Post by Pavane on Nov 13, 2011 22:28:12 GMT -5
Desolate Scrubland
Sanuye - female Coyote
Bristlecone - male Coyote
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Sanuye has been trotting along through the scrubland, her tail swaying about as she goes. Her maw twitches, ears perking forward and she pauses while tilting her head and sniffs out at the passing breeze before she moves forward. A half yawn escaping her while she goes. She's rather relaxed from the looks of it.
Bristlecone has been wandering about, exploring through the springtime landscape, and his head appears over a ridge and peeks around, noticing Sanuye. He grins, and bounds up over the ridge and then toward her, loping along at a pace designed to catch up with her in fairly short order.
Sanuye blinks and glances over at the movement of another which makes her bounce backwards on a moment. She yips out, her tail soon swaying about and she smiles. "Hey!" She offers while turning around to face him better. "How goes?"
Bristlecone grins cheerfully, coming to an easy halt. "I'm good! The prey's weird around here, though. All grey hares and lizards." He shrugs a bit. "Anyway. How've you been?"
Sanuye chuckles and nods, her head ilting while she glances over the area before looking back to Bristlecone. "Ya that's true, I don't mind the hares but the lizards are something that I'm not use to dealing with." Her tail sways some as she settles to her haunches. "I'm doing alright, nothing to complain about."
Bristlecone laughs, and nods. "That's good. So, uh..." he tilts his head to the side. "You'd mentioned another place you'd found? With all those flowers and such?"
Sanuye ohs softly and blinks her ears perking forward and she nods with a soft smile seen. "Yes I remember that.. Why are you interested in going?"
Bristlecone hehs, and he looks away, out over the horizon. "Well, it's a place. One I haven't seen. So, um... that's a reason, right?" he glances back to Sanuye. "I don't know, really. And it doesn't have to be that. I just... I want to see what's out here."
Sanuye glances towards the horizon as well, a soft smile seen and she nods. "Well.. If your interested.. I'd be glad to show you the place." She offers while glancing back to Bristle.
Bristlecone perks his ears up, and nods. "Yeah. I'd like that."
Sanuye nods, her tail swaying about happly. "Alright.. When did you want to go?" She questions with a curious tone.
Bristlecone laughs. "Whenever you like," he answers. "I... I don't really have anything that's holding me. I mean..." Who knew that breaking the bonds of family would be this easy? His mother all but asked him why he didn't leave sooner! So, uh... he's not feeling very welcome back in his former home now, despite the different reaction of some of those there. He shakes his head. "Yeah. Whenever."
Sanuye ponders this while she watches the other, her head tilting as her tail flicks. "You.. sure about that?" She questions while shifting to her paws. "I don't want to take you away from anything here after all." Not like she really knows what all is going on with his family.
Bristlecone glances back toward the river. Sure? Well, yes and no. He sighs. "I told them I might be going," he says. Yeah, and what a mess that was. He's quiet for a moment, then adds, "They're probably better off without me."
Sanuye frowns slightly at that. "Why would you say that?" She questions after a moment while she shifts a few steps closer to him.
Bristlecone shrugs at little, quiet for a moment. "Because I'd make trouble. My dad's always off listening to the spirits. My mom makes friends with /everyone/. Felix is turning out the same as my dad. I'm not any of those things."
Sanuye peers at him curiously. "How.. do you cause trouble?" She questions with a curious tone, her maw twitching. "Everyone is different then there parents in some shape or form you know?"
"Somehow, sure," says Bristlecone. But his dad's always disappointed with him, no matter what he does, and his mom cares more about hares than her own son... or, at least, it feels that way. He sighs, and shakes his head.
Sanuye is quiet for a few moments. "I never lived up to what my parents wanted for me either.." She offers with a soft tone. "But you even told me that we have to live our lives.. So to speak. If your not happy here then perhaps a different sceney will help. But I don't want you to regret leaving if we're not back soon enough."
Bristlecone nods a little. "We do. I mean..." he trails off for a moment, and then laughs. "It's like I told Felix. In a way, it doesn't matter if I go or not. Something could happen to me, or to them, just as easily when I was off hunting as if I go off days and days away. If something's going to happen, it will. I'd rather not worry about it."
Sanuye hums softly, a ear twitching forward before she nods, a soft smile seen. "Well.. that is a good point." This said while she turns starting to trots off, her tail swaying a few times. "Well.. There is a good bit of light left, so if you want to get started I say we get going."
Yeah, and there's another reason why he's off. When he told Felix the same thing, the fox freaked out. Sanuye... just sort of understands. Bristlecone grins, and nods. He gives himself a shake, and then makes a bound forward, looking over to the other coyote. "Yeah. Let's do it!"
Sanuye grins a moment an soon takes off at a quick sort of runtrot. "We have a good amount of land to travel so don't get to tired now!" She offers with an amused tone back to him. As for understanding she does that's for sure. She had to leave her family or she would have never been happy.. An now she's heading back towards home in a way.. She only hopes no one will have came that far looking for her.
Bristlecone laughs, and lopes along with Sanuye, settling into the easy, ground-devouring pace of a coyote. "I won't get tired," he declares, and grins. "See that you don't, either!"
Sanuye laughs out herself while she lopes along. "Oh please.." She states while glancing at him with an amused look. "I already know the road ahead, so don't forget that!"
Bristlecone grins. "Does make it hard to race. I'd have to fall back every time I got ahead. Just no good, that." Despite saying that, he does bound forward for a few paces before settling back again.
Sanuye chuckles while she follows along still, her paws carrying her quickly across the sandy ground. "Its not that hard to follow actually." She offers with an amused tone. An once they are further away from the scrubland there is a slight trail seen before them where some other animals have used to move along at some point in time. "You ever been on a long trip from your home before?"
"Well," Bristlecone admits, "Not really." He moves sometimes closer, sometimes further, depending how he has to dodge past the brush and rocks. "Not more than a half-day's journey or so."
Sanuye hums softly and nods while she moves along, her gaze settled in front of her while they continue. "This is about oh.. a three to four day trek from this area." A glance is offered over towards him. "So somewhat longer to say the least."
Bristlecone nods, seeming unconcerned by the distance. Sure, it's farther from home than he's ever been - but right now, that seems like a positive. "Just a bit," he agrees, and grins. "It'll be a nice chance to stretch my legs."
Sanuye smiles and nods while a ear twitches towards him. "Well you will certainly get your legs stretched during this trip." She offers with a soft chuckle escaping her.
Bristlecone laughs. "Good," he says, and gathers himself to jump over a small boulder instead of going around it.
Sanuye grins and is quick to run around the side of the boulder, once there she leans up to try and bump his side once his jumped over it. "Your it!" She calls out as she races forward, speeding past him. Might as well make it a fun trip.
Bristlecone blinks briefly - and then laughs, lowering his head and stretching his legs, running after Sanuye and trying to catch up with her again!
Sanuye doesn't give him time to catch up, at least she thinks that. She runs along, her paws hitting up the slow dirt and sand in little clouds as she races off.
Bristlecone runs after Sanuye, but while he's not falling behind, he's not making much progress toward her... yet. He pushes himself into the race, leaning forward into each leap and bound, paws hitting the earth hard as he races...
Sanuye glances behind her to see where about he can be found, a soft laugh escapes her and she quickly looks back in front of her. She dives around a throny looking bush and scrambles over a boulder before jumping down to the ground on the other side.. An then all movement is suddenly quiet..
Thornbush. Rock. No coyote. Bristlecone hurms, and then he goes half around, half ducking-under-branches through that bush - no time to go around properly - before leaping up onto the boulder and looking around from that vantage. Now, where did she go?
Sanuye had scrambled around to the other side of the boulder once he was at the right spot to miss her. She waits a few moments longer and then takes off running once more in the same direction. She's a little sneak.
Wide open expanses: Check. Scrubby little bushes: Check. Rocks: Check. Coyote: Not so much, actually. Bristlecone wastes several moments looking around the landscape before he catches the sound of footsteps and swivels to see... hey! Coyote! He scrabbles around atop the boulder and then leaps down off it to rejoin his pursuit!
Sanuye giggles to herself as she glances back seeing his not picked up on the fact that she is running once more. A faint oh escapes her and she takes off running once more. Her tail swaying a few times while she is quick to round a few thick bushes and continue along the trail before them.
Oh, she's going around /bushes/ again, is she? Bristlecone grins, and he swerves wide around one bush, veering up onto a ridge that parallels the trail and running along it. Now he has the high ground!
Sanuye continues along the trail and soon can't hear him running. She ponders and glances behind her to the right and then the left blinking as she can't see him. Her movements slow and she licks across her maw while tilting her head seeming a bit confused about where he may have gotten to..
Bristlecone races along the ridge, paralleling Sanuye. Nobody ever looks up. It's a well-known fact. Especially not coyotes used to the deserts and barren lands. He starts to catch up, and then he starts to slow enough to be silent, getting nice and close, before.... pawthud, pawthud, flyingcoyoteleaaaaaaap! right toward Sanuye.
