Neverwinter Forest Le Chat Noir

Y'all come meet the Shrike!!

Partridges. Though they probably weren't the top pick for most wolves, Shrike thoroughly enjoyed hunting them down. Of course, it was easier in the springtime, when the hen would do the 'wounded wing' act to lead a predator away from her chicks before taking off into the air at the last moment, and he'd learned by now to forgo hunting her altogether and merely look for the hidden chicks. By now, they were grown up and flying, but dumb still. Not that Shrike felt many birds were clever at all- ironic, of course, given the fact that he was named after a bird. But he'd only seen a Shrike a couple of times, and as devious as the medium-sized 'butcher birds' were, he figured at least he was named after a semi-clever one. 

He'd caught one in the morning and had stashed it away, and expelled air with a rough chuff as he hit the ground, bird still flapping in his mouth having caught a second just as the sun set. Not a bad haul, catching two partridges in one day. He silenced it, and took off at a trot, heading to the place where he'd buried the first, and would pick from them later if he got hungry. He was reminded, sadly, of the day he'd taught Eljay how to hunt partridges, but did his best to push that memory aside. He couldn't dwell, he told himself, as he trotted through the woodland toward his cache. He had to move on and move forward with his life.

Kaskara hadn't seen her brother, her alpha, in days. Perhaps weeks. She worried for him, but also for the pack, as Eshe had also gone in search of Rannoch. While Kas wanted - yearned, really - to help, she couldn't very well leave Neverwinter unattended. So she bided her time, patrolling the borders, checking on caches, being with her family.

It was nearing dusk on her last patrol of the day when she saw an unfamiliar wolf carrying his kill ahead. Allure had mentioned some staying with them until Scimitar could return to accept him fully. Kas thought personally that she could do the honors, though she wasn't beta any longer - her brother would not begrudge her that. Was this the wolf her niece had mentioned? Hello there, she called across the short distance, dipping her muzzle in greeting.

Breath ruffling the feathers of the bird he carried, Shrike had missed the scent of another wolf nearby, and stopped, one forefoot dangling in the air and ears perked when someone greeted him. He caught sight of the female whose warm voice had greeted him, and he promptly lowered his head to place the bird on the ground, trying as inconspicuously as possible to spit out the few feathers that had gotten stuck to his tongue before he lifted his head to be level with his shoulders, and bob it in a friendly greeting. His tail swayed, relaxed, at his ankles. "Hullo," He said, and left the bird on the ground where he'd placed it to pad toward her and close the distance. 

He'd caught her scent along the borders and determined she was likely a long-time member of the pack. "I'm Shrike. I'm new...Staying with Allure," He said, by way of an explanation. He assumed all the wolves in the pack would know that Scimitar had not been seen for days, and that no other wolf held a rank high enough to accept him officially. The female before him was stocky, not possessing the lithe, feminine frame of Allure, but the sliver of teal in her eye gave him a clue as to who she might be. He'd been told names, and knew there weren't many other wolves in the pack, so he felt relatively comfortable with his assumption. "Are you Kaskara?" He asked, pulling forth the name from his stockpile of names he'd memorized when they'd been spoken to him.

Kaskara noted the way he moved, setting the bird on the ground and closing the distance between them, bobbing his head in greeting. She noted the grace and certainty, and smiled at the mention of her niece's name. Ah, she told me about you. It's a pleasure to meet you, Shrike. Before she could introduce herself, he asked if she was Kaskara, and the former beta nodded. Aye, that's me. Kas's attention flickered from him to the bird and back again, wondering if he was hunting for himself, for Allure, or for the pack as a whole.

She wasn't hungry at the moment, but she did appreciate that he could hunt for them, especially now that her husband and brother were nowhere to be found. How do you know Allure? Kaskara was a family woman through and through, and worried about her nieces and nephews as much as her own children. Kas was simply curious about where they'd met and how they'd come to know each other.

So Allure was talking about him? Despite the seriousness that had been so rampant in his life, and all the recent tragedies, this thought proved to lift his spirits considerably. Allure was telling her relatives about him! Of course, he overlooked the fact that Allure would likely have to explain his presence in the pack, but he'd be damned if he didn't hear warmth in Kaskara's tone when she said his name, and she'd smiled. That was enough to hint to Shrike that yes, Allure was talking about him and she must have been saying good things as well. He immediately liked both Allure and Kaskara more- the former for obvious reasons, and the latter because obvious, she'd been told good things about him, so he would have to keep his reputation up. 

"Nice to meet you!" He said, like a child who has been praised for the drawing they just had put up on the refridgerator. Indeed, it was nice to meet Allure's family; he intended, whole-heartedly, to integrate himself and prove his worth to them above all others. It was a pity Scimitar wasn't around, and couldn't see him hunting and patrolling the borders...That was who Shrike really wanted to impress. 

He sat down then, and having noticed her eyes trail to the bird, he flicked his ears forward. "You want it?" He asked, willing to find Allure something else later, if he needed to. She'd asked how he'd met Allure, and he was happy to oblige. "She used to live in the Caldera, as did I." He said, gesturing by habit in the direction in the pack. "She'd left quite some time ago, to be with family. When one of our pups went missing, I went out searching for her- Lucy. I'm told she was here for a bit...Well, I came looking, and found Allure here, though I was too late to find Lucy. Allure and I have been searching a lot for Lucy. And Rannoch," He added, given that both pups needed to be found. Kaskara had asked how he'd met Allure, not why he'd left his former pack. Should she ask, he'd tell her the same story- the truth- he'd told others, as it pained him less and less.

