Hunting Shadows (Open)

[error]

It was a nice, wet fall afternoon when an elk practically fell right into Alora's paws. The Elk was honestly not much to look at, from a hunter's prospective. It was very lean, bordering on skinny, lack the substantial fat to feed an entire pack but for a single she wolf, this young one was more than enough. The prey stared at the she wolf for a moment before letting out a frightened bellow that made Alora's ears ring momentarily. Rustling from the hill above her alerted her to the rest of the small group of elk to high tail it out of there. Alora didn't pay them much mind as her eyes fixated exclusively on the injured elk in front of her. It stared back at her with wide eyes and Alora could almost hear the elk's instincts screaming 'Run!' And so it did.

The elk was clearly injured from its fall and quickly had to reduce its full gallop into a painfully looking trot. Alora was no fool and knew that despite the elk's injury, it was still more than capable of gutting her. So the she wolf walked at a leisurely pace behind the stag and would let out occasional barks when the elk started to slow.

The sun quickly started to set as the chase continued. The elk continued to limp away pathetically from the slowly advancing she wolf and said she wolf was having fun just barking and growling to encourage the elk from stopping. As shadows enveloped the land, the elk became if possible, more frantic than it already was. It began to weave left and right, as if unsure of where to go. Alora wasn't aware how well elks could see in the dark but presumed it's night vision was not as sharp as a wolf's.

Alora took a side route to gain some height on the elk and when the elk's path came back into view, the elk had vanished. A flash of excitement ran through Alora's body like lightning and she stood still for a moment to try to calm her beating heart. "And this," Alora spoke softly, her voice nothing over the wind. "is where the real fun starts, my prey." Tracking was where the real fun for Alora and could tickle her bones like nothing else. Within seconds Alora had picked up the young elk's sporadic trail and followed it.

As morning broke on the second day, Alora found herself pausing in the shadow of a massive hill. Her chest heaved with her exhaustion but curiosity and reason urged her to climb to the top of the hill. After all, height was always and advantage. Following a previously made deer trail, Alora carefully climbed the hill with cautious paws. She had seen hills and mountains before but in her home territory there were no such terrain, just flat forestry lands.

With a last push of her paws, the she wolf found herself on the crest of the hill and couldn't suppress a small sound of awe. The sun's early morning, red rays stretched out over the plain lands like a protector. From the top of the hill she could see all the lands around her in one glorious picture.

[zivve]

Alistair stood in snow. It was at least a foot deep and cold. It had always been cold, but he was built to withstand that. He turned his head one way and then the other, taking in the lovely sight of pure white snow that ranged over the area. It had been a while since he'd seen snow like this. He had left home early last spring... That was probably the last time. Since then, the only snow I've seen has been on mountain tops in a few splotches here and there. This is real snow. Suddenly, the terrain changed. The snow melted away and he stood on plains. Then, trees grew up and fell down, leaving him on a rocky shore. Alistair stood in one spot through the whole thing, taking it all in. The song of wind rustling through the grass, the melody of trees cracking and falling to the ground one by one, the soft lullaby of the water against rocks. It was an amazing image, but now that he'd seen it, he knew the truth. A dream. Nothing more.

"Where is home to you now?" A female's voice whispered through the air. Alistair tensed, looking around violently now. "Hello? Who's there?" He called, moving now. He was running, as fast as he could. He had recognized the voice, but he didn't trust it. "Where is your home?" The voice repeated, somewhat stronger now. I'm going in the right direction. "Where are you?" He called out. "Go, find your home, Alistair." He was certain now. "Ali-"

Alistair's voice cut out. He coughed, now waking up. His eyes blinked open, hurt by the brightness of the sun over the plains. It was an interesting sight, though. Red light was running across the plains in every direction. Beauty that will only last a few moments, most likely. I suppose I'm lucky to have woken up and seen it. The white wolf yawned, his jaws stretching far apart. When they closed, he snapped them back together. He was hungry, he now realized.

"That's right, I never got a snack last night. I meant to, but I found a place to sleep instead," he muttered, laughing at his own foolishness. He stood up, shaking off a bit of dirt that had gotten on him the night before. He was at the base of a hill. He looked up it. That would be a good vantage point to look for a snack. He thought before turning to begin walking up it. When he was about halfway up, he looked forward and saw another wolf. It appeared to be female, and somewhat small in size. Alistair kept walking up the hill. No trouble there, I'm sure. As he got closer, he realized he ought to announce himself, that way she didn't think he was trying to sneak up on her and attack her.

"Good morning, Miss. I hope you don't mind if I come up there as well." He said peaceably, a light smile dotting his face. He stayed a few feet away from her, just in case she got mad. His eyes turned from her to the area around them. There was still that tinge of red light. From here, it appeared to be covering the plains protectively. Alistair's happy expression grew a little. Protective of your allies, yes? That is a good thing to be, no matter who - or what - you are. Alistair yawned again and surveyed the area. A good place to hunt, a good place to hunt... "Go find your home, Alistair." The voice echoed in his head.

