Bramblepoint growing strong

Going off of this Washington harvest calendar! Now a private packtivity! 

 

She moved with @Dirge and investigated Bramblepoint. The pungent stink of the creature still lingered, faint though it had become. Hydra sniffed at the dry grasses, looking for evidence of it eating. A far sweeter odor drew her close to the brambles and Hydra thought to investigate this. It was strange, for the sweetness was not coupled with the terrible odor of the beast... Hydra observed a fallen apple, fresh and new and cold, upon the earth. 

Her ears pricked as her gaze found several more thus far untouched (but for by insects that still remained, and a smaller, passing scavenger... but they were thawing, and too hard to take much from for the smaller prey that lingered it seemed). This scent was not so detestable, and Hydra wondered for a moment. It did not come here to eat, she realized, thinking this sort of fare for their prey. And yet... 

The Queen was by no means starving, or desperate for food herself. Still, the Ostrega woman was a forward thinker and ever thinking of the future. Hydra began to lick at the chilled face of the fruit until it was sufficiently thawed. She sampled it with a small bite, and waited a moment to see if it would cause her stomach any upset. If not, they could bring Moonspear here for a small feast... and bring some back for her pack to try. More than that, they could trap prey with the enticing promise of fruit. It was not evident to her, given her lack of experience with things that required a harvest, but they had come at truly the perfect time as the apple trees again had bloomed. 

Several minutes passed, and her stomach was unbothered; with a lash of her tail, she bid him to her side with a little grin. They could discuss the matter of the moose over a morsel they had happened upon, bloodless but still strangely sweet. Though she preferred meat, this was something to potentially fill their bellies with.

The thicket turned up nothing when they appeared, no sign of the moose that Hydra had seen tossing and turning and carrying on. There was a permeable silence here not unlike the one that settled along the mountains, though at least he could take some small comfort in the chitterings of pine thrushes in the wood. Ravens were ever present, a not-so-mute sign that something could be scavenged from the grounds, but they did not look for this either.

There had been enough death, so to speak, as of late.

The apples however were more of a toy to Dirge as Hydra sampled the various wares. It had started with the rotten ones, the ones that had come beneath an errant foot attached to a wolf far too busy watching her fuss and taste a partially frozen treat. He had taken to kicking a few more of the less favorable ones away after that, their mushy sides already a host to whatever would feast and house themselves within, what would survive versus what would not.

When she beckoned him closer, he was deigned to shaking out a hind leg that found another unfortunate, weak-skinned delicacy. It wasn't much of an affront to him, but the idle time had picked at an still weary mind—he went to snatch the apple she had picked with no warning, and seized it between his jaws proudly. His gaze locked onto her, ever watching and waiting.

Well? The quirk of his brow questioned her as he turned away.

Hydra snorted as he took her fare from her, only to turn away: you are not going to try it? She queried, more offended by this than his actions. Not yet willing to engage in play quite yet, Hydra snuffled her way to another fresh, chilled treat and wagged her tail. Her stomach still did not protest, and she felt this good news. If we can eat this, at least, we should call to Moonspear. I can gather the children—there is enough to fill our bellies here, though... it is not meat. And perhaps we can bring some home to tempt meat to come, she tilted her head, and began to thaw this delicacy too. Hydra was far quicker this time around in her eating, a possessive paw flexed upon the edge of it. She paused when she neared its center, another scent causing her nose to wrinkle. That should be avoided. That smells too similar to an herb Lyra tried on a weasel while she trained... it killed him, an ear twitched. 

Which meant it might not be so good of a treat for their children, should they not take care. But they had all proven to be brilliant listeners and, terribly, Hydra thought that if any of them were not to listen they would be weeded out so the smart would survive. It was an easy thing to think, given the wits each of her cubs had shown her mate and her, but she looked to him and wondered if perhaps her idea was not the best one. He was always one to be honest with her. What do you think? she inquired; it would be nice to have their pack come together for something good. All the trouble that had surrounded them, it felt right to have a peaceful moment like this.

His grip tightened on the apple, but Hydra did not rise to his tired display of play. His tongue worked around where she had bitten into the fruit and he found it almost too sweet for his liking—such a display more than likely crossed his face as he wheeled around to face her once again.

Getting his teeth free from the apple was another story.

