Cassiopeia's View Slow me down two seconds

Up and down the rolling foothills wandered a lone vagabond. His dark nose parted long, yellowed autumn grass as he delved into narrow valleys between cascading rises, then led him up the crests to look out over the flatlands beyond. Each time he reached the top of a hill, the animal would pause, scan the floodplains below for signs of life, then trot on.

There was a colossal lake to the east. A smaller one to the south. The dark tops of trees beyond those. Another forest north of him. At his back, nothing but domineering mountain. From the highest of the foothills he could see the glint of a river winding north into the ochre tapestry of the great unknown. In all of these directions, Black Shuck saw no visible signs of prey.

A shame. He'd come a long way hoping conditions would improve, but they only seemed to get worse, and the hunger continued. The dog continued, too, panting as he surged down the side of another hill.

Hydra continued her hunt, inside and outside of Moonspear. Still their caches had plenty enough but recent, warmer fare was what she sought... and things in which to replenish them. Each day brought more of the same—nothing, and more nothing. The rabid moose had gone, and with it that terrible scent... that was fortunate, at least. The last thing the Queen desired was more of that. It carried a stench that seemed to be a brother to Death; where one was, the other must be close, she imagined. 

Her eyes caught the shape of a vagabond searching; her gaze followed his own and, wondering if he had found something, Hydra readjusted her course upward. She traveled on a path that would eventually lead to his own, and whatever else might be up there.

The beast was no fool to be caught unawares by others of his breed, but Hydra, too, was no fool. On account of this, it would take Shuck some time to realize his path was being intersected by another's in spite of all his caution and experience with knowing his surroundings. Down one hillside, up another. In this fashion he continued until at last one bister ear swivelled and locked on to the approaching she-wolf. An electric blue eye turned to the edge of its socket to catch a glimpse.

Black as coal was she, and possessed of a bearing that made her appear both large and ferocious. Black Shuck was also large and ferocious, but there was nothing to be gained in instigating conflict. As Hydra made her approach, Black Shuck made his own move: his tall ears pivoted back upon his head and his tail, held at half-mast, began the slightest of wags at the tip.

He said nothing, continuing to pad along in silence, but his cues ought to be clear to any.

Each step they took Hydra noted strength, and Hydra wondered at his might. Was he hungry, like the rest of them? His furs did not hang loosely from his skin; he was a fine, fit specimen. Hale, and in good health all things considered. He noted her at last but carried no aggression at all; she mimicked his body language easily enough, her natural response a mirror to his movents as her own tail-tip waved. 

He had found nothing, just as she had... though they had found one another. Perhaps the scents upon him might reveal something more to her, and Hydra gave a cursory sniff to the air before taking another step closer so long as he did not snap her away. Her own body language revealed that she meant no harm and was more than anything curious about him, and where he had come from. So many loners had come here looking ill or smelling sickly, and here was one who looked to be far more fortunate than the rest!

Had Shuck been privy to Hydra's thoughts, he might have reassured her that he was not as hale and healthy as he appeared; it took great effort to maintain the illusion in spite of his ongoing hunger. The wolf instead slowed his pace one measured step at a time, until he came to a standstill at the top of one foothill, allowing her the opportunity to draw near and gather what information she wished.

In the meantime, he sought to turn his head and sniff at Hydra's hide, issuing only a soft warning growl if she got a little too eager about his own personal space. He knew little of the lands he found himself in, so any information he could garner from her was more than he started with.

He permitted her near, and Hydra would heed him when it seemed she had drawn too near with defensively bared fangs herself (though not at all affronted, and even understanding, because of it, and so for that she would withdraw a measure); what she had learned was that he had not come by any herds as of late himself, at least not nearby that she could tell. Since such news was not unexpected she could not find disappointment within herself... reality was a sobering thing, and this had been their lot for some odd days now. Moonspear had been more fortunate than most, but that was not saying much in the scheme of things. If large game did not return, she wondered at the future. Having never before been in a predicament like this before that was all she could do, though she attempted to actively plan all the while. 

Once finished within her investigation, Hydra gave him ample space as she meandered ahead. There was intent there, of course; perhaps something could be found here. She kept the lone male in her peripheral attention always, but he was no bother as she prowled for some trace of anything. After a while it was clear that nothing of use would be found here, each old game trail only leading to a dead-end. Before long, Hydra headed back to Moonspear, taking a more difficult than not route home to determine if prey had gone into hiding, or was just altogether scarce. 

Fade since Shuck is inactive <3