Tracks in the snow
#1
Nian ducked out from under the opening to his lean-to, stepping out into the brisk December air. He smiled, breathing in the clean air, then looked back at his sorry shelter with a small frown. Even though the branches made a nice wall, there were still gaps that let through the breeze. Shaking his head, he said to himself, "Moss... That's what I need. Moss or twigs to stop up the gaps."

Sighing, he turned away from the little makeshift home and set out across the snow. He was not the only wolf who needed to stock up on supplies. With Winter starting to get a grip on the land, the tribe was going to need more food to stock up for the cold season. Now would be a good time to try his hand at hunting for the tribe. After all, he had told Dawali he could be a good hunter when he had joined the tribe... It was time to live up to his own words. However, he reflected, hunting for himself and hunting for a group of people were totally different things. Even if he could bring down a good-sized animal, with his small size he was going to need help bringing it back to the village. Not to mention he had no idea how to cure and store meat for the winter...

When he reached the center of the village he stopped and looked around for likely hunting companions. It wouldn't be too hard to find a wolf to help him out, he imagined. He just had to approach with a friendly matter and sound as capable as possible.
#2
J'adore sat in the centre of the village, on one of the tree stumps dotted around. He pulled a 14 inch knife from his bag. He unsheathed it, and held it up to the dull winter sunshine, if there was such a thing. He frowned sharply and settled the knife down on the ground beside him, only to begin digging around in his bag again for something. J'adore pulled out a palm sized stone. He picked the knife back up and began to sharpen it, every few strokes holding it up to check it's progress. J'adore had never been very patient unless he was focused on something more challenging than sharpening a knife. After a few minutes, J'adore's precise strokes had honed it to its best and again he found himself with nothing to do. He soon found himself surveying the village centre for a soul to speak with. Soon another wolf, a smaller and rich tawny one arrived, looking as if he’d lost something or someone.

‘Hello?’ J’adore greeted with friendly smile ‘Looking for something?’

Suddenly J’adore realised he had not sheathed his knife and began to do so, finishing with an odd smile to show he meant no harm. He slipped the stone and the knife into his bag and slung it over his shoulder and with that he began walking over to the smaller wolf.

‘J’adore Austral’ J’adore said proudly.
#3
Nian turned to face the approaching wolf and gave him a smile. "Good morning! I'm Nian Redtree," he said brightly. "Indeed I am looking for something... someone, I mean. I thought I'd try hunting today, to see if I could help with the tribe's winter stores, but I'm, uh... Well, I don't think I can drag an elk back to the village alone. I was looking for a hunting partner."

So much for sounding capable, he thought. He glanced at the knife the other wolf was starting to put away. The long blade looked like the sort of knife you would use as a weapon, not just a piece of cutlery, and Nian wondered if perhaps this wolf was who he was looking for. Although the new wolf seemed apologetic about it, Nian had been around similar knives enough in his childhood to not be spooked by it. He had never used one, having had to earn it and not being particularly aggressive, but he had a certain respect for people who could handle a hunting knife well. He perked his ears, growing more enthusiastic about his plan for the day, and asked, "I don't know how busy you are, but if you're free, would you maybe be up for joining me? I could use the help."
#4
OOC- Word Count- 331. Big Grin

J’adore nodded along as the smaller wolf spoke. He himself wanted to contribute to the winter stores, but of course neither of them could pull and elk alone.

‘Ah, a common goal!’ J’adore grinned. The wolf continued. ‘No, I’m not busy; I’d love to help out. I haven’t put anything in the stores yet either’.

J’adore was sure that between them they could find a nice elk to bring down. The winter had hindered the foliage around the pack lands, but somehow the elk had found enough to survive on.

‘You’re the scout right?’ J’adore asked. He had heard the name Nian around and had only just linked it together. ‘I help with the fire’ he added proudly.

He was only at the starting rank, but it was a title he held like a crown. To him pack and family were the two most important things, if not the same! If you could help you pack in any way you should. And any pack member in need was to be treated like a brother (or sister) and aided in any way they needed.
Hunting would be a good way to warm up in this weather too. In Spain it had normally been quite tepid even in winter. Orleans hadn’t been bad either, nor Italy. But Nova Scotia was bitterly cold at this time, yet not as cold as the Soviet lands. Nearly all the canines he had seen there were decked nose to tail in human wares. Come to think of it he had only seen three who we not. But given that the work non-stop, it would have over heated them anyway. J’adore was glad of his scarf, which he had found he hadn’t taken off all throughout the season, even at night. He was sure everybody would benefit from a nice muscled elk stew, or at least a thick steak.
‘I can make a elk stew, you know’ J’adore added ‘I learnt how to in Zelenograd’.
#5
Nian grinned. "Great! You set to leave now? I have an idea where we might start." In the past few days, he had noticed tracks near the stream. With any luck, he'd be able to follow the tracks and find out where the herd was foraging, and if not, there was always smaller game. The snow made it much easier to discover trails than it was when the forest floor was covered with greenery.

