Du Nouveau Sang

Liam Catori · 10-29-2011, 02:03 PM

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Woo for a new template! Thanks Cait!

Word Count → 569

But then again maybe Liam didn't have the upper-hand. Given most of his limbs ached, scratches, bruises and the occasional half-healed wound plaguing his body, he probably wouldn't amount to much out in the woods. He glanced at Terra as she spoke, his fingers trailing the edge of the bandage that was wrapped around his shoulder. “Sure,” he replied. The way she spoke the word 'interesting' gave Liam the idea that she wasn't such a good huntress. It was hard to believe that that was the case, because from what Liam had gotten from Terra's demeanor and what she had revealed to him with her words, she seemed like the type that was used to fending for herself and attacking things. Hell, hadn't she wanted to attack the horses and eat them? That didn't sound like a wolf that couldn't hunt. Oh well.

Liam jogged alongside Terra. He didn't have to move as fast due to his long strides compared to her smaller ones, but this was good because he knew if he did too much running he'd end up in a lot of pain tonight – trying to sleep while in pain wasn't great. It only took them a couple minutes to get to the hunting spot and Liam instantly caught the scent of deer in the nearby vicinity. He could also smell squirrel and birds, but they weren't his favorite prey. Liam loved deer – especially when his mother roasted it. Fire truly did work magic, didn't it? Liam wondered how wolves had gone on without it when humans had been alive. Raw meat wasn't bad at all, it was actually quite tasty, but always eating raw... didn't that get tiresome after a while? Liam decided that the wolves back then didn't know what they were missing, so to them it didn't really matter.

It only took a few seconds for Terra to get into this whole hunting thing, darting past Liam into the bushes. Liam grinned as she came bouncing back a few seconds later with a pig, watching her staggering about. He was very much amused. He sniffed and his grin widened as he caught the scent death. “I was thinking more like hunting things that are alive but... I guess it can count too. This time.” he chuckled. Suddenly the breeze picked up for a moment and the young brown wolf caught the scent of a herbivore somewhere in the distance. “What this.” he said, before launching himself into a sprint, making his way a few dozen feet up north. He saw the creature before it saw him, a stray deer about six months of age that had probably gotten lost from its herd. Liam pounced, ignoring the pain in his shoulder as his hands caught the animal and his teeth slashed at its throat and shoulders. Liam came back to Terra a few minutes later, bloodied but with the dead deer hanging from his right hand.

“It's kind of like hunting in your lupus form. You have to get used to it though – like you had to get used to walking when you shifted for the first time.” he instructed with a triumphant smile. The score was 1-1, Liam's confidence was mounting just a little bit more, although so was his pain. As his free hand rubbed at his shoulder, he was glad his endurance was pretty high.

Table pic by Cait, code by the Mentors!

Terra · 10-29-2011, 08:34 PM

So he wouldn't allow dead kills. She wasn't used to hunting alone. Nervously she watched him hunt. He was good, better than she was. It was a one hit kill, on a deer at that. She'd never hunted anything larger than a rabbit on her own. Straightening up she smirked. She wasn't going to show her fear. Only a little one? Terra strode into the woods. It was difficult watching the roots and higher branches, but she managed. A rabbit darted past. She pounced, only to miss it. Terra burned with embarrassment. She hoped Liam hadn't noticed, but she really didn't know what to do.

Coyotes hunted in packs, pairs at the least. That's what she was. Terra paused. That wasn't completely true. She was part wolf as well, and Liam had just demonstrated that they hunted on their own just fine. She must have the instincts for that as well. Closing her eyes Terra searched herself. Her coyote blood yammered at the top, ingrained by months living as one. Underneath though, she felt the pulse of something else. It was different. Unlike a coyote's laughs and tricks, it was proud and wiser than anything she'd felt. It knew about hunting, and exactly what to do. All she had to do was unlock it.

Terra thought about the nights she'd spent, hungry from the lack of food. Terra remembered stealing food, worried that this time she would die. She remembered the taste of freshly killed meat in her mouth, and the pride of that moment. Terra remembered the blood lust. Her wolf remembered as well, and it woke up. Surging through her Terra surveyed the woods again. Another deer was moved. Her blood whispered to her, telling her how to kill it. It seemed simple, but she knew the knowledge wasn't enough. It would take practice. For now, it would be her edge in the competition.

