Ocean's Breath Plateau cycle

all welcome but would prefer someone who iiana hasn't met before! would like to develop more relationships for this girlie lol

a trail of pawprints in the sand followed after each of iiana's lumbering steps, the waves of the ocean lapping at her paws as she walked along the shoreline. the cool breeze of the wind that had yet to leave winter's cold blew at her chocolate colored coat. perhaps it was the nap she'd just taken but in a rare moment, iiana felt tranquil. she'd probably get her energy once she set out in search of food, or when a flea decided she'd make a great meal, but for now she indulged in this peace she'd forgotten about before arriving into teekon.

Heph had returned from a rather longer excursion. She had been worried that she would feel the urge to set out again as soon as her paws touched familiar lands again, but she found it relaxing to follow the trails she had spent o much time learning after the work mapping out new territories to her mind's eye. It had been exhilarating and fun but the air on this strip of the coast felt different to her. Her gaze fixed on a set of pawprints and she hurried her pace, if it was an intruder she wished to know sooner rather than later and if it was not then she realized she had still not met every member of the new pack. It became evident when she approached that it was in fact someone she had seen before, at the pack howl she thought and perhaps once or twice more? Her memory for the exact moments eluded her despite its ability to recall places. "Hello! I don't think we've met which is a shame." Her tone bounced along the ocean waves, friendly if a little bit flirtatious but her speech ran into an introduction before the waves finished lapping at the shore. "Heph."

it was the sound of a second set of paws approaching her that finally broke iiana's trance, and when she turned around she was met with a vaguely familiar face.
she must've met the stranger at the pack howl, when they'd all gathered to celebrate the birth of moontide and howled in unison. she couldn't quite catch her name, but iiana could say that about most of the wolves in the pack. she stopped in her tracks once the stranger caught up and spoke with her, revealed her name. the wind that brushed against her initially now felt like it'd hit her in the face the moment she stopped moving in it's direction, but iiana had to be polite to a fellow pack member!
she gave a smile, finding heph a little endearing though she shouldn't just yet jump to conclusions just from a few words alone. the glimpse of flirtatious aura of the other wolf had captured iiana's attention like the scent of sweet honey, and that scared her a little- more than she'd like.
iiana, same to you. i think we've only seen eachother in passing, right? she furrowed her brow briefly to look back through her memories as best she could to make sure she was right.

Heph hummed in affirmative returning the smile widely and fixing her pace to stay in stride with the other wolf. "mmm I couldn't forget a face like yours and now I have a lovely name to match. Iiana." There was a hint of laughter in her tone giving it a lightness, but she did not press to hard down that path and let a step or two pass before continuing on with her words, jaunty. "How did you end up joining Moontide? I'm afraid I know Rodyn and Samani best out of all those I saw at the pack howl but not many of the others." Though she was slowly learning them, names and faces, Heph had to admit that she still felt that she knew Rodyn and Samani best. Part of this was because she greatly enjoyed their company and the other part time. But she was curious about how this little pack had come together, Void she had surmised was friends with Rodyn, and Mojag she was not sure, the others she could only guess.

iiana slowed her own pace down until the other caught up and the pair could walk in unison. her lips curled into a wider smile upon the compliment.
oh really? how charming.. though it did make her feel a little lighter, she couldn't helo but wonder how much of it was genuine and how much was just ease her a little.

she brushed it aside from now upon hearing heph's question. she didn't really think about why the other wolves joined- she just assumed it was a similar case to her- a lucky encounter. i know rodyn the best, though i've heard of samani. never spoke to her though.. rodyn and i, we met in the fields near moonglow. we hunted a doe together! it was then i proved my worth. even have the deerskin to prove it. her cream coat chest puffed out right then, head held high. though it was then her lime-colored gaze breaking away from heph and instead forward before continuing, just to make sure they weren't going to bump their heads into something. i'd only just arrived here. i'm still not the most familiar with the lands here.. thoughts of getting lost on the way here came back to mind.
and you? what's your story if you don't mind me prying? it must be something interesting.

Heph nodded amiably at the mention of the hunt, if Rodyn thought that the wolf before her was a good hunter then she felt that the other wolf's skills and pride were well-earned. At the prospect of having yet another hunting partner her tail wagged and she replied. "That is impressive - we should try hunting together as well, I don't have many skins for my den yet but I'm sure we can add to our caches with two of us." A slightly conspiratorial smile flit across her face, but she was sure that it was so. And they would be adding to Moontide's holdings as well which would be good as well. Though she was more of an explorer than a hunter she found the activity enjoyable, the challenge and the chase presenting its own rush of adrenaline.

