cooking up a dream

gamekeeper / moose quest thread :3

There was no time to sulk over Ptarmigan's words. She had been highly annoyed at the black bitch's words but there was nothing she could do at the moment. Even if the plan of challenging back the Alpha was still present in her mind, she had put it off for the moment. She had to give time for her wounds to heal, and besides she had a certain feeling that the bitch would fail to reign on her own. That she would soon fall without any intervention.
Like a viper, Cara was just waiting for the right moment to strike.

After said meeting, the pale yearling had stormed off the lands, her mind set on finding something to eat quietly by the Spine's slopes. There was a particular thing mentioned in the meeting that had sticked to the young girl's brain. Winter was just around the corner, and after the changes in leadership they had lost a good chunk of the pack. And while less members equaled less mouths to feed it also meant less working paws.

The Frost Queen Beta ran across the border, zig zagging erratically until a faint scent of moose reached her nose. She licked her lips at the thought of the animal's meat. Moose was a hard prey to take down but its meat was both a delicacy and long-lasting. Just what they needed.

With the wheels in her head turning, she began to follow the trail, hoping to find and study the herd. She had to make sure first that the herd was numerous and that it had weak members that her hunting party could take down --the plan of taking them to the Ouroboros would come later.

He too had taken stock of the moose that had recently come into the area. Mordecai's quiet adventures outside of their borders hadn't turned up much in the way of game, but his arrival back into the wide hunting grounds of the Spine had turned them up. He kept tabs on them over a day or two, but it wasn't really until Ptarmigan had said anything about penning them in their territory that he considered doing anything. Their ranks had thinned, and as it were he felt he saw less and less of those who had been around to help with tracking and catching game.

However, he had taken up tracking after Cara when her trail rose ahead of his own. He brought his pace up to something more brisk. If she was after the moose, then he would join her. It didn't take him long to catch up with her, nor long to discern that she was trailing after the herd. “Cara,” he called out to her, readily closing their distance. He had no idea how she would respond to him, given his meets with Ptarmigan, but took the chance of coming in close to the young beta. “Need a hand tracking the moose?” Still, he would offer first, and if she drove him away then he would do his own tracking.

Even if Cara's light colored pelt still popped out against the autumn foliage, she still moved with such stealth that made her almost impossible to peg her down. Her olan was to sneak upon the herd, not to gain their attention or to attempt a hunt but to simply sit back and watch them. Then she would figure out the game plan.

Unfortunately, while she was planning everything on her head she forgot to check if she was alone. Mordecai's voiced reached her ears and even if at first she wanted curl her lip back at him and spit traitor! in his face, she didn't. She simply turned her face to see him, her eyes cold and indifferent. She had been hurt that he had shown sympathy towards the ursurper and her stupid minion.

After their not at all deep conversation by the lake she had expected him to side with her. Screw family ties, that's what she thought. (But that could be because all of the family she had ever cared for had already died).

The yearling had to clench her jaw to avoid her viperine tongue to lash out at him.She needed him on her side if she was to take back what was hers. "Mordecai," she barked with a flick of her tail, "If you want to help, be my guest" she barked then softnening her tone. Maybe if they spent some time together she would be able to see his true colors.

Haha, I wondered how Cara would react towards him! Love it.

He caught the look in her eyes and almost gave pause. The words were loose from his mouth now; he couldn't take them back and let her go on her way. It was a look he could have sworn that he recognized, though the reasoning that he saw was much different. That look had been the same one he recalled his father giving when he realized there was nothing he could do to stop Mordecai from venturing out into the world. His own gaze hardened for a moment, but it subsided. He could not falter her for how she felt, because it was just. He did not expect her to understand wherein his sympathies lied, or how he had chosen to deal with the situation.

