Whitefish River But it wasn't for me.

| @Lumiya
| Partly Cloudy, 25F
| 4:00PM

Things were a lot quieter now that @Orlaith seemed to be avoiding him (assuming she didn't leave already, that timeline Cyp I s2g). It felt like a weighed cloud had been lifted off his shoulders now that had gotten out of the way and no longer dragged behind him. It was unfortunate how things went, how it all went down, and yet, it had to be done. He could only hope that the council understood his brash decision on the spot, the last thing he needed was for both Speedy and Ira to think less of him for it. Even he had to admit it was a spur of the moment decision, but by her pushing blame on others... he didn't regret it. 

Sniffing around in the caches, it was now that he noticed they were starting to run a little dry. With everything happening, he had been slacking on the whole fishing thing and let them dwindle... A pang of sadness gripped him in his failure to keep them full, and yet, he had his paws full with other things for the past week or so. Sadly the goat wasn't enough to last very long. Not wanting to eat whatever was left, being able to completely ignore any hunger pains in his belly (a plus side of not feeling it huzah!) he prepared to set off to hunt for not only himself but something extra to add to the caches.

She'd been trailing the borders since she'd returned from her trip, Loinnir loyally at her side (figuratively, literally he was on her back) oblivious to most of the drama that had been stirring for quite some time now. Now that she no longer was a queen, she felt it less her job to stay on top of news. Even marking the borders the way she did now seemed somehow... out of place. Though she desperately wanted to provide for the generous wolves that had taken in not just her, but her husband as well, she was unsure of how to show her devotion and thankfulness without outright stating it. She was no fighter - she could barely be called a scholar, and the knowledge she had of the Teekon was most likely already known. There was one thing she'd shown to be skilled at, something that provided sustenance, a purpose.

She was just about to set out on the same mission as the Constable, but she spotted his familiar coat in the distance. She wagged his tail upon seeing him - he was perhaps the only wolf she knew somewhat well, if one didn't count her own husband or the former fae who'd forgotten all about her. She'd yet to discover Riley among their ranks - nobody had spoken of him, and she did not know his scent. It was probably for the better, at least for the moment.

She trotted towards Hieronymous, dipping her head in greeting. Good afternoon, Constable Hieronymous. She said as Loinnir shook his feathers and gave an awkward bow. At least he'd learned some manners now that his caretaker was no longer a queen. We were just about to head out - to hunt. I think, however, that we are capable of bringing in more than a hare if you cared to join us. She proposed with an excited rise of her shoulders and a slight shake of her head.

Just as he was about to head out, a familiar voice caught him in mid-stride. Tri-shaded face turning with a bright smile to greet the lovely Lumiya as she approached and wagged his tail as well. Lady Lumiya, it is a pleasure to see you! How are you settling in? He knew that the river was different to the beautiful weeping woods that the fairies claimed earlier in the year, he could only hope it did well for now until she chose to either stay permanently or move on to her next project.

All he could hope is that they would remain in touch. He did like the fairy queen after all.

Peeking around her shoulder to the bird perched on her back, he smiled and offered it a dip of his head too to return the kind silent gesture. And greetings to you too sir bird. At Lumiya's suggestion, his own body rose. Another weight off his shoulders lifted by the lovely Lumiya and her offer to aid. Funny enough, I was just about to head out myself. He patted on the ground with his front feet in a small happy dance. With your nose and his eyes - he looked at the bird again. We can get whatever we want!

He wasn't certain what kind of prey Lumiya was capable in taking down, but whatever it was it had to be better than a few hares or some fish. Whatever it was, he would still fish later to fill up the caches to their fullest. Maybe exchange patrolling with some fishing for a bit now that Ira was back.

There weren't many that matched her in grace and politeness, but the Constable was very much a kindred soul it seemed. It calmed her to know a man much to her tastes was in charge - or at least in a position of power - in the place she now called home indefinitely. It has been a challenge, but ne'er one I couldn't handle. Dante and I are forever gra...- It was then Loinnir pecked her in her neck and she shot him a frown. She knew what he was trying to say. Excuse me - Dante, Loinnir and I are forever grateful for the chance to stay here in your beautiful home. The bird nodded proudly, pleased with himself being added. He wanted to make a good impression after all - it seemed it wasn't just Lumiya he was trying to suck up to anymore.

