Lost Creek Hollow Food Glorious Food

Anyone can join! I'd love to meet more of the pack! (: I'll tag a few people but I will gladly roleplay with whoever. (: @Luke @Harlyn @Mordecai @Arabella @Andalusia Also curious if anyone can tell me if this could count towards a gamekeeper trade?

Perhaps it was bizarre to think that a small, dainty, she-wolf would be in skilled in anything, ever; but Ilya was prepared to prove the world wrong. She had come into the pack shy but confident, and was not about to let the Alpha who graciously let her in down. "Focus," she murmured under her breath, the chilly air shown in a foggy mist around her muzzle. In front of her sat a fat hare; not enough to fill an entire pack, but enough for a fully grown wolf. 

Being so thin and light, she was easily able to slink forward towards the rabbit, her blue eyes glimmering with excitement and focus. As her feet grazed the ground, not a sound was heard on the crisp morning, a trade that she had learned on her own when food was hard find. What she did find was necessary for survival, and she needed to learn how not to scare it away. She began to draw closer and closer, and the rabbit continued to sniff at the ground, perhaps it was only trying to maintain it's body heat. At a close enough distance, she gathered her haunches in a feline-like manner and leapt. The rabbit let out a loud screech as black paws trapped the light creature down and right before teeth clamped around the neck. A quick shake allowed for a loud snap to be heard and for the hare to fall limp in her jaws. 

"Hah!" Ilya exclaimed, dropping the hare onto the ground and sniffing at it curiously. "Take that, natural selection," she muttered under her breathe. Her only problem now, was to find someone who would eat it as she felt that the pack came first.

Frost hardened the ground beneath Andalusia's toes, another sign of the seasonal shift. Funny how the cold still reached here. Neverwinter had been a blessing in the harsher months, a covering from the snow. This forest was just as thick, but Andalusia doubted she'd see soft ground once winter hit. There was much more water here, and the spray of the rivers would no doubt cause the land to ice, if the streams didn't freeze over themselves.

But they still had some weeks of Autumn left, reprieve before the cold claimed the land. Andalusia snaked her way along the bed of one of the many rivers now, a stream that ran gentler than most, yet even this stream would turn into a torrent once the rains came. For now, the tumble served as a welcome ambience to an otherwise quiet morning. New scents ran thick among the trees - all mingled with Mordecai's, of course - and Andalusia had sought out none. Yet her curiosity stirred when a fresh one rose with a voice to accompany, and the scent of rabbit blood.

Compelled enough by the onslaught, the golden Ostrega turned from her course to hike up the tree-studded rise. Only shadows met her eyes, but her nose searched out the reliable trail of the huntress and her prey. Andalusia didn't need to travel far before the hunched shape of another came into view, small and dark amongst the heavy undergrowth. One of the newcomers, and Andalusia let her tail stream behind her in a gentle wag. As for words, she merely appraised the woman with a spark of curiosity in her eyes.

It was as if the fae opposite of her had heard her thoughts, for she appeared rather quickly. Curious, Ilya dipped her head to the larger wolf in greeting. "Good morning," she murmured, watching her with a small smile, "I don't believe I've met you before." She tilted her dark head, her ice-blue eyes glinting as the morning sun hit them. She ducked her head a little to avoid the glare. "I am Ilya." The small black canine glanced down to the fat hare she'd just caught, and then back up to the female, "Care to eat?" she asked with a polite grin and an excited glimmer in her eyes. Even though she had been part of Lost Creek Hollows for a growing number of days, she felt as though she hadn't done much to help the pack, a promise she had made to Mordecai when she first arrived at the boarder. 

"It's not much-" she began, shrugging her shoulders a little, "-but it's fresh and pretty big for a hare," she continued proudly. "I'm honestly not sure how I mananged to catch it so close to winter," she added, half to herself and half to the fae. It was perhaps not too close to winter, but the she-wolf often forgot how long seasons were; leaves had only just begun to change colors. It may have been in her tendency to move too quickly through life or act immediatly on actions. Not that she had made bad decisions, but being a loner for so long she had learned to make decisions on the spot and act upon them right away. 

