Neverwinter Forest My poor heart grows a hole

It was difficult, adjusting to life in a large pack. Eydis had always lived in small family groups. Two to five wolves at most.

She supposed that was partially to blame for her social skills - or lack thereof. But at the very least her hunting was a break from things. Often on her own she could not bring home anything too big, but it was a chance to enjoy herself more than anything.

Mouth opened the slightest as she took in the surroundings scents, a frown grew on her face. She could smell deer, yes, but she could only smell deer. Multiple. She was not confident that she could take one down on her own, particularly if it was not alone.

Pangur thought she might take a walk. See more of this territory and explore this land set aside by the gods. It was a beautiful place; one that reminded Pangur too much of home, the only one she'd had. She had to wonder if she wished for more than just passing hospitality. If she wanted to stay, properly and truly stay; hunt, work, live, maybe even have little babies some day, mini Pangur's running around, and what mischief they would bring! 

Truth be told, she hadn't spared much thought to what she wanted before. Always always putting others above, it left Pangur in this strange place in between. She wondered.. would móður approve? Was she looking at her now, stars in her eyes and a song in her throat? Pangur did not linger on her ache. She travelled because it was so fulfilling to do so. She travelled because she met all kinds of people, those things did not have to change.. not entirely. A cold winter wind whipped through the air, not so strong here in the forest, yet still enough to ruffle through scrappy golden fur, refreshing, not so chilling.  

She wanted to stay. Even once her leg was mended, she wished to give herself to this place, to building it, to protecting it. It was a strange feeling. Slinking through the conifers, she came upon another of Forneskja's members, and wasted little time before hollering out a greeting. Hallo! May I join you? Pangur quickened her pace, coming right up.

She was joined by a face she did not know, and yet they smelled of Forneskja. That was all that mattered to Eydis.

Can you hunt deer? She asked, bluebell eyes settling on the stranger. So long as they could hunt, Eydis would take them with no questions asked.

They seemed to be in far higher spirits than herself, but then again many of the wolves here were. A part of Eydis hoped that it would rub off on her with time.

Pangur should not have been hunting. This did not stop Pangur from nodding anyways, a grin sneaking its way across her face. She was her own greatest enemy, and yet, she had faith that she would be fine. It would be good of her to contribute! 

Are you tracking some now? She asked, falling into pace with her fellow hunter. Her eyes a pretty blue, but ruminating with this sort of weight. Then again, she could have simply been tired, Pangur knew very little about these others in Forneskja. Hunting together was an opportunity to know more.

The moment the girl nodded, she was on the move. Yes. She stated bluntly, her nose to the ground. They must have passed through recently.

They are weak this time of year, but hooves hurt She grunted, as though reflecting on a past experience. This one is in a pair.

Deer were generally pretty jumpy and preferred not to stick around, but damn they could be mean when they felt like it. Who are you?

Pangur mimicked her movements in delayed ones of her own, lowering her head sniff at tracks, raising it back up as she did. Hooves were harsh and quick cutting when the angle allowed, Pangur knew this, many a scrape had been earned in pursuit of an angry buck. She had no fear of injury.

Pangur! She answered readily. And you? I have met few of Forneskja..

Eydis. She responded, her tone lowering as the scent began to draw closer. She too knew few of Forneskja. It was silly - she had been here since the beginning and yet had barely spoken to anyone.

Like many other's, she did long for companionship. It was just difficult to bond when she had so little in common with these wolves. Solharr's words had cut her deep, too. That certainly had not helped.

Letting out a breath was her only visible sign of frustration, however. There was no reason to pout, it did not matter in this moment.

Eydis, like a goddess Pangur echoed with a quick sweep of her tail; names were the first embodiment of love given to any of them; her parents must have loved her dearly to give her such a name. Pangur hoped it was true. 

We will kill a deer together, Eydis. I make this promise. The golden girl declared as if she alone controlled the winds of life. Leg be damned! They would feast on its meat this night, bring home its antlers to hang from their dens, and its fur to make their beds. Pangur moved in tow, attuned now to the hunt that lied ahead.

