It was an unusually warm afternoon, and the old she-wolf found that with the increase in temperature came a decrease in the stiffness of her joints. So when a rabbit, fattened for the winter famine, crossed her path, she gave chase with a glad bark despite the pile of fish bones she left behind her. Two meals was better than one for a lone wolf, especially one facing her last winter.
Saxifrage kept her senses trained on the rabbit that seemed to linger just out of her reach. She wasn't as fast as she had been in her younger years and it wasn't likely she'd make this kill. Still, the pounding of her heart and paws felt good.
When a large bull elk abruptly stepped out in front of her, she skidded, veering to the side while her limbs windmilled haphazardly. Somehow, her wild flailing achieved a weird sort of equilibrium and she managed to regain her footing, but she had no time to revel in life's little miracles. She sped off, wincing at the renewed ache in her elderly limbs, and when she judged she was a good enough distance away from the bull she gingerly came to a stop.
There was the stiffness, right on schedule.
Saxifrage kept her senses trained on the rabbit that seemed to linger just out of her reach. She wasn't as fast as she had been in her younger years and it wasn't likely she'd make this kill. Still, the pounding of her heart and paws felt good.
When a large bull elk abruptly stepped out in front of her, she skidded, veering to the side while her limbs windmilled haphazardly. Somehow, her wild flailing achieved a weird sort of equilibrium and she managed to regain her footing, but she had no time to revel in life's little miracles. She sped off, wincing at the renewed ache in her elderly limbs, and when she judged she was a good enough distance away from the bull she gingerly came to a stop.
There was the stiffness, right on schedule.
November 29, 2016, 11:22 PM
(This post was last modified: December 06, 2016, 09:28 AM by Tambourine.)
Before he left the Keep this time, Tambourine made sure to let Stark know he was going out for the day but intended to return by nightfall. He didn't plan to venture far, he just wanted to scratch the subtle itch in his paws. It was the perfect day for a bit of traipsing, the sky blue and the air unseasonably balmy. As he departed from the willow wood, he headed east toward a spot of green in the distance. The approaching winter had leeched most of the color out of the world, so naturally this burst of it drew his eye.
Tambourine drew in a long breath of fresh, piney scents when he closed in on the coniferous forest. His silvery blue eyes dropped to the forest floor, which was largely carpeted in needles but also hosted a lot of interesting undergrowth. He intended to explore the brushwood but when a cold breeze soughed through the woodland and carried the scent of a wolf to him, the boy lifted his head and scanned his surroundings.
He spotted her quickly, a smudge of auburn against the darker backdrop of the forest. "Hey!" Tambourine called out to the stranger, taking a single step in her direction. She looked as if she had just been running, judging by the slight billowing of her flanks. "Are you all right?" he wondered with an endearing cant of his head.
Tambourine drew in a long breath of fresh, piney scents when he closed in on the coniferous forest. His silvery blue eyes dropped to the forest floor, which was largely carpeted in needles but also hosted a lot of interesting undergrowth. He intended to explore the brushwood but when a cold breeze soughed through the woodland and carried the scent of a wolf to him, the boy lifted his head and scanned his surroundings.
He spotted her quickly, a smudge of auburn against the darker backdrop of the forest. "Hey!" Tambourine called out to the stranger, taking a single step in her direction. She looked as if she had just been running, judging by the slight billowing of her flanks. "Are you all right?" he wondered with an endearing cant of his head.
December 06, 2016, 05:10 AM
Sax's fox red ears flattened in displeasure as she curled her creaking haunches beneath her and blew out an irritable breath, a soft, barking cough riding on its tail. Her pale pink tongue lolled from her jaws but she sucked it back in immediately at the sound of a stranger's voice: "Hey!"
Catlike, Saxifrage twisted her ears toward the boy to let him know that she could hear him, but she took her time about acknowledging him in return. Given her vulnerable position — lone wolf, old wolf, approaching winter — she wasn't altogether keen on strangers. Not that she was particularly insecure, mind you. The tawny bitch feared neither god nor demon. She had brought children into the world, buried two mates, led a pack, and mercilessly bullied her rivals.
It'd been a good life. A full life.
Sax was old now, and tired, but there were few wolves as scrappy as she could be. She was confident enough that she didn't feel the need to assert her dominance over the boy — but she had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't going to be a particularly quiet companion.
