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Post by Squeeji on Mar 20, 2007 22:18:47 GMT -5
Since their departure from Arnlan, Pollux had been tireless in her jaunt from the packlands. The scout had known where she was going, and hated to slow down, but still, she did so, making sure that her brother Orion was doing well keeping up. She didn't want to wind him, it took her a long moment realizing that the younger male may not have been as experienced running the long haul as she was.
A almost guilty expression passed the metallic wolf's muzzle, she would have to rest more, certainly, the young wolf was eager to prove himself, and would run into Sallin without his teeth bared to prove it. He probably wouldn't whimper if he felt the least bit exhausted....
Pollux chuckled, shaking her head before coming to a stop, "Lets take a rest, we can figure out our strategy from there." she smiled, and took a rest, cracking her neck as she panted some. Scatterstone was one of her favorite places to visit. She liked the beach, the sands, the polished stones, when she was young Caster and herself ran through the waves and tried to catch the fish...but they had never been quick enough to catch them.
The old female smiled and wagged her tail, being sure to warn Orion "The water here isn't good to drink..."
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Post by sarhea on Mar 21, 2007 12:51:13 GMT -5
Orion had barely had time to ponder much on the mission before his older sister Pollux took her leave and began the journey to the place called Scatterstone Beach. She set her pace, and never looked back. Adrenaline surged through his body as he easily kept up the pace through the dark forests of Arnlan. Only once did he pause, the moment he stepped over the border into new territory, a broad smile forming on his maw as he shot a determined and excited glance back behind him into Arnlan. Now finally was his chance....then he realized he was alone, that Pollux hadn't stopped, and he had to make a mad dash sprint to find and catch up to her. New sights and smells bombarded his senses as he ran along, not having any idea as to where he was, Pollux his only source of familiarity. It did not take him long to begin to get winded at the pace they were traveling; he was fast and strong, but he'd never had to run great distances before. And Pollux was correct in her assumption that he'd never complain, no matter how much his lungs screamed for him to stop. He made a mental note that he would have to work on his endurance.
But then she seemed to slow her pace, giving his lungs a chance to take in gasping, deep breaths, and his limbs burned and begged to stop, he pushed himself on. Then they were on the beach, a sight that Orion had never seen in his life. Pollux had stopped.
"Lets take a rest, we can figure out our strategy from there."
Orion's weary limbs had no problem with the suggestion, and he came to a stop next to her, heavy, wheezing pants coming forth as his lungs felt as if they would burst. He couldn't hold back a hacking cough as he almost choked on his own breath. He vigorously shook his dark pelt afterward, and looked to the great expanse of water before him, his eyes wide with wonder. The ground beneath his feet felt odd; it's lack of mud in itself a strange sight. He looked to the water....oh what he would do for a drink.
"Rest....that sounds like a good idea," he stated between panting breaths as he stepped toward the water.
"The water here isn't good to drink..."
Orion paused right before he would have lapped the water standing in a small indention in the sand. He looked to her with questioning eyes as she smiled back, her tail wagging.
"It's not? But its water...how can it be bad?" He took a few steps back, his ears swiveling to the side. "Where do we find good water then?" A look of exhausted frustration formed on his features.
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Post by Squeeji on Mar 22, 2007 12:15:22 GMT -5
Pollux just smiled, she was partially right, Orion was winded, but he was doing better than she had originally thought. It pleased her that he wasn't floundering, that means he held great potential has her own replacement when she chose to retire.
The scout teetered up, on shaky legs, she hadn't noticed how old she was getting until she tried to get up, her joints groining in resentment for her actions.
"It's not? But its water...how can it be bad?"
"Taste it, its different than the water of Arnlan, its Sea water...tastes like salt...it will only make you thirstier." Pollux nodded and then made her way further down the beach. "What you need to find is a stream, they usually grain into the sea...they're the good water, also they're where the game usually stays...they can't drink salty sea water any more than we can." she laughed.
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Post by sarhea on Mar 23, 2007 10:10:53 GMT -5
"Taste it, its different than the water of Arnlan, its Sea water...tastes like salt...it will only make you thirstier."
