+- Wolf RPG (https://wolf-rpg.com)
+-- Forum: In Character: Roleplaying (https://wolf-rpg.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=5)
+--- Forum: Archives (https://wolf-rpg.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=11)
+--- Thread: Kintla Flatlands Cold bones (/showthread.php?tid=29348)
Cold bones - Síff - August 28, 2018
AW, for tracker speciality if you need a hunting thread!
It was with great reluctance that she drug herself from the warm den, from her mate's side.
Stepping carefully over Illidan, the fae spared only an admiring glance for the pool of water in the center of the atrium before pushing through the curtain of foliage. Outside the Door, it was even brighter - the sky pink at one end and pale white, blue at the other. Her oak eyes squinted painfully in response to the rising sun, and the Alpha lowered her head, loping through the heart of their territory.
It was cool beneath the shade of the forest; she was thankful to reach the open plains beyond the forest. The river was chilly but rejuvenating as she splashed through it.
The Alpha stopped at the edge of the plateau, searching the Flatlands for sign of the herd of deer that had given it its name. The grass swayed in the breeze but there was no sign of the blacktail deer.
Following the steep path down, Liri followed the trail with her nose low to the ground - her muzzle open to allow the scents she picked up there to be intensified.
The sylph tracked the herd southeast to Whitefish River, where the prints around the banks indicated that the deer had stopped to drink here before moving on.
The hunter followed it west, out onto the plains some ways from the Plateau. It was here she found them grazing, she stretched out in the grass to watch them from the top of her hill.
Liri would not be hunting the deer this morning, she was here to observe them. The better she knew these deer, the more likely they were to be able to hunt them successfully.
RE: Cold bones - Ruenna - August 28, 2018
The deer herd already had an observer on the hill, albeit a rather reluctant one. Rue was not here to learn so much as to survive, and surviving meant making a kill eventually. Or perhaps capitalizing on someone else’s kill, if she was lucky. The young lady quite literally laid in wait, sprawled out under the sun with a watchful eye on the herd.
The summer breeze jostled the flatland grasses around Rue’s face, and she wrinkled her nose against the urge to sneeze.
Achoo!
Oh well. Only a few of the closer deer lifted their heads at the sound, glancing around for a quick moment before bending back to their grazing. Rue remained still, wanting to wait a few more moments before she relaxed.
RE: Cold bones - Síff - August 29, 2018
Liri had curled amongst the grass, head resting comfortably on her paws, and just as she got comfortable watching the deer - the sneeze broke the silence. Her ears swivelled atop their crown, pointing in the direction of the source.
Are you kidding me?
The healer could not be more sure if she was irritated or amused. A disbelieving smile crossed her face as she struggled not to laugh aloud, watching the herd of deer jerk their heads up collectively in response.
The sylph was sure the deer would flee at the sudden noise but slowly, the herd lowered their heads and began to graze once again - albeit warily. She chuckled silently, craning her freckled head in search of the sneezer but was unable to spot the perpetrator.
The fae couldn't move too much, for fear of startling the deer away, so she shook her head and settled back into her spot on the ground - content to observe.
RE: Cold bones - Ruenna - August 30, 2018
Rue continued to watch and wait, somewhere in between relaxed and on-edge. She couldn't have specificed what she was waiting for, only that she was watching for the moment opportunity struck.
As time dragged on, the breezes shifted, bringing Rue the scent of another hunter. She was hardly surprised; likely this herd was supplying many of the predators in the area. If the stranger was a loner, perhaps a partnership was on the table here. Approaching an unknown wolf was risky; but so was attempting to hunt a herd beast alone. It seemed the life of a lone wolf was a constant choice between bad and worse options.
After the winds had shifted a few times, Rue was able to more or less pinpoint the direction of her company. She began slinking toward the unknown wolf, half an eye on the herd so that she could halt should her movements be detected.
RE: Cold bones - Síff - August 30, 2018
The wind shifted a small number of times as she watched the deer graze - her eyes drawn continuously to an older doe that seemed to be lagging behind the others - bringing with it the scent of a single, lone wolf - a female.