At long last, "What's it look like, boy?" she muttered in a voice guttural and rough with disuse and general Grumpy Grandma Syndrome. "I'm breathing, aren't I?" She turned then to look at him, taking in his tall, lanky frame and blue-gray eyes. Well, he wasn't much to look at, was he? His enormous paws and tipped-over ear reminded Sax of a much younger wolf, but he was taller than she was and just beginning to fill out. She guessed he was somewhere between five and eight months old; it was so hard to keep track of them after awhile.
Catlike, Saxifrage twisted her ears toward the boy to let him know that she could hear him, but she took her time about acknowledging him in return. Given her vulnerable position — lone wolf, old wolf, approaching winter — she wasn't altogether keen on strangers. Not that she was particularly insecure, mind you. The tawny bitch feared neither god nor demon. She had brought children into the world, buried two mates, led a pack, and mercilessly bullied her rivals.
It'd been a good life. A full life.
Sax was old now, and tired, but there were few wolves as scrappy as she could be. She was confident enough that she didn't feel the need to assert her dominance over the boy — but she had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't going to be a particularly quiet companion.
At long last, "What's it look like, boy?" she muttered in a voice guttural and rough with disuse and general Grumpy Grandma Syndrome. "I'm breathing, aren't I?" She turned then to look at him, taking in his tall, lanky frame and blue-gray eyes. Well, he wasn't much to look at, was he? His enormous paws and tipped-over ear reminded Sax of a much younger wolf, but he was taller than she was and just beginning to fill out. She guessed he was somewhere between five and eight months old; it was so hard to keep track of them after awhile.
December 06, 2016, 09:37 AM
There was a surliness to her tone that was not exactly inviting. Nonetheless, Tambourine crept a little closer, head tilting even further. "It looks like you're breathing hard," he replied observantly, peering right back at her as she scrutinized him. He did make a point to avoid looking her in the eye. He knew he didn't need to submit to strangers, yet was respectful—especially of older wolves—by default.
He'd noted her grumpy attitude but chose to ignore it. Maybe she was just irritable after running in this unseasonably warm weather and he couldn't blame her for that. With a slow wave of his tail, he amiably introduced himself. "I'm Tambourine. What's your name?"
He'd noted her grumpy attitude but chose to ignore it. Maybe she was just irritable after running in this unseasonably warm weather and he couldn't blame her for that. With a slow wave of his tail, he amiably introduced himself. "I'm Tambourine. What's your name?"
December 06, 2016, 02:36 PM
The boy canted his head at a more exaggerated angle, his pale, powder blue eyes observant and unafraid. "Keep that up, and you'll get stuck that way," the tawny female muttered, snorting derisively at his innocuous observation. He wasn't wrong; she was breathing harder than she ought to have been, especially given how much time had passed since her wild chase. That didn't mean she was happy about his pointing it out, though.
Sax fully expected the scruffy youngster to go on his perplexingly merry way after his stellar diagnosis, but with a friendly wave of his tail he drew nearer and introduced himself as "Tambourine" — odd name, the old she-wolf thought, but she'd certainly heard worse. "Saxifrage," she said, turning stiffly to lick at her aching left hip. Through a mouthful of her own fur, "Where's your pack, boy?" she asked, settling on that particular question because it was friendlier than, "Don't you have somewhere to be?"
Sax fully expected the scruffy youngster to go on his perplexingly merry way after his stellar diagnosis, but with a friendly wave of his tail he drew nearer and introduced himself as "Tambourine" — odd name, the old she-wolf thought, but she'd certainly heard worse. "Saxifrage," she said, turning stiffly to lick at her aching left hip. Through a mouthful of her own fur, "Where's your pack, boy?" she asked, settling on that particular question because it was friendlier than, "Don't you have somewhere to be?"
December 06, 2016, 04:16 PM
He met her muttering with a blink, mostly because he hadn't really heard her properly and only assumed the words hadn't actually been meant for him. The next time she spoke, Tambourine could make out her words much more clearly. He liked the sound of her name and smiled accordingly, the expression freezing a little at her persistently cranky tone.
"Right back there," he said, turning his head to motion to the mountains behind him. "It's called Marauder's Keep. Where do you live?" Maybe she would warm up to him the more they talked, though if she didn't seem particularly keen on a conversation, Tambourine would take the hint and excuse himself.
"Right back there," he said, turning his head to motion to the mountains behind him. "It's called Marauder's Keep. Where do you live?" Maybe she would warm up to him the more they talked, though if she didn't seem particularly keen on a conversation, Tambourine would take the hint and excuse himself.
« Next Oldest | Next Newest »