Sanuye seems a bit confused as she paces for a few steps back and forth as if trying to figure out where he has gotten to. "Bristlecone?" She calls out before her ears flick backwards and her head pulls around at the sudden paw falls upon the ground. A sharp YIP escapes her as she catches sight of Bristle and he is leaping at her with her unable to escape in time! She's caught needless to say..
Bristlecone, indeed! The coyote pounces atop Sanuye, somewhere between straddling her and sprawled on top of her. Elegant it is not, but it certainly does get the point across. He grins, and his tail thumps against the ground and her hindleg, before he touches his nose to her shoulder. "You're it," he says, and then scrambles up to start down that trail she seems to have been following! He can follow a trail as well as anyone... right?
Sanuye lets out a faint grunt while she is sprawled upon. Well she did not plan on it ending like this! She shifts and huffs out faintly while peering at him once he starts moving again. Though she is soon grinning and chases after him. "Gonna get you!"
Victory is fleeting, but that doesn't mean Bristlecone isn't intending to make the most of it! "You just try!" he retorts, and laughs as he runs along, more or less keeping to the trail for a while... at least, until it gets faint and he ends up going along a flood-track instead, because he's too busy running to check it in detail.
Sanuye laughs out while she follows along after him. "I shall try.. An I will get you!" She calls out while following along after him as quickly as possible. Her attentions is well, mostly on Bristle at the moment so she isn't paying a lot of attention to the trail..
Bristlecone laughs, and keeps racing up that track. As he goes, the earth on either side starts to rise higher, making a sort of canyon. Just the sort for flash-floods, though the place is dry... for now.
Sanuye follows along, like the blind leading the blind at the moment it seems. It'll dawn on her that this is a rather wrong place to be soon hopfully. Once she is closer she tries to nip out at his tail a few times.
Bristlecone's tail sways. Left - hah, avoided a nip! - and right - eep, there are teeth! - and left again, all keeping up with the beating of his paws. This is definitely a canyon, now, with high rock walls and a thin dusting of earth along the bottom.
Sanuye giggles out softly while she runs along, still trying to get his tail! Nipnipnip! She is getting closer! At some point in time her gaze drifts to the side and she blinks at the sight and soon skids to a stop sending pieces of rock and dirt flying as she goes. Her ears flick forward and back. "Bristle!" She calls out. "This is the wrong way.."
Bristlecone flails his tail, trying to avoid those nips, and laughs! When Sanuye calls forward to him, though, he shakes his head. Oh, no. He knows how tricksy she is now! If he turns around, in this narrow space, she's sure to get him. "I'm not falling for -that-!" he says, still running!
Sanuye frowns at this and lifts her head to look up at the high rock walls. "No.. I'm not kidding!" She calls out before quickly following after him. The further up the trail they go the more worried she seems to be getting. At least it hasn't rained yet.. Though there are some rather dark clouds drifting in from the South.
Huh. Sanuye is really good at acting, it seems! Why, Bristlecone might almost think she was telling the truth. Almost. He keeps running, though he does slow down a little, looking around at the walls and floor of the canyon himself. It still looks like a trail... right?
Sanuye follows after him quickly, her tail lashing about a few times. "I'm not kidding!" She calls out and skids to a stop once he does. Her gaze looks past him up the walls and then upwards with a worried look across her face. A flash of light seen and a streak of lighting crashes down somewhere, the thick rumbling crack of thunder making the ground nearly shake proving it was rather close. "We need to get out of here.. Now.."
Bristlecone turns and looks back at Sanuye. Now that... that is a serious face. Okay, maybe... maybe this isn't the trail. And it's not a trick. Uh. "Okay," he says, his voice much less certain now, and he trots a few steps back the way he came.
Sanuye starts to back up slowly eyeing the clouds that are creeping over the area. A unsure glance is offered back to Bristle and she turns not evening walking but running as quickly as she possible back in the direction they came. Even when they start to turn about the rain is felt in the air and surely smelled, the thick drops hitting the ground mere steps behind them.
Yeah. Definitely serious. Bristlecone starts running too, stretching out his legs again. He doesn't yet fully understand the concern - it's just a canyon, right? And just some rain. He can hear the storm, and the patter of the raindrops. Just a few at first - then more, and more, and more, thick fat drops dousing down the desert dust, skittering along the cliff-faces and pouring into this canyon.
Sanuye has seen canyons like this before, not this big mind you - smallish ones near the far edges of her homeland. Each spring when the hard rain came, and the snow melting from the mountain above would cause a flash flood within the canyon. Anything and everything was flooded out of that canyon, and it tended to happen rather quickly once the rain started. The rain continues to fall, each wave turning thicker and thick until it is a harsh downpour, the canyon's floor becoming rather muddy, pieces of dry rock falling off the ledges of the canyon ones the water seeps down far enough to loosen it more. Another flash of lighting is seen, from some distance ahead of the pair and soon enough the ear cracking hunder to go along with it. Sanuye glances back to make sure Bristle is still following her, something said but her words lost among the boom of thunder.
Now the ground is wet beneath his feet... not just wet, it's like wading along the edge of the river, because if this isn't just his imagination, he can actually see it moving along, a sheet of water moving that seems thicker with each ripple. Bristlecone runs, trying to outrace the water as he runs after Sanuye towards the canyon's entrance - or exit, more like. All this water is certainly intending to exit...
The water is indeed moving and with the rain falling down harder, and basicly in bucket fulls it won't take it more then a few moment to turn into a fast moving flood. Sanuye can't recall ever having to deal with something like this before, her steps are getting harder to make as the water is half way up her leg, and then soon enough at her blows. Her running steps turn more into a run and bounce like movement to try and keep herself moving. "We gotta keep moving!" She calls out to Bristlecone.
Keep moving, yeah, but the water's just keeping on rising, and now Bristlecone is splashng through it. The water can rise faster than he can run... this just isn't working. He can't just keep moving, he's got to... "We gotta get up!" he calls back to her, and he splashes toward one of the canyon walls, trying to scrabble up it. He doesn't have much luck in this section, and so he run-swims a bit further along, looking for an opportunity.
Sanuye continues to follow along the path, a slight curve is up ahead and onces they around is a boulder is seen upon the ground, it has several ledges that led up the to the top of the boulder, and it is pressed against the canyon wall. "There!" She calls out while she continues to move forward, each steps turning more into her swiming and soon she isn't able to even touch the bottom anymore. Needless to say she is starting to get worried. The rain continues to fall, and the current is rather strong..
Bristlecone grew up next to a river. Swimming, he knows something about. The current is strong, but he can work with that, legs kicking and body leaning into it. Now he's making a decent speed, aiming toward Sanuye and the boulder, and getting his paws on the edge of it to start scrabbling up.
Sanuye can swim, though in a strong current its a bit hard to say the least, its not something one can get use to unless they happen to do it often. Her paws scramble through the water, she turns herself slightly trying to get closer to the boulder, which she does. She claws at the edge of the boulder, her claws scraping upon it, and she isn't able to get a good grasp. A faint whimper escaping her, clearly fearful of not getting herself up on the boulder..
Even Bristlecone has some trouble with the current, but he's better equipped for it. The boulder is another problem, but he manages to scrabble around to where the current is pushing him against the boulder and the canyon edge instead of pulling him away from it. He's almost okay - and then he hears the whimper from Sanuye, and sees her struggling to get a grip. His ears go back, and he renews his struggles, getting up a bit more and closer to here - though it catches one of his hindlegs between the boulder and canyon wall, and reaching out his head to try to catch at her neckfur with a bite to keep her from floating away in the increasing flood.
Sanuye claws are getting scrapped down with each scramble of her front paws, though she doesn't even register this as she is trying to still get herself up on the boulder. Her paws are unable to eve get a grasp and just when she thinks she'll be pulled down stream the grab of her neckfur is felt and she doesn't try to pull away knowing who it is. At least she isn't going to float away now, and with the grip on her neck she pushes herself forward, able to get some hold finally on the edge of the boulder and slowly drag her front half up upon it.
He's got her. Bristlecone feels Sanuye's weight pull against him, in those moments before she can get a spot on the boulder, and he holds on tight and clings his body against the boulder, feeling the currents pulling at both of them. The rain is still falling, big drops spattering down on both of them and filling up the canyon, and the waters keep rising, high enough so that waves splash over the top of the boulder but don't quite drown it - and that, it seems, is as deep as it's going to get.
Sanuye is up on the boulder, finally, her form quivering from the work to run up and down the canyon and then nearly getting swept down stream. She glances back to Bristlecone and shifts to try and help him up onto the boulder now as well. The rain still falls this is true, but the clouds are at least moving by quickly so hopefully it wont be this way for much longer.
Bristlecone lets go of Sanuye once she's up on the boulder, and tries to come up himself. That's when he discovers another problem. His hindleg has gotten well and truly caught, wedged in between the boulder and the canyon wall. He discovers this, with a yelp, as Sanuye tries to help him, and sinks back against the rock to wiggle it testingly. Stuck, yep... jammed in there by his position and the currents. He can't pull it out without giving up what little of atop-the-boulder he has, and probably get washed away in the process... so here he is, half-covered by water. But only half!
