To Each Her Own (Es, OPEN)

[Malo]

Hidden in the grass, edging closer, was the determined figure of a brown she wolf. Her ears lay low, and her green eyes scanned the herd of elk intently. She knew that hunting a herd on her own was an almost impossible task, but that was not her purpose. The three year old had left her home territory to come to No Man's Land for a reason. She wanted to have a little fun, and with all the pups being born, leaving the safety of the border was her way to shirk some of her responsibilities. No one would miss her too much.

Fallon did hope her new den mate would though. Justyn was a constant thought in her mind now-a-days, always sitting in the corner while other things raced through her head. She hadn't seen him in awhile, but then again, he did have Beta duties. And it was spring...she was sure that Rose had had her pups by now, and surely Justyn would be accompanying her at some point. He was fond of the quiet female, and Fallon couldn't help a pang of jealousy at the attention Rose and her new litter were undoubtedly getting. Shaking her head, she turned her attention back to the unsuspecting herd of deer.

She was downwind of them, meaning that they had no idea she was there. A smirk crossed her face as she crept ever closer...closer...closer. She went for it. One of the elk finally turned its head in her direction, and gave a panicked yell. The chase was on. She wasn't hungry, but she enjoyed chasing the elk. The feeling of running, wind whipping in her face, her fur flying as she sped across the clearing, made her feel elated. She went so fast, it seemed as if her feet didn't touch the ground; was this what the birds felt when they flew? She had no idea, but she liked it.

She chased after the elk for about a half hour, nipping at the heels of those she got close to, herding them around the clearing. She came to a slow stop, panting. She wasn't tired, but she was hungry. She decided to hunt smaller prey, something she had a chance of catching. As she walked through the wet grass, her thoughts began to wander again, about her family, Justyn, the conversation she'd had with Duke. She'd made it, surprisingly, and she was doing pretty well. Still, there was surviving, and then there was living. As she thought about her life in recent months, she still wasn't sure which she had achieved yet.

[Paint]

OOC. I'm just going to assume Es and Bion have 'done the deed', for the sake of changing seasons soon.

BIC.

Es could not really help herself wandering into No Man's Land. Part of her felt most comfortable there, and it made her feel a little guilty and spoilt that she could now move between it and the Stars land. Still, she'd not really explored the Stars land yet. She didn't quite feel like it was hers yet. But perhaps her very subtley rounded belly would change that for her. Es did not know that she was pregnant, but she assumed that she would be soon. The thought made her happy, and proud.

The clearing was one of her favourite places to go. It was so open, and free, and often held the most entertainment. It seemed to draw wolves towards it, and when not them, prey. As she approached, though, she heard rather a commotion. Somebody was hunting.

She trotted quietly past the few remaining trees blocking her view, and curiously peeked her head over a bush. After her green eyes adjusted to the suddenly bright light, she watched a rather strong brown female chasing the herd- entirely alone! Strong or not, there was no way one wolf could bring down an elk by themselves, surely? But the air smelt of Moons wolf, so perhaps...

But no, it seemed that the other female was chasing the elk for fun. Es was uttely perplexed by this. She loved to run and she loved to hunt, but nearly always for purpose. She saw no aim in this sport. Frightening all of those poor elk and their new young, for absolutely no reason? The Moons were odd wolves, odd indeed.

It came to Es' attention that the wolf had now stopped, and was possibly heading towards her hiding spot. Not that she was much of a threat, fancying herself a little weaker than the other female. Perhaps Es was faster, but she was not a fighter anyway, and didn't intend to be. Without hesitation, she stepped out into the clearing as if she had simply wandered there without realising there was another wolf. She stopped again a few steps in, sizing the other female up, wandering what she would say or do.

[Malo]

Fallon looked up from her searching and perked her ears. The sound of footsteps nearby caught her attention, and she scanned the nearby forest suspiciously. Her ears lay flat and the fur on her neck bristled as an unfamiliar scent crossed her nose. Turning her head, she saw a brown female with a white muzzle emerge from the shadows of the trees. There was something oddly familiar about this unknown she-wolf, but Fallon couldn't place it right off the bat. She decided it was unimportant.

Raising an eyebrow, she examined the female and noticed that she seemed to be doing the same to her. Fallon recognized that if a fight broke out, she would no doubt have the advantage. She was larger and stronger, and probably more experienced. This observation made her relax slightly, and her aggresive position slowly disappeared. However it was clear there was still tension, because her tail had gone rigid, and she stood tall and erect.

She began to slowly make her way over to the unknown female. She didn't appreciate her presence, seeing as how the scent of two wolves would scare off any prey that had been in the area. Inhaling deeply, Fallon recognized that her intruder was a loner, but for how long she did not know. The smell of the Stars was there, but it was faint. She wasn't part of the pack, but she had been in or around their territory recently. Fallon wrinkled her nose in disgust. She didn't understand how anyone could be around those sappy weaklings all day and not get sick of it. That would raise other questiions, if she cared to ask them.

[Paint]

Es watched carefully as the other female noticed her, and then relaxed. She absolutely stank of Moons, but other than that she didn't seem too unpleasant right now. Es was lucky enough to rely on speed, and to be an optimist- she let herself relax, her muscles supple and yet ready at the slightest hint of danger to turn tail and escape.

For some reason, though, Es didn't feel as if this female was out looking for a fight. Part of Es believed that pack wolves only ventured into No Man's Land when they were bored, or seeking answers, or new faces. Of what she'd seen of the Moons in No Man's Land, her theory was so far true, especially as this female was aimlessly chasing prey about.

She did not dip her head, as she would have done to one of her pack, but she smiled very, very slightly. Almost as if she was vaguely amused.
"Hello," she greeted the other brown female, ears perked up. You could take the label, but not the attitude, out of loners. Especially friendly ones.