Chapter Text
“Jinx, please think this through! Mylo wasn’t meaning anything, you know he just talks without thinking, just ignore him!”
“No way! I’m going to prove to everyone that I’m just as good a hunter as you are Vi! I’m not just some weak tag-a-log that needs to be protected!”
“Jinx!”
Despite her sister’s continued howls for her to give up Jinx paid no heed, speeding off into the forest at speeds she knew Vi couldn’t follow.
—-------------------------------
Jinx had been born much weaker than the other pups of their pack, some even thinking she wouldn’t make it through her first winter with the state she was in and not worth the effort. It had been Vi, her sister that had only just grown from being a pup herself, that had shouldered hunting for the both of them.
Her prowess while hunting was proven that winter, taken under the guiding wing of Vander to be taught as a powerful fighter, such a position meaning Vi was given more food as a reward. Food that would mainly go to Jinx, ensuring that even as she struggled to get her own paws underneath herself she would be well-fed.
While it had guaranteed Jinx’s safe passage from pup to adult it had forever labeled her as being [The Parasite] latched onto Vi that only dragged her down, despite the protests of her sister to the contrary. She had always told Jinx to ignore it, that Jinx could show her talents elsewhere even if neither knew where that could possibly be.
So she had ignored it, all the jeering from her peers and the mockery each failed hunt of hers brought out, until she couldn’t anymore. Mylo had always known how to really sink his teeth into her wounds, not letting go until he’d drawn blood with his words, only letting up at a threatening snarl from Vi.
Yet at that moment, watching another rabbit sprint away without so much as a claw mark, Jinx couldn’t take the goading anymore.
“Can’t even catch a rabbit, maybe you should try a squirrel! Oooor, is that too much?”
“Lay off Mylo!”
“Or what, you’re gonna fail to hit me? Just admit you can’t hunt and get it over with, everyone thinks it besides Vi.”
“I so to can hunt!”
Mylo didn’t even bother responding, his eye roll clear enough in his opinion on that thought, Claggor agreeing going off the light huff he released. Usually, Jinx would leave it at that, knowing nothing good would come from being egged on any further, yet for some reason that time she couldn’t help herself.
“L-Like a moose or something! All by myself!”
Her comment left the boys in such shock they didn’t seem to notice her nervous stutter, too caught up in what she had declared as her prey.
A moose.
Not even the skilled fighters of the pack would go after a moose, their brutality and oppressive size making it not worth it, especially since the likely outcome would be with one dead wolf. Or a dead pack if one met the unlucky fate of running into a moose while it was in rut.
“I-I can totally do it!”
“...... Yeah? ”
“Knock it off, she might actually try it! You really want Vi coming after you worse than normal?”
“.....Whatever, I know she won’t. Underneath all that fur is just a scaredy cat that can’t do anything without her sister’s help. Smell ya later Jinx.”
As if having grown bored with his torment, Mylo skulked away with Claggor followed close behind, leaving Jinx by herself to simmer in the freshly created silence.
“.......I can. ”
A strange determination to finally prove them all wrong had been kindled inside her, heating her with one single passion.
All she had to do was find a moose.
—-----------------------------
Present
“There’s gotta be a moose somewhere around here, Vander did say to steer clear of here after all…..”
She’d been wandering the depths of the forest for a while now, the rapidly increasing stillness of it all beginning to wig her out. Like she’d entered an area sucked free of life itself, leaving an oppressive feeling behind in its place.
“..... There it is.”
Hoof prints, far too massive to be a deer, which could only mean one thing.
“Found one.”
Not allowing her nerves to get the best of her she focused on tracking, picking up the scent not long after. From what she could tell it was just one, which evened the odds a little bit.
“.....Maybe…No! I got this! Don’t start second guessing this late into it, imagine if I go back with nothing!”
She’d never hear the end of it if she did that.
“Now I just gotta–”
The rustle of branches quieted her muttered words, hiding inside a nearby bush on instinct as the crunch of hooves grew louder until a truly massive frame pierced the small clearing in front. Despite the massive size that easily dwarfed her own, what really caught her attention was the pale white fur she’d never seen before, unable to think it was anything but beautiful as it glimmered in the sun.
It was only with a large deep huff from the beast that the spell was broken, making her recognize the towering moose in front of her, her awe now being replaced by nerves. They were even bigger than she’d thought, though maybe it was just this one in particular, something she’d have no way of telling.
Desperate to get her nerves under control she lowered herself to the ground, forcing herself to work out a battle plan that had even an ounce of success against the massive moose that idled without a care….as if waiting for something.
