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Post by kangaroo on Feb 4, 2019 17:25:24 GMT
dawn that quietly stalks the night @ open
- caught in the thought of that time when everything was fine -
Gone were the bright yellow blooms and fluttering butterflies of the spring and summer months—just as the stream had begun to dry and shrink away and as their prey sources dwindled lower and lower. It was becoming quite the task to ensure that the clan remained fed and cared for, but it was a task that Dawn that Quietly Stalks the Night had become accustomed to over the long moons of her leadership... and through a pawful of lives lost to rather harsh learning experiences along the way.
This leaf-bare, the freckled-nosed vixen determined, would be not unlike the one before it. They’ll live, she thought with assuredness, tipped tail swaying almost lazily behind her as her paws took her deeper into the barren fields of the Golden Valley. We’ve gotten them through times like this before, the vixen perked her ears towards a rustling not far ahead of her positioning—eyes narrowing as her freckled nose twitched and flared, drawing in the scent of whatever unfortunate critter had drawn her attention.
Only... it wasn’t a mouse, it wasn’t a shrew—it was a fellow fox, one of her clanmates in Burrowclan. Releasing the breath that she had been holding in an open-mawed sigh, Dawn’s ears pinned back with disappointment. ”It’s starting to look like it might be another night of old roots to fill our bellies,” she called out to her clanmate, forcing her ears back to a more sociable position as she strode forward through the tall grasses—coarse but clinging to life through the cold nights—to join her newfound companion. ”Have you had much luck today?” she said, the cowl of fur around her neck ruffling against a chilly breeze that tried its best to nip through her coat.
Please say you’ve caught something... she thought, a distant sort of strain settling behind her eyes as she tipped her head to the side, regarding the fox before her.
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Post by Rosa on Feb 4, 2019 18:59:53 GMT
WC: 372
Sorry it took awhile! | It had not been the slow freeze creeping into old bones and joints that had driven Storm That Rolls Across Plains from his nest that morning, nor the pale beams of weak sunlight trying desperately to warm a frozen earth. No, what had pulled the old reynard from blissful slumber had been the deep gnawing of hunger at his belly, reminding him yet again that the warm breeze he thought felt tickling his ears was only the breath of his clanmates instead of the first signs of spring. The cold had forced them closer, shoved together to conserve both heat and life. He didn't mind, but it made him all the more reluctant to relinquish his space and step out. Just another day.
Even as he had left camp on a one-fox patrol, he hadn’t had much hope; the fresh-kill pile had been low for days now, through no fault of their own. Leafbare was simply too cruel a mistress, bound on reminding them of why they should be thankful for the more plentiful seasons by hiding all the prey under the earth.
Still, it was his responsibility to try, and so far he’d had some luck in that golden sea of grass. A winter-skinny rabbit, having decided to gamble with life and try for a more substantial meal farther from its burrow, had lost the bet to moons of experience and fallen to his paws. Not that it was really worth the chase. He thought with an internal sigh, nosing the bundle of fur and bones. About to hoist the still warm body in his jaws, a familiar voice caught his attention instead. Perhaps he wasn’t as alone as he had thought.
”Not enough, but it’s something,” Storm rumbled, dipping his head respectfully as Dawn drew near. ”I’m afraid we might have to be out here all day before there’s much to take back home.” Not a favorable prospect; the weather would only get worse as the wind picked up. Still, at least he had company. Maybe.
A warm gaze found the vixen again, trying to act as if he knew they wouldn’t go to bed hungry. ”How long have you been out?”
