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 Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2010 2:14 pm
 Another day, another tasty animal to hunt.
Samantha chuckled softly, almost soundlessly to herself, her paws silent on the soft earth as she stalked towards her next meal. The huntress was becoming quite adept at her work by this point. Well, events like getting headbutted by an angry male dall sheep were becoming less likely in any case.
Heh. Memories. Ow.
Today looked to be a good day though. She'd caught wind of a herd of deer in the distance and now was closing the gap between their two locations. Mmm...venison had always been a favorite of hers, and her increasing hunting skills were proving useful in allowing her to gain such a treat with increasing frequency.
Her steps slowed, her sense of smell locking in on a pair of does close-by. Her eyes scanned the sparse trees, her fangs exposing in a toothy grin when she spotted the telltale heat signatures. Dinner time.
Ear flicking lightly, she detected few other sounds in the area, so she'd have to keep her own steps light. There seemed to be some other deer scattered about, but the two closest to her seemed to be separated from the rest. It was enough to make Samantha confident in her strike.
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 8:11 pm
Soundlessly and with painfully slow pawsteps, Samantha crept closer, under cover of the sparse scrub brush. She only needed to be close enough...to make a short, sprinting rush...
With a rustle of leaves, Samantha broke cover, paws digging into the earth to give her a powerful burst of acceleration. The does snorted, bellowing in alarm as they tried to flee moments too late. Still, Samantha had to dodge flailing hooves as she darted towards her target, eyes locked on the slightly smaller doe on her right. The doe was healthy, well-fed and fit...but as soon as Samantha locked her jaws around the creature's throat, the fight might as well have been over. In the struggle, there was a swift jerk of Samantha's muzzle, followed by a snap in the doe's neck, the prey creature immediately falling limp.
The surviving doe fled into the treeline, rejoining the rest of the herd and warning them to flee as well with her bellows and flashing white tail. Samantha, meanwhile, sank to the ground with her heavy prize, eventually releasing her grasp to sit up straight with a grin. Yeah, she was eating well again tonight...
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 8:26 pm
 Unbeknownst to the huntress, her successful hunting venture had had an unknown witness. Nearby, on a different type of hunt of his own, Taron cocked his head to the side, ears twisting towards the noise as his tongue measured the vibrations through the ground, interpreting these movements as information for his brain to process. He decided to investigate and trotted close enough to see the heat signatures of the hunter and the fleeing prey in time for the kill.
The female hunter moved swiftly and gracefully, and Taron's senses were locked on her as she finished her grim business. She seemed highly skilled, as if she'd completed this same hunt many times before. She seemed to possess a fluid grace unlike many Krokotas he knew, especially himself, and her luxurious tail flowed behind her like a rippling river. Typically, one's tail could be considered a sign of age and wisdom...so, he was all the more impressed, realizing hers trailed along the ground.
He watched her form closely, taking in her scent from a distance, as she gathered her kill and dragged it nearby for feasting. His thoughts were centering on one thing and a question nagged incessantly at his mind.
How on earth did she ever keep that beautiful tail clean?
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 9:12 pm
Adrenaline fading, Samantha was preparing to enjoy her meal when the sound of a growl from over her shoulder caused her fur to bristle. She didn't look at first, staring forwards as she slowly placed her prize on the ground. Then, head still low, only her eyes slid to the side first, followed slowly by her head, her neck twisting with deliberate slowness as she answered the snarl with one of her own. It was only a warning, but she didn't take well to being threatened, not from any source.
Her feet shifted as she turned, keeping herself between whatever threat had arrived and that of her kill. She should have know the smell before she turned; only wolves could provide that sort of stench. Mangy dogs, she thought to herself, keeping her words in her head for now. Afterall, technically...she was outnumbered.
"There a problem?" she finally spat with a faux smile, through clenched teeth. Three pairs of gold eyes stared back at her, glittering with malice.
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 9:48 am
Uh oh...trouble. Of the lupine sort.
Three wolves had crept out of the shadows to ambush the poor huntress, likely to steal the kill, but there was no guarantee that they didn't have other intentions in mind. Wolves were wily creatures, and they traveled in packs for a reason. It gave them both the advantage of numbers and of strategy over single foes.
Of course, Krokotas generally traveled in packs as well.
