbfounded expression, though she did her best to hide it as part of her friendly mask. The tawny lad didn't seem totally convinced though, his bright yellow eyes watching her intently; What's his problem?! It was almost like he was afraid she might try and steal from him! Her tail flicked; Not THAT stupid then! A shadow of a smile did seem to play at the side of his mouth and he eventually answered her question, the reply making a tinkling laugh bubble out of her throat. Of all the beasts she had spend her life studying, birds were probably at the bottom of the list in terms of danger, certainly nowhere near anything she would describe as monstrous. The eagle was formidable sure, she'd admired it's technique, and those talons and sharp beak could do a good amount of damage, but against a wolf? Pathetic! Tilting her head lightly, careful to keep a friendly expression on her face, she took on a more innocent tone and asked: "Didn't y'just chase'it off? Seems like you're more monster th'n any bird."

Russet-tipped tail oscillated at her hocks, large ears waving amiably as she looked the boy over. He was big and bulky, everything from his legs to his head looking thick, even disregarding the dense pelt. The fur itself held a rather average, agouti pattern, looking quite scruffy, to an extend that couldn't quite be blamed on shedding alone. Nalda snorted to herself, side-glancing at the carcass by his large paws. Her stomach rumbled, the tantalizing scent reaching her nose and making her mouth water. This was a chance she could not pass up! She looked to meet his bright gold eyes, leaning her ears halfway back humbly; "And now y'got this whole thing, quite a big meal f'just you ain't it?" Her voice remained honey-sweet, eyes wide and naïve. If she could play her cards right, there might just be a free meal in this for her; I've got just as much right to it as he has! This brute might have chased of the eagle – So gracefully! – But it was not his kill. Of course it would be much easier for himself to realize that, than for her to have to show him.

Word count: 400

"Speech" Thoughts

Because of work, my activity will fluctuate every other week. For more information and OOC preferrences check out my profile

OOC: So sorry for the tardiness! 

Oh, now she was laughing at him. Great. The youth's ears fell backward a little and he faintly furrowed his brows. Was it not common knowledge; the perilous danger that birds presented? Sure, Ma and Pa weren't much scared of 'em, but they were the King and Queen. His parent's were almost never scared, and @Nathaniel was brave. @Neha didn't always seem to know when true danger was present either. Maybe this girl was something like her. “...seems like you're more monster th'n any bird.” His skeptical expression seemed to grow softer, ears coming to rest up high once more. A compliment? Had he?   

The prince had been watching her carefully, but now he looked on with interest and the faintest of smiles. Somewhere in his mind he replied, “I guess I did...” but the words never made it into the air. He wasn't much for words-with-not-friends. The foreign pup's gaze dipped longingly toward the dead goat for one heartbeat; quickly finding his pools of gold the next. Cernan drank in her query; eyes falling down the same path. He had thought so. Not wanting to be rude, and certainly not enjoying the fact that he would be delivering not-so-good news, the chubby adolescent grew quieter. "Oh, I'm not going to eat it all," the lake child clarified, shaking his head a little. "I... was actually going to take it back to my family." His head lowered a tad subconsciously, almost apologetically. Awkward. 

And we're back up! :D

Surprisingly, the boy's defenses seemed to soften at her words, something about what she'd said had managed to chip away at his suspicion. Curling her tail thoughtfully, narrowing her eyes ever so slightly, the russet girl wondered: Why? What exactly had opened this path to her, and how could she use it to get even closer? The chunky boy seemed flustered, smiling goofily but unable to answer an otherwise simple remark. His eyes strayed to the carcass, just as hers had, the expression on his face making unease rise in her chest, though she didn't let it show. Instead she held her stance, still and unassuming, giving every sign that she was no threat; I've made it this far..!

When he finally replied, she almost cracked though, the single word ringing in her head; FAMILY! Of course there was a family, things just wasn't gonna be easy. Nalda bit her lip, turning her eyes down as she took a moment to think. Obviously he wouldn't willingly give it over, not with the prospect of a whole – Probably disgustingly happy – family waiting to praise him for bringing back such a feast. What could she do to compete with that? I just have to get close, if I can get him to let his guard down… She'd managed before, how had she done it?

A deep breath whistle out through the dark lass' nose, golden eyes flicking back up to meeting the boy's brighter ones. "Wow," She breathed, a big, toothy smile on her face; "They're gonna be real' proud'o you, bringin' home a whole goat!" There, flattery, that was what had managed earlier; So simple, just say what he wants to hear! With light, unassuming steps, she inched closer, her eyes on him rather than her prize; Just a little more..! She kept smiling; "You're a big, strong hunter!" One step more, and she would be close enough. Then it was just a matter of grab-and-tug, and hopefully a nice piece would come off for her to run off with. Running she knew she could do. Leg stretched out, jaws parted, throat extending to get a hold; Here goes!

Word count: 358

"Speech" Thoughts

(This post was last modified: Sep 24, 2016, 12:06 AM by Aideen.)

