augur was unsure of the new woman who had come to stand among them. she had not met red woman first. she had shared the odd sounds with tall man first.
until he had seen her with their alpha female, augur would remain suspicious.
today he hunted alone. he was a boy with the potential for good hunting and the killing bite. augur practiced, chasing elk in the snow to test them, and running alongside if they fled.
he sprang for one such throat now, lunging powerfully up from the drifts. but he missed and landed hard.
Ashlar watched, absolutely rapt, as Augur leapt for the elk. Even though he had failed in the strike, he could barely believe the wolf would test such kingly prey on his own. Between the antlers and the hooves, what if he was caught?
His eyes widened as the silent wolf fell and he sprang forward into a sprint, tearing through the snow towards the wolf and the elk. He wasn't sure what he thought he would achieve... his aim was not to catch the creature's throat. Instead he wished to ensure that his friend was not trampled beneath its hooves or lashed upon its antlers. He let out a snarling bark as he pressed forward, fur standing out against his smaller frame.
blacktail was down the snowy rise and into the fray before augur had fully gotten his feet.
he barked excitedly to see his companion, whining with revolving lashes of his tail.
the elk trotted away, the heads of the herd tilted backward to support their razoring antlers.
augur was not dissuaded. he ran after them, testing another with a snap of his great jaws.
Ashlar calmed down when he saw Augur get up unhurt, but his stomach dropped when he watched the other man begin taunting the elk again. His ears pressed back and he stayed where he was, watching.
Why was he doing that? It was dangerous to play with the creatures alone. His parents had told him of hunts gone wrong when they'd prepared him for chasing such things. What was the point in doing so without the strength of the pack behind him?
He wanted to ask, but he didn't want to distract him while he was so close to the herd. Instead he watched, tail tucked and body low. He'd spring in again if something went wrong, perhaps, but he did not trust himself or the elk enough to join now.
blacktail followed.
augur dodged the sweep of antlers.
more narrowly he avoided the stamp of an elk meant to crush him into the snow.
after that he chose to end his game, wandering back through the drifts until he was with blacktail again.
augur whined and wagged his tail. his companion could choose their next activity.
His adrenaline spiked as Augur was nearly hit, dropping down and whining lightly as he dithered uncertainly. He didn't join in, and when the other wolf left the game to join him, Ashlar's relief was palpable. He bounded forward to meet him, checking to make sure he hadn't been hurt or hit in one of the many close calls.
He was fine. Ashlar didn't bother to ask about it though he was curious; he had known wolves in the past who didn't use words and had quickly placed Augur among them. "Quiet one" was who he called him internally. Instead he gave one last look at the deer, then began to lope in the opposite direction. When they got far enough away he'd begin to sniff around, looking for signs of prey that was better for the two of them to chase. There was brush close by where he would occasionally scare up birds.
augur followed.
but when he paused it was to look back toward the elk. it was not hunger which drove him. it was the exhilaration.
now he would be careful. the large boy followed after ashlar, punching great holes in the snow. he heard the click of feathers in the trees and the twitching of vole noses below the snow.
augur looked to blacktail, wondering what his companion would choose.
Wrapping this one since it's been a long while <3 we'll get a new one up sometime!
Ashlar was set on the birds and didn't even notice the second option. He began to lead the way towards the brush, intent on scenting and watching for any sign of camoflauged movement among the branches. Even the slightest shifting of a shadow would do, but his ears and nose were the true indicators.
Almost automatically, Ashlar took point. Within the hunt he was used to the opposite of with all else. If he took the fore, that meant Augur followed after, and whatever he scared forth the other man could spring to catch. Ashlar would attempt as well, of course, but he was used to being the less practiced in almost every instance. He would easily defer.