Broken Antler Fen a whistler and her gun

Will count this toward Zsu's hunting trade.

Winter Solstice arrived, wasting no time taking its icy grip upon the Wilds. The squabble of water avians of geese and ducks alike disappeared from the shallow shores of the wetland. The moose that were common here, along with pronghorn that wandered out from the confines of Haunted Wood to graze lightly in the wetlands, were the only creatures seen and were destined to move back into the forest shortly for protection. The Mackenzie traversed over Boartusk Heights down into the southern valley of Great Bear Wilderness. She did not want to stray far from the Hinterlands in case there was business to attend back at the Strath, but her hunger needed to be satiated. The more she consumed, the more she craved.  
 
It was pre-dawn. The sable hued Mackenzie found it ideal to hunt either in the dawn or dusk hours. The grounds here were soft, an advantage or disadvantage depending on how keen a predator or prey’s ability was to navigate through the fen. Her nose led her to these mossy lands, the chilled morning breeze carrying the scent of pronghorn. There was a small band of them by the glen’s waterside, two adult females and one male with their tails turned to Zsuzsa. The male was on steady watch as the two others drank, although would occasionally crane down himself to drink. Her steel eyes, unmoving, were focused on the trio. She stalked low in the distance, contemplating how to go about this scenario.

Zola moved through what cover she had, following the scent of prey. She spots them, spots their strangeness... it looks like a beast not home with the world it is in. It looks like something that should be on the savannah - yet she is also like this. She should be on the savannah. Instead, she is here.

Creeping closer, she spots the dark coat of another wolf. Was this their hunt? She offers her services; two wolves could bring down one of those strange beasts. Yet two wolves could also share the prey. Wordlessly, she lets herself be known by coming up to the left of the woman. Her amber eyes shine with anticipation.

"I help?" she asks in a low voice, her thick accent managing to be audible.

The pronghorn were going about their business, not startled by the second coming of another predator in the distance. In the peripheral of her silver gaze, Zsuzsa catches sight of a tawny female to join. At first, it looked like the female she hunted within Boartusk Heights, but quickly deciphered from the color of this female’s intense amber gaze and heavy accent this wasn’t her. She also smelled of a scent very unfamiliar to Zsuzsa, something not of this region.
 
As the female offered her services, Zsuzsa nodded in silence. The Acolyte was feeling rather generous lately partnering up with other wolves not of the Saints to hunt and willing to even share the bounty, considering the coming Winter was a challenging time for all. ”Lets… creep closer and get to the left of them.” Zsuzsa said in a whispered tone as she proceeded to skulk forward toward the herd.

Zola would defer to the judgement of the natives. This is how she was going to learn to survive here, after all. Nodding, she forced her hulking body to the ground and began to creep toward the strange prey-beasts. She said nothing to the other woman, content to follow orders.

It was almost a struggle. More times than naught the pronghorns would look up, seeing both women were of no blended coloring. The snow was not a stark difference if they were white. Zola had to uncomfortably press herself further to the earth to avoid being seen a few times.

Eventually, she was positioned in a good spot. She dared lift her eyes to the woman, waiting for a signal.

The pronghorns indeed saw the two females as they stuck out sorely amid the drab landscape. Zsuzsa crept forward with micromovements, attempting to put her mindset into one of a mountain lion. Her father taught her sometimes you had to assume you were another predator by the way you moved and it was important to observe them to see how they hunted. She too kept very low to the ground and for that, it took some time to get at a good distance to get a strike in.
 
At one point Zsuzsa stopped, noticing one of the pronghorns looking in their direction while chewing on foliage. Occasionally she would glance over at the other female, seeing as how she was still herself. They had to make a launch and burst move at them in surprise, that was the only way to go about this situation.
 
Looking back over at the tawny female, she motioned her muzzle over at the pronghorn and silently mouthed the words ”three… two… one” and that’s when she sprang in surprise at them.

With a snarl, Zola would act.

She did not like sneaking about anyway. The woman was more direct, trying to get this over with immediately. She went for the smaller, weaker looking female beast. If there was just a pair, she would have challenged the male. Females birthed. Men did not contribute to the population like that.

Besides, it was a rush to challenge a strong and healthy male. She knew these northern wolves went for the weakest link, the sick... but her savannah ate them before her tribe could get to them. Lions and other beasts were apex as well as her wolves. Her tribe hunted the strong to feed the strong.

Zola rushed at the side of the pronghorn, snapping along its flank. The others took off, but she kept harassing the female.

It happened all so fast. The two other pronghorns bolted for the distance, long gone and too quick for the females to even consider catching up. Both of the escapees were the sturdier, stronger of the trio. The one who was left in the literal dust of the two was the weaker but Zsuzsa wasn’t picky in this situation; anything was better than nothing. This was much better than the vermin diet she sustained for months before the colder season.
 