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Post by kangaroo on Feb 4, 2019 19:58:56 GMT
dawn that quietly stalks the night - caught in the thought of that time when everything was fine -
As she drew nearer, the source of her initial confusion was made clear— blissfully, Storm had managed to run down a hare at some point. A small sigh of relief left her, barely audible over a distant corvid’s cawing. The rabbit would have been a sore sight during the bountiful summer months; some might have even thought it sickly had a comparison to a healthier counterpart been available, but with the hunger pangs of winter ringing out so clearly among the dens...? It looked delightful. A visible tiredness crept into her motions as she dipped her head low to nudge the hare appraisingly with her nose as Storm had done moments before she’d joined him. To the Reynard’s credit—his leader appeared pleased with the catch, at least. ”Not enough, but it’s something,” Storm rumbled. Returning the dip of his head with one of her own, Dawn issued a hum of agreeance and approval. ”Rationed, this will feed at least two—perhaps three,” she said, head bobbing in a small series of nods as her mind filtered through all of the mouths to feed. With luck, if she found a collection of roots and chewy bark, she would at least be able to stifle the loudest of grumbling bellies in the clan. As she mulled over their current food issue, Dawn’s jaw shifted slowly back and forth. ”I’m afraid we might have to be out here all day before there’s much to take back home.” A huff of a laugh escaped the vixen at her companion’s words, an agreeable nod of her head and a wry smirk tugging at her maw as her eyes cut away from Storm. Leaf-Bare seemed to be marked by day-long hunts and still-empty bellies, it seemed, no matter how hard the foxes of Burrowclan tried to get ahead of their seasonal famine. ”We just might, now that you mention it...” she sighed, an almost apologetic look to her posturing as her tail flicked to the side, whiskered lips scrunching. If I can find enough roots, it’ll at least fill the void, she thought, eyes shifting almost imperceptibly from side to side as she puzzled through where to begin her search for alternative food sources. ”How long have you been out?” Pausing at the question, Dawn’s bright amber gaze averted itself from her companion. ”I’d thought that the twilight hours might lend some sort of gift from The Council,” she admitted somberly. It had been hours of fruitless searching—apart from what bits of root and bark she had buried here and there—despite her practiced skill as a hunter. ”I’m beginning to consider bargaining herbs for food,” she admitted, ears falling flat as she continued to avoid his gaze. ”What do you think?” she said.
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Post by Rosa on Feb 4, 2019 20:57:44 GMT
WC: 651
N/A | Another gust of wind had the tod tilting his nose into the air, vainly searching for a trace of birds, rabbits, anything while his meager catch was inspected. While it carried the sharp stab of freeze and the omen of further bad weather, no tantalizing scents that gave any hope of life in this barren land came to him. It seemed Dawn was not the only tired one as he allowed his head to drop to a less painful position, about to give voice to the resentment he felt before he saw the familiar exhaustion weighing down her frame. Complaining about the lack of food would do nothing to ease her worries; if anything, it would just make things worse.
Instead he just gave another nod of thanks for her approval, lowering himself to sit and perhaps shelter some from the wind that seemed to taunt them as it danced through dead stalks of grass. For a moment he could imagine greenleaf - The sun beaming down, warming their coats as young apprentices ran ahead through the dark-hearted flowers after prey that was slow and fat from a rich newleaf. There was the ghost of a laugh against the shell of his ear, making him flick it in irritation. He had plenty of time to reminisce like an elder about times gone by. At this precise moment, the dark gaze burned into his memory didn't matter all that much.
Trying to shake off the thoughts as he realized she'd spoken, Storm mused for a second before nodding his agreement. "Perhaps a smaller number of apprentices these past moons was the blessing." Though there weren't as many to hunt for those in their clan who could not, it meant that there were less growing (and hungry) mouths to feed and keep an eye on. While warriors could go out on their own such as he had, young apprentices could not. That price was especially heavy this time of year; for every piece of prey those learning caught, three more would get away. It was only the way things were, not a matter of bad training. Just a lack of experience. Still, grim as the thought had been, he could be thankful for that. They couldn't afford to lose even one piece.
The laugh, usually a welcome noise, only seemed to give life to the desperate state of their situation, making Storm tilt his head ever so slightly. He had to resist the urge now to give a friendly nudge with his nose; her very posture seemed to reflect every worry she had. Clanmates though they were, she was his leader. It would not do to make her believe he had any misgivings in her direction of them. "At least it's better than dipping our paws in freezing water trying to catch fish." Came the wry reply, a bit of humor lighting the old reynard's eyes. Cold as they may be, at least their fur wasn't freezing on their back. Small blessings indeed.
