Exploring was awesome. Since leaving Abaven, he and his dad had gone.. all over the place. They stayed sorta close to where he'd been born for awhile, wandering to and fro wherever they desired. Kai was pleased that he wasn't really told to do.. well, anything. He enjoyed spending time with his dad and loved the adventures they would go on together. He also loved, too, that he could choose where they went from one day to the next. Every day meant something new. The boy was full of spirit and life, and he was especially excited today.

The air was full with the scent of ripe berries. Any hint of chill in the air - not that there was much here - had faded from the lands as spring made its presence known. Kai had slipped from his father's side as they slept, waiting for the sun to just barely peek above the horizon, before going to explore something they'd passed by the day before. A dense grove, ripe with numerous sickly-sweet odors, hiding among the thick trees of the forest. The boy's tail wagged behind him as he passed one of the shrubs that he had smelled from so far away, nostrils flaring as he tasted the pungent air. How strange - but awesome!

A happy bark left his lips as he shoved his face into one of the bushes, quickly snagging a fat strawberry in his mouth and chewing it. Yum! He wasn't thinking much about whether he should be eating them or not, but they tasted sweet and good, so he was too young to be wary of much. Fear wasn't something that made up his world, not yet at least.

ooc:  SO SORRY!!!!

Then they went on to say the pearly gates

Morning sunlight spilled over the landscape, pouring into Brandr's makeshift den and he flinched away from it, eyes fluttering open for a moment then closing tight.  "Nuuoo.."  he mumbled to himself as he rolled onto back.  A great yawn shivered through his body as he stretched and rolled back to his feet, shaking the sleep from his head.  Brandr had been dreaming but the memory of it had floated away from him.  It was close by though, hanging in the air like a loose cobweb but he was unsure yet if the dream was worth re-catching.  The golden boy got to his feet and slipped out of his den with a grin on his face.

The air was crisp and cool but would soon warm into the richness of spring by the afternoon.  Birds were chirping quite happily all around him.  Shame they were so difficult to catch and covered in feathers.  He'd managed to snag an injured one but it had been a lot of work for not much meat.  Surely there were rabbits about?  

Stretching lightly Brandr was soon on the move, picking his way through the grove, nostrils flaring as he scented the area around him.  Pausing Brandr found a fresh pile of deer droppings.  He sniffed lightly at them, they were quite fresh.  Dare he try and take one by  himself.  He'd feel better about his chances if he had assistance but what were the odds of that happening?  

had such elegant graffiti

This strawberry tasted super good. Not quite like, say, a rabbit might... he doubted he would quench any kind of hunger by eating these things, but the sweetness was surprisingly pleasant. His tail waved freely behind him as he snagged another one off the bush that held the berries.

The scent of something else caught his attention after a bit, though. It wasn't food he smelled, though he thought he smelled something that had crossed this very path that might be worth checking out, but it was another wolf that mostly grabbed his interest. A stranger, though most wolves were strangers to the boy. Despite how much he and his father roamed, it seemed they hadn't met that many wolves yet -- and he was eager to change that.

Wearing a happy grin, he trailed after Brandr's scent, lapping the remnants of the strawberries from his lips. His expression only brightened when he got a better look at him, noting he wasn't that much older than him. His tail waved high behind his back as he let loose a gentle bark to greet him. "Hello!" he called out, nothing but friendliness evident in his easy posture. "I'm Kai Jarvela." He was hopeful that the other male was interested in company as much as he was.

Then they went on to say the pearly gates

Brandr carefully examined the hoof-prints as he determined the direction of the deer, eyeing a path that wound its way through the grove, most likely towards fresh water. The shifting of grass and brush caught his attention and Brandr turned to see a boy a bit younger than him approach with a friendly greeting. Brandr grinned shyly. He really hadn't been expecting to meet anyone but what a turn of luck! Question now was did the boy have any hunting experience? Well, even if he didn't Brandr was sure they could manage.

