Post by Pavane on Mar 30, 2012 18:41:42 GMT -5
Macavity - male cat
Tala - female adolescent wolf
Ikuna - male adolescent wolf
---Clover Lawn---
Snow, by now likely thick and deep, has buried the ever-invasive clover of the lawn-like clearing mid the forest. Along with burying the clover, it has clotted and covered the various little nooks, holes, and crannies in the ground carved out by mice, voles, rats, gophers, and other ground dwelling critters. For clever hunters, however, this doesn't stop the 'circle of life' in the least. And one such hunter plods his way along the top of the snow, sinking only vaguely in despite the great bulk he possesses in both fur and muscle. Macavity has come once more to the forest with the tiner creeping it's frosty claws across the land; and he is following the smell and scent of something just beneath the crust of the snow, toward the circle of three stones, tail low, tip twitching about his ankles. When his prey is beneath the snow that means he doesn't have to worry about cloying into shadows; which is just fine and dandy for the dark colored Coon tom.
The winter is going along smashingly, thick covers of snow cover the forest and Tala is moving along slowly through the snow, tail swaying a few times in the process. A yawn escaping her in the process, nose twitching and ears perking forward in the process. For a moment she pauses, ears perking and head tilting to the side as a snuffles out thinking she caught a scent of something that is well.. different to say the least.
Not long behind Tala comes another wolf; they're like that, are wolves. You never can seem to find just one, or at least not for long. Instead there are the packs; and in this case, the other wolf is Ikuna. He's not the one who notices the scent, looking as he is off to the side - but he catches a glimpse of Tala's pose of consideration, and breaks into a quicker pace for a moment to step up beside her and glance to her questioningly, lifting his nose to sniff.
Ears twitch; one cocking in the vague direction of the wolves creeping up on the lawn, but both quickly righting themselves in the direction of that small, twitching, scratchy sound in the snow. The cat freezes, tail tip switching side to side in anticipation, before shoulders shift; the cat sinks instinctively, eyes darting across the snow, before like a shot he is suddenly leaping and lunging into the thick; there's a flurry of large paws slapping the snow before he ducks his head; left forepaw curling swiftly up. There's sharp squeaking noises, and then the cat is shaking his head-- before bounding forward toward, into, and up /upon/ the tallest of the rocks, his thick chest fur, belly fur, and legs streaked in clumps of white.. and one poor, still struggling vole in his mouth. He settles down atop the rock in a sit, tail curling about his feet, ducking his head down to pin the unfortunate rodent under an overly large 'palm', claws splaying about it, as the other paw is brought up for painfully long grooming-- clearly, leaving the rodent, which appears still quite alive, if somewhat badly injured, to stew.
Tala hums softly to herself and snuffls out faintly before licking across her maw. Her tail wiggles about slowly. "Did you smell something?" She questions curiously while looking out over the area, ears perking forward andher nose wiggles a moment in fact.
Sniff sniff sniff... "Yeah," says Ikuna, and then shakes his head with lack of recognition before his ears twitch at the sound of a vole-squeak. Someone's out hunting, it seems... better find out who. "C'mon," he says to his sister before shifting up to a trot, heading across the field until he catches sight of tabby-brown fur atop the rock. That's a... well... a... ...a what-he-smelled. Bigger'n a weasel, smaller'n a wolf, and covered in fluff. The wolf pauses, taking in the scene.
Green-silver eyes narrow to slits as the smug beast uses his prickly tongue to smooth fur down, melt away snow, and clear the white off his large paws. Then, Macavity rumbles an amused, cold chuckle at the vole trapped in the other paw, and lowering the groomed paw, he half-turns the one pinning the varmint down, to cup it between both forewpaws with claws obviously digging in. "Oh dear me, dear me," he coos softly, "Still alive? How absolutely dreeeadful that internal damage did nothing for you. Goodness, I must be getting sloppy in my old age. Now let me see... Maybe this will help?" He hunches down, and begins patting the poor thing between his paws, as it twitches and kicks, trying to drag itself away, before he ducks his head down, and snatches it up in his jaws, before flinging it dramatically into the air; letting it flip end over end, to land in the snow, disoriented and dying. Survival instinct sends the vole trying to crawl away; and it manages a vague inch before the large 'not wolf' leaps off the rock, and onto it from above with paws to pin, causing weaker, protestive squeaks to erupt.