But it wasn't a picture perfect disintegration into acceptance. While he acknowledged his ties to Ptarmigan and Viggo and shared them, he was reluctant to accept her leadership. Though as he closed that distance between himself and Cara, he made no move to bend to her will either. He was unhappy with all of it, and it was made clear. Mordecai had little desire to be thrust into politics, though even that seemed to be an inevitability. “I'd be glad to. The caches are coming along pretty well, but I don't think I'll be satisfied until we've stuffed this place full,” he mentioned, bringing a toothy smile to his face. He tried to muster some good will between them, and the fair wave in his tail suggested such. No, he didn't expect her to be happy with him, but he wanted the cooperation all the same.

The yearling's pale eyes focused hard on his face, even if she didn't stand as the Alpha she still carried herself as the Queen she was. But despite her stoic mannerisms and her ice-cold glares she still showed a bit of sympathy for the wolf. Just because he had been there for almost as long as her. He had met Jinx and Lecter, he was not some retard who waltzed in thinking he was the shit. And besides, when she had been mourning for Jinx, he had given her his shoulder to cry on.

"Then let's get going" she barked while tipping her snout to the side. A little demon standing on her shoulder whispered curse words in her ears, it urged her to interrogate the male about his views on the new leadership. But she abstained, knowing that if she did their hunting trip would be ruined. She still had no idea of the blood ties the black bitch at the throne shared with her packmate.

And perhaps it was better that she did not know. Family had lost it's meaning the day her father had died. Without a mother to awkwoledge, and no more relatives (aside from her sisters) to turn to, she had decided that she was alone in the world. The only reason she still carried her last name was to honor her father. Her noble hero, Freud Moretti.

His words did little to lighten the mood, and her brusque response only affirmed that fact. Still, he fell into step behind her, letting her lead the way. She made no mention of the things that had come to light and neither would he. There was little point in bringing it up, not because he feared the ruin of their hunt, but because he did not anticipate his own reaction to it. He expected someone to have something to say at some point, but it wouldn't be him who cast the first stone.

First and foremost to Mordecai then, however, was their survival was a whole. Though the pack was undeniably splintered for the time being, and the deserters from their ranks high, there were still enough of them to say that they were a pack. Not a duo or a trio, certainly not a quartet. They were a pack and if he could, he would subtly draw them to work together. It was simply the way that they had to be. Within a few moments of silence, the thoughts of her reactions had sank to the back of his mind, and his eyes saw beyond her to the terrain ahead. He watched for the elk, but also for the other dangers that could have lurked within their diverse landscape.

Cara continued to slink through the land, her tail brushing the ground occasionally as she stalked the elk ahead, keeping her body close to the ground, her shoulders hunched over and her ears pinned back. Even if their mission didn't consist on actual hunting, the yearling kept her body poised for ambush.

Inside the yearling's mind, tiny wheels and engines worked ardously trying to find the logic or reasoning that might excuse the male's behavior --but she could find none. The tip of the girl's tongue prickled, filled with a bitter taste that tempted her to simply go straight to the point and ask him were his loyalties laid.

The sound of the elk's bellows interrupted her once more, the herd was numerous and had a few young individuals that would definitely make a decent meal. The animals grazed lazily around the Spine's slopes, completely unaware of the peering eyes that rested on their backs. The girl chuffed softly and turned to look at Mordecai from the corner of her eye, still not deciding whether to shower him with accusations or not. "They're a good catch" she barked, her eyes fixed on the moving creatures ahead.

The more they traveled on, the more Mordecai felt himself still picking up on the tension between them. A tension that hadn't been present for quite a while now. Long before either of them really graced the higher ranks, if anything. While it remained an ever-nagging sensation at the back of his mind, he kept himself focused on the targets that started to crop up through the foliage ahead of them. More elk, this time more brazen than the hunt that they had partook in weeks ago. It was almost insulting to see them crossing about their grounds like they had no cares in the world. Maybe it was a testament to how thin their ranks had become that none of them had raised the call for a hunt or harassed them to stay better within the Spine's confines.

