Porcupine Ridge I found myself in the fire burned hills

A sweeping gait carried the tawny male over packed snow toward the top of the ridge, where the ground was most crooked and difficult to navigate. Here the wind was high and cold, but scarcely bothered him. He was well equipped with a thick winter coat capable of keeping out most weather. His paws splayed over the ground as he picked his way higher, only to pause before the base of a high, jutting cliff.

Atop the cliff, he could spot the wooly white coat of one of the horned creatures that called the ridge home. There were two types: the long-haired white ones with their weirdly tiny heads and thin, jagged horns, and the short-haired tan bug-eyed ones with the impressive curled racks. He knew not the name for either species, but as they had hooves, he knew they were prime game. His intent was to watch them for now, and so he began the arduous task of climbing to a higher location via thin towpaths to get a better look.

Selecting a neighbouring cliff to seat himself on, Farstep peered out across the expanse at what appeared to be a herd of the creatures. One of them ascended to a higher ridge with astounding speed and accuracy. His ears flicked with surprise.

One of the newest members of Porcupine Ridge, a medium sized darker fae by the name of Jhala, had taken the liberty to seek out the packs gamma. She knew not his name, but she knew that Capri had called him loyal, and loyalty she liked. The Alphess also informed her of his skill set, and how he was attempting to master the trade of a guardian. The girl felt obligated to make nice with him for two reasons: 1. she too was attempting to be a guardian (and another trade in the same skill set i can't remember which one), and 2. she was intrigued. The dark wolfess was young and naive, and curious beyond a logical extent. If something was interesting to her, she needed to find it and explore it; it was one of the reasons that she believed she would be such a good guardian.

The male was handsome, in her eyes, but didn't speak. He was a higher rank, but said nothing to earn it. What was so special about him? She wished to find out. He seemed kind enough at the border, but that was all she was able to tell about him. So now was the time to find out what he was all about. 

She found him sitting on some cliffs, overlooking a herd of sheep as they leapt from cliff to cliff. His ears were perked in a curious manner, and perhaps she was a bit impressed too. But she was here to see him. Jhala let out a low bark, head and tail lowering. Her ears dropped a bit and she averted her gaze, but her tail wagged in a friendly manner beside him. "Hiya!" she let out, although it was kind of stupid considering he didn't talk.

The creatures milled about, but didn't seem to have any real purpose in mind. Had he the mind for it, he may have wondered what it was like to be such a stupid creature, but then, perhaps they too thought wolves were stupid creatures. Nevertheless, he didn't have the mind for it, so his wordless observation was nothing but that: mere observation. His thoughts were on his surroundings, on his well-being, so when Jhala approached with a bark, he was already aware of her coming.

Had this been a legitimate hunt, her noise would have been unwelcome, but as he was merely observing, Farstep didn't mind. The wooly creatures across the gap lifted their heads to observe the pair of wolves, but if they were uneasy, there was no indication. The tawny male dragged his gaze away and locked it on Jhala instead. They'd had only a brief encounter before, but Farstep was glad to know Capriccio hadn't sent the black-and-grey woman away.

This one was mature, he noted from scent, and immediately it put her in his good graces. So far, the females he'd met in the pack were all immature, not yet having experienced their seasons. He'd assumed perhaps that Capriccio, who was mature herself, sought to quell competition by taking in only yearling bitches, but the unfortunate side effect was that the pack's Beta female was also a yearling, someone Farstep ordinarily would not have submitted to. Jhala smelled of a woman, not a girl. He paid it almost no mind beyond noting it and feeling hopeful that she would unseat Kesan, for she wasn't in season, and that was the only time Farstep had more than a passing interest in the sex of another wolf outside of hierarchical reasons.

He chuffed a light note of welcome, but apart from a stately arrangement of head and shoulders to suggest some measure of authority, he didn't move from his spot.