Tala hums and nods slowly while she moves along, slowly ever forwrad towards the strange smell in the distance. Her tail flicking around a few times in the process. "I wonder why it is here." She offers to her brother while they move ever slowly closer towards the strange smell.
As he gets an idea of what's going on, Ikuna frowns. Hunting is one thing. This... no, he's not so fond of this. He breaks into a trot, head low and tail straight behind him as he approaches this creature. "Kill it now." The vole seems doomed regardless, and it is prey, suited to filling the belly of a hunter; but that doesn't mean it should suffer.
Though ears twitch, first erect, then flat, and finally back, the cat does not seem paniced by the approach of Ikuna, his paws cupped about the vole the young wolf seems to intent to show mercy upon. Macavity, head dipped in brief lording over the squeaking thing, looks up, and over his shoulder to Ikuna, giving him the very familiar cat expression of 'oh _please_." before he covers the vole with his large paws, ducks his head, and crunches into it. A final squeak- and then silence. Macavity lifts his head, dead vole hanging slightly eviscerated from his jaws, and turns toward Ikuna boredly, settling into a set on the ground, before, with a jerk of his head, tossing it to the ground at Ikuna's feet. "Happy?" Macavity asks, dully.
Tala was coming up at a different angle so did not catch sight of the cat thing playing with its food so to speak. Her eyes narrow, ears slick back and she shifts forward at a sudden quick pace, a deep growl escaping her. "You little fuzzy bug.. You do not treat animals in such manner on this land." No one plays with there food here thank you. Well at least not while the food is alive. Her jaws snap a moment at the commentfrom the cat. "You.. are not that smart are you..?" This questioned with a thin tone.
Once the vole is dead, Ikuna ignores it, keeping his gaze on the feline. Where his sister growls, he does not; only keeps a steady stare. "Satisfied," he answers to Macavity. "This is Ute land. If you hunt here, do it cleanly, and to satisfy your hunger. That is all I require." Whatever this is, it certainly isn't a wolf, and so he won't hold it to the standards of wolves...
Ikuna is no threat as far as Macavity can tell, but Tala, well. He turns in her direction with all the swiftness of a snake, and, ears back, eyes narrowed, and mouth opening wide to show many teeth, he offers her the exact expressiveness of a snake as well; letting out a loud, warning /hiss/ that sends breath and spittle into the air. Tail tip now switching side to side expressively as he curls it about his feet, the cat lets out a low growl. Ears slightly back, one kept in Tala's direction, he deigns to speak to Ikuna, since the male of the two wolves appears to be far less likely to do something rash. "As you wish, Alpha Wolf of the Ute... However you should know that as a cat, that /is/ how I hunt. You look young, so you've likely never met a cat before to know this. A /wise/ cat," he pauses, half turning to size Tala up as if to suggest he is unsure of her wisdom, "Will take entertainment from his food before he eats it. After all, once it's dead, well. There's nothing more you can do with it, except eat it. Or leave it for the ravens.."
Tala does not show any fear while the cat turns into a fuzzy spitting claw and fang filled snake.. or so it would seem. Though she does not get to close either, she recalls the story about Asku and the snake after all. "I've seen bobcats before.. Your not big enough to be one of them types." She points out with a soft snort. "There are way to hunt without playing and making your prey suffer cat. It is not wish to make the spirts wise especially during this time of the year. If you make them mad they may see to it that no prey shall walk or be found before you ever again." This said with a slight snap of her pearly white fangs. Has her own wisdom thank you!
The standards of cats, on the other hand... seem to be ones he finds distasteful. Ikuna frowns for a long moment. "I cannot speak to the ways of cats. I am only a wolf, and I am no Alpha." ...not that you'd know it, from how he was talking before, and how he continues to hold himself and speak. "If you are a /wise/ cat, though, you will know that angering a wolf-pack is foolishness. I cannot order you to stop; but I can tell you this. If any of the Ute see you torturing a creature so... well." He smiles slightly, the expression a humourless one. "There are many with my sister's temper." Y'know, the fangs-bared, snarling, ready to take a cat's head off sort of temper. "That is my warning, O wise cat."
