Wapun Meadow I Dream in Phosphorescence

A years worth of traveling had left the woman's body much sleeker than when she had previously graced the lands with her presence. Etephyrs journey was inscribed on her pelt through gashes, patches of thinned hair around her hind and forelegs, and a sinewy frame. The summer had been scorching but the wilds in which she now walked brought relief. Comparatively, the heat was much more manageable. The meadow was bright, nearly blinding Etephyr with its vibrant colors but after a while her eyes had adjusted and was even able to drink in the beauty of the flowers. Cynically, Etephyr briefly thought the place to be a skoosh pretentious, even for nature. The woman narrowly entertained the thought before finding a small refuge of water situated in the middle of the meadow. An insignificant creek flowed into the center, supplying the flowers with vital water and now nourishing Etephyr with a cool drink. A near euphoric sensation overtook her mind as she drank from the creek, a feeling equivalent to waking late in the night with a parched throat and sating it with water. She gulped down as much as she could handle, until her belly felt over encumbered and bursting. Humorously, Etephyr wondered if the pregnant felt as rotund as she did. The woman rolled onto her side, letting out an exhaustive but satisfied sigh. She wasn't going to move until the swelling in her belly reduced, she was grateful to at least not feel the pangs of hunger. 

bearclaw valley was quiet. ancelin's whole days were spent hunting for the beach of babies with new teeth who bounded every which way. he'd begun to teach them the fundamentals of tracking quietly through the underbrush, handing down their grandfather's stealth even if he never thought about aventus these days.
wapun meadow had been considered by ursus an extension of their land. its immediate vicinity had prompted the new generation of bearclaws to do the same, which was why he was on approach now.
but this time, ancelin wanted to be diplomatic. his movement was easy and confident but not demanding; he kept his tail lower, without its proud flag, which was very hard to do for a valley patriot such as he. 
and when the tex stopped a friendly distance away, he chuffed in loud welcome. something else entirely today.

Her ear twitched with familiarity, the instinct of sound pulling her ear in its direction. Etephyr rejected the idea of something approaching, wanting to just play coy to the steadily growing sound but the woman knew she couldn't afford to be so brazen. Intently, she listened for each foot fall, counting their confident beats. Etephyr could not tell if their confidence was misplaced or if confidence truly embodied their soul. Carefully, the woman hauled herself up onto her elbows, peering through the flowers to see a man approaching. Her chest quickened, rising and falling with greater purpose than before, feeding into the excited pace of her heart. Etephyr had done her best to stray from packs or wolves of any kind, but there was always the chain of inevitability that hung loosely around her neck. And now, it was being pulled, threatening to cinch.

Pushing her feet under her frame, Etephyr stood just as the stranger gave a friendly chuff but his scars caught the woman's eye immediately. She saw them as warnings to his intent. Subsequently, her face reflexively tightened and her stance sharpened to a defensive angle. Her eyes surveyed her chances of fighting and living but her mind reminded her that confidence was fleeting, and that he outweighed her.

"Are you here to drink?" She asked sharply. Etephyr had her fill, she had no need to defend a creek. "Or are you here to bore me with useless conversation?" There was to be no misunderstanding, she had no desire for interaction. It scarcely brought her any good fortune, but each left their own invisible mark to look back upon and learn.

ancelin blinked, offering a toothed grin that quickly curled into a dark look. "i was coming to run you off my land," he said in a drawling voice that was friendly in the way a rattler curled in one's path was friendly.
his indigo eyes roved over her boldly, step intrusive as he tried to ascertain if she was pack or not. "you're real close to where my girls play," ancelin said in that same gentle voice, though he was resisting actively the urge to circle the stranger as if he were parading her toward a drive-line. "i've come to see if you have a reason to stay."
a rhyme? he loved it, and settled his eyes rudely on her own, demanding an answer. if she was going to start them off on a sharp foot, she'd find ancelin quite reactive. sucked for her. ruled for him. he hoped athalia was watching as he loomed near the unknown wolf in the meadow.
roll for diplomacy: 0

<3 <3

Time had yet again delivered another reason for her self imposed solitude. Etephyr woefully blind to her own undoing. Even so, the cur of a man let the sunlight gleam off his pretty teeth. Etephyr returned in kind, curling her lip and swiping her tongue over her teeth. Her brows did little to aid in her aggression, staying flat. Apart from the occasional stitch Etephyr had to sow to intertwine them. The man intended to run her off 'his' land but coming into the meadow she did not scent a soul, a marking or trail. It was not to say there were none but possibly, she ignored them all to better suit her needs.

"I did not know claims could be founded without proof." The woman sucked in a breath through her nose and snorted it out, hinting at her meaning. She shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I have already taken what I wanted from your," She accentuated. "Land." A vague victorious grin pulled her lips. She truly did not have a reason to stay, although Etephyr was confident any reason she gave would be quickly found lacking by the male. A twinge of unyielding will kept a fraction of her mind ensnared in the delicate verbal dance that was unraveling between them. The rest of her became burdened with the anxiety of the uncertain, an often neglected portion of her instinct when she felt her pride was being challenged.

