If My Nose Was Running Money, Honey I'd Blow It All On You [G]
Brandr hovered like a spectre at the top of the basin, drinking in the scent of grasses and dust on a sweltering summer day. He was panting lightly but feeling in general pretty good and thanking the Creator for his pale coat. Intermixed with the scent of grass were the scents of mule deer that he had been tracking. His successful hunt of rabbit and the later attempt with Kai had emboldened him to try again for larger prey though he dearly, haha, wished he had someone to hunt with. It made for much better odds and he hated to burn off so much of his energy in this heat if there was a good chance he'd fail.
Shaking out his pelt he slowly slipped into the grass at the edge of the basin, moving deeper down and letting the golden hues melt with the sandy colors of his coat as he set his mind back to tracking.
Some evenings feel like windows where we tip our hats beyond all the failures that afflict us and the dusk that feeds the dawn
Many months of travel had finally taken a toll on the earthly colored foreigner, salmon tongue hanging down as far as possible, saliva dripping down in anxiousness to taste something delicious. Audits pushed forward, the sound of twittering birds growing louder and louder. Nostrils flared, attempting to catch the scent of some sort of food source. There was simply nothing useful or easy to catch. The squirrels from early on teased him, and there seemed to be some sort of magnet on him that was drawing all other prey away. A grumble bellowed from the throat, young clean canines flashing in irritation. The Russian was just about to release a loud bark until the scent of something caught his nose.
Without hesitation, long muscled legs drew him closer towards a basin of some sort - many grasses flourishing, and their nutrition seemed to have attracted some food. There they were, a herd of deer being as stupid as all deer were. It would be difficult taking one down on his own, but Varon was desperate to get food into his belly. The thought of another fellow canine being nearby never crossed his mind, and the scent of another in the same vicinity had yet to to be picked up by him. Chocolate brown and sandy tones slithered through the grass, paws moving as quietly as he could. Rich royal purple eyes set their sights, and he did his best to get closer.
The wind had all but stilled as Brandr moved further into the shelter of the basin. Good, he thought silently to himself. The fewer elements working against him on this hunt the better. There! The scent teased his nostrils sweeter than any grass as he spied the herd of mule deer feeding happily on the sweet grass and seemingly unaware of his presence. His golden eyes scanned the herd, seeking weakness when he caught shifting movement from the corner of his eye. He turned and spied another wolf, a large man with an earthen pelt. His ears perked up in interest as he gazed at the other.
Sparing a glance at the herd, Brandr crouched and moved toward the stranger, anxious to cut a deal similar to the one he'd agreed on with Kai. Keeping his voice low he spoke. "Hey there, want to join forces? Split the kill 50/50?"
Some evenings feel like windows where we tip our hats beyond all the failures that afflict us and the dusk that feeds the dawn
Tongue swiped across his lips, preparing to stalk closer before a sudden whispered voice startled him. Despite the sudden intrusion, there was only a slight jump of his skin, along with a quick turn of his head to see who the voice belonged to. There was a desire to snarl at the sudden stranger, but earthly toned body was already prepared for a hunt and it held him from giving away his position to the whole herd of deer. Despite the overall calm reaction, Varon glared in irritation toward the larger canine, listening to the boy's proposal. "Hey there, want to join forces? Split the kill 50/50?"
Wet nose would peer back towards the herd for a split moment before eyes would settle on the other male. This would be perfect. Both of them were large and could take down a deer as long as they could catch and/or keep up with it. It was getting close that would be the problem. The Russian simply gave a nod, indicating that he would join forces with the stranger. Turning, the man took a step towards the back end of the stranger, designating the multi-toned youth as lead. Varon presumed this wolf knew these animals better than he (deer were different from where he came from), thus preferred for him to take lead. He was ready to take action.
Brandr flinched, he hadn't meant to startle the other. He felt they'd have better luck joining forces then hunting separately or accidentally against each other. The older man seemed irritated but Brandr was not daunted and waited patiently to see if the other might agree to his offer. If not Brandr would simply go about his day but it would be difficult for them both to prey on the same herd if they were not coordinating with each other and he was far too stubborn to hunt elsewhere. Oh he hoped, he hoped the other would agree!
Brandr watched intently as the man looked to the herd then back to him and nodded. Brandr grinned. Excellent. The man would step back indicating for him to take the lead and Brandr felt a stirring of nerves in his stomach. He only hoped this would go as well as the hunt with Kai and he turned to gaze out into the herd. Eyes drifting from deer to deer. It would be easiest to determine weakness once they got the animals to run but given the time of year their best bet would be to target one of the young. The mule deer would have calved some time in the spring so the season-old offspring would make for easy pickings.