She leaped forward, letting her instincts take over. The optime form was part of her, and it knew what to do once she stopped thinking about it. Rushing from the side Terra sank her teeth into the deer's neck. It wasn't young, and quite strong. Thrashing it sliced her arm open. Unwilling to give in Terra swiped a paw across the deer's nose, blocking it's airflow with blood. Bucking wildly it threw her off. Stumbling slightly she threw herself at it again, trying to match it's speed. It escaped into a bush before it got tangled. One more hit and it died. Triumphant Terra loosed a howl, more wolf like than anything before it. She would win this competition. The wolf blood sang.

Liam Catori · 10-29-2011, 08:46 PM

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Word Count → 339

Liam chuckled, a brow arched in the air at her words. “A little one?” he repeated, glancing at his kill before eying hers – well, not necessarily her kill, but her finding. “I wouldn't talk, considering you killed something already dead.” Of course he was only playing with her and it showed in his tone of voice, not to mention his bi-colored eyes. He was suddenly in a very playful mood, all thoughts of war and bitterness forgotten. If only for a little while. Liam shook his head lightly, striding over to join Terra in the woods. Thankfully for her he had only just caught up with her moments after she'd pounced and miss the rabbit, therefore he hadn't seen the slip up.

But he did see what she did next, following her, staying a few feet further so as to not startle her prey as she slowly and quietly marched over to it, a fully grown, adult deer. Liam watched with keen eyes as she pounced. She looked different than she had moments ago – more confident, more ready, more... wolf-like. Liam couldn't help but smile slightly as she bit down into the animal's neck, the fact that they were competing seeming to take a backseat for a few seconds. When the deer managed to hurt her arm, Liam made a move forward with the intention of helping her... but she didn't need it.

Finally when her prey lay limp and dead on the ground, Liam walked over, dragging his own smaller deer with him. “That was really good.” he said, and for the first time he really saw her wound and made a slight hissing sound. It wasn't too deep, at least not from his perspective. He'd had worse and had kept fighting. But then again adrenaline had pumped through his veins and his opponents had been other wolves – he had been fighting for his pack, not just for fun. He hadn't had a choice. “Are you okay to continue?” he asked.

Table pic by Cait, code by the Mentors!

Terra · 10-29-2011, 09:02 PM

Terra snapped back as Liam talked. The adrenaline rush fell away. She winced when he mentioned her wound. It really did hurt. The only other injuries she'd taken were from bears, and she was too quick for a serious wound. Her pride wouldn't let her back down though. Are you surrendering then? Terra smiled grimly as she studied her kill. It was the biggest thing she'd ever taken down. A slight shudder ran through her as she remembered. That hadn't been her, that was something different. Yet it had felt so good, giving in to it. The kill was complete, messy but powerful. It had been done in her lupine form as well.

Tired she leaned against a tree. It had taken a lot out of her, but she'd keep going if necessary. It was fun, and even if they couldn't eat it all, the pack would strip it quickly. She wagged her tail with pride. Terra had done well for someone who wasn't a hunter. She butted Liam playfully, nudging his shoulder. I can keep going.

Liam Catori · 10-29-2011, 09:14 PM

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Word Count → 302

Surrendering? Oh, if she wanted to play that card... “You're kidding, right?” he said with a scoff, shifting his weight as he got a better hold on the dead deer he had killed. He took a step forward, inspecting her wound once more before deciding that it was really nothing too grave and that if she felt as though she could go on hunting, then she could go on hunting. The last thing he wanted was a serious injury falling onto his shoulders – especially when he was aiming at the Apothecary co-rank. “I'm definitely not surrendering.” he said stubbornly, straightening up as his eyes scanned the area for signs of life. His ears twitched as he heard birds in the nearby trees but other than that everything seemed utterly quiet aside from the beating of his heart and the slow inhale and exhale of his breathing. Liam walked past Terra and continued further into the woods.

He dropped his deer near a rather large tree and glanced around him once more. Closing his eyes, he let his other senses take over. He could smell damp grass and earth – he could smell Terra nearby. He could hear birds and the breeze rustling the dying leaves in the trees. He slowly walked a little further, slyly and stealthily, until he caught sight of a squirrel as it searched for food to store for the winter months. Liam was quick and the kill was easy, the small animal not suffering one bit. Liam went and dropped the animal next to his deer. It wasn't big, by far, but it was something to raise his kill count. “Your turn.” he said to Terra, a furry paw wiping some of the blood that had accumulated on his muzzle and around his mouth.

