Far off the hazy rise of Duskfire's twin mountains lined the horizon, their heads dipped in snow. But for the mild winter and it's lack of ice, the air seemed to be snippish and sharp, dancing about Dovev's leathery gums as he pushed himself up from the ground. His morning rest area was a hollow scoop of ground on an open stretch of land, nestled into a mat of dead grass. Even if the variable wind brough frosty air, Dovev had more than a thick enough coat to keep him warm and dry.
Setting off, the ghost stalker made little effort to keep his pace above a leisurely walk. His head swung low to the earth as he kept a solitary march on the sprawling plain in front of the Emberwood. Dovev had grown a little soft when he was in Swiftcurrent, and was reminded by his weakness by the rumbling in his stomach. Still, he knew there was bits and scraps to be scavanged, holes to be dug up and rodents to be snatched. His nose led him several miles before he stopped.
The bleached ribcage of a bighorn sheep lay exposed and nude to the world's prying eyes as animals wondered what had brought the creature down from the mountain slopes. It was probably an old ram by the looks of it's shrunken skull and horns. Most of the carcass had been picked clean and scattered across the frozen earth, but Dovev would always hold a special place in his heart for marrow.
Throwing caution to the wind, he stood upon the skeleton and began to sniff and sort through the deathpile, a pleased growl rumbling in his throat. Such a snack like this could keep him going for another day or two.
She had been through this forest before. That much she remembered. It was strange to be there now, seeing how it was no longer alight in vibrant colors. The dark wood provided ample contrast to the starkness of the bright snow, and at least here she did not worry of being blinded by the snow. Echelon, like the dark wood around her, stood out crisply. She was an ink blot that may as well have oozed from stout trunk to trunk. She could have also been a woolly caterpillar on the go as well, plush and long ready for the winter in coat alone. The weather felt warm, but it was betraying in comparison to the dampness around her. She could feel the chill in spite of her coat and it ran a short course to her frozen feet.
But cold feet were really the least of her worries. She had done well to evade any predators that would have also been out moving in the mild winter. This included other wolves for the most part, though the days in between seeing some and none were sometimes far and few. They were hard to avoid and as the day pressed on, she found that she too desired some company from time to time. This company came at an inopportune time; she spotted the male standing in the rib cage of a long dead prey a bit late. There were curses readily beneath her breath as she continued to close in her gap, knowing that she had probably been sighted. She should have paid more attention, this was turning rather unbecoming of her. Chuffing gently, she kept a respectable distance, though interest was hastily scribbled across her features. What had he found? And would he share?
It would seem the coyotes and the foxes got the best of Dovev this time. The carcass was stripped off ankle and femurs, the most delectable bones when it came to feasting on marrow. The male settled for tugging, and then cracking off a rib bone. He was about to drop it when his ears perked with the sound of a herald- another wolf announcing their presence. The arctic beast felt, rather than see, the bone drop from his jaws as he swiveled his skull around to lock eyes with the unnerving, hallowed stare this stranger seemed to possess.
Dovev was no pushover when it came to being an aggressive soul. He found the carcass, it was his, and this female had no right to it unless he wanted her to. The male stepped from his meal, grey pools narrowing.
Can't I enjoy my dinner in peace? he jested, noting the interest the female held, even if her onyx figure remained a distance away. Of course Dovev would swing into action if she dared tried anything sneaky, but for now he couldn't judge what she would do next.
I suppose it might help if I subscribe to this if I'm expecting the notifications lol... *derps*
He went on the defensive immediately, which she supposed was warranted. Echelon would have done the same, though she supposed it would have been for naught. He was after all, the larger creature in this situation. Yet in spite of that, she had no intentions of letting him command everything. Antagonistically stubborn, the inky Phase held her ground. He could guard the carcass for all it was worth, which at that range didn't seem like much. Something to chew on to pass the time.
"I don't think there's anything peaceful left about that thing," she jested in return, giving her head a slight tilt.
