Gyrfalcon's Keep bangerbells
267 Posts
Ooc — Laur
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#1
Any welcome! :D

Wheeling and circling in the sky, the juvenile gyrfalcon leisurely made it's way back to it's nest which was no doubt huddled among the crags that littered the cliff. However, it was oblivious to the predator tracking it a ways below, pale eyes transfixed on the bird as it flew just above the treetops. It was quick, Atreyu had to give it that, but on land it was no match for the aspiring Gamekeeper. Perhaps he was taking on a little too hard of a challenge with his still amateur skills, but the boy was determined to prove his worth to Thistle and the rest of the Bay.

At a swift trot, Atreyu made his way up a sheltered pathway that led to the base of the mountain, unimposing in height but impressive all the same. He gave a cursory glance over to the view of the ocean that could be seen in amongst the trees, before looking up again and zeroing in on the falcon that had come to a rest on a rock that jutted out from the mountainside. He was still a few paces away, hidden among the shadows in the trees with the wind in his favour. Slowly, he lowered himself and studied the back of the bird that now preened itself, unaware of the pale-coated wolf silently stalking towards it.
So they shipped me off to the orphanage, said "ditch those roots if you wanna fit in".
182 Posts
Ooc — summer
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#2

Onyx had come to Gyrfalcon's Keep again looking for feathers to decorate her den underground. She was slowly making her way up the hunk of stone, when a pale figure caught her eye. It was a canine. Onyx headed quickly in it's direction up the mountain. After a moment it lowered, and seemed to be focusing on something ahead. Her icy optics turned ahead to the focal point- a gyrfalcon. He was hunting. Ohhhh. She mumbled to herself when she realized. This was her chance to hunt as well. Ragnar had said to work on her trades, and Gamekeeper was first on her list. She was a few yards away from him, and pulled her form to the ground as he had. She wanted to get his attention so her presence wouldn't surprise or scare him if he turned around and she was suddenly there. But she didn't want to disturb his hunting either, or scare off the prey, so she stayed quiet.

267 Posts
Ooc — Laur
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#3
The bird silently continued to groom itself, scarcely aware of the pale wolf closing in on it. Atreyu had never tasted gyrfalcon before, perhaps this would be his first time. Pausing as the bird adjusted itself on it's rocky perch, the boy left one paw dangling in the air, the tips of his ears quivering as he readied himself for the perfect moment to strike. You really only had one chance with prey — especially birds — so you had to make your first move count.

Narrowing his eyes, the boy suddenly pushed off the ground, eagerly leaping forward with all of his strength. The gyrfalcon predictably let out a loud shriek as it was made aware of it's hunter and took to the air. Atreyu cursed and leapt after it, jaws snapping as they closed around the bird's tail. However, all he managed was a mouthful of feathers. He fell to the ground again, spitting out the feathers before angrily looking up, watching his would-be meal get away.

With a frustrated curl of his lip, Atreyu spun on his heel, ready to stalk off back to the coast and try his luck with the creatures on the beach. At least they didn't have wings. However, he quickly spotted two blue eyes peering out of the shadows. He squinted, making out the form of a dark-furred wolf. The wind was now in the stranger's favour, so the boy could not smell the tell-tale scent of Stavanger Bay on her coat. Snarling, he started towards her, hackles bristling. "You!" he sneered. "You made it fly away!"

Of course, the poor girl hadn't done anything; Atreyu simply wanted someone to blame for his own lack of hunting skills.
So they shipped me off to the orphanage, said "ditch those roots if you wanna fit in".
182 Posts
Ooc — summer
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#4
sorry for taking forever!!!


Onyx watched as he tried to get the gyrfalcon. She gasped quietly as it managed to get away. Then he turned to her, and blamed her. Immediatley her ears flattened against her skull, her tail down, and her blue eyes scared. Despite the Bay scent on him she was no less afraid of the boy. I'm sorry!! I didn't mean to! I didn't know I had.. She whimpered quietly, wanting to run away. But that would be rude. And according to him, it was her fault, so she owed him back, right? Just what he'd said convinced her that she was the reason he'd missed, because of course others were always correct, correct? That's what Onyx thought, anyway. She awaited whatever punishment she would be sentenced to by the young hunter man.