The healer was unconcerned about her presence, she'd since learned there was a lone wolf or two near the Plateau at almost any given time. One female didn't give her much cause for worry, especially given that she was further from home than usual. She was content to leave the other woman be, content to watch her deer in peace.
Her head turned at the soft footfalls of another,
turning to take in Ruenna when she moved close enough to be seen. The girl was larger than Liri though the timid way she held her body made her seem smaller.
"Bless you," Liri whispered, so as not to startle the deer, a smile twisting at the edges of her lips.
RE: Cold bones - Ruenna - August 30, 2018
As Ruenna neared, the other woman's white scruff became visible over the waxen summer grasses. The young woman squinted through the sedgy veil, spying a pair of burnished mahogany eyes following her movements. Before she could say or do anything, the ivory stranger spoke her blessing.
Rue ducked her head to emphasize her embarassment, but the edge of her mouth also twitched upward. From the way the stranger smiled, she seemed to be poking some good-natured fun at Rue, and Rue knew she most certainly deserved this one. She looked up through her lashes, humor still pulling at her mouth and sparkling in her gaze.
"Much appreciated. A lone wolf needs all the blessings she can get." Rue's natural voice tone was so small that she barely needed to lower it to match the other woman's whisper.
RE: Cold bones - Síff - August 30, 2018
Liri dipped her head, as if to say you're welcome. An amused smile still played at the corner of her lips but she was glad her joke didn't seem to bother the shy girl.
"I am Liri Tonrar," she introduced, "it's a pleasure to meet you...?" She trailed off, allowing for Ruenna to offer her own name if she wished.
She glanced to the girl questioningly once the small talk was over, wondering why she had approached.
RE: Cold bones - Ruenna - August 30, 2018
"Ruenna Redfern," Rue supplied, the surname feeling a little odd on her tongue. For two years she had introduced herself as Ruenna Of Red Fern Glade, but that title was no more. In its place she had fashioned herself a new surname to honor her roots, as she had come to see was common practice among lone wolves. This was the first time she had spoken the new name aloud.
There was a pause, and then a questioning look from her new aquiantance. Liri Tonrar. "I thought you might be interested in a hunt," Rue suggested, letting her gaze swing back out to the herd beasts below. Now that she was closer to Liri, she could smell the pack-scent that clung to the woman's alabaster coat. That was disappointing-- a pack wolf was unlikely to be tempted into a hunt with a stranger. Even if the pair did manage to make a kill, it was even less likely that the woman would share it with Rue. That was the way of the world. The wolf with the pack behind her would make the rules.
Nevertheless, Rue allowed her offer to remain. Rue was hungry, and right now the prospect of a fresh kill seemed worth the effort-- even if she only managed to choke down a few bites before the pack wolf chased her off. Just tasting blood in her mouth again would be a welcome change.
RE: Cold bones - Síff - August 30, 2018
Liri dipped her head, recognizing the process by which Ruenna had obtained her surname. For a time, she had been Liri Blackfoot in honor of Rosings and the family she'd lost there.
The healer nodded again, unsurprised, for she'd assumed that Ruenna approached for something related to the deer. "I had intended on observing them today but that one that keeps falling behind needs to be culled," she gestured to the elder doe with a jerk of her pale muzzle.
"I doubt she can run very far. It might be easiest to just run her down," even Liri, who had only three good legs to work with, could chase the doe.
The fae turned to Ruenna as she straightened, noticeably shorter than the silver girl, silently wondering if the girl would retract her offer once she saw the mangled mess that was Liri's hind leg. She'd proven to her wolves that she was strong enough to follow but what about this stranger?
"Ready?" She asked, half expecting the girl to refuse.