Sanuye ears splay forward as she lets go, watching him and looking very worried. She shifts on her paws and looks to where he is stuck and then glances back to him. "If I hold onto you, can you wiggle free?" She isn't fully sure how she'll keep them both from ending up back into the quickly moving water but she'll figure out someway.
"I'll be okay," says Bristlecone. Then winces as a branch, carried by the current, smacks against his flank before floating on downriver. "I think. I mean..." He tries to shift again, testing the position. Probably this stuckness was part of what kept him from sliding away when he was reaching for Sanuye before....
Sanuye glances downriver and blinks as she sees more branches moving towards the boulder, some rather big.. "Bristlecone.. We don't have a choice at the moment." She points out and moves to grab hold of his neckfur without another word. "Try and pull free!" Is heard mumbled around the fur in her maw.
Bristlecone squeaks, and then... he tries! He braces with his forepaws on the rock, and he pulls his hindpaw against the current, tugging it at the rock. How did it even go in there? It certainly doesn't seem to fit now! He tugs, and twists, and yanks at it, abrading it at rough stone and seeming to find all the sharp spots to scrape against his flesh, and then finally - finally! - it comes free, and he scrabbles up onto the boulder's top just as one of those big branches swirls in to hit the spot where he was a moment ago.
Sanuye wiggles about and keeps a good grasp upon his neckfur, not about to let go even if she was pulled into the water along with him. Her forepaws brace at the very edge of the boulder, and a few times she nearly slips while he jerks about this way and then. A faint whimper escapes her though once he is finally upon the boulder she lets go, flopping down upon its surface and looking crosseyed at the large branch that slams into the boulder right in front of her.
Bristlecone pants. "Thanks... he says, and then he tries to step back toward the canyon wall, to make more room. A fine idea, right up until he puts weight on that hindleg of his. He yelps, and then tries again more slowly, wincing as he puts it down. Well. Good news is, it can support his weight if he really tries. Bad news is, it hurts rather a lot, to judge from his expression.
Sanuye nods slightly while shifting backwards onto her haunches. "Thank you to.." She offers while lifting up a forepaw to eye it slightly, her pads and claws are worn down a good amount, her claws down to the quicks. At the yelp she looks over and blinks, a frown seen while she shifts to nose at his shoulder and eye his leg. "I'm sorry about your leg.."
Bristlecone manages a somewhat lopsided grin. "I don't think it's broken," he says. So that's good, right? Even as the water still roars around them, at least they're both... well, they'll both recover. He takes a limping step, and settles down to rest. He lowers his head, peeking sidewise at her. "I guess I shoulda listened to you. Sorry."
Sanuye tilts her head and nods, a soft smile seen. "Well I'm glad it's not broken at least." She offers with a soft tone. A ear twitching while she settles herself down upon the bed, tail curling at her side. "It's alright.. At least we're ok." She offers before nosing at him to show she's not mad.
Bristlecone smiles at the nosing, and his tail thumps down against the boulder and dunks into the river. Not like he isn't already soaked. "Yeah," he says. "We're okay." He nuzzles back at her gently, as the water swirls around them. The clouds are moving away, now, and soon the waters begin to recede, almost as fast as they rose up in the first place.
Sanuye smiles and nods while shifting and curls up, seems she plans on getting some rest while the water starts to recede. They can worry about getting down later.. "It'll be alright." She murmurs out softly.
Bristlecone shifts, curling himself against Sanuye. What? It's a small rocktop! There's not enough room to maintain a dignified distance... not that he minds. It's nice. Hopefully, once the water's gone down, it'll be easier to climb down... though that leg of his will present an interesting challenge. Well. He'll solve that problem when he comes to it. That's how he's always done things, and it's worked out okay so far. After all, he's... "Not dead yet. It'll work out." With that, he closes his eyes, listening to the splashing of the water against the canyon walls as it all pours away.
Sanuye doesn't mind him leaning against her, she leans back and lets her head half press against his side even. "Naw.. It'll all work out. Your see." She offers with a soft mumble before she half dozes off. Seems all the running and escaping for dear life worn her out.
***
After a rather long time upon that boulder, well at least it felt like a long time to Sanuye.. She finally got herself down once the water was pretty much gone. Her form aches, her front paws are throbbing but she seems in mostly good spirits. She is resting upon the edge of the canyon after making sure Bristlecone got down off the boulder as well as he possible could, her head settled between her forepaws while she rests, out of danger should another flash flood appear out of the blue.
Getting down was an interesting affair for Bristlecone. He ended up doing it on three legs, the injured one tucked up out of the way, and being thankful for every bit of scrambling around and climbing he'd done. Not that it made it more pleasant, but it made it more possible. He's down now, though. Whew. He tried resting, but that didn't work out very well, and so he's decided to try hunting! ...on three legs, looking like a drowned rat. Okay, yes, it's probably no wonder he hasn't caught anything yet, but still. At least sniffing around at things gives him something to do, and he stretches out that leg carefully from time to time.
Sanuye ear twitches slightly forward and back as she hears him moving around, her eyes half open and she looks over towards where he is. She lifts her head and licks across her maw before she shifts upwards onto her haunches, slowly. "Hey.. How's your leg?" Is soon questioned after a moment. Yes she can tell that he is limping along and his leg is held off the ground but that's not the point!
"It's doing better," says Bristlecone, and demonstrates by putting it down and shifting his weight onto it for a good minute or so, without even wincing. Aaaand then he shifts back off it again, and lets out a breath that shows just how much effort went into not wincing, but hey. It's progress.
Sanuye hums softly and nods before taking in a soft breath and glancing over the area. "Perhaps.. We should head back towards your home. I'd hate for anything else to happen while were out here."
Bristlecone frowns. He doesn't wanna! ...mind you, he can see the wisdom in the suggestion, and that's why he doesn't answer out loud. Going back would be the smart decision here. It would give him time to recover, instead of being like this when they encounter a cougar, or unfriendly wolves... or even just rough terrain. But it means going back home, and all the awkward, not-fitting-in feelings there. He only just got away. Maybe next time... he'll be stuck there. The coyote lowers his head, staring at the ground.
Sanuye is quiet for a few moments while she watches the other, she slowly shifts up onto her paws and makes her way over to where he is. Once there she leans out to nose at his shoulder. "Hey.." Is said with a soft tone. "We don't have to go back. I know the area around here mostly. I just didn't want to make you think like we had to keep going, especially with your leg."
It is now your pose.
Bristlecone keeps his head down for another few moments, and then he slowly lifts it again as Sanuye noses him. He sighs, and turns his head to bump his cheek at hers. "I'm not in any shape for traveling, that's for sure. Not right now. I..." He takes a deep breath. "I want to wait here. A couple days, to see if it gets better. If it doesn't... then... we can go back."
Sanuye tilts her head while she watches him, a soft smile seen at the cheek bump and a faint hum escapes her. A nod soon offered. "Alright.. We can do that." She murmurs out, her tail swaying a few times as she turns starting to move off at a slow pace. "There's a rabbit warren a slight ways off. I'm sure we can find something to eat there. Then I know where there is an old set of warren dens that can be used for a place to rest incase the rains come back."
Bristlecone nods. His tail gives a bit of a wag, and his head lifts up. It feels like a reprieve, this agreement to wait. "I can still dig for rabbits, I think," he says as he trot-hops after Sanuye, and then grins a bit, adding, "If you can chase them once they come out..."
Sanuye ears perk and she chuckles while glancing over at him. "Well.. I think I can handle that for a bit at least." She offers with an amused tone and slight shake of her head while she moves along. The warren is indeed not that far off, the hole clearly seen, though there was some thorny bushes around it that had been ripped away at some point. She pauses near the warren and sniffs at few times. "Seems like there is still someone home."
Bristlecone pads up beside Sanuye, and nods. "Yeah," he says, and lowers his head as he limps closer to the entrance. "Looks like it was a big one... there might be a back door somewhere..." he says, considering. Especially once their front door got exposed... that's just the sort of thing rabbits would do. He may not see it, but that's because rabbits are sneaky. Doesn't mean it isn't there.
Sanuye nods at this and movesa long pacing off a bit while her head is lowred and she is snifing as she goes. A faint murmur escaping her in the process. Her ears perk forward and she tilts her head and her tail sways about in the process. "I think I found it." She calls back while she trots over towards a slight outcropping, under it can be found another hole. A soft yip escapes her to let him know its here.
Bristlecone waits by the main entrance, being all grr and argh and vaguely menacing by dint of being a coyote. Once he hears from Sanuye that she has the other escape, he gives a huff of breath and pads closer, sticking his muzzle in at the front door of the warren and then starting to dig! It's a bit awkward at first, but he soon gets the trick of it - balance on his good hindleg and one frontleg, scoop dirt with the other foreleg, then swap! Repeat at speed.
Sanuye shifts on her paws and peers over the slight edge to eye the hole a few moments. A ear twitching towards the movement of Bristlecone behind her and she snuffles out at the passing breeze. It'll take a few moments before the movement from the one coyote gets the rabbits going it would seem.
