Otatso Wetlands Let me think about it

Iostaaa <3 @Lavakho

Zhavvi made a dash the moment her father was busy with some subordinates. She hoped that her long elegant legs would take her far away before anyone would notice that she was gone. She had strayed around the meadow and the lake, but now she wanted more. She wanted to see what was after the lake. Those were lands she hadn't seen before. Her paws thumped against the ground as she ran past the lake she explored now she wanted to see the lands after that. Eventually she slowed her pace and continued in a trot. Her green eyes matched with her surroundings.

Her brown and black coat made her camouflaged nicely too. Zhavvi stopped in her tracks as the wetlands opened up before her. Her green eyes looked around curiously. She was used to open grasslands. These seemed like the open wetlands they had crossed once. How interesting! Zhavvi liked water and instantly crossed one of the many streams. Her nose was close to the muddy grounds, sniffing around the place. Her tail held up confidently high as she tried to find anything interesting. Maybe she would run into a local.

Janise!

To say Lavakho was a mess would have been an understatement.  In the days following his encounter with Zhavvi, the warrior attempted to spend most of his time on his own as it made things easier.  He wouldn't have to look his brother in the eye, nor would he be tempted again if he were alone.  It certainly made life simpler.  Since the Khalas was growing fast, Rakharo found himself very busy with new arrivals which made it easy for Lavakho to slink off unnoticed and unheard.  

The time Lavakho spent alone was cathartic for his conflicted mind.  The soothing sound of silence was perfect for him being alone with his thoughts... or what little thoughts he had.  He held little to no regret for what had happened, instead he planned on having his cake and eating it too, and figuring out a plan to make his situation work without him ending up in a shallow grave at the hands of his own brother.  

The warrior followed a set of hoof-prints stamped in the wet mud, leading him around the lake and into the wetlands.  Nothing about this terrain pleased Lavakho, as it was far too different from his homeland in Rhaesh Dahaan. Those flat, dry plains were home, and always would be.  However, home or not, a family needs to eat. And even though a deer was no buffalo and would never be primary to their way of life, it would still be a full meal to drag back to their makeshift camp.

He could have picked up her scent from a mile away, and it seemed the trail of prints would intersect with her path.  Zhavvi had strayed much too far from the camp and if her father were to find out, he would have been furious.  "Zhavvi," he whispered as he came up to her side. "Rinov clax vhira vi tekir ghoros?" He gave her a playful nip on the ear before motioning to the trail of tracks for her to follow.

Zhavvi was rather calm under the whole ordeal. She liked how different she felt. She knew one of the secrets of adulthood and she was damn pleased about it. The girl looked up when she was faced with her uncle. Her green eyes were clear with surprise, being so in her own world that the nip on her ear came as a surprise. The young girl glanced over her uncle, she was fearful at first that her uncle might drag her back to the campsite but his words proved otherwise. She snorted. She rather hunted Bison. She only ran along with a few hunts, all the way in the back to watch and learn. She never made a kill. Her father mostly provided for her.

"Tekir ultroi drivir. Shar winhal," Zhav returned to her uncle. She playfully jumped him, wondering if he uncle only wanted to hunt or also wanted to play in their new fun away. Zhavvi wouldn't mind doing both. The sly girl would like to get things her way. Zhav's way of trying to coach her uncle on was far from being innocent. "Coi ui svern ekess wux iosta," the girl challenged.

Zhavvi's jump into him took the warrior by surprise, making him stagger to the side with a dopey grin.  "Affa Zhavvi," the warrior gently whispered, placing his paw lightly on her muzzle.  "Yth tir ti tuor ekess wintektor coi mojka."  Lavakho prided himself in his performance on the hunt, and to lose a kill after tracking it for so long, after getting so close, would have been a grave disappointment. Infuriating even.  Like an insult to his abilities. However, Lavakho knew Zhavvi had little experience with hunting big game, so he didn't hold it against her, but one learns by doing, and now was as good a time as any.