Cara's voice brought him from the void of silence that had sunken between them, and Mordecai looked to her corner-side glance. “They don't seem as smart as the other herds I've seen,” he murmured in her direction, letting his gaze go back to the elk intently. “The last herd we went after stayed just outside of the Spine. If they're not stupid, then they must think we've drawn our borders back to let them pass safely.” Of course maybe they just felt they could mosey on through without any trouble from the pack of wolves nearby. Too bad they missed the memo of what season it was.

“What's the plan?” She had the lead here, and he had no desire to wrench it away.

Watching the unsuspecting elk walk around wihtout a care in the world, made her feel god-like. They were their killers, the source of their misery and here they were simply sitting back while they decided their fate. Every time they hunted, they toyed with their lives, choosing a random individual from the herd without any insight on the animal's life (though Cara strongly doubted the creatures were as smart and emotional as them).

Was that what Ptarmigan had done when she strutted into the pack's leadership? Had they only been a weak target for the bitch? Slowly the girl's face twisted into a frown. Now she could not help but think that in the chaotic game that they knew as life, Ptarmigan was the big bad wolf while they were merely sheep. Malleable and vulnerable in her hands.

No.
Cara would not be seen bowing her head to her, not while her lungs still held air and her heart still pumped blood. She would not be a doll, but would Mordecai?

"The plan is to get move them further inland, the Spine will do the rest caging them in." she barked, her stomach acids climbing up her esopagus until it was unbearable to hold in the poisonous words she had in store. "What is your plan? Bow to the demon?" she hissed softly, her head turning to face him now. She had no more patience for the run-around game they had going on, he had to make up his mind now, where did his heart lie?

The plan, while it sounded simple did not seem all that simple to Mordecai. Though he wasn't unbiased towards complications, at least when it came down to the grand scheme of a hunt. He knew that they, on their own, could get the herd to turn inward towards the rest of the territory. Assuming there were a fair amount lingering in their territory, he suspected it wouldn't take much to rally the Ouroboros wolves together. The cogs were set to turning when Cara's demeanor changed, and when she turned to face him he saw the venom very clearly in her eyes. The very venom that had come leaking out in hissed tones merely seconds before.

Mordecai tensed, instantly losing interest in the plan ahead for favor of responding to her comments. The easygoing feelings he carried up to that point withered away and their decay brought forth a resurgence of turmoil he had been trying to bury. “I don't have a plan,” he growled, meeting her gaze firmly. “And I suggest we focus on the task ahead.” She may have been his superior now, but he wasn't about to let her lord over him. He wasn't, if he could, going let the priorities of everything else be lain to waste. Not right now.

While Cara had already decide to take off her wool suit, that designated them as sheep, Mordecai still held his doubts, she could see so in his eyes. Eyes that stared back at her with defiance. The yearling's body tensed as well, her neck craning and the fur along her back spiking like a porcupine. She met his gaze directly, curling her lip back into a threatening snarl. He had no right to speak to her that way, not even if it had been her who instigated him in the first place. Rank ruled above what he might feel. "I'm your fucking Beta, lower your gaze" she growled, snapping her jaws in the air.

Then as he suggested they focus, the girl lashed her tail around like a snake. Her viperine tongue had not managed to get a straight answer out of him, but she had inflected enough venom to let him know she was not one to mess with. Ptarmigan might've killed Jinx, and she might've whooped her ass when the time for battle dawned on them --but she would never wear the crown. She would never be the true queen; Kaname and a few others would agree, and hopefulluy join her when she gathered the strenght to riot against her.

"I suggest you take a moment to reflect on how you behave, and what you'll do," she barked, narrowing her eyes slightly as the rage exited her body. With a much collected attitude, she turned again, her yellow eyes fixed on the moving animals.

"We'll begin chasing them in now, one of us stays at the back making sure none falls behind, and the other will sway from side to side, driving them further into the Spine." she instructed, her tail tip flickering slowly from side to side. Then turning her head in a slow controlled motion, she stared directly into his eyes, "Then, we'll figure out how to block the path. Got the plan?" she barked, the edges of her lips twisting into a sly smile that made the situation between the two, even more confusing.

