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 Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 5:47 pm
((I'm very interested in having company here, I've just done ASK instead of ORP so we can decide via PM whether our Fafners know each other or not before starting the back-and-forth ^x^ Plot bunnies welcome! Leif's details are linked through the pic.)) Location: Hreidmar Forest; West Bank of Sigmund River, a few miles north of Lake Sigmund.
The dew was still thick upon the grass as Leifieren raced through the undergrowth of Hreidmar Forest. The moisture clung to the fawn-colored fur of his legs and paws, and sprayed out behind him, turning into glimmering mist in the early morning light that filtered through the canopy overhead. He twisted and turned as he ran, changing his heading with split second precision as he pursued his quarry, a small blur of off-white fur tearing frantically through the undergrowth.
The chase had begun when the Hunter had spotted his quarry grazing in a small open patch within the forest. Leif had managed to sneak quite near to the would-be sustenance, poised to pounce upon his prey and end the hunt quickly. But a boar had chosen that moment to barge into the clearing, startling the prey into a panicked run. Leif didn't mind terribly, though; the thrill of the chase and the feeling of his limbs stretching out beneath him was exhilarating. The trees began thinning out as the chase progressed, and he could hear the sound of the river up ahead, muffled only slightly by the lush spring foliage.
Prey and pursuer burst into the relatively open area of the riverbank, scrub brush growing along the sandy dirt banks. The little creature made another abrupt turn, and the sharp angle sent Leif skittering to one side as his hind paw lost its purchase on some loose stones. He kept himself from falling sidelong down the bank, but the delay had cost him his prize. The bundle of fur disappeared back into the forest and Leifieren slowed to a trot. He came to a stop beneath a weeping willow, muzzle agape slightly as he took a moment to breathe. My, that had been a fine chase; but now he was left without food to bring back to the clan.
Shifting his shoulders, he padded toward the riverbank, dipping his nose to the calm, clear waters of an orphaned pool to take a quick drink. His ears twitched and pivoted, picking up a faint sound nearby.
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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:22 pm
 The sun shed dappled light through the forest foliage, dancing upon the sapphire pelt of a small figure crouching in the undergrowth. Artemis's yellow eyes flashed as she observed the forest around her, searching for prey. The forest was still and silent, and she preferred to wait instead of prowling among the trees at the risk of making any sound. Prey was skittish this time of year, but Artemis had the patience, she could wait as long as it required.
Her ears pricked up, suddenly, as she heard a small rustle some distance away. Artemis sprang up noiselessly, jumping the bush and landing with a small noise, catlike, upon the grass. She trotted cautiously towards the source of the noise - it got louder as she approached, but it seemed to move. Lifting her nose up, she took a sniff. There was prey, but there was also someone else... Artemis looked around and found that the forest was starting to clear now. She sped up as the forest floor got clearer of leaves and small twigs, growing to a sprint as she followed the unknown creature at a distance, clear out of the forest.
Blinking in the sunlight, Artemis looked around and found nought but a Fafner, sitting by the riverbank. She cursed under her breath, snapping a twig underfoot as she trotted down to the riverbank. A closer inspection revealed the Fafner to be Leif, a fellow hunter from her clan who she exchanged a few words with on occassion. She sighed as she sat down a few yards away, nodding to him before wetting her throat with a large drink from the river. She'd waited for hours for something to show up, only to end up stalking another Fafner...
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Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 9:50 am
Leif's ears caught the sound of something approaching, and he tilted his nose in the direction of the rustling underbrush, scenting the air. Another fun chase, perhaps? Whatever it might be, it was approaching quickly. He tensed his muscles, prepared to give chase should it prove to be another chance at a meal.
A streak of blue burst from the forest undergrowth at that moment, and Leif settled back on his haunches, relaxing. It most certainly wasn't a rabbit, and thankfully it wasn't the boar that was still stalking around somewhere behind him. Artemis, he registered in his mind. Her fur was rather distinctive in their clan, making her look like a piece of fallen summer sky when she raced through the Hreidmar forest. The blazing sun itself was tamed upon her flank, furthering the illusion with intriguing whorls of brilliant golden yellow. He smiled slightly to himself, appreciative of her elegant design, even if it did stand out from the undergrowth. She'd probably look quite stunning with the open horizon as a backdrop, though.
"The hunting's a little thin today," he commented as she strode up to take a drink. He dipped his head to the cold water again, quenching his own thirst. Muzzle still hovering just above the water, he glanced over at the femme.
"It would be nice if we could, perhaps, corner something so that it can't streak off quite so well." He thought ruefully of the little blur of white he'd lost when he slipped on the river rocks. Sitting back again, he resettled himself to face Artemis, and tipped his muzzle towards the west, back away from the river. "There is a grove near here where the grouse like to hide in the brush. But it is a tricky thing, for one fafner to flush them and try to take them down. Perhaps if there was a second fafner to wait in ambush..." Leif left the invitation hanging in the air. He didn't know her that well, but was aware of her independent nature. He normally worked alone himself, but grouse were a rare treat for the clan, and it was easier to catch some of them when working in a team.
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Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 9:10 am
Artemis nodded in agreement. She focused her gaze upon the dapple-pelted Fafner as she took her drink, noting how simple it must be for Leif to hide within the forest. The way his spots were arranged mimicked the dappled forest light almost perfectly. Her tail twitched with slight excitement; she was eager with the offer of a chase. It wouldn't serve well for her to return home empty-handed.
