Pronghorn Hunters (Caidan and Impala)

Impala had long left the border with Chandor and crossed the mountain valley, heading toward Morrow. It had been a full day's journey to get to Morrow and she was quite tired at this point. But the thought of meeting with her sister again and starting their journey to find their cousin kept her small white paws moving.

She took a deep breath as she finally bounded down the last foothill and trotted over the border with Morrow. Her honey-amber eyes were glowing as they took in the vast meadows of western Morrow. They sure had a beautiful territory. She took a deep breath and continued on her journey, skirting the border as she glanced around. She had no luck for a while but continued her walk along the border.


Caidan loped at an easy pace along the edge of the meadowlands. He had only been with the Morrow back for a few short weeks, and felt the need to get away from the bustle of pack life. It wasn't that he disliked it, but having spent so long on his own, he wasn't used to the activity. He needed to get back to the wilderness. He needed to get back to himself.

Yawning, the young wolf sniffed half-heartedly for any sign of game. A harsh scent struck his nose amid the stale deer and mouse and hare. The smell of wolf. And not one from his new pack. He crouched instinctively, flattening himself into the dirt and searching for the intruder.


Impala perked at the scent of fresh Morrow that drifted into her nose. She glanced around, slowing to a stop. She hoped to run into a patrol so she did not surprise anyone in the heart of their territory. She saw no one. Taking another breath, she turned to follow the scent, hoping to run into whoever it was coming from. Hopefully a patrol, preferable with her sister in it. She kept her posture casual but also low and respectful. She was in another territory and she needed to make it clear she was no threat.

Caidan could hear her before he could see her. At least, he was pretty sure it was a her. All he had was smell in that regard. He crept into a more concealing patch of grass, coiled to bolt back to the den if the stranger found him. Outside wolves had no business in this territory, and he was certain the intruder was not someone he could hope to fight. But if he could get back and tell Howl without being seen, maybe he could still help to defend the clan.

A moment later she was in sight. Caidan's jaw clenched. She bore such a striking resemblance to Morrow's healer that for a moment he thought it was actually Gypsee. His tail flicked involuntarily, rustling the underbrush beneath him. Caidan pinned his ears back, hoping the intruder would mistake the sound for the wind. She didn't look imposing or threatening, but he wasn't going to take that chance.


Impala looked over sharply at the sound of rustling. The scent was quite strong now... she was sure someone was watching her. She looked around, then cleared her throat. In case there was someone around, she ought to state who she was so they would know not to be afraid. "My name is Impala, Gamma Emissary of the Kausen Pack. I come in peace. Is someone there?" Although she has a soft voice normally, when she used her title and whenever she was on her job, her voice brought a more calm confidence, as an Emissary voice should.

Emissary? Caidan hesitated. Perhaps he should go out and introduce himself, and escort her to camp. He was so new to pack life, he wasn't entirely sure what to do about visitors from other territories. It might be very rude not to escort emissaries. He didn't know. If it came down to it, Caidan supposed he could always run.

He started to step out, but at the last minute held himself back. Caidan decided to wait, and follow "Impala" for a while. If she kept acting friendly, he could show himself later, and no one would be the wiser. Yes. That's what he would do. Experience had taught him that being careful was better than being polite.


Impala waited for a while longer in the silence. Perhaps the scent was just blowing over from somewhere else. And perhaps the sound was just the wind. She shrugged and continued walking, deciding to keep circling around Morrow's border in hopes of finding a patrol who could lead her to Gypsee. She cast one last uncertain glance behind her. If there was someone there, he or she did not want to be found, and Impala respected that. This was not her territory. She was a mere guest.

Impala, she had called herself. He had heard the name before, but couldn't quite remember where. Caidan held his place long enough for the she-wolf to fall out of his immediate vicinity. He gave a half glance and a full sniff in the direction she came from, and, deciding that she was alone, began to creep after her.

As he walked, he studied her carefully. She was looking for something, yes, but not trying to hide. Caidan found it hard to believe she was an intruding scout - or if so, she wasn't a very good one. He decided to risk  talking. He knew the area and was confident he could escape if she turned out to be unfriendly. The young wolf slid into an easy lope and bounded onto a rock overlooking the border. "Excuse me, er, miss?"


