Redtail Rise Around in the shade,

The world was nearly thawed, and as Dione looked out upon the world patched in white, green, and brown from the rise, she was sure she would miss the winter. It suited her far better than the warm seasons.

Laid with legs out to the side, head on her paws, it was difficult not to let sleep claim her. She still hoped to get further travels into the day, Dione never known to stay seditary long. She had an hour, maybe, before the sun would set, and yet she did not rise to her paws to begin taking her leave.

She was unsure of what she was in search of. She had no interest in establishing a territory of her own, no relationships she had been convinced to pursue, there was simply nothing. Not yet.

A yawn passing her lips, she could only hope that something worthwhile would come to her sooner than later. Someone to hold her attention for more than a short moment.

hope this is ok!

faust’s gaze cuts across the landscape, his focus sharp as ever. his steps are quiet, calculated as he moves low at the base of the rise. the scent of the woman drifts on the wind before he spots her—white fur against the fading light, a quiet figure in the stillness of the thaw.
he observes her for a moment, sizing her up with a cool, assessing look. no immediate threat, but still, something about her lingers in the air, untethered.
after a beat, he continues his slow advance, maintaining distance, his presence unspoken but known.

Always happy to have you! <3

She is quick to feel eyes on her pelt, rolling to her back for only a short moment as she twists to spot their source. A man, unknown to her, but in Dione's mind a stranger never stays one for very long.

Rolling back to her feet the titaness stands, eyes grazing him with a certain intensity. Head high, her shoulders forward. He's large, maybe competing with her in size. She can respect that.

The scent of other's is strong, lingering. A pack wolf. She will wait before speaking, until she has a grip as to what his intentions may be. To find out if more wait nearby.

faust stands tall, his gaze steady and unwavering as he watches her, taking in her size and the way she carries herself. there’s a sharpness to her, a readiness that he respects. he remains silent for a moment, letting the air settle between them.
not here for trouble, he says, his voice low, measured. his eyes flick briefly over the surrounding area before returning to her, an unspoken acknowledgment of the space she’s claimed. darukaal, he adds, pointing his muzzle towards the glacier behind him.
he takes a slow step forward, just following the herd.

Her eyes narrow into a sort of smile as he speaks, a sureness of herself and where she now stands in this dynamic. He gestures to a glacier some ways away, speaking a word which she can only assume is a pack name.

The herd? She repeats back to him, glancing down below the rise. Caribou, maybe, is what she assumes. Nothing has come up this way while I've been sat here, but then again the wind is not in my favour. She would have noticed him much sooner if it was.

Looking back to him she returns his approach, though while his is slow and respectful she has no issue stepping directly into his space. Far enough not to touch, but close enough for the risk of snapping teeth. What is your name, my friend? Speaking with a leaned head to further catch his scent, she eyes him as she awaits an answer.

faust holds her gaze as she steps closer, unflinching despite the proximity. he feels the weight of her scrutiny, but it doesn't unsettle him. his stance remains relaxed, though there's a quiet alertness in his eyes, acknowledging the unspoken tension between them.
faust, he replies simply, his voice steady. he doesn’t flinch as she leans in closer, the challenge clear in her movements. the herd is south of here. caribou, yes. he pauses, his gaze flicking to the distant glacier, the place he knows well. and you? what name do you carry?
his question is straightforward, but there’s a softness to his tone, a curiosity beneath the stoicism.

He confirms that a herd is in their proximity, Dione is admittedly curious to take a look for herself.

Dione. She returns the exchange of names, remaining still for only a moment longer before returning to her initial spot, laying down with a relaxed disposition. She rarely remained completely guarded, she trusted her own abilities enough not to be, and this man did not seem a particularly glaring threat.

Allowing a hum to escape her lips she turns her head south. I haven't been able to hunt caribou in quite some time. Too risky on your own. The last she had hunted ungulates was in the autumn, as far as she could remember, accompanied by a small woman who Dione did not find particularly agreeable. You have a pack, yes? Have the herds fed you well this year?

faust nods at the mention of caribou, his expression thoughtful. dione, he repeats, a name that seems to carry its own weight. he watches her settle back into a relaxed posture, and a flicker of understanding passes through him. her confidence, her calm—it’s familiar, something he respects.
the herd is plentiful, he says, his voice calm, but with an edge of pride. we eat more than well. he lets the silence linger for a moment, considering her words. the hint of curiosity in her voice is not lost on him.
hunting alone does make it dangerous, he agrees, his amber eyes shifting back to the south where the herd roams. if you’re hungry, i’d be glad to hunt with you. his offer is simple, no strings, just the practicality of shared survival. a bit of extra strength never hurts.

She purses her lips, considering her offer. It does not last long, only to hold the tension she finds so thrilling for a moment longer. Alright, so long as you don't mind sharing. Fighting over a carcass was not ideal - there were too many outside factors, pesky scavengers in particular, who made it rather irritating. Let's see if those legs are good for anything but looks. Standing once more she snickers, teasing words passing her lips with an ease, confident and direct, genuine and unpracticed.

Trotting back to him she does not appear bothered that her rest has been cut short, ready to follow his lead for the time being. To share a short moment together.

faust’s lips twitch into a brief, almost imperceptible smile at her challenge, her confidence clear in both her words and movements. her teasing doesn’t faze him, though he recognizes it for what it is. there’s a flicker of amusement in his green eyes, a quiet understanding between them. sharing’s not a problem, he says simply, turning his gaze towards the distant herd. shouldn't be hard to separate 'em. the words are low, but there’s a challenge beneath them, an invitation to prove herself.
he moves first, his large frame cutting through the terrain with ease, careful not to rush but leading her down the slopes at a steady pace. the caribou herd looms ahead, a patch of moving bodies in the distance, the promise of a successful hunt close. faust keeps a watchful eye on the land, on dione, and on the herd as they draw nearer. we’ll get close enough, he says, almost to himself, eyes scanning for the best approach. look. one of them's injured.

