Hush Meadow the early bird may get the worm

RE: Isuni, a nearby raven won't shut up about a nearby kill-site where sizable prey has died from the severe weather. Anyone welcome! Early morning, just after dawn. Clear, -2F/-19C.

we are not things

A chilly breeze had woken her up.

Or perhaps it had been one of the other wolves in the communal pack den, stirring from their slumber as the cold air tickled them as well. Sharing warmth was certainly one of the benefits to living in a group, but Isuni could not help but feel slightly claustrophobic amongst the den of others, and once it became obvious sleep would not return to her, she slithered free from the group without a sound, padding carefully across the snow until she was several lengths away.

Then, the woman broke into an easy lope, the air biting at her nose and the tips of her ears as she moved towards the border – she considered patrolling it, and then moved on, beyond the willows and into the open fields beyond. It was silence she craved, and found it for a time, until a loud squawking erupted over one of the gentle slopes. Ears curved back against her skull and Capable surged forward, every intention of chasing off the noisy bird that she might enjoy her peace again – upon cresting the hill, she found what it had been so excited about. A downed elk, separated from its herd.

By the look of things, one leg had been broken, and it had finally staggered to eternal sleep the night before. Fresh. Her eyes sparkled with delight as she rushed forward, jaws snapping at the bird before she put up a howl for any awakened packmates. What a prize this would be!

hope you don't mind captain awkward here <3

The only reason why Greer decided to respond to the howl by one of his pack mates was simply because there was food involved. The shadow did not want to get to know the wolves of Willow Ridge—the only members he was interested in were the ones that shared his blood. For whatever reason the howl had intrigued the lithe creature, pulling him away from the shadows that he confined himself to. Just because he was choosing to be in the company of another didn’t mean he had to enjoy it… or talk to them. He was doing it for the food.

When the nameless girl had sounded the call Greer had been wandering through the edge of the Ridge territory, lurking in the trees and hiding in the shadows they created. Usually the boy was out exploring the nearby territories in order to decide which pack he was going to pursue once he committed to leaving the willows. Greer still frequently debated whether he was doing the right thing by chasing his wanderlust, but he couldn’t imagine doing anything else. He loved his home and always would, it was just time for a fresh start. There had been too much change in his birth pack since Elettra chose to step down from the throne and his brother, Skoll, had managed to get to the top beside their sister, Morganna. It didn’t feel right, and Greer wasn’t sure if he wanted to stick around to see what his siblings were planning. Originally Hecate was supposed to leave with him, but she had been caught up in Skoll and his power and whatever. All that alpha-macho crap because he was tall, dark and handsome and Greer… well, he was just weird. Quirky. Brooding. Undesirable.

It did not take him long to reach the corpse and the female who had invited her pack mates for a free meal. It seemed as though he was the only one interested in the meal (for now). He blinked slowly at the female, his silver eyes studying the tawny female as the scent of fresh meat wafted into his nostrils. His lips were drawn tight as he observed her, his long legs rigid as he stood, statuesque, before her. He waited for some sort of instruction, as it had not been his discovery and he didn’t want to just jump in… especially if another Ridge wolf was to arrive.

we are not things

For some time, no one came. Not even a howl in response, acknowledging the prize she found. The woman stiffened, frozen in the snow – did her packmates simply not care at all? The pack was large and well off for this time of the year, but the female did not think them wise to throw away such meat for any reason. So it was early, it would not kill a wolf to rise and fill his belly with fresh meat. He never knew when his next meal would come.

Bitterness grew in the redhead’s heart, and she was about to give into the meal on her own when another wolf appeared. Ears pricked up as he approached – one of the younger members, she realized, but still smelled of willow trees and Morganna, all the same, and she waited for him to say something. She might be waiting forever, she quickly realized, and she bobbed her head, inviting the youth to come closer. There was plenty for two, quite frankly, and he seemed to be the only other wolf interested in the slightest.

Isuni offered a wag of her tail, loneliness ruling her decision, and she bobbed her head. “Are you hungry?” she asked, eyes hopeful in their sienna sparkle. Her tail twitched again. “There’s plenty for both of us.” Another hum. “If you’d like?”

