King Elk Forest Funny old world

SUCH ROOD (and dramatic!) WOLVES INDEED, HOMG.  :D  I knew Grimeye had actual good reasons not to trust them buried...er...somewhere. ...Apparently for that tho u git megapost: three sentences bloomed into three paragraphs and more today, lol. We'll see if it looks as long as it does on Wolf proper as it felt like it was trying to get while writing.

She was no longer much of a huntress of anything much bigger than a mole, really, but the delicious scent of elk beckoned to her anyway. She shook her head at her own foolishness as she swung into the shadows of the trees, but maybe she'd get lucky and find a lost and unwary calf or an arthritic old fogey ready to topple over, right? Sure... If only such sarcasm could serve as spice for her meals.

But just as important as the scents of potential prey were those of potential predators, or at least rivals: there was wolfsign scattered here and there, but thankfully it seemed to be old, stale, and fading. Perhaps that was why the scent of elk was so richly thick, surmised Grimeye as she snuffed inquiringly at a tree before backing off a few steps and leaving her own mark more subtly. If those who would eat them had moved out it made all the more sense that the eaten would move right back in and claim the place as a haven for their own. These hopeful signs didn't stop Grimeye from keeping her eye and ears a-roving as she skulked beneath the shadowy canopy, however. Better to be too wary than too reckless, after all, and even an angry elk could pack a pretty significant punch to a canine who ventured too close, too carelessly.

She spotted a calf that was keeping wisely close to its mother—and was given a stern look of warning from said mother—along with a few other more-scattered individuals, and one closeknit trio. Nothing that looked especially promising or easy a catch, but then, she'd pretty much expected as much. That didn't stop her shoulders from hunching up in disgruntlement and her ears laying further back in irritation as she trotted past the long uneven rows of trees and hooved beasties to either side. She spotted a mother with twins, too, who looked more promising, but even as Grimeye slunk carefully into the shadow of one forest giant to take a closer look, the stupid young thing bleated in sudden terror as a large butterfly flitted up and startled it, and Grimeye watched in disgust as its twin also picked up its heels and started a racket, which got the whole lot of elk alarmed for what seemed to her miles around. They settled back down a short distance away, but more watchfully this time, and Grimeye gave it up as a bad job. She did halt several steps further, though, as a looming shadowy figure deeper in the trees turned his enormous head to regard the youngsters with nearly as much superior disdain as the coywolf herself. Grim's solitary eye widened at the shadowy figure, only half-glimpsed among the thick woods; if the profile and horns were any indication, this was the largest elk she had ever seen, by far. Suddenly she felt rather glad that she hadn't made an attempt on either youngster, if this behemoth was the father who may have come to defend them... Grimeye began a stiff and careful retreat, keeping her paws to the soft mossy patches as much as possible as she slowly backpedaled, only to be just as startled as the herd of elk were by a sudden low howl.

Grimeye sunk her body closer to the ground and froze where she was, as a rangy adolescent elk went flying past close enough for her to see the rolling whites of its eyes. There was a terrific noise from the direction in which she had seen the other ungulates, but when things settled down a few moments later and Grim at last ventured another look, the mother, the twins, their brethren and the breathtaking giant she had just barely seen had all disappeared. The coywolf grimaced, and curved off through the trees at an oblique angle, senses alert this time for the noise's source. If a new pack was moving in here then Grimeye would certainly make herself scarce...but when she at last crept up to peer through the greening underbrush out toward what looked to be the farther edge of the forest, neither sight nor scent nor sound gave any further indication that there was anyone there save this lone black figure wending his way into the forest now. The male wolf seemed to be holding his peace for now, and gazing around in a manner that indicated he himself perhaps wasn't quite sure what he was seeking or where within these concealing trees, either. Grimeye watched him for a moment before swaying wide of the thorny patch of brush and circling around more into the open, wide of the wolf's far side.

Looking for someone? She cocked her head at the stranger, tilting one ear consideringly. Or do you always announce your presence to all the prey far and wide? She smiled at him oversweetly.