The Bracken Woods what good is an idea if it remains an idea? try. experiment

Beneath the cover of bent and bowing bracken, with sprawling leaves now brown and dull from the onset of the cold season, was a carefully winding network. It was laid by consistent tramping from thickly furred paws. It served to hasten the rabbits who made it away from the ravenous pursuit of their predators, but in its hurry, one such denizen of the forest had left behind a conspicuous, white tuft of fur which drew the eye of the nearby wolf.

The bushes the rabbit sped around and between had reached out with their thieving thorns to snatch away a chunk of fur from the animal's flank as it whipped past. The wolf lowered his blunt snout to the fur, his soft breath ruffling the delicate fibers as he plied his nose to assess the scent it harbored. He found it to be stale. He moved on, shifting his stout legs with care enough to avoid the clutching claws of the brush as the sun rose above the horizon to peer between the trees and cast itself upon his back.

*snags* Hello fellow new character! :D Excuse crappy post. 

Somewhere along the way Terich and Capri had separated, leaving him to fend for himself for a few days. It wasn't that it was hard to do, but sometimes Terich didn't like being alone. In fact, a lot of the time he didn't like it. That's why he had Capri as his best friend; she was sly and smart and could keep him in line when he needed it, which seemed to be too often these days. They'd left Argent Creek nearly a month ago now and after staying behind a few days ago, he was just now getting back onto Capri's trail.

But that didn't mean he'd find her right away. If he didn't, well, then he'd figure something out. He was an intelligent and resourceful creature; at least his mother thought so. His father didn't quite believe he could be smart, considering he had left their family behind to go on an adventure with his best friend. In his father's eyes, any woman not your relative or wife wasn't worth his time.

Ahead a dark shape loomed from the brambles, skirting through the woods that populated this area. Terich let out a short bark of greeting, then neutralized his stance, and paused. He offered a small smile and a gentle wave of his tail, indicating his friendliness and ease. After a moment, he finally spoke, "Good day, fellow. May I ask where we are?" Being new to the area had its disadvantages.

howdy :D

The cold had settled into the fallen leaves. He laid each heavy paw with precision to avoid the dry timber that littered the forest floor, but even still, a muted crinkle sounded from beneath his pads as the brittle leaves were crushed under his weight. He was not concerned; he knew that what sounded so loud to his ears did not carry far and was not likely to spook his quarry before he was able to detect its presence.

His hunt was interrupted by a bark. His ears were cupped forward with interest as he stiffened the idle sway of his tail and turned his lifted head to look toward the caller. It was a another male, a lean, gray agouti with blue eyes. Taggarik was quick to note the nonthreatening posture and the amiable sweep of the fellow's tail, which he in turn mirrored as he settled into an approachable, relaxed stance.

"You can ask, but I don't know the answer," he informed with a flicker of a grin at the corner of his mouth and a roll of his broad shoulders. "Somewhere you're trying to get to?" The black wolf himself had no destination, only a place he had left.

The taller, darker, likely more handsome male turned in his direction and paused in his own mission, his tail waving gently behind hi in reply. Terich smiled softly at that and took a few steps forward so they wouldn't have to yell at each other. "Seems we're both new here, yeah?" He chuckled then, a soft sound from his chest, before continuing. "I'm not looking for anything in particular, or at least probably not anything you can help me find."

He shrugged, trying not to be so cryptic, but sometimes it seemed that's all he could do. "I'm Terich. Looking for my traveling companion by the name of Capri. You'd know her anywhere: ebony pelt tipped in silver. You haven't seen her, by chance?" Terich's dark blue eyes flashed in the sunlight as he smiled, hoping his charm (lacking as it usually was) might loosen the man's tongue. If not, well, he liked one distraction as well as another.

Hi :D Is it okay if I jump in? If no, just PM so I can delete the post. 

Taking a breath, the large female sat on her haunches in an open area, her shoulders and body heaving as she breathed. Her glassy eyes were filled with exhaustion, her tongue hanging out the slightest bit as she panted. She had been trotting for hours now and had surpassed her limit of traveling for a day. Her paws felt as heavy as stone, yet ached as if she had been walking on bird eggshells.

