DotW: On the Plains

Perce smiled softly to himself as the warm summer wind lifted his ruff. Though his black pelt kept him at a less than comfortable temperature, he wasn't bothered by it. Not today. He was an official member of Aryn. A family. And he couldn't be happier. He sighed as he lay down in the nice smelling flowers, rolling onto his back and wriggling around with his paws in the air. After a good roll, he laid on his belly, looking up at the bright blue sky, his brown eyes warm with pleasure. As he was enjoying his alone time, he suddenly caught the scent of another wolf and perked his ears, lifting his head slightly above the flowers with only his muzzle and eyes visible above the waving blossoms. Who was encroaching on his solitude?

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lilwyverngirl said the following:

Kris'tran stalked slowly into the Grazelands, his head low. He wanted to practice a little when it came to hunting on these open plains now that he was a Courser, but the wide open spaces made him feel nervous. When he had been travelling alone, he blistered across plains until he could find trees to shelter under. The flowery field made him feel exposed and vulnerable.

His movements across the Grazelands were careful and slow, stopping frequently to stand still with his ears moving to detect the sounds and smells of the area. Kris was clearly unaware of the other wolf's presence as the other wolf was upwind. But it would be clear to the other that Kris was nervous - behaving more like a worried doe than a male hunter. Head low again, Kris'tran resumed his attempt to hunt, his hackles twitching nervously as he hid under the long stalks of grass.

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Brushtail said the following:

Perce perked his ears, curious at the nervous approach of the other male. Who it seemed hadn't noticed him. He tilted his head slightly to one side, considering if he should make his presence known or not. He didn't really want to to be honest. If he had wanted company, he would have stayed near the pack. The male looked quite odd though, the way he kept lowering his head as he walked, as if scared of his own shadow. Perce thought it best to wait and see if his packmate left before startling him with conversation. So he sighed and lowered himself to the ground once more, resting his head on his outstretched paws.

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lilwyverngirl said the following:

Finally, the scent of rabbit wafted up to the wary hunter and he froze, peeking his head over the tall grass in order to see if he could spot his quarry. A small rabbit also poked his head up, ears swiveling to see if it could detect anything suspicious. Kris'tran stayed still as he could, holding his breath until the rabbit dipped its head down to shuffle among the grass again.

Carefully, Kris let out his breath and crept slowly forward. There was a silent whisper of the blades as he padded along, hoping to pad as close as he could to his prey. But he still had no idea how to hunt in the open fields. The shaking blades were enough to alert the rabbit to his hunt. Its head bolted upright and it dashed away with alarm.

Mentally cursing his novice skill, Kris'tran dashed after the rabbit, his large paws propelling him forward with strength and speed the strangely proportioned wolf didn't appear to possess. He closed the gap between himself and the rabbit before it could dive down a hole in order to escape. Snatching it sloppily in his jaws hind feet first as it twisted to try and bite him in the face.

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Brushtail said the following:

Hearing the scuffle as a rabbit screamed, Perce quickly stood and watched as his packmate just barely managed to grab the frightened animal by its back legs. A smirk appeared on his face at the display before him, he being an experienced hunter as it was. He gave a slight chuckle at his companion and shook his head slightly with a sigh of amusement. Had this wolf ever hunted before? Or was this merely an unfamiliar environment? He sat back on his haunches, and waited for the awkward male to get a better hold and kill the rabbit before speaking. He himself was easily flustered when focused on a difficult task, and thought it best to wait for a more opportune moment to begin conversation.

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lilwyverngirl said the following:

The noise of a chuckle not far off made Kris'tran freeze and flinch, but not bolt outright. He'd already begun to allow himself to feel safer around his packmates and within his pack's lands. Before the rabbit could wrench itself free of his jaws, Kris'tran shook the rabbit violently before dropping it and gripping the prey properly behind the neck, snapping its spine to finally dispatch it. The dark male then turned to face the creator of the sound, a grey and white male not too far away. Setting down his catch he eyed the other male warily.

