Listen to the sound (Open!)

[Ashlen]

The forest was dark and moist, the expired twig and twine impaired under the heavy foot falls of the large wolf, treading cautiously in to the unfamiliar territory. Food had been scarce lately, the half blind creature too exhausted from travel to chase anything that made any effort to survive.
These lands were not his home, not a place he was comfortable in. He knew nothing of the landscape, the chase, and most importantly, the threats that lurked just beneath the brush.

His nose twitched with the abrupt scent of meat whisking gently through the trees. Even if the smell was of rabbit, a disgusting excuse for prey, Ashlen's mouth watered and he nervously lowered his nose to the ground. There was a burrow not far, probably a family of them. It was mating season for rabbit. He could probably catch a pregnant female, which would be quite a meal for the hungry lupo considering his last had been something smaller in comparison. A squirrel, perhaps. Some little pathetic thing he had dug out from beneath the roots of an old tree. He had been too wrapped up in swallowing the damn thing to pay attention to the smell. He knew it had not been rabbit though, and although he detested the taste, his muscles tensed and he prepared himself clumsily for a hunt.

He was tired, disorientated, and paranoid beyond belief. Stalking something as bantam and fickle as this would take up what little energy he had for the day, but he needed to eat.
He needed to keep moving more so, to find somewhere safe and enclosed where he could hide himself away for the oncoming nightfall. But he would just have to deal with that later.

The wolf was heavy and awkward in this state, his paws were certainly not cooperating and, reluctantly, he listened to the crunch of brush beneath them with each step he took. He was determined, however, set on the scent of those stupid little creatures hopping happily about just beyond the trees. If he didn't eat now.. well! He might just have to consider gnawing on his own four legs! An unhealthy alternative, but his mental stability was not functioning the way it should, and this was something he was seriously taking in to consideration. Especially when that one little branch, that stupid, unnecessary, cruel, loud, devilish little twig slipped underneath his heavy pads. He lifted his head, his body tensing, trembling softly as he strained to remain still. The animals had paused due to the noise, frozen mid hop, staring, staring.. and then they were gone before he could barely blink an eye. Ashlen could only look on in irritation before pathetically howling in self pity and remorse.

That was it for the Golden. He heaved one last sigh of frustration before allowing himself to collapse in to the dank bracken of the woods, letting his head fall gruffly to the ground. He would just wait. Wait for death, however it came, while he just listened to the noise circling naturally around him. Fuck.

[Akascha Ze'ev]

Akascha, a keen and well-respected hunter, glided through the forests, no sound at all. She also didn't have to put any effort in her silence; it came naturally to her and she did it unintentionally. Her body was think and burly and her eyes were sharp. She searched for food; something small because she hadn't eaten the day before, but didn't feel particularly hungry. Therefore, a rabbit, an injured one, perhaps, would be the most affective way to fill up her tummy for a while before she would hunt big elkryn animals. The Venatora slid to where she smelt a rabbits nest. But there was also a wolf; one she hadn't seen that stood out in the woods, perhaps because he was so clumsy.

Akascha trapped the rabbit as it ran from him and toward her. She knew the benefit of hunting in large numbers because there would also be another to catch what you had missed. Although this was the case, she hadn't intended to hunt with another, and she had to admit that the rabbit was looking a bit unappetizing. She gnashed her teeth on the rabbit's neck, killing it in a soft motion before it could squeal or anything. It was a male; a female had passed her earlier. This male was the largest one, and Akascha, wondering what the other wolf was doing in her pack's land, walked over with the rabbit in her mouth.

She dropped the mangled body in front of the starving male. He was odd; something was wrong with him. Eat up, before you die in my pack lands, she said, not coldly, but more indifferent. Akascha sat down in front of him, waiting for him to eat his meal before she questioned him farther.

[Ashlen]

Ashlen did not move as he picked out the Lupa. His auds swiveled softly at his crown, his nostrils twitching as he relayed her scent. It was familiar. He had picked up on it earlier, along with the smell of her Drappa and Dragga. He was in pack territory, he knew that, he just didn't expect to see anyone so close to the scent line.

Watching curiously as she caught and slew her pray, the lupo strained to push his shoulders back and lift his head as she approached. He certainly didn't want to seem submissive, but in his condition, this was all he could manage.