Bristlecone makes himself look grr and fierce, digging at that hole! Yep. He's a /hazard/ he is. Dangerous to bunnies. Pay no mind to the bum leg. He even yips a bit, just to demonstrate how he certainly is a coyote. He can hear the sounds from inside over his own digging, the way the rabbits shift against each other and along the dirt walls. They're getting nervous. Good!
Nervous rabbits means they are getting ready to run! An when they run they go for there exits.. Which means food for this pair of yotes. Sanuye wiggles on her paws, toes gripping at the ground which she regrets after a moment thanks to the stinging pain in her pads and toes. Still her mind is on the rabbits. An soon enough there off and running! One rabbit bolts out of the hole, and San allows it, her form tense and ready to spring like a snake. As the second rabbit springs out from the exit hole she launches forward and bites down hard upon the rabbit's back, a crunch is heard and the rabbit is dead without really know what happened..
Grr, lookit the fierce coyote here! That's just the ticket to make the fierce coyote at the other door go totally unnoticed, and Bristlecone grins as he sees the one go leaping away. Ooh, he wants to chase after it... even gives a little hop in that direction... but that's just not happening. Fortunately, the second bunny is pounced and caught, and he grins at the sound of crunching jaws and the brief high scream that is the bunny's death cry. Success! Bristlecone leaves the warren opening - if there are more rabbits, let them cower in safety for now - and limps over toward Sanuye.
Sanuye keeps a tight grasp on the rabbit that she has hold of, her tail swaying about while she looks over to Bristle. A soft burr escaping her while she trots on over towards where he is, a bit gingerly with her paws though. The rabbit is dropped, its not a small one at least. "Good work."
Bristlecone notices that bit of awkwardness in Sanuye's motion, and he frowns for a moment, staring at her forepaws. He's not the only one injured here... though the female is in somewhat better shape, at least. He looks up at her again, and then grins. "I just scared 'em. You're the one who got one!"
Sanuye chuckles softly an tilts her had, a soft smile seen. "I think we both worked equaly well at getting it." She points out while a slight yawn escapes her before she gives herself a good shake. " Did you want to stick around here or go off to that place I was talking about?"
Bristlecone laughs, and nods. "Yeah. We work well together," he says, and leans over to offer her a nuzzle. At the question, he peers up at the sky. It's mostly clear, but... it can be deceptive like that, as he's recently found out. There are a few clouds near the horizon, and that's enough to make him say, "Let's head there." He'd rather stay dry tonight, if he can.
Sanuye keeps her smile and nods, her tail swaying about while she leans back to nuzzle him a few moments across his shoulder. "Alright. Its not that far off really." She offers while grabbing hold of the rabbit and starts to trot off. Her steps are still somewhat gingerly while she moves along. The old warren site isn't all that far away from the looks of it, seems the rabbits moved for some reason or another. Once there at the site she pauses, dropping the rabbit and moves over to peer down into the large hole that has been worn away from past storms and paws from the looks of it. She is busy sniffing away but can't catch any recent scents, save her own from when she was here last. "Looks all ok from what I can see." When that said she settles down and stretches her paws out in front of her.
Bristlecone nods, and limps after Sanuye. As he gets more used to his injury, he can pick up the pace a little without using the hurt paw. It's just like riding a bicycle, if a bicycle were a three-legged coyote. He sniffs around a bit himself, and then nods, agreeing with Sanuye's assessment. Plenty of old scents, no fresh ones. Well, a few lizards, but no fresh scents he has to worry about. "Yeah," he says, and then flops down next to her.
Sanuye smiles and nods, her tail thumping a few times. Her gaze rests on the rabbit a few moments before she noses it on over to him. "You go on and get some first." Another way of her thanking him for basically saving her life the day before.
Bristlecone glances over at Sanuye as she makes the offer, his head tilted to the side a little... and then he nods. He reaches his muzzle out to take a bite, bracing with his forepaw as he tugs fluff aside to getto the meat beneath.
Sanuye tail thumps a few times while she shifts and lets her side press against his a moment. Her attention going to her forepaws while she licks across and nibbles on a few times as if trying to get at the problem of her painful pads. Soon after that she is leaning against him a bit more seemingly lost in what she is going.
Bristlecone pauses for a moment in his chewing as he feels Sanuye lean against him, and then his tail thumps as he turns and leans back against her. He continues gnawing at the rabbit's belly, getting through the fluff and into the tasty meat inside. He eats with delicate bites, taking arts of things but leaving other bits. Both of them need the richness of organ-meat and blood to help recover, and he's not gonna hog it all. Once he's had a few good chomps, he moves aside from the belly, instead gnawing off one of the big meaty hindquarters. That'll keep him gnawing for a while, and so he noses the carcass over to Sanuye for a bit. "Have some while it's still warm," he says, and then bites into the leg he kept.
Sanuye licks and nibbles against her paws a bit longer, seemingly up until he noses the rabbit over to her. She blinks and peers over at the rabbit, her tail swaying to brush against his a few times. "Thanks." Is offered before she is quick to go about chomping down onto the rabbit's belly and getting and the inside rather eagerly, seems someone is a bit hungry.
Bristlecone grins, and nods. He watches Sanuye eat for just a moment, and then he returns to chewing on the leg he took for himself, tearing off the muscle in strips and swallowing it. He'd eaten not long before the whole misadventure with the canyon, but, well... nothing like a near-death experience to build up an appetite!
Sanuye ear twitches now and then while she works on the rabbit, eagerly chewing against the remaining hindleg. Which after a few moments makes rather short work of the catch, not like I was all that big to start with, just enough to hold off there rumbling stomachs for a spell. Her forepaw lifts as she rubs across her maw a few times before a yawn escapes her and she peers out over the area. "Well.. this placen't isn' that bad.. Save for the whole near-death experience after all."
Bristlecone chews down the rabbit-leg down to the bone, and then cracks at it with his jaws, snapping it open to lick out the marrow. He laughs. "Near-death, yeah. But it's on the right side of it, 'cause we're not dead yet. Wouldn't want things to get boring, huh?"
Sanuye chuckles softly and nods with a smile, her tail swaying about while her head settles down to the ground. "True.. An yes we wouldn't want anything to get boring indeed." She seems amused by it to say the least.
Bristlecone lifts up his head, peering around, and grins. This is another of those things that others just don't seem to get, sometimes. "Hey," he says after a few moments. "Have you ever seen a waterfall?"
Sanuye glances over at him curiously and tilts her head. "A waterfall?" She pauses thinking a moment before shaking her head. "No.. Can't say that I have." She peers at him. "Why?"
Bristlecone hehs. "Well. If we do have to... go back..." he says, "I can show you one. It's near where I grew up. The wolves are there now, but we can still go visit. They're not horrible, for wolves."
Sanuye ohs at this and nods, a soft smile seen. "Well.. Seems like its a nice thing. I've heard others talk about them before." Her head tilts while she looks back towards where the canyon lies. "There are a few canyon's back where I'm from like that one, not as big though. An there is a rock mountain cliff that goes up towards this hug mountain peak.. But no waterfalls."
"It's pretty neat," says Bristlecone. "Sort of like..." he hmms, reaching for a comparison and finding... "Well, like a flood down over a cliff-face, only it's always there, not just when, uh, it rains..."
Sanuye ohs at this while peering at him, a curious look at the thought. "Sounds interesting." Her tail swaying about a few times. "When it rained a lot at the cliff the water will sometimes do that."
Bristlecone nods. "The waterfall is like that all the time," he says, and then hmms. "I wonder what it looks like from the other side..." Maybe he'll go find out sometime!
Sanuye murrs out softly while she nods and soon lets her head settle down to her forepaws. Her tail slowly sways now and then to bump and rub against his at times. "You never looked to see where about it came from? I'm rather surprized that that actually."
Bristlecone stretches out, wincing briefly as his moves his leg, and sways his tail back against hers. "Well, there's a big cliff to either side. It's too slippery to climb up, and I never made it far enough around either way to find out. It's big. Taller than any of the trees near there."
Sanuye smiles and hums, her eyes closing while she shifts to lean closer to him in the process. She seems rather content at the moment and relaxed enough to sleep if given the choice. "Well, I suppose that is a good enough reason to not have found the other side." A chuckle escapes her and she smiles. "Still.. If we go back we should try and see the other side. That would be an interesting thing to find."
Bristlecone makes a little chest-rumbly noise, and shifts againt Sanuye, pressing close to her. "Yeah. Maybe we'll just... go exploring together, and find out all these things. We make a good team. We could see the whole world, probably. You and me. Together."
Sanuye ears perk as she hears him, a soft smile seen and she murrs out softly rather enjoying being near him at the moment. She feels comfortable and rather relaxed. "Ya.. I think you have a good point there. We really do seem to make a good team." She offers while her tail thumps against the ground, a glance is offered over to him before she leans up to give his cheek a nosing. Once that is done her head settles down to her paws once more and her eyes close, ear twitching as she listens but soon seems to drift on to sleep.
Bristlecone smiles, and gently nuzzles back at Sanuye, then lowers his own head. Tomorrow will be another adventure. For tonight... they sleep. Together.