At the second questions he nodded. "That's right... I think I'm the only one so far." With a grin, he adds, "I guess that means I should work on learning my skills pretty quickly. And you're a fire tender... Like the Great Fire?" He had seen the Great Fire several times, but he still knew very little about it. Later tonight, maybe, he could go see it. He had been meaning to find out more, and the Great Fire seemed like the place to start. For now, though, he was going hunting.

He motioned towards the direction he had seen the tracks in, indicating they should start going if J'adore was ready. As he started walking, he asked, "So, where's Zelenograd?"
#6
OOC: Last post of the night, hopefully!
J'adore nodded happily 'Yep, I'm free now'. He had no idea where to start, so Nian's starting point was perfect! It would be undoubtedly hard to find food if there wasn't any snow, but a thick sheet of frosting covered the forest floor. J'adore supposed it was winter's gift. It hindered the growth of the vegetation and eased a wolf's hunt. 'Yes, I think you are! J'adore agreed, he had only just realised 'Hunting is great running practice, I used to run with my pack messenger when I was a pup '. J’adore sighed he remember vividly running with Day. ‘Yes, but I don’t actually tend the great fire yet, however I bump up the firewood numbers and help out the higher rankers, like Ralla’. He was sure he’d progress higher up the fire chain. J’adore started walking with Nian, he asked about Zelenograd. He smiled before saying ’It’s just outside Moscow’ and then quickly added 'Russia'. He had met many wolves who had not heard of the places he had been.
#7
"Russia! That's all the way in Europe... You've been across the ocean?" It was more than just friendly walking conversation; the mention of faraway places had caught his interest. Nian had been all over North America (or at least, it often seemed to him that he had), but the European continent was still a mystery to him. Interested in learning more, he asked, "What other places have you been to?"

As he talked to J'adore, he led the way towards the stream that flowed close to the village. Setting out parallel to it, he headed into the trees. After a short while, they would reach the spot where he had seen the tracks, and then they could begin the hunt in earnest. Once they got to the tracks, he knew they would have to be silent so that they would not spook any animals in the area. The elk could still be close to where they had been several days previously, and if they were close Nian did not want to risk scaring them off before they could catch one. Therefore, he walked at a fairly leisurely pace, so that he could extend the conversation for a little while longer.
#8
OOC: BTW J'adore sounds a bit French... But with a few different accents thrown in! Sorry for the short post it's midnight in the UK!

J'adore almost jumped at Nian's excitedness. 'God! I've been everywhere' J'adore overstated'I was born in Santander, just at the top of Spain, then I moved to Orleans, the French one, then Maranello, Italy, and Russia of course, Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria, Romania, Switzerland, Poland, Hungary, Germany, the UK, Portugal, oh and Barcelona! I loved it there!' J'adore hadn't realised the scale of his adventures! He was only two for DOG SAKE! (XD) 'I've travelled too much' J'adore stated after a few short breaths. 'Which is why I'm in Nova Scotia, to calm down, I've lived all over the world' J'adore enjoyed it here in NS, he'd met so many people and done so much. He'd now grown tired of talking about himself and gave Nian a chance to speak, How long ago was it you saw these Elk? They may have eaten all they could find by now and moved on... He hoped not, Elk were a particular favourite of his.
#9
OOC: Ah, okay. Nian's questions make a little less sense now, but oh well. Big Grin Of course, there are French speakers all over Canada and the US, so we'll just say Nian doesn't yet know the difference between all the different accents.

"Sounds like you've had quite an exciting life. And you can't be much older than me..." Maybe that wasn't quite true, he reflected. He had always been bad at judging age. Certainly, J'adore had seen much more in his life than Nian had. He wondered about the places he mentioned. Some of them he had heard of before, but some of them, he had no idea where they were even located. He had never learned to read, so his information about other nations was limited to traveler's stories. "Did you come here by ship? I always meant to see one of the port towns, but I never ended up going near the coast. I've been to plenty of places in North America, though."

He surveyed the area now, getting his bearings. They were now in the midst of thick trees, with the creek running by on the left. Further down, he could see the beginnings of clusters of berry bushes by the stream, which marked out the beginning of the area he had scouted out previously. He pointed in that direction.

