Fairspell Meadow the honest man has numerous difficulties

For @Amekaze! Also for Gamekeeper. Forward dated to the present. Gonna roll for whether they catch one or not later on. 1-6 they don't get it, 7-10 they get one. 1-6 because these things are fast as hell.

Stalking in the gangly grasses south of Fairspell Meadow, the Gamma bides his time. His belly flush against the earth, arms bent, neck stiff, Tatsuya's eyes studied the small herd banqueting upon the meadow's leafage. A band of pronghorn comprised of one old male, twelve females and no young. Two unembellished females were being aggressive towards one another, upsetting the peace. Supposedly one was trying to oust the other from their feeding grounds for some reason. Breeding rites? Or something invisible to the predator's naked eye? Was there a hierarchical dispute going on? Did these creatures even have a system similar to a wolf's? Whatever was happening, Tatsuya could not tear himself away. Riveting to watch, but what would become of this bickering?
INDENTSquinting, the wolverine idly licked his lips, salivating hungrily at the sight of their cloven hooves and substantive hindquarters. The two belligerent females would stop and go, sometimes spending minutes apart from each other before going at it again. Odd behavior that, at first, garnered his interest purely for the sake of observation. But now he stared upon them all with excruciating hunger. This was inevitable; Tatsuya could be fat and full and he would still want more. Having joined Tonravik and her kin has made him curb his avaricious appetites. He had more to think about than himself now. Presently, however, he wanted to glut himself on that antelope meat. Such efforts would prove futile sadly. The buck – hide covered in scars, musculature prominent, senses acute – took good care of his harem. No injury, no sick drew his hawkish attention. The only pronghorn in this group that was old was the male, but he has obviously evaded death this far. He wasn't going to lay down and die just because a wolf gave chase. As matter of fact, he seemed the bellicose sort. He would rather turn to confront the aggressor rather than flee.
INDENTTatsuya chuckled at the thought. Damned antelope would probably beat his ass. The wolverine was not experienced in fighting prey. Wolves were not supposed to fight with their food. Their teeth and endurance were formidable alone, but in number, they were unmatched. Oh man. I wish I could call for Nanuk or Weirdie right now. Regrettably, to howl for assistance would spook the pronghorns. Moreover, they did not seem terribly attached to this meadow. They partook of the greens there, yes, but they seemed engrossed going elsewhere. And he wanted to bring back something to the others on his own because he liked seeming the bad ass. Hence, the dilemma.
INDENTThe bistre giant could not take it any longer, finally moving closer with rolling shoulder blades. He did this as slowly as physically possible, going through conscientious lengths to remain undetected. Pronghorns were not only fast, but their field of vision was superb; surpassing canines and a number of other mammals. Just by looking at the size and placement of their eyes was proof of such excellence.

sounds good to me! c: i wanted to make this a more sensible thing but i think i'm gonna sleeps instead so take it anyway

A day spent with the Sunspire only in her distant sights and not underneath her paws had hopefully done her an ounce of good. She was far too attached to that slab of stone, she reasoned. While she was grateful in ways she had not known before for it having escaped the storm without major, life-changing disaster, it would function well without her for a handful of hours. Which.. had been the intention early on.

She'd loitered all over the slopes of Spotted Eagle Mountain instead hunting, scouting, and otherwise in perpetual motion, only bothering to glance over her shoulder to her home a handful of times as she went. Hours came and went and she kept going, and simply never got around to returning to the Spire. Even when the next day dawned and she surfaced from her rest, she headed south on a whim instead.

Using the guise of observing further storm damages would be her official cause, but even so, it still felt a bit more indulgent than that.

She came to the Otter Creek, took care to wade and rise thoroughly, then set off into the open expanses of meadow renewed and refreshed. The sun warmed her shoulders, the grasses alternated between tall and sparse depending on her path, and she covered ground with a contented rhythm.

Scent soon prompted the dark female to slow, and in doing so, she drank in the new sights. Pronghorn. They were distant for now, and she peered ahead while assuming a stealthier approach. Their silhouettes distinct and coats bright almost-orange with a subtle muskiness unique to their sort on the breeze, they were not among her usual targets by any means. They still lured her closer, though. A considerable group was worth observing, if nothing else. It was good to see them doing well after the storm; further proof that the area by the mountain range had (mostly) weathered it well.

