A foolish, inexperienced young hare ran for its life, desperate to evade the jaws of the hungry tundra mix. The frightened animal, it's pelt just beginning to turn white with the oncoming of winter, thought it would find safety, and ultimately, escape in the recesses of the ice cave.
Undeterred by her prey's attempt at trickery, Keyni followed suit, headlong into the mysterious unknown without a second’s hesitation. She would have stopped to admire the enchanting beauty which surrounded her, had it not been for the task at hand. The floor beneath her paws she found, was slippery. Forcing her ultimately to slow down so she didn't slip and make a complete fool of herself. And that wasn't her only obstacle. Deeper within, the cave split off into two separate chambers. Having lost sight of her quarry, Keyni narrowed her jade eyes contemplatively, none too keen on wasting her time on a missed meal.
Sounds reverberated with blaring loudness against the crystalline walls, the scuffle of paws against the dirt and rock ground masquearding as a full on fight. Movement caught his gaze, small and quick and the impulse to move and dart after it was only barely contained, instead distracted by the one that followed it so single mindedly. A slow blink closed the man's eyes, ears twitching gently in thought before he moved to follow the quicksilver shadow, padding gently through the cave as he remained careful of footing and distance alike.
It was not until the fork in the road had stopped the woman that he caught up with her, the scent of hare pervading the cloying smell of dampness. Farther into the cave, the beauty of the walls had paled, the gems becoming scattered along the walls but larger in size. A curious trade, but not as curious as the man that stopped near the woman, livered eyes blinking again as he regarded her. Breath drawn through his nose, Stjornuati discovered that he could not tell with way the wolf's meal had gone.
This one can go the way you do not and call if he finds it,
The blonde wolf offered to the hunter. This one is not hungry.
The stature of his build would make this apparent enough, his form willowy but not skeletal or strained.
Left or right. There was a fifty-fifty chance no matter which route she took. She sighed, her breath coming out in a soft plume courtesy of the chilled air. If only she had a hunting partner then this would be much easier. Keyni was used to doing many a task on her own, but that didn't mean she liked it.
The approach of another, drawing up beside her, elicited only a calmed turn of her head to regard him. He was cloaked in soft, pale tones, much like herself, perhaps hinting of a northern lineage. Those eyes were a pleasing liver color, which she met without alarm in her own. She had already deduced that if this male wanted to do her harm, then he already would have done so while creeping in from behind. "Are you sure...?" Came her smooth voice. "It is a kind gesture. I should wish to repay you, in some form." She dipped her head humbly, while moving forward towards the looming mouth of the left passageway, her mind already made up.
Rolled to see if he smelled the hare :D
This one does not offer if this one is not sure.
The answer was swift and concise, though he did not fail to note the way she stood so sure of herself, unalarmed even in the presence of someone she did not know. There were pros and cons to this, of course, but they were things better left to analyze at another time. His head dipped in agreement, the favor she now owed him tucked away for later use.
As he had offered, the path he had chosen was the one she had not, long legs carrying him further into the cave. Such exploration was useful to the man, noting the growth of mushrooms and other fungi along the floors of the cavern. He would have to return at a later time to look into their uses, instead shifting his focus to the hare that had escaped into the darkness.
Sniffing along the damp floor, Stjornuati's pace quickened when he traced the fresh scent, dark eyes watching ahead to see if he could spy the woman's quarry.
A nod of her head followed his reply. "Very well then." Keyni felt no need to ask a second time. This pale stranger had made it plenty clear that he was set in his decision. Besides, she had never been the type to circle back to a topic once its outcome had already been decided.
Giving him one last glance as they temporarily parted ways, she let the darkness of her chosen passageway encompass her. The lighting was poor, forcing her eyes to adjust and trail along the various crevices on the walls. The floor was damp under her paws, making for a perfect breeding ground of rare flora, just as he had discovered. Allowing them only a brief sniff, she pressed on, relying on her nose to guide her either to her quarry or a dead end. She kept one pale ear cocked, alert to the sound of his voice.
There. Movement. Quick and desperate movement, that of terrified prey. It was a snap judgement to call for her, letting out a single sharp bark to grab her attention and call her to him. Of course, this sent the hare darting deeper into the cave system, Stjornuati hot on its trail. Pale paws carried him with a surity that would fall on its face if he was to trip but fortune favored the bold this day.
While the hare was quicker, the cave system was yet to branch again, carrying him closer and closer to the prey he sought to catch for another.
The moments ticked by, and all she had earned in her search was the smell of the stale, damp air of the cave in front of her nose. Then a sound she had been waiting for. A singular, sharp bark that cut through her ears, summoning her to her nameless hunting partner.
In a flash of greys and whites, the usually serene tundrian whirled round, retracing her path. In the blink of an eye she was there, next to him. Wordlessly, she kept pace, ears set back with a fierce glint in her eye, while together, they worked to run down the prey.
With a quickness he appreciated, the woman was beside him, stalking forward in a way that bespoke of no fear of darkness, no fear of the unknown. Mouth splitting into a toothy grin, Stjornuati pressed onwards, into the dark with his companion alonside him. Deeper and deeper they went, matching each other stride for stride, breath for breath.
One
Two
Three
There! He shot forward, snapping his jaws at the movement that flashed before him. Teeth clicked on empty space but the man was quick enough to recover, drawing back for that the woman could shoot her shot. He would follow her closely, just in case the hare eluded her as well.
There was no need for verbal communication between them. Body language and the simple exchange of a quick glance back and forth was plenty sufficient. Out of the corner of one jade eye, she acknowledged him silently, while shadows weaved over her form as she ran forth, fueled by the scent of prey and ultimate victory in her nose.
Movement crossed her field of vision. Triggering her base instincts. The male failed to hit the mark, but Keyni was on a roll. Surging ahead in eerie silence, she tore up the distance between her and the fleeing rabbit. With one final push, her jaws clamped neatly around one wildly kicking hind leg with a crack of bone.