Despite her threat towards him to lower his gaze, Mordecai did not. Instead he watched her and the ferocity inside of her grow. Her words landed verbal blows to him, but it wasn't the first time he had been exposed to her scalding tongue. And just as it had come, it also went. Her eyes turned away from him and towards the elk, and he looked past her for a moment to the herd that remained only half-aware of the bickering between them. This time around, her focus seemed to resolutely be on them, but his focus had waned considerably.

Hotly, he chuffed to nothing in particular. “No. I'm not doing this until you explain yourself.” It seemed that not that long ago, she had been looking to him for advice he wasn't so sure he was able to give. Now she was lashing out at him? “What's your problem with me?” He knew why, but he wanted the words from her mouth. He wanted to know what it was that she was seeing, which apparently was him bowing down. Mordecai, as far as he knew, had never offered Ptarmigan an ounce of submission yet. Then again, he hadn't to her either. Though his tone stayed level and smooth, the anger burned brightly from her fevered strike.

A throaty growl erupted from her chest as he refused to look away, she opened her mouth once more, revealing her pearly set of daggers and fangs, and though she would've liked to yell, 'quit acting like a child', she didn't because deep inside she knew that the childish one was not him but herself.

It wasn't the first time, nor it would be the last they collided, in fact they had met over an argument. When Mordecai was still a loner and Cara was beginning to climb up the ranks. And like in this situation, Cara had been the instigator then too; telling him to move even if he wasn't on claimed ground. They had both puffed out their chests and faced one another, until the immature girl had decided to take a gamble and charm him out of his anger.
Oh, those memories..


'What's your problem with me?' he demanded, his eyes still searching the hollowness of her own. There was no time for this! When she had recieved the pack's leadership she had made a point of bonding with her subordinates. Apparently she had forgotten him, or perhaps she had missed him, after their non-theurapeutic talk by the lake, Cara had figured they were on good terms.

"You can't make up your mind" she barked, her voice laced with a hurt tone she struggled to keep hidden, "I thought you'd be smarter, and that the choice would be obvious, but you have actual doubts whether to follow her or me. " she continued, her tail lashing brusquely as the moose grazed in the background.

His prodding seemed to reveal something else, a layer of returning anguish beneath the anger that so fiercely boiled at her surface. Almost instantly he found himself sighing, not so much out of anger than it was over her understanding of the situation he found himself in. Yes, there was most certainly a decision that lay open for him to choose on, but he also saw the option of not choosing at all. Just as he had instructed to her when she found herself torn between choosing one bad position or another, he had offered an escape to it all. But somewhere along the way there was a much different seed planted in her that he felt he had little to do with. Or maybe it had nothing to do with him at all, the more likely choice in his thoughts.

“My mind was made up a long time ago,” he said, softly. He struggled perhaps uncharacteristically to find the words to piece together, and the silence followed for a beat. “Right now all I'm concerned with is making sure that we're prepared for the winter. I want no part in this, and if you think I'm going to work with you in this state, then you're wrong. Neither of you are shaping up to be fit to lead, and it's costing us valuable time and resources.” It was again of no wonder to him why there were those who had abandoned the Spine. Mordecai had seen what he felt Jinx had seen in the territory. There was potential to keep their claim even in light of the blows, but not if things didn't turn around. He did not care for either leader's dislike of the other, yet he did understand it. And if neither of them liked it, then he expected his time within the confines of Ouroboros would swiftly begin to close.

Though the tension's climax had already passed, the girl's muscles were still tightened and her ears pricked attetively. In the back of her mind, the small rational piece of her brain that was often opacated by the rash ad impulsive side of her, knew that Mordecai was right, all that they had done since Ptarmigan had popped into the picture had been whine like little bitches, each of them in their own way.

Cara, for instance had taken out her frustration on others, the male standing in front of her being a prime example. It had been that impotence and uncertainty of not knowing what would become of the Ouroboros had channeled her energy into not-so productive activities such as beig a full-time bitch to everyone that crossed her path.