Eydis let out a hum, pleased that she too understood the importance of name's. Gently bumping her flank to the other's, she nodded.

If you follow my lead, yes. Confidence seeped into her tone and followed in her posture as she spoke, moving forward once again. Should the woman cooperate, this would be a good hunt indeed.

Her tail waved gently behind her, Eydis ensuring it did not touch the ground so as to not make any unnecessary noise.

Pangur's grin spread wider, hazel eyes following Eydis as she stepped to the front. Pangur needed no instruction, she fell in behind the fellow huntress like she was her shadow, attention focused on the silencing of her own steps, the meticulous positioning of her tail so that it did not disrupt the frost-slicked shrubs.

Her gait was awkward, a slight dip with each step as she compensated for the lack of stability her leg saddled her with. Like all things, it was a challenge; something to be overcome. Pangur was a fine hunter any day, but this day, she was eager to see what sort of woman this Eydis was. She would follow her lead as she had asked, trust handed over, tied with a pretty bow.

She adjusted to the pace of the other, moving forward with practiced precision. The deer were not far ahead now, Eydis spotting their large ears.

Cautious, she lowered herself to the ground as she moved further forward. It was best to catch them off-guard and then give chase, tire them out faster. They would need to avoid startling them too soon.

Pangur kept quiet, her movements methodical, pawpads carefully placed to avoid the crunching of snow or snapping of twigs, even if her gait was a little awkward. She waited for Eydis' signal, creeping as close as she could without alerting the deer to her presence. 

An adolescent fat from summer grazing was shoveling snow out of the way with its face, digging to get to the precious green beneath—occupied. Sentinel mother stood nearby, her ears round and alert. Pangur looked to Eydis for her decision; which would be their target today. 

The decision would have to be quick, mother doe looked increasingly uneasy.

Her analysis of the pair was careful, concise. Her decision was made quickly.

A glance to Pangur, a gesture to the younger of the deer, and then the blonde woman shot out of the bush with a snarl.

The deer, startled, began to run after a moment of stumbled legs and panic. They would not chase long, not with Pangur's injured leg, only long enough to take the power from their deadly hooves. Injured leg or not, they were better off sore than with a cracked skull.

Eydis kept pace, snapping at legs and remaining only a few tail-lengths behind.

Pangur too leapt from the brush as Eydis led, a moments hesitation spared to see which path the younger deer would take before winding around to the side to interrupt that path—the less chase, the better.

Alas, deer are quicker, and their quarry pivoted in a sharp movement, bolting; at the very least a little staggered from that maneouvre. Now the chase begun, and both hunters were eager to see it ended quickly; Pangur braved the flurry of limb and hoof, and clamped her jaws onto the bony stilt of the deer. 

She was a deer hunter through and through, a ritual done a hundred times over; though her strength was not endless, and her attempts to slow the adolescent were fleeting.

Pangur hooked to a leg, and with that Eydis was quick to grab the throat. Her jaw tight, the deer slowing, she prepared to either pull it down or dodge hooves.

The deer stopped now, attempting to pull from the grips of their fangs, Eydis planted her feet. The young deer were always stubborn, but their meat was supple and unshaken by the hardships of life - it was a meal well worth the struggle.

Her eyes looked to her companion, checking to see that she was still in good condition.

Yanked! Pangur was dragged in tow, and even then her grip did not falter; Eydis came in strong with support, meeting throat with teeth, Pangur took the opportunity to release the leg and secure herself on hide instead. Feisty beast it was! she scarcely dodged the sharp strike of a desperate back hoof, cutting through the air with what Pangur could've sworn was a whistle.

With her grip better situated, she would bear down on the back half of the youngster, weight on the side so that she would not get kicked in her soft belly fur. Once it was pushed to the ground, their kill would be assured. Bloodloss would take its toll, they needed only bite deeper. Thrill stoked the flames of Pangur's soul, even in the simplicity of a hunt.

Her companion weighed it's back end, the deer left with no choice but to be pulled to the ground. Eydis released and re-situated her bite to the neck, her aim far easier; more effective. Puncturing, drawing blood, the deer was far better off dead now.

