what you need
It wasn't exactly the best weather for hunting. The air was brutally frigid - it seemed a cold front had moved in from the north, and while snow was rare here, it could've very well been the arctic as far as Lark was concerned. He shivered slightly as a gust of wind hit him square in the face. Wrinkling his nose, he would continue onward. He'd caught a whiff of a particular scent, and he wasn't terribly inclined to lose it now. A bit, fat hare sounded absolutely amazing right now. Hunger gnawed irritatingly at his belly, and he was eager to soothe it. Carefully he would stalk through what was left of the dead grasses of the plains, moving with the stealth of a feline - or so he thought, while he sniffed at the ground below him, intent on finding his meal soon. (Hunting some hares; anyone can join!) |
With winter's recent arrival, he didn't know how he'd survive the chilly weather. It felt like ages, and he wanted the warmer change to be waiting around the corner. At least there wasn't any snow like the other day; drying grass seemed to be the ideal hunting environment. And what a coincidence it was when he momentarily caught the scent of a hare. No way was he ignoring this smell; a meal was sure to warm his body up. Stealthily, he followed the smell. The breezes were a frustration, though he aimed to use them to his advantage by travelling upwind.
A few moments into his hunt, a familiar scent tickled his nose amidst the strong aroma of the hare, almost making him lose concentration. Through the grass he could see the larger form of his Destruction friend approaching the plump creature, his eyes set on the same prize. It seemed they shared a common goal, and now that his once-solo hunt had taken a twist, perhaps the two could work together to achieve their goal. In such weather and in this time of the year, it would be a disappointment to let this animal get away. Teamwork would do the trick, if only the other male would pick up his scent.
Things were quiet now that the siege had ended - perhaps too quiet. Of course, the serenity was not such a bad thing, but the mundane day-to-day life could often feel monotonous. Hunting a fat hare or two would certainly brighten up his day. Maybe he could even bring what was left to one of his younger siblings, if he caught one big enough. And better yet - it seemed he had company. Tinaro's scent hit him plainly, and slowly his focus would falter as he swung his head to the side to search for his friend behind him. He'd smile briefly, gesturing for him to join him. Hunting hares wasn't a particularly difficult task, but that didn't mean they both couldn't participate.. maybe they'd even find two and could each get one to themselves. Not wanting to scare off the hares in the distant, he was silent as he began to stalk forward again, following their scents with ease over the dried grasses of the plains. |
The younger male responded with a silent nod, accepting his assistance. Their hunt commended, and so it was on. Following alongside though slightly behind the taller canine, he warily yet fluidly stalked through the grass. He was cautious as to the placing of his paws, ensuring he avoided the dry patches of grass that were bound to reveal their positions. As he pursued their prey, he soon discovered that the scent wasn't getting any stronger - it stayed at the same strength as their hunt continued. It's moving further away, he thought to himself, wishing his pack-mate could read his thoughts. Tasting the air, the creature seemed to travelling at a slow pace; it definitely hadn't noticed them or else they would have picked up the abrupt change in its scent. Maybe it'll stop. Perhaps it was going somewhere, like a den. Perhaps it would lead them to more hares.
Most of the wolves he cared for had Destruction as their name. He knew, in his heart, he would always choose his family above all others - but Tinaro was one of the few that he did care about otherwise, alongside Calypsei. Calling someone a friend was a rarity him, and something that Tinaro had earned - and he was glad his friend was interested in hunting with him, even if he had anticipated in doing this alone. The sideways glance revealed that Tinaro had shifted into a stealthy stance of his own, and he attention had to be refocused as he continued forward, cautious in his movements so as to not give away their presence too soon. His own massive form crouched even closer to the ground, his paws moving more quickly as he tried to kick up their pace a notch. It didn't take long to spot a few of the fat hares in the near distance, rustling through a patch of dry grass. Lark spotted little more than their fur, creeping over the vegetation, but he knew it was likely their only chance - they were too close to keep moving forward without quickly being noticed. Eyeing his friend to make sure he was on the same page, he rushed forward as gracefully as he could muster, aiming for the first hare he spotted. It was an easy catch - the fat rodents began to panic and chatter, attempting to hop away in fear, but Lark managed to grab one of the larger one between his jaws, crushing its throat in a single, satisfying snap, as he landed on all fours once again. |
Tinaro, on the other hand, was pretty open when it came down to friendship. Losing his entire family - what his entire life had revolved around - had left him in a grieving state. Sometimes he wondered if he had completely gotten over his losses to this very day. With his life void of someone to care for, his heart welcomed anyone to fill that space. Lark and Calypsei, along with the rest of Abaven, were who he could now call family. Never did he want them to leave him, not like how his parents and brothers had.