Loinnir, upon being greeted, puffed up in pride. Luckily for the fae, the screech was a mute companion. He seemed to understand English perfectly well, but either he refused to speak or was unable to. He was much more bearable this way. Oh - such coincidence! She laughed, knowing better. She joined him in his dance for a moment, out of instinct more than anything, and nodded happily at his statement.

Then, whatever are we waiting for?! She asked, pumped up by the positivity surrounding her. Perhaps staying here, despite the circumstances, wasn't such a bad thing after all. Perhaps it'd been the plan all along. Fated to fail, now that was the story of her life.

There was no way he could muffle the laugh that tickled his throat at the owl's demand to be included. He hadn't seen such a couple before, an owl and a wolf - though he had heard of some wolves taking on a companion of similar species (mostly crows and ravens), he had to assume it functioned in a similar fashion. We could never forget about Loinnir~ He teased lightly with a big 'ol smile upon his face, offering the owl a little cheeky wink to remain on the thing's good side. I'm happy to hear it - if there are any issues I hope you feel comfortable enough to approach one of the council members.

A coincidence indeed! and a joyous one! They both pranced and danced face to face like two teenage girls. Hiero really didn't care who saw. Really, what were they waiting for now? With her push to get a move on, he was quick to turn around back in the direction he was traveling, this time with Lumiya and Loinnir at his side.

We will head closer to the plains, prey are abundant there. We can see what your trail you can pick up from there. Again, he was at the mercy of someone else finding prey for him, at least this was quicker than going in blind and trying to pick up tracks visually.

[fade fade toward KO borders near hoshor plains]

Issues... Did the mess between Orlaith and her count as an issue? No, she didn't think so. They were both adults, even if one didn't act like one, and could handle their conflict perfectly well on their own. Of course, she wasn't going to mention frequent nightmares, the lack of sleep, her inferiority complex - those were issues for herself to deal with. Still, she added with a little blush and a lowering of her ears; I do - with you then, that is.

The two picked up the pace as Loinnir took off, harshly digging his claws in her back as he prepared to ascend to the skies. Though it'd been painful at first, the fae had gotten quite used to being punctured here and there. Loinnir rarely drew blood, and she knew he could do little to help it. Her fur was thick enough to hide it, but her back was full of scars and scratches that were healing. She didn't even know herself.

It was then she noticed something. He had mentioned her nose and Loinnir's eyes, almost as if he lacked such things himself... And now he spoke of her picking up a trail, instead of them together. Lumi was quite the curious little thing, observant and scarily good at riddles. Can't we do it together? She asked with a tilt of her head.

Lumiya's sudden shift was noticeable. His smile faded and the Constable was concerned with what may be ailing her. Of course, there was the evident problem of her kingdom crashing down and needing to find a new place to stay. How many loved ones have gone missing? My ears are always open, day or night. Hopefully she believed him. Ira and Speedy were kind as well but he understood that time was necessary to warm up to newer faces, and he was one she saw most often in comparison. 

They traveled in relative silence until they found the spot he was thinking of. Being as observant as she was, Lumiya seemed to be picking up on a few clues that he couldn't help but drop as they were hunting, well tracking. His worst trait. Unfortunately this is something you will do mostly on your own. Her nervously laughed, if a wolf could sweat, he was doing so by the buckets now.

Though he trusted Lumiya, he didn't like telling everyone of his disability. Not until he was fully trusting of them keeping it to themselves... something he regretted that Orlaith now knew and hoped she was not vindictive enough to tell the world and put him and Kaistleoki in jeopardy. With a soft sigh, I can't smell like you or the other wolves, I can see tracks and fur left behind, broken branches, but that's about it. And anyone with a working pair of eyes could do that.

She nodded solemnly in response, leaving it at that. If she wanted to talk, there was always Dante as well. Even Donovan offered a listening ear every now and again, even though it felt highly inappropriate to associate with him after everything. Perhaps she should indeed lean more on Hiero and his co-workers, but it felt so weird now that she was not the one in command. She wasn't one to seek out power, nor was she dominant by definition, but she felt like just sometimes, her logic and compassion were worth something.