A wild dissertation appears!

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

The smudge prince waited patiently at his perch, his toes curling in the snow as he waited for some sort of instruction from the girl. At first he glanced around—almost nervously—expecting another from their family to arrive… But nobody came. Blinking in confusion, he focused his attention on the girl once more, his head tilted slightly. Almost as if on cue, she invited him forward with a soft nod. He hesitated at first, his paws shuffling awkwardly as he lumbered forward, breaking the distance between them.

‘Are you hungry?’ His tongue clucked in his mouth as he nodded slowly in response, his mercury pools fixated on the stranger. She reeked of the willows, but it was still fresh—she was one of the newer wolves he had not yet encountered. It wasn’t like the prince made any effort to meet the new members of his pack; in fact, he preferred to avoid them all. Greer was still thinking about leaving—whether it was to wherever Kyna went, or somewhere else—as Willow Ridge was becoming less and less of a home to him as the days passed. He knew that he should get to know his pack mates because, well, he lived with them… but it was difficult for the recluse. Bonding and making conversation was never his strong suit. Especially the latter.

Taking a step toward the deer Greer paused, glancing at the russet-coloured female curiously. He motioned for her to go first—after all, it was her who had found the kill; she should get the first bite. 

He did not speak, and the woman found it a bit – odd. Perhaps it was because she was a chatterbox herself, but she found her offer slightly derailed by the unexpected vicissitude his silence offered her. With raised brows, she tipped her head, careful to keep her posture neutral. The woman had to wonder if she’d given some sign or meaning she hadn’t meant to. It’d been some time since she last lived with a pack, and that was family. That was different. Even for the few weeks she’d spent with the Willow wolves, Isuni felt completely out of place.

She found herself letting out a breath she didn’t realized she’d been holding when the yearling approached, indicating that she was to go first. The woman allowed herself a small smile as she nodded in thanks before finally approaching the kill. She was no dainty thing; Capable was quick to eviscerate the creature, removing some of the softest, tastiest parts to eat. Perhaps she should be thankful only one other showed up – if it were more than them, they’d be left only the scraps.

With this in mind, she drew back to give @Greer some room, allowing him access to the heart or kidneys, or anything else he was interested in. They were sharing, after all, she had no reason to keep all the best parts for herself.

“My name is Capable,” she finally introduced herself, once they’d eaten some. “I-- Just got to the Willows. I’m not…very popular, as you can see.”

bring me home, bring back what's stolen,

Capable

like you're supposed to

A wild dissertation appears!

It both amused and troubled the slender shadow when those he encountered struggled with the silence he was so accustom to. Some embraced the change of pace, offering few words of their own, and embracing the quiet air the shadow prince brought with him. However, most struggled with the unfamiliar territory. They were quietaphobes; they thrived in noise (especially their own voice) and excelled when it came to conversation. Greer was the exact opposite. The silence was where he truly belonged, paired with physical cues. Most wolves he encountered were not familiar with non-verbal gestures — he was certain that many of them believed there was something off about him. However, it failed to bother the assassin. The silence was where he felt the most at home; where he was completely comfortable.

He watched her for a few moments before approaching the deer as well, his mercury gaze fixated on the russet-coloured female before he took a bite of his own. It was a shame that no other Ridge wolves had arrived to the free meal; however, it did mean more for the two of them. Which Greer was definitely okay with. Whatever was left over they would bring back to the pack’s cache, but for now there was no point in wasting so much meat. He chewed slowly, pale gaze focused on their surroundings as he relished in the silence that engulfed them. As usual, it was merely temporary — but it had been nice while it lasted.

The girl introduced herself once she had swallowed her mouthful, her voice soft as it pushed through the still air. She continued on to say that she was new to their territory, admitting that she wasn’t very ‘popular’. His nose scrunched at the comment, causing him to swallow hard as he observed her with a raised brow. He shrugged to show his indifference as he licked the blood off his nose. “Greer no popular also,” he responded casually before ripping off another piece of the deer, chewing slowly around the meat as he kept his stone-coloured gaze fixated on Capable.

