Ace had been incredibly busy juggling his duties as the lead warrior and guarding his prisoner. Today, he left his prisoner in the care of another so he could go and get some needed alone time. His fox kits had been left in the pack, now old enough to wander themselves and he instructed them to stay within pack borders or they wouldn't get dinner. The threat worked...especially considering the growing fox kits loved to eat, and they weren't about to risk their dinner. He headed out alone to the small islands nearby, the titan male swimming easily from one beach to the next until he was on the main island. It was...pretty here. He could hear the calls of exotic birds in the air and caught glimpses of other tree dwellings critters. He walked along a path that led into the trees, crimson gaze spotting fruits and nuts and all sorts of things around him. He was fascinated with this part of the land, though when a breeze swept through he was reminded about the waters chill. Luckily he hadn't spent too much time in the water to get to the main island, so he sat down and began to dry himself. As he groomed his fur, an odd sound caught his attention. Ears jerked forward and he stopped what he was doing to investigate. Something was nearby and whatever it was sounded distressed. Moving forward, he pushed past some foliage until he saw a young black monkey creature on the ground, obviously frightened and confused. Just like with his fox kits, his fatherly instinct kicked in and he carefully drew closer to the little macaque. "Hey there little one. I'm not going to hurt you, i'm here to help. " He coaxed, hoping the little beast wouldn't run. To his surprise, the young monkey darted up his leg and perched itself behind his shoulders, gripping tightly as it snuggled into his fur. Well it seemed he had a knack for quickly gaining the trust of baby animals. With the monkey safely on his back, he moved on to see if maybe its parents were around. Though he had a doubt that they weren't... especially considering it looked abandoned for some time. speech action

If Valkyrie noticed the screech from the hide bundle hanging from her jaws she gave no sign of it. The flailing of the creature inside, forceful enough to thump against her chest a couple times, was also ignored. She'd been in possession of it long enough to know that it couldn't be reasoned with or cowed into silence by a firm shake. That was fine with her. Noisy or not, the bird, with its sharp beak and wicked talons, would earn her a pretty penny.

She'd spied the dark grey cockatoo tangled in vines and the moment she'd laid eyes on its massive beak Valkyrie had known she needed to capture it. Considering its predicament, the catching part had been easy. Transporting up north, though? Tricky business.

 

For many a mile the bird had been clamped between her jaws, but there was only so much clawing and biting her mouth and face could handle. Then it had been wrapped in vines, which it had promptly shredded leading to a frantic, bird stomping, feather breaking recapture. Currently, it was being held in a makeshift bag, although 'bag' was giving it far too much credit. It was just a raw piece of deerskin that she was holding the edges of.

With a growl Valkyrie paused at the water's edge. In the distance she could see the mainland. There was a lot of open water between her and it, and the water looked rough. It would be easy to accidentally drown the bird. Looked like she needed to rethink her plan.

""

With the young primate hiding in the fur on his scruff, he continued his investigation of this island. He knew he hadn't been here before, nor any other islands really because he didn't particularly like swimming. But this one he had decided to check out because the swim looked considerably shorter than the swim to the other islands that dotted Boreas' coast. He retraced his footsteps to the shoreline, deciding he wanted to check out the perimeter of the island before going inland. As he walked along the beach, his little hitchhiker seemed curious as it perked up and looked around with wide eyes. Before long, however, it seemed to make noises as if it were fussing or whining or...whatever little monkey babies did. He paused for a moment, peering at the creature. After a few moments, he could hear its stomach rumble and he knew what it needed. The only problem was...what the hell did juvenile monkeys eat? Did he get it fish? Leaves? Bugs? Man, this was very different from his fox kits. He knew what they ate, but a monkey? Not at all. He decided to continue his trek on the beach, and hopefully, he could find something that might entice the primate. During the short walk, he had found and offered it a crab, a clam, and even caught a small fish that had gotten stuck in the shallows. But none of the seafood seemed to do the trick as the creature just turned up its nose. He was growing frustrated, for once in his life he didn't know what to do. But as he continued around the coast, he spotted what could potentially be his saving grace! Or at least, he hoped so. He hurried over to the stranger standing on the shore, the male speaking the moment he was within earshot. "Hey you! Think you can help me out?" He stopped several feet from her, mouth opening to talk again but he was cut off before he could even start by a loud squawking sound. What the ever loving fuck was she holding hostage?! speech action

The only thing that stopped the bird from getting another violent shake as it screamed yet again was the stranger's voice. Valkyrie turned to look at the large male that was approaching. While she was used to seeing tall wolves, at a glance she thought this male could very well be the tallest. He was mostly white, with pale eyes and dark patches on his face. Her eyes were drawn to what looked like a small arm peeking through the fur on his neck.

 

Another round of flapping and shrieking from the bird snapped Valkyrie out of her thoughts. Her ears flattened and she looked down her nose at the bag the bird was in.

After a beat she set the bag down carefully and used a paw to pin it shut so she could speak to the male without losing her prize. "Probably not," she said with an annoyed glance at the wiggling bag. "I have a problem of my own to deal with."

Saaaay. Perhaps this man would like to take her problem off her hands. For a price. Valkyrie eyed Acere curiously. "What do you need help with?"

""

"Probably not," Crimson gaze settled on the bag she just placed on the ground, watching as it wriggled around and protested. He blinked a few times as his brows pulled together. Whatever that was, it sounded murderous. She was clearly annoyed by her bundle, and he probably would be too if he had to deal with whatever was in there. When she asked what he needed help with, he tore his gaze away from the wriggling bundle and cleared his throat. "Ah, yes. I uh...found this little baby monkey nearby, and unfortunately, I have no idea how to take care of one. I think it might be hungry, but..." Hell if he knew what they ate! At the mention of the minuscule creature, it peeked around his neck to get a look at the woman he was talking to. speech action

Valkyrie seized on the stranger's words. She saw a chance to get rid of the bird and gain something that looked more manageable. Primates were fascinating, useful creatures and the more she thought about it the more she wanted to get her paws on one.

She forced her expression to soften as she made eye contact with the baby monkey. "Perhaps I can help you after all. You see-" she was interrupted by another round of struggling from the bag. This time she let the bird poke its head out so Acere could see what she had. With its head free the bird briefly froze and Valkyrie was able to continue speaking without raising her voice. "You see, while I may not know a thing about birds like this one, I know monkeys."

 

She was lying. Valkyrie knew nothing about primates, but she thought pretending to know how to care for them when this male admitted he didn't would increase her chances of acquiring the infant macaque.

"She does look hungry," Valkyrie said in a soft voice. "Perhaps..." she trailed off thoughtfully, letting the promise of aid hang in the air for a few seconds in the hopes of drawing Acere in. After a beat she nodded to herself as if deciding something, then said, "This island doesn't have much to offer a baby monkey, I'm afraid, but I know a place that does. Perhaps I could interest you in a trade? Clearly this bird would be better suited to someone else."

""