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 Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 1:56 pm
 Pyotr’s territory was a small, flexible area in the mountains. Lower and somewhat lusher than the surrounding terrain, the area was frequently passed through by small goat herds and wild boars. There were better lands further down the mountain, not far away, but the territorial competition was fiercer in those lower slopes. Here, things were a bit harsher in the winter, but Pyotr considered himself an excellent hunter and preferred his relaxed patrols.
Usually anyway.
Yesterday he’d found a dead wolf cub, mangled near the edge of his territory. It was likely some pack dispute – rogues had fled through here before – but it made him edgy to think of a litter being too close. Mother wolves were dangerous, stupid things, so tonight he made patrol with an extra slink in his step and clung to the rocky slopes and corpses of trees that he knew as safety.
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Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2010 10:41 am
 Sjenos breathed in through his mouth, holding the flavor of the air against the roof of his mouth to get a very definite sense of what it was he smelled. Wolves. He was sure of it. The thought was not appealing, and yet he did not wish to detour around the area. Perhaps if he proceeded with caution, he could avoid encountering any of the lupine inhabitants. That would be ideal.
With that goal, Sjenos forged ahead, working his way higher into the mountains. He didn't intend to climb above the timber line, for his dark coat was hardly good any good for disappearing into the snow that capped mountaintops. Of course, wolves wouldn't climb so high, either, and so he knew he could avoid them by keeping to the peaks, but camouflage and his other skills would be sufficient.
He walked with care for his paws' placement, aware of the location of every part of his body. It would hardly do to brush against something and leave a trace of his passing. Whenever it was possible he walked on roots, even though the hard-packed ground was unlikely to show paw prints. His life had taught him to be constantly careful and never to leave any evidence of his passing.
Another scent came to him as he progressed, one slightly more welcome. Snow leopards were preferable to wolves. Their solitary nature made it less likely he would be attacked by a group, for one thing, and he was fairly accomplished at fighting others of his kind. Just the same, it would be easier if he could manage to avoid any sort of altercation.
He upped his sneak factor.
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Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 8:57 pm
His mottled grey coat blended in well with the dull moonlight filtering through the scraggly trees and falling on the snowy, rocky ground. Except for the red mark over one eye, which he turned away from prey when hunting, he felt invisible on this leeward slope tonight. He made a silent leap onto a low boulder and crouched on it, catching his breath and eyeing the area.
Apparently, his stealth wasn’t enhancing his own senses though, because something moved not that far away from him by an outcropping of rock. It flicked out of sight silently and he squinting, shifiting his head to avoid giving away his position – or had the animal already seen him? Pyotr’s nostrils flared in alert, but the wind was against him and there was no telling if it were a wolf or fawn. He shifted, drawing his soft, heavy paws under him and making ready to spring in case it were a sharp predator that had spotted him and was readying its own attack.
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Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2010 7:36 am
With the wind blowing toward him, Sjenos felt slightly more secure. He wasn't sure what it was about this particular mountain which gave him the feeling of being watched, but the longer he spent on it the more certain he was that he was not alone. He didn't like the feeling of being observed. It put him at a tactical disadvantage that didn't sit well with him. He'd done some time fighting on the behalf of others in his life, as well as fending for himself, and in none of these experiences had it been to his advantage to be watched by an unseen audience.
The wind continued to carry the scent of snow leopard to him. Before what he smelled had been nonspecific, an indicator that he was in another snow leopard's territory, but without any indication that the other 'leopard was anywhere nearby. This scent was fresh, as though the 'leopard was nearby. His ears swiveled, straining to catch any sound that might give him further clues as to where his audience might be. The wind helped by giving him a general direction, but what Sjenos needed now were specifics.
He also needed to decide whether he wished to continue avoiding the other 'leopard or spark a confrontation. Confrontations didn't necessarily have to be violent, but given the fact that he was currently on high alert they probably would end up being so if the other 'leopard came upon him first and startled him. It wouldn't be anything personal, except that Sjenos' sense of self-preservation would insist on it and he wasn't one to deny that sense. It was usually dead-on.
Unsure, but not usually one to linger too long over decisions, Sjenos chose to continue on his way. He wasn't sure how much stealthier he could be, but he would make an effort. He really just wanted to get off this mountain and into some proper forest. Avoidance would be the order of the day.
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Posted: Fri Jul 09, 2010 5:11 pm
Unfortunately, avoidance wasn’t to be had.
