Redtail Rise Þief

A flash of black fur swept in front of him and Redd, blocking their path towards the Elk. He stood tall and defiant, ears pricked forward. Looking into his eyes with a challenge in his own. Ultimately, he stayed rooted to the spot. If not for his mother and the other adults he so respected, then he would have done as he wished.

Instead, he pushed past Ashlar just enough so he could get a front row seat of the action. Intense eyes darting back and forth, clinging to every single move of each animal. Ears flicking at each sound, or at the snap of teeth. He studied the hunt in detail, ready to join the fray when he was summoned to do so.

Aventus was similarly blind to his son's disrespect; that realization would come later, along with the ice-water thought that he might be forced to part his child from the pack with his own teeth if Atreus would not come to heel soon.

Now he was focused on the hunt. His muscles burned with the thrill and exertion of running the cow up the hill. Her herd milled below, stamping and snorting, but not a one among them willing to risk their hides for her. The tendency to care for the old and infirm was, Aventus thought, a uniquely wolfish trait.

The large brute of a male lunged for the elk's nose. Aventus took the opportunity to peel to the side, away from potentially kicking hind legs, and dove for the flank with his own teeth snapping.

At first Redd's frustration was tangible.  She ached to help, and the tension in her was mirrored in her brother.  Masquerade was forgotten for the moment.

As they sprang and the scent of blood cut wet through the air, however, Redd was absorbed instead by the hunt unfolding before her.  She watched as Aventus, then Augur, then Prophet and Avicus... all planned and snatched what holds they could to bring the elk down.  It fought them.  They had said it would, but to see it was something different. 

She mirrored Ashlar, almost without thinking now.  She would lunge when he did.

Ashlar was relieved (and fortunate) when the pups all seemed to listen and watched the initial struggle. His attention was divided... he trusted them to bring it down, but his blood sang to help as well. Masquerade's presence took a part as well, and he stepped protectively so he could provide more of a shield.

She should learn at her own pace, but he did softly encourage it. It won't hurt you. You can watch your mama hunt. He didn't even think, using his own epitaph for his mother when referring to Avicus.

Ashlar would allow the others to go as soon as the elk was no longer standing, but he would not force Masquerade to join them. He didn't believe this fear was a sign of weakness. Knowing one's limitations was a blessing and signaled wisdom, a care for her safety (and the safety of others) whose lack worried him more in the other two.

so sorry for the wait!! feel free to bring the elk down here if you choose

Ashlar is keeping the children safe. Aventus at her side. the bulky forms of Prophet and Augur lying in wait.

the hunt has commenced without flaw.

they thunder up the slope, Avicus taking more and more risks to get the old elk there. she rakes flesh and sinew with her teeth, feeling sharp bursts of air nearby from the flailing hooves. an inch or so closer, and. . .

all at once, her jaws snap at a flank and one of those sharp, dished feet catches her ribs. a glancing blow, but a painful one, nonetheless.

she stumbles, wincing, and tries to pick up the pace, but finds her breath can only allow a fast trot.

keep goin'! she calls out to Aventus, half-wheezing. fire ripples through her left side, and she smells blood—her own. she's broken ribs before and doesn't think it's happened again, but she can't be sure.

a younger Avicus would have carried on, but instead she falls back, wanting to check on her pups. she trusts Ashlar, but the elk's hooves have brought danger into stark focus.

her indigo eyes burn upon the top of the slope, watching for the burly hunters to bring their game down.

fur and blood and the pounding hooves.

the beast came up to be seized and augur leapt.

his massive jaws closed around its face. he yanked downward with all his massive might, causing the animal to stumble and trip as his claws cut large furrows in the earth. the hunter was dragged.

the limbs flailed. he scythed his teeth with the others until their quarry was dead.

and then augur turned at once to red woman.

kicking! ancelin flinched to see the contact. he whined, pacing the sidelines, eyes riveted.
and then it was over! a flurry of red drops and snarling; his own hackles bristled and his stomach rumbled loudly.
his teeth ached, the spitfire spirit of a feral creature.

Ashlar tried to reassure her, yet his soft words fell on deaf ears. All she could hear was the thunder of her own heartbeat as her wide eyes watched the hunters and hunted come closer. She remained rooted to the spot, motionless save for the fact that she was trembling from head to toe.

When the elk kicked at her mother, it was as if someone had sucked all the oxygen out of the air. Masque’s shuddering abruptly stopped and she sat up out of her crouch, her heart now in her throat as her concern for her mother eclipsed all else. Avicus was still on the move, relief bleeding through the shaken pup.

The adults brought their quarry to the ground without further incident, Augur dealing the killing blow. Masquerade watched none of it, eyes glued instead to Avicus standing on the slope above the rest. Without thinking, she scrambled toward her mother, moving in a rapid crouch with her tail tucked between her legs.