She trotted in silence beside him, halting when he did. She looked up at him, wildflower gaze caring and concerned. She cupped her ears forward in interest. Oh dear... - I'm sorry. She hadn't wanted to make him uncomfortable, but her curiosity could not be cured. Is it... a secret? I will keep it if it is. She added. It was what set her apart from quite the cunning villain; she sought knowledge to satisfy herself, not to use it against someone else. Still, she was glad to hear Hiero had found away around his problem - even if he didn't think much of it himself.

Well, better get to work then. She tried to change the topic, putting her nose to the ground.

Gently he nodded at her inquiry. It really wasn't that much of a secret he supposed, but again, it would be nice if everyone didn't know about it. It would be greatly appreciated if it was not talked about too often. It's good for most to know, just not to gossip about. Smiling, he kept the tone light despite his wishes for a little secrecy. Not wanting for Lumiya to think it was bad for her to know, the Constable kept it somewhat casual for a topic. 

Time to get to work indeed! Tell me what you find, I'll watch the horizon. So she could get into the "zone" of tracking without worrying about what was around her. The own could certainly do a better job than he, but Hieronymous didn't want to be useless in this. His eyes scanned the grasses for any broken leaves showing a path that prey might have taken. Usually, that was the easiest to spot... 

We can roll for the prey if you want!

Though he'd probably had kept it from her, it was good she knew now that they were hunting partners for the afternoon. She might've thought him a slacker if he'd just gone about without helping her track at all. Speaking of, the sylph put her nose to the ground and began sniffing around. She'd done it countless times before, looking for mice and rabbit alike, but today she looked for something bigger. She wanted to impress her new packmates after all, and the best way to win the love of people was through their stomachs!

She sniffled about when she found something quite interesting. A deer trail, and it was fresh too. I do believe I've found our dinner. She commented with a proud wiggle of her shoulders. There were tracks to go with what she'd scented, but she'd missed them in her excitement to have found anything at all.

While carefully scanning the grasses for any stomped down trail that might indicate something large walking by, his eyes caught the signature silver-grasses pointing in the direction of travel. Something walked by, he could see it. But was it fresh? He couldn't tell... Looking over to Lumiya, as she approached his visual tracks, his suspicions were confirmed. 

Bingo. 

I was hoping you'd smell it. He kept his voice down, worried that if the trail was fresh enough, yelling out would just scare it away and ruin their chances before the hunt even began. I see where the trail leads, come on, keep me updated on how strong the scent gets and I will keep my eyes on the horizon. He'd remain close to Lumiya's side, being her eyes while she was his nose.

She wagged her tail happily, but lowered it slightly when it seemed he'd already taken notice of some tracks and clues. She smiled regardless, closing her eyes as she said; You already noticed it, heh? She chuckled, a bit flustered. He was better at this than a wolf with a whole, working nose - there was nothing to be embarrassed about truly. Lumiya was impressed with Hieronymous more than anything.

Oh - I like this game! She said in hushed tones, putting her nose to the ground again. Cold, warm... warmer... She called softly, wildflower gaze going up to look at her hunting partner. Hot. Hot - right, right! The trail. I think we're close. She whispered, looking to Hiero for confirmation.

He smiled at her comment, a faux pride (more like full of himself) one at that as honestly, he didn't think much of it and only acted in such a way to humor the once Queen. Yes, but you're better at telling how old or new the trail is. He had to comment back, they all had their perks and it all simply mattered how they used their talents and abilities in the end.

Lumiya's presence was always a blessing, she slapped a smile onto his face with every word she uttered. Full of grace and playfulness, he couldn't help but have fun as they played this game of hers. The man kept low to the ground, lower and lower as she called out how close they were getting. Ears flat as he barely peeked over the grasses, similar to that of a cat hunting for prey visually. He was very much different from any other canine while hunting.

There. The word barely audible as he breaths out, the soft rustling of the grasses could be seen first by keen eyes before the antlers rose, and eventually a head as the peaceful beast chewed, unaware of the predators watching. Herd it this way and I will ambush it. Again, he was as quiet as ever... thinking with their pelt colours, it was wiser for him to lay low among the grasses, the patchwork good to break up his wolf-like pattern in the grass, while she, would be easily seen and startle the beast enough to bring it to him.

