Open Swift Paws and a Coward's Heart

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"You’re wishin’ too much, baby. You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be."

- Eat, Pray, Love

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The little doe had spent some time within the borders of Gemini, but she was still debating on whether or not she should call it home. Despite the calm, soothing call of the land, the inhabitants were another story. So far she had probably encountered the biggest batch of mean-spirited, aggressive, psychologically volatile brutes she had ever met. Echo had been a gentleman in comparison. She had wished that he were around more, but his duties as a guard must be keeping him. She thought about trying to find Razi, but something about the red wolfess made Ashe think that perhaps it was best to entertain Razi when she chose to accept company, not before. She and Eli still had a tenuous peace, neither the type to display temper despite the rift between them. After her encounter with Queen Serrate's newly arrived relatives, she avoided the border, despite the grassy plains that offered a plethora of micey snacks.

Ashe had mostly been making her own way, living amongst the Gemini wolves, but still apart. A guest, rather than a true member of the pack. In truth, she was having trouble connecting, and found it to be a day to day struggle on whether or not she was right for this territory. It weighed heavily on her mind, and her shyness was becoming a firm barrier between her and any meaningful connection. If she didn't find a reason to stay soon, she was unlikely to. As she rose from her small den, nothing spectacular despite the real estate available, she pondered how she should spend her day. Her food cache was low, and she supposed she could manage a hare or a few mice. She needed to get a few herbs too, mostly to replenish her stock. Should she start restocking her traveling supplies? If she was going to move on, it would take some time to get ready. So far, Gemini had not exactly encouraged her to stay.

She began down the trail that led to the meadow close by. If she could catch her food early enough, she may have time to look for herbs before the heat of the day. If she didn't have any luck today, she'd try fishing in the creek tomorrow. Taking Eli's warning, she had avoided eating any of the frogs, despite their plentiful numbers. While she wasn't exactly living in luxury, she at least wasn't that desperate. As she came to the last of the trees she paused, taking sight of what was in the meadow that morning. A few deer grazed at the far side, but she knew better than to try for one of them. Despite her speed, she didn't have the power to take down even the youngest in the group. It was going to be mice and rabbits for her, as usual. She stared at the hinds for a moment longer, her mind wandering. How long had it been since she'd had venison? A while... a long while. Echo hadn't brought that promised Boar, whatever that was. With as sigh, Ashe moved along the tree line to the far side of the meadow, looking for prey much less grand than the grazing giants she could not overcome.

RE: Swift Paws and a Coward's Heart - Rook - November 07, 2018

If Rook could see into Ashe’s mind, she’d find plenty of similarities between the both of them. This need for home, belonging, family … and a juicy cut of venison.

Much like Ashe, she’d yet to find the former. Much like Ashe, she instead would have to settle for the latter.

Trotting her way to the young she-wolf, ever so quietly so as not to alarm the deerfolk grazing nearby, she’d hiss, “Psst! You, girl! You’re going the wrong way. Lunch is this way.”

Rook scurried around the bend of an old oak tree, then, where she promptly balanced herself on the upturned roots and turned to face the teenager. Although they were pretty much the same build and size, the younger one seemed so frail, like a twig waiting to be snapped during a particularly windy day. Oh yes, this girl definitely needed some meat on those bones.

“The two of us, we can take one down. I think I saw a babe with them – had spots on him, anyway. You,” she glanced over Ashe, up and down, and proceeded to furrow her brow with a quizzical look, “have hunted big game before, right?”

RE: Swift Paws and a Coward's Heart - Ashe - December 03, 2018

"You’re wishin’ too much, baby. You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be."

- Eat, Pray, Love

“Psst! You, girl! You’re going the wrong way. Lunch is this way.”

The girl was so quiet, Ashe hadn't even heard her coming. The little doe of a she-wolf visibly jumped when the other girl scurried around the base of the tree and nimbly perched on the exposed root. If Ashe was a doe, Rook appeared to be a squirrel. Two sets of blue eyes gazed back at each other for an instant, before the older girl spoke again.

“The two of us, we can take one down. I think I saw a babe with them – had spots on him, anyway. You, have hunted big game before, right?”

Ashe nodded meekly, recovering from her earlier shock. "Yes." Ashe replied in a breathy whisper. "With my home pack." She hesitated, then added "But I should warn you, I'm not strong. I can keep up with them, though."