Ears back, the cat turns to give Tala a needled stare: "There are other kinds of cats in the world besides bobcats. Again, you, are young. So I will forgive you your stupidity on that front." His tail flips, and unwinds from about his feet as he stands, and turns, tail sweeping side to side, before he springs to the top of the nearest of the three stones, and stands there, looking over his shoulder at the two wolves. He turns again, and sits, watching them. "For a pack, you are young and few. I've found more stink of wolves in the human towns than I have in this area. I suppose I will humor you for now. I will do my hunting when you are not around... Which may soon be 'forever', if what I have seen to the north this winter is any clue." His tail curls about his feet again; it's a very large tail to be able to do so indeed.
Tala just blinks, as if the cat had smacked her. "While you little fuzzy stick.." She lets out a snarl and jumps forward after the cat with a snap of her powerful jaws. "You know little of this pack if you think this is all of us." She stalks forward, head low and ears back, lips pulled up as she snarls once more. "Your winter will be shorter then all get if I catch you anywhere on these lands again." Indeed she has a right firey temper to say the least, tail flagging about and hackles raised across her neck and back.
It's true enough that Ute has grown sparse. Even the elder wolves are... not so elder as might be hoped. The alpha himself is not yet four years of age. Ikuna frowns to that part of the taunting, but doesn't respond... though the last part catches his interest. "Easy, Tala," he says, and paces forward, nudging his shoulder against his bristling sister along the way in an attempt to calm her. He looks up at the seated feline. "What have you seen? What's happening to the north?"
Eyes rolling, the cat remarks, "Temper, temper. No wonder your brother has the better makings of an alpha. You are far too quick to rage... What would your spirits think of that? You act like a cur with rabies." He looks to Ikuna, though, catching the male's interest in his eyes. Macavity lifts one large paw, and true to pure cat nature, licks it to draw things out for a moment, examining the digits-- that's.. a large paw for a cat.. and looks almost like a bear's for the shape of it. (What normal cat has 'thumbs'?) But then, smoothing it over an ear, he remarks, "Humans," at first casual, "And dogs." and then more serious. "But not the stupid kind of dogs that the fancy humans have for show. No... No, these are more dangerous. They breed these dogs to pull their sledges when they mine, they breed them to hunt the likes of you for as much sport as a cat hunts a mouse. And when a wolf is dead, they remove his skin, and use it to make stupid things they wear to cover their naked, furless skin. The humans may not be so horrible a thing; they dispise winter, more than many animals do. No, it's not the humans I would worry about... but the dogs."
Tala lets a deep growl escapes her as she hears the cat.. She is about to say more before Ikuna steps in to stop her it would seem.. Which is good because she wanted to lung at that cat and rip it apart. There is a pause though as the cat talks as if she knows something of what he says. "A dog that has a curly tail?" This questioned with a slight twitch of her ears and wiggle of her nose.. Like the one she met when visiting Anoki..
As the feline draws things out, Ikuna's ears twitch up slightly, but that's the only sign of his irritation. Cats, it seems, will torment other things besides their prey if they have the chance... but he waits, and is glad he did. "Humans and dogs," he repeats, holding the words in his mouth as if to consider them, and frowns... though now it's not for the cat, but for the news. "If the humans hide in their dens, good. I have no desire to meet one. As for the dogs..." He trails off, pondering, and then tilts his head at Tala's question before glancing to the cat again.
With eyes wide, yet not quite in shock, the cat looks to Tala and nods slowly. "Mmmhmm. Those're the ones. One or two at a time may not be so hard for a pack of wolves to deal with. But these dogs.. they grow, and hunt in packs as well. Why, there are even some that look like wolves themselves; the better to find and hunt true wolves. They often send those ones out, the females, smelling of heat, to lure the males out, and back to them.. and then.." A swift motion of paw across his throat is made expressively, accented by a choking throat sound. Macavity lets the paw hang a moment, then slowly sets it back to the stone upon which he sits. "And you think what I did to the vole was torture? You have not seen dogs hunt a wolf..."
Tala eyes widen slightly as she hears this from the cat before looking back to Ikuna. "I.. We have to warn Anoki.. That dog I was talking about has a curly tail, its a female an she talked about others, her family.." There is a pause. "She talked about running something with her family." She is worried now for Anoki an his family with this news, it can't be good.
