Post by Pavane on Mar 22, 2012 15:03:55 GMT -5
Tala - female adolescent wolf
Ikuna - male adolescent wolf
Ahiga - male adolescent wolf
---Hilltop Vista---
Tala has came home it would seem. The young she-wolf slowly moves along heading towards the den after wandering around the lands for a bit. Her tail swaying at the moment and she pauses with a faint snuffle escaping her while she glances around before settling to her haunches.
Ikuna is stretched out on the snow-dusted ground, looking up toward the sky. He stares at it for a long moment, and then gives himself a shake and stands up... just in time to see Tala approaching. He grins, and wags his tail as he starts trotting in that direction to meet her. "Hey! Welcome home."
Tala offers a smile to Ikuna, a soft wruff escaping her in the process. "Hey.. Told you i'd come home." She offers with a slight bounce to her step while she nuzzles against him. "How you been?"
Ikuna laughs, and nuzzles back. "'Course you did. I wasn't thinking you were gonna run off or anything!" He grins, but it's still obvious that he's a bit relieved; he could hardly help himself from worrying (just a little) while she was gone, now could he? Still, it's all better now. He shrugs a bit. "Oh, fine. It's been pretty quiet around here, 'cept for the pups getting out and exploring. How was your visit?"
Tala settles to her haunches, ears perking forward while she tilts her head, a soft smile seen. "Well that's good.. Suppose pups will do that an what not." She offers with a faint nod seen.
Tala ohs a moment. "It went alright I suppose. Got to talk with Anoki some, his still the bouncey fun wolf that I recall from before. An a dog showed up before I left. She seemed rather friendly."
Ikuna sits down himself, and nods as he listens. "Yeah, we did the same sorta stuff, only it was Chewy runnin' after us instead." That makes him frown a moment - for Wachiwa is gone now, the snow has come and he hasn't caught her scent in days - and then he huffs a sigh and moves on. "Glad to hear Anoki's doing well..." he says, and then tilts his head. "A dog, huh? Don't tell Ahiga, he'll probably freak out again."
Tala smiles and nods while tilting her head. "Well.. ya.." She chuckles before settling to her belly and stretching slightly. She has a feeling that Chewy would be gone, her ears lowering a moment infact. "Oh.. Well Ahiga came and got me so to speak.. He saw her last night actually." She grins. "It was amusing."
Ikuna blinks. "Oh? He didn't say anything about that..." Though, if it was just overnight, Ikuna supposes it's not too bad a thing. No worse than going off hunting or something, just a very specific sort of hunt! He gives himself a small shake and moves on. "Does he think he has dog cooties again? Maybe gonna have his ears turn floppy?"
Tala shrugs slightly at this and lets a forepaw drag across the ground a few times. "So it seems. He sorta freaked out, but I told him to get over it as the dog seemed rather nice just out of place you know?"
"Yeah. Never met a dog yet that didn't seem out of place... even the ones in stories are mostly lost or whatever." Ikuna shrugs a bit. "If she comes around here, I suppose I'll meet her. Seems pretty harmless."
Tala ponders why AHiga didn't tell Ikuna that he was leaving, oh well. "She sorta looked like a wolf, just didn't smell like on you know?" She offers as more of a statement then a question. "Anyway.. What was you and Ahiga up to while I was gone?"
"Huh. Most of them look weird... yellow or splotchy or whatever. Maybe some dogs are more like us than others." Ikuna shrugs somewhat, and then tilts his head to Tala. "Oh, us? Well... nothin' much. We did some patrols, taught stuff to the pups, went hunting. Stuff like that." Notable things they did not do: Talk about emotions. Talk about the future. Resolve the tension that Ikuna has successfully (for now) shoved into a deep dark hole. Discuss the absent Tala. Discuss the departing Chewy. They were like expert-class Avoiders Of Things.
Tala ohs annd nods a moment at this. "I see.." She isn't sure what she was hoping for, perhaps for them to talk about stuff while she was gone. How can they not think about stuff?.. Everything that's happened and nothing. Her ears lower a inch and she takes in a faint breath. "Oh well.. Sounds like fun. I tryed to get Anoki to go hunting but he kept dodging it."
Oh, they THOUGHT about stuff all right. Or at least Ikuna did. But, well, there's thinking, and then there's talking. One of these means putting out those squidgey bits in the open! So nerve-wracking. Ikuna turns his head to look aside for a long moment, and he lets out a sigh. His ear flicks as Tala speaks again, and then he looks back to her and hehs, half-hearted at first. "Yeah? Still just eating fish, huh... well, he's gotta give in sooner or later, or he's gonna look real funny when all the puppies come up to him and ask him for lessons."
Tala chuckles osftly and nods a moment. "Ya.. It will be amusing. I hope he can get over it at some point." She offers softly at the thought.
Ikuna nods. "Yeah. I... can't really blame him, though. He's had it hard." There's another sigh, and he lets his gaze wander aside... only to end up on the entrance of the den. "I suppose there won't be any pups next spring, will there? Skahla and Shawnee don't seem like they'd... want to again, and Chewy's gone so her and Asku aren't gonna get together, and even if you and Ahiga..." He glances back at his sister. "Well, that'd be awful fast, anyway. So even if you might sometime, it's not gonna be /soon/ like that."
