Moonspear Korean BBQ

"Gotcha!" she cried as she felt her toes make contact with the squirrel, pressing its body flat to the ground. Wildfire heard the brittle snap of tiny bones beneath her weight. The rodent gave an earsplitting scream of pain and the she-wolf quickly dove in, teeth bared as she quickly dispatched it. The body immediately went limp, though the fluffy tail twitched, erratic, tickling her feet and prompting the young huntress to release the carcass and step back.

She licked the blood from her lips, waited for the death throes to cease, then plucked her fresh kill off the ground and trotted toward a cache perhaps three dozen yards away. Wildfire made her deposit, then promptly dropped her nose to begin combing the slushy forest floor again. She had made two drop-offs so far and wanted to finish off the day with a hat trick, at least. Her pale umber eyes gleamed with predatory lust as she searched for any sign of small prey, which was quickly becoming her favorite type to hunt.

Even when Floki wasn't looking for Wildfire, the odds were good that he would find her, especially since their interest in trades was similar. As an aspiring hunter, the sandy-footed youth spent plenty of time prowling through Moonspear's lowlands, acquainting himself with the territory and practicing on small game. He still had a long way to go in honing his skills, so when he happened to cross Wildfire's trail, he seized the opportunity to track her down.

She had already earned the title of hunter, so he knew that working alongside her would only be to his benefit. And beyond that, he enjoyed her company. Her trail led him past a cache that seemed to have been freshly unearthed; he paused to sniff at the packed dirt and snow, his tail giving a predatory twitch as he then continued on his way.

When he spotted her fiery fur through the frost-laden trees, he huffed quietly through his nostrils to alert her to his presence. "Hunting?" his nonverbal acknowledgement seemed to ask as his breath formed a cloud and then slowly dissipated.

There were so many scents to sift through, it was sometimes hard to discern which ones were fresh and viable. If she was going to specialize in small prey—and it felt like she was headed in that direction—this would be one of her greatest challenges as a hunter. Wildfire figured she could become an expert in time, though for now, it remained almost overwhelming as her damp nose combed over the frosty forest floor.

She struck one that smelled particularly recent and began to follow it. She pictured the trail like a very fine thread winding through the trees, sometimes so delicate that it seemed to disappear in the veritable cornucopia of other textures and smells. Somehow, she managed to maintain her grasp on that slender, invisible filament despite the obstacles, leading her to a small, frozen pool in a shallow dug between two trees.

There was a rabbit there, its body twitching slightly as it sipped at the moisture from the ice. Wildfire immediately crouched, trying her damnedest not to make a sound. She even measured her breaths. Her light chestnut eyes pinned on the hare, her muscles tensing almost painfully when the lapin lifted its head and gave the surrounding forest a wary glance. It then wriggled its nose, licked its lips and rubbed a paw over its short snout.

Wildfire began leaning forward, preparing to pounce. Abruptly, the rabbit went rigid, then hastily fled. Her brow furrowed and she sank back, wondering where she had gone wrong. She then heard someone approaching from behind and she spun slowly, her expression relaxing into a smile as Floki appeared. He had no idea he might have spoiled her hunt and Wildfire didn't have any intention of making him feel bad about it. In fact, she probably wouldn't even mention it.

"Yep," she mouthed in reply to his silent question, then arched her eyebrows and made a motion that clearly asked, "Wanna join me?"

Floki smiled as Wildfire turned to face him, oblivious to the departure of the rabbit through the underbrush only seconds before. She motioned for him to join her and he didn't hesitate, moving forward until he was shoulder-to-shoulder with her. He spared her a quick, amiable bump with his hip, then dropped his head to the ground and inhaled. His nostrils filled with a myriad of scents.

Looking up at his companion with pricked ears, he whispered, "What's our target?" Since she was the more experienced hunter, he would defer to her; and besides, he seemed to have been the one to interrupt her session, judging by the appearance of the cache he had passed on his way.

Aloud, he queried about their prey. Wildfire looked around as if some small, woodland creature would present itself for the sacrificial slaughter, then turned back and met Floki's eyes. "Whatever comes up," she answered cheerily. "I'm trying to master the art of hunting small prey. It can be a little tough sifting through all the scents. No less than a billion squirrels, rabbits, mice and whatnot pass by every day. But I guess that's the fun of it: teasing out that one viable lead out of the thousands of duds... and trying to land it." Her lips twitched.