Quietly, carefully Brandr gestured toward a pair of fawns playing off to the right of the herd, skipping and jumping about. When he had hunted with Kai in the brambles they had to utilize a different strategy than his preferred method of hunting for the deer could easily slip away into the thicket. Out here in this meadow, this great valley, they could hunt the old-fashioned way and run their prey down. However, it wouldn't do for the prey to get to much of a head-start or they'd lose them for sure. Carefully, Brandr began to slink forward toward the right portion of the herd where the fawns were still engaged in play. Once they had them running the weakest would fall behind and that would be the target.
Some evenings feel like windows where we tip our hats beyond all the failures that afflict us and the dusk that feeds the dawn
Patiently waiting, the boy had finally realized that Varon would allow him to take charge and began to assess the situation. It didn't take long for this stranger to signal to him, purple eyes warping over to where he had pointed. There were fawns playing together, a little bit away from the rest of the herd. They certainly were close enough to run to safety if needed, but if the pair of canines could get close enough and startle the herd, they could easily pick one or even both of the babies off. The larger yearling had started to crawl forward, keeping lower to the ground so that the grass could hide much of his body.
After the boy had slinked forward a little bit, Varon too took to the ground and kept as silent as he could, trailing a little bit forward at a slightly more direct approach. This would allow him to have a better chance to get in between the fawns and the whole herd itself. There wasn't a huge plan to try to desperate, as deer were very good at keeping close together in an ambush, but the Russian decided it'd give him a little bit of an upper hand overall. Perhaps if the boy could start the chase, Varon could sneak in somehow and spook either the fawn backwards or to the side, or simply grab them right then and there.
OOC: Sorry for the wait! I didn't realize you responded.
Aided by his tawny coat he slipped silently through the grasses, ears alert to every sound of motion. As he dipped deeper into the valley the wind died and he could hear his heart hammering in his ears. The grass around him shivered as if in anticipation or dread of the oncoming bloodshed and Brandr decided that if he tried to get closer he'd surely give himself away and give the deer a headstart. He glanced to the man he was hunting with. Seeing the other heading more directly toward the herd with the intent of severing the fawns off from the rest of the herd. It was up to him to start the chase. Well… here goes.
Brandr's muscular limbs coiled beneath him and he took a deep breath before leaping forward. His long, sturdy legs ate up the distance as he barreled toward the herd, sending the deer scattering in a panic but it didn't last long. Already they were starting to regroup, darting off across the valley. Brandr dove for the middle like a spearhead intent on keeping them scattered and panicked so that Varon would have a chance to either separate the fawns from their mother or catch one in the chaos.
Some evenings feel like windows where we tip our hats beyond all the failures that afflict us and the dusk that feeds the dawn
Closer the Russian stalked, but he also kept his distance, ears flickering forward for a moment, nostrils flaring. If the wind decided to betray either of them, the hunt was over, but so far, it seemed to be on their side. At the corner of Varon's eyes, he saw the stranger move in from the other angle. Waiting patiently, the man would allow the boy to start the hunt. Once the deer were panicked, he could swing in and attempt to cut off the young fawns... or hopefully at least one. A few moments passed before the bigger yearling lunged forward, initiating the hunt. It took only a second to register that the deer were being hunted, and all of them scattered and panicked, a few fleeing in different directions, but the majority of them fleeing in the opposite direction the wolf was running towards.
Without hesitation, the foreigner lunged forward, purple orbs set on a pair of fawns who were clearly behind in the rush. Swiftly moving towards the side, the earthly-toned man managed to get slightly ahead of the baby deer, dashing towards them at an angle and hoping they would suddenly veer off to the right and away from the rest of the ground. A few more body-lengths forward and the fawns did exactly what he was aiming to do. He hoped the other stranger would notice this succession and join him in the now stamina hunt to get one of these fawns down. Varon was a heavy male, and while speed was easy to obtain for a few short bursts, his stamina wasn't as good - having to carry a little bit more fur than those who resided here (during the summer/autumn).
Brandr twisted sharply to his right, turning his focus towards the fawns as the earthen man managed to separate the from the group. The young deer were panicking and inexperienced. They were going just where the predators wanted them to go. Brandr drew in great breaths as he pushed his body onward, willing his bulky frame to move with unexpected speed and grace. The fawns continued bolting toward the right when one of them suddenly realized they were getting further away from the herd. As the fawn tried to double back and avoid the wolves it stumbled.
Brandr launched himself forward, fangs ripping into the left front shoulder of the fawn. His core tightened as he raised himself on his hind legs, throwing his forelegs forward to wrap around the base of the fawns neck so he could use his weight to drag it to the ground. He held fast as the creature flailed and kicked. He was focused on the task at hand and unaware of the state of the other fawn. He was fairly certain he could pin this one, leaving the other open to the foreigner's mercy but if the other should get away then Brandr would do his best to ensure that the stranger got a good shot at the throat of the fawn he was working to pin to the ground.
