Larkcall Lowlands Let's Take it From the Top

RE: Jynx, a hungry coyote is stalking you in hopes of a free meal.
Late afternoon, light snow.

From the overcast sky, a endless cascade of tiny white snowflakes drifted down gently to the ground. Those that hadn't made it to join the others on the snow lined tundra, dotted the gray and russet hairs lining the solitary huntresses' back and crown. All but oblivious to the soft white dusting along her top line, the wolf moved in a straight, slow march, with her muzzle pointed towards the snow crusted ground. Her large paws left distinct tracks in her wake, only to be placed carefully in front of her, with an accompanying crunch of snow and ice. Her ears were pricked distinctly forward, twitching only once or twice, her sharp yellow eyes fixed on the snow with the un-breakable intensity of a predator at work.

Jynx Dirol, female second of White Fir Notch, and newly arisen hunter, was on the trail of a potential meal. Albeit, not a very big one.

The tiny tracks she had spied in the snow earlier, paired with the scent of rodent, had her tracking down a lemming. Hardly considered a proper meal; a bite sized snack was more like it. Under normal circumstances, Jynx wouldn't have bothered putting in such effort, for so little reward.  But circumstances for her and her pack, were anything but normal. Most of the prey was now long gone from their home by the Springs, forcing the wolves to expand their search radius. The Caribou that migrated through the tundra usually would have been an option, but not today, for two reasons. Jynx was on a solo mission today, and her ankle, while strengthened and pain free, was not ready for the strain and effort required of a true hunt with a larger opponent. So she had to settle for thinking smaller, satisfying her own hunger, while hoping the rest of the pack could find luck of their own. 

Her ears stiffened. She could feel the tiny vibrations of a animal below the snow, hear the faint scuffling of it's body. She was right on top of a lemming, definitely. Her jaw set in a thin line of determination, she began to paw at the crusty layer of snow. Her blunt nails scraped against the frost, startling the animal hidden beneath her. It ceased moving after she had stopped, and then started up again, once the threat seemed to have passed. Again, she shuffled and scratched with her paws, this time with more urgency, more intensity. The problem with being so focused as she was, is that she didn't even pay attention the lean, tawny body creeping up behind her, skittishly. But with her instincts as sharp as they were, and with a nose to match, Jynx was no fool. She knew the coyote was there...that it had been dogging her for miles now. The vermin had done well to keep it's distance, refusing to close in only when the larger wolf caught a morsel. It would be in for a long wait, and probably with no reward.

Wading through the deep snow, Askan intended to take full advantage of the respite of wintery weather. Of course, it was still snowing but a light dusting wasn't even worth noting, not when it was compared to the days upon days of thick fog and heavy snowstorms that had come before. Contrary to his permanent glower, Askan didn't particularly mind the colder months. By no means were they an easy time, but he found the cold and wet easier to deal with than the alternative. The summer months were the bane of his existence, he hated nothing more than getting all hot and bothered. But despite his preference, even he had to admit that snow- when this deep- was a pain in the ass.

He had such short legs, so it meant that getting from a to b took a lot more energy than it should have. Askan was making good time though, ploughing through the snow at a brisk but maintainable pace. He had no real reason to rush, he was simply running a quick errand for the pack, to check if the herd of bison were still lingering around where they had been seen last. But even so, Askan had never been the sort to take his time and admire the scenery. Not that there was a lot to admire this time of year. In autumn sure, the tundra was a myriad of different colours, reds, greens, browns and oranges. But ever since winter had gripped Relic Lore in its frosty grasp everything was white, white and white. With nothing to buffer the gales, the tundra had always been windy sort of place and most creatures, big and small retreated to the protection of the trees this time of year.

But even so, that didn't stop the occasional creature from being out in the open. At first, Askan was too distracted by his search for the bison to notice that he wasn't alone. His ears were attuned and on the lookout for the sound of hefty hooves and large heads shovelling through the snow. He wasn't listening for the pitter patter of paws. His nose twitched at the days old scent of the said herbivore, he didn't notice the faint whiff of canine.

For all intents and purposes, Askan believed he was alone. Just as he liked it. Or at least that was the case until he peered up tracking the bison's scent and was met with the sight of a tawny wolf digging through the snow. But something else caught his eye, this wolf had a shadow. A coyote followed hot on their heels. Damn mutt, just the sight of it was enough to make him glower in contempt. But the little beast was not his problem, he wasn't going to chase it off for the stranger. They were more than capable of doing the job themselves, or at least they should have been. He had bison to track and find. But even with that in mind, he couldn't help but feel a little irritated by the entitled sod. He hoped the stranger noticed it sooner rather than later.

Jynx of course, had not yet noticed the dark coated stranger who had spotted her and the coyote from a distance. She was too focused on the task at hand. When the moment was right and the scuttling of the lemming ceased for just a moment, she pounced. Her shoulders rolled back to lift her upper body off the ground, and in a flash, come slamming back down upon that very same spot. A great cascade of snow, disturbed from her efforts, flew up all around her, momentarily obscuring her from view. When the spray had settled, she was left with her muzzle buried deep in the snow. A quick little shake of her head, and she withdrew, a stout little brown body hanging from her jaws.