Because of work, my activity will fluctuate every other week. For more information and OOC preferrences check out my profile

OOC: Might be on to something here~ @Nalda

The statement gave her pause, as expected, and he felt the inevitable awkwardness come stalking toward them as she looked away. He had started to feel bad, for a fleeting second, and then she changed. There was something not unlike a sigh, and the strange girl seemed... impressed. Well, he hoped they would be proud. Everyone would appreciate it for certain, and it was to be the biggest meal the prince had ever brought home. His shy smirk returned, though falteringly. He still wasn't comfortable. 

The russet and gray pelted adolescent started advancing again, gently. He swore her paws made almost no sound on the rock. Her words and her stare stalled his mind from making the right connections, at least until that last sentence was out. The last compliment fell toward his ears a bit, wrong. It was the tiniest of shifts in the boy's perception, and then he realized just how close she was. The girl wasn't listening. His smirk faded. He'd expected to be let off easier, to be given a disappointed remark and offer an apology in return, maybe even let her have a little bite for his guilt, but she was so very saccharine. It was as if the implied 'it's not for you' had slipped right by her.   

Now she was close enough to just take it, and conflicted as the boy was, the illusion snapped. She moved, and so did he. Cernan's front paws jumped across the carcass to try to block her attempt, an action he immediately felt a small bit of remorse for. There was a clarity in it though; she wasn't going to wait for permission, and if he had to defend his new-found food from her he would try. Scavengers usually attempted to steal from the pack's carcasses; and sometimes the pack stole from the scavengers, but never before had he seen a wolf attempt it on another wolf. If this girl was really as meek and gentle and sweet as she'd been letting on, it could probably be brushed off as a misunderstanding or something, and she wouldn't hate him, but Cernan wasn't so sure. There wasn't much time to think it over in that instinctive moment. 

Her head snaked out, teeth already watering in anticipation, and then her path was blocked. The meaty boy moved surprisingly fast, putting his bulk between the scavenger and her prize. Teeth snapped around empty air, just a few hairs from his leg, now effectively warding her off. Russet head whipped back and up, a small snarl escaping her as her eyes widened and then narrowed at the stranger. "Ey!" She snapped, loosing grip on her masquerade; "Wh'as tha'bout?!" Her patience was wearing thin, she'd played the part, hell he'd been eating it up; So what then? Why couldn't he just give up a measly piece of that giant goat and get over himself? The honey-sweet smile was gone from her face, replaced by a frown of indignation, ears folded back as she glared at the lout. This wasn't working.

It took her only the time of a blink to change tactics though, molding her expression of dismay into one of dejection, eyes growing wide while her voice shrunk; "I… I'jus'…" She let her gaze drop to her paws, mouth tugging further downwards as she feigned a sniffle; "'am jus'o 'ungry!" Her voice turned pleading, lower lip stuck slightly out and quivering. When she looked back up, her eyes were blank, large ears flopped to the sides, defeatist. There was a slight chance she might be overplaying, though she thought she remembered Bracken throwing a similar tantrum once; I'm not that far off. Doing everything she could to look as pitiful as possible, she met the larger youth's eyes briefly, then averted her eyes, blinking as if to stave off tears. "Please," she croaked; "Can't y'spare jus'a little bit?" That was all she had. If this didn't work, she'd be out of options; Come on 'Chunky', have a heart!

Word count: 298

"Speech" Thoughts

Because of work, my activity will fluctuate every other week. For more information and OOC preferrences check out my profile

@Nalda

Her reaction was a bit more fiery than he thought it was going to be. She snarled and shouted at him, and the larger boy's ears fell back against the assault. His brows slipped toward each other skeptically, and a little bit indignant. He had tried to tell her nicely that the food wasn't on offer, and she had reached for it anyway. Rude. Before he could do anything further though, the russet and gray girl seemed to melt again. This whole encounter was more than bewildering for him now. She was begging, and Cernan felt his skin prickle with an uncomfortable heat. She was making him feel awful, but this entire interaction had already been doing that. The lake child's round ears splayed to the side like butterfly wings and he just stared at her. 

The little scowl hadn't quite left his face, and his expression seemed stuck between confusion and distrust. The heck was he supposed to do? The strange girl was messing with him for sure, but at this point Cernan just knew he would feel much worse if he didn't just give it to her. The pup had gone from so angry to so broken, and the swift change left him more than confounded. Who was this girl? A fleeting moment of resistance passed at the end of her speech, and Cernan dipped his head to exhale a heavy sigh. "Fine just... a little," he clarified, trying to sound serious. He just wanted this whole thing to be over.

Awkwardly the boy shuffled sideways, still standing with his front paws over the young goat and his head tucked. She could take a leg or something maybe. Hopefully that would be enough to make her happy, or just complacent enough to leave him be. Golden eyes flickered between her and objects in the distance, just in case the girl wanted to try something sneaky. She was unpredictable to say the least.