Blacktail Deer Plateau yearning for your love

hoping for a spar!

the sun was slow to rise on winter mornings. ying relished in the extra hour of darkness; it was time easily added to her nap allowance. 

once morning was at its full height, the huntress rose from her resting place and made way for the border. she didn't know anyone well enough to directly ask for a spar, so patrolling was the only way to use up her extra energy.

He was antsy. The days since being absorbed in to this collection of strange beasts, Tuvak had adapted easily to the terrain and focused himself upon feasting whenever possible; today was no different as he sought to bulk himself up again.

The boy had managed to kill some kind of rodent - a vole maybe, or a premature possum that would never have survived winter either way, and he carried it proudly between his teeth. As he marched the scent of the fresh kill overwhelmed him - to the point that he wove back and forth over the claim's limit, unaware that another wolf was on patrol.

the warrior gasped, calling out, boy! as she trotted toward him. once close enough, she caught wind of their scent on his pelt and settled her guard. the prey he carried helped to settle her nerves. what is it? she asked, nosing toward the catch. he might have thought that she was trying to grab it, but ying wasn't interested enough for such games.

you patrol with me? she asked, put the thing down. a smile was spread wide on her maw, stretching almost from ear to ear. unlike her sisters, ying was oft unafraid of males; she had a decent knowledge of self-defense and was never afraid to use it.

When a stranger came dashing towards him, he froze. Their voice wasn't a terrible sounding thing, but it wasn't familiar, and he certainly didn't like the orders being barked his way; plus he had just caught some fresh meat, and if anything was a constant within the boy, it was his level of possessiveness when it came to food, land, family -- literally everything. He reacted by crunching through the brittle neck of the creature and letting the body fall to the snow beneath him, then took a step over it, blocking it with his body while he bristled all over and bore bloody teeth.

wanna start a roll?

the display wasn't unexpected, but ying was still unprepared. whatever she'd said that had offended him, it was too late to take it back. the boy was gearing up for a fight that she was prepared to win.

he bared his teeth so the huntress did the same. she lengthened her spine and raised her own hackles. she snapped as she stepped forward, a direct display of dominance.

Eh, he'll back down pretty quick vs an adult.

He was defending his puny kill, but that didn't appear to matter. His display was rudimentary at best and when faced with it the stranger reacted in a way he didn't anticipate; Tuvak was accustomed to getting his way back in Diaspora, and would lord his position over the other kids, vying for all the food he could get to. Food meant strength. He was a competitive sort even though he loved his siblings, and he was adamant he become strong to fulfill his father's legacy. 

But this stranger didn't know any of that. They didn't care either, most likely. He was just a brat with bloody teeth making a show out of nothing.

She advanced with her body posturing, her fur spiking, and with a ferocious expression on her face that made him quiver and back down almost instantly. He felt ashamed of himself for giving in so soon — but he didn't know this person nor the culture of this pack, not yet. He could give up a mouthful of food if it meant keeping his hide intact. Tuvak thus stepped back and let his tail drop, tucking against his hind legs, and he averted his gaze for a moment.

oh, pfft.

oh. well.. okay.

ying's confidence faltered for a moment, watching the boy fold in on himself. while obviously young, the way in which he cowered implied immaturity. it wasn't his fault, either; most children still held onto that instinctual need for safety, their innate knowledge of their own weakness.

the thing was, ying didn't think that he was weak at all. she calmed herself, taking an apprehensive step back to try and calm him. why you stop? she asked, voice stern but soft, you never back down from anyone. where were his parents? was there no one around to teach him this?

In Diaspora he had been someone to look out for, having been trained by the likes of Stigmata, Takiyok, even his uncle Mahler — but here he had nobody, at least it felt like he had nobody. Everything he did was for his self preservation and he was selfish in his pursuit of food and shelter. 

So when the stranger backed off only to volley questions at him, he was perplexed, borderline frustrated.

Why the fuck did you start? He countered without a pause, eyeing the discarded meal.

what? ying was truly perplexed. she hadn't started anything, had she? no, of course not! i did no start, you got big and loud at me! if he'd been uninterested in a patrol, he could have just said so. she wouldn't have pressed him any further were it not for the display he'd put on.

the huntress huffed and shook her head. i say, 'put the thing down, patrol with me.' i not want your meat, i want a patrol! maybe there was something else going on here. the language barrier, perhaps; had she said something wrong? so you start a fight, you not back down. why you stop then?

She didn't make sense to him. Assertive as she was, Tuvak couldn't fathom abandoning a fresh kill just to walk the borders, and he certainly didn't take her command in the same way it was meant. His eyes narrowed at her as he tried to follow her train of thought, finding it jumbling and hard to follow even though it was pretty simple; perhaps it was the stunted manner of her speech that impeded his comprehension, or the fact he was still so riled up.

Food is more important than a border walk! He justified. I just caught this, you can't just -- I don't have to do whatever you say. Who even are you? His fur was bristling again but he didn't mean to be challenging in this moment, Tuvak just couldn't help it.

ying only grew more confused. boy, she sighed, i do not say listen to me! there was something here that he was not understanding, or perhaps vice versa. she titled her head back while searching for the words to continue. you can have your meat. i do not want it. she was a capable hunter; when she was hungry, she knew how to find a meal.

let me try again, ying said, readjusting her posture, i want a patrol person with me, you do not have to. but to patrol and be safe, you cannot have meat. do you see?

She was sounding more exasperated, but she wasn't giving up. Words weren't his strong suit apparently. Maybe they needed to come from someone a little less... Foreign. Tuvak yearned to be home with his siblings suddenly, sharing a kill with Diaspora, or going on patrols with his mother. What had this stranger done to warrant his attention anyway? Why should he help her? His patrols were always with Takiyok back home, so he felt as if they were very special. This woman wasn't special, just cranky.

And hell, he wasn't about to toss away (or cache) a fresh meal in order to expend more energy. He understood her now, though. That was a positive. Still, he shook his head and vocalized his refusal with a No. Then, scooping up his hard-earned carcass, he turned and left her to her patrol.