The coyote took this as it's cue to move in, hoping to snatch the bite sized meal from the wolf before she could finish it herself. With swift little strides of it's slender legs, it zipped in from behind. Scissor like jaws snapped at her tail, not enough to inflict damage, but plenty to get her attention. Her reaction was to jolt sharply, before just as quickly spinning around with a snarl. The lemming all but forgotten, she charged. "You fucking mongrel!" She cried, careening forth with her maw agape. The coyote knew it was in trouble and turned to flee, to outpace the wolf at it's heels, with it's tail tucked between it's legs. But she would not let it get away so easily. She was larger and just as fast, only a few strides behind it, hackles raised.

More snow flew up in cascades of flurries around them as she gave chase, the ear piercing shrieks from the terrified coyote filling the tundra. By sheer coincidence, the pair were headed directly in the path of Askan. Even as the blur of dark brown fur became more and more clear, neither of the canids acknowledged the male going about his own business. As the distance lessened between them, the gap between the hunter and vermin closed. With a strong push forward through the snow, she leapt, wrapping her forelegs around the rump of the flailing scavenger to hold it down. Saliva pooling at the corners of her lips, targeted it's lower spine. 

Askan had intended to go about his business, rather approach the stranger as he usually did, but it was rather difficult to ignore them when they- or rather she- was screaming at the top of her lungs like a woman deranged. He glanced up, his ears pinned to his head, and watched as the tawny wolf barrelled after the coyote, who yelped in terror as though it had just realised it had royally screwed up. And from the looks of it, it had. Whatever it had done, Askan was glad that he wasn't in that little beasts shoes as being yelled at by a woman didn't seem like a lot of fun.As amusing as it was, Askan had better things to do than stand around and watch the coyote run for its life, with a wolf snapping at it's heels. But fate- or rather the coyote- decided that he had no choice in the matter.

At first he had been watching from a distance but with each passing second the duo came closer and closer, till he got the sinking feeling that either he had to move out the way or he'd have a desperate coyote run face first into his chest. Bracing himself, Askan readied for the latter option. But once again, he was taken by surprise.

Just at the last minute, a few split seconds before impact, the wolf swept the coyote's feet out from under it and the pest collided to the floor right in front of Askan's paws. He looked down at the little beast as it wriggled and squirmed, trying to clamber to it's feet but the wolf had it pinned to the ground. Unless she climbed off it wasn't going anywhere, not even a coyote was slippery enough to get out of this situation. That certainly didn't stop it from trying though, stubborn bugger.

Askan watched, his gaze lingering and cold, as the wolf opened her jaws in preparation for the kill. Just before she could connect, his own mouth opened, but instead of a flash of white teeth, he spoke.

"What it'd do?" He asked, wondering what the mongrel had done to deserve such ire. By no means was he trying to save it, the less coyotes the better, but surely it must have done something to warrant such a dramatic and prominent response.

 

Jynx and the now terrified coyote had not noticed that they had tumbled several inches away from the paws of a second wolf. The smaller canid flailed desperately, reaching around to attempt to nip at any part of the wolf it could get it's jaws on. Her own white teeth flashed, ready to pierce the thin hide of the animal. His voice was enough to make her pause, taking her focus away from the task of ending the vermin's life, if only for a moment. Bright yellow eyes flicked up to meet the dark face of the stranger, while the hackles along her spine remained raised, if only from the adrenaline still surging through her blood. She let out a soft puff of air through her nose. "The little shit thought it'd be funny to try and take a bite out of me." She remarked sourly, her irritation towards the coyote still very much alive.

Glancing back down to the thin frame of the coyote pinned halfway under her frame, she gave it a hardened glare. "I don't much appreciate being bitten on the ass while trying to get a snack." Her words were for Askan alone, well aware that the lesser animal beneath her would not be able to comprehend their more sophisticated level of communication. It was a known fact that coyotes were opportunists, famous for harassing wolves whenever the chance presented itself. Her retaliatory behavior was only natural; as two predators they were rivals. Lifting her weight from the coyote slightly, she inched back just enough to expose it's hind end. Before it could scurry away, she returned the favor it had attempted to pull on her. Well aimed strikes of her jaws sent her teeth ripping deep into it's rump, eliciting pained shrieks from the instigator. Left in place were two sets of bloodied puncture wounds. They were not life threatening, but they would certainly leave a mark. Her anger sated, Jynx feigned a charge at the coyote to send it packing one last time. "Hmph. Nothing like a taste of your own medicine..." She remarked with a pleased smirk. 

 

(This post was last modified: Feb 06, 2017, 02:11 AM by Jynx.)

Askan didn't think much of the stranger's display of aggression. Not because he thought her weak or puny, but simply because he could tell that it wasn't aimed at him. He'd done nothing wrong, he hadn't angered her in any way, but it was clear that the same couldn't be said for the mongrel who was snapping and squirming at his feet. When the stranger went on to explain the little beasts crime, Askan nodded in understanding. If the roles were reversed he would have done the same. In fact, it was likely that he would have killed the coyote right there and then, rather than simply pinning it to the ground.

