Larksong Grotto Home sweet something

@Jhala

Lunar stalked the goose, her body bent low to the ground as she followed after the waddling creature. She supposed after moving to this place her skills would need to shift from trapper in training to bird catcher in training. The stupid, fat little creature just kept moving as if it knew she were following it through the reeds.

Picking up the pace some she hurried along after it, getting a good lead on it. Just when she thought she had it, her foot thumped a pebble knocking it aside with a loud clatter. The goose honked in alarm and ran as fast as its short orange legs could carry it, wings spread. "Oh no you don't!" She took off after it making it honk loudly and repeatedly.

She didn't notice the wind shifting, bringing the scent of wolf nearby as she was completely focused on the task of catching the damned fowl.

Said nearby wolf was Jhala, among the youngest (if not) in the pack and possibly the largest as well; she was certainly larger than the white wolf who was causing such a commotion. The dark yearling was hunting as well,  but was much quieter at it. The goose she was stalking had no idea she was near, and it remained still and plucking at the ground stupidly. Well, that was until the honking of a nearby fowl startled it, sending it into the air right away. Jhala let out a loud groan, and then a growl, moving to chew out whoever had done such a poor job of keeping under cover.

She'd found a white wolf, not too far off, chasing after a goose of her own. They sprinted by her, leaving the dark girl to feel the need to join in. This goose was stupid though, waddling around without taking flight. Were it's wings broken? She couldn't tell. She held pace with the other girl, her amber eyes set on their prize. She didn't really care if the other minded her presence or not. 

Lunar didn't pause nor did she falter in step as she ran, limping slightly. Her eyes flicked over to the darker she wolf, a brown one. Darker than Spring but not quite black in coat either. Her eyes flicked back to the goose as she neared it. 

She pounced, grabbing the sqwuaking creature by it's long neck. She crushed it between her teeth, a loud snap echoing in her ears. It sagged limp and she gave it a a good shake to make sure it was dead. Setting it down she glanced up at the other female. "Hello."

The chase continued, but this other wolf managed to leap first and catch the damn thing. She sniffed at it curiously before responding to the other. Why hadn't it flown? What was wrong with it? Maybe it's wings were broken, she decided once again, before looking to the other. "Hey," she responded vaguely, her head tilting. "M' name's Jhala," she added, her tail wagging in a friendly manner. She was still rather annoyed that this wolf had scared off her own prey, but there was no reason to be such an ass to her. First impressions were kind of important, anyway. 

"Who're you?" she asked, the dark head falling the other way. 

The female was larger than she, not that that was uncommon for Lunar, and a deep brown color. Lunar sniffed at her, getting accustomed to her scent. Now she would recognize it around the territory.

"I'm Lunar Eclipse but you can call me Luna, the whole thing is too long," she introduced, tail wagging happily.

"You kinda look like a moon," she commented briefly, her head tilting to the side. The name was fitting, she thought, and her tail wagged to show that she meant only positive thoughts from her words. Her front bow to the ground, stretching after the brief run she'd accompanied the other one. "Didja come here with Reek?" she asked the other, head tilting to the other side now. "Your scent's new," she added in explanation.

Jhala watched the other with curiosity, hovering briefly over different ideas of where this female came from. Hopefully she would have some cool story or something, she loved hearing stories.

She forced a smile, she hadn't been named that for her fur. The background for her name wasn't a very happy story so she left that out. At least with a nickname she could try to forget her natal pack. 

She nodded, "I followed them from Phoenix Maplewood." Her thoughts of the Maplewood turned towards the people she had left behind. She tried not to think about Spring too often, the female loathed her now for leaving. She often thought about Esaro, wondering what he was up to, if he thought about her as well.

Shaking her head as if to rid her of the sad thoughts, she turned her attention back to Jhala. "What about you?"

A wind rustled by, and Jhala's shoulder fur fluffed out as it did. She listened, her ears perked with interest, as the other spoke about where she'd come from. Followed from Pheonix Maplewood? Was that supposed to make sense to her? Jhala tilted her head, shaking it for a moment. "A Maplewood?" she asked, interrupting her next question. "Where's that? Did they pick you up there or did you like, leave a pack or somethin'?" 

It probably seemed a bit blunt to ask, but it wasn't like Jhala hadn't done the same thing. "I used to be part of the Porcupine Ridge, it's a really strict pack west of here," she then explained, guilt washing over her. "I uh, left when Reek invited me. I'm not sure the pack was the place for me."

She nodded, unaware that she had confused the other female. "Sorry, yes it's a pack. We were all from the same pack, I followed after they left." 

sorry short post

"All of you?" she returned, ears perking as she thought over the situation. "Damn I guess you're all pretty well acquainted then right?" she asked, head tilted to the side. Her tail wagged behind her a handful of times as she thought over the wolves she had met, and tried to decide if they had smelled similar when she'd met them- she couldn't decide.

The white girl shrugged. "Not all of us. Just me, Reek, and Tavi." She supposed they were well acquainted, it had been more an issue of loyalty than friendship. She had felt she couldn't follow Saena as she hadn't really known her. You couldn't be loyal to someone who was a stranger to you. She knew if it came to a fight or anything along the lines of it she would pick Reek. It wasn't fair to follow someone if you couldn't be loyal to them.

Jhala nodded. "Oh, I see..." she murmured in return, her head tilting to the side. She then gave a gentle shrug and yawned, unable to find something else to say in this current moment. "I think I'm gonna head to my den," she told the other, smiling. "I'm a lil tired- but it was nice meetin' you and stuff," she added, tail wagging. Jhala then left, turning to first hunt before she went back to her den to eat and sleep.

thanks for the thread! <3

She nodded,"The same to you." She turned and scooped up the goose by its neck, intent on putting it in the pack's cache. She had noticed by then that it hadn't been injured but simply too fat to get into the sky without quite a bit of effort. Shrugging, she continued on her way.