Bear with Me

Cassia pulled her cloak tighter around her, knowing her companion was likely doing the same. They both had an ample amount of fur, but the winter winds were unforgiving as they cut through the duveteux coats as easily as a blade through flesh. She looked back, her sky blue eyes meeting his silent amber orbs.

Warrick didn’t talk much, and the opal marked female preferred it that way. He urged her on with a glance alone, and the two needed little conversation to communicate. That was likely why they were paired so often together for tasks like this. The gruff male preferred not to speak, especially to those he viewed as beneath him, and the female was sometimes a bit mean, caring not for anyone’s feelings and preferring to crush anyone who opposed her. They made for an interesting team to say the least. 

She would never understand why anyone would volunteer to be a warrior if they couldn’t handle it. If no one worked well with her or glinted male, then they didn’t deserve to still be in training, or at least that’s what she thought of the matter. So it was only natural the two of them got sent out together, the pair no one else got along with.

She paused in her steps when she scented their quarry on the air. The winds often took away the smell, and easily covered tracks. Sometimes hunting was more of a guessing game this deep in Roenden. The stillness from behind told her that Warrick too caught the trail she did, and before she could look back, he walked forward to fall in line with her, blinking slow and deep to show he understood. Their paws turned to face the new direction the wind was carrying the scent from; musk and soft windblown fur - pure like the snow white coat it held. The gentle smell always surprised her, nothing like the savage creature they sought. When the snow melted, the stench from their paws became more apparent, exposing their scent glands. Finding the territory of the bear was much easier than tracking the bear itself in this weather.

***

This early on in their careers, neither of the reoseans out hunting held many scars, but the looks on their faces, the determination with which they fought and took down prey, it made many think they were far more skilled and older than what they were.

Warrick suspected Cassia had her own secrets, she did indeed seem older than she appeared, but he was not one to pry. For one, that meant talking. He also didn’t feel the need to butt into her personal business. The two of them got the job done, so it didn’t matter what went on in her head. The only good warrior was a competent one, and the two of them fit the bill nicely.

Once he was even with her, the two walked side by side until they found the polar bears territory. Once they found the tell tale scent markings on the sparse trees and rocks, they split apart, each making their own trail through the snow in a wide arc. They were smart enough not to split too far. The bear was a dangerous enemy, and neither could tackle it alone. They had to keep each other in sight, as the wind was not on their side; it often stole their voices and their scent, forcing them to trust only their eyes.

The trobiano's long tail dragged through the snow, and when he thought he saw their prey, he flicked it. The majority of the color blended in with the white stuff, especially with the bit of flurries he kicked up. Unless one was looking for it, the motion might be disguised by a strong gust of wind. He repeated the motion, and white paws gestured from across the way, indicating she had also seen. It was good they both had white markings to subtly communicate, making it harder for any prey to notice them. Their more natural colors blended well with what wasn’t white, and when they moved slow enough, coming from downwind, the male liked to imagine they got mistaken for trees and rocks in the landscape. Even Cassia’s sparkling markings didn’t stand out as much as they might elsewhere, as her pelt twinkled like the flakes of snow. It made their approach far more subtle than that of others, lending a lot to their success.

As their slow motions finally drew close, they closed in towards each other in a pincer type maneuver. They avoided getting upwind of the creature, who had yet to notice their approach and was digging around in the snow. Good. 

After a few failed attempts, both pullers knew they could push their way through the snow, but not at a fast enough pace to effectively close the distance without giving their prey a chance to react. They weren’t runners, and speed was not entirely on their side, so they bided their time. Ignoring the cold, Warrick discarded his cloak, noticing Cassia do the same. When they moved faster, it would flap and attract more attention, it could get caught with claws and teeth, the accessory becoming more of a hindrance.

When he thought the time was right, Warrick’s eyes searched for hers, and an understanding sparked between them. It was his signal to go, and the two ran with a silent snarl.

***

Cassia didn’t always defer to him, they traded off in an unspoken agreement. Whoever had the better judgment that day, whoever was closer. They both understood the other in their weird way, another reason why they didn’t get paired with anyone else for assignments. Their general had often found fault with the two, but couldn’t condemn the fact they succeeded just fine on their own.

With his signal, the female leapt forward, trudging her way through the snow as fast as she could. Now the bear noticed them, her dark sparkling pelt standing out more, causing the creature to bellow in her direction. She ducked under a massive paw, her teeth digging into the limb to pull it off course. She received a bite of her own which thankfully mostly just grabbed her mane and tangled in her fur. 

Her distraction was enough for Warrick to jump on it from behind, the pales of their fur nearly blending together as he dug into the flesh to gain purchase, his own teeth seeking the creature’s spine. His long dew-claws were beneficial as they tangled in fur and found flesh, giving him a better hold.

Oh how it roared in pain! The grip on her was loosened as it turned to try to attack the one behind her. Cassia wouldn’t let it, raking her own claws into the soft underbelly it started to expose. The whites of fur and snow no longer were that bright, now tainted red.

The pair weren’t the best suited for clean kills, the fight often a messy situation, especially against a predator. The pelts they skinned off the meat wasn’t always clean, often tore with holes and the scars of their battle. But it served a purpose, and the two got better with each kill they took down.

Warrick’s teeth finally reached bone, his jaws clamping tight. Cassia heard bone crack, and she assisted from below, her own jaws digging into fur to toss her head and help snap the bone the rest of the way. The creature finally lie still, the weight of it and the other puller falling onto her, the snow hindering her movements to get away. 

She heard a soft noise, perhaps a snort, from the other male, and she wondered if it was perhaps a hint of laughter.

***

Warrick let her be stuck for a few moments longer, amused at the situation she got herself in. He didn’t wait too long to get off, and with her attempts to stand and him pulling, they managed to move the bear aside for her to get out from under it, and stretch her legs. 

He let her figure out how they would take the bear back to camp, while he trekked back to grab their cloaks. He no longer felt cold, but he knew the adrenaline in his veins would wear down shortly, as soon as his heart slowed down. He returned to her tying front and back legs each together with bits of rope she still carried, and swept her cloak over her shoulders. She nodded in thanks, and gestured for him to bend down. He complied as she pulled part of the bear over his back. She reached under him to grab the ties around the front legs, pulling it across to tie to the back, creating a sort of belt, but it was far too loose for him to manage. 

He glared at her in confusion, until she wiggled her way in between him, the other side of the bear draped over her back. She rolled her eyes at his expression, and side stepped a bit, pulling the rope tight but still allowing them both movement. Ah. That made more sense.

“Next time, we bring a sled.”

Cassia only looked startled at his words for a moment before she nodded, cracking a soft smile. They hadn’t taken down prey this large alone before, so it was still a learning curve. Warrick just knew their general would be pleased, if not a smidge surprised at their takedown. Walking side by side again, the pair of vays slowly headed back to camp, their kill proudly draped on display for all to see.

-End-

ICQ Hunter for Cassia 11637 and Warrick 10084

♦ Hunter: Draw your Reosean either stalking prey, hunting or carrying a successful kill. This must be a prey from their continent.

Cassia 11637

WC 1605 +16

Corresponding Land +1

Other Reo Warrick 10084 +2

ICQ +2

Personal +3

Total = 24 CP

Warrick 10084

WC 1605 +16

Corresponding Land +1

Other Reo Cassia 11637 +2

ICQ +2

Total = 21 CP