Chimera Fields Tongues and teeth

Pangur still struggled with the concept of borders. She was too used to letting her intuition guide her. Would that be called Aimless? To some, maybe. 

Not this time... Sure, she had wandered a bit, but now! she tracked deer. Lucky Pangur.

She had never been so full of life! She wanted to feel her blood burn hot in chase, danger hot in the air. For now, she was quietly in tune with her surroundings, muzzle lowered to the ground to peer at shallow tracks. Her tongue rolled across her teeth, feeling them. She would have to keep low in these opens fields.

sólhárr's silhouette emerged from the treeline, his powerful frame cutting a shadow against the golden light of the open field. the faint rustle of his paws on frost-kissed grass was all the sound he made as he approached, his breath visible in the crisp air.

pangur, he rumbled, his voice low but carrying, a note of approval in the way she tracked her quarry. he stopped just short of her, his sharp amber eyes narrowing to the faint hoofprints she examined.

he leaned in slightly, the scent of elk faint but unmistakable. his tail flicked, an unspoken invitation before he spoke again, broken common tongue falling from his lips like rugged stones. you brave fields with me? elk wait there. hunt good today.

he took a step forward, his gaze flicking from her to the open expanse ahead. there was a flicker of something wilder in his expression, a primal challenge tempered by camaraderie. this would be no easy chase, but pangur’s vitality would match his vigor.

sólhárr shifted his weight, awaiting her response, muscles taut with the anticipation of the hunt.

Pangur shot her head around to a familiar rumbling on the wind, the figure of Harkonungr accompanying it, strutting out of the woods and casting his shadow onto the open ground. She greeted him with a light smile, and inched over to make space for him to sniff at the very same tracks she'd been examining.

Oh yes—It is easier with two, no? Let us kill the elk together. Pangur exclaimed, cheery despite her chosen words. Quickly, she would bring herself up onto straightened legs, and pace a moment, looking out on the horizon, where the tracks only grew in number. The elk must have travelled here to graze on what grass could still be reached from beneath the snow. Lucky for Forneskja, to border an area that called to all sorts of prey, even in the dead of winter. There is many, we will have to be careful when we move to separate a weak one. She said firmly, tail swishing against the back of her legs.

breath curling in the frigid air as he lowered his head to sniff at the tracks she had been inspecting. he gave a slow nod, straightening to his full height and letting out a low rumble of approval.

easy, maybe. but not too easy, he said, his voice carrying a weight of caution. his gaze shifted toward the horizon, where the tracks multiplied, a promise of prey but also of danger.

we take care. elk fight back. big ones are worse. he glanced at pangur, his expression steady but carrying a faint edge of challenge, as if testing her resolve.

his tail gave a single, deliberate flick behind him as he moved to stand beside her, scanning the distant shapes that marked the herd’s path. you pick one, weak or old. i will help you split it.

though his words were measured, his posture spoke of readiness, the subtle tension in his frame betraying his anticipation. a hunt like this was more than survival—it was a chance to prove himself again, as much to pangur as to the land he called his own.

Few times had Pangur felled elk; it was a trick of fate each time she had gotten to enioy the spoils of a calf brought to earth by her own jaws, the rest, times she'd hunted among the ranks of others. The meat was rich, the taste as if it was made for wolf tongue.

Yet, she had also seen good hunters find themselves gored, some hunted with their gods now, when nothing could've been done to remedy their condition. A thread of fate drawn between predator and prey, their souls were long intertwined before their feet ever met the snow of this meadow. Whose thread would be cut this day, hunter, or hunted?

But! Pangur felt great confidence, it was in the wind, whistling its approval for their task, in the sky that opened up before them, cloudless and bright. She gave a nod, straightening her posture and looking to the thickening of tracks that began into the fields. We must move quick t'en, they will not wait for us. the announcement came with a dismissive flick of her tail and a giddy laugh on her breath, haunches rose from ground to begin the age old dance, welded into their very being.

