Thicket of Secrets Code of Conduct

When Ishtar had saw that Nauja had the deer pinned down and her teeth deep into its shoulder, she quickly joined her, but Ishtar injected the killing blow, she sank her power jaws into the deers esophagus, killing the deer instantly. At this point the all the other deer had scattered way into the woods. Which was not a worry to Ishtar at all. The deer that her and her new friend took down would be more than enough for them for the next couple of days. Ishtar stood up over the door with a bloody smile and her tail wagging, "We did it Nauja!! Now we just need to get it back to the den. I cant wait! The blood alone is sweet to my taste buds." Ishtar then grabbed the deer by the back of its neck and began to drag it back to the den. 

With every step they got closer and closer to the den, and closer and closer to meal time. Eventually they made it back. It took alot longer to get there due to the deer, but it was totally worth it. Ishtar plopped the deer down licked her lips and said between heavy breaths, "Alright lets dig in!" and Ishtar began at the top of the deer, She wasnt going to fight Nauja for any part of this deer, if she wanted it she could have it. It was the least Ishtar could do for letting her stay with her and share the kill with her. To Ishtar's knowledge only wolves in a pack would share a kill, not two loners. So this was different for her but amazing, and she wasnt going to screw it up. 

The blood, the meat, the marrow, it all tasted like heaven in her mouth. She couldnt remember the last time she tasted deer, and the deer here tasted much better than down south where she came from. She for the first time in a while felt happiness. She had good food and a good friend to share it with. 

(This post was last modified: Apr 13, 2017, 05:54 AM by Ishtar.)

Once she had sunk her teeth into the shoulder of the deer Nauja wasn't going to let go and instead tried to make herself heavier for the animal to drag her along.  She hoped it would not only tire out the deer but make it easier for Ishtar to catch up to her so that she could help. That was exactly what her companion did as she got a grip on the doe's neck and almost immediately the struggle stopped at the deer went down.  The meadow in which they had their chase and eventual kill was silent by then as the other three had swiftly taken their leave to let nature take its course.  Once the deer was down Nauja released her grip on the shoulder with a lick of her lips to clean the blood off. “Of course we did and with the two of us getting this catch will be a little easier.  Me either it's seems like it's been so long since I've had the opportunity to have deer,” Nauja licked her lips once more as Ishtar spoke about the sweetness of the blood, “Mine as well,” she agreed.

The task of dragging the deer back to the den where they had decided they would eat was energy consuming to say the least. The seagull was glad they hadn't had to travel far to find the deer in the first place.  It meant the journey back wouldn't be so long either.  She'd once again found a grip on the animal's back while Ishtar went for the front and together they took their kill back to the den. Once back at Nauja's home it was time for them to eat which was announced by Ishtar, “With pleasure,” she stated with a smile. While Ishtar went for the meat at the front of the deer.  Nauja in the other hand moved to the animal's abdomen and started there.

With it being so long since she'd had deer she wanted to savor every bite especially since she didn't know when she would have such a great again. It was one of those take advantage while you can moments, and she certainly intended to do so.  She did not mind sharing with her new friend at all and in fact felt rather comfortable sharing with her as they ate in companionable silence.

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As Ishtar's belly became full, she saw that there was still a good portion of the deer left. "Well it looks like we are gonna have enough for another meal. Where do you wanna put it. Its starting to get dark, so we need to hide it some where." Ishtar wasnt sure if scavengers were bad here like they were where she came from. You leave an open carcass some where and walk away for a second, and when you came back either vultures would have it or coyote or something. Ishtar knew she was not about to let all this meat be taken from her and Nauja. 

As Ishtar looked around for a good place to put the prey, she kept glancing at Nauja, she was still unsure about if she wanted to offer her to join her to find a pack or not. She didnt want to loose Nauja's friendship and she wasnt sure if after she joined a pack, if they would allow her to meet a loner outside of pack territory. It was forbidden in her previous pack to do so. 

Ishtar sighed heavily then said, "Well Nauja, again you know this place better than me. Do you know where we should hide our food till tomorrow?"  Ishtar did her best to shake away her thoughts and tried to focus on what was going on in front of her now. To focus on the present.  

