Sacred Grove part one

The land here was old and unclaimed.

It radiated promise, potential, for a hunter such as he. He wished to comb through each trail of prey that crossed through the grove. He wished to know each scent by the time he had come to an end here. Today he sought to learn the trails of a rock ptarmigan. A male. Others seemed to be around this area, but it was the man of the flock that Savik trailed.

Until he thought he heard the movement of something bigger than birds.

His trailing had slowed to a stop. His head lifted high to look around the grove, with its wintered presence and untold secrets. A lick of his lips and a wave of his tail behind him.

He chuffed out lowly.

The Grove. She’d found she enjoyed it’s presence, enough to stick around longer than she had within the other territories. There was a river through a part of the grove that had awarded her small game in the form of fish, even if it was scarce, and water to drink… there had been some small game looking to remain close to a water source, even if it never quite left her feeling full and only staved off the sense of hunger. She was rising from a nap, stretching her limbs out as she caught sight of the mottled brown wolf that had traipsed across her territory… not that she was territorial, as she knew she had no right to claim this place as her own… not when she couldn’t stand to defend it, not efficiently. She let out a chuff in return when she heard it, her head poking out as she looked to him, blinking as she waited with a held breath to assess him. Kiona Fire is catching

Ayelie-stock @DA

A woman. If even.

She was young, perhaps only having come across her second winter. She wore the cloak of winter with a thin figure. The winter was not kind to those who did not know how to brave it. Especially young ones with few numbers. He did not think he caught wind of any others besides her and the birds.

He licked his lips once more, this time with a contentment to him.

"Hunter?" He asked of her with a gruff and deep tone. Etched by age and life alike. He was still healthy and he imagined if he worked with those who braved winter alone too, that he could make it longer.

Her eyes remained fixed on him, assessing as he gruffly offered one word. It caused her maw to fall into a small frown, her tail swishing from side to side with uncertainty, and hesitation penetrating her gaze as she tried to decide how to play this. She could turn away, slink into the shadows of the nearby forest and hope he didn’t follow her scent. She saw no reason why he would. But then he asked, and she wasn’t certain if he was offering to hunt, or asking her if she prioritized hunting. “Survivor.” She answered back simply, as if it were answer enough for either option he had provided to her with his vague one word question. She remained still otherwise, apart from the melodic swish of her tail and the movements of her breathing. Kiona Fire is catching

Ayelie-stock @DA

Survivor.

He wanted to scoff and tell her no. Look at her! Yet clearly she clung on to whatever semblance of a life she lived. He supposed he owed her a sliver of doubt. She would either prove him wrong — or succumb to the winter chill.

"Then survive." He instructed her with a continued gruffness. His head still held high and his tail waved behind him with a near rigidness. Yet it was not aggression or dominance he sought to pour over her presence. He wished to show her strength, to be a beacon.

He turned so that he could continue on the trail of the birds. He would not spare her a glance, but if she watched, an ear did turn to try and catch her movement.

She had done just fine for herself… and by that, she meant she was surviving. She was still alive. She didn’t have a full belly but she had made it by. She’d staved off the hunger enough that it would not take her… she thanked Zihnal for that one… the lucky of the hunt rather than Dunne like her parents might have credited. She found herself following after him, her paws light as she trained, a tawny shadow to the older man. Her eyes narrowed, trying to ascertain what the man was doing, since it appeared he was lacking for words. So perhaps his mind worked a little harder than his tongue seemed to… she’d find out. Kiona Fire is catching

Ayelie-stock @DA

The flock of rock ptarmigan here would not be as impressive as if they hunted the slopes of the mountain. Yet he imagined some of these birds had come here for a repreieve. Not knowing that their descent would bring them to an end.

The young woman followed.

The birds would find some camouflage with their pale feathers in the winter and the snow that still sat along the earth here. He did not think they could take many of them but two hunters meant two birds, surely. If this girl could survive as much as she claimed the title of.

He slowed his stalking. His tail flagged behind him and he hoped she would take it as a sign to stop, too.

Then he crouched.

She followed after him, and he said nothing more about it. She continued to stalk behind him, remaining light on her feet to the extent that only the slight crunching of snow could be heard under step… unavoidable with the denseness of it, but quiet enough to show skill nonetheless. His tail flagged, and she found herself instinctively pausing, falling in where her body head lined near his shoulder, spaced out so she was not impeding on his space but rather set next to him. She watched him crouch, mirroring it on instinct as if waiting for the right moment to pounce and strike. She was not as proficient in hunting the flying prey… but she’d done enough that she was confident she could bag at least one… her stomach rumbling as if in anticipation for what it would gain her in turn. Kiona Fire is catching

Ayelie-stock @DA

In a hunt together, the birds would not know which way to go first. Perhaps to the skies once they realized but he hoped this flock of usually grounded birds would have a moment of panic. That they would not be so smart and seek to outwit the hunters.

That would be when wolves could sink teeth to feathered bodies.

He would say no words to tell her when he planned to strike. She would know, otherwise she would not survive. He trusted this as much as he breathed.

So he launched himself into the chase at once. Teeth snapped the air, snapped a wing. The birds began their great escape but he knew that if she was quick then she would eat. Him, too.

Her muscles tensed, her eyes narrowed as she launched after him, the instinct washing over her… she would survive. I will not die today. A mantra in her head as she moved in unison with him, her jaws snapping as she pushed off from the ground, her limbs moving up as her teeth sank into something warm, dragging it down with her weight as the sky bent before her, the blood rushing into her mouth as she big down harder. It wasn’t the cleanest, but her paws wrapped down on its wings, and she was able to deliver a killing blow all the same. It wasn’t graceful, or perfect… but it had worked, and she would take it. In the heart of winter, she had come to the conclusion that she could not be picky. Kiona Fire is catching

Ayelie-stock @DA