Tala blinks at the question on puppies and looks towards him a moment. "Well.. No, I don't think there will be." She offers softly. "I mean.. I don't think Ahiga even likes me in that way." A shrugs seen. "Anyway.. It's up to Shahla and Shawnee who can have puppies in the pack to start with. They're alpha."
Ikuna frowns a moment at Tala's mention of Ahiga, but... well, he doesn't pursue it. He nods about Skahla and Shawnee. "Sure, but Skahla's not gonna go around asking people. Someone'd have to go ask him... and there's nobody even who'd do that."
Tala nods slightly while she lets her gaze drift off. "I know.. But who else could have pups around here anyway? Chewy's gone, and I don't think she and Asku are actually together anymore."
Ikuna ponders for a moment, and then shakes his head. He doesn't know of anyone else, not really. "Maybe not. I... Chewy still likes him, I think, but... no. They don't seem like they're together, really." Romance is hard, even when you're all grown up.
Tala ohs at this and nods. "Well.. I bet she does still like him." There is a faint pause. "Males are hard to understand.. Even when you tell them something they don't seem to get it." She offers while a faint snort escapes her.
Ikuna, as the representative of males here present... laughs, in an awkward sort of way. "Yeah, but we're kinda stuck with it, right?" He shuffles one paw against the ground. "I mean... can't stop being who we are. So..."
Tala peers over at him and smirks. "You know waht I mean.." She offers with an amused tone and gives her head a slight shake. "Anywho.. Maybe we could go for a hunt of something?.."
Ikuna hehs, and nods. "Yeah, I know." He headbutts at her shoulder lightly, and then lifts up his head. "Sure, we could do that. You caught any trails on the way, or are we just looking for whatever?"
Tala stretches slowly and yawns while giving herself a shake while she sits up. "I caught the scent of some deer on the way back. Its an idea you know?" She tilts her head tail thumping a few times.
"We can check it out," says Ikuna, and stands up to give himself a shake. So much fluff, with his winter coat grown in. "See if there's any hurt ones or such that've fallen behind."
Tala nods and smiles she she hops up onto her paws and turns starting to trot off. "That's what I'm thinking.. Be good to get as many decent meals in before the heavy snows come after all."
Ikuna nods his agreement, and then lopes after Tala, finding a place to her side and a half-step behind so she can lead the way to that herd of deer she found.
---Clover Lawn---
The two tavel for a short bit picking up on different tracks and scents from the deer that have moved through the area. Tala pauses a moment sniffing and looking at some bushes, the branches and leaves busted to show the deer went through not that long ago. "Think we're on the right path."
Ikuna lopes along easily, keeping pace with his sister. He looks side to side as he does, and then pauses to sniff around as well. "Looks like it," he agrees. The branches have been broken, and what's more, they've been nibbled. He sinks his body a bit closer to the ground, being all sneaky-wolf to see if they can get to the deer without being noticed.
Tala tail sways a few times while she slowly creeps along, moving closer and closer towards where she figures the deer could possible be found. For the moment they are hidden and the wind is in there favor from the looks of it. For a moment she pauses, hearing the munching of leaves and her nose twitches. "Go right.. I'll go left.." She murmurs to Ikuna as she slips leftwards to come around upon the other side of the small group of deer.
Ikuna holds himself low, pacing along in search of those deer. Closer, closer... and there they are. He nods to Tala's plan, and slips off that way, pausing with one paw lifted as a gust of wind makes it seem like the deer may notice... but fortunately, all it does is swirl the snow, and the deer go back to their eating as two wolves approach. It's a small herd, a buck and a few does, some only yearlings.
Tala crouches down low once she is in a spot, her tail twitching nervous like a few times before she catches herself. She waits and times it in her head, for when she knows Ikuna will be in the right place while eyeing the small herd, mostly the yearlings that would make a good catch. As for the buck it is looked at, an older one with one antler already gone, the one it has left looking rather big and pointy like.
Ikuna moves in to where tall grass has slumped to the side with snow, hiding himself behind it. The buck is wary, as they so often are after surviving this long, but he doesn't seem too concerned yet. The others have spread out somewhat, nosing past snow to eat the frozen grasses and leftover leaves.
Tala waits a few moments more before she creeps forward slowly heading closer towards the small herd. She is careful where to put each paw step, tail lowered and head level while her ears perk and then lower.. A few more steps and she suddenly darts forward heading towards one of the yearlings as quickly as she possible can..
Ikuna lies in wait, watching the deer for signs that they've noticed anything... or for his chance. He grins when he sees them startle, catching his sister's motion a bare moment before he does. The buck bugles a call of alarm, and the does scatter in all directions - but by now, Ikuna's figured out which one Tala is heading for, and when the deer tries to dart away she finds another wolf before her, snapping at her shoulder and drawing blood. The buck calls again, telling his harem to hide behind him, to be defended... but the yearling is too panicked to listen, and she starts to blindly run with Ikuna at her heels.
