[ P ] Bite the hand that feeds

Victorian paused to bask in a patch of shade that shielded him from the sun's rays. It was a habit now, firmly ingrained since the opressive summer had scorched his hide. Although this morning was cool and crisp, the sun shockingly subdued, he found himself lingering close to the treeline. His paws lingered in a patch of snow and he relished in the iciness as it pressed against his skin until it, too, felt red hot. Then he would move away, once more enjoying the sensation of cold as it ran through his limbs. Oh, how long had it been since he had felt cold?

Dark ears twitched and he glanced around, unsure if he'd find her today. Nonetheless, he searched for the telltale signs: small bones, broken sticks, small and haphazard footprints. Each was a characteristic calling card of the little beast that had made a bit of a residence here.

He didn't even know her name—she wouldn't tell him.

Until now, there had been brisk transactions, ones mostly fueled by a strange sense of humanitarian guilt. She was just a child lost in a small nation, alone in the world and defenseless. Or, at least, she looked that way to him. And so, no matter her rough-around-the-edges attitude, he had taken up the habit of visiting her with small treats and morsels. He wished that he could offer her more but the summer sun had stolen more than just Rionnach's comfort. Most of the prey had become stringy and small as a result.

Speaking of... He dropped the lanky fawn that he'd managed to hunt and kill. In an effort to not lose their herds entirely, the soldiers had not been permitted to hunt any young deer in Yorkshire that would go on to replace their parents. This one, however, had hurt its leg in such a way that she would not have survived.

Better that she feed a wolf rather than a bear or wildcat.

Victorian took the moment of peace to sit and see if the wild little wolf cub would appear.

@Ferox

The chill of winter was beginning to set in at last, offering a welcome break from the heat of the earlier seasons. For once, Ferox felt slightly more comfortable in this strange new place; the cold reminded her of home, and the longer nights meant that she would have more time to wander the places that would otherwise be bathed in sunlight. For now, however, she was keeping to the shadows, following a somewhat familiar scent she had noticed on the breeze.

She was beginning to get hungry again, and although she knew her hunting skills were improving little by little, scavenging had still been a much more reliable source of food. The only prey small enough for an inexperienced hunter to catch alone always seemed to be fast and agile, which shouldn't be a problem for her, yet their unpredictable movements always seemed to throw her off. Ferox paused, her paws tensing at the thought. She swore she would one day get better at it, and then they wouldn't stand a chance against her, but for the time being, it seemed easier to simply pretend she didn't need them than admit to herself that she was no good at hunting.

That's why, when she saw an opportunity, she had to take it. Her pawsteps were quiet and swift as she padded between the trees, but she wasn't trying to be particularly stealthy. If she was not mistaken, the scent she had noticed seemed to be that of a stranger she had met not too long ago, and he had shared food with her then, so she hoped that perhaps he would be willing to do the same today. She was sure she could detect the scent of prey, too, after all. Although she hated the very thought of relying on a stranger like that, she instead liked to think of it as some kind of trade; in exchange for food, she would refrain from stealing from him. The excuse was nothing more than a desperate attempt to spare her pride, but she had herself convinced, at least a little.

Once she was closer, Ferox carefully peered out from behind a tree, noticing a dark figure sitting some distance away. She wasn't sure whether or not he had shared his name last time she saw him, but if he had, she had clearly forgotten. Regardless, such things were trivial to her anyway. All that mattered was that he had food, and that there was a chance it could become her food. If not for that very fact, she wouldn't even think about approaching him in the first place, or so she told herself. She took a deep breath, preparing herself for the worst, fully aware that she might just have to... socialise. She dreaded the thought, but at least if she could get enough food to sustain herself for a few more days, it would all be worth it. After a few moments, she began to step forwards, slowly approaching whilst still ensuring she kept some distance between them until she could better assess the situation.


