On the edge of Arachnea's Revenge, sitting beneath a mix of fir, birch and pine, was a tall coywolf munching on the body of a rabbit. Blood covered her muzzle and paws; even in her Optime form, Alma was a messy eater. After the flesh had been ripped from the bones, and the bones had been chewed apart for marrow, she threw the remains to her side.
She licked the blood off her paws and face, then leaned back against a dead birch tree and gazed at the horizon. From her vantage point at the edge of the forest, she could just see the rolling plains that made up the inland area of the Shattered Coast. She was not inclined to go farther than she already was.
Her trip had been successful - she'd made herself a crude wood axe, from a bit of wood she'd found on the forest floor, to replace the one she lost long ago. It had survived long enough to cut down some choice wood which she had used to make another axe, and a replacement for when the current one's handle inevitably broke. The wood would also be useful for spears, and more importantly, bows.
The only problem was that Alma had cut far too much of it to carry and she was unwilling to waste wood or leave it behind. For the last two days, she had been frantically cutting and carving the wood into things she might trade for less weighty objects. Her hunting had temporarily stopped that, but it was time to get started again.
Alma sighed, feeling sluggish. Five staves were piled beside her, taken from two young ash trees not far from here. The coywolf fished her knife out of her bag and took a stave from the pile. She didn't really need another spear, but she sorely hoped someone else did.
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Word Count → 500+ :: Spruce Grouses can lay up to 12 eggs. So let's say there is that many.  table template ©Sie
The large aussie named Bambi had been traveling with the intention of getting more familiar with the lands around her territory. But as she got started on with her exploration, she found herself beginning to wander further and further away from her home. "It feels weird to call it that.." She thought, thinking back on the stone house she had claimed not so long ago. Nana had found a some things to put in it.. Including a few pelts to use at bedding.
"I shouldn't be worried about stocking up the house right now, it's quite far.." She touched the pack that she had recently found, reminded that it was empty as well. It fit just around her waist, kind of like a belt. "But more useful then one," She started to wonder what would be useful to have.. Either to give away, or to use in case of emergency. She brought her two legs to a stop, studying the area around her for useful natural resources. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Bambi saw something. She turned her full attention to the round objects she had spotted, looking around to make sure the birther of them wasn't near by. She didn't really recognize these eggs. But boy, there were a lot of them! She had never seen them before, and therefore didn't know what had laid them.. But the ground nest had been created by a bird called a 'Spruce Grouse'. The were small birds, somewhat similar to chickens.
She strutted towards the gathering of twigs, picking up one of the eggs in her hand. It was still somewhat warm, meaning that the mother hen had probably taken off not to long ago. "But who knows how long until she comes back?" With that thought, Bambi picked up the pace. One by one she gingerly plopped the eggs into her sack. After she was finished, she trotted off in the other direction. "Good job, dear." Nana said, satisfied with her wolf daughter's keen eye.
It wasn't long after discovering the eggs that she stumbled upon the wolf that would call herself Alma. Her good mood remained, which was part of the reason she actually greeted the woman with a smile. "Hello." The cat said, speaking for the young dog. They got closer, though both animals knew better then to invade her space. But just in case, Bambi ran over to the cat, whisking her up and holding her in her arms. Usually, Nana would hiss and maybe even nip at her. But today, she let it go. Of course she pouted for a moment, but after that she nuzzled at Bambi's chin approvingly. She eyed the thing the woman seemed to be craving, recognizing it as a spear. She always favored spears over all the tools the slave masters gave them to hunt. It gave quick, easy death. And with that came less pain that the animal had to endure. Seeing the girl with them made her a bit cautious.. But as she noticed the animal carcass nearby, her nerves became calmed. Nana must have noticed it too, because the next word she said was clearly directed towards the receiving of one of the hunt tools. "Would you be open to trade?" She asked.
Bambi had a feeling the wolf wouldn't be so keen on giving away her beautifully made spear. Knowing this, she opened her pack. She kneeled down, placing the cat on the grassy floor and taking the eggs from her pack one by one, demonstrating what she had to trade.
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Alma paused in her spear-making and looked up. "H-Hello," she said in response. She didn't notice or realize that it was the cat that was talking. If she detected a feline accent, she assumed it was simply a foreign one from some place she hadn't traveled to before.
The coywolf looked the dog up and down, trying to determine if she was a threat. After a moment, she seemed satisfied that she was not and set her spear aside. The presence of the cat seemed to help, for no one brought their pet when planning an attack.
"Would you be open to trade?"
Alma stared at the cat, disbelieving her ears. It talks? She tilted her head and squinted at it. After a moment of this, the coyote then looked at the silent dog searching for something in her pack. A trick?
