Post by daisy on May 16, 2006 2:45:00 GMT -5
Barnyard
Caesar, male wolfhound
Spy, female collie
Jasper, male mutt
Catbait, male magpie
Caesar chuckles some and grins. "Maybe next time you can come along.. Might run into that bear and all." The hound offeres with a nod of his head to Brute and back to Spy. A glance is offered to the bar. "Alright then. Sleep well Brute." Sleep is sounding pretty good actually.
Slowly along the fence row, keeping to the taller grass of the pasture, comes an unfamiliar dog. He does his best to stay concealed as he moves around the barnyard toward the chicken coop. If the locals are still distracted with their squabbling, it might just be the perfect chance to grab a snack - but the feral dog is doing his best to stay sneaky and not make any mistakes.
Spy watches Brute go, then stands herself. It's her job to make sure the Farmer's Boy is all settled in his bed and such.. and she's going to be late if she doesn't get going. She gives Caesar a respectful nod as she turns to leave. "Caesar..." With one last look at the 'hound, the collie trots off briskly towards the house. Cannot keep the young master waiting, you know.
Caesar glances after Brute then looks to Spy and nods while stretching some and yawns. "Spy.." He offers after the collie, the hound watches her go before glancing around to see if anyone else might be awake. As for Jasper he hasn't been spotted just yet.. Lucky him at the moment.
What? Jasper slows in his slink along the fencerow. No more sounds of battle? Uhoh. After that breif slow, the mutt picks up his pace. He's got to make this fast.
Caesar yawns some and stretches while shifting back onto his paws and starts to move towads the barn himself.. That is until the sound of movement catches his attention and he blinks while glancing around and sniffs at the air. Well something isn't right, it takes him a good few moments before he can figure out where the noise is coming from. From the looks of its moving towards the chicken coop, which is a bad thing. The hound turns and starts to slowly move that'a way..
The honey-colored eyes glint in the dim light of the night when Jasper too notices movement. Caesar's a big dog, afterall, and spells big trouble if he's about and not distracted tonight. He stops midstep. The mutt would lose in a fight. Not even he's that lucky. So the strange dog turns and sneaks back out along the fencerow in the other direction.
Caesar makes his way over near the chicken coop sniffing around and checks to make sure the farmer did close and lock the door on it. The scent of strange dog is smelled finally and he blinks while looking around before catching where the scent is strongest. With a faint growl escaping him he takes off in a flash head which ever way Jasper might be going..
Catbait has arrived.
Jasper looks back over his shoulder only to see the racing form of the large farmdog hot on his trail. Dangit. Jasper slips into a sprint, but the other dog is quick to gain on him, given his longer legs. So, suddenly, the mutt dog collapses in the grass, away from the fencerow, and rolls over onto his back. Best to be submissive, eh? "Mercy, mercy!" he whines, tail tucked and ears pinned back.
Boredom drives one to do strange things, and so it is that the magpie arrives, alighting neatly amongst the branches in the old oak. It's a bit late for him to be out, but he's been having a chat with an owl, and isn't tired yet. The bird hops out onto an overhanging limb and peers down, seeking some sign of action below.
Zag has disconnected.
Caesar catches sight of the little mutt and has to wonder where his from. Any other farm is miles from here after all. The hound has to skid to a stop as Jasper drops down and rolls onto his back in the submissive stance. A thick growl escapes him while he eyes the smaller down as he bascily towers over him. "Mercy?.. You was trying to go into the chicken coop wasn't you?" He mearly takes a guess seeing how the scent was heading that'a way so he just put two and two toghter.
"Me?" Jasper answers, pressing a paw to his chest. "Heavens no!" Black lips split into a wide and uncomfortable grin. "Now why would a self-respectin' pup like me'self do such a ting as go after a poor defenseless chicken, eh?"
Oh ho! What's this? A dog fight? That's always interesting to watch, and if one dies...well! Dinner! He hops down for a closer view, ruffling his feathers.
Caesar smirks while eyeing Jasper thinly. "I've never seen you before.. Your not one of my dogs.. Who are you and what are you doing on my farm?" Yes its his farm seeing how his the one out here protecting it at the moment. "Oh please.. I've seen dogs go after chickens before.. Mostly if the foxes that get them but if a dog is hungrey enough I suppose they would to."
Jasper giggles a little, rubbing that forepaw on his chest. "I-I'm Jasper, good sir.. and I'm just scoutin' out the locals. See face to face who's marks I been sniffin'.." His eyes grow wide at the accusation of chicken-eating, and the mutt is quick to rebutt. "No, no, sir.. I ain't never et a chicken in my life! Honest!"
Catbait cackles gleefully from his perch, puffing up his feathers. "Chicken stealer!" Hmm...chicken would be tasty...then again, any meat would be tasty.
Caesar ears flick at the cackling and he smirks some while eyeing Jasper and hums thinnly. "I see.. So Jasper.. Where are you from?" The hound hisses while eyeing him still, his not going to let him up just yet it seems.
"Oh," the mutt deflates a bit. "No where around here, sir. Done wandered far from where I was whelped, I have." Jasper nods a bit as he says this. "Don't think I could find where I was from if I wandered the rest of m'life."
Catbait hops from branch to branch, chuckling as he watches.
Caesar humms while lifting his head and snorts some while licking across his maw. "I see.." He offers against and snorts while shifting back some. "Well then, if your looking for a place to stay the farmer might want you around.. But everyone here has to work to be feed. If you don't work then you don't eat."
