Blacktail Deer Plateau they've been going in and out of style
1,215 Posts
Ooc — Thalia
Master Ambassador
Tracker
Offline
#1
All Welcome 
She'd been watching the deer since early morning, motionless a short distance from the conifer stand, Head settled on the snow before her. She'd come to learn the snow had somewhat of an insulating effect, and thus the couple centimetres on her coat didn't both her in the slightest. She was rather comfortable, actually, and this allowed her to watch the deer for longer. 

The rut seemed to be over, that period when the clack of antlers could be heard over the plateau and the bucks seemed charged. A few days ago, she'd seen a late doe being mated by a buck, and came to understand the general specifics of sex. Upon further inspection, the doe's had smelled a little odd, and thus she came to the assumption that surely they were pregnant, now. This specific group contained an ageing male and three of his does, all in seemingly good health. They seemed concentrated on finding wood, ripping at any greenery poking up from beneath the snow, or scratching it the barks of trees. Their movements were slow, sluggish, and she wondered if the cold had them acting less alert.
631 Posts
Ooc — Raven
Medic
Offline
#2
Even though the deer of the blacktail deer plateau were a food source for their pack, Pema often saw them as more then that. There were plently of times when she would see one out of the corner of her eye, when she wasn't considerably hungry and simply watch them go about their daily lives. They were pack/herd orientated individuals like their preditor neighbors, but they traveled much closer together for safety and thus displayed realationships that Pema thought were much more evident. 

She didn't speak their language or understand exactly the interacts with one another, but this just made her more eager to try and figure them out. Today she was searching for a group of them together, but it seemed that someone else had found them before she had, Dawn. She lowered herself to the ground as to not scare the deer, even though they were still a ways away from charging distance. This allowed Pema to talk softly to Dawn without scaring their entertainment.

She looked over at Dawn and gave her a friendly smile as a greeting before asking. "How are they doing today." she spoke softly. It didn't appear as though she was stalking them, more watching and observing.
1,215 Posts
Ooc — Thalia
Master Ambassador
Tracker
Offline
#3
Someone sunk into the snow close by, and Dawn twisted to catch sight of Pema. Her question struck her as a little odd; did the woman check up on them often? She did herself, but she hadn't figured Pema would be interested in them too. "lethargic" she said carefully, though the deer seemed to care little about their presence, if they hadn't completely missed them. "perhaps they are, after their rut."

She paused a moment, then zeroed in on the lead buck, gaze fastened on its antlers.  "do you think something's off with it's antler? the left one."  In fact, it was skewed at the slightest angle, already weakening after the rut, perhaps to fall in the coming weeks, if not days. Dawn, having never lived through a winter, had yet to learn about the falling of their antlers.
631 Posts
Ooc — Raven
Medic
Offline
#4
Pema could tell what Dawn meant. They were moving slower then normal, taking their time to search for grass thought the snow and appeared as though they were less nervous about their surroundings. She nodded along with Dawn's possible answer, not knowing the real reason either. "Takes alot of energy to run into one another over and over again." she said in a joking manner.

"Ya." she agreed "He's been rubbing it on alot of trees lately. It's making it lop sided I think." she predicted, only half right in her theory

"How often do you see them would you say?" she asked wondering how involved in this hobby the two of them were.
1,215 Posts
Ooc — Thalia
Master Ambassador
Tracker
Offline
#5
She shot the woman a grin, offering a contemplative hum. "Sure, but surely the rut would have loosened it more than rubbing it on a couple trees would. Why wasn't it loose then?" She didn't expect an answer, really, as time would surely tell if it fell or not, and if so, just why. She ought to ask someone more seasoned than herself, but the appeal of learning it for herself tempted her too. 

She thought a moment before answering. "I check in on the herds when I can - no sense leaving our food source unsupervised." She said with a smile, motioning towards the healthy herd. "these ones seem healthy overall; we'll probably leave them alone. the other herd seems a little bigger, with a couple older does."  She mused, mentally reminding herself to check up on them sometime.
631 Posts
Ooc — Raven
Medic
Offline
#6
Pema nodded along and gave Dawn a look that said True, you're probably right. The idea of testosterone and other biological reasoning was too vast and idea for either of the two to just guess. Even in the comming weeks when they could come to see the antlers fall off of the bucks they wouldn't really be able to explain it.

