Wolf RPG

@luke

with saena departed, osprey gravid, and dante unreceptive of his affections, lasher had thrown himself headlong into his duties as beta. as the speckled girl had once aspired to the role of naturalist, taltos found himself taking up the task, as well as doubling his patrols upon the borders. meals were spent with the growing children, and blue willow, and he found time to steal his lover away for brief and pleasurable interludes.

today he tracked a great elk, aged and majestic, from the heart of his territory, across hill and vale. there was a sense within him that the elderly beast was searching a quiet place to live out his last days, and he wished to be there for it. and so beneath the warmth of midday lasher found himself entering the dark and eldritch forest he had seldom explored, nares flaring at the possibility of what was within.

Once more Luke found himself in the small forest that the river snaked through, having found it a comfortable place to rest. He was nestled in a dense thicket to catch an afternoon nap, his white coat as best hidden as it could be, when the hoofed monarch strolled past him with nary an ear twitch to indicate it had sensed the predator. Luke watched it with a small smile, reflecting on his previous home which had an elk hide lining the floor of his den, and someday he would have another den with another hide to lay on. It was far more comfortable than the bare earth.

It was not long before the blue-nosed wolf's ear swiveled to softer sounds of another creature walking - a dark-furred wolf who seemed to be following the elk's trail. Luke crawled out from his makeshift bed, giving his coat a vigorous shake to dislodge small bits of branch and fir needles. He arched his back into a long stretch and then approached the other male with a wagging tail and affable smile. "You after that elk?" he queried with a hopeful look and ears perked with interest.

lasher turned in mild surprise as a voice sounded nearby; its bearer was a snowy man with bright silver eyes and a surprisingly azure nose. while that was rather of note, the man's features were a cohesive and attractive blend. he smiled. "i am. i believe he will lie down for the long and endless sleep soon. he is not long for this world." the magnificent beast moved with a grace and serenity that belied his impending doom.

taltos was not seeking to take the beast's life from him, but rather make use of his body once the life had left it. he sought the other's eyes once more, nares flaring briefly to draw his companion's scent. "you hail from no pack?"

Luke wondered how long this dark furred male had been tracking the elk, waiting for it to find its spot to lay down and stand no more. He had not looked upon the elk with the same intuitiveness as this one had, his mind occupied with thoughts about its hide and then the great antlers it wore for a crown.

"How many years did he rule, I wonder." He said, glancing down the track the elk had laid as it passed him by. Not many reached an age so old they would sleep and never wake. Most succumbed to predators, the elements, or sickness, long before their heart ran out of beats. As Luke turned his silver gaze back to the other wolf, about to ask if he could come along, he found himself met with a question. "Nope!" He answered cheerfully. "Not yet anyway. This lone wolf life, it's not for me. I like company too much," he grinned. "Mind if I join you on your pursuit?"

he hummed beneath his breath, wondering also how long the elk had lived. a decade, at least, if not more -- perhaps he had been born an anomaly of longevity, and as such would die the same. "not at all," lasher murmured, falling into step with the pale wolf. he was pleased to have the company, and especially from an interesting individual.

"i could not help but notice you are possessed of an uncommon color," the earthen beta murmured, keeping pace with the other. he did not speak again, enjoying the quietude of the warm day. his eyes he kept trained upon the elk, who continued his slow plod upon the earth and took no notice of the wolves.

"Great!" Luke said buoyantly, giving his newest companion a grin and a friendly shoulder bump as he fell in to walk beside him. Behind him his tail waved swayed from side to side, delighted to once again have company. To his delight, there had been no shortage of wolves since he arrived in this general area, making the transition between packs a lot less lonesome for the sociable wolf.

It was only a matter of moments before the other male made mention of his unique color point, and Luke chuckled warmly response. "Yep, not everyone is so lucky to be born with a natural icebreaker," he began, keeping his voice a bit lower as the two quietly trailed the monarch, "but I was born with three. My pads and tongue are blue too," to his he stuck his tongue out comically, curling it upside his muzzle before sucking it back in. "Name's Luke. Luke Bluenose, if you can believe it."

he chuckled, listening to the delighted cadence of the other's words. it buoyed his own spirits, since dampened by all that had transpired at the plateau. "i can," he responded to the other's jest, gaze falling to the ground momentarily to see if he could gift himself with a surreptitious glance of luke's blue paws. but he did not, and presently he returned his attentions to the great elk, who stumbled a step before regaining his balance.

