With the beautiful scene of the sunset playing behind him, the careless Ostrega flashed past the hissing craters that adorned the lands to his right, his eyes barely scanning over the odd looking holes in the ground that seemed to be systematically placed over the floor and protected with an ominous manlte of fog. Ciervo, had never been keen on unraveling the natural enigma's presented by the Universe, specially because he found that the Universe was an enigma all on its own.
Hence the fact the dying sun or sizzling crates spiked no interest in the man
He was much more interested channeling his acute observation skills towards other,slightly more responsive beings such as other wolves. While one would think that growing alongside six other wolves would've strenghtened his desire of seeking independence, it had also made him value the unconditional companionship offered by both his foster and biological kin. This was why, despite having made the decision of being a loner and facing the world by himself, Ciervo still liked to indulge on the pleasures of another's company.
The idea of joining another pack was one he had considered since the minute he had turned around and slipped into the night after bidding his remaining siblings and surrogate parents farwell. Though he owed him his own life, the Ostrega was certain that they, as well as they biological parents would want more of him than to simply stay and rot in the same pack forever. Like a dandelion in the wind, the rest of his siblings had followed suit and stretched across the vastitude of the land. Little did he know, however, that the wind had herded them into the same area, where it would be just a matter of time until they ran into one another.
And it would just be a matter of time until Ciervo realized that not fire or distance could break bloodtied bonds.
Saena's pursuit of prey drew her into the Great Bear Wilderness once more, but this time, she gave the Heartwood a wide berth. She wasn't keen on encountering the mountain lion that lurked in there and testing her luck yet again. She would rather travel a little farther and catch something in a safer location than deal with the possibility of a puma shredding her to pieces.
She didn't travel far from the Plateau, but rather, crossed the valley to an adjacent mountain. Before she was born, a pack had lived on this peak, and another pack before that one. Now, though, its smell was as neutral and fresh as the rest of the valley, its snow as undisturbed, and it was as though no wolf had ever set foot on its jagged face. Silvertip Mountain rose ominously into the sky, sharper and steeper than its neighbours in the Sunspire range, but Saena was a wolf of the mountains herself, in a sense, and was undaunted.
She began to scale it with her ears pricked and her nose to the cold, snowy floor. She expected the type of prey she might find in the cliffs above the plateau here: pika, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, and a number of birds that weren't commonly seen lower down. She wished to find several of the pika to bring back home; rodents were easy for a juvenile to manage, far easier than any of the other nearly impossible prey.
So she climbed, only stopping when movement a little further down caught her eye: another approaching wolf. Stiffening, Saena observed him for a moment from above, then began to walk a little faster, intent on finding prey before he did, dispatching it, and taking it home before he could try to take it from her.
And it would also just be a matter of time before Ciervo noticed that the dying rays of the sun were not the only thing that weighted upon his back as he trekked through the mountain. Hidden by the snow, a pale juvenile peered down at him, her gaze resting on his back as if he were not only a stranger but also a rival in the competitive game that was life.
Though the Ostrega still conserved a high percentage of the bulk he had built up before setting off on his solo voyage, he could not deny that the harsh cold and loneliness had taken a toll on his figure, making the outlines of his ribs begin to stick out underneath his russet coating.
Like Saena, the man had also been following the vague scents scattered around the edges of the mountain, hoping to find himself a larger dinner instead. Even if he was aware he was not in tip top shape at the moment, Ciervo also knew that if played right his speed could make up for the lack of endurance he had at the moment. If he just managed to find an already injured critter, then he'd already have half the job done.
With his mind still unaware of the teenager's presence, Ciervo pushed through the snow, his nose also hovering over the cold dust as he unknowingly guided the smaller female down his own path.
It would now be a matter of wits what determined who'd get the last laugh.
Attempting to push the thought of a competitor out of her mind, Saena struck out for the higher reaches of the mountain, and shortly came across a sign of good fortune: pika droppings. They weren't terribly fresh, but they lacked the stale scent of days old passing. Her eyes brightened considerably as she began to pad swiftly along this ledge, determined to chase out the little rodents and catch them before Ciervo had the opportunity to find and challenge her.
