son of a - give me a drink

He stalked.

The noon sun was high in the air. His back felt as if it was on fire, with the sun beating down on his darker coat. He made sure to stick to the tallest of grass, keeping cover as he wandered. The intention was to find two sources of food; one for himself to keep energy up. The other would be brought back to Greenwood.

The food for himself would be a smaller morsel, of course. If he could find a hunting partner or two, they could all bring down a larger prey source. Pack or not, he didn't care who joined. Bran kept low to the ground, eyes focusing on the bustle of movement in front of him. There was a rabbit nibbling at the grass.

He waited.

Then struck.

Blood pooled from the rabbit's body, the scent scaring off prey in a small circle. He sat his rump on the ground, licking crimson from his jaws. Though weariness had set in his body before the hunt, having not had much food since waking here, he now dug in. With no company to his knowledge, he ate a bit faster than usual.

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Nefertari was driven south by the bitter cold of the north. She had had her wings ripped from her back and then had been tossed into this land unceremoniously. It had all been quite rude. But Nefertari had never expected the world to be a nice place. She knew this all too well.

Prowling through the high grass, she caught the scent of blood. Her stomach grumbled and her mouth began to fill with drool. Get yourself together. She said angrily to herself. Slowly approaching, she was careful to keep the wind coming at her and steps as silent as possible.

Boof.

Nefertari’s foot sank into a rabbit’s burrow and her cover was blown. Taking the opportunity, she pulled her paw from the hole and raced forwards. A brown coat filled her vision, but what mattered was the rabbit he was holding. Snarling, she charged up to the wolf, getting almost within biting distance before stopping. Her eyes quickly assessed the wolf and she immediately held the belief she could beat him in a fight. But perhaps not without an injury. And without a healer on hand, she would be screwed. It was a stand-off.

@Godbrand
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There was always going to be stupid as shit people out there.

Bran's hackles raised, a lip flashing salmon pink as the woman charged him. He abandoned his meal, rising and facing her with a low warning of a growl. She stopped so suddenly that dirt and grass cascaded to the surface of the plains. He narrowed his eyes at her, assessing she was a bit nervous - but not sorry - about her actions. He waited for her to attack him. 

She did not.

Or maybe he didn't give her the chance.

The rabbit was half-eaten anyway. "Take it." It was all the man said to her as he angled his body to the side, resisting an annoyed huff. Bran walked a bit away from her, leaving the woman to eat in relative peace. If she was that desperate for food, and if he fought back and won... Well, she would just harass someone else, right? An endless, vicious cycle.

He walked a quiet distance away, sitting down and eyeing the location for more prey. He was almost full, so he would not take more food from Greenwood. He'd hunt after the food was eaten, buried, and not able to scare off or alert any more prey. Though he did not completely leave the stranger, he was emotionally distracted at the moment. If she ate and left?

Who cared? Not him. It wasn't his job to police her.

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Caution filled Nefertari. What the hell was this wolf doing? She would never give up her hard-earned prey, yet this wolf did so without a second glance. Was he full? She eyed him for a moment or two before digging into the carcass. Most of the good parts had been eaten already, but that didn’t bother Nefertari, she was used to it. She had always fought for her food so it was strange to be given something for free.

Guilt was the second emotion to hint at Nefertari’s mind. She was a proud wolf and this whole situation felt wrong to her. Once finished, she narrowed her eyes at the other wolf. “Are you looking for more? Perhaps we can take down a doe together.” She offered, her tone still prideful as if she was doing some sort of favor for this wolf.

She abandoned the bones and bits of meat for the birds and smaller carnivores. "For the crows," she muttered. Nefertari was a friend of the crows and ravens, often leaving food for them or shiny things that she knew they liked. Why? Who knows, not even Nefertari herself knew why she took favor with them. Her childhood might've had something to do with it, but she didn't want to think about that.

@Godbrand
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He did not glance back at her. Not at first.

She offered to hunt with him. As much as she was baffled by him, it was Bran's turn to be suspicious of her. Was she feeling guilty? So, why take the prey from him? Or at least try to? Maybe it was simple. Her pride did not allow hand-outs.

She ate the best she could from the corpse, half-eaten as it already was. He contemplated his options. "I am" he confirmed at first, answering her question "if you are finished, I will start."