As Taron watched the wolves closing in on the lone huntress, turned to face her foes with fur bristled to defend her kill, he felt something burning within him and a subtle growl rose from his throat. This wasn't right. It was her rightful kill and those bullies had no just cause to take that away from her. It was cowardly and lazy, and besides...
...you don't bully a lady.
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 10:04 am
Green eyes met gold, as Samantha refused to back down from the threat. Her paws were braced wide, giving her a firm stance, as well as one in which she could easily launch an attack if needed.
When it became obvious that she wasn't backing down, what seemed to be the leader of the small band stepped forward with a dark chuckle."Seems there is a problem, missy," the lanky wolf drawled. "You're hunting on our territory," he quipped, tail swishing in a relaxed manner, even as he flashed his fangs at the female Krokotas in an equally venomous 'smile.' Their territory? Elk bull droppings! This territory was unclaimed and there were no scents here at all of other predators before Samantha had gotten here! Still, keeping in mind that she was outnumbered, she kept her temper and tongue in check. Barely.
"I see. Strange how I never saw any markings or signs that this territory was claimed then. How mysterious.""Mysterious, indeed," the wolf agreed, still grinning confidently. "Mysterious...or you just conveniently missed them. I hear you Krokotas can't help being unobservant and oblivious like that sometimes." Another flare of temper that Samantha forced down into the pit of her stomach. Not now...not now...but how the hell was she going to get out of this one? She was NOT giving up her meal, that was for sure; she'd worked hard enough for it and it was hers, damn it!
"Is that what you've heard?" she responded with a deceptive almost-purr in her voice. "Well, I've heard that wolves are nothing but a mangy pack of strays, whose skills consist of chasing their own tails and stealing other predators' hard-earned meals."
"So," she continued, her eyes flashing at the trio as she held her ground. "Think you can believe everything you hear?"
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 12:26 pm
Well, there was certainly nothing to be said about wolves senses of humor. Or their tempers. Samantha immediately braced herself as a furious snarl ripped from the lanky wolf leader's throat. He lunged, she rolled with the hit, and the pair became a whirling, tumbling pile of fur. She was a hunter, not a warrior, but that didn't mean Samantha didn't know how to handle herself in a brawl. She lashed out with her clawed back feet in a vicious kick and was rewarded by a yelp from the wolf as he fell back and away from her.
Of course, he still had two friends.
It was Samantha's turn to cry out as she tried to stand and one of the remaining pair latched his jaws onto her foreleg. The other tried to grab her tail, but fortunately for Samantha, all he got for his trouble was a mouthful of hair, which left him backing away, spitting and pawing at his mouth. Before Sam's back foot collided solidly with his jaw anyway.
She still had the one hanging from her front leg to worry about though, as well as the lanky leader, recovering nearby and climbing to his feet. She wasn't a pushover, no...but she wasn't sure she could handle the three of them by herself.
Samantha could only blink in a mixture of shock and confusion as the wolf in front of her suddenly disappeared, replaced only by a blur of brown and cream, and a ferocious snarl. She cringed slightly as the beast's grip released her leg, teeth grazing the skin as they went. What in the world just happened?
"Don't you know anything about respecting a lady?" sneered what Samantha had identified only as a streak of color and a noise moments ago. Now, however, it took the form of a male Krokotas, standing over the wolf with his paw on its throat.
She was startled out of her staring, by a snarl over her shoulder and she remembered that this was far from over with. Still... "I like these odds better," she muttered with a grin, whirling to face the remaining wolves.
Taron fought like a mad beast, taking on two of the wolves himself, leaving Samantha with only one. Heck, that was easy enough in comparison to earlier stakes. Less worry about attacks coming from multiple directions, plus the ability to focus her rage on a single target meant that the fight didn't last much longer. Didn't seem that the wolves wanted to tangle with a pair of angry Krokotas either, especially with the arrival of that large male.
There was a sharp bark from the leader, apparently the signal to retreat, and the wolves broke off, high tailing it for the trees as fast as they were able. And if there was one thing about wolves, they could run fast.
Samantha was more concerned about protecting her kill, as that had been the point of this whole scuffle to begin with, so she let the beasts go. Panting a bit, and taking time to survey the damage, she had some teeth marks on her front leg, and a scratch on her back haunch...painful, but she'd live, likely without any permanent scars. "Hey, I dunno who you are, but thanks for th--" She turned to the strange male, then halted mid-sentence.