RE: Cold bones - Ruenna - August 30, 2018
It seemed that Liri had expected the offer, because she was already nodding her agreement. The ivory woman turned to gesture toward the herd, providing Rue with a glimpse of her scarred pelt and twisted rear leg. The skin on the back of Rue's neck tingled as she eyed the woman's scars-- Rue could practically feel Sjorn's teeth lodging into her scruff, his hot wheezes against her skin...
Rue shook her head very slightly to dispel the memory, eyes narrowing in a steely way. Rue may have been attacked, but she was not a victim. Neither was this woman, and she wouldn't be treated as such. Rue tore her attention from the the woman, shifting it to the doe that Liri had selected. Now that the doe had been pointed out, she seemed like the obvious target... one that Rue had somehow overlooked. A rookie mistake, to be sure. Rue's attention had naturally been drawn to the flurry of activity at the heart of the heard, where the fawns pranced and played with wild abandon.
"My kind of plan," Rue agreed, pleased with the simplicity of it. Rue had precious few abilities that might be considered actual talents, but she had always been a fairly swift runner. She tensed, ready to spring into action after Liri. She would set her pace to whatever the handicapped wolf could manage, only increasing speed if it seemed that the elderly doe would outstrip them. Was she ready? She dipped her muzzle in confirmation.
RE: Cold bones - Síff - August 30, 2018
She was pleasantly surprised when the girl offered no judgement for the scars that littered her pelt - she'd come to expect derision - and a glimmer of appreciation was visible in her oak gaze if Ruenna could read it.
The Alpha smiled at the girl's comment. "Let's do this then," the hunter stated as she stalked towards the deer, moving slowly through the grass so as not to startle them.
Once close enough, the fae turned to Rue - checking that she was prepared to chase - and then she sprang into action. The sylph landed near the doe, though the leap lacked finesse given her uneven amount of legs, scattering the herd of deer and sending the doe into a panic.
With a sharp kick aimed backward, she took off after the herd - though not fast enough to keep up or evade the wolves that were hot on her tail.
Liri managed to keep pace with the doe, snaking out and grabbing a foreleg in her jaws once she was within reach. With a snap, the older doe's leg broke and she tumbled to the ground.
The hunter was on her within moment's, opening the doe's throat so she wouldn't suffer needlessly. Once it was done, having happened much quicker than she expected, she turned to Rue.
"That was fun. You did well," she congratulated the lone wolf. Then she turned her dark gaze on the doe questioningly. "I'm unsure how to divvy this up," she admitted with a soft chuckle. The kill was too far from the plateau to possibly drag it back nor was she willing to exclude Rue from her share.
"Eat your fill, I'll bring my wolves later to help me get this back," she finally concluded as she turned back to Rue, figuring that it was the easiest way to make sure everyone ate.
RE: Cold bones - Ruenna - August 31, 2018
[size=11.6667px%%%]Rue was a perceptive young lady, so she did catch the gratitude in the other woman's eyes, however she was unsure what action of hers had sparked the apprecitive look. Was it that Rue had agreed to her plan and complimented it? Was it that she had follow the other's lead without question?
Rue had little time to dwell on the mystery, as the pair were already springing into action. The herd seemed sluggish from their morning of gorging themselves, and the predators were very soon upon their target. Liri flanked the deer on one side and Rue the other. Rue ducked away from the initial kick, and then the chase was on.
With the intention of aiming her strike away from the thundering hooves, Rue made a leap to bite at the doe behind the crook of her foreleg where the leg joined the rest of the body. She tore away a mouthful of flesh, and blood gushed from the wound. Rue delighted in the taste; it had been too long since her last fresh meat.
Either Liri was braver than Rue (a distinct possibility) or simply wasn't tall enough to reach up to the doe's body, because the other woman reached out and snagged a forleg, her face dangerously close to one of the hooves that Rue had been dead-set on avoiding. The doe toppled, and almost faster than Rue could see the doe's throat was separated from its body. It was quite an impressive display of skills, all in all. Liri's twisted leg hardly even seemed relevant.
Rue simply shook her head to dismiss the other woman's compliment; they both knew who had been the real star performer this morning. The young lady's eyes brimmed with admiration.
