Redtail Rise I'll tell you all about it when I see you again

SFT2/SFT3 area on the map. AW, but maybe @Reek ?

Morning broke over the wilds in a dazzling display of light. As the sun began its slow, arduous climb into the sky, not a single cloud rose in its path to shield the earth below. The temperature on the ground was already pleasant, promising a hot day for the wolves. Very likely the hottest day so far. If Saena, who trekked determinedly along the ridge, was daunted at all by the thought of spending a hot day hunting (prey or lone wolves, whichever she found first), it didn't show in her proud carriage.

She paused where the ridge grew broadest and stared out over the foothills between her and the Sunspire range. If this was where she and her scant followers chose to stay, then those foothills would be their excess hunting grounds when the ridge wasn't providing. The trees held ample prey in them, but it didn't hurt to plan ahead. She stretched, shook her pelt out, and then began heading in the direction of the southern foothills.

She'd barely made it halfway down the slope when she lifted her snout into the air and loosed a low, long summoning howl. Up until now, Saena hadn't contacted Reek or Wynter about her potential location, but her howl now was for them specifically. It noted her location—any wolf could easily pinpoint another from a howl alone—but also pointed out where she was going. She hoped that one of them could join her, share their thoughts on her potential land, and while away the afternoon getting acquainted.

I've been way too slack with Reek lately!

Life had become a waiting game.  Reek had found himself living in limbo in the days following Wynter and his encounter with the ambitious yearling, Saena.  The days all blended together in their humdrum monotony, and they eventually turned into weeks as the duo struggled together to make ends meet.  Reek had dug out a small den for the two to share high up in the ridge.  It was a humble little hole with barely enough room for two, however, Reek was quite proud of his creation.  He sprawled out inside as he quietly admired his handiwork from within, his usual shit-eating grin plastered across his face.   

Although Reek was proud of his accomplishments in pseudo-domesticity with his former pack mate, the time had not been kind.  The little weight that the ragged wolf had put on during his time with the pack at Ankyra Sound had all but melted away, leaving him gaunt, skeletal, and sickly once again, however that did little to impact his mood.  The bastard was as jovial as ever.  

He stretched inside the empty den, enjoying the extra space he had while Wynter hunted.  The morning's light poured into it's small opening, casting shadows that danced across Reek's face.  Starving or not, life was good.  A low, close howl stabbed through the air, cutting the morning's silence to an abrupt end.  Reek rose onto shaky legs as he pulled himself from his hole and began to move south toward it's source.  He spotted Saena from atop the ridge as she headed down to the foothills.  Reek clumsily bounded down the ridge toward the yearling who had her back to him.  Poking his head out quickly from behind a rock, the ragged wolf decided to let his presence known.  "Boo,"  shot the wolf from behind, grinning from ear to ear.  "You rang?"

As she reached the base of the mountains and turned, Saena was just slow enough to miss seeing Reek disappear behind a nearby rock, although a pebble bouncing in his wake made the yearling suspicious that someone or something was following. He didn't hold her in suspense very long. She heard him before she saw him, but she was quick to locate him, and when she spotted him with his trademark grin, she smirked back.

"I'm a Gamekeeper," she announced, seemingly out of the blue, "and I propose we go hunting, stock this place up a bit. You game?" With her ears trained on him, the yearling glanced around them, trying to pick out the best place they could go if he was willing to join her. She had high hopes for an afternoon of hunting. Although she quietly hoped they could take down a deer and pad their stores with a few hares, she knew that was unlikely. Even a full pack of wolves didn't have success rates high enough for that. Still, she was hopeful they would find something substantial enough to last them a few days. The trees seemed like the best bet, but also the riskiest for them.

Assuming he agreed to go, Saena would lead lead them in a wide arc around the ridge to survey the area and pick the best place. To pass the time, she asked him, "what do you like to do?"

