Sheepeater Cliff the junkyard, the cemetary
i will pry his bony fingers free
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she stared up at the raw face of the cliffs, their surface cleaved and cracked with tumbled stone and impassable, sheer tracks. overhead she could hear the patter of cloven hoof on snow and ice -- and occasionally, she was awarded the rare glimpse of a shaggy head with ribbed horns.

the sheep were tantalzyingly out of reach, but it did not stop indra from observing them. she found the way they deftly leaped from sheer cliff-face to icy steppe incredible; had she tried her hand in such an endeavor she would surely plummet to her grave. she wondered how often, if ever, the ungulates miscalculated their leaps, but shook her head free of such a grim thought almost immediately.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
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#2
One thing for sure, surviving a snowstorm wasn't an easy feat. It took a level of energy and health that Blondine couldn't say she had. As she watched the sheep leap from cliff to cliff with a certain greed, she wondered what Glenville might think if she was to bring one of them back. The thought of his weak little smile, his excited yelps, it was enough to temporarily sate her own starvation. 

Not far off, she could see someone else doing the same thing — watching. Blondine scoffed and turned her head back, contemplating a strategy to maybe startle one of the sheep at the right time. If she was lucky, she might win herself a meal.
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#3
a scoff sounded and indra was snapped from her reprieve - she turned, spotting the thin frame of a woman several hundred yards away. something about the woman's features made indra think the cliffs, for all their rough and stony faces, held more warmth in a single ream of slab than that cold woman clad in her entire body.

she was not moved to hail the wolf, though she did offer a flicker of her tail in acknowledgment. it seemed the red wolf had some sort of plan devised, for she turned her head away from indra to view some unknown thing out of indra's sight.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
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Blondine wasn't too focused to notice that she'd been seen as well. The flick of the other woman's tail was noted with a short bark, loud enough to be heard but quiet enough to not startle, thus interrupting their show. There weren't any lambs this time of year but there would surely be some soon; even from where she stood, Blondine could clearly see just how swollen a few of them were. Back at home, these creatures had only been in tales told by Grandpa Grantville before his passing. He'd come from the mountains where they were everywhere, but Blondine wasn't too sure she believed it.

As one took a step, its hoof slipped just slightly and Blondine fell into a crouch, filled with anticipation. However, she was disappointed to see that it was able to regain its footing. How they did it, she wasn't too sure, and she wasn't too happy about it either.
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indra met the bark with a more enthused tail wag - she did not bark back, but her features became softer as she regarded the stranger. she was still reluctant to get too close, but it appeared the she-wolf was preparing for a hunt.

indra had mixed feelings on this - there was a reason the sorry girl was so skinny and weak, and it had little to do with her hunting capabilities. the girl simply had trouble killing. it was her conscience, not her claws, that governed her.

she eyed the ewe that had slipped, her stomach lurching as she witnessed it slip and then miraculously regain footing. above ice and rocks clattered down and indra leapt out of their way as they tumbled past her.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
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3 (1-5, he sticks the landing. 6-10, not so much)

It was a frustrating game that they were playing. Each time it looked like a small victory might be on the horizon, something would get in the way and boom, the hunters were back at zero. Blondine sighed and decided to try with her original idea. She sulked a bit to the side, out of visibility from both the prey and her partner where she continued to watch in silence. 

There was one in particular who she was interested in — a juvenile, it looked to be. While the others move quickly from surface to surface, this one seemed more hesitant, inexperienced. It interested Blondine, the way that he moved; it was as if he was injured, almost. And if that was the case, she didn't feel bad about what was happening at all.

Just as he went for another move, Blondine barked a short but piercing call, hoping to give just enough of a distraction...
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#7
wanting to look away, but unable to do so, indra's rapt gaze followed the red wolf's to a yearling with a strange, almost affected gait. she knew then that would be their quarry, for any animal not healthy and hale had a life that was a wolf's to take.

she swallowed, still not entirely thrilled with the idea of killing - she knew meat was not without provenance, but often she preferred her meals in the form of carrion. for if it had not been her to fell the animal, her conscience was clean.

the sheep slipped and for a moment it looked as if he would surely tumble wildly down the sheer stones. somehow, he managed to scrabble for purchase along the stony incline. indra turned her attention back to the wolf , unsure of how to proceed. she was surely the worst hunting partner in the history of hunting partners, possibly ever.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
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#8
3 (same rules)

At this point, it was safe to say Blondine had lost her appetite for any sort of mountain game. For Christ's sake! she called out, her tail lashing as she grunted out her anger. You seeing this? she asked the stranger with a frown and an aghast expression. How could a beast cheat death twice? Twice! And back to back, at that! Blondine sucked her teeth and decided that she would try one last time. If it didn't work, then she was done for the day; she'd let starvation take her before some prey made a fool of her.