At the mention that she did not know the territory well Heph responded easily, tone bright and inviting. "Ahh well if you ever want a guide I'd be happy to spend some time showing you anything you'd like to see around here." Though the words themselves held a hint of suggestion her voice remained open and guileless, after all though most of the benefits to Moontide of her wandering were in the form of trade she would enjoy being able to put them to more direct uses for her fellow packmates.

When Iiana said she was sure her story was interesting she let out a friendly bark of laughter, letting it dip and rise only a few times, but more at herself than anything. Her words were tinged with it but there was no nervousness and she answered honestly, words coming out in a steady stream with no hesitation. "I'm afraid not! I left a pack a ways to the east of here and wandered the wilds for a little while before meeting Rodyn. We crossed paths a few times after that and he's a good friend so when I met Samani and heard they were starting a pack I wanted to be a part of that. What about you if you don't mind my asking?" The cant of her speech softened at the question, less forceful in its own demands as when relating her own past. Though the start of her journey had been sparked by a tragedy time had softened the grief she had felt and even her own memories of the suffocating tension of her family in the wake of the event were muted by the happier memories she was able to now recall and the new ones that she had built. She kept her eyes occasionally drifting to their surroundings, conscientious of her position in the world, the rest of her senses taking in her environment with the ease of practice.

im so sorry for taking so long!!

iiana's own tail followed suit with heph's wagging. why not! it'd be fun. i think the pack could use something to eat anyways. perhaps while we hunt you can even show me around here.. she turned her nose to the ground, hoping to pick up the scent of something they could catch. hopefully, it'd be far. she really would like to explore, and doing so with such a charming wolf would make it all the more interesting for her. that said, she kept her offer just that- an offer. iiana would feel awkward if she dragged along an unwitting party. she'd just get slowed down and it'd be miserable for the both of them, so she didn't push.

upon the mention of her pack, she lost her previous vigor. her smile didn't fade, but somehow it mellowed out just a little. perhaps it was those bright green eyes softening just a little. oh, it's nothing much really. i just.. dispersed. as most of us do, right? i wanted to see more, wanted to do more.. it'd probably been easier to stay but.. i don't regret it either.

Heph smiled, she understood at least not regretting leaving even if such a decision was a difficult one to make and only seemed to multiply in its challenges. The life of a loner had treated her well, but it was not an easy one. Her words themselves held hints of the old flirtation but the warmth and sturdiness of them belied the intent. "Well I'm glad you've found Moontide." She cast her own nose around and began following Iiana's lead before branching to and fro to see if she could pick up anything else.

Her voice was chipper as she went alone. "Yeah, let's see what kind of trails we can pick up!" She was in no hurry to find anything, happy to point out anything in particular that she remembered as a landmark along the way.

absolutely no worries, rp is for fun so go at whatever pace is best for you!

tysm, life hasnt been super kind to me abjsjs so the patience is appreciated..

of course! i'm glad too, as much as you are too right? she spoke casually as she began to lead them away from the shore.

as iiana's legs guided her off the soft sand and back into the familiar terrain of the grass, she made sure not to stray too far from her new acquiantance. the blades of grass danced to and fro as the ocean breeze lapped against then and her chocolate coat. within flurry of the coastal wind, she could just barely pick up on a scent but not enough to pin point what exactly she was smelling- she might be smelling herself or heph afterall. it was far too faint. she hoped her friend had better luck, or a better nose, than she.
anything? i'm much better at the chasing than the searching for hunts, hah! she played her embarrassment off as confidently as possible, laughing at it. though iiana couldn't help but feel a little awkward her scheme to prove herself competent to this new ally wasn't quite going the way she'd hoped.

Heph grinned and nodded her head, glad they at least seemed to share in a present that was going well. While the past was littered with challenges that could not help but feel bittersweet at sometimes something about the present moment made her glad to surge forward and flaunt her fortune in the face of troubles that may come their way. She spanned, keeping the other wolf in sight. Her familiarity with the territory and the paths that prey often took through it and those easiest paths which held the best shrubbery meant that after a little while she was able to find a trail that was recent enough that it seemed worth following. Hearing Iiana remark on her own progress she gave a friendly flash of a smile "Fair enough! I think I've gotten lucky." Motioning the wolf over the trail she sniffed at a patch of slightly bent grass where the scent of some sort of ungulate was strongest. They had probably bedded down here with their herd. "Over here, it heads west." She tilted her gaze in that direction, hopefully the herd was still within Moontide territory although if needed they could go further afield.

iiana spent a moment gazing out while waiting but turned her attention back to heph. bright green eyes shined brighter upon the announcement of there being a trail.
oh! good! maybe they're not too far. would hate to go out only to have to drag our catch back. she spoke with certainty, confident the two wolves would be able to bring something back.
iiana padded forward with a determination in each step until she reached heph's side.
lead the way, pretty please! your nose is more reliable than mine.