"What kind of animal was it?" Her interest remained genuine, especially now that he blocked more of her view. Perhaps it was his kill from some time ago, left half-thawed in the snow for his repetitive return. Or maybe he was just as she was, a scavenger, here to pick at the remains of whatever they found. It was a foul life for them to live, but she offered no remedies to their situation. Not until she ascertained what his intentions were ultimately to be.
xP
As much as Dovev would've like to hoarde his precious pile of yellowing bones, there was really no point in getting into a fight over it. The male needed himself in the best condition possible if he was going to keep thriving on his own. He had flown solo in Teekon once before, where he had holed himself up on Porcupine Ridge. But now the white creature was actively moving about and patroling the fringes of the creek, waiting for an opening. So, even if it meant giving up some little piece of food, he wouldn't be around here forever, right?
He didn't respond, but turned his back to the ebony figure to reach down and pick up the bone he was chewing on before. Glancing at her with one eye, Dovev stepped off the carcass and sat down a few paces away, dropping the rib at his feet.
Help yourself, then. Dovev motioned with his muzzle. If she was still interested, anyways. Dovev would take what he could get at the moment. He didn't know anything about the loner, and didn't guess about the luxuries she had when it came to finding sustenance.
I think it's an old ram, but I don't know why he wandered down here from the mountains.
Idiot animals, he thought inwardly. Dovev had seen musk oxen, moose, deer, elk, and even caribou, but nothing compared to the facetious stare of a bighorn sheep.
Much to her surprise, he seemed inclined to share now. Good. She moved in at an even pace, tinges of wariness lingering in her short trek to the bones. It paid for both of them to be uncertain, especially in the midst of winter. Who knew what kind of cruel intents lurked out there, after all. As he offered up a suggestion of what the animal had been, Echelon found that she could confirm that as well. She pushed at the skull, finding that the snow and lingering ice was keeping it firmly rooted. And briefly, she gnawed at a long a rib that jutted from its long lost body.
"Probably went for a tumble," she mused behind a mouthful, finally releasing her awkward grasp on it. "I've seen them bounding about along the ridges here. Cocky things." As much as it would have paid to have their scaling abilities, it didn't seem they had always the finesse to stay upright on the rocky crags. Her gaze wandered their surroundings briefly as she took the rib back in her mouth, this time cracking it loose with precision. If there was anything left to it, it would be meager. But every bit mattered now. And from his statements, she was willing to believe he too was not from the area.
The crunch of the rib added to the odd silence that always seemed to follow winter around. Dovev managed to lick a few edible parts out before discarding the shattered, calcified rib.
Probably couldn't see, the white wolf pointed out with a smile. She seemed to share his view about the ram. Those sheep have the creepiest eyes.
Dovev was a little taken aback at himself- why the sudden diplomacy? All he could remember from his previous interactions with wolves was the surefire tactic of being a stubborn, passive-aggressive brute. But, it was a new year. Maybe it was time for the ivory wolf to change his strategy. Make a few alliances...
His piercing eyes locked on the female, furrowed in silent thought. She looked just as skinny as he, underfed and starting to look a bit tattered in places. Even if Dovev was a large creature, his face looked a little sunken and his tail way to fluffy for his thin haunches.
He still saw the carcass as his, but it wasn't worth getting all defensive of it.
I'm Dovev, he offered in a slow truce, testing the waters. Dovev was still a little cautious of the whole situation.
thank god i saved the draft /: i have a habit of falling asleep
Meanwhile, I can't seem to wake up, ugh...
Once the rib had been secured in her grasp entirely, Echelon took it away from the carcass. She didn't wander too far, still feeling the obligation of conversation lingering, she knew better than to merely go snacking away at it standing over the place she had gotten it from. As she settled on the cold, damp ground and began working her way to whatever goods were left, there came an offering of a name. Thoughtlessly, she answered him with a lie.