Okay Blondine, she whispered as she settled back into position, You got this. As the same sickly juvenile made his step, Blondine pulled the same stunt, this time with a bit more of a theatric approach. She barked, snarled, and jumped all in the sheep's direction hoping praying that the stone would give.
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#9
lmao im sorry indra is so pathetic

once again the woman tried her luck against the sheep -- and once again, her efforts were rebuffed by the fates. indra watched carefully, wary of the snag that the sheep precariously stood upon.  it was stressed, and its bleats sounded through the chilled air. as close as it was, it was desparately out of reach and the two wolves would have to wait for fortune to favor them or for the sheep to descend before they could do much of anything else.

sticking to her terrible-hunting-partner role, indra tried a few half-hearted leaps of her own, trying to spook the sheep from its perch. her efforts were short lived, as energy was precious here -- and as one who did not eat much, indra had precious little energy to spare.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
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#10
There would be no sheep dinner tonight. Not that Blondine cared much anymore; she was ready to move on, since there was clearly nothing interesting happening anytime soon. The only thing that still peaked her interest was the girl with the weak leaps and the clearly malnourished frame. Blondine watched her a little more intensely this time as she mimicked the lunges and leaps in an attempt to coax the sheep down from its ledge. Bless her heart, she sighed quietly as she started over.

No use, Blondine called, I doubt we'll be making much more progress anytime soon. We're on his terf. He knew the terrain better than they did, and since neither was really in proper hunting condition, the goal was a bit too high (literally). What's your name?
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indra was relieved when the woman called to her, for her attempts at sheep-assassination had been half-hearted. already she was tired, so she turned to the female - her expression mixed between apprehension and interest but without malice.

it was true they were on the sheep's playground -- they lacked the dexterity and confidence the ungulates displayed. perhaps they would be luckier another day.

"i'm indra." she offered, folding her limbs into a supine position. "what about you?"
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
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#12
Indra. It was a unique name, for sure; nothing like she'd ever heard before. Blondine Abernathy, she said with a certain pride. It was a name that came with a strong background (so far as she'd been told; the truth might have broken her spirits completely) and as such, it deserved to be declared rather than muttered. I never seen one of these back at home, Blondine said with a turn of her head toward the sheep, I'll get one before I go. I'll bring back the horns for Grantville. He'll love 'em.

I guess you never got one? If India did know how to catch one, then she was doing a horrible job of sharing.
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#13
there was a pride evident in her companion's voice that brought a small smile struggling to indra's lips - it was enviable, and it was admirable. indra wished she could profess her name in such a fashion -- but all it did was bring painful memories to the surface.

she looked up at the sheep above, safe from their grasp and far from concerned by their presence. the sheer face of the cliff was intimidating and the sheep butted and frolicked as if unconcerned by the possible plummet.

"never," she admitted, though in truth it was her fault she had yet to taste them -- she simply had no appetite for killing. "sometimes if you're lucky they fall and you'll see buzzards or crows around. you could climb up there yourself, but that's their world -- not ours -- i'd be afraid of the outcome, myself."
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
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#14
sorry sorry sorry

Well, I ain't afraid of nothing, Blondine proclaimed with a smile, I'll climb up there one day. Then I'll go lookin' for you and we can share the prize. There was something about this girl that she liked; something about her was a reminder of the stories her father would tell about Momma Quinnie. She was a reserved woman, never too out of her way, but you couldn't miss her, no matter how hard you tried. I like you, Indra, she said with a wide grin, I'd like to see you again, if circumstances allow.
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#15
don't be! indra's my casual char <3

the female's bold statement evinced a small smile from indra, who cast one last look at the skyborne goats before returning her gaze earthward. the woman's next words took her by surprise, and softly she peered at her as if second-guessing what she had heard. her mouth moved wordlessly for a moment before a genuine and warm smile trickled out: "i like you too, blondine abernathy." and indra truly did -- there was something about blondine that seemed real and transparent -- not like the other wolves which indra always believed held a motive somewhere in their quiet hearts.

"that would be nice. i'm staying in the valley, with my sister and her friend. you could visit sometime, i'm sure."
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.
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Blondine grinned and gently nudged Indra's shoulder. I think I will. Expect to see me in a little while, after I get a chance to do some more looking around. She gave a courteous nod before turning to depart, though not before offering up a reassuring wink to her newest companion.
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#17
<3 thanks for the thread

indra shouldered the nudge affectionately, a happy smile surfacing to her dark gums. for once in her life, her troubles seemed momentarily suspended -- she watched with a fondness as the lithe woman made her exit. indra hoped genuinely she would have the luck to come across the female again -- she watched until blondine was no longer visible -- and then she turned and picked her way back to the den where she and laurel had made rendezvous.
now the wren has gone to roost and the sky is turning gold,
and like the sky, my soul is also turning.