Impala's ear swiveled backwards at his voice and she turned to look at the male. A young wolf appeared, one she did not recognize. However, she could smell Morrow scent on him. "Oh, greetings!" she said, and then she dipped her head lowly and respectfully to show that she was submissive to him in his territory. She lifted her head and introduced herself. "I am Impala, Gamma Emissary of Kausen. And who do I have the pleasure of addressing?" she asked, her voice formal and polite. When she used her title her voice was a lot more confident than her normal voice, which was quite calm and quiet.

Flicking his tail, Caidan considered her from his safe rock. A Gamma wolf. She would be strong then. He'd best tread lightly. "I'm Caidan, Omega of Morrow. What business do you have in our lands?" He tried to keep his voice level, but couldn't entirely hide his uncertainty. Would an Emissary be offended that an Omega presumed to ask her a question? They were in his own pack's territory. But he was new here, and many of the rules of pack life were unfamiliar to him.

"Hello, Caidan." she said, repeating his name so she would be sure to remember it. She was great at names and faces, though, so she knew she would. She did not hold him up any longer, telling him exactly why she was here so not to waste his time. "I am looking for your packmate and my sister, Gypsee. Would you happen to know where she is?" Impala asked the male. She could sense his uncertainty and weariness, but it did not bother her, it just reminded her that she was in another territory and she needed to be quite careful so not to offend another wolf in their own home. The job of the Emissary was to always be polite and civil. Sometimes they were the only communication between warring packs, so they had to be peaceful, polite and above all respectful.

"Gypsee?" The male flicked his ears forward. Suddenly the resemblance made perfect sense. "I didn't know she had a sister in Kausen." Caidan replied curiously, finding a path down the rock face to greet Impala more formally.

He gave his best welcoming grin, though it probably looked more like a rictus. "I didn't know she had a sister at all, actually. She's back at the den, last I saw." Was he supposed to take the Emissary to the camp? Or should he go tell Howl, and let the alpha send a patrol to deal with her at the border? Caidan hesitated, but decided being honest would be his best bet. He smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I'm afraid I've never met an Emissary before. I'm, er... not sure what to do next."


Impala wagged her tail slowly as Caidan came down to greet her more formally, happy that he knew her sister. "We only recently found out. We are going to find out cousin's pack to ask about what happened to our parents." Impala explained.

She smiled gently at the male as he said he was not quite sure what to do. "Well, since I am here as Gypsee's sister and not on a true Emissary mission, it is honestly up to you. For future reference, if an Emissary comes by carrying a message it is usually custom to bring them to your pack leader so they can deliver the message to him." she explained, "But in this situation it depends on what you are comfortable with. Morrow is a big territory, and I fear that it may difficult finding her. If it pleases you most, I can wait by this northern border and you can ask Gypsee to meet me here at sunrise tomorrow? I don't think we will embark on our journey tonight anyway. I must admit, I am exhausted after just the journey here!" she laughed softly. Finding a nice place to rest just outside of the norther Morrow border would probably be the best idea. That way she can be well rested for her sister without stepping on any Morrow toes.


Caidan tried to look excited, but the fact that Gypsee was leaving left him slightly crestfallen. She was one of the only friends he had, and who knew how long this journey would take her away from Morrow lands. "Thanks for explaining it to me." He replied gratefully. "Er... if you prefer resting here for the night, I know a few places you would be comfortable resting." It was the best he knew how to offer, and though Caidan didn't relish revealing one of his hideaways, he reminded himself that the needs of the pack were more important than his own. And they needed to be on good terms with the other pack emissaries.

He sidestepped, glancing toward the meadow. "If you're hungry, I could fetch you a hare, or a pheasant." The pack had no qualms about wolves hunting while on patrol. Sharing seemed harmless enough.


Impala smiled at him, wagging her tail and saying, "That would be very kind of you. Thank you, Caidan." she said, her amber eye glowing. She figured she'd sleep in some grass or under a bush, but the possibility of sleeping in a proper den or resting place thanks to this he-wolf was quite a pleasant surprise.

