Larkcall Lowlands Kangaroo done hung the juror

@Askan

It had been a few weeks since Stormvale had disbanded. The memory pained her, especially not knowing where her family had gone. Her poor father was likely on his own, skulking somewhere, waiting to die. Over and over again she played the tapes, still incredulous towards the events that had transpired in the past months. It was as if thinking about it enough could change it, so think of it she did, until her stomach was sick with worry and dread.

The trees broke and yawned into an expansive tundra so vast that she could not see any more forest in the distance. The flatlands were swallowed up by the horizon, upon which sat the mountains. Her queasy stomach rumbled deeply as she loped through the thick layer of snow. She had no desire to eat - she could not look at a carcass, no matter how small, without picturing the gruesome remains of her mother where the grizzly had mauled her. But she grew thinner and weaker as the days wore on. Her hipbones were sharply carved through her pelt, her first pair of ribs barely visible, and her lemon-yellow eyes dull with fatigue. She did not know how she would even kill anything were she to find it, but she had to try.

(This post was last modified: Jan 19, 2017, 12:07 AM by Lyris.)

Askan waded through the snow, just beyond the boundaries of the field. Yes, he knew he wasn't supposed to leave. And yet again, here he was doing just that. The way he saw it, his alphas had simply asked him not to cause any trouble. They had confined him to the field to ensure that he would not cause further tensions with the Whitestone pack, and contrary to common believe he intended to do just that. Askan didn't go out of his way to be a pest-it just sort of came naturally- so it wasn't as though he had been trying to make a mess of things. He was just going out for a quick hunt and once he was done, if he caught anything, he'd go back home.

That's all there was to it. No one had to know he'd left, and he'd been careful to ensure that no one had seen him.

It was simply that, with Everly being here... It was all a little difficult for him to handle. Once again he needed space. And the wide open space of the tundra gave him just that. Pressing his nose to the ground, Askan hunted for a scent, something promising that could serve as a meal. Nothing too big, as he was on his own, but something large enough so that it wasn't just a measly snack. Their caches were running low these days and prey was scarce out on the tundra. He needed to do his part to ensure no one starved.

Raising his head, Askan glanced to see if anything was in sight, and that's when he saw a dark figure slinking along. A wolf, and it was in a sorry state too. For a moment, Askan was tempted to leave it be and just go on his way. He had better things to do than listen to a sob story... But if Drestig had done the same the day they'd first met, where would he be now? With a sigh, Askan broke into a trot and closed the gap between the two of them.His assumption had been correct, this wolf was starving. Hadn't eaten a proper meal in weeks. If she had a full stomach, no doubt she would have looked sleek and streamline, a wolf built for speed if he'd ever seen one.

"Look like you could use a meal." Askan stated, his tone as gruff as always. Before giving her a chance to respond, he continued. "I'm feeling charitable, for once, how bout we make a deal? We go on a hunt, see if there's anything worth the effort and bring it down together. You eat all you can, and I take the rest?"

It was a win win for both of them, it was hardly an offer she could refuse. And maybe, just maybe he might try and recruit her. Depending on how she did, he wasn't making any promises.

Her nose skimmed the snowy earth, and although the snow had a way of swallowing scent and sound, it was no significant obstacle. She had been roaming the tundra for less than perhaps a half an hour before she picked up something, but it was not what she had wished for. This was the scent of another wolf, a male, one who was part of a pack by the scent in his fur. He approached her quickly, closing the distance between them. Like her, he was of the dark phase, his coat holding a bit more black than hers, with hints of silver as well as gold. Essentially, he was her size, but his physique was much healthier than her own, as could be expected of a pack wolf.

He wasted no time addressing her. As he spoke, she eyed him curiously, her ears folding back against her skull out of respect for a wolf much stronger than she. His offer was one she could scarcely refuse. Almond eyes widened in surprise towards his bold generosity. She cleared her throat and responded, her ordinarily musical voice slightly hoarse from disuse.

I... if you're sure... I would appreciate it. Thank you. She dipped her maw in thanks and prepared to follow him, hoping that he would take the lead and guessing that he was much more familiar with these lands than she was, and might know where to look for prey animals. However, Lyris was willing to do whatever he told her to do. It was he who come to her, and his presence greatly eased her katzenjammer.

