[1x1 With WalkingContradiction]

[IcedAntimony]

Hound dogs and wolves seem to have been mortal enemies from the start. What a suprise that two have managed to overcome this deadly conflict...

[IcedAntimony]

Bramble trotted through a golden meadow, taking in the serene sight and breaths of fresh, clean air. The tall, swaying grass seemed to be dancing in the light breeze that swept across and ruffled her fur. The meadow seemed perfect, as if nothing could disrupt it. Of course, that would soon change if Doe had her way. She had become obsessed with revenge ever since her mate had died. It didn't help one bit that her son, Thistle, seemed to be encouraging her. She had stationed Bramble at the edge of this meadow, in a sheltered spot upon a hill that overlooked a small farm. It was a typical farm, with acres of crops and various animals. The thing that made this one different, however, was the farm dog.

Doe thought the farm dog could have valuable information, though Bramble doubted it. She had only volunteered for the post because the farm dog was a hound. Though she hated the humans, especially the hunters, and their dogs, hound dogs interested her. Sure, they hunted wolves for their humans, but they had such a strong sense of loyalty. It intrigued her.

[WalkingContradiction]

Kite got up from her position on the quaint front porch and trotted off to explore the farm. It was a lovely day, the sun peeping out from behind the clouds warmed her but the steady breeze kept her from over heating. As she passed the sheep pen she laughed quietly to herself at their calm stupidity... the dog knew today one of the flock would become her masters dinner. Pausing for a moment the hound pondered at which one of the wooly animals was the unlucky one, then growing bored Kite moved on. In between the buildings the chickens walked around pecking here and there in search for food. With a joyous bound she lept amoungst them and watched them scatter. "Kite!" The farmer called stern but still amused by his dogs antics. She galloped up to him wearing a sheepish doggy grin. "Don't go tormenting my hens when you've got plenty else to do" he chuckled "here you silly hound" he tossed her a bone from the deer they'd cought last week. With the treasure clenched between her teeth the dog ran off to find a place to bury her treat.

[IcedAntimony]

Bramble had sprawled out under the tall grass, drowsily keeping an eye on the farm. The warm sun rays beat down on her back, only serving to bring her closer to slumber. Her jaws parted in a gaping yawn, and her head flopped down on the ground. The farm dog appeared as a speck in the distance, and Bramble leapt up, mentally going over the questions Doe wanted her to ask. She shook out her fur, fluffing it up and making her appear larger than she actually was. Intimidation was key in obtaining valuable information. The dog had a deer bone grasped in her jaws, and the very sight of it was enough to make Bramble start drooling.

She crouched down slightly, raising the hair on the back of her neck to form an odd sort of a spiky mane. Her pale eyes flashed and narrowed as her gaze remained on the bone. Her lips peeled back, showing her sharp teeth, and a growl rose in her throat. She wanted that bone. It was hard enough for a wolf to have a decent sized meal, and even harder if they weren't a high rank. She began walking towards the dog, silently weaving through the tall grass.

[WalkingContradiction]

The hound galloped across the farm and out into the meadow, she wanted to find the perfect place to bury her treasure. Nose held low to the ground she trotted back and forth. She stopped at a place were the dirt was just the right density and started digging. She loved to dig... she didn't know quite why she thought it was so important to hide her food but that didn't matter. What mattered was the task at hand.

Suddenly the breeze changed direction and Kite picked up on a smell. Hound dogs have been bred for centuries for their impressive abilities to detect odor. Now she stopped dead and tried to figure out what exactly it was that she was smelling. It was a canine... wild and definitely not a dog. Her mind raced, coyote maybe? She'd fought one of those off earlier this year when it tried to steal a lamb. But no... no this wasn't the same. Wolf? Yes it had to be... She stood rigid trying to remember all she could about wolves They live in packs, but I don't smell any other wolves... not close at least. What would a wolf be doing here?


She paused remembering that the farmers wife, Eleanor, was afraid of wolves. After the baby was born she made Kite sleep in the house because "I feel safer with a dog here to protect us" Kite thought this was quite ridiculous because the cow barn with all it's fluffy hay was much more comfortable than the hard wood floor and she couldn't think of what a wolf would want with a baby. But Eleanor was a town lady and town folk tend to have funny ideas about the wild. All this flashed through her mind in a manner of seconds. The question of what she should do remained. She could run, her legs were long and the farmer and his gun weren't far away. She could also call for him... she never howled in vain so she knew he would come.

