Sunbeam Lair We all gaze at the stars

Time for a hunt, followed by a feast to officially celebrate their new home! Choice of prey is a mule deer.
There's no posting order, but please try to not exceed three posts per round. This round will end on February 26th. If you can't post this round, that's fine. Just jump in whenever you can!

@Noctura @Jolon @Semble @Lyght Armstrong @Lokith @Winter @Leo (your first pack hunt!) @Ezimette

The dragoness' return to the lair had been entirely uneventful, but the trip itself had not been. She'd been able to relieve her mind of any building stress, and allow for her thoughts to settle back into how they were meant to be. It had been quite relaxing, and definitely something the young leader needed. It was a shame, though, that she'd not allowed for any of her tribe members to join her. Surely they would have enjoyed seeing the sights, but now it was too late. No matter, she had a plan in mind to make up for it, having picked up on the scent of a stag after crossing back into her claim. She trailed after it for a short while, ensuring the creature was moving deeper into their home, before her head tilted back and she let loose a howl, summoning everyone—even Ezimette, despite her current status within the tribe.

Of course, the call had spooked the cervine, but Asterr worried not of it's escape. There was only one exit to the lair (that she knew of), and in order to get to it the deer would have to loop around and head straight towards her; or, rather, straight towards the danger it sought to evade. The creature would not escape them, as was her belief, but would instead provide them with a wonderful meal. A celebratory feast, so to speak, meant to honour the land they claimed. All they had to do was take it down first.

The quiet shadow was not far from the one who'd captivated him. Noctura was a mile into the territory, walking the woods and trying to decide at last how best to commit himself to Ryūjin in some manner other than muscle. Although their new home was hauntingly beautiful, there had been no magic in his life since the event on the borders of Thunder Dome. His spirit remained damaged. But he was a wolf of Ryūjin, and answered Asterr's call at a quick pace, appearing wordlessly at her side and regarding her with fondness and respect before his silver eyes joined hers in wait for the others.

Ezimette crept from the open area into the lair, her pallid coat giving her away. She quietly approached her alpha, her tail low by her legs and her ears down respectfully. She had learned that this was the only way to address other pack members, as she was omega for a time. She dipped her head to Asterr and, not wanting to look anti-social. She wagged her tail the slightest bit. "Greetings alpha." She whispered softly, her green eyes looking a bit sad. She then got a tad bit closer, but kept her body low and did not get to close. She gave a soft whine of greeting and smiled very faintly. She had slunk around the territory, staying near the others but remaining at a low status, she had happened to be near Asterr at the time, so her trip to get there was quick.
  She felt terrible even being in her alpha's presence, she still felt unworthy and guilty for having left. She looked away, ashamed and apologetic. Her paws shuffled the dust slightly in the silence, quietly thinking over her best hunting moves and how to approach this hunt.

The poor boy that had to leave his first home was now walking, exploring the new land with a frown on his face. Could he have made the difference? Could he have prevented it all? He felt like he could have done at least something. He growled, guilt tripping himself into the ground wasn't going to help anyone. Yet, why was he so angry? He couldn't think about it for very long, the howl from his alpha entering his ears.

He turned around, now sprinting toward where the sound had come from. He arrived, later than the brute Noctura and... Ezimette?! A smile appeared on his face, happy to see the white fluffball again. He sprinted toward her, touching her shoulder and sniffing her out. Where had she been? How long had she been back? Where have you been?! He called out excited.

After the answer was given, his gaze went to the petite dragoness and the brute warrior. What were they planning?

The cream colored boy did not hesitate to answer to Asterr's call. He approached the three wolves in a slow pace, his eyes bouncing around in a curious matter. There was Jolon and Asterr, and another dark wolf that had been there in the fight. There was also a stranger with a pelt like Winter's, though orbs held a unique color.

Immediately, his paws lead him to Asterr's side. He nudged her shoulder in a friendly manner. "What are we doing today?"

Ezimette smiled, excited to see Jolon again. She ducked her head down and wagged her tail a bit."I...I left. I apologize, I should have told you...I am omega as a punishment for my actions..." Her eyes flashed with a severe guilt as she answered him in a whisper. She gave him a faint smile and kept her head low. She then turned to the cream male who approached. She dipped her head to him. "Hello.My name is Ezimette." She said softly laying her ears against her head to show submission. She smiled sadly when she saw how they interacted with Asterr. She wished deeply to gain back Asterr's trust. Her chest ached and she looked at the moon. Oh Moon...Help me now... She silently begged. Her green eyes glowed with the reflection of the moon.