Impala was impressed by his hospitality. She was hungry even though she had eaten before she left; a long journey drains your energy quickly. But she couldn't possibly accept such a thing from him! "No I ate before I came. But I appreciate the offer. You are too kind, Caidan." she said, blinking warmly at the male.


The young male managed to lift his tail and wave it, though his ears curled back as if uncertain. He gave a quiet, "Heh," somewhat embarrassed by Impala's warm gratitude. Was his offer really that meaningful? He'd only done what seemed right, nothing particularly noteworthy or 'thanks'-earning. Surely any other decent wolf would have done the same. Perhaps it was part of an emissary's job to express every appreciation.  

After a time Caidan realized he had been standing wordlessly like a complete idiot for much longer than would be polite. He pivoted abruptly, and motioned toward something unseen. "It's not far, c'mon, I'll show you."


Impala watched him expectantly, tilting her head curiously and blinking twice as he stood wordlessly before her. Was it something she had said?

And then he swerved around and headed off, assuring her that it was not far. Impala was happy to hear that. Her tail wagging, she bounded to the male's side and fell into step with him, a nose behind so he could lead the way. "So what brought you to Morrow? If you don't mind my asking." The young she-wolf asked, just trying to start a conversation with the male. Most wolves of Morrow and Chandor had interesting stories, since the packs are new and all the wolves had to have come from somewhere. And Impala loved interesting stories.


"I got caught spying, actually." Caidan replied, feeling the words spill out of him with uncharacteristic ease. He let them flow, for once not questioning his words before barking them out. Maybe Gypsee's outgoing nature was rubbing off on him. "And... well, they invited me into their home like I was born in it. It made me curious, so I hung around. Now it's home. Before that I was a loner. Before that..." The words stopped and stuck in his throat, just like that. He didn't want to talk about his family, it reminded him too much of everything he was not. "Well. There wasn't much before that. I was always a loner, I guess you could say." He looked over his shoulder before Impala could comment, eager to change the subject. "And you? What's your story then?

Impala raised her eyebrows in shock as he said he was caught spying and invited warmly into their home. "Oh, I see." she said. An odd way to earn a place in a pack, but Morrow was a new pack and always seemed welcoming to others. "I am glad you've found a home here." she said. She got the sense that there may be more to his story before he became a loner, but she did not press him. A wolf's past was his own business, and if they did not wish to share it than Impala did not pry, however curious she may be. Why should he, anyway? They had only just met.

She shrugged, "Oh, I have a boring story actually," she said with a small laugh, "Raised in Kausen for as long as I can remember. I suppose as a very young puppy I was found by myself with my mother nowhere to be seen according to the denmother who raised me. I don't remember a thing about that, though. I am hoping to find out more, actually, on my journey with Gypsee." she said brightly.  


"You call that boring?", Caidan asked, looking at her with wide eyes. "What do you consider interesting, then?" He slowed his pace so that they could walk side-by-side, turning toward a rocky outcropping hidden within a shaded copse of aspen trees.

A cool evening breeze swept over the valley, ruffling his disheveled fur like meadow grass. The male closed his eyes and turned into the wind. A story-wind, his mother had once called it. According to her, the wind heard everything because it was everywhere; it knew all the histories and all the stories of wolf-kind. Caidan supposed that meant the wind was listening to them, too, and remembering their stories.


Impala laughed, "Well, I suppose you are right." she agreed, looking at him. "I will have to let you know what I learn when I return. Perhaps my story will be even more interesting then." she said playfully. She would not hold him to her words, but if she ran into him on the way out then she would probably stop to tell him.

Impala took a deep breath of the calming wind that billowed around them like a hug from nature. "What a nice breeze." she murmured. She looked toward the rocky outcropping behind the aspen trees. "Is that our destination?" she asked the male with a kind smile.


"I'd like that." Caidan replied honestly. "I've always had a weakness for a good tale." Besides which, he wouldn't mind meeting Impala again. She was pleasant company.

