By the time the two acquaintances had walked to the prairie he'd mentioned, Alarik had to admit that he was pretty hungry too. By now it was only a couple more hours until dawn. Normally this was the perfect time for Alarik to wake up and catch a hare or something for breakfast. Just thinking of a hare made his stomach speak up, grumbling softly. To be fair, he hadn't eaten at all yesterday, and usually he at least had a snack. He smirked as he glanced back at Pyralis. "Forgive me, I think I've worked up quite an appetite myself," he said. "Fortunately, we're here," Alarik announced as he stopped and threw a cursory glance at the hills of prairie grass stretched out before them. The snow was melting quite a bit here already, and snow could really only be seen in patches, mostly where the hills dipped low and turned into valleys. He looked back at his hunting partner and waited to see if she had any suggestions. "Split up and see what tracks we can find? Or keep moving forward together and hope to run across something?" he asked. It was up to her. She seemed the type to like to take control in one way or another. Hopefully they could find something big, a fat turkey or an elk. Something they could both feast on and maybe even store for later. Or they could just take the leftovers with them when at last they parted ways. Don't get ahead of yourself, Alarik thought. After all, they had to find something to hunt first. "Talk" "You" Think

Navigation - Algoma Prairie

Pyralis had been joking when she said she'd been starving but now she really was getting hungry.  The arrived at the prairie in the wee hours of the dawn.  Just on the horizon the sky was beginning to lightly, shades of violet mixing in with the hushed blue.  Prey would be stirring and it was an excellent time to hunt.  The question was… what were they hunting?  She chuckled and nodded. "Same, I am more than ready to dine." "I say we split up and see what we find.  Howl if you find something and I'll be right over."  She preferred the proactive approach.  Sitting around like a stupefied pigeon waiting for prey to bumble into her midst was not the woman's idea of a good time.  Pyralis took off toward the sun at a leisurely pace, nostrils scenting the air for anything that might be worth hunting down. "Talk" "You" Think

The woman nodded, opting for the two of them to split up and let the other know if they found anything worth investigating. And with that, she took off in the direction of the sun. Alarik chose a different direction and took off as well, nose twitching as he sifted through the scents in the air. Meanwhile, his eyes searched the ground and the snow for any tracks. He found a few tracks belonging to rabbits and similar small prey, but he knew that unless they got lucky and raided a whole den of rabbits, such small prey would never fill the stomachs of two full grown wolves. Especially large wolves like Alarik and Pyralis. So he kept on looking. After a few minutes, Alarik found something promising. He lowered his nose to the ground to confirm what he had scented from the air, and sure enough, there it was. Several, very musky scents; a small herd of pronghorn antelope. He knew from experience that these antelope were fast, often too fast for an individual to catch and bring down. But maybe, with some strategic planning, he and Pyralis could succeed. He liked the idea of a challenge. So, Alarik raised his head and howled to the woman, to let her know he had found something worth checking out. "Talk" "You" Think

Pyralis first caught the scent of field mice and the rabbit and she wrinkled her nose at best. She had a hunting partner and so she desired larger prey. Plus with two mouths to feed a rabbit would not go far in satisfying the both of them. Pyralis considered herself a decent tracker but her skills stayed mostly in fighting and navigating terrain. Hunting had never been her calling. She continued on, picking up the scent of prairie dogs and more mice. Nothing fulfilling. Pyralis wasn't having much luck but it seemed Alarik was. He howled for her and she raised to answer, long legs carrying her svelte frame quickly into his presence. "Alarik, what have you found?" "Talk" "You" Think

It didn't take long for Pyralis to join him, and he smiled as she came into view. He had to admit, he was very excited to get this hunt underway. She came to him and asked him what he had found, and in response he gestured to where the scent was strongest. "See for yourself," he said, unable to keep the smile from his tone. His tail wagged behind him as he waited for the woman to scent the prey for herself, to see if she recognized it. "Antelope," he said after a moment. "Pronghorn antelope, specifically," Alarik said as he squinted into the distance, hoping to possibly catch sight of them. "Very fast, but a good meal if you can catch it. I think together, we can. Up for the challenge?" He grinned at the woman and waved his tail behind him. He hadn't forgotten that she was a mother. Though he would never, ever say this out loud, Alarik was more than happy to help nourish the woman. Because that meant nourishing her children as well. And that was a noble thing to do, right? "Talk" "You" Think

Pyralis noted Alarik's excitement and knew that whatever he found it had to be good. As he asked her to see for herself she peered down and scented the air as he confirmed the scent… antelope. "Mmmm… it's been ages since I've had antelope. Excellent find." Pyralis didn't often wander prairies. She didn't care much for being in wide open spaces, it had a tendency to make her feel a bit vulnerable and so she hadn't often hunted the prey that roamed such terras. Pronghorn antelope would be a delicious treat though they would be difficult prey, fast and nimble. She playfully scoffed at him. "Pyralis Abraxas, up for a challenge? Always my dear boy! What is to be our strategy? I want to work out the basics before we find them and we have to silence our communication and rely only on body language." "Talk" "You" Think