Unfortunately for the reddish male, Jhala was not as matured as he seemed to think. She was young, naive, and ambitious; but perhaps in her own way, indeed mature. Her only few likable features were her submissiveness, her subtle beauty, and her willingness to fight. She had no reason to want to steal the positive of Beta- truth be told Gamma was the most likable rank to her, and had the male not been so large, she might have thought about challenging him for it. But this challenge would probably never be, and had he been able to read her mind he might've been put to ease when it came to his rank.

She came and stood beside the male, glancing towards him to make sure she would be allowed to accompany him. If he allowed her, she would've sat beside him while keeping her posture just below his, not forgetting where she stood among the ranks. She wasn't sure what to do at this point, her usual go-to (talking, duh) being a bit of a useless skill right now. So she simply remained quiet, curious what he might do.

Was he planning on going after one of those fluffy beasts, or simply marveling at their antics. She couldn't tell, truthfully didn't care. She wished the accompany him regardless, and was perfectly find enjoying the cool weather that today offered. 

He took a moment to consider what to do next. Jhala didn't seem to have any designs on his rank, and truthfully he wasn't worried. He himself had designs on the rank above his, and felt confident in his ability to secure it, so much so that of late he had begun to carry himself with the authority that belonged to Terich-mir presently. He didn't think of the possibility of a wolf beneath him challenging him first. The ridge wolves didn't seem overly ambitious. Aside from the first over the meal, there hadn't been any rank squabbles. Either they were all content to remain where they were, which would make the pack very stable indeed, or they were all waiting for something.

Perhaps he would become the catalyst in time.

He angled his snout to nip affectionately at the long hairs on the side of Jhala's cheek, and almost as quickly he got to his feet and began to pad along the cliff. He paused a glanced back, checking to see if she would follow or not. He wanted to play a game, and certainly wanted to involve those splendid white-wooled creatures across the way.

The girl sat in silence with him for a few moments, thinking about what on earth he was thinking. She found herself pondering what exactly his thoughts even sounded like if he did not understand words or create them himself. Perhaps he had his own kind of language, one that he didn't know how to communicate her- it intrigued her, and she found her tail wagging and the curious thought of it all.

A shiver raged down her spine as the male nipped at her cheek fur. It was nothing that showed of romance, and she was in no way intimated or seduced, simply caught off guard. She watched as he stood and headed elsewhere. Perhaps this nibble was an invitation, one she gladly accepted. Drawn into the strange males odd vibe, she followed curiously, trotting in order to catch up with him.

"Where are we-" she paused, remembering that he would not answer her. Her question was thrown out and she simply decided to go with the flow. If he would look back at her in confusion, she would offer only a smile of reassurance. She was following.

He tipped back his ears to receive the rumble of Jhala's voice, but where she heard words, he heard only the guttural sounds of wolf vocalization. He turned his snout to glance sidelong at the female through one brilliant blue eye, then refocused on the cliff and picked up his pace. She was following and he assumed that she was game for whatever he had up his sleeve.

It was a simple game, one that the braver wolves of his homeland played every now and again. They would run into the herd, spooking them with barks and raucous noise, and then they would dodge them as they stampeded away. The purpose of such a game was never really known, for none of Farstep's former packmates could speak a word and he wouldn't have understood them if they could. It was good training, though. A good exercise in anticipating the movements of another, and ensuring one was in a good position to duck out of the way of danger.

Without knowing Jhala had sought him out for a reason, Farstep unwittingly intended to engage Jhala in a game that would indirectly aid her in fighting. It would also aid in hunting, for they would learn the movements of these new creatures and perhaps, one day, use them against the herd. As they neared the wooled animals, Farstep broke into a run and let out a rocky bark that caused all of them to raise their heads in alarm.

What the actual fuck, was all that the black and white she-wolf could think. Was he stupid? There's no way he planned on running headfirst into a herd of rams. Yet there he went, and here she was, right alongside him. She let out a strange noise that was one of gentle fear and exasperation, but kept up with the male quite gracefully. He let out a loud bark, and she followed suit, barking loudly, but at least now decided that this was some sort of game. 

