Grouse Thicket out of the mist

For @Ulrich

For months on end, all traces of the lone Duskfire had vanished from the Teekons. He had tried to get a foothold in Sweetharbor. While eternally grateful to Heda and Bartholomew, he just could not mesh with that way of life. Ensio was not a religious wolf. He was practical, facing the world for what it was. A harsh place.

He came to realize that perhaps he was destined to live his life as a drifter. Even if that may be, he could not bring himself to leave his native homeland. Not especially in knowing he was likely the only one of his bloodline still alive. Brought back to familiar stomping grounds, he huffed softly. Glacial eyes scanned for traces of life, feathered or otherwise.

Ulrich was not one to leave the Isle. He had found his safety and security--his home--there, and he was loath to leave it for any reason. However, he knew that exploring the areas around the Isle was an important task, to scout out any danger or to find deer trails or other such places where prey might be abundant. Also, the last time he'd left the Isle, he'd found Goliad, and that had worked out quite well for the both of them.

Today, he found himself a forest, which was not surprising. There were a lot of those around this area. A lot of water and a lot of dense trees. However, this one was not so thick or so foreboding as the one in which he'd found the red-coated man of the Sandsea. This one seemed like it might be pleasant in warmer weather. The trees were bare now, the dead branches covered in snow, but he tried to picture them at the height of summer, green and beautiful.

Up ahead, he could smell the presence of another wolf, and he began to make loud shuffling sounds with his paws, clearing his throat, trying to make himself known to whoever was ahead. Hello? he called out. No need to frighten whoever was there. He was usually more suspicious than this, but he was away from the Isle and did not have his family to think of out here.

His memories of this region were not the best. Not being so far back west, close to the site of where his former pack had up and moved on. Winter offered little in the way of the feathered prey he was keeping an eye out for. They simply may not be frequenting the area today, which he chalked up to his poor timing.

Once a boy, now turned a man, his coat had grown thick. Scruffy and unkempt in his nomadic lifestyle. Dark ears contrasting against his head shot up, his blocky skull following as he caught the sound of footsteps. Instinctively, he tensed. A second later, a voice called out. A slight turn of his head to the left revealed a flash of black fur, some distance away.

Ensio narrowed his stare, albeit not disdainfully. A lash of his tail cut the air. His reply, a baritone chuff.

Ulrich pulled up short at the man's response to him--the narrowed eyes, the lash of the tail, the short chuff. None of it was necessarily threatening, but it wasn't exactly welcoming, either.

He sat down, still some distance away, ears forward, body upright, but his tail thumped behind him. He was unafraid, but not combative, and he thought sitting down might make him seem less threatening. He could not be readying for an attack if he was sitting. He was not annoyed at the man's caution; it reminded him of himself, in fact. It paid to be cautious out here in the wild, away from home, when meeting someone you did not know.

I didn't mean to startle you, Ulrich said, calmly. I will leave you be, if you wish. Only, you are close to my home, and... And what? The stranger should therefore clear off? Or be welcomed? Or what? Ulrich didn't know. So he simply fell silent.

He rose a brow, not quite sure how to respond to this man. It surprised him some to hear that the stranger had established his home close by. Ensio lifted his chin slightly, his expression remaining cool. "I was not aware a pack had taken up residence here. The last time I passed through, the area was vacant." Laced in his words was the hint that he was quite familiar with this sector of the Teekons.

"If I am too close for comfort, I will be on my way. I was checking out the local game. Nothing more." He offered plainly. There was nothing for him to hide. A slight shift of his hind paw showed he was prepared and willing to move on.

Something about this man made him feel off. Ulrich did not know exactly how to proceed. Should he simply leave? He did not wish the man any ill will, and if he did not want to interact, that was fine. He frowned in thought and felt ill at ease.

We are a new pack, only a few weeks old, he explained. You do not have to leave. We are not hostile to strangers unless they are hostile to us. You may hunt wherever you wish; these lands are not spoken for. Feeling uncomfortable, he stood, also showing in body language that he, too, was prepared to leave. I will not keep you, if you do not wish for company. He paused, thinking, hesitating. But it was winter and he could not be needlessly cruel. If you need a place to stay, our borders are open to you. It is winter, and a difficult time to be alone. As an afterthought, for he realized he had not introduced himself, he said, I am Ulrich, of Two Rivers Isle.

Ensio was not exactly used to socializing with others. Not since he had chosen to strike out on his own, and especially since his former pack split up. Less helpful was that he was a large wolf, with naturally severe facial features. He was every inch, the son of his deceased parents.

"That is good to know." He returned. "And thank you. I am Ensio Duskfire." He was a little surprised by the mans offer to his home. Unsure of what to say for a moment, his expression remained blank while he processed the invitation. With a slight sigh, he shook his head. "I must decline, Ulrich." He tried to appear softer, were such a thing even possible for him.

"I only just returned to these parts. I am...not ready to settle just yet." Another sigh, as he looked in the direction of Nimbus Summit. "Especially considering my track record with packs. My luck hasn't...been favorable, I am sorry to say."

Ulrich was mildly disappointed about being turned down--the Isle could always use more numbers--but only mildly. He shook his head with a smile. No need to apologize, Ensio. Not to worry. He wanted their parting to be peaceful and for Ensio to leave without feeling bad about it. He listened as the man went on about how he had just recently returned to these wilds, how he didn't have the best luck with packs.

