Ghastly Woods Once More Into the Fray

@Drestig

The morning had brought unseasonably warm conditions. Relief was in order;
Salix relished this weather. His paws didn't feel frozen stiff for once, and his flesh was unscathed
by the cruel icy winds. Slender muzzle is raised, his nostrils taking in the unknown scents about
him. The forestry about was quite thick, making scouting ahead a formidable task. Lithe limbs push
forward; the wolf was almost mechanical by now. He didn't give much thought to his actions- he
just moved. The robo-wolf strolls onward. For once, it seemed, his mind was quiet. Perhaps the overt
intimidation of such thick woods kept his brain preoccupied for the current moment.

The thin ice and snow he had coasted across upon reentering the Lore was not present in these woods.
For this he was thankful; his calloused paw pads needed a breather. There were no sounds to stimulate
his ears. A dead silence held the air. It was almost uncomfortable, but Salix paid no heed to being able
to hear his own heart beating steadily within his barreled chest. It wouldn't be long till he ran into another,
or so his intuition was telling him. His muzzle trembles as the odor of prey tickles his nose. The gray-white
wolf quickly swoops his head downward in an attempt to pick up a trail. Nothing.

This forest was one of trickery. A disconcerted grunt tickles at his throat, but the man oppresses it. No time
for dismay. At this point in time, life was in the air for the wolf. He was blatantly just surviving. No
specific search for anything, no clear-cut destination. He was completely on his own.  

Today it was the promise of a good meal that had lured him into the gnarled woods at the base of the mountains. Without a pack to aid in hunting, the dark mans diet had been restricted to smaller prey, and the effects were starting to show. He did not starve, with spring blowing across the land there was a steadily growing supply of food, and with little else to do, he could spend most of his days hunting. But he longed for the taste of fresh, red meat, and for the unique thrill it was to hunt, surrounded by other wolves he trusted. For the moment, at least one of those was out of his reach, but he hoped that within the tight confines of this ghostly forest, the other might not be. What the deer were hoping to find among the brambles of the underbrush, he had no clue, but the trail had been clear enough and the air was thick with their scent. He knew it was folly, attempting to hunt large game alone, it was still some time before the fawns would come and anything larger would be too much, forest or no forest. But the smell was so alluring, the hope that maybe, just maybe, one of them would trip or get tangled in the creeping vines, giving him an opportunity to strike. So he stalked through the misty woods, salted black fur blending with the shadows. The scent was heavy in his nose, so much that he almost didn't notice when another perfume drifted into the scent-scape. When he did though, he froze, head lifting, scouting for the stranger. Had he wandered onto someone else's hunting grounds? He shook his head lightly, he'd been to these woods frequently, Much more than I'd like honestly, and he'd never encountered any markings to claim it. Perhaps then, this other wolf was simply passing through, same as himself, maybe even tracking the same prey. Spotting movement among the trees, a smirk curled the dark mans lips and he continued forwards, wanting to get close before addressing the stranger; Now there might actually be a chance of catching a deer, if they didn't scare it off with loud calls. Instead Drestig waited till he was only a few lengths away before greeting the stranger with a low chuff. Word count: 390 ”Speech” Thoughts

Dawnthieves.de

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health

After his moment of hesitance, Salix starts forward
again. His movement was almost like shuffling rather than walking, yet his steps remained silent.
With an instinctual turn of his head, his right ear flutters to alert him to a presence. A shortened
woof determines another of his kind has run into him. Allowing his head to fully crane, his
icy gaze meets the amber-eyed onlooker's. Enough breathing space was between the two; the wolf was
at a comfortable distance. Xil releases a sound in return similar to the man's. A callous sweeping of
wind that attempted to penetrate the contorted surroundings is broken into a soft breeze, carrying with
it another scent. This odor was that of a fresh kill. Coral toned tongue slips from his mouth, swiping the front
of his muzzle and over his nose.

The rumble and twisting of his stomach yearned for him to investigate. He couldn't move quite yet, though.
Assessment of the situation was at hand. Promptly turning himself to face the wolf, he offers a slight
dip of his head. ""S'posin' yer hungry, too." he says softly, though his gruff tones were not meant
for such. His brain is distracted by his fourth sense. With a roll of his shoulders, he speaks again "Food
first, overture after, eh?" He was willing to cooperate with this other man. His hunger was driving him
to do so. It would be beneficial to them both, and Salix would remain sharp-witted and on alert. An ulterior
motive of the other wolf could be plausible; there was no sense in letting one's guard down.

After his question, he leans toward the enticing scent hanging in the air. Cold eyes peer back toward the other,
observing his stance and expression. The immediate encounter didn't seem to be aggressive- the wolf
hadn't come at him with fangs bared nor fur prickled. Salix was certain he wasn't close to a pack's border.
His hunger wouldn't make him that oblivious.  

(This post was last modified: Mar 26, 2016, 04:48 PM by Salix.)