"I'd much rather find food," He replied, unintentionally speaking the words aloud. Then Alistair remembered the wolf beside him, who he'd probably just confused by speaking again. He glanced in her direction uncertainly. It was only right to excuse himself, yes? Otherwise, she might have thought he was speaking to her, which would make no sense at all. "Don't mind me, just talking to the voices in my head," he joked. Oddly enough, it's somewhat true. He gave a small laugh, then went back to surveying the plains. Food, food, food...

--- Alistair --- Tundra Wolf --- 2 Years ---

"Speech." Thoughts. Actions.
Word Count: 692
"His sibling's voice//In his head"

[error]

Shaking herself from her reverie, Alora turned her eyes beyond the scene before her to scan the golden plains properly. In the early autumn weather, the tall grass had turned a deep gold colour and the expanse of uninterrupted land spread as far as the eye could see. The exotic scents reached the she wolf's nose from the up wind that caressed her short fur like an old friend. Alora could smell the fresh scent of elk, rabbits, mice and some more foreign scent that she could not identify right away. The wolf laughed to herself, silly with happiness.

Then a much more familiar scent of elk wafted right under her nose. Alora went stiff and hastily flattened herself to the ground but quickly realized how foolish she must have looked. Straightening up slowly, she followed her nose to look at the far right of the hill she was standing on and spotted the dear she had been tracking for the better part of the night. The young stag was limping much more slowly now and seemed to be convinced that the wolf had lost him. "Now, now, young elk." Alora quipped quietly. "Don't go start thinking your done with me just yet."

The she wolf shook herself in an effort to rid herself of her exhaustion. She could practically taste the elk already; this hunt was almost over. The sudden scent of another wolf cause her to freeze and turn quickly as she heard the male's voice. Alora paused for a moment before returning the male's grin. "Oh, why of course not, friend!" She barked, wagging her tail at the other wolf in a friendly manner. "It's not like I own the hill, or anything. You're more than welcome to join me on such a fine morning!" Alora turned to face the other wolf and sat down before the other, already completely distracted from her hunting.

Alora watched the male wolf curiously, really observing him for the first time. He was an odd white colour she had never seen before on a wolf with darker coloured markings. He was certainly very different than the dark colours she was used to seeing in her old pack or on her own fur.

She looked on curiously when he made a seemingly random comment out loud. The she wolf just let out a carefree laugh and shook her head at him. "I don't mind in the slightest. Then again, who am I to judge?" Alora commented lightly, shrugging her shoulders indifferently.

"Anyway," Alora spoke up with a lighter tone in her voice. "It just so happens that I've been tacking this elk all night from the valley over." Alora got to her paws and moved out of the other wolf's field of view. She pointed out the said injured elk with her nose and self satisfied wag of her tail. "If you'd be willing to help me take it down, I'd be more than happy to share with you!" Alora looked to the male eagerly, looking forward to having a friend to hunt with.

[zivve]

Alistair had been looking for food while listening to the female. With his attention divided between the two, he didn't seem to be doing a good job with either task. He turned his attention to the she wolf, knowing that food would be around later, where as he may only see the female for a short time. His ears tilted toward her, taking in every word. She didn't give her name, but she spoke in a friendly enough tone. She seemed indifferent to his strange actions so far.

Now that he stood near her and was paying attention, he took in her appearance. Though she was a bit shorter than average, she had long legs. She would make a good hunter - probably was already. Her fur was short and solid gray - very different from his long white fur. Her eyes were a yellowish orange color that he hadn't known many wolves to have. Then again, I haven't known many wolves. She had sat down when he walked up to the top of the hill, apparently not bothered or intimidated by the presence of another wolf.

"Go find your home, Alistair." I'd much rather find food at this point, he thought in response, this time remembering not to speak aloud. As though she had read his mind, she brought up food - and offered to share, as long as he helped take it down. It was an elk, from what she said. Alistair followed the point of her nose to see it. It was a lean one, with an injury. An entire pack would most likely turn up their noses at it, but it would be a good meal for the pair. What the she wolf had said about tracking it all night must have been true. Wow, I guess I made a good choice about coming here. Some elk would be a nice change from the small prey I've been catching recently.

"Sounds like fun. I'm up for a meal, so long as you don't mind," Alistair replied, wagging his tail happily. He was still looking for a home, as his dream had reminded him. He didn't like being a loner. Going on hunts with friends and living side by side with trusted allies made him happy. He liked others, so long as they were trustworthy. As the voices in his head continually reminded him, he needed to find a home.

The thought of hunting with another wolf actually made him a bit excited. It had been a while since he'd hunted with someone else, which was the main reason he hadn't had a big meal in a while. That was one of the reasons he wanted to join a pack. He needed others around. He was only an average hunter, and he couldn't do a whole lot on his own. His training had been more focused on fighting and protecting than hunting. Now that he was living alone, he realized he should have spent more time on hunting by himself. He was on his own, though, so he had to deal with what he already knew and improve by himself. He generally liked to be around others, so his little quest would have to wait. Spending time with another wolf and getting a good meal was priority now.