Tala shifts on her paws able to get in front of the doe to keep her from running off. She snaps her jaws out bouncing to try and grab hold of some part of the yearling but misses. With Ikuna at the other side of the yearling she isn't able to escape, though at the same time the movement is bringing the three ever closer towards where the buck is.. Which could bring up a problem if they don't get out of the way soon.
A hunt. Ahiga is aware of it and he is immersing himself in it now. He's been off trailing the borders and is heading home to the den when the sounds and feel of a hunt caught up with him. At first he watches. Noting the movement of deer. The calling of the buck. the one doe that doesn't seem to be complying. The two wolves at her side. His eyes track their trajectory, seeing the immediate problem of the buck who may be daring enough to take on two wolves. But three? He moves into action now, quickly. Keeping his body low, he runs towards Tala, Ikuna, and the doe, approaching from an opposite direction, making no attempt to be stealthy, hoping his presence will deter any retaliation from the male, and further confuse the panicked doe to give his packmates a chance to take her down.
The buck snorts, pawing against the ground. Ikuna lowers his body, lunging at the yearling and then dancing back out of range of her hooves, the back and forth game... the one that will lead to their success, if they have the time. That buck is presenting a problem, though. If Ikuna gets much closer, there'll be two sets of hooves for him to deal with... and the yearling seems to have realized that through her fear, as well. The wolf growls, trying to menace her, but he has to dart back again as she strikes out. The buck is focused on him, stamping his foot and then starting to approach - but only starting, for one of the older does squeals an alarm at Ahiga's approach, and the stag turns in that direction with a snort that shades from anger to fear. He stamps the ground, and then... he retreats, guiding his does - all save one - away in a measured fashion. The poor yearling is left behind, and she squeals a panicked note as she realizes it.
Tala continues along, she snaps and bites out at the doe's legs to try and push it closer towards Ikuna in the process. She ehars the pawing upon the ground a bit too late and nearly skids right in frnt of the buck as the doe shifts positions.. She looks wide-eyed at the buck and starts to back up, her hackles raised up until she sees the buck and the other does leaving once Ahiga is on the scene. A faint breath escapes her and she turns quickly catching up to help Ikuna.
A growl rises in Ahiga's throat as he runs, his eyes darting from deer to deer, making sure he steers clear of those sharp hooves. They're leaving, and thus his attention focuses on the one doe left. Doe versus a wolf pack. Granted, a small pack, but the odds are definitely not in her favor. Arcing his run once near enough, he angles himself so that he runs along the opposite side of hte doe where Tala was before she was forced to fall back. His fangs join in with Ikuna's, leaping up to bite every time her attention is torn to Ikuna.
Ikuna weaves from side to side, sparing a brief grin for Ahiga that turns into a snap of jaws a moment later. The young deer is bleeding in a few spots, but they're all fairly minor; she's been able to mostly fend the wolves off so far. She's growing fatigued, though; unused to this sort of game, and so using too much energy with every dodge and strike. She kicks back toward Ahiga, but then Ikuna dodges in and lands a bite on her side, just behind the foreleg. It's bleeding when he pulls back, and the deer staggers as she tries to regain her footing.
Tala hears Ahiga moving closer, though her attention is back on the doe and once Ikuna goes for the leg she lunges forward once more and makes a grab for the doe's neck. Its a low hold once she gets it though, and the young doe half rears up in some attempt to get away. Tala's forepaws swing out to press against the doe in some attempt to get her stable in the attack..
Dodge! Ahiga falls back a little as he ducks to one side, avoiding that kick by just a hair. Phew! Tala's back in the game, which is not good news for the poor doe! He buckles down again, regaining lost ground rather quickly. The fresh scent of blood makes it difficult to give up, especially now that thing are going so well. The doe is wounded and becoms even moreso with Tala trying for the kill. He sides up to the doe in an area where hooves don't kick as easily and leaps as well, clamping his jaw down on the side of the deer's neck, trying to use his added weight to bring her down.
You go, Tala! Wrassle that deer! Ikuna grins toothily as he looks for his next opportunity, then finds it as Ahiga joins Tala at the neck-mauling part of things. The doe staggers again, her forequarters being dragged to the ground by the weight of two wolves as her blood trickles out from those bites, and then Ikuna joins in, biting at the soft, tender flesh between hindleg and body. She doesn't even realize his lunge until it's too late, and he gets a good, solid chomp, holding on there as all three now tug her to the ground and her struggles to resist get weaker and weaker as she loses blood.
Tala wiggles and bounces around trying to pull the deer down.. Which after a few momens and with Ikuna and Ahiga jumping into the fray the doe is brought down. She keeps her hold on the doe's neck, and is able to get a tighter grip. Her gaze half shift towards her brother and friend glad to see there here to help!
Ahiga releases his grip as he feels the doe buckling down, not wanting to be caught beneath her weight. It doesn't take him long to find a new place to sink his teeth into. Tala has the death grip covered, he's just assisting by adding a few more holes to drain blood from to quicken the inevitable coming of death!
