Wild Berry Meadow Make me fall

For @Wrenly

Berries definitely weren't his first choice when it came to food, but it didn't mean he was completely opposed to it. In fact, it wasn't long before the pale pheonix had gorged about half a pound of them down the hatch -- 'These weren't half bad.' he briefly thought to himself, and would probably be enough fuel for the day to continue westward (though hopefully it wouldn't fuck up his stomach later). Licking his ruby-stained maws, Āzoniol briefly lifted his head from the bushes to look around. Ruby/emerald eyes scanned the perimeters with a particular sharpness to them -- He couldn't put his finger on it, but it felt like there was some nearby....

Travel, travel. Walk, walk. It was all the damn same to her lately. Faces blended into one being. Territory was avoided. Packs not approached. Free land was plenty - why screw that up? She would sigh as her long legs carried her forward to nothing. She was going nowhere in particular and needed no one to hold her paw. But hold up.

There was someone here. Someone... hrm. She didn't know them. Fate chanced as she had pondered to herself, coming close but not quite to the man. She stopped, the distance enough to see her and him but not... close enough to bite. She stared at the ivory beast before giving a curt nod. Wrenly noted the berries and his stained muzzle.

She couldn't help a flicker of amusement in her eyes. What if they were poisonous? He'd have the craps later, probably, if they didn't kill him. That aside, it was rude to just say nothing. "Hey."

Ignis continued to watch over the area intently until the stranger emerged from hiding, lobes flicking on his cranium as the steps became louder. Odd orbs gazed up to eventually catch sight of a tall, lanky woman. Her eyes dark like sapphires and her coat various shades of light and dark oaks.

There was a tingling sense of wariness as the fae began closing the space, but her eventual stopping point made it clear that she knew to keep a safe distance -- afterall, despite becoming less impulsive since entering the wilds, he was still rather neurotic around strangers.

Something in the way the she-wolf looked at him made Āzon raise an eyebrow in confusion (he still had yet to realize his muzzle was stained), and the woman's greeting was met with a simple "Hey..." While the pheonix nervous licked his chops.

"I don't suppose some random headass swallowing berries was something you were intending to walk in on, was it?" Āzoniol asked her while hinting at wanting to know why she approached in the first place. He'd rather not think about her coming to him to say that the berries were bad -- not even he wanted to think about it after the amount he'd just ingested....

"Hey man" Wren glanced at the berries, chuckling with a shake of her head "what you choose to eat is your business" She preferred rabbit any day, but would eat anything edible to survive. She couldn't fault the man for that. "I just thought it'd be ironic if they... er, well were poisonous. Like drinking salt water from the ocean when you're thirsty." She had some small inkling of poisonous berries - and these were not one of those types.

So she moved on, as if to ease his mind. "But they aren't" the woman looked back at his face, seeing two different hues within his eyes. Her lips curled in further amusement. "so relax" she soothed, still keeping her distance "is the prey running poorly in this area?" she would ask the other wolf, tearing her eyes from his features to glance around them. Why else would he eat berries so hungrily?

Her own stomach did a silent heave of exhaustion and hunger. She should find something to eat soon.

For fucks sake, the 'berries' situation was brought up anyways. Like Āzoniol always did when caught in the act of doing something stupid, his face would heat up in embarrassment and he'd turn his head away with the hint of a scowl -- almost childlike in its mannerisms. He wasn't going to lie, there was a small bit of relief that crossed over him when they'd finally say that the berries weren't poison, but the brute still would've used the ol' "If I die, I die." excuse out of stubborness.

To the dark-eyed woman's next question, his head slowly turned back to face them and he lifted a paw to wipe his muzzle a bit. "Yeah, not alot running through here nowadays, so I decided to eat from the bushes instead...." Āzon responded while settling on his haunches. No, he was not going to tell her that his hunting skills were shitty and scavenging berries was his first choice -- we can leave that out for now. "However, I don't believe I caught yer name yet..." who was the mystery woman he'd been talking to? And why was he always doing dumb shit infront of strangers?

She almost laughed. She couldn't help it. He looked like such a grumpy guts, scowling and throwing a silent fit. But she didn't laugh. Wren kept it in, glancing away so he couldn't see the amused grin plastered on her features. "That's fair" she says instead, remarking on his willingness to eat something over nothing.

"Maybe the prey will come if we both go for it?" she offers to him, eager to stretch her paws and also run after something on the ground. He did ask for her name and she glanced back at him, giving a nod. "it's Wren" not pointing out he didn't tell her his name either. Even if he looked funny pouting, she wasn't going to rock that particular boat soon. "so, you wanna try to hunt?"