Another new element was soon revealed as she noticed the wolf lurking the grasses towards the antelopes. This changed the dynamics of her plans, and if luck would have it, opened new possibilities. He was wholly unfamiliar to her and she could only catch a glimpse of him now and then when the cover allowed. With that little bit behind her, she would have to bank on the likelihood of a common interest here, and stalked quickly into his periphery (and nearer to the pronghorn all at once). She offered him a brief signal that was hardly more than a glance -- I am fast, and will join you.. she intended to say wordlessly, and then began to swing wide.

The infighting continued. Less time was spent grazing, the entirety of the herd refereeing between the two belligerents now. The male was an experienced sentry, chewing and scoping in equal measure. One of the females struck home, causing the assaulted to wail in pain. This drew the male's attention, shoving through his riled harem to quiet the riot. Now would be the perfect time to strike...but the rest of the herd compensated for the lack of eyes, cautiously scouring the lands for predators. Are you freaking kidding me right now? This group was in sync more than anticipated. Tatsuya stood little to no chance of catching one now that the two females were shushed.
INDENTPromise came slinking near in the distance, cutting off one of the herd's escape routes. It was a wolf he has never met before; coat disheveled and black, anatomy slender, tranquil in her approach. Like the calm before a storm. Fur prickled at the sight. Who was this? A loner looking for an easy meal? The other hunter proffered assistance. Pride kept him from replying immediately. He needed help. There was no way in hell he was going to be able to bring one down. Not alone. Grumbling, Tatsuya conceded, using similar indicatives to get his point across. Fine. Help me out, but wait for now. He found this herd first and he would commandeer it. However, they would have to wait until an opening presented itself. Not sooner. Depending on what may or may not happen from this point on, he would have to plan accordingly.
INDENTThe opening did not come in an hours time, sun drawing closer to the horizon. This was when those two females drew closer together once more, passively approaching each other. Tatsuya had moved closer to the herd since Amekaze's arrival, wilting in the wait. Now he perked up, attention never leaving the cluster. Whether or not they were successful, the Gamma decided it best to turn in early on his way back to Tonravik. He has spent a considerable amount of time just stalking this damned herd; he deserved a good night's sleep. Tatsuya would not be able to fend off sleep with a full belly anyway.
INDENTThe two females started up again, going at each other with kicks and tackles. The herd became annoyed again, swarming around their battling sisters. Blood spilled, one hoof slicing at the area where neck and arm meet. The offender suffered a lesser ailment, limping away as the male rushed to break it up. Admonishing both of them, the male went to his wounded and guarded her; protecting her from the ravenous eyes of predators. Useless. The blood shed was small but it would bring carnivores to them. Perhaps the buck was not as smart as Tatsuya originally thought.
INDENTNow's our chance. Looking over to Amekaze, he signaled to her: we're to go after the bloodied. That was a given but he had to make sure they were on the same page. You need to spook them – make them run towards me. They might break away from the herd in their fear. Maybe then they can get that particular female. And if the buck intervened – foolishly protecting his injured – they would have to work together to show him the error of his ways. We'll go when you're ready. Let's make this count.

He did not answer right away, but she took this in stride. Eventually he did and that was good enough. She had not spent much time observing the group herself and she certainly stood no chance hunting them solo. They already looked to be far too robust for any lone wolf. No obvious weaknesses, no injuries or very young. It could prove an interesting challenge, and with an unfamiliar hunting companion, a new depth was added.

He accepted, and she would take her role too. She nodded with a small smirk and would concede the lead to him. Let him have it, after all, the hunt was not among her specializations -- perhaps it was his? And, he had been here first, presumably understanding the group better than she did by a considerable margin. It was in the interest of any potential success that he take the reins and control this. She was quick, agile, and capable of adapting to situations on the fly but honestly, she preferred not to lead them when she could (one aspect of life where this was true for her, anyway). So long as he was capable, and she was eager to see what he could bring.