The doe slowly sinks to the ground, and Ikuna backs away, giving a few more tugs before he goes. There's a soft squeal, and Ikuna lets go of his grip, then plants his paws firmly on the deer's back as she shudders and then lies still. Victory!
Tala keeps the hold on the doe until she is forsure dead and shifts panting out faintly once she lets go of the deer. She licks across her maw and grins while looking at her brother and friends. "Great job guys!" She offers with a happy tone while panting out a few moments.
They did it! A winter kill. Food for the pack brought down by true contributing packmembers. Ahiga lifts his head and licks his muzzle as he grins a bloody grin at Ikuna and Tala, his tail wiggling behind him. "Yeah, yeah, /you're welcome/," he says with a lavish bow of his head and front half. When he rises, there's a joking grin on his face. "Haha, seriously though, sweet hunt. Look at it. S'enough to feed everybody."
Ikuna grins wide, and nods. "We woulda gotten it eventually..." he says, and then wags his tail as he leans over to headbutt at Ahiga. "Sure went better with help, though." He looks down over the kill, and grins. "Yeah, we'll be eating good."
Tala grins and nods while she head bumps her friend and then her brother. "Great job guys! This will show the otehrs that we can help out the pack nwo and we're not pups anymore for sure!" She offers with a quick nod."
Ahiga snickers and returns the headbump to the both of them, agreeing with Tala with eager nods. "Yup." Ah, if only Askuwheteau was here! How proud he'd be of them. Ahiga looks at the very still deer, his feeling of pride inflating a bit. "Think we should drag it closer to th'den? Bet it won't take long for some stupid coyote or somethin' to come sniffin' around, hoping to steal our hard work."
Ikuna grins his enthusiasm... and then nods. "Yeah. We got all of us, we can bring it back for the rest and the pups 'n stuff." After a moment, his eyes get wide as he realizes something. "Althaea's going to want to hunt like this soon." He glances over to Ahiga with shared knowing. "You know she is." (If she doesn't already!) "We'd better make sure she at least knows enough that she doesn't get herself hurt."
Tala tilts her head while looking to the two and nods with a smile to Ahiga. "That's a good idea. An of course she will, we're have to teach her everything like Asku taught us you know?" Her tail sways about while she wiggles on her paws. "We can just take it to the normal spot. I don't want to drag is all the way back to the den an have some coyote wander to close to the pups."
"Y'think?" says Ahiga, looking to Ikuna with lifted brows. "Like...y'don't think she'd wanna start off with like..a bunny?" Heh. Even as he says it he knows he's wishful thinking. From what he knows of that youngster, it seems as if she feels she's ready to take on the world! "Ha, nevermind," he murmurs with a shake of his head, flopping back to sit in his haunches. "Eh, guess you're right, Tala though I don't think any coyote'd be crazy enough to get near our den, deer or not."
"I dunno, some coyotes think they can get away with anything. You 'member the story about when Coyote tried to steal the sun." Ikuna grins, though, and noses down at the deer to flop one of its limbs into a better position for dragging. "Anyway, it's a good idea to leave it where everyone used to looking. No need to brag." ...at least, not bluntly. Word will certainly get around! He snorts to Ahiga's protest that Althaea might start small, and then nods as he moves on to agreement. "Yeah," he says, looking between the two of them. "We'll take care of it. Just like Asku and Chewy did for us."
Tala nods to Ikuna while she shifts on her paws and tilts her head. "Well come on.. We thought that we could take on the world at her age." She points out with a smirk. "An ya.. No bragging about it, we did this for us and the pack. An they now know we can get the job done." THis said with a nod while she moves to grab hold of one of the long deer legs to help move it.
Hrmph. "We /could/ take on the world at her age," insists Ahiga, though he does so with a playful smirk. He tilts his head to one side then the other quickly, cracking his neck with a satisfying pop. Ah, there we go. Ready for hard labor! He moves to one of the doe's legs, choosing a foreleg as his anchor to pull. Another good thing about working together? Sharing the grunt work! "Sooner we get this thing moved, the sooner we eat, an' I'm hungry!" He glomps down on an unclaimed foreleg and rolls his shoulders, digging his paws into the ground. "Less goh," he says, mouth full, pulling backward to help drag the kill elsewhere.
"We did, too, and just look where it got us." Ikuna grins, and grabs the deer's head by the fleshy bits near the nose, getting a solid grip and lifting it off the ground as he starts to pull along with his packmates, together dragging it bumpitybumpitybump back toward the hill and the scattered graveyard of bones from other old kills.
Tala loosk amused and snickers. "True.." She mumbles out around the leg she has as they drag and pull the kill towards the normal area for the kills. It takes a short while but once ther she lets go and gives herself a good shake.
Tug. Tug. Tugtugtug. ...it's just like playing tug-o-war as puppies, only it's for a far better cause. Once the deer is in place, Ikuna lets go, licking over his muzzle to clean the blood from it - not that there's much point, since the next step is for them to start eating! As the hunters (and with no higher-ranking wolves around to say otherwise!) they clearly get first dibs, and so Ikuna plants a paw on one end of the deer to tug at the belly and start eating, while Ahiga does the same. Hungry wolves are hungry!