My name is Lyris.

(This post was last modified: Jan 18, 2017, 12:39 PM by Lyris.)

Have em chat for a bit before they stumble upon an old white tailed deer?

Askan was sure, he wouldn't have offered otherwise. But he supposed he could understand her trepidation, even he had been rather cautious when he had met Drestig. Had gone so far as to extend terms, just in case the Old man was trying to screw him over. As it turned out, he didn't need to worry, and neither did this one. Askan wasn't the most friendly of wolves, but if he extended an offer he would follow through. By the time they were done she would have a full stomach, or so he hoped.

At the mention of her name, he nodded in acknowledgement. "Askan Selywn."

With that out of the way, Askan-with a swish of his tail- motioned for her to follow his lead. He did know the Lowlands well, like the pad of his paw really, so if they were going to find something to eat it would be best if he took the lead. That being said, there was no guarantee they were going to find anything, or at least something the two of them could take down on their own.

"Hunting's been hard round these parts lately. As you probably noticed, there ain't a lot on the menu. Most of the prey has gone south, with only the elk, bison and caribou hanging round. And there's no way we'll bring one of those down. So we need to think smaller." He explained as he trudged along, his eyes scanning the scenery.

Nothing small would hang out in the open like this, they needed to go the forests edge. And so, without warning he turned and began to lead them south towards the edge of the lowland, where a wall of trees blocked his view of the horizon. He hoped that a deer of some sort would be hiding out, taking refuge from the cold biting winds. This was their best bet, unless they felt like chasing around rabbits.

"Why you looking so skinny anyway?" Askan asked, as they walked, his eyes forever facing forward, on the lookout. His nose twitching as he hunted for scents. "Been alone for a long time or something?"

(This post was last modified: Jan 18, 2017, 04:33 PM by Askan.)

Sounds good to me! <3


Lyris smiled at him, but the smile slowly faded when he began to tell her about the prey scarcity. It was something she knew about already, having experienced it herself and with her family as soon as the cold began to set in. There was no anxiety quite like the longing for food, and knowing that it would be difficult to find. In her young life, this season was the first in which she had experienced the furious hunger that nagged within her. Her appetite may have been null and void, but this mental aversion to food held little power over the ache in her belly. It all added up to perhaps the strangest combination of feelings she had yet experienced.

The dashing male abruptly turned and headed back in the direction from which the she-wolf had arrived. Startled by the sudden movement, Lyris stalled for a second, then bounded after him, hurrying to catch up. His action made the most sense, however. With hungry predators about, it was easy to see how herbivores would remain in the treeline and in the forest beyond, rather than out in the open.

Prey was scarce where I came from, too, she explained as she trailed him, keeping a respectful distance, but ensuring they were close enough that her words could be heard. Before my pack disbanded, we were all hungry. she paused, a bit bashful towards his acknowledgement of her skinny physique. Were it not covered in dark fur, her face would have appeared flushed red, but she kept her voice even so as not to display any weakness to him. That's why I'm so thin. That, and as a loner, well... I haven't exactly been able to catch much of anything. Lyris was young, but she was a decent hunter for her age. Still, she lacked the skill that years of experience inherently brought. I hope your pack has fared well despite the shortage... There was sincere concern in her voice, perhaps a bit unusual for one stranger to share with another. But it was just her nature.

Perhaps we will find an older or wounded deer. I promise, I won't eat too much of it.

(This post was last modified: Jan 18, 2017, 11:54 PM by Lyris.)

Askan hadn't expected such a detailed response, but it wasn't unwelcome. Her story was quite unfortunate, even Askan felt a little bad for her. Famine was not a laughing matter, and even he- who seemed so cold and callous at times- understood that it must have been difficult for Lyris and her family. And now that she was a loner, that difficulty must have increased tenfold. He wasn't sure what he would have done as a loner in the winter, he had left during spring so it hadn't been so bad and yet even he had struggled. Maybe if the roles were reversed he would be dead. A horrid thought if he'd ever had one.

"I see." Askan told her, nodding in understanding. As for her next words, he frowned a little. "We're faring well, as well as can be expected anyway. Our caches aren't filled to the brim, but we're being careful and hunt when we can. There aren't a lot of us, so it's not like we have too many mouths to feed."