So she settled to watch for a time until opportunity showed itself. While she was eager to chase and see how far she could run on the winds of luck, she'd wait.. and then wait a little more. Maybe make this even better that way, or maybe she'd even work up a real hunger by then. The pronghorn did provide a show now and again, alternating between their tensions and seemingly relative calm. She immersed herself in observation, and stalked patiently.

It took time. Events began to culminate again, she perked her ears anew and watched the female's squabble then the male intervene. It happened quickly, her eyes following desperately as she flared her nostrils -- scenting blood then seeing the wounds to confirm it. She hunkered low, feeling coiled and readied to spring already when she caught his signal. Ame hardly paused to nod in return, and halfway through the motion, she glided forward. She lurked closer still, steadily gaining her speed before revealing herself fully when the male was as preoccupied as he'd be here on alert -- he turned away for only half a moment after stamping around a bit, picking anxiously at some forage when he did. 

Amekaze took this chance, no matter how scarce and fleeting it was, and arced towards the group opposite to the fellow dark hunter. Her ears were pinned tight, eyes zeroed in, and her stride lengthened. As expected, they spooked and began to flee. She aimed for the female with the wound closer to her neck, rallying them into an immediate run. Scare them towards the stranger wolf was her main priority, but flighty and very fast as they were here in an open meadow, corralling them was not bound to be easy. 

She had them going, and pursued hotly. It was then, flattened out at full run, she noticed the male now aimed her way. He came fast -- very fast, and with fire on his heels to protect his females, who snorted and took off with her on their trail. Amekaze ran low, momentarily focusing entirely on him as he swung for her at high speeds once he made it to her. Her shoulders missed the hooves, but a scrape ran down her side from the second they contacted, and her dodge cost her speed in that instant. His momentum also carried him away for a small handful of strides, and he had to turn around somewhere behind her periphery if he still intended to chase.. which he did, of course. He'd not let himself be deterred so easily as by one almost-miss.

The dark-furred pursuer could hear his hoofbeats coming back after her only heartbeats later. This still gave her a chance to regroup, but she knew he'd be back on her heels soon enough and surely raring to be combative against her, a solo beast interfering on their business and safety. She chased the closest female teeth first anyway, being chased as he gained ground.

Rolled a four. Sigh.

He picked the right wolf for the duty, her undulating form darting forth from cover. She sprinted towards their prey, building speed with each advance. The ruck responded, snorting and kicking before loping off. Tatsuya gaped at their velocity. He was...supposed to snag one of these. Well...shit. Calling for help would have been the better option. Too late now. Back to his companion. She was busy corralling them, forcing them to stampede closer to his prone body. A few broke off, scattering to avoid their inky assailant. Their mark did not deviate, even with Amekaze impressively gaining ground.
INDENTThen the male came for his hunting partner. Shit! The pronghorn attempted to gut her, narrowly avoiding the force of those hooves. Even so, the male was successful in impeding her dash through the grassland. Tatsuya watched all this unfold with collared adrenaline. Their numbers did not matter. Each hunt invited the expectation of harm or death. It was prompt a chase or go hungry. There was no in-between. The hunt could always end unfavorably. Knowing this did not stop him from worrying for his fleet footed collaborator. Her every stride from then on was tailed by the bloody-minded pronghorn.
INDENTAmekaze kept up the blistering pace despite the menace hot on her heels, teeth snapping at the target. So far she was doing good in directing them. Five of the twelve dispersed, galloping elsewhere. Did they sense the trap awaiting them? The seven females left found solace in sticking together, reinforced further by the male's attempts to ward off Amekaze. They would have to contend with the male sooner or later. Preferably after he lands the killing blow, but when are things ever easy?
INDENTThe herd's hooves made the earth quake. He was deaf to the sound, hearing nothing but the steady metronome of his heart. Body growing tight, the Gamma drew in on himself. He would pounce upon the wounded female at an angle to avert the rampaging buck and his vulnerable companion. It was a small window of opportunity but it was his best bet. If he met his mark, the female would lose balance and stumble. If he grabbed her, however...she would suffer greatly, their impetus opposite to one another. Tatsuya would rip the flesh from her in that case. The hunt would end there no matter how much the male protested.
INDENTNow! Tatsuya sprung with all the force, weight and speed he could muster, jaws split open like a sore to grasp, to tear. As luck would have it, he missed completely, fangs snagging nothing. Landing sloppily, he righted himself with a grunt, grass twining through fur. The male was taken aback by another wolf's appearance, slowing via indecision. Should he chase after the female wolf or the male one? Tatsuya rushed to snap at his heels. Come after me you horned prick! He has hounded Amekaze enough, decided the wolverine. The pronghorn stopped to give a swift kick with his hind legs. Rounding about to inspect the damage, he saw that the wolf yet lived. He narrowly missed crushing the wolf's skull, greeted by the whites of Tatsuya's prominent teeth. The wolf hunkered down, ready to give chase or defend. Neither sat well with him, so he charged.
INDENTPerhaps by diverting the male, Amekaze could trip up their mark in peace. He did not know and he could not afford to look away, dancing around the pronghorn's onslaught. Maybe they could bring this bastard down instead since he was keen on fighting.