Table pic by Cait, code by the Mentors!

Terra · 10-30-2011, 12:19 AM

So the competition continued. Terra grinned at the addition. Watching him wipe his muzzle Terra mimicked him, drawing her own paw across her face. Some of the blood came off! Delighted she rubbed at her muzzle a couple more times before spotting a stray sheep. She had no idea how it had survived, or even how it got there. It was a kill though, one easy even for her. It would be difficult to not tear it apart. Often in her old pack sheep had been torn apart past being able to eat them, their weakness driving them into a frenzy. It was so easy, too easy.

Terra ran forward, and with a single swipe took out the sheep. She lugged it over to the deer and dropped it. They were still tied, but that could be fixed. Quick as lightning she dived at Liam, aiming for the squirrel. Turning at the last minute she leaped into the tree, pinning another squirrel that had been watching. Her arm started aching, the cut torn deeper by the sudden pressure. Terra wouldn't be able to hand any more stunts like that. This puts me ahead. Four to two.

Liam Catori · 10-30-2011, 09:44 AM

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I was thinking of maybe wrapping this up in a couple posts?

Word Count → 375

See? Terra wasn't such a bad hunter – far from it. Liam could see a lot of potential for her; if she truly was certain about Cour des Miracles and proved herself worthy to the rest of the pack, Liam had the distinct impression that she could go pretty far. This time he didn't watch her hunt down the sheep though, instead moving over a couple dozen feet further into the woods as he sought out his own prey. If they kept doing this whole 'one at a time' thing no one would end up a winner and to be honest, as the minutes ticked by, Liam was getting tired of this. Sure, they were playing around and definitely helping their pack with food supplies but in his state, healing from battle wounds, Liam wasn't fit to hunt for too long.

He came back right when Terra did, Liam leaning against a tree with his dead prey hidden between his back and the trunk of the tree. He smirked at the bloody female, listening to her speak. She seemed triumphant – she believed she had a lead, after all. Liam shook his head once she was finished. “Make that three on my end.” the brown-pelted Chevalier corrected as he showed her the squirrel he had caught. A baby deer and two squirrels – not exactly a meal fit for a King, but it was still quite good, especially considering they had only been at it for half an hour or so.

Running a hand through his mane of dark brown, somewhat matted hair, Liam decided he wanted to shake things up a little. “There are a couple deers about a quarter of a mile from here.” he began. “How about we change the rules a little and see what kind of teamwork we can amount to?” he asked, a mischievous grin on his face. If they could catch these preys single-handedly, imagine how much damage they could do to a small herd! Of course, they'd have to be careful not to kill them all because they needed the population to grow for the years to come – thankfully it was breeding season though; they could easily leave the ones that were pregnant.

Table pic by Cait, code by the Mentors!

Terra · 10-30-2011, 10:53 AM

OOC:How do you want to wrap up?

IC:Terra grinned. Hunting by herself was hard, but teamwork was easy. She'd grown up hunting in groups. Sounds good. How many are we aiming for? She looked over her companion, noting his injuries again. Keeping this up could really hurt him, so working as a team would be pretty good. You still owe me a secret after this, remember. Terra wouldn't let that slip by.

Together they moved through the woods. She couldn't be happier about how it had turned out. She had improved her hunting skills a little and made a sure friend in the pack. Liam still seemed to doubt her presence a little, but that would change with time. He would be sure to accept her once she proved her worth. Entering the clearing Terra studied the herd. Just as he'd said, a lot of them were pregnant. Terra was feeling pretty worn down at this point, but a couple more kills wouldn't hurt anything. Besides, Liam wasn't the only one measuring worth.

Liam Catori · 10-30-2011, 11:18 AM

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If you want we can continue the little hunt for a couple posts and then finish off with Liam suggesting they go drop the kills in the cellar?

Word Count → 372

It was definitely a lot easier hunting in groups – it was actually how the pack worked most of the time. They weren't exactly 'one for all and all for one' but they sure weren't individualists. It was closer to a healthy middle than anything else, with some closer to the left extreme while others were closer to the right. Liam himself wasn't sure exactly where he stood – he sure wasn't self-centered, given how much he constantly worried about everyone. He did care about his own well-being though and even he wasn't always completely selfless.