"Hello Kai, I'm Brandr Scylding, say… you wouldn't happen to be interested in joining me on a hunt would you? I found fresh deer droppings and hoofprints that go off that way. We could split the kill 50/50." Brandr was quick to the point. He had no idea if the other was interested but either way Brandr was anxious to get moving before the trail started to go cold.

had such elegant graffiti

The stranger grinned back at him, seeming friendly enough to not send Kai running in the opposite direction. He was grateful that most wolves he had met seemed willing to talk, for he craved the company of all kinds. Meeting new people had always intrigued him, and he wore his interest plainly on his face as he studied Brandr, tail waving freely behind his back. He wondered who this male was, where he had come from, and where he wanted to go. Those questions wouldn't be answered immediately though, as badly as he wanted to ask them.

"Nice to meetcha, Brandr!" The boy quipped gladly. The scent of the prey was stronger now, and his interest shifted toward it, nose twitching as he sniffed at the air. "A hunt sounds like a good idea." The berries that he had found hadn't quite quelled his hunger, though he hadn't expected them to. "I've only helped my dad take down a deer once, a young one, but I think we could figure it out. I'm in." Splitting the kill in half sounded more than fair. Hell, Brandr was older than him and likely more experience, so he wouldn't have even been opposed to letting him have a bit more. But it was likely more than enough for the two of them to share.

Then they went on to say the pearly gates

Brandr smiled softly, pleased to see that Kai was a fairly friendly sort of wolf. Hopefully he'd be easy enough to work with on a hunt. He could feel excitement starting to electrify his limbs. Fate was surely smiling on him today, to find a fresh deer trail and then a willing partner within minutes of each other was surely a sign of good fortune. Brandr nodded at the youths words. "Same, I used to hunt with my dad to but I didn't get to go on to many… caught a bunch of rabbits though!" He pushed the thought of his father from his mind. All that drug up was skeletons and he didn't have time for that right now, he needed to focus on the task at hand.

"Ok, lets start stalking and see what we end up with!" Brandr moved swiftly and silent, his large paws padding through the brush as he followed the trail, doing his best to keep silent in the brambles. It wasn't easy. Brandr's large form could be cumbersome but step by step he worked out a rhythm and slowed suddenly, limbs coiling down as he peered ahead at the deer grazing several hundred feet off. He glanced to Kai. Ok…. ok, they could do this they could totally do this. He eyed the herd carefully, searching for weakness but it was hard to tell this far away. Time to get closer. He moved forward again this time much slower. Eyes searching. So far the best he could come up with was the young buck closest to them. It looked roughly six months old. Younger and less experienced so there was a better chance of running it down if there weren't any sick or injured deer to be a target.

Carefully Brandr lifted a paw and gestured to the deer he was thinking of attacking before glancing at Kai again to see if he approved.

had such elegant graffiti

Could this day get any better? Kai wasn't sure. Not only had he made a new friend -- he hoped, at least -- but he'd also found a hunting partner. His grin widened, pleasure written plainly on his youthful face. "My dad's the only one I've ever hunted with," he admitted after Brandr made a comment about his own father. He supposed hunting with someone else wouldn't be too challenging, just a bit different, and he was happy to learn from someone new.

He nodded in agreement with the older boy's words. "Sounds like a plan," he commented, his voice lowering as he got into the mindset for a hunt. First they would stalk the prey, and scope them out to see if they were up for the challenge. His tail wagged slightly behind his frame as he trailed after Brandr, hunkering down slightly in the underbrush. His own pace slowed considerably, more aware of the sound of his pawsteps as they caught on to the scent. It was faint at first, but grew stronger as they approached, and finally they were able to see the small herd grazing in the distance. The youngest and smallest of them seemed an easy enough target, surely something they could manage. The trick would be pulling it from the rest of the herd.

Kai nodded as Brandr gestured toward the same one he'd been eyeing. He wasn't sure if they'd be able to force the youngest deer away from the others if they both charged at it from the same direction. Surely it would flee in the opposite direction, but if they came from slightly different angles, maybe they could confuse it enough to either stall its attempted escape, or send it running in a better direction. Grabbing hold of Brandr's gaze for a long moment, he veered away from him, aiming to position himself in a wide arc, maintaining a fair distance from the herd. Waiting until he got a signal that Brandr was ready, Kai pushed off with his back legs, sprinting at full speed toward the herd -- in particular, the smaller of them, hoping to send it running closer to Brandr's direction.

Then they went on to say the pearly gates

Although he hated to admit it, Brandr felt the weight of responsibility pressing down on him.  Granted he was only a few months older than the other boy but from what he could tell he was the most experienced and that meant that much of the hunt was riding on him.  Great, no pressure…  He swallowed and tried to hide his nervousness.  They had to make this count, to early and they'd spoil their chance, to late and their prey would slip away.