Ikuna - male adolescent wolf
Ahiga - male adolescent wolf
---Hilltop Vista---
Tala has came home it would seem. The young she-wolf slowly moves along heading towards the den after wandering around the lands for a bit. Her tail swaying at the moment and she pauses with a faint snuffle escaping her while she glances around before settling to her haunches.
Ikuna is stretched out on the snow-dusted ground, looking up toward the sky. He stares at it for a long moment, and then gives himself a shake and stands up... just in time to see Tala approaching. He grins, and wags his tail as he starts trotting in that direction to meet her. "Hey! Welcome home."
Tala offers a smile to Ikuna, a soft wruff escaping her in the process. "Hey.. Told you i'd come home." She offers with a slight bounce to her step while she nuzzles against him. "How you been?"
Ikuna laughs, and nuzzles back. "'Course you did. I wasn't thinking you were gonna run off or anything!" He grins, but it's still obvious that he's a bit relieved; he could hardly help himself from worrying (just a little) while she was gone, now could he? Still, it's all better now. He shrugs a bit. "Oh, fine. It's been pretty quiet around here, 'cept for the pups getting out and exploring. How was your visit?"
Tala settles to her haunches, ears perking forward while she tilts her head, a soft smile seen. "Well that's good.. Suppose pups will do that an what not." She offers with a faint nod seen.
Tala ohs a moment. "It went alright I suppose. Got to talk with Anoki some, his still the bouncey fun wolf that I recall from before. An a dog showed up before I left. She seemed rather friendly."
Ikuna sits down himself, and nods as he listens. "Yeah, we did the same sorta stuff, only it was Chewy runnin' after us instead." That makes him frown a moment - for Wachiwa is gone now, the snow has come and he hasn't caught her scent in days - and then he huffs a sigh and moves on. "Glad to hear Anoki's doing well..." he says, and then tilts his head. "A dog, huh? Don't tell Ahiga, he'll probably freak out again."
Tala smiles and nods while tilting her head. "Well.. ya.." She chuckles before settling to her belly and stretching slightly. She has a feeling that Chewy would be gone, her ears lowering a moment infact. "Oh.. Well Ahiga came and got me so to speak.. He saw her last night actually." She grins. "It was amusing."
Ikuna blinks. "Oh? He didn't say anything about that..." Though, if it was just overnight, Ikuna supposes it's not too bad a thing. No worse than going off hunting or something, just a very specific sort of hunt! He gives himself a small shake and moves on. "Does he think he has dog cooties again? Maybe gonna have his ears turn floppy?"
Tala shrugs slightly at this and lets a forepaw drag across the ground a few times. "So it seems. He sorta freaked out, but I told him to get over it as the dog seemed rather nice just out of place you know?"
"Yeah. Never met a dog yet that didn't seem out of place... even the ones in stories are mostly lost or whatever." Ikuna shrugs a bit. "If she comes around here, I suppose I'll meet her. Seems pretty harmless."
Tala ponders why AHiga didn't tell Ikuna that he was leaving, oh well. "She sorta looked like a wolf, just didn't smell like on you know?" She offers as more of a statement then a question. "Anyway.. What was you and Ahiga up to while I was gone?"
"Huh. Most of them look weird... yellow or splotchy or whatever. Maybe some dogs are more like us than others." Ikuna shrugs somewhat, and then tilts his head to Tala. "Oh, us? Well... nothin' much. We did some patrols, taught stuff to the pups, went hunting. Stuff like that." Notable things they did not do: Talk about emotions. Talk about the future. Resolve the tension that Ikuna has successfully (for now) shoved into a deep dark hole. Discuss the absent Tala. Discuss the departing Chewy. They were like expert-class Avoiders Of Things.
Tala ohs annd nods a moment at this. "I see.." She isn't sure what she was hoping for, perhaps for them to talk about stuff while she was gone. How can they not think about stuff?.. Everything that's happened and nothing. Her ears lower a inch and she takes in a faint breath. "Oh well.. Sounds like fun. I tryed to get Anoki to go hunting but he kept dodging it."
Oh, they THOUGHT about stuff all right. Or at least Ikuna did. But, well, there's thinking, and then there's talking. One of these means putting out those squidgey bits in the open! So nerve-wracking. Ikuna turns his head to look aside for a long moment, and he lets out a sigh. His ear flicks as Tala speaks again, and then he looks back to her and hehs, half-hearted at first. "Yeah? Still just eating fish, huh... well, he's gotta give in sooner or later, or he's gonna look real funny when all the puppies come up to him and ask him for lessons."
Tala chuckles osftly and nods a moment. "Ya.. It will be amusing. I hope he can get over it at some point." She offers softly at the thought.
Ikuna nods. "Yeah. I... can't really blame him, though. He's had it hard." There's another sigh, and he lets his gaze wander aside... only to end up on the entrance of the den. "I suppose there won't be any pups next spring, will there? Skahla and Shawnee don't seem like they'd... want to again, and Chewy's gone so her and Asku aren't gonna get together, and even if you and Ahiga..." He glances back at his sister. "Well, that'd be awful fast, anyway. So even if you might sometime, it's not gonna be /soon/ like that."
