Iktome Plains quarter life

Woefully, and from a good distance back, he trailed behind a wandering pair of deer. He had come far enough to find them after a morning tracking. But of course, now that he had his sights officially on them them, the landscape, and even the circumstances, were not in his favor. Too hilly, too spotty—overall, way too unfamiliar beneath his paws for him to stand a chance even if he could rally up another two or three able hunters out of thin air.

His ears folded back and expression stayed tending towards a frown. Silas hadn't hunted deer in so long.. and with the nights already getting a little chilly sometimes, he missed it badly. Yet, he stood on the edge of a better opportunity to change that. But, but, as always, dour outlook ahead—Silas was mortified at the thought of it all coming upon him now. From Qilaq, the coast, to the black female's forming pack, and a coming autumn just to name the big, obvious ones, he was feeling very overwhelmed. He just wanted to chase, take down, feast, then go to sleep with a full belly and naturally, that was not so easy.

He continued to pick along after the duo of deer anyway, following well out of range by now and keeping his nose low most of the time. As he went, he tried to take in the sights and sounds of it all although he already felt frustration creeping on him. He didn't know this place well enough to know where to steer them; back to the plateau would be difficult, he reasoned, unless he knew the right spot to help make it happen. So, he just kept going after them until something urged him otherwise, a little forlorn, but making progress.

She hadn’t meant to follow him but she crosses his path where she’d been lingering in the southern edge of the plateau. It has its distance but it is fresh enough that, should he stop for a while, she should run into him. Dad had shown her a lot of tracking skills when they left the bay but her actual skills in hunting has never been that great. What she’s able to catch is barely enough to sustain one wolf, let alone two, but she participates with as much as she can to match even half of what Silas puts in to their relationship.

When she does find him, on unstable ground, she can’t help the little shimmy that ends in her tail with several shakes of her tail. She stumbles once in the stand, tangled up in the vine-like grass below. She catches a glimpse up ahead of what he’s been following and she makes her movements much more carefully to keep quiet. Her nose lifts a little to give a short, low tone whistle for her friend’s attention.

He is not finding that they're heading on to better ground, but there is nothing all too swift about any forward progression here.. so he struggled with abandoning it entirely already. Maybe it wouldn't worth the patience at all. Although he certainly wanted to understand this swatch of terrain better if it was about to be nearby their present home, and then perhaps how he could use to it his hunting advantage, or what made it at all favorable to these wandering meals.. there could be answers out here, even if he hadn't seen any so far. Only more things to wonder about.

His ears flickered back, then he turned enough for a look over his shoulder towards Qilaq's approach. Instantly, his tail wiggled too.

After another glance back towards the direction of the deer, mostly just to ensure they were still going about the same way and pace, he shifted a bit to find a better spot of footing closer to Qilaq to make sure all was fine with her, too. Since he had become used to going about his life with her somehow near, he didn't find any ounce of new worry in her presence.. although that wistful longing for a successful big hunt still lurked on him, unable to be soothed by just company that easily. Then, speaking on softly so his voice wouldn't carry much: "Wish I knew a good way to steer 'em back up towards the Plateau.." he voiced his concerns with a sigh. That, of course, assumed that more folks there were able enough bodies. He hardly knew most of them though, and wished that between he and Qilaq that they could muster the force to do so.. but living a lean lifestyle on their own definitely did not give him any current advantages besides a sharp, hungry eye.

Qilaq can barely remember the time she’d spent on her own between her parents and finding Silas. The isolation had started to get to her and finding her friend has been the luckiest thing in the world and she doesn’t like having to part from his side. Their new home base provides a little security and she’s glad she’s able to find him and he doesn’t mind her company. She smiles and steps close, leaning into him with a swish of her tail and then listens to what he has to say.
 
She’s never been too great of a hunter but she’s capable of feeding herself, for the most part. And as long as she has a pack to back her up. Silas has offered such a great relief that now they have more. If they can get this herd back, they’d be even better off. The season is changing, the days getting cooler, and as winter threatens to be around the corner, she quietly hums to herself in consideration. “What if we trap ‘em somewheres?” she asks with a slight tilt of her head.

Back in the confines of the Keep, and even when he had lived in the Glade, his hunts had always done best when he was familiar with his turf. He liked to know his advantages.. because who didn't? But unknowns like these were all necessary hurdles, and if he could solve this successfully, all helpful growth to his confidence as a truly, fully-realized hunter--one worthy of wearing the title for a pack, and shouldering the expectations that could come alongside it. "That could work.." he murmured thoughtfully as he narrowed his eyes off towards the horizon to consider the possibility at length. A suitable trap could give them that little inch of advantage that the most resourceful could put to use. He knew he wasn't the best hunter or even tracker out there, but he was pretty well-practiced; he wasn't too shabby.. when his spirit was in it. That was what worried him. "This place is pretty strange. We might be able to find something," he supposed, and brushed against her lightly. Now they just had to look.

Together they were two sets of eyes, ears, and noses on the task of searching out how to make this happen. He liked those odds far more than before. He chuffed a little note and picked up a greater pace once more, this time with company.