on the prowl

can present date it for any empyrean :)

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Taurus had found that his appearance here had been, thus far, proven to be something akin to a gift. It was an interesting place, he thought, thinking back on a certain cat and his lips twisted as he stretched his limbs out. To the sky his rump pointed, his forelegs stretching out as he widened his toes and curled his short tail over his rump. The gargantuan man held himself so lazily and easily as he returned to his natural height, shaking out his thick fur with a long yawn.

With little responsibility out and about in these lands, Taurus had found that aside from exploring, he was doing an awful lot of sleeping. He enjoyed it as much as he thought that maybe, he was getting a bit lazy. Taurus knew he'd find a purpose in these lands but he wasn't going to stress about it, taking each day as it were to come.

The bull-headed man found himself in the mountain range, napping once again in a secluded bit of land once he had found himself a little snack. Said snack lay currently at his paws, half-eaten with the proof of it lining his chops. He contemplated leaving it behind as he moved on but he thought nah, fuck it, he was a big man and he'd get hungry again later. Leaning down to snag it in his crimson tainted jaws, Taurus carried himself forward with a slow, easy gait as he steered clear of marked borders telling him of claimed lands.

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Hydra was now able to range further from home. Her husband manned the brood today, and certainly not alone; now that they were settled at the rendezvous, Hydra set her sights on the distance. The matriarch would not go too far, but she wanted to explore all that she had heard in her absence. For one, the pack that had passed through the coast. Once certain that this was all they had done, Hydra trained in the waves that were unseasonably warm this time of year. It had been a good exercise, one that she kept at for some time, before resting a beat on the base of Empyrean.

And then she was off again, well rested. Hydra wanted to be certain she missed no other thing that might have arisen in her time with her newest cubs, and so she headed the opposite direction of the coast. She smelled again of sweat, pine, and stone, but carried too the scent of oceansalt. The scent of her cubs was thoroughly dealt and done away with, not wanting to carry evidence of them along the way.

It was not too long before another wolf was in her sights. Hydra stopped for a beat then, ears pricked forward as she quietly assessed him with interest that was not at all idle. He was not so near to Empyrean as to be a bother, but if he were headed in that direction she wanted to ensure he would not become one. Better to get rid of those before they became just that, in any event, if it became apparent that he intended to become one.

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Taurus supposed he should know better than to think a pack wolf wouldn't come looking for a scent that likely blew with the wind towards their territory and though he wasn't concerned, he was curious. His plans had been to drift whilst keeping an eye out for his brother, wanting to know where Aries had gotten off to but if he found something to anchor him somewhere, he wouldn't fight it. He could do both; being pack wolf and searching for his brother. Yet... he hadn't come across anywhere he would want to settle and wasn't in the mood to be approached by a wolf seeking to protect the lands near their pack in an effort to display just how brilliant they were. Taurus often laughed, untouched by their wrath and found himself walking away from those who wanted to fight without reason.

The young wolf was slow to anger, finding others more funny than threatening which was a trait that had kept him alive, he supposed. So when he saw the wolf draped in shadows watching him, Taurus paused in his wolf and turned his head to her completely, the half-eaten snack jerking in his jaws. Taurus blinked lazily towards her, his short tail sweeping slowly behind him as he leaned his head down to drop his food by his thick paws, inhaling as to gain her scent. Pack wolf, he thought, a create of the Pack nearby more than likely. "Aye," the behemoth greeted, "did ya wanna talk? 'Cause I can pose for ya otherwise." He spoke in jest, his boyish features amused as he wondered if he would find some interesting company or whether it would be another snooty Pack wolf seeking to show their worth.

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As he turned to look to her, she watched. Her appraisal of him had revealed just what was presented and merely face value then; he was a solid looking man, and he looked as tall as he did heavy. His thick furs could not hide the muscle present there. Her father was similar in build to him, and he had been the one to teach her to fight in the first place; while Hydra herself was unafraid, neither was she stupid. That he did not move to approach her caused Hydra to think perhaps he was not, either.

He regarded her in turn then, his gaze sweeping. Hydra, from appearance alone, might not inspire fear in the heart of others. She was not a massive wolf—certainly in stature, she was smaller than he—nor did she look, at first glance, like the sort of woman who swung a sword. It was not something Hydra ever minded; it only seemed to serve as an advantage. It was not her features that would prompt such a feeling, and for this she was glad. Let it be her unforgiving teeth and her relentless assault that be the root of that.

Hydra sniffed the breeze, that stirred both of their furs, none too absently. Alone, it seemed, with but the scent of his travels upon his person from this distance. She could not pinpoint any faces she had come across in her lifetime then and there. An ear twitched as the massive man spoke. His question was not an unfair one, and though the matriarch could be one of many words, such a thing seemed reserved for those that she knew rather than the common passing stranger.