"Come on," she said in the next breath, gesturing for him to follow her as she broke into a trot. "Let's head around the mountain a bit. I think I've cleared this part of the forest." As she sauntered through the trees, paws crunching in the light snow and her black tail streaming behind her, she glanced over at Floki and suddenly every thought about hunting fled her mind when she noticed how handsome he looked from this angle. She felt her pulse quicken, her breath catch in her throat. She swallowed, smiling.

"You know what," she said suddenly, veering right in front of Floki to cut him off and force him to come to a stop. "Forget hunting for a minute." She gazed up at him from beneath her long eyelashes, her upper teeth pressing gently into her bottom lip for a moment as she simply admired the view. "Kiss me," she demanded quietly, nose brushing his bristled chin as her eyes began to dance in the gathering dark.

Floki listened and nodded, learning in the process that Wildfire had chosen small quarry as her hunting specialty. What she said was true -- just putting his nose to the ground and inhaling resulted in an overwhelming variety of scents, and it would take practice to train himself to pick out the trail he wanted to follow. They were lucky to live at Moonspear, where the prey was plentiful and diverse, especially in the forest around the mountain's base.

Dutifully, he followed her as she started to move. He wandered a few paces behind her, his gaze roving over the leafy landscape absently until Wildfire suddenly came to a halt and turned her body to prevent him from going further. He drew up short, brows raised and ears pricked in mild alarm and curiosity. But it was quickly established that nothing was wrong -- rather, Wildfire had something on her mind other than hunting.

"Kiss me," she demanded quietly, and his ears fanned bashfully to the side. After only a brief hesitation, he did as he was told, closing the small gap between them and gently pressing his nose to her cheek. He held it there for a long moment, then his tongue flicked out to touch the corner of her dark lips. Just that simple gesture was enough to set his heart racing.

Floki obliged her, first pressing his nose to her sharp little cheekbone. He lingered there just long enough for Wildfire's lips to part in gentle protest; no, she wanted to be properly kissed. But before she could say anything, he licked the edge of her mouth. The brief contact sent a delicious shiver of warmth from the back of her neck down her spine. She grinned, teeth showing, and beamed up at him with doughy eyes.

"Sorry," she said with a light chuckle, "I was just looking at you and noticing how downright  handsome you are, so I couldn't resist asking." Despite her words, her eyes lingered on his face and her black tail switched, unapologetic. "I told my mom about you the other day," Wildfire found herself saying. "About how much I like you. How much we have in common." And how I can picture a future beside you, she added mentally, though it somehow seemed way too declarative... at least, for the moment.

She smiled and then gave an unnecessary apology. Floki shook his head gently, though he stopped to listen as she continued. His expression sobered as he realized what Wildfire was saying. She had talked to her mom about him, which was an unexpected revelation. Floki hadn't voiced his feelings aloud to anyone else, not even Charon, and now he wondered if he should have.

"I like you a lot too," he replied, though he wasn't sure what else he was supposed to say. Were they supposed to become boyfriend and girlfriend? He kind of already thought of Wildfire in that light, though they hadn't labeled each other yet. His stomach did a flip flop as he decided to wait for her to say more.

When he declared their feelings mutual, Wildfire beamed quietly at him. "I know," she said breezily, gazing into his eyes for a few beats before suddenly turning and saying, "So, partner, let's show all the small woodland creatures what a fearsome team we make." As she spoke, Wildfire began moving again, making a conscientious effort to clear the happy fuzz from her head and focus back on the hunt.

For a little while, she was able to keep her head in the game. Soon they were on the other side of the mountain, with scents galore to sift through. But Wildfire's mind began to drift despite it all. She was still in no rush to label this thing she had with Floki, yet there had been a deliciousness to calling him her partner. She also enjoyed daydreaming of the life they could—and maybe would—build together someday.

She was picturing their future pups when she caught herself, standing motionless in a small clearing. Wildfire blinked, then shook her head and laughed at herself. What a goon! she thought to herself, then began moving again. She glanced over to see if Floki was still close by and felt her cheeks heat a little. What would he think, if he could read her mind? Would he enjoy her musings... or freak out and run away? The young she-wolf laughed under her breath as she wondered.

