Ouroboros Spine Springtime Air

For @Adrastus

Keyni was oddly, feeling antsy. She and the remaining Fireflies had continued to stay in and around the Spine, welcomed by Kukutux. Time had passed swiftly, and with each day, her thoughts stirred. She couldn't help but wonder...what would she, Antares and Bronco decide in the end? To merge with their allies and family, or to try and begin anew close by? This feeling of being in limbo was getting to her. Making her restless.

To keep that feeling at bay, she did what she always had done. Kept busy. Checked in on Kukutux from time to time, watched the borders, but did not mark them (for they were not hers to mark) and procured meat to add to caches. Today, she was by the lakeside. She sat, idly perched on a collection of sunny stones. From an onlookers perspective, it may have looked as if she were zoning out, unmoving with her back to any who might approach. 

A keen eyed wolf would see this was not at all the case. The subjects of her interest were directly across the lake on the opposite bank. Filing out to drink and even graze on the newly sprouting blades of grass. Seven deer in total. All females. Keyni didn't move a muscle. So much as a flinch could spook them. Or at the very least, alert them that they were being watched. But that was all she was doing, now. Studying them. Reading them. Judging the health of the herd. She could always hunt another time, if today was not the day.

In the wake of Raimo's departure, Adrastus couldn't help but feel as though some pressure had been lifted from his shoulders. The ornery, spiteful male had been sent off to another pack in search of the woman he had been trifling with, or something along those lines, leaving the pack in peace. His negative sentiments about Adrastus being sivullik and his resentment toward the Firefly Glen wolves went with him- and Adrastus was grateful for the opportunity to increase his reputation with them.

Their extended stay had not gone unnoticed by the hunter, who still harboured some hope that they might find themselves comfortable enough to stay with Moonglow and merge with them. They could use a few more hunters- and he knew that if they did join, it would irk Raimo enough that he might be loosened from his grip on Kukutux. She might begin to see him as Adrastus did. 

So his hunting and tracking continued and it was much to his delight to find one of them, perched like a statue, staring across the lake toward a herd of deer. Perhaps the herd that Lótë had been tracking for some time, he thought. He approached with care and caution, but remained in the shadows where he believed that he might not be seen by the herbivores. The pale woman's pristine gaze was trained upon the creatures, and he noticed what he thought was a hunger in them. From where he stood, in the shadow of a lodgepole pine, he uttered a quiet boof to catch her attention, and perhaps draw her from her watching spot so that they might share their observations, and she might help him defend his opinion that the Glen wolves were an asset to the pack.

Keyni resisted the urge to let her eyelids flutter shut in a split second of peace. To simply breathe in the air. The smell of the soil, the water and that of the deer, enjoying their lunch. But she did no such thing. Taking her eyes off them for even a second could cost her. They could be gone, never to be seen again for days or weeks. She was a female who knew her pleasures, but also knew great restraint.

A soft, low call from behind earned a flickering of painted ears. She turned her head just so, only enough so that her cheek might be seen. Following was a gentle swish of her dark tipped tail. Shifting delicately with painstaking slow movement, she shuffled down until the finer hairs of her chest and belly grazed the rocks and soil. Without taking her eyes off the herd, who were none the wiser, she crawled backwards. Only when the soft texture of grass was met under her paws, did she deem it appropriate to loosen her guard. 

Turning on light, silent paws, she let the shadows beckon her. Sweeping under the canopy of the pine, her muscles eased. The aromatic scent flooded her, made her skin shiver pleasantly. To Adrastus, the man of white, she chuffed quietly, taking position beside him. She had seen him quite frequently all over the Spine. He was certainly one of the more active wolves in the pack. And, he did not give off an uncomfortable air, like when she thought of Ramio. "Afternoon. Adrastus, is it? Sivullik if I am not mistaken?"

Silent as a shadow falling on the waning of daylight, she crept back from her vantage point toward him so that they might observe the herd together in the shadows and out of sight. She didn't take her sight off the herd until she was on softer footing, an indication that she was likely a good stalker. He felt more and more assured of the Glen wolves with each one he met- and more and more confident (and relieved) that his opinion of them was justified. 

She greeted him quietly and he responded with an amicable nod, though some surprise likely showed on his features when she addressed him both by name and title. She was cleverer- and more in the know- than he'd expected. "Yes, you are correct," He said, obviously impressed. Then again, perhaps she had heard this from Antares. So long as good word was getting around about him, he didn't really care how she came by the information. "You'll have to forgive me though; I don't know your name," He admitted.

Word had passed between her and Antares, as well as Kukutux, when she had the time to visit. It was only snippets of information, but enough for her to be able to accurately pin a name and title to the white man. She huffed in almost a good natured laugh. "Well, I am close with Antares. And Kukutux is a dear friend of mine. I am anything if not observant." She returned with a pleasant smile.

Shaking her head, she quickly waved off his apology. "No no. I should have extended my name first. I am called Keyni. A member of the Fireflies, I'm sure you are aware." Glancing back in the direction of the small herd of deer, she noted they had not moved far. Steadily picking their way along the tree line that hugged the lake. She watched for any hint that they might move in further among the trees, where they would be difficult to spot. "You just caught me when I was out making observations on this group. They seem to be a residential herd." She commented, eyeing him to see if he agreed.

Antares- of course. He was her leader, and Adrastus had already spent some time with the male, hoping to help him feel at home while he and his packmates rested and recuperated. Unlike Raimo, Adrastus did not believe that the Glen wolves were a burden, or that they would be withdrawing from the natural resources selfishly. To find one of them actively tracking a resident deer herd simply told him that they, too, were capable hunters, and Keyni's willingness to share what she'd seen with him, a member of Moonglow, was a sign that both packs could work together so that they both ended up with a gain. 

