Dragonveil Fold The Old Master and the Dragon's Eye

A ruminated exhale was made through flared nostrils as pear green irises narrowed their lids skyward toward the mountain's summit that Kaeruka believed lay concealed somewhere beyond the layer of overcast clouds above. For a couple of days now the gargantuan mountain had clung to her side like an oppressive shadow while the tawny female contemplated her next move, never leaving her line of sight until the weariness of travel forced heavy lids to fall close at the end of an exhausting day. Be it a blase interest of what may lay on the other side, or a need for a shift in scenery, the decision to finally tackle it was made.

Lowering her head, slender limbs followed the bank of the shallow river Kaeruka had been using as a travel guide, toes sinking into the softened sand with each step and leaving behind a trail of pawprints in her wake. Typically the woman would have been cautious in regards to leaving such a blatant trail to follow, but the quietness of the forest she was leaving behind left her feeling confident nobody would dare be curious enough to investigate. What, a month or so had passed already since she first touched base within the Lore and only two other wolves had come across her path. Seemed like a pretty desolate place if you asked her.

Above a vulture cry had charcoal dusted ears pricking forward before pear green eyes shifted skyward once more to watch a duo of notorious scavengers circling just up ahead, piquing not only the tawny wolf's interest but that of her stomach as well which grumbled loudly. Vultures usually meant a carcass and that meant food. It couldn't hurt to see what the fuss was about plus it was probably for the best that she get a solid meal in before beginning her ascent. Not only would she need the strength, but who knew how long the trek would take and how abundant if at all a food source was once she was within the confines of the rocky heights.

She’d been exceptionally lucky today! Usually, on her solo hunts, she would take down a rabbit or two, maybe a marmot on a particularly good day. This evening though, as she’d hiked north from the Cove, she’d come across a fresh blood trail, and, ever the opportunist, had decided to follow. It didn’t take long before her prey came into view either, a young goat, limping along on a clearly injured leg, fighting to keep up with its herd. As the predator closed in, they all picked up speed of course, adults and kids alike scampering up the cliffside, but the injured youngster lagged behind, stumbling several times as it attempted to scale the mountain. With a wolfish grin, Flair had taken up pursuit, keeping a comfortable pace, in for the long haul.   In the end, she’d come quite far from Lost Lake before the beast finally gave in, having tripped several times, the rest of its herd abandoning it to its fate. The huntress only had to put it out of its misery, jogging up to clamp down in its neck until it went slack. For a moment, she stood over her kill, gasping from the long trek, surprised at how long the scraggly thing had held out. But still, she couldn’t help but feel smug. At least until the vultures started circling and she realized she had to drag the thing all the way home all by herself.   She was just bending down to get a good hold, when the sound of approaching paws made her freeze up. Spinning to face the stranger, she instinctively flashed her teeth, defensive of her kill, ears flattening back and eyes narrowing. For the moment she remained still though, waiting for the other wolf’s reaction. ”Speech" Thoughts

dawnthieves.de, FairieGoodMother @DA & Lakela @DA

Kaeruka stopped for a brief moment to study the vultures circling above, using their location above to easily pinpoint the whereabouts of whatever poor creature received the latest kiss of death below. Slender limbs were set back into motion, a small pep to her steps with the notion that her stomach was finally going to be filled with something a little more on the fresh and substantial side than what she had been indulging in as of late. A salmon nose sampled the air to find the scent of blood growing thicker with each steady stride along the shallow riverbank. This was a good omen.

This was not a good omen. Up ahead the carcass of a slain mountain goat lay upon the ground, the obvious reason for the speckling of vultures in the sky which had actually increased since the last time she glanced skyward, but a fiery form could also be seen hovering over the animal. There wasn't enough time for Kaeruka to properly assess the situation as suddenly the russet and cream-tinted wolf swung about, a flash of pearly whites and splayed back ears greeting the approaching woman. Clearly intent on defending their kill.

Instincts as a loner immediately had guard hairs bristling and muscles tense, leathery lips curling to reveal her own set of pearly teeth as pear green irises fixated themselves on the other. Although this woman made no advance and she herself stood rigid in her spot, Kaeruka was ready at a moment's notice should things grow hostile. There was no ill-will meant for this pack wolf, a swift sample of the air allowing the lingering scents of what seemed to be pine needles, rotten wood, and damp earth to be plucked from amidst the heavier scent of blood. So, this place wasn't as desolate as Kaeruka thought.