Her off-kiltered greeting took the raggedy male by surprise causing his brow to furrow. Though Reek respected getting right down to business, social pleasantries were usually formulaic and easy to expect... and if there was one thing the bastard didn't like it was surprises.  Saena seemed to follow no such pattern, and Reek could already begin to see that this one may be tough to read.  However, the gaunt wolf was quick with his lip, saving himself from the awkward shit-show that was speechlessness.  

"We better be quick, before I disappear," he joked. "But, i'm always game for game.  The ragged wolf motioned with his head toward bag of bones that was his body.  "Now you see me —" he began as he drew himself sideways from the rock and closer to Saena.  Quickly he jumped to face her headlong. "And now you don't," he finished with a slight laugh.  All jokes aside, food was on the top of Reek's priorities.  And being largely on his own, big game was out of the picture.  Leaving him rabbit and squirrel, but those required a chase that the raggedy wolf just didn't have in him.  Come to think of it, he hadn't had a proper meal since leaving Ankyra.

"Well Saena," he began, addressing her question. "I do a bit of this and that really, whatever catches my interest in the moment, you know?  And plants— I like plants.  How bout you Saena? What makes you tick?" 

As Saena quickly learned, Reek had a strange sense of humour. An ordinary wolf as skinny and clearly malnourished as he would not be fast at making jokes about it, but he seemed to have no problem with it, as if his condition was somehow permanent. She, of course, didn't know that he was naturally a slight wolf. She managed to laugh as he turned himself about, presumably pretending to disappear like a sheet of paper on its side. His face was large enough that it was still obviously visible, though the narrow width of his chest and shoulders was concerning in a way.

"We need to fatten you up," Saena said with a smirk, "but I just keep imagining the look on an elk's face when you walk up to it head-on and then turn and appear out of nowhere." Of course, that was quite ridiculous, but she was eager to play along, even if her brand of humour didn't really match his. She probably wasn't funny at all. "Seriously, though, do you even eat?"

Assuming that he affirmed that he was not some sort of vampire that sustained himself on purely blood, she nodded in approval of his interests. "I don't know too much about them, but my aunt back home was an awesome healer. I know never to underestimate the power of plants. I'm glad to know there'll be a plant expert around here." Smiling encouragingly, the female led him into the trees and said, more quietly, "Hunting mostly, but I'm also a Naturalist on the side. I like to watch other animals, get a sense of how they live. And the skies, too. I like trying to predict the weather." Naturalism was about the least useful skill she had, but it was something she felt she was destined to do, even just as a hobby. "And I'm an Outrider, so I do a lot of travelling and information gathering. Never anything really major, though, mostly short-distance stuff."

We need to fatten you up. Well, she was certainly right about that.  Isolation usually wasn't conducive to a full stomach or a healthy semblance of heft, especially for such a piss-poor hunter.  Even at full strength and stomach, the ragged wolf was never the physical sort.  His movements tended to be both awkward and clumsy, and he lacked a certain subtlety that the hunt usually required.  Fishing came easier, but the ridge sported no river or sea, only small creeks that passed through here and there that harbored nothing of sustenance.  Minnows and water-spiders, but not much else.  

"That's the idea," he chirped, bantering back.  "Whatever it is, it won't see me coming.  Why else would I maintain this perfect figure?"  Reek sunken chest showed more ribs than a sports illustrated swimsuit centerfold, and if wolves had magazines, well, he certainly would have made a joke about modeling.

Reek followed behind his future alpha as she led him beyond the tree-line, listening intently to her interests and the other bits of informations she told him.  "Nature's neat," agreed the ragged wolf with a slight nod of the head.  Although he possessed near encyclopedic knowledge on all things natural, it's practicality was usually lost.  The bits and bobs of information constantly floating around Reek's head tended to be useless in the moment, without practical purpose or use.  He was fountain of useless knowledge and trivia, however, he still wouldn't trade it all away to be an ok hunter.  