Speaking of Ciervo, the Blacktail female paused and glanced down the mountain again, her tail swaying tensely. If he so much as looked up, she would stand out like a sore thumb against the white backdrop thanks to her brilliant copper ears and tail. This was something that Saena hadn't thought about, and so she made no attempt to hide herself as she pressed on feverishly. The longer she could escape his notice, even though she was plainly visible, the better.
She chuffed lightly to herself as she encountered a fresh set of pika tracks. In her haste she cantered a few steps, unwittingly loosing an avalanche of miniscule proportions to tumble down the mountainside and serve as a dead giveaway of her location.
While the female rejoiced on her shitty findings, the Ostrega continued to scout the jagged edges of the mountain side, his nose more focused on finding a larger critter's scent, such as a hare or even a mountain goat. Due to the impending mating season, the chances of finding an injured or distracted indivudual increased greatly. What was it that drove animals to want to swoon others in the middle of the cold, harsh winds was a mystery to the male whose own worries strayed far from even wanting to meet possible runner-ups to become Mrs.Ostrega.
Even as the eldest son in his litter, Ciervo was still as unsophisticated and ruthless as he had been as a yearling.
Apparently, he was still as absent-minded too considering that his golden eyes never caught sight of the large copper ears that swivelled on top of her onlooker's head -- that until a wave of white dust tumbled from the upper skirts of the mountain, making the curious male raise his head promptly.
Like a large X in a pirate map, the small avalanche gave Saena's exact position as well as a hint of her possible intentions to the male below. With a gruff exhale and a sudden change of course, Ciervo began climbing up the slope that separated them from one another, his golden eyes filled with an ambigous light that did not allow the girl to differenciate if she was being looked like a threat or a treat. "It'll take more than just you to hunt down a guy like me" he chuffed once he had come into a decent distance, his lips now parting into a vague half-smile.
The pika trail proved long and tough to follow, for there the little mammal must have ducked beneath a shelf of rock far too small for Saena to fit in. Snorting exasperatedly, the female backpedaled a few steps and searched for another way to reach it, and then chanced another glance down at the male wolf lurking below.
Only he wasn't lurking any longer, but charging effortlessly up the mountainside directly toward her.
Oh fuck off, Saena thought as she loped a few feet ahead and whirled just in time for Ciervo to reach the place she'd been moments earlier. The way he looked at her was disconcerting and earned him a suspicious glare from the yearling, whose success at hunting had become dubious the moment he spotted her. Yet he didn't push past her to track the pika and catch it before her like she'd suspected, so they seemed to be at an impasse of sorts.
Saena should have spotted the joke, but she was too defensive over her potential prey to think about it enough to recognize it. Perhaps if her visit to the Heartwood hadn't ended in her fleeing from a stronger predator, she would've been less on edge. She'd promised Blue Willow she would take care of her, though, and the only way to do that was to actually bring something home. "You can help me catch something and take half and leave half for me to bring to my pack," she offered loudly, her eyes still narrowed suspiciously, "or we can test your theory."
Ignoring whatever it was the female was searching for underneath the rock, the Ostrega slinked ahead, sending his shoulders forward as his tail swayed gently behind him. Unless the girl had a juicy piece of meat hiding behing those big copper ears of hers Ciervo did not want anything to do with her. Besides what fun would it be to pick a fight that was already won?
Regardless of the teen's headstrong attitude and killing glare, her size and inexperience already gave her a great disadvantage.
Still, Ciervo held no intentions of being a pain to the young female, unless she decided to be one herself. With another vague smile spreading across his features, the male continued to stare down the girl, who instead of turning and scurring off like the small rodent that had slipped past her responded with a tentative deal for the lone scavenger.
With a huff and a mock snarl the male feigned to be preparing to lunge at her, "I think simple logic will tell you I'm right" he barked while sending one of his paws into the air, shoving a good amount of snow towards her in the process. "Goat sound good?" he asked then, dropping all playfulnes of his tone to turn again down the path the scents were carrying him before she made herself known.