Jasper's brows furrow a bit. "I ain't beggin, sir," he replies, drawing out the 'g' a bit. He scoots away and then flops over onto his belly, getting slowly to his paws while keeping his tail tucked. "I told ya. I'm just lookin' to meet the locals. And if this here is your farm, well, then I see that I've done my deed."
Catbait scoffs, tut-tutting. Such obvious lies. He shakes his head.
Caesar chuckles faintly at the responce and smirks at Jasper. "Very well then.. I don't want to see your face back down anywhere on my land.. Got it mutt?" He questions while snarling a bit. "Good luck on your own, lots of wolves and bears out there that would just love to munch on a tasty little snack like you." This said while he shorts and turns heading back towards the chicken coop, where he flops down. Just to make sure it seems.
Jasper smirks as the wolfhound moves to turn away. "Nice to meet you too.." he replies in a soft voice, not really intending for the farmdog to hear him. He shakes his fur a bit and sighs. Well, he'll have to come up with new plans for dinner tonight it seems.
Catbait cackles with glee as the interloping dog slinks away. Ah such entertainment to be found. He may have to come round here more often.
Caesar watches the other leave while letting his head settle on a forepaw and he relaxes, not asleep though as his still guarding.
Caesar has disconnected.
Jasper turns and starts back toward the treeline, but taking the twisting route along the fencerow. Just because the farmdogs' alpha didn't attack him outright doesn't mean the others won't, or that the wolfhound won't stop them.
Catbait frumps as the big wolfhound falls asleep. Bah! His keen eye spots the other dog's fleeing form, and with a cluck of amusement, he flits from the branch and flutters after him.
Jasper perks an ear to the air at the cluck and faint flutter of wings. He keeps walking, but turns his gaze upward and behind him. What's that? A bird...following him. "What do you want?" he asks in a surly, whispered tone.
Catbait alights on a fencepost nearby, flicking his tail and turning a beady black eye to the dog. "Troublemaker, are you?"
Jasper stops, and regards the bird with a tilted head. He lets out a puff of air, making the scraggly fur around his muzzle lift into the air momentarily. "Not at all.." he replies, puffing his chest out a bit.
Catbait cackles, hopping to and fro, "You went for the chickens! The chickens! Silly dog, even foxes have a hard time against Caesar. You'd be better off raiding the waste bins."
Jasper chuckles breathily, lowering his head. "With as much dog-stink there is 'round here, I'm sure they guard those just as well, friend."
Catbait says, "Well of course, coming here at all was foolish. Farmdogs, humans with guns.."
"And fightin' with the foxes and wolves in the wood is smarter, eh?" Jasper answers as he starts to turn away, walking further down the fencerow.
Catbait flutter-hops along the fence, parallel to the dog, "Yeah, well, no, not really. Dogs gave up their ties to the wild in exchange for the protection of humans. Without a human to feed you..." He lifts his wings in a sort of shrug. "But Caeser offered you a place, didn't he?"
Jasper shakes his head, growing annoyed. "I won't be tied down like that. Did you see what that beast had 'round his neck?"
Catbait tilts his head, "Didn't notice, actually.."
"A collar," comes the mutt's quick reply. "Nasty bit a'leather and metal chokin' you day in and day out, remindin' you that you can't go no place they won't letcha." Jasper huffs again, his fur bristlin. "You're a slave when you live with humans. Any dog worth his scruff can make do well enough on his own."
Catbait chuckles, "The compromise of freedom for protection and food. Give some, get some. At least you're warm and fed, eh?"
Jasper rolls his eyes. "Find yourself a nice cave or thicket, and a fox's cash and you got both. Plus the pride a'doin' it all by yourself."
Catbait ruffles his feathers, "I wouldn't wanna mess with an angry fox. They're scared of dogs, but note the plural. DOGS. One dog alone wouldn't phase them where food is concerned. They're vicious little beasties."
Jasper shrugs his shoulders as he walks. "Maybe I just gotta find me some friends then, eh?"
Catbait smirks. Well, as much as a bird can...beak and all, "Friends, aye, or learn to hunt. Foxes hunt, wolves hunt. Dogs are cousins to both. Used to be wild. Shouldn't be too hard to remember, eh? Instincts and all that."
Jasper nods. "Exactly, birdee. Ain't hard at all. You just gotta know what's what and who's who. So I was right to come here and see who as the top dog. Now I know who t'avoid."
Catbait chuckles, "Avoiding the farm completely might be a wise choice. If you aren't a farm dog, you're against the farm dogs."
Jasper shakes his head. "What a stupid policy. They ain't the friendliest group, are they?"
Catbait tilts his head, hopping along the fence beside the dog. "In a word...no. But it's more complicated, I think. They are charged with protecting their masters and their master's animals and belongings. In exchange, they are kept fed and healthy."
Jasper pauses in his jounrey along the fencerow to look up at the magpie again. "What's your name? I didn't catch it.."
Catbait chuckles, fluffing up a bit, "Catbait.." he winks.
Jasper tries his best not to laugh out loud and bring any more dogs running to chew him up. "Didn't your mum love you.." he comments before he continues to walk.
Catbait sticks his tongue out at Jasper, "It's a mark of honor, thankyouverymuch. I distracted a cat and saved my brothers and sisters, AND got away alive." He struts along the fence-top, head held high.
