Alpine Lake ghengis khan

@Ragna

On they traveled, the lumbering herd of ungulates. He urged his wives and offspring farther and harder in the search of greenery to satiate their collective, interminable appetite. In truth, he was quite proud of the lot of them: most of the youths [a network of offspring fathered solely by him] did not balk at the challenge of constant travel and instead welcoming the chance to move their gangly set of limbs. In fact, one of Marlowe’s greatest happiness was to watch them lift their legs uncharacteristically high to step through the smudging of snow. Marlowe, with his strong sinewy legs, could easily bulldoze his way through the snow and did so often, nipping at his children’s hindquarters to urge them ever forward.

Though they were happy, the harem was not without its share of issues.  One of his elder wives fell prey to a lurid deerstalker last week and he continued to grieve her deeply. She had been at his side since the beginning; when he were a feisty colt with an entirely undeserved sense of bravado. For the few days after the murder Marlowe found himself unable to leave the carcass, unworried and unmoved the fanged group which feasted nearby. He was not afraid of those canines, especially now that they had been placated with the meat of one of their own.  Eventually the harem moved on and continued their thunderous travels, no worse for wear.

They reached a lake; a placid, jeweled body of water; not yet frozen. They were thirsty. Fresh water surrounded them in abundance, but their instincts told them to leave the snow be — their bodies did not need to chill from the inside as well as the outside. So, when they herd reached this lake, the group buzzed with excitement and moved towards it, enlivened. Marlowe assumed his position as first to the drink, coercing several of his women to yield their position the water to his royalty. His rack affording him a wide berth and the chocolate brute drank deeply.

Many pregnancies meant many new mouths to feed and fewer hunters to feed them. With Giana and Arunik'ra near their due dates and Asherah still nursing, that left only Ragna and a handful of others to hunt. They could continue to hunt small game, but Ragna thought their time and energy was better spent hunting large game. Ragna thought to organize a small hunting party, but she first wanted to locate a suitable target. The nearest herd had not yielded any particularly likely targets, though there were young among them that would suit their needs.

From the fields beyond the copse's reach Ragna traveled towards the lake, which she was pleased to find was yet unfrozen. The wind carried the scent of a nearby herd, and the shieldmaiden immediately set to follow it. The winding nature of the lake's shore made this take far longer than she wished, but soon she found herself within sight of the herd. She was not here to startle them, nor to make them suspicious, so she drew as close as she dared and dipped her head to the water to drink as well.

She used this opportunity to survey them, looking for the weak and old among them, those deer which would provide the best opportunity. In her search she found a large bull, his rack an impressive sight to see. For a moment she fantasized about bringing him down and taking his antlers back as a gift to Molech, but she knew that to face the bull alone was suicide. And so she watched, searching among the herd for a likely target.

Marlowe drank deeply but his chestnut eyes stayed moving, constantly scanning just at the horizon of his vision. It was not hard to find the creature that stooped low at the waters edge, lapping at the frigid waters. It was one of those beasts, the ones who hunted and maimed and killed. That might be a harsh judgement for an animals that simple sought refreshment, but Marlowe knew better to let his guard down when in the presence of a predator. He had much experience with their kind.

He lifted his massive head, albeit only slightly, and regarded the shewolf closely. Marlowe allowed his does to drink for a moment longer before stopping them abruptly with a stamp of his thick, sinewed leg. It was time to move on. In the expanse of these wilds, his harem need not share space with even one of those vile creatures.

In one solid movement the brute lifted his head and swung his large form around, signaling his movement with a guttural bleat. The herd responded in turn, mothers pushing their children forward with warm, blunted noses. They had become somewhat agitated once the presence of the predator was realized and were all too happy to oblige. He let them file away, lumbering along to the next body of water that may cross their path. But Marlowe stood back, unable to tear his regal gaze from the wolf. The sultan would stand guard until his family were a safe distance away and he felt they were secure enough for him to follow.

The icy water was bracing. Ragna feigned drinking for long after she finished, but gave up pretending as the buck stomped. Apparently the herd was moving on. Patient, Ragna sat upon the bank and watched as he raised his great head. Again, Ragna considered what a prize he would make, though in the same unbidden thought she imagined his antler piercing her chest, parting muscle and tissue with ease. She shook her head to clear the image and took off after the herd at an easy lope.

The does and young were filing away, but the buck remained, watching her with wide, dumb eyes. She did not move much closer, for fear of provoking him, but she would not let the herd travel too far before she followed in earnest. Once the deer were moving as a herd, he would not be able to focus on all of them.