Sanuye - female Coyote
Bristlecone - male Coyote
---
Sanuye has been trotting along through the scrubland, her tail swaying about as she goes. Her maw twitches, ears perking forward and she pauses while tilting her head and sniffs out at the passing breeze before she moves forward. A half yawn escaping her while she goes. She's rather relaxed from the looks of it.
Bristlecone has been wandering about, exploring through the springtime landscape, and his head appears over a ridge and peeks around, noticing Sanuye. He grins, and bounds up over the ridge and then toward her, loping along at a pace designed to catch up with her in fairly short order.
Sanuye blinks and glances over at the movement of another which makes her bounce backwards on a moment. She yips out, her tail soon swaying about and she smiles. "Hey!" She offers while turning around to face him better. "How goes?"
Bristlecone grins cheerfully, coming to an easy halt. "I'm good! The prey's weird around here, though. All grey hares and lizards." He shrugs a bit. "Anyway. How've you been?"
Sanuye chuckles and nods, her head ilting while she glances over the area before looking back to Bristlecone. "Ya that's true, I don't mind the hares but the lizards are something that I'm not use to dealing with." Her tail sways some as she settles to her haunches. "I'm doing alright, nothing to complain about."
Bristlecone laughs, and nods. "That's good. So, uh..." he tilts his head to the side. "You'd mentioned another place you'd found? With all those flowers and such?"
Sanuye ohs softly and blinks her ears perking forward and she nods with a soft smile seen. "Yes I remember that.. Why are you interested in going?"
Bristlecone hehs, and he looks away, out over the horizon. "Well, it's a place. One I haven't seen. So, um... that's a reason, right?" he glances back to Sanuye. "I don't know, really. And it doesn't have to be that. I just... I want to see what's out here."
Sanuye glances towards the horizon as well, a soft smile seen and she nods. "Well.. If your interested.. I'd be glad to show you the place." She offers while glancing back to Bristle.
Bristlecone perks his ears up, and nods. "Yeah. I'd like that."
Sanuye nods, her tail swaying about happly. "Alright.. When did you want to go?" She questions with a curious tone.
Bristlecone laughs. "Whenever you like," he answers. "I... I don't really have anything that's holding me. I mean..." Who knew that breaking the bonds of family would be this easy? His mother all but asked him why he didn't leave sooner! So, uh... he's not feeling very welcome back in his former home now, despite the different reaction of some of those there. He shakes his head. "Yeah. Whenever."
Sanuye ponders this while she watches the other, her head tilting as her tail flicks. "You.. sure about that?" She questions while shifting to her paws. "I don't want to take you away from anything here after all." Not like she really knows what all is going on with his family.
Bristlecone glances back toward the river. Sure? Well, yes and no. He sighs. "I told them I might be going," he says. Yeah, and what a mess that was. He's quiet for a moment, then adds, "They're probably better off without me."
Sanuye frowns slightly at that. "Why would you say that?" She questions after a moment while she shifts a few steps closer to him.
Bristlecone shrugs at little, quiet for a moment. "Because I'd make trouble. My dad's always off listening to the spirits. My mom makes friends with /everyone/. Felix is turning out the same as my dad. I'm not any of those things."
Sanuye peers at him curiously. "How.. do you cause trouble?" She questions with a curious tone, her maw twitching. "Everyone is different then there parents in some shape or form you know?"
"Somehow, sure," says Bristlecone. But his dad's always disappointed with him, no matter what he does, and his mom cares more about hares than her own son... or, at least, it feels that way. He sighs, and shakes his head.
Sanuye is quiet for a few moments. "I never lived up to what my parents wanted for me either.." She offers with a soft tone. "But you even told me that we have to live our lives.. So to speak. If your not happy here then perhaps a different sceney will help. But I don't want you to regret leaving if we're not back soon enough."
Bristlecone nods a little. "We do. I mean..." he trails off for a moment, and then laughs. "It's like I told Felix. In a way, it doesn't matter if I go or not. Something could happen to me, or to them, just as easily when I was off hunting as if I go off days and days away. If something's going to happen, it will. I'd rather not worry about it."
Sanuye hums softly, a ear twitching forward before she nods, a soft smile seen. "Well.. that is a good point." This said while she turns starting to trots off, her tail swaying a few times. "Well.. There is a good bit of light left, so if you want to get started I say we get going."
Yeah, and there's another reason why he's off. When he told Felix the same thing, the fox freaked out. Sanuye... just sort of understands. Bristlecone grins, and nods. He gives himself a shake, and then makes a bound forward, looking over to the other coyote. "Yeah. Let's do it!"
Sanuye grins a moment an soon takes off at a quick sort of runtrot. "We have a good amount of land to travel so don't get to tired now!" She offers with an amused tone back to him. As for understanding she does that's for sure. She had to leave her family or she would have never been happy.. An now she's heading back towards home in a way.. She only hopes no one will have came that far looking for her.
Bristlecone laughs, and lopes along with Sanuye, settling into the easy, ground-devouring pace of a coyote. "I won't get tired," he declares, and grins. "See that you don't, either!"
Sanuye laughs out herself while she lopes along. "Oh please.." She states while glancing at him with an amused look. "I already know the road ahead, so don't forget that!"
Bristlecone grins. "Does make it hard to race. I'd have to fall back every time I got ahead. Just no good, that." Despite saying that, he does bound forward for a few paces before settling back again.
Sanuye chuckles while she follows along still, her paws carrying her quickly across the sandy ground. "Its not that hard to follow actually." She offers with an amused tone. An once they are further away from the scrubland there is a slight trail seen before them where some other animals have used to move along at some point in time. "You ever been on a long trip from your home before?"
"Well," Bristlecone admits, "Not really." He moves sometimes closer, sometimes further, depending how he has to dodge past the brush and rocks. "Not more than a half-day's journey or so."
Sanuye hums softly and nods while she moves along, her gaze settled in front of her while they continue. "This is about oh.. a three to four day trek from this area." A glance is offered over towards him. "So somewhat longer to say the least."
Bristlecone nods, seeming unconcerned by the distance. Sure, it's farther from home than he's ever been - but right now, that seems like a positive. "Just a bit," he agrees, and grins. "It'll be a nice chance to stretch my legs."
Sanuye smiles and nods while a ear twitches towards him. "Well you will certainly get your legs stretched during this trip." She offers with a soft chuckle escaping her.
Bristlecone laughs. "Good," he says, and gathers himself to jump over a small boulder instead of going around it.
Sanuye grins and is quick to run around the side of the boulder, once there she leans up to try and bump his side once his jumped over it. "Your it!" She calls out as she races forward, speeding past him. Might as well make it a fun trip.
Bristlecone blinks briefly - and then laughs, lowering his head and stretching his legs, running after Sanuye and trying to catch up with her again!
Sanuye doesn't give him time to catch up, at least she thinks that. She runs along, her paws hitting up the slow dirt and sand in little clouds as she races off.
Bristlecone runs after Sanuye, but while he's not falling behind, he's not making much progress toward her... yet. He pushes himself into the race, leaning forward into each leap and bound, paws hitting the earth hard as he races...
Sanuye glances behind her to see where about he can be found, a soft laugh escapes her and she quickly looks back in front of her. She dives around a throny looking bush and scrambles over a boulder before jumping down to the ground on the other side.. An then all movement is suddenly quiet..
Thornbush. Rock. No coyote. Bristlecone hurms, and then he goes half around, half ducking-under-branches through that bush - no time to go around properly - before leaping up onto the boulder and looking around from that vantage. Now, where did she go?
Sanuye had scrambled around to the other side of the boulder once he was at the right spot to miss her. She waits a few moments longer and then takes off running once more in the same direction. She's a little sneak.
Wide open expanses: Check. Scrubby little bushes: Check. Rocks: Check. Coyote: Not so much, actually. Bristlecone wastes several moments looking around the landscape before he catches the sound of footsteps and swivels to see... hey! Coyote! He scrabbles around atop the boulder and then leaps down off it to rejoin his pursuit!
Sanuye giggles to herself as she glances back seeing his not picked up on the fact that she is running once more. A faint oh escapes her and she takes off running once more. Her tail swaying a few times while she is quick to round a few thick bushes and continue along the trail before them.
Oh, she's going around /bushes/ again, is she? Bristlecone grins, and he swerves wide around one bush, veering up onto a ridge that parallels the trail and running along it. Now he has the high ground!
Sanuye continues along the trail and soon can't hear him running. She ponders and glances behind her to the right and then the left blinking as she can't see him. Her movements slow and she licks across her maw while tilting her head seeming a bit confused about where he may have gotten to..
Bristlecone races along the ridge, paralleling Sanuye. Nobody ever looks up. It's a well-known fact. Especially not coyotes used to the deserts and barren lands. He starts to catch up, and then he starts to slow enough to be silent, getting nice and close, before.... pawthud, pawthud, flyingcoyoteleaaaaaaap! right toward Sanuye.