She didn't take it any further, instead playfully pivoting and suggesting that they resume their hunt. Floki followed obediently, trying to refocus on tracking down a viable scent, but he found that he was distracted. Thoughts of Wildfire swam in his mind, even though she was directly in front of him at that very moment. He really did like her -- more than he had liked anyone else, he supposed, and in a different way. She was one of the few wolves that he was close to outside of his family, and while he loved his mother and his siblings, he could recognize that the way he felt about Wildfire was not at all similar. She sparked a sensation in his heart that he couldn't describe.

Luckily, it seemed that Wildfire was just as preoccupied as he was -- he trailed far behind her for a short while, and when he caught up to her, he found her motionless and staring into space. As he approached, she seemed to jump back into the present and moved forward again. Realizing that he hadn't even sorted out one single scent belonging to a potential prey animal, he cleared his throat and then said, "Found anything yet?" But even as he spoke, he found his gaze was drawn to the sway of Wildfire's hips in front of him; with a cough, he quickly looked away, pretending like he was investigating some shrubbery to his left.

She quickly shook her head, sheepish, in response to his question. Realizing she should probably explain herself (lest he think she was turning out to be a shoddy tracker), Wildfire mentally scrambled before blurting, "It's all your fault! You're distracting me." Surely that would throw him for a loop. But she was grinning as she made eye contact with him, then further explained, "You have this way of always sneaking into my head." Her cheeks warmed a little as she admitted this, her amber gaze momentarily dropping with bashfulness, but then she forced them back to his face again. There was no shame in her game when it came to Floki.

Reminding herself of this, she continued, "I was actually wondering... about your thoughts on, like, mates and stuff." Despite Wildfire's attempt to sound confident and easy breezy, that came out sounding so awkward and stilted. Was there any part of her that wasn't prone to clumsiness? "I mean, do you see yourself having a mate and kids someday?" What she really wanted to ask was, Do you see yourself doing those things with me? However, it felt safer to ask in general, for now.

"Sorry!" Floki replied swiftly, though there was heat rushing to his cheeks and he was unable to stop a grin from blossoming. Had he been a little older or more socially adept, he might've made a clever, flirtatious comment; but instead, he scuffed his forepaw into the dirt as Wildfire forged ahead with their conversation.

She was full of surprises, and it seemed like they wouldn't get much hunting done, after all. Floki slowly lowered himself to his haunches, considering her questions and the implications behind them. He hadn't given his future much thought; he tended to enjoy the present, knowing that things could change in an instant. His family had been fragmented and splintered from the start, but it was that fact that convinced him that he wanted the exact opposite.

"Yes," he replied firmly, beginning to feel a bit more confident. "And I'll make sure that nothing ever happens to them or to me. I'll always be there for them." There was an edge to his voice, but he knew Wildfire would understand since she knew all about his history. Meeting her gaze, he asked, "Do you?"

She could feel her own pulse as she waited for his answer. Floki folded himself into a seated position and Wildfire unthinkingly followed suit, amber eyes shifting over his face. She could almost see the cogs working in his mind as he contemplated the question. She didn't know if it was a good or bad sign that he needed a moment to consider it.

But when he replied, he did so in a very determined tone that he not only wanted kids, he would make sure nothing ever came between them. Wildfire felt warmth blossoming in her chest and a smile sneaking onto her face. She understood the understated vehemence in his voice. While his family was more or less taped back together these days, they had been completely torn apart once upon a time.

Floki wanted to know where she stood on the issue, naturally. "I'd never really thought about it much before, though it's been crossing my mind more and more lately. Probably since I'm an adult now," she said, although she knew that it coincided directly with her involvement with Floki. "But, yeah, I definitely wanna do the whole family thing," she answered easily, feeling her awkwardness fade now that she knew the two of them were pretty much on the same page.

Content that they were going in the same direction, Wildfire decided not to press the matter any further, at least not today. It seemed almost a foregone conclusion that their paths would merge at some point in the future. They clearly liked one another; they shared the same interests; and they both wanted the same things out of life. It was all very promising and she took a moment to delight in it.