267 Posts
Ooc — Laur
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#5
Haha, it's okay! No rush <3

Surprisingly, the girl didn't contend his claim — instead she suddenly fell into submission with a meek apology. Atreyu paused, confused by the girl's timid presence, before continuing striding forward with a threatening grin. He didn't stop until he was almost leaning over her, fangs bared and hackles on end. Up close, he could now smell the salty scent on her coat. She was from Stavanger Bay, then. He wondered if he had ever met her before; the scent was thick and it was obvious she had been a part of the Bay for a while. Her face was unfamiliar to him, though.

"So, how are you going to make it up to me?" he snarled, stepping forward, enjoying the sudden position of power he was in. It was often that others just...submitted like that.
So they shipped me off to the orphanage, said "ditch those roots if you wanna fit in".
182 Posts
Ooc — summer
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#6

She shrunk even more under his gaze, his fangs, his grin, his risen hackles. Onyx trembled with fear at him. Despite being around the Bay for way longer, she seemed to be submitting. How would she pay him back for making the bird fly off? Uh... I'm going to... Catch two gyrfalcons... And you can say you caught them both... She mumbled, her quiet voice practically a whisper. Willing to do this so he wouldn't be so mad. The last thing she wanted was someone mad at her. It felt terribly scary.

267 Posts
Ooc — Laur
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#7
Charon could learn a lesson from this girl — that is was wise to submit to the more dominant wolves of the pack. He wasn't sure of her rank, but he assumed she would not be a leader. If one cowered so quickly, how would they ever expect to obtain that role? He lowered his lip then, his bare-toothed grin sliding into an amused smirk as she stammered out a near-silent reply.

Atreyu stood over her for another moment before stepping back, tail waving at his flanks. "I'd like to see you try," he laughed. It was both a statement and a challenge. The boy then took another few steps back, allowing the dark, timid girl to rise and take on the quest she had just set herself. He would watch.
So they shipped me off to the orphanage, said "ditch those roots if you wanna fit in".
182 Posts
Ooc — summer
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#8

Onyx's pretty diamond eyes widened. He doubted her skills! She tried to bend her kindness to hate, but she couldn't. She was too nice to dislike one, of her own pack. I will try.. She murmured, her blue eyes glancing back at him, before she began off. Whether or not he followed to watch was not of her concern. Her huge black paws carried her along the stone. The young girl's icy eyes scanned the cliffs, looking for gyrfalcons. A nest with eggs almost always promised a gyrfalcon soon to come back to check on their children-to-be. But Onyx wasn't sure if she should wait that long. Instead she looked for the birds themselves. Her blue eyes flashed to where they had been seconds before- there! Hunched over some unfortunate rodent, a gyrfalcon sat pecking at it's fresh meal. Onyx crouched, hiding among the stone peaks, waiting to get closer. She crept closer... And closer... But it was not yet time to pounce. The gyrfalcon was scanning the sky to make sure no other avians were trying to take it's lunch. It turned a wary eye back upon what she could now see was a mouse or rat or something, a bite or two taken out of it. Good. It's attention was no longer alert for others. Luckily she was downwind, she just hoped the winds wouldn't shift. She had to make her move quick. Onyx took a mighty leap, her very long legs sending her through the air towards the bird. For about a second she felt wind rush through her obsidian fur, before with a crack her huge paws landed on the falcon. Too late, it struggled, but she quickly bent and nipped it's neck. Just for good measure, she tugged hard and cracked another bone, something in the wing. Good, that was one.

267 Posts
Ooc — Laur
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#9
The girl muttered something before getting to her paws, Atreyu following close behind as she set off with purpose in her stride. He did doubt her abilities, and thought her long legs and large frame was wasted potential. For all he knew she could be the pack's resident Gamekeeper, though it would take a hell of a lot of convincing to make him believe it. Convincing that, apparently, was about to take place.

