Gift for gift, trespass and treachery

Open to anyone, especially the Hrafnsvaktin and Shiroshika factions

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It had been some moons now since Kuhn had had his first run in with the wolves of Hrafnsvaktin, an un-necessary misunderstanding.  Though because of that, he had the pleasure of meeting their defacto leader @Valmúa.  The striped beast, staying true to his vague words, was determined to repay that gift she had given to him.  A gift for gift, betrayal for treachery, and he wanted to settle the score; at least that's what the cat told himself.       

His large painted form contrasted against the brutal white landscape, dragging a massive kill from the mountains of Tsukiishi to the territory of Hrafnsvaktin.  It was already a long journey, even without the grueling task of dragging a 250 pound caribou miles through the sleet.  It hadn't been the cleanest of kills either, it was particularly bloody, leaving quite the kill site back in Tsukiishi, and an easily trackable trail leading across the expanse of tundra from one territory to another.
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@Stjörnuáti @Solpallur @Reiko @Hotaru tagging for visibility/invitation

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 Their hold on the land was beginning to slip already. She knew it when she heard the howls of unfamiliar wolves far in the distance, sounding their proverbial horns from the opposite mountaintops that graced this harsh place. Valmúa had continued her vigil over Hrafnsvaktin, determined to make it her home. They were not many in number, and all of them had a habit of roaming far and wide. Thus, no hold on the territory had been made. There were still nooks and crannies of the fog-coated mountain to explore. She wished, at times, that she had a companion to accompany her on these missions.
 As the fire sister moved through the woods toward the edge of their land, she descended the slopes when a dangerous and disconcerting smell wafted through the air. Indeed, it was a cat no less. And blood.
 The closer she drew, the more she confirmed that it was only Kuhn. She had failed to describe at length her encounter with the great cat to either of her brothers, fearful that Stjörnuáti would not listen and knowing the Solpallur would not care.
 “Lord Kuhn,” she greeted, nodding her head. Her posture was far more rigid than it had been on his own turf — this was her brothers' domain, and by extension her own. She noted the size of the caribou he had somehow dragged here. Her mouth watered. “What is this?”

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The cat's gaze was essentially locked to the ground, carrying the caribou in a vice like maw. Panting from exertion, he didn't know he was being watched until she was already close and easily in earshot.  After hours of listening to nothing but his own breath and the crunching of snow, the striped beast sprung backwards at her call, letting lose a bit of an involuntary snarl.  Only a moment later, his eyes met with the perceived threat: Valuma.  The aggression on the beast's face quickly faded, as his ears drooped somewhat in embarrassment, rolling his eyes and taking a step back towards his kill. 

His intent was to respond to her now, but all he could muster was, "Oh thi..." before he began to involuntarily pant from the aftermath of the physical task.  Standing there for a moment the cat looked at the fire woman with a face half covered in frozen drool and gore, with that same embarrassed droop. 

After a long pause, he was able to recuperate his breath, "This is a caribou", he responded quite literally, with semi wicked toothy grin. 
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^^

Her heat had long passed and Thalia had returned to the quiet mountain of the North. Nothing truly eventful had happened this time and so she brought back nothing to show for it. It wasn't a complete loss, there was new sights to be found and the world beyond the Northern boundaries was vast and she still had much to see some day.

For now, she was bound to these treacherous paths and slithering snow for one reason and one reason only... She liked Valmua. The woman intrigued her, and had a good head on her shoulders. It was nice to have someone around who could spit back and not be offended so easily.

So she spent her days majorly lounging around. Keeping her fur clean, pissing on borders to help with that stench as the men didn't seem to be doing much lately - she had to help the other woman, and that was decided. It was during her routine of pissing here and there that she found the bloody trail. The scent was not that of wolf but of prey, and that was evident without putting much of a warning sign into her brain... but it was the stench that came with it.

Kuhn. That tiger was back and brought something with him.

Quietly the little dragon followed the trail, up the mountains until she saw the poppy woman speaking with the feline. Side-eyeing the tiger as she walked by, head held high and proud as if he didn't make her piss herself the last time they met, she rounded about to sit next to Valmua and listen for now.

What the hell was this all about anyway?

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This is a caribou.
 Valmúa tilted her head toward him with a well, duh expression. She couldn't help but let a grin seep overtop it, finding his mess of spit and blood rather humbling for such a great cat. He looked absurd. Given his breathing, he had dragged the kill quite a distance.
 When Thalia planted herself beside her, the fire woman leaned against her and nipped at the thick fur of her neck. The woman was quickly edging her way into Valmúa's closer group of wolves. Their previous run-in with the cat together had planted the seed for something like a bond.
 To be gifted with such a prize seemed outlandish, but she recalled him saying that he would repay "gift for gift." His gift was just quite a bit bigger than hers had been. “If this to repay me, I should repay you again. It is big,” she said, grinning and rather "wowed."
 No one had ever done anything like this before for her that she could recall. She was amazed, not only by this expression but also the fact that he could take down something of this size on his own. She never got used to the power of large predators who roamed alone. They were a force of nature in the truest sense.
 She moved closer to it to inspect it, leaving Thalia to figure out the bits she had not told her pack mates. Briefly, she sniffed politely at Kuhn, even going so far as to relax her posture and show him that he was welcome here (so long as she was around).