Like with eating the deer meat it had been awhile since she'd had the chance to really fill her belly. Now that she had that chance she was sure to make it count. Ishtar was right when she'd spoke of them having enough for another meal. They would need to do something to keep scavengers from it while they slept. “I have a cache, sort of.  We can put it there until the next time we eat?” She suggested.  Her cache wasn't too big but she felt with what was left of the deer they could fit it in there.  All they had to do was get it there.  In the reality of it the only thing in her cache was the half eaten rabbit.

It was just another sign of just how hard it would be to be a loner.  She was thankful for Ishtar's company even though Nauja knew it wouldn't last because Ishtar would be moving on.  That was the way of things as a loner always on the move, she should be on the move by now.  It felt like a long time since she'd see or spoken to Vasu, she found it strange but she chalked it up to the fact he was probably busy with pack stuff.

Ishtar's voice shined in once more asking about the carcass, “Yes of course, my cache is right over here,” she indicated with a gesture of her muzzle. She figured they would be sharing the deer so Ishtar would need to know where to find it. “We can put it there and then settle down for the night?”

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After the deer was buried Ishtar laid down, with her belly full she knew she would be able to sleep tonight. The moon wained high in the sky, she stared at it, the sounds of wolf packs howling could be heard in the distance. Hearing it brought back memories of her pack. She thought that she would finally be able to rest tonight after all the excitement and the hunt, but her mind kept her awake. Ishtar got up and proceeded to sneak out of the thiket. She wasnt sure where Nauja was sleeping but she didnt want to wake her where ever she was. 

Ishtar walked for a couple miles until she came to a clearing. The moon shined brightly over a small meadow area with a small pond in the middle of it. As Ishtar stared at the moon, she let her mind wander, her thoughts flow. She was torn now, She didnt want to leave Nauja, but she felt like she needed to. But then a feeling that once she had a long time ago snuck up her. The homesick feeling entangled her. She missed her mother, but she knew now if she went back, she would be treated as a loner, as a wolf they didnt even know. 

Tears welled up in Ishtars eyes. She shook her head fiercely, she didnt like having those emotions. She delt with those for months, and she didnt want to do it again. Her ears then twitched to a sound in the woods. But she did nothing, she just stood there. Whatever, or whoever it was, she didnt care. With a full stomach, she knew that if it was anything dangerous, she would be able to take care of it, plus Nauja was only a couple miles away, with one howl Nauja would know she was in trouble. 

With their bellies full and the deer put safely away Nauja bid good night to her companion and slipped between the bushes to her nest.  She'd curled up tucking her nose into her tail but she didn't fall asleep immediately.  The howling wolves in the distance caused her to be a little uneasy and more alert.  Even though they seemed far enough away she didn't want them to smell the deer and come to take it.  Her hyper alertness is what helped her to hear the sounds of footfalls as they left the thicket.  Nauja felt a little disappointed that her new friend seemed to be leaving in the middle of the night.  For a long moment the seagull remained in her best debating going after the girl. In the end she decided she didn't want to just let her leave without even saying goodbye.

Nauja crawled out from under the bushes and picked up Ishtar's scent which she began to follow. The sea wolf wasn't really sure where the trail was leading her but she hoped she would catch up to Ishtar soon. She hadn't left that long after the she wolf had so she shouldn't have been too far behind.  The trail soon lead her to a clearing with a pond and the moon lighting it up almost as if it were day. It was there that Nauja saw the figure of a wolf which she assumed to be Ishtar.  For a long moment she remained quiet just watching the female debating if she should go up to her or return to her nest. Again Ishtar won out.

Nauja moved toward her friend quietly so she didn't startle her.  It didn't take her long to close the distance and soon she was standing next to her friend.  “What bring you here?” She asked quietly, “I thought you had decided to leave for good.” She knew that they had only just met but she really liked Ishtar and had been looking forward to the next day when they could spend more time getting to know each other. Then as she really looked at the girl's face she couldn't see that she'd been crying, “Are you okay?” She asked quietly worried and she didn't understand why the she wolf was crying.

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"Not Really." Ishtar replied.  "Im conflicted about what I want to do from here. I love your company but I know our time will end and I will need to move on to find myself a pack." Ishtar stood, her body shaking ever so slightly. She was trying her best to contain herself. She wasnt sure how Nauja would feel about what she was going to ask next, but she knew she needed to ask. She turned to Nauja and with excitement she said "Come with me! Come with me to find a pack that you and I can both join. That way we can still keep our friendship and we will at least know each other." She wasnt sure how her friend was going to respond with this request, but the thought of moving on with out her and her staying in this lonely thicket was just something she didnt like for Nauja. But of course if she decided to not go with her, Ishtar would understand. This has been her life for a while, but she still hoped that maybe Nauja would want a change. 