"Iqsi." It had been a while, but the Iñupiaq rolled loosely across her tongue. The moniker wasn't even her own, having belonged to her father. But it seemed fitting to drop here, as she yet did not know what kind of creatures they all really were.
Crunching through a tough part of the bone, she paused what little progress she was making.
"So do you live around here, Dovev?" Somehow she doubted it, given his current state. He was a skinny mess, no doubt not entirely successful in his scavenging. It really made the notion he had shared any of the ram with her at all a surprise. But altruism came in many forms, this she knew, even when it was all about survival of the fittest. Briefly her thoughts traversed to the battered female she had encountered some time ago and wondered if the bears had gotten to her yet. If not those, infection probably had taken her already.
That was probably why they hadn't quarreled over it; who wanted to risk infection?
He watched the female pick over the scattered bones, making no move to get up. Yes, Dovev was hungry, but he would luckily stumble upon something else. Or go without.
No one liked toughing it out on their own. He had made do before, but something about this mild winter was making it different. The elk were stronger, and there weren't enough deaths by hypothermia to satiate Dovev's wanderings. He wanted snow, and mountains of it.
The one known as Iqsi had taken a seat also and was gnawing on a bleached rib. It was a okay name, something ethnic and of a language Dovev may have heard once or twice. He didn't really bother trying to dissect it. In fact, it had a few redeeming qualities: it wasn't difficult to pronounce and wasn't packed full of titles and monikers. And that's the way names should be.
No.
Dovev turned his muzzle to where the hazy winter sky touched the ends of the flatland. I used to- over that away.
Growing a little restless, Dovev threw a glance towards the ebony creature. She was just as ragged as he, with tufts loose by the lack of muscle. Something was a little off-putting about Iqsi, something he couldn't quite tap into. And it bothered him.
And you? he ventured, weariness forming along his cool eyes.
Her gaze followed where he gestured as she nosily chewed up the bone shard. Somewhere out over there, all right then. Briefly she wondered if he had been apart of some shred of a pack, but ultimately thought better of it. Pasts weren't really that interesting anyway, at least to her. Her past was riddled with boring nonsense and someone would have likened it to a childhood that was suspiciously absent. And to speak of it would have only brought questions as to what she was doing in the present, not that his next question didn't poke into that at the moment. It had been a while, but she wondered what kind of conversational magic she could work.
Swallowing roughly, Echelon noted the weariness in his body following his question. Maybe small talk bored him. Maybe he was a reject from one of the packs. "I think you know the answer to that. We're one in the same," she mentioned with a humored huff. They were a pair of mangy loners through and through. She continued to snap off bits of the bone, trying to find something of proper taste in them. So far, it was next to nothing. He hadn't returned to the ram at all, which prompted her to address it again. "Thanks for sharing a bit of this. Don't stop on account of me." Contentedness with her own lot hummed in her tone.
It was true- Dovev was finding it a little pointless sitting around and picking over meager scraps when he could be convincing Iqsi to perhaps go on a little hunting endeavor with him. She was looking a little spidery, after all, with her skinny legs and narrow face with wide eyes.
With a smirk beginning to grow on his face, the gaunt beast rose to his paws and stepped forward.
If we're one and the same, then.. forget about these scraps.
Dovev's toes slid forward and he stretched his body in a slight playbow. The mischevious glint he so often had when up to his usual activities had returned, and he hoped Iqsi would have the same motivation to eat better than toddle around and mope.
He brushed off the ebony female's last comment, his tongue lolling from his mouth in a grin. Dovev waited for her response, but if Isqi did not share his same level of sudden enthusiasm, then there would be no losses. It was open territory, and he could just as easily turn and walk away as the brute could sway this stranger.
I was going back through some of your threads, what happened to Dovev in SC? :C *pats him because Echelon is really a jerk deep down inside*
It would have seemed that things were going better than she could have ever expected. It would not have taken a rocket scientist to figure out what Dovev was suddenly proposing, but she let the implied question hang in the air for a few moments. She wanted to finish chewing up another tough piece of bone, but a smirk was tugging at her lips long before she ever actually finished the process. Letting the remainder of the bone she had been holding fall limp between her feet as she rose, Echelon gave her coat a rough shake.