Alarik had been well aware that the up for the challenge? comment would get such a response from Pyralis. And that was why he'd said it in the first place. He laughed, his eyes bright with amusement and for a moment he marveled at how his perception of this woman had changed. He could still tell she was cunning and perhaps had some nasty tricks up her sleeve, but for the time being they were getting along well, which was all that really mattered. When she inquired about their strategy, Alarik furrowed his brow a bit and began to think. "It's a shame we don't have one more in our hunting party, the easiest thing to do would be to have one of us chase the antelope right into a trap," he said. "But that would leave only one of us to take the antelope down. It wouldn't be impossible, but it would add a lot of risk." Risk he wasn't willing to take. There was a fine line between bravery and stupidity, and he wasn't about to cross that line with his own life and the life of a mother on the line. So he continued to think. "We could act together to form a wedge," he said, looking at Pyralis as the idea struck him. "Stand on opposite sides of the herd, make our move and when they run, run parallel to them," he explained. "Slowly, we'll move our paths closer together, pinch the herd and put them under pressure and eventually, when our paths meet each other we should have at least one straggler in our grasp. And then, we'll both be there to take the prey down together." Alarik paused, running the plan through in his mind again. They'd have to start out ahead of the herd to make up for the difference in speed, but it should work. Now he'd have to see if Pyralis was in agreement. "Talk" "You" Think

Pyralis was a vain and arrogant creature but she was an intelligent one. A mortal hunter would know more about hunting the prey of this world than she would and so she gave him the lead and listened with rapt attention. She filed much of the information away for her personal use later. Maybe she could take Amon hunting antelope later just to show off. Alarik started to lay out the plan and then at the mention of risk she interjected. "I'm a walking ocean storm and a vicious fighter. I think I can take one down by myself if you can herd it right to me but I'm open to other ideas as well." Alarik mentioned forming a wedge. That idea intrigued her and she nodded. "I like this plan. We could never hope to keep up with a healthy herd antelope, they are too fast and could outstrip us easily but if we use or stamina and remain patient as we drive the wedge together the young and the sick will fall behind and our target will present itself to us." She grinned viciously. "Lead on Alarik, I'm ready to hunt." "Talk" "You" Think

He was surprised Pyralis was giving him so much of her attention and not questioning his ideas. Well, except when she tried to downplay the risk and say that she could easily handle the antelope on her own if it came down to it. Fair enough, and he had to say he admired her bravery, but these antelopes had horns and he couldn't live with himself if his own hunting strategy orphaned a litter of pups. So he smiled at her comment but otherwise politely ignored it, moving on to his next idea. And fortunately, she seemed equally fond of that idea. So Alarik nodded, his mind made up as well. "When we find the herd we can decide on where to launch this plan into action, we may have to tweak depending if they're grazing in a valley or on a flat stretch of land, that sort of thing," he said. But then he nodded again, Pyralis was ready to get this show on the road and so was he. His stomach was getting more impatient by the minute. So the two hunting partners set off, following the trail left behind by the herd, until finally they found where the poor creatures had stopped to graze. As soon as they were in sight, Alarik dropped low and looked over at Pyralis. "There," he whispered. Given the terrain, their plan should work perfectly. There was even a bit of a slope to help them gain speed while running parallel to the herd. His stomach nearly growled again from anticipation. "Stay here and I'll move to the other side so we can prepare to form a wedge," he said, leaning in close and whispering very softly so as not to be heard. "I'll wave my tail as a signal to start running." And with that, Alarik stayed low in his crouch and made his way over to his starting point. "Talk" "You" Think

Pyralis nodded as Alarik continued to speak, stating they might have to adjust their positioning based on that of the herd. Well, of course, she was ready to get started already! However, she held her tongue, to eager and focused on the hunt to bother with anything else. When Alarik started to move, she swiftly followed, her own senses drinking in the scent of prey. The tracked for awhile until Alairk suddenly dropped low. Pyralis was swift to follow, doing her best to get as low as she could despite her great height and she peered over the terrain at a herd of grazing antelope. She resisted the urge to lick her lips. Hopefully her stomach would stay silent during this hunt. The last thing she needed was for it to let loose a roar and startle their prey. She nodded lightly at the males words feeling a bit of indignation at taking orders from a mortal. Her family would probably ridicule her for this if they knew but she saw it more as using him. She was about to get a nice, hot meal for half the effort. She nodded. "Got it lead hunter." She winked at him, and crouched, her limbs coiling under her like a spring as she waited for the signal. "Talk" "You" Think