A good friend made it for me! ^_^ She actually made an amazing avatar of Jinx back in the day for me, too, I love her art so much! If I can remember her DA I'll give you the link, I think she takes commissions and such too.
Ciervo's temperament was impossible for Saena to pin down. She drew herself back and lowered her head defensively when he snarled, only to snap it back up when he shoved snow at her. She didn't get his angle, and rather than making her want to work with him, it was making her want to leave him on the side of the mountain merely to avoid the confusion. The only conclusion she could draw was that he was purposely trying to be odd, but there was no telling whether she was right or not. Ciervo's behaviour was far too erratic for her to guess what he was really after, and she wasn't good at guessing anyway.
Perhaps he was right, as he said, but the flaw she saw in his logic wasn't with her chances, but rather, with his theory in general. She likely wouldn't be able to take him down—in that respect he was correct—but why she would ever try was beyond her. It never occurred to her that he might've been subtly threatening her, or else suggesting she didn't stand a chance hunting against the likes of him. Likely the age gap was just enough that Ciervo's cryptic joke went over Saena's head and she took it to literally mean she was hunting him.
"Who are you?" she wondered aloud, leaving out how his indecipherable teasing made her feel small and stupid as she fell in behind him. Even if Ciervo turned out to be the most mysterious, jerkiest guy in the world or something along those lines, the offer to help hunt was too good to pass up.
Without even stopping to check if the female had slipped away or decided to follow, the male trotted ahead, his long, thin limbs breaking through the soft layers of snow covering the rocky terrain ahead. Even if she had decided to leave, Ciervo's hunger wouldn't so with or without her he was determined to get something inside his belly.
To be honest, he would not have blamed her for wanting to leave. More often than not Ciervo had found his quirky behavior to be a problem when meeting others. A problem but not an impediment for the Ostrega to make friends; after all, the picky male had also realized that the few individuals that looked past his whimsical mannerisms were the only wolves he could bear with -- because the problem was not exactly finding wolves who liked him, but finding wolves he liked.
Astonishingly enough even after their brief exchange of words, he had begun to develop a liking, or tolerance, for the young girl -- who even more shockingly decided to follow. "Ciervo Ostrega" he barked without looking back at her, or asking her name in return. It was not important now. Not when their potential dinner, an average looking goat with matted fur and a chipped horn, laid ahead, grazing on the writhed grasses that remained between the rocks.
There were many with his name in the Wilds, but Saena had met none of them, so no bells were rung. She accepted his name silently and continued trailing after him, her tail a rigid line that stretched out behind her and her ears stiff peaks. Her head hung between her shoulders and between her teeth poked her tongue. Though she'd never done a lot of hunting until recently, Saena was the picture of a hunting wolf.
Ciervo seemed to be better at locating prey than she was, for it took him only a matter of minutes to locate a mountain goat. It was shaggy and white, like they tended to be, and its dark horns were short and roughed up. A young male, from the looks of it, and if the state of his horns said anything, he had likely failed in the annual mountain goat rutting. Naturally, Saena didn't know all these things just by looking at it—she had never been so close to a mountain goat, and was more interested in its strange silhouette than in the specific details that made it an ideal target.
Saena slipped into a lower stance, practically creeping toward the goat. For the time being it was oblivious to the pair of wolves that sought to make a meal of it. She glanced sidelong at the Ostrega, giving him the lead since she was the inexperienced one here.
If Ciervo had known that in the vast and barren lands of the Teekon Wilds there was another sharing his lastname he would've thrown everything down the window and shipped himself to wherever they were. Though he was oblivious of the enormous spiderweb of relatives he had running around, and he was rather picky when choosing who to share his company with he was certain that family was better than no family. An argument that Saena might've disagreed with.
Soon, Ciervo's body fell into the same position the young Virtute Blacktail had slipped to, his rust tipped ears swiveling restlessly as they admired the creature in front of them. While it didn't seem injured or handicapped in anyway other than its chipped horn, Ciervo figured that now that he was no longer alone they might have a chance -- that if they played their cards right.