The first to arrive had been Noctura, and she'd greeted him accordingly. A silence had filled the space between them, both waiting for more of the tribe to arrive. She could think of nothing to say—not just yet, at least. It would do no good to repeat herself several times over, thus her maw remained clamped shut until more bodies had started to reveal themselves. Even when Ezimette had shown up, the chieftess said nothing. She did, however, offer a curt nod in greeting, though the moment her eyes landed on the other woman's face, she could feel her chest clench. It troubled her, still, what she had chosen to do. No matter, the feeling was shaken away before it could root itself any deeper into her system, reminding herself that it was a necessary thing. Though young and capable of forgiveness, she was still a leader, and as such she could not allow for herself to be walked all over; that included her trust being taken advantage of.

When Jolon had arrived, the way he'd greeted the previously missing woman had the dragoness' ears pushing forward out of curiosity. He seemed to not be bothered by that fact that she'd left them, but was instead just happy to have her back. Should she have responded the same way...? No, she could not think like that. The decision had already been made, and that was that. Besides, she had more important things to focus on at the moment, a fact she was reminded of when Leo had nudged her and asked a question. All had yet to gather, but she felt the group to be large enough already for her to answer him. "We will be hunting together as a tribe—as a family," she had said, her voice loud enough for the others to hear as well. "It is time we truly begin living again, that we put the darkness behind us. This is our home now, and so we shall honour it with a hunt and then a feast." At the end, she smiled, gaze flickering about to try and catch each of their reactions.

Ezimette's eyes glowed with excitement. Their first pack hunt! She knew that her place in the pack was at a bad level right now, but she couldn't help but want to be part of it. She loved her pack and would give her life to them, though she knew only two members formally. A real smile appeared on her maw for the first time in several days. Words of excitement blossomed for her alpha on the tip of her tongue, but her snout would not open. She didn't want to get out of place, for that was the worst thing that could possibly happen. Her tail wagged  and her nose twitched. Everything in her wanted to jump up and mingle with the new wolves, she was using everything in her heart to stop herself. She smiled at Jolon and the others, hoping they were just as excited at she was.

The young romantic was full of expression, but not so much on the outside, due to his regal bearing and dark features. So while he was warmed by Asterr's words, the most he could do to show this was a faint (but genuine smile) and a respectful nod of his head. This is a wonderful idea, my Alpha, he added. She was doing much to motivate them, and she had every morsel of Noctura's support. And he clearly wasn't the only one — Asterr had a loyal following.

He took a moment to gaze round at them. There was a sweet-looking Arctic girl who seemed very shy; she was greeted with enthusiasm by Jolon, a wolf he liked. The next among them was Leo, Asterr's young companion. Frankly, Noctura needed to spend more time with all of them... perhaps this was a good way to do so.

Not long after the sad brute had arrived, the young boy Leo joined them. The words Ezimette spoke were soft, clearly filled with guilt. But it didn't matter to the black boy anymore. She was here now, safe and sound. Of course he was curious of what had made her leave all of the sudden, but he didn't question it. He was sure that she would tell him, some day, but for now her presence was enough. Well, you're here now, that's all that matters. He said, a warm smile on his usual cold face.

The next to speak was the petite dragoness and her words made the sad boy lighten up. Perhaps this was what he needed, a hunt. He had hunted small critters before, but never had they truly hunted as a group. He was nervous. Yes, he had skill and brute force, but he was maybe lacking the social skills to communicate with his fellow members while they were hunting. Whatever, he was sure it would all end just the way Asterr had planned. Sounds wonderful.

While Ezimette kept quiet, Noctura found it the time to speak. His words made Jolon smirk. Was there something going on between the petite dragoness and the brute? Something Jolon wasn't aware of? The way he said "my alpha" sounded really lovey-dovey sweet, and the young boy couldn't wait to know everything about their current relationship. But, he realized this wasn't the time to arrange their marriage, this was the time for a feast.