"But, hunting really isn't my thing," continued the ragged wolf.  "It's too, er— physical." The bastards gaze caught the ground as his voice trailed off. "It isn't that I don't like it. I'm just, you know, bad," He quickly amended.

Saena laughed along with his jokes. Whatever Reek thought about himself and whatever connotations his name suggested, the male was humorous and good-natured about his condition, even though it definitely wasn't funny. Any wolf who looked as emaciated as him had cause for concern. It was a huge part of the reason Saena wanted to spend a day or two hunting, with or without the aid of her tentative companions—part of her couldn't stand to look upon him without stuffing a rabbit leg in his mouth and forcing him to eat it. She'd lived a life of comfort and relative luxury by comparison; her pity was probably unwelcome, but existed all the same.

He admitted that he wasn't much of a hunter, then amended that he was bad. "Oh, you're probably not that bad," Saena told him. "I mean, maybe you're not a big game hunter, but you could be amazing at catching birds or something. Have you ever tried?" Given that he just revealed his aversion to hunting, the mottled female was willing to bet he hadn't (and wouldn't). It was a shame, for like her father before her, Saena placed greater importance on physical skills than mental ones, although she knew naturalism and healing had their places as well. She couldn't, and wouldn't, fault Reek for his interests.

"I used to be bad, too," she told him as they walked, "I practiced a whole lot. I still fail more than I succeed, at least when flying solo." She hated to admit a weakness like that, but her rates were about 40:60 for success. They were still pretty good. She opened her mouth to ask how he learned about plants, but a rustle in the undergrowth silenced her immediately and she froze. Her ears swivelled forward and she dropped into a stalking stance, short tail flicking behind her as she crept up on whatever unfortunate creature was hiding there...

Suddenly, a fox burst out of the bushes, startling Saena. It managed to wind around her and take off for the safety of the deeper forest. "Shit," she muttered, whirling around to give chase. "C'mon, we need that meat!" she called as she took off after it.

Reek followed behind his new hunting partner though the woods with a giddy and gleeful grin plastered across his face.  Though the hunt may have not been something the ragged wolf particularly enjoyed, having some company was a much needed change of pace to the normal drab scenery.  Sure, he had Wynter to talk to, but she had been gone for quite some time, and Reek was beginning to wonder if she would ever come back from wherever-the-hell she went.

Wordlessly, he nodded in response to Saena's reassuring statements.  Although big game was a near impossible task for the gaunt wolf, small game: rabbits, squirrels, and the like were more attuned to Reek's skill set as it relied less on strength, but speed instead.  However, her suggestion to pluck a bird from the sky seemed a little farfetched.  Even as quick as Reek was, a feat like that would be like hitting a mosquito with a cannon.  Impractical and improbable.  Nevertheless, it did conjure up an amusing mental picture of himself snapping at the sky, which made him slightly chuckle.

However, just as the ragged wolf began to muster a response, a rustling in the brush caught both hunters' attention.  The nimble little fox shot out of the foliage like a bullet from a gun causing Saena to give chase.  Reek bounded behind her as quick as he could slowly drawing himself over to the side in the hopes to box the fox into a corner.  

The fox, being a nimble and quick creature, had the upper hand in the woods, but that truth didn't deter Saena from pursuing it doggedly. One backward flip of her ear was enough to tell her that Reek was in hot pursuit as well. She could scarcely see their quarry through the leaves and twigs that it agilely danced through, but the white tip of its tail remained just in view. She locked on to it and sped up, galloping recklessly through the trees.

It was only a matter of time before the fox outmaneuvered the wolves, so Saena knew it was now or never. Her energy wouldn't hold out forever; she wasn't a great endurance runner, and a fox chase would test that. Reek had cut off to the side somewhere, likely to try to trap the fox in the direction they were running it.