Jasper arches his brows, his tail picking up a slow wag. "Well, congrats to you then, Catbait. And might I say I'm honored to've met someone as wiley as you."
Catbait shuffles his wings. "Of course you are. Now, about those friends you mentioned. I ran into another dog today in the pasture, by the pond. Big brute of a fellow, looking for a place he could rest away from the farm but not too close to wolf territory."
Jasper stops once more, his tail wagging a bit faster. "Did you now? Well, don't you have your beak all about this place, you handy little thing?" he says with a wide grin. "Out with it then. What's the beast's name?"
Catbait tilts his head, chuckling a bit sheepishly, "Ah, well, see, that's the thing. He didnt' say. Ran off before I could ask him, you know...But! He ran to the southwest. I told him to find a place not too deep into the woods. I'm sure you could sniff him out."
Jasper continues on then, a new spring in his step. "I think I'm going to check out those wastebins first, Catbait.. care to join me?"
Catbait cackles, fluttering up off the fencepost, "Excellent idea...and your name?"
"Jasper." With the sound of his name, the dog stops and ducks his head under the fence. They're now along the back of the farmhouse, the wastebins by the back door in plain view. Jasper's grin cracks, his tongue lolling out as he views the glinting cans. "Ain't they beautiful, Beaky?"
Catbait alights on the fence nearby, lifting his head up high to peer at them. "Indeed...they are, however, also fairly noisy." He flutters over to a bush near the garbage cans. "Knocking the metal lid off can make quite a racket...if we can get it off without making noise, I can toss scraps out to you. That way you dont' have to knock it over and make even more noise.."
Jasper surveys the area, then sneaks across to the house and commences sniffing around the cans. "True, true.." he whispers back to the bird. "But you ain't strong enough to lift it, eh?" He lifts his head, bumping his nose against the lid of one of the cans while lifting one of his forelegs off the ground.
Catbait tilts his head, "The lid itself? No...I'm not that big." He hops over onto one of the cans and the lid rattles loosely. This startles him and he flutters back to his bush. "That one's loose...if you can get the edge in your teeth and pull it off, maybe?"
Jasper perks his ears at he rattling, and turns his gaze to the dark windows in the house and the edges of it in turn. Once he's confident the coast is clear, he moves to the can the magpie indicated. Lifting up once more to balance on three legs, the mutt sniffs at he lid and carefully grabs the slightly offset lid in his teeth. Still balancing, Jasper starts to slowly walk backwards. The lid rattles a little, but the noise is significantly softer than what it would be if he simply knocked them over.
Catbait watches the dog warily, occasionally lifting his head to peer about for any who might be alerted to the noise. "That's it now...careful, caaareful...you've almost got it.."
With a grunt, the dog lets the lid go as he nearly looses his balance. It rattles a bit more, but then stops - remaining on the bin, but even more offset than before. About 8 inches have been revealed on the opposite edge of the bin. "Well?" he asks, panting. "Can you get in?"
Catbait hops closer, then flutters down to alight on the exposed rim of the bin. He peers down inside, tail flipping up, "Hmmm...Maybe...it'll be a tight fit. Fortunately it's pretty full.." He disappears down into the bin.
Jasper waits expectantly on the other side, already salivating. Sure, there's little dignity in going through rubbish - but at least it's food. The mutt hops from forepaw to forepaw, his tail a blur behind him.
Within the can, the magpie picks through bits of trash...banana peel...bleh...chicken bones? Hmmm...he picks a few bits of leftover meat from them, gobbling them down. Dogs shouldn't have chicken bones anyway...Some stale bread...He picks at it a bit, then picks it up and flings it up out of the bin.
His eyes trained on the bin, Jasper jumps as..something comes flying through the dark. His jaws snap around it and his tongue is met with.. bread! Oo, a delicacy in the dog world. Not as good as a honey baked ham, but it will do for now. Surely the farmdogs get all the good scraps.
Catbait continues digging around in the bin...some crackers...he munches those up, then digs around more. "Problem is.." he chimes from within the can, "Farmers don't waste much. Good scraps are given to the dogs or the pigs, sometimes even the chickens..." He finds breadcrusts, a pile of them, and starts tossing them out. "Lookin' for something good."
Jasper catches each of the crusts. "Figures," he says between bites as he chomps them down. "..compost heap might have somethin.. but pro'lly just vegetables.."
Catbait tosses out bits of crusty skin from a ham. "Yeah, well, nothing wrong with vegetables when you're hungry.."
HAM! Jasper nearly turns a flip as he grabs at the bits of animal carcass. "I got have the mind to grab a piglet at this rate.." Oh-ho.. the magic of pork. "This can ain't the worst luck I've had, and you're doin' a right fine job there, Catbait."
Catbait manages to shove out a melon rind. "Can't guarantee this'll happen often though..." he pauses to pant...the melon rind was heavy! "Humans aren't often this wasteful.."
Catbait says, "Least not farmer folk...city folk are much worse."
Jasper lets the rind hit the ground. What is that? He steps forward to sniff at it before starting to lick at the melon-flesh that still clings to it. "The city?" he asks, a certain level of awe apparent in his tone. "You've been there?"
Catbait takes a moment to catch his breath, then starts flinging spaghetti noodles out of the bin messily. "No..not me...but city birds come here sometimes....migrate through.."
Noodles! Noodles are like bread. Huzzah for carbohydrates. Jasper does his best to catch them all, and when there is a pause in the tossing, he picks up what he misses from the ground. "What's it like?"
