As always, Taiga hunted far away from her herbivorous friends. It was no secret that the lioness ate meat. Sometimes she ate caribou like Kyren. She'd even eaten a donkey before like Oscar. She'd eaten elk many, many times since arriving in this land, but never great elk here since there was only Rannoch. The feline didn't want to subject her friends to the killer that she was and the terror that she could be, so she always hunted far from them and cleaned well before returning. Today, moose was on the menu. She'd come upon an injured bull, but even injured, a bull could do some major damage. So a trap was in order. Taiga began digging a pit. It had worked in the past and it would work again. Massive paws scooped away partially thawed earth on the far side of the wall, just on the other side of a crumbling portion of stone. If she could run the moose and make it jump the wall, it would go straight into the pit. Easy peasy, so she hoped. "Speech"

The wall. Memories swirl in the nebula-clad wolf’s mind, each and every one has turned sour since Bodin’s death. Lips pull back as she works up some saliva, spitting it with as much distaste as she can on the spot that band use to keep their fire. Fuck ever coming to this cursed land. Her shoulders are heavily scarred, the stitches she had worn, torn during one of her many battles. Because of that the skin never healed right and it has left her with very noticeable, bright pink scars on her face and shoulders. Lifting her nose, Tove scents the air, screeching for any bears that she can kill. Nothing. But there is the scent of a large feline and an injured bull moose on the wind. Hmm.

Scarred nebula form stalks to where the scent of cat is and Tove presses her body against into the shadows of the wall while silently watching the huge lioness. Duel-toned eyes carefully watch as the lioness scoops dirt out of a hole and the wolf realizes that she is hunting the moose as well. Curiouser and Curiouser. Stepping around a large chunk of wall she had been using for cover, Tove walks slowly toward the cat. When she catches the feline’s dark ruby gaze, the scarred woman inclines her head in the direction of injured moose’s scent. Once it is confirmed that they are both hunting the same thing, Tove steps up to the other side of the marked off pit and silently gets to work. Words are useless and unnecessary, the nebula woman opting to let her actions show her intentions.


"Tove Baade"

As Taiga was digging, a wolf approached. At first the feline gave a low growl, simply saying that she was busy and didn't have the time nor the desire to fight, but the canine motioned in the direction of the injured moose then began to dig along with her. That was fine and dandy. Wouldn't be the first time that she'd hunted with a wolf. A moose would be more than enough meat for both of them. Taiga caught the woman's gaze and nodded. Wide paws continued to scoop out rich, black earth. The hole didn't have to be terribly deep as the moose would assume that there was flat land on the other side of the wall. It would stumble and Taiga would move in for the kill. A fool proof plan. Extending her claws, the cat raked at the ground, cutting through the harder, more frozen earth. Just a little more. "Speech"

Tove lifts a brow at the low growl of the cat before silently indicating the direction of the injured moose. It doesn’t seem to object so, she digs across from the huge feline, her paws having to work harder to break through the frozen ground. The smell of earth fills her nostrils as they churn through making the pit, each scoop of removed dirt pushing the pit a little closer to completion. Duel-toned eyes watch what the lioness does and Tove is able to judge the depth that the feline is going for. The nebula-cloaked wolf finishes dig her side out and begins to move toward the huge feline, the trap nearly complete for their unsuspecting prey.

"Tove Baade"

The pair continued to dig and Taiga began tamping the dark earth down on the edges of the pit, flicking snow over the far end, using snow that was up against the wall. Taking snow from against the back of the stone would prevent the moose from seeing anything amiss. Covering up the edge of the pit would camouflage the dirt. Their prey should feel comfortable with its course of flight without seeing the hole. Most creatures spoke in their own languages, but Taiga was versed in many tongues. The feline shifted her ruby gaze to the galactically marked fae. "It's injured. Let's run it towards the wall and when it falls, let me hit it first. If we succeed, we'll share." It was safer if the significantly larger lioness took the brunt of the attack. She waited for confirmation from the wolf before moving over the wall and out into the wilderness. "Speech"

They work in silence and, once the pit is dug, Tove follows the large cat’s actions and disguises her side of the trap. Snow is used to cover up the freshly turned earth and by the time they finish, the pit is hard to see, if you are not looking for it. With the trap laid and camouflaged, the lioness lays out the plan and the galaxy pelted wolf nods in understanding. Her voice breaks the silence, rough, unused, and crackling, she grunts one simple word, “Deal.” Tove swallows thickly, her throat feeling like sandpaper after only saying one word. With that, the wolf follows after the feline, ready to take down the injured bull moose.