With a final burst of speed, Saena stretched out her neck and snapped at the fox's bobbing tail tip. Miraculously her teeth closed on fur and she managed one strong backward yank. A scream of pain and outrage sounded in the bushes ahead as Saena came away with a mouthful of fur. She hadn't managed to pull the vulpine any closer, but her grip served another purpose—the fox, knowing it was being pursued, veered to the side and straight into Reek's path.

Rolled for a result in the hunt!

Luckily for the ragged wolf, he had taken a wide path around the fox while Saena nipped at it's heel.  From his position, the ragged wolf kept a keen eye on his hunting partner as she raced behind their next meal, secretly hoping she would take it down herself and save him the trouble of attempting to catch the little bugger.  Saena got closer and closer to catching the fox's tail in her jaws, ultimately snapping down and ripping out only a mouthful of orange fur.  The bastard cursed under his breath, however the fox had taken off in his direction.  Stupid food.

Finding his second wind, Reek bolted in the fox's direction at a hurried pace as he attempted to clamp down around it's neck with his crooked jaw.  He leaped into the air as he tried to jump on top of the fox and tackle it to the ground. However, the ragged wolf had misjudged his step and ended up soaring directly over the vulpine trickster, eventually crashing into the ground with an awkward roll.  The fox ran away at a breakneck pace, eventually outrunning the two wolves.  It would live, today at least.

"Goddamn it," Reek spat, kicking at the dirt with his paw in aggravation. He shot Saena a quick glance of disappointment. "I done goofed Saena."  This was particularly the reason Reek avoided the hunt.  His proclivity for failure tended to eat away at his swollen ego, unfortunately knocking him down a peg, much to his disappointment.  For a man with many talents, hunting was not one of them.

Can probably fade it soon if you'd like!

Her pace slowed as Reek took over the hunt. For a minute, she watched hopefully through the thick tangle of trees as the male took aim and leaped. He disappeared into the undergrowth, and the sound of pattering paws told her that it was without the fox in his jaws. She swung her body and cantered toward him, coming to a stop just in time for him to shoot her a look and curse.

"It's okay," she panted, lifting her head to stare off in the direction their prey had gone. She couldn't even hear it parting the twigs anymore. It was long gone. There was no harm in failure, though; Gamekeepers knew the odds of succeeding were often low. They were made lower when the prey was a wily fox. There were other animals the two wolves would have a better chance of catching, and she hoped to target one of those next, if Reek wasn't completely discouraged already.

"I shouldn't have missed," she told him apologetically, "it was my goof up first." In case that didn't make him feel any better, she decided to tell him, "the last time I hunted with my pack, I got kicked in the face because I misjudged my aim. I was called an idiot in front of them all. Talk about embarrassing." Anger still curdled her blood whenever she thought of it, but now there was only empathy for what disappointment he must've felt. "We all fuck up sometimes," she concluded, "but we can only keep trying. Shall we try going after something less crafty?"

Gotcha! I'll fade it here with a quick little post!

     The ragged wolf rose from the brush with a shake of defeat, sending a shower of dirt in all directions around him in a dusty cascade.  The fox was long gone by now, at least if it had any wits about it.  That quick little creature was probably halfway to the sea by now... well, at least out of eyeshot. Perhaps it was time to find some simpler prey, like fish or maybe even one of those birds Saena was talking about. However unlikely it seemed, it would be worth a try.

    "You did just fine Saena,"  consoled the bastard as he gave her an affectionate nudge on the cheek.  "You're no idiot."  Yeah, sure she let the fox out of her grasp, but Reek had fared much worse in his soiled attempt... At least she was able to get her jaws around the little bugger. "Come on," he proposed lightly with a nod of the head.  "We'll find something else."    Turning away from his Alpha-to-be, he began to walk deeper into the woods, hopefully to find some slower eats.

Saena shot him an appreciative smile, but made no comment. She could be an idiot, just as any other wolf could be an idiot. She learned from her mistakes a lot of the time, though, and that usually made up for it. Reek led them deeper into the woods and Saena followed for as long as it took, so eager was she to rustle up something a little less wily.