It was then that his honed hunting instincts came in.
With his pink tongue lashing over his nose and his eyes scrutinizing every movement made by the goat. "We're downwind so we've got it easy -- follow me and don't screw it"he barked, twisting his maw into a mischevious smile before flicking his tail over his back, signalling that it was time to go.
Don't screw it, Ciervo finished as he flagged his tail and set off toward the goat. Saena pulled her lips back into a grimace—no, you! it said—but dutifully pursued him at a lofty trot. For once she swallowed down any insolent comment she could've made with the understanding that he was probably right. She was younger and necessarily less experienced, though like her Naturalist trade, Saena took to hunting like a fish to water.
The goat may not have spotted them yet, but the unearthly silence that preceded the hunt must have made him wary, for his head lifted and his flat nostrils flared suspiciously. Saena paused and drew a slow breath in, waiting for the goat to rise and flee, but it did not. She exhaled even more slowly through her nose and took another step forward, glancing at Ciervo as she did so for his signal.
Though Ciervo was fervently confident about his abilities -- maybe even to the point where his self-assurance crossed the line into arrogance -- saying that any potential failure would not fall onto him but onto his companion was exceedingly selfish, even for the cavalier coywolf.
Not screwing it was easier said than done.
In fact it was when the animal raised its head from the ground and began sniffing the air that the Ostrega thought it was all over for them. Had he miscalculated the direction of the wind? Or perhaps had he underestimated the goat's sense of smell? With his own lips pressed together tightly as the animal swung its head around, Ciervo pressed himself against the floor, making a futile attempt to shield himself from the goat's eyes in case it turned its head a few degrees more.
Miraculously the rusty male and his copper splotched companion went by unnoticed by the goat's radar. With a deep exhale to match Saena's own Ciervo continued to creep over the snow, his hind legs ready to send him flying into action at the goat's slightest sign of suspicion.
He was able to take a couple of steps more before feeling that his luck had been pushed to the limit. The time had come.
Without a second more to waste Ciervo's tail flicked, announcing to the girl that it was time to move in for the kill; then using his strong hindlegs as a propeller he threw himself forward, his lips curling back as he seeked to make contact with the goat's heels.
Ciervo never met her eyes, but Saena could feel as easily as see his signal. His tail twitched and Saena felt all her muscles contract. For the space of half a second, neither wolf moved, but both were suspended between tensing and leaping.
Then, like a shot, the male threw himself into the open and Saena followed hot on his heels. The goat was up as well, bleating alarum as it attempted to wheel on the spot. The snow that was kicked up as a result of the two charging canines and the frantic goat temporarily obscured her vision, but Saena surged forward, heedless of it. She could hear Ciervo alongside her. She stretched out her neck, teeth flashing...
...and was reward with a mouthful of goat hindquarter. The female bit down, shook her head, and let go. Since there was only two of them, a single injury would ensure the hunt was a failure. The female's instinct was to dart in and fall back, littering the goat's hide with tears and wounds until it bled out on the mountainside and fell, too weak to continue. She cantered behind it and then, seeing another opening, dove forward again to leave another bleeding hole on the ungulate's flank.
It was truly amazing how in a second hell could be unleashed. With Saena sticking close and the goat's alarmed shrieks filling the air, the devilish Ostrega latched himself onto the goat's rump, his jaws closing in the animal's flesh and drawing blood. Like the young female, Ciervo also used the same hit and retreat strategy, which was fairly easier for him not only because he had more experience but because him long limbs were able to carry him out of the flying hooves trayectory faster.
One thing to thank his hybrid blood for.
As the female battled with the goat's backside, Ciervo took advantage of the goat's hectic state to slip towards the front slowly, his eyes aiming directly at the bulls-eye drawn on the animal's throat. Then, with a wretched growl that could only be interpreted as an executioner's battle cry he launched himself into the air, his jaws wrapping around the animal's neck in a deadly embrace.
