Big Salmon Lake Turn to Smoke

For once, he had left the dark forest, and not to go to the creek or lake. For once he had left, not with the intentions of seeing his friend, but instead with no intentions at all. What lead him to the other lake was his curiosity as to what it was like. Whether it was any different from Greatwater, or merely the same. When he'd entered the area, Kove found it was not overly different, but also not the same. It seemed dirtier, almost, and he could see a fish pop up out of a part that hadn't yet been frozen on occasion. What else was to be found there, he was curious to learn. Curious to see the bullfrogs that, oddly enough, still belched out their yells in the cold, Winter night.

The ghostly wolf wanted to see what the wolves in the area where like, as well. He'd met a Glacier wold before, and found her to be kind. He'd also met a Creel wolf, whose loyalty almost resulted in pain. It'd been avoided, though, but it had caught his interest. Not enough to have him head all the way up to the Valley, but enough to make him leave the comfort of Blackfeather. It sparked a small need to meet other wolves. Not his friend, not a trespasser, and not a member of his pack, but an entirely new face.

Mikael sighed as his teeth just barely grazed the tail feathers of a field duck, leaving behind a mouthful of inky black feathers the nasty taste of the oil contained in them. He spat them out with a filthy look and swallowed the tainted saliva down, hoping that the bird had at least had the courtesy of being disease free.

A movement on the horizon caught his attention and he trained his sharp eyes on the white silhouette that was making it's way through the area, as the moon shone overhead and the cold grip of a winter's night tightened like the embrace of an icy lover. He was curious as to whom had approached and he abandoned his dismay at the loss of the bird, heading forward a little with a bright smile of the stranger, though he was of course suitably alert. "Yo, stranger dude. How's it going? Enjoying the moonlight? It's pretty awesometastic if I do say so myself."

The pale body of the male had already turned to see the approaching form of another wolf, having heard their steps before the voice that followed. He was greeted by a bright smile, as well as a 'how's it going'. Not wanting to come off as being rude, his jaws parted away for one another in order to respond. "It is going great," he answered, glancing to the moon for a few seconds, before turning his copper gaze back to the new face. "It's wonderful, yes." Kove was not one to use words such as 'dude' and 'awesometastic', but never held it against those who did. His own brother had used such words on a daily basis when they were younger, so he'd grown somewhat accustomed to hearing them. They still seemed odd, though, but that was unlikely to ever change in his head.

"How are things for you?" the ghostly man inquired. He was mildly interested to know how the other was, despite having never met him before.

[ooc] Up for some small hunting ? (going for gamekeeper, so that'd be useful) [/ooc[
Mikael was strangely happy to be in the presence of teh other wolf, having sometimes loved the solitude of the wilds and at other times, the emptiness grated like water wearing down a stone. His tail moved gently from side to side with pleasure at the conversation between the two, even as he scented the air for the original purpose of his arrival here. Food and hunting mainly. Though that gave him an idea. A deer was hard to take down with one wolf but two? Piece of cake!

"Ah, my night is as well as can be!" He grinned as his nose began to scent a deer herd just down the slopes and in the slightly wooded areas. "So.... stranger dude, would you like to go on a hunt? I'm willing to split the kill evenly so you may take some back. Also, the name's Mikael."

Sure. c:

Hearing him speak of his night being well, the pale man gave a simple nod of his head to show he had heard, and that he was listening. When the word 'hunt' left the other's maw, Kove's ears seemed to perk up almost instantaneously. He'd gone on a hunt with some pack mates not too long ago, but wondered what it would be like to hunt with one of another. He did not know the wolf—now known as Mikael—at all, but the idea of hunting seemed too good to turn down. Besides, he seemed decent enough, and even offered to split the kill.

"It is nice to meet you, Mikael," the ghost voiced. "My name is Kove." As he went on to introduce himself, the male's mind continued to think on the subject of hunting with him. It went over several possibilities, but came up short when it came to finding a downside. "A hunt sounds great." As he answered, a small smile spread across his muzzle.

Mikael grinned brightly as the other introduced himself and he let his tail move to show his excitement for the coming hunt, even as his nose continued to scent and locate the deer he had in mind for a good hunt. "Well met, Kove. Now, we got oxen down in the southern fields but I don't really want to attempt them... two wolves just wouldn't cut it. But there are a few fallow deer down in the groves we could go after?" He cocked his head questioningly and grinned once again, feeling the hunt beginning to thrum through his chest as he began padding off towards the rise, where they could turn to go after either prey.

Considering the two options before them as they moved towards the rise, Kove knew it would be unwise to head after an ox. He saw them as shaved versions of muskoxen, and they weren't something he wanted to go after with only one other lupine to help out. That was just asking for trouble, and the last thing he wanted was to be trampled by some cow. Sniffing at the air, he caught hold of the deer's scent, then looked to his current companion. "Any specific way you want to take those deer down?" he inquired. "Could steer them to a dead end and then kill, or just go in headfirst. Either way works." One way took a bit of time, as well as some knowledge of the land, whereas the other would be considerably quick. Whichever the other wished to do was fine by the ghost, just as long as they didn't fail.

Mikael pondered their options, looking down the slope and peering into the even darker depths that he and Kove planned to brave for a good meal. One option was to steer them to a dead end but that required knowledge of this area, the lay of the land and places where they could drive them. It would be harder but definitely just as successful, even more so, than their other options.

"Do you have any knowledge of the land, any idea or hints about the lay of the land that could help us with trapping them? I'm a newcomer to here, so if you don't have any knowledge I'd suggest we go with plan A and see how that goes. Your thoughts?"

Edit; @Mikael care to wrap this up? The next post can be the last. I just don't want another dead thread.

The paler wolf had, silently, been hoping that the other knew the lay of the land a bit, for he hadn't the slightest clue. It was his first time at the lake, and knew nothing about it's terrain other than what he'd seen on the trek over and into it. "I do not know this piece of land," Kove admitted. "My pack is close by here, but I'd never thought of exploring the surrounding area until now." With neither of them knowing the lay of the land, trapping them would, more or less, be an impossible task. They couldn't just chase the deer around until they came across a place. Something like that would take way too long, making charging in head first the better option, oddly enough.

"We'll have to just run at them," the ghost stated, letting a breath of air escape at the end of his words. "If we're careful and quiet enough, it should be just as simple as trapping them." His gaze flickered back and forth between the direction of the deer and the wolf he'd met only moments before. He was waiting, listening for any objections that may surface, though his legs were ready to carry him down to the prey at any given moment.

Geez, I totally forgot about this. So sorry.

They worked down through heavy bush and foliage, lean legs carrying them swift as the southern wind as they rushed down the hill towards the scent of deer as they browsed and grazed among the grasses of early spring. But he saw ears swivelling and the harsh trample of hooves on wood as the herd fled in a panicked stampede. Perhaps the southern wind had given their scent way, carried the pungent smell of death that cloaked wolves eternally into their midst. He slowed to a stop, as they both watched the deer bound off into the gloom of the dusk forest and once again they sat with empty bellies.

He bid his hunting partner goodbye, pale and chestnut form flickering into the shadows of the forest as he moved away with nary a flicker more of conversation.