Fireweed Rise Investigation

During the cold morning hours, Elda rose from sleep and made her way steadily northwards. Her journey to these new lands had left her underweight and tired. She had spent the night curled underneath a bush and nestled against a tree and had managed to feel somewhat sheltered and safe. The ground was dotted with grasses and weeds with an occasional flower, but it made sense that there would be little vegetation because of the cold weather. Elda lifted her head and cupped her ears forward. She had begun smelling the occasional wolf marking a few miles back and had avoided leaving too many of her own, but she was aware that it was impossible to keep her scent completely veiled. There hadn't been a border marking but she was unsure whether she had overlooked it because of her exhaustion.

So it was with stress and care that she trotted through the fields and sniffed here and there. Her stomach tightened with a growl and she wondered if it would be possible to fish out a hare or a small deer. With a goal, her hesitant, uneasy stride switched to something more swift and purposeful. Her current spot was far too open and so she headed toward brush and longer grass, where she could make more of an effort of sneaking up on prey. While she was noting scents and getting sneaky, she wondered if she would have to wait much longer before coming across another wolf. In the end, she knew if they didn't come to her, she would go to them. But it was better if she wasn't forced to start nosing territory lines.

Unfortunately for her, there were very little signs of prey that morning and she decided that heading north would be a better way to spend her day. At least along the way she could keep an eye out for food, but keeping her hide in one piece and getting to know the lay of the territories was most likely the very best thing she could do.

Hello! Mind if I join you? :)

<blockquote>The whole night. The whole, miserable night he had spent trailing across his pack land, looking for Naira. She had slipped off alone, Athena had missed her leaving and after traipsing across the mountain peaks in the early morning, the dark male now found himself in the spring coloured hues of the fireweed rise. An area he had not yet explored, but now was not the time for explorations. He had his female to find. His pregnant female. His female who he had asked to stay on their lands, to stay safe or at least travel with an escort- she had done nothing he had asked and now his temper was at its very peak. She was going to be in huge trouble when he caught up with her.

A dull ache filled his paws and legs. He needed to sit and rest but was unable to. He’d caught her scent, faint though it was, as it left their lands and back into the lore. It was a few days old... a few days since he had last seen her and was headed in the direction of their old home with the River wolves. He could only imagine what she was doing heading that way. He hoped she was just after her stupid herbs and plants, but a niggling feeling in his mind thought she might be returning home- leaving him and her own pack behind. He couldn’t be sure what her motives were, all he knew was he had to find her.

Upon the breeze tinkled the scent of another wolf. Female. Alone with no scent of the packs upon her skin. Perhaps she had seen Naira pass by this way? He increased his pace, though his body tried to protest and his long legs consumed the land beneath him, hot on the trail of the stranger. As his eerie grey eyes landed on the somewhat skinny wolf who explored the land he let out a short howl, a request to wait for him to catch up so that he might speak with her. He didn’t bother with the dominance act, there was no time to waste in trying to act high and mighty. Time was of the essence.
</blockquote>

(Of course not! Welcome.)

A tingle began at the base of her spine and worked its way up to her rising hackles. Nerves made her glance over her shoulder, but little could be seen that would be cause for her uneasiness. Finally she stopped and tried to calm herself, though her bristled fur was standing on end even as it was blown this way and that. Just as her trot stopped, her ears were drawn up so high that their backs nearly touched one another while a brief howl urged her to wait. She sniffed at the air warily and with a hint of eagerness. Who was this that was coming? The depth of the voice sounded male but she had been fooled by that once or twice in her life. She waved her tail up and tried to keep it from crooking, it was annoying how her stress was so heavily affecting her. Elda knew it would all settle down once she found a place in this land, but it was difficult to manage on tired paws and a hungry belly.

The dark wolf came to the top of the nearest hill, which had been concealing much of him from her. Her ear twitched back and she let her tail relax as she trotted towards him to meet halfway. Her uncertainty was clear in her hesitant pause and she stretched out her nose to meet his in a pleasant greeting and exchange of scents. She straightened her shoulders and measured him quietly afterwards (whether or not he had accepted her greeting), and wondered his age. He seemed tired and worried, and the scent of him suggested he had been around other wolves, if not recently. Elda restrained herself from tilting her head like a pup and broke the silence. <b>"You seem worried, is everything alright?" </b>

She was not so comfortable as to sit and instead kept herself pulled together. He seemed younger than her but was larger. It would not do to underestimate the situation. She was well aware of the possibility of a fight breaking out. Two nervous, worried wolves did not make a situation easier and by showing her willingness to help him with whatever problem he had, she hoped she would defuse the tension.

