As summer moved slowly on, the arrival of the Sveijarn pups got closer and closer. It wasn't time yet. There was still a week or so to go, not that Njal knew that. He had tried to lessen his patrols and spend more time with Tuwawi, who rested in their den; however, with the threat of Jace's pack becoming a real thing, other thoughts surfaced in the warden's mind. He began to divert his patrols around the mountains, as if the wall that they provided had been breached. The strenuous work of climbing a mountain in the middle of summer was intense for the winter beast; his weight began to strip from him over the course of days, as extra fat became muscle.
On one of these winding patrols, Njal sought out the relief of shade within the distant forest. A day of careful observation of the mountainside had left his body strained and worn, but there was no stopping. He moved as if entranced by something otherworldly; pulled in to the depths of the forest by the curve of the mountain. The shadows swallowed him up and, for the first time in weeks, Njal found a quiet place. A soothing place. He rested in the crooked root system of some old trees, and when he awoke, there was little memory of how he arrived there.
But it was morning, and he felt rested. Forest detritus had become netted in his fur, soil streaked his chin and cheeks, and his pelt stuck out in unruly clumps. How long was I asleep? He thought to himself as he roused, lethargic and affected by a strange humidity that sank between the trees. He was groggy as he began to walk, not quite fully awake, and wove a lazy path in the deep of the forest.
Danica had decided to make an early day of it today, her new arrival to these lands lending a need to explore and familiarize herself with the area. She had already explored the lovely meadow to the north but, with the day's heat setting in, had decided to take her wanders farther south and into the forest's shade.
Seemingly, she wasn't the only one. A shape in the trees ahead soon revealed itself to be Njal. She had become aquainted with the beta on her 'initiation' task, so to speak, but hadn't ever really spoken to him in this sort of setting before. She considered turning around before he noticed she was there, but banished the thought. A ghost of shyness from her youth, nothing more.
"Hello, Njal." She fell in step alongside him.
Cold fear had grabbed the Beta's heart when the newcomers steps took her in the direction of the Sunspire. She had jumped to at least a dozen conclusions by the time the trail disappeared into Blackfoot Forest, and damned the girl to several levels of hell between disappearing into the musty forest herself. The air was stale from lack of circulation, and smelled strongly of foxes - almost enough to mask the scent of the wolf visitor.
About 20 minutes passed before she spotted Danica and Njal in the gloom; a flash of cream and her co-leader's familiar mountain colours. The former had just finished levelling a greeting at the father-to-be, and Bazi breathed a whispered "Oh" of understanding. There was no conspiracy here. The fluffy youth barked to summon the attention of her packmates (this was the first time she had actually seen her target), and trotted over to greet them. What was Njal doing here, in this grim place?
It wasn't so bad here. Warm, yes. The strange darkness that pervaded every inch was ominous, but not something that frightened him. It was pleasant enough. As the beast moseyed he came upon a break in the tree line, and was almost immediately met by a pale figure. They appeared to notice him as well, and as if begrudging the task, approached him. Still groggy from his nap, Njal did not immediately become wary of the stranger—and that was alright. Njal noticed the scent upon her prior to her greeting, and then with the addition of her voice, he reached recognition. Danica was new to the land but she had already proven herself upon their task up the mountain. With a lazy smile sliding in to place upon his muzzle, he brushed his shoulder to her own in greeting.
And then, another figure emerged from the dark. It was like a gathering of ghosts, except that the quiet of the forest was interrupted by crickets and frog-song. Bazi breathed a sound as she came upon them, which alerted Njal to her presence. He raised his head and glanced over Danica's stalwart self in time to see a curious expression slip across the other Beta's face. Bazi, good afternoon.
He drawled, strolling around one wolf to greet the other. As he walked he yawned—something that started small but ended with Njal's big fat face breathing hot air across Bazi's own, which was then shut sheepishly with a click. Ah, what are you two doing out here?
Her attention followed Njal's as a third voice sounded and another figure appeared to join this little party; Bazi. Well, two Betas in one morning. She was moving up in the world, she thought, amused. The white female had come from the same way as Danica, she was surprised she hadn't heard her behind her. Then again, she had been a bit preoccupied by the unfamiliar exploration. "Bazi", she intoned, dipping her head in greeting to the other.