"Tove Baade"

With the plan formed, Taiga led the wolf through the forest on the near side of the wall, keeping low. The feline's big body was patterned well enough to blend in with the speckles of sunlight dappling down through the trees. The cat was quiet, her giant paws acting as snow shoes and muffling her steps. She followed the scent of the moose and curled wide around it, stopping only when she had placed the moose between herself and the wall. She and the wolf would have to keep the beast hemmed in, preventing its escape and only giving it the option of leaping the wall. Taiga nodded to the wolf, then burst through the foliage. They all began to run. "Speech"

White-dipped paws pull Tove after the large feline, the woman’s scarred pelt standing out in stark contrast to the snowy landscape around them. When the moose comes into view, the older wolf crouches low, splitting off from the cat to move through the trees and around to the opposite side of the injured creature. She stays low, moving stealthy until she is in place. Duel-toned eyes dart to where the monochrome cat lays in wait, looking for the signal to run. It is subtle, a dip of the feline’s large head and they are off. Tove rushes forward, moving to pin the injured creature between the hunters and drive it toward the waiting trap.

"Tove Baade"

The ladies burst from the trees in tandem and the big, bull moose bellowed and began to run. Its big, swollen hock was slowing it down, but it was still moving somewhat quickly. Taiga released a thunderous snarl as she ran and the moose released another sound of panic. From her position on one side, she could see the whites of the ungulate's eyes as it ran for its life. It was afraid and had every reason to feel that way. It tried to veer off path once and the big cat threw on some speed, cutting off its escape. In time, the wall came into view, as did the crumbling portion that would be the end of their quarry. "Speech"

Tove races forward, the bull moose bellowing in panic before turning to run. The feline releases a loud snarl that resounds through the forest and the galaxy-cloaked wolf pulls her lips back over her teeth as she offers her own snarl. Compared to the huge cat’s, it is a strangled, cut short, and much softer. The woman’s vocal chords are rough from disuse, the months spent with speaking plain to hear. Her voice may be soft but her actions are powerful and Tove works diligently to keep the moose between the hunters. It tries to break away, angling toward the feline’s side but it is quickly set back on the correct path. The crumbled wall comes into view and she gives another strangled snarl and snap at the moose’s leg, urging it toward up and over the section… and into the waiting trap.

"Tove Baade"

Things couldn't have gone more smoothly if they'd written it themselves. With barks, snarls and roars, the moose continued on its course. The wall came into view and the giant ungulate went straight for the crumbling portion. It leaped over the opening in the stone and, not anticipating the hole on the other side, snapped a leg and fell forward hard. The moose screamed and flailed, but Taiga was on it in an instant. Wicked, hooked claws tore into the beasts flesh and massive teeth punctured the flesh of its throat. Powerful jaws bit down hard, cutting off the air supply of her prey. The cave lioness' big body helped to hold the flailing moose down until it eventually twitched its last and perished. Unlatching her jaws from the throat of the dead moose, Taiga nodded, then moved away and threw herself down in a snow bank to cool off. Wolves were meant for endurance but lions were not. She was winded and tired, but when she woke up from her nap, she would be fed. It didn't matter how much the wolf ate or took with her, there was more than enough meat on a moose. "Speech"

They drive it onward, the bull moose desperate to escape the two predators that have it hemmed in. A it runs, the creature spies the crumbled portion of wall and, unaware of the trap that lays in the snow-covered earth, leaps through the opening. Tove is close behind as the sound of bones snapping and pain filled screams fill the air and the two extremely different creatures fall on their prey. The cat goes for the kill as she said she would and the nebula wolf quickly jumps on the hind quarters to stop any errant hooves from flying toward the massive feline.

It shudders under their bodies as the moose’s life drains into the dirt flecked snow of their pit, the mighty struggle bleeding away into the earth. With one last twitch, the moose stills and the cat releases her death hold on the prey’s neck and moves away to flop heavily into a snow bank. Tove offers her impromptu hunting partner a dip of her scarred head and a short grunt of thanks. As the cat falls away into dreamland, the galaxy-cloaked wolf moves to one of the back legs of the moose. Working swiftly, she separates the leg from the creature’s body and eats her fill.

Once done, she looks to slumbering cat and licks her lips, grunting her thanks once more before disappearing into the snowy landscape.


"Tove Baade"