Taking a glance around the woods, her ears constantly swiveled back and forth, listening for any threat that could pop out. She then looked up towards the sky, noting how the clouds were already releasing their frozen tears onto the earth. She felt a bit uncomfortable with the snow. Even as a wolf, if she was out here when there was only white, she would stick out like a sore paw.

"Oh curse me and my brown fur." She thought bitterly to herself, her face expressing disdain and annoyance. She huffed and closed her eyes, taking in the new scents of the woods, including the other loners roaming around.

Wait... Other loners?!

Snapping her eyes open quickly and raising her large head, the burly female lifted her nose to the air, trying to smell their scents. They smelt strong, the musk hanging around the cold air. Her train of thought crashed into her concrete wall of fear and anxiety. What if they were dangerous and had a blood lust? What if they had a dangerous pack? What if what if what if...

"Stop it Kryp, this isn't going to help. Might as well quench your curiosity and go see. If they're dangerous, just run." Her conscience said, making the large wolf groan and stand up, shaking her tawny coat and heading towards the scents. Maybe they were friendly? To her disliking, the large wolf picked up a slow-paced trot towards the scents, her paws starting to crunch the snow beneath them.

The other male stepped nearer, accepting the invitation to approach that the black wolf's posture had offered. Tagg's head reached forward slightly, his nostrils twitching as he made to draw the other wolf's scent in. He studied it, and knew without asking or being told that this wolf was unaffiliated. The other guessed as much about Tagg, and the wolf's blunt snout dipped down in a confirming nod.

"Tagg," he replied. "Haven't seen her. She sounds pretty though," he winked, and there in his eye was a glint of humor. Without waiting for a response he turned away and walked ahead, gesturing with a sweep of his broad head for the other wolf to follow. "Should be a deer around," he commented, but before he took more than several paces he spotted another, a female, heading their way.

His heavy paws stilled. As before, his ears were lifted, and his stance stiffened as he studied the female's approach.

"Gorgeous," Terich purled with a laugh. Of course his love for Capri was strictly platonic (and vice versa), but others didn't have to know that, since it was none of their business as far as he was concerned. But this fellow Tagg didn't seem to care either way. Their brief introduction was brought short when the dark male signaled for him to follow and suggested a deer might be nearby.

Immediately his blood thrummed to life. Deer were few and far between for he and Capri lately. If they were lucky, they could bring down something small or sickly, and feast upon the body for days. But lately their luck hadn't been too good, and they'd subsisted mainly on rabbits and squirrels. Sometimes fish, too, since they were expert fishers from living at the Creek. Terich followed the other without comment, and paused beside him as the presence of another reached them. Blue eyes guarded, Terich-mir turned toward Tagg for his cues. There was just something about the other wolf that spoke leader.

The large female stopped her trotting as soon as the male spotted her. He looked larger than herself, although it could be her poor eyesight. She let out a few heavy breaths and stood still, straightening her back and body and pointing her ears towards the two.

She felt a bit awkward around both, she didn't want to leave, nor did she wish to run. Although, her pack could use new members, she didn't wish to risk her life just yet to a new pack. Still, it would prove loyalty. Taking a step forward, the burly female let out a small, almost inaudible, bark to let them know she was there, but not in a threatening way.

She noted how the two started to leave already, almost taking no interest in her. She shrugged at them, and watched them with her glassy eyes. Maybe they were brothers traveling together? A bachelor group maybe? She shook her head at the thoughts and spun on her heels to face the other way, wanting to return home. Her mind still lingered with the two males, her eyes filled with curiosity. I'd better stay around a bit more, maybe they would like to join together?

Just to clarify: they didn't keep walking after they spotted Krypton :)

She adopted a posture similar to his own; one of cautious curiosity. Terich was beside him, and Taggarik could feel that it was on his direction the other so patiently waited. The female barked as she stepped toward them, a nonthreatening greeting of sorts. This satisfied the black wolf to draw nearer. He moved at an easy trot on sturdy legs, but he had scarcely covered but a few paces when she turned to head away from them.