About to reply to the first, how maybe the Council was just testing them, her next words gave him pause. Ask for aid from the other clans? He wanted to say no. They were the eldest clan, with a lineage dating back countless moons before his birth. They were proud; they had made their living on the fields while others went for easier targets of lakes and Two-leg farms. They had survived leafbares just like this without help and yet...
Giving his frame a shake to help ruffle his fur for warmth, he said, "I think they would be grateful. We have herbs they don't." Sensing though that it wouldn't be enough, he added in a slightly gentler tone, "There have not been many leafbares this early or cold in recent memory. Perhaps bartering would do us all some good." There was no shame in offering help, even disguised as a plea for aid.
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Post by kangaroo on Feb 5, 2019 0:44:39 GMT
dawn that quietly stalks the night - caught in the thought of that time when everything was fine -
Perception Roll 7/10 As Storm lifted his gaze and nose to the skies, Dawn fought the urge to pin her ears back against her skull once more. Her tail remained mostly still behind her, one of the clearest markers of her pensive mood. ”I hope your nose is more skilled than mine,” she whispered as he sniffed and scented the air, perhaps trying to spot a stealthy bit of prey that she might have missed. Observing his expression rather hopefully, Dawn tried to prevent the disappointment she felt from seeping into her features as the tod lowered his gaze back towards her and their current conversation. ”Seems the Valley is maintaining her cruel reputation in Leaf-Bare,” Dawn murmured, drawing in a measured breath through her freckled nose as her cowl ruffled once more against the breeze. It wasn’t anyone’s fault—she knew that, and it was one of the first lessons that the leader before her had imparted upon her... it was just difficult to accept seeing the hardship first-paw. ”Perhaps a smaller number of apprentices these past moons was the blessing.” Storm said. Maybe... The red coated vixen did her best to push away the nagging what if’s and lingering why’s from yester-moon. ”I’m glad we haven’t had many fruitful Queens this Leaf-Bare,” Dawn admitted, one of her ears falling flat as her eyes fell to the base of dried grass stalks before her companion and herself. ”It’s best for their future youth and the clan as a whole if there aren’t any new cubs until New-Leaf, at least...” she added in a thoughtful murmur, jaw shifting and molars grinding quietly. In the end, her opinions on the timing of the litters seemed to batter very little. Though she encouraged sensible family planning as best as she could based on the season, their kill pile and herbal stocks, it was ultimately up to the couples and throuples to adhere to any sort of proposed scheduling. It was rare that this occurred. In the brief albeit heavy silence that followed her proposed question, Dawn found herself fighting the urge to cut her eyes towards her older and more experienced companion. The strain was somewhat evident in the way that she narrowed her eyes; brows furrowing almost imperceptibly as the vixen shifted herself to a seated position alongside Storm. There was nothing else here—both her nose and his had determined as much. ”I think they would be grateful. We have herbs they don't." His careful response to her inquiry left a small bloom of gratitude somewhere in the depths of her belly. That much was true—just as it was true that Lakeclan held a specific bounty that Burrowclan could never quite attain with their own resources. Still... it felt good to have some sort of ’pass’ from a respected clanmate. She was aware of his true intent, however. It brought a shifting to her paws. ”There have not been many leaf-bares this early or cold in recent memory. Perhaps bartering would do us all some good.” ”It will depend on what they might have to offer,” she said, ears slowly falling out towards the sides as bright eyes shifted to the far reaches of what she could see of the Golden Meadow. ”If it isn’t a satisfactory trade—” Dawn cut off with a decisive shake of her head. ”Thank you,” the vixen added, gaze shifting towards her companion as her shoulders slumped, ”for your thoughts—they're as helpful as prey in these desolate times.” she said, ears slowly folding back against her skull.
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Post by Rosa on Feb 5, 2019 3:22:36 GMT
WC: 619
N/A | Not for the first time in these long moons, Storm wondered how those who had been with him and already left for The Council would handle such a situation. Sometimes he knew his namesake came into play too often; he could easily share a melancholy mood if he wasn't careful. Experience brought wisdom and with it, the partner called weight. Invisible save for how it bent the body, silent except for the tired sighs it brought forth...He had yet to meet one who had passed 50 moons without their own fair share of it. It seemed to haunt their pawsteps from season to season, and he was not the exception.