Catbait scratches around in the can, making a rather distasteful noise. "Uhh...what, the city?"
Jasper's ears pin, and he looks around again. "Shh! Stop that! You'll give us away!" He sighs, shaking his fur out. "Yea, the city.. they got bigger bins or what?"
Catbait chuckles, "Bigger bins..bigger bins! Oh yes...OPEN bins even...harder for a dog to get into, but if you can, you can wade around in it!"
Jasper's tongue hangs out of his mouth. Wow. "Oh, I bet it's heaven. And no crazy wolves or foxes to fight with over your grubb, either. Heheh!"
Catbait makes a surprised noise, fluttering about inside. "ACH!" He mutters, unintelligible from within the can, then starts making soft noises of exertion. "Errrg...heavy..." He appears on the edge of the can, shaking himself, then turns and dips his head back in, tugging on something. "Dunno...why this...is here..." More tugging, and he hops back for better leverage. Something fuzzy appears on the edge of the can. More tugging, it reveals itself to be a foot. A rabbit's foot. More tugging, and part of the rabbit it's attached to dangles over the edge of the can. "It's been shot...Musta gotten into the garden..don't know why they wouldn't have eaten it though. Maybe it was shot too poorly..." He sits and rests, panting.
Jasper's eyes grow wide, and it's all he can do not to rush the can to knock it over and get the tasty rabbit. But the thought of the big wolfhound not eating it gets into his head. "Does it.. smell funny? Maybe it was poisoned. I saw a fox eat a posioned rat once. It..wasn't pretty."
Catbait peers at it suspiciously, "I don't know, can't smell, but if it's poisoned, why was it shot? It's filled with shot..maybe the kid was doing target practice? Got to be careful of the b.b.'s. Could be that's why they didn't give it to the dog? Maybe they're lazy." He tugs on it again, trying to get it over the lip of the can. He's just a bird, afterall.
Jasper walks closer to the can and gently lifts his paws to press against it. He grabs at the lid again and starts walking backwards once more, giving the bird more room. When the lid slips off the bin, Jasper drops back to all fours and carefully sets it down. "Gotta be some bits of it still good.."
Catbait tugs on it until it's nearly dangling halfway over the edge of the bin, then sits back and pants, eyes closed. He's going to give his poor little birdy heart an attack. "Probably.."
Jasper lifts his forelegs again, balancing while trying to pull the rabbit the rest of the way out of the bin. It doesnt take much more, but it rattles a bit as he does so, causing the mutt to once more stop and look around to make sure he wasn't heard. Whew. Dropping the prize to the ground, he nods to the magpie. "Take a rest.. this should fix us both up. I 'spect you've been nibblin' a bit in there already, eh?" he winks at the avain with a grin.
Catbait opens one eye a crack to peer down at the dog. "Of course...Gotta keep my energy up, don't I? Tough work.."
Jasper allows himself to chuckle quietly before dipping his head to sniff at the rabbit. Carefully, he digs his teeth into the rabbits belly to pull away a bit of meat that is free of little metal balls.
Catbait flutters down from the edge fo the bin. "Pick it up. I suggest we get away from the house and the farm as quickly as possible, then settle in to munch."
Jasper lifts his head again. Oh, right. With a sheepish grin, he snatches the rabbit up in his jaws. He looks around once more, then starts off in a gentle jog toward the pastures beyond the farmhouse and 'yard.
Grazing Pasture
Keeping a more than generous distance away from the sheep, Jasper finally rests near the fence on the outer-edge of the pasture. He lies down, putting the rabbit carcass between his paws. The canine yawns a bit, licking his maw and looking around for his avian friend.
Catbait alights nearby, tail flicking up as he lands in the grass. He struts over to the rabbit and turns his head to inspect it with one eye and then the other. He then stuffs his beak into it, specifically into one of its wounds, and after a bit of digging around, lifts his head, a lead pellet in his beak. He flicks his head to send it flying off into the grass, then stuffs his head in again.
Jasper watches the magpie work, then goes back to where he was working before. It's slower, and requires a lot of nosing and licking to get the pellets out, but soon enough the mutt is rewarded with a clean strip of meat.
Catbait continues working pellets out and flicking them away, then he grabs a ragged bit of fur and starts pulling, tearing clumps of fur out and shaking them from his beak.
Jasper chuckles a little at the bird as he too works to get clean peices of meat. "If you stick close t'me, Beaky-Bait, I'll get us the next bit of grub.."
Catbait rips out a bit of meat, gulping it down. "This was almost too much work...I'm pooped! There's easier pickings for me, I promise you, don't you worry about me."
Jasper nods, licking his maw, content to save the rest for later. "Well, your help's greatly appreciate, I want to assure you a'that, my dear Catbait. Twas a pleasure workin' with ya." The dog grins at the magpie and winks again.
Catbait chuckles, ripping out more meat and gulping it down. "I ought to bet settling in for the night. It's quite late. I'm no owl you know."
Jasper nods. "I'll keep this close. Maybe bury it. Case you come back want'in an easy breakfast. Be seein' ya, kid." He curls up, laying his head down nearly on top of the carcass.
Catbait tears off a bit more, gulps it down, then takes off. He's a bit slower than before, quite worn out, but he has no difficulty flying, and he disappears into the trees in the distance.
Jasper yawns again, and quickly falls into a light sleep. You can never be too careful, afterall, being this close to the farm.