Keenly, he watched as she went along in her investigation, her thoughts aloud for his consideration too. And then his vision was off her as he shoved a toe or two in where he had clamped down on the apple, working it loose from where it had swiftly begun to aggravate him. Freed at last, his tongue scraped against his teeth backwards as he pondered their meal plans.

"She fed a weasel a plant?" He latched onto the more inane of her commentary, huffing with amusement. "I would have liked to have seen such a thing." Another thing easy to picture, the squealing weasel and snarling trio, holding it to spit down its throat like playground bullies. It felt apt. He shook his head thereafter, dismissing the idea for what they had really come out there for.

"But the apples are... sweet. Some of these are definitely not edible, so we would need to use caution when picking them too. The only downfall I see in luring prey to our claim is that it could bring us more trouble, whether it's freshly ill game or the hungry waiting to pick them off." But closer to them? It was probable, he supposed, provided they would eat the fruits quick to drop with the ice and snow.

She was all too amused at his predicament; he swung to face her, apple stuck to his fangs, and Hydra reconsidered her idea of playing to take advantage of his unfortunate position... but decided better of it. They had work to do first, and the health of her pack and children was her priority over a moment of play... which could be done once the matter at hand was dealt with. 

Hydra grinned at his inquiry. Sometimes. Other times she ground it up and applied it on them and licked the rest upon some rock in her medicinal den, and she found out that way. Lyra had mostly been self-taught, and fortunately for any injured party on the mountain she had tested plenty of prey before she had wolves to know right from wrong. 

The Queen darted toward him when he mentioned some not being edible and found her paws sinking into the same mash his had; the scent was plenty sour, and Hydra's muzzle wrinkled at the feeling. Disgusting, she snarled, flicking her paw of the refuse and watching it land not too far from her mate. An apologetic look was offered then, but it had not hit him. It should be easy enough to guide them of which to eat, and which not to at least, it was visible and easy to smell. Some were black with rot, and others smelled of fermenting. Those were not inedible, but Hydra did not like the smell of them and would avoid them herself. There were plenty of fresh ones easy to detect amongst those not, and more than enough for all despite their ample number. 

Hydra nodded to his words, considering them at length. He was not wrong; they could lead other predators to them. They might lurk, laying in wait anyhow, she thought aloud, looking to him, perhaps this way we can even bring them to show their face. It might be a challenge to face whatever might come, but Hydra thought of it as simply a more difficult hunt—one with meat at the end of the road, and Hydra liked to think it would be the meat of both prey and the challenging party.

She was all too amused at his predicament; he swung to face her, apple stuck to his fangs, and Hydra reconsidered her idea of playing to take advantage of his unfortunate position... but decided better of it. They had work to do first, and the health of her pack and children was her priority over a moment of play... which could be done once the matter at hand was dealt with. 

Hydra grinned at his inquiry. Sometimes. Other times she ground it up and applied it on them and licked the rest upon some rock in her medicinal den, and she found out that way. Lyra had mostly been self-taught, and fortunately for any injured party on the mountain she had tested plenty of prey before she had wolves to know right from wrong. 

The Queen darted toward him when he mentioned some not being edible and found her paws sinking into the same mash his had; the scent was plenty sour, and Hydra's muzzle wrinkled at the feeling. Disgusting, she snarled, flicking her paw of the refuse and watching it land not too far from her mate. An apologetic look was offered then, but it had not hit him. It should be easy enough to guide them of which to eat, and which not to at least, it was visible and easy to smell. Some were black with rot, and others smelled of fermenting. Those were not inedible, but Hydra did not like the smell of them and would avoid them herself. There were plenty of fresh ones easy to detect amongst those not, and more than enough for all despite their ample number. 

Hydra nodded to his words, considering them at length. He was not wrong; they could lead other predators to them. They might lurk, laying in wait anyhow, she thought aloud, looking to him, perhaps this way we can even bring them to show their face. It might be a challenge to face whatever might come, but Hydra thought of it as simply a more difficult hunt—one with meat at the end of the road, and Hydra liked to think it would be the meat of both prey and the challenging party.

It should have been easy to guide them, yes, but Dirge couldn't help but think of how hunger swept through them in waves. They could have been tearing into their caches to live like kings and queens, but they were a bit more rational than that. Or so he hoped; the mental note was made to take stock of where they had frittered away the bulk of their stores for the season.