"Thric maulk ui drivir," he returned with a lopsided grin, "Turalisj usv sart."  No matter the size of the game, Lavakho always respected the nuance of the hunt.  His simple mind just clicked with it for some odd reason. Nature's complexities just made sense.  Lavakho made a quick motion with his head for Zhavvi to follow him and the trail of hoof-prints as he began to walk quietly in the direction of his prey.

Zhavvi let out a loud snort of disapproval when her uncle just completely ignored her advances. Males and their food, she thought grumpily. She wanted to do the other thing instead of some hunt. Apparently no hunt his too boring. It didn't seem to her that deer would be wading through the water. Maybe she was confusing them with Bison or something. The young girl had not really have a good insight in prey. A soft huff came from her lips when her uncle told her to follow. Eventually the girl followed the blood of her blood.

She got herself out of the water and moved quietly that she could do. She let her uncle decide what they would hunt. She found these long legged prey weird, and they were way to fast. She liked bison better too. But she couldn't complain because then her father would bluntly tell her to starve. She should eat what the pack brings her. Well what if she wanted something to hunt herself? But she wasn't allowed because oh no what if she hurt herself. This was also the thing with trying to be a warrior. No one would spar her in fear of her father. [hover=Tell me what I should do]"Visp ve svabol si jalla tir,"[hover] She whispered.

Lavakho turned in place at the sound of her huff of disapproval, obviously the little princess didn't get what she wanted and her attitude certainly showed it.  If she had been any other wolf, the warrior would have laid her out and shown her the true meaning of respect.  However, Zhavvi was a special case.  "Achthend irral, diwhaf poktosh," he breathed softly as he tried to keep his voice down.  He concluded his statement with a wink, as if to tell Zhavvi that her advances were still welcome.

"Coi ui trelk. Si nakta hawg wer donoap persvek wer pab, shar si shilta keefum coi," said the warrior.  In this terrain, the deer would have had trouble moving fast in the swamp-like conditions, or really moving at all.  Though Lavakho wasn't particularly fond of the water, he had this advantage on his side.  The scent of the deer in the area had grown relatively strong and Lavakho nodded to Zhavvi to keep moving.  "Ihk jaka, filki wiilirk ve."

Zhav flickered her tail. She liked to have things go on her terms and her terms only. She wasn't going to give into her uncle that quickly. "Yth geou ocuir sjek si mi persvek wer kiwiegir ihk coi ghent maulkir," the girl returned with some arrogance. For now she decided that she could have fun doing this hunt. She wasn't as foolish to not realize that this wouldn't make her learn.

Zhavvi nodded courtly as her focus was returning from before her uncle joined her. The girl tried to smell the deer too, she was unaccustomed to it but eventually she started to recognize it. The girl followed her uncle quietly. Zhavvi could be pleasantly quiet if she wanted to. She kept her movements quick and soundless. Slowly on the edge of the wetlands the herd of deer were avidly grazing. Zhavvi frowned at the sight at them but it didn't let her stop her movements. The scowl stayed as she looked for her uncle to a plan of action.

Forward Lavakho plodded though the mud and the muck with Zhavvi following silently at his heel.  His fur was caked with clumps of sediment and sludge and laid matted down, flat against his back. However unkempt the warrior was, the dirt was welcomed like an old friend as it served a vital purpose.  His scent was effectively masked.  The warrior was now invisible to the outside world.

As the duo neared the edge of the wetlands, the herd's location became clear.  Several white-tailed deer grazed in a clearing.  Lavakho beamed like a kid in a candy store, with eyes wide and a salivating mouth.  One of the deer, a spring fawn of no more than two months, grazed beside it's mother.  The warrior had made his decision.  It would be almost too easy.  "Batobot ui wer ir," he whispered, motioning with his paw to the fawn who was obviously still wobbly on it's feet.

Their plan would be simple.  Shock and awe. "Zhavvi, si tuor wux ekess dronilnr coi ekik. Wux re temepilt loupon si mi. Wux push coi sia direction vur si geou jikmada wer wilad di wer tekir. Natorki vur banpri." The warrior nodded toward his hunting companion in earnest after concluding his plan. "Itrewica coi?"