‘Maybe there’s another one coming or–’
“You going to attack or what?”
“.....!?”
She felt the air suck out of her as the giant head of the moose turned to stare at her hiding place, slowly pacing to stand in front of it.
“Come out or run off, make up your mind before I make it for you.”
Its booming voice made her pull back on instinct, mind raising with the thought of just running while she had a chance, yet her stubbornness decided to kick in at probably the worst time possible.
She would be no coward.
Slowly she drew from the bush, taking care to maintain space even if it was likely a trivial distance for the moose to cover with its long legs. It followed her every step, tilting its head to the side in thought.
“.... Tiny. You a fox or something?”
“A wolf !”
“..... Really? The wolves I’ve seen have all been….”
Struggling to come up with a real good ‘insult’ Jinx couldn’t help her flaring temper answering instead.
“ What? Have all been noble? Warriors? Not scrawny!?”
“No.”
Instead of actually elaborating on what it meant by “No” it leaned down, locking her with a surveying gaze that ended in a satisfied hum Jinx couldn’t understand.
“What do you want?”
“T-To hunt you! Once I take you down I’ll prove to all of them I’m not just some parasite that can’t do anything. I’ll be someone they won’t laugh at!”
“......”
“They’d have to respect someone that managed to take down such a massive moose, especially one with such an amazing pelt!”
“.... Really?”
“Yeah! It’s like the prettiest colour I’ve ever seen, especially how it shimmers in the light! And that’s not even getting into how big you are! Like you must be way bigger than the other moose right?”
“.....Yeah, that’s not….weird right? Most bulls get upset since I’m bigger than them as a cow.”
“Why is that weird!? My sis is like massive for a wolf and she only ever gets praise for it from everyone else! It means you’re big and strong, someone not to be messed with!”
“H-Hmmm….not even the fact I have horns?”
It was only then that Jinx really paid attention to what the moose was saying, having been distracted in her excited thoughts of returning with such a hunt, taking in the colossal set of antlers on top of its–or apparently– her head.
“Th-They look really sharp, like they’d be useful in fights…..bet you could really beat up anyone that tried messing with you over those huh?”
“Y-Yeah, I do….”
For some reason the moose’s ears had begun fluttering, accompanied by pawing that Jinx hoped didn’t mean she was about to skewer her with said intimidating antlers. Each stamp made the ground shudder just enough for her to once again realize the sheer size difference between the two of them.
“S-So….”
“Y-Yeah?”
Her gaze snapped up to the moose’s face, trying to ignore how much her neck had to strain to do so.
“Once you…hunt me, what are you going do with me?”
“Take you back as a trophy and show you off to everyone in my pack.”
“H-Hmmm, is that so?”
“Yeah….?”
A strange air had begun to develop, not helped by the rapidly increased fluttering of the moose’s ears, now accompanied by soft snorts.
Was she going to get skewered?
“You better get to it then….the hunting thing.”
“.....Huh?”
She hadn’t expected that as a response, left in a slight stupor before a soft nudge of the ground in front reminded her of the current situation.
“I’m going to hunt now….?”
“M-Mmmm….”
Rather than take any sort of defensive stance at her declaration the moose continued to watch her in waiting, growing more excited for some reason as she dropped low to the ground ready to pounce.
“G-Gonna go right for the throat, just like Vi always does.”
“Y-Yeah, do that.”
It felt incredibly bizarre for her prey to be encouraging her, but Jinx ignored that to focus on what she was doing, tensing as her eyes gauged where her target was. To reach where she wanted it would take quite a jump, but thankfully that was something Jinx knew she was able to do. While she wasn’t the strongest or most skilled hunter, her speed and nimbleness was nothing to sneeze at with her compact frame.
Jinx only hesitated for a moment before taking the leap, hitting her target and about to dig her jaws in when the entire world shifted as the moose fell to the ground, a dust cloud enveloping her vision.
“I-I’ve been hunted…oh no.”
“....?”
The completely monotone delivery from below brought her attention downwards, catching the moose’s gaze, that fluttering having never left her ears.
“You’re taking me back now right? I’ve been hunted and all.”
“B-But you aren’t de–”
“Do I have to be? Hunting doesn’t have to mean kill you know? You successfully hunted me, I just admitted it, so now you can take me back as a trophy right?”
“......”
“Then it’s settled, let’s get going. Ah, my name’s Lux.”
“J-Jinx.”
“Cute name.”
“Th-Thanks?”