"It's a shame the quaking brought most of them down," he noted, eyes shifting skyward. "Or perhaps we should have thought of this sooner." But they had no real way of knowing that the herds would not return easily other than the hunch of their collective intellect and what wayfarers shared. It was mostly the same story anywhere that he had ranged and because of it, they had to spread themselves thin.

Which brought him round to Hydra's parting statement—it may have been true that the unsavory lurked already. He was keen to believe in it, but did not entirely agree with flushing them out yet. "It would be nice to have a quiet moment or two before we have to butt heads with someone else, too. I thought about going south towards the fen to see if I can't find that girl and her merry band, to come to an arrangement. If we had them on our side too, perhaps we gain a respite."

Even though that left the blackheaded sea witch and her one-eyed gladiator out there.

And there was the bloke in the north, the yearling.

Still, safety in numbers...

Hydra nodded to him; there were several more lost due to the quakes, fallen to the earth too soon. Easy to tell, those ones; they were small and also had a bad sort of stink. But Hydra followed her nose, leading her to the days old stench that still lingered. Before she called the rest to meet here, Hydra wanted to ensure that she had been right to herd the pack away from the carrier of this. Revulsion settled on her features as she stepped backwards, gesturing toward it with her foreleg. 

The moose crashed through here, she advised, wanting him to inspect for himself. So terrible was the scent that instinct advised she stay away; she did so, drifting back toward the fruits they had discovered. Her nose led her to raspberries near the end of their own seasonal bloom—she moved to sample one idly, but did not get the chance as brambles struck her muzzle annoyingly. With a snort she withdrew, scrutinizing the shrub and circling around it with a snort, listening to Dirge in the meantime.

She didn't answer him, though he knew that his words did not fall on deaf ears. So he followed her when her countenance morphed to revulsion, and disgust wasn't far behind on his face. It was a putrid stench, worse than the rotting apples beneath their feet in the muck. If he had to guess, the very scent in this case was vomit and if that were any indicator, the beast was certainly ill.

Onward they went from there, to the raspberries. These he was more familiar with and hastened to, only to feel the thorns pull at his hairs as he plucked a berry loose. It was sour, far more tart than it would have been at the height of summer. He made a face as he swallowed it, but this too wasn't outside the realm of falling into the inedible range. Another option, one they could pick clean quickly.

The ravens in the eaves above raised a clamor at this—how dare the wolves infringe on their food. But even they would not make a move against them, for they knew wolves had very sharp, precise teeth. A bird was just as tasty as the morsels they stole from the overripe shrubs. Dirge paid them no mind and moved ahead then, following the path the moose had forged.

"It keeps going this way, it would seem," and he noted that the foul air did not linger as it had. "Probably headed for the river north if I had to guess." Why stop for the minor water sources when he could go for the biggest of them? It was clear that the creature did not think ahead well, but they would ensure it was long gone.

Hydra, so focused on food, had not thought to respond to his proposition on the girl. Considering a beat, Hydra still did not want to say anything on it quite yet. She is very young for a leader, she drawled, what would your arrangement be? She asked next, squinting toward him. Did he think one so young to be a wise ally? Hydra considered this; she could be guided herself... but then, sometimes the young were too proud for their own good. Still... she had been wise enough to come to Moonspear. We will talk more of this, she cut in, we should summon the pack; that way, they may have their fill too, she drawled with a wag of her tail. I will herd the children and gather the pack; you mark what should not be eaten, perhaps his piss would deter them, but who knew?

Moving to give him a sharp, loving nip to his cheek, Hydra snickered before she wheeled around and bolted off, though one her haunches was ripe for a rejoinder as she slid over one of the messier rotten fruits.

The commentary shifted again, this time back to Roangeda. It was a good question, one that Dirge did not readily have a means to put this thoughts into words immediately. She had always been the guiding force of her own volition, of her own plans, and to suddenly have the floor open to him was somewhat unexpected. Not that she hadn't taken his thoughts and comments into consideration, but for Dirge to admit that he had much of a hand in her decision making would have only gone so far.