Oh, no thank you. I appreciate the offer, though. Kas smiled, dipping her head slightly. I also appreciate that you can hunt birds. With winter coming and all these mouths to feed, you'll be invaluable. Kaskara was decent at hunting small game and fish, but sometimes birds were the only option available, and given her larger stature, she wasn't built for that kind of speed. When he began recounting how he and Allure met, Kaskara again nodded, remembering when they'd returned to the wilds and Allure was living among the caldera wolves.

It wasn't long before she came to the forest, though, and it seemed she had brought along a friend, even if it was months apart. I'm glad you're here, helping us search for the children. I've tried, but every trail leads to a dead end. It was one of the shames she carried, though it wasn't her fault. It seemed the world conspired against them. My mate, Kieran, is out searching for them now. Kaskara had taken her turn, but found nothing. Now she remained at home with her children, so Kieran and Scimitar could go out again. It had seemed a fruitless search so far. Do you plan to stay with us long?

Shrike grinned inwardly when Kaskara mentioned the fact that he hunted birds. "Thank you. I like birds." He said, in a cheerful voice. They were tough to catch sometimes, but Shrike thoroughly enjoyed charging forward and then leaping up to try and grab one of the feathery things before it could get too high off the ground. When done successfully, it took less energy than chasing down a rabbit, which could maneuver this way and that. All Shrike had to do was sneak up close enough to the birds, dash a short distance and jump, and he'd become quite good at developing that skill. Kaskara didn't want the bird, so he decided then to take it back to Allure. 

His ears turned back, then, when Kaskara admitted her defeat in tracking the lost children. He nodded slightly, as he had had the same results. She mentioned her mate and his mouth opened slightly as he nodded, and wanted to say something to the effect of that he hoped Kieran would come back soon- with the pups- but it would have been redundant to say so as he knew Kaskara felt the same. He was slightly surprised by her question, but ended up nodding. "Yes." He said. "Once Scimitar comes back, Allure said I would become an official member of the pack." He said. "Resident bird hunter." He said jokingly.

Kaskara was pleased to hear that he would be staying with them. Bird hunter or no, it was always good to have trustworthy and hardy wolves in the pack. Kas didn't know Shrike well, but from this conversation alone, she could tell he was a good fellow. I'm glad you'll stay. She sighed, not knowing what to tell him. I don't know when he'll return, but as his sister and former beta, I welcome you in. Even if it won't be official, I know my brother will honor my word, and Allure's wishes, too. She smiled, wondering what type of wolf this one was. He was good and loyal, it seemed, but what else? Tell me more about yourself, bird hunter. She used the title jokingly, hoping he wouldn't be offended.

Without having to do much, he seemed to have gained Kaskara's approval, and it meant the world to him. This was the alpha's sister, after all, and Allure's aunt- therefore it was important that Shrike impress her and gain her trust if he was ever to be worthy of courting her neice. It was too soon to make his intentions known, of course, as he hoped to establish himself as a friend of the family before he began to ask questions or make proposals. Time was needed, and time was exactly what he had- though if it was as simple to gain the trust of all Allure's family members as it had been with Kaskara, it might not take as long as he'd originally thought. 

"Thank you, Kaskara. That means a lot." He stated, tone genuine and sincere. She asked him about himself, and the first thing he thought of, naturally, was his exile from Redhawk Caldera- but he didn't want to tarnish his reputation just after he'd made a good one. Her nickname caused him to smile, and come up with something else to talk about. "Well. I like to scout, and guard." He said. "I've...I've got good experience tracking down those who need to be found," He said, albeit somewhat istfully, as he hadn't managed to find Lucy yet, and his one successful mission had ended up with the death of his target, even though that had been the plan all along. "Come from a big family...Like to swim..." He said, beginning to struggle with things to say. He laughed softly. "What would you like to know?' He asked, hoping she might have something in particular to ask him.

Thanks for being patient. <3 Would you like to close this thread and have a new one?

As she'd aged, Kaskara found herself gauging character much more quickly than she'd had in her youth. That meant that although there were still some wolves that slipped by, most of the ones she admired and respected continued to earn that respect. When he spoke about himself, he spoke in terms what he liked to do, not necessarily what kind of wolf he'd been and would like to become. But he was young, and what he offered was enough answer for her. Just generally what kind of wolf you are. I can tell you're active and curious, and an adventurer to some extent. She smiled softly. A family wolf, much like me. I'm looking forward to getting to know you better, Shrike.

A family wolf.

With a pang of grief, he felt those words hit his heart like a mallet. He recalled the conversation he'd had with Peregrine regarding family, and how he had once been somewhat standoffish with his own family growing up. His sisters had always pestered him, knowing he didn't particularly like or need attention, but Peregrine had told him that one day he'd find himself wanting and needing a family...Had that day come so soon? His feelings for Allure were as true and pure as could be- and here he was, trying his best to please her aunt, and get in her good books so he could eventually work his way into their family. He'd become a family wolf, that was for sure. The compliment warmed him deeply and he bowed his head in appreciation. 

"Thank you, Kaskara, that means a lot to me. I look forward to getting to know you better as well." He said. They departed, then, each going their own way, and Shrike left with a happy, glowy feeling that made him feel as though things were finally coming together.