"You would give your kill to a stranger?" The act surprised him and he cautiously watched her reel back on to her haunches. Usually wolves were not tolerant to strangers wandering, let alone hunting, on their grounds. He blinked at her, waiting, but not too long, before he mustered up the strength to pull the rabbit closer and tear at it with his aching jaws. All manners forgotten, the gifted lepus did not last long in Ashlen's clutches.

When he was finished, leaving little behind, he politely turned his attention back to the Lupa in front of him, daintily licking the shed blood from his chops, "I apologize for coming on to your land, wolf, though I do not regret it. I would rather die where someone would find me, then where I would be forgotten." The brutal honesty was accompanied by a soft tilt of his head, his ears sliding back to fold themselves against his skull.

[Akascha Ze'ev]

[ooc; sorry the other post was so short/crappy. I was running out of time]

Akascha, who usually wasn't so empathetic, was surprised at her own actions. Why had she helped a loner, who had trespassed without permission on her pack's land, and who had hunted food that should have been hers, who was close to dying? Perhaps her efforts had come too late, though, because the lupo could barely reach the rabbit and crunch it down. Akascha had not thought it impolite of him to do so; she would actually rather have the extra few moments to think over what she had done. The change of power in the last week had not really affected her; she wasn't close to Azzuen, nor many of the pack. She hardly cared that someone else had taken over, as long as it meant a home and her position as Venatora. The new wolf seemed good enough; it wasn't like he was about to kick her out, and he wouldn't challenge her position either. He also hadn't bothered her about hunting. Therefore, Akascha also felt no real loyalty to Weylyn, so allowing this wolf into the lands was something she didn't mind doing.

She watched curiously as he ate, his teeth, which should have been proud and noble, seemed somehow insignificant and poor. He was close to starving, and perhaps insanity, which was what intrigued Akascha the most. This conversation may not be so uninteresting and boring and that made Akascha incredibly happy. Therefore, she waited until he was finished, and listened carefully to his words, and actually thought he was mad. Rather than not being forgotten, you want to be remembered. You would be forgotten had you died here, anyway, for no one really knows you. To be remembered, a wolf must keep you in their mind even after death. Do you think a wolf amongst us would remember you for long? the question was rhetorical, but she meant no malice by it. She was more thinking aloud than anything. Akascha grinned at him. Are you still hungry, stranger? Her gray mass of a body looked down upon him. Her words were almost an offer, but if he accepted, it was more of a chance of her to show off than anything.

Akascha's eyes glanced around her. She didn't want a pack member to stumble upon them, for it would look suspicious and the new leader may throw her out or destroy her position, or she would be killed along with the already-dying wolf. She hadn't minded death, but she'd rather not die for someone else. In fact, she'd rather die of natural causes later in life. No one could live forever, but she had prolonged the life of a stranger, who may have been meant to die. Akascha didn't believe in that kind of stuff, so she simply put the thought out of her mind and waited for the wolf to introduce himself to her, as well as answer her previous questions.

[Ashlen]

The Golden watched the Lupa carefully, studying the natural mannerisms of her body. He couldn't consider her a threat after she had offered him a meal he could not catch on his own. He at least owed her a little trust. "But I would not go unnoticed on these lands. You can deny it, but you and your pack would wonder who I was, and why I was deceased on your territory.."

Ashlen groaned and pressed his mighty paws in to the dirt, struggling to make his limbs function. He compromised, sitting awkwardly on the mossy ground. "That much acknowledgment would be enough for me." And it was true. No one around here, or anywhere for that matter, would be concerned about Ashlen or his whereabouts. If there was a chance his mother and siblings were still alive, they would have given up on wondering long ago, as had he. The past was in the past now, he couldn't be bothered with it.

"Hungry." He made it a statement, his own lips peeling back in to a quirky smile. His gums were nearly white with malnutrition, receding back along his once magnificent ivories. The soft groan from his stomach gave answer to her question, and with a soft chuckle, the lupo strained to lift himself on to all fours, flexing and grating his claws against the moist ground. "I will only eat if I manage to make this catch on my own. I am usually too prideful to accept from others."

He took a step towards her, swinging his large dome to the side as he casually padded passed, flicking his matted tail softly against her neck, "I am in debt to you, wolf. You can call me Ashlen."