<blockquote>He was grateful to see after the next rise that the female had waited, and was making her way back towards him. She seemed agreeable enough; nothing showed displeasure in her posture. He slowed his pace to a trot, then to a walk and then halted before her. With a dipped maw he greeting he took a moment to test the air around her; certainly female, alone and rather famished by the looks of it; it was a shame he didn’t have the time to help her as he had Ava; she’d proven an asset to their pack and he was certainly not quite so wary of helping a stranger if it might benefit him. Still, now was not the time for being helpful, he had to find his mate before something terrible happened. They had so much pressure upon them thanks to himself. Two packs were after his head whilst a variety of wolves who had their own agenda would love nothing more than to see his rotting corpse. Naira, he female, would be a prime target if she bumped into the wrong wolf and what made it even worse, was that she was utterly unaware of the trouble that sought him out. She would quite happily be taken hostage without even realising what was happening. It was imperative that he found her sooner rather then later.

<b>”I’m looking for someone. A female. Large. Silver in her colouring with long fur. About your age I think. Her name is Naira.”</b> he said whilst trying to catch his breath. His legs were on fire, protesting against any more wandering today but he simply could not rest, not until he knew that she was safe. <b>”I don’t suppose you’ve seen her on your travels?”</b> he continued on and allowed his grey gaze to meet her more natural coloured eyes, searching for answers and the truth. It wouldn’t surprise him if every wolf she bumped into, Naira would ask them to keep her location secret, especially if she was planning on running away. Her trail was going stale, he felt as if time was running out. Little did he knew she had simply gone out to collect herbs.

He took a moment to look at the female then. She was indeed a similar age to his Naira, but not quite as large. It was almost strange seeing a normal sized female, Naira was big, Athena was so very tiny. Both were <span class='word'>sylph</span> like in their own ways, but it meant that seeing an average height in a female was almost a relief to know they weren’t all either too big or too small. She had a good air about her, something kind perhaps in the way she had turned to help him. With any luck she’d have some information for him.
</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Apr 04, 2012, 09:11 AM by Rhysis.)

Some of her tension melted away as he immediately jumped into answering her. She tilted her head then and considered the scents and sights, but was certain she hadn't seen another wolf other than him since she arrived. He seemed near panicking and instead of telling him right off that she hadn't seen anyone, she controlled her alarm and looked around, as though the missing wolf would be just on the edge of the meadow. <b>"I will of course help you find her. Is she injured? Hasn't heard your howls... hmm." </b>

Elda looked back to his unusual gray eyes and then back the way he came. He seemed more exhausted than she was and she knew she didn't look all that great. It was clear that he had been traveling for quite a while and she was instantly concerned. What happened to this female? Was she in danger? Elda drew herself up, her puffed fur making her seem less underweight than before. Considering her many questions, she decided to keep quiet. He knew where her favorite places where, what she liked to do, and why she had run off. Elda was sensitive when it came to privacy and she wasn't about to step on anything she shouldn't with a stranger.

She tucked her ears and wagged her tail briefly. <b>"We'll find her."</b> She encouraged him companionably. <b>"Do you want to try howling for her together? Or splitting up? Where have you looked so far?"</b>

Gladly she moved to his side and was glad to forget her tiredness and hunger. It was nice to be around another wolf and having an opportunity to do something. She simply hoped that she wouldn't find the wolf dead or hurt. She didn't know how she would possibly handle a situation like that. With her tail up and her gaze flowing over the meadow she wondered if it may even be better to retrace his steps.

<blockquote> He was going out of his mind. As the stranger replied that she had not seen his female he felt another wave of exhaustion fall over him, so heavy did his limbs feel that his rear fell to the ground. Just a few minutes to rest. At the strangers suggestion, though helpful it might be, he shook his head. <b>”No... I cannot make her presence known by others. She might be in danger and letting others know she was lost and alone could bring her more trouble.”</b> he snapped, more to himself then to her. The entire situation was driving him mad; if he ever saw her again he was certainly going to find a way to tie her to a tree or trap her within her den so that she couldn’t go wandering off again. She had no idea of the dangers out there and if meant that she would be safe then he would take those drastic measures.

