Maybe some new people?
Pearl wandered the barren territory, glancing about this way and that to try and catch a glimpse of color. The locusts ongoing buzzing was a constant sound, one that she was slowly getting used to, but annoying all the same. They were still everywhere, but thankfully some were beginning to go away. The moose seemed to be doing just fine as well, as long as they had their underwater plants to munch on.
She laid down on the ground, ignoring the crunch of the others beneath her and focusing on just one.
"Why," she muttered, batting at it. Were they even edible? She thought someone else might've already tried it, but they were just too weird-looking. She stuck her tongue out and touched it to the insect of doom, not really tasting anything. Should she try it?
What the heck, she thought. Pearl hesitantly reached out her head and snapped it up, shuddering and making faces at the crunching sound it made as she was chewing it. It wasn't half bad, but she couldn't get over that horrible crunch.
Brandy, restless as ever, was out looking for something to occupy herself. Fate, perhaps, led her to Sebastians girlfriend. The copper female let out a chuff of greeting, trotting right towards the snowy female. She was just in time to see her taste the bug, and then eat it fully.... She didn't look pleased.
"They don't taste so bad, the texture is the only real bad part."
Yeah, the spunky little yearling was a bug muncher. She'd been eating them as a source of food with little qualms, and a smile broke her face as she came closer to Pearl.
"Its not so bad when you get used to it."
Bumping to present :)
Pearl looked up to Brandy with a funny expression as she finished chewing and swallowing the bug.
"Yeah, they don't taste all that bad," she said, moving up into a sitting position to face Brandy better. She hadn't gotten to know her all that well, but what better way to meet someone when you're stuck in the middle of a famine with them?
Glancing around, Pearl sighed.
"Well, looks like we're gonna have to get used to it. But hey, I heard you and Aduin are mates now?" she asked, head cocked to the side in interest.
Brandy giggled at Pearls reaction, sitting next to the snowy female with a smile. She commented on the copper females mateship, and her chest puffed out in pride.
"Yes, yes we are! What about you, do you have a special someone?"
Of COURSE she had to ask, even if it was obvious the charcoal alpha had a thing for him: and vice versa. It would be rude, however, to just assume, in case they weren't doing so hot or there was simply something she didn't know. It was better to ask first.
Whoa, what? Brandy thinking first? Looks like Aduin WAS tempering her a little bit. Age, of course, was also a factor, but its not as if she'd been here all that long. The settling somewhere had likely helped too.
Pearl looked down and back up with a giggle when she was asked about her own love life. "Yeah, I guess I do, Sebastian," she said, tail wagging behind her at the mere thought of him. It wasn't really official, he hadn't asked her yet, but practically they were already mates.
"So how are you enjoying the mated life?" she asked, wondering how their mateship was coming along, especially with Brandy being so young.
Brandy loosed a grin, tail wagging behind her. She didn't know Pearl well, but she was glad her packmate was happy and especially glad that Sebastian was too. Did that mean Pearl would be the alpha female, then? Seb still hadn't picked a beta yet either, and the copper girl wondered who it would be. Kinra had disappeared, as had Fallenstar, but perhaps her mother had a shot? She'd recently become a scout, as well. Often she would vanish behind the borders to do god knows what. A few days ago, she'd only told Brandy on the borders that she was off, and she had yet to come home. She hadn't told Sebastian, making a split decision to leave, but it was the little yearling's job to make sure nobody worried. She herself worried, of course, probably more than anyone.
If not Ambrosia, who else?
The fiery female's thoughts were interrupted by Pearls question, and a blush heated her fur. They hadn't yet mated due to her age, but that didn't matter to Brandy. She was just happy to have claim over him, and though she wouldn't admit it, she was glad he had claim over her too.
"I love it, actually. Aduin gives me a reason to be careful, and he makes me feel so.... Warm!"
Again, words failed her as to describe how her mate made her feel, and she again fell back on 'warm'.
Pearl smiled, happy for the youngster, and Aduin for finding someone as supportive and energetic as Brandy. Apparently 'warm' was the only word that worked in a quick descision, for she thought that as well.
Pearl glanced around, thinking of something to say, kicking a few bugs around in the process. Then a thought struck her; why not try and collect the bugs? It would be easier for them to catch the mice that were begining to munch on them, and to have it more centralized. Maybe they could have a few throughout the territory, so they could do rounds. "Would you want to try and collect the bugs into piles for the mice? We could make a game out of it," she said, head tilted.
Just as Brandy began wondering if SHE could fill the beta spot, the female before her broke the thoughts. Pearl didn't seem to disagree, but instead they fell into the next topic of their conversation. At first, she didn't respond. What did she mean, gather them for the mice? But, her brain finally putting the pieces of puzzle together, she realized she meant to hunt. The mice wouldn't lesen the curving of their bodies, but it would keep them from starving.
Honestly, though, as soon as the white female turned it into a game, well, of course the young girl was down. Aduin might have been tempering her hyperactivity, meaning she was not so careless and troublesome, but now that energy had nowhere else to go other than to play! Of course, though, there were questions.
"Sure, but where do we want them? There's little places for cover, and I can't imagine Sebastian would be too happy if there were mice bothering us in our sleep."
Pearl glanced about, looking for a good place to put them. It would be nice to see some ground that wasn't covered in these acursed bugs of doom for once. "Well, I guess a little farther away from the Cove, but closer to some trees so the mice could get to them without much fear." She perked her ears up, and looked directly over Brandy's shoulder. "I think over there would be good!" she said, tail starting to pat the ground excitedly. "You see it?"
Picking up a few bugs in her mouth, legs jostling for room and irratating her throat, she attempted to shout through them "Onetotree go!"
Brandy nodded, obviously suppressing a laugh, and chose a different route to try. Using her tail, she began to sweep the crunchy locusts towards where the white female had pointed to. She'd be slower moving than Pearl, but perhaps she'd be able to move more at once. Sebastian would be happy they came up with something to help out the wolves of the fen, right? Even if it would be just mice and rats or whatever little creatures would come to eat the carcasses, it was better than starving.
Pearl had made a few trips to the beginnings of a pile before pausing to look at Brandy's progress. She appeared to be using her tail as a broom, and though it was slower she seemed to be collecting more. Spitting out the last few in her mouth and gagging a bit, she went a small distance away and began to try and copy the younger one's method.
Stepping back from their combined effort a good time later, she looked upon the overall disgusting mass of corpses. "Well, hopefully that'll do it." she said, panting slightly.
Brandy smiled when Pearl ultimatley decided to use her method, sweeping them into a pile. Working together, it was fast work, and soon they stood to look on in triumph. Not only had they cleared some of these dead bugs from under paw, but were working fast in hopes of a hunt.
"We did good."
"We sure did," she said, hoping that this method would prove fruitful for the pack. Though even if it wasn't, it still meant they could walk without crunching underpaw. Gotta look at the upsides. "Thanks, Brandy"