Caesar, male wolfhound
Spy, female collie
Jasper, male mutt
Catbait, male magpie
Caesar chuckles some and grins. "Maybe next time you can come along.. Might run into that bear and all." The hound offeres with a nod of his head to Brute and back to Spy. A glance is offered to the bar. "Alright then. Sleep well Brute." Sleep is sounding pretty good actually.
Slowly along the fence row, keeping to the taller grass of the pasture, comes an unfamiliar dog. He does his best to stay concealed as he moves around the barnyard toward the chicken coop. If the locals are still distracted with their squabbling, it might just be the perfect chance to grab a snack - but the feral dog is doing his best to stay sneaky and not make any mistakes.
Spy watches Brute go, then stands herself. It's her job to make sure the Farmer's Boy is all settled in his bed and such.. and she's going to be late if she doesn't get going. She gives Caesar a respectful nod as she turns to leave. "Caesar..." With one last look at the 'hound, the collie trots off briskly towards the house. Cannot keep the young master waiting, you know.
Caesar glances after Brute then looks to Spy and nods while stretching some and yawns. "Spy.." He offers after the collie, the hound watches her go before glancing around to see if anyone else might be awake. As for Jasper he hasn't been spotted just yet.. Lucky him at the moment.
What? Jasper slows in his slink along the fencerow. No more sounds of battle? Uhoh. After that breif slow, the mutt picks up his pace. He's got to make this fast.
Caesar yawns some and stretches while shifting back onto his paws and starts to move towads the barn himself.. That is until the sound of movement catches his attention and he blinks while glancing around and sniffs at the air. Well something isn't right, it takes him a good few moments before he can figure out where the noise is coming from. From the looks of its moving towards the chicken coop, which is a bad thing. The hound turns and starts to slowly move that'a way..
The honey-colored eyes glint in the dim light of the night when Jasper too notices movement. Caesar's a big dog, afterall, and spells big trouble if he's about and not distracted tonight. He stops midstep. The mutt would lose in a fight. Not even he's that lucky. So the strange dog turns and sneaks back out along the fencerow in the other direction.
Caesar makes his way over near the chicken coop sniffing around and checks to make sure the farmer did close and lock the door on it. The scent of strange dog is smelled finally and he blinks while looking around before catching where the scent is strongest. With a faint growl escaping him he takes off in a flash head which ever way Jasper might be going..
Catbait has arrived.
Jasper looks back over his shoulder only to see the racing form of the large farmdog hot on his trail. Dangit. Jasper slips into a sprint, but the other dog is quick to gain on him, given his longer legs. So, suddenly, the mutt dog collapses in the grass, away from the fencerow, and rolls over onto his back. Best to be submissive, eh? "Mercy, mercy!" he whines, tail tucked and ears pinned back.
Boredom drives one to do strange things, and so it is that the magpie arrives, alighting neatly amongst the branches in the old oak. It's a bit late for him to be out, but he's been having a chat with an owl, and isn't tired yet. The bird hops out onto an overhanging limb and peers down, seeking some sign of action below.
Zag has disconnected.
Caesar catches sight of the little mutt and has to wonder where his from. Any other farm is miles from here after all. The hound has to skid to a stop as Jasper drops down and rolls onto his back in the submissive stance. A thick growl escapes him while he eyes the smaller down as he bascily towers over him. "Mercy?.. You was trying to go into the chicken coop wasn't you?" He mearly takes a guess seeing how the scent was heading that'a way so he just put two and two toghter.
"Me?" Jasper answers, pressing a paw to his chest. "Heavens no!" Black lips split into a wide and uncomfortable grin. "Now why would a self-respectin' pup like me'self do such a ting as go after a poor defenseless chicken, eh?"
Oh ho! What's this? A dog fight? That's always interesting to watch, and if one dies...well! Dinner! He hops down for a closer view, ruffling his feathers.
Caesar smirks while eyeing Jasper thinly. "I've never seen you before.. Your not one of my dogs.. Who are you and what are you doing on my farm?" Yes its his farm seeing how his the one out here protecting it at the moment. "Oh please.. I've seen dogs go after chickens before.. Mostly if the foxes that get them but if a dog is hungrey enough I suppose they would to."
Jasper giggles a little, rubbing that forepaw on his chest. "I-I'm Jasper, good sir.. and I'm just scoutin' out the locals. See face to face who's marks I been sniffin'.." His eyes grow wide at the accusation of chicken-eating, and the mutt is quick to rebutt. "No, no, sir.. I ain't never et a chicken in my life! Honest!"
Catbait cackles gleefully from his perch, puffing up his feathers. "Chicken stealer!" Hmm...chicken would be tasty...then again, any meat would be tasty.
Caesar ears flick at the cackling and he smirks some while eyeing Jasper and hums thinnly. "I see.. So Jasper.. Where are you from?" The hound hisses while eyeing him still, his not going to let him up just yet it seems.
"Oh," the mutt deflates a bit. "No where around here, sir. Done wandered far from where I was whelped, I have." Jasper nods a bit as he says this. "Don't think I could find where I was from if I wandered the rest of m'life."
Catbait hops from branch to branch, chuckling as he watches.
Caesar humms while lifting his head and snorts some while licking across his maw. "I see.." He offers against and snorts while shifting back some. "Well then, if your looking for a place to stay the farmer might want you around.. But everyone here has to work to be feed. If you don't work then you don't eat."