Kai nodded and Brandr returned the nod.  Ok, target selected.  They were going to go for the youngest buck and hope that in its inexperience it would make a mistake or stumble trying to keep up with the rest of the heard once they sent them running.  It seemed he didn't need to worry to much as Kai had a plan.  The younger male caught his gaze and began a series of movements.  Brandr's keen golden eyes quickly translated the body language into the plan that Kai was suggesting.  In his family they were endurance runners, chasing their prey down until one fell behind.  He'd never tried hunting this way but it seemed like it would give them better odds.

Brandr's legs coiled beneath him in watchful anticipation and Kai moved off in an arc and then both waited for a moment and Brandr nodded.  He was ready.  Kai was off like a shot, diving towards the herd.  Brandr remained where he was for a moment, just taking everything in as the herd scattered.  A handful of the deer including their target headed toward Brandr's waiting position but off to his right a fair ways.  Fairly certain that Kai was behind them Brandr sprang forward and veered to his right aiming to cut off the young buck.  He barreled forward, scattering the fragment of the herd and focused in on the target.  With a little luck he hoped Kai might be able to grab hold and slow it down enough for Brandr to get at its throat.

had such elegant graffiti

Kai wasn't aware that the other boy felt a burden of responsibility of the outcome of the hunt. As far as Kai was concerned, neither of them seemed very experienced and all they could do was try their best, and hope their efforts were fruitful. Worst case scenario, they could find a rabbit's den and try to snag a few of those, or even grab some fish out of a pond or river. They'd figure it out!

He hoped Brandr understood where his mind was going. Being so close to the prey made it difficult to communicate without alerting them to their presence, so they'd have to use physical cues to guide them. Brandr seemed to know what he was trying to do, and didn't seem to protest -- not that from such a distance Kai would've been able to tell easily if he didn't think this was a good plan.

The boy felt adrenaline begin to course through his veins as he kicked off, heading at full-speed toward the herd. From the corner of his vision he saw Brandr start toward the herd too, from the nearly opposite direction. He increased his pace as the prey caught on, scrambling to flee and head somewhat in Brandr's direction. Luckily his charging confused them, and momentarily stalled their escape as they spun in different directions, colliding with one another in their frenzy. The youngest, to his pleasure, staggered slightly behind. Just close enough for Kai to reach, and with a final kick he managed to part his jaws and snag one of the young deer's hind legs. His jaws clamped firmly around his ankle, sending the creature sprawling forward, hopefully giving Brandr enough time to go in for the kill.

Then they went on to say the pearly gates

Brandr twisted sharply to keep himself head on to the deer.  They were so close!  He could almost taste the deer now, warm and sweet in his mouth but first they had to take the creature down.  Life for life.  The wolves coming in at different directions scattered the deer, sending them into a panic and causing the youngest one to hesitate just as he'd hoped it would when the chaos of the hunt was in full swing.  In a spectacular move Kai managed to seize one of the deer's ankles sending it sprawling forward as Brandr dived in on it.  He'd have cheered if his mouth wasn't full. His jaws latching around the underside of the deer's throat, his arms wrapped around the base of its neck as it flailed and kicked.  He kept himself close to the deer, trying to hug himself into its chest to lessen the force of the creatures kicks and to minimize the targets left for it.  

The struggle continued for a few minutes before the deer's spirit left its body and it slumped to the ground dead.  Brandr carefully extracted his jaws from the kill.  Panting he stepped back and turned to Kai with a grin.  "That was an awesome take-down!  You caught that ankle just perfectly."

had such elegant graffiti

Kai was glad that he and Brandr seemed to be on the same page, and were working well together. He felt a rush of not just adrenaline, but also of camaraderie rushing through his veins, leaving him feeling exhilarated. He pulled down hard as he got a good grip on the young deer's hind leg, pleased when he caught sight of Brandr closing in on his throat. The whole thing was over quite quickly, with the rest of the herd abandoning the young one before they even realized what had happened. Brandr only struggled for a short while, with Kai assisting him in holding down the deer before it fell lifeless against the earth. As his companion released his hold on their kill, he too was beaming proudly. "Very awesome," he agreed, panting slightly. His limbs quivered beneath him slightly with excitement. "And you couldn't have done any better yourself. Thanks!" This was most definitely better than the small rodents that he could've foraged for himself, and he was sure his dad would be proud if he'd seen what they'd done. "Take your pick as to where you start," he offered, tail wagging. "There's more than enough here for the both of us." He wasn't quite sure the etiquette of sharing a kill with someone else but he supposed this was a decent enough start, and he wasn't picky as to what he got with a good kill like this one.

