Wildfire's teeth sank into the hot, alive flesh, piercing it and causing blood to flood into her mouth. The rabbit screamed, twisted and jerked but there was no escaping the prison of her jaws. She applied more pressure, crushing the life from her prey until it finally fell limp. With a quiet gasp, the Bandrona relaxed her jaw and let the carcass drop to the ground. She panted, then licked her chops, savoring the tang of fresh blood.
Once she caught her breath, she nosed the dead rabbit onto its back, then tore into its belly. She began to feed voraciously; there was nothing ladylike about it as she bolted down morsel after morsel of still-warm meat.
It was the scream of a rabbit that caught Portia's attention. She'd already eaten, so she was less than hungry, but she was curious to see who was out hunting. Her pale paws led her to their Bandrona, who sat feasting very carnivorously on what she could only assume was the rabbit she'd heard scream moments ago.
She stayed a small ways off, not wanting to intrude on the girls meal, her tail flicking back and forth. "Nice catch, hun," she said with a smile, amused by the way Wildfire was eating but in no way judging her. Portia was ladylike to almost all extents, but she'd never question a natural instinct. Devour when hungry was just one of those things.
She felt a little greedy as she ravenously fed, though she reminded herself that she needed all the nourishment she could get if she hoped to conceive a litter in the coming months. That thought made her stomach flipflop and almost robbed her of her appetite. But that would have been counterproductive, so Wildfire continued gobbling down the rest of the rabbit.
A voice made her start a little, her head lifting immediately and her ears pressing forward. It was only Portia, though, and the Bandrona smiled a little sheepishly as she licked the gore from her chops. "Hey Portia." She paused, considering the few scraps remaining at her feet. "Thanks. I'd offer you some but..." She laughed quietly. "If you're hungry, I'd be happy to hunt with you," she added. She would even hunt for the Skayona if she wished. It was her (happy) duty as one of the pack's hunters.
Portia shook her head, laughing a little. "I've already eaten, thanks," she said, tail waving, "But if you want anything for the caches I don't mind helping out." Her green gaze fell away from Wildfire as she stared at the territory around them, noting indifferently the signs of autumn around them. She's never admit to liking winter, but it was easier to blend into her surrondings-- and men were always so much more eager to listen to her. It must've been something about the cold, there was always something settling about huddling close to someone to keep warm. Maybe, even the most rugged of men, had a soft spot for that sort of companionship. She'd never know.
Her gaze returned to Wildfire, tail waving. "How've you been?" she asked, a light bit of conversation.
It disappointed her a little that Portia didn't require anything. Blood lust was still singing in the hunter's veins and she realized she was still in the mood to hunt. Luckily, the Skayona suggested they work on the caches. The Bandrona immediately nodded. That was a good idea in general and an even better one considering how much she, as a new mother, would rely on stockpiles in the near future.
That thought made her stomach flutter again and when Portia asked, Wildfire smiled a gooey smile and replied, "Great!" She and Thuringwethil were official, they were public, and a promising future lay before them. How could she complain? "How about you? And I'd love some hunting company. It definitely won't hurt to start stocking up."
Wildfire seemed to light up-- more than in just a normal, cheerful manner. Curiosity pulled at the Skayona's tongue, and she returned the smile with a wag of her tail. Unable to resist a good word of gossip, Portia nosed the Bandrona playfully. "Why's that?" she asked before nodding for the red-wolf to lead the way. She wasn't the best hunter, but she was help enough.
Referencing events that haven't technically played out yet... we can always pause this and let the meeting progress so this thread makes more sense. :o
The question caused Wildfire to draw up short (mentally, not actually). She glanced at Portia's face to make sure she'd heard correctly, then smiled easily and replied,
"Well, because of Thur and me." She began walking as she spoke, her black tail swaying side to side. She still felt a little self-conscious about the whole matter, since it had been a secret for so long, but the new openness was actually very refreshing. Truthfully, she could gabble about the commander for days if no one stopped her.
"That's right!" Portia exclaimed brightly, her tail wagging. "How long have you two been together, though?" she pressed, knowing fine and well that this wasn't a recent thing-- and the Skayona was a big fan of knowing all the details. Her green eyes gazed ahead, ears perking for a moment before relaxing. "Congratulations, by the way, hun," she added with a gentle nudge to her friends shoulder.