Some evenings feel like windows where we tip our hats beyond all the failures that afflict us and the dusk that feeds the dawn
Varon watched as the two fawns veered off to the right, heading not straight into the stranger, but at an angle that allowed the boy to catch up to them faster. It was a well executed plan as he watched from meters away, teeth flashing and body crashing into one of the unlucky baby deer. Purple orbs shifted to the other fawn, the Russian swinging past the stranger towards it, but only for a few paces before realizing that this deer was now a bit too far to really reach before his stamina had depleted. Without much hesitation, the earthly-toned man changed directly, looking towards the fawn that was now being straggled by the much larger man.
Glistening white fangs were revealed, a snarl rumbling through his throat. This boy had prepared the fawn for a quick death. Despite the size of the man, the fawn was still a decent size itself, but had no opportunity for escape. Regardless, with its sibling/friend managing to escape, Varon focused on taking down his first delicious meal in a few weeks. Maw open, he rushed towards the baby deer and immediately wrapped his mouth around its neck, fangs now biting down on it to kill it through suffocation. It struggled, but after a few minutes, the body would become limp, and the two would enjoy a delicious feast.
Struggling and bleating the fawn continued to fight for all it was worth against Brandr's muscle and weight but it was swiftly loosing the battle it's legs quivering as it tried to continue the fight. Moments later Varon had halted his pursuit of the second fond and turned back. It was over in a moment. Varon's fangs met the fawn's throat and bit down and the creature suffocated. As it finally stopped struggling and fell limply to the ground Brandr took a few steps back to shake out his coat and stretch his limbs. "Nice work, let's eat!" Brandr didn't ponder what the pecking order would be but there was enough for the two of them and he quickly started digging into the shoulder he'd wounded earlier, quickly snarfing down large chunks of flesh until at last he was sated. Licking the blood off his lips he turned to the stranger. "I should probably introduce myself. I'm Brandr Scylding. Thanks for the help with this meal." "Talk" "You" Think |
As soon as the limp body hit the ground, blackened nose sniffed it cautiously, making sure the baby deer was not riddled with disease or anything tainted. Once it was clear from his inspection, Varon nipped at it lightly before the sound of the stranger was aimed towards him. "Nice work, let's eat!" The younger, yet larger boy started feasting upon it, giving Varon the impression that the two would now be able to eat in silence. He too took a bite before he was interrupted once more. "I should probably introduce myself. I'm Brandr Scylding. Thanks for the help with this meal." It was rather intriguing, but perhaps it would be a good idea to make himself not look so cold to avoid a potential fight over it later.
"Varon," the foreigner merely spoke, taking another bite into the fawn and ripping a chunk off. The meat was tender and delicious, one of the best meals he's had since being born even. The warmth of the blood made it even easier to eat, soothing the throat and satisfying his taste buds. Minutes would pass, the sound of teeth crunching and tearing at the meat and bones filling the air. He was sure the mother deer was gone, but if she wasn't, it would certainly be a terrible sound. While the fawn was big enough to feed them both, it was clear that both males were hungry and the body was disappearing rather quickly.
"Nice to meet you Varon." Brandr caught the accent but said nothing and resumed gorging his belly. He ate swiftly, picking and shredding the carcass as he went until he was finally sated. Licking the blood from his maw he stood up and debated what to say if anything really needed to be said in the first place. They had accomplished the task of feeding themselves, both were loners and unlikely to meet up again. Brandr had miles to go to get back to his den site. "I must go. Take care." He dipped his head in a formal goodby and slipped away into the waving grass. -exit- "Talk" "You" Think |
Perhaps the Russian was rather blunt and unwelcoming, but the thought of food clouded the idea of being polite to the one who he had just hunted with. This was not a business lunch, but rather just lunch. This polite young man had shown his gratitude to meet him, but Varon kept on eating, merely releasing an accepting grumble due to food being in his mouth. There was a bit of awkward silence, but the foreigner had a knack of ignoring it and just doing his own business. It wasn't long before the larger male decided it was time to go, having filled his stomach despite a bit of the carcass still left.
Ears pushing forward, Varon listened to the words and respectfully returned a nod of his head as the boy told him that he had to leave. Whether the two would meet again was unknown, but it was very lucky to meet him when he needed food badly. Time would pass as the earthly-toned man continued to pick at the bones before deciding that he had had enough. The ravens and a bald eagle had waited fairly (and oddly) patiently, thus he would push himself off the ground and leave behind the remnants of a poor lost soul that had barely just begun to live. Such was life.