Artemis smiled slightly, lifting her head up and cocking it to one side, appraising the invitation. An ambush... just what she'd been trying to attempt all day, was it not? She gave a half-shrug and glanced back at the forest. It was the perfect plan, of course. All he needed was her answer.
"An intriguing offer," Artemis noted, "sounds like fun. Why not?" she asked, shrugging her shoulders and smiling a bit wider.
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Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 5:51 pm
Leif grinned at Artemis; this was shaping up to be a better day than he had expected. There was little he liked doing better than stalking and catching grouse, and this would give him a chance to get to know Artemis better, besides. He stood, waving his tail to and fro behind him as he beckoned her to follow.
"They're just a ways off from the river here, they like to huddle down in some bushes near a broad tree. There's a large rock on the other side of the bushes, perfect for hiding behind."
He padded ahead of Artemis as he spoke, careful to keep his voice low, head half turned back towards her while he kept his eyes on the path ahead. He slowed as they approached their destination, the closely growing trees thinning out slightly. Up ahead, a slanted boulder could be seen, about five feet away from the treeline. It was set up almost like a ramp, with the lower end near some berry bushes, the leaves thick and green, the berries not yet formed this early in the year. Faint warbling noises could be heard as the birds rummaged around underneath the bushes for bugs.
"If you wait here, right on that ledge on this side of the rock," he whispered, indicating a ledge that was low enough for her to duck down, unseen, but still be in a position high enough to leap upon the birds when they took flight. "Then I'll sneak around the other side and give them quite a fright."
He grinned at her again, excitement creeping into his spring green eyes as he anticipated the attack.
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Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 1:22 pm
Noiselessly, Artemis followed Leif to the bushes, her ears picking up the soft sounds of grouse rustling through the undergrowth. She committed the plan to memory as Leif spoke, glancing around at all the places he pointed out. Her eyes sparked with the coming rush of the chase, Artemis nodded to Leif and crept to her hiding spot without a word. He was right; the ledge concealed her almost completely, enough to hide her from the unsuspecting birds down below. She was completely poised and ready, her eyes darted from Leif to the grouse as she awaited him to make his move.
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Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 7:20 pm
As he had expected, Artemis was proving to be a fine hunting partner. Leaving her concealed by the boulder, he crept around the edge of the clearing. He kept low beneath the undergrowth just inside the tree line, until he had reached the opposite end of the clearing from the femme. Where he crouched beside the trees, he could see the bushes where the grouse were digging up their lunch, and the occasional flutter of a feather or beak. He hunkered down, poising his hind legs so that he could launch off at the prey. Just on the other side of them was the boulder, though he could not see Artemis from here. Perfect.
He uncoiled his hind legs, leaping out into the clearing and tearing full speed at the bushes. The grouse startled, squawking and flapping frantically to launch into the air away from him... and flew low, right towards the boulder. With a bellow, he chased after them, picking up speed as they neared the angled rock. Just a little further.... The first of the grouse flew up over the boulder with him close on their tails. As they lifted higher into the air, he ran up the sloping surface of the rock, launching himself well off the right side at the nearest pair of grouse, paws outstretched as he went airborne.
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Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 11:26 am
For Artemis, everything seemed to go in slow motion; the grouse took flight in the clear direction of her hiding place, with Leif fast on their tails. You could see the hunter's concentration in his eyes and in the way he moved, not wasting an ounce of speed to catch the elusive birds. Like a coiled spring, she was ready to burst forth at any moment. And the grouse were coming quickly, the entire flock well within her reach. Closer, now... as the first birds started to fly over her she pounced, landing amidst the flock of frightened grouse.
Leif was already on the boulder, trying to get at the foremost birds. Artemis closed in on her own catch quickly. With a high leap she snagged a male, pulling him down before she lost her grip. A snap of her teeth and the grouse lay dead at her feet; the rest were far past her now and it didn't matter much to her. There was still Leif's part to do, and Artemis was certain he would be able to trap one or two as well.
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Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 11:28 am
He managed to dodge around Artemis as she lept through the flock, but more than one of the grouse weren't as lucky. As she pulled one out of the air with her, she sent others veering from their course, tangling the formation and sending the others too close to each other. Taking his chance, Leif launched off the topmost part of the boulder, forepaws outstretched to ensnare to fat grouse that were nearly bumping into each other. His claws snagged in the muscles of their wings, and the trio tumbled down to the ground, the grouse flapping frantically. He landed upon one, mercifully ending its fear with a quick snapping motion of his jaws, his paws already moving for the other as it tried to lift into the air again, its wing slightly mangled. This one two was soon still upon the ground, its breathren now long gone as he looked up with a triumphant grin to his hunting partner.
He chuckled as he noted that she'd downed the biggest grouse from the flock, her aim had been perfect. He glanced around quickly, then trotted to a nearby tree, snipping a length of creeper vine from it, then brought the section back to his catch. He deftly looped it around the legs of the two grouse, knotting it together by bracing his paws upon one end while pulling at the other with his teeth. Satisfied they were secure, he picked up the carrying "rope" and moved to join Artemis.
"You've got quite the strike there, Artemis!"
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