Ashe could catch a flushed bird, but tackle a deer? Not so much. She didn't think she had it in her. Anxiety was waking up, buzzing in her limbs as the first dose of adrenaline was released. Were they really going to do this? Ashe would never have dreamed of trying for a deer, even with two of them. It was a coordinated effort where everyone had a job. She was a good courser, and she could run them down, but by the time the deer was spent, so was she. The way she saw it, it was their only option. If it was, it was going to be a long morning.

RE: Swift Paws and a Coward's Heart - Rook - December 03, 2018

Oh boy. The little one jittered and squeaked, and Rook tried not to sigh. Hey, we all started out like that, right?

Plopping down with an “oop”, she passed by Ashe to peer through an opening in the brush. The deer were tense, with dish-sized ears pricked for danger – seems like their whispering wasn’t so, uh, whispery after all – but still they stood and nervously plucked tall weeds from the soil.

“We’ll need to zero in on an old or infirm one. I count four, five, six of them; hmm, let me see …” She weaved left and right from one shrub to the next, back and forth, yet with the nimblest precision so as not to make any further noise than was already made.

“They all look pretty good … but one of them has ribs showing through. In a land as plentiful as this, must mean something’s wrong with her.” Finally, she turned to meet with Ashe, grin in place.

“Don’t worry about your abilities; the only way to learn is to act. You’ll chase the doe, get her separated from the others. Run her in a straight line. I’ll be right behind you.

“Let’s go.”

Without waiting for protest, Rook leapt onto the scene, and the deer began scattering. The skinny doe was the first to shoot through the woods, but wasn’t as fast as her compatriots and would no doubt be tailed by little Ashe with ease. I’ll be right behind you, Rook had said, but if Ashe were to ever look back she’d notice the older hunter was nowhere to be found.

She had ran, to the far left of the two, hidden by shadow, and if Ashe had taken the task to heart and kept the doe in a straight line, Rook would then leap out in front of their victim and snap through the doe’s front leg, tumbling over in a cloud of dust.

The doe kicked, squealed, and struggled to hobble back up onto her three legs and get away. Rook would pull her down each time.

Panting, she’d look at Ashe, and simply ask, “Wanna do the honors?”

RE: Swift Paws and a Coward's Heart - Ashe - March 11, 2019

"You’re wishin’ too much, baby. You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be."

- Eat, Pray, Love

Ashe awkwardly shifted as Rook came past her to look at the deer again. Ashe followed, looking over the red girl's shoulder at the grazing animals.

“We’ll need to zero in on an old or infirm one. I count four, five, six of them; hmm, let me see …”

She moved off, and Ashe tip-toed after her, slinking almost all the way on her belly to avoid notice. At least she was just as quiet as Rook was, and she slipped soundlessly in the other girl's shadow.

“They all look pretty good … but one of them has ribs showing through. In a land as plentiful as this, must mean something’s wrong with her.”

Rook rounded, and Ashe pulled up short to avoid overstepping into her shoulder.

“Don’t worry about your abilities; the only way to learn is to act. You’ll chase the doe, get her separated from the others. Run her in a straight line. I’ll be right behind you."

Ashe nodded, but didn't reply to avoid unnecessary noise.

"Let’s go.”

There was nothing to do but follow her comrade's instructions. Rook spooked the herd, and Ashe took off after her target. Despite her emaciated state, the doe was still swift. Unfortunately, Ashe was swifter. She kept pace with the animal, ducking from side to side to nip at one flank or the other. Every time the hind tried to turn, Ashe was there, driving her back with a skill that would make a shepherd proud. Her long ears were up, further emphasizing the resemblance between her and the deer she chased.

So intent on doing what she had been instructed, Ashe did not look back. Suddenly, the deer went down, and Ashe had to jump through the tangle of legs as it somersaulted right in front of her. Landing, she banked hard and skidded back to face the doe, who was up and limping. Rook was on her, hauling her back to the ground. Somehow, they'd brought her down...

"Wanna do the honors?”

"But-" Ashe protested, shocked at the offer. "You brought her down!"

In her old pack, the hunter who brought down the animal got to kill it. Ashe hadn't even touched her!

OOC: Sorry for the super long wait! I'm the worst

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