It was quite refreshing to meet a wolf who cared for others, even though she didn't know them. It was foolish of her, for sure, but it was an admirable trait. Something for her to cling onto, if she could. It wasn't one that Askan would mimic, for it wasn't it nature but he appreciated it nonetheless. Like one would appreciate a piece of art in a gallery.

"Don't worry too much about that. We need to catch something first. Then we can bicker about who gets what." He dismissed her worries with a shrug of his shoulders and continued on, ploughing through the snow, clearing the way so Lyris didn't have to waste her energy on making her own path.

Several minutes passed, and they weaved through the gaps between the myriad of bare trees and evergreens. Stepping as lightly as he could, Askan listened intently as he eyes scanned the woodlands, lingering on anything that wasn't a tree or foliage. His ear twitched at the sound of rustling branches and with a sharp glance, he silently ordered Lyris to stop, to wait for his command. Where had that come from? Was it something they could bring down? Gods he hoped so. And then there was another rustle, to their left.

Turning slowly, Askan was greeted by the sight of a white tailed deer, nosing at a bush and nibbling at the few berries that remained. The deer- distracted by its grazing-  was so thin that it's ribs were protruding from its sides and it's breathing laboured, as though she were old or sick. Maybe even both. Either way, it didn't matter. This was exactly what he had been hoping for, they were unlikely to get another chance like this so they had to make the best of it.

"Okay." Askan whispered as he hunkered down out of sight. "Think you can move quiet enough to get round behind it? We don't want it heading that way, going deeper into the woods. Looks like she can't run as fast as normal, but don't want to give her a chance to escape. I'll stay here, when I give the signal I want you to make some noise, flush her out and push her my way so I can bring her down. I'll do the heavy work, just make sure she comes towards me. Can you can do that?"

Sorry this post is weird

Lyris had been the sweet one of her litter. Her brothers were more energetic, and more aggressive in nature. Askan did not seem aggressive to her, but he was perhaps a little stoic, from her perspective. It did not bother her in the slightest. In her eyes, everyone was entitled to their own personality. Different personas were what made the world of canines beautiful, and she already liked Askan, in spite of his stoicism.

There was a rustle in the forest and she became even more alert, ears cupped towards the depths of the forest, eyes darting around and tail lifted in attention. He had kindly plowed a path with his limbs and chest, creating easy travel for her. Then, the deer came into view. A doe, moving slowly through the snow. The poor creatures ribs were visible, even more so than those of the she-wolf. Lyris intently listened to what the male had to say, and wordlessly nodded in agreement. The plan was solid. Ambush was always an acceptable course of action, especially when fewer wolves were on the hunt. She turned away from him and lowered her posture, slinking through the snow like a pole cat.

The deer did not detect her as she rounded behind it. The breeze was in her favor, moving horizontally across the doe, between the two wolves. Lyris hunkered down, preparing to strike, and with a burst of energy she pounced, giving chase. Their quarry took off, heading straight for the dark male lying in wait.

No its fine! P.S this is a lil graphic, be warned.

Askan laid in waiting, his muscles coiled and tense, ready to burst into action as soon as he heard the cue. He hadn't told her he was ready, perhaps she was a little to eager, but in the end it didn't entirely matter as other than that she had done as she was told. He counted the seconds beneath his breath, waiting, listening as the deer struggled its way towards him. The crunch of snow beneath its hooves was almost deafening his to attuned ears, but nonetheless he listened, poised and ready to bring the doe down when the timing was right. It had to be spot on, if he struck too soon she might dart away out of his reach. But if he was too slow then she would be lost as well.

His heart thundered with anticipation and he shimmied closer, his belly almost touching the ground. A few seconds more, they were getting closer and closer. Soon he would need to strike.

A dart of brown and Askan lunged to his feet, his jaws opening and snapping on empty air. Shit! No no no no! He'd missed. He'd aimed for her neck, but she'd twisted out of the way at the last second, she'd seen him just as he'd been about to strike. Askan reared forward again, this time aiming for her back leg, her thigh.

Time seemed to slow as the doe's eyes widened in panic and Askan's teeth tore into the flesh of her thigh. He clamped down as hard as he could and threw his entire body weight into his attack, dragging the deer down to the ground with him. She thrashed and struggled, trying to kick Askan off, but his grip was iron clad, there was no shaking him off. Not unless she wanted to lose her leg in the process.