Zhavvi stayed low to the ground looking terribly dangerous while she was doing that. Her green eyes almost resembled a cat the way she was prowling. The female had been surprisingly hungry without realizing. She did notice it now when she had a buffet of walking meat before her. She nodded courtly that she understood her uncle. Instantly she sped forward like an arrow from a bow. Her light frame was quick and very flexible. Only the inexperienced hunter already sprinted when she left her uncle which quickly startled the dear. The female cursed but managed to get the running mother and calf. She tried to steer them around but then the mother was close to trampling Zhavvi in the process. Her skills was actually rather pathetic since she never really got to hunt.

Her panting filled the air, luckily she had a crazy stamina and kept following the deer. Her only luck was that the youngster didn't had the stamina she had and it started stumbling. Zhavvi had to dodge some legs again. Risking her life in the process she jumped forward between the calf and mother, the young fawn jumped away in the other direction. Perfect. Zhavvi instantly followed but now she was being hunted by the protective mother who thought she only had to deal with one wolf. Zhavvi needed to keep glancing over her shoulder because she had to keep an eye on the mother but also keep the fawn away from its mother. Definitely not boring. She didn't wish to how for her uncle for help. She would deliver this fawn to him. It was her mission.

Zhavvi was obviously green, as she lacked the finesse that the best hunters had when approaching their prey, however, she certainly made up for her lack of experience with a butt-load of spirit.  Lavakho watched from the brush, proud as proud could be as she shot out toward the herd with all her speed.  It certainly wasn't pretty, but it worked.  In and out, she successfully dodged a flurry of kicking legs and frightened ungulates.  She was doing just fine, that is, until she separated the fawn from it's mother.

"Yeni," he cursed under his breath.

He had expected the mother to run in fear with the rest of the herd, however that was not the case.  She trailed behind Zhavvi, picking up more and more ground on her every second.  She was far too inexperienced to face this on her own, and to return back to Rakharo with his daughter injured would not be a favorable scenario.  Lavakho sprinted toward the fray, past the fawn Zhavvi had lead right into his grasp, past Zhavvi herself, and aimed his muzzle directly at the kicking mother's throat.  His jaws clamped around her neck as he ripped and tore. The neck snapped and she fell to the ground, immobile and limp.  "Jaseve thric daskna vrak," he shouted over to Zhavvi who still chased the staggering fawn.  

Zhavvi watched as her uncle sped past her for her help. She couldn't watch how he skillfully took the full-grown deer down. It was clear that she had to go after the little one herself. The young girl chased after it and then jumped not so gracefully on top of the fawn. The little one screamed for its mother. Zhavvi had no remorse and bit down in the calf's shoulder before she realized she should have the neck. Zhavvi grabbed it from the top first, which didn't seem to help. But when she took it from another angle the baby was quick to surrender and die between her jaws. That felt good.

The Khal's daughter returned to her uncle with pride in her step as she dragged their meal along. Ironically the baby was back with its mother. Zhavvi had still a lot to learn. She needed to practice and maybe this event made her uncle convinced to tell her father to actually get that practice. Zhavvi hoped so. "Kruth nomeno jahus ti drivir," Zhavvi admitted between her panting and then grinned at her uncle.

Lavakho stood proud over his kill, blood from the mother dripped from his maw as he watched on as Zhavvi made her first successful hunt. The adrenaline of the hunt poured through his veins as his heart raced. He beamed brightly as she brought the young fawn down with a quick bite tot he neck.  Though it wasn't pretty (most first hunts aren't), she pulled though and eventually got the job done, which had come as a pleasant surprise to the quiet warrior.  Their bounty had thoroughly exceeded his expectations, as he initially planed to only take the fawn, however the failure in the plan had come with it's own silver lining... a two for one special.

The warrior was pleased to hear Zhavvi had enjoyed the hunt.  When she dragged the fawn over by Lavakho, he placed a quick lick on her forehead, inadvertently smearing the blood of the mother on her face.  "Wux tira jikael Zhav," mused the warrior with a wide grin.  "Yth tepoha aurthon ekess glom war tiamo Khalas."  Surely, tonight the Khalas would feast.  "Yth shilta sone wer sart ir jaka vur tar wer lyrik spical poktosh," he quickly added, ensuring they would get their fill themselves.  "Coi ui dout svent, wux sone irral," he finished, taking a seat next to the still bleeding corpse.

