Morningside Cuesta Is open as an option

Daybreak had found her at the bottom of the plateau, by noon she was walking the flat top of it. Had she been here before? Maybe only in passing, but Arbiter didn't remember a damn thing about it. Unsurprisingly no sign of Terance or Pike. But she was focused on other things today, seeing how far the herds wandered, who might be lurking around not too far away.

The fact that a good chunk of the snow had melted had made her travels easier, but the odd snowstorm had kept good chunks of the earth covered. Her tracks were obvious in that fresh layer, wandering almost aimlessly across the landscape -- but it wasn't aimless, zoom out and it was a pattern, just widely spread. The question was what would this odd grid search bring?

the woman caught his attention right away. much of his family was plain, their pelts either comprised of various tones of agouti or simply pure black (bleached brown in the summer sun). she was not plain. her crisp white coat accented by onyx markings was something he'd never seen before, and the sight drew him closer, within her line of vision.

he chuffed, tail wagging slightly. she smelled of the winding valley nearby, of the pack that resided there. he wasn't familiar with any of their denizens—yet.

her eyes were brilliant, too, surya noticed as he came closer still: a crystalline blue. but just as his gemstone eyes were warm, hers were cold. . .though to what degree that ice reached her heart, he didn't know. he was eager to find out, though.

out for a stroll, or something more important? he queried casually, with a gentle smile, fully aware of the fact that the older, stronger she-wolf could kick his ass without making much of an effort.

She saw him coming at about the time he saw her. A young man, unfamiliar to her. They'd be crossing paths soon enough. A slight dip of her head in response as they moved closer together. He was from the stream pack, unless her nose was fooling her. So between that and his age, probably not workable for any of her most immediate plans. Unfortunate there. But she'd find solutions for those eventually.

An upbeat sort? Probably. But at least he didn't seem too overbearing about the whole thing. So far at least. Though still her normal relatively dour self, it was probably fortunate that for the most part by now she'd accepted that things had gone foul. It didn't mean she liked it, but she did have to move on eventually. Hunting is always important. No matter what for. She looked him over again, analyzing his mannerisms. Yourself?

she wasn't the most friendly, but she was businesslike; surya appreciated the to-the-point answer. even if he was more of a smooth-talker, inclined to banter, he knew that it didn't always fly in situations like these. he nodded, nostrils flaring as he himself checked the air for prey.

exploring, he explained. but hunting is important—do you want a second to help you? he was hungry, but that was beyond the point now—there were young mouths to feed at whitebark creek. he needed to prove himself to artyom, keep himself in the alpha's good graces.

he lifted his chin, quietly considering the situation. perhaps if we find large enough game, surya reasoned, we can split it between us. anything smaller than a deer, of course, would be yours to keep. she was, after all, the one that had come here first.

I've been writing this post through the entire day for some reason, so I apologize if it's a little weird, heh.

She hadn't gone to check with the Stream wolves, mostly because they were so close that if Terance and Pike had stopped there, certainly they would have let her know. If they had but the pack had not, they were not wolves she wanted to befriend. Since they likely had not, she wasn't going out to ruin the relationship between their packs. Not worth it.

She shrugged a shoulder, Sure. Knowing my luck, it may be a lot of nothing. A vague brush of humor that continued, If we find the wolves I'm looking for though, I can't say I'm going to share them. I'm dragging them back by their ears. And she was likely being literal about that.

But it all depended on what they found, now didn't it? And then if they caught it. Either way, Arbiter was open to cooperation, partially because she was one who was quite willing to be bribed into cooperating with others. The spoils would aid her family and herself, and so she wasn't going to turn that down.

not weird at all!

he didn't actually expect her to take him up on his offer. weren't pack wolves meant to be pretty against sharing food with those of other bands, especially when snow was still on the ground? he knew his family was. still, surya wasn't about to look the proverbial gift horse in the mouth—and his own ears perked forward as she described the predicament she found herself in.

i can help with that, too, if you would like, surya offered, grinning. i'm a runaway myself, but at this point, i wouldn't mind my mother coming to find me. so young, so inexperienced. he might as well still be on the teat for how green he was even a year old.

but. . .hunting. yes. he'd offered to help. maybe we can find something, he said with a shrug of his own, trotting forward. he kept his pace slow, allowing her to catch up to his head-start. they could move together—two noses were better than one. and hers was likely much better than his, even if her luck was as bad as described (which he, the receiver of rotten fortune himself, highly doubted).

Why wouldn't she? Small game was easier to catch, so a reasonable chance of it going just to her. And let's be real, even if they caught something larger she could always demand a bigger share -- he never specified the size of the split. She briefly looked away, scanning the horizon for signs.

