Duck Lake so i started courting kate mccannon

AW <3 maybe a creek wolf can chase or beat him up?

never in thorn’s short life had he been a skulker, but if stigmata’s clipped reception of his news was any indication of the warhound’s deep well of fury, thorn was better served staying low.

he had hoped to secure some small meal, possibly even a trophy for @Aria — but the nearer he got to the creek, the heavier his paws felt. he had scented mahler on the wind, and wondered to himself if the rough edged corsair had come to the creek with similar intentions.

outright avoiding any trail left by @Constantine or @Durnehviir, the dark mogul nosed restlessly on the promontory flanking the creek. he had caught nothing that day save for a mink, and empty-handed, simply set to mindlessly digging for lesser creatures to occupy his time.

maYbE A CReeK wOlF cAn CHaSe oR BeAT hIm Up TAKE SOME FLIRT 

aria had missed mahler's visit, which would have come a disappointment. though mahler was not the most friendly wolf in the creek at the time, they had had a few good conversations. aria ever felt judged around him -- at least, not in the same way other creek wolves judged her. she was patrolling at the time that his scent came by. it wafted through, pulling her to press past the borders to seek out the man that so desperately yearned for her attention. 

something she was willing to give him -- so far. 

when she came up upon the man, dark and brewing as he slunk around the banks, she let out a low chuff to draw his attention towards her. she didn't stop at a distance this time. she didn't know this man, really, but she since it'd been a few meetings now, she felt she should treat him as more than just some wolf at their borders. "thorn," she said, approaching with a cant of her pale head, trying to figure out the line between pleasantry and a more friendly greeting, "it's good to see you." 

he was taken by surprise in aria's arrival; his ears fell flat to his bludgeon-like skull, and a flicker of his gaze communicated the brief alarm he must have felt -- to be taken unawares by another's approach.

it was not constantine -- he was relieved, and then overjoyed, to see the stark form of the very woman that possessed his every waking thought.

her posture this time seemed more affable - the tilt of her delicate head almost friendly in its inquisition. thorn's tail stirred to see such a change over the pale woman, for he had been under the impression he had left her cold on more than one occasion.

"aria," he breathed, sheathing neither his surprise nor his delight. "will you hunt with me?"

a brow quirked in his direction, a sweep of her tail pairing with it. "i told you i would, didn't i?" she teased lightly, taking a few steps closer to him. she gave him another look down, something she tended to do every time she came across him. had she not bee so bias, perhaps an outsider looking in, she might've noticed how strikingly similar his appearance was to that of constantine or casmir. tall, dark, handsome, with a golden gaze to boot. 

but aria did not make the connection. 

"are you tracking something?" she asked him, her gaze resting upon his features.

he could not withstand the fire of her gaze for long -- and while he enjoyed feeling the inspecting sweep of her eyes, he somehow fretted he might not measure up to whatever idol was set in her mind. he straightened under her gaze, his tail giving a limp shake as he did so.

he did not hide the eagerness in his voice when she accepted his invitation. "good -- no, i was not. tell me what it is you like to eat the most?" he looked upon her briefly, hoping she might pick something of a challenge -- for he was eager to prove to her he was a skilled hunter, and could provide anything she wished for.

her pale gaze flashed as the comment -- a vague memory of a saltwater fish crossing her mind. she hadn't eaten it in a while, and the memories she had of it were so detached... but it was the first thing she thought of. it didn't even apply here. "fish," she mused with a flick of her ear, "from the ocean." she paused, studying his expression and reaction to such a comment -- clearly that wasn't something they could hunt. 

after a few moments, aria corrected herself with a small smile -- hoping he got that she didn't expect such a thing from him. "given the circumstances," she continued with a tilt of her chin, "i'd have to say deer is a close second."

fish was not an option in their current geography, and thorn's posture fell but slightly. he quickly concealed the hope that had extinguished in his gaze, replacing it instead with a look of interest.

fish would be a challenge -- but fish from the ocean -- well, that was something else.

a tidbit he would store for another day, though admittedly he was relieved to hear swiftcurrent's pearl enjoyed venison as well. giving a rough roll of his shoulders, he dipped his head. "right then," thorn murmured, picking up a careful trot that carried him quickly out of range.

he was eager for the chance to prove himself, but aria's choice meal was not an easy target to fell alone. he would have to be clever -- and incredibly lucky -- if he was to find and kill hind tonight.

coursing through a ribbon of douglas fir, he picked up the scent of a deerherd that had passed several hours earlier. the meanderings of their trail showed they were foraging, and thorn stole after their tracks with newfound ambition.

and then he left. truthfully, aria should have followed him. but... she wasn't sure he wanted her to. something about the way he just left made it seem like this was suddenly an independent mission, though aria could've sworn that he wanted her to hunt with him. he had asked, after all. but she supposed it didn't matter. secretly, aria kind of liked being treated like some sort of dainty princess who couldn't catch her own food. yes, thorn, please, good sir, catch me a whole fucking deer all by yourself.  inwardly, aria snickered. 

she watched the broad man go, giving him a good look down. she wondered if she really minded how entirely misogynistic this felt -- she was not a prize, after all. but she certainly did like being won. 

and then, she herself turned and left. back towards the creek, wondering if he would turn up again.

he was so sure of his company that he did not look back for some time -- but when he chanced to glance over his large shoulder, he found aria was nowhere to be seen.

stopping in his tracks, the brute scented the air -- she was not in the vicinity, and no accompanying tracks followed his for as far as he could tell.

perhaps she had wished for him to do it of his own accord -- thorn had certainly envisioned stalwartly bringing down a healthy buck for her, but the dream was often disparate from the reality, and the likelihood of him felling a deer on his own accord was slim. either way, the eyjolfur was willing to prove his mettle -- and with a grunt that suggested he was no less dissuaded, thorn slipped into the hinterlands after the trail of a band of hinds.