Returning his focus to their hunt, the enticing aroma of hare strengthened, filling his nostrils. Their prey was too close for a mistake to slip in; he had to be silent and wary with his steps. Up ahead he caught sight of the creatures' backs, scuttling through the dry grass. Meeting the other male's turquoise gaze, he gave a small nod before engaging in similar actions. He aimed for the closest yet plumpest hare, ebony paws pinning it to the ground before it could hop away in fear. Jaws instinctively grabbed ahold of the animal's neck, finishing its life in a simple bite. A few moments passed for him to quickly bathe in success before he turned to his friend, who had also caught a hare. The remaining creatures had already scurried away to their burrows, though two were enough to satisfy him.
A meal with a friend was not something he would argue with. Not after the siege. He hadn't even known if they'd make it out okay, though he'd been confident in Abaven's strength.. still, surely Tinaro or even himself could've been harmed. He was grateful that he could even sit and eat a meal with Tinaro - and he wasn't one known for sitting and feeling thankful, but it was true. Finally he dropped the hare, feeling the warm blood that had begun to pool in his mouth. He offered a toothy grin in Tinaro's direction, a certain wag of his- tail showing that he was satisfied with their hunt, however small it may have been. It meant going another day without feeling hungry, and that was always a good thing. After examining his friend's hare, he leaned to drag his own closer to Tinaro. They had hunted together - they might as well feast together. It'd been awhile since he's talked to him, anyway. "So," he started after shuffling down to his belly, tugging his meal closer to him. "How've you been? All healed up from the siege?" |
Now that he thought about it, he couldn't recall the last time he had shared a meal with someone, if he had ever done so at all. Nevertheless, now was the perfect opportunity to do so. They had hunted together, cooperated with each other and both bathed in their success. It wasn't much, taking down a couple hares, but in the winter where prey was scarce and the pack seemed uneventful, it was more than enough to satisfy him.
His friend approached him with his catch dangling from his jaws, and he soon realised that it was time to feast. Settling himself on his stomach with the creature laid in front of him, he took a small bite from its plump belly. At the same time his ash-tipped ears perked as the other male started the conversation, inquiring about the siege. "I wish I had wounds to heal," he responded with a sigh, gaze falling to the hare, hoping the Destruction would catch his drift. Already his hunger had receded, though with all the depression building up inside of him, he couldn't help but to pick at the hare's fur with his teeth. He couldn't push those memories aside; he couldn't move on from them. Perhaps that day would always plague him, taunting him of the opponents he could have fought if he had arrived sooner.
His father's words still echoed in his head about ruling Abaven. It was something he had in mind for Lark to possibly consider someday. Maybe not anytime soon, as he had said, but someday. Though his siblings had told him he seemed so confidence, so strong, so sure of himself.. he didn't really feel like any of those things. He just felt like.. himself. He thought about that as he began to tear into the fresh kill with Tinaro at his side. His response was curious. He hadn't realized Tinaro hadn't fought, but there'd been a lot going on to notice every single Abaven member and if they were in a fight then or not. "Same here," he sighed a bit. He hadn't been able to talk to anyone about it, and truthfully he felt a bit stupid for not jumping in faster. It'd been a chance to really make his family proud, and he hadn't done a damn thing. "Waited too long and then there was no one to fight." He grumbled, between bites, swallowing each carefully. "Shouldn't have hesitated, I guess." |
He was quite surprised to discover the other male also hadn't fought in the siege, and that surprise was evident on his features. Calypsei had told him there were a few wolves who hadn't participated, though at the time he only thought she had said that to comfort him. Now it seemed she truly hadn't been lying. Although talking it out with her had eased his troubled mind, knowing that one of his friends had experienced the same finally put his worries to rest.