He noted how the woman strangely looked away talking. Was she secretly laughing at him? Hopefully not -- his pride was already on the verge of extinction at this point.

The coffee tinted she-wolf provided both a name and even offered to help him hunt, a strange act of generosity to give towards someone you didn't know. It wasn't the first time it happened, but it definitely wasn't the last time he was going to be shocked everytime it did.

"Wren..." her name was breathed softly under his deep voice. "Names Āzon. I'm traveling with someone at them moment, but hopefully they won't mind me doing some hunting." The pheonix said with a light shrug and vaguely thought about what kind of food Keres would've liked him to bring back. 

Despite how akward Ignis made himself look, he strode towards the seemingly kind stranger with the first hint of a smile he'd make the entire time. If it was a hunt she'd be offering, then there was no way he'd be turning them down.....partially because Āzon didn't know what he was doing.  "Ready when you are."

She wouldn't exactly call herself kind, but she knew she wouldn't be able to turn away people in need. Azon resorted to eating berries to substain himself - he must be hungry for something meaty. So maybe she was kind but also maybe not. Wren didn't like to label herself, unless it was the word awkward. Closing her eyes at the man joined her, she breathed in the scents of the area. 

Two wolves could bring down medium prey. But autumn saw a lot of the herds moving. She'd settle for something small. If they were lucky, two pieces of food would fall into their lap. "Okay, let's hunt some rabbits." It was the clearest thing she picked up. If near water, she would suggested to fish. But of course, not all wolves knew how to fish. Walking off, she swished her tail for him to follow.

Unaware Azon didn't know really how to hunt, she followed the scent trail until she saw them. Two rabbits nibbling near a mound that was their warren. "Chase them toward me - if you can snap one up, I'll grab the other. Sound good?" she had lowered herself to a crouch, intention to cut their escape off when Azon knew the plan and agreed to it.

The pale brute had no clue what th'fuck he was doing, but the earthen-toned dame reassured him that she did, see he followed her lead willingly. They went to work immediately -- it was clear the femora had a level of experience in her that he almost envied (because again,  he couldn't hunt.) Though nonetheless, color him impressed.

On signal to the command given, the pheonix would give a sharp nod in understanding and being moving forward with keen focus. Sneaking was not his specialty due to his large stature, but if he was able to spoke them into a panic, then that would've been enough. 

and so Ignis did; he snuck up closely behind the lagamorph pair with careful breaths -- before snapping his jaws at the air near them. It took no time for the mammals to react, so he quickly slammed a paw down at the one closest to him so it wouldn't escape, and barked on queue to signal his hunting partner's turn to catch the other. "NOW!"

For someone who didn't know what they were doing, Wren would have been impressed by the result. Azon swung down on one rabbit, directing the other toward her waiting frame. She rose from the bushes, having taken point before his signal. She saw the rabbit shooting toward her and she wasted no time in snapping it up. 

Blood hung heavy in the air now that two of them were down. Wren panted lightly, gripping her kill. She gave a nod to Azon, impressed he was willing to learn to hunt and also succeed. She had an inkling he didn't know how - hence the berries. Some blood was on her muzzle but she ignored it. She wasn't squeamish anyway. "Good job" she praises now.

Āzon's mouth watered with the anticipation of an actual meal, something that will fuel him up faster than the berries he was eating earlier -- and much more appetizing to. The pheonix wasted no time savoring the meal, lowering his head and using his jaws to snap the neck and put an end to it's struggling. The tang of blood ran heavy in his mouth and stained his already tinted muzzle, but he'd simply lick it off. It was the gravy of his actual meal.

Ignis' Bi-colored eyes trailed up to meet her own after hearing her thank him, but he was quick to shake his head at the praise " 'preciate it, but I was only following directions. Hell, I wouldn't have even known there were rabbits in this field if you didn't tell me first. So....thanks...."

She laughed lightly. "At least you can follow orders" Wren pointed out with a grin as she too settled into her meal. Packs liked that sort of thing. It didn't occur to her that he may belong to one right now, but she didn't want to get into details when there was food to eat. She had plenty of experience hunting for herself during her travels. Even early into her life, she had hunted.

It was like seeing an invisible line. The scent wafted toward her even now, and she ignored it in favor of the dead rabbit. But Wren could still pick out tell-tale signs of further hunting. Little steps in the ground. Brushed foliage. Some fur discarded. Droppings. All were used in the pursuit of survival. All for prey to attract predators. She bit back a pleased sigh the hunt had gone so smoothly.

And when each wolf had finished their meal, they would probably depart each other's company. Wren was first to leave, bidding farewell to Azon and continuing on her way.

exit/end! old thread wrap-up thanks!