Wapun Meadow Success Comes To Those Who Persevere

The dark male had come to the valley a few days previously, having dropped down from the mountains towering above. His body, which had been hunger ridden, was regaining some of it's former strength. The prey was plentiful in the meadow, and the hungry male had wasted no time taking advantage of the fact. Now, after a few days of good hunting, his frame finally had some meat on it again. His mind had cleared, and his eyes had regained their former luster. Hunger had finally relaxed it's cruel grip.

Shadowfur trotted south, still limping slightly after his collision with a boulder in the mountains. His shoulder had healed well, but it still ached now and then if he pushed it too much. However, it wasn't unbearable.

The male had been keeping to the northern edges of the meadow. He had caught scent of pack borders near the forest at the southern end upon arrival, and had promptly turned north. Now however, he had inadvertently wandered farther south than he had intended. His focus was zeroed in on the rabbit he was tracking, and he had ended quite close to the pack's borders. It was only when a strong wind gust sprung up that the male stopped and realized how far south he had come. However, the rabbit was tantalizingly close, and shadowfur was hardly going to let it escape.

With all the crazy things gone and done with, Minna found it a relief to do something as menial as patrolling the borders. It was a simple, easy task, calming and comforting. She ought to go scouting again soon, if she was truly lucky Leto might come with her. Yes, that would be nice. Like a vacation. 

It was then that a familiar scent reached the female, causing her to pause and consider the scent briefly. Yep, definitely worth investigating. She turned away from her lands and travelled outward, tracking the scent as it slowly became stronger. 

It's source was a dark male, and suddenly something clicked. "Shadowfur?" she called, unsure. But it made sense, and she took a step forward calling again. This time, she startled something, a rabbit, that made it's way straight toward the dark male.

Shadowfur stalked closer to the rabbit, preparing to leap out at any moment. His tail twitched slightly in the grass, and his paws kneaded the ground in anticipation. Suddenly, a voice rang out, calling his name. For a second, his attention was diverted, and he looked away from his prey. But his head quickly whipped around when he heard the rabbit running towards him. the dark male quickly sprung up from his hiding place and leapt towards the rabbit, who was running to fast to avoid him. The male's fangs gleamed as they caught the sunlight before sinking into the neck of his prey.

He quickly dispatched the rabbit and tore off a chunk of meat to eat. He ate leisurely, for without the fear of starvation, he could take his time. Then, he looked for whomever had called to him. His eyes soon spotted the female, and her scent was familiar. It took a moment, but eventually he recognized her. "Minna," he blurted out, surprised. He hadn't seen her in a while, and knew she had returned to her pack. Had he really come so far north? "How are you, how have you been?"

Sorry for the wait!

The startled rodent gave her a bit of a start, though she recovered quickly. Shadowfur was quick to catch the rodent, tearing into the meal a moment before speaking. She didn't mind, she knew the loner life was hard, and she did not ask to share nor did she interrupt him. It was definitely Shadowfur, for he greeted her by name and asked of her.

She smiled, for truly, she was happy. Her best-friend, sister in law, was Beta, and though the pack was small, they had overcome much hardship and discovered the loyalty they had for each other. Lilith made her uneasy still, but luckily her scent had faded from the territory and she had probably taken her leave. "Things are...great, Shadowfur. The famine is behind us, I have a mate, now, and my pack thrives. What of you?"

OOC: (It's fine)

Shadowfur wiped the blood from his muzzle as he sat and listened to Minna. She seemed to be in much better shape than when they had last met. And her demeanor was much more at ease. She confirmed his observations, saying that life had been well. He breathed a sigh of relief at the mention of the famine. "Indeed, we are blessed that the famine has ended. Had it gone on, many more lives would have been claimed."

His ears flicked slightly in surprise at the mention of a mate. She seemed very pleased about the fact. He could understand, or at least he once did. "Congratulations Minna." He wouldn't ask for details, it wasn't his place. Then she asked of what had gone on for him. "It's been...fine. Life's been rough on me at times, but this meadow has sustained me." he sat for a moment, thinking, before returning to the rabbit. He trotted back over, offering a piece to the female.

At his congratulations, she dipped her head, gaze sparkling. "Thank you, Shadowfur." she said, happiness evident in her voice. He trotted toward her, offering her a piece of his catch, but she politely declined. "Thank you, Shadowfur, but I'm stuffed. Really, it's your catch, don't feel the need to share it with me." she smiled, observing the male. "How has the loner life been treating you?" she asked, curious to how he had been all these weeks.

At her denial of his offering, he nodded respectfully. "Very well, but if you want some, you need only ask." He certainly wasn't going to insist or force it upon her. He offered a smile in return as she asked about how his life had been recently. "Oh, there's been ups and downs" he said vaguely. He didn't want to reveal the extent of his hunger a few days ago, nor the fight with the other wolf in the mountains. "I've just been roaming northeast, looking for a meal. Spent some time up in the mountains, but I decided I would probably have better pickings here in the valley." He bent down and took a quick bite out of the rabbit before speaking again.

"So, how has your pack been faring? If I remember correctly, you were in quite a hurry to get back to them when we last met." He smiled to take the sting out of his words. But he was curious. Maybe, just maybe, he might consider joining.