She follows with an easy stride, tail waving at her hips.

Faust points out a weak one. Limping, falling behind the rest of it's herd. It seems a bit thin for her tastes, but she won't be picky this time. When hunting with a new partner there is no guarantee of your chemistry mixing in a way that would guarantee success with a larger opponent.

When she was younger, still living with her family, herself and the rest of the small army her parents had sprouted hunted herds like these quite often. She did the same in her second home with her first wife, then her husband, and the children that followed. It was always quite the thrill.

I'll follow your lead this time. She decided, looking to him. She would observe how he moved forward, find the best way to insert herself into the dynamic. Ensure no mistakes would be made, that he would not be given reason to doubt her skill.

faust’s eyes lock onto the caribou as it stumbles, its limp leg a sign of weakness, a prey too slow for the herd. the thrill of the hunt pulses beneath his skin, the sharp anticipation driving his muscles forward with a fluid grace. he lunges, jaws snapping wide, but the caribou thrashes, its panic apparent. it bucks and twists, desperate to shake him off.
he feels its hooves scrape against his side, sharp and painful, but faust’s grip tightens. he’s determined. the caribou isn’t ready to give in yet, its wild eyes full of fear, a cornered beast now fighting for survival. faust dodges another thrash, his body weaving and shifting with practiced skill, using the caribou’s strength against it.
his green eyes flicker back to dione, watching her approach. he’s not done yet, and neither is the animal. they move as a team, predator and prey, the dance of the chase shifting into the brutal finale.

They move and the herd takes off, the clammering of hooves on the ground cut through only by the yell of the weakest of the batch now caught in the jaws of her companion.

Her observation lasts for only a moment, watching how it thrashes and yet he stays strong. The prey further slowed in his grasps, Dione bounds forward, aiming for the neck and latching a trained jaw to the lower half of it. Blood hits white fur as her teeth cut through, fangs tightening and front paws getting their hold on the ungulate.

It bucks and shakes, hooves grazing and punching pelts, but she is all too sure that it will not be able to hold for much longer. That weak leg is doomed to give out, forcing the creature to the ground where they will further rip into it's flesh.

faust moves with practiced precision, staying close to dione as they bring the caribou down. his powerful body shifts to the other side, using his weight to keep the creature from escaping. the caribou bucks beneath them, hooves grazing their sides, but it’s already too weak to fight for long.
he stays silent as dione sinks her teeth into the throat, his own jaws closing around its neck, blood flowing freely. the caribou struggles less and less, its efforts growing weaker until it finally goes still beneath them.
faust pulls back, breathing heavy, eyes scanning the still form of the kill. the blood that coats their fur feels like the very essence of their survival.

The caribou comes down, Dione releasing her jaw when it ceases it's raving upon the ground.

There was a clear satisfaction in her expression. The kill had been swift, and now they had a suitable meal laid in front of them. You did well. Good man. They had made a good team, that much was clear.

First shaking the adrenaline from her fur, Dione leaned down to sink her teeth into the shoulder of their kill. Still warm, and it would last long enough for her to return later. This by far beat the smaller prey she had been eating in recent months.

She looked forward to the young ungulates who would soon be born, hiding in tall grass or following after their mother's. A moose calf was a treat she had not been able to get her claws on in some time.

faust wiped his mouth as he stepped back from the kill, the lingering heat of the hunt still pulsing through his veins. and you, he said simply, his tone acknowledging the ease with which they'd taken down the caribou. he gave her a fleeting glance, a slight nod in approval.
he wasn’t one to get caught up in pleasantries, but it was clear they had a rhythm, a connection in their shared hunt.
he, too, awaited eagerly for ungulate season. it would be here, soon, as he thought. given the growing grasses and the green terra. any day, he'd suspect. you will stay here? his voice was low as he began to eat. here, the rise.

He did not speak much, and she could appreciate that. She had grown used to quiet strangers in her previous home; words had been exchanged rarely there, and when they were it was through claws and teeth.

For a while. I usually keep moving until I find someone to settle with. She responded to his question, pausing only to rip meat from the carcass. That was how it had always been for her; she left home, walked until she met her wife, then walked until she met her husband. Now she had neither, so she was walking once more. She knew that joining a pack on her own was an option, put the appeal was very little. There was something about being lonely in a group of other's that felt worse than being alone in a group.

But then again, the hunt here was good. She would have to see where it took her first.

faust nodded slowly, eyes steady on the kill between them. her words weren’t unfamiliar—he’d met many like her. travelers, hearts stitched together by the people they found along the way. it was a hard way to live. but honest.
good place to stop, if the hunt’s kind to you.
his voice was low, gravel-rich, pulled from the depth of a chest carved by cold air and quiet resolve.
he didn't press her. he respected wolves who knew how to keep moving, and those who knew when to rest.
then, softer—less commander, more... wolf:
you can eat in peace here.
and it sounded like a promise.

She listened in a comfortable silence, turning her head up when his voice went soft. I know. She understood what he meant, but her pride wouldn't let her act as though she needed permission at all.

Come see me again before I leave, hm? The carcass won't last me for long. She put the offer as though it was a demand. The hunt had been good, a smooth sailing for both of them. If she were to choose to stay now, it would be to keep her new hunting partner.

Deciding she had ate her fill and it was time to go, Dione leaned down and ripped the upward facing eye from the carcass. It was a practiced motion, one she seemed to have no trouble with. Swallowing, she brushed past Faust on her way out - a tail to side of the face her way of saying 'goodbye'.

Ty for the thread <3