The sheep had indeed raised their heads in alarm, and in the next moment she found that one of them (perhaps more, but this one in particular) had bolted directly at her. She let out a loud yelp of anxiety, and ducked to the side, the creature rushing past her. 

Then it clicked- this was most certainly a game. A very dangerous one, but perhaps one with meaning. She glanced at him with a mischievous look, deciding that this was a game she was definitely okay with. Next moment she let out another loud bark, spooking a few more of the wooly beasts into a run.

As predicted, the woolen creatures weren't about to stand around and guess whether they'd be lunch or not. They bolted toward the wolves, probably with the intent of intimidating them out of the way but also probably blind to the direction they ran, but that was exactly what Farstep was hoping for. Sure, it was dangerous and either one of them could get kicked and seriously injured, but they were wolves and they were agile, and they weren't looking for anything but a bit of practice, a bit of fun. He was confident neither of them would be harmed.

As a billy galloped toward him, Farstep flung himself to the left and narrowly missed being trampled. He pranced around another wooly white thing as it charged past, and then he caught sight of Jhala dodging her own goat. Whether she was having fun or was completely terrified, he really couldn't tell. A little of both, if she was sane. He certainly was frightened as well, but knew he could count on her if anything went bad. For now he let his tongue hang out and barked a deep note, sending a few more of the animals scattering, this time away from them. He raced to catch up.

The creatures were stupid, stupider than the two morons running into a stampede. They had no sense of direction or whereabouts, and Jhala even caught a couple trampling each other- perhaps one had died or been injured, they could check it once the stampede cleared to see if a possible meal was made for them. She leapt through the sheep with a vague sense of what the hell she was doing, I mean let's face it this was absolutely mad.

The girl was enjoying herself a lot though, somehow, and when her packmate caught up to her she found herself fall into stride with him, matching his pace and letting their coats pass together ever so slightly as they went. Another one ran directly at them, and she leapt to the left. Unsure of where he had gone, she turned to see him. Unfortunately, she was not so graceful in her own blindness, and stumbled, quickly trying to regain her stance. A large creature bolted towards her, and in this moment she had no thoughts but to roll to the side, barely dodging an encounter with what she decided was certain death.

By now, she wanted out, but no can do it seemed. There were no exits besides the end of the stampede, and she had to make it there. She let out a woof to alert her partner that she was okay, and continued through the sheep, listening for his reply.

He sprang nimbly between the stupidly fleeing creatures, too caught up in his own game to notice the way they knocked into one another. They were heedless of their companions. Farstep was not so heedless of his; he felt the brush of Jhala's coat against his own and turned his snout briefly to acknowledge her, but then they were forced apart as she went left and he swung right.

He felt more than saw that she had fallen, and immediately he wheeled, putting himself in the line of a wayward goat that was straying from the herd. It buffeted him as it trampled past, but though his shoulder smarted and he stumbled from the force of it, he was okay. Jhala was up and running again with a bark and Farstep was quick to follow, now acknowledging that perhaps this wasn't the greatest idea. Nevertheless, the exhilaration of it was enough to keep him going. The stampede would soon end, and they could assess one another when it was over.

one more post each maybe and the stampede ends, then the rest? ;p also apologies for the short posts, struggling with coming up with new things to add to this!! 

Jhala raced along after hearing the call of her partner, and felt relief flood over her. She dodged one sheep after the other, actually beginning to nip at them as they came as a kind of payback for the stress they had caused her... ironic considering the pair had disturbed them to begin with, but the black and white female felt no regrets. She kept on keeping. They slowly began to die down, and for now she snuck glances to her reddish pack mate to make sure he was okay. 

Adrenaline raced through her veins; somehow she was still having fun. Her tongue lolled as she panted, moving through the remaining wooly morons with a graceful gait, her amber eyes focusing on each of them as they came. Her paws hit the ground like rocks to the bottom of a pond- angry and forceful, but soft and welcoming as they finally arrived.