The younger male went on to explain his hesitation in the siege, and during that time Tinaro regained some of his hunger and took larger bites from his prey. He listened intently, trying to keep his chews quiet so he could hear his friend's words. Every part of it he could relate to. The reluctancy, disappointment - he had been there. "The same happened to me," he commented, melancholy in his tone. He still wasn't able to get over it. "I don't think we needed Imperium. There were so many wolves that there a few group fights." At the time he had considered joining one of those fights, though simply feared he would make a mistake and let his team down.
Lark felt a bit of relief that he was not alone in how he felt. Before the siege had occurred, he'd pictured it all quite clearly - he would be one of the first to fight. He'd win, he'd help Abaven conquer their enemies, and they would celebrate their victory proudly. It had been far more somber than he'd anticipated, and he hadn't felt much like celebrating at all. Not only had the fight been relatively easy - and there had been few injuries at all - but he hadn't helped. Not one tiny bit. He sighed again as Tinaro spoke, nodding in agreement. "You're right," he agreed about Imperium, wondering why they had been invited at all. Surely his father had good reason, though, even if he didn't recognize it? They hadn't known if Hellstrom would have allies that might rush to help them, or how skilled their fighters might be. "We would've been able to fight if they weren't there. Next time we'll show them." Not that he wanted there to be a next time, persay.. but he knew that he was ready to defend his family, at all costs, and no matter the price. "Maybe we should practice again," he commented idly, shooting a glance up at Tinaro between bites. "Maybe with Calypsei too. Wouldn't hurt to do some group fights so we have a better idea what to do next time." It was a rarity for Lark to admit he didn't' necessarily know how to do something, but he felt a sort of fraternal bond with Tinaro at that moment, and he knew his friend would understand. |
Tinaro had been preparing himself for a scenario that required him to defend his pack for his whole life. Ever since pup-hood he had dreamed of becoming a fighter, the best in Abaven. To make his mother and father proud - that was what he had wanted to do. He had trained himself vigorously (occasionally) and like Lark, had planned out his actions on that one, fateful day. Losing or being unable to participate hadn't been on his list. Of course he had wanted to win; who didn't? However, that wasn't the reality, and as much as he could fantasise and brainstorm 'what-if's' in his mind, it only brought more regret. He had to move on. There was always a next time, not that he wanted more bloodshed. Why did it feel like he had blown his only chance to prove himself?
The other male agreed with him, and that didn't surprise him. It was obvious there were too many wolves on their side, and that was kind of a positive. After all, they didn't know how strong Hellstrom's forces would have been, so it was better to have too many than to lack numbers. In the end, they had won, though he didn't feel like he deserved that victory. He hadn't done anything towards it. "Sounds like a plan," he agreed with a nod when the Destruction suggested to try group training with their blue-furred friend. His eyes cast down to his hare to find that he had already eaten it all. Waiting a few moments, he rose his paws, wiping his bloodied chin against his shoulder. "Thanks for the help in the hunt. I'll see you around." Offering a small smile, ebony paws carried him away, feeling quite satisfied with the day so far.
-exit Tinaro-
It was rare for him to really open up to someone outside of his family. He felt.. oddly exposed, but Tinaro admitting to feeling the same as him, so he would relax slightly as he finished his meal. Next time, if there was a next time, he would make his family proud. He was sure of it. Lark offered a faint smile in Tinaro's direction at his agreement. "Any time," he'd respond to the thanks - not that he'd really done much for him, but it'd been a fine afternoon just the same. And now he found himself feeling much better about the whole siege thing. Lapping at his lips, he dipping his head at Tinaro in the form of a goodbye. "See you later," he grinned, turning to move away from the kill. - exit Lark - |