"We have met lone dogs before," says Ikuna, and then nods at the mention of packs. It doesn't surprise him, that dogs would do the same as wolves - nor that the ones he's met were the dog equivalent of outcasts and independents. "There are degrees of cruelty," he says, neither forgiving the one nor denying the other, and then turns to Tala. "She was? Perhaps..." He frowns. With the cold grasp of winter on them, things may be difficult. "We'll figure out a way," he tells her, and then turns his head back to the cat, giving a formal nod. "Thank you for warning us."
With a fleck of his tail the cat remarks, "Oh, you shouldn't thank me yet, young wolf. I came this way to escape the dogs... I fear them far more than I fear you and yours. Creatures raised by man do not believe of spirits as you wild things do; for what spirits are there to watch us when man has killed them all?" He gives a slightly sly smile, as he raises to his feet. Macavity adds, as he turns, dropping from the rock, and placing it between them, and himself, yet peering around the stone: "I would say to mourn for this friend of yours; it is far likely already too late for him and his if one of their scout bitches has found her way there. But you and yours still have time.. I would say to be prepared... For when the food to the north runs out, or the men tire of their dogs, the men will go back to their cities.. and leave their dogs behind without something to quell the beast that is a hungry stomach.. and then the dogs will go in search of food where it may be.." he starts walking away.. though pauses, tail held over his back with tip curling over. He turns. "They like to eat their young, you know, sometimes... I wonder what they would do to wolf pups in spring if they found them." he pauses, then shudders expressively. "Well.. Ta.." and off the large coon-cat springs.
Tala blinks while looking at the cat. "You came here to escape the dogs?.. What if they followed you?" She questions while lifting her head to look one way then another, ears flicking forward. Well this is a great turn of advents. "Unlike you cat.. We take care of our own.." An to her Anoki is in that group of them helping seeing how he did help them get Ikuna back. A slight shake of her head is seen while she glances to Ikuna holding back the look of worry to not show it in front of this cat.
"If the dogs keep coming," says Ikuna to the cat, "You know our requirement for sheltering among us." Yeah, hide away while the wolves and dogs fight... it's not like there aren't always smaller creatures in a wolf-territory, whose lives are changed by the coming and going of packs. The final description of these dogs makes him frown, but... he cannot say it false, not knowing as he does what potential for cruelty lurks in the hearts of many... even of wolves; it was a wolf who betrayed him as a pup, and even his beloved sister has a temper that might lead her to rash action she would later regret. The young male watches after the departing feline until he is gone, and then looks back to Tala and sighs. "He might be lying," says Ikuna, though his expression clearly shows his concern.
Tala is quiet for a few moments. "Well.. Its possible, but I dono.. It is something for us to think about and tell everyone so they can keep an eye out on stuff around the land and try to send warning to Anoki somehow."
"I don't know either," says Ikuna. "He might be lying, but... he might not be." In which case, there might be Trouble with a capital T. The wolf frowns, considering on the matter. "We should warn the rest of the pack, yes. There might be someone who knows more of these human-dogs... even if it's just one of Chewy's stories." He'd ask the wolf herself, but she's not around! So it's up to if anyone else happens to remember something. "As for Anoki... I won't leave Ute undefended. We can't just go and leave; not in winter, not with a possible threat."
Tala is quiet at this, her head lowering slightly, well that is all true. A sigh escapes her and she glances in the direction the cat went. "I hope his lying.." She murmurs out softly. "We should go tell the others now.. Get everyone able to pull patrol up and going." This said as she turns to head back towards the den.
Ikuna stares for a moment after the cat's tracks, then sighs, and turns to go with Tala. "And remind the pups to be careful," he adds. "We shouldn't tire ourselves out until we know more about what's going on, but... we should be alert. All of us."
Tala nods a ear twitching towards him a moment. "Yes.. you are right.." She offers softly at the idea. There is a lot at stake here after all. "Hopfully the pups will listen to us for once."
Ikuna can only nod his agreement. Hopefully the youngest members of Ute will realize the importance of this. When Ikuna was their age, he and his friends would have... but then, by that age, they'd already had harsh lessons in betrayal and cruelty. If Ikuna has anything to say about it, young Hadir and Althaea won't learn those lessons the same way. For now, back to the den they go, to warn young wolf and old alike of this disturbing-if-true news.