The hunt had been quick, fairly easy. Pangur had been a good partner - one Eydis could certainly approve of. They would feast together, celebrate their shared victory.

The creature wailed for the mother who had abandoned it, but she was long gone by now. She had surely cared for them once, but Eydis supposed that it was too old for it's mother's protection now. She had to preserve herself.

It was sad, really.

Mother doe was long gone. Pangur did not see it as a shame that her hard work through the summer culminated only in her fawn's young body stained in paint strokes of sanguine, held in asphyxiating submission until it's life faded from its eyes. It was simply a piece of a cycle, born, and returned again. To the gods, they offered its soul in return for its meat. When the fight stopped, and the body went still and cold, only then would Pangur release her grip. 

She huffed, catching her breath and placing her forehead to the bloodied hide of the deer in the aftermath. Þakka öndunum fyrir þessa gjöf. Its body would be put to great use. She could not have been more grateful.

Pangur stayed kneeled down, needing just a moment before they made any further moves. Shalll we carry it back home for the rest? She questioned, eyes glowing with satisfaction.

When the struggling ceased, Eydis released her grip. Looking to Pangur, she shook her head. We are the huntresses, we eat first. A simple, fair rule she thought. The hunters were the one's to shed blood for a meal, and so they were the first to rujuvenate their sore bodies from it's meat.

She allowed a wave of her tail, a smile too. You're a strong woman. Pangur had certainly won her over. What part of the deer do you prefer? She was giving her first pick - a gesture of kindness.

Pangur sat back onto her haunches, let her foreleg hang in the air a bit, looking it over, before she put it back onto the ground and tested it; still good! If not a little stingy... 

Me? I— Pangur flustered, ears pinned back, her tail swished as she stood and backed up. But you lead the hunt! Pangur has only followed! You should take what you prefer first. 

A battle of goodwill, that is what this would be. Though... her mind did drool on the idea of loin, dried into cured pieces... or even just fresh from the back... She lapped up the sweet blood on her lips and on her teeth. Resist the temptation Pangur! Manners were important.

She shook her head, trotting to the woman's side and nudging her forward. I am not picky. She promised. Our first hunt together, take it as celebration. To Eydis this was not a matter of manners; it was a proclamation of allyship.

Her tail waved low, encouraging the other forwards. So long as a leg was left, Eydis would be happy.

They would eat together, revel in their success. It was a good end to the day, was it not?

Fine! You have won! Pangur accepted defeat with a dramatic hang of her head, though not for long before shooting back up with vigour. I will take a backpiece. She grinned, skipping around to the other side and looking for the best place to sink her teeth in, pull back the tastiest straps.

She took only what was necessary, wanting to leave plenty for the rest. ..When we take it home, do you have any plan for the pelt?

Eydis, clearly pleased with her victory, gave a satisfied hum. Once Pangur had taken her share, Eydis took off a back leg.

Pelt? She repeated, shaking her head a moment later. No, I'm not pelt worker. Not these days. If the other wished to take it, she would not mind. It would have no purpose other wise.

You want it? She asked. What for?

Pangur listened, holding the body in place as Eydis cleaved limb from husk. ...I think it would make nice bedding. Or perhaps, to be a gift to Seiðkona. Her tail swished while she stood in place, light feet planted.

I have much to thank her for. Harkonungr too. Winter chill bit down on the tips of Pangur's ears, scrap fur insulating her runner's form just well enough for the time of year.

Come dead of winter? Maybe Pangur needed some more fur. ...and, it would feel wrong not to honour it in some way, let its spirit live on in how it serves us. Her face split in an easy smile, she looked wistfully to the side, assured in what she said, but unable to shake that little bit that felt... perhaps a little silly for her ideals. I like to keep pieces of all things, to remind me of their meaning and their lives... It is a shame it has no antlers, though, they make for nice decoration.

Keep it for yourself. She grunts, a single thump of her tail to the ground as she lays.  Winter is cold, you should not be. Though of course, some of her suggestion is rooted in resentment for the packs leadership.

She then rips into the leg, glad to finally have something in her stomach. Your leg - what happened? She asks, eyeing the other.

Maybe the question is too direct, but she can't help her curiosity.