" I wouldn't appreciate it either. Little shit." Askan sent a scathing glower it's way as his words dripped with venom. He knew the coyote didn't have the smarts to understand what he was saying but even a foolish coyote would realise that it would get no help from him. Or any other wolf for the matter.

He was curious to see what she would do with the little beast, would she kill it? Or would she let it go free? Askan was clearly leaning towards the first option, but it wasn't his call nor was it his place to make any suggestions. The coyote had done her wrong, so she was the one who would decide it's fate. Askan was simply a curious bystander, the sort that looked on with a sharp and observant gaze. Silently, the stranger moved off of the coyote and the Selwyn assumed that she was going to set it free without a well deserved punishment. Compassion was all well and good, but if it went on to harass another wolf then by extension it would be her fault. She should have taught it a lesson, she should have set it straight.

Before the mongrel could even clamber to its feet, there was a flash of white teeth and the sound of canines piercing flesh. The coyote yelped in pain as she bit it's ass, giving the little menace a taste of its own medicine. And then with that , she chased it off and clearly considered it a job well done. Askan had to say, he hadn't seen that coming but was impressed nonetheless. At least now that little shit would think twice before messing with wolves.

"Agreed." Askan said, turning his gaze back to the stranger. "They've gotten too bold as of late. Think they rule the roost. Had one who tried to set up shop with our borders. Stupid shit." He scowled and cast a dirty look behind him in the general direction the coyote had scampered off in.

Golden eyes lingered on the rapidly retreating form of the tawny coyote, who couldn't get away fast enough. The wolf nearby, who had been nothing but a spectator the entire time, she had not paid much attention to, until now. His gruff yet neutral attitude spoke to her in an agreeable way. His words of choice hinted that they were very much on the same page, when it came to scavengers. One word in particular stood out to her. Borders. Her russet ears pricked slightly then. Of course he would be a pack wolf, but not one she had met previously. Now that she was no longer preoccupied, her nose did indeed confirm the scent of Rye and of many other wolves, tangled in his fur.

Adjusting her stance to face him directly, Jynx swept her eyes over Askan in a once over. "My pack hasn't had visitors of the likes of those. They must not be drawn to the area, considering the scarcity of prey." She eased into the introduction on a casual note. If her memory served her correctly, aside from the petite silver lead female who had visited the Notch a few weeks ago, he was the first Rye wolf she had encountered. "You're from Wild Rye Fields, aren't you?" She stated more as a fact than as a question. There was no hostility or tension in her voice, despite the established relationship between the two packs. Only laid back neutrality. Out here on unclaimed land, Jynx was willing to disregard that status. Gent may have had his own opinions on the Rye wolves, but she would form her own. After all, she may very well see a different side of Askan than her leader, or any other of her pack mates had. 

A look towards the flat, snow lined horizon reminded her of why she had come out here in the first place. She needed to find more prey, and if not catch any, at least track something down. Returning home with the knowledge of where the caribou or bison were migrating was better than returning on an empty stomach. She could scrape by on bite sized meals until she could rally a few wolves for a proper hunt. Reluctant to abandon her self assigned mission, but equally so to turn away her company, she introduced herself. "I don't believe we have formally met. My name is Jynx Dirol, of White Fir Notch." Her features remained slightly neutral, but open. Now the ball bounced in his court, if he felt so inclined as to return the pass. 

Askan's gaze flickered to her at the mention of his pack. Now that was an astute observation, or a lucky guess. Sure, he carried the familiar scents of his home and his pack mates, but from what he knew she'd never came across them before. So how was she supposed to know what was what? Her way of speaking was more than enough to settle Askan's slight sense of unease. Her words carried not an ounce of aggression and her poise was comfortable, at ease. Whatever shaky relationship the Field had with the Notch wolves, this one didn't seem to care, or at the very least she was making an effort to hide it. Which the Selwyn appreciated, the last thing he wanted was to have to deal with political problems. That sort of thing was above his pay grade.

"I am." He told her, his tone polite but neutral.

He didn't know her, it was too soon for him to jump to conclusions about her, so this was the best he could do. A way of showing that he was indeed reasonable, that he wasn't the brute of the Lowlands, as some would claim. He had been about to ask for her name when she beat him to the punch. Jynx Dirol, of White Fir Notch, huh? So she was one of their southern neighbours, as he'd suspected. Could be worse, she could have been a Whitestone wolf. But it could have been better as well, a pack that he had a clean slate with. Ah well, nothing he could do about it now but just continue to be as reasonable as he could muster. Not that he thought it would be too hard, with how agreeable Jynx seemed to be.

"Good to meet you Jyxn." Askan offered her a nod. Then a frown formed on his face. "You said prey is scarce from where you live, is your pack doing okay?"

It wasn't really his problem per se but.... An offer could be made. One that would likely benefit them both. What would be the harm? He scoured for a response, a reason not to invite her but came up empty.

"I'm out looking for a bison herd. Caught their scent the other day round here, wanted to check them out, see if there were any stragglers worth our time. You interested in tagging along?

(This post was last modified: Feb 24, 2017, 06:55 PM by Askan.)