Old would feed more than young, she decided. A circle come to full completion.

sólhárr followed pangur's lead, his large frame moving with a quiet grace that belied his size. his single golden eye scanned the meadow ahead, the tracks weaving a story of a herd that had passed through not long ago. the ground was marked with the deep impressions of hooves, the scent of elk strong in the air.

quick, aye, he murmured under his breath, his gaze sharp and focused. he relished the thrill of the hunt, the way it called to something ancient and primal within him. yet, he knew the risks well—he had seen hunters fall, their threads severed by the very creatures they sought. but he had also seen the triumph, the way a successful hunt could feed not only the body but the spirit of a pack.

he stayed close to pangur, letting her set the pace, his movements steady and deliberate. as they neared the edge of the field, his ears swiveled forward, catching the faint rustle of movement ahead. the herd was near. he nodded toward the tracks, a silent confirmation of their path, and lowered his head slightly, ready to move in tandem with his companion.

the hunt had begun.

They did not have to journey a long ways before the reached the peak of a rolling hill, in the downcurve, the herd laid waiting; such unity among these powerful beasts, some laid resting in the middle, others grazed along the sides; no young calves this time of year, only adolescents who still clung close to their mothers and now wore the very same cutting hooves, boasted the same large bodies. Fathers and brothers lingered by each corner, they watched and surveyed; great father elk, with the largest spindling horns, scars of battle on his hide, he stood as sentinel; daring challenge to meet him on the wind. 

And what a prize he would've been— but a prize that could not be won without the aid of many. She had a feeling that such a bull had felt wolf blood run down the grooves of his antlers before. Pangur hoped to see him and his herd again someday, so that the challenge might be met by all of Forneskja.

Crouched at the cusp of the hill, she spent a long moment surveying the elk. ..Mother elk, down there. She gestures with her muzzle Her leg is weak and her skin is torn- there on the shoulder. She must have protected her young recently.

Her young, who would need her no longer. He already grew the young spikes of antlers atop his head, and played in mock battle with his many brothers. 

In the meadow, when they were robbed of tall grass, hidden beneath the blanket of snow, there would be no cover for them. No bluff of further aid skulking in the shadows, it was very much possible that the herd would stand its ground against only two. We must disorient them. She decided, tail flicking with thought. We must be bold and go to scare the weak with quick feet, once one chooses to run, they will all follow, then we will have our chance.

sólhárr’s gaze swept across the herd below, his single golden eye narrowing as he took in the sight of the powerful creatures. pangur’s words did not fall on deaf ears; she was sharp, and her plan was sound. the weak mother, separated by injury, was an obvious choice, though the bull would ensure their work was anything but simple.

he let out a low huff, the cold air misting around his broad muzzle. the great bull could wait for another day. for now, they would take what the gods offered.

let's go, he rumbled, his voice a deep timbre of agreement. his tail flicked once, signaling the start of their hunt.

his head turned toward pangur, his expression hard but focused. you will distract, he instructed simply. i will strike.

the plan was simple, but the risk remained. they would need precision, and they would need each other. his weight shifted slightly, readying his body for the sprint that would follow.

his gaze lingered on her for a moment longer before he turned his attention back to the herd. their hunt would demand courage, boldness—and they had both in spades.

She nodded as he laid clear the roles they would take, no protest would come from her mouth. Pangur would take only a brief moment to prepare her lungs and limbs for the chase, and then she would slink off around the side, intent on staying hidden until she found the right position; one that would guide the elk to run in the direction of Forneskja's lands. 

The golden blondes and warm browns of her coat offered absolutely zero camouflage against the snowy scape, and so she moved with haste until she was in the bowels of the valley. Hazel eyes tracked their chosen quarry, so as to not lose her in the fray. When she found herself in an agreeable place, she thrust upwards from the ground and came to the elk with all the boldness of a wolf followed by a dozen more. She would run along the outskirts of the herd, which now came to high alert; those in the middle rose quickly. 

Pangur tested them, diving in and out of close range to startle, she scanned as she sprinted; some stomped against the ground to try and frighten her instead, but Pangur knew she needed only find the catalyst that would start their hunt truly. 