She needed no swaying when it came to the prospect of a hunt. Far from a master hunter, Echelon was quite capable of surviving on her own. She had so far and for a stint so long, but another body certain called for a little lesser work. And that was what she intended to use him for in this situation, masked well behind the eager wave of her tail to announce her agreement.
"I'm all for forgetting these scraps, trust me," she said with genuine truth. There was hardly any marrow to speak of. Warm, fresh meat sounded much,
much more appetizing.
"You must know where there's some game around, yes?" He had just said he was from around the area in a sense.
i was kicked for inactivity :c i dont really have a story 'yet' for my characters when they get back into the swing of things
Perfect. Iqsi was polite and smart. The male straightened up as the ebony wolf rose to her feet, abandoning the gnarled bone at her feet. Both canines combined could bring down something if they played their cards right, and Dovev would be the perpetrator in finding their target, being a little more familiar with their surroundings.
Hunting was an activity Dovev found to be exhilarating. The whole suspense of it all- who would hold out longer? And winter provided its benefits, too. He remembered the time of trailing an injured caribou over the course of several days until snow and exhaustion allowed the male to strike. Down here he didn't know if they would have that opportunity, but Dovev potentially had an extra set of fangs at his side. He swerved his body in a happy prance, tail swinging at the prospect of finally sinking his teeth into a frame in the throes of its' final heartbeats.
I'm sure we could rustle something up, Dovev responded with a glint in his eye. There's good opportunities farther east. North of the wetlands.
I know how that goes. <3 I'm technically walking a fine line because things are still stressful/exhausting, but at least if I go inactive with Echelon, it's more up her alley to disappear outright than it would be for Mordecai. Plus I never really got a chance to flesh her out properly my first go with her, so I wanted to explore an alternative route. On that note, totally feel free to powerplay her/them going to their destination if you'd like!
If it was one thing that she didn't quit echo, it was the mirth that he seemed to drum up from the very ground itself. He was outwardly happy about having a hunting partner; her jubilance, or lack thereof, was much more muted. Still, she came readily to his side to bridge the gap that had formerly lied between them as he began to speak. He spoke of a place she hadn't quite ventured to, but there was obviously the notion that she would be marking that off today. Though if anyone would have asked of her opinion, Echelon would have keenly said that right now, everything was a wet land. The terrain was malleable in spite of the snow pack, but it was something they could no doubt work with. She only hoped it would be to their advantage.
"Lead the way," she prompted, gesturing with her muzzle. For a moment, it was truly her impatience pushing through. Less talk, more action. But it was also the notion of having something more than meager scraps to pick at, the chance to actually bring down something of worth. Perhaps more than anything in that present moment, she wanted a full belly for a change. Forget having somewhere dry and warm to lie at night, a good meal would fix everything. As if to punctuate that, she unconsciously licked at her chops. Echelon hadn't the faintest clue what kind of game they would encounter, but at that point she was willing to discover what the supposed wetlands had to offer.
sure! I was going to start a new thread after this, so I can tag you in it ^^
Her response exhilirated the male enough for him to grin like a lucky fool and his tail to go awry. Hunting, yes, something that Dovev could easily vote for- the chase and the snow and the blood were all something he revered. The male trotted forward and encircled the ebony creature once, his banner swung high into the air.
I know the perfect place, Dovev said through his beaming lips. His paws made quite the noise as bones clattered together, scurrying from his warpath as he turned to stare at this new acquaintance. The impatient excitement on Iqsi's face was reflecting his own glittering eyes, and without another word, the male turned tail and set off a quick pace against the snowblown plain. His direction was a firm southeast, and they would skirt around the Emberwood before reaching Dovev's preset destination.