Alarik rolled his eyes a bit and chuckled when she called him lead hunter. But it also kind of surprised him that she would let him be the leader of anything when she was involved. Maybe she was admitting that he was a more skilled hunter than she was? Unlikely, but certainly possible. He stayed low as he moved to his starting place, and then all was silent. Alarik could already feel his heart racing, sending adrenaline into his veins as he stared intently at the herd of antelope. And then, after waiting a few moments to make sure neither of them had been noticed, he turned his head to make eye contact with Pyralis to make sure she was ready. With both wolves on edge, alert and ready, Alarik took a deep breath and quickly waved his tail behind him. Immediately after the signal had been given, Alarik launched himself forward and began to run toward the herd. He stayed low for as long as possible, wanting the herd to have less time to run away and gain speed. But eventually a couple of them noticed and turned to run, giving the others the cue to do the same. It was on. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him, heart still pounding against his ribs with the sheer excitement of the hunt. He pulled his eyes away from the herd for just a moment to make sure Pyralis was still with him, and then began to turn his path inward, hoping the woman would do the same so they could pinch together and form the wedge they had talked about. "Talk" "You" Think

Pyralis struggled to stay still, she was shivering with the anticipation of the hunt. Her keen eyes would follow Alarik. She didn't want to miss the signal. If she did the whole thing would be ruined. He turned to make eye contact with her and her muscles tensed and then his tail waved and Pyralis launched herself forward with deadly elegance as she bolted toward the prey, straight at first but then pulling along beside them as the herd started to scatter, effectively pushing them back toward the middle. A few of the more nimble antelope slipped past her but she wasn't concerned. They were not the primary targets after all. The were going to run the herd until the weakest made themselves known. She would glance to Alarik every now and then as the herd began to thin out. The quickest ones bolted to the top of the wedge and fled but the weaker ones were starting to fall back. It was then she spied a few fawns toward the middle of the group and she glanced to Alarik. Wondering if he was thinking what she was thinking. "Talk" "You" Think

The wedge strategy was working just as he'd hoped it would. The herd tried to scatter at first, but were soon forced back toward the middle as the two hunters closed in. Some of the fastest and most nimble escaped out the top of the wedge, but that was alright. Alarik and Pyralis both knew the real targets would make themselves known soon enough. He continued to sprint, his muscles beginning to burn from the effort but the young man relished in the feeling. It was all part of the excitement of the hunt. The predators closed in further, effectively thinning out the herd and before long he could see a few fawns toward the center. The parent antelopes stayed close to them for now, but that made them slower. As the pressure intensified, they decided it was more prudent to stay alive themselves than to die protecting the weaker, younger creatures. Alarik looked across at Pyralis, and her eyes met his. They were definitely on the same page. Putting everything he had into one more burst of speed, Alarik worked with Pyralis to fully close off the wedge, running right alongside the fawns. He kept his senses on high alert as the time for the killing blow drew nearer. "Talk" "You" Think

Pyralis worked at a rapid but even pace. Her mouth was wide open, tongue out as she sought to keep herself cool. She was a creature of stamina and she knew she could outrun these antelope over the long run as long as she remembered to breath. Her lungs heaved in air to power her muscles as she kept running, watching with fascination as the herd continued to thin. Turning back to Alarik when they made eye contact she knew they were going to move in for the fawns. Pyralis started to press inward, sending more of the adults scattering. She shifted her pace to keep even with Alarik and as they closed in the fawns were trapped. In a panic one of them tried to double back and tripped, crashing to the ground in a mess of tangled limbs. Pyralis twisted violently back and was on the helpless creature in a moment, her great weight on its back and it's throat in her jaws. "Talk" "You" Think

He and Pyralis ran side by side, keeping up with the young antelopes as they tried to flee. Alarik had his eyes on one that seemed to be running out of steam and losing speed, but suddenly a flurry of movement caught his eye and he whipped his head around to see what was happening. Apparently the pressure of the hunt ended up being too much for one of the fawns, and it looked like it had tried to double back only to trip and fall. Alarik turned quickly and ran back toward the fallen antelope, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. Pyralis had noticed the fawn first and was already on its back with her jaws on its throat. He wanted to give her the chance to make the killing blow. She had earned it. So Alarik stood there, jaws parted as he panted and recovered from the thrill of the chase. The sound of panicked hooves against the ground echoed into the distance as he waited for his hunting partner to tear out its throat. Hopefully she wouldn't be too messy about it. He wanted the death of the fawn to be swift, so they could both sit down and enjoy their meal. "Talk" "You" Think