Young elk, she would sow panic in the most untried of their herd. She did another loop around the side, and focused her attempts on one flighty youngster in particular, even daring to snap at the air next to it; inviting preys instinct to take over.

The first domino would fall. Young elk began to flee. Pangur pulled back to avoid being trampled and let sharp hunters eyes find their chosen prey once more.

sólhárr watched from the rise, his lone golden eye tracking pangur's deft movements. her boldness had paid off, the herd erupting into chaos. the injured cow, slow to react and burdened by her wounds, lagged behind the others as they fled. this was the moment.

he surged forward, his massive frame barreling down the hill with the force of a rolling avalanche. the snow crunched beneath his powerful strides, each bound closing the distance between him and the injured cow. her breaths came heavy, visible in the cold air, her gait uneven as she fought to keep pace with the herd.

the cow turned, eyes wide with panic as sólhárr bore down on her. there was no hesitation in his charge, no mercy in the set of his jaws as he aimed for her flank, intent on delivering the strike that would bring her down. the gods would feast through him tonight.

as his shadow loomed over her, the cow stumbled, her injury betraying her. sólhárr seized the opening, jaws parting to latch onto her shoulder with the crushing force of his bite.

Snow was kicked up, the ground rumbled beneath the weight of many legs moving in tandem, Pangur pursued as Solharr burst from the hill and made his move, merciless jaws coming to graze fllesh; the cow ran and stumbled, slowed by the weight which dragged her. Pangur circled to the opposite side, moving to become a barrier which separated the elk from her herd.

And then herd did not wait for her, they did not come back to defend her, they put forward the lives of many, for the trade of one.

Pangur was quick to join the fray, lunging at the other side, tearing a matching wound into the unmarred shoulder. If they could drag her down, they would win. Though she was injured, she still battled them with vigour. Pangur narrowly dodged the kick of a front leg as the elk reared, forced to rescind her grip.

sólhárr moved with precision, his jaws locking onto the cow’s haunch. her strength faltered under his weight, each pull dragging her closer to the ground. pangur darted in, quick and sharp, tearing at her shoulder and forcing the elk to stumble further.

a kick sent snow flying, but sólhárr held firm, growling low as the cow’s resistance weakened. together, they worked seamlessly, each bite and move drawing the hunt closer to its end. the snow beneath them turned crimson, the herd long gone. victory loomed, and sólhárr’s grip tightened, unyielding.

Pangur ran circles around the elk, bit and dragged when there was an opening to do so, but mostly she took care to keep the cow flustered with her movements, keep her eyes darting around and her body unsure where to land its strikes. Solharr's form bearing down on the side dragged her further and further down, it was between them now to outlast the fight in the cow.

Persistence was a game they could not lose, and exhaustion was beginning to wear on her. Pangur took the opportunity to get a little more bold, and sunk her teeth into the thick skin of the cow's neck, intent on dragging her front half down. If she could leave firm punctures, suffocation would speed the process all that much more.

Mournful calls rang loud through the wind, desperate for a rescue that would never come to be.

kill in your next mwahah

sólhárr snarled low and steady, his breath coming in sharp puffs as he kept his weight against the cow’s flank. her movements were slowing, each stumble more pronounced, the fight in her bleeding out with every desperate cry. pangur's boldness didn’t go unnoticed; her precision in targeting the neck showed her mettle.

hold her, pangur, he growled, his golden eye flashing as he lunged forward. his jaws clamped down on the cow's exposed shoulder, teeth grinding into muscle. blood warmed his tongue, but his focus remained on dragging her down.

the cow buckled slightly under their combined assault, her hooves scraping against the frozen ground. she was strong, but her strength waned with each passing second.

sólhárr adjusted his position, moving to her opposite flank, working in tandem with pangur. they were a storm—relentless, unified. the caribou was theirs; it was only a matter of time.