Giving his head a tiny shake to try and rid it of the path it seemed determine to run down, he instead just huddled closer to the ground and piece of prey, concentrating hard for a few moments. In his mind the layout of their territory unfurled like the wings of a bird, spreading from their camp to their border to the Two-legs. Where they were... "That she is," He murmured, though raised his voice along with his gaze back to his companion for the next words. "Have you checked near the borders?" It was a trek somedays, and the sun would finish its track across the wide expanse soon enough. But out here there was little shelter from the wind, and it seemed as if prey might have had the same idea as he.
Her next words distracted him from thoughts of birds in the trees and rabbits huddled near the base, his own ears lowering slightly in response. To wish for fewer kits...Some might call it blasphemous. But to those who had seen the disaster that was too little food and too many mouths... "For the sake of the clan as a whole, it is. But we will find a way through if it happens anyway." The food would come from somewhere. The old reynard would have to remember that. For his own sanity as well as perhaps his leader's.
For it seemed as if his words had done what he feared they would. She looked as if the weight of all the clans lay on her shoulders, that the members of The Council themselves would fall back to the living world should she make one wrong move. Now look at what you've done. He thought in frustration, rising once more to his paws. It wouldn't do to make her carry more of a burden than she already had, much less one born of his too-suspicious mind. Own ears lowered again, he ignored his misgivings from before and gently nudged the vixen's shoulder, tail swaying slightly behind him for a moment. "You have always treated the other clans fairly and given them a good trade. They know this. They will not offer one in return that does not live up to your generosity." It was true; that set of morals they had been told time and time again in tales and fables as kits until it ran in their veins as much as blood was strong in her heart. She had kept to their code and expected other clans to do the same. Well, within their means. "If they are unable to the clan will search elsewhere. We will get through it. Leafbare will not last forever."
These last few words brought the warmth back to his gaze, momentarily chasing away the heavy worry that hung over his thoughts. "Of course. I'm happy to help if I can. With words or other matters." After all, there was still food to find.
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Post by kangaroo on Feb 5, 2019 15:35:11 GMT
dawn that quietly stalks the night - caught in the thought of that time when everything was fine -
Development Roll 9/10 At the mention of the borders, Dawn gave a dip of her head, tail remaining heavy and still behind her. ”It was much earlier—I was able to bury some roots and bark...” she said, the skin on top of her muzzle scrunching before she dipped her head down to itch the worry-wrinkle away. ”I think there’s a field mouse in one of them,” she added—almost as an afterthought. As her mind wandered back to the herbs she kept back at the burrows, a tiny spark began to glow somewhere behind her eyes. Cob nuts...! Dawn’s ears perked as she glanced back towards Burrowclan’s network of tunnels and dens. It just might work, she thought. I’ll have to call a meeting with the clan, Dawn determined. When she felt the tod’s muzzle bump up against her shoulder, Dawn’s gaze flickered back to her companion as her tail lifted behind her. It was a somewhat foreign feeling for the vixen—comforting nudges and bumps. ”I—thank you, Storm,” she said, struggling over the words for a moment as her eyes fell to his legs. He wasn’t wrong; she had worked diligently for long moons to build a reputation as a fair trader. It had taken time and several blunders in the beginning that weren’t entirely of her causing, but if the reassurances the older tod offered to her were anything to go by, she had been successful. ”—Leaf-Bare will not last forever,” he said. There was a warmth to his gaze that she could feel before she returned it, and it brought the barest hints of a smile to the corners of her maw. ”Praise be to The Council,” Dawn sighed in agreeance, dipping her head in a nod before she cast her gaze skyward—trying unsuccessfully to pick out the stars that had been overhead when she had first ventured out. ”Do you think you could help me gather what I buried earlier? I think I have a plan that might help with our food shortage,” she said, a glimmer of hope residing in her eyes. If that old trick really works... Dawn thought, tail swaying slowly behind her as the thought of her clan munching happily conjured itself in her mind. If all went well, the foxes of Burrowclan would go to sleep with the fullest bellies in all of the territories. ”We’re going to need a lot of nuts,” she said. Stooping down to nudge the hare Storm had caught closer to him, Dawn’s gaze shifted itself to the distant tree lines near the border. Whether or not it had been the tod’s intention—it appeared as though some part of their conversation had galvanized Dawn, shifting the tired slump in her shoulders to a working tension.