Something stopped her from doing either. That something was curiosity. She was ever so curious... so she stood silent and still waiting... waiting. If the wolf seemed aggressive she could run... or if worst came to worst she could fight, she's always been a rather thin dog but she'd walked away victorious from several scuffles with much larger town dogs. And she'd killed that mangy coyote... then again it was already on it's death bed and desperate for food, otherwise it wouldn't have attacked that lamb. But I can't win a fight a wolf... I can probably out run it though and call for farmer he'd know what to do Having made up her mind she called out "Hey! You're on farm territory, everything here belongs to me and farmer. We protect the cows and the sheep you can't have them!" Kite decided it was best to be clear, she was curious about the wolf but she would not allow her farm to be ransacked for the sake of curiosity.

[IcedAntimony]

She had begun walking stiffly towards the dog, trying to appear as impressive and ferocious as she could, when the hound had spoken to her. She paused, one paw in the air, the sudden confrontation surprising her. Almost every other dog she threatened had backed down as soon as they smelled her, yet this hound didn't seem to be afraid of her. All thoughts of food vanished as she felt confusion about this strange dog. She sat back, her head cocked to one side, ears flopping over each other.

This dog seemed more coragous than others. In her experience, a couragous dog was either very intelligent or very foolish. If she was foolish, she could take her down. Intelligence, however, was on a whole other level. But an intelligent dog was more likely to pick up information. She pondered over her possible choices, in a dazed, trance-like state. Attack the dog or ask questions? Attack the dog or ask questions...The sudden reminder that Doe would be furious if she returned without information snapped her out of it.

She leapt up and strode up to the dog, finally showing herself, and attempted to look friendly. She pricked her ears up, curled her tail in a dog like manner, and smoothed out her fur.

[WalkingContradiction]

Kite stared at the wolf before her. She was a bit confused at her friendly posture, it didn't seem like they were here to steal at least. She kept her tail high, she did not want to appear submissive or afraid. The wolf was bigger than she imagined, and prettier. The hound titled her head ever so slightly to the side her nostrils flared as she tried to pick up whatever smell the wolf was emitting. There was certainly the distinct scent of other wolves on her pelt but she couldn't smell what the wolf was feeling. Kite could smell things like fear or anger. She couldn't detect either on the wolf... this disturbed her. But she was still curious and now that the wolf was sitting in front of her there was no reason not to talk.
"Hello..." the dog dipped her head respectfully "Why have you come to my farm?" she questioned her deep brown eyes staring into the intruders golden ones.

[IcedAntimony]

Bramble smiled and relaxed her pose the best she could. If she couldn't intimidate, her best bet would be to gain trust. No dog would immediately spill any information they had on their humans. They were just too loyal. Perhaps she could feign a friendship for a while. Her pack required every member to learn how to decieve others, which included knowing how to fake a friendship. She knew flattery was a crucial first step.

"Hello," she said with a facial expression and a tone that she hoped appeared non-threatening. "I couldn't help but notice that this farm's dog was very brave."

She didn't even have to lie that much this time. This dog really was brave. Admirably so.

[WalkingContradiction]

Kite stared at the wolf, why was she here? She doubted that they just wanted to have a friendly chat. "I'm brave when I have to be, and if there is a threat to my people I will do anything to stop it" The hound spoke matter-of-factly. The dog paced back and forth in front of the wolf trying to eye anything that would betray why they had come. The fact that wolf seemed relaxed and even friendly confused her. "You haven't answered my question" Kite said slowly "Why are you here? As far as I know wolves do not tend to chat with dogs for fun... where's the rest of your pack?" She was hesitant to accuse the wolf of anything, they had after all shown no sign of being a threat. Still it was her duty to protect her farm, and the sudden appearance of a wolf was certainly out of the ordinary.

[IcedAntimony]

"I'm just very curious about what it's like living with humans." Bramble said, only half faking her interest. The domesticated life had it's appeals, though she knew no human would want a wolf. She bowed her head slightly and blinked respectfully, trying to convey that she meant no harm. She stretched and walked around slightly, trying to get the blood to flow again. She had been waiting quite a bit for the hound, and her muscles had long since gone stiff. After the feeling in her limbs returned, she plopped down into the ground, stretching out and relishing the feeling of cool grass.

"Do you have to do everything the human says?" She lowered her head to her paws but peered up at the hound. She grinned in an attempt to relax her.