When he reached the thickest part of the forest, the snowfall thinned down to a mere inch or two, allowing Peregrine to lope normally though the trees. His blood warm from the exercise, he took off like a bullet from a gun, weaving in between the trees and eventually reaching his top speed. It wasn't as breakneck as his sister, Osprey's, yet the icy forest whipped by on either side of him as he capered across the plateau.
Oh, she was a restless thing, but it was not without cause. Not without reason. Only a night had gone by, and within them a breadth her mind awakened to the cold of reality and of snow itself. What stood pronounced on her mind was not the frigid morning itself or the new air she breathed, but the fact she was within lands now claimed. Again and again the questions of how and why entered her mind, circling the tender flesh like carrion in the midst of a predator's den. Taunting, teasing, when inevitably the strike would come and the mind would fall prey to the torment that lied visibly in wait. The question she placed at the forefront of her mind, but would not acknowledge save for bitterly;
...why on earth was she here?
Why had she left her prideful existence as a wanderer? Why had she fallen into the like fold in which she claimed never to want to be a part of again? Desperation came to mind, as did the urgency for food. The instinctual notion that a pack as a whole stood a better chance at gaining food was a winning factor that aided in her decision; of this she knew.
But when her belly was full and strength returned, what then? What was more there beyond the staples of existence? It was doubtful camaraderie would be a determining factor in her remaining. Loyalty of course was considerably out of the question. There was no trust to be a found, let alone placed in strangers. The treacherous plans of her prior community offered her that much of a conclusion, and no doubt the same would be found within these lands.
So why linger? Why dirty her paws by the shifting earth to make her den? Why remain at all? Was food truly her only reason? Absently, she looked down to her muddied paws, enduring the throb and ache as blistered were bothered and threatened to burst at any moment. The mild scent of infection already settling in as split pads were exposed to the air rather than covered and healed.
This was outside of her norm. Outside of what she desired. And yet she still labored... and yet she still remained, taking yet another swipe at the earth to deepen her den. Her mind left wandering though her paws remained fixed.
And her ears too wandered, catching the sound of swift movement. No doubt another wake in the early hour taking through the territory either on hunt of her pleasure. Regardless it was a beautiful distraction, something other to steal her mind away lest she succumb yet again to the questions of how and why for reason. Forfeiting a further delve into the den she placed her paws firmly then pushed off from the ground. Cool winds of the morning breeze brushed against her damp belly eliciting a chill down her spine. Especially as she moved. Graceless strides well soundlessly as she turned from her work to the origin of sound. Her stride brisk but not urgent as her tongue unfurled to taste the crisp morn of the plateau on her tongue. |
Suddenly, he found he wasn't running alone. Peregrine gave the she-wolf a sideways glance but her arrival did not hinder his momentum. Caught up in his frolicsome mood, the normally surly wolf barked at Xi'nuata, then veered toward her, bumping her lightly with his shoulder. The last time they'd met, she'd been an outsider but now she was part of his pack. In normal circumstances, he would've tolerated her presence but, presently, he openly welcomed it.
Snapping his jaws playfully at her cheek, he invited her to play, his tail rising high above his haunches and whirling with his positive energy. He slowed, though only slightly, and now there was a pronounced bounce to his step as he barked at her again, goading her.
It was not long before she found the source of the noise; the dark furred male with the name of the raptor bird. Her pursuing gallop increased to a sprint as she caught the blur as a sign of urgency. She had little obligation to him, given their first encounter. But curiosity got the better of her, compelling her to follow and seek out his end.
The lands were still new under paw, hindering her stride somewhat but was quickly adapted. Her wide paws made it easy to take the earth fully beneath them and carry her bulk with relative ease. All power but little grace, as was her running pace. Nearing his shoulder, she had a mind to ask what he was running towards, but held the thought on her tongue when he turned toward her cheek.
Immediately she lept back with her ears suddenly forward and tail drawn straight. Her wide eyes caught the height and sway of his tail. He wasn’t angry but… happy? He was trying to play? She couldn’t remember the last time she was allowed. Her pace had slowed but not by much to fall too many steps behind. He was still within sight, now prancing in stride, always taunting her to follow if not to engage as well. Her heavy paws hit the ground soundly as she charge forward toward his thigh. Her tail went up to complement his playful mood while trying to nip at his heels as lightly as possible when within range. |
A wolfish smile forced his jaws apart and his tongue to loll free as she charged nearer. He braced his sore forelegs in the snow, the tip of his tail waving enticingly, until she came within a few feet. When she sprang for his haunch, he tried to dodge her, yet she managed to clip the meat of his hip. He felt the brush of her muzzle against his hind legs, which made the long, roach hairs at his nape prickle like porcupine quills.
Still, he grinned. He leaped a few feet to the side, stood still for a split second, then broke into a gallop. Peregrine ran back the way he'd come, his ears flattening to his head and his tail tucking low. Although not a submissive wolf, he did these things to inspire an instinctual response from Xi'nuata; when she saw him fleeing before her, looking like a scared puppy, she wouldn't be able to resist trying to run him down again.
She hadn’t believed she would have gotten the chance to catch him, but when her front teeth lightly clipped his thigh, she was in a world of surprise. So this was what it was like to catch something other than prey. It was different… and dare she admit it, it was fun! Her maw split with glee as her tail issued a bold wag of mirth. She absolutely wanted to try that again! She hadn’t had the opportunity to do that since she was a wee pup!