As Rue was catching her breath, reveling in the post-hunt euphoria, she completely forgot her plan to devour as much as possible before the other woman chased her off. The comment on divvying up the kill was a startling reminder, and Rue was equal parts annoyed with herself (for forgetting) and confused with Liri's remark (because it wasn't an attack). The girl's brow knit. The lone wolf wasn't used to being treated as an equal, as deserving.
Rue nodded finally, very much pleased with the option that the woman propsed. "Trying to take any of this with me would just make me a target," she commented, providing additional reasoning for her decision. Rue did not waste any more time; she tucked herself into the nearest flank and began to eat, rather quickly in case the woman reneged on the surprisingly generous agreement. [/size]
RE: Cold bones - Síff - August 31, 2018
As the girl tore into the deer with appetite, Liri settled on her haunches nearby - stretching her bum leg out comfortably - nodding to Rue's words. She hadn't considered that but then it had been sometime since she traveled alone.
The healer waited patiently for the girl to finish eating, not wanting to disturb her. She seemed comfortable enjoying the sunshine, blinking her dark eyes contentedly as she rested after the hunt.
Once Ruenna had filled her belly, the Alpha turned to her with a smile. "You know, if you're tired of being alone, you're welcome to join our pack. We live on the plateau not far from here," the sylph said, figuring she would at least offer Rue a place in their ranks. She was a capable hunter and Liri found she liked the girl's company, though it was Rue's decision of course.
RE: Cold bones - Ruenna - August 31, 2018
Rue slowed her consumption a bit as it became clear that Liri wasn't going to suddenly change her mind about allowing her to eat. She kept half an eye on the other woman anyway, though not out of suspicion so much as curiosity. Liri held herself with a quiet, authoritative grace that Rue admired. Perhaps Rue would someday achieve such an aura for herself.
Eating so quickly was starting to cramp Rue's stomach, so she took a break to lick at the blood that was drying between her toes. She wondered what blood belonged to the doe and what was her own-- scaling the mountain range had been tough on the paws that were used to the soft soils of the plains and forest floors padded in detritus.
Liri's offer of pack membership had come right at the moment when Rue was silently cursing the life of a wandering rogue.
"I could join? Just like that?" Rue struggled to keep the incredulity and skepticism from her voice with limited success. Packs were for close family and friends, wolves who had known one another for years. For lifetimes. If a rogue was to be granted admission, the rogue had to prove him or herself a worthy addition, and Rue felt wholly incabable of doing any such thing. There was nothing special about her, no abilities or talents that she could offer to Liri and her kin.
The confidence and authority with which Liri had made the offer had not escaped Rue. Liri offered membership as if it were hers to grant, which meant that the ivory woman held a positon of respect. Likely an alpha. This came as no surprise to Rue-- even from the limited time they had spent together she could see how Liri was a the kind of wolf that others naturally followed. She was the kind of wolf that Rue would follow too, given the chance.
RE: Cold bones - Síff - August 31, 2018
Liri could see that her offer was met with some disbelief - which she could understand. Her past experience with other packs was often that of a subordinate under the absolute control of an Alpha she had only met at the borders. She'd found that brand of leadership distasteful and it had only taken her two years to find a place where she could rule her own life, offering a place of respect for those in search of a family - the very kind of pack she had searched for.
"Of course. I don't see why my mate would mind. You're a good hunter and I'm sure you'd make a valuable member," she smiled, her tail flicking gently where it was curled around her legs. "But the choice is yours. Not everyone wishes to belong to a pack," she added, thinking of the male, Slavik, who had turned down her offer in place of roaming Teekon and seeing what it had to offer.
RE: Cold bones - Ruenna - August 31, 2018
"I'm sure you'd make a valuable member."
Rue couldn't help but match the other woman's smile (albeit with a smidge of disbelief) after such a statement of faith. The woman seemed to believe there was something special within Rue, something worthy of Liri and her kin's protection and companionship... this was lucky for Rue, and the last thing Rue wanted to do was say anything to reveal Liri's mistake to her.