(@Victorian)

The soft, muted sound of footfalls caused an ebon' ear to twitch. However, he did not whip his head around and look. He'd tried that once when they had first met and it had spooked her. Like wildfire, her fur had bristled and the encounter had been difficult at best. This time, he continued to sit, gaze wandering in the opposite direction, his posture forcibly relaxed. Meanwhile, his breaths became deeper. That was how he had started ensuring that the little wild pup was the one that had arrived. His little Mogli. Granted, perhaps it was too early to call her his, but he felt a slight attachment.

The footsteps stopped. Then started again, drawing closer yet getting slower.

Slowly, he glanced at her. "Hunting has been hard," he commented. Mostly for her, although he doubted she'd respond. Still, he wanted to offer some sort of phrase. Something to explain why he had been gone a while. "The sun has killed a lot of what used to be here." Golden eyes searched her face briefly before dropping down to the dead fawn.

"Next year will be better." That one was for him, a small prayer disguised as a confident statement.

He really hoped it would be.

A pause, and then he risked asking her a question. "Do you have a den? Safe from snow and heat?"

@Ferox

Ferox stared at the wolf momentarily, trying to read his thoughts. She flicked an ear at his comment, silently agreeing, but wondering what the relevance was. Was he really so lonely that he had to talk to her, of all wolves? The ways of others confused her greatly, especially in this new land where the culture seemed vastly different to her own, even just from what little she had seen.

It was only a moment before the carcass of a deer fawn was dropped before her, seemingly in offering. She glanced down at it quickly, before shifting her gaze back to the wolf who had left it for her. It seemed her plan was working... yet, all she could feel was suspicion. Barely averting her gaze for a moment, she slowly inched closer before carefully taking the fawn between her teeth, dragging it away as she began to step back again. Only once she was satisfied with the distance she had created did Ferox reach down to sniff the carcass, inspecting it for any signs of poison. If hunting had been so difficult, then why would anyone give up their food so willingly without ulterior motives? It made no sense to her, though the carcass didn't seem to have been tampered with.

Before she began to eat, the wolf asked a question, causing her to hesitate. "Why do you care?" she asked, her words a combination of both suspicion and curiosity, but lacking her usual hostility. Although she was in no hurry to trust this wolf, deep down, part of her hoped things could continue this way. The meat of the fawn seemed fresh, quite the change from the usual scraps she would find, and as much as she hated to admit it, it was actually quite nice to know she wasn't completely on her own.


(@Victorian)

Victorian felt the familiar vice grip that accompanied tested patience. He did his best to not tense, although he could feel frustration welling in his belly. I have fed you how many times? Chirped his disgruntled, inner monologue. Yet still you inspect the food I give you as if it's poison. Why do I even bother coming? The words he would never speak allowed brewed up within his brain and he briefly closed his eyes so that they dared not to escape. He sucked in a slow, steadying breath before releasing it slowly. Florence would not be daunted by this task. She'd coo over the little pup and show up each day, fresh and eager to try and build a relationship with this feral child. While Victorian had not gotten those genes in the roulette of life, he was hell bent on trying to exercise them.

Logically, it was good that the girl regarded him with a hefty amount of caution. It meant she was giving an equally wide berth to others.

And even this frosty meeting was progress.
She was speaking.

"Do I need to have a good reason?" Victorian asked before shaking his head and laughing slightly. Glancing up at the sky, he tried to pcik out shapes in the clouds. It seemed to smooth things over when they weren't making eye contact, as if his gaze was a subliminal challenge all on its own.

"You remind me of someone, I guess," he said. She was young enough that the world was probably still black and white, so better to give her a concrete answer.

@Ferox

After taking a couple of bites from the carcass, Ferox paused to take another look, but this time, she was looking for something other than signs of poison. Although the fawn was small, she couldn't help but search for anything she could salvage for later, keeping the other wolf in her peripheral vision the whole time.

He answered her question with a question of his own, but the words only added to her suspicions. She was no stranger to the art of deception; oftentimes, such answers were a result of having something to hide whilst being unable to think of a decent excuse in time. She lifted her head, about to comment on how unconvincing it sounded, when suddenly, he seemed to change his answer. Apparently, she reminded him of someone.