Then she bounced on the balls of her feet, pressing her nose suddenly into his cheek. "Shall we resume our hunt?" she asked in a quietly giddy voice. "Partner?"

OMG I keep getting foot cramps while I'm trying to post AUGGGHGHGHDS D: Also I powerplayed, hope you don't mind!

He smiled. Hearing Wildfire talk about having a family made him see her in a different light. He felt something stirring in the pit of his stomach as he imagined her with pups gallivanting around her feet. Despite her free-spirited nature, he had no problem picturing her as a good mom, and slowly began to realize that maybe she was the key to making sure his future family never fell apart.

She seemed to be satisfied with the depth of their conversation and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before proposing that they continue their hunt. Normally, Floki would have been ready to change gears, but he found he was having a hard time pulling his mind back into the present. With a sly smile and flick of his tail, he replied, "If you want to...or..."

Then, without giving Wildfire time to react, he lunged forward and wrapped his forelegs around her shoulders. Using his weight to take advantage of gravity, he attempted to pull her to the ground alongside him, simultaneously covering her cheeks in kisses.

PP as much as you want! :D

It seemed he would rather tackle her and kiss her silly. Wildfire laughed and squirmed even as she buckled beneath his weight and let herself fall to the ground beside him. She liked the warm weight of his legs circled around her neck and the touch of his tongue to her face. She scrunched her nose, though only playfully. Her black tail thumped on the ground and she nipped at his chin, throat and chest—any part of him she could easily reach.

"If we want to be good parents and be able to provide for our pups someday, we should really get back to hunting..." she joked after a few beats, even though she was pretty sure she could lay here like this forever. Her amber eyes sparkled impishly. She could be referring to their respective future offspring, though she meant it—and quietly hoped he would take it—as if she was talking about their mutual progeny.

I'm planting seeds of doubt in Floki's mind in a couple of our threads, haha.

Although Wildfire reciprocated his affectionate display, she eventually suggested that they focus on hunting. Floki righted himself with a smile, slowly untangling his legs from hers. As he pushed himself into a standing position, however, a cloud ghosted across his face. He remembered his brother's suggestion that "Dhole" had a crush on him and suddenly began to question the implications behind their whole conversation. It had sounded like Wildfire wanted to pursue a future with Floki, but he was full of doubt. What if she wanted to be the Alpha's mate and raise children with him?

With a gentle shake of his head, he forced thoughts of Charon from his mind. "Okay, you're right. What's on the menu today?" he asked, even though Wildfire had indicated earlier that she didn't have a particular target in mind.

I like how I (accidentally?!) nipped that RIGHT IN THE BUTT BUD.

Whatever way he took it, Floki didn't mention it out loud. Another she-wolf might have fretted or over-analyzed this, yet Wildfire didn't worry her head about it. She had a lot of confidence in this bond they shared and had faith that it would take them wherever they were intended to go, whenever the timing was right. Hopefully, somewhere down the road, it would transpire into a commitment and a family.

For now, they had nothing more pressing to accomplish besides exterminating a few of the forest's small animals. She still didn't have a particular kind of prey in mind, though prompted by Floki's question, she said, "Hmmm, what do you say we work on our squirrel game? They're fast and bouncy, like rabbits, but they come with the extra challenge of being able to climb trees. You game?"

It wouldn't be difficult to find a trail, so all that was left was to figure out whether Floki was interested in her choice of food. While she expectantly waited a positive response, she couldn't help but playfully reach out a foreleg and give him an affectionate shove. She loved touching him almost as much as she loved being touched by him and it seemed she just couldn't keep her hands (paws?) to herself.

:D

Although Wildfire didn't know what was on Floki's mind, she helped to ease his worries about Charon by suggesting that they hunt squirrels. The last tendrils of thought related to his older brother slipped away as his mouth instinctively began to water. He didn't have a lot of experience with squirrels, but was enticed by the inherent challenge that they presented.

"Let's do it," he agreed with a laugh as she pushed him. He reached out to reciprocate, though his touch was gentle -- if he shoved her with his full strength, he would surely knock her to the ground. Then, unexpectedly, he darted away, zig-zagging through the trees with his gaze trained on the branches up above. "Last one to catch a squirrel is a rotten egg!" he cried, adding a completely different dare to their quest.

