OOC: Anyone besides family members, looking to socialize him with some strangers!
He crept away in the early morning, driven by anxiety and stress to put distance between himself and his family. They were doing their best, his parents, but in his addled and hunger-weak state, Ephraim couldn't help seething at them, too. There was much he didn't understand—why had they left home? Why hadn't they stayed with the dark-coated devils of Easthollow, what had gone wrong there? Why did they keep moving instead of just staying somewhere? Why wasn't there enough food? Why did they keep dragging him around?
Not young enough to ignore his situation but not old enough to properly comprehend it or answer those questions, Ephraim was left frustrated. His hunger, exhaustion and stress all manifested as aggression and the tension he felt was only going to grow, so he walked to try to let it out. He wandered out into the fields, far enough away that he was no longer visible from their makeshift camp, and there he encountered a small field mouse, which easily evaded his clumsy and uneducated paws as he scrambled after it.
June 18, 2018, 03:04 PM
Grezig found herself in a meadow full of beautiful summer flowers, but their beauty was lost on her. She was only interested in things that could help her in some way, like animals she could eat, or a den she could use to get out of bad weather. The scent of pronghorn tinged the air, but she could not hunt one on her own. Well. She could, but she was not yet that desperate. The likelihood of being injured by a large ungulate was far greater if you were not hunting in a group. She had been mainly living off of rabbits or other smaller animals since leaving her natal pack, but she was a medium- to large-built wolf and her strength dwindled from such little sustenance.
Grezig stopped to drink water from a stream, had her fill, and lifted her head to see a shape nearby. It was a small canid and it looked like a coyote. Except also not. There was something about it that reminded her of wolves, too, but Grezig had never heard of wolves and coyotes mating so she did not think of that for even a moment. It was a young one, whatever it was, and she suddenly had the urge to kill it and eat it. Coyotes, after all, were enemies to wolves.
The stream was relatively shallow and she crossed it without attempting to find any dry spots for her paws, and so her legs were wet as she stepped out of it again. She growled low in her throat, ears pushed forward aggressively, still some distance from the creature, but the wind changed directions and she caught its scent. It smelled… distinctly wolf-like. Confused now, she stopped growling and tilted her head to one side. “What are you?”
Grezig stopped to drink water from a stream, had her fill, and lifted her head to see a shape nearby. It was a small canid and it looked like a coyote. Except also not. There was something about it that reminded her of wolves, too, but Grezig had never heard of wolves and coyotes mating so she did not think of that for even a moment. It was a young one, whatever it was, and she suddenly had the urge to kill it and eat it. Coyotes, after all, were enemies to wolves.
The stream was relatively shallow and she crossed it without attempting to find any dry spots for her paws, and so her legs were wet as she stepped out of it again. She growled low in her throat, ears pushed forward aggressively, still some distance from the creature, but the wind changed directions and she caught its scent. It smelled… distinctly wolf-like. Confused now, she stopped growling and tilted her head to one side. “What are you?”
Before he could even find his feet to continue his pursuit, the mouse disappeared into a tiny hold in the ground. Even Ephraim's narrow paws couldn't fit into so small a space, he soon discovered, and he snarled his frustration out into the warm air. Hunting was still beyond his abilities. It would be for several months more; at only two months old, he was just fully weaned and his stalker instincts had yet to make their debut. Small game would be a cakewalk for a swift and cunning hybrid like him someday, but not today.
He noticed Grezig way too late for it to do him much good if she attacked, but he bristled and crouched fearfully nonetheless when he lifted his head and found himself face-to-face with an adult wolf who dwarfed his mother. She wore a variegated pelt in shades of mud and dry earth, more like him than any member of his family. At least she wasn't coated black like the Easthollow devils, else he might have fled then and there.
"Ephraim," he answered unhelpfully, having missed entirely the meaning of her question. No one had ever explained to him that his mother was a mutt and that he was a mutt as well, a cross-breed between a noble wolf and a crafty coyote and lesser in the eyes of some canines for it (greater in the eyes of others). As far as he knew he was no different from her and her question was in regards to who he was rather than what. "Who you?"
He noticed Grezig way too late for it to do him much good if she attacked, but he bristled and crouched fearfully nonetheless when he lifted his head and found himself face-to-face with an adult wolf who dwarfed his mother. She wore a variegated pelt in shades of mud and dry earth, more like him than any member of his family. At least she wasn't coated black like the Easthollow devils, else he might have fled then and there.
"Ephraim," he answered unhelpfully, having missed entirely the meaning of her question. No one had ever explained to him that his mother was a mutt and that he was a mutt as well, a cross-breed between a noble wolf and a crafty coyote and lesser in the eyes of some canines for it (greater in the eyes of others). As far as he knew he was no different from her and her question was in regards to who he was rather than what. "Who you?"