His brows pinched, he thought it odd, and though it was not in his nature to pursue someone who did not want his company, his pace quickened toward her. Three wolves stood a better chance at taking a deer, and he wanted to at least capture her scent for himself. A fortuitous shift in the wind provided that opportunity for him, and he quickly noted how her scent was mingled with many others, the classic tell of a pack wolf.

He did not crowd her, hanging back some ten or so wolf-lengths. He woofed though, offering to her the same gesture, a sweep of his head, that he had invited Terich along with. She could follow them, or she could not. Either way, he turned and moved on down a trail recently stamped by the cloven hooves of deer.

Terich followed behind Taggarik, a grey shadow to his black body. Terich was born a follower, bound to the ideals of loyalty and honor. He did not wish to lead himself (at least not as the sole one), but he did sometimes think about what it would be like to lead alongside another. Usually Capri was the one in that daydream, but with Taggarik nearby, his min began to wonder about that possibility. Here was a strong and able wolf, and Terich himself was slim, and while not weak, surely less capable than his companion at physical leadership. Terich had a strong mind for politics and things of that nature, at least so far as he had seen.

The black wolf moved toward the female and Terich followed, silent as a ghost. He inhaled her scent as well, marking the many scents that mingled with hers. Pack wolf. Then Taggarik decided to move on, offering her the same sweep of his muzzle as he had offered Terich, and together they moved down the deer's trodden path, searching for a meal.

The she-wolf had kept her stance still at the sight of the males. One of them returned a small bark towards her, welcoming and non-threatening. With their sweep of their muzzles, she nodded her large head and followed without a word. They looked trustworthy, none held a snarl or growled at her.

She kept her strides the same, along with her pace as she stayed a little behind them. She noticed how the path they took looked a little worn down by paws and hooves. With her ears pricked forward, she stayed silent. This path looks like it holds food, the scents are strong down here... She thought, her glassy eyes staying ahead on the path.

How about a dice roll to see if they succeed? Odds they take a deer, evens they do not? I'll try not to let this drag too long (so some slight pp here, feel free to do the same to keep things moving!), I'll roll with my next post if you guys are okay with that and we can play it out then! :)

His invite was accepted, his peripheral sight catching the movement as the female came to join them. Good. Three was a much stronger number in the pursuit of deer and the black wolf liked their odds. The trail was hot; he dipped his broad muzzle to urine that had pooled in a track. It was pungent, fresh. He cast his fellows a small smile, there was at least one deer up ahead that had passed by not long ago. He quickened his pace, but did not sacrifice stealth, carefully placing his heavy paws and keeping the wind in his face.

It was not long, perhaps a quarter hour, before his muzzle lifted into the breeze at the scent of deer. They were close, and he slowed down, glancing to Terich and the female. The trio of predators prowled forward, alert and ready, and as they crested a small knoll they spotted her climbing the next bank. It was a young doe, last years fawn. Taggarik glanced about him, but she appeared isolated, a perfect target. He would have liked to have found a group, to have the advantage of selecting the weakest among them, but he took was he was offered in the end. She was healthy, and she would need to be tired.

"Split up, run her," he instructed quietly, and then he broke from the assembly. Taggarik went to the left, to circle wide and come in closer to her before giving chase. She was yet unware she was being hunted as she ambled along, and if they chased her now, her speed would carry her out of reach too easily. Split apart, they would better be able to control her direction and make it difficult for her to outpace them. Or so the strategy was.

Sorry about the delay! 

She joined them, and together the three wolves moved off. It was uncommon for strangers, especially a pack wolf and loners, to band together for a hunt, but Terich wasn't complaining. It might mean a meal at the end of the day's efforts, and even if they had to share with the pack woman, there would be plenty to go around if they brought down a deer. The trio crested a hill and spotted their quarry - a lonely young doe. Terich smiled as he inhaled her scent; she was young and agile, but not swift or made for endurance, so when Tagg suggested they run her, Terich grinned.

