Moonspear cat and mouse

Famine roll > 1

He had found some traces of something foreign on his last patrol. A pile of fresh droppings, to start with. A few meters away, a naked tree had been gouged clean of its bark, and the hard skin lay in tatters across the roots and rocks below. He studied the marks with as much care as he studied all things - which is to say, Lazarus wasn't entirely interested - but he was bored, and hungry, and in need of a good fight, so he sought to find the culprit of this dishevelment and put and end to things. If it was an interloping wolf he would find great pleasure in tearing out its throat, and would present the head and heart to Amekaze. If it were something more foreign, something that he was not so equipped to deal with, then... He would have to figure things out if that moment arose. For now Lazarus paced like a great pale bear through the trees, he followed one of the naturally curving paths of the mountain as he hunting for further signs of this beast. Yet he would not succeed; the taunting of the cougar would persist for another day, as Lazarus found himself on the edge of a precipice and with nothing to show for his hunt.

Hope you don't mind me!

Dash loped around the territory, looking for anything that could be considered edible. He had quite enough of this famine and its depleted resources, and wished it would come to an end already. It was funny. When there were no signs of life, Dash had his hope to live off of. Now that the greenery was returning, it was almost certain it would come back in full bloom, but the problem was Dash's patience. It just couldn't come back quick enough. Once it returned in full, it would still take some time before prey returned. It wasn't like the animals would all come marching back one day.

 While he didn't come across the scent trails of anything he could eat, he did happen upon the scent of a pack mate, one he hadn't met yet. Figuring now was a good a time as any, he followed it. It took a little time, but eventually the form of a white male stood before him, looking out over a ledge. Dash chuffed his arrival before going any closer, and his tail wagged as he came to a stop few yards away. Don't jump- just let me eat you, he joked with a grin.

He stared down in to the abyss of tangled branches and low-growing shrubs, the likes of which were still trying desperately to recover their foliage after the onslaught of bugs. It seemed as if the world would be barren forever; or perhaps the mountains were the last place to be touched by green. Either way, it was an awful view, and one he was quite keen on ignoring. As he began to step back and turn around, he heard a wolfish call. This set him in to a rigid stance, and he turned slowly, as if to survey the surroundings for an enemy. Lazarus was not sure what he found when his eyes lit upon the dark face of this stranger; he seemed mirthful, and his words were jokingly morbid. 

No, he rumbled with that decidedly gravel-like voice of his, no jumping, no eating. He would not fall prey to this mountain as he conquered it, nor would he allow anyone to feast upon his body. Laz thought of the girl that he had found, of the struggle between himself and the Alpha boy over her remains, and knew he would never let anyone strip him in such a way. He lurched towards the dark figure as he adjusted upon the ledge, then began to stride by him, his eyes never wavering from their place upon the stranger's features. Maybe we can bait a cougar with you, though. Or a bear. Or whatever it was that had killed Ness and remained rooted to the mountain, eager to feed off of them.

Well, this is an interesting sort of fellow, Dash thought as the cream colored male replied to his joke, though not with one of his own. Dash wouldn't have pushed him off the ledge, but he had no qualms about eating the flesh from his body if it was no longer being used. It may as well contribute to keep him alive. Yes, it was morbid, but Dash was not a sentimental wolf, and generally went with his instincts.

The male bounded forward, and Dash tensed as he walked by, their gazes locked as one passed the other. All forms of joking were abandoned. Currently, Dash's instincts said to leave this male to his own devices as he could be trouble. But, curiosity got the better of him when the other male commented Dash could be used as bait. An ear twitched as he turned his body so that it was always facing the other male, not willing to give his trust just yet. Not today, Dash said casually, still trying to get a read on him. He wasn't overtly aggressive, but there was something that told Dash to be on alert. His newly-formed social skills were swept to the side in favor of listening to his gut.

The stranger's assertion was met with a small snort. Then, uncharacteristically perhaps, Lazarus continued with the verbal prodding. You would need to be heftier, I think. Too small now. Not enough meat to even lure a hungry boar, and pigs would eat anything if there was enough blood to coax them in to it. Lazarus remained passive in his expression, somewhat cold and detatched, but as he moved he took notice of the way the narrow male carried himself. He moved with swift steps and a quiet ease, but more importantly he held himself with confidence, or at least with more favor to his posture than Lazarus did himself. He noticed the raised tail and wondered how this tiny creature had become more esteemed among their pack than Lazarus, who still considered himself second only to Charon, and even that was a fleeting construct. The fur of his nape prickled but he said nothing more, only walked and raised his tail to match that of his new companion, and wondered if he would take notice.

Dash wasn't one to usually care what others thought of him. So when the other male commented on his small frame, and lack of meat, Dash let it roll off of his shoulders. I'm not that much meatier, even without the famine, he choose to comment. Maybe more muscular, though he kept that to himself. 

The other male's body language did not go unnoticed, and Dash challenged it, his expression tightening as he raised his tail a little higher. He and the other male were only one rank apart, and usually Dash wouldn't bother to hold his own, but there was something about this male that put him on edge. Dash wouldn't have cared if it wasn't his gut telling him he needed to. The ebony male didn't think he was the only one this wolf was fooling with. If he was right, the weird-acting male would be putting everyone on edge.

Fading here if that's OK? Sorry if it was slow and/or uneventful; Laz tends to make others uncomfortable and IDK what else he could be doing, aside from randomly attacking Dash, which he wouldn't really do.

The boy made a comment which carried with it a hint of humor, though his tone seemed more serious than Lazarus' own comment. The pale man had been trying to be funny. It wasn't his forte, so the manner in which the boy took his words left much to be desired, and in seeing this and feeling a bit rejected by his attempt at conversation, the burly creature decides swiftly to end the exchange. He grunts, and his steps carry him around and away from the dark boy, no longer interested in whatever fleeting conversation had been present before. Silently, and without looking back or addressing him in any way, Lazarus chooses to slip away from his companion and carry on along the mountain path.

No worries at all! <3

The other male was peculiar, to the say the least, and Dash couldn't get a solid read on him. One moment he seemed serious, the next he might have been making a joke, but the black male just couldn't tell. Dash was relieved when the male made his exit, choosing not to respond to the grunt. He turned, watching the while pack mate as he left, thinking he would steer clear of him in the future.