June 20, 2018, 03:14 PM
Now that this creature’s scent and look had thoroughly confused her, all thoughts of killing it had been thrown from her mind. It was a pup and it had been too focused on whatever it had been doing to notice her until she was far too close. Now it cowered on the ground before her, and she stared down at it with disdain. The fact that it was only two months old did not lessen her judgment of it. Even pups needed to learn to be vigilant if they wished to survive. Especially when their parents were not around. That got her thinking…
Ignoring his question, she looked around, past him, sniffing the air. There was a faint scent of wolf somewhere, but it could have just been his own scent. Looking down at him again, she asked, “Where are you parents?” She was not exactly concerned for the pup, but she was old enough to understand motherly instinct, and she couldn’t imagine that this creature’s parents were very far away from their son. Unless they were dead. If so, she supposed she should kill this one. She had no milk for it if it was not weaned yet and she had a hard enough time caring for herself without taking on a youngling. Killing it would at least prevent it from slowly starving to death.
Ignoring his question, she looked around, past him, sniffing the air. There was a faint scent of wolf somewhere, but it could have just been his own scent. Looking down at him again, she asked, “Where are you parents?” She was not exactly concerned for the pup, but she was old enough to understand motherly instinct, and she couldn’t imagine that this creature’s parents were very far away from their son. Unless they were dead. If so, she supposed she should kill this one. She had no milk for it if it was not weaned yet and she had a hard enough time caring for herself without taking on a youngling. Killing it would at least prevent it from slowly starving to death.
She didn't answer him, but that was pretty standard for him—it wouldn't be the first time he had asked a question and been ignored. Ephraim had learned early on that questions were dependent on a response and easily manipulated, and so him asking them was more of a formality than real interest. He didn't care much about the answer unless it was of some benefit to him, rarely the case, and so he dismissed her lack of response and relaxed marginally, making ready to move on.
But Grezig was posing another question then and he let his dark ears slip higher on his head. "Dunno," he replied, just as helpful as before. He did, in fact, know where his parents were. They were right where he'd left them, some ways to the east, far enough that they couldn't be seen from there but not much further than that. But finding the words to say that was too much effort for a notoriously lazy kid like him; so much easier to answer vaguely. Their scents were so fresh on his fur, him having been with them mere hours ago, that it was impossible to mistake him for a vagabond.
And, anyway, he didn't have the foresight necessary to realize that talking to strangers and answering noncommittally wasn't the brightest of ideas.
But Grezig was posing another question then and he let his dark ears slip higher on his head. "Dunno," he replied, just as helpful as before. He did, in fact, know where his parents were. They were right where he'd left them, some ways to the east, far enough that they couldn't be seen from there but not much further than that. But finding the words to say that was too much effort for a notoriously lazy kid like him; so much easier to answer vaguely. Their scents were so fresh on his fur, him having been with them mere hours ago, that it was impossible to mistake him for a vagabond.
And, anyway, he didn't have the foresight necessary to realize that talking to strangers and answering noncommittally wasn't the brightest of ideas.
June 20, 2018, 04:04 PM
Grezig rolled her eyes and then stared at the pup. Her facial expression was as somber-looking as ever, but behind that mask, she was losing patience already. “What do you mean you don’t know?” she asked, speaking slowly as if the pup were stupid. “Are you lost? Are you parents dead? Why are you out here by yourself? Speak!” She hoped that these questions would be enough to cause the pup to actually communicate. If he was not forthcoming after this, she would leave him where he was and continue on. She needed to hunt and did not have time for this whelp.
Grezig wanted answers, but the countershaded she-wolf was wasting her time. Ephraim had not the words nor the want to communicate with her more than he already was. His champagne eyes remained intelligently focused on her nose, neatly conveying that there were cogs spinning in his brain, and pointed ears pressed forward to hear her, but there was no voice to give rise to his answers. Besides, he was poorly socialized and had little voice for anyone, even family. Her last word was a command, short and brusque, and in losing control of her tone she lost his interest as well.
Ephraim didn't answer her. She had set a precedent by not answering his question first, and now he was stubbornly going to refuse to listen to her, too. You're not my mom! Even Caiaphas sometimes struggled to get her buttercream child to obey. Small wonder that a total stranger would fail. He turned instead, intent on seeking his own scent trail in the grass and heading back the way he came. If Grezig insisted on following him, so be it—she was frightening to the toddler hybrid, but Ephraim was certain his old man was moreso.
June 25, 2018, 02:10 PM
Grezig snorted at the pup’s lack of a response and watched with narrowed eyes as it turned and walked away. Insolent child, she thought to herself, but turned in the opposite direction and went on her way all the same. There was no point in following the pup, who might very well be headed back to wherever his parents were, assuming they were alive, and she didn’t need a fight with a set of angry canids over a stupid pup. She would find a meal elsewhere.
Exit.
Exit.
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