Ezimette's eyes widened at Jolon's response. He wasn't upset? She was glad to have a wolf like him around. She felt strange in this place of omega. She had to act so...shy. Ezimette was not a shy wolf. She was a loyal companion. a friend who would stick by any wolf who wanted everyone to be equal and was right to others. She was not a wolf who would rush into danger If she knew she wouldn't win, unless a companion's was being harmed in any way. There was absolutely no time for that. She was level-headed and made for pack life, this pack brought the best out of her. In her solitude, Ezimette had felt alone and didn't think she had any purpose. She felt something completely new now. She felt a desire, a desire to run and hunt with her pack. A desire to be close to others on cold nights and share the warmth of many pelts in a den. A desire to fight alongside her pack. The thoughts swam in her head, but a cool breeze brought her back to reality. She was an omega. She was not allowed to communicate freely with her pack. She was not allowed to share stories with her alpha. She had to submit to the others, she was not their equal. The girl shook the terrible thoughts from her head and looked to her alpha. "Um..what will we be hunting alpha?" She asked politely. She nodded her head when the answer came. The girl's green eyes found the stars and she smiled, letting herself stand up a bit. She was quite nervous, she had never hunted alongside anyone but the wild dog who had raised her. She took a gulp of the cold air, then prepared herself for the hunt.

Next round will begin on March 1st.
According to the dice roll, Ezimette will be the one to pick up on the most recent scent of the deer. Congrats! c:

The air was charged with excitement, the soft crackling of metaphorical electricity practically audible. She was glad her idea had been accepted, and that the present members appeared eager to partake in the hunt. It would be their first one together as a whole, and that thought alone was enough to put her nerves on edge. No matter, the young girl did not allow for her anxieties to be seen, swallowing them down as if they were nothing more than a sweet dollop of honey. Her own expression was permitted to hold nothing other than excitement, a display of her positive emotions towards the activity. They would succeed, she was certain of it, and then they would be rewarded greatly for their efforts. It was a notion she felt confident enough to put her faith in, weakening the hold her earlier weariness had had on her.

Asterr had been expecting the others to be curious of what they would be hunting, but for the pallid woman to ask had caught her slightly off guard. "Deer," came her answer. "A stag, to be more precise. I had noticed him upon my reentry into the territory, and followed the creature until it was a decent ways from our borders. I am sure it is searching for a place to hide away in after having heard my call, but I do not doubt our capability to locate and kill him." She offered each of them another glance, ensuring her words had not been missed by any. A part of her wished to wait for more to join them, but the risk was too great. The sooner they set off, the sooner the cervine could be tracked and cornered. Thus, it was with a gentle, "We should begin," that she'd then begun moving, her senses alive and focused on one thing: find the stag's scent.

Prepared for the hunt, Noctura might have been sharpening his claws with a comically large nailfile right about now. He was itching for a properly big kill, and a stag was just that. And the idea of doing so with the pack at his side was almost as satisfying. This was one of the rare moments in which he could let his instincts lead him... though he had to be careful. If he got too carried away, he would fight for his food — and fighting meant bloodshed among the predators themselves. So Noctura warded back his own enthusiasm for the hunt, and remained calm and cool, looking to Asterr for the plan.

Ezimette nodded and gave the members a small smile. Her white ears perked and she ruffled the grass under-paw. Her green eyes brightened at her chieftess's words. Yes! She was ready for the hunt, but she worried a bit. She didn't want to step out of her place as omega, but she was jittery with excitement. She touched her nose to the ground, hoping for the scent to come soon. Her large green eyes shined with absolute anticipation. She was a but nervous, but couldn't stop herself from wanting to hunt so badly. She put one long leg in front of her and waited for the others to begin moving. She took a breath to calm down a bit and returned to her natural state. The pale girl closed her eyes for a moment and remembered the words that Eximurra had grumbled before every hunt: I shall not be to happy to take a life tonight, but if I do take another creature, may their next fate be as bright as the stars, and may their soul live on in ecstasy. 
  She looked one last time to the stars before she listened for the Chieftess's plan.

Next round begins on March 6th.

