Chasing in the storm

The land that Kotori had attempted to stake claim to calls to the scarred woman today. Dark gray clouds hang low in the sky, threating to unleash their contents on the inhabitants below. White-dipped paws pull Tove alongside the rushing rapids, as the scent of the coming rain fills the scarred woman’s nostrils. Pulling in a great breath, she pauses as, along with the smell of rain, she finds that there are elk nearby.

Paws change course, sending her toward the herd even as thoughts pull the older wolf’s mind in several directions. She is distracted as she moves to intercept the herd, the clouds opening up send rain crashing to earth. At the same time, the wind begins to pick up, sending the drops smacking against her scarred pelt, stinging her eyes and filling her nostrils. As the herd draws near, a gray wolf comes into view.

Eyebrows lift as she moves toward the, joining the younger wolf behind the tree where he hides. He gives a silent nod and Tove returns it, inclining her brow and dipping her head in agreement to his statement. Without a word, the pair separate, moving around opposite sides of the tree and widening their gap as they approach the herd. The tall hooved animals cannot sense them in the driving rain, allowing the two hunters to get fairly close without having to try too hard.

Looking to the male, Tove squints in an effort to find him through the sheets of rain, the older woman shocked at how quickly the weather has changed. Did he nod at her? Uncertain but not wanting to let her hunting companion down, the scarred woman rushes in, growling and moving to cut off a younger male from the rest of the group. The rain continues to pelt them, obscuring vison and muddling the wolves senses.

Some part of the older woman’s brain screams at her to be alarmed but the thrill of the hunt has taken over all of her senses. The elk startle, sounding the alarm and racing away from the wolves and the riverbank. Tove races after their prize, legs churning in an effort to keep the prey animal within her limited view range.

Suddenly, the elk cuts right and the quick change of direction sends the older wolf tumbling to the ground in order to avoid getting trampled. Picking herself up off the sodden grass, that nagging sense of dread tugs at her mind once again and this time Tove cannot ignore it. Duel-toned eyes shift down to where her paws are and note the water there. Wait… there is too much water to just be from the rain.

Horror slowly sets in as she glances back at the rushing rapids and sees that the waters have broken over the banks. Tove races after the gray male, shouting when she is within range, “FLOOD!”. While the hunt is important, keeping their lives takes paramount. The wolves need to find high ground now and the elk seem to be leading them to where they need to go. She follows after them, trying to get to a safe area to avoid drowning, while hoping that the gray male is following after her.


WC: 537
Total WC: 969 / 1500

"Tove Baade"