Stavanger Bay Don't touch me you peasant

Time 10:36 am | Weather - Few clouds | Forward dated to the 31st

Notes: Higoro curses, let me know if you are uncomfortable with that!

White ocean caps lapped at his feet, soaking them in its toxic salt brine and leaving a wrenched smell of decay as a neighboring group of beached fish rotted and leaked back into the ocean. The black males' nose contorted and his teeth bared as he shook what he could off and out of his feet but the sand absorbed the water and salt, further sticking the stench and sodium to his paws. The sea salt burned his pads, tiny cracks that were brindled into the thick skin from his travels left him cursing the sea itself. He licked and licked and licked but as the sun dried his fur the salt only dried into his skin and coat, leaving it crusty, pungent and nauseating. Higoro huffed, finally calling it quits and seeking out some much desired water. Shaking his pelt free of any remaining sand, the male moved towards the nearby forest. His eyes scoured the land, hidden pockets of water blessed the forest floor but it would take keen eyes to spot them amidst the overgrowth. However patience never suited him well, brute force was more his style. Higoro shoved his body through the bushes, thorns and shrubs, chest puffed and head high; his fur could tank most of the damage. At last translucent liquid coated his tongue as he began to greedily drink what he could. 

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The snap of a twig had Higoro flick his ears and eyes toward the south, he was deathly quiet. A single drop of water fell from his maw and back into the brisk pond with a soft 'plink', it was the only sound to be heard. No song birds sung, no crickets played their built in instruments and no mammal chattered in the trees. A sudden pair of fluffy ears seemingly sprouted from the ground, a multi colored nose wiggled as its eyes frantically searched for the origin of the sound. Sadly, Higoro was exactly where he needed to be, he wasted no time sinking his teeth into the rabbits neck. It's body wiggled but with added pressure it ceased to move and the coal colored male ripped the leporidaes' fur and skin apart to indulge in his earned meal.

In a bid to endear herself to the ocean more, Chacal had left to go on a little solo voyage, travelling along the coast and learning what she could through her own experiences. She knew to watch the tide if she found herself travelling along a strip of sand between the waves and the cliffs, and knew not to get caught in between the two when the tide turned. 

She ate from tidepools and scampered after crabs as they scuttled along the shore. She gave sea lions a wide berth, though she was curious to try hunting one when she had the company to do so. She crushed sea urchins and lapped up their eggs and managed to climb her way up the reddish cliffs to investigate a seagull nest- but it was too early in the Spring to rob any eggs. 

She'd gone a bit inland in search of water and found herself in a forest, where she could weave her way through small deerpaths that twisted this way and that. When she caught the scent of blood she licked her lips, and continued forward- curious to see what had transpired, and if there was any opportunity for her to scavenge.

Crimson cloaked his teeth and muzzle red, a twinge of iron tasted from every lick of his maw. The smell of its rich texture engulfed his lungs with every inhale, oh how he missed it. His meals were scarce and thin, it was exhausting to sate his bodies demands but Higoro was not going to lose his stature, his perceived strength was most important. He was alone in the world, cast away by the one he loved the most. Higoro was bitter, hateful, spiteful and completely selfish. Old wounds that twisted him into the monster that he is. He didn't care, survival is all that mattered.
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A new set of noises stirred him from his meal, the sounds got closer and kept a rhythm. It was scarily unfamiliar for the male, he could not identify the sounds until he smelt her upon the winds gust. His fur stood on their ends, hackles, chest and tail all puffed boldly. Higoro did his best to withhold his snarls but once his eyes caught sight of the intruder he released everything he had. Snarls, growls and a few barks, he wanted it known he was not to be trifled with. His meal was not going to be taken and he would not roll over for some she wolf. 

"What the hell do you want imbecile?" He seethed. 

The moment their eyes met he shifted in form and nature from a calm wolf and into a striking viper. She was lucky she had hot strayed within the ashen male's grasp, as she felt certain now that the defensive wolf might have snapped at her with the intention of driving her off. The glint in his eyes was feral and hungry, the snarl on his features accentuated by the shining beads of blood that frosted his whiskers. 

Chacal nimbly sidestepped away, tail immediately dropping to sway at her hocks, so she would be ready to dash away in an instant if he lunged at her in earnest. But he did not seem keen to abandon his meal, even to chase off a potential intruder. She'd been startled- and the fur along her shoulderblades had lifted slightly- but she did little to respond to the brute's savage greeting that might intentionally fan the flames. 

Her expression was optimistic still, her gaze curious. She wanted to knew where he was from, as he smelled very briney. Those she knew, who bathed in the ocean's waters, were kindred spirits. A bit rough around the edges at times, but family nonetheless. His guard hairs were silvered- but looked almost dusty from the dried salt. 

He'd caught the rabbit not far from the pond he'd been drinking from before, and Chacal licked her lips- an indication she was thirsty, as she began to snake her way toward the pool of cool, fresh water, hoping he might relax when he saw she had no intentions of robbing him of his meal.