[Akascha Ze'ev]

Akascha contemplated his words; for once, she was interested in what a wolf had to say. Usually, it was boring and inconsistent, the wolves trying to impress Akascha with their clever tales made up on the spot. She couldn't help but agree about the fact they would wonder who he was and why he was there, and for once, she didn't interrupt him. He didn't seem finished speaking, but he had trouble getting up. The thought crossed Akascha's mind to help him, but she decided against it. Despite accepting food from the she-wolf, Akascha doubted the male would willingly accept her help. She didn't want to offer it, either; the wolf had trespassed, and although Akascha didn't mind that part, she also knew nothing about him. Therefore, she waited for him to get comfortable and finish his sentence.

Akascha, seeing his gums, realized how hungry he was, and that she didn't have to ask. Such undernourishment was common for loners when they couldn't find their own food. Akascha was surprised he could even haul himself to his feet. She nodded at him. Ah, perhaps enough for you and I, but for many other wolves it would not be enough, Akascha didn't need to be remembered. She didn't care for it. Her family had been left in her past, as well as the corpse and the ghost of her brother. Despite that, she yearned for pack life, so she would have a place to sleep and hunt without having to move all the time. Wouldn't a group hunt be more logical and realistic for you? I don't know if you noticed, but you could barely heave yourself up. Akascha offered. She flinched at the tail swipe, having unexpected it.

In debt? I didn't give you food because I wanted you to owe me, Akascha paused, Ashlen Akascha turned and easily padded next to him. I'm Akascha. The wolf told him. And I can't just let you hunt in my territory without accompaniment. She waited to see how he would react; her offer was fair enough.

[Ashlen]

The large Lupo considered her words, keeping his opinions to himself for now. Many wolves would strive for more attention, more recognition than what he hoped for himself. Ashlen didn't mind, as long as someone knew he was there; whether he was breathing or not.

Finally he clicked his teeth together and turned to examine the fae beside him incredulously, arching an eyebrow. "Thank you, but I did noticed. I just thought," He paused, his steps heavy and controlled, breathing easily now that he had a little something in his system. The meal still felt warm in his gut, he grinned, "That a Lupa such as yourself would only hunt with her pack. After all, a group hunt is not something for a loner like myself."

His foot falls came to a stop slowly, the company at his side bringing a gentle wag to his tail. It had been ages since he had been close to another wolf. Usually he tried to avoid confrontation, or it was they who avoided him. However, the Golden was afraid that this would cause trouble for the Lupa, Akascha, as she had introduced herself. "Accompanying me, Allowing me to hunt on your lands. Won't you get in trouble for sharing your kill with a stranger?"

He shook himself out, wincing softly as his muscles screamed protest. He was trying very hard to ignore his body at the moment. It was being ignorant and intolerable, weak. Ashlen was not a very proud wolf, despite what he had said earlier. He was proud, of course, but he wouldn't let it get in the way of anything. He knew how to control it, but even so, showing weakness in front of another wolf, a Lupa, bothered him.

[Akascha Ze'ev]

In trouble? The recent power shift has left me bored and quite unattended. I'd rather hunt; with someone or by myself, than go and face the pack with such tension in the air. Akascha revealed to the newcomer. She padded along beside him, sniffing the air for any more tantalizing scents. The alpha will not find me or punish me. What have a I done wrong? I have helped a wolf in our pack lands, nothing more. Akascha grinned at him, happily looking for more prey.

Her body suddenly broke away from hers. She made a wide circle to the right, disappearing in the woods. There was no sound made by her paws and nothing to give her away. Suddenly, after a short growl, three bunnies hopped toward the wolf Akascha had left seconds earlier. They bound, unaware of the danger they were facing. The femme waited, wondering how great the wolf before her was. She chuckled at the rabbits; she could've caught all three by herself, no doubt, but she didn't need all the glory all of the time.

[Ashlen]

Ashlen listened to the dilemma she was facing with her group. A new Alpha, he had never dealt with a situation like that. He didn't even remember his own Drappa or Dragga. It had been far too long since he had been a member of a pack. "If you're sure." He mused softly, lifting his chin to smile at her. Despite his concern, he appreciated the company.

So when Akascha suddenly took off in to the canopy Ashlen's face dropped and he looked around confused. He picked up the scent of Lepus a few seconds later, and although the thought made him anxious, he was worried that his female companion wouldn't come back. Quietly he sat and waited patiently for her return. It didn't surprise him that she had brought the rabbits he had smelled earlier with her.