“You would pose for me?” She quipped then, voice not absent of humor. What manner of man was before her? Hydra had never been one to waste time in figuring as much out. Much could be gained from banter, although Hydra had not come here to talk, even upon seeing him. She remained only to take his measure—for now. Was he passing through, as most did—or did he seek to cause trouble to those who crossed his path?

Hydra thought of her children, and of their curiosity. She thought of them at the mercy of any stranger that intended on gaining notoriety through the latter.

They would meet her, first, if she could help it. The sword, the guillotine, the bullet—whatever weapon she needed to be, for those that she loved so savagely—that always met its mark.

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It was easy enough to feel stuck beneath her startling blue gaze but Taurus did not think anything of it; preferring someone have a quality about them that stuck out from the rest. It wasn't always something on the surface, either, that the titan would notice yet hers, at least her most obvious one was the blue of her eyes against her midnight fur. His lip quirked as he appraised her, so far finding her to not be immediately aggressive and trying to prove her bollocks were bigger than his own. It was well received, with a wag of his short tail. 

Her question returned, clarification in the form of a jest and Taurus chuckle, low and raspy as he grinned toothily in her direction. "I'm a man of many talents," he threw back with a wiggle of his brow and a slither of his tongue along his lips and nose. "Been told I can strike a well good pose," Taurus snickered as he nudged the snack at his paws as he shifted his frame to face her better. His forest green gaze lowered down to his half-eaten snack as it was brought back to his attention by the nudge of his paw and he tilted his head to the side as he quirked an ear, "ya hungry? Ain't much but ah, figure it's something." Taurus shrugged, lazily lifting a leg to scratch behind his ear. 

The titan knew how he came across, a big, placid oaf that smiled lazily and shrugged most things off. He was something, even he knew that with the thickness and height of him but those that saw his mannerisms often lulled themselves into a sense of security that would be torn away once they pushed him too far. Taurus nudged the half-eaten corpse towards her and took a step back himself, telling her that he'd vacate the area if she wanted to take the snack. ^^

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The matriarch watched and listened both, maintaining the distance between them. His words in turn served to bring much to mind, though that perhaps had not been his intent. The words that carried the most weight to her own ears were strike paired with well, and she wondered if he could—if he intended to, also. Hydra was sometimes a woman who could (or rather would) read between the lines in such ways, erring ever on the side of caution. They spoke of posing, but Hydra did not see what most might when looking upon Taurus. That was her nature. She did not see an oaf, but a wolf with as sharp a tooth as any of their ilk.

Hydra knew better than to underestimate any, and besides that the man was a giant—it would not serve her to believe he was a gentle one.

Even when he offered her food. It was kind, and she observed him shift some as though he intended to make room for her. Hydra maintained her healthy skepticism, a cynic even in the best of times, though replied in earnest to him, “I am not hungry, though I appreciate your offer,” she drawled. Unlike him, she had the benefit of a pack—and together they had hunted recently enough where her appetite was sated. She could not understand why he would pose the offer, though, running on his own; a decent meal could be hard to come by, and the energy it took to hunt and sustain a physique such as his own she would think meant every bite he could find should not be spared.

So, the man before her could be one of two things. Seeking to use his kindness to build an advantage in bringing her near to then harm her (and as to what end, well, there were several options Hydra, a monster herself when need be, could think of)... or perhaps he was the one seeking conversation, after how much time alone? Hydra knew she could not read minds to know for certain what the answer was. The Ostrega did not need to have such an ability, though, to figure that out.

“Winter comes, and yet you would spare your food to a stranger,” she drawled, “and I do believe you might be a man that can... strike well,” something the matriarch did wish to determine, given her own aptitude toward the field, but before that she sought some information that would sate her better than the portion he had offered to her: “does my nose deceive me, or do you run alone?” She inquired. Hydra had little faith that any would offer a hard earned meal out of the mere goodness of their heart, but the man before her did not look starving—so perhaps he did not run alone, and could spare it if he truly wished to.

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She declined his offer and he supplied a shrug of his shoulders as he tucked the kill back beneath him. He couldn't really blame her, if she was hungry and didn't want to say -- 'cause he was a stranger and it was smart to err on the side of caution. If she was telling the truth, then that was fair enough. Taurus didn't think too much on it, it had been a brief offer because despite being a bull-headed man, he had some manners about him. That and the titan liked the mountains, it would serve to make life interesting, certainly, if he sought to make an enemy of the midnight woman and the pack she ran with but that wasn't the type of excitement that Taurus sought from his life. Perhaps if he had been in a rare, furious mood and had wanted to pick a fight -- but the behemoth felt that so rarely that it wouldn't be the case, not here. 