Orion had looked back to the small pool of trapped sea water in disgust as Pollux has risen to her feet. He didn't understand sea water and salty. To him, water was water, and this place had such an abundance of it. He took her comment as almost a dare, and shot a look back at her as she turned and began heading back down the beach. Being young still, Orion couldn't bare to not take a dare, whether it was meant as one or not. He quickly peered after her, and when he thought she wasn't looking, reached down and swiped a sip of the water.
The flavors that hit his mouth made it burn and he spit it out as quickly as it entered. He wiped his tongue on his leg, trying rid it of the strong flavors of salt and fermenting sea life...Ack!
"What you need to find is a stream, they usually grain into the sea...they're the good water, also they're where the game usually stays...they can't drink salty sea water any more than we can."
He shot a glance back at her, digust and embarassment in his eyes. Now she say's that, he grumbled under his breath. Why could he have not just taken her word for it? His tail hung low, as did his head as he turned to catch up with her. Hopefully, she'd not seen his defiant display and the comic reaction of his stubborness...
He said not a word as he caught up and strayed just a few paces behind her, wishing they could find that stream, so he could rinse that horrid taste from his mouth, and they could begin their mission.
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Post by Squeeji on Mar 26, 2007 12:57:17 GMT -5
Pollux didn't need to see Orion drink the water or even to see his reaction after drinking the water to know he drank it. It was the nature of being inquisitive. When she had been younger she too had drank the salted waters of the sea...and had promptly threw a small fit over it.
"Its disgusting isn't it?" Finding herself a bit thirsty the scout started further down the beach, looking for her fresh water stream. "When Caster and I first started, we took a long sip too, I mean, who wouldn't , it looks like normal water, and its always so cool looking..." the female took a paw and struck the lapping waves upon the beach.
"We gagged and whimpered over that for a long time...and then...we kept daring one another to drink more of it." She laughed, they had been an odd set, so mischievous and troublesome. Her laughter faded into a smile as they came upon a sweetwater creek. Pollux sniffed, and nodded.
"Do you smell the difference? in comparison to the sea, the good water smells sweet, not salty, not like blood." she loped over and took a few laps of the good water. "If we go further up this stream, we will probably find the game that Arnlan needs."
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Post by sarhea on Mar 28, 2007 18:22:18 GMT -5
((sorry for the late response...been lacking inspiration))
Orion's eyes closed as he sighed in disgust at himself. Pollux must've had eyes in the back of her head to have seen him.
"We gagged and whimpered over that for a long time...and then...we kept daring one another to drink more of it."
Huh? Orion's head lifted, his ears perked as he trotted up next to Pollux. He didn't feel so silly now. So his sister had had a wild side in her younger days. He realized that he really didn't know her very well, only knew what he'd been told about her and what little he'd learned from their brief encounters. He let a coy smirk play across his maw as she laughed. And soon, they came upon a freshwater creek. Orion hesitated and looked at the water, eyebrows cocked in question as he watched Pollux sniff the water.
"Do you smell the difference? in comparison to the sea, the good water smells sweet, not salty, not like blood."
Orion didn't catch all her statement, for as soon as he saw her take a sip, his head plunged to the water, slurping up as much of it as it can. The sweet, clean taste was such a welcome relief, not only to his exhaustion, but also to rid his mouth of the horrid salt water flavors. As his thirst began to finally be quenched, a variety of new scents began to bombard him. He raised his head and looked around. Many foot prints were imprinted in the sand. Some he recognized as canine; some smelled of wolf, others of dog. His nose wrinkled in disgust as he observed the print of human. Oh how he hoped there were not humans anywhere close. He also spotted the prints of their target game; deer prints and many prints of rabbits.
"This is neutral terretory, correct?" He questioned, looking from the myrids of prints and back to Pollux. He was not worried, but very curious about the area. He was now feeling fairly rested, ready to take on the mission of finding food for Arnlan.
((bleh...sorry bout the crappiness....my brain is not wanting to work))
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Post by Squeeji on Mar 30, 2007 13:40:51 GMT -5
Pollux had been a wild youth, a nightmare to any elder or Alpha that had to deal with her, no rank had bridled she or her partner in crime. And for that, they had both lost so much, some more than others. But still she smiled.
Who couldn't? Watching the young male almost try to drink his full of the water. "Don't drink too much, or your gut will ache." The scout made sure to add that before he drank too much, running on a full stomach was a nightmare, but Orion seemed clever enough to know better even without her saying so. Which pleased her, it was nice to see that her parents had finally given birth to a clever pup...as she herself had to learn all this the hardway.