I'm sorry to hear of your bad luck, Ulrich said, frowning. I won't keep you, but if there's anything you need... help with, before I go...? He could not help but offer, well, help. It seems that is what he had been made for, to help others. If he thought about it, being a soldier wasn't all that far from being a general helper. As a soldier he had followed orders. Now, while he was technically a leader, it was still his job to do what the other members of his pack needed him to do. In a way, he was still following orders. Only this time, they were orders he was willing to follow.

He looked at Ensio with expectant eyes, knowing he may very well be turned down, but that was okay, too. As long as the man knew he could get help if he needed it.

He nodded, appreciative that this man, Ulrich, was so understanding. "I kind of can't help it." Moving closer, there was no threat in his body language. Once he stopped, he turned and gestured with his snout. "Just to the southeast of here there is a mountain summit. That was the former home of my pack. Then they...all just up and left one day." A dial back of his ears, a slightly pained note in his voice.

He could not simply turn his back and leave. Not with the kind offer Ulrich had extended him. It didn't feel right. "Would you...care to try and track down some grouse with me?" His brow raised hopefully. "We could split the catch, so you have something to bring back to your stores."

Ulrich frowned again at Ensio's next words, that he couldn't help his bad luck. Well. No one could help their luck, although Ulrich wasn't always sure he believed in luck. Blaming everything on bad luck could just be a sign that someone refused to take responsibility for their actions. He followed the man's gaze up to the mountain, listening some more. I'm sorry about your pack disappearing, he offered, softly, thinking of the place he had left. He had been glad to go, but now he imagined the Isle disbanding, its members scattering to the wind, and it made him sad. He hoped that never happened.

At the offer to hunt, the frown left Ulrich's face, to be replaced with a grin. A hunt? Of course! Splitting the catch seems fair, so that's fine. Grouse, did you say? He chuckled. I'm afraid I'm not very good at catching birds, but I'll do my best. He studied Ensio for a moment. Did you scent some earlier? If so, I'll let you lead.

Ensio just grunted with a nod at Ulrich's apology. These days he preferred not to think too much of his past packs. If he did, he would just grow more and more bitter. Better to bury it, leave it behind him. His spirits lifted some when his offer was accepted, which seemed to please the dark man as well. 

"Excellent. It is settled, then." He chuffed lightly, turning towards a thin game trail leading deep into the woods. "I am not exactly an expert either, but together I think we can make it work." His nose hovered at the ground, searching for scents. His eyes, for tracks or discarded feathers. "I believe the trick is getting the jump on them at the right moment. They're fast off the mark."

short post to catch up. my muse has been in the tank for like a month

Ulrich nodded at Ensio's advice. Birds were quick. He, too, bent his head down, helping the other male search for scents. Perhaps it would be best to split up when we're close, then? he asked. Cut off their escape? He paused. Of course, since they can fly, I'm not sure how well that would actually work. His nose caught a scent, and he motioned to Ensio. I think I found it.

"Yes. We should split up." After he had finished speaking, Ulrich confirmed that he had located the trail. "Perfect. Then I will go around to the right, while you take the left. The closer we get, hopefully we will corner them into a small area." The idea was experimental. He had no clue whether or not it would work, or how well, until they tried it.

Ulrich nodded at Ensio's instructions, and went off to take the left side. He would not go for the birds until his hunting partner gave the signal, whatever that ended up being. They needed to coordinate the attack or this wouldn't work. He moved quickly and quietly, praying the wind would not change direction and alert their prey.

Soon, the grouse were within their sights. Ten or twelve of them, foraging in a tight knit group. They were alert little suckers though, never keeping their heads down for long. Remembering how quick they were to scatter when danger threatened, he tried to stay still. He crept forward with small, inching steps.

Sneaking a glance in the direction of Ulrich, he tried to gauge the other wolfs progress. To see how close he had gotten. The Northern boy was relying mainly on instinct, guess work and common sense. The wooded area did offer several places of cover. One being a hefty, old stump of a felled tree, that hovered just past shoulder height. He tried to creep towards it, to hide and wait.

I rolled to see if Ulrich would catch anything and got a 4/10 so I'm gonna count that as a no. You don't have to roll for yours and can do whatever you like!

Ulrich crept slowly towards the birds, keeping one eye on them and one eye on Ensio, trying to match the other wolf's pace so that the two of them would reach their prey at the same time. He could feel every muscle in his body taut with tension. When he thought the two of them were close enough, he signaled silently to Ensio and rushed forward in a flurry of movement, trying to snap down on the nearest grouse. He missed, and each attempt afterwards only sent the grouse farther away from him. However, that meant that about half of them were moving closer to Ensio, who, hopefully, would be able to catch some.

Ensio caught the signal and tensed. Ulrich rushed seconds before he did. As he began his own charge, it was total confusion. Fluttering wings, a flurry of feathers and panicked alarm calls. Blindly, he snapped his jaws. Aiming for the closest set of mottled brown wings. The prey was quick to skitter away, out of reach.

Growling, he whirled and tried again for another target. He used a swift, darting motion this time. Tried to slam his paws and chest down on the bird at the last second. When he thought he had missed, getting nothing but ruffled feathers in his vision, he was about to try again. Then, the feel of fragile foot poking against his chest. He had barely pinned the bird, which was still struggling. He pounced, forcing his weight on it, ending it mercifully with a twist of his jaw to it's neck.

One catch was better than nothing, he decided. Glancing to Ulrich whose efforts had been less productive, he nudged his catch to him, insistent. He and his pack needed this more than he did. A parting gift to remember him by, before moving on.