Liam glanced up at the cloudy sky, partially shielded by semi-naked branches. A lot of the leaves had fallen to the earthy ground, creating a colorful carpet. “How 'bout two? I mean we still have to carry all of this back. And we can't kill too many of 'em either 'cause it's one of our sources for food and we can't let 'em die out.” he suggested, glancing at their kills – a couple squirrels, a couple deers... Yeah, they had a lot of weight on their hands and the trek back to the cellar wasn't exactly a short one by all means.

When she mentioned that he owed her a secret, Liam smirked. “I guess you won fair and square.” he said with a chuckle. To be honest his secret hideouts weren't completely secret; as a pup he had believed they were and it was still quite fun to assume that he was the only one in the world to know about them but – he wasn't. Not really. Still, some of the places were actually pretty cool. A deal was a deal and Liam was going to hold his end of it. “Don't worry I won't forget.” he said playfully, already beginning to walk towards the herd of deer.

“How 'bout you lead that one towards the south end of the clearing?” he gestured with his hand towards the specific area. “I'll be there waiting to pounce. We can switch roles afterward for the next one?” he said, taking up the reins for this little adventure, just like the alpha he was. After all, he was his father's son.

Table pic by Cait, code by the Mentors!

Terra · 10-30-2011, 11:26 AM

Terra grinned. She bounded to the other side of the clearing, careful to not shift. It was difficult to stay on two legs when everything in her screamed otherwise. Her shifting was more for convenience than any actual use. Actually using it for something practical felt a little odd. She tripped when she ran smack into a higher branch. Terra snorted with frustration. It was hard remembering that she couldn't move the way she was used to. Still, she managed to make it to the other side.

Picking out the deer Liam had pointed out Terra crouched. She let out a series of soft yips, causing the deer to start moving. They were a little nervous, which would make it easier to cut it out. Gliding out she nipped at the heels. Several snorted and stampeded to the other side, but her mark was unable to follow. Terra had wedged herself between it and the rest of the herd. Changing she snarled at the deer. Panicked it started wheeling around. Easily she herded it to Liam, inflicting small wounds on it's legs. That would make it easier to take down.

Terra sat down and watched as it bounded almost right into Liam's arms. She hadn't forgotten how to drive deer at all. It would be a good kill. Once he grabbed the neck she was ready to distract it from hurting him and injure it as needed.

Liam Catori · 10-30-2011, 12:20 PM

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ooc: these two are badass. ∞ 352 words

Liam watched Terra as she bounced away from his, his eyes resting on her backside for a few moments longer before he slowly made his way towards the shadows, hiding in a crouch directly in the path that Terra would end up leading the deer. He was ready to attack at any moment, adrenaline seeping through every fiber of his being, his heart beating fast. His eyes were always on Terra though and when she tripped due to a branch, Liam couldn't help but smirk with amusement. The emotion only stayed for a few moments though as his demeanor became serious again; ready. From the corner of his one green eye he could see some of the deers grazing at the yellowing grass; they weren't close enough to be bothered by Terra's movements but Liam was still afraid that they would. Terra wasn't exactly graceful right now. Definitely not silent.

Finally Liam spotted Terra as she steered the deer towards him. Liam braced himself, his teeth showing as his lips quivered longingly, a very soft, barely audible snarl escaping his throat. Liam watched as she separated the prey from the rest of its herd, surely leading the deer towards the awaiting male. Liam could see the fear in the deer's eyes as it unknowingly ran straight for its doom. The danger at its heels was nothing compared to what it was facing. About half a dozen feet before the deer reached Liam, the young male saw Terra stop. His attention was on her for only a split second though because the next moment he was leaping onto the terrified deer, teeth sinking into his flesh and ripping.

It took a few moments for the deer to bleed out, his struggling body growing weaker and weaker as Liam stood over it, watching. The other deers had all made their way a couple feet further but the distance wasn't enough to save themselves from the two Miracles wolves. When Liam's eyes went back to Terra, the prey was very much deceased; motionless and lifeless. "Want to take your pick?" he asked with a smirk.

Terra · 10-30-2011, 12:40 PM

Terra smouldered under Liam's smirk. So she wasn't exactly graceful in her optime form. She'd never used it before! She had still managed to do her part beautifully. Cutting out a deer without panicking the herd actually took some skill. Terra scanned the herd before finding a target. It was an old deer, near the center of the herd. It was an easy kill, but would take some talent to separate it. She could do it, but Liam would have a tough time. How about the old one? You lose points if you make the herd run away.