Ilya sat down, observing the female with curiousity still shining in her eyes. "I apologize for asking, I don't mean to talk your ear off," she smiled in a teasing way but more towards herself than the fae, "But how long have you been here? I mean, In the pack? I've only spoken to Luke and Mordecai, and they're both founders." It was true that she was chatty, but from lacking social contact for so long when she gained oppertunities for conversation she soaked it up. She wanted to learn about the pack and learn about the wolves inside it; she couldn't do that if she didn't speak, could she?

They had never met before, but now presented an opportune time to amend that. "I'm Andalusia," she returned with a short nod of her head and a quirk of a smile. She glanced at the fresh rabbit sprawled before Ilya's paws and let the gal give her piece. Andalusia would never forget the gnarly twists of hunger she'd experienced on the road, but since establishing the Hollow, she was glad to accommodate them less and less. Though they'd been spotty in their hunts, her strength grew by the day, and she found herself with more than mere fumes to run on.

"It's enough. Let's share. It'll give us energy to catch something bigger." She left her words open as an invitation. Small prey provided strength in short bursts, but together they could take down something substantial enough to feed the rest of their numbers. Andalusia knew enough gamekeeping to survive, but her stregnths lay more in exploration and charting the mountain passes than in clever ways to hunt. Her brothers had always leaned more to that bent. Maybe Ilya was the same.

The gal shifted, and Andalusia turned her attention from the hare when Ilya's words grew personal. A broar grin grew along her face at the black gal's jest, and she relaxed onto her haunches to mirror her newest packmate's stance. "It's fine. A nice change from the silent life of a loner." Perhaps Ilya could relate. Little past the scent of the Hollow clung to the black woman's fur, and Andalusia had held the same drifting scent in the days preceding the inauguration of the pack. "I was a founder with them both. And Harlyn, too." She added the former as an afterthought. Strange that Ilya wouldn't have mentioned her, though she supposed the dark leader had been busy elsewhere at the time of the gal's acceptance. "She leads alongside Mordecai. I take it you haven't met her yet?"

Ilya nodded, smiling gratefully. Usually she didn't like to eat so early in the morning, it made her a little sick, but if the fae was offering a hunt she was in no means to turn it down. Like the wolf opposite of her, she too had struggling hunting on her own prior to being in the pack. She was finding far more comfort in hunting with others. "I would love to," Ilya dipped her head and smiled  happily at her new packmate.

"A founder," Ilya repeated, wagging her tail. "That must feel wonderful," she added, a polite but honest smile on her face. She listened as Andalusia continued, tilting her head at the mention of Harlyn. "No... I haven't met Harlyn. Although Luke has spoken of her a few times, very highly," she thought for a moment though, just to think if she may have actually spoken to the she-wolf anywhere, but couldn't recall. "Perhaps I'd seen her around the territory, somewhere," she shrugged, "But I haven't spoken to her."

Though Ilya consented to her suggestion with a nod, the black gal made no advance on the rabbit. In truth, Andalusia was having second guesses on eating the hare herself. Not that she didn't need the nourishment - she still leaned on the slighter side, something she worked to amend with winter approaching. But if they planned to hunt, eating now would not be the wisest idea. "I'm having second thoughts. How about we cache the hare and save it for later? It'll be easier to hunt when there's an edge of hunger spurring us on." She didn't fancy the cramps that would come from working too quickly after a meal, either, even if the food only gave the energy of a snack.

With their morning task secured, Andalusia stood and lowered her torso to the ground in a long and quivering stretch as Ilya spoke. She supposed there was a certain prestige that came with being one of the first to the Hollow, but there was more in being the niece of the Alpha, or so she decided. Still, a light smile stretched her mouth, and as the Ostrega rose, she turned her bright gaze on the other woman again. "Perhaps." There was always the chance that Ilya had seen Harlyn in passing, though with the size of the Hollow, it wasn't impossible that the two had simply never crossed paths before. "She's a good wolf. If we see her, I'll make sure you're introduced. Now about that hunt. Are you much of a fisher?" She had a hard time ignoring the swell of fish in the Hollow's central fall. Salmon weren't big, but they came in abundance, and would at least provide some fun in trying to catch them. 