"he is growing weaker. i wonder at his age. and who will lead his flock now." perhaps a brother, or a son, though taltos was not so foolish as to assume that elk followed the same hierarchy as wolves, but it was diverting to suppose all the same.

Luke's felt as though his heart was going to simultaneously stop and jump up into his throat as the elk stumbled, anticipating all the things it would leave behind when its spirit moved on: meat, hide, antlers. And yet, he felt a wash of relief as it regained its balance. It was hard to celebrate, without some conflict of emotion, the death of a monarch like he when you were in awe of its life, a king who had stood the test of survival, who had proven himself the among the fittest.

His dark-furred companion's use of the word 'flock' drew an amused smile from Luke, remembering his discussion with Peregrine. "I bet some young buck is thrilled for his chance to reign, and can hardly wait to get his paws on all the girls," the blue-nosed wolf chuckled softly, knowing that elk differed from wolves in that one male would take for himself numerous females, and would guard them from others who would try to steal them. "I bet will live  on in many," Luke reflected, thinking that this elk must have sired many offspring in his time of supremacy.

he agreed with a low hm of breath, a wordless sound that carried into the air and supposedly to the elk, for the great creature paused in his ponderous step and cast a slow glance roundabout him. lasher held his ground, still in the elegance of his own confidence, and presently the beast continued onward. the earthbound spirit wished somehow that there was a guarantee he would be about to see the manner of the elk's death, for it was assured to be beauteous indeed.

"death can be a lovely thing," came his next cadence, dripped with slow musing. "through my life, i have seen many deaths, but none so grand as this before us. he walks the very precipice now."

Luke's pulled his gaze from the elk and let it rest on his companion, giving a thoughtful nod as he considered the comment. Death was the very thing that sustained life, that much he did know, but his experience with death among his own kind had centered around one profound moment in his life that he had struggled with for a long time, and on some more subconscious levels he still battled with it. It was not lovely, but Luke could understand how some deaths, like the potential of the one before them, could be.

"You are very perceptive," Luke commented with a smile. It seemed his friend was very much intune with the elk. Luke could see that it was slowing and seemed to be looking for a certain place to be, but he did not have the same sense about it as this fellow. "What's your name?" he asked, albeit a bit at random. It was then that his gaze returned to the elk, watching, waiting.

"lasher. also called taltos. i will answer to both," he murmured softly, his eyes training from the elk to luke's azure features. luke bluenose. it was quite a different sort of title. death would come more swiftly to the creature they followed than he had first believed, it seemed -- the elk faltered again, and fell to his knees against the warm verdancy of the spring grasses.

taltos tensed then, pulling away from luke to circle' round to the antlered leader's other side, though he regretted so immediately, for the great baleful eye of the ancient beast settled in cruel ecru upon him, and his heart sank. he would be dead soon, and the ghost of the elk would lift from its fleshly form beset upon the earthen servant. 

"I will do my best to remember both," Luke answered with a wink. There was no time for him to say anything else, his gaze snapping back to the monarch as it dropped on its knees. Luke's breath caught in his throat, his paws froze to the ground, and he stared at the elk. Even as his companion broke from his side to flank the king, Luke remained for a moment, before he stole off to the opposite side. The elk's ear swiveled toward him, it knew he stalked him, but its gaze held firmly on Lasher. Luke waited with baited breath now, not crowding the elk, but anticipating the moment its spirit left its body behind. In the back of his mind he was already thinking about the taste of its meat and the span of its beautiful antlers. It had been a long time since he had eaten elk, and even longer since he had seen such a crown.

lasher did not think of the taste of the elk's body, but shuddered as the animal drew one final breath and its mighty head descended to the earth, the light fading from its soft, staring eye. broken from its entrancement, the beta male of the plateau moved to the ruminant's side and peered down upon it. as luke was a lone wolf, he had little to provide for, save himself. lasher knew that his trio of pups could benefit from the richest of the elk's tissues, and yet he grew sick and dizzy looking upon its corpse.

thus he stood back and invited luke to step forth and take his fill, indicating that he would not partake yet by planting his hindquarters in the feathered grasses not far off.