Taron stood stock still, staring down at his paws with wide, horrified eyes.
"Hey, are you hurt?" Samantha asked in concern, looking as well and trying to figure out what he was staring at. She didn't see any wounds, nothing serious at least and nothing on his paws.
The truth was, in the scuffle, the five predators had managed to gouge up the ground pretty badly, between their many sets of claws. And the weather had been somewhat damp as of late, leaving the earth soft and wet. Specks of mud and damp earth mixed with roots were smeared over both their paws and coats, but where Samantha paid it no mind in comparison with her injuries, Taron eyed this as something to give more concern. "My...my paws..." he muttered, horrified.
"Yes?"
"They're...they're...dirty!"
It took all that Samantha had not to smack a muddy paw of her own into her forehead. Was this guy serious? "We finish an epic battle with a pack of mangy mutts, and you're worried that your paws are dirty?" she snapped back in irritation and disbelief.
Taron didn't seem to be paying her much attention anymore. "Gotta' get them clean," he muttered, looking around in a panic. "Gotta' get some water, get the mud off, get it off and away..."
It was tempting just to smack the guy one and see if that shook him out of whatever panicked state he'd fallen into. Or just leave him to his crazy fit. But no, Samantha owed him. He'd come to her aid when she'd needed it, and she didn't like owing anyone for anything. Still, she wasn't leaving her catch here either. Eying the doe for a minute, she grabbed ahold of the carcass and struggled to heft it up on her back. Not an easy task, even without injuries.
"Come on, Mr. Crazy," she grumbled, carefully balancing the doe on her back before heading off in a particular direction. There's a river this way where we can wash off." Her eyes were focused ahead of her, on the horizon, so she didn't notice the relieved look on the other Krokotas' face as he hurried to fall into step behind her.
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Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 4:52 pm
Arriving at the bank of a bubbling stream, Samantha dumped the doe from her back unceremoniously, letting it flop to the ground. She was too tired to worry otherwise and let the carcass lay where it fell as she stretched out her aching body. Ugh, she'd be paying for this in the morning.
Though, if she didn't want to pay for it further, she should probably get those bites and scratches cleaned up. Who knew where those filthy mongrels had been?
With a grimace, she headed for the water...and was quickly passed by a beige blur that felt like a passing windstorm ruffling her fur. She blinked, watching from a distance as the male Krokotas practically dove into the stream, splashing water every which way. What in the world was with this Krokotas? He was a vicious fighter one moment, biting and kicking, sending wolves fleeing...and the next, he was panicking and flailing about like a frightened pup....over a little mud? What?
Meanwhile, Taron was having the time of his life, splashing about, gleefully watching the horrid mud washing free and floating away in the water. Clean! No more mud, no more dirt! Just clean fur, clean skin, and clean claws! He seemed to calm once the visible mud was gone, content at that point to roll about in the water, to ensure all the invisible mud was gone as well. He did look up as the female huntress entered the water as well, and he shot her an open-mouthed grin, panting with the exertion. "Thank you so much!"
That gave Samantha a moment of pause. Blinking at the male, she responded as she continued gingerly easing her way into the flowing water, "Thank you? For what? I should be thanking you, really. You did come to my rescue back there."
"Maybe so," the odd male chuckled, tilting his head at her from his reclined pose in the water. "But, you saved me from the evil mud. So we're even."
Samantha couldn't hold back a snort. "Seriously?" She smirked, then wavered when he nodded at her. "Okay, you are serious. You're a strange one, you know that, friend?" She smiled back, starting to wash her wounds. She'd added the title, not only so he'd know that she was only teasing, but because she gave a lot of stock to someone who would help out a stranger at risk of their own safety.
"Maybe so. I've heard it before, anyway...but aren't we all a little strange in some way?" Taron quipped, half shrugging, despite the fact that he was currently lying on his back and staring at Samantha upside-down. He started to roll over, stopping halfway. "Uh...sorry I didn't ask earlier. Are you alright, miss? You're not hurt, are you?"
"I'll manage," she responded automatically, neither accenting or disagreeing. She'd be a little achy in the morning, and some of those cuts and bites would sting for a while, but it was nothing serious and nothing to whine about. She didn't really want the attention. Instead, she turned the question around with a smirk, "What about you? Aside from the evil dirt beast, of course."