He bit hard, but innevitably lost his grip as Saena began prodding the animal to move forward. He drew back and waited. The injuries they had inflicted were mortal. Soon the animal would be laying dead at their feet.
With his mouth gaping to reveal a stained set of fangs he watched the female push on, ripping through the goat's skin as the agonizing creature bid the world goodbye.
In the chaos she briefly spotted her hunting partner slipping past the panicked goat. Understanding his purpose, the female fell back and the goat slowed ever so slightly with the reduced pressure from the wolf behind it... until it noticed the other wolf leaping for its throat. Ciervo got a good hold and then fell back once more, but the goat was bleeding profusely now. The hunt was a success; it was only a matter of time before the beast fell.
With one last sharp nip at its hindquarters, Saena slowed to a trot. The goat pulled ahead, but the blood trail would lead them right to it, and it would fall of its own accord. If it was still alive when it did, then the wolves would eat it while it breathed. Her ears turned sideways as she padded after it, and soon a loud thump announced their victory.
With chest and sides heaving as she took ragged breaths, the Blacktail picked up the pace and soon found the downed goat. It was still faintly breathing, but red snow encircled it, and she inhaled hungrily the scent of warm blood. She refrained from falling upon it and hung back, though, giving Ciervo the first chance to feed.
The once tranquil mountain had turned into havoc in a matter of seconds, its lonely crests and jagged turns filling with the echoes of the wolves' vicious snarls and the agonizing cries of their victim. And the immaculate layer of white that stretched across their feet had been tainted with red marks erratically smeared across the floor. It was a murder scene that as ugly and disruptive it seemed to onlookers eyes was a clear sign of victory for the two wolves.
With the limping goat inching away from them in futile attempt to save itself, the Ostrega seeked to get his partner in crime's attention, his blood covered lips parting softly to emit a soft praising bark that said 'good thing you didn't screw it', Ciervo was not big on praising anyone aside from himself but the girl deserved a bit of recognition. It would have been a whole lot harder without her keeping at the end of the matter, literally. It was then that the animal collapsed onto the floor, it's raggedy figure visible from the distance not only because of its nice size but because of the red cloak covering its side.
With quick measured steps he arrived close to the female, who stood aside looking at the slowly dying animal as she waited for him to take the first cut of the animal. He appreciated the gesture, it would have been a shame to have to snarl at the girl after having being of such good use to him...
Without paying attention to the goat's heaving sides Ciervo then rose his paw onto the animal, pressing onto its bloody hip as he bent down to grasp one of the legs and briskly mutilate it.
The goat had died almost immediately if not before, but the scene was still gruesome. "Do you want anything here or all to go?" He asked casually, while raising his snout from the detached limb to look at the teen with curious eyes.
Eccentric might have been an understatement.
She licked her lips and paced as Ciervo did the honours. The goat was still alive when he began the process of tearing its limb from the socket, but a combination of heavy bleeding and shock soon put the animal down completely. She couldn't help but to whine softly in anticipation as she padded back and forth, restless from the scent of blood and the promise of meat.
"Some here would be good," she said, slavering as though it wasn't even really a choice. She wasn't stuffed to the brim with meat, so she simply couldn't ignore the temptation of a fresh kill. The blood would be congealed and jelly-like by the time she got part of it back to the Plateau from here. It was like eating days old McDonald's fries: not enough to make you sick, but certainly unpleasant.
When she finally was permitted to take her place at the kill, Saena dug in eagerly, ignoring the blood she smeared across her face and chest. Her tail swayed as she fed, and then like Ciervo she went straight for one of the goat's legs. It took her a little longer to get it off, and then she hoisted it awkwardly and let it fall nearby. She might have taken her leave—scavengers could have what the wolves couldn't carry—but she was struck with inspiration.
"You know," she said, securing the limb from falling down the mountain with a sturdy forepaw, "if you aren't going anywhere and don't have plans, Blacktail Deer Plateau could always use an able hunter. You'd get the perks of being part of a real family-like environment, and being well fed, of course." Perhaps Ciervo would simply dismiss this offer, but perhaps he would consider it, maybe even take her up on it, and he'd be welcome to. As crass as he'd began, Saena didn't mind him, and he'd helped her with a task that was surely impossible for her alone.