He rose to all fours now, walking to the south and near the water. Rivers snaked through the Plains and filled into a decent Watering Hole. That's where they'd start. If she decided to leave, that was on her. But he'd stalk prey.

Bran picked up a trail of - thank the gods - deer. It had been near the end of summer now, and he was thinking about what would be easiest to stock Greenwood's cache. He wordlessly looked back at @Nefertari before moving closer.

The small herd was grazing near the water. A doe and faun with them, with an older male a few steps away. He targeted the old one easily, leaving the mother and child alone. Bran suddenly burst from the foliage, aiming to cut off the target from the others.

Prey scattered and fled. Other animals that had been grazing and drinking too. The old buck was slow. He lunged at its legs, having been behind it. The woman could help if she liked right now, or wait for another moment.

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Nefertari padded along behind him, sniffing the air and looking for tracks. She saw the trail that he saw and her heart beat a little faster, deer. Following along, she kept her eyes and ears open, ready to take off. Her asset was speed and agility, so as the deer came into view, she immediately focused on the fawn. 

She loved hunting. She loved killing. But she didn’t enjoy wasting prey. Watching the stranger target the large, older buck confused Nefertari as she had thought he was only hunting for himself like she was. She questioned whether to target the fawn, but decided it might be too much food. 

Turning her thoughts off, she sped to accompany the brown wolf. Watching him go for its back legs, she bounded forwards and attacked its right front leg. She aimed to trip it up so he could go for the throat. He most likely had a stronger bite than her and it seemed like a good tactic.

With both its back and front legs being attacked, the buck stumbled. This gave both wolves an opening for an attack before he got up again.

@Godbrand
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Wolves targeted whatever opportunity presented.

Bran, however, did not touch mothers and children. Sure, it would be easy to go for the fawn. But would they risk the mother and old buck going after them in retaliation? Focusing on the buck made the other two flee.

He did not go for healthy or young prey. He found culling the herd more useful. It allowed stronger, younger bucks to take the place of the old ones. Let them fight come mating season, let them gather injuries.

Let him come back to them, seeing their wounds.

Let him hunt them in return for his mercy.

Bran left females alone because they had the blessing of birthing more of their species. Unless they were old and worn by age or injury, then he would take them down. Cull. The fawns are safe unless visible sick. He would not let them infect others.

@Nefertari tripped the old buck, however, exposing the throat as the deer tumbled. Bran struck like a snake, pivoting around to the front. Jaws stretched, and he clasped them onto the front of the throat. The buck bellowed hoarsely.

Then fell silent.

Blood sprayed but not violently. It had been a clean kill. "Eat" Bran offered, despite their earlier interaction "I will take the rest to my pack." Dragging what he could, carrying what else.

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Nefertari did not hunt in the same way, she took what she could when she could. She was thinner and often alone so fawns ended up being her only choice.

Seeing the carcass fall in front of her. Nefertari looked to the one who took the killing blow. She grinned widely at him, the high of the hunt catching up to her. “You’re a quiet fellow, huh?” She said, eyeing him over. She took to the prey, tearing the buck’s stomach open and searching for the liver. She severed the attached organs and pulled the fatty organ out once she had ahold of it.

“So- uh- what pack are you in that they make you go out hunting all alone?” Nefertari said as she took a bite of her liver. Mouth full, blood dripped down her yellow-furred neck. She intended to follow him back to his pack lands. She didn’t have a pack, after all, maybe this was a chance.

@Godbrand
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Quiet? He gave a light shrug but said nothing.

 She asked then about the pack he resided in. While he was naturally suspicious of others, he did squint his eyes. Somewhat. Was she going to follow him all around because she was bored? Bran had no ego to believe he was anything special. He surely hadn't done anything to attract unwanted attention. While Greenwood would welcome members, he had a thought the woman wouldn't really fit in.

 It was up to Lady Kore.

"One where I pull my weight" Bran replied calmly "with or without others." The hunt had been an attempt to secure knowledge, hence why he left it open to others to join. He would have taken anyone; she was not so special either. He waited for her to eat, glancing away in quiet courteousness to allow her 'privacy' to do so. He hadn't needed anyone in Greenwood to tag along. He would hunt small animals if he couldn't find anyone.

 "Why?"