Sanuye seems a bit confused as she paces for a few steps back and forth as if trying to figure out where he has gotten to. "Bristlecone?" She calls out before her ears flick backwards and her head pulls around at the sudden paw falls upon the ground. A sharp YIP escapes her as she catches sight of Bristle and he is leaping at her with her unable to escape in time! She's caught needless to say..
Bristlecone, indeed! The coyote pounces atop Sanuye, somewhere between straddling her and sprawled on top of her. Elegant it is not, but it certainly does get the point across. He grins, and his tail thumps against the ground and her hindleg, before he touches his nose to her shoulder. "You're it," he says, and then scrambles up to start down that trail she seems to have been following! He can follow a trail as well as anyone... right?
Sanuye lets out a faint grunt while she is sprawled upon. Well she did not plan on it ending like this! She shifts and huffs out faintly while peering at him once he starts moving again. Though she is soon grinning and chases after him. "Gonna get you!"
Victory is fleeting, but that doesn't mean Bristlecone isn't intending to make the most of it! "You just try!" he retorts, and laughs as he runs along, more or less keeping to the trail for a while... at least, until it gets faint and he ends up going along a flood-track instead, because he's too busy running to check it in detail.
Sanuye laughs out while she follows along after him. "I shall try.. An I will get you!" She calls out while following along after him as quickly as possible. Her attentions is well, mostly on Bristle at the moment so she isn't paying a lot of attention to the trail..
Bristlecone laughs, and keeps racing up that track. As he goes, the earth on either side starts to rise higher, making a sort of canyon. Just the sort for flash-floods, though the place is dry... for now.
Sanuye follows along, like the blind leading the blind at the moment it seems. It'll dawn on her that this is a rather wrong place to be soon hopfully. Once she is closer she tries to nip out at his tail a few times.
Bristlecone's tail sways. Left - hah, avoided a nip! - and right - eep, there are teeth! - and left again, all keeping up with the beating of his paws. This is definitely a canyon, now, with high rock walls and a thin dusting of earth along the bottom.
Sanuye giggles out softly while she runs along, still trying to get his tail! Nipnipnip! She is getting closer! At some point in time her gaze drifts to the side and she blinks at the sight and soon skids to a stop sending pieces of rock and dirt flying as she goes. Her ears flick forward and back. "Bristle!" She calls out. "This is the wrong way.."
Bristlecone flails his tail, trying to avoid those nips, and laughs! When Sanuye calls forward to him, though, he shakes his head. Oh, no. He knows how tricksy she is now! If he turns around, in this narrow space, she's sure to get him. "I'm not falling for -that-!" he says, still running!
Sanuye frowns at this and lifts her head to look up at the high rock walls. "No.. I'm not kidding!" She calls out before quickly following after him. The further up the trail they go the more worried she seems to be getting. At least it hasn't rained yet.. Though there are some rather dark clouds drifting in from the South.
Huh. Sanuye is really good at acting, it seems! Why, Bristlecone might almost think she was telling the truth. Almost. He keeps running, though he does slow down a little, looking around at the walls and floor of the canyon himself. It still looks like a trail... right?
Sanuye follows after him quickly, her tail lashing about a few times. "I'm not kidding!" She calls out and skids to a stop once he does. Her gaze looks past him up the walls and then upwards with a worried look across her face. A flash of light seen and a streak of lighting crashes down somewhere, the thick rumbling crack of thunder making the ground nearly shake proving it was rather close. "We need to get out of here.. Now.."
Bristlecone turns and looks back at Sanuye. Now that... that is a serious face. Okay, maybe... maybe this isn't the trail. And it's not a trick. Uh. "Okay," he says, his voice much less certain now, and he trots a few steps back the way he came.
Sanuye starts to back up slowly eyeing the clouds that are creeping over the area. A unsure glance is offered back to Bristle and she turns not evening walking but running as quickly as she possible back in the direction they came. Even when they start to turn about the rain is felt in the air and surely smelled, the thick drops hitting the ground mere steps behind them.
Yeah. Definitely serious. Bristlecone starts running too, stretching out his legs again. He doesn't yet fully understand the concern - it's just a canyon, right? And just some rain. He can hear the storm, and the patter of the raindrops. Just a few at first - then more, and more, and more, thick fat drops dousing down the desert dust, skittering along the cliff-faces and pouring into this canyon.
Sanuye has seen canyons like this before, not this big mind you - smallish ones near the far edges of her homeland. Each spring when the hard rain came, and the snow melting from the mountain above would cause a flash flood within the canyon. Anything and everything was flooded out of that canyon, and it tended to happen rather quickly once the rain started. The rain continues to fall, each wave turning thicker and thick until it is a harsh downpour, the canyon's floor becoming rather muddy, pieces of dry rock falling off the ledges of the canyon ones the water seeps down far enough to loosen it more. Another flash of lighting is seen, from some distance ahead of the pair and soon enough the ear cracking hunder to go along with it. Sanuye glances back to make sure Bristle is still following her, something said but her words lost among the boom of thunder.
Now the ground is wet beneath his feet... not just wet, it's like wading along the edge of the river, because if this isn't just his imagination, he can actually see it moving along, a sheet of water moving that seems thicker with each ripple. Bristlecone runs, trying to outrace the water as he runs after Sanuye towards the canyon's entrance - or exit, more like. All this water is certainly intending to exit...
The water is indeed moving and with the rain falling down harder, and basicly in bucket fulls it won't take it more then a few moment to turn into a fast moving flood. Sanuye can't recall ever having to deal with something like this before, her steps are getting harder to make as the water is half way up her leg, and then soon enough at her blows. Her running steps turn more into a run and bounce like movement to try and keep herself moving. "We gotta keep moving!" She calls out to Bristlecone.
Keep moving, yeah, but the water's just keeping on rising, and now Bristlecone is splashng through it. The water can rise faster than he can run... this just isn't working. He can't just keep moving, he's got to... "We gotta get up!" he calls back to her, and he splashes toward one of the canyon walls, trying to scrabble up it. He doesn't have much luck in this section, and so he run-swims a bit further along, looking for an opportunity.
Sanuye continues to follow along the path, a slight curve is up ahead and onces they around is a boulder is seen upon the ground, it has several ledges that led up the to the top of the boulder, and it is pressed against the canyon wall. "There!" She calls out while she continues to move forward, each steps turning more into her swiming and soon she isn't able to even touch the bottom anymore. Needless to say she is starting to get worried. The rain continues to fall, and the current is rather strong..
Bristlecone grew up next to a river. Swimming, he knows something about. The current is strong, but he can work with that, legs kicking and body leaning into it. Now he's making a decent speed, aiming toward Sanuye and the boulder, and getting his paws on the edge of it to start scrabbling up.
Sanuye can swim, though in a strong current its a bit hard to say the least, its not something one can get use to unless they happen to do it often. Her paws scramble through the water, she turns herself slightly trying to get closer to the boulder, which she does. She claws at the edge of the boulder, her claws scraping upon it, and she isn't able to get a good grasp. A faint whimper escaping her, clearly fearful of not getting herself up on the boulder..
Even Bristlecone has some trouble with the current, but he's better equipped for it. The boulder is another problem, but he manages to scrabble around to where the current is pushing him against the boulder and the canyon edge instead of pulling him away from it. He's almost okay - and then he hears the whimper from Sanuye, and sees her struggling to get a grip. His ears go back, and he renews his struggles, getting up a bit more and closer to here - though it catches one of his hindlegs between the boulder and canyon wall, and reaching out his head to try to catch at her neckfur with a bite to keep her from floating away in the increasing flood.
Sanuye claws are getting scrapped down with each scramble of her front paws, though she doesn't even register this as she is trying to still get herself up on the boulder. Her paws are unable to eve get a grasp and just when she thinks she'll be pulled down stream the grab of her neckfur is felt and she doesn't try to pull away knowing who it is. At least she isn't going to float away now, and with the grip on her neck she pushes herself forward, able to get some hold finally on the edge of the boulder and slowly drag her front half up upon it.
He's got her. Bristlecone feels Sanuye's weight pull against him, in those moments before she can get a spot on the boulder, and he holds on tight and clings his body against the boulder, feeling the currents pulling at both of them. The rain is still falling, big drops spattering down on both of them and filling up the canyon, and the waters keep rising, high enough so that waves splash over the top of the boulder but don't quite drown it - and that, it seems, is as deep as it's going to get.
Sanuye is up on the boulder, finally, her form quivering from the work to run up and down the canyon and then nearly getting swept down stream. She glances back to Bristlecone and shifts to try and help him up onto the boulder now as well. The rain still falls this is true, but the clouds are at least moving by quickly so hopefully it wont be this way for much longer.
Bristlecone lets go of Sanuye once she's up on the boulder, and tries to come up himself. That's when he discovers another problem. His hindleg has gotten well and truly caught, wedged in between the boulder and the canyon wall. He discovers this, with a yelp, as Sanuye tries to help him, and sinks back against the rock to wiggle it testingly. Stuck, yep... jammed in there by his position and the currents. He can't pull it out without giving up what little of atop-the-boulder he has, and probably get washed away in the process... so here he is, half-covered by water. But only half!