She followed seamlessly after her evasion target, noting quickly the lowered state of his tail and the draw of his ears as he turned back from where he came. Her own brows perked up as her nape bristled suddenly. He was the one to initiate, and now he wanted to run? She growled softly. Where was the fun in that?
She slapped a heavy paw forward as she resumed her advance. Her pace quickened as she neared him, about ready to pounce… |
He reached the edge of the forest, where the trees grew sparser and the snow, in turn, built up much more thickly. Afraid of hitting it too hard, he braked by dragging his paws suddenly. The footing was slick, so he stumbled a little, but thankfully didn't fall (that would've ended the game quickly). Instead, he ran parallel with the deepening snowfall before suddenly jumping forth into it.
Growling playfully, he pushed through the white stuff, aware that he was essentially making a trail for Xi'nuata. While it slowed him down, she would easily catch up to him. Aware of this, he nonetheless continued, because what choice did he have? Besides, half the fun of the chase was the ultimate capture. And once she tagged tagged him, the tables would turn and he would chase her again.
As she ran steady onward trying to catch her quarry, she wondered briefly if she would have had games like this had she grown closer to her siblings. Would they have danced like this, yipping playfully at each other as they ran toward fleeting heels? Would they have exhausted themselves merrily in the game, smiling broadly as they tasted the winter chill on their tongues?
They were questions she would never know the answer to, yet they came to mind none the less admist this game. She applauded the male's ability to keep ahead, but while she was not noted for speed or dexterity, she was certainly noted for her unyielding stamina. One of them would tire, and it would not be her. The very thought of outrunning him increased the width of her smile, even as he lept from flatter ground to the banks and continued his flee atop them.
Cheater.
But she was determined and kept her stride alongside him. Her eyes on his paws as he made the pursuit easy to follow. With an extra push from powerful legs against the snow, she aided to nip him just at the pastern, followed swiftly by a skid onto slick snow as she landed. Her legs nearly buckled as all her weight came down on the newly fallen snow, but for lacking in grace, she made up for in stability. It would take more than a wet patch to bring her down. |
On another day, Peregrine might have engaged her in a wrestling match, especially with the snow there to cushion any blows. He was still sore from his run-in with the white intruder days before, so he made no move to pounce his pack mate. Instead, he stood his ground, gnashing his teeth and growling. His forelegs ached a bit but he ignored it as he thumped his paws in the powdery substance, daring Xi'nuata to make a move.
She believed herself at a disadvantage in this game of theirs. While Peregrine seemed to have an idea on what he was doing, the pale female was at a loss, simply engaging in the awkward way she knew how.
She had reached her target and assumed that would be the end of it, or perhaps the game would change with his eventual surrender. But instead he turned around, baring his paws into the snow as his fangs were unfurled, gnashing not at but towards her face. Immediately her ears drew back as she wavered back slightly, letting her tail drop several degrees. Had she missed something, she wondered. Was she not supposed to touch him? Perhaps it was a chase that had no end except for exhaustion; a test of some kind to witness the full extent of her stamina. She would not have put it passed him, afterall was that not the role within some packs? Test the other for their strengths, their weaknesses, then determine their worth.
She glimpsed his drumming paws, then beat her own in mirror. She dropped down somewhat by the outstretch of her forelegs, chin nearly touched the soft snow til she quite literally bounced up, veered swiftly around and ran. |
She looked confused for a moment, though soon enough Xi'nuata dropped down, mimicking his posture. Peregrine growled, thumping his paws again. Growing impatient, he then feinted toward it. Whether this was what caused her to run or whether she'd simply taken it upon herself to turn and flee on her own, he didn't know and didn't care.
His muscles rolled beneath his swarthy coat as he darted after her. He was slightly smaller than her, so he thought he might have the advantage with speed. Still, she certainly gave him a run for his money. Peregrine pushed his muscles as far as they would go and still he couldn't quite catch up to her...
Much like the rabbit on a hunt, there was always a fast step between the quarry and the hunter. Perhaps it was a test granted by Nature for her children, so see how well they had grown under her care. Or perhaps it was simply a game she wished to watch, conveying so subtly just how cruel the ethereal truly as in the end.
The game escalated when the form of the female suddenly darted into the woodlands by the very tips of her paws, forgoing the heavy sprint for a more purposeful bound as the ice gave way to mounds of snow. She lept to one that was near, leaving hardly an imprint on its surface before pouncing to another continuing her trail. She would not turn to look behind, only proceed forward. |
Suddenly, he felt his legs wobble strangely beneath him. Peregrine looked down to see a sheet of ice underfoot. He tried to brake by dropping his hindquarters and digging his claws into the ice, which turned out to be a terrible mistake. Suddenly, he found himself spinning halfway around and careening toward a tree—
—he woke with a start, then blinked in confusion when he saw nothing but a blackness even darker than night. Jerking, Peregrine tried to sit up. Crete's tail fell away from his face, revealing daylight that caused him to squint his eyes. Once they adjusted, he blinked at his surroundings. Rather than snow, the earth was dry and covered in last season's dead grass. The air wasn't warm, per se, but a little milder than usual.
He thought back on his dream and sneered at the thought of playing with Xi'nuata—as if he would do such a thing! He hoped Hawkeye hadn't allowed that witless creature into the ranks. With this thought in mind, he rose onto all fours and stalked off through the woods, the details of the dream fading into the ether, along with every memory of the foolish she-wolf.