Ashlen stood and silently drifted in to the brush, waiting for the prey to come closer before he made a decision. He wasn't sure of what Akascha wanted him to do. No doubt, kill the damn things, but all three? It had definitely been too long since the wolf had been around another. He didn't even remember how a group hunt went about, or how much of the hunt he was supposed to share. None the less, he left it up to his instincts and as soon as the furry little critters came in to view he moved, ignoring the pain in his muscles.

The first rabbit was out of commission in seconds, caught beneath his front paws, pressed tightly to the forest floor. He sunk his teeth in to its neck until he tasted blood and no pulse, and then dove after the other two which had scurried off in to the bush. Of course, he was still clumsy and not at the top of his game. He anticipated the large Lupa to join him in catching what was left.

[Akascha Ze'ev]

Akascha was in her element. She, as a hunter, instinctively knew what to do; even if she didn't usually go on group hunts. It was trained into her body; the maneuvers, the planning, the whole setup and shebang. The rabbits obviously followed the course she planned and the wolf's long, trained legs followed them. They unexpectedly ran into the trap she had set with them, having calculated where the male would be and how the rabbits would get there. She was having fun just in chasing the damned creatures down. And she did so effortlessly, her feet barely touching the ground, and when they did, they skillfully stepped away from objects that made sounds. The bunnies would be on alert; they were close to death. Akascha made sure that Ashen had done his duty and earned his rabbit. Had it been her, Akascha was positive she could've taken two at the same time, but that was just her pride speaking.

Akascha's muscles burned as she ran faster through the bushes, contemplating where the bunnies would end up. The bushes concealed the rabbits somewhat well, but the wolf was obviously better than that. She was neither upwind nor downwind, so she could easily sidestep her way in a diagonal line toward the rabbits. Their hearts were pounding, pulsing blood through the small bodies. Akascha had it all planned already. She leaped through the air and landed silently, cracking one's neck. She let the other one escape intentionally before picking up the rabbit and walking it over to the lupo. Time to eat, Akascha said, with a perk of her brow. She ripped open the carcass and at the warm entails while they were still good and finished within a minute; she hadn't been all that hungry and left meat left. She looked toward Ashlen with a smile.

[Ashlen]

He watched, fascinated as the femme danced after the poor little lepus. She was certainly a lot more graceful than he had been, but in his defense, he was still a meter away from death. His body was weak and tired after that small pursuance. His own physical debility left him bored.

By the time Akascha returned, Ashlen had already played with his food and started to nibble on the cartilage around the rabbit's ears. Even as a loner he knew his manners, it was impolite to eat without waiting; or maybe that was just him. However, when she returned with only one he was a little surprised. The Lupa was skilled at hunting and prideful in it too. He could tell by the way she carried herself during the chase.

"Are you troubled about the new power in your pack?" He tediously questioned as he held his meal down and tore at the still warm flesh. The blood oozed in to the dirt like a minuscule river, he watched it before precariously pulling apart the creature. He wasn't trying to be nosy and he certainly wasn't desperate to find out more about this wolf. Eventually she would have to return to her home, with the rest of her pack. Somewhere he did not belong. Ashlen sighed quietly through his nose as he cleaned up the remains, waiting curiously for her response.

[Akascha Ze'ev]

The fact that Akascha had not yet finished her meal was sign she was full and she looked indicatively at the male. The rabbit was there if he was still hungry, which he probably should have been. Akascha noticed he had waited for her, although she wouldn't have minded if he hadn't. Hungry wolves were, after all, hungry. Waiting on an empty stomach was probably more killer than trying to hunt darting rabbits. And, because Akascha hadn't finished her meal, it also indicated she wasn't going to waste her energy for another poor rabbit. She had, in the moment of the hunt, forgot to consider her guest's hunger. With a sigh, Akascha waited for him to say something, perhaps something interesting.

What Ashlen asked was interesting indeed. Troubled? Akascha? By a power shift? She had seen too many packs, too many lands, to be bothered by such a thing. She could leave any time she wanted, if things got bad. More than troubled, I would say curious. I want to see exactly what this male wants to do with the pack, and how he'll take control of it. Akascha explained, her eyes looking upon the other wolf. Her rump hit the ground as she was too lazy to stand.