Seeing no point in carrying the argument, the pale girl flicked her tail and shrugged her shoulders as to let the discussion slide of her fur, then turning to face the man and the grazing elk ahead she barked softly. "Very well, let's get on with the plan then

The animosity or incomformity didn't change the fact that Winter was close, and regarless of the different beliefs or views they had to unite to survive.

Though he didn't care for the way that she brushed off his words, he felt that his point was across all the same. The anger would be slow to ebb away, but he fought to bring his focus back to the elk. He stepped up beside Cara firmly, raising his head to gaze at the grazing ungulates, recalling the plan that she had lied out. For as petite and flighty as she was in comparison to him, he debated where he would serve best.

“I can keep up with them from behind if you can steer them where you want to,” he said finally. He wasn't sure where she had plans to take them, but getting them away from the distant passes and crevices of the basin walls would serve them well. Blocking the path, however, was another task in itself that he decided he would revisit when the time came. This time, instead of prompting her to get the show on the road as he would have in the past, Mordecai gave her the opportunity to decide for herself.

meep c:

His suggestion to take the backside lingered on her ears while she made a choice, though the other job was the hardest because it would require to actually steer the elk around , driving them from side to side; she knew that her long limbs and quick feet would be good for the job. Still if one of the elk managed to stay, Mordecai would be there to herd it back.

"Alright, let's go" she barked, the pitch of her voice completely emotionless. The faster they got this done the faster they could part ways, Cara to relax and maybe vent to Kaname and Mordecai to go think on his decision(not), or whatever he spent his time on. Though the faster they got this done also meant less worried for winter -- getting another burden off their back was something they could both agree on.

With a final nod and a soft chuff, the girl began to slink across the Spine's skirt, keeping her belly close to the ground and her ears pinned tightly against her skull.

beep! *is being bad and not going to bed like she planned at alllll*

They set off quickly and once more, Mordecai took the position of caboose in their two car train across the varied elevations. When the time was deemed right, he broke away from her silently to get to his own position behind the herd. His circle of them was quiet, but he did take his time at getting into position. Not alerting the herd to their tactic was key in his, and Mordecai was willing to admit he had his moments when he wasn't the best hunter.

Still, once he had sunk and settled into position, he fell into observation. Lying in wait, he knew the elk would give him the cue that he needed to get them all moving into action — Cara would give them the spook that they desperately needed. Getting them to turn away from the pass would be their first objective on what could have been a relatively long list, not that he broke it down in any way. Restlessly, the Ostrega licked at his chops, prepared to spring at the first opportunity of travel.

I just realized they're supposed to be moose.. whatever they're elk now xD

With a fast paced motion the girl poised herself behind the elk, her body acting as a barrier between the jagged edge of the Spine that could act as a passage for the walking meat slobs. The idea was to herd them further into the Spine's territory, to getting them away from their exit and into, literally, the wolf's mouth.

The grazing animals had not yet noticed the presence of the she-wolf, though there were more males than females in the herd, Cara could count a good amount of individuals that were worth taking down.

Her pale eyes lingered on the group for a second, just before she jolted from her hidding place and ran towards the elk like a mad bull. She even barked and growled to spook them more; and though the objective here was not to hunt she couldn't help herself from nipping one's talons when it tried to stray to the right.

Lmfao, leave it to me to break continuity. I may have called them deer in another post too, or maybe I caught that before I posted it, haha. I also had a chuckle at "walking meat slabs".

A cry of terror rose among the ungulates, and that was his cue. By the time Mordecai had taken to the floor of pursuit, the elk were beginning to scatter. As they realized he was hot at their heels, some order came of their confusion and chaos. Somewhere in the mix of earthy bodies he saw the pallor that consisted of Cara's coat. Her own desires to nip and aggressively coax the elk where to go became mirrored by Mordecai, who snapped at them from behind. Getting them moving and keeping them moving in some sort of contained group was certainly a trick, but not one that he foresaw them having an issue with. So as long as they kept up their end of the job.