AWH..

She didn't have time to consider much. Not the burning of her throat, or the smarting ache where the male had grazed her side (it would sting like hell later, she sensed). Even the females that had branched off faded from what she could concern herself with. Nothing but keep going, keep breathing and to revere their remarkable speed while she ate up the grassy meadow with her own strides. A worthy chase, certainly.


Running flat out and with the fullest tilt she could find, they still stayed just out of her reach and the male gained on her. She could only feel his approach, not see it for herself. She had to rely on all of her senses, at least until his hot breath was on her very heels, and this made her anxious. He charged on her, and demanded all of her attention very suddenly. The females pulled away and she growled, tucking her hind in close when he came rushing at her, presumably aiming to trample her into abandoning her chase. Which, he was successful in part. 

She'd faltered in the midst of it all with one bad step and a pronghorn brute practically on her, it took far too much just to keep her on her feet. Ame lost more speed, and couldn't afford to regain it with this male heckling her so badly. She could chase, or flee, not both in tandem for very much longer. The females were still upset, though, galloping away across the landscape but she knew that a vicious sprint like this with near-stops and starts couldn't go on for long with any hope of being productive. But, about then, her hunting partner joined the fray. She could not keep a good eye on his outcome, but knew that it didn't end in easy glory.

However this wasn't the end. Just because the first swing didn't give them real headway towards a kill, she was far too immersed to withdraw right now. He then came for the male, and this gave her chance to regroup with her eyes shot to the females.. she huffed, frustrated, and doubting that even if she could catch one, that she'd bring it down solo with him busy with the riled male. They needed both of them to even bring their odds into real contention, so after her blink of consideration, she rounded back and started gathering speed for a new charge towards the male-versus-male squabble. While not her original plan, the male had harassed her already, so she would return the favor.

She aimed for the male pronghorn's side with teeth first, hoping to take advantage of his preoccupation with the fellow wolf. He managed to gracefully sidestep away from her first swing, kicking out powerfully towards her with a hind hoof. So she snapped for his legs when she could afford it (while trying to not meet those legs in the wrong way), but even here not running at full speed, he was brutally difficult to get a hold on.