Tala blinks at the question on puppies and looks towards him a moment. "Well.. No, I don't think there will be." She offers softly. "I mean.. I don't think Ahiga even likes me in that way." A shrugs seen. "Anyway.. It's up to Shahla and Shawnee who can have puppies in the pack to start with. They're alpha."
Ikuna frowns a moment at Tala's mention of Ahiga, but... well, he doesn't pursue it. He nods about Skahla and Shawnee. "Sure, but Skahla's not gonna go around asking people. Someone'd have to go ask him... and there's nobody even who'd do that."
Tala nods slightly while she lets her gaze drift off. "I know.. But who else could have pups around here anyway? Chewy's gone, and I don't think she and Asku are actually together anymore."
Ikuna ponders for a moment, and then shakes his head. He doesn't know of anyone else, not really. "Maybe not. I... Chewy still likes him, I think, but... no. They don't seem like they're together, really." Romance is hard, even when you're all grown up.
Tala ohs at this and nods. "Well.. I bet she does still like him." There is a faint pause. "Males are hard to understand.. Even when you tell them something they don't seem to get it." She offers while a faint snort escapes her.
Ikuna, as the representative of males here present... laughs, in an awkward sort of way. "Yeah, but we're kinda stuck with it, right?" He shuffles one paw against the ground. "I mean... can't stop being who we are. So..."
Tala peers over at him and smirks. "You know waht I mean.." She offers with an amused tone and gives her head a slight shake. "Anywho.. Maybe we could go for a hunt of something?.."
Ikuna hehs, and nods. "Yeah, I know." He headbutts at her shoulder lightly, and then lifts up his head. "Sure, we could do that. You caught any trails on the way, or are we just looking for whatever?"
Tala stretches slowly and yawns while giving herself a shake while she sits up. "I caught the scent of some deer on the way back. Its an idea you know?" She tilts her head tail thumping a few times.
"We can check it out," says Ikuna, and stands up to give himself a shake. So much fluff, with his winter coat grown in. "See if there's any hurt ones or such that've fallen behind."
Tala nods and smiles she she hops up onto her paws and turns starting to trot off. "That's what I'm thinking.. Be good to get as many decent meals in before the heavy snows come after all."
Ikuna nods his agreement, and then lopes after Tala, finding a place to her side and a half-step behind so she can lead the way to that herd of deer she found.
---Clover Lawn---
The two tavel for a short bit picking up on different tracks and scents from the deer that have moved through the area. Tala pauses a moment sniffing and looking at some bushes, the branches and leaves busted to show the deer went through not that long ago. "Think we're on the right path."
Ikuna lopes along easily, keeping pace with his sister. He looks side to side as he does, and then pauses to sniff around as well. "Looks like it," he agrees. The branches have been broken, and what's more, they've been nibbled. He sinks his body a bit closer to the ground, being all sneaky-wolf to see if they can get to the deer without being noticed.
Tala tail sways a few times while she slowly creeps along, moving closer and closer towards where she figures the deer could possible be found. For the moment they are hidden and the wind is in there favor from the looks of it. For a moment she pauses, hearing the munching of leaves and her nose twitches. "Go right.. I'll go left.." She murmurs to Ikuna as she slips leftwards to come around upon the other side of the small group of deer.
Ikuna holds himself low, pacing along in search of those deer. Closer, closer... and there they are. He nods to Tala's plan, and slips off that way, pausing with one paw lifted as a gust of wind makes it seem like the deer may notice... but fortunately, all it does is swirl the snow, and the deer go back to their eating as two wolves approach. It's a small herd, a buck and a few does, some only yearlings.
Tala crouches down low once she is in a spot, her tail twitching nervous like a few times before she catches herself. She waits and times it in her head, for when she knows Ikuna will be in the right place while eyeing the small herd, mostly the yearlings that would make a good catch. As for the buck it is looked at, an older one with one antler already gone, the one it has left looking rather big and pointy like.
Ikuna moves in to where tall grass has slumped to the side with snow, hiding himself behind it. The buck is wary, as they so often are after surviving this long, but he doesn't seem too concerned yet. The others have spread out somewhat, nosing past snow to eat the frozen grasses and leftover leaves.
Tala waits a few moments more before she creeps forward slowly heading closer towards the small herd. She is careful where to put each paw step, tail lowered and head level while her ears perk and then lower.. A few more steps and she suddenly darts forward heading towards one of the yearlings as quickly as she possible can..
Ikuna lies in wait, watching the deer for signs that they've noticed anything... or for his chance. He grins when he sees them startle, catching his sister's motion a bare moment before he does. The buck bugles a call of alarm, and the does scatter in all directions - but by now, Ikuna's figured out which one Tala is heading for, and when the deer tries to dart away she finds another wolf before her, snapping at her shoulder and drawing blood. The buck calls again, telling his harem to hide behind him, to be defended... but the yearling is too panicked to listen, and she starts to blindly run with Ikuna at her heels.
