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+--- Thread: Dragoncrest Cliffs This room'll stay just as it is now, for quite some time (/showthread.php?tid=46696)
This room'll stay just as it is now, for quite some time - Chacal - February 28, 2021
As she roamed further inland, while still within the pack's claim, she caught the scent of what she believed to be grouse or partridges- something that liked to hide in bushes and thickets, as she'd discovered a number of their past lodgings empty, but with recent scents still. It figured that the birds might not choose to stay in one place for too long- but she felt she could track them down nonetheless. From what she could tell, the birds had begun to move a bit further away from the cliffs she called home, and inland toward the plains.
She'd follow the scent, though, head down and tail lightly curled as she stalked through the snow that came up just past her ankles. It was mid-afternoon, and fair enough, though it snowed lightly still. She wondered when the temperatures would begin to go above zero long enough for the snow to begin melting- as this would be her first time seeing the season change from winter to spring. She could not wait to hunt in the springtime, when the footing was much better. But for now, she would take advantage of just how much easier it was to spot visible tracks left behind by the birds as they had moved, taking shelter in one thicket of bushes, and on to the next.
RE: This room'll stay just as it is now, for quite some time - Haunt - February 28, 2021
For no particular reason other than she enjoyed it, Haunt dedicated herself to tracking the herd that ranged through the territories neighboring the cliffs. She thought them stupid for living so near a pack's residence, though she appreciated the proximity as she followed them, day after day. She never hunted them on her own or even when someone (like @Njord) accompanied her. Haunt simply observed them, coming to know their habits and movements, even familiarizing herself with each individual.
After watching them awhile this morning, Haunt realized she'd been spending so much time with the deer, she knew them better than her own pack mates. Of course, that wasn't entirely true, though it hit her that she hadn't spent much time with anyone, including @Vex, in a few weeks. So she left her post on the edge of Sapphique's claim to roam toward the heart of the territory, seeking companionship. Haunt didn't need it—she was pretty content with her own company, much of the time, especially after growing up in Legion—but it was good to mingle and socialize.
The first wolf she came across was one she didn't know well. Haunt paused in her step, trying to recall her name. She drew a blank, shaking her head lightly. She then woofed very quietly to announce her presence, having noted her fellow youth's body language. She was hunting something and Haunt would be all too happy to join her, supposing she was welcome.
RE: This room'll stay just as it is now, for quite some time - Chacal - February 28, 2021
Yesssssss
Scattered beneath the latest thicket of bushes, she found evidence that reassured her she was getting closer to what she wanted. Clear impressions from little bird feet in the snow, and a number of small, brownish and black feathers on the ground. Spruce Grouse, she thought- and they were exactly the kind of bird she hoped to hunt. They liked to dither around on the ground, pecking at whetever they could find for food, and they also liked to gather in bushes for shelter while they slept. She might have luck finding them yet, and if she could surprise them, then she might end up catching something to eat.
She pulled her head out of the bushes, rattling the dry stalks when she heard a voice. At first, she flicked her ears forward- maybe it was Valravn, who was always a welcome friend and hunting partner, but....it wasn't. It was one of the two, young wolves who had joined the pack, that she hadn't really interacted much yet, aside from the dreaded meeting at the seashore. This was one of the wolves she figured would have taken part in the Seafoam Run after her mothers decided to open the competition in a bid she believed was motivated by pity. But having not been included in the first round- and seeing non-family members step forward to take Valravn's place had left a sour taste in her mouth.
She swished her tail, and turned her ears back in mild annoyance. She'd have to tolerate the other adolescents in the pack for now, at least, but that didn't mean she had to be buddy-buddy with them.
RE: This room'll stay just as it is now, for quite some time - Haunt - February 28, 2021
She exhaled through her nostrils when the dark she-wolf acknowledged her with pinned ears and an agitated lash of her tail. Haunt was a little taken aback by the unfriendly reception. Perhaps the Beryl preferred to hunt alone, maybe even her prey necessitated it. It was possible, too, she simply didn't want to share. Fair enough, Haunt thought as she turned to retreat.
RE: This room'll stay just as it is now, for quite some time - Chacal - February 28, 2021
Her expression had the desired effect, more or less. The pale wolf looked surprised, but at least she didn't seem inclined to complain, make a comment or even express any amount of disdain. So her expression lifted, in seeing her boundaries respected, and she licked her lips. If only that witchy expression could work on everyone. Haunt turned and made to move off, which left Chacal on her own with regards to following her prey. She didn't call out to stop the other female, but instead turned and began to track further away from the cliffs, hoping she might still have a chance at tracking the birds down.
She would slow her pace when she caught sight of a clump of bushes in the distance, dry and leafless, but rather than being able to see the shadowed snow at the base of those leggy stalks, she could only see brown. Without the snow, the birds would likely have been near invisible, but against the snow, she could see that something brownish was huddled in the clump of plants. She crouched and flattened herself against the ground to watch for a few moments, so she might be able to judge what the best approach might be.
