Sunset Valley good has made you blind

Sanja stalked a long-necked wading bird, itself stalking a frog or a fish in the spillway of the glacier's melting cap. When it dove to strike with lancing beak, she threw herself in to a run and aimed a snap for its extended neck —!
Too slow.
Its wings opened and for a time the woman's gaze was filled with stormy grays, unsure of where next to strike, and she felt a striking intimidation as the bird thrust down its wings and lifted free of the valley. It flew off to a deeper section and landed there, to stare scornfully back.
Huffing, the woman stared back for a time, then began to creep along. The scattered clouds above began to spit.

Maiken had traveled further than she had before. Decisions still fanciful and abounding in her minds eye. But here, in this place, it was freedom. Freedom unlike she had ever known. Her brothers, sister, father, mother were not breathing down her neck. Her mother had always been kind, and she owed her a great debt at having saved her when she was a suckling babe.

It just so happened on her freedom jaunt, that she saw another shadow kissed woman attempting to subdue a bird. But like most feathered things, if you don't hit them just right they fly away, and sometimes break and stab with their beaks and claws. She shuddered, not a fan of any bird, but Ravens. But they were a god, not a bird.

She chuffed gently, trying to get the woman's attention. She probably wouldn't be able to catch up to her unless she ran. As tiny as she was. This woman had longer strides.

A few paces forward, then Sanja stops. A sound has drawn her attention away from the hunt and when she spies a dark figure watching her, she flashes fangs in warning.

Those eyes aren't the electric yellow of Void but they are bright, and Sanja doesn't like being followed. Her fur lifts like quills.

The bird takes the initiative to escape, and when Sanja glances after its movement, she sees a prehistoric silhouette shrinking in the air; her scowl deepens.

Maiken frowned, sudden guilt rushed up her spine, and she bowed her head. She had thought the bird was truly gone, and her longing for conversation had stirred the beast's food.

Her brow wrinkled as she fought to get the correct words. I'm sorry. Unnskyld.Her language slipped out. She tilted her head and ghosted slowly forward. She spoke, her accent thick.

I can help you hunt something else if you like. I only meant to speak hello. Maiken stood slowly moving from foot to foot. Unsure if this wolf would want help, or if she had possibly caused an issue. Would this one attack her for costing her food?

The stranger spoke with words close to what Sanja knew - close enough to understand. So had Void, which only made her more wary. How many of his kind existed out here?

You are not the reason I failed, the woman admitted. Her teeth now hidden, but the edge in her voice remained a constant; she began to stalk the waterway again.

Are you hungry? This place has much to offer - listen. There she stopped and stilled, until the calm descended and frog-song returned.

Many had come, Svartravn and Kvitravn. All could speak the language of their people, some it was the only one they could speak. Maiken had learned the common tongue, learned it despite that she hated it. It didn't sound as well as her own language.

Maiken's ears laid to her skull. This woman was still angry, She could hear it in the edge of her voice, but she moved forward.

Maiken closed her eyes and listened the song one she knew of summer days and summer nights. Frogs were not terrible eating, not as good as rabbit or deer, but  not awful. 

I'm not hungry. Don't eat very much, but I feel bad that you lost your meal. So I would hunt with you. If you'd like.::

Sanja considers.

Her words settle to the strangers ears enough to make sense, and she wonders how long it will last before their barrier causes a mix-up; Norse and Icelandic were cousins of a sort.

A deal, then? We compete. Fish, frog, fowl, all meat counts. But you give me half. It wasn't much of a game. Sanja did not want to be useless either, and it would pass the time if both of them worked the wetland.

Maiken waited on baited breath. The soles of her feet, eager to run. She didn't understand why she suddenly wanted to prove herself, but prove herself she did.

Their words made a strange cadence in the air. Two cousins, but similar. Though different enough, that it was a puzzle of sorts.

Deal Maiken smiled, lopsided and sure and with a small yip, she bowed her nose to the wetland and started on her stalk. Frogs would be easier to catch if they were near the edge of the wetland. Birds she would need to startle. And she had always fished at home, though it wasn't as cold here. so perhaps she would try that if she couldn't catch more of the other. She wanted a challenge after all.

I'm gonna roll a D6 for success rate, anything 3+ is a success for Sanja (if you wanna use that scale). The roll... 2

With an arrangement made, Sanja felt free to roam again. Long strides took her across the grass until it tapered in to mud, and there she stood to listen again.

There were deep croaks all around. The tall reeds hid basking frogs. Her head lowered to the wetlands surface where she could watch for trembling bodies, or leaps, and when she spied something she bolted after it.

Water sprayed around her heel; a swarm of bugs erupted and rolled across her from nose to tail, but she kept after her target until there was only deep mud to meet her teeth.

I did it in the tabletop on discord got a 3

Maiken kept her nose to the ground, and it was with surprise she caught sight of some sort of bird, standing at the edge. It hadn't seen her yet. Which she thanked her lucky stars for, because normally she wasn't this lucky.