"I see them from time to time. When I catch glimpses of them out of the corner of my eye I follow and watch. But I haven't actually saught them out until today. I hadn't seen them the last couple days. It's fun to see how they change dynamics." she said explaining her own reasoning "It's nice to know I'm not the only one that watches them to watch them rather then stalk them all the time." she said with a smile.
1,215 Posts
Ooc — Thalia
Master Ambassador
Tracker
Offline
#7
She smiled at the woman, adding, "it's best to know how your prey works - makes them easier to hunt." She wasn't sure if that was the woman's primary motivation, or rather, that she merely had some interest in watching them go about their deerish lives, but she thought it might be the latter. She stood, giving her pelt a brisk shake, snow cascading off it in a miniature blizzard of her own making. Sterling pelt clear of snow once more (though a little damp) she watched the deer as they seemed to take notice of the wolves, picking their way a little further along the stand, now. "do you watch anything else?" She wondered, curious if the woman might be another tracker in the making.
631 Posts
Ooc — Raven
Medic
Offline
#8
Dawn seemed to have her own reason for watching the deer, surrounded around hunting. Pema say that. But she liked to think of the over all picture as well, what thier hunting meant for everything else around them. How the pregnant females before them would grow the population come birthing season. How the wolves that chose to pick off the weak and sick were actually more helpful then harmful the them all as a while. In that way she thought that what they did was a service, and she wanted to know the ones she served alittle bit better, even if they were thier prey.

Pema shrugged "Here and there. A squirrel trying to remember where he placed his nuts or a bird flying over head." she didn't do it much, but the more time she took to look around and listen to what was going on the more she found that she enjoyed it. "I find myself doing it more often now adays." she mentioned before standing up along with Dawn. 

As the deer began to make thier way to another part of the forest Pema was interested to know, "So. What's it like now that you and Adi are official?" she asked having seen the twos realationship from the very beginning.
1,215 Posts
Ooc — Thalia
Master Ambassador
Tracker
Offline
#9
 
She dipped her head, making a vague noise of agreement when Pema told her just how often she watched the creatures, too. She seemed more interested in bringing the conversation away to other matters, and Dawn was not surprised when the topic turned to her and Adi. She hummed a little note, thinking a moment. "same as it's always been, but somehow, more real." She'd known for a while that she loved him, but it had only become a fact of her life once she'd said it aloud.

Despite herself, a little smile tugged at her muzzle as she thought of it, quickly banished as she turned to Pema, reminded of something else. "has Engel flirted with you yet?" Humour glinted in her gaze, wondering just how many wolves Engel had tried his luck with; she doubted his brush with her father had dissuaded him much.
631 Posts
Ooc — Raven
Medic
Offline
#10
It was really heartwarming and sweet to hear how Dawn talked about her and Adi. Seemed like a classic tale of love at first sight. It was fun to see their realationship evolve to where it was now. Pema hoped that one day she would have something like that. Someone to care about that much and to have care about you. But it didn't seem likely right now. 

The way Dawn asked the question made Pema giggle a bit. Engel hadn't made a move towards her, but she had heard about what had gone on between him and Day that one time. "Ha. No, he has not. Why? Has he tried with you?" she asked curiously.
1,215 Posts
Ooc — Thalia
Master Ambassador
Tracker
Offline
#11
Her gaze blinked towards Pema when she said that he had not. "odd,"  She huffed, continuing,  "he tries with everyone - flirty seems to be his default." Perhaps the two hadn't met yet, though it seemed odd that the girl hadn't been hit by him just yet. She was silent a while longer, wondering briefly if Pema had found anyone yet, but despising idle gossip and neglecting to ask. She didn't seem attracted to much anyone, nor anyone to her, but Dawn could simply be oblivious to such things. Thinking of something Aditya had asked her once, abruptly, she asked, "Pema - what do you want to do? What do you want from life?" A blunt, probing question, but the girl had been a packmate for a while and Dawn knew merely surface level things about the other. Hawkish gaze turned to bore into her as she waited for an answer, ears perked in curiosity.
631 Posts
Ooc — Raven
Medic
Offline
#12
When Pema had meet Engel at the border she thought he had this currtain element of confidence and swaveness to him that she thought explained what Dawn was saying. But the first time she actually interected within him, no flirting took place. It was actually rather emotional, and he ended up having to leave. "Oh. I think there's more to him then that. He's quite a nice poet actually." she said referencing the song or poem he had said while thinking of his past.