It didn't really cross her mind, but once the female opposite her had mentioned it, the more reasonable it sounded. Ilya nodded to her, a small smile across her muzzle. "Good thinking," she replied, "And I suppose I hadn't thought of the unsettled food." The black fae chuckled a little, but then tilted her head to continue their planning. Although Ilya hadn't really felt all that hungry, she figured the more they got into the hunt, the hungier she'd get. One way or another, she'd be more motivation.

Ilya smiled, dipping her head thankfully to the wolf. "Sounds good, I'm sure she's a wonderful Alpha," she replied. She stood and shook out her fur as Andalusia continued, and she paused to watch her as she mentioned fishing. An uneasy laugh escaped the fae's mouth, and she shrugged. "Luke has been teaching me," she stated. "I've never done it before then but I'm learning; I've caught a few fish," she explained, her tail wagging a little. "I'm definetly not against it, but you might be catching more than me," she winked playfully, but she figured she was being a bit modest, fishing wasn't all that terrible and she wasn't as bad as it as she had played herself out to be.

"Well I guess today's the day to put those skills to test, then." A slow smile crept over Andalusia's face and she picked her way closer to the rabbit. She was a decent enough fisher, but if Ilya had been training enough to make catches herself, she looked forward to learning from her. The woman seemed nervous about admitting her proficiency, but Andalusia didn't worry. "The salmon are running strong near the main falls," she ducked her head to seize the hare in her mouth, and paused with dancing a glance to the ebony. "Together I bet we can catch a decent amount. We'll bury the hare along the way." At that she seized the hare in a firm grip and lifted the body from the ground. A trace of warmth still remained in the flesh, but Andalusia knew the life clung only as a ghost.

She moved forward and made a gesture of her eyes to the forest before them, then nodded her head in the direction to go. 'Follow me,' she wordlessly said. She didn't risk loosening her grip on the animal in her mouth.

If you need, feel free to power-play Andalusia leading to the falls (:

Sounds good. (:

 

Ilya gladly accepted the fishing trip to the falls, and the pair set off. The cache was somewhat far from where they were going and where they were, so Andalusia buried it not too far from an open clearing. The black fae assured her that she could remember the clearing, as it wasn't too far from her den and she would bring it to the cache before nightfall.

The two females walked along towards the falls, and Ilya as itching with excitement at a new feminine companion. She'd spent a decent amount of time with a friendly loner, but she enjoyed having the company of another fae inside the pack. Ilya told Andalusia mostly about her travels, as she was still one of the newest wolves and hadn't much else to talk about. She mostly shared stories of encounters with predators, keeping her birthplace and first pack secreted. 

With the light conversation, Ilya felt that the walk to the falls didn't take much time at all; perhaps it didn't but. Andalusia was leading the way and it wasn't like Ilya really knew where they were going anyway. When they arrived, Ilya wagged her tail and looked around in awe. "Beautiful," she commented before glancing to her fishing partner to start. She'd never fished for salmon, she wasn't quite sure if there was a different technique she needed to use. Either way, the black fae figured she would catch on rather quickly. 

Yikes! Sorry for taking over a month to reply, school got really busy for a while there!

Andalusia had some misgivings about where they chose to store the carcass. It was hardly a secure cache, and despite Ilya's reassurances, she remained dubious. Yet Ilya seemed confident, and Andalusia was in no mood to argue. They covered the rabbit, and Andalusia let the matter drop as they set off toward the central falls.