The stranger replied in similar fashion, turning his head to meet Drestig's gaze briefly. He appeared young, his fur a mottle of light crème and gray shades, with a matching pair of pale blue eyes. The elder man bobbed his head in greeting, tail swaying about his hocks in a sign of friendly intentions. Then a fresh breeze passed through the trees, turning both their heads as the muted scent of deer was mixed with the unmistakable odor of fresh blood. Drestig couldn't hold back a grin, ears waving at their luck. The pale lad turned to him, his words more of a statement than a question, though the ebony male grumbled his agreement all the same. If the stranger was intend on sharing then Drestig had no qualms, if it was a whole deer there would be plenty for both of them; And Jessie too. He reminded himself to bring her a chunk, he was sure she missed big game as much as him. The pale male's second comment evoked a fresh smile. "Sounds good to me." The dark man huffed, his nose already turned towards the alluring scent. Keeping a polite distance between them, Drestig took up pace next to the stranger, keeping his ears perked, nose actively searching for any other smell's mixed in with the deer's; That thing didn't die on its own..! There was a good chance they would have to fight something for the rights to the kill, all the better that they were two about it. Once they drew close, the elder wolf paused, emitting a low growl to warn his companion to do the same. The sharp tang of blood was still, by far, the strongest scent on the light breeze, but he was beginning to notice something else too. Whatever had ended the life of the unfortunate deer, it was still hanging around, blissfully unaware of the nearby rivals. Drestig peeked through the trees, trying to get a proper look of the scene in the dimness. The carcass lay with its back towards them, hiding most of its killer, who was busy feasting on its prize. "It's a lynx, I think." The older wolf breathed, as quietly as he could. The cats could be vicious, but faced with two wolves he hoped it would admit defeat quickly and leave with its life, giving up the spoils instead; In any case, We've got this! Glancing over at his companion, the silver-tipped chap grinned wickedly; "After you." Word count: 414 ”Speech” Thoughts

Dawnthieves.de

With the friendliness of the other wolf quite
apparent, Salix could feel his guard lowering every few minutes. He wasn't sure whether
or not he liked this; he begrudgingly accepted it, though. Returning a light smile of his own,
the Atea wolf nods before they begin their hunt for the carcass. The enticing scent almost made
him salivate- he'd actually be able to have a full stomach! He'd been eating just enough to keep
him going as of late. The feeling of being fully satiated was one he had grown to heavily miss.
The two men walk parallel to one another, their steps carrying them hastily toward their impending
feast.

As they walked along, Salix lets his eyes wander to their corners where he gazes at the older wolf
again. The man seemed so laid back; a smile adorned his features here and there. What a
curious being. Salix counted his blessings, and it seemed today he was on the brighter side of
fortune. A wolf that didn't want to rip his pelt off, and a food source that awaited them only
a handful of lengths away now. His attention was torn away from his thoughts as another scent
stung his nose. What was that?

Salix had sworn he smelled it before, but he couldn't exactly put his paw on it. He opens his jaws slightly,
taking in a deep breath. Tasting the air. It was a feline. Brows furrowing, a responsive
growl crawls from his throat. At the words of his current companion, Salix's ears twitch.
"Mmm." He had nothing to say; he only listened. A lynx, eh? The gray-backed wolf
stares forward, his eyes on the deer as if it were a trophy. Anxiety creeps into his veins as
the older wolf speaks- "After you"

Salix turns his head only briefly enough to catch a glimpse of the ebon wolf's devilish grin.
With a grunt, Xil is off, his body low as he creeps swiftly around gnarled trees. His blue-gray
eyes scan the area wildly as to look for other possible predators. Nothing. Good. Now focusing
upon the main issue, he brings himself in toward the lynx. His ears press forward as the sound
of the feline crunching bones heightens his excitement. Holding his breath, he bounds forth,
muzzle widening as he releases a wicked snarl. His pearly fangs are bared; his brows heavily
furrowed as he prepares for an attack...

Sorry, short post, but I didn't want you to have to wait any longer. Feel free to have the lynx run off or whatever :)

Whether it was the circumstances, or simply his nature, the grey wolf spoke little and the two moves mostly silently through the underbrush. There was little more than a grunt in response to the invitation, and then the boy was off, stalking quickly towards their rival. Drestig watched him for only a second, then followed suit, sneaking low between the ferns and gnarly roots. As his companion went one way, the black wolf took the opposite, curving around the kill until he had a clear view of the lynx, seemingly still unaware of the challengers moving in on its kill. Then a mighty snarl rung through the clearing, announcing the attacker as he flew forwards. Startled, the spotted cat leapt into the air, issuing an angry scream as it turned on the wolf. Then Drestig joined the fight. Quickly springing from his cover, the elder man gave a snarl of his own, snapping his jaws at the beasts scruffy tuft of tail. He didn't catch hold, neither had he truly hoped to, as the nimble creature spun from his attack, hissing its frustration. The point was that the smaller predator was now split between attacks from opposite sides. Was it wise, it would recognize its loss, outnumbered as it was, and leave the spoils for the hungry wolves. Word count: 218 ”Speech” Thoughts

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