Phoenix Maplewood A Newcome Season

Backdated to around mid-March!

@Shard :3

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Louis feet never seemed to stop moving. Even on days when he and Shard paused to rest or explore a smaller area, Louis would pace and prance and dig. He would bound through the snow, bow down to entice play, chase anything that moved. It was still cold, but a change in the air promised spring, and it filled the young coywolf with energy.

Right now he was trying very hard to impress Shard by stalking a weasel hidden in tunnels under the snow. Louis' ears pricked, calculating, and - relatively certain this snow was safe - he leapt up and shot down, nose first into the snowbank.

He didn't catch the weasel.

But he did flush it out. The creature flung itself free of upturned snow and bolted across the ground. In its haste to escape Louis, who had quickly extracted himself and turned, it didn't at first seem to notice the great white wolf it was running straight towards.

And when it did notice him, far too close now to turn, it seemed to decide its best chance was to fling itself forward, in some wild hope of startling Shard or latching onto his coat to clamber out of reach of sharp fangs.

Shard was lying in the snow, almost mistakable for a large pile of it, watching Louis with interested calmness. His tail wagged softly, finally figuring out how to make his gigantic form look as cute as possible, hindlegs tucked just so, forepaws crossed in such a way that his head could rest adorably on them. Blue eyes looked on, seeing the coywolf chasing a weasel. You really don't-

His thought was interrupted by the weasel, coming for him and jumping, latching onto his pelt and slithering up it with ease with sharp claws. Shard was no pacifist, but he definitely was a wolf who knew what battles he could take. Oh well, so much for cute ways to lay. The mountain of snow got up, shaking his pelt and flinging the weasel down, covering its screaming, hissing form with one large paw. It was less than enthusiastic. 

This yours, cutie?

Louis skidded to a halt, sending snow flaring outward. And laughed. A wild, swift sound that new no reason for restraint. "How good of you to catch it for me, kind sir!"

Trotting up and shaking powder from his fur, Louis gave Shard's cheek a quick smoosh with a cold nose and then looked down at the creature they'd detained. It scratched and snarled and wriggled. "I was going to make a meal of it to offer you. But now I feel kinda bad for the poor thing." Stepped on. Not the most glamorous way to be caught.

Why thank you, kind sir, for your fantastic try at giving me dinner, he purred a response, giving Louis a playful lick on the side of his muzzle. And a cheeky smile. Quite romantic of you, Louis, the great white wolf whispered in the coywolf's ear, chuckling. He looked back at the weasel, still wriggling between his toes.

Shard tilted his head, looking at the long furry snake under him. A decision needed to be made about it, for sure. Do I let it go, or shall we actually eat it?

Louis' fur fluffed up a little at the kiss. He never really got tired of teasing - or being teased.

But there were, of course, other things to mind besides flirting.

With every second passed Louis got a little more attached to the creature. A failure as a hunter, perhaps, but he'd rarely regretted empathy. They could hunt something more filling together, later - even prey once beyond him as a singular halfbreed. Shard was a great beast of a wolf who surely made even bison quiver to gaze upon him.

"Let it live it another season to find mates and chase mice. It's barely a morsel to us, anyway."