Tala shifts on her paws able to get in front of the doe to keep her from running off. She snaps her jaws out bouncing to try and grab hold of some part of the yearling but misses. With Ikuna at the other side of the yearling she isn't able to escape, though at the same time the movement is bringing the three ever closer towards where the buck is.. Which could bring up a problem if they don't get out of the way soon.
A hunt. Ahiga is aware of it and he is immersing himself in it now. He's been off trailing the borders and is heading home to the den when the sounds and feel of a hunt caught up with him. At first he watches. Noting the movement of deer. The calling of the buck. the one doe that doesn't seem to be complying. The two wolves at her side. His eyes track their trajectory, seeing the immediate problem of the buck who may be daring enough to take on two wolves. But three? He moves into action now, quickly. Keeping his body low, he runs towards Tala, Ikuna, and the doe, approaching from an opposite direction, making no attempt to be stealthy, hoping his presence will deter any retaliation from the male, and further confuse the panicked doe to give his packmates a chance to take her down.
The buck snorts, pawing against the ground. Ikuna lowers his body, lunging at the yearling and then dancing back out of range of her hooves, the back and forth game... the one that will lead to their success, if they have the time. That buck is presenting a problem, though. If Ikuna gets much closer, there'll be two sets of hooves for him to deal with... and the yearling seems to have realized that through her fear, as well. The wolf growls, trying to menace her, but he has to dart back again as she strikes out. The buck is focused on him, stamping his foot and then starting to approach - but only starting, for one of the older does squeals an alarm at Ahiga's approach, and the stag turns in that direction with a snort that shades from anger to fear. He stamps the ground, and then... he retreats, guiding his does - all save one - away in a measured fashion. The poor yearling is left behind, and she squeals a panicked note as she realizes it.
Tala continues along, she snaps and bites out at the doe's legs to try and push it closer towards Ikuna in the process. She ehars the pawing upon the ground a bit too late and nearly skids right in frnt of the buck as the doe shifts positions.. She looks wide-eyed at the buck and starts to back up, her hackles raised up until she sees the buck and the other does leaving once Ahiga is on the scene. A faint breath escapes her and she turns quickly catching up to help Ikuna.
A growl rises in Ahiga's throat as he runs, his eyes darting from deer to deer, making sure he steers clear of those sharp hooves. They're leaving, and thus his attention focuses on the one doe left. Doe versus a wolf pack. Granted, a small pack, but the odds are definitely not in her favor. Arcing his run once near enough, he angles himself so that he runs along the opposite side of hte doe where Tala was before she was forced to fall back. His fangs join in with Ikuna's, leaping up to bite every time her attention is torn to Ikuna.
Ikuna weaves from side to side, sparing a brief grin for Ahiga that turns into a snap of jaws a moment later. The young deer is bleeding in a few spots, but they're all fairly minor; she's been able to mostly fend the wolves off so far. She's growing fatigued, though; unused to this sort of game, and so using too much energy with every dodge and strike. She kicks back toward Ahiga, but then Ikuna dodges in and lands a bite on her side, just behind the foreleg. It's bleeding when he pulls back, and the deer staggers as she tries to regain her footing.
Tala hears Ahiga moving closer, though her attention is back on the doe and once Ikuna goes for the leg she lunges forward once more and makes a grab for the doe's neck. Its a low hold once she gets it though, and the young doe half rears up in some attempt to get away. Tala's forepaws swing out to press against the doe in some attempt to get her stable in the attack..
Dodge! Ahiga falls back a little as he ducks to one side, avoiding that kick by just a hair. Phew! Tala's back in the game, which is not good news for the poor doe! He buckles down again, regaining lost ground rather quickly. The fresh scent of blood makes it difficult to give up, especially now that thing are going so well. The doe is wounded and becoms even moreso with Tala trying for the kill. He sides up to the doe in an area where hooves don't kick as easily and leaps as well, clamping his jaw down on the side of the deer's neck, trying to use his added weight to bring her down.
You go, Tala! Wrassle that deer! Ikuna grins toothily as he looks for his next opportunity, then finds it as Ahiga joins Tala at the neck-mauling part of things. The doe staggers again, her forequarters being dragged to the ground by the weight of two wolves as her blood trickles out from those bites, and then Ikuna joins in, biting at the soft, tender flesh between hindleg and body. She doesn't even realize his lunge until it's too late, and he gets a good, solid chomp, holding on there as all three now tug her to the ground and her struggles to resist get weaker and weaker as she loses blood.
Tala wiggles and bounces around trying to pull the deer down.. Which after a few momens and with Ikuna and Ahiga jumping into the fray the doe is brought down. She keeps her hold on the doe's neck, and is able to get a tighter grip. Her gaze half shift towards her brother and friend glad to see there here to help!
Ahiga releases his grip as he feels the doe buckling down, not wanting to be caught beneath her weight. It doesn't take him long to find a new place to sink his teeth into. Tala has the death grip covered, he's just assisting by adding a few more holes to drain blood from to quicken the inevitable coming of death!