Tala - female adolescent wolf
Ikuna - male adolescent wolf
---Clover Lawn---
Snow, by now likely thick and deep, has buried the ever-invasive clover of the lawn-like clearing mid the forest. Along with burying the clover, it has clotted and covered the various little nooks, holes, and crannies in the ground carved out by mice, voles, rats, gophers, and other ground dwelling critters. For clever hunters, however, this doesn't stop the 'circle of life' in the least. And one such hunter plods his way along the top of the snow, sinking only vaguely in despite the great bulk he possesses in both fur and muscle. Macavity has come once more to the forest with the tiner creeping it's frosty claws across the land; and he is following the smell and scent of something just beneath the crust of the snow, toward the circle of three stones, tail low, tip twitching about his ankles. When his prey is beneath the snow that means he doesn't have to worry about cloying into shadows; which is just fine and dandy for the dark colored Coon tom.
The winter is going along smashingly, thick covers of snow cover the forest and Tala is moving along slowly through the snow, tail swaying a few times in the process. A yawn escaping her in the process, nose twitching and ears perking forward in the process. For a moment she pauses, ears perking and head tilting to the side as a snuffles out thinking she caught a scent of something that is well.. different to say the least.
Not long behind Tala comes another wolf; they're like that, are wolves. You never can seem to find just one, or at least not for long. Instead there are the packs; and in this case, the other wolf is Ikuna. He's not the one who notices the scent, looking as he is off to the side - but he catches a glimpse of Tala's pose of consideration, and breaks into a quicker pace for a moment to step up beside her and glance to her questioningly, lifting his nose to sniff.
Ears twitch; one cocking in the vague direction of the wolves creeping up on the lawn, but both quickly righting themselves in the direction of that small, twitching, scratchy sound in the snow. The cat freezes, tail tip switching side to side in anticipation, before shoulders shift; the cat sinks instinctively, eyes darting across the snow, before like a shot he is suddenly leaping and lunging into the thick; there's a flurry of large paws slapping the snow before he ducks his head; left forepaw curling swiftly up. There's sharp squeaking noises, and then the cat is shaking his head-- before bounding forward toward, into, and up /upon/ the tallest of the rocks, his thick chest fur, belly fur, and legs streaked in clumps of white.. and one poor, still struggling vole in his mouth. He settles down atop the rock in a sit, tail curling about his feet, ducking his head down to pin the unfortunate rodent under an overly large 'palm', claws splaying about it, as the other paw is brought up for painfully long grooming-- clearly, leaving the rodent, which appears still quite alive, if somewhat badly injured, to stew.
Tala hums softly to herself and snuffls out faintly before licking across her maw. Her tail wiggles about slowly. "Did you smell something?" She questions curiously while looking out over the area, ears perking forward andher nose wiggles a moment in fact.
Sniff sniff sniff... "Yeah," says Ikuna, and then shakes his head with lack of recognition before his ears twitch at the sound of a vole-squeak. Someone's out hunting, it seems... better find out who. "C'mon," he says to his sister before shifting up to a trot, heading across the field until he catches sight of tabby-brown fur atop the rock. That's a... well... a... ...a what-he-smelled. Bigger'n a weasel, smaller'n a wolf, and covered in fluff. The wolf pauses, taking in the scene.
Green-silver eyes narrow to slits as the smug beast uses his prickly tongue to smooth fur down, melt away snow, and clear the white off his large paws. Then, Macavity rumbles an amused, cold chuckle at the vole trapped in the other paw, and lowering the groomed paw, he half-turns the one pinning the varmint down, to cup it between both forewpaws with claws obviously digging in. "Oh dear me, dear me," he coos softly, "Still alive? How absolutely dreeeadful that internal damage did nothing for you. Goodness, I must be getting sloppy in my old age. Now let me see... Maybe this will help?" He hunches down, and begins patting the poor thing between his paws, as it twitches and kicks, trying to drag itself away, before he ducks his head down, and snatches it up in his jaws, before flinging it dramatically into the air; letting it flip end over end, to land in the snow, disoriented and dying. Survival instinct sends the vole trying to crawl away; and it manages a vague inch before the large 'not wolf' leaps off the rock, and onto it from above with paws to pin, causing weaker, protestive squeaks to erupt.