“Greer. Nice to meet you,” Capable murmured, able to remember some of the manners her mother had taught her in the few months they’d had together. Her expression remained bright even as she studied him, her red ears tipped forward as she watched the youth’s face. He seemed to enjoy the silence – relish it, even. Perhaps more curious, as she’d taken to avoiding others lately, was that he did not mind being a social outsider. Even if this was the position the woman found herself in, even if she wasn’t entirely willing to change that, it didn’t mean she actually enjoyed being a social oddity.

So she blinked, and tipped her head to the other side. No idea came to mind, so she tucked back into their shared meal; at least they were eating without any sort of argument, she decided, and allowed the silence to settle over them, even if it sat upon her shoulders awkwardly. It took several more minutes for the large female to even think of anything else to say, and when she did, it was no louder than the introduction of her name.

“Do you – like the other wolves here? I don’t know many.” Her nose wrinkled as Craw flashed to mind. If the others were like him – well, she’d allow @Greer to answer before she allowed her mind to continue down that path.

bring me home, bring back what's stolen,

Capable

like you're supposed to

A wild dissertation appears!

It was evident that the older female was not as comfortable with the silence as he was, but it was difficult for the shadow prince to break habit. He was most comfortable being engulfed by the quiet — which was why he was thankful he was the only Ridge wolf to answer Capable’s call. Of course, he understood where the newcomer was coming from. It wasn’t very welcoming to only have one of her new pack mates answer her call. With his lips only parting to take bites of the meal she had discovered Greer felt as though he wasn’t the most ideal company. He nodded at her comment, giving a short nod in response to show that he mirrored the girl’s feelings. Despite his reluctance to remain in Willow Ridge the Archer still liked meeting his packmates — even if he spent most of his time avoiding them. There were some he was not very fond of, but there were also a few that he didn’t mind being in the presence of. Capable was falling in the category of the latter.

They ate comfortably for a few moments, almost as if the female was testing the unfamiliarity of the silence. He was thankful that she was even attempting to understand what he enjoyed so much, even if it was only briefly. Her voice pipped up once more, asking about the wolves of Willow Ridge. It was a peculiar thing to be asked, but a fair question — especially for  newcomer. It was obvious she had not yet adjusted to pack life. It was different in the Ridge: most of the wolves were related to each other, making it a very tight-knit group of wolves… who were often not so keen on strangers disrupted the lineage (unless it was for breeding). Even then, only the best were selected. Willow Ridge was very picky when it came to who they accepted into their ranks. Obviously Capable had proved herself to be worthy, or else she would not be standing before him.

“Some,” he admitted quietly, his thoughts rolling around in his head as he swallowed his bite. “Most family. Greer obligated to,” he added with a soft roll of his eyes and an amused laugh. “Some power hungry also. Not Greer — Greer stay in shadows. Much better.” There were too many dominate personalities in Willow Ridge — they all wanted to be on top and would do anything to get to it.

There was something about his honesty that Isuni could appreciate. Though most of the pack was comprised of very relations, he could still assess the relationships without overwhelming bias. He told the truth, and it did not even require a parapraxis. It was simple honesty. A faint smile lingered across her lips even as she began to groom the blood and gore from her muzzle. Where a pink tongue could not do the job, paws were employed, and she allowed herself to enjoy the relative silence as she thought. While it remained a bit uncomfortable, she supposed there was something to it. It allowed her thought to settle before they found her tongue, and once she was satisfied with her cleanliness, she spoke up again.

“Good to know,” she replied, the ghost of a smile still on her lips. “I don’t know what I thought I’d find, I guess – but I don’t think I’m going to find it here.”

Saying it out loud, releasing it to the world-- She made a quiet noise and shook her head, not interested on elaborating on the topic much further than that, only that she agreed with @Greer in his assessment that the shadows were better. It was safer there, especially for a wolf with no true interest in leadership. “Well, what do you say – shall we try to get the rest of this back to the pack caches?”

bring me home, bring back what's stolen,

Capable

like you're supposed to

A wild dissertation appears!