Sanuye ears splay forward as she lets go, watching him and looking very worried. She shifts on her paws and looks to where he is stuck and then glances back to him. "If I hold onto you, can you wiggle free?" She isn't fully sure how she'll keep them both from ending up back into the quickly moving water but she'll figure out someway.
"I'll be okay," says Bristlecone. Then winces as a branch, carried by the current, smacks against his flank before floating on downriver. "I think. I mean..." He tries to shift again, testing the position. Probably this stuckness was part of what kept him from sliding away when he was reaching for Sanuye before....
Sanuye glances downriver and blinks as she sees more branches moving towards the boulder, some rather big.. "Bristlecone.. We don't have a choice at the moment." She points out and moves to grab hold of his neckfur without another word. "Try and pull free!" Is heard mumbled around the fur in her maw.
Bristlecone squeaks, and then... he tries! He braces with his forepaws on the rock, and he pulls his hindpaw against the current, tugging it at the rock. How did it even go in there? It certainly doesn't seem to fit now! He tugs, and twists, and yanks at it, abrading it at rough stone and seeming to find all the sharp spots to scrape against his flesh, and then finally - finally! - it comes free, and he scrabbles up onto the boulder's top just as one of those big branches swirls in to hit the spot where he was a moment ago.
Sanuye wiggles about and keeps a good grasp upon his neckfur, not about to let go even if she was pulled into the water along with him. Her forepaws brace at the very edge of the boulder, and a few times she nearly slips while he jerks about this way and then. A faint whimper escapes her though once he is finally upon the boulder she lets go, flopping down upon its surface and looking crosseyed at the large branch that slams into the boulder right in front of her.
Bristlecone pants. "Thanks... he says, and then he tries to step back toward the canyon wall, to make more room. A fine idea, right up until he puts weight on that hindleg of his. He yelps, and then tries again more slowly, wincing as he puts it down. Well. Good news is, it can support his weight if he really tries. Bad news is, it hurts rather a lot, to judge from his expression.
Sanuye nods slightly while shifting backwards onto her haunches. "Thank you to.." She offers while lifting up a forepaw to eye it slightly, her pads and claws are worn down a good amount, her claws down to the quicks. At the yelp she looks over and blinks, a frown seen while she shifts to nose at his shoulder and eye his leg. "I'm sorry about your leg.."
Bristlecone manages a somewhat lopsided grin. "I don't think it's broken," he says. So that's good, right? Even as the water still roars around them, at least they're both... well, they'll both recover. He takes a limping step, and settles down to rest. He lowers his head, peeking sidewise at her. "I guess I shoulda listened to you. Sorry."
Sanuye tilts her head and nods, a soft smile seen. "Well I'm glad it's not broken at least." She offers with a soft tone. A ear twitching while she settles herself down upon the bed, tail curling at her side. "It's alright.. At least we're ok." She offers before nosing at him to show she's not mad.
Bristlecone smiles at the nosing, and his tail thumps down against the boulder and dunks into the river. Not like he isn't already soaked. "Yeah," he says. "We're okay." He nuzzles back at her gently, as the water swirls around them. The clouds are moving away, now, and soon the waters begin to recede, almost as fast as they rose up in the first place.
Sanuye smiles and nods while shifting and curls up, seems she plans on getting some rest while the water starts to recede. They can worry about getting down later.. "It'll be alright." She murmurs out softly.
Bristlecone shifts, curling himself against Sanuye. What? It's a small rocktop! There's not enough room to maintain a dignified distance... not that he minds. It's nice. Hopefully, once the water's gone down, it'll be easier to climb down... though that leg of his will present an interesting challenge. Well. He'll solve that problem when he comes to it. That's how he's always done things, and it's worked out okay so far. After all, he's... "Not dead yet. It'll work out." With that, he closes his eyes, listening to the splashing of the water against the canyon walls as it all pours away.
Sanuye doesn't mind him leaning against her, she leans back and lets her head half press against his side even. "Naw.. It'll all work out. Your see." She offers with a soft mumble before she half dozes off. Seems all the running and escaping for dear life worn her out.
***
After a rather long time upon that boulder, well at least it felt like a long time to Sanuye.. She finally got herself down once the water was pretty much gone. Her form aches, her front paws are throbbing but she seems in mostly good spirits. She is resting upon the edge of the canyon after making sure Bristlecone got down off the boulder as well as he possible could, her head settled between her forepaws while she rests, out of danger should another flash flood appear out of the blue.
Getting down was an interesting affair for Bristlecone. He ended up doing it on three legs, the injured one tucked up out of the way, and being thankful for every bit of scrambling around and climbing he'd done. Not that it made it more pleasant, but it made it more possible. He's down now, though. Whew. He tried resting, but that didn't work out very well, and so he's decided to try hunting! ...on three legs, looking like a drowned rat. Okay, yes, it's probably no wonder he hasn't caught anything yet, but still. At least sniffing around at things gives him something to do, and he stretches out that leg carefully from time to time.
Sanuye ear twitches slightly forward and back as she hears him moving around, her eyes half open and she looks over towards where he is. She lifts her head and licks across her maw before she shifts upwards onto her haunches, slowly. "Hey.. How's your leg?" Is soon questioned after a moment. Yes she can tell that he is limping along and his leg is held off the ground but that's not the point!
"It's doing better," says Bristlecone, and demonstrates by putting it down and shifting his weight onto it for a good minute or so, without even wincing. Aaaand then he shifts back off it again, and lets out a breath that shows just how much effort went into not wincing, but hey. It's progress.
Sanuye hums softly and nods before taking in a soft breath and glancing over the area. "Perhaps.. We should head back towards your home. I'd hate for anything else to happen while were out here."
Bristlecone frowns. He doesn't wanna! ...mind you, he can see the wisdom in the suggestion, and that's why he doesn't answer out loud. Going back would be the smart decision here. It would give him time to recover, instead of being like this when they encounter a cougar, or unfriendly wolves... or even just rough terrain. But it means going back home, and all the awkward, not-fitting-in feelings there. He only just got away. Maybe next time... he'll be stuck there. The coyote lowers his head, staring at the ground.
Sanuye is quiet for a few moments while she watches the other, she slowly shifts up onto her paws and makes her way over to where he is. Once there she leans out to nose at his shoulder. "Hey.." Is said with a soft tone. "We don't have to go back. I know the area around here mostly. I just didn't want to make you think like we had to keep going, especially with your leg."
It is now your pose.
Bristlecone keeps his head down for another few moments, and then he slowly lifts it again as Sanuye noses him. He sighs, and turns his head to bump his cheek at hers. "I'm not in any shape for traveling, that's for sure. Not right now. I..." He takes a deep breath. "I want to wait here. A couple days, to see if it gets better. If it doesn't... then... we can go back."
Sanuye tilts her head while she watches him, a soft smile seen at the cheek bump and a faint hum escapes her. A nod soon offered. "Alright.. We can do that." She murmurs out, her tail swaying a few times as she turns starting to move off at a slow pace. "There's a rabbit warren a slight ways off. I'm sure we can find something to eat there. Then I know where there is an old set of warren dens that can be used for a place to rest incase the rains come back."
Bristlecone nods. His tail gives a bit of a wag, and his head lifts up. It feels like a reprieve, this agreement to wait. "I can still dig for rabbits, I think," he says as he trot-hops after Sanuye, and then grins a bit, adding, "If you can chase them once they come out..."
Sanuye ears perk and she chuckles while glancing over at him. "Well.. I think I can handle that for a bit at least." She offers with an amused tone and slight shake of her head while she moves along. The warren is indeed not that far off, the hole clearly seen, though there was some thorny bushes around it that had been ripped away at some point. She pauses near the warren and sniffs at few times. "Seems like there is still someone home."
Bristlecone pads up beside Sanuye, and nods. "Yeah," he says, and lowers his head as he limps closer to the entrance. "Looks like it was a big one... there might be a back door somewhere..." he says, considering. Especially once their front door got exposed... that's just the sort of thing rabbits would do. He may not see it, but that's because rabbits are sneaky. Doesn't mean it isn't there.
Sanuye nods at this and movesa long pacing off a bit while her head is lowred and she is snifing as she goes. A faint murmur escaping her in the process. Her ears perk forward and she tilts her head and her tail sways about in the process. "I think I found it." She calls back while she trots over towards a slight outcropping, under it can be found another hole. A soft yip escapes her to let him know its here.
Bristlecone waits by the main entrance, being all grr and argh and vaguely menacing by dint of being a coyote. Once he hears from Sanuye that she has the other escape, he gives a huff of breath and pads closer, sticking his muzzle in at the front door of the warren and then starting to dig! It's a bit awkward at first, but he soon gets the trick of it - balance on his good hindleg and one frontleg, scoop dirt with the other foreleg, then swap! Repeat at speed.
Sanuye shifts on her paws and peers over the slight edge to eye the hole a few moments. A ear twitching towards the movement of Bristlecone behind her and she snuffles out at the passing breeze. It'll take a few moments before the movement from the one coyote gets the rabbits going it would seem.