Etephyr held his imposed glare, a shimmer of true grit in her eye, mired behind the veil of vanity. "So, I suppose I have no business here any longer." Her tone betrayed the intended inflection, coming off as bored rather than cut with the sharpness from the start. While she was anything but bored, it was taking her all to ignore the bubbling anxiety. Her pride may have been the loudest but it certainly wasn't good at bearing the weight of any true substance. Unwilling but relenting, Etephyr took the first step back, awaiting his response.

<3 <3 <3

"yeah. you could go starve somewhere else," ancelin barbed, though the grinning, teasing grin remained on his sharp-scarred mouth. he took another step to compensate for her vague challenge. the stranger wasn't picking up anything he was putting down, and her innate sense of self-preservation tripped his investigatory wire.
if she was so careful, why hadn't she learned to hunt? the days were hot, the air thick, but he knew it would end sooner than they realized for the first crisp bites of autumn. she was already thin; more failed hunts would have her truly desperate before the first snow even fell.
"or you could hunt with me now. get some actual food into yourself." of course there was always something to be had in return, but ancelin trusted her intelligence. hunting on a pack's land was forbidden — unless you were a wolf of that pack. she understood that. he understood that. and this was bearclaw land so long as the bearclaws remained unchallenged.
was she about to do that? his eyes asked the question, searching.

She was starving. Her ribs peaking through her flesh but not all, some still hidden behind a thin layer of quickly receding fat. Etephyr was grateful for that small victory in a time of consecutive losses. Hunting had become more of a challenge the longer she went without, her legs seared sooner, her chest craved oxygen quicker, and even recovery was a laborious task. The petty fish or hare she ever managed to catch were far and few in-between, nothing that could truly sustain. The fur on her legs had yet to grow back, precious resources that were being dedicated elseware.

He no doubt realized her pitiful state and offered to hunt with Etephyr. It threw her of guard, visibly recoiling from the emotional whiplash. The woman's brows creased in confusion, her eyes etched with the same tone. She searched his face, wanting to determine the validity of his offer. 

"And why would you offer to help me?" She questioned. "What do you gain from it?" Etephyr didn't peg him the type to help out of sheer good will, there had to be some ulterior motive to suggest such an outlandish offer.  

she didn't say no and he hadn't noticed her legs, which was probably for the best given the thorns under his tongue. the roguish grin flashed and his posture relented, allowing her some space and a break in the tension as he stepped back. "i get another hunter," the rex said plainly. "you get a home where you can roam this field as much as you want. mark it up. claim it."
the switch-up in her face was worth a laugh, but he wisely, graciously held it back. mocking her wasn't going to win either of them a meal they could share effort on. a gesture given to the valley. "home is there. this meadow is a bonus."
bartering. watchful. it was an offer that could be rejected, but he would think it unwise if she did that.
and the bearclaw was hungry after all.

She mimicked him, easing back into a more passive stance, her hind quarters coming to rest on the ground. The tension in her body released with a shudder, muscles and fur letting down from their pensive state. The mans offer initially soured in the woman's mind, disapproving of the idea for cooperation but the body had a mind of its own. The stomach pulsed with hunger, pushing her over to the edge. What choice did she really have in her dire, pathetic state?

Etephyr breathed, her jaw clenching as she mentally prepared to put trust in another. "I have no intention to mark or claim this land, but," She huffed. "I will make do as a hunter. Least until the first snow sticks." It gave her an out but also gave her plenty of time to regain her strength before setting out on her own again. From tension, to an understanding. It failed ease her mind. Her head still entrenched with the warfare of doubt and insecurity. Time was the only true purveyor of truth, only then would Etephyr know if her leap of faith would prove worthwhile.

Knowing the finer details of their deal could be measured out later, Etephyr wanted to take the man up on his offer of a hunt. "As I'm sure you've seen, I am famished. My strength has yet to fully wane for the day. As your new huntress, Etephyr, shall we hunt?" She arose from her sit, surveying the vast meadow before them. The southern edge of the meadow home to a quaint forest of black cottonwood trees, a sufficient place to begin their hunt. Although, Etephyr would follow the mans lead, as surely he knew his home better than a foreigner. 

Edit - hey, I start my 48 hour shift tomorrow (16th). I may be able to squeeze in a phone post but I can't promise anything! Super sorry! I gotta make that dawg food money tho

no worries at all! IRL has to come first! im in no rush w this thread :D

a hunter for the fall. ancelin decided not to be picky about that and jerked his head toward where several weals in the grass signalled the procession of ruminants which had passed through. "i'm ancelin," he introduced, finding a thin trail through the dark trees. "we live in bearclaw valley. you'll see how it's shaped. my grandfather used to rule there. my father was born there, and now my daughters will inherit it."
his voice grew in confidence as he spoke; his plume came up encouragingly, recognizing her as a companion now that they moved after meat together. "my mate is ameline. she's queen. tell her what you told me, honest, about staying till winter."
it didn't need a response; ancelin snaked ahead, crouching along a clump of juniper just as a streaming of caribou poured into wapun meadow.