"There are some bushes in that direction where I know there were elk before. They stripped a number of the branches there. I can't imagine that they could have exhausted all of the food there yet, so we should find the beginnings of a trail there."
#10
'Three, this coming May' J'adore said happily. He was only young, yet he had seen his share. He had travelled at a young age between countries and as a result found it hard to sit still. Yes, I came by boat, I came from Lisbon, Portugal by boat. But I had to walk from Santander. The walk was long and tiring, but he'd made in there faster than expected. Nian surveyed the area. They were now in the middle of a forest of thick trees, with the creek running by on the left. Further along, he could see the start of the small groupings of berry bushes by the stream. Nian pointed in that direction. 'Good, I'm in the mood for elk, there were loads in the Moscow area. Luperci had started to farm them, like cattle with humans'. He had learnt a lot in Russia. The language, the culture, the cuisine, the way of life. He hadn't learnt how to hunt though, he had learnt how to prepare the meat, how to take it off the bone and cook it. Thats where he had earnt his knife, a small community of Luperci had taken him in and taught him how to cook and build. When J'adore told them his plans to leave, they awarded him a knife. 14'', strong, solid and stainless steel. It was one of his most prized possesions, he cleaned it daily and sharpened it weekly. 'I know how to cook meat, but I don't know how you cure it or anything, I have a few books on it in my hut, but I've never read them much' J'adore admitted, slipping his hand into his bag, 'I've got this chart about cuts of meat, I bought it in the UK, at a meat market, they had cattle there and the nicest cuts of Highland beef ever!' J'adore was nearly drooling at the memory of the market, the meat was cooked in front of you eyes and the meat was the best around.
#11
"You can domesticate elk? I've never heard of that before..." It would certainly make things easier, he thought, although it might encourage a certain sedentariness that he could never get used to. He preferred the AniWayan way, with a few fields and cattle supported by the hunting and gathering lifestyle he had grown used to while traveling. "We can probably find someone who knows about curing in the village. Between them and your books we should be fine."

He moved into the bushes and started to look around at the ground. The snow around the bushes was clear of tracks, but when he moved closer to the stream he grinned. Pointing to the mixed mud and snow near the stream banks, he said, "Ah, see? I knew there would be tracks here." He sniffed the air and caught the faint, familiar scent of elk coming from a distance across the stream. Spreading into a wide smile, he darted through the stream, motioning for J'adore to follow. "Come on, I think I can smell the herd! It's a ways off, but we can cover it if we take shortcuts."
#12
'I don't actually thing they were full domesticated. I think it was more a case of keeping them like the cattle and horses we have in the stables...' J'adore wondered if Fuerte was okay, he hadn't seen him in a few days but he was sure Liliana was taking care of them Which reminds me, I should check on my horse'. AniWayan ways were simpler, humans used to over farm cattle and treat the badly, well in certain places. 'Yes, I imagine we should be fine' J'adore nodded along. They moved into the bushes and started to search the ground. The snow around the bushes was free of tracks, but when they moved closer to the creek, Nian grinned. Pointing to the mixed mud and snow near the stream banks, they saw plenty of recent tracks. The air was thick with the smell of far away elk. Nian dashed through the creek, water flying everywhere. He beckoned for J'adore to follow him, which he did, gasping at the temperature of the water.
#13
OOC: If the AniWaya lived in a city, Nian would be parkour king. Big Grin

As he led the way along the scent trail, Nian became more certain of of the location of the herd, to the point where he was able to follow his nose rather than his eyes. Small signs indicated the presence of elk that had passed through, such as a few bare branches bearing the signs of ruminant teethmarks or the odd collection of dark scat against the white snow that let him know when the trail was fresh. He was glad that he had taken the time to memorize the landmarks of the woods during his first weeks in AniWaya, as now he was able to guess where the elk were heading and take routes that were faster to reach the same locations. While the elk may have elected to walk around clusters of boulders or fallen trees, Nian and J'adore could easily climb over obstacles, crawl under logs, cross clefts and water via fallen tree trunks, and essentially take more direct paths to catch up with the herd. Every time he took a more unorthodox path, he checked behind him to make sure J'adore was following him okay and stopped if he needed to.