The matter was forgotten, however, when she saw the eggs. Alma leaned forward to inspect them, her eyes wide and ears tipped forward in excitement. As a child, upon learning her Optime form, she had climbed up to a tree and found a bird's nest filled with eggs. These were several times larger than that. What kind could it be? Her mind immediately went to hawks and eagles, swooping and soaring and catching songbirds in their talons. Her tail wagged. Perhaps she could train one to distract an enemy while she attacked it? Or hunt for prey? Or, or....
"Yes." She nodded to the dog, then arranged her spears in front of her. Some were entirely wooden, with a tip carved to a point. Others had an arrowhead-like tip, a sharpened stone tied tightly to the top. "Spears." She said, in her characteristic slow but carefully pronounced speech, "Are good for fishing." Not that she had tried, but she'd seen other wolves do it. "Self-defense, too. Pointy end keeps them away."
"I also have axes." She set out two stone axes beside the spears. They weren't the axes she'd used to cut down the tree, or the spare axe she made for herself - they were extras. They took longer to make than the spears, which is why there was only two of them. "Pick what you like. One for one, two for two?" She doubted the girl would be willing to give her all the eggs for one spear or an axe. She could attempt to fleece her, but then she might realize the trick and run off with the eggs.
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Word Count → 478 :: Out of Character text
Bambi felt strong relief as the female agreed to the trade. She tilted her head, amused by the way that she directed her words more towards her- Rather then the talking cat. If it wasn't for her fear of speaking, she would have probably giggled. She felt bad for not responding, and listened as the cat laid out the explanation for her silence. "She won't talk." Nana simply said. She never laid out the entire story.. Which was probably a good thing. "I don't need any one's sympathy." She thought, lowering her eyes. Some times, she felt as if the only reason that others would even engage in casual conversations with her was because they could tell there was something wrong with her.. Most assumed that she was just stupid. Some even spoke loudly, using hand signals and such to try to get her to 'understand'.
"The girl has lots of experience with spears." The cat said casually, brushing off the wolf's explanation. She hadn't said it that rudely, probably because of her choppy way of speaking. Bambi's companion did have a soft spot for fragile seeming things.. And it looked as if she considered this woman fragile. "Sharp objects and all.." She was drawn back to the conversation as the wolf's offered up her conditions. "That looks fun to use.." She thought. As soon as she had thought it, she deeply regretted it. Hunting and killing things wasn't fun, it was just part of life. She knew that she couldn't survive long if she didn't do so. The first few times she had been forced into hunting had been horrible. After taking down the chosen creature, she would start crying. The others would be amused.. Most just sat there and watched her, having extra time to waste before returning to their masters. A few had approached her, cradling her and murmuring sweet things. For that reason, she would only try to go after those that were injured or sick. Others may have also taken down young ones, but Bambi had always felt that was unfair. They hadn't even begun to live yet.. At least if they were injured they wouldn't get the fullest life, anyways.
She had a feeling this would be a short meeting. She wanted to get home quickly, for she was quite eager to start practicing with her new weapons. The dog took a few steps forward, gesturing towards the axe, and then the spear. Nana narrated, just in case. "Two for two. Help yourself to the eggs." She reached for the axe, moving slowly to demonstrate that she meant no harm. She lifted it from the ground, swinging it over her shoulder. Next, she reached for a spear, choosing one that had a sharpened stone tied to the top. She held both, stepping back and gesturing towards the eggs- Backing up Nana's statement.
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"Oh." Alma still found the talking cat odd, even if she was talking for a mute dog. She tilted her head a bit, then decided it would be better not to mention it. The dog seemed uncomfortable.
"The girl has lots of experience with spears."
"Habit. Sorry." The spiel she gave for the spears was one she had memorized. She had used it often while traveling, when trying to convince unfamiliar packs that her wares were useful. Traditional packs, new luperci, often needed to be told what the use of items were.
The coywolf watched the dog make her choice. Even if she hadn't moved slowly, Alma would not be worried. Logically, she knew she should not underestimate another canine, but she still found the dog nonthreatening.
"Two for two. Help yourself to the eggs."
She gingerly picked two eggs. Alma grinned as she cradled the eggs, holding them close to her body. Her tail began to wag. Now she had the problem of getting the eggs home without breaking them - but she did have lots of wood to make something with. Perhaps a basket lined with fur...
"It was nice trading with you. If we should meet again, may it be in similar good circ- circumstances." She bowed her head with those words. It was possibly the most complicated sentence she had said in a long time, and she found herself stumbling over the last word. The coywolf was simply too happy to care. The trade, and the possibility of 'attack-eagles' had put her in a good mood.
((Alma is going to be so surprised when/if the eggs hatch. ))
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