the wind's a cheating wife

@Grim

Their previous pack hunts had gone over well, but not without some difficulty. They'd felled a moose. It was a grand victory. They'd fed well, but that time was short lived. No sooner had they dined than a grand bear pursued the remnants of their kill. It had attempted to scavenge, but the threat of their teeth and the quick removal of the corpse to fill their inner caches had ended in another success for them. They'd been lucky. Or perhaps, they'd simply been that great a force.

Ever diligent in his patrols, Iqniq was keen not to let such a creature sneak up on them again. He knew they shared their lands with a good many creatures. The herds were welcome. Competing predators were not. It was this particular type he scouted for now. Better to find them before they found their next kill. He was not keen on sharing their resources. There were plenty more lands in these wilds they could roam. The Spire was not meant for them.

Ears lifted, he listened as he scented the air. Something was off. Something... foul. His nose wrinkled. His hackles lifted as scent of wild pig flooded his senses. His senses honed. He'd not be taken by surprise by this beast, but chances were he'd found it before it had found him. Still... Iqniq withdrew, falling away from the trail of scat so he might appear more inconspicuous to the beast.

Iqniq howled. A summons. A quest. Their newest member seemed eager. Perhaps their spider would show interest in weaving a web to trap this beast.

The spider had placed but one lick across a foreleg when the howl cut sharply across the thin air. The warmth of the hot springs fell away and sharply cut skull lifted immediately in recognition. It was not just any beckon but a very specific summons. Lanky appendages pushed into the ground, righting the wolf promptly in a manner that spoke of rarely displayed grace. While the call was not an emergency it was urgent and thin muzzle lifted in kind. A sharp call rang out, I'm coming, spoken into a deafening silence before wide paws took a ground-eating pace.

The advances did not tarry or slow at the sight of fire-tinted alpha, and gleaming gaze snaked into the shadows for some semblance of unspoken explanation. Spotting nothing instantly amiss, nostrils inhaled, sharp shoulder brushing the alpha's flank in a quiet explanation of presence. The scent of pig was thinner this far back from the game trail yet ears thrust forth to capture any sounds that would belie the empty jut of rock and stone. An ear twitched sideways, acknowledgement, and paws hesitantly crept closer, inching along the leader's side as though the thought to stay stagnant was excruciating.

This would be a worthy test of camaraderie. The spider would not start without instructions and should they be delivered the wolf would tend to them in full. All that was needed was the assurance to go.

Head lowered. Ears lifted. His voice faded on the wind only to catch sound of another as it replied. Good. Aasivak was on his way. Iqniq turned his attention back to the trail. He did not want to lose track of this animal. Boars were a troubling thing. A good meal, if a wolf could manage it, but a force unto themselves. Those tusked coupled with their natural tendency towards aggression made hunting them difficult. It also made them a threat to any wolf on their lands. He did not want to chance that animal alone. Help was much needed and much appreciated.

Nose to the ground, he followed the fading hoof prints. With each step they grew clearer. The scents freshened. He eventually found himself in the middle of a covey where the swine must have dwelled. Its aroma was everywhere. The ground. The trees. It had made this portion of the Spire its home and did not appear so intent on moving out. His face hardened. They'd have to give it a reason to leave for good. Death seemed like the best option. It'd been a while since he'd dined on boar.

Food was prominent on his brain when the wolf caught up with him. Iqniq lifted his nose from the scent and chuffed a quick greeting. He hoped Aasivak was ready to go. Iqniq had idled here long enough. Too much longer and he was afraid the wild pig would get away. Now that the wolf was here, he wasted no time in pursuing the trail. With the leggy shadow at his side they could lay eyes on the boar before it noticed them. With a quick tip of his head and swish of his tail they were off. They needed no words to communicate the reason for this excursion. They were wolf. The intent was clear.