Hold her, he said, and Pangur mustered every last bit of strength to her to keep her jaws from slipping, teeth locked in and pulled on flesh, down down down. They must outlast her, wrestle her to the ground where she will take her final breath.

A knee came up swiftly, and met with the bridge of her muzzle; a yelp following the collide, though Pangur would recover quickly with a mere bloody nose to show for it, and a vengeance now dripping from her fangs. The places her teeth had torn away at bled down the throat of the elk and into pools in front of her while she staggered, Solharr's form still bearing down on her opposite flank. Pangur threw herself back into the fray with renewed determination, and switched now to the back end, dragging unstable haunches down to earth, revealing the throat for Harkonungr to ravage without the threat of slicing hooves.

Their teamwork was rewarded! Pangur scarce believed the elk to have finished her thrashing, and held firm a few moments extra. When she did pull away, she panted heavily each breath she denied herself, blood dripped from her nose, what a sting! ah!

Þakka andanna fyrir gjöfina. She uttered the prayer between laboured breaths, and descended into joyful giggles.

sólhárr threw back his head and laughed, a deep, booming sound that echoed through the frostbitten air. joy radiated from him, golden eye blazing with triumph as the great beast lay still beneath them.

well done! he roared, his voice alive with the thrill of the hunt. blood stained his muzzle, the metallic tang sharp in the cold, but it only seemed to fuel his exultation.

his gaze turned to pangur, her prayer catching his ear. you fought well, pangur. this kill is ours—by tooth, by strength, by will.

he panted, chest heaving, but there was no mistaking the pride in his stance. the scent of fresh blood filled the air, a victory shared, hard-won and worthy of celebration.

Haha! She rolled onto her back, golden paws reached up to the sky and fell back to bend at the wrists; she would need to lie here a moment, only just now did the burn of her muscles begin to hit her.

From the ground, she looked at him upside-down, spoke between quick breaths Shall we-ha- haul it back?

She rolled from back to belly, her tail sweeping through the snow. Blood stained the front of her, most of it elk, the little bit that was hers dripped slowly from the bridge of her nose, and she would sniff it back up, and rub at it with a paw. For one who claimed the bounty of luck so wholeheartedly, she seemed to catch her fair share of injuries, big and small. Or maybe ah- let the others come find it Her head tossed back again in exasperation, eyes now focused up at the shifting clouds as they moved through the bright blue of the sky.

his golden eye flicked down to pangur, sprawled in the snow with her tail sweeping behind her like a banner of victory. a faint smile curved his lips, touched with pride.

i will carry it back, he declared, his tone leaving no room for argument. he reached down, gripping the elk's neck with powerful jaws, the scent of fresh blood heavy in the air. lifting his head, he glanced toward the horizon, the borders of their territory etched faintly in the distance.

i want no males straying near our borders, he added, a rumble of authority underscoring his words. the thought of intruders testing their strength, emboldened by the scent of blood, only fueled his resolve.

he shifted, preparing to heft the weight of their kill. rest here if you need, pangur. you've earned it. his golden eye softened as it flicked toward her before he turned, the elk dragging behind him as he began the trek back to the heart of their land.

No room for argument, and yet she persisted, rolling lazily over at first, and then shooting to her feet. No! I will help. She huffed and scrambled to come after him, though she did let him carry it a few steps before she actually joined in to haul it.

Jaws of light timber gave aid and clamped onto a back leg; well, she didn't really know how to go about this helpfully. She would test a few places until she got it right, and they could carry it comfortably; Solharr still doing the bulk of the work, but Pangur was here!

the weight of the elk heavy against his shoulders, but not unbearable. he flicked an ear back toward pangur as she scrambled to assist, a wry smirk playing at his lips.

alright then, he rumbled, his tone low but amused as he adjusted his grip to accommodate her. her determination was admirable, even if she fumbled at first. once she found her place, they fell into a rhythm, their combined strength enough to carry the prize back toward the heart of forneskja.

as the shadows lengthened and the scent of home grew stronger, sólhárr glanced at pangur briefly, a glint of approval in his golden eye. together, they would see it done.