After a while of scampering through the forest, they burst out into a large clearing. Nian stifled a yelp and dove immediately back into the trees. Across the way, a few elk were grazing on pale dry grasses that could be seen under the eaves of some pine trees, where the snow did not cover the ground like it did elsewhere. Secreted behind the trunk of a tree, he watched the elk and started to size them up. "There's only a few of them," he whispered. "The rest of the herd must be further back in the forest."
#14
OOC- Fine, but J'adore calls track and field! XD

The pair leapt over logs and around trees. The scent of elk grew richer and closer. They past more tracks and bare branches. Nian seemed to have memorized these woods so J'adore kept close to him while he bounded ahead, of course, J'adore's springy legs had no problem keeping up with him, but Nian was smalled and could dart through smaller holes, whie J'adore leapt over them. In the end the two had little problems getting where they were going. After a while of scampering through the forest, they burst out into a large clearing. Nian dove immediately back into the trees. Across the way, a small group of elk were grazing on dry grasses that could be seen under the boughs of pine trees, where the snow did not cover the ground like it did elsewhere, some had taken to noseing through the thick snow for food. Hidden behind the trunk of a tree, they watched the elk. 'Good, which one are we going for?' J'adord searched the elk herd for a decent one. Not too big, so that Nian and J'adore could not take it down. J'adore's height was built more for speed than strength and one not to small, so that it would provide a few meals for the AniWayans. J'adore decided to strike up a small conversation as they readied themselves for a hunt, 'I prefer these way to the ways of other packs, I used to belong to Crimson Dreams, but I couldn't stay. I couldn't stay in one place for too long' J'adore paused and looked to Nian for a responce, but he decided to add one more thing, 'I will stay here though, I really like it here!' Not that he hadn't liked it in Crimson Dream, but this was his pack now and he didn't see himself leaving anytime soon.
#15
[html]

Sounds like a good deal. Smile


Listening to J'adore's story, Nian nodded and gave the other wolf a knowing smile. "I know what you mean about not staying in one place. Although I like it here too... I guess after walking around the continent my feet eventually got sore." He smirks and says, "Well, in a manner of speaking."

As he spoke, his eyes scanned the clearing. He spotted a likely target - a young elk, smaller than the rest but still large enough to provide a decent amount of meat. Turning to keep his eyes on it, he decided to wait until it wandered a little ways off from the others. Although there were only a few elk in the clearing, one of the larger ones looked like it could be a problem if it got in the way of their hunt. As he waited, he kept up the conversation.

"So what's Crimson Dreams like?" All he really knew about the pack was that it had been around for a long time. Other than that, he had no idea. If he advanced further on the scouting path, he knew he would have to be more familiar with the other packs so that he could mediate between them and AniWaya, but for now he had contented himself with learning about his new tribe and worrying about the rest later.


<style type="text/css">
.nian-b02 b {font-weight:bold; color:#bd581b; letter-spacing:1px; }
.nian-b02 .ooc { font-style:italic; padding:0px; font-family:verdana, sans-serif; font-size:11px;}
.nian-b02 p {text-indent:25px; padding:5px 10px; margin:0px;}
.nian-b02 {margin:0px auto; width:400px; background-color:#dbae77; background-image:url(http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g37 ... blebg1.jpg); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; border:1px solid #000000; padding: 300px 0px 10px 0px; font-family: georgia, sans-serif; font-size:12px; color:#772d06; line-height:16px; letter-spacing:.5px; text-align:justify;}
</style>[/html]
#16
Nian nodded along. J'adore was glad of a person who understood him. Nian eyes up a smaller elk, not quite a calf, but not big enough to do much damage, though its prongs were still large enough to leave a mark. There was a bigger elk hanging around, it could cause a problem if it was bold enough to take on a wolf, which due to the fact humans were not around was highly likely, along with the fact they were attacking. J'adore could already taste the salty elk blood, he found himself lapping up the saliva from inside his mouth. Nian suddenly asked about his past pakc, 'It was okay, I wasn't round for long enough, and it was quite a while ago. But if you even see someone named either Anu or Flayra, tell 'em I said hi!' J'adore grinned at the mention of his past pack mates. 'What about that one?' J'adore said pointing at the younger one Nian had eyed up.
#17
[html]

Sorry, short post. Go ahead and lead the way, and Nian'll follow.


"Looks like a likely candidate." He kept his eyes focused on the elk, which by now had strayed closer towards them in search of more grass hidden under the snow. Now that the scent of the elk was so close, Nian also started to imagine how it would taste, and even more than that - how it would taste once they were done with all the preparations for it. Envisioning thick cuts of meat smoking over a burning wood fire, he was starting to have a very similar reaction as J'adore to the phantom food. Looking back, he gave him a grin. "Ready to go?"


