Kildeer Rest 'Zat you, Santa Claus?

Towhee was sitting near the southernmost edge of the provisional village, pondering her recent conversation with Meerkat, when a large caribou came stomping right up to the camp. It froze when it spotted her, snorting. She couldn't hear the sound of its billowing breath, though she could see the steam curling from its nostrils as it stamped the frozen earth and stared at her. She stared right back, spine rigid. The hoofed beast's appearance had caught her entirely off guard and Towhee knew she might be in danger... especially if the caribou was sick like the others.

Out to the edge of the village sat a rather pretty woman (though it was likely known by now Aiolos had found most attraction in little women of pale color) and uniquely patterned. She held the scent of Moonglow, his wife and step daughter, even if vaguely. A new life had joined their village.

Aiolos moves at a lazy lope, to greet her, when the bull comes from the bracken forest beyond. It stomps close, breath heavy, sides heaving and a swaying as he dares to stumble nearer.

Worried for his new member's safety, Aiolos comes near, stomping and jerking forward and back, snapping his jaws and barking out. His ruccus is to distract the bull, to confuse and buy them time.

Just as suddenly, a wolf appeared, brazenly threatening the stray caribou. Perhaps inspired by his display or heartened by his mere presence, Towhee unlocked her muscles and rolled onto all fours. Her ears pulled back against her skull as she wrinkled back her lips, baring her teeth. Although she couldn't hear it, a deep growl rumbled out of her mouth, vibrating soundly in her chest. Her orange eyes flicked to her canine counterpart before boring into the ungulate's face, wondering if it would fight (evens) or flee (odds).

Roll: 6

No right minded deer would have challenged the two large wolves in their own element, lest they had means to protect a child and with the whole of their herd at their side. Then again, no right minded deer would have made directly to a wolf pack either. Thus, it did not surprise Aiolos when the beast was not  threatened by them. Likely, lost somewhere deep in his own mind now. The sickness had been in the wolves favor. This time it was not.

So it lowered its head filled with horns and charges directly towards the wolves side-by-side. The lean red wolf jumps out to the side to avoid the trample and whirls around, to try and snatch the already staggering and sick beast off balance. It seemed however, that the great herd's prince would not be going down without a fight.

The damn thing didn't seem the least fazed by the wolves' aggressive display. A split second before it happened, Towhee's mercenary instincts told her it was about to charge them. She prepared to leap, though she was not entirely quick enough. She felt something clip her hip. It was soft, so it did not break her skin, though it happened with enough force that it knocked her off balance. And it would definitely bruise later.

Ignoring the smarting for now, Towhee whirled to find the caribou's rear just feet away. It was tempting to spring an attack, though one blow from those hooves could shatter bones. Instead, she darted a few feet to the side to assess the situation, primarily her pack mate's position.

He was trying to get the staggering beast to lose its balance and, for a moment, Towhee watched to see if he would succeed (evens) or fail (odd) in this endeavor.

Roll: 2

His now hunting partner was able to dodge the horns and hooves of the great beast which charged them and whirled around to the backside of the caribou as it went past just as opposite of Aiolos.

Aiolos, having went to bite at the back of the deer's hock, was able to throw the sickly creature off and into a stumble which resulted in it falling. It's back end hit the earth, leaving it in a somewhat sitting position. Head swayed back and forth, warding off the wolves as it tried to hoist itself back up on all fours again. 

Aiolos tried to do his best to bite and pull at the deer's rump and back legs while avoiding his upper half.

A bit to her amazement, the caribou staggered, its hind legs buckling. It looked absurd, seated in the snow like that. But Towhee didn't have time for amusements. Her comrade dove for the animal's rump and she did the same. There was nothing quite like the feeling of her jaws taking hold of prey and sinking deep into living meat. It didn't happen often for her, so the Redhawk thrilled even as instinct compelled her to worry the bite, doing as much as damage as possible.

With two wolves weighing down its backside, the caribou tried but failed to regain all fours. Belatedly, it curved its head toward its rump. Towhee felt something sharp graze her and she instantly released, growling savagely as she sprang backward. She left a gaping wound, bleeding so heavily that it sprayed on the churned snow underfoot.

Licking her red teeth, Towhee waited for another opportunity to jump at the weakening animal, wondering if it was really possible she and her makeshift partner could fell this beast on their own (evens)? Or would the injured caribou eventually shake them off and run for its life after all (odds)?

Roll: 7

In a great swinging of his powerful neck the prince cut one of the wolves enough to shake it off him. He bellows out from the pain of his open wound as blood stained the earth. Swinging to the other side, he knocks his crown into the other.

Aiolos stumbles back, rolling and landing on his side. He pants deep, already feeling the bruising in his ribs. By the time he pulls himself up off the ground the caribou had done the same. Deeply wounded on his rump and his back legs quite sliced up, it did not stop the beast from moving.

The large bull charged toward the two wolves though did not go after them. Getting the hell out of here while he still had any sense left had been his safe bet. Leaving Aiolos out of breath, wide eyed with confusion and 100% fail.

She could only stare as the mortally wounded caribou fled after all. Towhee made an abortive movement, as if prepared to run after it, then shot a baffled glance at her comrade. She stayed her feet, letting the animal go... for now. They hadn't been hunting it, after all, but defending themselves. In that sense, they'd triumphed. And perhaps they could follow its trail later.

"You okay?" she queried, once she had the breath to spare. Towhee moved nearer to the male, studying him at a glance. "I'm Towhee, a relatively new recruit," she offered.

They did so pant heavily, silent a moment as they watched the great elk's retreat, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. The uniquely colored woman asked of his wellness and Aiolos nods, finding himself sitting as best for him then to stand.

I think so... and you? His fiery eyes look over her in the same manner which she had him. These herds sickness has also warped their minds. He shook his head, still quite shocked. He was happy still it had been the two of them instead of one of their young.

It would seem you arrived just in time. He spoke with a little grin. I'm Aiolos, Sunman to Moonwoman of our tribe. Strange words and titles for Towhee but if she had met Kukutux already she would understand.

It didn’t happen often and Towhee could never pinpoint its cause. All she knew was that some wolves were more difficult to lipread than others. Some were nearly impossible. It just so happened that he was one of them. From what she could catch from his introduction, it didn’t bode well. This was Kukutux’s mate, the pack’s Alpha male.

Ah, good to meet you, the Redhawk said, figuring it was a safe enough response to… whatever he’d said. She’d caught “sun man” and that was about it. Damn, it was super awkward when this happened, and it threw her even more off kilter, knowing he was a dude of import here.

So, I think I’m going to try to keep tabs on Donner, she said a moment later, if you want to gather some others to track and bring him down. Catch you later? Towhee dipped her head and swiveled to lope after the bleeding ungulate.

It wouldn't have ever occurred to him that the woman standing in front of him was deaf. Of course, he looked directly to her when he spoke, though perhaps any hints of Greek tongue curls has put her at a disadvantage of understanding. Aiolos however had been long from the Greek Islands now and though Greek was his birth tongue he had far more often spoke common now. Of course, the word Aiolos was quite an odd one.

He dips his head to her words, not catching one bit she had a lack of understanding. The pair did better together during combat of some sort which would be quite fine with Aiolos, granted he quite enjoyed sparring and in this odd case... hunt-fighting?

It's a date then. He speaks and watches her retreat a moment before turning a looping back towards their camp where he could grab another wolf or two for support.