One could hear them before ever seeing the quick flash of quills along their spines through the overgrowth. That smack of jowls as they gave grunted warnings and gnashed tusks into the air. Inky ears preened forth, dispersing directly from the alpha's side in an attempt to flank the grouping and prevent any stragglers from breaking free from the ambush. It was a daunting task and much a dance of prowess and agility. One wrong move and a tusk could flay flesh from bone, rendering a wolf useless and dead.

One alarmed a squeal. Action was granted with the eruption of a small hog from the overgrowth. It was too late to corral it back into place and attention darted to another small sow, its scream splicing the clearing like a lightning clap against the clouds. Fangs snapped in a clack and paws thrust into the ground for leverage, throwing inky body against the darting animal in just enough time to bounce it back towards the rocks.

A larger pig darted past but the spider trained fiery stare on just one animal, gnashing and snapping the air to drive it towards the red-tinted leader.

What he had thought was one pig ended up being a family of them. A boar. His sow. Their adolescent piglet. Damn. He'd known that this would not be such an easy fight, but he was thankful now more than ever that there were two of them. The adolescent wouldn't be an issue. It's tusks hadn't grown in yet. The sow had little nubs of ivory, which would be a pain, but was manageable. It was the boar he was concerned about. It had quite a set of tusks that could do a considerable amount of damage. They'd have to take it out quickly and then see to the others. He wanted none of them alive when this was over. He'd not let that sow breed again on their lands. Nor did he desire that little one to grow up in their stead.

His eyes were fore the bull, but when the spider slipped away and the little one squealed, their element of surprise was over. Aasivak sprang for the sow, chasing the female in his direction. Quick to react, Iqniq was over that beast in a heartbeat. His powerful jaws and fangs went for a quick blow to the jugular so he might silence her screams. As luck would have it, in their initial attack, the pigs were not prepared for the both of them. His teeth around her throat fell true and the sow was downed. Fast. The ambush was in their favor.

Now for the boar. No doubt it had learned of its mate's demise and was all the more hot-blooded for it. His gaze shifted, turning in time to see the beast curling his paw against the ground, beating it against the earth as he prepared for a charge. Iqniq barked a warning and abandoned the sow. It was dead. It could do nothing to them. This bullish male was an issue now and they'd angered it greatly. With teeth bared and hackles raised, the crimson alpha squared himself with the boar to make himself a target. Their spider was a shadow and could sneak, but if the wolf could not intercept the boar in time, Iqniq was coiled and ready to spring out of the path of its charge.

Oops. >__> Lol why have just one pig when you can have a family of them?!

The sow rebounded back towards the fiery male in a spin of black and red-tipped bristles, a scream echoing the spire's peaks as a fatal blow left her helpless and dying. The scent of blood hit the earth in that sweet, metallic aroma that hinted of copper or iron. The youth of the Sawtooth would be fed.

Such a demise could only open a doorway of revenge for another raging beast — the boar. It was hot in pursuit, circling from the inky spider towards his accomplice. A wail of fury cracked the air with a pitch that rattled brains and stung ear drums. The spindly male sprung into action, surging forward as the boar's direction shifted, a dangerous glow to stare as jaws unhinged and fangs snapped. Cutlery tore into the animal's hind leg, a stubby thing that ran far too fast for it's nubby stature. As fangs burrowed into meat, hooking and snagging with a snap of jawline that clenched like a vice, the Eta threw weight into ground and jerked. A snarl muffled into the prey's skin, spittle mingling with blood.

The boar toppled, for a moment, before reaction swung his gnarled, tusked head like a hammer for the spider's shoulders and neck. The inky wolf spun, wrenching on appendage again to keep a distance away that did not promise safety. A tusk snagged into foreleg, slicing it instantly, razing the fur there and opening an insignificant wound. It was a close call and prompted the Eta to spin again and again, attempting to angle the animal towards his alpha for leverage. One wrong move and a tusk could go up a chest.