The other female took one side of the pronghorn, snapping at its flank. Zsuzsa rushed up from behind, snapping hungrily at its hind legs. This pronghorn may have been the weaker of the three, but it was certainly fast. The Acolyte put forth all her energy to attempt to run equally by its side so it could get a better bite and hold. The other female definitely seemed seasoned running long distances at a quick pace.

She would not stop until the strange beast ceased to exist. Sending a prayer to the gods of hunt, Zola leapt. More or less throwing herself onto the back of the pronghorn, she let her weight crush the beast. It bayed once, stumbling to the earth with her claws digging into its back.

Holding it in place, Zola shifted to look at the dark female. Though there was some blood pooling around her paws, the beast still struggled. She felt the woman had the right to kill it; for she had gotten there first. Wild eyes stared at both wolves from below, the rise and fall of a flank...

Sorry for the wait, just finished finals!

The tawny female did an impressive move suddenly, leaping upon it fully to take it down. It all happened so quickly as the other smothered it from above. Zsuzsa caught up eventually, rushing in to go straight for the kill at its jugular. With one firm bite, steel jaws closed themselves around the pronghorn’s throat and it was all done. There was a couple of spams to come from the pronghorn as it made its last attempts to struggle free but that would prove worthless under the weight and strength of the other female. Zsuzsa remained clamped at its throat, feeling the warm rush of blood before the prey ceased all movement.
 
Breathing through the corners of her mouth the entire time she had her jaws around its throat, she let go when the pronghorn was still. Licking away the blood at her maw, she took a step back to observe the other female. ”You jumped right on that as if it was nothing.” Zsuzsa commented on the female’s quick hunting ability. ”Are you from around here?” Her nose was quietly taking little sniffs of the air toward her, as she was unfamiliar with that pack scent.

She breathed, slowly and purposefully. Zola glanced as the woman complimented, dipping her head in acknowledgement. It was a technique she had used to hunt zebra back in Africa. Jump and pin them to the ground, and they will not do much until the end is near.

But she did not know this woman. She did not know what threat she posed toward Easthollow. "No, dis new place to me" she vaguely gave "I from over large water. In another place." Thank the gods she had heritage in another land. Zola would protect Easthollow like she had vowed to the others.

"I take some of flank" she asserted, beginning to rip the meat from the carcass. She only took a small bit, for the ebony woman deserved more of it for the kill. With a leg and some flank attached to it in her jaws, she waited for the other. Where there more questions, or could she go back?

The female had a lilt of an accent in her voice, giving away she was indeed not from these parts (Zsuzsa suspected not even from the Wilds themselves) From what was understood was she came from a place beyond a large body of water. Zsuzsa thought about her first encounter with the ocean in the northern coast and wondered if that was what she meant, considering that was the largest body of water she knew existed. ”What pack is beyond a body of water?” Zsuzsa further inquired. She was generally interested in knowing, considering the Saints was in a little corner of the Wilds and the Acolyte wouldn’t be able to leave the Hinterlands until the Springtime when the weather was more favorable for travel.
 
Seeing the female take some portions for herself, Zsuzsa motioned her muzzle at the carcass. ”Please, take more.” That was Zsuzsa’s way of giving thanks. The other female did tackle down this beast after all. Judging by the size of this kill, there was plenty of share amongst them both. Sometimes the Saints did have an unselfish, decent nature when it was deserved.

"Not pack" Zola corrected, setting down her piece before licking her lips free of blood "tribe." and with the offer to take more of the stange beast, she regarded it once before moving to the front of it. Admiring the horns it had, she mused taking them for her den. A trophy of her first hunt in the Teekons.

In the end, she took a front leg to add to her cache. The horns would be bothersome to remove and escort back. "Dis do for now, thank for hunting" she utters, dipping her head to gather Easthollow's meal. "am Zola." she adds as her voice muffles from the food. A quick introduction and also an exit. She needed to get back before scavengers took a liking to the food.

A flick of her tail was given to the woman, thanking her once again as she turns and walks off.

exit!

It wasn’t a pack, but a tribe she was a part of. The Mackenzie was not familiar with the differences between the two. The tawny female did not elaborate further, leaving the sable hued female to ponder this on her way back to the Strath. There was an air of mystery behind this female from her origins to her accent. Perhaps on a better day, it would have been suitable for further conversation, but it seemed like she had to get back to her tribe. Considering the circumstances of Winter, Zsuzsa didn’t blame her. Everyone needed to keep close quarters to each other during the colder months.
 
Zsuzsa nodded in response to her, giving a small sway of her tail. Letting her take her fill, she did receive one tidbit of information from her: her name was Zola. ”Zsuzsa.” Said in response, feeling it was appropriate to return the gesture. ”Safe travels.” Zsuzsa bid her a final farewell as she watched her depart. The Acolyte devoured what she could before hauling the remains back to the Saints.