"Hello," he said slowly, not moving from where he stood. "I do not believe we have been acquainted. I am Kris'tran, a Delta Courser." Kris'tran's ears burned with embarrassment as he stated his task and looked down at his ragged catch. He probably didn't look like much of a hunter. "You are of Aryn, yes? What is the name which you hold?" Even though Kris could tell from the other wolf's easy demeanor and the fact they were so deep in the territory, it was easy to assume that this was a member of Aryn, but Kris didn't want to risk being wrong.

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Brushtail said the following:

Perce watched quietly as the other male killed his prey, then sat on his haunches as he spoke to him, stating his name and rank. He nodded. "Ay, yes. Just joined." Perce swiveled his ears back nervously as he spoke. He didn't have a task yet and felt a little embarrassed at how slowly he was taking things in this new pack. He cleared his throat and glanced to the side, swishing his tail-nervous habit of his-before finally finding the words to state his name. "And...I am known as Perce. Pleasure." He gave a short bow it's his head, then glanced up and tilted it to one side in curiosity. "How long have you been hunting anyway?" He seemed as though he had a little experience, but the way Kris had messily grabbed the rabbit, Perce had to wonder.

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lilwyverngirl said the following:

He watched the other wolf as he asserted that he was also a member of the pack. The other male seemed to be just as nervous as Kris'tran - his ears were swiveled back and his tail swished nervously as he spoke. This seemed a little strange to the dark male, but then again he had met a larger nervous wolf as well who was part of the pack. Perhaps Aryn seemed as a protected place for those who are lost in the world, Kris'tran thought as he regarded the other wolf as he introduced his name.

"Mister Perce," Kris said politely with a dip of his head in response to the other's introduction. "A pleasure to be acquainted."

The other wolf's eyes strayed to his kill and Kris'tran felt hot under his fur. The rabbit had been sloppily caught and he probably looked like a novice. Kris'tran's own eyes travelled to his large paws... Perhaps I'm not built for the plains... "Ahhh, no," Kris'tran admitted nervously, not looking at the other wolf. "I am not well acquainted with hunting on these mountained plains. I am more acquainted with hunting under trees. This stranged pack hunts mostly in these plains, so I am learning this varied way of hunting."

He hoped the other wolf wouldn't think it silly that he'd never hunted on plains. Most of the pack wolves seemed to look at him strangely when he mentioned he was not familiar with hunting on plains. Then again, where he had grown up was very different from this pack and their ways. He wouldn't be surprised if this wolf found it strange as well.

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Brushtail said the following:

Perce nodded as the the dark wolf spoke, then stood and hesitantly walked towards him to take a closer look at his kill. "I see." He said, noting the male's explanation of not having much experience hunting on the plains. "I wondered if you had not been raised in parts such as these. It is most definitely different than hunting in the trees..." He glanced behind him at the forested area of Aryn's territory. He then glanced down at his paws and scratched at the dirt. "I too am new to the area. Though I have traveled over many different terrains." He glanced up. "Sir Kris, correct? What brought you to Aryn? If I may ask?" He pinned his ears back nervously at his last question. He hoped he wasn't intruding....

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lilwyverngirl said the following:

Kris'tran felt his pelt crawl with embarrassment as the other wolf evaluated his sloppy kill. He really just wanted to hide in a rabbit warren if he could fit in one, but he stood still, though his ears were still turned back and tail tucked between his legs nervously. As the other wolf started talking though, Kris felt himself ease a little in his nervousness. I'm glad he's not going to berate me on my skill anymore, he thought with growing relief as the other wolf spoke.

He nodded when the Perce referred to him as Sir - it was a small comfort that at least this wolf had a similar upbringing with titles compared to others he'd encountered. But he frowned as the other wolf asked him about what brought him to Aryn. The pieces of his past were still raw and painful - he didn't want to reveal his private past to a wolf he still considered an acquaintance. "I... ahhhh... had to leave my distanced home for... reasons," was all he could really bring himself to say. "It is not of import. What is distanced, is distanced." He tipped his head curiously, not returning the question. "Have you chosen the task in which you will take?" he asked instead, keeping the topic less private and more anchored in the now.

