[Flashback] Southbound (Tierranalin)

[Cathan]

"No need to go for the neck before she is too tired for kicking." He rather liked his bones intact and his pelt without bigger holes in it. He had experienced both the former and the later often enough to avoid either scenario whenever possible. "Could go for the soft underbelly too, if we so chose," the wolf mused, his eyes resting on the kelvic at his side. "What would you prefer? I don't really mind what I do."

Crouching below the bush before them, Cathan watched the doe. So far she didn't seem to have noticed them, grazing on a patch of moss, her ears twitching. From one moment to the next he froze, but then the doe slowly turned, continuing to nibble at a fresh tree branch. The kelvic relaxed again, nodding towards a swath on the opposite side of the clearing the deer was staying on. "The aisle is pretty narrow, one of us can wait down there, the other one will drive the doe down the swathe. She wont pay much attention to what's ahead when one of us is chewing at her hind legs," he suggested. "Especially when she can't smell the one ahead although she should."

Careful the wolf stretched a little, making sure his muscles hadn't stiffened in the time under the bush he slunk a few steps backward, looking over to Ra. "Best you take the one you are most comfortable with?," he offered, watching her. Since the hunt had been his idea it wouldn't do if Tierranalin got hurt in the process only because he wasn't too familiar with the way wolves hunted.
He wasn't to worried to go against the deer, in the last two years he had grown used to fighting and knew the two of them could take one in theory, but that was it. Theory. For him at least.

None of his previous owners would have allowed their dogs to dig their teeth into meat they intended to sell one day. He had hunted deer, but he had never taken one down on his own. Hares and rabbits, yes. Even the one of other sable and fox. But those where hard targets to hit with arrows.

And amused smirk crossed his face as his tongue lolled out, licking his nose. With the doe so close he could feel himself grow strangely impatient, their soon to be prey so close to them, he could smell it so clearly. "I am probably not cutting a too impressive figure, or am I?" he continued, not bothering to hide his short coming, instead shaking his head. "Decide what you want to do and I will follow suit."

[Tierranalin]

Ra nodded knowing the belly was soft and her teeth sank into the flesh with ease, but it was getting away from the feet that was the problem. "I could distract while you attack or vise versa" she said also resting her eyes on the wolf beside her. Ra knew that for the hunt to work and for both of them to come out of it unscathed they had to fully trust each other, listen to each other and know exactly each others moves to a fine detail that some now called an art.

She flicked her gaze back to the doe and watched intently. She looked also to the aisle then back at the doe. "That sounds like a brilliant idea" she said with a smile "You lead. Just tell me what I need to do" she said. She thought carefully "actually I'll chase" she said "I don't do so well when they are running at me" she said with a slight laugh.

Ra could also feel the burn and ache of the hunger that churned deep in her belly. The smell, the taste she couldn't wait. She though back to her last big hunt; she remembered feeling her body temperature rise as blood was pumped swiftly around her limbs. She remembered the way her tongue lulled in her mouth and drool fell from her jaws. Ra remembered the bite, the puncturing of flesh with her powerful jaws and long teeth. Then... The blood, warm, flowing, fresh blood. She now shivered feeling these sensations flood her memory and push her forward with a longing and true want for the kill. "head down the aisle" she said "I'm ready for a run" she said with a wicked smile.

[Cathan]

"Very well." Crawling fully out from under the bush Cathan pressed his nose against her shoulder with a grin. Blood was rushing in his ears and it was calling for the thrill of the hunt, for the taste of blood. Golden eyes shinning the large wolf turned starting to circle the the deer in a save distance. Through the bushes and trees he could see it, picking at a leave here a flower there, only once in a while looking up as if it had heard something, but never fleeing.

There was little to no foliage on the ground and it worked to Cathan's advantage as he slunk closer and closer towards the aisle. The plan was good, wasn't it? Now he knew Ra so far behind him, he wondered how good the plan was. With her chasing the deer he would at least not have to worry that she got hurt, but it didn't mean their plan was bare any risk for either of them. Stopping he shook his head just once. He had to concentrate. The last thing he wanted was to screw up because his thoughts were somewhere else. Licking his lips the kelvic entered the swath..

Ahead he could hear the deer, cloven hoofs clicking over stone before becoming muted by moss again. It was enough to know it was still there. Had it actually run it had been louder, accompanied by the sound of breaking branches. No, he was quite sure the doe had not moved from the clearing since he had last seen it.

Looking around Cathan headed down the aisle looking for a good place to lay down. He found one beside a large rock, right at the turning of the aisle. Crouching down the wolf saw down behind it, the stone large enough to hide the kelvic well enough. Seeing they had not thought of a sign for the Ra to go after their prey, he realized he could be laying low for quite some time. It could not been helped. From his shoulders crumbled the first flocks or dry mud, not much but enough for him to notice. Exhaling the wolf pressed closer to the ground, hoping the trick would still work.