With a glance back to the female, he offered a shake of his head. <b>”Sorry. I shouldn’t be snapping at you. I’m just tired and frustrated.”</b> and on the brink of a rage, he could feel the red blood in him boiling with anger towards Naira and her stupidity. At times like this, he wondered why he put up with her, they were either arguing or so in love they couldn’t leave each others side- there was never an in-between moment for them. Their relationship was fierce, passionate and down right exasperating most of the time. Her offer to separate was kind enough, but it would be of no use, Naira could be anywhere and he didn’t want to get another wolf involved in her shenanigans. It was his business to bring her home... safely, he hoped.

<b>”Thank you for the offer, but I should find her alone. I’m sure you’re a busy wolf.”</b> he said before rising back to his four paws, despite how much they tried to protest he had to carry on. With another gaze over the female, he could only think of how similar her condition was to Ava when they had first met. Though the tyrant that he was told him to leave her be, she had been kind, and the influence Naira had on him was nagging him. <b>”No offense... but you don’t look in the best of shapes. I wouldn’t want to have you traipsing the land looking for a stranger.”</b> he said as he rolled the ground beneath his toes, preparing to leave once more. With a glance to the sky then before he looked back to her, he then spoke once more with his southern drawl. <b>”Maybe you can help me get something to eat- we can share it. I need the energy to carry on and you need some meat on your bones.”</b> he stated simply; not one for small talk, he always got to the point. Direct and grumpy, that was Rhysis all over.
</blockquote>

The situation was stressful and she wished she could do something to fix the problem, but she didn't know where to begin. She didn't know Naira's scent and only had a basic outline of what she looked like: big and silver. Elda sat unconsciously when the black stranger did and she sighed with her disappointment. That they couldn't even call for her made the fur on the back of her neck stand up again. What was this trouble he was talking about? Should she be wary? Suddenly she found herself not wanting to be alone one bit. Clearly there were some ruthless wolves out there if they were going after her. Or had she done something? Elda gave the wolf in front of her an assessing glance: Or had he? She shook her head and snapped out of it. It was bad to make assumptions.

<b>"No, it's alright. I understand."</b> She aimed an encouraging bump to his cheek with her nose and wagged her tail a little to try and cheer him up. <b>"My feelings aren't too easily hurt."</b> Which was kind of a lie, but she tried not to take everything to heart.

She tilted her head at him and her brow furrowed in a frown. <b>"Busy wolf? Oh no, not really. I just arrived here, I've been traveling for what feels like a season."</b> She noticed how difficult it was for him to pull himself to his paws and tried not to grimace as she did the same thing; her own paws were tender. Her tail was somewhat low as she saw that he was getting ready to head off and she was dejectedly wondering which way she would take when he informed her she was skin and bones. Elda blinked and her tail perked a little as he went on. She wriggled her body in a small dance of happiness that left her embarrassed and eager to ignore that it had just happened. <b>"Of course! I caught the scent of some deer over this way, I was going to try and find one when you called me."</b>

Elda leaped into a lope that was easy to keep up. She went to the furthest end of the meadow and slowed to a trot and then began sniffing after the trail. It was a thick scent and very fresh when she found it and began trailing it into the woods. She glanced occasionally at the stranger and recalled that she didn't know his name. Had she told him hers? Either way, it was better to be quiet right now. She could tell him later.

Please excuse the little PP! Feel free to move them along into the hunt with your next post if you like. :)

<blockquote> Rhysis wasn’t one for physical contact. It simply wasn’t acceptable and as her nose casually bumped his cheek, he wanted to snap at her... but exhaustion was setting in and he was so very tired, he simply didn’t even react. Feeling a little ill however, he pushed past the feeling as she agreed to help him hunt. A good meal. It would give him time to rest his limbs whilst he ate, and filling his belly would mean he could travel further into the lands to search for Naira. He had a strong suspicion of which way she went- back to the River wolves and the forest they dwelled in. If he bumped into one of the River wolves he would need his strength, a fight could occur and he would need to be in the best shape he could be- even if it was just to run and fight another day.