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Post by Rosa on Feb 5, 2019 19:32:27 GMT
WC: 405
This one was rough. My apologies! | Listening to the almost soft words, Storm found his gaze following the ghost of the path her's had run just moments before. Staring out over the expanse he could see, he gave a vague nod at the mention of caches. At least there would be some food even if it wasn't the most appetizing. Items suited more for herb usage in greenleaf, but life saving food in leafbare. Now he could only hope they could get it all back to the network of tunnels beneath the hill before too much wilting rendered them useless as anything but bedding.
Still, thoughts locked on the many tailengths between their current position and the stashes of food Dawn had pulled together, he found his attention straying back to her once more. Her mood shift hadn't missed his attention; no, instead he was curious as to what had happened in the few short breaths between despair and enlightenment. Had his words actually done something useful? "Perhaps we should fetch them and keep an eye out along the way for more." He said, though his own words were almost a question as he just watched curiously and retreated back to a more respectful distance, shifting his paws nonchalantly as he waited for an answer. "Of course, Dawn."
Though it seemed one might come, if not for the moment. He felt a smile of his own creep across a scarred muzzle, looking up once more to the sky which refused to yield any stars. It didn't bother him much; even if their ancestors were hidden, he knew they were still watching. Silent observers, blessing them every now and then with inspiration, if Dawn's sudden lift in attitude meant anything.
"I'd be happy to. But what exactly is this plan that requires nuts?" He asked, chuckling low under his breath before scooping up the prize he'd won earlier in a war against the wind and winding tunnels beneath their paws. Hopefully he wouldn't have to answer as much or, at the very least, that she could understand him through a mouthful of hare.
As it was, he just took a step back and waited patiently, not about to take the lead when he himself still wasn't sure what cogs were turning in Dawn's head. Sometimes, as now, it was best just to wait and see. The reynard had spoken of trusting her judgement earlier, after all.
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Post by kangaroo on Feb 6, 2019 15:45:14 GMT
dawn that quietly stalks the night - caught in the thought of that time when everything was fine -
”A bait and pounce,” Dawn said, tail beginning to wag and sway behind her at the thought. There had to be some measure of truth to those old elder tales from yestermoon—it was worth a shot, at least. ”Our prey is as hungry as we are,” she said, nodding towards the winter-skinny hare as Storm scooped it back up in his maw. Out of everything in the caches, his hare still remained the most appetizing option. I’ll have to see who’s been hungry the longest, she thought, one ear tilting in the direction of their camp’s burrows as if the winds might whisper the answer on the breeze. ”With enough of their food gathered together and offered, they won’t be able to resist. That’s when our hunters will strike,” Dawn mused as she nodded her head. She wouldn’t go to sleep listening to the hungry rumbles in the stomachs of her clanmates—not if there was even a chance that she could do something to prevent it. She wanted to hear smacking lips and contented sighs—little bones being crunched and munched on, cubs rushing by with blood and berry smears across their maws... Blinking back to the present, Dawn dipped her head once she saw her companion readied for travel. ”We’ll get at least two of the caches—I'll have the evening patrol stop off at the rest on their return route,” she said, flicking her tail as a signal to follow along behind her. Moving with purpose through the winter-dried grasses, Dawn’s shoulders squared with determination. She would feed the clan. They would not be hungry much longer. Fin.
275wc sorry for the lateness / how short it is! I'm working on a clan meeting post and a plot post to follow this up with o: I really enjoyed this thread and I'm eager to thread with you again!
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