The seconds seemed to stretch to minutes, and there was no sound but the rustling of leaves in the warm summer breeze. Birds chirped above his head and he couldn't recall a time he had ever paid attention to their singing. Right now, it was strangely going on his nerves though. Fur twitching he waited, for the sound of a deer coming thundering down the aisle.

Now with a little luck...

[Tierranalin]

Ra' smiled also knowing their plan would move into full swing soon. She smiled feeling his nose pressed against her shoulder. "Be careful" she said as she watched Cathan carefully creep down the aisle. Once he had moved enough away she crept quietly into the bushes and around behind the deer. Her golden orbs were fixated on the beast and prize before her. She tried not to think about anything but taking the creature down, tried being the operative word. She just hoped they would get a meal and not become one themselves for the scavengers. Ra' again looked around herself to reassure herself that the beast was in fact alone.

She waited till she was to the far left side of the deer so she would run at it from the left hip and not directly behind in fear of the hooves that would and could split her skull. Ra' took a deep breath, tensed her shoulders and muscles before leaping out of the bushes like a spring. Ra shot at the deer like cannon fire, her powerful jaw extended to full range for a big and powerful bite. She bit down just below the flank of its back leg where she had aimed and then she let go instantly and moved back slightly to avoid the hooves she knew would come at her. Her eyes never left the wound on the beasts leg as it twitched and kick, blood running down the slender leg to the hoof and then to stain the ground underneath it.
The deer turned to face her as if it was going to challenge her striking a hoof against the ground and for a moment Ra' thought their plan had failed but she let off a deep growl that rang loud around her showing she wanted the kill and then as planned the deer raised its head with wide eyes and took off allowing the chase to commence.

Ra' could smell the copper blood and taste it as it dripped from the wound and her jaws. She now felt a burning hunger and felt no contact with her human form what so ever. She ran will all force in her legs as she bounded after the wounded beast. She craved and longed for the blood, to be on her pelt and in her jaws, she craved its warmth and taste. Twisting and turning behind the deer she nipped at its legs sometimes catching them with a tooth. Ra' carefully directed the deer right where they wanted it to go and she felt the kill coming closer.

[Cathan]

The sound of the the doe's hooves echoed down the swath, muted by the soft ground. Cathan heard them still, his ears perking up at the sudden noise. Anticipation made him grin, let him crouch even further down the ground, his muscles tensing as he prepared to leap at his pray. Dried mud crumbled from his pelt when the large wolf dashed around the boulder, facing the deer heading his way.

Seeing him, the animal slowed down, yet not enough to stop. With Cathan blocking the way and Ra following right behind her, the doe tried to break out of the aisle, vanish into the deeper forest. She wasn't fast enough. Showing her flank to the gray wolf, the kelvic darted forward, digging his teeth into the deer's side, right behind the left front leg. Blood gushed from the wound, deep red it wet Cathan's muzzle, metallic taste started to fill his mouth and his senses. His heart had been pounding hard in his chest before but now it started to race, the blood singing in his ears. It was a sweet song, one which made it hard to concentrate on anything else.

It was the reason why he let go the deer much to late. Fangs sunken in the deer's belly he got dragged forward, painfully hitting against a tree as the doe started over a tree trunk. Pain was shooting up his hind leg and finally let the deer slip away, shaking his head before limping after his escaping prey.

Luckily the deer wasn't too fast either. Loosing blood both from the wound Ra and he had inflicted, it was half running half stumbling among the trees. Red colored two of its legs, one side, the belly. It could run for a while still, but not fast enough to escape them, at least not Ra.

"She wont get away, with the blood we can find her," he called in the she-wolves direction, while trying to catch up with her and their prey. "You alright?" For the first time he looked her over, his collision with the tree having knocked some sense back into his head. He could still feel the hunger burning in his guts, the desire to rip into the deer, but it was over shadowed by the pain in his leg. Now he knew why lone wolves rarely went for bigger game.

This one they would get though. He could see the light brown figure before him, trying to find a way through the thick undergrowth. Trees stood too close to allow fast running and the smaller wolves had an advantage over the irritated deer. Again the doe had to turn, away from some pricky scrub. Again it was heading in his direction, this time trying to kick in his direction as it ran past.

Crouching down, Cathan managed in the last second to avoid the hard hooves, instead taking another bite in the deers shoulder. A bit further up and he had got the throat, but so he missed by quite a bit.

At least it gave Ra a good chance for a second attack.

[Tierranalin]

Ra's eyes were truly fixed on the beast before her but now through her peripheral vision she could see Cathan down the aisle. Indeed the pace of the deer had slowed enough for Ra' to be able to get a full bite on a back leg, but she chose not to. The beast as semi expected darted out to the side in a desperate hope of escape into the thick trees. Ra' could see Cathan take the shot and bight deep into the side of the doe just after the front leg. Ra' could smell the metalic copper as it covered Cathan's muzzle.

