Fox's Glade stags

tagging @Venextos for visibility

 
he had not seen the pale loner for some time — felling a brace of geese, garait buried one in the forest cache for his brother and set off with the other swinging from his jaws. he found thin trails of the man's scent, but they faded into the thicker scent of foxes that filled the glade where garait stepped carefully. nares flaring, the great wolf dropped his kill to the earth and parted his jaws to call for @Skwol. there was no doubt within him now — a few murmured words to venextos, garait had taken the attalus' murmurings to heart, and now stood in the den of foxes, wondering tensely if the snowhued male would appear.

Timelines what are those. I am going to say this takes place before Skwol travels south and be thankful that we play in liquid time here haha.

Skwol's head lifted from the depression in the snow where he had lain in the timberline flanking the glade. His ears cupped forward and swivelled, honing in on and collecting the long summons that carried his name. He could hear his heartbeat too — a rapid thump in his ears as his mind churned trying to imagine who might be calling him. The white wolf's brows sloped over his eyes and his mouth pulled taut. He did not recognize the howl and he was too far away yet to scent the caller.

Skwol got to his feet and howled back.

"I'm here. I'm coming."

He was surprised when he finally ascertained who it was that called for him. Triva. Curiosity and interest characterized his relaxed expression but inwardly the most dominant feeling was disappointment. Despite not recognizing the howl he had still hoped it was one of his kin.

"Triva?" Skwol asked for explanation as he approached. His tail swayed amiably.

if you need any clarification for me for timelines' sake, lemme know! <3

 
a howl signalled the approach of the pale wolf; garait watched tensely until the elegant head of the lone creature could be seen above the drifts. thus relaxing, he greeted skwol with a wide and open stance, tail flagging at his hips in an affable manner. the geese at his paws was nudged roughly across the snow toward the white wolf; garait meant it as a gift, though he knew not the word. "for ... skwol," he grunted, his companion's title foreign to him.
garait cleared his throat and peered at the other for a moment, gathering the impetus to speak again. he was not a wolf for words; he was even less so when he knew so few in the tongue of this new place. "where ... where you go? go ... by self?" the gaul laboured, growing increasingly more annoyed with his inability to speak. "ah .. ah lone. come with triva. and triva bráther," he added, before falling silent. 

He was surprised yet again as a goose was jostled toward him. Skwol's eyes were immediately drawn to the offered meat and his stomach growled in anticipation. He had not eaten since he had shared his hares with this wolf and though he was accustomed to being generous, he had come not to expect of it any wolf outside the realm he had been raised in. His gaze was warm with appreciation as he glanced to Triva and thanked him with a smile and a dip of his head.

Skwol gingerly gathered the bird into his mouth, grasping it by its signature long, black neck and pulling it closer to him to cradle it between his forelegs. Goose was among his favorite foods and he hoped he could take it away to savor in privacy. But the goose was not all that he was called here for, and his ears strained forward to catch the other wolf's fragmented question and the follow up offer for Skwol to come with him and his... brother?

"Where are you going?" Skwol asked, knowing fully that he was not ready to commit to anyone or anything. Restlessness stirred in his thick limbs and urged him onward. He was running and he still needed to cover more ground.

 
where. garait had not given it true thought, not beyond the range of the elk that had departed the meadow. wherever venextos departed, so he would follow, and the same was true of the paler gaul. for a long moment, the massive creature turned his broad muzzle toward the ranges and woodlands roundabout them, and let out his breath in a warm plume of steam.
a playful grin tugged wryly at his muzzle, the first of its kind in many cycles of the moon. garait rolled muscled shoulders; who could know where they would be led? but as soon as it had come, the smile faded; garait dipped his crown in brief and genuine gratitude of the one who stood before him, who had shown the brennus first courtesy in these wilds. it would not soon be forgotten, whether or not the other opted to accompany the brothers.

Skwol followed his companion's gaze across the expanse of territories embracing them — and he understood without a word being said. Triva did not have a destination in mind. In this way, he was the same as the white wolf, who traced the edge of his his mouth with the tip of his tongue in consideration. More for the benefit of Triva than himself — he knew without having to ruminate on it that he could not accept the offer. But he did not want to dismiss the wolf so swiftly. Triva seemed like a genuine and appreciative wolf, a wolf worth travelling with, a wolf worth getting to know.

Following several moments of silence, Skwol shook his head. "I cannot go with you, my friend." He said, with an apology held not only in his soft tones but in the frowning curves of his expression. "If our trails cross again maybe then. But I need to stretch my legs more right now." The white wolf canted his head. He felt that Triva would understand without further explanation.

 
that garait did — there was no chagrin within him that the other had not accepted his offer. in time, if their paths again crossed, it would be a pleasure for the gaul. he need not hold this against skwol, and hoped that the pale man would understand such. winter was long to be without one's own desires, and garait nodded in understanding.
but first, a hunt, if skwol would accompany him; a show of good faith. the heavy gaul exhaled a plume of steam and ran his tongue along the ridges of his teeth, seafoam eyes alight with interest as he urged the snowy wolf to his side with an inviting roll of his broad shoulder. let them break bread; let skwol be well fed before he began his journey. 

Skwol's mouth pulled into a broad smile at unspoken the invitation to hunt. The white wolf would neither turn down the chance for more meat for them both nor the pleasure of good company. It had been a while since he had hunted with another. But first, he glanced to the goose at his paws and then back to Triva. He could not leave this good meat to the open and took a moment to cover the bird in snow. It was not a proper cache but it was hidden from the eyes of ravens and would suffice until they returned.

He strolled to Triva's shoulder then and let the male lead them off to hunt.

you can fade here or throw in another post <3

 
skwol accepted, and garait gave a chuff as he watched the pale wolf cover the meat he had brought. the snowy creature was careful, a quality garait enjoyed in his companions, and he knew instinctively that the solitary brute would make a fine hunting companion. turning toward the horizon, the gaul drew the cold air into his senses, tasting the spoor of elk on the frigid temperature. they were too large of creatures to hunt even two to one, but where elk traveled, oft did smaller ruminants. of course, skwol knew all of this, garait was sure; he set off at a loping trot, expecting that the pale wolf would match his pace.

It would be a fool's errand to trifle with an elk. Though smaller than the moose — Skwol's preferred ungulate to feast on — the elk was renowned for being more resilient and tougher to kill. But like Triva, the white wolf knew that somewhere along the flanks of the elk herd were likely to be deer. Skwol mirrored his companion's pace, the pair of formidable hunters moved down the meat trail.