Word Count: 304

Commision by Kumiho-kami

The form that appeared from among the boulders was lean, draped in a muddle of browns and cream. As soon as she spotted Flair, she froze in place, staring back at the defensive shewolf with unusual, sharp green eyes. The fiery woman in turn held her ground, testing the air with flaring nostrils to try and catch a whiff of the stranger’s scent. With the wind against her, it was hard to get much of anything, but as far as she could tell this was a loner; Good riddance! For a moment she’d been afraid she was about to have a squabble with the neighbors.   Flair relaxed slightly, lowering her lips to cover her teeth back up and letting her hackles settle. She kept her defensive stance over the goat, making it clear that she intended to protect her kill, but otherwise tried not to be outwardly aggressive; She didn’t want to start a fight if it could be avoided. Averting eye contact, she swept her gaze over the other wolf’s body again, noting the unusual patterning and shorter, more skinny frame. If it did come to a fight, she felt confident she could make it out on top; But let’s try to avoid that…   Clearing her throat, Flair jerked her head towards the stranger, flipping up one ear in an attempt at truce; “S’ry ‘bout that, y’ spooked me. Y’… New ‘round here?” It was the best she could manage, hopefully it was enough. ”Speech" Thoughts

dawnthieves.de, FairieGoodMother @DA & Lakela @DA

Time seemed to tick by slowly as both women took in one another from a distance, most likely sizing each other up to see who would come out on top should things take a nasty turn. Despite a small difference in size, Kaeruka knew from the beginning she held the heavier disadvantage. This fiery woman had the advantage of a pack to provide regular meals that kept meat upon her bones, whereas the tawny woman did not. Hopefully, this didn't end in a fight.

Luckily, it seemed the other woman had a similar thought process going on. Pear green irises watched once curled lips begin to smooth over revealed teeth, hackles calming and one ear pricking up enough to give the illusion of truce although the defensive posture over the carcass never waned. The kill was hers and that wasn't going to change. Fair enough.

With a small huff, Kaeruka gave her pelt a swift shake to settle guard hairs back into place while concealing her own set of fangs behind the curtain of her lips. Meanwhile, charcoal dusted ears pricked forward as the other woman began to speak in an attempt at casual small talk to break the tension that still clung to the air. "Sorry 'bout that. I saw the vultures gathering overhead and thought I was gonna have a good meal for a change." Obviously, that wasn't the case. "Yeah, been wandering these parts for a few weeks now. How about yourself?"

Word Count: 245

Commision by Kumiho-kami

(This post was last modified: Sep 22, 2021, 06:53 PM by Kaeruka.)

Despite her less than genteel manner, it seemed the stranger was willing to accept truce, perhaps swayed by something other than mere words. Flair felt almost deflated, even as she tried to extent an apology, she’d prepared herself for a fight, her subconscious instantly expecting to fight for her meal, as she had so many times before; Old habits die hard… Even after months as part of the Cove, she wasn’t accustomed the protections a pack extended, even by just the smell on her fur.   But the tawny loner didn’t know any of those intricacies, she smelled a pack wolf and backed off. For some reason that graded on that same corner of Flair’s subconscious. But she shook it off, focusing her full attention on the other wolf as she answered the question, offering an apology of her own. Flair’s other ear perked, and then they both flattened sideways, regretting her initial aggression even more. She knew all to well what it was like to be hungry.   The returned question made her pause, a small crease forming in her brow; How am I supposed to answer that? She scraped lightly at the ground with one paw, flicking her eyes down as she thought. “Uh… No,” She finally settled on, looking back up at the stranger; “I’ve been ‘ere… Awhile.” It was too complicated to get into the finer details, suffice to say she certainly wasn’t new to the Lore; More like old…   In the silence that followed, Flair glanced between the other wolf and the carcass, still safe between her legs. It was an awfully big kill to drag all the way back to the lake. Biting the corner of her lip, she made a decision, clearing her throat awkwardly before asking: “D’you… Want some?” She jerked her head down at the goat, taking a few steps back to expose it; “It’s too big fer me t’ take home anyway!” She hurried to explain, lest the woman think she was too soft; It’ll help us both out… ”Speech" Thoughts

dawnthieves.de, FairieGoodMother @DA & Lakela @DA