Suddenly he was darting out of reach, playfully taunting her about rotten eggs. "You're on!" she shouted after him, laughing as she dug her heels into the ground and sprang after him. For several minutes, she chased him through the woods before suddenly remembering herself. She was supposed to be pursuing squirrels, not Floki. She grinned, shaking her head as she let him slip away into the trees in pursuit of his own bushy-tailed rodent. She then braked to a stop to focus for a moment.

Wildfire drew in a breath, sifting through the scents on the air. She then dropped her nose, combing through those closer to the ground. She located a promising trail and began to wind through the woodland, nose skimming just inches above the cold, damp substrate. The scent led her to the foot of a perfect, stately elm. She paused near its roots, golden eyes lifting to the limbs. She didn't see the squirrel but if it was up there, it was well out of reach anyway.

She abandoned that lead, then went roving for another. It didn't take long to strike another trail, this one causing her to double back the way she had come. Wildfire pried her way through a thicket, leaped over a fallen log and spotted the squirrel just on the other side, sitting on its haunches in the dead center of a small clearing. There was a half-eaten acorn in its little hands, though it dropped it and darted away immediately when the she-wolf appeared.

With a low snarl in her throat, Wildfire leaped after it. But there were too many trees nearby and the squirrel quite easily bounded from the ground to a spot about four or five feet up the trunk of another elm tree, then scurried upward out of reach. Wildfire stopped at the tree's base, staring after it, ears pressing backward when the rodent sought the lowest limb, tucked itself into the joint and began scolding her loudly.

He laughed as Wildfire chased him. She wasn't the only one that momentarily forgot the challenge he had issued just seconds ago. Only when she changed her course and he could no longer hear the patter of her paws did Floki glance over his shoulder and then refocus his attention. He had no idea if either one of them would really be able to catch a squirrel, but he knew Wildfire would give it her best effort, and so would he.

Obviously, he thought the best place to start would be at the base of a tree. He slowed to a trot, tilting his chin up as he examined the branches above him. He didn't spot any squirrels at first, and his expression slowly gathered into a frown as he began to realize that this might be more difficult than he thought. He certainly didn't want to be a rotten egg.

But when he heard loud chattering, his ears pricked and he moved towards the source of the sound. There, he found not only a squirrel but Wildfire as well, peering up at the rodent as it continued to make noise. Pausing next to her, he asked, "How do we get it to come down?"

When her companion materialized at her side, Wildfire threw him a playfully possessive glance, though her expression quickly shifted to one of amusement as she answered, "We don't." Her tail switched a few times, the feathery black tip brushing Floki's hip. "That's the challenge I mentioned. Once they're up a tree, there's nothing you can do. The trick is nabbing them before they climb out of reach."

As she spoke, her eyes drifted from the screeching squirrel to her beau. "No luck?" she asked him. If he was standing here, she could only assume he hadn't come upon anything promising. "I already caught one today, so I've probably maxed out my quota. How about... we just accept our fates and be rotten eggs together?" Grinning, she shifted closer and dug her elbow into one of his ribs, then pressed her muzzle into his neck and crinkled her nose as if to imply he stank.

In the next moment, she withdrew. She was done chasing for the day, though Wildfire definitely wasn't done with Floki. Maybe it would be fun to turn the tables. "Tag, you're it!" she shouted suddenly, tapping his hindquarters and then scrambling to flee into the woods. Just before disappearing, she whirled to add, "There's a kiss in it for you if you catch me!" before darting away with an airy laugh.

Conclude? :) <3

Yep! <3

Floki frowned, a little disappointed that they wouldn't be able to entice the squirrel down from its tree. But the feeling was fleeting when Wildfire proposed that they both take up the title of rotten egg. He grinned. "We can stink together," he laughed as she pretended to sniff him.

Unpredictable as always, she suddenly moved away from him and then poked him in the haunches. "You're it!" she cried, and before she could even mention the prize that he would receive if he caught her, he was galloping after her. The promise of a kiss was enough to make him dig his feet in and run faster, and soon the squirrel was left alone.

It chattered judgmentally in the direction that the two wolves had gone, then scaled the boughs above and disappeared from view.