--- Alistair --- Tundra Wolf --- 2 Years ---

"Speech." Thoughts. Actions.
Word Count: 550
"His sibling's voice//In his head"

[error]

Alora laughed happily at the wolf's positive response and wagged her tail furiously. "This is going to be great!" She barked happily, spinning in a circle once as if chasing her own tail. "Oh I haven't hunt with another wolf in weeks!" She admitted out loud when she came to a dizzy stop. Her vision of the male wolf swam for a moment before she regained her sense of balance. It had been far too long since Alora last interacted this easily with another wolf and the feeling was almost foreign to her. Feelings of happiness and as sense of belonging welled up in Alora's chest and expanded outward, leaving her slightly light headed. Laughing at herself, the she wolf gave the other wolf a huge grin, her tail still going a mile a minute.

"That is not to say I'm rusty, or anything." Alora assured him. "I'm sure between the two of we can take down that elk no problems! It'll be easier than... than..." She paused a moment, thinking hard before grinning at the other wolf. "Easier than thieving from a magpie!" Alora finished loudly. The grey wolf quickly as she glanced over her shoulder to make sure the elk hadn't heard their conversation in all the excitement. Nope, it was still limping along slowly.

"Before I forget, my name's Alora! I'm from a pack north of here but alas had to go my own way." Alora flicked her tail dismissively. "You know how it is. We all have to leave the nest eventually." She continued to lament to the other wolf. The image of her sister quickly flashed through her head. Ameria was always the more obedient and calmer of the two sister, the one who always knew the right thing to say at the right time. It was times like this that Alora longed to have her sister at her side again, talking her calmly through a situation and pointing out her flaws to 'deflate her over grown ego' (Ameria's words, not Alora's. In Alora's opinion, her ego was the perfect size to support her up righteous personality). Realizing she had gotten lost in her own thoughts, Alora perked her ears into a more alert position and turned her amber gaze back to the male wolf.

The she wolf lowered her head slightly, but made sure to keep her smoke grey neck protected from the other wolf. While she was usually pretty assertive, she didn't want to get into a fight with her new friend for who would lead the hunt. Alora knew she could lead a decent hunt if she wanted but then again she had no problems sitting back and letting the male take the lead as well. With a rough shake of the fur, Alora spoke up again. "As much as I'd love to get to know you more, I don't want to see the elk get away. Let's say if we take this elk down we can sit down together and share a few stories together over some tasty elk?" The wolf paused and gave the male a apologetic smile. "That is, if you want to stick around. I don't want to hold you back if you want to leave."

[zivve]

The female seemed happy with his response, that much was for sure. She barked and spun around as though chasing her tail. Alistair smiled and let out a small laugh. According to what she said, she hadn't hunted with another wolf for a while. "It's been a while since I hunted with another wolf, too," he replied, wagging his tail happily. She went on to say she hadn't been sitting around since she last hunted with another wolf, but Alistair could have guessed that. After all, she had tracked an elk overnight by herself. Easier than thieving from a magpie? That's a new one. He laughed, hoping she heard it in the same friendly way he intended it to sound. He wasn't laughing at her - merely enjoying the new comparison she'd made.

Her eyes darted away to the elk and Alistair followed suit. It was still there, luckily. "Before I forget, my name's Alora!" she said, adding in that she was from a northern pack. He could relate to her easily, which was probably part of the reason they were getting along so well. We all have to leave the nest eventually. He knew that idea well. After all, he was here looking for a new pack. But not right now, he reminded himself. Right now, I'm hunting with my new friend... Alora.

The voices hadn't been repeating in his head now that he had decided on his course of action. Perhaps it wasn't the same path that the dream had wanted him to take, but what could it decide. It is, after all, just a dream. It cannot decide my actions; only imply that my subconscious has a goal that I must attend to, sooner or later. Now that I am awake, my conscious has decided to attend to matters later. After a few moments of silence, Alistair realized he had tuned out the world while thinking. In doing so, he had forgotten to introduce himself. Hoping to right his mistake quickly, he said, "I'm Alistair. Similar situation we're in, from the sound of it. Leaving home to make our own way and all..." He silenced himself to hear Alora's next words.

"Sharing stories over a good meal? Wouldn't dream of missing it," he replied casually. "As I've said, it's been a while since I hunted with another wolf. You seem like the better hunter, and you were the one to find and track the elk. I would be more than glad to let you take the lead, if you wouldn't mind doing so." He wagged his tail happily and waited for Alora's reply. Even if she didn't say anything out loud, he was ready to follow her lead and get started with the hunt. He wasn't lying when he said he wouldn't dream of missing it - Alora seemed like a nice wolf, and he had always like nice wolves. So far, her ideas hadn't clashed with his, so he was able to easily speak with her. He was quick to trust most wolves, which was either a gift or a curse - the jury had yet to give the verdict.

--- Alistair --- Tundra Wolf --- 2 Years ---

"Speech." Thoughts. Actions.
Word Count: 524