<style type="text/css">
.nian-b02 b {font-weight:bold; color:#bd581b; letter-spacing:1px; }
.nian-b02 .ooc { font-style:italic; padding:0px; font-family:verdana, sans-serif; font-size:11px;}
.nian-b02 p {text-indent:25px; padding:5px 10px; margin:0px;}
.nian-b02 {margin:0px auto; width:400px; background-color:#dbae77; background-image:url(http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g37 ... blebg1.jpg); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; border:1px solid #000000; padding: 300px 0px 10px 0px; font-family: georgia, sans-serif; font-size:12px; color:#772d06; line-height:16px; letter-spacing:.5px; text-align:justify;}
</style>[/html]
#18
OOC- Okay, the elk is edging under the pine, J'adore will grab it, then Nian can pull it down by the side, that should kill it! Sorry for the PP but it's hard to do a hunting scene without it, it's nothing major though XD. J'adore as gone into Secui form BTW.

J'adore nodded. The elk edged closer to find the grass under the boughs of the pine the pair were hidden under, Nian and J'adore were hidden mainly by the trunk, but also by the high snow banks that steeped against the pine. Nian gave J'adore a nod of approval and J'adore shot forward, his powerful hinds sprining toward the elk, who was frozen with fear, it made an attempt to stumble backwards, but the pair were too fast. J'adore bit into it's neck quickly, but it continued to flop about in an attempt to escape, but even if it did it would die anyway, the wound was quite severe. Nian saw his chance and leapt at the elks side, between the two of them the elk stopeed moving in a few seconds. With Nian's help, J'adore was able to get a better kill bite. J'adore shifted back into his Optime form and unsheated his knife. 'Okay what now? I say we chop it and grab half each, I'm sure oure Secui forms will deal with that' J'adore paused 'Do you want a set of prongs, I need at least half for my crafts, but the other half you can have if you like'. J'adore was planning to make a set of statues. By now the elk had scattered away, and it was just Nian, J'adore and the dead elk left in the clearing.
#19
[html]

No problem. I'm not that great at writing out hunting posts anyway, so it's better actually.


Nian looked down at the elk, thinking about the offer, then shrugged. "Sure, I could use the prongs. Whatever I don't use I can just give back to you." The antler would prove useful for needles and other tools that he needed, but he did not need much of it to craft those things. He had intended to make a flute as well... But without a drill to get rid of the inside structure, a large bird bone would probably be better for that. He thought back to his house construction, and remembered that he still needed a door flap as well. "I could use the hide though, if you don't need it. My home isn't exactly weatherproof yet."

He took a minute to shift into Secui form, moving onto all fours and focusing on the shift as his frame became more filled out and sturdier. It was not a form he used often, preferring the endurance of the Lupus form or the dexterity of the Optime form, and so he had to maintain a higher level of concentration to move into it. While he shifted, he figured it would give J'adore time to skin the elk, remove the antlers, and start to halve it. Once J'adore had made headway with his knife, Nian could help to half the elk with the strong jaws of the Secui form.


<style type="text/css">
.nian-b02 b {font-weight:bold; color:#bd581b; letter-spacing:1px; }
.nian-b02 .ooc { font-style:italic; padding:0px 5px; font-family:verdana, sans-serif; font-size:11px;}
.nian-b02 p {text-indent:25px; padding:5px 10px; margin:0px;}
.nian-b02 {margin:0px auto; width:400px; background-color:#dbae77; background-image:url(http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g37 ... blebg1.jpg); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; border:1px solid #000000; padding: 300px 0px 10px 0px; font-family: georgia, sans-serif; font-size:12px; color:#772d06; line-height:16px; letter-spacing:.5px; text-align:justify;}
</style>[/html]
#20
OOC- Cool!

J'adore nodded and began to root in his bag, finallly producuing a large butchers knife. 'It's good for larger animals'. He sturdied the prongs against a tree truck and began to hack at them. Within a minute and a bit, both prongs had been removed and J'adore handed a set to Nian, then slipped the remaining pair into his bag. 'You can have the hide, I used human fabric for my hut, we'll get the hide and meat cuts off when we get back to the village centre, but I'll half it down the middle and wrap some thick fabric around the open side'. J'adore started to saw the elk in half, it was a plump, young male and it took J'adore quite a while to finish off. He finally took two large squares of thick, waterproof fabric and tied it to the severed ends of the elks body, so as not to make a mess. Okay, you grab that half and I'll get this one' J'adore said, pausing to shift into his Secui form and getting a tight grip on the front legs.


Forum Jump: