Sleeping Dragon effects of external conditions

@Rebekka maybe? Or anyone else going for a hunter trade? Roll result.

There is little improvement, but not enough. The locusts were gone, but with them so are the prey. There are things left behind but still minimal. The rats that lived upon the dragon had diminished even with the feast of dead locusts but eleven suitable wolves easily destroys the population if done quickly enough. Rabbits and squirrels were scarce, if any, and Gavriel had no talent when it came to birds. It was Seregrýn's speciality, after all, and he wouldn't take anything from her that isn't freely given, even if her demotion had been noted among the others. 

How well he'd done so far in Drageda had surprised him, however, and he still works to keep his head down. Quiet, out of the way, and most of the time on the borders in search for nearby food or trespassers. Something to buy the time, at least. 

The valley to the east of the mountain, however, had shown some growth. Some grass is returning, in patches, and it is then he notices a rat run from one to another before it crosses back into the mountain to hole up in his presence. Gavriel runs at full speed without thinking, but the creature disappears where he can't even fit a paw. Frustrated and hungry, the large male growls and begins to dig to try and fish the rat out of its hiding place.

She had tried many times after the scene at the river to fish, but her attempts did not seem to work. Instead, she stuck to small rodent and bird. Fish were by far the best thing she had tasted, and even in the new waters they had a different tang than what Trigeda had produced. But, her erm.. fear of water did not help her desire for the water meat. Hm. She would have to try her hand at bird again. Lucky for her, her realitivly smaller size and light feet was her advantage against the fast and very aware lightwinged species. At the sight of a small wren, she took her chances. Her body coiled, padding carefully just inches above the forest ground. When she was sure the bird was not aware, she sprang, taking the bird in her jaws as she did so. There was minimal struggle and only a few feathers lost before she loped off to her newly dug cache.

On her way, the blurred form of a man she knew whizzed past her halted figure. Instinctivly, she ran after him with the bird clenched in her teeth. Her pace only halted when she watched Gavriel put all his weight into digging out a mouse he could not reach. Instead, she bropped her bird at his feet. She could catch another, and he was frankly more important than she was. However, she most likely would have more success in reaching the rat, and she gestured to let her do so. If not, his loss.

He digs, mostly to relieve his frustration, and throws dirt behind him even though he can no longer see the rat. He pauses, only for a moment, to see a ray of light on the other side of the rock and he realizes the creature had gotten away from him. A grumble in his stomach protests him stopping and he uses his already muddy paws to dig at the rock half-heartedly. Brown eyes stare through the crack, hoping for some kind of movement, but nothing occurs until something behind him makes a sound. Ears swivel a little and he slowly backs away until he sees the odd-marked girl with a bird at her feet. Looking back to his task, he steps out of the way but doesn’t go for the kill she made. His mouth waters and he sucks in a breath to keep from saliva dripping out of his muzzle.

“It’s already gone,” he confesses with an indifferent shrug of one of his shoulders. The trade off at this point is useless so Gavriel gives up on his escapade and shakes off his feet. “You chose to stay,” he then observes, noticing her scent a little more frequently around the dragon. Her purpose remains largely unknown to him, why she’d left Trigeda in the first place and chose to stay here, still under Heda’s rule. His jaw tightens, looking her over, but doesn’t question it. His leader likely got the answer she needs enough to keep her around and he offers half a smile in a delayed welcome. “It is good to have someone else familiar,” he says and bobs his head. Seregryn isn’t much for conversation; in fact, a whole different world for that girl.

Gavriel does not take her offering, to her confusion. She shrugged instead, placing her paw out to retract the bird from the distance it was at. It did not affect her if he did not want to eat, and if he starved she could at least say she offered. It was not in the Rebekka manual that understood emotions very well, nor something as fickle as curteousy. There was either mean or nice, but consideration was really not an option. She looked back to the torn mess of a hole and shook her head. This was the display of a hunter? It looked like desperation. But she did not press futher. Instead, she acknowledged the suprise in his voice when speaking of her presence among their ranks. "Yes. I prefer not to roam with the cannibals," It was truly, half of her conscience to stay. There was at least the assurance she would not be eaten while she was within Drageda territory. Out there, well, they did what they had to do to survive. 