She stifled a snort as Njal yawned directly in Bazi's face. "Oh, you know. Raising hell, taking names." Danica looked at the trees. "Starting all sorts of trouble." Sometimes wolves had a hard time knowing when she was joking, and she figured so early on wasn't a good time to take chances. "Seriously though, trying to map out the territory. Isn't much good if I don't know where things are."
”Hey, Danica. I was kind of..following you? Sorry - ” a rare and humble apology, accompanied by a few whips of the tail and no further explanation. Bazi wasn’t about to tell the newcomer that she had doubted the honesty of her character, especially after Danica had accompanied Njal and Cutthroat to the Sunspire. On the subject of Blackfoot Forest itself, she shot a look at the treetops. ”I think the only remarkable thing about this place is the foxes. I’ve seen a very old one skulking about; blind as a bat and just as insane. No wolf pack, though, ever. I’ve crossed through a few times and never seen a trace.”
Fox?
he numbly croaked, as Bazi's dollop of saliva dried upon his cheek. He hadn't smelled her around here—the beast looked around blankly, watching the treeline. Evidently he wasn't fully awake yet. The following description made Njal reconsider the topic of conversation. He turned to face the two ladies abruptly, almost tripping on his twisting legs. Maybe we can find some. Hm?
The Beta took on a bemused expression, but then another yawn urged his mouth to stretch open; this time, he diverted his face away from Bazi and Danica with a glimmer of amusement in his gaze. As he began to stride along he stretched, popping his hips in the process, and let out a contented sigh. Well? Lets go. Tuwawi could use some more padding for the den.
"Now there's a taste I've never had the pleasure of trying." A fox wasn't something one tried to take on alone. Sure, they were small, but hardly easy prey and downright nasty when cornered. Don't I know someone else like that, she thought with amusement, again reflecting on the appropriate nature of their leader's name. "I'm in."
Njal's suggestion that they hunt and kill a few of the locals was met with an enthusiastic nod. Bazi took up position beside Danica, looking to her co-leader for further instructions. Foxes were wily, slippery little creatures with sharp teeth and claws - not unlike Fox herself, who could at the very least be described as 'calculating'. "One for each pup?" she asked in a hushed voice, ears already working hard to pick up any sound that might indicate company. How many pelts would that be - three? Four? ..five? Tuwawi was beyond capacity now, large than Bazi had imagined she would become, so five was not beyond the realms of possibility.
The three of them could round up all of the foxes in the forest if they wanted to. This was the first thought to spring to mind as first Danica, then Bazi agreed to the chase; granted, Bazi's comment made him smirk more than move, but with a whisk of his tail the warden's attention shifted. I've never hunted a fox either, only chased them. They're quick and I'm... Not so quick.
The beast huffed as he stated this, as he wasn't exactly pleased with the show of weakness, but that was where the others came in. But it shouldn't bee too hard to catch a few.
Danica knew Njal's mate was having children (how could she not, it seemed everyone's business was pack business here) but had never met her nor even seen her. She supposed that she was kept hidden away, unfit for much until she popped out the little parasites. It wasn't that Danica minded children... she rather enjoyed their youthful innocence and insight. She just never in a million years had ever planned on having any. It seemed a lot of inconvenience and not much reward to her personally. Plus, there were... other considerations.
"At least three, I should think. One each and more if possible. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's probably better to have too much bedding rather than too little." She stayed back behind the other two, knowing that when the time came they would lead the way and call the shots. She would be content to follow, letting them lead her to the fun.
"We're quick," she told him, briefly looking back over her shoulder at Danica. "And quiet. If you bulldoze your way through the underbrush over there, we'll sneak round and see if any foxes pop out." In certain places, the crowns were sparse enough to let light reach the ground and feed the willowy saplings and stubborn weeds that reached up from the moss.
After Bazi's instructions, Njal gave a curt nod and began to march through the trees. His head was high, his nose wiggling slightly as he searched the air for any trace of fox musk; then, when he found something of value, he changed his route. The forest parted for him the way a strong wave parts for a boulder; crackling around him as if to pull him down, but failing. Njal picked up his pace as the smell intensified, bludgeoning his way across roots and through the mossy undergrowth of the forest until - with a suddenly sharpness - there was activity. Red flashes in the dark prompted the wolf to snap his teeth, to herd the foxes out of hiding. Hopefully the other two were ready to intercept.
Danica nodded in agreement at Bazi's words. It was a solid plan, having Njal flush them out while they intercepted. The surprised foxes shouldn't have much time to think about their opponents for Bazi and she would, ideally, appear out of nowhere. They would have to be very swift and quiet, though, for it to work. If their prey took off in the wrong direction they would be gone in a heartbeat.