As the elk breathed its last it was as though time stood still. All thoughts of eating it and of chewing on its antlers quickly disappeared, replaced with a sincere reverence. Luke, too, quietly slipped to the fallen monarch's side with Lasher, his silver eyes upon the unblinking elk's. It was curious to him, how quickly the eyes changed their look in death, as though truly a light had been taken from them, a spirit gone. With respect, he leaned down and nuzzled the eye closed. It was not something he thought to do for all his prey, but this elk had not been hunted. It deserved some show of deference for the long-standing reign it had. Great kings were few.

Luke had followed Lasher's lead with the elk, and had intended to continue to do so, waiting to eat after his companion began, but to his surprise the other male motioned for him to help himself and seated himself away. Luke furrowed his brows, looking from the elk to Lasher. He sensed his friend needed a few moments or so to reflect and could not take him up on his offer to start feeding. Luke walked over to him quietly and took a seat. "How far have you tracked this elk?" he asked softly. "I will wait until you are ready." His tail wagged gently.

she reached to nudge luke's shoulder gently as the man came to sit alongside him. "quite some time," he answered softly, his eyes upon the still-warm body of the elk. he had watched in surprise and pleasure as the blue-marked creature had closed the gaze of the fallen king, and a low welling of despair had begun within him at the beauteous sight.

he did not know if he would be ready to partake, not without forcing himself, and so lapsed into a comfortable silence. its death had accompanied him with the sadness he had felt at peregrine's departure, and he was unhappy to find that he also felt abandoned. and yet he spoke none of this to the man alongside him. 

"You're a patient one," Luke remarked quietly, casting his dark companion a soft smile before settling into silence with him, the pair's gaze upon the spiritless monarch. Although he could not place it and Lasher had said nothing indicative, the blue-nosed wolf could sense a sort of unrest, a sadness that did not seem entirely for the death of the kingly elk. He wondered at this but did not ask. As a physical, affectionate creature, he wanted to lean in to the other wolf, just to be close, but he had learned the hard way to be more restrained around other males and thus held back.

He stared at the antlers, wishing that he could drag them off, but alas they were heavy and he had no den or home to drag them off to. After a while Luke could sit in silence no more. "Do you like antlers, Lasher?" he asked, looking warmly at the other male, his tail gently beating the ground.

likewise, lasher simmered for masculine touch, which he had not explored since peregrine's departure. dante would not come 'round, it seemed, and for this he grieved, but perhaps it was for the best. therefore, when luke's warm amiability came to the fore, taltos found himself drawn and quite strongly to the blue-marked wolf. perhaps it was the other's demeanour, or his maleness, but lasher was unable to keep from glancing almost pointedly at the other before he set about answering the question.

"in matters of decoration, yes. although i have almost been upon the receiving end of antlers' damage before. it is not a pleasant place," he joked. presently the ecru beta stood to his paws and approached the elk's fallen body, nosing around one cooling flank. nausea vied with hunger, but it was the latter to succeed, and he bared teeth to peel one strip of pelt down from the vividly red flesh. "and you?" lasher asked after a moment's pause. he was restless now, but kept a brave profile for it.

Luke grinned broadly at the other male's joke, however serious the topic could be. Antlers, when attached to defensive hoofed mammals, were not to be trifled with. Luke himself had been close to but ultimately spared from a goring, it came with the territory of hunting these armed creatures. It was deceptive how rounded the points of antlers were, for they were remarkably capable of piercing flesh, and such wounds were often fatal. But Luke held a profound fondness for them, almost an obsession, which although he appreciated them as decoration, had nothing to do with their visual appeal or use as a weapon.