Her mention of the commander seemed to jog Portia's memory and Wildfire's eyes danced warmly. She deeply appreciated her pack mate's enthusiastic acceptance. Her teeth dug slightly into her lower lip at the woman's question, though. Should she reveal that they had been secretly involved for months? Was that probably a foregone conclusion by now, considering they had gone and gotten married (that thought made her heart flutter in her chest) in front of the entire pack?
"I've been slowly falling in love with her ever since I came here in the spring," Wildfire admitted, her already twittering heart skipping a beat now. It was so weird but so great confessing that out loud. "I didn't even really realize it for the longest time, as I'd never felt this way about another woman." She paused, wondering if that bit made Portia uncomfortable in any way, then added, "Thank-you, by the way. For the congratulations. It means a lot." Surely not everyone would be so easily happy for them or accepting of the myriad ways they were going against tradition.
Her ears perked as she considered the time, shocked that the pair had taken so long to become official. While Portia was not the 'settle-down' type, had she a man or a woman on her arm to flaunt, you bet your ass she would. Wildfire continued though, and Portia nodded, a bit of realization flooding over her. "It's romantic," she replied, green gaze slipping a glance at the Bandrona before falling back ahead of them. "That sudden realization is always the best love story-- much more emotion."
Wildfire's next comment was amusing, and Portia let out a light laugh. "Oh, Wildfire," she began, tail waving. "Everyone leans their own way, you shouldn't worry about what other's have to say about that."
Had she had a sudden aha! moment? Probably, though Wildfire couldn't recall at the moment. The details didn't matter now. She was with Thuringwethil, formally, and everybody knew. They could build themselves as a pairing in the eyes of their pack. And though Wildfire supposed Portia was right, the opinions and support of their little community mattered a lot to her. She knew it mattered to the Heda too.
"We care about our pack mates' thoughts, though, on this matter and others," the Bandrona replied thoughtfully. "Of course, we hope everyone will be as accepting as you," she continued, offering Portia another genuine smile, "but we understand if that isn't the case." Others might feel differently about breaking away from Drageda's traditions. In a phrase, she and the commander were hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.
Further conversation was momentarily postponed when a scent suddenly filled Wildfire's nose. She exchanged a meaningful look with Portia and stopped to read it. A raccoon had passed by this way within the last half an hour. The trapper deliberated. Was she up for the challenge of a smaller predator? Was Portia? She looked speculatively at her pack mate again.
Portia shrugged a bit, but nodded. "I understand, I suppose I've just never been one to care about what other people think," she mused, tail waving. She was glad to make Wildfire feel more comfortable, even if just a little, and she prayed the rest of the pack was as supportive as she was.
The scent did not miss her, and her attention turned to the tracker as she waited for instruction. Her lips curved in a bright smile, giving a gentle nod. Raccoon's weren't her favorite thing to hunt, but she didn't mind a good challenge.
Wildfire took Portia's smile and nod as acceptance of the challenge presented. Wildfire returned her grin, her own a little fiendish as she fantasized about killing one of the wily, ring-tailed thieves. But first they would have to track it. Licking her chops, the Bandrona lowered her smudged muzzle to the ground, where the scent was most concentrated. She drew in several deep, noisy breaths, drinking in the raccoon's scent and discerning where it led.
She glanced at her cohort quickly, just to say, This way, then began to trot where the trail led her: toward the heart of the territory.
Portia followed quickly, remaining silent as she went. Her feet were light on the ground, her tail stilled. She was not a skilled hunter, but she knew the basics, and would keep herself quiet and calm as she followed behind Wildfire, waiting for the trapper to find their prey.
The trail went cold for a moment and Wildfire paused, licking her lips as she assessed her surroundings. She eventually trotted over to a nearby tree, a sycamore, and sniffed at the roots. There was nothing there. But when she reared up and placed her slightly over-sized paws on the rough bark of the trunk and pressed her nose beside her toes, she found it. The raccoon had climbed the tree. She pushed back and fell onto her haunches, peering at the branches. It wasn't up there now...