He broke into a faster lope. "Aye, it is! There's a little rooted hollow between the rocks. There's even a little spring, too." It was one of Caidan's favorite hideaways, safe from any unwanted eyes or unwelcome weather.


Impala smiled at him, and his interest in her story. "Hopefully it will turn out to be a good tale in the end." she said, but she was sure that it would be... the reasons much be complicated and interesting for a pair of wolves to give up two pups in two successive years!

Impala nodded, her tail wagging especially at the mention of a spring. She loved the fresh water they bore. "I can't wait to see it!" she said. She would surely spend the night somewhere luxurious by the sound of it!


"I expect it will." Caidan replied easily, coming to a stop at the base of the rocks. Soft aspen leaves covered the ground, soothing his paws. He could smell the fresh water and cool damp of the hideaway. "Here we go." Caidan motioned to the shadowy den, wide enough a pair of wolves to curl together, or one to stretch out with ample space.  

There was a bleating behind them, and the wolf turned to see a small gathering of pronghorn watching warily from the tall grass. He smiled, making note to tell Howl later, then looked back at Impala to see what she thought of his hidden grove.


Impala stopped at his side as they arrived at the place. Soft leaves cushioned the floor beneath their paws and the fresh scent of cold spring water filled her nose. She took a deep breath of the pleasant, calming scents. And then he motioned to the den and she peered inside. It looked cozy and warm, easily big enough for one wolf and maybe even two. Her deep amber eyes were glowing as she glanced back at Caidan. "It's perfect." she said, "Thank  you for bringing me here."

Her ears perked as she heard the pronghorns bleating. She was not a hunter, nor would she hunt in another pack's territory, so she felt no urge to go after them other than she was a bit hungry. She smiled at Caidan. "It is good to see that Morrow's land is so fruitful." she said with her tail wagging slowly.


Caidan wagged his tail without realizing he was doing so. "No problem." His voice came out uncharacteristically high-pitched. His stomach growled plaintively, and he threw another look at the antelope. If Impala had traveled all the way from Kausen, she had to be hungry whether she admitted it or not.

A thought struck him. "You know, I was planning to hunt a bit before I went back. Do you have any experience bringing down antelope?" It was simple work, really. And you only needed two players. One wolf hid in the grass, the other herded the prey towards them.  The wolf in hiding sprang from cover and caught the pronghorn by the throat. Done right it was short, quick, and clean. And pronghorn was one of the few prey small enough that Caidan could drag it home without help. "You'd be welcome to a share of it. I expect Gypsee would be rather put out if I left you here all night with nothing to eat." Besides which, it was only polite.


Impala looked flustered and embarassed as she said, "Oh no... I'm afraid I can't hunt much. Little rabbits and things I have had practice in, just so I can hunt on my travels. But something as big as an antelope... " she looked at Caidan and shrugged. "I suppose... if you tell me what I need to do, I can probably chase them rather well. Speed and endurance are my specialty." she said. They needed to be for her job.

"That's great. It's all you need to do, really." Caidan replied, tail wagging excitedly. "See that hillock there? If you take cover there and when you spring, the hoofers will come straight towards where I'll be hiding - in that patch of brambles." I'll take care of the rest. It was a clever trick, one of the few things he'd learned from his father that was worth using. He could only imagine the look on Charaka's face when he brought such a bounty back to the den.

Impala listened to him with her eyes bright and attentive, absorbing everything he said like a sponge. She nodded curtly as he finished his instruction. "I'll do my best." she vowed and without further ado she turned and prowled in a wide circle so the herd would not see her. She headed for the hillock and crouched once she arrived there, creeping forward until she had a view of the brambles. She would wait until Caidan was in position before making her move...

Caidan watched as Impala positioned herself. Perfect. Keeping an eye on the antelope, he crept into the grass, stepping lightly. The brambles were thicker than he'd expected, but he managed to navigate them with care. Char had taught him well. He was ready. The red wolf looked up the hill to where Impala hid, ready to spring the ambush. She would be watching. He had to catch one of the pronghorn. "Ready." He whispered to himself. All that was left to do was wait.