Hey! No worries. That makes this more fun. :]

The male was pissed. True to it's antics of hoofing the ground, the broad beast charged towards the snarling wolf. Iqniq bared teeth towards it, bracing himself until it reached a distance near him that was too close for comfort. It didn't get that far. Aasivak was out of the brush to snag the boar's hind leg and wrestled it to the ground before it could get within Iqniq's "Danger Zone". The boar was felled. It sprawled on the ground as the shadow wolf harassed tender tendons with sharp teeth.

He leapt forward, careful to avoid the thrashing boar as it swung around to assault Aasivak. There. An opening. Iqniq darted in, crashing one paw down on the boar's skull and leaning the rest of his body weight into its head and shoulders so he might fully pin it there. The position left him unable to do much more. He was not posed in such a way that he could land any significant blows with those slicing hooves and tusks so close. Damn. One hoof nicked him anyway, slicing along his lower jaw so he could feel the white-hot pain flash through him as the area swelled with crimson. Hopefully Aasivak was positioned in such a way that they could end this quickly.

The boar bucked and bantered, screaming at the top of lungs so that ears nearly bled. Fangs wrenched and pulled, neck twisting and battling against the weight that flailed into chest and forelimbs. The fire-coated alpha stepped in just as the squealing animal aimed for the spider's shoulder, breaking the struggle with what appeared to be one solid paw. While the boar struck against both predators, it took a moment to realize the opening presented. Just a flash as eyes darted towards the leader. 

Fangs unhinged and released their object, tongue slaking out against bloodied fur just before diving for the back of the animal's head. Where many would have gone for throat, it was not prudent in such tight spaces with an animal so capable of swinging head around. Back of skull area would provide spinal cord and with enough merciless chomping, the quarry would be felled. Jaws tugged and pulled, molars plunging into flesh and tearing with each rip backward. Sooner or later the monstrosity would give, either with blood loss or physical malady.

This would have been a lot easier if it weren't for the squirming and squealing. The wiggling he could deal with. He'd wrestled many a beast before, but that god awful noise was a terrible sound that was shrill upon his ears and made him wish this creature were fell all the faster. Iqniq moved, positioning his body over the boar so his weight was very much a prominent thing, but also so that he could present Aasivak with an opening which he could steal. The boar thrashed beneath him, desperate, and Iqniq pressed all the harder, determined not to give it any leeway for getting back up.

The spine was bared. Aasivak went for it quickly as Iqniq straddled the beast and kept a shoulder trained upon its long face. The eyes rolled, wide and frantic as the boar's lower body stilled. Paralyzed. Its ears still swiveled and its nose still flared, but the beast was not going anywhere. Aasivak tore at its nape. Now that it wasn't moving quite so threateningly, Iqniq positioned himself at the jugular and tore there. He was taking no chances with this one and the sooner its windpipe was removed the sooner that horrible squealing would stop.

Their combined efforts bought the boar to its demise. He had a moment of relief for its end before he remembered the little one that'd run free. His ears pressed forward, a snort fleeing his nostrils as he tossed his head in the direction it had run. A shared glance and Iqniq was on his feet, nose first to the ground, then to the air. They needed to hunt the last one down before he could be fully satisfied. Young or not, one day it would grow and remember. He'd not leave it to torment his children in the future if he could put an end to the piglet today.

The squeals ended slowly. It wasn't a fast process as throat was lanced by expert fangs. It started with a hoarseness before deluding into gurgles and panted snorts. Only when the last of life snuffed out did the creature still and an awkward huff of noise whisked up from bloodied windpipe. 

An inky ear swiveled, cutlery releasing its hold and glance darting for the same object the flame-tinted alpha sought. Somewhere one more straggler had run off. It would eventually grow and produce its own young, threatening landscape with its rooting and robbing resources. It appeared the Spire leader felt the same, a darting look conveying the intent without speaking a word. A soft snarl slipped past bloodied jaws, a yawn of tongue brushing against one set of pitch whiskers. 