RE: This room'll stay just as it is now, for quite some time - Haunt - February 28, 2021
Soon, the other she-wolf was out of sight and out of mind. While she presumably resumed her solitary hunt, Haunt continued her own search for someone more amenable to her company. She circled through the woods for a while but came across no one else. She considered howling but that felt needy and pretty unnecessary. She finally came to a stop near the southern borders again and shrugged as if to say, Well, I tried.
So she headed back toward her post overlooking the herd. The deer were exactly where she'd left them, although Haunt noted the lead stag's absence. As she took a seat, yellow gaze bouncing from one ungulate to another, she pondered his whereabouts. It was tempting to make a move, with him momentarily out of the picture, but Haunt wasn't that foolhardy.
Concurrent tracking ftw! :)
RE: This room'll stay just as it is now, for quite some time - Chacal - February 28, 2021
teeeeamwork!
She could hear the birds; they made soft sounds as they communicated with one another, and she could hear them moving in the dry patch of bushes making the dead leaves cackle and the twigs snap. They certainly weren't too concerned about being heard, that was for sure. She wasn't certain if they'd taken notice of her- or if they had a good sense of smell, but they hadn't panicked yet. She assumed if they had taken notice of her by now, they probably would have flown up into the safety of the trees.
So she decided to try and get a bit closer, lifting herself carefully and moving with the slow, calculated movements of a praying mantis. As long as she made no sudden movements, she might possibly look like little more than a wavering shadow on the horizon. How well could those birds see? Did they rely on their hearing to detect predators? She was going to try and test her skills of stalking, and test out what it might be that could set birds off- so she could avoid triggering it.
RE: This room'll stay just as it is now, for quite some time - Haunt - February 28, 2021
Time passed and none of the deer did anything of particular interest. Haunt was nothing if not patient, though. It paid off when the buck eventually reappeared, a wound in his shoulder. One of his antlers was cracked, the broken section dangling precariously and swinging with every movement of his head. He looked hale, despite the injury, and Haunt wondered: had he been off fighting? Had he won?
The does moved closer to him and the herd was on the move. Haunt tensed as she watched them cantering away. She decided against following them, remaining rooted to the spot. Just before they disappeared into the distance, she saw the loose part of the stag's antler snap off and drop to the ground.
RE: This room'll stay just as it is now, for quite some time - Chacal - February 28, 2021
Snow made sneaking considerably more difficult. Every time she set a paw down, she had to lean her weight into it with extreme care, so as to not create an audible crunch. She could still hear it, faint though it was- and thought that it might take her all day if she continued with this technique. She could always try and sneak up in the lee of a tree or another bush, but she'd have to make it to one of those first- and still, it took ages. Step by step, she made her way closer. Whenever the grouse ruffled their wings or fell silent, she'd freeze, moving only again when she saw them go back to what she figured was normal behavior.
What she did not expect was for the grouse to begin making their way out of the thicket toward a nearby tree, a tall, straight tree with coniferous nettles- and began to pick at and eat the pine needles on the ground. She never would have imagined that birds ate pine needles- she would've thought they ate seeds or bugs, so this was a welcome discovery. If they ate the needles that fell from tall, lodgepole pine trees, then it might make them easier to find.
The only issue was that she was now in plain sight, though the birds hadn't taken notice of her as she'd remained as still as possible. They were more focused on the food they were eating. Now, with nothing to obscure their vision, she'd have to figure out what her next move was.
RE: This room'll stay just as it is now, for quite some time - Haunt - February 28, 2021
She waited a while after the herd cleared the area, then loped down to have a look around. She kept an eye out for the antler, though Haunt figured it probably got trampled. She studied the other signs of the herd's presence, trying to discern how long they'd spent here via the clues they'd left behind. After conducting her brief survey of the area, she turned and began loping toward the caves, ready for a rest.
Haunt abruptly remembered the antler and swiveled to make a final sweep. To her surprise, she found it, intact. She nosed it, noting the strange, spongy tissue at the site of the fracture. The young huntress then plucked it up with her teeth and made her way home with this most curious souvenir in hand (or, rather, mouth).
I think this will be my last, unless you need more rounds—in which case I'm happy to keep going! I can always send her back Chacal's way. ;)
RE: This room'll stay just as it is now, for quite some time - Chacal - February 28, 2021
<3 This was fun! Thankya for the quick trade-y thread, but hopefully these two actually interact sometime soon haha!
With her situation as precarious as it was, all it took was for one of the grouse to take notice of her and eyeball her for long enough to decide that she was a threat. One took off, and then the rest of them did in a flurry of wingbeats and Chacal knew she was too far away to make a lunge for them and potentially snag one before it got too high. So she relaxed and stood up, gazing up into the pine tree they chose to roost in and regard her with what she could only assume was surprise and relief. She huffed. She didn't get a meal- but she had learned what that particular grouse ate- and she would make a note of those particular lodgepole pine trees and their potential to lure in a meal for the future.
So, with an empty stomach (and hand?) she turned, and loped back toward the heart of the packlands, where she might be able to unearth a cache she had supplied recently, and fetch herself a meal.