Pyralis didn't release her grip until she was certain the fawn was dead. Slowly her jaws unclamped from the fawn as she stepped back but she didn't bother licking the blood off her jaws. She stood panting for a moment then turned to Alarik with a grin on her face before she dove in and began to eat. She started at the neck where her first incision was made and worked in from there leaving Alarik to start where he would. She was to engrossed in gorging herself to care where he started just as long as it wasn't where she was eating. It was glorious! Tender and sweet and she swiftly devoured her fill. When at last she was finished she sat back and licked the blood offer muzzle, a look of contentment on her face. "Ahhh…. that hits the spot." "Talk" "You" Think

He and Pyralis ran side by side, keeping up with the young antelopes as they tried to flee. Alarik had his Before long, the fawn was dead, and Pyralis released its throat from her bloody jaws. She grinned at him and he nearly winced at the gory sight of the blood dripping from her lips, but he just chuckled a bit and smiled back at her. Their hunt had been successful. Now they could dine. Pyralis started up at the neck, so Alarik gave her some space and started down at the muscular thigh. He ate his way through most of the leg and enjoyed some of the more tender bits in the groin and stomach area. But eventually, he had eaten his fill as well and he slowly stepped back, wiping his mouth in a mix of grass and snow. Antelope meat was always tasty to him, but the meat of that fawn had been so tender and juicy compared to that of an adult. He agreed completely. It had hit the spot. "Absolutely," he said, licking his lips a bit to clean them of any leftover blood. "Well worth the effort." He smiled at the woman and then looked back at the remains of the fawn. "What should we do with the rest?" the young man asked, not sure if the woman had a preference one way or another. "We could leave it for scavengers, or you could take some home to your pups," he said, and then he paused for a moment. That was the first time he acknowledged the fact that she had children. He had to admit, she didn't strike him as the motherly type. He wasn't exactly sure how she would react to his suggestion. But still, it was there. He didn't know how old her pups were but he was sure they wouldn't turn down the chance to munch on a meaty antelope leg. "Talk" "You" Think

Pyralis flopped down on her side and stretched, a contented grin still on her face. "I am stuffed." She was really tempted to just stretch out here and take a nap while insisting the male guard her but that was a bit too far of a trust exercise and she really needed to start working her way back to the canyon. "I think we should leave it for the scavengers.  My pups are in Auster and I've a long way back to the them.  I fear the meat would spoil by the time I got home."  Pyralis got to her feet and stretched.  She was enjoying her time with the young man and despite herself she wasn't quite ready for it to end. "I don't suppose you'd be up for a bit of an adventure walking me home would you?  I mean, I'm sure you're not the kind of guy to let a weary woman walk allllll that way by herself right?"  She winked teasingly at him.   "Talk" "You" Think

The woman flopped down on her side and stretched, looking content to just lay there and take a nap. Honestly, a nap sounded wonderful right about now. But they both seemed to think better of it and Pyralis got to her feet, saying that her pups were down in Auster and the meat might spoil before it got to them. Alarik nodded quietly, she was probably right after all. There would be some happy scavengers today. The young man was entirely prepared for her to say thanks, see ya around and take off toward home, leaving him alone again. And he convinced himself that he wouldn't mind if she did. But if he was honest with himself, he was actually enjoying her company. His first impression of her was vastly different than his impression of her now. Maybe it was because he had met her in a shadowy place in the middle of the night, with her yellow eyes glowing like the eyes of the monsters in stories he had heard as a pup. His every instinct had said she was trouble, and yet here he was kind of starting to like her. Maybe that was a bad thing. But he was going to go with it. He'd had fun so far, and he didn't want it to end. "I'm sure you're not the kind of guy to let a weary woman walk allllll that way by herself right?" Pyralis said, and Alarik gave her a lopsided smile as he rolled his eyes. "Sure, make fun of the man who has a soft side," he said, walking past the larger wolf and giving her a playful bump with his shoulder. He was walking south, in the direction of Auster. "I suppose I could escort you home, milady," he said with a sigh, trying to make it sound like it was a tremendous burden for him. But it really wasn't. And he wasn't sure what to make of that. "Talk" "You" Think

ooc: I'll start a new thread for them in the cedar falls if that's ok so we don't have the journey back drag on to long. I'm thinking the path will be cedar falls, god's garden, and fossil ridge. If we still want to keep going after that they can hit the wraith's woods where she'll enter the canyon.

Pyralis chuckled as Alarik rolled her eyes. She was awful, what could she say? She'd always enjoyed teasing her brother Amon and any other hapless members of her family. Well, the ones she was at least reasonably close to. Lately it seemed like her family was growing so fast she couldn't keep up with it. All these new members and they were all bent on having kids and everything was going so quickly. She turned to Alarik with a grin. "Hey, I can't help it you wear your heart on your scruff." She stretched then started heading south. -exit- "Talk" "You" Think