Jasper's brows furrow a bit. "I ain't beggin, sir," he replies, drawing out the 'g' a bit. He scoots away and then flops over onto his belly, getting slowly to his paws while keeping his tail tucked. "I told ya. I'm just lookin' to meet the locals. And if this here is your farm, well, then I see that I've done my deed."
Catbait scoffs, tut-tutting. Such obvious lies. He shakes his head.
Caesar chuckles faintly at the responce and smirks at Jasper. "Very well then.. I don't want to see your face back down anywhere on my land.. Got it mutt?" He questions while snarling a bit. "Good luck on your own, lots of wolves and bears out there that would just love to munch on a tasty little snack like you." This said while he shorts and turns heading back towards the chicken coop, where he flops down. Just to make sure it seems.
Jasper smirks as the wolfhound moves to turn away. "Nice to meet you too.." he replies in a soft voice, not really intending for the farmdog to hear him. He shakes his fur a bit and sighs. Well, he'll have to come up with new plans for dinner tonight it seems.
Catbait cackles with glee as the interloping dog slinks away. Ah such entertainment to be found. He may have to come round here more often.
Caesar watches the other leave while letting his head settle on a forepaw and he relaxes, not asleep though as his still guarding.
Caesar has disconnected.
Jasper turns and starts back toward the treeline, but taking the twisting route along the fencerow. Just because the farmdogs' alpha didn't attack him outright doesn't mean the others won't, or that the wolfhound won't stop them.
Catbait frumps as the big wolfhound falls asleep. Bah! His keen eye spots the other dog's fleeing form, and with a cluck of amusement, he flits from the branch and flutters after him.
Jasper perks an ear to the air at the cluck and faint flutter of wings. He keeps walking, but turns his gaze upward and behind him. What's that? A bird...following him. "What do you want?" he asks in a surly, whispered tone.
Catbait alights on a fencepost nearby, flicking his tail and turning a beady black eye to the dog. "Troublemaker, are you?"
Jasper stops, and regards the bird with a tilted head. He lets out a puff of air, making the scraggly fur around his muzzle lift into the air momentarily. "Not at all.." he replies, puffing his chest out a bit.
Catbait cackles, hopping to and fro, "You went for the chickens! The chickens! Silly dog, even foxes have a hard time against Caesar. You'd be better off raiding the waste bins."
Jasper chuckles breathily, lowering his head. "With as much dog-stink there is 'round here, I'm sure they guard those just as well, friend."
Catbait says, "Well of course, coming here at all was foolish. Farmdogs, humans with guns.."
"And fightin' with the foxes and wolves in the wood is smarter, eh?" Jasper answers as he starts to turn away, walking further down the fencerow.
Catbait flutter-hops along the fence, parallel to the dog, "Yeah, well, no, not really. Dogs gave up their ties to the wild in exchange for the protection of humans. Without a human to feed you..." He lifts his wings in a sort of shrug. "But Caeser offered you a place, didn't he?"
Jasper shakes his head, growing annoyed. "I won't be tied down like that. Did you see what that beast had 'round his neck?"
Catbait tilts his head, "Didn't notice, actually.."
"A collar," comes the mutt's quick reply. "Nasty bit a'leather and metal chokin' you day in and day out, remindin' you that you can't go no place they won't letcha." Jasper huffs again, his fur bristlin. "You're a slave when you live with humans. Any dog worth his scruff can make do well enough on his own."
Catbait chuckles, "The compromise of freedom for protection and food. Give some, get some. At least you're warm and fed, eh?"
Jasper rolls his eyes. "Find yourself a nice cave or thicket, and a fox's cash and you got both. Plus the pride a'doin' it all by yourself."
Catbait ruffles his feathers, "I wouldn't wanna mess with an angry fox. They're scared of dogs, but note the plural. DOGS. One dog alone wouldn't phase them where food is concerned. They're vicious little beasties."
Jasper shrugs his shoulders as he walks. "Maybe I just gotta find me some friends then, eh?"
Catbait smirks. Well, as much as a bird can...beak and all, "Friends, aye, or learn to hunt. Foxes hunt, wolves hunt. Dogs are cousins to both. Used to be wild. Shouldn't be too hard to remember, eh? Instincts and all that."
Jasper nods. "Exactly, birdee. Ain't hard at all. You just gotta know what's what and who's who. So I was right to come here and see who as the top dog. Now I know who t'avoid."
Catbait chuckles, "Avoiding the farm completely might be a wise choice. If you aren't a farm dog, you're against the farm dogs."
Jasper shakes his head. "What a stupid policy. They ain't the friendliest group, are they?"
Catbait tilts his head, hopping along the fence beside the dog. "In a word...no. But it's more complicated, I think. They are charged with protecting their masters and their master's animals and belongings. In exchange, they are kept fed and healthy."
Jasper pauses in his jounrey along the fencerow to look up at the magpie again. "What's your name? I didn't catch it.."
Catbait chuckles, fluffing up a bit, "Catbait.." he winks.
Jasper tries his best not to laugh out loud and bring any more dogs running to chew him up. "Didn't your mum love you.." he comments before he continues to walk.
Catbait sticks his tongue out at Jasper, "It's a mark of honor, thankyouverymuch. I distracted a cat and saved my brothers and sisters, AND got away alive." He struts along the fence-top, head held high.