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As Thalia approached, the cat was surprised to have another onlooker, how could he have missed her coming as well?  Kuhn, remembered her, having a short flashback to the thrashing he gave.  Internally, the thought amused him, and a small toothy  smirk seeped through, flicking his tail in amusement.  He watched her pass by for a moment before turning his attention back to Valmua.   

"Repay me?", He replied again still only being half serious, putting on a temporary air of braggadocio.  He knew the gift was probably lopsided, but to him it was more about the sentiment. After all, she had went through the effort and great risk to find him; she put herself completely at his mercy to make amends.  "No, That's not how is see it", he continued, licking the frozen blood and ice from the side of his lip. 

He wasn't generally one to respect the territorial boundaries of wolves, or most other boundaries for that matter.  But, he remained standing in this instant until Valmua seemed to welcome him with a relaxed posture and a greeting.  He took this queue to set his hindquarters down on their side, exhaling an exhausted breath into the brisk air.
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Cameo for now because I can't promise how great I'll be about posting

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Not far away, the stareater lingered, liver colored eyes intent upon the figures that held his interest. Pale fur shifted as the wind did, bringing him scents that matched what he saw: Valmúa, the spitfire, and the cat he had unceremoniously attacked before. Regret did not color his recollection of the interaction, nor did anger. The memory was simply that — a memory.

He was no fool. He had smelled the cat on his sister after that encounter and, watching her now, she was not warding the creature off. That alone spoke volumes and so, Stjörnuáti ventured closer. He left some distance between himself and the trio, instead choosing to play the role of silent sentinel this time. His ears forward, eyes intent, the raven-follower lay upon the borders to observe them all until he felt the need to join them or leave.
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Short sorry! But she has little to add here LOL

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^^

Thalia had nothing to say. She remained by Valmua's side as support and nothing more. There was no bad blood here between the dragon and the feline, he didn't injure her after all and so all that was wounded was her pride. But, then again, to be taken down by such a beast like this would be nothing to be ashamed of anyway. Even now as she eyed him lick his lips, catching a glimpse of those massive fangs was almost exciting.

If she were to die by anyone, Kunh wouldn't be so bad.

^^
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 Valmúa's movements around the suncat were always a little cautious. The closeness with which she was willing to risk, however, was far more than any of her kin as far as she knew. There was something delectably dangerous about his presence and power. She imagined it was the kind of power than women were attracted to her brothers for, though she had never understood it. Ironically, she herself had used this type of power as a weapon in the past, despite never recognizing it as such.
 Thalia stood by her side until she moved in to the caribou. To Kuhn, the fire woman asked, “how do you see it, then?” Her words were like silk, unlike her chuff toward her companion. “Eat with me,” she half-demanded, half-invited. She wasn't a particularly food aggressive animal, but in their world, food was everything. Pecking order had remained wobbly or non-existent among those of Hrafnsvaktin. Though the poppy was a sister of their leaders, she did not force her weight about. It was enough to band together to survive at all in this harsh place, for they did not have Kuhn's wisdom or power.
 It was the latter that most interested her about him.
 She pulled at the half-frozen carcass, which had developed considerable firmness during the journey from Tsukiishi.

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+1 Formation Points

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The whole group was here it seemed, out in the distance Kuhn noticed the arrival that male, the one who so rashly bit him.  Flashing quickly across his mind, was a fantasy.  The cat imagined himself clamped to the wolf's neck feeling its final death throws. The beast's expression wasn't well hidden either, wearing a brief moment of malice on his sleeve. 

He knew he should let it go.  A long moment of silence passed, as the cat threw his tail back and forth. Turning back to the carcass and the women. "Its not about the size, there is more to a gift than ephemeral value."  

Though the supposed queen didn't seem to be food aggressive Kuhn certainly was.  Averting his gaze from the carcass, the cat attempted to quell his irritation of giving up his kill.  He simply stared out at the horizon, attempting to ignore the sounds and smells of a carcass opening before rising to his feet. He wouldn't dare to invite himself, after all it was theirs now.
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Slight powerplay of Kuhn taking the liver was oked by player

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 “You are right,” the fire woman answered, even as she soaked her face in the blood of his catch.
 As she said it, she realized that there was something she might do for him, something meaningful that did not require him to stay through the eating rituals of her kind. “Wait a moment,” she answered.
 She moved in forcibly to her spot at the belly and tore further, pulling muscle wall and fat until she reached where the choice organs lay. From the caribou, she pulled the liver, steal fairly warm despite the chill and the distance the carrion had been dragged. Valmúa took the liver to Kuhn directly, dropping it at his feet. “Your gift is appreciated more than you know. You are wise, and we will make ourselves worthy of it,” she told him, dipping her head and backing up.
 Kuhn took the liver and left to his home territory. He had no interest in watching wolves eat.
 Those of the mountain would eat well that day, and many to come with the size of the kill. Such an ally should be remembered well by her kin.

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