A ground-eating gallop shot the Eta across the slain boar, darting into action and skirting across the little footpath that the creature had run. Stones and debris were passed with a supple bend of body, the exhilaration of downing large prey fueling the spider onward. Nostrils scented the air, pinpointing location traveled by disrupted earth and skin particles. A little grunt swayed advances, finely tuning assault until a scraggy brush rustled. The piglet darted out from it like a ruptured shot, the Eta hot on its heels with a snap of teeth and kick of paws.

Nose to the air, then the ground, he pinpointed the get-away trail. There. He set his mind to it, narrowing his focus to the task at hand as he drew himself into a run with Aasivak at his side. They'd nearly found the thing. He could see those frantic footprints in the ground and almost taste it's fear upon the air. Much closer and he near anticipated its frantic heartbeat. Come out, come out little piggy... where the fuck are you...

A bush rustled. There. His eyes turned instantly towards the location, his haunches coiling for the the ambush, when the swine erupted from the brush. Immediately both wolves were after it, hot on the trail as their paws beat like drums against the earth. It was mechanical. Like the pistons of hot, otherworldly instruments as their paws strummed one after the other.

A snarl escaped him as he put on a burst of speed and went in for the kill. Teeth snatched, falling closed with a snap as the piglet took a sharp turn and zipped in another direction. He caught nothing more than air as his paws tried to turn with the swine. They skid over dirt and gravel as he realized his loss, righted himself, and continued in the pursuit. He'd lost a bit of ground with that and he was determined to gain it back.

Darting predators caused the small, nimble piglet to writhe and twist, kicking up debris in its wake when the fire-coated alpha's jaws failed to snag it. The brown, snorting creature catapulted towards the Eta, who instinctively flushed it back against the aggressor in a ping-pong pattern. The maneuver was innate for a creature accustomed to working in a team, a driving tactic that would award the kill to the first snap of jaws.

A lanky shoulder dashed out to swing a paw, wide appendage clipping the little animal on the hocks and marring flawless movement. The faltering piggy would be easier to snag should its hooves slide and skid they did across the rocky terrain and tufts of shrubs. It skid directly into the fire-wolf's path, a small gnash of fangs from the Eta keeping the pursuit hot and dangerous. The little animal squealed, a chomp of its little snout predicting its fate as it tumbled towards the looming leader.

The spider continued to snatch at its hocks, briefly clipping one and drawing the first sign of blood.

He pressed forward and got his head back in the game. Aasivak was quick not to let the piglet get too far away. It had darted, but his teeth had slowed the swine, forcing it back in the direction of which Iqniq had stumbled. He was able to pick himself off the ground and catch up quickly as the pig was herded back in his direction.

It ended up between them, zig-zagging back and forth as his teeth pressed it towards Aasivak and Aasivak's teeth provoked it back towards his own. His paws pummeled at the ground as he ran, but the pig was slowing from both exhaustion and the way their teeth roughened it up as they volleyed it between them.

Aasivak's teeth wounded it. The first draw of blood provoked him further as piglet faltered towards him. Iqniq lunged, teeth snapping and falling on a foreleg as he yanked the swine from its feet and caused the smallest of the three boars to stumble. He gave it no time to find its feet. He straddled it and went straight for the throat, clamping his jaws around it and fending off its hooves with his paws as he finally felled the beast.

Blood swelled in his mouth, but the creature stilled beneath him. They were dead. All three of them. Not only was the Spire safe from their antics, but they would all dine well this evening.

I'll leave it to you to archive or post again! :D

At last the smallest of the three fell, succumbing to the alphas jaws in one final blow. Blood exuded from the wound, dripping to the earth and smothering the terrain with that familiar twinge of iron. It was the banner of their success, painting the soil below a deep crimson. The spider swept into the alpha's side, momentum waning and a congratulatory nudge of muzzle against the male's fire-tinted side. 

Almost instinctively the head of the Eta tipped skyward to sing the song of victory. The melodious sound echoed off the Spire's tips, breaking into the silence before the lonely sound tapered off.