Impala watched as he slipped into the brambles. She waited a bit longer, just to make sure he would have himself situated and ready. She took a deep breath. All she had to do was leap out and heard them toward Caidan. She was not used to this kind of work, but it was a welcomed experience for her. The better she was at hunting, the more useful she would be to herself and others.

She let out the breath and closed her eyes a moment, letting herself switch into focus, and then opened her eyes and took off. She made no sound as she streaked through the grasses with her body low and her long legs propelling her forward in great bounds. The herd scattered in all different directions and Impala swerved to one side to direct a group off them right toward the brambles. Her amber eyes kept switching from the pronghorns to the brambles, making sure they were headed in the right direction...


Here they came. Impala sprang the ambush, running with a supple grace and herding like she'd been born to it. Caidan eyed each of his potential marks critically, searching for the one that would make for the cleanest kill. A juvenile, not quite old enough to be away from it's mother, caught his attention.

He tensed, waiting for them to get close enough, and then sprang his trap. The russet male pushed off from the ground with enough force to clear the bracken. The pronghorn screamed and kicked up their heels, twisting in unnatural positions to escape him. Caidan's forepaw caught the juvenile and sent it careening off balance as all his force caught it by the hind. Before the prey could regain it's momentum the wolf had it by the throat, his jaws an inescapable trap.

They had done it!


Impala let out a little howl of triumph. "Caidan you've done it!" she cried, her deep amber eyes shining. She slowed to a stop at his side, her tail wagging. "Oh, Caidan that was incredible!" she complimented his hunting. Pronghorns were fast, some of the hardest prey she thought, but he was a natural at catching them.  

A hot flush rose to Caidan's cheeks. He dropped the limp animal and licked his chops, heart racing from the thrill of the hunt. "Heh..." His tail wagged as he struggled to form coherent thought in the face of Impala's excitement.

"Nothing to et..." He shook himself quickly, circling around the antelope. "Here, help yourself to whatever bit you'd like." She could pull off a share and he would take the rest back to the den.


Impala looked at it uncertainly. She did not want to be greedy... she decided to take one of the smaller parts, a front leg. "here, I'll take that." she said, bounding around the kill until she stood before the front leg. She grabbed it by the base of the foreleg with her two paws against its chest and belly and then she pulled. She was not the strongest wolf in the world, but steadily she began to pull the foreleg from the socket, the blood and meat stretching as she tried to rip it off. She let out an airy growl from the effort.

Caidan watched the meat pull apart under the she-wolf's jaws, swallowing back a wave of drool. He moved around and took the back of the pronghorn in his jaws, helping Impala to pull her share away. It separated with a mouth-watering rip and Caidan dropped the antelope. He smiled. The young male couldn't wait to get back and show Gypsee, imagining her face when he told her who had helped him bring the prey down. "Thanks for your help. The pack will really enjoy this."

Impala wagged her tail. "Oh of course!" she cried, "Thank you for this share..." she signaled to the leg by her paws. She could hardly wait to chow down! She looked back up at Caidan. "And thank you so much for showing me that beautiful hideout... I will sleep very well, I am sure." she said with a grateful blink of her deep amber eyes, mirrors of her sister Gypsee's eyes.

"It's the least I could do." The wolf replied, one ear drooping meekly. He shook himself with an embarrassed laugh, coming over to the head of the pronghorn. The sun was starting to set, and he realized with a pang that he needed to go if he wanted to get home before nightfall.

"It was great to meet you, Impala." He began, smiling faintly. "I hope you and Gypsee find what you're looking for."


Impala blinked warmly, "It was great meeting you too, Caidan. Thank you, I am sure we will. Be safe getting home." Impala took the leg in her mouth and with one last wave of her tail bounded toward the hideout that Caidan had showed her. She slipped inside and settled down on the soft bedding to eat her meal after taking a drink from the spring... her thoughts wandered back to Caidan. Such a kinda young wolf... and tomorrow she would wake up bright and early to find her sister, and hopefully leave. Her eyes closed and she drifted into a deep, restful sleep.