Hoshor Plains wind side

For @Raiyuk! Set shortly after the bison hunt. Keeping details vague for now. @Matteo for reference.

The hunt had been exhausting. Far more taxing on her young body than she had anticipated. Muscles that she didn't even know she had, now burned with the heat and strain put into great stress.

The payoff was worth it. Everyone would feed well, thanks to her teammates. The blonde Blackthorn and all others, were now a little wiser. A little more experienced in the art of the hunt. She had her first close shave with a bison and had come out on top.

Her heart swelled with the slightest pride. If only her father were here. But he knew. He saw. She was sure of it.

Amongst the spoils of their success, Bronte edged. Examining each different cut of meat with hunger in bourbon eyes. Trying to decide which portion might be worth claiming for herself.

Nothing had ever come close to this in Raiyuk's life. He doubted anything could compete with the exhilarated feeling of chasing the bison upon these plains with so many others, or the thrill of being so close to giants. He had come away from his group with his pulse magnified and his tongue lolling from an open mouth, eager to seek out the other hunters and see how their hunts went.

The young man favored his weight away from one hind leg, as his hip was badly bruised, but he did not relent in his work even so.

He knew that Matteo was around here somewhere — he had been relegated to another group, and Raiyuk wished to compare their encounters the way boys were known to do, and not even caring that there was meat to be cut from the carcass or hides to gather and tan. He roamed a short distance from his team's kill and then saw Bronte, of his own hunting party, as she examined the monolithic corpse.

The adults were trying to figure out the best way to piecemeal the thing, to get at the hide, to divvy the meat among the camps. Raiyuk idled alongside her. It was a good hunt! Maybe we can do another. He flashed her a prideful grin and for that instant, looked much like his father Chakliux.

There was so. much. meat.

The bison was enormous. Easily the largest creature she had seen in her young life so far. There would be plenty to go around for days on end. The trouble was...where on earth to start.

While contemplating this, Bronte caught a pale flash of fur out of the corner of her eye. The boy her own age, of her hunting team! She wasn't sure she remembered his name. His scent was somewhat recognizable. Like that of the boy @Matteo, whom the kind woman @Seal, had blessed with her.

Were they of the same pack, then?

Tentatively, her tail brushed over the snow dusted grass at her heels. "It was." Her head turned to where she had seen @Kaluktuk head off to. "We had a few hiccups, but it's over with." "I never hunted anything so big before...my family would be proud!"

She smiled. "I would like another hunt. Just us. Keep it simple without any little surprises." Bronte stifled a laugh.

Lowering her snout for an investigatory sniff, she examined the cracked horn atop the bull's skull. It would make for one hell of a trophy prize to take back home. "I was just tryin to figure out where to start with all this meat." A challenge she had never quite faced before. Bourbon eyes skipped his way. Maybe he had a few pointers?

Their hunt had not been flawless, but for a group that did not know one another well, Raiyuk remained charmed by the experience. He wanted to go back out and chase another down. What would it be like when he was a man, doing this? How might his skills improve over time? If only he was a man now, with his scars earned, and a hunting party of his own! It was a boy's dream.

The girl needed assistance and Raiyuk was distracted. He did look upon the carcass and see the others milling around it, or working at some part or another, and gave a shrug for Bronte. I think the women's camps are working on the hide, so we could start by peeling it away. There are other groups cutting the meat if you want to do that — but, this is not something I've done before either.

He felt out of his element and again wished for another hunt to take his energy; but he also felt the throb of his hip and knew better.

The women's camp. 

The phrase made her remember. He had taken quite a tumble during the chase. Now, he was favoring his leg. He knew as little about skinning prey as she did. That was of some assurance to her.

"I wouldn't mind giving it a shot, but..." Warm eyes slid to him with a flash of concern, going up the line of his sore hip. "You took quite a hit. Would you prefer to go to the women's camp so the healers can check you over? I'll walk with you." 

It was natural for Bronte to put the well being of others first. There were plenty of other able bodied wolves with stronger jaws and more skill to handle to portioning of the meat. 

If he declined, she wouldn't press the issue.

The spark of annoyance at the Sea wolf, @Astera, who she felt was the source of the uproar, still burned bright.

It would be wise to go.

I... I want to be useful, As opposed to taking resources, or being a drag. He wanted to be capable. But, even standing there Raiyuk knew he had done all he could for now.

A defeated breath came next. While we walk, will you tell me of home? Yours. What is it like? Bronte was not from one of the villages the boy knew.

Lowering herself to her haunches, Bronte felt her brows knitting slightly. 

"I understand. And you will be." She reached out to place a soft paw over one of his own. "After you are recovered from whatever you got going on." A wolf who was injured needed to recover. "I'm sure there are other ways you can be of use at home."

She was curious about his home, but he asked about hers first. "Sure I can." She got up, waiting for him to be ready on his own time. She even would keep close, offering her shoulder for support should he want it. "It is a cozy place. You know the mountain range? It is just a little south and east of it. It all sits sunken in what I was told is a long dead volcano, with a big lake at the center of the territory."

Turning her head away, the Blackthorn huffed a small sigh. "Lately it hasn't felt the same. We are going through some hard times. I try to get out more, these days."

He listened. She used words for things he had never heard before.

When he was about to ask about the word volcano she explained that it was something sunken, like a mountain but not like a mountain. This only further intrigued him, and did not lend much to clarity.

Then she spoke of hard times. Raiyuk felt the thread of conversation shifting.

It is the same in my home. He leaned with Bronte's help now, lessening the pressure on his bruised hip. I think that is why I chose to hunt the bison. I am meant to be home, tending to my father's lodge. Instead he was here, and he had been injured — perhaps some spirit had taken notice.

Rather than speak more of her own home, Bronte was curious of his. Lightly, her nose grazed the outer hairs along the side of his neck.

Her intrigue showed.

"You wear the smell of salt and water. Nothing like I have encountered before." Stealing a peek ahead, she could make out the shape of the healer's camp in the distance. It wouldn't be long now.

"Tell me what your home is like, would you?" She asked conversationally.

He was happy to share what he knew.

Moontide! It is beautiful. My father is respected there. Walking proved to be much easier with help, and the travel felt fast because of the distraction of their conversation.

My family has a lodge there; what the other moonpeople call an ulaq, and some call a den. It is home to his wives and his children - or it will be, come the spring time. This all seemed like easy, common information to chat about.

Our leader is a man named Rodyn. His wife, who has passed now, was from Moonglow from what I understand. The moon villages are very busy places.

She listened, her eyes bright with interest as Raiyuk shared much of his home. It sounded like a lovely place, with culture and traditions different than those she grew up with. Though that may be, Bronte was a girl who often tried to keep an open mind.

Their village leader had suffered a great loss. His wife. Her eyes softened in silent apology for such a thing. She was no stranger to loss as well, though she kept it silent. 

"It sounds like a fascinating, lovely home." She smiled easily. "Perhaps I will visit come the warm months. I hope to see all the Moon villages. If I remember right, my pack, Brecheliant, is on good terms with them."

Then, their walk had all too suddenly come to it's end. They were at the outer fringes of the healer's camp. "Oh, we are here!" Bronte sent up a short little call to get their attention, so that Raiyuk could have his injury tended to swiftly. She waited until he was escorted, and with a wave of her tail and a smile, bid farewell. "It was a pleasure meeting you. I hope to see you again, in Moontide sometime! Take care of yourself." Her voice was warm, her eyes just as so. Then Bronte left to rejoin her group.