Wolf RPG

 
The lone stag walked quietly through the forest. He had been here for quite a few days now, taking his rest after long travel. He went away for quite awhile because there was nothing to eat, but he was back now, not sure if he would return to his usual home. He liked to gather a harem so eventually he should go to where the other deer were. For now. He traveling with the growth. Maybe he was just one of the first returning.

Brechin ears were always alert. He was a large stag and he knew it. Alas lots of his bulk had vanished with the famine. He wished to eat it all back before the mating season would start after he needed that weight. He liked to think that he was a ringleader, always first. The male moved quietly through the thicket. At times it became kind of lone some, yet often other wild fauna had time for a talk.

Once he found some juicy leaves the male stopped to take a few bites, alert for predators. That would be a shame if he would be taking down in his prime. Though he did not think of it too much, he disliked it, after all. One would not want to think of its death. No he preferred living hence why he was always listening.

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Again, Darsal was hunting. The famine was wrenching her newly-forming pack, the Royal Fire Court, and she knew that there could never be overkill at this point.
She left the Golden Glade, her pack's base, and headed southeast toward the river whose tributaries branched down in Black Morass. Hideaway Strath usually had a decent amount of hunting opportunities, whether fish, rabbits, elk, or deer. Once she'd crossed the murky greenery of Cedar Sweep, she took care to keep herself hidden. Yet, how was she supposed to do this in the fields across the river?
The blackened-gray wolf sought for some sort of idea, and once she'd pondered enough, she decided to circle around and cross the river in the narrowed shallows at the edge of Cedar Sweep. Thus, she did, and after crossing the river, she set south, tracing the treeline of Hideaway Strath. Even here, she could spy deer tracks in the field's soil: deep-set, diagonally-patterned hoofprints, indicating a buck's former presence here. Back in Boli Tundra, deer and elk hunting was essential to her pack, and therefore Darsal was keen on their tracks and behavioral habits.
Her orange gaze scanned the meadow as she stalked, looking for any sign of movement. She knew she couldn't take down a full-grown deer alone, but possibly some of last spring's fawns were feeling a bit foolish today and would scamper away from their buck's protective harem?

Brechin moved deeper through the undergrowth of the forest, he had passed the meadow only recently, now he was wading his way deeper into the forest, the canopy was returning which gave him a rather safe feeling. The large buck knew that open fields could work to his advantage by seeing prey sooner, though the forest where he felt really at home. Especially now when all the young leaves were here to munch on, just like spring.

The deer was rather content food-wise. He might like to see another buck so he could have a test spar, or maybe some ladies would also be nice. For now it seemed he was still on his own. The stag stepped a few paces forward to munch on another branch. He was not very kind for the trees that were trying to recover. Yet, the deer was not thinking about trees in that way, they were food for him, as he was food for the wolves.

OOC: Thanks, @Brechin. I'll have to try out being a Wild Fauna sometime. Also, I wouldn't mind Darsal getting her prey-desperate tail kicked (not severely inured, just a few scars for the road). If you want to spar, I can see her taking her chances with Brechin in order for an opportunity for smaller prey.

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Darsal paused for a moment. The prints by the treeline led deeper into the forest, not out toward the field. 
Her slightly-folded ears perked as much as was possible, straining for any sound that might stray in her direction. Why would a stag with a group of does conceal himself in the woodland? Only a lone buck would pass up the chance to boast his harem out on the open meadow for everything to see; this way, he could see any predator before they got within three hundred yards, and off the bunch of them would be.
The ashen-black wolf studied the tracks more closely at her paws. This buck, whose impressive weight was revealed by the down-trodden mud, must have an accomplice or two at least, especially in the warm seasons. Yet, if he were alone, he'd definitely hide himself from the naked eye and delve into the forest, and this time, it seemed as though this certain forest was Hideaway Strath.
Darsal peered over the tall brush, deeper into the woods. Possibly this buck was injured, or ill, and thus was alone — by abandonment of his harem. She couldn't tell from the tracks he'd left, but she had to take her chances, or her famished pack could starve.
She trailed into the greenery, grateful for the sparse placement of the thin, spindly trees. The wolf kept her eyes forward, haunches low, blunt ears alert for any sound. It wasn't late enough in the summer for their to be an irritable amount of fallen leaves for her feet to risk crunching... thankfully.
Ahead, there was movement.

Ears moved under his velvety antlers. Always listening to the sounds of the forest. The male knew that he shouldn't stand too long on the same spot, or facing the same direction. His tail flickered as he turned. A big snort came from the animal, turning a quarter and ripping off some leaves of a branch. His brown eyes looking around. The male's jaws munching on the leaves while he looked rather alert. 

It was still quiet, but almost too quiet. Where did the birds' chirps go? He stomped his hoof down, letting out another heavy sounding snort. He was a flight animal yes, but as a stag one needed to defend. The difference was now that only needed to defend himself, and he was not going to run away by the simple lack of sound.

Frankly he didn't even know if anything was out there. He swallowed the leaves and stood his ground, his stomps would have chased off anything smaller. Though if it was a pack of wolves, which could be a possibility he would need to run. Run down the river, he decided for if he needed to run, he would already know what direction he would take.

OOC: I wouldn't mind either antlers or hooves. It's just that Darsal hasn't gotten any scars IC yet and I think it would be pretty interesting to add that to her biography.

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Darsal pressed herself to the ground, her ears at full alert. In a sudden, a creature nearby — very nearby — let out a massive, mighty bellow, and shortly after, the ground shook with several great rumbles. Steps, Darsal thought. Hoofsteps? 
In a faltering moment of both curiosity and wariness, her black snout shot up, her orange-brown gaze frantically scanning her surroundings... and there it was: a huge, velvet-horned stag. From the way his head was turned, she knew she was downwind of him and he was not yet aware of her exact presence.
She thought for a moment. This beast of a deer could devastatingly injure her, or even kill her, while she was without the help of the Court's wolves. She had high regrets of leaving the Glade without taking a couple of accomplices. Her pack had to have food, soon....
Now, she could only hope to injure this buck and leave him to grow weaker until she returned with assistance over the next few days. With this decision, she leapt from the bushes, bounding toward the stag's turned back, and lunged for his hind leg.

Brechin was on alert so when he heard the rustling of the bushes he instantly jumped around, making a 180 degree turn towards the sound. Instantly he was standing eye to eye with a wolf. The stag reared up in shock. His mind screamed RUN RUN RUN. A wolf is never alone. In this one second he decided that the wolves must have ambushed him. The wolf wanted him to run away in the other direction, but he decided that there must be more wolves there. The stag lowered his velvet antlers and charged forward with his weapons out.

He was not sure if it was a hit but the deer made sure to jump over the the wolf with his long elegant legs. Then the creature started running through the thicket, not looking back and running as fast as he could. So far for wishing company. Now he had to run for his life, and keep his ears and eyes out for any more wolves.