So he nodded gently, and looked off toward the herd. They would have to sneak around the lake if they wanted to get close, but even from here he could pick the individual herd members apart, but noticed that this wasn't the same herd- he thought- as the one that the painter had been tracking. "A new herd, to me," He said, and his tone was optimistic. This wasn't a herd he'd seen before, unless a couple smaller herds had joined together. "I'd like to know how many stags, and how many does look pregnant," He said softly. "Care to take a closer look?" He asked.

While Keyni did have her reservations about Ramio (despite not having conversed with him), she was not about to let one pessimistic wolf keep her from making the most of her time at Moonglow. In fact, she had been entertaining the idea of melding with them long term. There were many benefits. With Antares already in high regard in the eyes of both Adrastus and Kukutux, all she had to do, when she made her choice, was persuade him it was the right one. She hummed pleasantly. "A positive sign. One that the population is stable, and the land sustaining."

The sivullik expressed his interest in getting closer, to determine the genders and status of the females. A sensible plan. "Of course. We can better determine their overall health. Spot any weakened individuals that may be a hinderance to the herd." She agreed, licking her lips at the thought of a possible meal. Jade eyes traced the herds path, assessing them and the immediate area. With such expressiveness, anyone would be able to see the literal gears turning and clicking smoothly in that brain of hers. Shifting and re-arranging pieces, analyzing and clicking them into place. "We should go around from behind, using the dense collection of trees as cover." Yet she remained rooted, glancing his way for his input.

[size=small]Given how positive Keyni seemed to be about the land's thriving nature, he assumed that he was doing a good job. Had he led the Moonglow wolves to hunt every herd that passed through the Spine, they would have exhausted their resources and trained their prey that the place was full of danger. "There is a balance to be maintained," He commented softly in reply. And it was his job as sivullik to make sure that they read their environment well, and made wise hunting decisions. Now that there was more than one herd of deer in the area, it was clear that at some point soon, they would be able to have a pack hunt, and withdraw from those resources. Now it was time to take a closer look at their potential prey, and make some decisions regarding which prey to fell, and when. [/size]

[size=small]It seemed Keyni had already put some thought into this, and it pleased him to see that she knew that to keep their prey strong and healthy, it was their job to weed out the weak. He smiled fondly at her as she spoke. While there were circles established within the pack that put men and women into different categories, he was still somewhat of the inclination that there was some flexibility allowed. Keyni, clearly, was a hunting tactician. Lótë was a tracker as well, and while they were women, he still believed they had their place inside the hunter's circle. He wasn't sure he was willing to create waves that might rustle Kukutux's way of life by inviting women to hunt with him, but it seemed as though encouraging them to take part in supporting their pack with their hunting skills made them an asset. He would not tell either of them not to track, hunt or patrol simply because it did not fit in their gender roles. It might create conflict some day, but for now, he was simply willing to let the wolves of the pack fit themselves in where they felt most comfortable. [/size]


[size=small]While he was sivullik, that did not mean that he would shrug off the advice of another hunter simply because he was meant to be in charge. He had asked for her insight, and he liked it. So he nodded. "Agreed. Shall we?" He asked, and began to make the long prowl, which would take them closer to their prey. [/size]

The multi toned Keyni did not consider herself to be a perfect hunter. But she had obvious potential to fit the role well. Only that it wasn't one she had taken a deep interest in. Her specialty was more about being in touch with the land. Your environment and all lifeforms within it and ultimately understanding them. Such knowledge, once attained, could easily extend and tie into the art of a hunter, letting the two roles interweave together. Maybe her real potential was un-tapped, yet to be revealed. Maybe all it would take was working more closely with Adrastus and his hunters, to find out.

Her own beliefs, should she be asked, in regards to genders and roles, would not mirror those that men were more suited for hunting. Keyni was gentle, humble and soft. But she was also strong, fierce and had strong opinions of her own. Not the type that would allow herself to be classified into one category or another just because she was a woman. If challenged, she would make her point, but not without blatantly disrespecting opposing views or thoughts of others.

"Lead the way." She replied pleasantly, interested to see him at work. To put his techniques into action. When she rose to join him and fell in step by his side, her movements were loose and relaxed. She even went so far as to occasionally let her flank gently bump against his. Small but significant little cues of her natural comfort around him. Of the synchrony she already sensed between them.
She paused several times, stopping to test the direction of the wind, keeping one eye on the herd at all times. Even from their considerable distance, she kept her footing light, head tipped down subtly in a display of heightened intensity.

With quiet stealth, he took the lead and began to prowl through the shadows, weaving through the scattered spots of sunlight which trickled down through the overhead cover. Stepping into the light, for him, would have been a risk as his pale coat would have gleamed like a beacon in the darkness, a flash of light in the shadow. He didn't keep an eye on Keyni, trusting that she would do the same; if she didn't, it might cost them their advantage.

Once he had wound the way around to the rear of the herd, the next task was to approach. The wind blew their scent toward the lake- which thankfully swept their scents to the side as well. Any gust might betray them, but for the time being the wind seemed to favour neither, and drifted lazily through the forest as the pair of wolves crept closer and closer to their prey.

Quietly, she followed behind him and slightly to the side. He need not worry about her. In stalking mode, it was only natural for her to gravitate towards the shadows. To the denser patches of foliage, where the glare of their coats would be better hidden. 

They were now positioned at the back end of the herd, which was still a ways off. Tipping her nose into the air, she made a note of the wind direction. It favored neither them nor the deer at the moment. Hunkering down some, she watched for any breaks in the vegetation that might further expose their position. But more so, now that they were closer, she watched her subjects with acute detail. Scrutinizing them inch by inch, looking for the slightest flaw in their structure or gait.