"This is neutral territory, correct?"
Pollux nodded, but still she was on alert "Its always best to keep on high alert in neutral areas. Any amount of honorless rogues would love to make an example of you. Packs, even vicious ones like Sallin, at least have some grain of Diplomacy, politicking that they would wish to keep with other packs." she sighed, and cocked her ears to a slight sound. "To keep the peace, a packless wolf isn't natural...there is no idea what a rogue can do in its desperation..."
The female sounded much more serious than she had ever sounded before, stern, and stoic, as though she almost held those animals with disdain, even though she almost seemed to pity them.
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Post by sarhea on Apr 2, 2007 20:19:17 GMT -5
Orion looked up at Pollux as she chuckled and smiled "Don't drink too much, or your gut will ache." came her warning. He lifted his head, the water dripping from his drenched maw. Yes, he'd better not drink too much, he was mainly trying to rinse the salt water taste from his mouth. He must've looked pretty silly there with his face all dripping, but he didn't have time to feel embarrassed as Pollux's tone and demeanor changed to much more serious as she answered his question.
"Its always best to keep on high alert in neutral areas. Any amount of honorless rogues would love to make an example of you. Packs, even vicious ones like Sallin, at least have some grain of Diplomacy, politicking that they would wish to keep with other packs.""To keep the peace, a packless wolf isn't natural...there is no idea what a rogue can do in its desperation..."
Orion stood to his feet, a different atmosphere falling around them, one much more serious as he became aware of the dangers they could potentially run into. Orion looked Pollux in the eyes, sensing her concerns and the hint of pity. The excitment of leaving the borders was replaced with a strong sense of duty to his pack. Arnlan was desperate to replentish the stores, and he didn't have time to gawk at new surroundings. His every sense was alert and ready to act at a moments notice. He looked down the stream as it disappeared into the treeline. Somewhere back there, they would find the food they came in search of. A coy grin replaced his stern look as he glanced back at Pollux.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" he said, taking a few steps towards the treeline. Orion only hoped that his hunting had improved enough to be able to take down such prey as deer, and even now, scents drifted to his sensitive nose, scents of potential prey. He paused and looked back to Pollux, waiting for her to inform him of the plan.
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Post by Squeeji on Apr 3, 2007 11:49:36 GMT -5
"Well, what are we waiting for?"
Pollux shook herself seemingly from a trance, giving him a tired little smile. "Nothing, let's go." She began a trot, though she wasn't nearly as spirited as she was before. But the scout did put on a happy face as she moved further up stream. "Any game that would be here, would be away from the salt water. Further inland...where the grasses, their food, would grow."
She had taken to telling him these things as they went, not knowing whether he did, or didn't know about hunting game in such a strange location. "Do you remember what sort of animals Sofika told us to choose?" It hadn't been that Pollux had forgotten, she was simply testing Orion, to keep his mind engaged as they went, she didn't want him to zone out during the monotony of their travels.
The sleek female waited for his answers and paused, making a "Shhhh" noise, a small herd was nibbling ahead, enjoying their dinner of sprouts and twigs. Pollux nodded her head towards the herd, looking to Orion, her brows lifted as to say 'Dinner is served'
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Post by sarhea on Apr 3, 2007 13:00:14 GMT -5
Orion's nose had picked up the scent of something, though he was unable to completely identify the smells mixed with all the other new scents that were bombarding him. But one thing was certian; he was much more alert now than he'd been several minutes ago.
"Any game that would be here, would be away from the salt water. Further inland...where the grasses, their food, would grow."
He followed in beside her as she trotted upstream, into the forests beyond the treeline. He tried to note the little things as they moved along, the things that would be handy to remember should he ever have to come here again, the little landmarks that would trigger the memories of this moment should he ever come by this way again.
"Do you remember what sort of animals Sofika told us to choose?"
He'd been committing to memory the small bend in the stream ahead that lead into a nice clearing abundant with fresh spring grass. He paused a second and looked back to her.
"Deer. The elderly, sick, and young," he repeated quietly and quickly. Strong smells of the creatures were coming to him now, just as Pollux paused herself, hushing him and motioning her head towards the small group in the clearing. He instinctivly dropped to the ground, his gaze fixed on the creatures, an excited gleam in his eyes. He looked back to her, a question glance that asked "What now?" He'd never hunted deer before, but surely they were easier to catch than those pesky Arnlan rabbits.