Jasper arches his brows, his tail picking up a slow wag. "Well, congrats to you then, Catbait. And might I say I'm honored to've met someone as wiley as you."
Catbait shuffles his wings. "Of course you are. Now, about those friends you mentioned. I ran into another dog today in the pasture, by the pond. Big brute of a fellow, looking for a place he could rest away from the farm but not too close to wolf territory."
Jasper stops once more, his tail wagging a bit faster. "Did you now? Well, don't you have your beak all about this place, you handy little thing?" he says with a wide grin. "Out with it then. What's the beast's name?"
Catbait tilts his head, chuckling a bit sheepishly, "Ah, well, see, that's the thing. He didnt' say. Ran off before I could ask him, you know...But! He ran to the southwest. I told him to find a place not too deep into the woods. I'm sure you could sniff him out."
Jasper continues on then, a new spring in his step. "I think I'm going to check out those wastebins first, Catbait.. care to join me?"
Catbait cackles, fluttering up off the fencepost, "Excellent idea...and your name?"
"Jasper." With the sound of his name, the dog stops and ducks his head under the fence. They're now along the back of the farmhouse, the wastebins by the back door in plain view. Jasper's grin cracks, his tongue lolling out as he views the glinting cans. "Ain't they beautiful, Beaky?"
Catbait alights on the fence nearby, lifting his head up high to peer at them. "Indeed...they are, however, also fairly noisy." He flutters over to a bush near the garbage cans. "Knocking the metal lid off can make quite a racket...if we can get it off without making noise, I can toss scraps out to you. That way you dont' have to knock it over and make even more noise.."
Jasper surveys the area, then sneaks across to the house and commences sniffing around the cans. "True, true.." he whispers back to the bird. "But you ain't strong enough to lift it, eh?" He lifts his head, bumping his nose against the lid of one of the cans while lifting one of his forelegs off the ground.
Catbait tilts his head, "The lid itself? No...I'm not that big." He hops over onto one of the cans and the lid rattles loosely. This startles him and he flutters back to his bush. "That one's loose...if you can get the edge in your teeth and pull it off, maybe?"
Jasper perks his ears at he rattling, and turns his gaze to the dark windows in the house and the edges of it in turn. Once he's confident the coast is clear, he moves to the can the magpie indicated. Lifting up once more to balance on three legs, the mutt sniffs at he lid and carefully grabs the slightly offset lid in his teeth. Still balancing, Jasper starts to slowly walk backwards. The lid rattles a little, but the noise is significantly softer than what it would be if he simply knocked them over.
Catbait watches the dog warily, occasionally lifting his head to peer about for any who might be alerted to the noise. "That's it now...careful, caaareful...you've almost got it.."
With a grunt, the dog lets the lid go as he nearly looses his balance. It rattles a bit more, but then stops - remaining on the bin, but even more offset than before. About 8 inches have been revealed on the opposite edge of the bin. "Well?" he asks, panting. "Can you get in?"
Catbait hops closer, then flutters down to alight on the exposed rim of the bin. He peers down inside, tail flipping up, "Hmmm...Maybe...it'll be a tight fit. Fortunately it's pretty full.." He disappears down into the bin.
Jasper waits expectantly on the other side, already salivating. Sure, there's little dignity in going through rubbish - but at least it's food. The mutt hops from forepaw to forepaw, his tail a blur behind him.
Within the can, the magpie picks through bits of trash...banana peel...bleh...chicken bones? Hmmm...he picks a few bits of leftover meat from them, gobbling them down. Dogs shouldn't have chicken bones anyway...Some stale bread...He picks at it a bit, then picks it up and flings it up out of the bin.
His eyes trained on the bin, Jasper jumps as..something comes flying through the dark. His jaws snap around it and his tongue is met with.. bread! Oo, a delicacy in the dog world. Not as good as a honey baked ham, but it will do for now. Surely the farmdogs get all the good scraps.
Catbait continues digging around in the bin...some crackers...he munches those up, then digs around more. "Problem is.." he chimes from within the can, "Farmers don't waste much. Good scraps are given to the dogs or the pigs, sometimes even the chickens..." He finds breadcrusts, a pile of them, and starts tossing them out. "Lookin' for something good."
Jasper catches each of the crusts. "Figures," he says between bites as he chomps them down. "..compost heap might have somethin.. but pro'lly just vegetables.."
Catbait tosses out bits of crusty skin from a ham. "Yeah, well, nothing wrong with vegetables when you're hungry.."
HAM! Jasper nearly turns a flip as he grabs at the bits of animal carcass. "I got have the mind to grab a piglet at this rate.." Oh-ho.. the magic of pork. "This can ain't the worst luck I've had, and you're doin' a right fine job there, Catbait."
Catbait manages to shove out a melon rind. "Can't guarantee this'll happen often though..." he pauses to pant...the melon rind was heavy! "Humans aren't often this wasteful.."
Catbait says, "Least not farmer folk...city folk are much worse."
Jasper lets the rind hit the ground. What is that? He steps forward to sniff at it before starting to lick at the melon-flesh that still clings to it. "The city?" he asks, a certain level of awe apparent in his tone. "You've been there?"
Catbait takes a moment to catch his breath, then starts flinging spaghetti noodles out of the bin messily. "No..not me...but city birds come here sometimes....migrate through.."
Noodles! Noodles are like bread. Huzzah for carbohydrates. Jasper does his best to catch them all, and when there is a pause in the tossing, he picks up what he misses from the ground. "What's it like?"