Rue shook her head. "There's nothing about the life of a lone wolf that draws me.." Rue regretted the statement as soon as she said it, because it would no doubt prompt Liri's next question of, "Then why are you alone?" That was not something the Rue wished to discuss with the woman, at least not yet. The answer would surely have Liri rethinking the offer she had extended. So Rue continued speaking, hoping to head off any line of questioning involving her past.
"..This generosity, it's.. more than I ever could have expected." Rue's gaze dropped. It was obvious that she didn't feel herself at all deserving of such generosity. "Would I be allowed to visit the plateau and meet some others before I decide?" It was a lot to ask from someone who was showing her so much generosity already, and requesting to impose even further on Liri was embarassing for Rue.
..But she had to be sure, and therefore she asked. For Rue, pack membership was sacred. It was a commitment, a bond, a family. She had always felt a bit out of place in her birthpack, but leaving would have never crossed her mind, not in a million years. Now that she had been cast out of Red Fern Glade, she was going to choose her next family with care. She was going to find somewhere not just to live, but to belong.
RE: Cold bones - Síff - August 31, 2018
I wasn't sure if this was coming to a close but feel free to wrap up with your next post. I can get a thread up for them in the plateau so she can meet some others :)
Liri was glad to see Rue smile - there was something about her that reminded Liri of herself, perhaps a year or two ago when she had lost everything and was alone. She sensed loss and pain somewhere in the silver one's past, something she was reluctant to pry into given her own secrets but something she understood greatly.
"It's not easy. I did not relish the years I spent alone." Even in in the packs she had joined, Liri had been little more than a ghost on the fringes - wishing to remain unseen and forgotten.
Liri would have protested that it was not generous, that she had merely recognized Ruenna's potential, but she sensed this would fluster the girl and so she refrained - ducking her head shyly to her words. "Of course," it was wise of the girl to investigate before simply agreeing - she did not know them or what they stood for.
"I'll admit, we're a bit of an odd group. Many different personalities and backgrounds," she grinned in amusement, thinking of the jumbled group she had become so fond of.
"Perhaps I can rustle up that muscular mate of mine to help me get this back," she joked, preparing to leave the corpse behind. Another predator might get to it before they got there but the plateau wasn't so far. They'd manage to get it back and get most of it into the caches at least.
She turned to Ruenna, checking to see if the girl was done eating, before rising to her pale feet and beginning to lead the way back to the plateau.
RE: Cold bones - Ruenna - September 05, 2018
Liri hadn't relished the years she spent alone. Rue's gaze softened in an understanding way. From the scars that littered the woman's pelt, it was obvious that those years hadn't been easy on her. With any luck, Rue herself would not have to endure years of hard living-- these past couple of moons had been more than enough for her.
Liri agreed readily to Rue's request, which perhaps Rue should have expected. The other woman had been enourmously kind and accomodating so far; there was no reason to expect that she would suddenly turn cold. Rue needed to allow herself to trust a little easier-- didn't wolves like Liri deserve the benefit of the doubt, at least?
The alpha grinned as she described her family, which warmed Rue's heart to see.
You really care for them,Rue observed, head tilting in admiration. From Liri's nonverbals, she could tell that the woman saw her followers as more than simply a means for protection and survival. That was a good sign.
Liri seemed to be moving the conversation in favor of departure, which made sense to Rue. The longer the kill sat here the more scavengers it would draw. Rue lifted herself to her feet, reveling in the heaviness of her stomach and the new strength that coursed through her limbs. Rue smiled at Liri's comment about her muscular mate, whom Rue would no doubt be meeting very shortly.
Rue trotted after Liri, feeling somewhat unsettled about just leaving the carcass behind. It had been a long time since she was food-secure enough to allow good meat to go unattended. She looked forward to a time in the (hopefully near-)future when she could walk away from a kill with a lighthearted, untroubled demeanor like Liri's.