Rolled a nine this time. ;D

Tatsuya tiptoed around the rapid animal, growing sluggish with each evasion. It helped that his contender did not stick around long enough to swerve and gore him, but this also prevented the Gamma from laying in to him. The tables have turned in the most ironic sense by switching their roles. The wolverine groused at that, snarling clamorously as his teeth missed for the umpteenth time. Soon he would be another notch in the pronghorn's belt; another cockeyed wolf who thought it wise to test him.
INDENTHis partner materialized in a fierce blur, demanding the pronghorn's attention. The scar ridden beast stepped out of her warpath, none the worse for wear. Tatsuya wanted to know how he caught sight of Amekaze when he had his sights set on him in the first place, but then he remembered their superior visual perception. Good idea picking these, Tatsuya! Real smart! It may very well be the wolves' undoing. Until then, Tatsuya would pursue him until exhaustion, though he could not say the same for his smaller accomplice. Throwing her a appreciative glance, he grew taut as the pronghorn pawed at the earth. What this behavior meant was beyond him. It looked like he was summoning them.
INDENTThe herbivore charged on the spur of the moment, kicking up soil and detritus. He came for Tatsuya first, looking to impale. The old buck's “horns” were dull but no less insidious, especially at such high speeds. Throwing his weight around to invalidate the attack, Tatsuya curved his body into a 'C' shape, jaws opening and closing in hopes of rending flesh. For the first time during this hunt he was victorious, cutting into the area where his stomach was most prominent. For the brief seconds his teeth had sunk into the pronghorn's flesh, Tatsuya calculated the wound to be more than enough to bother him should he decide to turn tail. It bled quite a lot for such a tiny gap. Good.
INDENTIt went for Amekaze next who dealt with him neatly enough. The beast's limbs moved so adroitly, it was challenging to tell if his hooves connected with the she-wolf. I'm sure I'll see the outcome after we're done. It was then he came for the wolverine again, galloping over to crush bone and perforate sinew. He nicked him across his outer left thigh; an abrasion that could have been a lot worse. For what the wolf stomached, he gave back tenfold, leaping and curving his body to snag him where it hurt. Tatsuya avoided the incoming rebound by propulsion alone, having to simulate a tackle just to get near him. The pronghorn fell for this shtick two times. Was old age catching up with him? Did it muddle his thoughts?
INDENTTheir prey was starting to feel the the affects from their combined toil. No longer did he run at  blinding speeds, reduced to staggering and billowing. The wolves have bested him, but he would not be their meal. Not if he could help it. The ragged pronghorn tried to run, extremities heavy. Tatsuya rushed over as fast as physically possible for a wolf his size, mangling whatever he could. An outstretched leg sustained his quick clutch, tearing away to avoid the inevitable kick aimed his way. The pronghorn did not buck or rear or kick however, toppling over thanks to his endeavor and fatigue. Tatsuya scrambled over to clamp down on his neck, but the beast was endowed with a gargantuan windpipe. It was common for this species. All the same, the Gamma tried to keep him on his side by pinning him down via the throat, jerking as the subdued beast gave frenzied kicks.
INDENTAmekaze best help him in crushing his ample windpipe or all of this would have been for nothing.

aaahh my modem broke (new one on tuesday, hopefully!) x_o

The fatigue of her sprints was catching up to her, and quickly at that. Her heart raced, and she doggedly kept at it. She realized her most recent hunts had all been practically nothing compared to this.. she fished, she chased rabbits, occasionally pheasants... all hardly the violence this could inspire should the male turn on them in earnest intent to maim. He could do it, she knew; he already proved himself to be quite formidable, and she guessed she had only seen the beginning of it. But, that was the thrill of it. This only inspired her further.. to see him to the end of this, or at the very least, not relent without a hell of a fight. 

He charged, and for a split second, she caught herself holding her breath. Actions unfolded rapidly with the pronghorn heading for the male hunter, and soon she smelled fresh blood. Senses keened into this, she saw the wound not long after -- the antelope's stomach bloodied. So, encouraged, she received his charge almost eagerly. Her teeth made fleeting contact somewhere behind his shoulder, but she feared she hardly did more than pull at his short coat. Either way, she had to twist and dance aside to dodge him in the next second.

And it seemed Tatsuya was making steady progress on him. She took her swings when she could, but refused to spend much time in very close proximity to the herbivore. He was unpredictable still, although she saw him growing sluggish bit by bit. She did her very best to keep him in motion, to wear him down, and get a cut or two in on him when able. In the end, she had managed to scrape at his shoulders, and again on the leg below it, but more than once, her dodges were brutally narrow.

When the pronghorn turned to take off, she was pleasantly surprised by his slowness. But she she threw herself into a canter, she too felt the fatigue weighing her down. Panting, she closed the distance with Tatsuya, who caused a stumble just as she pulled alongside. He was quick to work, although the prey still thrashed; just a little more was needed. She'd rounded around on the opposite side of the kicking beast, and went to join him at the throat. She dug her teeth in deep, aiming for his windpipe and adding whatever extra weight she could with a paw dug into his neck as well. With two wolves on him now, it had to be drawing to a quick close.