Ra' could feel her body shiver as she saw the blood covering Cathan, she lusted for it and so she turned slightly and leapt hight on the flank and sunk her teeth deeper than before. Ra' now also felt the warmth of blood cover her body and drive her senses wild. Ra' had been in to much of a frenzy when she leapt for her attack on the rump to notice Cathan being pushed hard into a tree. Ra' noticed in her peripheral Cathan had left go and was limping and for a moment she felt no blood lust or hunger but concern.

Ra heard Cathan yell to her. She fixed her eyes on the back of the deer as it tried to stagger away "Don't worry about me" she said in a stern voice "You ok?" she asked with concern "She's mine" she growled bounding into a run. Ra' ran a loop to get herself in the prime position behind the doe and it once again ran for Cathan. She could see Cathan reach for the neck but not quite getting enough force so she let go from her position and went in for the kill shot, leaping up across the animals back to bite hard on the neck ripping the delicate cords between the sixth and seventh vertebrae.

It was only a matter of seconds before the weight of the great beast collapsed underneath itself. The body rolled head first as it fell, rolling over Ra'. She could feel her oxygen leave her for a moment as the beast's full weight was upon her and then a big rush of breath as it continued to roll. She got up slower than normal and looked down upon the body as it twitched in the last seconds of life, once it was still she took a step back and sat down. She panted a little as she looked over to Cathan "You ok?" she said moving over to him and checking his pelt for any injuries with her nose. Ra' felt the blood on his muzzle stain hers and softly she licked the side of his muzzle cleaning the blood from it "Men first" she said sitting back giving Cathan a clear path to the bloody body.

[Cathan]

"I am alright."

Cathan only managed a quick blaff in Ra's direction when she darted ahead of him, right behind the deer. She was fast, he had to give her that. Faster than him even on a good day probably. The she-wolf was quite the sight to behold and the kelvic felt his attention shift from his prey to the other shapeshifter, even just for a moment. Strong muscles moved under her reddish brown fur and she had little trouble catching up with the racing hind. With a brief grin he sped up again, trying to not be left behind.

Missing the animal's throat, Cathan had crouched to the ground, avoiding to get kicked. He had no reason to worry however. Already Ra had leaped up to the deer, fangs digging into its back. The smell of blood started to fill the air, warm and sweet. In the next moment he saw the doe falling, rolling to the side. At the last chance the large wolf dashed away, avoiding to get crashed under the falling doe. Shaking his head he sniffed at their dying quarry and something a kin to pride swapped over him. He had not killed the animal, but he had helped. It was the first animal of that size he had brought down without having an archer help in the process.

"You alright?," golden eyes found the female kelvic and a hint of concern was shinning in them. She looked alright, but the deer had basically rolled over her and it was definitely heavier than the two of them. He felt her nose press into his side, sensing the blood covering her muzzle. "I am alright," he said with a small smirk, although he could still feel the pain in his leg. The bone wasn't broken, he could tell that much. He knew how that felt from his times at the fights. Carefully putting some more weight on it, he was inclined to say it was an contusion. It would slow him down in the coming days, but it would heal.

"That was a show you pulled there," he continued amused, his eyes sparkling. "For a moment I thought it would get away still." A very brief moment. Beside them the deer had stopped moving, the soil starting to soak dark red, where they had torn into the animal's body. The scent of the still warm prey was intoxicating. It made Cathan's ears twitch in anticipation. The offer to take the first bite caused him to look to Ra again though.

"Men first? I always thought that should be the other way round." Not that the kelvic had a too profound knowledge on etiquette, it was nothing he ever had a chance to learn, nor something he had ever understood the deeper reason behind. "It is your kill, so it is you who starts eating." Giving his sudden hunger and the prospect of fresh meat just two steps away it cost him some will to just sit down. He nodded towards the deer. "Have at it."

[Tierranalin]

Ra' looked to Cathan and her eyes scanned his muscles for any sign of damage, he was covered in blood but not his own. Ra' nodded at Cathan "A little.." she shivered briefly "winded" she said. She smirked a little "Just instinct" she said between breaths, she knew there would be bruising over the next few days and pain to follow. She looked up at Cathan and his yellow orbs with a laugh "for a moment I thought it would also" she said. Ra' took a deep breath in feeling a tight pain across her chest and then she let it out feeling as if her insides were falling into one big pile inside her. "We were the lucky ones. Your legs ok?" she said tilting her head to the side a little and fixing her concerned yellow orbs upon them.