Bristlecone makes himself look grr and fierce, digging at that hole! Yep. He's a /hazard/ he is. Dangerous to bunnies. Pay no mind to the bum leg. He even yips a bit, just to demonstrate how he certainly is a coyote. He can hear the sounds from inside over his own digging, the way the rabbits shift against each other and along the dirt walls. They're getting nervous. Good!
Nervous rabbits means they are getting ready to run! An when they run they go for there exits.. Which means food for this pair of yotes. Sanuye wiggles on her paws, toes gripping at the ground which she regrets after a moment thanks to the stinging pain in her pads and toes. Still her mind is on the rabbits. An soon enough there off and running! One rabbit bolts out of the hole, and San allows it, her form tense and ready to spring like a snake. As the second rabbit springs out from the exit hole she launches forward and bites down hard upon the rabbit's back, a crunch is heard and the rabbit is dead without really know what happened..
Grr, lookit the fierce coyote here! That's just the ticket to make the fierce coyote at the other door go totally unnoticed, and Bristlecone grins as he sees the one go leaping away. Ooh, he wants to chase after it... even gives a little hop in that direction... but that's just not happening. Fortunately, the second bunny is pounced and caught, and he grins at the sound of crunching jaws and the brief high scream that is the bunny's death cry. Success! Bristlecone leaves the warren opening - if there are more rabbits, let them cower in safety for now - and limps over toward Sanuye.
Sanuye keeps a tight grasp on the rabbit that she has hold of, her tail swaying about while she looks over to Bristle. A soft burr escaping her while she trots on over towards where he is, a bit gingerly with her paws though. The rabbit is dropped, its not a small one at least. "Good work."
Bristlecone notices that bit of awkwardness in Sanuye's motion, and he frowns for a moment, staring at her forepaws. He's not the only one injured here... though the female is in somewhat better shape, at least. He looks up at her again, and then grins. "I just scared 'em. You're the one who got one!"
Sanuye chuckles softly an tilts her had, a soft smile seen. "I think we both worked equaly well at getting it." She points out while a slight yawn escapes her before she gives herself a good shake. " Did you want to stick around here or go off to that place I was talking about?"
Bristlecone laughs, and nods. "Yeah. We work well together," he says, and leans over to offer her a nuzzle. At the question, he peers up at the sky. It's mostly clear, but... it can be deceptive like that, as he's recently found out. There are a few clouds near the horizon, and that's enough to make him say, "Let's head there." He'd rather stay dry tonight, if he can.
Sanuye keeps her smile and nods, her tail swaying about while she leans back to nuzzle him a few moments across his shoulder. "Alright. Its not that far off really." She offers while grabbing hold of the rabbit and starts to trot off. Her steps are still somewhat gingerly while she moves along. The old warren site isn't all that far away from the looks of it, seems the rabbits moved for some reason or another. Once there at the site she pauses, dropping the rabbit and moves over to peer down into the large hole that has been worn away from past storms and paws from the looks of it. She is busy sniffing away but can't catch any recent scents, save her own from when she was here last. "Looks all ok from what I can see." When that said she settles down and stretches her paws out in front of her.
Bristlecone nods, and limps after Sanuye. As he gets more used to his injury, he can pick up the pace a little without using the hurt paw. It's just like riding a bicycle, if a bicycle were a three-legged coyote. He sniffs around a bit himself, and then nods, agreeing with Sanuye's assessment. Plenty of old scents, no fresh ones. Well, a few lizards, but no fresh scents he has to worry about. "Yeah," he says, and then flops down next to her.
Sanuye smiles and nods, her tail thumping a few times. Her gaze rests on the rabbit a few moments before she noses it on over to him. "You go on and get some first." Another way of her thanking him for basically saving her life the day before.
Bristlecone glances over at Sanuye as she makes the offer, his head tilted to the side a little... and then he nods. He reaches his muzzle out to take a bite, bracing with his forepaw as he tugs fluff aside to getto the meat beneath.
Sanuye tail thumps a few times while she shifts and lets her side press against his a moment. Her attention going to her forepaws while she licks across and nibbles on a few times as if trying to get at the problem of her painful pads. Soon after that she is leaning against him a bit more seemingly lost in what she is going.
Bristlecone pauses for a moment in his chewing as he feels Sanuye lean against him, and then his tail thumps as he turns and leans back against her. He continues gnawing at the rabbit's belly, getting through the fluff and into the tasty meat inside. He eats with delicate bites, taking arts of things but leaving other bits. Both of them need the richness of organ-meat and blood to help recover, and he's not gonna hog it all. Once he's had a few good chomps, he moves aside from the belly, instead gnawing off one of the big meaty hindquarters. That'll keep him gnawing for a while, and so he noses the carcass over to Sanuye for a bit. "Have some while it's still warm," he says, and then bites into the leg he kept.
Sanuye licks and nibbles against her paws a bit longer, seemingly up until he noses the rabbit over to her. She blinks and peers over at the rabbit, her tail swaying to brush against his a few times. "Thanks." Is offered before she is quick to go about chomping down onto the rabbit's belly and getting and the inside rather eagerly, seems someone is a bit hungry.
Bristlecone grins, and nods. He watches Sanuye eat for just a moment, and then he returns to chewing on the leg he took for himself, tearing off the muscle in strips and swallowing it. He'd eaten not long before the whole misadventure with the canyon, but, well... nothing like a near-death experience to build up an appetite!
Sanuye ear twitches now and then while she works on the rabbit, eagerly chewing against the remaining hindleg. Which after a few moments makes rather short work of the catch, not like I was all that big to start with, just enough to hold off there rumbling stomachs for a spell. Her forepaw lifts as she rubs across her maw a few times before a yawn escapes her and she peers out over the area. "Well.. this placen't isn' that bad.. Save for the whole near-death experience after all."
Bristlecone chews down the rabbit-leg down to the bone, and then cracks at it with his jaws, snapping it open to lick out the marrow. He laughs. "Near-death, yeah. But it's on the right side of it, 'cause we're not dead yet. Wouldn't want things to get boring, huh?"
Sanuye chuckles softly and nods with a smile, her tail swaying about while her head settles down to the ground. "True.. An yes we wouldn't want anything to get boring indeed." She seems amused by it to say the least.
Bristlecone lifts up his head, peering around, and grins. This is another of those things that others just don't seem to get, sometimes. "Hey," he says after a few moments. "Have you ever seen a waterfall?"
Sanuye glances over at him curiously and tilts her head. "A waterfall?" She pauses thinking a moment before shaking her head. "No.. Can't say that I have." She peers at him. "Why?"
Bristlecone hehs. "Well. If we do have to... go back..." he says, "I can show you one. It's near where I grew up. The wolves are there now, but we can still go visit. They're not horrible, for wolves."
Sanuye ohs at this and nods, a soft smile seen. "Well.. Seems like its a nice thing. I've heard others talk about them before." Her head tilts while she looks back towards where the canyon lies. "There are a few canyon's back where I'm from like that one, not as big though. An there is a rock mountain cliff that goes up towards this hug mountain peak.. But no waterfalls."
"It's pretty neat," says Bristlecone. "Sort of like..." he hmms, reaching for a comparison and finding... "Well, like a flood down over a cliff-face, only it's always there, not just when, uh, it rains..."
Sanuye ohs at this while peering at him, a curious look at the thought. "Sounds interesting." Her tail swaying about a few times. "When it rained a lot at the cliff the water will sometimes do that."
Bristlecone nods. "The waterfall is like that all the time," he says, and then hmms. "I wonder what it looks like from the other side..." Maybe he'll go find out sometime!
Sanuye murrs out softly while she nods and soon lets her head settle down to her forepaws. Her tail slowly sways now and then to bump and rub against his at times. "You never looked to see where about it came from? I'm rather surprized that that actually."
Bristlecone stretches out, wincing briefly as his moves his leg, and sways his tail back against hers. "Well, there's a big cliff to either side. It's too slippery to climb up, and I never made it far enough around either way to find out. It's big. Taller than any of the trees near there."
Sanuye smiles and hums, her eyes closing while she shifts to lean closer to him in the process. She seems rather content at the moment and relaxed enough to sleep if given the choice. "Well, I suppose that is a good enough reason to not have found the other side." A chuckle escapes her and she smiles. "Still.. If we go back we should try and see the other side. That would be an interesting thing to find."
Bristlecone makes a little chest-rumbly noise, and shifts againt Sanuye, pressing close to her. "Yeah. Maybe we'll just... go exploring together, and find out all these things. We make a good team. We could see the whole world, probably. You and me. Together."
Sanuye ears perk as she hears him, a soft smile seen and she murrs out softly rather enjoying being near him at the moment. She feels comfortable and rather relaxed. "Ya.. I think you have a good point there. We really do seem to make a good team." She offers while her tail thumps against the ground, a glance is offered over to him before she leans up to give his cheek a nosing. Once that is done her head settles down to her paws once more and her eyes close, ear twitching as she listens but soon seems to drift on to sleep.
Bristlecone smiles, and gently nuzzles back at Sanuye, then lowers his own head. Tomorrow will be another adventure. For tonight... they sleep. Together.