Larkcall Lowlands turning tables

@Odin <3

RE: Magpies have overrun the forest!
Patchy rain possible
58 ° F, 15 ° C

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It had been quite some time since Aytigin had made his way up to the Lowlands, but the screeching of the magpies had begun to drive him mad, and he needed some sort of respite from the sound. Normally, he would hardly stray from Hearthwood River territory at all, not wanting to be gone if they needed him, but there were plenty of other River wolves and Aytigin needed. a. break. He'd been working nonstop for the past three months, since he'd joined the pack, and the birds were just too much for him at the moment.

It felt good to leave the shelter of the trees and walk out into the clearer meadows and tundra of the Lowlands. The last time he'd been there he had encountered Askan, which... had not been pleasant at all. Lachesis had warned him against talking to their neighbors then, but he didn't know if that had changed now. After all, the white-pelted alpha male had seemed to tolerate the massive wolf pretty well during their last conversation, and perhaps that meant he was improving.

At least, he wasn't trying to charm the pants and inhibitions off of everyone he met anymore. Though he did miss it sometimes - his flirtatious advances toward Inna and Kisla were completely and utterly innocent - mostly - nowadays. More compliments than actually trying to get anything out of them. The males of the pack were pretty much off-limits entirely - much too conservative for Ayti's personal preferences. Not that that was a problem, since they were welcome to fancy whoever they fancied. It just didn't leave a lot of room for fun on the mocha-furred man's part.

He had been enjoying spending time with the pups, however. They did well to take his mind off of his inner turmoil and focus his energy elsewhere. It reminded him of the gypsies he'd spent so much time with in the years before, and his heart longed for that lifestyle again. But logically, he knew he preferred the River. He'd promised everyone he'd stay, as well, and nothing in hell was going to drag him away from them.

A sigh escaped him as he settled down on his stomach atop one of the rolling hills, watching the golden grass beneath him. What a peaceful sight it made; it almost lulled the man into a sort of drowsy daze, and his mind began to wander.

He had only been home for a few days before letting @Piety and @Wraith know that he might be gone overnight. He wanted to scout around the lowlands, and that would at least give him a chance to reach the treeline to the east if he didn't turn around in time to make it back before the sun fell. However, even from this distance the usual tranquility of the towering trees was shattered by the raucous calls of the magpies that had seemingly flocked to the forest. His brow drew down over his good eye as he considered the implications. What on earth could be going on?

Finding it all a little too strange, the boy turned back towards the lowlands, but not soon enough. First, one bird broke from the flock, flying low towards his face. "Arghfuckit!" He tucked his tail and ducked. Only having one eye to spare he wasn't about to tangle with a bird over what? He didn't even think these bird attacked unless you were after their eggs (and fat chance getting to them up in the trees). Soon a second bird joined the first and the lad was ready to call it quits. Far from fast he fled as best he could, a long string of curses left in his wake.

It seemed as though a nap was never going to be in the cards for the massive wolf. For, as soon as his eyes had drifted shut, all hell broke loose behind him. The magpies - which had been pushed to the back of his mind as a sort of white noise - had now popped to the forefront of his attention once more as the cries escalated, coupled with loud and long curses. No sooner had Aytigin spun around and braced himself for some sort of attack did he spot a large, dark figure shooting up from the golden fields directly at him, with two smaller dark figures attacking it from above.

"Whatthefuhh-" he managed to get out before the chaos was upon him. It took a second for him to realize exactly what was happening, and it was quite hilarious. But the wolf - a younger one than himself - in his haste, did not seem to realize that he was charging toward a rather steep dropoff with the hill that Aytigin had been resting on. The chocolate-colored wolf wasted no time before he leaped in front of the speeding yearling, intending to stop him from falling facefirst down the hill.

If the yearling was smaller, it would've worked perfectly. As it were, however, the other wolf was quite sizable, and slammed into him like a freight train. The wind was forced from his lungs as the two of them teetered right over the edge of the hill - fortunately not headfirst. It was a pretty rough tumble, though, but it wasn't near as bad as it would've been otherwise.

But they weren't fortunate enough for the fall to be the end of their trouble. There was a moment's respite from the insanity, but then a magpie divebombed and hit Aytigin in the center of his skull. Hoarse laughter burst from his chest as he struggled to his feet and shoved the younger wolf with his muzzle. "You better run, kid!" he chortled, starting off at a gallop. "What the hell'd you do to piss them off so bad?!"

Where have all the good guys gone?

Odin Archer

With his one good eye squinted shut to prevent one of the angry birds from pecking it out he most certainly did not see the drop-off coming. Nor did he see the speeding black blur that collided with him and knocked the air clean out of his lungs. The collision seemed to be enough to startle most of the birds back to the trees but they were now the furthest thing from his mind as he tumbled over and rolled under the stranger, trying to suck air into his winded chest. Round and round the earth spun until finally, they came to a rest. It might have almost been funny if he wasn't still trying to figure out why the stranger had hit him in the first place. Was he meant to be fighting on two fronts with one eye? He truly was fucked if that were the case (not that he wouldn't give it his all).

He swayed as he tried to get his feet beneath him, the thud of the last angry bird drawing a laugh from the other wolf, his nudge enough to send Odin sprawling back into the ground. Better run? It'd be a miracle if he managed to walk in a damn straight line! "Fucked if I know!" He snapped as he finally got his feet beneath him, eye squinted for protection and teeth bared. He'd had just about enough of this shit. Jumping with a snap towards the bird elicited what he could only assume was a curse of its own, but it seemed to be enough to send a clear message despite the communication barrier. The bird turned and flew back to the trees, leaving the young wolf heaving for breath as he took in the slope from down which they had tumbled. "'Spose I should say thanks?" Yeah that could have been a whole lot worse.

