Kotori leads Tove farther to the western side of the mountain range.  The horned wolf was feeling pretty damn happy.  He was cementing in followers for his own pack and once he had a firm claim to land then it would become official.  For the moment he needed to learn his newest members' abilities.  

Kotori didn’t much care for the cold or ice in the mountains but he’d seen the signs of goats and standing on a windy shelf of rock with dry flurries that floated into the air with every gust.  It was spring elsewhere, but the mountain wasn’t giving them peace from the cold.  One place Kotori knew he wouldn’t be setting up pack lands was right here.  

Eventually, he spotted the Dall sheep.  He could only see its rear end with the body hidden as the ledge tilted sharply downward.  Kotori wondered if it was alone or if there were more of them also hidden on the lower end.  “Come on, we can keep going a bit more west then we’ll try to find a good spot to head back up to the path the sheep seem to have taken.”

Kotori glanced behind at Tove.  She hadn’t bothered to chit-chat with the new wolf.  Talking glibly wasn’t something Kotori tended to and he had a feeling Tove wasn’t one for it either.  

"Kotori Fatalis"

The older wolf follows after the young leader, the single polar bear claw lightly banging into the fur on her chest. Tove follows after Kotori, eager to prove her skills and usefulness. Snow still clings to the higher evaluations, dry flurries drifting by with each gust of breeze. She used to hate the cold but now, it reminds the galaxy-hued wolf that she is alive. It was a fact that she had cursed for so long but now she has been given a purpose and that means everything to her.

Soon, the fuzzy ass-end of a sheep can be seen peaking over an abrupt edge and Tove casts her duel-toned eyes to Kotori as he speaks. She simply nods, once more falling in behind the taller wolf. The weave their way down the mountain, ending up under their quarry. A large herd of dall sheep stand on small ledges, unafraid of the wolves that walk below them.

They stop and the older wolf looks for a way to drive the sheep into a good killing zone. Spying a small path that would separate the majority of the group from two rather fat sheep, she lifts a white dipped paw. Tove grunts to pull Kotori’s attention to the path, looking to him for instructions. She could either wait here and kill or traverse the ledges to drive them down. No words are spoken but the two wolves communicate all the same.


"Tove Baade"

She certainly wasn’t one to mince words.  Was it due to hunting or did she really just make noises versus talking whenever possible?  There was enough scarring damage done it could be that it was painful.  Kotori certainly could be the one to drive them down, he trusted his balance enough on the slippery route but part of this was seeing Tove’s competency.

Kotori nodded at Tove’s offer, jerking his head towards the path, “Go on up, bring it this way and I’ll stop it in its tracks once down here.” Kotori moved forward farther to get into a good spot that should be easiest for Tove to chase the sheep right to him.

"Kotori Fatalis"

Truthfully, Tove can talk but it is a struggle and excruciating so the older woman often likes to grunt versus moving her painful vocal chords. So far, Kotori has allowed her to remain silent, her grunts sufficient in place of words. Silently, she offers to chase the sheep down and the young leader agrees. Quickly, she giving a slight bow of her head and the scarred woman is off taking the path that leads back upward, glancing down toward the earthen wolf to make sure he is in place.

Duel-toned eyes turn to the sheep that she will be chasing down and Tove moves a little further up before suddenly cutting across the rocky mountain face. White dipped toes deftly finding holds and the older woman swiftly cuts off the sheep from the rest of the herd. It lets out a loud belt of alarm and tries to follow after the ascending herd but Tove greets it with flashing teeth. It retreats, taking the only route possible and begins to descend, moving toward where Kotori waits. The wolf and sheep nimbly jump from ledge to ledge in a life and death chase.


"Tove Baade"

Kotori watched the older wolf as she headed toward the sheep.  Nodding as she got to them without spooking the whole group away until she’d separated the one they wanted.   As she started to chase it Kotori shifted and loosened his shoulders up in preparation.

The sheep’s hooves clatter and clack on the rock versus the silent wolves' feet.  As the sheep lands close to Kotori the large wolf lunges in, snapping his teeth around its neck, the animal screaming and bleating in a crazed attempt to seek freedom or help.  Kotori wasn’t worried about it managing to injure him, eyeing the hooves that tried to stick out, but he was concerned if it kept pulling if it would foolishly throw them both off the cliff.  

He waited, gripped on, and watched to see how Tove helped.

"Kotori Fatalis"

Tove chases the sheep down to where Kotori waits, his earthen frame blending in with mountain’s face. Her paws are silent as the predator and prey descend, the ambush spot drawing closer and closer until… Kotori separates himself from the wall, lunging out to grab the unsuspecting sheep. It bleats in alarm and strikes out in an attempt to rid its neck of the large wolf but Tove is there mere seconds after Ko’s strike.

The older wolf lands silently on the opposite side of the sheep and turns, striking out swiftly to grab the underside of the prey’s neck. Tossing her weight back toward the wall, the nebula-hued woman drags the sheep back a few inches, away from the ledge’s edge, before adjusting her grip on its throat. In one smooth motion, Tove opens the major arteries in the creature’s neck.

With her mouth now free, Tove grabs the front leg closest to her and pins it down as the pair wait for the life to leave their target. Only when its death throes subside and the light in its eyes dies, does the older woman release the leg and step away.

"Tove Baade"