The doe slowly sinks to the ground, and Ikuna backs away, giving a few more tugs before he goes. There's a soft squeal, and Ikuna lets go of his grip, then plants his paws firmly on the deer's back as she shudders and then lies still. Victory!
Tala keeps the hold on the doe until she is forsure dead and shifts panting out faintly once she lets go of the deer. She licks across her maw and grins while looking at her brother and friends. "Great job guys!" She offers with a happy tone while panting out a few moments.
They did it! A winter kill. Food for the pack brought down by true contributing packmembers. Ahiga lifts his head and licks his muzzle as he grins a bloody grin at Ikuna and Tala, his tail wiggling behind him. "Yeah, yeah, /you're welcome/," he says with a lavish bow of his head and front half. When he rises, there's a joking grin on his face. "Haha, seriously though, sweet hunt. Look at it. S'enough to feed everybody."
Ikuna grins wide, and nods. "We woulda gotten it eventually..." he says, and then wags his tail as he leans over to headbutt at Ahiga. "Sure went better with help, though." He looks down over the kill, and grins. "Yeah, we'll be eating good."
Tala grins and nods while she head bumps her friend and then her brother. "Great job guys! This will show the otehrs that we can help out the pack nwo and we're not pups anymore for sure!" She offers with a quick nod."
Ahiga snickers and returns the headbump to the both of them, agreeing with Tala with eager nods. "Yup." Ah, if only Askuwheteau was here! How proud he'd be of them. Ahiga looks at the very still deer, his feeling of pride inflating a bit. "Think we should drag it closer to th'den? Bet it won't take long for some stupid coyote or somethin' to come sniffin' around, hoping to steal our hard work."
Ikuna grins his enthusiasm... and then nods. "Yeah. We got all of us, we can bring it back for the rest and the pups 'n stuff." After a moment, his eyes get wide as he realizes something. "Althaea's going to want to hunt like this soon." He glances over to Ahiga with shared knowing. "You know she is." (If she doesn't already!) "We'd better make sure she at least knows enough that she doesn't get herself hurt."
Tala tilts her head while looking to the two and nods with a smile to Ahiga. "That's a good idea. An of course she will, we're have to teach her everything like Asku taught us you know?" Her tail sways about while she wiggles on her paws. "We can just take it to the normal spot. I don't want to drag is all the way back to the den an have some coyote wander to close to the pups."
"Y'think?" says Ahiga, looking to Ikuna with lifted brows. "Like...y'don't think she'd wanna start off with like..a bunny?" Heh. Even as he says it he knows he's wishful thinking. From what he knows of that youngster, it seems as if she feels she's ready to take on the world! "Ha, nevermind," he murmurs with a shake of his head, flopping back to sit in his haunches. "Eh, guess you're right, Tala though I don't think any coyote'd be crazy enough to get near our den, deer or not."
"I dunno, some coyotes think they can get away with anything. You 'member the story about when Coyote tried to steal the sun." Ikuna grins, though, and noses down at the deer to flop one of its limbs into a better position for dragging. "Anyway, it's a good idea to leave it where everyone used to looking. No need to brag." ...at least, not bluntly. Word will certainly get around! He snorts to Ahiga's protest that Althaea might start small, and then nods as he moves on to agreement. "Yeah," he says, looking between the two of them. "We'll take care of it. Just like Asku and Chewy did for us."
Tala nods to Ikuna while she shifts on her paws and tilts her head. "Well come on.. We thought that we could take on the world at her age." She points out with a smirk. "An ya.. No bragging about it, we did this for us and the pack. An they now know we can get the job done." THis said with a nod while she moves to grab hold of one of the long deer legs to help move it.
Hrmph. "We /could/ take on the world at her age," insists Ahiga, though he does so with a playful smirk. He tilts his head to one side then the other quickly, cracking his neck with a satisfying pop. Ah, there we go. Ready for hard labor! He moves to one of the doe's legs, choosing a foreleg as his anchor to pull. Another good thing about working together? Sharing the grunt work! "Sooner we get this thing moved, the sooner we eat, an' I'm hungry!" He glomps down on an unclaimed foreleg and rolls his shoulders, digging his paws into the ground. "Less goh," he says, mouth full, pulling backward to help drag the kill elsewhere.
"We did, too, and just look where it got us." Ikuna grins, and grabs the deer's head by the fleshy bits near the nose, getting a solid grip and lifting it off the ground as he starts to pull along with his packmates, together dragging it bumpitybumpitybump back toward the hill and the scattered graveyard of bones from other old kills.
Tala loosk amused and snickers. "True.." She mumbles out around the leg she has as they drag and pull the kill towards the normal area for the kills. It takes a short while but once ther she lets go and gives herself a good shake.
Tug. Tug. Tugtugtug. ...it's just like playing tug-o-war as puppies, only it's for a far better cause. Once the deer is in place, Ikuna lets go, licking over his muzzle to clean the blood from it - not that there's much point, since the next step is for them to start eating! As the hunters (and with no higher-ranking wolves around to say otherwise!) they clearly get first dibs, and so Ikuna plants a paw on one end of the deer to tug at the belly and start eating, while Ahiga does the same. Hungry wolves are hungry!