Taggarik went left, and Terich decided to go right. With a silent gesture, he instructed the female to go up the middle, to keep the doe from spinning back and leaving them in the dust. Though he was slim, Terich was plenty strong, and his long legs could carry him miles without tiring. Today he would need all his strength and endurance to best the beast before them, and timed his strides to the beating of his heart, waiting for the signal from Tagg to begin the chase.

The woman followed both the loners quietly, not uttering a word to them. What words could be said anyways? They just banded for a hunt, that was that. A faint scent became prominent to her, her large ears perked up to see a deer. It was a doe, a young one too. It was alone, maybe it had children of its own or ventured out? Whatever it was, it meant that it would be easy to hunt her. She was the only main target out here.

Hearing the instructions from the darker male, she merely nodded her head. Her gaze was casted to the other lone, they flickered when the male motioned her to take the middle. She would be most likely the first thing she saw. Krypton would have to use every ounce of her speed to make sure she kept up. Although her large body wasn't going to be as fast as the doe, she would chase it for miles if she had too. That was one perk was her immense stamina. 

Slowly, she started to creep forward towards the doe, but not enough for the doe to take notice. She let her head look around for the other males, awaiting their command of rushing her when the time was right.

No worries, Ash! I rolled for our success here (perfect roll!) and also rolled to see who would get the killing bite (Krypton). So in the interest of brevity and wrapping up this thread, I've gone ahead and pped the kill. If either of you would prefer I not, do not hesitate to ask and I shall change it! :)

His hunting partners did not question his strategy, and as he went left, Terich took the right and the female took the middle. His gray eyes trained on the deer ahead, he could see unease creep into her. It showed in the lift of her tail, the turn of her ear, and the wideness of her eye as she peered around her for the unseen predators whose presence she felt, sensed.

They moved into position, and before the deer could become fully alarmed, Tagg gave the signal and broke free of his crouch in the brush. He felt the pull and stretch of his muscles as charged forward. The deer predictably tried to find an escape, and instead found the snapping jaws of Terich and Krypton. She was surrounded, flanked on all sides. She put every ounce of her strength into speed and evasion, nimbly dodging around trees and bolting across the slops of the forest, but she did could not shake the wolves.

Her speed temporarily put her out of reach, but the wolves' restrained run, their stamina, ensured that she she slowed, spent from her efforts, that ground was regained. When the opportunity presented itself, the black wolf gave a final charge, locking his powerful jaws onto her flank. The doe squealed, but with Terich moving in from the other side and finding purchase she was trapped. The female saw her chance to move forward, landing a fatal grip on the doe's throat.

It was as if the hunt had been carefully choreographed; it was efficient and perfect. The deer lay still on the ground and only a modest amount of effort had been required. Taggarik glanced around his hunting partners with a grin. "Good show," he praised with an exuberant wagging of his tail. No one would go hungry tonight, the deer would provide for all three as much as they could eat. Knowing his belly would be full, he was inclined to offer the first bite to his cooperative fellows. Without them, there would have been no meal.

"Eat up!" He encouraged.

Though the deer was faster, the wolves had more stamina, and soon the deer's strides faltered. Taggarik was the first to spring, landing upon her flank, and Terich decided to go next, to block any chance of escape. The third wolf, the female, then lunged toward and killed the deer, sending all four bodies crashing to the ground. Terich rolled away from the kill, tongue lolling out of his mouth as he shifted back to his feet, shook his coat free of debris, and trotted back to the deer.

Terich returned Taggarik's tail wave with one of his own, plus a soft smile and a bow of his head. There was something about the darker wolf that pulled at Terich's core, but whatever that was remained to be seen. For now, Terich chalked it up to the dark wolf's charismatic nature and his natural abilities to lead. Terich didn't have that, not yet, but perhaps under the right tutelage, he could.

Terich tore into the deer, severing a leg from the body, and moved it away to share with Capri later. Then he helped them butcher the rest of the animal, sharing in the entrails, but leaving the prime choice of meats for Taggarik - after all, he was the one who orchestrated this hunt. Terich also smiled softly at the female, wagging his tail. "Good job. I'm Terich, by the way." He nodded his head to her, offering his respect for the kill, before he tore off a chunk of meat, dragged it back to the leg for Capri, and began eating.