She was curious why Gavriel identified her as familiar, when the pack was a Heda ruled colony. Surely, there had to be other geda wolves. It wasn't just her.. right? "But there are others?" It was a question, but it was also a slight beg. She wasn't just surrounded by strangers. She couldn't be. How was she going to talk to anyone, when she had been led to believe that Drageda was comprised of mostly Trigedasleng speaking wolves? Faya had been the only non-cultured wolf she met, and she had assumed that was the only one besides the other Alpha. A panic began to arise within her. How was she to survive with the oddities of Teekon wolves? They made no sense, most of the time.

It isn't that he doesn't want he catch; he'd devour it before he would even taste it. Taking it from the new girl, however, didn't settle well with him when she'd already wasted her energy on it. If anything, he'd take it to Gyda to keep her fed and healthy for the brood she plans to carry. As Rebekka takes it back, he considers objecting, but for the moment he keeps quiet while his brown eyes study the kill. Her questions distract him from his thoughts and he snaps his attention inward to focus. 

"There is me, and Seregrýn, the Fos Goufa," she says. Whether or not Rebekka knew the next current heir or not from the little time spent in Trigeda, she would at least know of her. The next ruler of their coalition in Heda's care for teaching, even if perhaps Trigeda had more of their own wolves to teach her. He isn't entirely sure Heda has time with everything on her plate and the young wolf is a lot to work with. "It wasn't that long ago she sent Vercingetorix back to Trigeda to inform them of the changes. I imagine more Seageda wolves to show, or at the very least ambassadors from your home."

With a lull, he finds himself looking back at the kill and the words eventually form on his tongue: "If you want to give that to someone, you should take it to Gyda, Sleeping Dragon's chieftain, she may be expecting children."

To her relife, Gavriel did not disappoint in his answer although the low grounder count did make her wonder. Why had no others come to join Drageda? She remembered vaugely a female relaying the news of a new tribe to Trigeda, who was still under Heda's behest. But from there, she had not cared to remember much. However, the name of the Fos Goufta did ring many bells in her mind. Everyone knew of the desendents to the throne, and the great honour they had to inherit the spirit of the Commanders before them. Rebekka did not have the privilage of knowing one, but she was bound to meet her if they lived among the same grounds. This, was good news.

At the time of Vercingtorix's departure and return, she had not even considered leaving her used-to-be home, so anything outside her confines had not been important enough to consider. But now, it concerned her; there had to be more still to come, at least from the remains of Seageda. "They will," Rebekka was strong in her opinion, and truly believed that her fellow wolves would come to Drageda, drawn by their loyalty to Heda and not of mere coincidence. The loyal will come, she was sure.

Her eyes follow Gavriels to rest at her feet, namely what laid at them. The mouse, she had almost forgotten. The girl looked back to him, unsure if he was having second thoughts about taking her meal. She did not mind. Afterall, she was not nearly as important as he, and the chain of command still applied to her life. But, the opportunity to meet the she-wolf who had taken a spot beside the Commander was too intriguing to pass up. Rebekka wondered how she female had done it, a spot as valueable as ruling beside the Heda was not granted for good looks, but for someone with true skill. The female could only be a match to Heda's power, and for that reason, Rebekka feared the Gyda.

"Children?" Well, this was news indeed. Rebekka was hardly the gossip but she couldn't help wondering the most obvious question; who was the Father? But her skattered mind did not weigh in on the question for very long, before worrying about the bigger troubles. "But we are admist a famine. They will surely die," It seemed the only reasonable outcome of the children's lives, as sadistic as it was. If anything it was surely inconvenient, as they were starving as it was. Nevertheless, she made for once, an unselfsh decision. "I will bring this to her. Where does she live?" 

Even if more wolves came from Trigeda, it isn’t the best of ideas—he has no idea of their land is had been attacked by the locusts or if a famine occurred. If they were lucky, the swarm had not reached them and the prey had hopefully gone in their direction. Some part of Drageda should survive, even if it isn’t on Sleeping Dragon. A message would have been nice but he can’t hope for such things. To send a messenger would be up to Thuringwethil and to receive would be on the leader of the tree clan, however, neither of them linger long on the thought once he’s brought up Gyda.

“Sha,” he says with a nod. “It happened before the famine hit,” he adds though he frowns. Their survival rate seems slim, given their circumstances, but the queen wishes for the best even if it were to sacrifice herself for them. Unsure if they would even come out healthy and strong would be a matter to be seen, if they survive the term. To himself, he wonders what Heda would do upon their birth, unaware of the head butting between their two leaders—surely they would be sacrificed for the sake of their able members. “I can take you, if you’d like,” he says once more with a slight tilt of his head.

Once she decides which she prefers, he begins to show her the way to Gyda's den for her gift.