Lost Creek Hollow Vivamus, moriendum est

It was a misty afternoon in November, last rays of the sunlight had hidden behind thick, dark grey clouds and the air was frosty and clear. Sarah found Cassandra, resting atop a trunk of a fallen tree, watching the area. Her younger sister wore the same far-off look, as if her spirit was miles away from the body's present location. While the older sibling had never truly understood this kind of peculiarity, she knew not to disturb her and wait patiently.

After a while Cass came around again, her silver eyes alight, her being present and she greeted her with a smile. "Were there many of them this time?" Sarah asked, tilting her head to the side curiously. "Quite, though their alotted time in this world is coming to an end. They are returning to the Underworld," her sister replied. "Did you see anyone we might now?" Sarah inquired further. "They were not among them, no," Cass said, guessing correctly, what had been implied. After all, no one in their family had died yet. 

Sarah was moulded of a different material than Wraen, Cass and Janus. They - it had seemed to her - always were hovering slightly above the ground, not really in touch with the real world and it's problems. Osprey and Dante had loved them all the same and had not bothered about their differences from the rest, but for the down-to-earth, no-nonesense person that Sarah was, she had hard time accepting them, for who they were, without trying to change them. Her powers of imagination in a purely impractical plane were limited and she simply could not follow Wraen in her colorful world of stories, join Cassandra in her walks with the ghosts or understand Janus's musings, who had been too mature for a kid his age. 

Yet, now that she was stranded away from the rest, she wished she could have just a bit of that power to see beyond the veil and know that her family was safe and sound. Not knowing was horrible and all the "what if"s of the days past gnawed her soul every single day. At times it was hardly bearable to see that other people's lives moved on, they could engage and do all these simple routine things, while her life had come to a standstill. She could not set her deals with the past straight and was unable to move forward. 

But even the broken-hearted have to tend for their most primitive needs and Sarah had left her den to follow tracks of a small deer that led back to the same river, where Terance had found her a week ago. When her mind was focused solely on finding sustenance, it was able to rest from the shadows that was haunting it on daily basis.

Things had been a bit busy, and Treason hadn't made it a huge priority to meet Terance's sister either.  Probably mostly because she was wary that Sarah would end up being rather like Wraen and Treason had been enjoying her time without her.  But she kind of would have to give up and see her at some point, wouldn't she?  One way or another, it'd probably get to that point, and perhaps it was better to get an idea of who she actually was.

And so, Treason went to hunt her down.  It seemed like she was maybe following a deer. If she was hunting, then it certainly would be easier with two people.  Assuming she even wanted help.  Eventually she came into view, and Treason got a bit closer before uttering a quiet woof to get her attention.  She couldn't see any deer, but she'd be a little cautious in case they were around the next bend.

If Terance had mentioned Treason's name upon Sarah's arrival at the hollow, then she had forgotten it by now. Two people she recognized by names were her brother and Gannet, the rest she did not care about and had not made any effort to know them better. Therefore, when the piebald, imposing female called for attention, the grayscale-female acknowledged her presence with a quick look and curt nod, then went on tracking. 

The trail got more fresh several strides further and soon her careful walk and frequent stops to scan the ground level, changed into a fast and determined trot, until they (considering that Treason had followed her) came to the edge of the river, where a deer was lying on the river ice, it's legs splayed in all four directions. It was struggling to get across and had been caught in a slippery trap. Sarah stopped and looked at the other she-wolf, as if asking were she inclined to come along and try her luck. And regardless of her answer, Sarah tested the ice and made tentative steps towards the trapped deer.

Video for reference - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaNXXjJ07pI

For whatever reason, Treason was expecting words and they just didn't come.  She wasn't sure what to think of that.  Maybe she was just really into her hunting.  Whatever, she'd come along.  It wasn't like Treason had much else to do.  Food would be nice, so she'd let Sarah track, wary of the wind direction, so she didn't muck with what she was doing.  One would assume Sarah's nose worked well enough, so she didn't need Treason possibly getting in the way.  She just double checked from her position at the rear.

Treason was more hesitant on getting out onto the ice.  Her wide paws were great for distributing weight across snow, but her overall mass just made her question the whole thing.  She really was not wanting to end up in the water.  Maybe she was secretly a cat.  However, Sarah had in a way presented a challenge, so she would have to accept with a nod and follow, ears tuned for any crack or creak that might say to get the hell off.

As long as they didn't go crashing into the water, picking off the deer should be pretty easy, shouldn't it?  Flailing legs might be a problem but at least they didn't have to chase it.  Getting it back to shore might be an issue, depending on how thick the ice was, but at least it wasn't the latter half of the season.  Still, though she had started behind Sarah, Treason eventually started to veer to try and go around the other side so they'd be able to get hold of the deer from two directions.  Or that was the plan until a few strides in, the ice groaned a bit.  Pause.  Yeah, maybe it was best she followed Sarah, she could test the route so Treason carefully adjusted her path back to meet her.

Treason would have had second thoughts about following Sarah straight on the ice, had she known that Terance's sister did not really care for the possible danger and would not mind breaking through the ice and dying by drowning. Fighting her way through the flames and smoke, surviving in the end, even if being plagued by nightmares long afterwards, had killed her sense and understanding of danger. She had been to hell and back and feared nothing. Which was a good thing for her, but not so good for others. 

The groan of ice, did not escape her attention though and she frowned in Treason's direction, but, when it seemed that the lady in question had decided to progress via another route, dedicated no more attention to her. The deer, having spotted the two approaching wolves, was now desperately scrambling forwards on the ice, but did not have much luck in it. For a split of a second Sarah felt sorry, but right after that sprang in action, paws slipping at some steps, she cut off the deer's path and avoiding the flailing limbs and sharp hooves, or being head-butted in her jaw, grabbed the animal by it's snout, effectively keeping it on the spot for time being. 