Jumping off as Lux made signals she was getting up, Jinx was left to stand awkwardly beside her, not really understanding what had just happened. She’d hunted her right? Lux had admitted it, so was that enough? It was true she never said hunting meant she had to kill her to do it, plus….
‘My claws didn’t even leave a mark….’
There wasn’t a single imperfection on Lux’s fur, in fact, Jinx’s paws hurt slightly from the ‘fall’ onto the tightly packed muscles lying underneath that coat. She couldn’t even see her teeth making a dent even if she tried actually going in for the kill…..
‘So this is the second best result I guess?’
She wasn’t entirely sure of anything at that moment.
—------------------------
Their walk back started out an awkward one, Jinx not entirely sure of the whole thing while Lux kept her focus on matching her pace to the much smaller gant of her short wolf legs. It made her realize that she was always the one struggling to catch up when she was with the others in her pack, even Vi guilty of moving too fast until Jinx complained for her to slow down, always apologizing for not noticing.
Yet with Lux, she hadn’t even needed to ask…..
“....You’re pretty considerate for a moose.”
“....I just know what it’s like, others not being considerate.”
“....”
That was the end of their short conversation, Jinx left to think on it, only re-emerging from her thoughts at catching the familiar scent of home up ahead. She just knew Vi would be rushing in her direction the second she picked up Jinx’s scent. Then the rest of the pack would come over to see what the fuss was about and the headache that would likely cause.
“M-Maybe you should hide somewhere so that I can explain the situation or something.”
“Where exactly?”
“Ah….”
Lux’s massive frame easily cleared any of the numerous hiding spots Jinx would normally use and now that she was actually thinking about it, there really wasn’t much around tall enough besides trees that were too skinny to be of use.
“Well, maybe–”
“ Jinx! Jinx, is that you!? You made it back safely! I’m so glad you turned around before something happened to– huh? ”
Vi burst from the bushes before Jinx could get her thoughts in order, circling her several times in search of any injuries, so consumed in her excitement that it took far longer to notice Lux than her size dictated. Warily she placed herself between Lux and Jinx, which only seemed to irritate the former going off the low huff that escaped her. She could already see what her sister planned to do going off how her body tensed, knowing she needed to step in before Vi actually went through with it.
“V-Vi, it’s okay! I successfully hunted her so now I’m bringing her back as a trophy!”
“....... What? ”
“Y-Yeah, I wanted to prove I was just as good as everyone else, but I knew it had to be something massive if anyone was going to accept it. Then I found Lux and she’s like the biggest moose I’ve ever seen, plus look at that coat!”
“....”
Ignoring her sister’s confusion she paced over next to Lux, wanting to show off her proud hunt, once again noticing how the moose’s ears began fluttering at her words.
“Look, she’s even bigger than Vander and he’s huge by wolf standards! I doubt anyone would have the same luck as I did hunting her! You think they’ll stop picking on me Vi? I-If they see me bringing back Lux as a trophy?”
“Yes, I'm sure of it.”
Lux’s sudden cut in soothed Jinx’s growing nerves somewhat, turning to give her an appreciated tail wag.
“Thanks Lux!”
“Mmmm.”
“J-Jinx, can we…. talk, just…wind down that enthusiasm a bit okay?”
Vi’s gaze kept darting up towards Lux, the tension from before having not left her in the slightest, even if her tone wanted her to appear relaxed. It was clear she wanted some form of explanation, but Jinx wasn’t entirely sure if there was anything more she needed to say.
“There’s not really much to explain, I hunted Lux and now I’m taking her back as a trophy!”
“.... Jinx, hunting means to kill your prey….not bring it back with you alive.”
“N-No, Lux said it doesn’t have to! I hunted her fair and square, she even admitted I got her! Right Lux?”
“Right, Jinx hunted me down and now I’m coming back as a trophy. End of story.”
“......Th-That’s not–”
“Why are you being like this Vi!? I finally did something all on my own, proved that I was just as capable as the others, and yet why are you acting like this!?”
Her emotional cry immediately shook Vi from whatever she was about to say, quickly coming over to nuzzle close in an attempt to comfort.
“I-I didn’t mean to….I’m just struggling to make sense of things. You left so suddenly and I had no idea where you were, I couldn’t stop worrying about if something might happen when I’m not there to help….I’m sorry Jinx.”
“.....”
“You did a really good job on your first….hunt, taking down a moose and all, even Vander struggles with them.”
Immediately she perked up at Vi’s shift in tone, excitedly pulling back.
“Really? I did something even Vander struggles with!?”