"It depends who's pack you're in" she said lying down. Ra' could feel her ribs click and move slightly as she did so but she knew none were broken just bruised. "Some packs it's who ever had the kill shot takes first feed but most it is the alpha male and in this case that is you" she said looking from the kill to Cathan with a slight gesture. She could tell he wanted the fresh meat and that he had trouble pushing the hunger back any longer. Ra' felt that also. "There is enough beast for both of us" she said getting up slowly and carefully feeling the ache already eating at her body. She made sure her legs were stable under her weight and that she wasn't going to melt into the ground before moving "We can eat together" she said moving to the kill and watching Cathan.

"You know... I couldn't have done this alone" she said with a smile "thank you". She listened to the sounds around them and took in the landmarks so she could return to the carcass when needed. "I couldn't have done what you did today, I just can't stand having such a creature running at me be there another wolf behind it or not. When my Pa' had the farm we were always boss of the animals but when they ran at you the best thing to do was get out of the way. I guess it's different out here. There should be enough meat to last a week for both of us" she said licking her muzzle. "Thank you" she said once more as she rested her eyes on Cathan and took in the magnificent, handsome structure of the wolf.

[Cathan]

"I had dogs bit me harder in the past," Cathan smirked. "Should be fine in a week or two." If there was something he had plenty of knowledge of then it was about getting wounded. While he had only suffered broken bones twice in his life, he was used to bruises and bites. In his human form his back was painted with pale scars, but in his true form the thick fur was covering most of it well enough. His attention turned towards the dead animal at their side once more.

"We were quite lucky to catch her," he agreed, looking the doe over. It wasn't a large deer and it could not be older than a year or two, but it was healthy and offered enough meat to feast upon for days to come. If the trees had not stood so close together or the undergrowth had been as thick as it was, it surely would have escaped them. "Figure, you always need a bit luck, even on a good hunt." And even more on a bad one. He remembered a winter in his youth when they had been searching for trails for days without finding something larger than a hare. It wasn't a time he liked to remember. Things like missing prey were always blamed on the hounds in his experience.

When she mentioned eating together he smiled though. "Sounds like a plan to me." Without the need to pretend he had no trouble with waiting the kelvic moved forward. Sharp teeth tore into the soft underbelly of their quarry as the wolf went on the search for the most tasty bits of their kill. Heart, lungs, their were always the best parts to be had. Taking a good bite of them, he only made sure, enough of it remained for Ra.

Pulling back from the carcass Cathan looked over to her again, licking his muzzle. "Nothing to thank for. Couldn't have caught one without your help either." He wouldn't even have dared to try and he wasn't usually thinking a lot about danger when hunting. "In the first moment I saw it I couldn't say I wasn't worried," he admitted with a grin. "It is not as bad as facing bears though. Couldn't say I ever won a fight against one of those." Having dogs fight down a bear was popular game in some places, but the kelvic had been happy to only face one twice. He had lost in both instances, but had gotten off better than the dogs which had fought at his side. One had to know when to lay down and play dead for a while.

"You are a good hunter." He tilt his head to the side, watching her as she watched him. "I can't imagine you as a farm girl." Cathan a laughed a little, a warm, deep half bark. Not that he had seen too many farm girls in his life, but the picture he had of them was not fitting what he knew of Ra so far.

[Tierranalin]

Ra' nodded "it's not safe to travel wounded. Specially alone" she said. Ra' looked down at the doe and nodded, indeed they were lucky to catch one so young and healthy and to come out of it unscathed. Ra' laughed "Luck always helps" she said thinking back and counting the amount of times she had called to her dead family to guide her in the hunt.

Once Cathan moved forward she began to eat also. Ra' ate lower down by the rump where she had attacked first. Her powerful jaws now tore and ripped as apposed to that one strong bone cracking bite that was needed to ground an animal. Blood now covered her shoulders, paws, legs, muzzle. Ra' could feel the warmth around her and inside her as she continued to feed. On a bad winters day when there was a kill like this the wolves would normally eat out the meet and sleep inside the carcass for warmth. Ra' laughed quietly to herself.

Ra' ate her share and also sat back to clean herself a bit more. "Bears?" she shivered slightly "I try stay away from those" she said thinking about the great beast "wait.. You fought one?" she asked tilting her head to the side. "And your alive and in one piece" she said so quizzical. "I've spent the majority of my life hunting" she said "farm girl was a life I had long long ago, almost seems like another life really" she said with a slight laugh also but again a bit of sadness and longing lingered in her voice. She looked up at Cathan and smiled seeing his warm eyes upon her.

Ra' lay down a few feet from the carcass and licked herself "Once we have rested and let our food go down we should fetch my blades and pack and take some meat of of this thing" she gestured to the long dead doe "Before any scavengers come, believe me they will come" she said looking up ever so slightly at the birds resting in the trees and flying high above them, watching and waiting. "once they get a look in there wont be anymore for us" she said with a sigh.