chasing a reflection
#1
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Ethereal Eclipse (forest), around sunset. Smile Maybe someone with tips on hunting or cooking? Or someone less respectable who tries to steal his food? Whatever floats your boat!

Word Count → 711


Hati was not accustomed to the world outside of his birthpack, and he had been very hesitant to cross the borders even once, knowing how dangerous it could be. Loners were degenerates in his eyes, violent or otherwise unfit for pack society. Hati would not stray far, especially since this time he did not have his horse with him. All he carried was the silver necklace around his throat, lost in the thick slate-grey fur of his ruff. He was loping on all fours, lean and low to the ground, plumed tail curled over his back. The wild rodents were preparing for the colder months, fattening up on what they could find and storing what they could not eat right away. He was done with his daily chores at the stables, so this excursion was a hunting trip. The air was crisp, stinging his nostrils as he traced each scent, disregarding the little voles and lemmings; he did not want a quick meal, he had traveled this far for a purpose. He wanted to collect a variety of wild game without the pressure of encountering his packmates' criticism. He could then carry his prizes home as his secret, for the skill he decided he wanted to learn after being inspired by his eldest sibling.

Red and gold leaves carpeted the ground, rustling as creatures rooted around for sustenance. Hati pinpointed the one he was seeking, pale eyes riveted on the furry hump. Paws moved slowly, ears perked as he stalked closer to the unsuspecting prey... The wolfdog pounced, landing his weight on the unfortunate groundhog. It thrashed and squealed beneath his paws, but his narrow jaws quickly closed around the blunt head, shaking it sharply to break the neck. It was over in a flash, and he thought back to the fierce battle he had fought against the giant beaver, and all the effort it had taken him to complete the kill for Terra and her newborn sons. His inexperience at hunting had been embarrassing - he was an adult, after all, and could barely feed himself - and he had done a little practicing since then.

Still, he had not had the motivation to try hard until... well, until his mother passed away. She used to love cooking, for pack functions or simply for her large family every evening, who would provide the meat for her to dress and roast. Hati had never contributed to the ritual, and now he was guilty and lost and struggling for a way to carry on her memory. He spoke her French, read her books, and rode her horse, and now he would learn to cook like her. The dark-furred wolfdog padded through the trees with the limp groundhog between his jaws. It was still warm when he reached his cache, hidden in the hollow of a stump. He laid it neatly beside the bodies of his earlier successes, a skinny young rabbit and two red squirrels. It wasn't much, but it was more than he had ever caught in one day before. Most of them got away from him. And he ignored birds, knowing his brother-in-law was a falconer with strong convictions.

Hati sank into the leaves to rest, panting from the exertion. His breath appeared crystallized before him, visible in the cold air. He was fitter than he used to be, but still lacked endurance. He was also without the sheer power necessary for big game, so he needed to practice like this. When he got them home, they would be skinned and pieced in the kitchen in the dead of night, so that no one would stumble in on his clumsy attempts to mimic Ayita and Amaranth. There were books in the house that mentioned recipes, and while he did not know what half of the ingredients were, he suddenly felt like he had to take on a new project. The house was dismal at times, and Hati was desperate for a distraction. Usually he turned to the stables and the horses he loved, but sometimes seeing Alder made him hurt in a strange way, and he needed a break from that too. Quietly he began licking the traces of blood from his muzzle, cleaning the pale fur of its stains.






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Table by Cait!

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#2
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(305) OOC: This was kinda hard with him already hiding inside a den TongueP but hope you don't mind me pokin my nose in Wink


Eclipse was letting out her frustration of the day before, though she saw and talked to Levant she was still unhappy with his decision to leave. So she stalked the forest she found him in, in hopes of finding some good food. She caught the scent of fresh blood and thought an animal injured itself, as she walked with the track of the spell, her bow and arrow out she caught sight of something. It was a squirrel, it wasn't much but heck it was a challenge. It was distracted looking for food so that it could sleep through the winter. Taking aim she pulled her bow up waited then let loose. The arrow hit the animal squarely in the head and it was pushed into the ground. With a triumphant smile she hurried to it, kneeled down and had to cut the arrow to get the squirrel from the ground. It died the second she shot the arrow. She was grinning at herself.