Amekaze stayed clamped on, throwing all the force she could find in her tiring body down to keep the beast immobilized and hopefully dying. Adrenaline still ran rampant, and when she could, she shot a glance towards the old antelope's face, hoping to see his breaths slow and eyes roll. He still struggled (although was slowing majorly now), so she bit down harder, twisting her teeth deep into the flesh. He would draw no further breaths soon, for only seconds could remain.

May your new router be awesome and your WiFi strong. (Sorry Tat's an ass, btw.)

The nameless female's blows were not as critical as his own, Tatsuya noted. She tread the line between 'too far' and 'close enough,' whereas he was a unremitting creature, audaciously (and foolishly) entering the pronghorn's personal space. Amekaze was wise. He was reckless. She was speed. He was force. Two fierce, contrasting entities working together in tandem. They would be successful in this hunt because of their opposites; giving rise to each others weaknesses and mounting each others strengths.
INDENTJaws clamped 'round their flailing prey's throat, teeth piecing flesh. She put a paw on the beast's throat as well, trying to add to the weight. The wolverine did the same, claws digging into the pronghorn's springy fur. It struggled even harder then, urgently trying to get it's legs beneath it to no avail. It's movements grew steadily weaker after it reached that craven, desperate extremum. It went slack after a few minutes, simulating death. Neither wolf fell for it.
INDENTIt died seconds later.
INDENTOpening his now stiff jaws, the Gamma settled onto his haunches panting. Tongue slipped free of his mouth, lips spread wide in a victorious, tired grin. What with their mission now accomplished, the adrenaline was starting to wear off. Muscles burned, lungs burned. Everything burned and ached. Wincing, he glanced at the other. What exactly did she hope to gain from this? Meat? Ha! No matter how tired he was now, any and all attempts in chowing down would be met with violence. This – all of it! – was his. While he appreciated the help, there was no fighting against that primal, esoteric urge...No longer did he run alone, yet that did not diminish the need to hoard as much sustenance as possible.

yisss new modem + internet is pretty nice (OR MAYBE I'M JUST EASILY EXCITED AFTER LIKE FIVE DAYS OF NO NET)(s'all good, tat-ass)

When it was all said and done, she relaxed with a visible heave and slowly relinquished her grip on the prey. All the while, she steadily remembered herself.. and while she still felt her blood buzzing excitedly in her ears, this was now the time for a cool-down. She realized the exertion more by the second, but instead of finding it to be a heavy weight to carry, she thrummed with a quiet, strangely-welling satisfaction that was encouraged by the sight of a mighty take-down at her paws.

She'd feel it tomorrow, and maybe feel differently on the whole of this.. but for now, she lingered over the antelope's head while taking in the sight of him with the taste of his blood so fresh and vivid. Up close like this was not a vantage point she gained very often on these beasts, and she made quick use of her seconds and looked over the subtle lines of his old scars, fresh nicks, where his horns were rooted, and even the pattern of his colors where dark across the bridge of his  faded to white and orange. She slid back, admiring the wounds on his neck, shoulder, stomach and legs -- one by one. Even dead and bloodied, he remained impressive. With certainty she knew his mark would live on in some capacity.

Then, finally, and still panting, she regarded her fellow wolf from the opposite side of the fallen pronghorn. She made no move for the meat, aside from her lingering lookover of seconds past, and eased into an almost-delicate sit. Finally, she felt herself beginning to catch up to her breath.. slowly but surely.

As she collected herself, she attempted to get a read on him. His scents said little and of course, sight of him was nothing familiar, just as it had been earlier. Here and now, she was at least afforded a better look at him, down to his details of sunfire eyes and ochre highlights, and it was easy to understand the force he had brought to the hunt. She swiveled her ears his way and didn't mask her investigations alongside unspoken questions -- was he unhurt? Satisfied? Otherwise? Who was he? Or did it matter? His intentions? How long had he stalked these creatures before this? He may not let her know more than what she did already.

8| TAT PLZ. CONTROL URSELF.