But his comment caused her to look back quickly. Her tone was even, Going to make the ones I'm looking for appear out of thin air? Or what? Are you looking for a replacement? She was not being serious at all, but the shift in her voice and expression was as subtle as always -- her humor was carried in just how ridiculous the whole thing was. But then, back to the horizon as he moved forward, Indeed. We'll see. Do you specialize? Her steps were even -- she caught up with ease. What was there out on this unfamiliar plateau?

are you looking for a replacement? no, surya answered quickly, even as his mind whispered, yes. he had been given one mother in life, and he had left her by choice. he would not replace radha with anyone, no matter the circumstances. and yet. . .

god. he missed family.

specialize? he queried, tilting his head to face the woman. ah. . .no? i don't know. i just try to catch something. she was throwing concepts around that had no meaning to surya. a yearling trying to survive had no notion of honing skills—every hunt was for a meal, and any animal he could catch was a blessing.

hell, it would be a blessing if they could find game today. he lifted his head, drawing in a deep breath as he trotted along. there may be something that way, he informed her, dipping his chin toward the northeast of the plateau. a scent had floated along the wind, something warm, rich. . .meaty.

I'mma let you pick what it is too. >P

A quick answer. Too quick? Maybe. But other than a quirked brow, that was the limits a stranger would be teased. It was more fun when it was someone who'd stick around, anything else was too much effort.

And trying to catch something? Well that sounded as promising. She expected more from her own children -- which definitely gave her a thought. She expected more from her children, and they were roughly the same age as this young man now, were they not? Well, she still thought of them as pups. Did that make her look down on him? Maybe a little, but Arbiter looked down on almost anyone, so no news there. Ah. Then we'll just see what there is.

With that they moved forward. She noticed the scent not too long after, her nostrils flared. Mm. Seems likely. Careful now. Her stride had slowly shifted from a walk to a prowl, eyes scanning for the first sign of it other than the blown trail -- a track, a shadow, something. It was that brief period where if they made a mistake they might not even know the degree of their failure -- it would be too far along ahead.

okeeeyy!

for once, surya was too focused on the hunt to notice the woman's looks his way. humor, disdain, scorn. . .it didn't matter at this point. they were partners now, if only for the moment. working together could reap benefits for not just themselves, but for the wolves they loved.

a scent assailed him suddenly as they reached the top of a small rise, and surya caught a small glimpse of black among the frost-covered field. there, he whispered, dipping his chin that way.

the black was the curved horns of a mountain goat (far from home, was it not?). yet upon further inspection, his question was answered. it limped—its left hind leg was swollen and crooked, and it hobbled along as it rooted in the snow, searching for new spring growth. he became a statue upon the hill, staring, and spoke out the side of his mouth only after a moment of contemplation.

we should be able to take him down, right? surya murmured, eyes flashing briefly, furtively, to his companion. look, he's hurt. . .if we surprise him, he won't stand a chance. he fell silent, waiting to see if she had any ideas on their next move.

That was an interesting thing to see wandering about. Perfect prey. Funny how sometimes opportunity did knock once in a blue moon, but never the way she wanted. Still, food was food.

A quiet affirmation. She watched it move. That was indeed an option to hunt-- unfortunate it was big enough she'd have to share, but they had to catch it first... She had a thought, then looked to him, voice low, I haven't been up here before, have you? Chase it towards rough ground as a backup. She sniffed the air, looked around. Not as much cover as I'd prefer. But otherwise workable. She was plotting the attack already, but if there was a better path, she'd be quick to change it.

i have once, he responded, thinking of the time he'd met that man artyom out here. but he hadn't taken much notice to the ins and outs of the territory. he scrunched up his face, thinking. maybe. . .i think there's a river to the north, where the ground gets rougher.

he'd followed it into the maplewood; that he remembered. kicking pebbles along in an idle, juvenile fashion. surya glanced at the woman, shrugging. chase it that way?

the yearling was stiff, silently vibrating, a viper ready to strike. but he would not take off without the older wolf's say-so. she was boss in this situation (in any situation, really; she had that air about her). and he was more than willing to follow her lead, even if it ended in disaster. her decisions were most likely much more sound than his.

A short exhale. Yes, there was a sign of him being young -- kicking things as he talked. Perhaps he just didn't realize how serious a hunt would be? It wasn't something Arbiter was both used to and not used to having to deal with. It was one of Brou's tricks, but when things got serious, she made her daughter behave. At some point, perhaps both of them would grow up.

If that was the best that they had to deal with, then that was what they had to do. Yes. Better than nothing. Swing around. She started to move. They needed to shift to a slightly different position for the ideal approach to get it on the track they wanted. She started in that direction, moved around, checked the path. Pause. Whether he followed or not, she waited until the goat looked down, away, and that was when she surged forward towards it.

'swing around' wasn't really all that clear to him, but he followed anyway, mirroring her moves. he saw the goat raise its head, eyes flashing in alarm. he gave the woman a low chuff, but she was already running, and then he was running, and the goat was off like a shot.

maybe it wasn't the best idea to chase the goat toward rough ground, he realized—rocks were kind of its specialty, after all. but if they could get it into the river. . . it would be cold, but surya was confident in his ability to swim. he could swim better than a damn goat, at least.

he neared the quarry, snapping his teeth at its retreating heels. a hoof barely missed his muzzle and he flinched, but carried on (he had no choice in the matter if he wanted to feed his pack today). the river was near; he could hear it rushing by, and drove the goat in that direction, headlong toward the water.