Catbait scratches around in the can, making a rather distasteful noise. "Uhh...what, the city?"
Jasper's ears pin, and he looks around again. "Shh! Stop that! You'll give us away!" He sighs, shaking his fur out. "Yea, the city.. they got bigger bins or what?"
Catbait chuckles, "Bigger bins..bigger bins! Oh yes...OPEN bins even...harder for a dog to get into, but if you can, you can wade around in it!"
Jasper's tongue hangs out of his mouth. Wow. "Oh, I bet it's heaven. And no crazy wolves or foxes to fight with over your grubb, either. Heheh!"
Catbait makes a surprised noise, fluttering about inside. "ACH!" He mutters, unintelligible from within the can, then starts making soft noises of exertion. "Errrg...heavy..." He appears on the edge of the can, shaking himself, then turns and dips his head back in, tugging on something. "Dunno...why this...is here..." More tugging, and he hops back for better leverage. Something fuzzy appears on the edge of the can. More tugging, it reveals itself to be a foot. A rabbit's foot. More tugging, and part of the rabbit it's attached to dangles over the edge of the can. "It's been shot...Musta gotten into the garden..don't know why they wouldn't have eaten it though. Maybe it was shot too poorly..." He sits and rests, panting.
Jasper's eyes grow wide, and it's all he can do not to rush the can to knock it over and get the tasty rabbit. But the thought of the big wolfhound not eating it gets into his head. "Does it.. smell funny? Maybe it was poisoned. I saw a fox eat a posioned rat once. It..wasn't pretty."
Catbait peers at it suspiciously, "I don't know, can't smell, but if it's poisoned, why was it shot? It's filled with shot..maybe the kid was doing target practice? Got to be careful of the b.b.'s. Could be that's why they didn't give it to the dog? Maybe they're lazy." He tugs on it again, trying to get it over the lip of the can. He's just a bird, afterall.
Jasper walks closer to the can and gently lifts his paws to press against it. He grabs at the lid again and starts walking backwards once more, giving the bird more room. When the lid slips off the bin, Jasper drops back to all fours and carefully sets it down. "Gotta be some bits of it still good.."
Catbait tugs on it until it's nearly dangling halfway over the edge of the bin, then sits back and pants, eyes closed. He's going to give his poor little birdy heart an attack. "Probably.."
Jasper lifts his forelegs again, balancing while trying to pull the rabbit the rest of the way out of the bin. It doesnt take much more, but it rattles a bit as he does so, causing the mutt to once more stop and look around to make sure he wasn't heard. Whew. Dropping the prize to the ground, he nods to the magpie. "Take a rest.. this should fix us both up. I 'spect you've been nibblin' a bit in there already, eh?" he winks at the avain with a grin.
Catbait opens one eye a crack to peer down at the dog. "Of course...Gotta keep my energy up, don't I? Tough work.."
Jasper allows himself to chuckle quietly before dipping his head to sniff at the rabbit. Carefully, he digs his teeth into the rabbits belly to pull away a bit of meat that is free of little metal balls.
Catbait flutters down from the edge fo the bin. "Pick it up. I suggest we get away from the house and the farm as quickly as possible, then settle in to munch."
Jasper lifts his head again. Oh, right. With a sheepish grin, he snatches the rabbit up in his jaws. He looks around once more, then starts off in a gentle jog toward the pastures beyond the farmhouse and 'yard.
Grazing Pasture
Keeping a more than generous distance away from the sheep, Jasper finally rests near the fence on the outer-edge of the pasture. He lies down, putting the rabbit carcass between his paws. The canine yawns a bit, licking his maw and looking around for his avian friend.
Catbait alights nearby, tail flicking up as he lands in the grass. He struts over to the rabbit and turns his head to inspect it with one eye and then the other. He then stuffs his beak into it, specifically into one of its wounds, and after a bit of digging around, lifts his head, a lead pellet in his beak. He flicks his head to send it flying off into the grass, then stuffs his head in again.
Jasper watches the magpie work, then goes back to where he was working before. It's slower, and requires a lot of nosing and licking to get the pellets out, but soon enough the mutt is rewarded with a clean strip of meat.
Catbait continues working pellets out and flicking them away, then he grabs a ragged bit of fur and starts pulling, tearing clumps of fur out and shaking them from his beak.
Jasper chuckles a little at the bird as he too works to get clean peices of meat. "If you stick close t'me, Beaky-Bait, I'll get us the next bit of grub.."
Catbait rips out a bit of meat, gulping it down. "This was almost too much work...I'm pooped! There's easier pickings for me, I promise you, don't you worry about me."
Jasper nods, licking his maw, content to save the rest for later. "Well, your help's greatly appreciate, I want to assure you a'that, my dear Catbait. Twas a pleasure workin' with ya." The dog grins at the magpie and winks again.
Catbait chuckles, ripping out more meat and gulping it down. "I ought to bet settling in for the night. It's quite late. I'm no owl you know."
Jasper nods. "I'll keep this close. Maybe bury it. Case you come back want'in an easy breakfast. Be seein' ya, kid." He curls up, laying his head down nearly on top of the carcass.
Catbait tears off a bit more, gulps it down, then takes off. He's a bit slower than before, quite worn out, but he has no difficulty flying, and he disappears into the trees in the distance.
Jasper yawns again, and quickly falls into a light sleep. You can never be too careful, afterall, being this close to the farm.