"I... do?" Ferox shifted her gaze back to the fawn, pinning it down with her forepaws before attempting to sever a leg from the carcass. The concept of her being similar to anyone in this land was strange to her. It was clear one of them was mistaken; either her assumptions about the locals were far from accurate, or this guy didn't know her at all. Naturally, she assumed it was the latter, but his words intrigued her nonetheless. With a faint smile, she glanced up, licking the blood from her lips. She had never heard of anyone like herself outside of her homeland before.

After a few moments, she returned her attention to the carcass, offering just a few more words before she bit into it once more. "You don't know a thing about me." Perhaps it wasn't entirely true, as he was clearly beginning to get used to the way she acted, but her untrusting nature meant that there was still plenty she kept from him regardless. Yet, similarly, she hardly knew a thing about him, either. At first, she simply hadn't cared to take any notice, but now, that disinterest was slowly being replaced by newfound curiosity.

With a little bit of effort, she was able to tug one of the fawn's legs free from the carcass. Giving a gentle wag of her tail, she decided to lay down, carefully holding the leg between her forepaws as she began to clear away the meat, but she did not allow herself to relax completely. As curious as she was, this wolf was little more than a stranger to her, so she was in no hurry to let her guard down.


(@Victorian)

In truth, he had expected her to scoff at him or bristle. She'd vehemently snap at him or try to drag the fawn away by inches and centimeters at a time. Or she'd ignore him and continue whittling away.

At first, it seemed as though the latter would reign true. He heard the snap of joints and splintering of bones, the ravaging of flesh and sinew. But then, there was the flash of a smile—a bloody smile but an earnest one. It lit up her ebon' features, revealing the little girl beneath the feral exterior. "Yeah, you do, just a bit," Victorian confirmed with a small smile of his own.

Of course, she had to add a little barb at the end. "You don't know a thing about me." At this, Victorian resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, he settled down onto his haunches and canted his head to the side. "And whose fault is that?" He asked, although his voice was light and he offered a soft chuckle at the end. "You won't even tell me your name."

Not that he needed it, nor was he trying to rush her. Still, it seemed to be a bit silly of a secret to keep.

At her success with the fawn's leg, Victorian laughed softly, his smile slightly warmer.

@Ferox

Ferox hesitated for a moment. The guy was annoyingly persistent, yet he seemed to know how to push the limits without truly overstepping her boundaries. It was almost a little disappointing. She was much more adept at fighting than socialising, and it had been a long time since she last got to sink her teeth into anyone. Though, as much as she wanted to deny it, the fact he didn't provoke her quite so much was probably a good thing. He could be worse company, after all.

It sounded like he wanted to know her name, but she was unsure how to respond. Ferox glanced up, taking a moment to observe his appearance a little more closely. The last thing she wanted was for someone from her homeland to discover her whereabouts, as she would be seen as nothing more than a traitor by now. It was better if they thought she was already dead. Fortunately, she could tell from the small patches of white decorating the wolf's pelt that he wasn't one of them, and she just knew they would never send an outsider looking for her. At least, she didn't think they would. After a moment's pause, she decided, there probably wasn't any harm in telling him.

"It's Ferox," she answered at last, albeit quietly as she lowered her gaze back down to the fawn. The moment she said it, she began to wonder why she had. Although she was tired of hiding, she didn't want him to get the wrong idea; it wasn't like they were friends now or anything, just because they were beginning to get to know each other a little...yet here she was talking to him when she could just take the food and leave. She hoped he wouldn't think much of it, simply returning her attention to the carcass without another word.

Now that one of the legs had been separated from the rest of the carcass, she could begin freeing one of the bones for later. It didn't take her long to expose one end, though she quickly became distracted from the task, pausing to gnaw on it happily. Not only were they fun to play with, she liked to think they were good for sharpening teeth, too.


(@Victorian)