"I love antlers," he shared with quiet enthusiasm as he, following with his companion, stepped toward the elk. While Lasher went for the flank, the blue-nosed wolf brought his muzzle to rub along the regal tines. "There is nothing better to chew on," he commented as his teeth lightly clicked the antler. Chewing was pleasurable, instinctively so. "They don't splinter, and they are neither too hard nor too soft." They were also nutritionally beneficial, which he knew on some primitive level but he could not explain specifically that antlers were full of healthy minerals - that was beyond his understanding.

Luke chuckled softly at himself, knowing he was a bit passionate about them, and glanced to the darker male, smiling. Lasher had yet to take a bite and settle into eating, so he still waited.

he listened as luke outlined his affection for the antlers, watching with delight as the azure-marked man trailed his lips along one of the tan tines. mesmerized for a brief moment, he belatedly set about musing over luke's question as he tugged at the exposed flesh, tasting the salted metal of lifeblood. his hunger roused itself with zest and lasher fell to an extended partaking of the elk meat, thinking all the while of its roaming spirit, now surely laid to rest.

appreciative that the other showed such courtesy unto him, taltos gestured that the other should join him at the savage feast. "perhaps i shall take one of these tines, then, to see if i might find in it that which you have described." a small smile, his gaze lingering on that of luke, and then the earthen servant fell again to his task.

the scent of the other's pale fur, coupled with the burned image of the delicate lips moving rapturously over the antlers, caused a tightening within his abdomen, and he moved away after a few moments, licking blood from his jaws as he sought composure.

At last, Lasher began to eat the elk he had trailed for so long, and motioned for Luke to partake. Even if the white wolf had not been very hungry, the sight of the deceased elk and smell of warm blood instinctively implored him to eat, and he settled next to his dark companion to feed. He savored at length the first few bites, it having been over a year since he last tasted big game that was so fresh, as Lasher commented that he might take one of the tines to see for himself the pleasure in chewing they bring. "You should," Luke encouraged with a broad grin as his gaze shifted from the elk to the other male. "Who knows, you might wind up with your own stockpile like I had once you get a taste for them," he chuckled, before pulling another chunk of flesh from the monarch.

As his dark companion moved away to clean his jaws, Luke continued to fill his belly with meat, unaware of the feelings that brewed within Lasher, even as he cast him a brief glance. "I haven't eaten that good in a long time," he commented as he felt himself reach fullness, stepping back from the elk to clean his own jaws, though red still stained his fur when he had finished.

he nodded at the other, scrupulously cleaning the last tinges of blood from his maw and attempting to avoid the bawdy thoughts that threatened to entertain bodily reactions within his own mind, as luke's tongue courted the crimson around his own jawline. the stark colour against the paleness of the other wolf's coat was comforting, and provided a welcome distraction to the growing tumult of his thoughts.

"it is welcome to have a belly filled with sustenance," he murmured, stretching out upon the soft grasses of impending summer. the coolness of the loam beckoned him, and presently he rolled onto his back to ponder the glow of the beauteous sun, and the shadow cast by the cold and towering body of the magnificent elk.

"You are right," Luke drawled happily as he arched his back and extended his legs, stretching at length. He then allowed himself to topple into a roll, rubbing himself and his muzzle on the ground before returning to his feet and giving himself a shake. The white wolf's body was urging him to nap now that his belly was full (and since his earlier attempt had been interrupted) and for a moment he considered taking one right where he was, but as his jaws parted in a yawn he decided he would depart.

He walked over to Lasher, whom was sprawled on his back and seemingly content, and peered down at him with a smile. "Thank you for sharing the elk," he said with his tail gently wagging. "Maybe I'll see you around sometime!" He bid his companion farewell with a tip of his muzzle before slowly padding away. He planned to return to the elk later, to see if he could break off a piece of antler for himself, but for now his body urged him forward to find a comfortable, quiet place to snooze.

ty for the thread!

he was summarily reminded of luke's aesthetic pleasure as the blue-marked wolf approached, taking his leave with a gentle voice. lasher answered with a low sound of agreeability, and lay his cheek against the grass to watch the other leave. a tightening in his body bespoke the need for a greater release, taltos calmed himself and soon fell into a gentle doze among the verdant blades.