"I understand if you dont want to, I just figured I would ask." Ishtar said turning her gaze back to the moon. She appreciated everything that Nauja has done for her, and she hoped her friend knew that. 

When Ishtar stated that she wasn't okay Nauja's expression grew concerned but before she could ask what was wrong her new friend explained. As she explained that she had been thinking about once their time together in the thicket had ended. “I have thought about your leaving, I know that you have to and you should go on to find what makes you happy.” The seagull was certain that living the life of a loner wasn't what most wolves wanted.  It made sense that Ishtar would seek a pack even though Nauja would like for her to stay she wouldn't keep her friend from what she wanted. Ishtar's whole demeanor changed suddenly as she turned to face the sea wolf which caused her brow to furrow. As her friend spoke Nauja's eyes widened at what Ishtar was proposing. Go and join a pack with her..

The sea wolf remained quiet for a moment not sure what to say as she was shocked by the question.  Could she go with Ishtar and find a pack that she could be happy? She'd changed so much since she'd been back, her desire to find the sea had left her.  Vasu, well she hadn't seen him in awhile so he had to be pretty content with the pack.  The seagull looked back toward the thicket though they were some distance from it, what did she really have left there? Ishtar's voice telling her that she would understand if she didn't want to go brought Nauja gaze back to her friend.

“I’ll go with you,” she stated quickly.  Though she worried it might be a bad decision after what Vasu had done she knew that part of her life was over. “I don’t want to stay in this thicket for ever waiting for someone who's never going to come.  I don't want to lose our friendship and having someone I know in the pack will make it easier for both of us.” She had her worries about joining a pack and going with Ishtar born of her experiences but she had to take this risk.

(This post was last modified: Apr 16, 2017, 11:52 PM by Nauja.)

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Ishtar was shocked by her response. She honestly thought her friend wouldnt want to do this with her. Her tail wagged with excitment. "Then I guess we should get some sleep and head out tomorrow after we finish off our deer and try to find ourselves a pack then. It will be an adventure." Ishtar took one last glimpse at the moon, this would hopefully be her and Nuaja's last night as lone wolves. She was confident that life would be better for her and Nauja once they were in a pack. Though they were together, loneliness can still encompass their feelings. 

Ishtar then made her way back to their den. She found a soft spot among some moss that grew and curled up. She at first had a hard time sleeping, but soon her eyes became so heavy, that she was finally able to sleep. 

The sounds of birds chirping and the sun peeking through the bushes of the thicket awoke Ishtar. She stood up and stretched her front paws in front of her and yawned. It was a new day, it was the day that her and Nauja were about to finally find a pack, a family to call their own. 
Ishtar walked up to the sleeping she wolf and nudged her slightly with her nose. "Wake up Nauja, we need to eat so we can have the strength for our adventure." She stood over her friend waiting for her to awaken from her slumber.  

Nauja had made a decision that she hoped she didn't regret as she looked to her newest companion.  She nodded as Ishtar spoke of getting some sleep, “It will be an adventure and could be traveling for awhile so we will need the strength the deer can provide us.  There isn't any sense in you sleeping by yourself either.  You can join me.”  Her life was about to change once again with her choice to follow Ishtar and while the she wolf next to her looked toward the moon Nauja's thoughts went back to Pip and Tyne. They were important to her but she didn't feel she would be welcome in Grizzly Hollow. There was nothing left in the thicket for her without Vasu so it felt like it was time to move on.

Ishtar was a nice girl and Nauja really liked her, she didn't want to lose the friendship that they had forged in just that one day. She didn't know what the future held for her and Ishtar but she didn't want to regret not finding out.

Once they had returned to the nest Nauja curled up next to her new friend but sleep didn't come so easy.  She was worried that she had made a bad choice like she had with Vasu but she had learned that there was only one way to find out.

The Seagull didn't know when exactly she fell asleep but the next thing she knew she felt a nudge to her side.  Then she heard Ishtar talk about eating. It took her a moment to gain her bearings before her eyes opened to reveal her fiery gaze.  “We should get started then, we have a long day ahead of us,” she said as she rose to her feet.

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