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Brushtail said the following:

Perce nodded as Kris spoke, and could sense that he too was hiding pain from the past. At his nervous shiver from Perce's question, the black and white wolf cleared his throat apologetically. "I am sorry for intruding. I....meant to make light conversation." Blast! He hadn't interacted with other wolves for so long, that it seemed he was still very awkward. Though to be fair, this was the most he had spoken since his own damaged past. Shrugging off the tenseness that seemed to fill the crisp fall air, Perce glanced to the side and swished his tail, suddenly feeling inadequate compared to this courser. He had not yet officially chosen a task and was starting to feel guilty for not helping the pack more since he joined 5 months ago. "I um...have not quite decided on a task." He said quietly, lowering his head in embarassment. "Though I am leaning towards Vicar. Something seems to be calling me in that direction, though I know not what." He glanced up at Kris. "And you? Did you take much time to decide?"

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lilwyverngirl said the following:

Kris'tran noticed the other wolf's self-conscious reaction and suddenly felt guilty for inciting it. As much as his past was dark, it didn't warrant him to make others uncomfortable for it. He flicked his ears dismissively to let the other wolf know that he wasn't bothered by his earlier question. "It's not a problem. My past is just better left distanced from Aryn," he supplied and left it at that.

His ears pricked curiously as the other wolf spoke of his own rank and search for a task. It hadn't occurred to Kris'tran that the search for a task may not be so easy for others. Kris tilted his head to the side as he thought about Perce's words. "I wasn't sure at first for this mountained pack is much varied compared to my distanced pack. But I decided to take on the task of Courser for I had hunted before. However, I was not prepared for such a mountained task as hunting in the plains is."

The Courser regarded Perce again before continuing. "Vicar is an honored task for sure. If you wish for it, you should pursue it. Lady Athena is most kind and understandable."

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Brushtail said the following:

Perce nodded as he listened to Kris, first in understanding as the wolf dismissed his previous comment about his past, and then again as he agreed with Perce's chosen task. "Thank you. I shall speak with Lady Athena and conclude what is the best course of action for the pack. I hear a new vicar will be chosen soon, and will also look into pursuing advice from whomever is chosen." He bowed a little, before glancing down at the rabbit, it's back legs mangled from where Kris'tran had grabbed it. "I can see why this mountainous area would be difficult compared to the plains in a hunt. This terrain is not easy to finagle on foot, much less a gallop." He then glanced up at the male wolf, his thoughts turning to other things. "Are you glad you came to Aryn?" He asked, again trying to make conversation. He hoped it wouldn't make the other uncomfortable.....

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lilwyverngirl said the following:

Kris'tran looked down at his catch self-consciously and flicked his ears back uncomfortably. He was sure that the other wolf was misunderstanding his terms but decided against explaining. Kris was more comfortable hunting in close quarters. Plains were much harder for him to navigate. But his next question eased the dark wolf's nerves and he gave a nod in response. "I am most honored by being allowed to join Aryn. I did not have much to show in my abilities when Gamma Charaka had found me, but now I am working to prove my worth."

His eyes trailed back to his rabbit and a small flicker of pride swelled in. It may not be much of a catch right now, but I caught it, he thought, realizing his own accomplishment. With time, I'll be able to catch these rabbits with mountained speed. I'll finally show Aryn that I am useful. Kris'tran dipped his head to Perce. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mister Perce," he said honestly. "I wish you mountained luck in your desires in Aryn." Kris picked up his rabbit and dipped his head again in a sign of farewell before trotting off in the direction of the den site, feeling better about himself.

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Brushtail said the following:

Perce watched the dark male as he at first seemed embarassed with him staring at his catch, and was about apologize again when Kris' expression brightened and a gleam of pride shown in his eyes. Then when he spoke of Aryn, and his happiness in having been accepted, Perce nodded. "Yes, I too am glad that I was accepted. I don't know where I would be without this new family. And it was a pleasure to meet you as well Sir Kris." He turned as the other wolf picked up his kill and trotted off. A small smile played on his muzzle as Perce made his way back to the main caves. Although he was still awkward in his communications with these other wolves, he felt as if he were making progress, even if they were puppy steps. And that was all that mattered.