It's fine! I like short posts. :)

Madmen they may have been, but both Jhala and Farstep came out of the stampede with little more than bruises. His shoulder ached and surely his whole limb would bruise purple for the impact. He would do well to keep the injury, minor though it was, hidden in the presence of the other males of the pack. Ambitious subordinates would surely attempt to capitalize on any vulnerability, and he would be hard-pressed to assert his own dominance if those above believed him to be unfit.

Panting, the tawny male slowed to a trot and made a half-circle along the edge of the cliff, burning off what remaining energy he had and allowing his heart to come back to a steady rate. He favoured his right side a little, but was quick to correct it, even though it was still sore. His eyes searched Jhala's face for signs of stress or injury, hoping to find neither.

Whether either wolf knew it or not, they had trained themselves here. They would be better equipped to avoid the jaws of an enemy in the future, however brief the game and however minor the effect.

The girl slowed coming to a halt once the remaining beasts had moved past. Panting, she turned and looked for her companion, her tail wagging. She padded to him once she found him, and found the need to check him for wounds. She knew he must've had some sort of tumble, and was eager to make sure that he was okay. She herself was fine, but like him would most likely be bruised by at least tomorrow, if not before. She approached him happily, lowering her head and moving it towards him, giving a whine of permission to check out his chest, shoulders, and sides for any wounds. Surely if one of the above was broken, she'd be able to tell, but she just wanted to see where he might be hurting. 

If he allowed her to prod, she would've nosed below his jawline and made her way down to his bruised shoulder. She made note of it curiously and then moved on, to his other one. Eventually his ribs would have been nosed, and she would've let out a happy yip to inform him he was a-okay. However, if he wanted none of her nosey ways, she would've lowered herself apologetically and aimed some hopeful licks to his lower muzzle, hoping he'd understand she was only trying to help. 

Farstep's tail waved jovially as Jhala drew near. The Gamma was glad to see she was in decent shape—perhaps a little worse for wear, but not visibly hurt and capable of walking straight, at least. Harming a pack mate with his antics was never his intention, though admittedly, Farstep didn't go running through herds of unpredictable, flighty animals on the regular, either. They were both lucky, though it would be Farstep to blame had anything adverse happened to himself or Jhala.

Jhala approached boldly, and for the moment, Farstep let her. Yet when her nose prodded at his sore shoulder, he bared his teeth. His muzzle wrinkled only slightly and he was silent but for a sharply drawn breath; it was not so much a threat response as a sign of discomfort. His actions were non-aggressive and he made no move but to whisk his lips back over his teeth when she drew away. He aimed a companionable nip at one of her ears, then seated himself and began to pick away the dirt from one of his paws with a relaxed whine. Soon he would lay down and rest, perhaps nap if the weather and the company permitted it. The continued wave of his tail suggested that Jhala was welcome to join him if she wished, but she wasn't obliged to.

fade here? (: feel free to respond again <3

He allowed her, and she prodded promptly. He seemed fine, his only response appeared to be due to bruises. So she backed away from him and waited for him to dismiss her or invite her to something, her tail wagging happily.  He nipped at her ear in a friendly manner and sat, inviting Jhala to do the same. She gave a thankful yip to him and her tail wagged a little more, her ears perked happily as she listened around them for anything. When she decided that the coast was clear, they dropped back to a respectful height and she sat across from him.

She slide into a lying position, panting lightly as she smiled curiously at him. "You're something else, aren't you?" she murmured, not making eye contact with him. Her head fell to her paws and she let out a huff and a bark of acknowledgment, signaling her thanks for his dangerous game... she actually quite enjoyed both it and his company.

Whatever Jhala said, he didn't understand, but he found her vocalization soothing and soon he sank to the ground, weary. He returned a yap of his own, but it was as meaningless to her as his words to him, surely. Satisfied that their game was finished and that the herd of mountain creatures wouldn't return anytime soon, the Gamma placed his chin over his ankles and let his eyes drift shut. Whether Jhala remained or not was up to her. Farstep's breath soon grew deep and fluttery, signalling sleep.