He corralled the strays of the tail end of the herd thoughtlessly, fighting the urge to do more than snap after them. Getting gored or otherwise kicked by them was not appealing to the Ostrega at all, so he kept a natural boundary with them. Not enough to keep them fleeing at full blast, but one that kept them at unease with his presence. Cara had the heft of the leg work in his opinion, and he also used the time to gauge how she did with them. Slowly but surely, they had begun their work of pushing them further into the sloping terrain of the Spine.

Like a wave of brown hues, the elk ran with all their might. Not causing a lot of trouble for the pair of wolves at the moment. Cara continued to chase them, her growls and snapping teeth being enough to keep them moving. Though they were doing great, it wasn't long before one of the ones near the fron decided to steer, pulling all the others with him.

The pale yearling growled in frustration and sped up, hoping to intercept them at the swerved out of the path the Spine wolves were trying to steer them to. As she ran she opened her maw to emit a quick pleading bark for her companion to step in too.

He hadn't expected it, but supposed it was par for course the way the elk seemed to fan out and scatter away from Cara. Their two-wolf team was perhaps not enough to keep the entire herd into control. He lingered momentarily to see if she would come out successful at keeping the corralled when her call for assistance reached his ears. If not for the expenditure of energy he found himself putting forth, he would have sighed even in light of the fact that the elk doing what came naturally was out of their control.

He picked up speed along the flat terrain, moving in to join Cara from the turning side of the elk. It was there that Mordecai gave one doe more than she bargained for, taking his aggression on out her in a swift tear at her flank. It was more than enough to right part of the herd in the way they wanted to go, but not entirely. The pair of wolves were left to drive them wherever else they could go, but he felt he could settle for something off center of their mark.

babammm shall we wrap this so we can claim the quest :B

Mordecai arrived promptly sealing the loopholes she had left behind for the elk to escape. She chuffed lightly as he barreled past her, throwing himself at a doe and tearing up a piece of her skin. This of course caused more chaos in the herd.

The scared animals were not only running at a ridiculous speed but they were now also bucking and kicking as they went. Despite the madness Cara continued her attempt to drive them inland, swerving dangerously in the middle of the raining hooves and legs.

Though she was stupidly risking a blow to the head, she was also managing to get them were she wanted.
The Frost Queen was also a top-gambler.

Pretty sure the timeframe for this quest to be finished in is over, unfortunately. :C

Backing off as a set of hooves came narrowly close to him, Mordecai let the herd to its thing. Cara, however, remained in the fray of it all. He barked sharply for her to back off, knowing that if they didn't they looked at getting run over, if not worse. Hoping she'd come nearer to him, Mordecai zig-zagged his way through part of the herd to the other side where she had originally been, letting his presence steer them further into the wood.

While he too was a bit of a gambler, he gambled on the hope that the elk would stay within the confines of the Spine as they were being driven away from the pass that they had more than likely been seeking. Which became another matter at the back of his mind, but one that he didn't show a fair amount of interest in, at least not right then.

fml
boohoo

If Cara were a feline, she would've lost more than one life in the stupid stunt. Miracuously, being a canine, she still lost none. It took the thick-skulled female a taste of a doe's blood to be satisfied and allow her legs to come to a stop.

She had obviously heard Mordecai's warning yaps, but she had gracefully ingored then, thinking that if she just pushed a little harder then their work wouldn't be lost. Though the herd had moved relatively easy to the designated place, the gap between the Spine's mountains was still open.

Their goal was far from being accomplished but, after the high speed chase she had just participated in she was satisfied with their work. With her sides heaving and her tongue hanging limply from the corner of her mouth, Cara turned to face Mordecai with a triumphant smile plastered on her face. "Good job" she barked while catching her breath, though the tension of their argument still lurked between their eyes, she had no problem in prasing his work.