food was very motivational. it had a strange way of controlling creatures. cupid was not immune to its pull. but who could blame him? it was the one thing keeping him alive after all. it kept everyone alive.
the yearling has been tracking a small herd of deer for awhile now. maybe mother nature would do him a solid and take one of its lives. his mouth watered at the thought. ah, a nice healthy doe all to himself. that would keep him full for days. sadly, mother nature didn’t provide luxuries if you didn’t work for them. a nomad like himself couldn’t take down big game on his own. He’d have to set his sights on something smaller.
cupid followed the herd’s trail towards a river. he crouched at the edge and watched the gentle ripples on its surface. hey, fish were pretty small right? they could make a decent meal. if only he knew how to catch one.
Whether the hunt with
@Yami was successful or not, the meager morsel that the newborn served would not satiate them for long. The presence of wolves would not have disturbed the resident herd of the plateau were it not for the season - and with a myriad of children in tow, they had sought refuge along the riverside to the south. Firefly followed their trail until he caught sight of the shifting antlers of some bucks; however, he didn't approach. Spooking the herd further would not amount to anything - and he didn't think two wolves could do much against a horde of protective mothers and fathers. As he wandered through the wilderness adjacent to the massive riverside Firefly did eventually notice something - movement, low and stalking - and he chose to prowl along in pursuit of the shape, at least until he could get a good look at it. Another wolf? He chuffed to them, pausing, suddenly entertaining the thought of a properly fulfilling meal. Perhaps their luck had changed..?
the rhythmic tune of the water had put him in some sort of a trance. he didn’t hear anyone approaching, so the greeting shocked him to say the least. his head flailed in all directions until he set his sights on the stranger.
like the man he had met by the hotsprings, this one was scarred but in a more extreme fashion. someone really did a number on him.
“hi,” he greeted, “need somethin’?”
The wolf took notice of him and he tried not to be too intimidating; he knew that his scars were plentiful and often bothered wolves that did not know him or the circumstances that led to them. He tried to keep his messed up face tilted away but it became pointless as Firefly observed the stranger - healthy, handsome - and he smiled as best he could.
Something to eat, actually. Thought we could help one another, if you are up for it?
He wondered if the stranger would be willing; alternatively, he wondered where Yami had gone off to - hopefully they could work as a trio, but two strong bodies could make it work just as well. I've been tracking the herd from over the plateau.
so this is how the universe answered him. he’d much rather prefer the food dropping at his feet thing, but a hunting partner wasn’t too bad. “hm, sounds promising. how can i say no?” one wolf catching a deer was a stretch, but it was a little more possible when two are involved. cupid stood up and shook off the dirt that clung to his fur. “i’ve been watchin’ a herd myself. maybe it’s the same one.”
It was good to find a like-minded creature in the middle of nowhere; but then, weren't all wolves of a like mind when food was concerned? If anyone were to pass up the chance at an easier meal, he'd have laughed at them. No wolf could survive on their own for eternity - they were pack creatures, after all. But that thought soured Firefly's mood a little; he couldn't help but think about the pack he'd just abandoned, the little family he'd always wanted -- the kids he'd shunned -- the women he'd used and abandoned -- and refocused his attention on his surroundings before he let his thoughts run away from him.
Probably. I scented them a while back and managed to find one of their fawns,
which might've been where Yami was now, keeping an eye out for the herd's return on the plateau. It was strange to be separated from her but they would make it work. Scouting different places at the same time would eventual yield results, right? But look there — graze lines on the undersides of the trees. And I found a trail leading along the river just before I found you —
so, the deer had to be here somewhere.
Have you spotted any of them? I thought I'd seen some bucks when I passed through, but... Who knows, really. The forest is pretty dense around here and it could've been anything.
his gaze drifted towards the trees and indeed there were remnants of evidence that the herd has been here. this guy really knew his stuff. he had a feeling he wouldn’t regret this partnership.
“i’ve kept my distance for the most part.” it was the only way he’d ever have a chance of catching something. if the herd was spooked by his presence then it would make everything ten times harder than it already was. “but i’m sure i saw a doe and its kid at some point. no bucks though.”
Hm. Maybe he hadn't seen what he'd thought; but that was fine. If the stranger said they'd noticed others maybe that's what Firefly had picked up on - rather than some bucks fighting, it could've been some mothers helping their newborn fawns try to stand and walk. It was amazing how quickly the prey adapted to being alive — and then Firefly found his mind wandering to thoughts of wolf children trying to get up on their feet, which inevitably made him think of Ros and Erzulie and — stop that, it wasn't worth thinking about.
The man huffed and looked around, feigning interest in the terrain and looking for further clues that there were prey creatures here — trying to distract himself from his guilt. He paused as he drifted a few steps away from the stranger, and then looked back at them to say, well, if you're hungry I'm willing to help take something down. Where do you want to start?