Hunger gnawed at Ngurulivu’s gut as she made her way up the slate gray stone path of the mountainside. Claws clicked against the stone with each step, her sky blue gaze flicking to the clouds above her. They were cold, a steel gray that brought with them the threat of a snow storm, given how high up the mountain she was anyway. The air had become a bit thinner here, colder, and while she was sure she could catch herself something, she didn’t doubt that the weather could turn at any given moment while she was on this mountain. She was better off making the kill and eating some of her fill before trying to find somewhere to buckle down, right? Maybe others wouldn’t agree with her, but Nuru didn’t care. They weren’t here, and she was. The monochrome woman knew the name of this place well enough. Waterfall Peak, a name that had been appropriately earned. Somewhere beyond where she stood, the mountain dipped inward and foliage grew wild and in abundance… a basin of sorts at the bottom of the mountain. But more than that she could hear the cascading sound of water roaring as it fell from somewhere above her to a lake down below. She was sure it was a beautiful sight, though she had yet to get somewhere she could make out the waterfall streaming in all it’s glory. That was fine though, Ngurulivu thought to herself. She had come here to sightsee but there would be time for that later, she supposed. For now, her goal would be to find herself something to chow down upon and make sure it became her dinner. She had an idea of what could work, too. Dall sheep enjoyed making mountains like this their home and surely would make for a nice treat. Both genders had horns, with the difference between the two being how heavy or full they were. She was sure she could handle a ewe on her own though, ideally, she’d have liked to have someone to hunt alongside her. The sheep could be tricky to take down if you weren’t careful after all. Ngurulivu had made her way a little further up the mountain when she caught a stranger up ahead. She hurried forth, ears perking forward as she called to them. “Hey there!” "Talk, 'Think.'

Tallulah was on the hunt. She knew she'd find something eventually, but even though it was a bit frustrating to track and stalk... She'd do it. No complaints. The 'hey' from the stranger caused her to look up from staring at some rabbit tracks. "Howdy," she replied to the woman, wondering what they wanted. The other wolf was big enough to do most anything by herself compared to the cowgirl. Most everyone here was big and tall! "reckon ya here to do some huntin'?" The girl added, looking to the various dall sheep that seemed to populate the location. It'd be foolish not to do some type of hunting, even if the weather was bad. She smelt a storm on the horizon, and it was just when she realized that did the sky break. A bolt of lightning cracked the otherwise calm blue, flashing a warning to the wolves below. Tallulah jumped to all fours. "Might be worth doin' now than later!" she remarked over the rolling thunder. She turned to the nearest dall sheep and went for it. The animal seemed to be less concerned about the storm and more about the wolves. The female of the species charged away, leaving them with the male. No matter. Tallulah rushed it as fast as her yearling legs would allow. She aimed a bite at the hindquarters of the animal, causing it to scramble and stumble. Now'd be a good time for the other lady to dive in, but she didn't exactly notice if they said nay or yay. The girl would do her best to bring the prey down regardless of help. She needed to eat. The prey was heavy here, population and scent. Unwise to just leave in the middle of a storm when she didn't know how long it'd last. She needed food to make it through any hunkering down. "speech here" 700/1500

The stranger was polite, though her dialect seemed to be different, Ngurulivu noticed. She assumed the word “Howdy,” was some sort of greeting. It was curious, Ngurulivu thought to herself. The important thing was that the other woman seemed kindly, and the monochrome female offered a small smile. ”I figured I might as well, given that the prey seems to be plentiful around here.” It was true… the Dall sheep dotted the landscape and appeared pleasantly oblivious of the wolves that were present. That or they were purposefully ignoring them, seeming to be confident enough in their strength to handle the predators. She had barely had time to answer the stranger before the weather caused her to get moving. Well, that was a shame. So much for pleasantries prior to a hunt. The lightning strike, followed by a boom of thunder, threatening the hunt to be had been enough to stir Ngurulivu as well. She felt her fur stand on end as her gaze followed the woman who fearlessly charged the nearest to go for it. Well, here went something. The female charged away and left them with a male. Great. They’d need to be mindful of it, Nuru told herself as she started to move. The weather itself would be a hindrance as well as slush started to fall from the heavens. Not cold enough to be pure snow, but not warm enough to be mere rain, the slush hit Ngurulivu’s face as she charged forward, causing the woman to curse and stumble. She growled, catching herself, to see that the stranger had the sheep doing the same. “Keep on it! I’m coming!” She just needed another couple of moments to get her head on with this freak storm. Maybe then she could get close to actually assist the other with bringing the Dall Sheep down. "Talk, 'Think.'

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Tallulah began to attack the dall sheep again. She was aware if they lost it, they'd have to wait for the storm to be over. Even prey would burrow and hide in this coming thunder. It shook the earth even under her paws, and the girl scrambled to find a hold against the wall of rock. She growled, lunging and pushing off from a particularly larger boulder. Her paws snapped around the backend of the sheep, dragging it crashing down. They both slipped and fell. The rain was too slick against the rock already. The girl landed lightly, cushioned by the sheep. It bayed and cried out in alarm, fear... She did not want to extend its suffering. Tallulah saw a leg had broken, bent at an ugly angle. She scrambled to all fours, off the sheep and circling to its front. Without a second thought, as if it was natural to do such a thing - which it was, she dug into the neck. Her yearling teeth gripped hard against the muscle. The prey animal cried a shocking amount knowing the end was near. She clung on, mindful of the three remaining legs flailing. Blood soaked her chest and the ground. Finally, the sheep gave into death's embrace. Panting, she let go and backed away. "We need to find shelter!" she added to the approaching woman. She was not upset the other wolf didn't throw her weight. It was enough of a chore to cling and bring down the prey in this rain "if ya can rightly carry the sheep, I'll keep a look for any caves." With that plan in motion, she went to work. Tallulah had every intention of sharing the sheep with the woman. It was too big to eat alone, after all. She didn't mind eating with a stranger, long as they remained civil to her. Dashing away, she led the woman back down the rocky crop and tried to find shelter for them. It was getting bad out here. If they didn't find somewhere quick-like, they'd be forced to huddle under a tree. That meant lightning could strike there, and they would be in danger. "speech here" 1,367/1500

The smaller woman kept going for it, just as Ngurulivu had hoped. But they both slipped, falling, and Nuru’s eyes widened as she fought the slushy rain. Gods, were they alright? Had the woman broken anything? She bounded forward, trying to mind her own footing. The weather had become nasty far too quickly. Mentally Nuru cursed it. At least she saw the woman get back up and go for the sheep again. Against the slush, she thought she saw one of the legs bent at a strange angle, but given the bad slip they had that wasn’t surprising. It cried and flailed but the smaller girl was on it, bringing it to death’s embrace. By the time she reached the other the hunt was over. The sheep was gone, and she glanced at her apologetically. “Forgive me, I should have been faster.” Her mind didn’t seem to be on the fact that Nuru hadn’t been able to help, however, and she wasn’t wrong. They’d need to find shelter for themselves, especially if the weather was to keep up. Ngurulivu gave a nod at the request she carries the sheep; she’d be able to do that at the very least. She moved to the Dall sheep’s side and heaved it up onto her back. It was a healthy weight but she’d manage alright. Ngurulivu glanced up once it felt secure and saw that the yearling was already on the move. That was alright; she’d trail after her, and they could talk once shelter was found. The monochrome femme followed after her at a slower pace, back down the rocky crop. Her ears were flicked back as she fought the weather, wind, and slush that was insisting on smacking her in the face. Gods, she’d be glad when they were out of it! "Talk, 'Think.'

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