A smart woman, he mused, as she observed the scene before her and questioned it. His lips quirked at the use of strike and though he remained silent, Taurus had decided that the woman was not daft. Her startling gaze saw more than the surface, her brain ticking over as to prepare her for anything. Good, he thought, not everyone was as easy going as he. "Nah, your nose ain't broken. Just me, myself and I," Taurus drawled as he shook out his fur, as if offering her to sniff again if she thought her nose was lying to her -- his lip quirking to reveal a canine in a cheeky grin at his jest.

"The way I see it, ya haven't done anything to me to make me want to pummel you into the ground," he shrugged, "or starve you, see." 'Cause starving your enemy would be a much better torture than immediately bringing them to sudden pain. "Not a fan of being a bastard straight off the bat, y'know? Life's far too fuckin' short for me to be that bothered over everything -- even shit that isn't there." It took a lot for the man to snap and what had she done, really, aside from question his motives? Fuck all, he mused. "Woke up in this strange place and thought I'd better just explore whilst also somewhat looking for my brother. See what life brings me to first, see." Finding Aries was something he was wanting to do but Taurus wasn't fussed if it were the first thing for him to find here.

A pack, a friend, a lover, an enemy -- anything could come to him and he'd say okay and continue on. Aries would be here, the titan knew it, 'cause his brother was a survivor despite his fiery ego. Whenever he'd find him, it'd be the right time. ^^

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His response was heard by Hydra, who considered each word. True that she had done none of those things, but men (and women too, for that matter) had struck others for less. The earth-hued man before her was solid enough, at least in appearance, to likely be able to hold his own against any who sought to take advantage of what they perceived was attached to kindness—weakness. Surely there would be at least one who might, during his time alone.

Indeed, as his furs shook she took another breath; nothing had changed, and he had spoke the truth as far as she could tell. Her keen nose detected nothing else but for the trees he had moved past, and the trails he had crossed through... but nothing that suggested attachment or permanence. Not to one wolf, nor several others.

“You are a better man than most,” she acknowledged. Better of heart than even she herself, who even when well fed would spare her food to none but for her family. Hydra had fought to kill lone wolves such as he, wolves hoping for merely scraps on a starved doe during the winter famine years past. She would do it again, without question or hesitation, though it was not to be cruel to them—that it was... well, it was simply par for the course. Her children needed to be fed, to become adults. The stalwart woman had long since accepted any and all collateral damage that came with the ensuring of this.

Still, for his own kindness toward her, she hummed: “I hope it will not kill you, though hope alone will not keep you alive. Is it your wish, to continue to run without others at your side?” She inquired, wondering if the life of a lone wolf was his preference. He sought his brother, she was aware, but that did not mean he intended to join him. Or perhaps he did; Hydra supposed his answer would provide her clarity.

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Her acknowledgement went without a response, only a dip of his chin and a quirk of his brow in retort. A man he was but it was not his only form, a beast prowled beneath the surface yet it was not his defining feature. Taurus had not lied when he spoke of not wanting to be a bastard straight off the bat, to go out of his way to be unusually cruel was not something that he sought to do nor to be yet when push came to shove, he would and could make the hard decision of survival. It had only served she had not been a horrible wench and he could spare the little snack, for he -- when he was not wasting his time sleeping -- was on the move and always ensured he had a snack or two to take with him on the move. Yet she told him he was a better man than most and he would take it, shoulder it like a badge and wear it with a quiet pride.

Taurus saw no need to be the villain for the fun of it and would happily wear the acknowledgement with ease. To be a good villain you didn't need to always be one. Always being one made them sloppy, boring and repetitive, he thought and it was better to be underestimated than pinpointed straight off. Not that the titan wanted her to think him a villain but by the way she had spoken earlier, he thought she thought he had the capabilities when and if it suited him. So if he wanted to spare a half-eaten carcass to someone, he would -- so long as they weren't little shits 'cause then he'd rather shit on the carcass than leave it for them to feast on.

He could be a bastard without being a bastard, see.

She didn't wish him dead, was basically what she had said and Taurus rumbled a chuckle as he tilted his head to the blunt woman as he rolled his shoulders. "Ain't got many wishes," the behemoth mused as he eyed her, "but I guess if I could name one, I'd say I'd wish to not remain alone, no." 'Cause being alone was good and all but the man got bored. He liked cuddle buddies, banter buddies, buddies in general and it had been a while since he had pledged his loyalty to someone who had deserved it. "Gets real boring when ya only got bunnies to talk to," he sported a boyish smile as he flicked his tail, wondering what she would take from his reply. ^^

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Wolves with too many wishes could be too difficult to please.

So it was good, that he felt he did not have a variety of them in mind. Better that one of them was no longer remaining alone. “I can see that you can hunt,” she drawled, which was the bare minimum for any decent wolf who hoped to carry their weight. Hydra would accept no less than that, but wanted for plenty more. “I admit that when it comes to food, I myself am far more selfish. I spare none for those beyond my borders, lest it lure any or others back for more handouts. You would have more than rabbits to speak with,” she drawled, ear twitching, “but there would be different expectations—such as the food you hunt being shared just with the pack. I do not seek to make a bastard out of you,” she drawled, “and so if this goes against your code, I would understand your disinterest of perhaps running with me, and mine.”