She supposed that was right. There was no telling how long ago a track was made, 'less the mud was still sticky and gross or if fresh snow hadn't fallen over it yet. Together they were quite the team, for sure, but she wished to someday bring home a goat or fawn all by herself. She supposed she should be paying more attention to her surroundings instead of solely relying on her sense of smell.

She cocked her head slightly at his, ehm, let's call it technique. She lowered herself somewhat gracefully... Somehow she was more aware of how stupid it felt to be crouched right now. She was lucky to be small. No matter that, it was time to focus! With a serious and determined look on her face, the woman nodded at the instructions. She stalked away, going 'round the poor, unsuspecting deer in a wide circle - perhaps wider than it needed to be. It assured that she wouldn't be caught, yes, but it also meant she took a little longer than she wanted to.

Taking a deep breath, she prepared to herd the creature. She'd positioned herself so that between Hieronymous and her was only the deer. Her trot became a run and soon enough she was steering the creature straight ahead, nipping at its heels whenever it dared to veer off the path laid out for it. Its fate was sealed!

Patiently he wanted, trying to keep low in the ground and hidden as to not spook the creature away from him while Lumiya herded it toward him. He focused on his hearing, listening to the hooves and feeling the ground thudding with its weight. As the beat upon the ground grew heavier, the hooves cutting through the grasses stronger, he was able to assess the beast's location as well as he could without looking at it directly... the moment the sun's rays were overcast with it's presence - he lunged. 

A bolt of movement and power right out from the ground beneath the beast, teeth snapping with the intent to grab onto the buck's throat and hold on despite how much it swung around and bucked to get him to let go. The constable held on with claws and fangs, pushing at the beast's chest with his hind legs and hooking his front around its neck. He wouldn't let go for anything at this moment.

So focused on her job was she that almost got startled by the display of fangs and power that came as soon as her partner jumped into action. Lumiya distanced herself from the deer's hind legs, avoiding a concussion for today and lunged at a shoulder to help in taking the beast down. She barely felt the the throbbing pain of a new bruise on her side where she'd slammed herself a little too hard against the creature.

The fresh taste of blood only spurred her on, tearing at whatever she could find. Short fur got stuck between her teeth as it almost looked like she was attempting to eat the deer alive. She trusted her much stronger partner would succeed in giving the final blow and that she simply had to weaken it, still its movements, but be it so that he did not; Lumiya would gladly weave her way to its throat.

Like a vice grip he held on. No fatigue or pain to force him to let go. All he had to focus on was to hold on and try to chew his way through the beast's neck to take it down as quickly as possible - for the longer it struggled, the longer it suffered. With Lumiya's help somewhere on the beast, it eventually lost strength.. he could feel it weakening under his grip. Muscles were relaxing slowly and eventually he could feel gravity begin to take its toll. 

Even as the thing fell with a thud against the ground, he held on just a little while longer. Huffing through his bite, through the fur to bring oxygen to his veins, blood to his muscles... a pulse could still be felt in its jugular, it was too dangerous to let go now should it spring back to life with one last attempt at survival. He held on, patiently until finally... there was no signs of life left in the buck.

With a sigh, he finally let go. A thick pool of saliva and blood trailing from his lips before the painted man quickly licked it away to look presentable before turning his attention to Lumiya. He smiled, a wave of the tail. Good job! We will have plenty for everyone with this. Obviously he was proud of their work today.

Feel free to write them out in your post! <3

The beast was keener on living than expected, but eventually everyone succumbed regardless of their want to keep on surviving. Luckily, both wolves knew not to play with their food and ended its life with as much respect as possible. Its vessel would sustain their pack, their family, thus it hadn't died in vain.

As its body fell to the floor, Lumiya let go to clean herself up a bit, wagging her tail frantically. Well, then we better not waste any time - I'm sure everyone's craving a bite. She smiled, then went to tug on the carcass. And so the two hunters brought their treasure back home to surprise their friends and families with a delicious early Christmas snack.