Pyotr slipped down from his rock in a silent surge of motion and disappeared into the snowy terrain. Minutes passed in the empty, howling wind before he reappeared, perfectly still and bristled behind a short slope in Sjenos’s path. It had been a stretch to loop around so quickly without giving himself away, but his territory was small, and even on the outskirts he knew what rocky paths were more negotiable than they appeared.
Well fed, in the prime of youth, his coat shining with the health of a successful hunter, he knew he would cut an impressive figure to the male when he came over the hill. He didn’t actually want a fight though, hence stillness, and he rather hoped he could push the male out or escort him through the area without violent conflict.
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Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 8:12 am
Sjenos could hardly help noticing the shock of pale fur ahead. His fur bristled along his back, as he was positive no one had been there before, which meant he had been out-sneaked. That sort of thing could be fatal, Sjenos had learned, and the dark 'leopard wasn't interested in ending his time on earth just yet. Another leoopard might have wondered why he was so keen on hanging onto this life, since it wasn't particularly wonderful, but Sjenos wasn't much given to introspection, and even if he was this would hardly be the time for it.
There was no way to avoid this encounter, Sjenos realized, and so without much effort he forced the fur along his back to lie flat and he stopped where he was at the top of the rise. It was a minimal advantage to hold the high ground when the other snow leopard was clearly more familiar with the territory, but Sjenos wanted to keep it just the same. Any advantage at all was worth grasping at, particularly when dealing with a 'leopard who was obviously in the prime of his life.
Not that Sjenos was probably too much older, but his existence had not been easy and he did not give the impression of being a well-fed, well-groomed sort. Sometimes this worked to his advantage, making him appear dangerous and like someone to avoid, other times people seemed to interpret this as an indication that he was incapable of caring for himself. A colossal mistake, that, but Sjenos didn't mind being underestimated. He rarely came out of those encounters on the losing end.
"My name is Sjenos," he said, pitching his voice to be heard, but not to carry much farther than the pale 'leopard. "If I've intruded on your land, please know that I don't intend to stay long and I will hunt sparingly. Your mate and cubs are safe from me." It was his standard opening to someone who had not been immediately hostile.
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Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2010 10:06 am
Pyotr’s heart thrilled quietly when the leopard appeared. The very tip of his tail twitched, the only sign of deeper instincts that demanded blood and cruelty. The minor twitch was all that urge managed though, and he rose slightly, into a half crouch from which he could attack if it became necessary. He seemed to consider Sjenos for some time, but he was more troubled with how to ease the situation now. He rose and walked in a slightly meandering path toward the leopard. His shoulder blades stabbed upward with each slogging step and his head hung low, either in casual laxness or defensive. He stopped, having slowly halved the distance between them, and spoke. His voice was a whisper that wouldn’t have cut across their previous distance. “Sjenos, I am Pyotr,” he said in a voice that rasped unpleasantly at a strained volume. “If you’re crossing to the east I’ll see you through my lands. Otherwise you may turn back.” Ears flat and twitching, eyes narrowed acutely on the intruder, the threat of that was clear. He hadn’t addressed that he had no mate or cubs, and that he didn’t intend for the dark leopard to hunt at all, but better to discover if there could be treaty before outlining the specifics of it.
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Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 7:47 am
Sjenos watched the pale 'leopard approach, decreasing the distance between them significantly. He wasn't quite close enough that a single leap would bring Sjenos into any danger, but even a stride or two before jumping would change that. Sjenos wasn't sure how he felt about that, and was grateful, at least, to have the higher ground. If he jumped, he would be jumping down, and it would be much easier.
The fact that he had spoken softly didn't usually tend to require a softly-spoken reply. The other snow leopard - Pyotr - had an unusual voice. At least, it was different. Sjenos had enough experience of the world that he felt he could hazard a guess at why the paler 'leopard sounded the way he did. Someone had damaged his throat. Sjenos's own voice was not truly pleasant to listen to, either, having a tendency toward sounding growly, and so he did not hold that particular trait against Pyotr.
"If that is the direction you advise me to go, I will do as you suggest, supposing you are more familiar with the area, but I would not like to keep you away from your regular activities." His refusal was polite. The phrase he tacked on at the end was maybe a little less so, and hinted that if Pyotr wanted trouble, Sjenos could oblige. "I have never needed assistance in making my way east, and I do not find that has suddenly changed in the last days."
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