Veracious, lurid eyes never left the svelte female, instinct rearing its ugly head within him as seconds ticked on by. It was out of kindness that he did not attack her as she gazed upon their felled foe, taking in the pronghorn's features and the many scars littering his hide. Tatsuya quelled the desire to do the same. Only when she ran for the hills would he admire this baronial, plucky antelope. She sat down and his jaws clicked shut. Tick, tock. Her inquisitive stare met his heated one.
INDENTShe was...rather pretty. More aesthetically pleasing to the eye than the coquettish Rosalyn, and that was something. What was it about this one that elicited that all too familiar burning in his gut? Was it the jet, disobedient fur that feathered her nape? Was it her slim, muscular figure? Her narrow waist? Her long legs? The scars adorning her cheek? Or was it her green (and...is that plum?) eyes? Tatsuya could not decide which feature he liked best. D. All of the above. Infatuation aside, Amekaze was an uninvited guest at the dinner table. Last he tried to woo a female, it ended badly. This time, however, there was no way Tonravik would come strutting onto the scene. She was busy tending to her young.
INDENTLooking away with a growl, he stared at the antelope's perforated and torn throat. He was a male coming into his prime and he had no children to call his own. Disappointing and infuriating. He would be four years old come November. It was getting around time to settle down. Four years was still relatively young, true, but...if he was to have children, he wanted to be around for them as long as possible. To watch them grow and mature. To witness them developing their own personalities. To nuture and to love them wholly, no matter what.
INDENTTatsuya sighed...and lunged for Amekaze, head snapping up and jaws splitting wide. Leave. Now. Else she would join in on the pronghorn's fate.

!!!!

Amekaze tilted her head at him, and subtly stiffened the furs on her nape.. although it did little to change her appearance, especially with a half-hearted effort as that. He was watching her, silent, brewing and she remained unaware of his innermost issues. She on the other hand was satisfied enough, and beginning to accept that he wasn't going to give much in the way of.. well, anything. So much so that she was probably done here.

She twitched her ears to his growl, and covered the small smirking curve of her lips with a slow lick. There was no telling what precisely motivated him but she wasn't in the business of harassing for it. Not today. She was content to enjoy her sore muscles and having spent her energy in earnest. While a fresh meal was never a bad idea, she didn't hunger, and did not plan to head back to the mountain any time soon -- especially not with any meat in tow, either by hauling it or a full belly. She had already set her sights elsewhere (likely, to the west) and preferred to travel comfortably.

His lunge was met with a stiffer row of hackles, a reflexive showing of her own teeth, and she rumbled back a warning while rising to her feet. The sight of his teeth did rile a momentary surge of excitement, but she bit it back quickly and quietly to focus on putting a few extra spaces between him, the kill, and herself. He'd make for an interesting opponent, of that she had no doubt, but she found herself not in the mood for it. She'd remember this -- him distinctly, and all the rest -- then leave it at this today.

Fine, she chuffed with a pointed glare back at him. Ame would leave him be, but she didn't exactly flee from his scene with haste and rose her tail up a few degrees instead. She watched him carefully, in case he chose to lunge for her with renewed purpose as she turned to jog unhurriedly away towards the landmarks to the west. If he did, she would deal with it accordingly. If not, she intended to regroup elsewhere in solitude.

Thanks for the thread! <3

Thankfully, she backed off without much of a fight. Tatsuya could ill afford to spend energy right now, needing to haul this hefty bastard back to Sawtooth Spire. She turned to leave, tail up. Given the situation – and Amekaze's unknown affiliation – the wolverine did not charge her for such a slight, growls dying in his throat as she paced away. Not exactly what he had in mind, but she was well on her way. That's all he really wanted. Should she spin around to seek vengeance, he would deal with her accordingly. She was a small (in his opinion) wolf. If he could pin her down, the fight would be over and she, dead. Humorously, getting her down would be the hard part as her agility could attest to that.
INDENTOnce she was a sizable distance away, he got to work. He was losing daylight and he still had to drag all this across the entirety of Fairspell Meadow. Gazing out to the spire, he could tell he had a ways to go. Maybe running her off wasn't such a good idea...Too late now. Tatsuya began dragging the carcass by the antelope's neck. By the time he arrived to Sawtooth Spire, his pack mates would be settling into their dens for a good night's sleep.