Then they went on to say the pearly gates

Brandr was tickled! His tail continued to wag back and forth at the pairs success. He wished he could show his parents… Brandr didn't need much more prompting as he was given his pick. Brandr moved to the deer's belly and began ripping through fur and flesh to the tender organ meat inside and it was there he began gorging himself. There was a higher fat content in the organs like the liver and without a pack he knew he might have to keep himself fueled for awhile before his next meal.

When he'd eaten his fill he moved back from the kill and licked at his muzzle. "Mmmmm…. I needed that. Feels like its been forever since I've eaten. You can have the rest and the leftovers. I'm afraid my den is really far from here. It won't be worth the energy expended for me to drag it back. We should hunt again some time though, this was fun!"

had such elegant graffiti

The hunt couldn’t have gone any better, he decided proudly. They’d worked extremely well together - though he had been quite nervous and afraid of failing his new friend - and they now had a grand meal to share. There was more than enough food to satisfy  both of them, and he watched as Brandr made his choice and started to tear into their meal. Truthfully, he figured neither he nor Brandr would care much where they started but he figured he’d be polite since he’d enjoyed the other male’s company. He certainly wouldn’t be opposed to doing this again! He navigated to the other side of the deer, beginning to tear at its flanks as he began to eat his fill. The silence that settled over them was of comfortable camaraderie, and he reveled in it as he ate. Only when Brandr moved away did he, too, licking blood from his muzzle and lifting his head to eye him. He was full and content now, and he realized suddenly that a nap sounded wildly tempting. ”I needed that too,” he admitted, grinning broadly at his new friend. Kai shrugged his shoulders at the offer, though appreciated it. ”I don’t really have a den currently myself. We can just leave it - someone else might be hungry, whether wolves or birds.” The boy let out a soft chuckle. This would make quite the meal for scavengers, and while he hated leaving it to waste he knew someone would stumble upon it, hopefully while the meat was still warm. ”And I’d love to do this again. Do you spend a lot of time around here?” Knowing where he might be able to find Brandr again interested him; he knew he and his father moved freely through the lands, but he liked Brandr and didn’t particularly enjoy the thought of having no chance of seeing him again. At the very least, he could try.

Then they went on to say the pearly gates

Brandr continued to clean himself, remove any remnants of blood and goop that might taint his scent and attract unwanted attention from other, possibly larger, predators. Kai soon finished and explained that he didn't really have den. Brandr nodded at Kai's suggestion to leave the carcass. They'd picked off quite a bit of it and with nowhere to store it it was best to leave it to the scavengers which were already starting to gather. Brandr eyed a crow as he stretched and moved over toward Kai. He shook his head. "No, I was just exploring down this way. I don't really have a home, not yet at least. But I do plan to head back north now. How about yourself?"

had such elegant graffiti

Already he felt their kill settling in his stomach, felt the warmth from the meal spreading through his limbs. He could hardly imagine how good he'd feel after a good long rest once he digested what he'd consumed. For now he too focused on cleaning himself, focusing on his paws and face well as he sat on his haunches. He eyed the remainder of the kill, watching as one crow strayed close, eyeing them warily. Not that the two of them could move quickly enough to do away with the thing if they decided they wanted more of the kill, but he was prepared to fly away at a moments notice regardless. He couldn't think of eating another bite. He heaved a content sigh, eyeing Brandr behind eyelids that suddenly felt heavy. "Same goes for me. I mostly wander with my dad, but we do enjoy the more northern lands," Kai admitted with a wide grin.  "Thanks for helping me with the hunt, Brandr. I hope I meet you again someday!" It was clear that the other male was ready to rest on his own, and that idea didn't sound half bad to him either. Kai offered another grin, dipping his head low before turning to head off in his own direction. - exit -