Zhavvi hummed proudly when she was licked, not minding the blood at all. She moved herself more against her uncle. Even though things could improve in her hunt, many things in fact. Zhavvi was still surprised they had both animals. This only proved that deer were far weaker than bison. This would never have happened with those type of prey. Yes, they were protective of their young but they wouldn't be able to take down mother and young because of the whole herd. Zhavvi knew that once she mastered killing deer that she would grow bored with them.

Zhavvi technically was used to eating first. When she was a pup she was always allowed to eat before or with her father. She never had to wait. Even know her uncle spoiled her by not waiting for her meal. The girl instantly opened the stomach and started to feast on the delicious and nutritious organs of the fawn. She caught it after all. Her tail swayed gently as she was eating, glad she was finally able to eat. Oh and then she would take a delicious nap in the sun with a full stomach, that sounded really nice. "Geou wux visp opsola si letocloa? Nomagqe jaci geou origato ve maulk throdenilt. Si rigluin pateace," the girl then wondered.

After Zhavvi had her fill and moved away from the body of the fawn, Lavakho moved in to grab his fill.  Long teeth stripped meat away from the bone as the warrior tore into the remainder of the kill. The rip of sinew and the crack of bone saturated the air around the eager eater. Luckily for him, Zhavvi (being small and still young) left quite a heaping helping for the male to claim for himself, which was a definite necessity because of his large size.  

"Jaci geou qe wer irral ekes vucot," said Lavakho with a muffled mumble, as large chunks of meat hung from both sides of his muzzle.  Table manners and the Dotharan mixed like oil and water, which was obvious by the way Lavakho tore into Zhavvi's kill, ripping it to shreds with the grace of a cat on roller-skates.  "Si jikahshi jaci geou qe lae lotoc ihk wux lae si mi," he added as he swallowed the remainder of the fawn's flesh.  Zhavvi was right, she did need the practice.  Maybe it was the right time for his brother to loosen his grip on the growing girl, she was quickly becoming a woman after-all.

I totally missed this thread! Excusez-moi

Zhavvi wasn't really appalled by her uncle's eating habits, she was used to it, sometimes she even ate like that herself. Zhavvi liked that he would tell her father, perfect. The slender girl hopped closer and nestled more closely to him before laying down and closing her eyes. She could use some sun to dry out her fur. She did not have much fat to keep herself warm. If only Zhavvi knew how cold the winters would get here. She was used to the southern warmth. "Vinxa, Iosta,' Zhavvi hummed.

The girl then turned more to her uncle, wondering if he would feel like to have another go at their previous playing session. They were far from their Khalas they could have some fun right. And maybe after that bring the carcass back. Hunting together would be a good excuse of why they would smell of each other. "Lavakho," he murmured his full name for once. She was quick to nip his ear again, making it very clear that she wanted some more than just lounging around. "Svanoa ve svanoa lotoc wux re di ve," she whispered dirtily.

Sorry it took so long! Real life obligations have kept me sort of sparse.  Last post for me before we archive! I'd love another, if you want!

      Lavakho pulled away from the fawn after having his fill to lay down beside Zhavvi.  All was right with his world.  With a full stomach and the girl he was so fond of nestled beside him, not even Rakharo seeing them together could ruin his day, (although it would come quite close, but at least he'd die happy).   A wide, dopey grin spread across his muzzle as he stretched out under the sun.

     The warrior turned to Zhavvi as she playfully nipped his ear; dirty, dirty girl.  It looked as if she wanted round two and Lavakho was always down to oblige.  They were miles away from the prying eyes of the rest of the Khalas, so the warrior decided he would be safe to pursue without issue.  "Si siofmea wux ornla nurti tor," he said in a low growl, giving Zhavvi an affectionate nudge with his muzzle.  "Origato ve show wux."  Grasping at the scruff of her neck with his muzzle, Lavakho practically rolled himself on top of the laying female before giving her a kerfuffeling that she wouldn't soon forget.