A Wolf and her Prey (Solo)

[Sashi]

A Wolf and her Prey Timestamp: 30th of Winter, 511 AV Location: The Northern Reaches, Not Far from the Icewall Gates It was dark outside, but the darkness did not bother Sashi. Leth was high in the sky and her light reflected off the snow, providing Sashi with more than enough illumination to see in the dark. It was cold out, but then it was always cold in the Northern Reaches, and a light snow was falling. Sashi knew she had to hurry, the prints she was following would be covered soon, though she could still track by scent. It would be easier though with the prints to help. She was hunting a deer, a doe by the size of the hoof prints. Normally she went after smaller game, but finding a lone deer was such a rarity that Sashi just could not pass it up. Her new pack-mate, Kaniel, was off hunting on his own north of the city. It was an odd relationship, theirs. Sashi and her former pack had killed Kaniel's human, and now he was her new alpha, and her old pack had been abandoned. Sashi was constantly learning new things about herself and her species, which were apparently called Kelvics, but at heart she was still a wolf. Currently her den was in the former home of Rhoda, Kaniel's human, but Sashi preferred to hunt in the wild than have the strange Vantha food served to her on little dishes as Kaniel had been doing for so long. Kaniel seemed more than willing to give up his lush life, however, and join Sashi in the wild. It was awkward at first, but they were slowly becoming close to one another, in a way Sashi had never felt with her old pack. Sashi paused to sniff one of the tracks which was almost completely covered in snow by that point. She could still smell the doe, so she wasn't too worried, but the scent was faint. Sashi needed to speed up and quit thinking about her new pack-mate. She could think about him later, after she had the deer, and could surprise him with a fresh meal large enough for the both of them. Sashi loved deer, and was very excited by the idea of sharing it with him. Sniffing the air, Sashi glanced about, then took off into a run. She needed to catch up to the deer and it seemed to be going in a fairly straight direction. Perhaps it was looking for a source of water, though Sashi could smell none in the distance. Even so, the scent was strong enough and the deer was moving straight enough that Sashi didn't have to pause often. She loved a good chase, so she didn't mind anyway. Before long the deer would be in her jaws, and Sashi would have a full belly, a little running was no problem at all.

[Sashi]

Snow flew through the air as Sashi ran in pursuit of the elusive doe. It's scent had grown stronger now though the tracks were becoming unclear. Keen hunter instincts told her that meant the deer had stopped somewhere. If she could smell it, but the tracks appeared older, then it wasn't going away from her. Sashi slowed her pace then, knowing that if she was drawing near then the deer might hear her, and as much as she enjoyed a chase, deer were very fast and difficult to catch. She recalled the last time she chased a deer. It was quick and agile and led her into the thick trees, dodging this way and that. The deer had escaped her, but this time it would be different. Sashi would catch it, and she would eat it, and she would howl her victory to the winds so that her pack-mate would know and come running to find her. The heart would be hers, because she was alpha female and it was her kill, but Sashi would share the rest. But she had to catch it first, and to do that she needed to slow down. The scent had become strong, Sashi knew the deer was near. She crept carefully up a small bank of snow, each footstep lightly pressing into the ground checking for sound. Sashi could hear her footsteps even while being so careful, her skill at stealth was not such that she could defeat her own powerful hearing, but she was fairly certain she was being quiet enough that the deer would not hear her. Deer had good ears, but not as good as a wolf's. Step by step she climbed, dropping into a crouch as her head came over the rise of the snow bank. She spotted it! The deer had stopped to chew at a small growth of ferns that it dug out of the snow with its hooves. Immediately Sashi's mouth began to salivate. It had been so long since she'd tasted deer, and this one had nowhere but open snow to run. It couldn't out maneuver Sashi this time. She would soon have its throat between her jaws. Oh, but she was being too loud! The snow crunched ever so slightly under her paw, a sound that was to Sashi that was like an avalanche. The deer heard it too and its head snapped up, turning in the wolf's direction. For an instant they both stared at each other in shock.. and then the chase began.

[Sashi]

There was a fraction of a chime where both the deer and the wolf stared at each other before they exploded into motion. In that instant the deer saw death, and Sashi knew she would catch it. She had the advantage, the deer was facing the wrong way. That split second that it would take for the deer to turn around would be enough. Sashi and the deer both moved at once, Sashi forward and the deer to spin around. Sashi's paws dug into the snow, leaving deep prints. The deer kicked up a cloud of white powder as it spun and ran away. In the split seconds it took for it to turn, Sashi made considerable distance, but once the deer was on the move it took everything she had to keep up with it. At full gallop the deer was extremely fast, but Sashi pushed herself as hard as she could. Her lips were curled in a snarl, and a happy growl was building in her throat. Of course the deer wouldn't hear it as a happy noise, but to Sashi it was like an excited giggle. She was gaining on the deer, and soon she would have it. Sashi could already taste it in her mouth. The deer was terrified, it knew that Sashi was going to catch it and it knew that it couldn't escape this time, but it still tried. Both animals tore across the open snow, the black wolf slowly gaining on the deer. When she was close enough Sashi pushed one extra hard burst of strength into her hind legs and leaped forward, snapping her jaws closed around the deer's leg. Sashi felt the satisfying crunch of bone as her jaws clamped shut and the blood of the deer rushed over her tongue. The deer let out a sound of pain before it tumbled, bringing Sashi to the ground with it. Both struggled to get to their feet first, but the wolf won, and bit down again, this time on the doe's neck. The deer thrashed for a while, but Sashi would not let go, and eventually its thrashes grew weaker and weaker until it had no life left in it. Sashi was victorious, she had captured her prey. The wolf tilted back her head, letting out a long how signaling her pack mate, and then dug in.

[Cinna]

And the forest reveals.... Hello Sashi! Ah the thrill of the hunt, great thread! I really like the use of visuals, it really makes me feel like I'm there with you great job. Sashi : Skills: Hunting +2 Tracking +1 Stealth +1 Running +1 Observation +1 Lores: Tracking: Time is of the Essence Tracking: Using One's Senses Knowing When to Pounce Taking Down Prey If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to PM me .