She began to circle the tree, widening on every revolution. When she struck the trail again, she barked to get Portia's attention and then set off once more. It wasn't long before the pair of she-wolves tracked the bandit right to one of the pack's stocks. Not only would they get a meal of it, they would save another. The Bandrona bared her teeth indignantly and snarled, not bothering with trying to sneak up or otherwise ambush the smaller carnivore. Heck, she barely bothered with a warning before barreling at the little guttersnipe.
Wildfire followed the trail to a tree, sniffing around it with noted frustration. The trail was fading, the Skayona had noticed, but she didn't say anything to the far more experienced tracker. Good thing too, because after a few moments the Bandrona was barking to grab her attention. Portia followed-- straight to the little vermin.
The closest Portia had ever come to angry was when she was telling her mother she was leaving home-- and that was over a year ago. So, it wasn't surprising that she didn't get nearly as vocal as Wildfire had. The fiery trapper flung herself forward with little warning, and with a surprised yip Portia took off a few pawsteps behind her, instead opting to go around the side, in case the little beast bolted.
The raccoon did bolt, though it screeched when it found its path cut off by Portia. By the time it doubled back to dash in a different direction, Wildfire was upon it. Her teeth dug into the smaller animal's thigh, though just as quickly as she attacked, the raccoon counterattacked. Not only did it twist in her grip to slash at her with both fore and hind paws, it also latched onto her muzzle with its sharp little fangs.
The trapper had no choice but to shake her head rapidly, loosening her own grip. The raccoon clung to her like some sort of face-hugger, though only for a split second. It soon let go and, bleeding and screaming, it scrambled away. The Bandrona made no attempt to go after it, instead hanging back to lick the blood welling from the gouges in her snout. She couldn't reach the slashes on her neck, though they stung fiercely.
"Well," she said, wincing in Portia's direction, "if anyone asks, I beat that sucker into a bloody pulp." She laughed dryly, then realized how lucky she was to be in the presence of a caregiver. "Do these look bad?" Wildfire wondered, turning her scratched neck toward her fellow wolf. "Am I gonna live, doc?" she quipped.
"Oh!" Portia exclaimed, not fearfully though not necessarily calmly. The raccoon attacked-- and before Wildfire had the time to react, it had latched onto her face! The Skayona was unsure exactly what to do, and wondered if it was her fault. She had been prepared to attack it-- but it had turned and struck Wildfire before she had the chance. Feeling guilty and somewhat relieved it was only her snout and neck, the freckled woman moved quickly over the to trapper after the vermin fled. Wildfire made a few lighthearted comments, but Portia was worried as ever.
"Oh hun," she murmured softly, pressing her nose to the other's cheek briefly, "I'm so sorry-- my lil' legs just don't move as quickly as I need them to." Her green gaze studied the fiery girl, the bloodied scrapes along her muzzle being the worst. "They're not awful, but raccoons are disgusting beasts... I'd feel better if you'd let me put something on them. I'd hate for them to get infected," she said, giving the ones on Wildfire's neck a few swipes of her tongue to clean them off. They weren't as deep as the ones on her nose, but they bled all the same.
Her sense of humor didn't seem to reassure Portia, who proceeded to fuss guiltily over the Bandrona. Wildfire shook her head lightly and smiled.
"It's okay. I'm okay. I'm pretty sure they're superficial." Of course, she couldn't be sure, since she couldn't actually see any of the wounds herself, but there wasn't much blood and she didn't even feel faint.
"No need to apologize. He was a quick little crap bag," Wildfire added, laughing under her breath.
The caregiver cleaned the wounds but insisted she wanted to put something on them. Wildfire merely nodded assent.
"That'd be great, thanks." Her amber eyes lifted expectantly to Portia's face, expecting her to lead the way to a medical stash of some sort. Unlike some wolves she knew, the lithe Redhawk yearling wasn't hesitant to seek medical attention. Her only regret was that the raccoon had gotten away—though she'd saved their food!—and that she was probably down for the count for the rest of the day.
Want to fade with Portia going off to heal her boo-boos? :D
"Good," Portia said, nodding quickly and gently nudging Wildfire to follow her. "It shouldn't be too long," she began, falling headfirst into an explanation on what herbs she was going to need and how she would apply it. It didn't really matter that the trapper knew, but Portia just loved talking about it too much. So she rambled on as they made their way to the Skayona's den, where she then treated the redheads wounds.