Tala hums and nods slowly while she moves along, slowly ever forwrad towards the strange smell in the distance. Her tail flicking around a few times in the process. "I wonder why it is here." She offers to her brother while they move ever slowly closer towards the strange smell.
As he gets an idea of what's going on, Ikuna frowns. Hunting is one thing. This... no, he's not so fond of this. He breaks into a trot, head low and tail straight behind him as he approaches this creature. "Kill it now." The vole seems doomed regardless, and it is prey, suited to filling the belly of a hunter; but that doesn't mean it should suffer.
Though ears twitch, first erect, then flat, and finally back, the cat does not seem paniced by the approach of Ikuna, his paws cupped about the vole the young wolf seems to intent to show mercy upon. Macavity, head dipped in brief lording over the squeaking thing, looks up, and over his shoulder to Ikuna, giving him the very familiar cat expression of 'oh _please_." before he covers the vole with his large paws, ducks his head, and crunches into it. A final squeak- and then silence. Macavity lifts his head, dead vole hanging slightly eviscerated from his jaws, and turns toward Ikuna boredly, settling into a set on the ground, before, with a jerk of his head, tossing it to the ground at Ikuna's feet. "Happy?" Macavity asks, dully.
Tala was coming up at a different angle so did not catch sight of the cat thing playing with its food so to speak. Her eyes narrow, ears slick back and she shifts forward at a sudden quick pace, a deep growl escaping her. "You little fuzzy bug.. You do not treat animals in such manner on this land." No one plays with there food here thank you. Well at least not while the food is alive. Her jaws snap a moment at the commentfrom the cat. "You.. are not that smart are you..?" This questioned with a thin tone.
Once the vole is dead, Ikuna ignores it, keeping his gaze on the feline. Where his sister growls, he does not; only keeps a steady stare. "Satisfied," he answers to Macavity. "This is Ute land. If you hunt here, do it cleanly, and to satisfy your hunger. That is all I require." Whatever this is, it certainly isn't a wolf, and so he won't hold it to the standards of wolves...
Ikuna is no threat as far as Macavity can tell, but Tala, well. He turns in her direction with all the swiftness of a snake, and, ears back, eyes narrowed, and mouth opening wide to show many teeth, he offers her the exact expressiveness of a snake as well; letting out a loud, warning /hiss/ that sends breath and spittle into the air. Tail tip now switching side to side expressively as he curls it about his feet, the cat lets out a low growl. Ears slightly back, one kept in Tala's direction, he deigns to speak to Ikuna, since the male of the two wolves appears to be far less likely to do something rash. "As you wish, Alpha Wolf of the Ute... However you should know that as a cat, that /is/ how I hunt. You look young, so you've likely never met a cat before to know this. A /wise/ cat," he pauses, half turning to size Tala up as if to suggest he is unsure of her wisdom, "Will take entertainment from his food before he eats it. After all, once it's dead, well. There's nothing more you can do with it, except eat it. Or leave it for the ravens.."
Tala does not show any fear while the cat turns into a fuzzy spitting claw and fang filled snake.. or so it would seem. Though she does not get to close either, she recalls the story about Asku and the snake after all. "I've seen bobcats before.. Your not big enough to be one of them types." She points out with a soft snort. "There are way to hunt without playing and making your prey suffer cat. It is not wish to make the spirts wise especially during this time of the year. If you make them mad they may see to it that no prey shall walk or be found before you ever again." This said with a slight snap of her pearly white fangs. Has her own wisdom thank you!
The standards of cats, on the other hand... seem to be ones he finds distasteful. Ikuna frowns for a long moment. "I cannot speak to the ways of cats. I am only a wolf, and I am no Alpha." ...not that you'd know it, from how he was talking before, and how he continues to hold himself and speak. "If you are a /wise/ cat, though, you will know that angering a wolf-pack is foolishness. I cannot order you to stop; but I can tell you this. If any of the Ute see you torturing a creature so... well." He smiles slightly, the expression a humourless one. "There are many with my sister's temper." Y'know, the fangs-bared, snarling, ready to take a cat's head off sort of temper. "That is my warning, O wise cat."