Taron looked himself over a bit, then shook his head. "The evil dirt has been vanquished. Bullies might have got a bit of my fur, but...it'll grow back," he nodded, reaching up abruptly with his hind leg to scratch behind one ear. He watched Samantha chuckle in response before returning to her own cleansing. Oy, all that long fur...
Shaking his head again, he commented, "I suppose your pack will be along soon. Would they be worried about you by now?"
"My what?" Samantha responded, confused. "Oh, no, I mean...there's no one to worry. I don't have a pack." She stifled the note of sadness in her look before it reached her voice.
"Really?" the male blinked, equally confused for a moment. "I just figured...I mean, you're fast, and strong, and skilled...I just figured you led a strong pack and that you'd gone hunting alone and--"
"Woah...I just thought you asked if I was IN a pack," Samantha interrupted, sounding amused. "Either way, the answer is no, but still....do I look like some kinda' leader to you?" The idea was ridiculous and she couldn't resist laughing a bit.
"Well...it's been a long time since I've had a pack, and I'm not sure I though much of the last one anyway, so... I don't know? You seem like you'd be more capable than any I've known? Heck, I'd follow you."
Taron's comment surprised her, and Samantha's laughing stopped. "Well...uh...I'm not, so no, I'm no one's leader, just my own. It's just me for now," she admitted, falling quiet again. It wasn't exactly the most ideal situation; it was just a temporary phase, she kept telling herself.
Taron picked up on the sadness in her voice this time though. It was a familiar feeling; he'd shared it for some months now, so he knew some of what she must be feeling. "Well...it doesn't have to be? You think of that? I mean, I have a friend...she and I are looking for a pack, but in the meantime, we thought we'd stick together, so that way we're not technically alone. It's much better to travel as two than as one, so three would be even better, right?" He grinned hopefully, his indication obvious.
Samantha glanced over skeptically at first, then her expression softened. "Nothing wrong with traveling together, no."
"Great! You'll like my friend. She's sweet, and pretty, and....okay, well, maybe that part doesn't matter as much to you, being another girl and all," Taron rambled, half talking to himself while Samantha grew amused once more.
"Hey."
"Yes?" Taron blinked, looking back at the female huntress.
"What's your name, anyway?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 5:24 pm
Taron blinked at her. Then again. And once more.
Oh yeah, he still didn't know what her name was! How stupid of him! "Err, I'm sorry...I guess I forgot! My name's Earth Streak," he quickly offered, nodding his head. "But you can call me Taron."
Samantha chuckled, nodding and committing both names to memory. "Fiery Heart," she offered in return. "But, Samantha will do." She glanced about, then at herself. She was suitably clean now, and hunger was becoming a more important issue. "Hey, you hungry? I've got plenty here," she questioned, standing and heading for shore where the doe's carcass lay.
Taron shrugged again, not wanting to seem greedy, but not wanting to seem ungrateful either. Gah, politeness vs. hunger. "Maybe a little," he finally settled on an answer, nodding and rising to follow after her...trying not to wag his tail or betray too much enthusiasm.
The pair of Krokotas began feeding, Samantha keeping a curious eye on the male as they fed. Would he treat blood as he had dirt? Would it send him into spasms until he could get clean afterwards? Amusing as that might be once, it couldn't really be any way to live, could it?
Not sure whether to be relieved or disappointed, but probably relieved, it seems the male didn't react to blood in the same way. It was true; he thought of dirt and mud as disgusting, but blood was a part of food, which was a part of life. Maybe it was contradictory not to consider dirt a part of life as well, but he didn't. It wasn't necessary. In any case, blood was alright.
Still, as soon as he finished eating, Taron walked back to the stream to wash off, if quite calmly in this case. Might as well make use of the water while it was available, yes?
"Thank you for the meal, kind lady," he drawled upon returned, giving Samantha a half bow. She merely laughed at him, somewhat embarrassed by the gesture.
"No worries, friend. We're even now, yes?"
"Right. And maybe if my friend and I tag along with you, I can help keep you both safe from wolves, and you can keep me safe from the evil mud, deal?"
Snickering, Samantha nodded. "Deal. Sounds fair to me. Now, where is this friend of yours?" The pair continued traveling along the river for some time, Taron rambling about his friend, Aurora, and Samantha following along, listening patiently.
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