He watched from the shadows with a narrowed gaze as his pack mate stalked forward, watching the birds. One seemed to catch her interest, it's form arched over some sort of meal. A few tense moments passed as it looked up and around just as the one Atreyu had been stalking before had done. He half hoped it would notice her and fly away. Or attack her. Whichever. He pursed his lips as it continued enjoying it's snack, oblivious to the dark wolf. Suddenly, she jumped out from her hiding spot and threw herself at the bird, quickly taking it down with ease. The boy pulled back his lips again in a snarl, irritated by her success. He replaced it with a tight-lipped frown, though, as he crept forward as the girl cracked one of the bird's wings.

"Beginner's luck," he grumbled with a huff. Turning his muzzle to the higher peaks of the mountain, Atreyu waved his tail as his mind whirred with ideas to make this more of challenge. He couldn't let a girl show him up as easy as this! "Let's go higher," he called, already beginning to trail up the pathway, expecting the girl to follow.
So they shipped me off to the orphanage, said "ditch those roots if you wanna fit in".
182 Posts
Ooc — summer
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#10
do you want Onyx to catch both or to mess up? Should I roll dice?


Onyx's diamond eyes lit with joy at his surprise and frusturation at her catch. See, she was a great hunter, and she would prove that to him today. When he said beginner, she narrowed her eyes. Beginner? I've had more experience than you! She said, trying to be bold, but the words coming out in a quiet mumble. She followed him up, her white toes making contact with the stone of the Keep. Getting closer to the peak. She glanced around as she moved up. The gyrfalcon population seemed a bit less common the higher they got. Onyx knew she might have more difficulty, not to mention fear of falling which could distract her from her task. A dark nose sniffed the air twice, finding the scent of gyrfalcon floating around but none too close. Leaving his side, she found her way up the rocks. Diamond eyes scanned the rocks again, searching for any unfortunate prey. Some were in crags and nests too high or in places too dangerous to reach. A few were in areas a bit safer. She spotted a particular one sitting in a nest, probably on eggs, sharp eyes focused on something to its right, though still listening closely for predators. Onyx began to creep closer, closer....

267 Posts
Ooc — Laur
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#11
Up to you! It'd annoy the tits off Atreyu if she caught both of them, though, haha (which would be fun to play out ;D)

The purpose of dragging her up to the peaks was indeed to raise the bar higher on the challenge. Here, the population of gyrfalcons dropped considerably, and the path was treacherous. One wrong step and it may be the last step you'd ever take. Of course, he didn't actually want the girl to slip and break her neck; he'd hate to return to the Bay with her scent and have to explain her absence. Though, he did want to see her fail.

Atreyu glanced up as a gyrfalcon screeched above them — they were almost to the nesting grounds. Maybe she could steal them a couple of eggs, too. Suddenly, she turned from him and the boy's narrowed eyes watched as she begun to slowly stalk towards one of the seemingly nesting birds, it's head turned away from her. Atreyu tilted his own head, frowning.

"Yo, don't make it too easy on yourself," he shouted, hoping to jostle the gyrfalcon from whatever it was staring at. He referred mainly to the fact that it was nesting. While protective, they were essentially sitting ducks. His gaze scoured the rocky slopes, spotting a bustling crag just above them. A gyrfalcon tended to its already hatched young, its back turned while it fed them. Knowing that it would pose an even greater challenge, the boy swung his head to face his pack mate again with a grin. "How about one up there?"
So they shipped me off to the orphanage, said "ditch those roots if you wanna fit in".
182 Posts
Ooc — summer
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#12
alright, I'll do that. If you change your mind just tell me!