The matriarch did not seek to waste his time, nor mince words; Hydra could, and would, understand if this changed things for him and his own interest in running with Empyrean, if such interest existed. Hydra did not presume to think that his desire to no longer run alone meant that he wished to fell larger game with her own brethren... that he, too, wished to become Empyrean.

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"Makes ya a Pack wolf," he shrugged, wondering if she thought spinning just how selfish she expected him to be within their territories that it would put him to the test. He could be generous to a capable wolf, given the fact he had only himself to look out for -- had it been him on the opposite side and her where he stood, it would be unlikely that Taurus would seek to offer her the snack. He'd not be a bastard, mind, but the food would have stayed with him had the roles been reserved.

"The way I see it," Taurus started as he eyed her, "ya looking out for you and yours. Nothing about that makes you a demon, you know? With winter on the approach, like you said, it only makes sense that you want to keep food to Pack." Because otherwise, you risked endangering the wolves you sought to protect and where would that put you then? Made you a real shit Pack-wolf, didn't it? Though he eyed her still, allowing his forest gaze to battle against the startling blue of her own as he sought the answer he wished to find. Pledging oneself to a Pack was no little thing and though sure, you could leave as easily as you could breathe -- so long as they'd not kill you on sight for wanting to -- it was a decision that was not to be made lightly.

A pack was family, this he knew. "I can respect your desire to want the best for you and yours," the man supplied as he shook out his fur and gave a nod, "reckon I should give you my name if I'm going to join your ranks, aye?" He laughed, a steady rumble of sound escaping him as he realised he had gone this long without introducing himself. "Taurus," the behemoth said, "and yeah, I reckon the mountains are where I wanna be." ^^

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He did not seek to demonize her for her ways, nor her expectations.

Were he to have, he would not have been the first—but she held him in far higher esteem for understanding the way of life.

This man that stood before her, Taurus she now knew, ...well, she supposed it was good that she had not underestimated him. His kindness did not make him dim. She imagined him to be a capable wolf, one she was pleased to have happened across—that was rare enough in of itself. She was an easy woman to disappoint. Hydra knew he could hunt, and now knew he would not spare his food to mouths outside of Empyrean too.

She guessed he could fight, and would find that out, too, in time. Her tail swayed behind her.

“Well met, Taurus,” she drawled, “if you are willing to hunt alongside Empyrean, and prepared to learn to defend should you not already know the ways of this,” she hummed, “you would be welcome to make it your home, too. I am Hydra,” she introduced, adding her title so that he might be aware that he would become such on her authority: “Sovereign Queen.” He need not doubt his welcome, then.

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He knew it, of course he did but even he knew there was room to improve. One could never stop learning, even if he didn't always go about it the right way. She was a woman of power, Sovereign Queen, to allow him to become part of Empyrean. He should have guessed, really, given the way she carried herself -- but Taurus didn't look for titles and ranks. Which perhaps some may think a fault, but he treated everyone with the same respect and didn't like a rank to define the line between the way he carried himself -- not ultimately, at least. For he new from time to time that ranks mattered and would need to be heeded in some sort of way but for things like conversation, Taurus preferred remaining on the same level.

"Wouldn't have pegged you as someone to use the title Sovereign Queen," the titan jested but dipped his head as he wagged his tail behind him, his tongue coming to sweep over his bloodied lips. "We're going to have a lot of fun," Taurus chirped easily, his lips twisting into a confident yet mischievous smirk as he leaned down to scoop up the half-eaten carcass to bring it with him as he stepped into his new life. He was eager to find his sleeping spot that would do as his sun bathing spot, too, he thought wickedly. ^^

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“Pretty titles can be quite disarming,” she drawled with a half-grin, the woman a tactician amongst several other things warrior based. Hydra did not know what he, personally, thought of it—the title—but she was aware what several did. And she was content to let them think just that. Warqueen was too boastful and arrogant, Warchief too much of a giveaway of abilities she would rather show than tell of, when push came to literal shove. Sovereign Queen was a flowery, pretty little title that spoke of power, though also alluded to something else. It was meant to. At the end of the day, the matriarch did all things with intent behind it, down to the selection of a title she had been born and bred for... but had also worked for, bled for, fought for since the moment that she could.

And would continue to, for as long as she lived. She would always fight alongside her family, for them—with them.

He spoke of fun, and she wondered at his definition of it. Still, she thought so too—with her own definition of it attached. As he grabbed his kill, the matriarch awaited for him to meet her and maintained the lead to show him the way home.

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