Earth; the past, present and future

Malakite turned his gaze to the crested ibis and tilted his head to the side. He'd never seen one of those before. It was an interesting looking bird. He almost wanted to catalogue all of the creatures he'd come across. There were a variety and he'd like to know more about them but the notion that he should drop his guard to sketch an animal was observed. He was a Marble Soldier, not some tourist. The thought that he would want to do anything besides his job was unnerving. He shouldn't be having thoughts like this. His only objective was to get the Ezo wolf and Tev safely back home without disrupting the timeline too much. He needed to turn away from such fantasy. He'd have all the time in the world to figure out what he'd want to do once he was cleared and released from duty.

The ibis itself tilted its head to the side looking at the two strangers before it let out a call and took off into the air. Malakite watched it till it was out of sight. Then he heaved a sigh and turned his attention back to Tev. "I will calculate my voltage with the weight of the wolf to ensure I do not over shock the wolf. I will use my body and strength first to see if I can get the wolf immobilized enough before using the shock," he assured the man. "If I see anyone, I will let you know so that we may move with caution and avoid detection. "Lead the way and I shall follow."

When Tev began to lead the way, Malakite scanned the area looking for the wolf they were after. It was hours later before they found fresh footprints leading away from a half eaten carcass and towards a little spring. Malakite lowered into a crouch as he watched the wolf cautiously drink from the water, ears twitching in every direction as it listened for any danger comings its way. Malkite turned his gaze to Tev.

"The wolf is alone. How do you wish to proceed now?" he whispered. If they moved, the wolf may run away from them and he doubted that they were fast enough to catch up to it.

Tev nodded in approval to the soldier's words, confident that he would at least make an effort to physically restrain the creature first. Checking back on the horses, he wondered how they would fare while left alone. Perhaps one of the security would arrive to take them back; so far, the plan for them to be met by one hadn't panned out. He wasn't sure whether or not the lack of security to greet them was a good sign. As a failsafe, Tev snagged a small leaf bud from one of the groundcover plants. A common one, he knew, nothing that would cause disaster later on. Regardless, he was mindful of any disapproving looks from his guard while he stowed the bud away in the overcoat's inner pocket.

Adjusting his gloves for a more comfortable fit, he began along the better-kept of the to trails that forked from their stopping point. While it was largely flat with a handful of switchbacks, there were a couple of times Tev found himself tempted to adopt a walking stick from the many fallen limbs. Still, he knew that even taking a dead branch might impact the fertility of the soil decades later, and with reluctance he abandoned the notion.

Daylight finally rose, filling the mountain path with light enough to illuminate a scarcely-populated forest. Patches of snow became commonplace, more frequently as signs of emerging plant life dwindled. As they traveled, Tev began ignoring the sight of unusual animals about. Instead, he focused on the growing sense of weariness. Until the sight of a kill drew his attention. Alert, he recognized the increased risk of being near a kill. It was a bittersweet discovery, fortunately only seeming to hint at a lone wolf rather than a pack. With care, he listened to the birds. While the ones behind them sung, the ones ahead - and consequently in the direction a set of prints led - were silent. They were close. Quietly, Tev reached into his inner coat pocket to withdraw the sedative. An odd look was glanced at the thing when it was removed - the palm-sized container was mostly wood, with only the needle tip metal, and a primitive lever system for the back. There was no indication of how full the cartridge was. Holding it close, he mirrored the behavior of his escort as they followed the prints.

Not long after, the sound of water compensated the lack of birdsong. In the patchwork of shadow and sunlight, he spotted a grey shape. Freezing, Tev felt a mix of relief and primitive fear. When the soldier spoke, he flinched. Looking once and then around the area at the mention of the ferret-like wolf being alone, Tev considered the best way to proceed. Irritated at the lack of being equipped with a range sedative, he frowned. The creature was across the water, not too heavy an issue but definitely an inconvenience. Based on the kill's proximity and freshness, he guessed the wolf wasn't too hungry. That would leave it less than likely to confront the intruders. Or, possibly, it wasn't finished with the meal and they would fight to defend it. Knowing that the prey in the area was scarce, it would be worth the fight to the wolf. Either way, it was peculiar the animal hadn't already reacted to their proximity; with a potent sense of smell, it had to know they were there. Finally he had his decision. "We're between it and the kill. Draw attention; if it wants to defend the kill, go ahead and restrain it physically. If it runs, use electricity." He paused, the wolf's ears pricking. Its head rose, scanning their area for the source of the noise. Silent, Tev decided against reminding the soldier to not use high voltage. Even though the cloning process could be done with or without the wolf alive, it seemed a crime to kill off what was one of the last few of a species.