Even without the rabbit blocking her tongue, Andalusia remained the quieter of the duo. She had plenty to say, but for this morning she allowed herself to slip into the receiving end of the conversation. Her own ventures in outriding had ceased since she'd rooted herself at the Hollow, but hearing Ilya's tales stirred a familiar sensation in her chest, that wanderlust that had been one of the drives of her youth. For now the desire to chart the world, or at least a good portion of Teekon, would have to wait. For now, they had winter to prepare for, and she would hardly be useful if she were miles away.

The steady rhythm of the falls welcomed them, and she couldn't help but grin at Ilya's awe. "Isn't it, though?" Her uncle had chosen a fair place to settle, constant in bounty, and lush. All the waiting had been worth it, and she knew she had chosen wisely when she'd pledged herself to follow he and Harlyn to their hidden paradise.

At Ilya's prompt, Andalusia approached the water and waded in a few steps. The river eddied around her legs and sunk a chill deep to her bones, but the flash of the scales beneath the surface encouraged her to bare with the momentary discomfort. "Salmon swim up the falls, but other than that, hunting them isn't much different from hunting other fish." She looked up from her scan of the river to Ilya and nodded. "Just be careful. Some can get quite large." With that she began to move along the river's edge, sticking close to a rocky outcropping that formed somewhat of a canopy above her head, and watched for the ripple of fish nearby.

you're fine! I understand. (:

The tail of the black fae wagged excitedly, and she dipped her head kindly to the wolf as she talked about how to hunt the salmon. Perhaps it wouldn't be too different after all. In her head she imagined the fish just leaping out of the water and either directly in her mouth or onto the shore; but she knew that that was illogical. 

Ilya followed her lead, but went to a different spot as to either scare to fish toward her partner, or to not scare away the fish she was hunting. Her spot was similar in that it was rocky but it was further upstream. She copied the other females stance before standing over the water, completely still, and waiting.

It took a while, as it always does, but fish began to come closer. She remained still and waited for them to come by, hopefully, to certain death.

Andalusia kept one eye on her partner's whereabouts as she made her way upstream, keen to keep a respectful distance from Ilya, just as the black fae did for her. The feat proved easy enough given the breadth of the river. She moved gingerly across the uneven footholds of rock until a flash in the water to the south of her commanded her attention. For a moment she appraised the situation, until the dart of a fin through the surface broke her suspicion that the light simply played tricks on her. Andalusia perked her ears and honed her focus on the fish, stealing into the water until the stream nearly tickled her elbows. The salmon did not seem to notice her and she held still until the fish swam past her and turned tail to her face.

With a sudden jerk she lunged. Water filled her mouth and her teeth clicked on the salmon's rear fin. She knew without telling she had miscalculated her attack, and the flesh passed between her teeth as the salmon sped away. Andalusia whipped her head out of the river. Water poured from her mouth, but her only thought turned to the salmon, and to Ilya upstream. She flicked her gaze to the fleeting shadow of the injured fish, out of her grasp now, but on direct collision with the region of shallows where Ilya stood in wait.

Ilya watched with excitement as Andalusia spotted a fish, her focused distracted as she respectfully stayed still to avoid disrupting the water or scaring the fish. She frowned, however, as she watched the face come up with an empty jaw, water dripping from her snout before her eyes darted to the shadow. The black females eyes followed and the shimmering figure of the salmon came near. She remained frozen, but was ready to strike when it came close enough.

Soon enough, it was near. It had slowed after getting far enough away from it's previous attacker, and Ilya feared it might swim to the other side of the stream; however, it did not. She lowered her head slowly, her blue eyes narrowed and pinned to the fish. In one quick movement the wolf's head was underwater, powerful jaws clamping down on the spot she'd aimed. Unlike her partner, she felt the familiar, scaly texture of the fish as she bit down, hard this time. The female raised her head, water dripping from the girls head as the others did. Ilya's tail wagged and she let out a muffled woof of excitement, pleased with her first attempt at catching salmon. While she was sad her partner had not caught one right away, she wondered if she would want to continue or if she was more interested in sharing the fish. She did not mind either decision.