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Post by Squeeji on May 14, 2007 10:02:31 GMT -5
Pollux led, sneaking quietly after an elderly buck well past his prime, the old deer was skinny and sinewy but he'd be a fighter, deer didn't live that long without having a fight. She eyed the animal, sizing him up, and began a slow crawl towards the oblivious beast.
The Old Buck seemed concerned, but not overly so, his nose twitched, but the wind was to the wolves advantage, but still years of life had given the deer a fretful nature, and he stomped his cloven feet in concern for what the others of the herd did not sense.
Nodding to her brother, Pollux began the move to cut him from the rest of the herd, hopefully leading the Old Buck to her brothers younger and faster jaws.
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Post by sarhea on May 17, 2007 12:52:05 GMT -5
Orion was so not used to hunting prey such as deer. As his sister slunk closer to the unsuspecting herd, he noticed her attention fall primarily to an older deer. Sofika had told them to take the old, sick and young. This thin, pathetic beast seemed to be plenty old. He stayed in a low, crouching position, keeping his gaze stuck between watching Pollux's movements and keeping an eye on the old buck.
The creature did seem a bit nervous now. Did he suspect the hidden dangers lurking in the shadows? Orion caught the nod from Pollux as she moved in closer, appearing to be aiming to seperate the old buck from the rest...and if she did that, the deer's most logical path would take him....directly to Orion.
He grinned as the realization hit him. His first large prey hunt...now was his chance to shine. He slowly moved to be in a closer proximity to the old buck when Pollux made her presence known. There would most likely be only one chance to leap for the creature once the chase began, and he wanted to be close enough to get that chance.
[sorry for the late response]
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Post by Squeeji on May 29, 2007 9:28:59 GMT -5
The she-wolf lunged at the old raggedy buck, in comparison, Pollux was still small against the stressed brown beast, but the old buck made its move as the Scout wanted, it had pivoted and turned in its fear towards Orion.
The female landed on her feet with a 'opf' noise, and quickly went to chase the prey further towards the younger wolf. Though she limped a little as she did so...she wasn't as spry as she had been years ago...
All the while in the Old Buck's bleeting and thrashing the rest of the herd galloped off, watching with anxious eyes and stomping hooves a great distance away. They knew death was on the wind...
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Post by sarhea on May 29, 2007 18:45:54 GMT -5
Adrenaline pulsed through his veins as Orion watched Pollux spring into action, lunging out at the old buck. The ragged old creature spun away from the rest of the heard, turning to run directly at him! Orion had a brief moment of confusion as his mind screamed on what to do next...he'd never been this close to a live deer before.
Get up, you fool, and kill it-his mind screamed, as he forced himself off the ground, revealing his position to the deer as it came upon him. It reared at the sight of him, causing him to flinch just enough to miss in his lunge for it's thoat. An angry snarl erupted from his maw as he spun about as the deer tried to side step him. There was no way he could get to it's throat, but maybe, he could cripple it. He threw his body about as the deer attempted to change direction, aiming to hit the old buck directly in the hindquarter, crippling it's flight.
He cringed as a sharp burning pain shot through his hind paw as he spun, but pushed the thought from his mind as teeth connected with flesh. He felt flesh tear as he fell towards the hard ground, the pain returning, catching a fleeting glimpse of Pollux in hot pursuit. He only hope that he'd managed to hit his target in some crippling way, making way for Pollux to catch up to the buck and finish bringing him down. He hit the ground with a thud, briefly knocking the wind from his lungs.
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Post by Squeeji on Jun 1, 2007 10:22:28 GMT -5
Nodding at the crippling blow that Orion gave the old buck, Pollux rushed in to try to get a throat grab. The old beast thrashed and bellowed, trying to hit the female wolf with a blow from its enormous rack of antlers. She darted and weaved trying to miss the bucks advances.
This would be more difficult now that it was getting offensive in its defense. They had backed the old buck into a corner so to speak and it wouldn't lie down and die so easily. Pollux growled flashing her teeth in a snarl...keeping the thing distracted by using herself as bait, nipping at the buck, trying to tire it out.
Even old Bucks had enough fight in them to give a couple of healthy wolves a run for their money.
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