With his body standing over his already plucked limb and his mind trying to decide what else he'd take once he was done he pricked his ears to listen to the young girl's response. His rich golden eyes piercing through the female, watching her every move and gesture with the focus of a hawk watching a small mouse. Being a loner had certainly raised the Ostrega's natural skepticism towards others up a notch, and even if it would be unlikely (not to mention stupid) for the girl to try any funny tricks once she had already been peacefully entitled to a percentage of the kill, Ciervo could never trust to easily.
And if Saena had some sense she wouldn't either.
This feeling, however, was quick to be buried back into the back of his mind as the girl accepted his suggestion with calm words and moved towards her own bit. He grunted to show his acknowledgement to her words and like her, lowered his head to eat, his ears standing always on end in case the female had something to add -- which surprisingly she did.
Though he had left his home in search of another (as strange as that might sound) he had not yet found a suitable pack for him. Despite his double encounter with the so-called Caldera wolves he had not been in the least attracted by their offers, which despite vaguely resembling Saena's sounded much more tempting now. "My plans are to join a pack soon -- I'll keep yours in mind " He barked whilst lowering his head once more to tear up another good chunk of meat from his pick. " Or is it a one time offer? " He barked as the same crooked smile he wore before resurfaced onto his narrow features. Though he could not deny he had enjoyed how their little team-up had gone he hoped she didn't want a straight answer then and there; especially because those were hard to give for the twisted Ostrega.
This seemed like a natural end point! Ciervo can follow her if you want their interaction to continue or we can end here. Thanks for the thread, it was fun!
So Ciervo was a lone wolf. She'd sort of suspected as much, but it was impossible to tell in the Wilds. Packs popped up on what seemed to be a monthly basis. Saena didn't know half the population of the area; she could tell a Stavanger Bay wolf and a Redhawk Caldera wolf from scent, but that was only due to familiarity. She knew of Swiftcurrent Creek because Fox had come from there. Otherwise, her knowledge was limited, and Ciervo could have belonged to any of the six other packs without her ever realizing it.
But he admitted to looking for a pack to join, and his next comment was too tempting for her to let slide so easily. "Well, it is the longest standing pack in the Wilds with some of the best leadership. It's in high demand." Bending her head lower over the leg she planned to bring home, Saena gave a crooked little smirk. "So no, it's not a one time offer, but... the sale ends soon."
Having said that, and silently hoping Ciervo would consider the Plateau, the patchy juvenile grasped the leg in her jaws, gave him one last teasing flick of her tail and a light smile of appreciation for his help, and then began to haul her load back down the mountain in the direction of home.
this will be my last post, I really enjoyed this thread :) thank you <3
my heart's in atrophy
And just like that with not further attempts to convince him or, his little accomplice was excusing herself from the dinner table. Not that he minded this really -- he as used, not to mention pleased, to dine alone. It was the fact that she used her last words as a subtle warning what left him kind of .. hungry
But it was a kind of hunger not even the large piece of meat laying at his feet could hope to satisfy.
Being a man of facts he had wanted to hear more about her 'oh-so-wonderful' pack in order to make a final decision about whether he'd actually keep it in mind or rule it out without wasting any of his time like he had done with the dark dicktator Alpha and his 'hippie' minion.
Unlike them, however, all her words seemed attractive (not to mention real) enough to make him want to abandon his small stolen fox burrow right then and there , he still held his doubts. Doubts that he figured he would have to resolve on his own, during another encounter -- thing he had not even wanted with the Caldera.
So with his haunting golden eyes fixed on the female's back he watched her slip away with her prize clutched between her jaws. "Soon you'll see me then" He barked into the distance, his words not clear (even in his own mind) to reveal whether he intended to appear soon as a potential recruit or with the same title of wanderer he now wore upon him.
This twisted play of words would soon be uncrypted, but until then. Bon apetit.