Malakite gave a nod to his partner and turned his attention back to the wolf lapping up the water. When it stood at attention, Malakite sucked in a breath and just stared at it. It was beautiful. What was it thinking? What was it sensing? He wished he could just talk to the wolf but he couldn't let those silly thoughts distract him now. He needed to get close to that wolf. Was it going to defend or run away? He didn't think it was going to fight for the meal. It was a lone wolf against two men. The wolf would be cautious. It wasn't worth the risk. A wolf could always come back later when it was ready or find other pray. There was no use for a meal if one was dead.

Malakite slowly moved forward trying to see it better and find a good way to distract the wolf and get it closer. He managed to inch closer and was about to move away from the cover when the wolf tensed up with a growl, but the wolf wasn't look at him. What was it looking at? Another threat? Was it something he had to be worried about? When he turned his gaze to follow the wolf, the wolf bolted in the opposite direction. Shit! He scrambled to his feet and lifted his arms to attack the wolf with the shock but it bounded through the trees too fast. He managed to get one shot out but it fizzled away, tagging a tree before it faded away. The wolf howled in the distance but it was gone from his sight.

"Damn it," he said under his breath. They had been so close. What had distracted the wolf and made it bolt? In the distance he heard other wolves howling that didn't sound like the wolf that had been in front of them. Was this a territory thing? How close were they? They didn't sound close. He heard a much closer roar then and froze. That didn't sound like a wolf. He pressed a finger to his lips to signal his partner to stay quiet as he snuck towards the sound. He peered through bushes and trees and spotted a very very large black bear munching away on the dead animal. It was not going to end well if they pissed off that creature. Wolves were hard to fight off. Their fur didn't make it easy for the electricity to take a hold and their bodies were huge. They could take quite the thrashing.

He slowly moved away trying to be as quiet as possible and not disturb the animal. The last thing they needed was for it to get territorial over its meal. He motioned for Tev to follow him away to safety. He knew he had failed to capture the wolf, but they still had time. They could track the footprints. They'd just have to try it again. He wondered what remarks Tev was going to have for him.

Tev observed his escort starting to head out, but then stopping. Cautiously, he watched the scene unfold. It took only moments; the wolf perked up, birds quieting, and then ran off. Tev began to rise out of reflex to pursue, before an odd variation of a very familiar sound stopped him. Whipping his attention around, he looked for the source of the noise. He knew bear, but... were there bears in Japan? Quickly he tried to recall the list he had been given on the flight over, detailing what he might encounter; plants and animals - both current and some extinct - villagers, the like. Pandas, maybe. Or were pandas Chinese?

Another confirmation sound distracted his thoughts. Tev hunched lower, hoping the scraggly twigs of the shrubs around them would be sufficient covering. He knew they wouldn't hide smell, and he also knew being within a mile of a bear's kill was a death wish. He was reminded that he was absolutely unarmed, the horses much too far away to be of use now - if alive at all - and without a tincture to go back. They were stuck.

With a silent protest, Tev watched the soldier begin first towards the source, then back again and motioned to follow. Reluctant to risk making sounds, he hesitated before slowly standing and beginning away from the bear. He kept a watchful eye on the general direction, mind playing tricks as it tried to identify shadows as black fur.

Malakite lead them father away from the kill area constantly watchful to see if the animal had followed them. He didn't think it would since it wanted to eat. Charge them maybe to get them away from the kill, but this far away, they should be fine now. He sighed softly when he felt that they were safe from any immediately danger from the bear. He really didn't want to have to fight with it. If he did manage to kill the bear it could have serious repercussions in the future. The couldn't do anything that could disrupt the timeline. Just being here and going after the wolf was risky business. He knew this was to save the future but what if it turned out wrong? He shook his head. Orders were orders and his superiors would know more about this than him. It wasn't right for him to question them. He was just a soldier.

Malakite turned to Tev then and looked him over to ensure he wasn't injured then. "Are you all right?" he asked, in case there was something he couldn't see. "I am sorry I failed to bring in the wolf. I should have moved quicker when I saw it prepare to flee. We can continue to follow its tracks and I'll make sure to bring it down next time. I know failure cannot be an options." He knew the human was never going to let him forget his failure. Would he include it in the report? He didn't want to be called a failure and than 'erased' from the unit. This was his only purpose. "Are you ready to continue tracking the wolf?"