Ears back, the cat turns to give Tala a needled stare: "There are other kinds of cats in the world besides bobcats. Again, you, are young. So I will forgive you your stupidity on that front." His tail flips, and unwinds from about his feet as he stands, and turns, tail sweeping side to side, before he springs to the top of the nearest of the three stones, and stands there, looking over his shoulder at the two wolves. He turns again, and sits, watching them. "For a pack, you are young and few. I've found more stink of wolves in the human towns than I have in this area. I suppose I will humor you for now. I will do my hunting when you are not around... Which may soon be 'forever', if what I have seen to the north this winter is any clue." His tail curls about his feet again; it's a very large tail to be able to do so indeed.
Tala just blinks, as if the cat had smacked her. "While you little fuzzy stick.." She lets out a snarl and jumps forward after the cat with a snap of her powerful jaws. "You know little of this pack if you think this is all of us." She stalks forward, head low and ears back, lips pulled up as she snarls once more. "Your winter will be shorter then all get if I catch you anywhere on these lands again." Indeed she has a right firey temper to say the least, tail flagging about and hackles raised across her neck and back.
It's true enough that Ute has grown sparse. Even the elder wolves are... not so elder as might be hoped. The alpha himself is not yet four years of age. Ikuna frowns to that part of the taunting, but doesn't respond... though the last part catches his interest. "Easy, Tala," he says, and paces forward, nudging his shoulder against his bristling sister along the way in an attempt to calm her. He looks up at the seated feline. "What have you seen? What's happening to the north?"
Eyes rolling, the cat remarks, "Temper, temper. No wonder your brother has the better makings of an alpha. You are far too quick to rage... What would your spirits think of that? You act like a cur with rabies." He looks to Ikuna, though, catching the male's interest in his eyes. Macavity lifts one large paw, and true to pure cat nature, licks it to draw things out for a moment, examining the digits-- that's.. a large paw for a cat.. and looks almost like a bear's for the shape of it. (What normal cat has 'thumbs'?) But then, smoothing it over an ear, he remarks, "Humans," at first casual, "And dogs." and then more serious. "But not the stupid kind of dogs that the fancy humans have for show. No... No, these are more dangerous. They breed these dogs to pull their sledges when they mine, they breed them to hunt the likes of you for as much sport as a cat hunts a mouse. And when a wolf is dead, they remove his skin, and use it to make stupid things they wear to cover their naked, furless skin. The humans may not be so horrible a thing; they dispise winter, more than many animals do. No, it's not the humans I would worry about... but the dogs."
Tala lets a deep growl escapes her as she hears the cat.. She is about to say more before Ikuna steps in to stop her it would seem.. Which is good because she wanted to lung at that cat and rip it apart. There is a pause though as the cat talks as if she knows something of what he says. "A dog that has a curly tail?" This questioned with a slight twitch of her ears and wiggle of her nose.. Like the one she met when visiting Anoki..
As the feline draws things out, Ikuna's ears twitch up slightly, but that's the only sign of his irritation. Cats, it seems, will torment other things besides their prey if they have the chance... but he waits, and is glad he did. "Humans and dogs," he repeats, holding the words in his mouth as if to consider them, and frowns... though now it's not for the cat, but for the news. "If the humans hide in their dens, good. I have no desire to meet one. As for the dogs..." He trails off, pondering, and then tilts his head at Tala's question before glancing to the cat again.
With eyes wide, yet not quite in shock, the cat looks to Tala and nods slowly. "Mmmhmm. Those're the ones. One or two at a time may not be so hard for a pack of wolves to deal with. But these dogs.. they grow, and hunt in packs as well. Why, there are even some that look like wolves themselves; the better to find and hunt true wolves. They often send those ones out, the females, smelling of heat, to lure the males out, and back to them.. and then.." A swift motion of paw across his throat is made expressively, accented by a choking throat sound. Macavity lets the paw hang a moment, then slowly sets it back to the stone upon which he sits. "And you think what I did to the vole was torture? You have not seen dogs hunt a wolf..."
Tala eyes widen slightly as she hears this from the cat before looking back to Ikuna. "I.. We have to warn Anoki.. That dog I was talking about has a curly tail, its a female an she talked about others, her family.." There is a pause. "She talked about running something with her family." She is worried now for Anoki an his family with this news, it can't be good.