With its messed up leg, all they would need was wrong wrong step -- one jump that was a little too powerful -- and it would be a quite wide opportunity for them. It needed to pass that point where adrenaline gave it no favors. But whether it be rocks proper or an uneven shore to a place where it was unlikely to be able to swim, they had the advantage by being healthy.

Arbiter chased after the wounded side. She made sure to make noise as she dove at it, a snarl to encourage it to overreact. Her teeth clipped the air on purpose as it tried to fling itself away from its pursuers, calculated to be out of range. It seemed to work -- there was more of a sink on its next stride, just that little bit of faltering. The next cycle, she timed her dive forward and hooked her teeth into its hip for a second before yanking back and free before it could try to kick. A bleat as it tried to leap away again, but that was uneven and awkward. Progress. Hopefully enough to give the man an opportunity for a strike that would be a bit more final than hers.

rolled a successful hit in Discord Tabletop!

the thing about an injured leg was that it was pretty much dead weight. once, surya had seen his parents' pack take down a doe. it, too, had a bad limb; without that hindrance, it might have escaped. alas, it hobbled along, and rajendra was able to get his jaws around the leg. the hunt ended soon after that.

emulating his. . .father. . .surya surged forward, lunging for the left hind. he felt his teeth find purchase, piercing through skin and tendon alike, tasting blood. he barely registered the glancing blow from the other rear leg in his excitement—adrenaline coursed through him, his heart hammering in his chest.

he lost his grip on the goat but things were coming slowly to a stop; the prey was limited to all but three legs now—a perfect opportunity for the woman to deliver a killing blow.

It slowed, unsteady. Though some could learn to live on three legs, certainly it wouldn't be an instant thing. Flailing, stumbling, uneven. So close now.

She didn't slow with it, coming around towards its front on the injured side. It saw her, trying to ward her off with a wave of its horns. It didn't seem so threatening any more, especially when it was still trying to get away from them at the same time. Arbiter lunged, grabbing it by the nose and face and trying to pull it to a stop, pull it down. Victory was assured-ish. It couldn't kick towards her, it was mostly just a matter of waiting for its surrender.

Then they would eat.

the combination of his dogged persistence and the woman's skill and strength eventually brought the goat down, bleeding, bleating. a killing blow was delivered; surya stood over the corpse, sides heaving and muzzle liberally smeared with blood. his emerald eyes shimmered with exhilarated pride.

may i take a leg home to my pack? he asked, remembering his manners. it wasn't the biggest prey in the world, but surely leaving her the rest would be satisfactory. there are whelping mothers who need it.

as he spoke, his stomach gurgled like some subterranean beast. surya cast his gaze down, looking sheepish. he would like nothing more than to devour the entire haunch himself—but it wasn't about just him, anymore. pack wolves couldn't be selfish; they had to share.

I am here! From somewhere under a giant pile o' posts.. We can probably wrap this up pretty quick anyway I think?

It stilled. She waited a bit longer before letting go, licking her lips clean. Backing off a moment, she circled around and moved forward to shove the corpse so that it was in a better position to start to eat. She started to pick at some of the fur on its underside, pulling off clumps even as he started to speak. She paused and looked over.

Arbiter was selfish. It was a core reason as to why she survived. It was why she was debating chasing him away and keeping it for her own pack, her own children. Whelping mothers, pfft. Arbiter should be having her own pups for the year eventually. Even if right now things seemed a bit up in the air. Still.. A leg wasn't much. She was still getting more in the end... That was pretty much the only reason she didn't. It was a small tax she would pay to keep the rest and the peace in the process. Select the one you want, she said with a roll of a shoulder. Arbiter was planning to eat her fill and start the probably-arduous project of hauling it home.

thank you, surya said, smiling. he was incredibly grateful that the woman had allowed him at least a bit. he stooped and began to tear away one limb, teeth sawing through skin and sinew and bone. . .

he made relatively quick work of the meat, eventually coming away with a leg. his muzzle was smeared with blood, but his eyes gleamed; he was proud of himself for having participated in a successful hunt. was this growing up? becoming responsible.

he gave the woman a nod, unsure if she'd even see him with her nose in the carcass. he hoped his face would convey his gratitude as his jaws were stuffed with meat. a little unbalanced, he sauntered away, heading with flagging tail back to whitebark stream.

She watched him out of the corner of her eye, staying out of his way -- and to a certain point taking her time just a little. Maybe just not revealing what she thought were the most tasty bits and encouraging him to change his mind about his choice of cut of meat. But he eventually freed it, and she stopped as he pulled it free, licking her lips. A slight dip of her head as he turned and headed away. Now it was all hers. Well, hers and her pack's, but first hers. Once the load was lightened, she'd start the process of dragging it back to feed those in her ranks.