He was grateful she seemed to get down to business. As soon as she accepted the offer to hunt she was off, following her nose, clearly on the trail of something. He took a moment to just breathe before he strode after her, keeping her pace no matter how sore his legs felt. She seemed to know which way to go and too tired to disagree he simply followed her obediently. It seemed she had a good nose on her however, further into the forest the tell tale signs of a deer herd littered the land. Broken twigs, clumps of fur and scat lead them to a grazing herd. A few young grazed next to their mothers, the lead stag was further back than the rest but he kept his head high on alert. Luck would have it that they were downwind and moving slowly, silently allowed them to get ever closer.

Having never hunted with this female, Rhysis allowed her to take the lead. There were a few possible targets, but perhaps a doe with a fawn would be best- she’d worry to ensure her child’s safety and not her own, leaving room for error. He didn’t want to setup a formation that she didn’t understand but he was willing to adapt to anything needed of him. He was sure he knew every possible formation and with the added benefit of his intelligent mind, he would be able to work out the plays before they even happening. Without a sound, he waited for her direction.
</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Apr 05, 2012, 09:36 AM by Rhysis.)

<i>I didn't consider any of that PP, so it's no problem!</i>

When Elda had hunted with her old pack, it was often different wolves that took the position of leader. It simply depended on who was with who and what the situation was. When Elda hunted with her sisters and brothers, it was usually her making the decision. Luften had always been somewhat too easygoing to make quick decisions, he responded better when she gave him things to do. But he had known her signals and she hadn't needed to say a single word. It would be difficult working with a stranger who was just as tired as she was, but she would use his size and strength. He had kept up just fine, in any case.

She looked at him and tilted an ear, which expressed her mild uncertainty. She hoped she wouldn't get him hurt. Finally she decided to use dominant body language, as it would be the only way to communicate without drawing attention from the deer. She made her legs stiff and her head lifted a bit higher and she gave him the hard stare that she had received more than once in her life that meant “stay”.

If she could get her way somewhat behind them, she could drive a doe towards him. She didn't think either of them were up for a long chase, so it was either ambush or nothing. Elda was not burdened with thoughts of failure. There was only trying. Success always comes and goes. She moved away from him and skirted widely through the trees and quietly over the roots, rocks, and fallen branches to eventually and gradually bring her closer and closer. A few times she changed her mind and went further north as she wanted to scare a doe as straight as she could toward the stranger. Within the trees as she was, the wind didn't pass her scent along. But the deer were in the meadow.

Elda watched the deer carefully and patiently until the one she noticed moving somewhat stiffly as though sore, her fawn seemed newborn, lowered her head to nibble on grass. Her decision to leap was made for her as the buck stomped his hoof. Before the doe could lift her head, Elda was out of the bush and racing at an angling curve that would hopefully send the deer towards the stranger. The doe nearly tripped over herself as it leaped sideways and began running.

Was it the right way? She thought it was, but she couldn't see the stranger. Had he found cover? Hopefully she ran the deer almost over him. In the meantime she focused on getting close enough to leap on the deer's back or grab a thigh.

<blockquote>The silence between them was needed, and though it felt strange to take orders from a stranger now he had reign of his own pack, it had to be done. He could adapt to anything, take on any face, any persona, any order. The joys of being so intelligent made adaption for him like second nature and with her order to stay, he simply needed and moved himself to a denser area of shadows and scrub to conceal himself within. He was going to be bringing the animal down... he could only hope that his body would hold out for a little longer, give him enough energy to take down whatever ran his way.

Time stretched on. She was taking her time and rightly so, they only had surprise on their side at this moment. She wasn’t exactly in the best of health and whilst he might be fit and healthy, he was so very tired that this was going to be a one shot only deal. From the darkness where he hid, the ground began to shake. Beating with the rhythm of hooves as the terrified animals fled. Only then did he move forwards, his nose, ears and eyes working together to pick a target. As a flurry of movement flashed past him, he waited. Towards the back a doe, slower than the others ambled along. As she drew closer he leapt from the cover of shadows and landed squarely on her pack. It was times like these he was so grateful for his gangly long legs, it made hooking his claws into the animal that much easier.
With the surprise and the extra weight, the deer crashed to the side, landing awkwardly upon the floor. With a final burst of energy, he snapped his jaws around the creature’s neck, cutting off her air supply until the light died in her eyes and her screams and body fell still. His energy spent, he nearly collapsed onto the doe, but pushed himself to move to the side so that the female might dine as well. He might be a villain, but he had morals and ethics too. She had helped, she could eat. With nothing more to say, he tucked in to the flesh of the beast.
</blockquote>