That was when she saw the dark opening and then the scent of another inside, so she stopped and let her muscles tense. She had to free her hands to get the squirrel free so her bow was on the ground. Her eyes were set on the small den cave and she could see someone in there moving. Biting her lip she took her chances; “Uh hello, I hope I am not disturbing you.” She said as kindly as she could to the figure inside. He or she probably knew she was out there, especially when the arrow hit the squirrel and dug into the ground. She was a curious wolf, though recently slightly more cautious, but being who she was she found herself in different kinds of situations that got her either new friends or uncomfortable acquaintances.

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Table by Kite/Aly
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#3
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Thanks so much for picking this up! <3~ I was even thinking of Eclipse when I wrote it, haha.

Word Count → 518

Hati finished grooming his muzzle fur, and moved on to lick at the mud between his paw pads. He did not want filthy hands once he shifted back and handled the food -- how insanitary. There was an unexpected hissing sound of something flitting through the air, followed by a dull thud as it struck its target. Hati froze, wide eyes peering at the fletched arrow that had sprouted out of nowhere. He held his breath, dark fur rising along his spine as his heart rate spiked. Was he in danger? Had they come to steal his hard-earned food? Would he meet the same fate as Niro or Ayita? Hurried footsteps rustled through the leaves, as the mystery archer revealed itself. It was an Optime female, compact and athletic, warm brown and cream tones harmonizing against the burnished fall foliage. She knelt and deftly cut the arrow, revealing her true aim -- she had pinned a squirrel to the ground with that shot, killing it instantly. Hati was impressed despite his trepidation. He had never formally trained with any sort of weapon, and her skill was obvious.

Her gaze rose then, and Hati shuddered as they made involuntary eye contact. He licked his lips nervously, tense muscles ready to flee if she moved to nock an arrow. Where could he retreat to, if he was the next target? He could not outrun her range, he knew this with dismal clarity. She seemed surprised to see him, and perhaps tense as well, though she called out in a friendly greeting. He crept nervously forward, tall ears fallen back against his lean skull, feathered tail hanging limply between his low-slung haunches. He was very mistrusting of strangers, after all the misfortune they had brought upon his family. Still, she carried the scent of a southern pack, and most of their neighbors were on good terms with the Miracles kingdom. At the very least, a pack wolf should not have any reason to hurt him and risk inciting their King's ire.

"Hello... I was merely resting after a hunt, you're not disturbing me. I am Hati Catori of Cour des Miracles." He spoke smoothly and politely, bowing his head as he introduced himself. It was awkward to be on all fours while she was shifted upright, but as she was kneeling the height difference was negligible. His heart was still racing at a dizzying pace, but he did his best to stand firm, trying to emulate Skoll's unflappable nature instead of revealing his own insecurity. Pale blue eyes warily studied the bow, and the easy grace with which she handled it. "You're a huntress," he remarked softly, with a faint edge of jealousy. All of their kind hunted out of necessity, but there were some who made an art of it. The wolfdog was essentially a novice, inexperienced and clumsy in his efforts to improve. He had not considered the use of a tool, seeing weapons as a warrior's skill set alone, but since he was interested in cooking the meat he gathered, a clean kill was all the more important...


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Table by Cait!

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#4
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WC: 333 OOC: haha really? Awesoooome!!

There was a moment, one that was almost too long for Eclipse, that there might be a great misunderstanding, It passed though, but she could see the man before her was timid, his ears back and tail low and she felt like she was a big horrible ugly monster, well she’d have to do something about that. She thought. She looked down at her kill, and picked it up. Once the silence ws finally broken she let herself smooth a real smile over her own timid one, he seemed as cautious as she was being, and he did introduce himself and give where he lived. She knew a good few wovles from there, but the most direct was Strel. “I am Eclipse Soulstorm, I live in Cercatori d’ Arte myself. It is a pleasure to meet you, I know a few of your packmates, well we are all really aquiaintances.” She said.

She was about to ask about Strel an how he was but Hati was far more interested in her skills as a hunter. She grinned at him and nodded; “Yes but I find my passion more into cooking.” She was far more practiced in the art of cooking than she was with hunting or archery put together. She’d been learning to cook since she was near infancy. THough most of her childish food dishes tended to be snow, mud, dirt or sand until she could truly and properly make food. She bit her lip thinking for a moment before she added; “How about I cook you up a bit of my squirrel for payment of giving you a start, I don’t normally... well” She really didn’t know what to say but she figured since she startled him so, she might as well do something nice for him. Her hand gestured to the meat that she was evidently going to make into a meal sometime if not now than she would do it later.

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Table by Sunny

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