When he said not to make it too easy on herself, she growled in frustration. There was never a rule it had to be difficult! Her growl and his statement made the gyrfalcon she was looking at anyway turn and stare her down, challenging her to come at it. She figured why not the one he'd suggested anyway, so she began up higher on the slope. Soon she was near the crag where it sat, tending to its young, while she was having a little balancing trouble. She would feel bad killing a parent and half-orphaning their children, but she would proceed. She was a hunter. She crept towards it, trying to hide herself from it behind rocks. When she felt close enough, she leapt. It must have heard her, because it's head swung around to look at her and then lift upward in quick time. But Onyx wouldn't let it fly off. She leapt up, biting at it's legs and pulling it towards the ground. It thrashed wildly, but she slammed it to the ground and snapped its neck with her bite. She picked it up in her jaws, hopping down the rocks towards him. Ha! I can too! She said in a victorious way, proud of her catches and her ability to catch them.

267 Posts
Ooc — Laur
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#13
No problem! Again, up to you what she does in response to Atreyu — run away, let him take it, fight, whatever! :D

He watched on with a humoured grin as the gyrfalcon turned to stare at the girl, its challenging stare seen even from where Atreyu was standing. Wisely, his pack mate backed down and heeded his suggestion, changing her direction to head up the slope where the other bird was feeding its young. It, too, was a relatively easy catch in Atreyu's mind. If he had his own way, he would have the girl try to snatch one out of the air but unfortunately, the falcons were circling high above them, none daring to soar too close to the two wolves.

The yearling followed the dark-furred girl upwards, pale eyes flicking from her, to the falcon, the path, and then back again. He paused and crouched when she made her move towards her prey, ears thrust forward as he observed with almost the same amount of concentration she had as she hunted. Silently, he wished the gyrfalcon to fly away; not to save itself, but so she would miss and the score would only be one of two and Atreyu could walk away with his dignity still partially intact. But the girl suddenly leapt and took the bird by surprise. Its loud screeches and the thudding of its wings were silenced with a sharp snap as she broke its neck and it fell limp within her jaws.

The boy stared in awe for a moment before his eyes flared with anger. As she made her way towards him with a confident call, Atreyu made to meet her, tail arched high over his back as he leapt upon the rocks. A prideful wolf, the yearling's bruised ego caused his temper to soar. Peeling back his fangs, he bristled as he came to a stop before the leggy girl. "You think you're so great?" he spat. "I'll show you a real challenge." The boy then pushed off from his perch atop a rock, aiming to snatch away the girl's prize, ready for a fight if she defended herself.
So they shipped me off to the orphanage, said "ditch those roots if you wanna fit in".
182 Posts
Ooc — summer
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#14
can't post for a week, spring break!


As he tried to snatch her prey, she whined and bit into it harder, securing it in her jaws. Hey! This is mine, fair 'n' square! I proved you wrong, so deal with it! She growled. She was being a terrible person, she told herself. She then reminded herself that he was the real jerk here. Trying to take her prey, blaming his misses on her, doubting her hunting skills. But any more mean words from him at this point would probably set her into tears. The next time he tried to take her prey, she probably wouldn't put up any fight. She was sick of this younger teen's idiotic behavior and just wanted to leave him and head back to the Bay.

267 Posts
Ooc — Laur
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#15
Hope you had fun! And last post from me! :D

When she protested and pulled away from him, rightfully exclaiming that the prey was hers, Atreyu paused, his eyes darkening. He made no other move to take it from her then, instead just staring at the limp bird that hung from her strong grip. He justified his anger by telling himself that she had let her victory get to her head and would soon return to the meek, stammering girl he had met before. He was the superior here, despite her success with hunting. She had an advantage. What advantage that was, Atreyu did not know, but was convinced the blue-eyed girl had some sort of unfair edge to challenge he had set her.

With a huff and an irritated flick of his tail, the boy regarded his pack mate once more before turning on his heel and trotting back to the trail they had taken to ascend the mountain. "Fine," he snarled without turning back, focusing instead on the ground before him as he wrestled with the urge to spin and outright attack her. He was disappointed she hadn't put up a fight, but he knew the Jarl wouldn't be pleased if his pack mates got into a scuffle. "I don't even like bird anyway," he muttered, just loud enough so she could hear, before he disappeared into the forest and began making his way back to the coastline.