Redd was transfixed as well.  She barely noticed when Avicus fell back from the hunt.  Her attention was on Augur as he leapt and dragged the elk with him.

As soon as Ashlar moved next to her, the spell was broken.  She sprinted, full speed, for the downed creature, arriving before it's final throes.  Redd buried her jaws into its side alongside the other blood-letters.  She growled as it kicked weakly, but refused to let go until it fell still.

Ashlar flinched despite himself when Avicus was kicked, but he stayed where he was, muscles tensed. If she hadn't gotten back up immediately he might have rushed forward without thinking, but instead he froze until the elk was brought down. When Augur dragged her low the spell was abruptly broken.

Ashlar trusted the rest of the pack to keep Redd and Relic safe as they took part in the finish of it. He followed Masquerade as she rushed towards her mother, golden gaze worried despite her movement. He'd at least be sure nothing was badly broken, or severely damaged beneath, before he joined the rest. Likely she'd at least need painkillers while the bruising healed. It had looked like a hefty kick.

Avicus fell back, but in the chaos, Aventus hardly noticed. Even the thudding sound of hoof meeting ribcage was whisked away by the wind and the panicked bleating of their quarry.

The grey boulder of a wolf brought the cow's head down and she twisted, legs writhing. Aventus threw his weight into her side with snapping teeth, sealing her fate when she toppled. The wolves fell upon her and ended her life without further incident.

Aventus padded to the side, panting and bloodsoaked, before turning his face to where his sons should be. He could see Ancelin there, but Atreus was nowhere to be found. His teeth met in a tight clench, equal parts worry and anger that his brat of a child had disobeyed him in such dangerous circumstances. He swept the sidelines for a glimpse of ruddy brown and found none.

she's happy for both her daughters in the moment. Redd surges forward with Relic, worrying at the soon-to-be carcass, but Masquerade remains behind, concerned with her mother's welfare. perhaps she'll take after Ashlar after all, despite lacking his blood.

Avicus presses her muzzle against Masque's cheek, sighing briefly. i'm fine, her body language reads, even as she staggers upright and moves, slightly halting, toward the kill. to Ashlar, she flashed a look not quite a smile, trying to reassure him with her eyes.

i'm hungry, she thinks. it has to be written across her face.

Avicus plunges into the cow, devouring flesh and viscera in desperate gulps. she is strong; she must remain strong. after a few breathless moments, she lifts her bloodied head and gestures toward the pack to join her, especially encouraging the remaining youngsters to come close.

Atreus is missing, but she won't notice until long after the fact.

last for me <3 Redd won't need another either to wrap this

Ashlar wondered for a moment if he should insist, but the thought died as soon as he thought it. Avicus was capable and knew he would not judge her. If she said that she was fine then she was.

He still worried, but he did it silently as he let her go past. He'd watch them all eat a moment, perhaps waiting for someone to finish to allow him space to join in. He wouldn't push or fight for a bite, especially when he knew there would be enough for him left.

He would respect Avicus' wishes when it came to her care now. But later that afternoon, as the light began to fade, he would bring her something for the pain. Perhaps mixed with something light to help her sleep - not poppy, never that, but chamomile? It was a hefty enough kick that she might have trouble sleeping. He'd try and, if she took it, he would continue until she no longer did or until he thought she moved easier.

The former would likely occur first, but this was something he was becoming accustomed to. He did not mind the compromise.

The Wealda quickly reassured her with a damp nose against her cheek. Masque’s tail wiggled in relief as she nuzzled Avicus’s chin, an expression of gladness and respect. When her dam moved, Masquerade easily folded in alongside her, her rump still hunched and tail flapping. Her muzzle bumped against some point of Avicus’s shoulder with every other step.

She hung back instinctively once they approached the kill. Masquerade immediately slung her belly to the ground and watched her mother feed. Her eyes trailed over the enormous carcass. Now that it was no longer animated, it did not frighten her but she marveled at the sheer amount of meat and her pack mates’ ability of bringing down such a creature.

When Avicus raised her head and gestured for the pups to join her at the supper table, Masque lifted off the ground and crept closer. She mouthed at the matriarch’s bloody chin before turning her own attention to the hot flesh, eyes going wide as saucers as she tucked in to the feast.

last for augur!

augur watched carefully until red woman rose and rejoined her young one.

only then did he toss out his ruff and fall upon the carcass.

his chest was a bib of blood before he was finished, and in happiness, augur crooned a series of low notes which bounced triumphantly across the rise.

and ancelin!

ancelin did not miss the look on his father's face. he knew it was for atreus, but it chilled him all the same.
still he was pleased to come forward, to brush among the milling wolves, to cut and cut until blood filled his mouth.
he felt fiercely part of them all, and in the days to come, he would wonder if his brother might somehow experience this feeling too.