She moved away from the dead deer, trying to not look bothered by his kill. It was only with her help he'd been able to take it down! The deer had already been injured when it reached him, and it had been lined up so it'd be hard to fail. Terra doubted Liam saw it that way though. She had been clumsy, hardly silent. Terra wished she could shed this shape for her lupine one. With that she moved like a ghost, rarely spotted, and only by those trained to see it.

Liam Catori · 10-30-2011, 01:05 PM

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ooc: blah. ∞ 419 words

Liam grinned. “You're on.” was his reply to her challenge. He was a master of stealth and grace – well, not really but still he was seven feet and six inches tall; could you really blame him? “Let's do this.” he said slyly. Liam turned around, his eyes on the herd for a few moments. When he glanced back behind him Terra had moved into the shadows and it took him a few seconds to pinpoint where exactly she'd hidden.

Liam gave her a nod before he walked towards the other end of the clearing, making sure to go around the herd – as far from them as possible as to not startle them. They were well aware of the two wolves now and Liam could see some of them frantically searching about. Others just stupidly stood there as though standing still would save them from the attack that was about to occur. Liam had his target though – one of the older deers. He was a strong one who had probably witnessed and survived his fair share of wolf attacks over the years. With practiced agility, the King's son began sneaking closer, his back arched slightly so that he looked less like a humanoid form and more like the wolf he truly was, his front claws extracted from his fingers as his eyes locked onto his target.

Liam picked up speed when he was ten feet from the target. The old deer seemed to suddenly know what was going on, its ears perking up as his eyes searched the surroundings. Suddenly, before Liam could react, the deer began running in the opposite direction, putting distance between himself and the two wolves that were trying to hunt him down. Liam growled as he began running after it, some of the other deers panicking as they started dashing away from him. Great. That was a couple points off his score. He didn't care though, his eyes on his intended target – everything else was pushed aside.

Finally he managed to get behind the deer, biting and snapping at the creature's behind, his strong wolf body pushing the deer in a different direction – towards Terra. His furry brown hands clawed at the deer, pushing him further and further towards its death. Finally it was close enough to Terra, heading straight for her. Liam slowed down until he was at a full halt, panting hard as he rubbed at his aching muscles. He was glad this was all over.

Terra · 10-30-2011, 05:18 PM

Terra struggled to hold back laughter as Liam drove the herd wild. The old deer seemed determined to escape, heading away from where Liam had been trying to drive it. When it finally came her way she was having trouble focusing from laughing so hard. It bounded toward her, Liam resting behind it. Terra crouched down before pouncing as the deer broke into her thicket.

Tearing out it's throat was easy, though she got another blow to the arm. It was slight though, nothing that was new. The deer dead she dragged it out into the center. I guess we bring in our kills now. She looked to Liam for confirmation, shifting into secui form. She's pretty small, so she didn't have the strength for pulling the deer up in any other form. Where do we store them?

OOC:This was fun!

Liam Catori · 10-30-2011, 08:25 PM

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ooc: Well, I'm done! Feel free to post again if you have anything more to add but... honestly I think this is wrapped up! It was a lot of fun and I really like Terra, she's awesome! ∞ 305 words

Liam was chuckling when Terra went and joined him with her kill – the kill they had worked together to get. It had been one fun, distracting experience. So far? Terra had no reason whatsoever to have the Catori male suspect her actions. She seemed genuine and ready to be part of the court. “That sounds like a fair plan.” Liam replied as he got the heavier kills onto each shoulder – wincing slightly at the pain in his injured one – and got one of the squirrels between his teeth. He hoped Terra could get the rest.

Once they both had everything – somehow they managed to do it – they began walking, Liam still in his Optime form while Terra had taken on her beastly Secui form. She was still quite small but she could carry a lot more weight that way it seemed. “The cellar.” Liam explained as he pointed in the appropriate direction. “It's not all that far and if we're lucky we'll run into someone that can help us out – get some of the weight off our shoulders.” he explained.

Liam fell silent for a while, his mind focused on carrying the weight. His muscles wanted to give way under the pressure – they were aching so bad. He was looking forward to the day where he'd be fully healed and able to do the things he could usually do effortlessly. “You know, I think you'll make a really good addition to the pack. I admit I had my doubts at first when I first met you but – you're really alright.” he told her. He would have patted her on the back but... he didn't have a free hand to do so. Instead he just gave her a goofy grin that actually reached his eyes.

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