The Wildwood Rise above the best and prove yourself

Morning, backdated to 01/31/2021. For @Huddy only please!

She crept forward silently, body low to the ground and paws stepping gingerly so as to not crunch the snow beneath her as she moved. She was glad her pelt blended in with the snow around her, and her dark amber gaze stayed glued to the rabbit as it hopped around the roots of a large tree. She would have but a few moments between when she pounced and it scurrying back into its burrow, and she had already waited so long for it to come out that she did not want to waste the opportunity to grab something to eat. As meagre as the meal would be, it would be better than nothing.

Clover crouched low once she reached her desired position, focused completely on the rabbit which, for the time being, had no idea she was there. Her muscles tensed, and with a great push of her hind legs she sprung into air, jaws wide and front legs extended to grab the rabbit before it scurried away. And... missed. The rabbit squealed and scuttered away back to its burrow before she had a chance to try and grab it again. She let out a snarl of frustration at missing the rabbit, sitting back roughly on her haunches with a huff and a pout, shoulders slouched forward. She would have to try again, but maybe with a different rabbit from another burrow, if she was even lucky enough to find another.

Well if you wanted honesty that's all you had to say

Hudson had been watching the herds and their grazing patterns, noticing that they were beginning to run low on munchable land and, bit by bit, were starting to inch more north. Soon they would certainly make their move and his little band of misfits would go with them. But, for the time being, he chose to wander. Not too far, of course, in case any of them should need him, but far enough for a sense of privacy. That was, until he was alerted to the sound of shuffling paws, the squeal of a startled animal and a frustrated sigh. Ah, someone had just lost their meal.

The salt-and-pepper man rounded a tree and came upon the slumped form of a small, pale female. “It’d be easier if they’d just jump into our jaws, huh?” he said with a smirk.

Ashbash 2016 - Ian Schneider 

A nearby creek is full to the brim with fish. +3 Health

She lifted her head with a soft gasp at another's voice, head whipping around to face them, not expecting someone to be nearby. However, the black wolf seemed friendly enough, even offering a sort of playful jest as greeting. She allowed a quiet laugh to pass her lips, half annoyed at losing her meal, but able to still see the humour in his words. "Yes, but then we'd all become lazy," she said in response, rising to her paws to properly face the darker male.

"I'm Clover," she offered up with a small smile, sparing a quick glance at the burrow the rabbit had ducked into. With two wolves they could attempt to dig out the rabbit, but with it being spooked by her failed hunting attempt, she was unsure of how well that would go. "Sorry you had to see that poor attempt at catching a rabbit." Clover ducked her head a little, feeling some warmth creep up her neck at being unable to catch a simple rabbit. She would definitely need to brush up on her hunting skills.

Well if you wanted honesty that's all you had to say

It was cleared he’d startled the pale, petite woman, shown in the widening of her gaze, the quick turn and the gasp that gaped her lips. He seemed to be doing a lot of that lately, sneaking up on wolves, but it wasn’t like he was doing it intentionally. Hudson was no sneaky spy, if anything he was the sort to announce his presence right away. There was no pomp and circumstance about him, he was the uncouth sort that could even, at times, be considered peckish and arrogant. He didn’t see a point in unnecessary pleasantries other than the normal greetings nor beating around the bush. Those that did baffled him, to be quite honest.

He snorted at her comment of them all being lazy if their food did just jump into their jaws, a smirk tilting the edges of his dark lips. “Guess I ain’t got no qualms about bein’ lazy then,” he replied, moving completely around the tree and into the open. She offered her name, Clover, and apologized at her ‘poor’ attempt and he shrugged. “Th’ name’s Hudson, and I didn’t see anythin’ t’ be honest. Just heard you huffin’ an’ puffin’ after an’ figured I’d come n’ see what you were gonna blow down.” His silver gaze traveled toward the opening of the warren back to her, giving his shoulders a roll before meandering a few feet behind it. “Well, no sense in lettin’ the lil’ bastard think he’s outsmarted you. Let’s get t’ diggin’,” he said, paws striking at the dirt and pulling up a clot of frozen ground and snow. With the two of them, surely it wouldn’t take too long.

Ashbash 2016 - Ian Schneider 

(This post was last modified: Feb 12, 2021, 09:49 PM by Huddy.)

She tilted her head back just enough so she could look in his eyes when he moved around the tree and closer to her, his body a good bit taller than her own. He seemed to have a friendly demeanor so their size difference did not worry her, and she was used to looking up at others due to her quite small stature. Her head canted to the side at his comment, his choice of words bringing some amusement to her even if she had a quizzical look in her eyes. However, she was glad he had not seen her frankly terrible attempt to catch the rabbit. "Probably best that way," she said with a small grin.

Clover watched as he made his way over to where the rabbit had ducked into, also making her way over as he began to dig his claws into the still icy ground. It was a very kind gesture of him to offer his help in catching the rabbit, and she quickly joined in with the digging. "Thanks, I would've given up and tried to find something else to eat." Her claws sunk into the ground, ripping up the frozen dirt, and she flicked it behind her with her paws. It would not take too long with the both of them digging, and she wondered at what plan Hudson would come up with, as she did not have much experience hunting rabbits still inside their burrows.

Well if you wanted honesty that's all you had to say

The woman had a generally kind air about her he noticed, a certain gentleness that he’d felt in his grandmother and he immediately wondered if she was a healer. She even smelled a bit like herbs, which peaked his interest even more. Not that he was calling her old because she was obviously younger than him, but it was just one of those feelings.

She thanked him as she began digging as well and if he hadn’t been in the middle of digging he might have simply shrugged his shoulders in his typical silent manner, but as it was he couldn’t so he’d have to use his words. “No problem. I can’t guarantee it’ll work anyhow, th’ buggers have a couple entrances sometimes, but it’s worth a shot,” he said simply and honestly. Winter was a bitch, so one had to make sure to do their best to get food when the chance came.

The pair continued to dig, his company at the entrance and himself a few feet down the line. Eventually he felt himself break through a tunnel, his paw plunging downward and his auds cocked forward to hear the startled shriek of the vermin inside. His silver gaze looked to the woman and he gave a triumphant smirk before settling back. “Pretty sure we’ve got ‘im blocked off on both sides. Now we just gotta wait ‘til ‘e tries t’ dig ‘imself out and you’ve got yerself yer meal,” he said.

Ashbash 2016 - Ian Schneider 

I am sorry for the long wait! D:

She stopped digging for a moment to glance at Hudson as he spoke, tail wagging hopefully, and after a quick determined nod returned back to digging at the burrow entrance. They were both silent as they dug, the only sounds being the scraping of their claws through the dirt and their breathing. Slowly, the hole of the burrow entrance widened enough so that she could stick her face inside without getting stuck, but when Clover heard Hudson stop digging she pulled back to look at him.

Her eyes curiously looked between the two holes they had dug as she settled herself down into a half crouched half laying down position. "And how long does that usually take?" She was generally a very patient wolf, and had no qualms about staying put to wait for the meal, but there were other tasks that she wanted to get done for the day as well. There would also be the chance for the two of them to chat and get to know each other a little bit better while they waited, unless they were required to be silent for the entire time. Either way, she was content with the wait, her dark amber eyes focusing on the burrow entrance, willing one of the rabbits to dare to make a break for it.