"She is young, yes," he thought aloud, "but headstrong. That fellow at the lake was one of hers too, cut from the bone like Vercingtorix. They're warriors." Brawn to go with all the brains they had amassed, at least somewhere. "Perhaps she would be open to an alliance with us and our friends as well. Even young leaders need guidance, do they not?" Hydra had learned from the best, at least in her own estimation, and so far it had not failed her, or Moonspear.

A beat of silence spread between them and once again, her fickle nature reserved another time for them to discuss such a thing. She delegated the tasks; he made an agreeable note only to have her strike in the same pit viper fashion he knew her for. When she sprang away only to slide, he had followed her, grabbing high on her rump with fierce teeth. Not enough to do her harm, but enough to smart—enough to spur her on to gather the others.

When she was off, he would set to the task she had entrusted him with.

Permission to PP puppers given by their respective players! Packtivity—you all are welcome to PP them joining Hydra or showing up belatedly. Hydra has howled on Moonspear to let them know strange food was found. Also, sort of an impromptu pack meeting! @Jarilo  @Nikai @Moriko @Lyra @Yama @Tye @Dragomir @Isi

 

Hydra had arrived home, and upon her arrival she collected her children. We found more for you to eat, she drawled, tail waving. She loosed a low howl for her pack to follow her trail to a strange meal; it was entirely unconventional, but it would fill their bellies and that was all Hydra truly cared for. Leaving Moonspear with her cubs in tow, Hydra called for @Alya and @Lyra to help her keep the children in check in particular, given they were second-and-third mothers to them. It made the trip easier, and her cubs—@Antares, @Osiris, @Atlas, and @Vega—were obedient, though curious. But they knew not to stray out of sight; for the most part, they moved with their escorting party. 

It took some time, but upon their arrival to the scene (and Hydra's return) she observed the work of her mate. Avoid the areas your father has marked; those have gone bad, it seems, she instructed. Hydra then led her children to the scent of the rabid animal thats scent still lingered, albeit faintly. And smell this. Always avoid anything that has a hint of this scent; it is foul, and should never be eaten. There is a reason the scent repulses you; it could mean eventual death. Hydra regarded anyone else that had come with her so that they could hear this and understand that much too; whatever it was, their lot would not be dealing with it beyond knowing to avoid it she hoped. 

Circling back and drifting toward the fresher fare, Hydra rolled one apple toward her children so they could observe it. Whole, it simply needed to be thawed; she would let them do the work. These can be eaten, she informed. Moving toward the apple she had nearly finished off, she gripped it by the bottom causing some seeds to scatter on the earth. She deposited it before them, and said, do not eat its center. If you do not mind it, enough of these seeds can kill you. If you find any on your tongue, best to use the grass to lick it off, she advised. Again her voice was loud enough for any who had accompanied her to hear; and once she was finished speaking to her cubs, she looked for recognition on any other faces that had traveled with her.

Although there was plenty of reason to worry about their future, Moonspear was not yet suffering from the lack of prey. It was difficult to take her mind off the problem even so, but she made an effort to do so in order to enjoy the turn of the seasons, and her restored place among her family.

When Hydra's call reached her, she halted her patrol and swung around to return to the borders, where she met with Hydra and the children as they swept out of the territory. She gave an extra, querying howl to ask after Nikai before joining the rest of the family. She listened dutifully to her sister as she gave instruction, although most of it was not news to her. It was a good idea, though, to gather up whatever food they could get their jaws around.

Alya gazed speculatively up into the tree the apples had fallen from, recalling how a very young and enthusiastic young shewolf had once tried to teach her how to climb trees. Circling around the trunk, she decided that this pursuit was not for her, and instead went around gathering the fruit into a pile.

Nikai was not far off when he heard Hydra's call and Alya's following call. He joined up with them shortly and found Alya already gathering up apples, while Hydra explained things to the children. Nikai looked 'round, wondering if he was supposed to eat or bring home food; but he supposed in the end, a bit of all would be the best idea.

After approaching the good apples, Nikai looked around to make sure there were enough of them for him to have some, too; he leaned towards an apple and sniffed it, keeping a close eye on Alya, Hydra, Dirge and others above his station to tell him in case he was not supposed to have any. Only if they would seemingly approve he would take a bite. Food was food, after all, especially with winter's approach and the circumstances of the lands right now.

IDK why I never got this tag wtf forum, sheesh.