He heard the soft fall of pads on the snow and he glanced up to see black paws standing nearby. He felt hesitant yellow eyes watching him. With a snarl, Askan dug his back feet into the snow and hauled the wriggling doe back towards his hunting partner. With each passing second she grew weaker and weaker, as though she was loosing the will to fight. Pining her down with a paw on her chest, Askan let go of her leg and moved to her throat. The doe wheezed and panted but didn't try to clamber to her feet, he'd made such a mess out of her leg she likely knew that she wouldn't have been able to stand, even if she tried. In one swift motion, Askan clamped down on her throat and squeezed as hard as he could, further staining the snow around them red.

Moments passed and Askan pulled away, licking his wet lips as she did so. If she wasn't dead, she soon would be. He turned his gaze on Lyris and then took a step back, motioning for her to have the honour of first taste. She'd earned it.

As Askan attacked, Lyris stepped back to watch the fray. She wanted to join him, to help, but he had told her to let him do the killing. She recalled violating the plan a bit by not waiting for his signal, as he had asked her. Her hunger had caused instinctive eagerness that she could scarcely help, and so the girl tried to dismiss her thoughts of inadequacy. There was a fight going on, a fight for food, and she turned her attention to that.

The first time Askan went for the kill the doe evaded him, but with his second strike the deer had a torn open thigh. Blood seeped from the wound and Lyris licked her chops in anticipation. But as the struggle continued and more blood stained the snow, her stomach lurched in disgust. The image of her mother lying torn apart came to mind and Lyris squeezed her eyes shut, unable to watch anymore.

Finally the sounds of struggle ceased and the deer lay upon the earth, sucking air desperately, craving life. Lyris opened her eyes and looked into the doe's eyes, watching the life leave them. The haggard breathing faded away. Askan had stepped back to let the animal die, and to allow Lyris the first bite. Slowly she approached the carcass. Her queasiness was almost uncontrollable, so she shut her eyes again and tore into the mangled thigh. The taste of blood on her tongue soothed both the sick feeling in her gut, and her hunger. Blind, the she-wolf pulled a chunk of meat off the corpse, chewed for a few moments, and swallowed.

She opened her eyes and turned them to the dark-furred male. Thank you... You're kind to let me eat.

(This post was last modified: Jan 19, 2017, 07:20 PM by Lyris.)

Askan rested on his haunches as he watched the starved girl eat. For as hungry as she must have been, she took her time and was neat about it. She didn't eat in sloppy gulps, like he had all those months ago. If anything, it was quite odd, as though she was reluctant to eat her fill. As though the sight of gore and blood disgusted her. But that was impossible, right? She was a wolf, it was in their nature to hunt and kill, they had to to survive. So what was it then? Perhaps he had misunderstood, perhaps she was simply trying to conduct herself with decorum, there was nothing wrong with that. Even if Askan thought it unnecessary and a waste of time. He didn't care how she ate, as long as she filled her empty stomach he was content.

Once she was done, Lyris turned her attention to the Rye wolf and... Thanked him? How polite, how demure.

"No need. Someone helped me out like this a while back, figured I might as well do the same. You did all right, went a little early but..." He was tempted to scold her, to tell her that if it hadn't been for his quick thinking they might of lost her but... It wasn't worth it, was it? "We got it in the end, that's what counts. You weren't completely useless, so good for you."

It was a backhanded compliment, but a compliment nonetheless. He hoped she was happy. Wiping the blood from his muzzle with his paw, Askan went silent for a moment as Lyris continued to eat her share. Was it worth it? Was she worth it? As she was she'd need time to regain her weight and heal up, but she was capable enough. With a little bit more instruction he was certain they could make a good hunter out of her, maybe a scout? He wasn't sure, the path she took was up to her. But either way, there was a chance that she could help his pack flourish and prevail through these cold, dark winter months. If he was going to take a leap he might as well do it now.

"Do you have anywhere to go? If you keep wandering around like this, you'll die." He paused, letting his meaning sink in. "There's room in my pack if you want in. I don't lead, but I'm the second, if I put in a good word I'm sure my alpha will let you. What'd you think?"