Dawn's next question threw Pema alittle off guard, it was so out of nowhere. But she took a few moments to think everything over. What was it she was looking for in life? Um... Family... Ya family. I mean being a part of Morningside and it's family is just to wonderful. But... I'm sure I'd want a family of my own one day aswell. But for now... This is all I really need." she said taking a quick look around at the territory. 

Pema's realative family was rather small. Her parents were the only ones she knew and surprisingly she was an only child. She cared for her parents dearly, but she didn't really have any strong bonds besides that. Being in Morningside with all of it's members that cared so much for one another was where Pema wanted to be. Taking care of Day's kids was one of her favorite things and even though she may not have kids of her own till next year when she was older, it was something she looked forward to.

"What about you? Have you thought about it?" she asked, figuring she would have her own answer for her question.
1,215 Posts
Ooc — Thalia
Master Ambassador
Tracker
Offline
#13
She realized the probing question may have been more than a little inappropriate to ask out of the blue moments after asking it, but remained silent. But Pema replied all the same, after a few moments, and Dawn had to give her kudos for not being completely thrown off. Family, came her answer; wanted part of one and wanted her own. Dawn had never considered the former, already secure in her loving family, her father and all her siblings (and, perhaps, Catori). The latter she'd considered briefly, but was a want she reserved for later in life; surely a family would seem more appealing after she'd seen the world outside their borders, and her body mature enough to bear them.

Pema asked the question in turn, and Dawn supposed she deserved an answer, after providing her own. "I've wanted to lead since I was young; to travel and see as much as I can of the Wilds." It seemed short, compared to hers, and after a moment Dawn continued. "my mother vanished after I was born, like Khoe left Easy and the rest. I want to be better than them - be loyal."  She did not reveal all she had to Adi, but replied truthfully all the same. She did not care about her mother, but she hated Khoe with a passion for the way she'd left the pups of her own accord. No, she would not be like them.
631 Posts
Ooc — Raven
Medic
Offline
#14
Dawn spoke about leading, as well as exploring the Wilds. Something Pema wasn't sure would go together nicely. A trip here and there wasn't that big of a deal, especially if you had someone looking after things while you were gone, but to lead a pack and always be on the move sounded like a hard dream to make reality. 

As Dawn spoke about her mother and the similar characteristic that was also shared by her siblings mother, Pema was a bit torn. She felt bad for Dawn and her younger siblings. Unable to spend alot of quality time with thier mother, a wolf that was supposed to be very special in a young wolf's life. Why have children if you wouldn't be around to care for them once they were born.

But Pema could see where Dawn's plans might end up conflicting. Dawn was in no way like Grayday's former mates. Unloyal, the type that would abandon thier children. But she could see how they might of had a similar desire as Dawn had. To travel around and see new things. Pema knew that Dawn would do a much better job when she ended up having children of her own, but it was an odd thing to think about. How Dawn might hate these females for having similar desires as her. But enough of that Pema though shaking her head to do so.

"You've always been very adventurious." Pema commented, seeing where such desire might have come from. "You're plan has... stages, steps. I like that. You get to do alittle bit of everything you want." she said thinking of how everything could be completed. Though it might be hard to do all at once. 


 
What to finish up soon?
1,215 Posts
Ooc — Thalia
Master Ambassador
Tracker
Offline
#15
She dipped her head in half-hearted agreement, for a moment in thought.  Her plan didn't have stages, steps, not really. It wasn't even much of a plan, but she wouldn't point that out. It was more of an idea of all she wanted from life, who she wanted to be. Given, it might change anytime, seeing as she'd lived but a year, experienced little of what life had to offer. Still, it was a start.

Of half a mind to start filling the caches, a duty she'd neglected after scouting out the deer, she said her goodbyes to Pema. Flashing her a half-smile, she turned on her heel and headed deeper into the territory, determined to squeeze all she could out of the day.