Oh, shit. Did this kid only have one eye? He was far too young to have lost an eye, and Ayti couldn't help but be slightly concerned. Did he come from a place that tore out the eyes of wolves? What kind of life had he lived to have received such a crippling disability so early on in life? But he didn't have long to think on that, however, because the boy snapped at one of the birds and sent it flying back to the forest where it came from.

He chose to ignore the snappy comment. Best not to start a fight.

''Spose I should say thanks?' the kid asked, and Ayti snorted good-naturedly, giving his tail a flick. "Well, couldn't have you breaking your neck running from birds, of all things. That'd just be embarrassing," he teased lightly, then chuckled again. "I would've been able to stop us from falling off entirely if you hadn't been so damn big!" Which was true, because Ayti was a force to be reckoned with in himself. It was just that, apparently where this kid was from, they grew to be just as large.

"You aren't hurt, are ya?" he asked, tilting his head to the side as he gave the kid a once-over. He didn't seem harmed, but the dark wolf wanted to be completely sure.

Where have all the good guys gone?

Odin Archer

...running from birds of all things. He snorted a laugh, an easy smirk plastering itself on his face as he imagined the poor stranger having to break the news to @Wraith and @Piety, "Couldn't 'ave that now, th' whole lowlands would weep!" He joked good naturedly, throwing another glance at the hill down which they'd tumbled. He shook his head to the latter question, "Nah, it'd take more than that ter bring me down. Good thing yer weren't any smaller though, or I reckon yer might have bounced straight back inter the trees." Again he was chuckling at the mental image he had managed to summon.

Now that the world had stopped spinning and his nose had stopped throbbing from a bump or two on the way down he managed to catch scent of the stranger, another pack wolf from the kingswood, by the smell of him. Thank all the gods above and below he wasn't a Rye wolf. The thought of owing one of them made his stomach queasy. "I'm Odin, I live over on the monadnock," he finally introduced himself with a wave of his tail. Yeah he was a bit further east than he'd usually travel. "Truth be told, I've never really been fond'o trees anyway."

Aytigin couldn't help but roll his eyes at the boy's humorous remark, and let out a soft chuff of his own. "I believe the whole Lowlands would laugh, not weep," he jested in return, one brow rising incredulously as he studied the kid. He seemed nice enough, even if he was way too big for his age. Though, Ayti supposed he had been fairly large as a yearling, as well. Fortunately, the one-eyed wolf wasn't self-conscious of his height, and even made a joke of his own, which Ayti chortled at. The mental image of himself bouncing into the forest rushed, unbidden, into the forefront of his mind, and he shook his head. "That or you'd've flattened me!"

"I'm Ayti, from Hearthwood." He was more than happy to share that with the kid. They'd had a bonding moment, as far as he was concerned. They were brothers in the war against magpies everywhere. He sniffed slightly and smiled. "Never been fond of heights," he returned lightly. Truth be told, mountains of any sort were written off as unpleasant in Ayti's book. Not only did it remind him of his mother, but it also was cold and harsh and rocky. He much preferred the softer, forested ground.

Another grin spread out over Ayti's maw and he tilted his head to the side. "So, you just came out here to pick fights with birds or something?" He was enjoying this easy conversation. The kid kind of reminded him of himself when he was younger, so it made him that much easier to talk to.

Where have all the good guys gone?

Odin Archer

Still smirking all the while, the lad decided to answer the older wolf's question in a non-committal fashion. "Somethin' like that," and then he thought better of it. "If I stir up too much trouble close ter home I reckon @Piety would have my hide." @Wraith would come up with some punishment and Odin would find a way to shirk it but he was almost convinced that if the white wolf was anything like his mother she'd find subtle ways to make his life hell. Guys were easy to deal with, you know when you fucked up. Women were devious.

"Hmm, I was born on th' Monadnock so the height 'as never really been a worry but I didn't really see trees until I was almost six months old. It was like bein' in the middle of a musk ox herd," he gave a small shudder, "Or at least what I imagine it'd be like... Only ever pulled one down, an' he was half dead already." But he'd watched them from a distance often enough and the way they crowded together when they spotted a wolf on the horizon. But this guy was pretty big too, "Say what's the biggest thing you ever hunted?"

He wasn't privy to who Piety was, but he assumed he or she was the alpha of this boy's pack. The dark wolf snorted and nodded his head, fully able to relate to the sentiment. "I got you there. Have to make sure I don't step on any of Lachesis' toes too near the territory, or he'd chew my ears off." Honestly, he was surprised that the white wolf hadn't torn him to pieces already. He probably deserved it, and though it would be a serious battle, Lach would certainly be able to rip Ayti a new one any day of the week.

This kid was a hoot, comparing trees to musk ox. The Delaney had had a couple run-ins with the big creatures, but he'd never been stuck in the center of one of their herds. "I prefer the trees unless there're zillions of birds screaming and attacking from them," he commented, tail swaying at an even beat behind him. Odin then mentioned that he'd taken down a musk ox before, which was highly impressive. "Half-dead or not, that's really impressive!" the dark-furred man praised. Then the latter part of the question was asked, and Ayti snorted with laughter. "I ain't really much of a hunter, kid. On my own, I took down a mountain goat, but it was limping so it wasn't too hard."

"I prefer hunting fish," he went on with a grin. "You ever tried it?"

There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health