“Y-Yeah.”
“Did you hear that Lux!?”
“Mmmm.”
Vi gaze shifted to one Jinx couldn’t really place, like she was still weirded out by the whole thing, but upon it falling back on her, it changed back into a comforting one.
“Ready to go back to show off your…. trophy , Jinx?”
“Yeah! Man, I can’t wait to rub it into Mylo’s dumb face! He’s always picking on me the most out of everyone, but I bet he’ll be real quiet once I show off Lux!”
“As he should.”
While Lux’s comment only made Jinx giggle, Vi visibly drooped, pulling close to grab her attention.
“I’ll make sure he doesn’t try starting anything….more for his sake if anything….”
“.....?”
Without elaborating, Vi nudged Jinx into the direction of the pack, keeping close-by as Lux took up the rear as if it was the most natural spot.
—---------------------------
There had been quite an uproar at Jinx’s arrival back with Lux in tow, but most of those were hushed after an unfortunate tree ended up on the receiving end of a nasty hoof kick. It had been Vander that had stepped in to diffuse the tense atmosphere, asking to talk with Lux in private about something, coming back from that with a look of bewilderment that only grew at spotting Jinx.
His towering figure easily eclipsed hers, yet just like always she never felt threatened by it, knowing he was doing his best to be surprisingly delicate around her. He knew how important she was to Vi and had tried his best to stay close with her as well to help dissuade some of the bully she received. None were brave enough to pick on her when Vander was near.
With a soft huff he sat beside her, his expression still one more close to confusion than understanding.
“Jinx….about this hunt of yours….”
“D-Did I mess it up?”
“No…..it’s just….”
Her drooped ears perked at his calming tone, knowing he wasn’t mad at what she’d done….at least not entirely.
“You could have been killed, kid, don’t do something like that again. We hunt as a pack, not solo. No matter what they might say about you, there’s a place for you in that pack, remember that. You might not be a front line powerhouse like Vi and I, but you’re a nimble one, don’t think I haven’t seen you running circles around the boys. Use that, hone it, and you’ll find your unique place in the pack.”
“R-Right….”
It was rare to hear Vander say so much, never being one for deep conversation, which made it clear to her that what he was saying was something she needed to take to heart.
“Now about that moose —”
“Lux?”
“....Yes, Lux. I think there’s something important you need to understand, something I can’t fault you for not knowing.”
“What’s that?”
Vander grew silent, releasing a soft sigh before beginning to speak again.
“.....You provided excellent moose courting.”
“...... Huh? ”
“Lux told me about what happened and it had a very….. different interpretation to the one you gave me. You wooed her with your talk of how big and strong she was, complimented her coat, and even praised her antlers that were a touchy subject. There couldn’t have been a better courtship attempt if one tried. ”
“.....”
“Her assumption surrounding your mention of hunting was that it was a courtship ritual unique to wolves. One where you hunt your prospective partner and if you best them, in that the other accepts they’ve been hunted, you take them back as a trophy.”
“ B-But I’m a wolf? She’s a moose? We’re both girls?”
“Mmmhmm. I don’t think that really matters to her in this case. She doesn’t seem to have much interest in bulls and due to how she is, most of her kind won’t interact with her in the first place.”
“......”
“The final decision is up to you, but I won’t say anything if you let her stay. Though if I’m being honest, I doubt any of us could remove her even if we wanted to, she’s bigger than any moose I’ve come across.”
With that he rose, leaving her to think it over by herself. Her gaze naturally landed on Lux, lounging in a patch of grass all by her lonesome as the rest of her pack was too scared to approach. It didn’t seem to bother her at all, but something about it still made Jinx jump up to race over to her side, getting her attention with a soft paw pat against her side.
“H-Hey.”
“Mmmm.”
She suddenly felt at a loss for words, her mind stuck on what Vander had just discussed with her, yet unable to really bring it up with Lux herself. It just felt like something that couldn’t really be discussed….or more like one she didn’t want to. Instead, there was another feeling taking hold, one that led her to circle quietly several times before curling up pressed into Lux’s side.
“....You’re super warm.”
“Thick coat.”
“Mmmm, I like it. Winters get really cold for me so I’ll look forward to curling up next to this when it hits.”
“.....I get an even thicker coat around that time, so cuddle as much as you need, I’m sure it’ll keep you warm.”
“Mmmm.”
That was the end to their conversation, a comforting lull as Lux brought her head down to rest beside Jinx’s own, fixing her with an incredibly sweet look.
“Thank you Jinx.”
“No problem partner.”