Wild Berry Meadow Phat Bellies

@Tulimaq let the big boys meet

Sweet smell of autumn berries ripening in the last bits of sunshine left for the season, clinging to the branches in only what he could assume were well fermented fruits that kept the small and large beasts fat and jolly - thus easy to hunt and kill, keeping himself well fed. These lands were by far one of his favorites here, the prey were easy and abundant. All he had to do was cache a few corpses on a hunting spree and eat to his hearts content despite their small frames.

Blood stained his lips as the brute wandered the grasslands, small brush just tall enough to keep him from sticking out like a sore thumb, but just low enough so he may watch the larger prey - such as deer - for any weaklings that he may be able to pick out. Thus far he wasn't lucky, but eventually one would fall sick, old, or prey to a broken leg in some sort of hole by the diggers around.

The thick pink muscle within his jowels slid accross his muzzle to clean it, over and over he continued whie meandering around. Despite how fantastic these lands were, he had to keep on alert. Passing by a claimed land just to the east of here, their wolves could use this too as a hunting ground. The one thing he disliked about living on his own was the fact he had to be mindful of any pack wanderers. Those who may gang up on the goliath for whatever reason they choose. 

With no hint of such a thing festering now, no sound or smell infiltrating his senses. Rosencrantz was more than comfortable to sit and watch as a herd of deer plucked the rest of the berries for their sweet sugars and still green grass until winter hit. Although the snow fell in a slow rhythm, it was peaceful. The chill reminded him of home, and he looked forward to see what winter was like in the more southern parts of this new world.

It had been at least a week since Tulimaq had seen anything larger than a hare, and as the season progressed he expected to see less and less of the smaller creatures of the wilderness as they chose to avoid the seasonal shift; himself, on the other hand, was more than capable of surviving within the wasteland of the north and he assumed it would be much more mild here, and thus easier. He was not worried. However, as he crossed along a low hill and picked his way lazily through the frost-bitten shrubs, he caught sight of something. At first he wasn't sure what he was seeing - it was just a subtle motion, the lowering of a wedge-shaped head towards the blunt grass rolling along the hillside. He paused.

Tulimaq watched as one of the deer crept along, either oblivious of the wolf or desperate with the wilting of the grass and the encroaching cold, so they might not have cared. The wolf sniffed the air, dragged his tongue across his nose so that he could gather the scents, and that's when he picked out the aroma of another canine - it was light, airy, not familiar. Tulimaq huffed air from his snout to clear it (and focus his mind), and he turned his attention from the wandering deer and began to scope out the area for wolves.

Chances were good that it was a rogue, but Tulimaq could not be too careful - he was not known for being timid, anyways. If the wolf was lurking near the herd of wandering deer then there was a better chance they could join forces, perhaps get a meal out of any exchange. From his vantage point among the berry bushes, he couldn't make out any obvious shapes --- ah, but there, he could see some white among the maroon of the bushes.

On approach he realized it was a small hump of early snow, having fallen in the hours previous and likely covering one of the bushes; not a wolf, then. Tulimaq turned his attention to his periphery and tried to find the wolf-scent again, but it had moved on already. Curious.

He sat still, honey eyes watching the herd as they plucked at their leisure. The scent was alluring, young and old alike, but none sick enough to be taken down alone. A kick to the face, an antler at the wrong spot - it wasn't a chance he was willing to take despite others of his size and battle capabilities would be more than happy to show off their prowess by tempting fate with such a brash move.

Unless it was a fight among warriors, he preferred a guaranteed success in take down, with minimal injury. All he needed was a strong kick to the jaw and that would be game over, a broken jaw as a loner would surely mean certain death - home would be the same. A useless injury was a quick one way ticket to death, one without the honour of battle. And so he sat as the herd approached and wandered, clearly comfortable with his presence if they cared at all.

A new scent caught his attention, tilting his ears and head in said direction in a slow motion to watch the horizon for movement. There was only one on the breeze, he couldn't be certain if they were alone or hailed from a pack at this distance, on one whiff - but someone was skulking near by. Rosencrantz's movement caused the herd to move back as movement was caught on his end. Away from the lump of white that sat near a bush in a lazy attempt to keep him out from the open. 

Whomever they were, Rose couldn't see them where he sat. Whatever they were here to do, he wasn't about to give up his seat of the herd to hunt down a possible unfriendly, useless stranger who would do nothing for him other than a waste of time. Never the less, he kept his eyes out around other than the group of meat ahead, if said individual wanted to take down a large beast in tandum, Rose would be glad to join given a signal. Eyes to meet, a nod, something; otherwise he would remain still, waiting for one of them to trip, or show sickness. 

If he was lucky, they'd find him and be quiet about it rather than come barging in ans scare the prey away. He has yet to snap for a while now, but thinking about it - how close he was to the herd even as they moved away from his movement, he would most certainly lose his patience to a whelp ruining an oportunity like this.

Sorry for leaving this hanging for so long! I was struggling.

Tulimaq's attention shifted between the deer as they crept, and the scent of the wolf that he knew was growing stronger. He didn't move because he didn't want to startle the targets, but he was mindful of the presence all the same. If he was to hunt, he would need help — and if there were more wolves here than just himself, the chances were good they could work together. It would take some co-operation, and that would be difficult if he couldn't even find the other wolf. Tulimaq watched as the deer moved along and when he thought he saw an opening, he crept between the foliage until he thought the deer had noticed. He froze, a deer turned their head, but then went back to grazing. He gave a few quick glances around for clues and saw a flash of white behind a shock of purple-tinted spines of a nearby bush and, quietly as he could muster, he called out with a lowly boof.