Tye had been scouting one of the easier routes of the mountain home, keeping to himself and nursing whatever fresh wounds the pack had bestowed upon him recently; Jitters is being vague, sorry.
He didn't want to upset anyone (least of all the boy Dragomir, not after having his squirrel stolen away) and so when the call arose he was swift to answer, but lagging too, as he was still not at full health. When he arrived there were many others - to which he ducked around, kept his head low, or reached to plainly lick their chins and scuttle out of range of their teeth, just in case.
Hydra was speaking of something. He stopped to listen but wasn't sure what was going on, his nervous energy infecting every inch of his sickled body. There were too many people here for him to feel comfortable, so he sank in to the background.

Although he appeared pensive in his quiet among the group, the growing cub was keenly interested in the prospect of more food. He was learning first hand a lot of things this year as nature continued on its course, and this felt to him like just another one, all fit for survival's needs. Anyway, he followed along with the entourage beyond and simply glided on into learning mode as their mother brought them headlong into to a new lesson. Meanwhile, his nose had scarcely stopped working overtime; there was a lot to take in and Hydra gave them more to digest, too.

When he caught the whole story here, tinted faintly in something bizarre and new and just.. bad, the boy stowed that way; it could mean death. Dire. Remembered, then, with a dash of a frown while that set it, and hopefully stayed there.

However his tone changed when Hydra rolled something towards them, and with that motion, his eyes were glued to the strange orb--perked, too. This was the food, evidently.. though with a precaution to it as well. He sniffed this now, careful, and waited for one of his siblings to take theirs before he made for one himself--after more sniffs, and a watchful eye on all the adults who were nearby; this seemed a little unorthodox to him, but, if it made for food that wasn't half bad (once you got used to it), then he wasn't going to disagree.

When her sister called, Yama listened; she wondered if she should follow or hang back to let others meet the meal first, only for the low rumble of her stomach to decide for her. Although that nagging wish to join her parents still lingered in the back of her mind, taunting her each and every day, its voice was gradually quieting; each day she observed the pack from afar, watching those with familial ties and those unrelated, the want to live grew stronger. She wanted to experience the same things in life as everyone else, if she could, even without her parents there to watch and guide her through it. She had to live like everyone else, for them.

The young Ostrega listened closely upon her arrival, tuning in to what Hydra had to say. Strewn across the ground were things they were to eat, those overly ripe marked and the seeds within put on display before them. Mystified—this was not meat, nor anything similar, it seemed—by the fruits, the girl kept her distance from the others and inspected it on her own. How was one to eat it, and how were the seeds to be avoided when the things themselves were so small? One bite and the innards would be revealed, down her throat and inching her closer to the end. Swallowing, she nosed at the apple gingerly before taking a small bite, using her incisors to puncture and tear a piece off; it was shallow, with hardly any flesh coming loose with the skin, but it was enough for her to chew and acquire a taste for. And an unusual taste it was, a burst of something sweet combining with the bitterness of the outer layer, she wasn’t sure if she liked it or not. She looked to the others then, searching their expressions to see if she was only being dramatic, or if the fruit truly was as unusual as she thought.

Any MSP wolf still welcome. DEC EDIT: Fading a conclusion to this. 

 

Though she would prefer to feed her pack meat, she was happy to feed them anything that could sustain them and teach them how to survive. This would fill their stomach for a time while they searched for more. Although none would likely feel any hunger pangs for their preparedness, Hydra hoped to continue down that road. Hydra approved of all eating; there was enough. 

Her eyes fell onto the crowd; perhaps Arcturus and the rest would come later. An ear twitched as her gaze fell approvingly on the party there, and she looked to Yama. Observing her expression, Hydra grinned; she did not think it had been the tastied morsel either, but, you will get used to it. A bit too sweet for my liking, too, she drawled; then, Antares caught on to the apple she had rolled (nearest to him), and her gaze shifted. 

He did not yet bite into it. She would have to teach them to thaw it; she drifted nearer and began to lick at the thing until fresh skin was revealed, and then she bit slightly into it. The sweet juices of it were not to her liking, but, food is food. You must learn what can be eaten, and what should not be.

When all was said and done, Hydra recruited those present to carry what they could back to the Spear. Stomach full and appetite satisfied, Hydra felt better for their find.