If Treason was quick enough to do the rest, the only task they would have, would be dragging the bountiful prize to the nearest bank and feast.

IDK why but I was kind of flailing around writing this post. aagh. If it's unclear LMK

She wasn't really sure if Sarah was brave or stupid, and her confidence moving about didn't clarify that situation any.  It soon got buried metaphorically under the chaos of this weird as hell hunt.  It wasn't every day that their prey wasn't just run to near exhaustion -- but at least the fact it had probably been flailing a while before they got there probably helped. on that aspect.

On the other hand, Treason was going to be cautious.  Following closer to Sarah's path was so far better, but there was that whole clearing the final distance to the deer that would be more of an issue.  The flailing animal caused only a bit of chaos as Treason tried to figure out how to approach.  Sarah then got control of the deer's face, so hopefully she'd be able to keep it from kicking as much and Treason could get in there as well.  Treason came around the other side, hurried but not too so, lunging in to grab it's neck -- her teeth seeking to hopefully puncture something vital, to crush anything important, or to tear with a sharp shake of her head.  She could taste the blood, but wasn't going to exactly back off and take a look at her handiwork, trying to dig her fangs in deeper.  They needed it to end before the ice got pissed at them.

I have a feeling that either because of the specifics of our characters or our writing styles, we do not have an easy time rpging together. I am sorry, if I make it difficult, and with me being a very busy person, I do not mind waiting for replies longer. :)

The deer struggled against the two wolves - Sarah felt her grip on it's muzzle loosening, as the animal shook it's head and one of the front hooves kicked her in the legs. She stiffled a pitiful whimper, renewed the grip on the prey's nose, pressing her jaws together as tightly as it was possible, while Treason worked on the animal's throat - from what Sarah could see out of the corner of her eye - the piebald female had managed to get a good hold there. 

She was not sure, how much time had passed, before the animal stopped to struggle eventually, light in it's eye grew dim and it rested it's head on the ground. Not quite dead yet - that much Sarah could tell - but not far from it either. She let go of it's muzzle and retreated a step or two to watch, how the deer's life left it's shell. And, when it finally did, she beckoned to Treason to help it to drag it on the coast nearest to them. It was the opposite one of the hollow, but it did not seem wise to move it there just yet. Besides - she was hungry and deserved a meal.

Eeh, I think in this case it's also partially because I am totally rusty at hunting threads where I'm letting someone else take the killing blow... And I don't exactly live in a place that gets iced-over rivers so that's an odd concept too, haha.

This was the epitome of luck. She found it unlikely that they'd have this kind of fortune again, even if they ran through the winter all over again from the start.  Easy food wasn't... well, easy to come by at any time of year, but especially now when that which could sleep or migrate had already long done so.

By the time Treason let go, the deer's head flopped to the ground without a sign of life. She'd long caught her own breath, but she wanted to lick her lips, to shake out her fur, and reassess their somewhat precarious situation here on uncertain footing.  At least they hadn't sunk in so far.  Eating out here probably would be pushing their luck, so she looked back to Sarah, nodded, then looked for a better spot to drag from.  The deer's long legs were nice for that at least, just as Treason's own mass was a great counterweight for dragging.  She did wish that they were going to the proper side of the river, but after the way the ice creaked on their initial crossing, it was probably a better idea to try it it after they'd lightened the load.

Treason wasn't really sure if the snowy lump on the edge of the shore of the river closest was rocky or if it was just a pile of snow that had managed to bunch up.  It could cause some difficulties either way, not exactly huge ones of course, but she looked to Sarah to see if she was just beelining it to solid ground or if she wanted to go a little out of the way for the easiest way.

Aaah... frozen solid rivers, lakes and ponds are a natural thing, where I live. Though I am never bold enough to walk on them. And - point taken - next thread, no more hunting. :)

Sarah was beelining (as much as it was possible with a heavy load) for the solid ground and let Treason know it too. "I would not bother taking it all the way back to hollow," she told her. "The combined weight could be too much for the ice." Which would also mean that it would not be wise to carry chunks of the kill back for everyone else to have. "I suggest we eat now - I think we deserve it - and invite the rest later. Perhaps, even find a safer pass over the river elsewhere," as she said this, she cast a superficial glance around the area, to see, if there was anything like that in the vicinity.

It technically snowed a tiny bit in some areas here a few days back... Just not my part of town, of course.  And that is like freak event kind of thing.  -- Either way I gotta practice the non-talky threads at some point, glad there'll be pups to experiment on teach.

Moving it probably could have been worse. Treason did want to squirrel it away somehow, but yeah, Sarah kind of confirmed what she'd been thinking.  Easy food came with a cost. Not planning on leaving any here, one way or another.  Eaten or hauled, the only scraps left would be for a couple of crows.  It was winter, thus they needed the food.

She looked too, then stated, I don't come out this way as much. I don't know where would be better to cross.  If Treason went much beyond the territory, she usually headed out towards the plains -- the time she went downriver she met that odd woman whose motives she couldn't pin down.  But at least she hadn't returned, so that part was probably good.  Can always look.  Later, after food.  She licked her lips and turned to the kill.  It wasn't like there was much point in waiting too long.

"Let's think about it later," Sarah agreed and after letting Treason choose the spot she wanted to take lunch at, she chose a different one. Only, when she began to eat, did she realized, how very hungry she was and that it perhaps been days, since she had eaten anything last. 

After each of them had had their fill, they eventually found a safe passage and brought the rest of the deer back to Lost Creek Hollow for others to feast on.