She followed, her attention still keen on her new companion. The woman wondered what would come of this agreement, if anything more than a transactional deal could flourish. Thus far they were off to a tumultuous beginning, the anxiety of their tension still lingering in the background of her mind. Opposite of Etephyr, Ancelin boomed with pride. He spoke of his lineage and his heirs. Continuing with the mention of his mate, suggesting Etephyr speak of the deal. The woman quietly sulked, repugnant to the idea of meeting another soul but it was a mere ask of her. The woman would respectfully oblige when the opportunity came.

Etephyr matched Ancelin, her frame low to the ground as a herd of caribou grazed into the meadow. Drool pooled in her maw as she thought of sinking her teeth into the delicate muscle that laid just beneath the tough exterior hide. It would be her first full meal in what felt like to her, years. Calves weaned from their mother strayed a little further, playing with their herd mates, inexperienced to the dangers of their world. They could make do. The sick and elderly trailed the back, some shared the woman's thin waist, while others were simply old and exhausted. 

"There are sublime options here," She said softly, thin threads of excited hunger dangling from her mouth as she spoke. "Which do you suggest?" If any at all, Etephyr knew Ancelin may let the herd pass in favor of something else. 

he hadn't yet chosen, and so for her his smile was only quick study in bloodlust. ancelin indicated where a powerful stag had cut swatches from a tree's bark with his antlers. a show for other males and for them, the wolves who followed.
etephyr's eyes intently scanned the herd. the multi-hued rex settled at her shoulder, watching the yearlings before his attention focused on a thin bull standing away from the others, gnawed with hunger.
indigo gaze slid sidelong to the new bearclaw huntress. his voice was a murmur. "i'm thinking that one." the bull. "but who would you pick?"
this was going to be dangerous either way with only two of them, and eager tongue bathed scarred mouth to think of the pending glory that was going to belong to he and etephyr.

Etephyr watched intently, the stag her hunting companion picked out would be manageable. Perhaps dangerous but Etephyr never knew anything good that didn't come with its share of opposition. Nothing worth having comes easy. She glanced at Ancelin, then back at the bull, as if sizing up what it would take to hunt. Etephyr nodded. 

"The bull." She quietly agreed. It was a partial lie, she would have chosen a cow, something less likely to sink its antlers into her. However, the pride of bringing down a bull was intoxicating, the idea thrilled through her veins. She could feel her chest pound, anticipatory adrenaline readying her body for the hunt. 

"Would would you have me do? I can go for its neck, or bite its hind leg, slowing it down enough for you to bite its neck." She would do as he told, though it was not what she was accustomed to. Solitude came with freedoms a pack did not but it was owed. He extended a courtesy and Etephyr was no idler. As unstable as their beginning was, their first mend would be one for her memories. 

"the antlers will be a problem. let's hold off getting too close at first," ancelin suggested, warming to their strategy. "we'll chase him a bit. see what he does. see what the other do too. chances are they won't protect him, but they might. i'm trying to get us back in one piece, no broken jaws."
he counted the others, watching them intently, while one ear listened for the rejoinder of their new hunter. after all, he didn't want to dominate the discussion. a hunt was a collab, and he wanted to be on a pop chart one day.
he almost guffawed at his own joke and thus almost ran the risk of ruining the entire thing.

Sorry bout the wait, thank you for your patience! <3

She silently agreed, giving a few quaint nods of her head. Leaving with a broken anything would prove deathly for her, she would play it safe but ultimately she knew her hunger was to dictate her ferocity. Not wanting to waste time, Etephyr began to creep her way further down from Ancelin but, not before informing her partner.

"I'm going to move down a little, in hopes of better corralling the bull. I shall, of course, follow your lead." With that, she positioned herself where she thought herself useful. The bull stood blissfully unaware of what terror they were to impose on it in just a short time. Soon the tranquility of the meadow would clash with chaotic, frantic survival. And if they were blessed, they would end its chaos abruptly. 

thanks for yours! <3

etephyr was polite, and ancelin was almost ashamed of how they had met. almost. still, even before he had seen her work she'd proven herself as an apt listener and observative of what details must be gleaned for a successful hunt.
when she was in place, ancelin returned her mannerliness by making sure she saw him rise and begin a slow stalk before his outright run. 
he headed directly into the center of the herd, mindful of the swinging antlers and startled hooves. the animals sprang away from the hale wolf — they scattered from around the bull.
ancelin snapped his teeth to drive the chosen animal on, and the creature ran.