Careful to avoid anything that may make noise, she circled around, placing her paws as consciously as she could while still traveling at a swift gait. They needed to get there before Njal made his move. She didn't look up to see where Bazi was, assuming that she too was positioning herself as best she could. Just as she got a ways into the trees a ruckus began to her right. Putting on the gas she stretched out into a sprint, her eyes trained on the flashes of red fur ahead of her. Picking out one that would make a particularly fine pelt for Njal's den, she bore down on it.
Neither wolf contested her plan. Bazi barely had time to recall her own role in the hunt before Njal had taken charge of his, but remembered herself when Danica slipped silently into the brush. Last to move, the pale girl moved to the opposite side of Njal to her pack-mate and quickly picked up pace, settling into a swift, sure-footed run. Colour would put her at a distinct disadvantage (the forest had not seen so bright a wolf since Ragnar had visited the warren's matriarch), but swiftness would make up for that. She thanked the stars that there was only three wolves to coordinate, and that their prey was small.
The foxes soon cottoned on to what was happening, but by then it was too late. Njal's thundering footsteps left no doubt that he would physically bulldoze any creature that stood in his way, and the two girls at the front were quick to take advantage. Mortified squeals suggested that Danica was about to make her contribution to Tuwawi's children, surprising a second creature straight into Bazi's path. It wasn't a particularly luxurious-looking creature, but she nevertheless ceased the opportunity - it died a sudden, mid-leap death, its neck broken by a set of hungry jaws it never saw coming.
Most of the foxes did not know what hit them—and quite literally. Njal bore down upon them with an intensity he had not shown in quite some time. At least since receiving his head wound by the cougar that had invaded. He snapped at their tails now as the entities rose up from the brush and scattered, some diving towards Bazi, others towards Danica. The warden would not let them escape. Even with his deliberate stomps, the beast was not at his maximum speed—so when a panicked fox crossed his path, he charged after it with teeth snapping. It was a liquid thing; moving rapidly on its tiny legs in a manner that wasn't quite fast enough, but nearly outmaneuvering the bulky wolf. A misjudged turn brought the fox face to face with Bazi as she snapped the neck of one of its allies, and the sight stopped the animal in its tracks. That was enough of a pause to grant Njal an opening to attack. His own teeth slid cleanly through the scruff of fur upon the foxes back and he pulled, yarding the animal closer, then released and grabbed it again, this time on the back of the neck. A sharp crack later, the fox was limp upon the ground.
"That was a good deal of fun," she said, leaning down to pick up her catch and walking over to the others. Her eyes shone over the bundle, heart still racing from the thrill of the chase. A part of her wanted to tear after the remaining ones and wreak even more havoc among them, but she knew she wouldn't catch them now. She did enjoy to see them panic though.
All around them, the remaining foxes were making a squealing ruckus - their noises were foreign to Bazi, and she couldn't tell if they were screaming out of rage, fear, grief, or all three. Whatever their feelings, it sounded like nails on a chalkboard. "This isn't though. My poor ears," Bazi lamented, and turned to look towards the beckoning light of the eastern plains. "Let's go, before the summon something bigger." Who knew what sort of creatures a fox might make an alliance with.
He loomed over the body but paid it little attention. A dead fox was hardly of interest to him even if the pelt was going to be the prize. Njal looked at Danica's catch and then to Bazi, who winked her way, and then gave a nod when she spoke. He could hear her, but the chaotic squealing of the remaining foxes made it difficult — the beast nodded to show he supported the idea of leaving, and scooped up the dead fox. They could depart now and present Tuwawi with the bodies in tandem; it would take time to clean them, to remove the fur, but it was a mindless task. The fox hung limply from betwixt his teeth, swaying with each step as Njal began to depart.
Danica answered Bazi's wink with a brush of her tail, elated that all three of them had managed to get a prize. The din was getting more than a little out of hand, though, and she flattened her ears, nodding appreciatively at Bazi's suggestion. "Yes, let's, please."
She followed behind Njal, keeping a hold of her catch and keeping a wary eye out for any of the rest lest they get any ideas. Foxes could be rather nasty sometimes, and while she doubted any would challenge them, one could never know for sure. It was time to get these back and skinned so that the pelts could be used. Danica found herself really hoping that Tuwawi liked them... her fondness for Njal carried over to his mate as well.