His voice was not cutting and not curious. Stating a fact, despite the question. "Do you seek a pack?" He was no recruiter though. @Nefertari could follow him back, but he was not going to vouch for a woman he barely knew. One who had run at him with aggression, attempting to steal the prey of a stranger.

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Nefertari ate the liver quickly, she was a fast eater. Any slower and her prey would be stolen from her by starving wolves. However, the wolves around here didn’t seem hungry enough to stalk her for food as the wolves in her past life had.

“Eh?” Nefertari said at the question. He didn’t seem to be offering, nor did he seem to be making fun of her. “It’s true I do need a pack. But if they are all like you, I doubt I’ll fit in.” She said mockingly. She was being truthful and not just messing with the man. Although she did enjoy the lack of consternation the man seemed to hold. “I’m helping you out, making sure you get the food home nice and safe.” She said with a flourish of her paw. To be honest, she was probably just bored. But maybe a little part of her didn’t want the jackals to get the prey they had risked their lives for. "Maybe you'll owe me one later. Save my life or something." Her tone joking.

“What’s your pack like anyway?” She asked, curious. Even if she had no plans on joining them, information was always valuable. If they were a threat she would need to know and stay away. She stepped in to help carry the prey so he could answer her question. It was her fault he was opening his mouth anyway, she might as well do her share.

@Godbrand
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A good thing he was in perpetual squint mode.

 "Do you think I would leave you to die if I saw you attacked?" Her words suggested it, and he focused on it for the moment. His words were void of personal curiosity. She thought little of him as he did of her. Bran really did not care, but he would not become indebted to anyone. It had been her choice to join the hunt. He had made her 'owe him one' for the rabbit - in her terms.

 Her mocking would do her poorly in any pack.

"Greenwood is peaceful and quiet" Bran would tell her "it is run by a woman named Persephone" Because Lady Kore had been open and inviting to him, he would meet @Nefertari halfway and be somewhat open. Again, he was no recruiter "she wishes her members to thrive and survive in equal measure." Nothing betrayed inner emotions or opinions. He stated facts.

 Nothing would be given for free.

"Persephone is a good woman, who accepts nearly all walks of life. It is like any other pack. Do your part, and rise. Fail, and be at the bottom." He could not attest to much with Greenwood, seeing as he was new. He would not gossip like a hen and make things up. His statements were valid enough as it was. Like any other pack, one could have more if they were active.

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Nothing Nefertari was doing was getting through to this strange man. Strange because he would willingly risk himself for any old dying wolf. Was that normal in these lands? She would have to get used to more than just her sense of direction then.

“Peaceful and quiet doesn’t sound like my type of place. Well, to be honest, I don’t know what sort of pack I would fit in,” she mused in a wondering tone. “But I do appreciate working hard to help the pack, that’s something I can respect.” Maybe that meant that the pack wouldn’t dissolve as quickly if there were a famine like in her last life.

“Persephone does sound like quite a stand-up gal though. I doubt I’ll join, but I’d at least like to meet her sometime.” She smiled cockily, she liked strong women, both platonically and romantically. She had never kept up a tryst for long, hadn’t really had the chance to. But this land seemed much more suitable to find a mate than her last. At least it didn’t seem like wolves held open hatred and distrust with strangers here.

@Godbrand
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It was honestly not his business what sort of community she wanted. The fact was she declined Greenwood casually, citing it too peaceful for her liking. That made him assume she wanted to start shit elsewhere, and perhaps circle back to his pack. He merely glanced at her as she spoke. "Mm." He agreed with the whole hard work aspect.

He didn't like the way she 'oogled' Lady Kore in her mind and vocally but said nothing. He barely knew Lady Kore and it was not his place to defend her anyway. "She is always... around the Plains to knowledge." It was his leader's homestead, so there was no point in hiding it from @Nefertari anyway. Bran reached for the fallen prey, taking it in his jaws.

Wordlessly, with or without help, he began to drag it back to Greenwood. It was up to the woman to seek an audience with Lady Kore, and if not prompted to stick around he'd just return to his new den. With little else to say, Bran made strides to fill the cache.

/fade end

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Nefertari, finally giving up on talking to the man, helped carry the carcass. As soon as she smelled the scent markers though, she turned tail. “Have a nice day or don’t, it's up to you,” she shouted to him as she walked off. She noted the position of Greenwood before disappearing off into the plains.

-Nefertari Exits-
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