Rack

Rack had been eager to get away from the hustle and bustle of the mainlands and establish himself another herdland. The last one had not worked out well for a perfectly good reason. The reason being that a lone stag does not stand much of a fighting chance against a pack of wolves. There were other lands that were long since used that he stod a better chance at getting, like this one. The pine forests held a stale scent of wolf, but the scents were old and there didn't seem to be many of them.

Either way, Rack remained cautious as he let out a loud bugle into the land and pausing. If there was no answer, he would consider the land vacant and make it his own. He tilted his head lightly, ears perked as he listened intently.

Willow

Willow had followed Rack to Emarld Pines.He had not shown any sighs for her not to when she had so far.Her ears were pricked when she heard Rack's bugle.She watched silently to see if she saw any movements of life from somewhere.Seeing none she took a step forward and sniffed the air.She could smell stale wolf,but that was it really.A smile came across her face.Maybe Rack's herd could live here she thought.

Rack

It did not bother Rack that Willow had followed him and when he heard her approach from behind him, he slowly turned his head around to look at her, dark eyes glistening with pleasure. He was glad that she had joined him on her own free will, not only to start off his herd but also because he had been lonely for the past couple of months since he had come to Sparkling Creek Valley.

The stag let out a sigh of contentment; he had given these wolves a generous time to reply, just to be sure of their presence, and still they had not answered. The land would be his. He smiled wryly, flicking his tail as he stepped forward to lock his strong ten-point antlers in the low branches of a pine tree. Tossing and scything his head about, he tactfully rubbed some of his scent onto the tree. Temporarily satisfied, the red stag shook his antlers free and laughed, looking back at the doe.

"What do you think of it here, Willow?"

Willow

Willow watched silently as Rack turned and looked at her.She realized then that he was happy she had followed.A smile came upon her face as she padded closer to watch.She sniffed where he had put his scent with his antlers on the tree.It had over taken the scent of wolves,and now will be forever Rack's territary.She looked at him when he spoke to her."Its a great place to live,"she said her voice soft as always.She liked the place alright.

Rack

Rack was in a strangely happy mood compared to what he had been, but with things finally starting to turn for the good, Rack was cheerful. How long it would last was the question. He nodded lightly to Willow as she answered, seeming to hesitate slightly at the softness of her voice. He lifted his head, giving the tree one last good rub before taking a step forward and rolling his eyes up to look at his antlers.

"These old things ought to falling off soon, with winter the way it is."

He remarked with a wry twist of his muzzle. His antlers shed near the end of winter every year and started to grow back shortly after at the beginning of spring. Rack sighed; looking at the snow dusted ground and then up in the treetops above he scented deeply the frosty air.

"At least these pines ought to be good shelter. There are more storms coming."

Willow

Willow watched as Rack looked at his antlers. She nodded her head to what he said about them falling off. She copied him sniffing the air and a frosty bit of snow fell onto her nose. A smile on her face she shook it off. "Yes there should be plenty of them,"she said her voice again soft.

Rack

A small little grin grew on the stag's muzzle as he caught on to Willow mimicing his actions. She was an alert doe; watchful of all that went all around her. Rack liked that; she was different from most other hinds he knew that didn't care for anything around them and sat in their little circles ruminating. If they scented danger, they wouldn't do anything. He knew Willow wouldn't do that.

Rack's ears flicked as he came out of his thoughts, mindful to the hind's words and the light snow that was filtering through the thick pine treetops. He looked up at the snow and then back to Willow, wondering what else she was thinking. He sighed as the cold wind began to whisk through the trees around them, bringing more snow.

"We should find some shelter."

Willow

Willow watched as the snow began to swirl.It was a hint of a storm comming.It would be here soon.She wondered if they stay out in it.Turning her head to Rack when he began to speak.So they wouldn't stay out they try to go find shelter.She was dissapointed,but she didn't show it one bit.She thought it be magical if they got caugh out in the white blankets of torture.Would they survive or not?That would of been fun she thought."Okay,"she said to him.A sly smile came upon her face.Lowering her head into the little bit of snow on the ground she jerked her head up all of a sudden.The snow blew in the air from where she had jerked.She had been aiming it toward him.Silently she waited to see if the snow had swirled around him or not.It wasn't a ballof snow that had been thrown at him but a mist of snow.Like water vapor,but it was snow.She waited for his reaction.

Rack

Rack had expected nothing of the sort to come from Willow; before in Tall Grass Prairie she was skittish and fearful, but here, she was much different. Maybe he had underestimated her. He had just nodded to her 'okay' and had lifted a foreleg, ready to go in search through the unfamiliar territory for shelter... that was when the snow blew across his face. The complete and utter surprise was as clear as daylight on the stag's expression as he lept back, startled by the surprise attack.

He looked sharply to Willow, baffled and still stunned. But then realization hit him and he grinned widely. He laughed and playfully swung his antlers down at the snow, scooping some in her direction.

Willow

Seeing the way Rack shocked made Willow giggle.Then she hadn't expected the return attack and her face turned to shock.Smiling she threw another attack at him and then doged to the left.Her ear half way down and up in relaxed postition.She was happy and content now.

Rack

Rack's ears flicked forward to Willow's giggles and then he chuckled at her shock. To think that a battle-hardened stag like himself was goofing off in a winter storm with a hind. He shook his head lightly at the irony of the situation.

He made an attempt to duck at her second attack, but the powdery snow still splattered over his ruddy brown fur. Rack snorted, dipping his antlers down into the snow and swinging his head up again. She had dodged though and the snow just blew back down to the ground. More snow was falling through the small clearing in between the trees and the wind still stirred but Rack seemed to pay little attention. He ran forward gently buffeting Willow with the sides of his antlers(not the tines).

Willow

Willow giggled more when he buttered her.She almost fell on the ground,but managed to butt him back.Then springing forward she turned and threw snow at him with her nose.Still laughing she flicked her ears at him playfully mocking.

Rack

Mindless of the fierce winter wind continuing to blow his thick fur about in a thousand different directions and the swirling walls of snow that was being blown wildly about, Rack rose of up in a small rear onto his haunches with a grin. He pawed and boxed at the wind and shook his antlers mightily, before landing roughly back in the snow. He made a small lunge forward, trying again to playfully nudge Willow with his antlers. He lowered his head to rub the side of his left antler against her flank. A look a bewilderment flashed across the stag's face as his antler fell from his head and landed in the snowy ground with a thump. He raised his lopsided head, tilting his right antler(still intact on his head) quizzically to the side before he started laughing.

Willow

Willow was too ignoring the feirce wind as it blowed.She dodged to the side when Rack came for her.Turning around she saw his antler come off.She laughed when she saw his quizzical face.Smiling when he too laughed.Seeing her chance she ran in on the side the antler that had fallen off.She tried to butt his shoulder playfully.A smile on her face she jumped out of the way incase he tried to do a return attack.Suddenly a small bit of snow landed on the top of her head.With a small bit of laughter she shook it off her head and glanced at Rack.