The wind in his sails was abruptly cut short, leaving him stranded in the middle of confused anger ocean. His fur remained stiff and his body as ridged as the oak standing tall beside him, only his eyes moved along with the female. Was she not afraid? The barbarians mind flatlined as he tried to recover from his confusion, the expression on his face slowly digressing into neutrality. He, like her, remained silent as she walked around him and to the small pool of water. Low growls rumbled in his chest as she drew closer, he could not help himself as his inner selfish child withdrew from under its bridge. The pool was not his to claim but he desperately desired to chase her off from the land, however something alluring about the female struck his interest. He bit his tongue, quietly awaiting her to finish quenching her thirst.

  As she did what she wanted, Higoro assessed the she wolf, how dainty and composed she was. How gold wrapped around her shoulders and part of her chest, the onyx black complimenting the gold, and taking notice of the cunning in her amber eyes. Sterling irises traced her body, watching for hidden signs of aggression but came up empty. She remained a mystery.

Higoro shook his pelt once more, flakes of dirt, sand and salt swirling in the air as his body created a miniature cyclone around him. Finishing his brief preening the male sat by his unfinished meal and only gazed at her for a moment, conjuring up the right words to speak. "Why do you remain? Your presence is not welcome here." He bluntly stated.

He remained on edge, his form tense as a cut of obsidian as she passed around him, unwilling to provoke him or aggravate him with any sudden movements. The young jackal kept him in her peripheral vision in case he lunged, but her assumption had been correct- he seemed more keen on standing over the remnants of his kill. And Chacal didn't even steal a glance at it, so he might not feel so threatened. 

She was aware she was being watched as she drank but her posture remained nonplussed; unphased by his show of hostility, as though he'd spoken in a language that she did not understand. She flicked an ear toward him when he shook out his pelt, the sudden flurry of motion caught her eye but she kept drinking until he spoke to her again. He fretted over his pelt, and eyed her up. Chacal got the impression he was confused by the lack of reaction. 

When he spoke again his voice wasn't kind, nor were his words, but he'd calmed significantly from before- enough to merit a civil response. When she spoke, it was in song. A low, alto tone, a simple melody. I had a thirst for water, She chimed. You smell of de sea; I thought we would be- bretheren, She said simply. By the way he'd been preening his pelt earlier, though, she assumed the salt that clung to his pelt had begun to make him itch. But I will go now; leave you alone now.

I suppose a wrap? Short but sweet, certainly enjoyed and would love for another thread sometime in the future!

Higoro remained silent, his mind deciding whether to inquire further or let her wonder back to whatever backwards swamp she hailed from. Her speech was outlandish, nearly nonsensical in the males mind. He assumed her to be of poor genes, ill-bred by a pair of halfwits. What a pity. Her unfeeling nature was off putting, for the first time in a while, he felt threatened by someone. Of course he would harbor acute distaste for her. "If you return I will snuff you out like the tiny flame you are." He threatened, a low snarl emphasizing his threat. 

If it seems fit, yep! I'm also happy to continue for a bit unless he chases her off haha

She wouldn't recognize it until later, when she reconsidered her meeting with the male, but his anger seemed to stem from some sort of insecurity. Perhaps he was truly possessive over food, perhaps because he had faced the threat of starvation. Perhaps he felt vulnerable because he was alone. But something was causing him to act in a way which did not suit the demeanour expected of a pack wolf. For one like Chacal who had spent so very little time travelling, it was difficult for her to completely understand what it was about her presence that was so offensive. And yet- she did not hold it against him. 

But I am not a flame, She chimed, with a flick of her tail. She had said she would leave- but part of her was proud, and perhaps a bit naive. Unschooled in the hostility often shared amongst lone wolves whose lives depended upon their ability to be strong. I am de sea. An' you cannot claim what does not belong to ye. She was impressed at her own verse- but had the sneaking suspicion that her boldness might have possibly plucked the last chord he was willing to hear.

Most definitely will chase her off lol

What was a wolf but not their word? If they do not keep it are they any better than the mindless fish that inhabited the ocean? Higoro only stared the female down, his sterling eyes boring into her own. His body roused from sitting and began stalking towards her, he was going to make good on his threat. Ramifications be damned. The longer she sat there, the quicker he begin to move, he would run her off for a mile if he had to.

haha, good enough! This was fun!

As a young hunter learning the trade, Chacal knew when a stalking stance was serious- though she waited to see if he was bluffing for a moment before she wisely turned on her heel and flew off into the dense forest, hurrying along the same deerpaths she'd taken before- but she did not do so silently. Her path took her through twists and turns, which she knew would allow her lightly billowing voice haunt him. 

You are a flame,
but I am the sea-
the heat of your touch
will never burn me!

This land you claim
belongs not to you,
if you can not see dis 
den you are a fool!

And with delighted laughter to pierce her way through the undergrowth and back out along the shoreline again, she loped away from the angry man, and began to make her way back North.