Heph nodded, though she could well manage bursts of strength needed to take down prey or the stamina for long travel she was not a fighter nor was she well used to dragging full carcasses. Beginning on the path she grinned and nodded her head, pleased by the compliment and happy to be able to use her tracking to help on the hunt. Between the two of them hopefully they would be able to bring something down fairly close. "Very well, though it feels backwards to have such a pretty face chasing me." There was a teasing lilt to her voice which petered into a laugh at the end.

But then she was all concentration following the trail. They travelled a fair bit of the plateau and she was beginning to worry that they would actually have to head too the plains but the scents were strong enough that she stilled and realized that they were close. Looking around she pointed her head in the direction of the path. A short ways from them was a small group of deer. Turning to see if Iiana spotted the same she lowered her body to crouch so that they could figure out their plan of attack.

iiana quickened her pace to walk alongside heph then, the corners of her lips curling into a cheeky smile.
would it be better i walked besides you then? that way this pretty face looks like its accompanying you.
perhaps that was slightly more emboldened than she wanted to come across as. she didn't worry her head over it much though.

she nearly walked past heph once the other wolf halted in her tracks. iiana returned back to her side and followed her gaze when she then realized they'd found their target. almost immediately, the wolf sunk her body to the ground, observing the herd from what she could see between the blades of grass that danced to and fro with the wind. much like her prior hunt, she looked for the weakest deer, hoping she'd strike lucky twice and find one with an injury that'd slow it down.. though that would probably best be found once the chase begins. her heart pounded in her ears though, legs eager to bound and chase after the deer but iiana knew it was wiser to sit and observe before making any hasty decision.

Heph waited until Iiana was crouched beside her, smiling before turning her attention back to the herd. None had obvious injuries, although they were fairly still, grazing in the afternoon light. While it was the season for young they might have been laying the grass. She spotted a doe that looked hard-done by the winter, still regaining her weight from the season. While she was not injured starvation would take its toll. There was another hind that she thought might be holding its leg oddly, but it could just be resting that way. Nodding towards them, pointing her muzzle in that direction her words were a whisper. "Those two look like they might be promising. How do you feel about creeping as far forward as possible and getting the herd to move before picking our target? First one to call it takes point on the kill?" Between the two of them she trusted that they could spot the best of the herd, or perhaps the weakest. Spooking the herd might also reveal any injuries she had not seen or fawns that she could not see from her vantage point in the grass.

iiana glanced between heph and the herd, observing them carely as well as keeping an eye out for any strange disturbance in the grass. it was during these summers that fawns were plentiful. rodyn's words however flashed through her mind, a reminder to not rely so heavily on hunting the young. without fawn, there wouldn't be anymore herds for the wolves of the future. there wasn't a need to rely on hunting the young anyways if iiana now had the support of atleast heph at her side to hunt.
which one are you betting on then? she couldn't help but smile through her whispers, though she had to tuck her tail between her legs to prevent it from thudding against the ground with all the wagging it was doing. ..i think the one with the odd leg will be it. although a sick doe was the most preferrable, one with an injured leg was usually a safe bet, at least what iiana thought. she inched her way closer though, careful with each step placed on the earth beneath them.

Heph grinned back, while closing the distance would help she found the conversation a pleasant aside to the focus of the hunt. She was practiced enough to be able to inch forward, earth quiet beneath her paws, as she moved in and out of shadows. Their voices were quiet, and she nodded her head. "If it is injured I'd bet the same." After all injury already predisposed the hind to slower running and pain took a toll on the mind - the creature would already be frightened and anxious about its state and may even make a poor decision in its panic.

As they neared no other targets particularly jumped out though the rest of the herd came into sharper focus the closer they were. "Otherwise I'll bet on whichever one's unlucky enough to catch your eye." She sent a wink Iiana's way, an easy smile slashed across her maw in lieu of a laughter which might startle the herd. The deer were alert, but they not not quite cottoned on. Though she was eager to start the chase she wanted to be as close as possible and garner the pair of hunters every advantage, so though her muscles itched to spring she held back, carefully controlling her steps.