With a flurry of snapping teeth and tiny paws whirring, Maiken launched herself at the bird. SHe managed to grasp it with a small splash and bit into it's neck. It hung there limp, and ragged. It wasn't very large, but it was something.

She carried her prize with her and lay it gently where they had first met, and then with practiced eye, she looked around again. Wondering if her luck would stay or if it would give up and cause her empty belly.

3

The assault across the water let to Sanja snapping at silver drops, not the fat bodies of frogs like she had intended. Fish had vanished at the first sign of her shadow and the stamping of her feet did her no favors; but the other wolf had done well.
With a chuff of dissatisfaction Sanja stilled, dripping, her fur in wild clusters.
Something moved in the reeds — so there she went, snapping after it. This time she rose from the mess of mud with a small fish writhing at her snout.

5

Maiken set the bird at her feet and it was with determined air, she began to twirl around the reeds. She froze paws, in midstep and watched beneath the surface, the shadows not the fish and with a quick jab, she grasped a fish in her maw, actually quite large, she was pretty proud of it.

She stepped from the marshes and lay the fish next to the bird, ears quivering, searching the reeds and cattails for something anything. First movement and she lowered herself into a crouch, watching, waiting.

Last one — 6

sanja heard the stranger leave the wetland, then enter it again.

she was intent to find herself something more substantial than the singular fingerling she had snared; the tiny fish she threw in to the reeds where it could not find water again, and returned to lurking over the mud.

a set of eyes popped up from the mire which she bypassed at first glance, then returned a moment later when the creature blinked. it must have been a fish! but it was unlike the fish she knew. it began to crawl with its fins and the sucking sound of the mud drew her attention the most.

the fish (?) spun and gasped, perhaps as a brandishing of fangs it did not have, and sanja laughed at the odd face it made; but then she lunged and grappled with the back of its head, sinking her teeth through its neck and skull where she pinned it, until it did not move.

when sanja moved to lift the fish and show off her catch, the flesh felt too soft, and she was left holding a chunk of it while the body plopped in to the mud again.

6

Maiken smiled as she saw the beaver away from it's dam. She curled her paws into the muck and stepped forward, quick movements and grasped it between her teeth. It tried to slap at her with it's flat tail, but she fought back and finally with a yowl it died.

She carried it from the wetland and lay it down next to the fish and the bird. Her tail wagging.

I have much to share with you, kinswoman

Between the two of them there was enough.

Sanja stared at the pile which the shadow had gathered. Fish, bird, some kind of fat water-rat with a wide tail. Her own pile was comparitively pathetic: A frog, fingerling, and the mudskipper's almost gelatinous body. Beggars couldn't be choosers, and all that.

With a small huff Sanja tucked in to her meal; before long only the soft-bodied skipper was left and after the mouthful she'd unintentionally swallowed during its capture, she was uncertain about its validity as a meal.

Maiken chose the fish to eat, and she slowly chewed along it's bones and scales. She was careful not to break the bones. She would keep them to set bones. Though she hoped she would never have too, they were nice to have none the less, and also to chew and fish bones, fine and small were good for any type of carving.

Maiken pushed the bird towards Sanja, she had more than enough, and Sanja was larger than she, as Maiken was a runt, always would be. She was used to not getting much, and she didn't eat that much as it were anyway. She liked to share.

The stranger ate, but they also took their middle kill and tossed it towards Sanja, who was surprised to receive it.

She took a moment to stare blankly at the dark woman as if to confirm, for me? And when no teeth came to ward her off of the bird, she dragged it close and began to pluck the feathers. In time there would be breast exposed and Sanja would eat some of it, and then pop a wing out of its joint and peel it apart. She did not need much to be satisfied.

Fade? I only add Midwife, because that is what Maiken is striving for healer and midwife.

Maiken dipped her head at the stare and continued to eat. She would take the other kill back home, but the bird was easiliy given.

Maiken took a deep breath and a yawn split her maw apart. She Grasped the bones and the beaver and looked at the she wolf. She began in her own language. I am returning home, but if you should need healing or a midwife some day, come find me. I belong to the Saints.

She motioned further south. She would wait a few more minutes and if teh she wolf said nothing else, she would take her leave.

yes ok! also that blue is reeeally hard to read on dark mode. :P

She was working on the wing that had been freed from the carcass, when the stranger spoke.

There were a lot of words flowing from her mouth. Sanja did not understand them. The stranger took the giant rodent and began to depart, and Sanja did not stop them - but when she was alone, she looked to where the stranger had vanished to and sighed softly, finding the absence of company a little sad. Her mind wandered to her family for a moment and her appetite practically evaporated after that.

The wing bones, thin like twigs, she'd pile in a purposeful arrangement against the earth, and then depart.

Another fellow dark moder :) I had it lighter, but then it didn't work on light mode. I think I am just going to use italics for Icelandic :D

Maiken would travel home, oblivious to the lonliness of the other. She had hope she would seek her out again, if she ever wanted company or needed healing, but she also wasn't certain if their language was a similar as they could believe.