"We have met lone dogs before," says Ikuna, and then nods at the mention of packs. It doesn't surprise him, that dogs would do the same as wolves - nor that the ones he's met were the dog equivalent of outcasts and independents. "There are degrees of cruelty," he says, neither forgiving the one nor denying the other, and then turns to Tala. "She was? Perhaps..." He frowns. With the cold grasp of winter on them, things may be difficult. "We'll figure out a way," he tells her, and then turns his head back to the cat, giving a formal nod. "Thank you for warning us."
With a fleck of his tail the cat remarks, "Oh, you shouldn't thank me yet, young wolf. I came this way to escape the dogs... I fear them far more than I fear you and yours. Creatures raised by man do not believe of spirits as you wild things do; for what spirits are there to watch us when man has killed them all?" He gives a slightly sly smile, as he raises to his feet. Macavity adds, as he turns, dropping from the rock, and placing it between them, and himself, yet peering around the stone: "I would say to mourn for this friend of yours; it is far likely already too late for him and his if one of their scout bitches has found her way there. But you and yours still have time.. I would say to be prepared... For when the food to the north runs out, or the men tire of their dogs, the men will go back to their cities.. and leave their dogs behind without something to quell the beast that is a hungry stomach.. and then the dogs will go in search of food where it may be.." he starts walking away.. though pauses, tail held over his back with tip curling over. He turns. "They like to eat their young, you know, sometimes... I wonder what they would do to wolf pups in spring if they found them." he pauses, then shudders expressively. "Well.. Ta.." and off the large coon-cat springs.
Tala blinks while looking at the cat. "You came here to escape the dogs?.. What if they followed you?" She questions while lifting her head to look one way then another, ears flicking forward. Well this is a great turn of advents. "Unlike you cat.. We take care of our own.." An to her Anoki is in that group of them helping seeing how he did help them get Ikuna back. A slight shake of her head is seen while she glances to Ikuna holding back the look of worry to not show it in front of this cat.
"If the dogs keep coming," says Ikuna to the cat, "You know our requirement for sheltering among us." Yeah, hide away while the wolves and dogs fight... it's not like there aren't always smaller creatures in a wolf-territory, whose lives are changed by the coming and going of packs. The final description of these dogs makes him frown, but... he cannot say it false, not knowing as he does what potential for cruelty lurks in the hearts of many... even of wolves; it was a wolf who betrayed him as a pup, and even his beloved sister has a temper that might lead her to rash action she would later regret. The young male watches after the departing feline until he is gone, and then looks back to Tala and sighs. "He might be lying," says Ikuna, though his expression clearly shows his concern.
Tala is quiet for a few moments. "Well.. Its possible, but I dono.. It is something for us to think about and tell everyone so they can keep an eye out on stuff around the land and try to send warning to Anoki somehow."
"I don't know either," says Ikuna. "He might be lying, but... he might not be." In which case, there might be Trouble with a capital T. The wolf frowns, considering on the matter. "We should warn the rest of the pack, yes. There might be someone who knows more of these human-dogs... even if it's just one of Chewy's stories." He'd ask the wolf herself, but she's not around! So it's up to if anyone else happens to remember something. "As for Anoki... I won't leave Ute undefended. We can't just go and leave; not in winter, not with a possible threat."
Tala is quiet at this, her head lowering slightly, well that is all true. A sigh escapes her and she glances in the direction the cat went. "I hope his lying.." She murmurs out softly. "We should go tell the others now.. Get everyone able to pull patrol up and going." This said as she turns to head back towards the den.
Ikuna stares for a moment after the cat's tracks, then sighs, and turns to go with Tala. "And remind the pups to be careful," he adds. "We shouldn't tire ourselves out until we know more about what's going on, but... we should be alert. All of us."
Tala nods a ear twitching towards him a moment. "Yes.. you are right.." She offers softly at the idea. There is a lot at stake here after all. "Hopfully the pups will listen to us for once."
Ikuna can only nod his agreement. Hopefully the youngest members of Ute will realize the importance of this. When Ikuna was their age, he and his friends would have... but then, by that age, they'd already had harsh lessons in betrayal and cruelty. If Ikuna has anything to say about it, young Hadir and Althaea won't learn those lessons the same way. For now, back to the den they go, to warn young wolf and old alike of this disturbing-if-true news.