Seeing how the darker male saw the others were in position, he sprang to life and started to run the doe. Both followed the darker one with each foot fall, keeping their speed restrained and stamina up. Instinctively, the doe had started to flee quickly, but soon realized she was being surrounded by the small group. Her swiftness wasn't enough to elude the wolves, the darker male was the first to attack, landing upon her flank.

The second male was second, covering up any exits she could take. This was the woman's chance. Quickly, she galloped towards the deer, lunging towards her and letting her extended jaw latch onto her vital place; her windpipe. The woman closed it off with all the power she could muster into her jaws, holding her there for as long as she needed.

Soon the doe fell limp into her jaws, letting the wolves and her corpse tumble to the ground in a very ungraceful manner. The female whispered a prayer of thanks to the doe and let her grip loosen and finally unlatch from her throat. Soon blood flowed from where the female's grip was, blood already soaked her jaw line with a crimson red.

Her eyes were casted to the males, the darker one praising both actions. She smiled softly to them, it was quite a hunt. Very organized, very ready for anything, almost full proof. The darker male seemed to be a leader, perhaps a former alpha of some old or dissolved pack? Whatever the reason was, the female gave no second thoughts.

She let the two bite into the carcass before she did. Once the lighter male did, she started to pick off the tough fur and skin, trying to spit it out of her mouth. After opening up an area, she started to rip away the meat. Of coarse, she left the best area for the darker one, if it weren't for him there would be no meal. The only sounds that could be heard were the sounds of meat and flesh being eaten and torn. Her fur, once brown and cream colored were now red and somewhat pink almost.

The lighter male offered a compliment to her, she wagged her tail at him. His name was spoken, Terich. She nodded her head at him, licking the blood off of her mouth. "Thank you, you two did a good job as well. I am Krypton." She said, a little bow of her head to them to show thanks. When the small group would break up, she hoped she would see them again. "May I ask for your name?" She asked in a monotone to the darker one, her large ears casted forward.

Last post for me :)

His companions took their turn at the deer, and he kept watch over their surrounding for any competitors who thought they might partake of their winnings. His nose minded the wind, while his gray eyes scanned between the trees, as his ears turned and swivelled to catch the soft sounds of the forest. The black wolf would not tolerate thieves, but fortunately, there were none. A sole crow landed into the branches above them and peered down, but it did not so much as squawk to any others. Perhaps it was an outcast.

"Tagg," he introduced himself at Krypton's request. He moved toward the kill then, helping himself to a portion of entrails and some of the dense muscle of the doe's shoulder. He ate with a bit of haste, but in the company of his fellows, that haste was not so distinct as it would have been had he happened upon a kill on his own. When he had finished, he lifted his head and swiped his tongue around his mouth, cleaning as much blood as he could.

A fully belly always asked to be paired with rest, and so he dipped his head to the other two wolves. "Thanks for the hunt," he said, and wished them well. "Take care." With a sweep of his tail he slowly turned and strolled off, watchful for a place he could nap.

Last for me too! Feel free to reply or archive, Krypton!

Taggarik and Terich were of one mind: it was time for rest after such an exciting day. Terich stepped back to clean his muzzle and watched the others, occasionally turning his gaze toward the world around them. But soon the heaviness of his belly beckoned him to rest, and he said goodbye to the others only after Taggarik had introduced himself and bid himself adieu. Terich-mir nodded deeply to both of his hunting companions before tucking the leg between his jaws and left to find a decent place to bury it for later.

Thanks for the thread, last from me :)

Licking the residue blood off of her lips, the woman wiped her muzzle against her forearm just to be sure she got everything off. Her stomach was full and her body a little fatigued from the hunt. She would have to go find a place to rest for a little before traveling back to her home. The darker male, Tagg had finished off what he wanted and wished both the woman and other man the best before leaving to go on his way.

The lighter male, Terich, said nothing but showed both a deep bow to them. He held onto a leg from the deer and turned on his way too, leaving the female by herself. She smiled at both before calling out to the both "Au revoir! I hope to see you both again!"

With her message sent out, she set out on her long trip home to see her family again.