The instincts that came with a hunt had started to nip at her mind, whispering to her sweet nothings in an attempt to make her give in to her most primal callings. Each try resulted in no change, however, her mind strong enough to ward off the encroaching urges. She kept herself within the right state of mind, certain at least one would be needed to ensure nothing awful befell them. It allowed her, too, all the time necessary to think, to plan and prepare. She knew they were awaiting her orders, for the girl to take the lead; if not their eyes on her, she could most definitely feel the anticipation in the air. It was her job to sort through all of that, to pluck from them the negative, impulsive notions that might lead them down the path of failure. Asterr had to take charge, for once, rather than placing herself upon equal ground with her tribe mates.

"Fan out," the yearling murmured, the words riding out on a breath of air, hardly disturbing the nature that surrounding them. "If you catch the scent, alert everyone else as discreetly as possible. We must not let this stag escape us." Her eyes shifted to each side, her head then following suit, glancing at the others and the space beyond them. The look was brief, perhaps more so than her glances had ever been before, and in what seemed like an instant her head had lowered and her nose was directed towards the ground. Each paw was carefully placed with every step taken, almost as if she were back on the mountain and navigating it's winding paths. Even though the deer's fresh fragrance had yet to tickle her leathery nose, her own desire and excitement refused to be extinguished.

His first hunt. The thought made his body swell with excitement and fear. He did not know what to do in the slightest, but if he had close attention on the adults, Leo could learn more.

He followed the rest, being as silent as possibly could. It was very hard, however, to hear anything over the voices that played in his mind. It put fear into him. Was it possible to hunt without the sense of sound? Would he ever be able to hear anything properly? Those two questions added stress onto his plate.

He snapped back into reality as Asterr spoke. Instead of breaking away to find the stag's scent, he followed Asterr, mimicking every movement. Instead of depending on sound, his nose did all the work.

All at once quelling his instincts and obeying them, Noctura tried to find the right balance and was doing fine so far. The real test would come when they made their kill... and when they feasted upon their prey, if all went well. For now, however, Noctura dragged his thoughts from the dangers of his nature and instead thought only of nature itself. The stag. Their quarry.

As commanded, Noctura departed from the main group so that they could all fan out and track the deer. His huge ebony form was low and graceful, his paws quiet and practiced.

Ezimette's sleek figure wandered off a bit, fanning out as Asterr told her to. Her sensitive nose twitched, had she found something? She shoved her nose a bit deeper and inhaled largely. Definitely the stag. She gave a very quiet bark, soft enough so that she wouldn't alarm the stag, but loud enough so that her tribe mates would hear her. She shivered with excitement for the hunt. Her mouth pooled with saliva hungrily, this would be one feast. "I've found it,"she said with excitement once all had gathered. Her white fur rippled with the movement of her muscles underneath her pelt.

Next round begins on March 9th.

The one shadowing her had not gone unnoticed, though she said nothing to acknowledge his actions. She knew it to be his first hunt, and so his presence being so near to her own was something to be expected. It was more a learning opportunity than anything else for the boy, and so she would ensure he'd receive every drop of information able to be passed along. Thus she kept her nose to the ground and senses alive, focusing on the task at hand and hoping Leo was doing the same. While she had ensured the stag was a decent ways into their domain prior to announcing the start of their hunt, that was not to say that the creature couldn't turn itself about and flee the lair entirely. Such an event was one she was loath to let happen, and so her head had snapped up and her direction changed the second Ezimette's voice was heard.

After ensuring the rest had gathered, Asterr offered the other girl a small smile of appreciation, before looking to the rest of the group. "We will pursue the scent in a fanned out formation," she began, intent on completing the hunt with success as their only result. "Noctura, I am entrusting the killing strike to you." To her, it made perfect sense. He was larger and far more capable, giving him a higher chance at ending the deer's life quickly than the rest of them had. "The rest of us will prevent it from escaping if an attempt is made." Rather than waiting for questions, the dragoness was quick to get moving once more, the plan in place and the roles known. Only moments remained between them and their feast.

One long black ear tilted to hear the words of their sleek Omega, who, with impressive swiftness, had picked up the scent of their prey. His silver eyes moved automatically back to their lead hunter for their next instruction — Asterr took it in her stride, and told them to fan out. The small group of wolves combined with a great expanse of trees would make it very difficult for the stag to escape. And it seemed it would be headed directly into the lion-like jaws of Noctura — or so said the plan. He accepted it, of course, with a nod, and his large paws began a more purposeful tread, muzzle raised further off the ground now that they had the scent. He took the widest path, given his bulk — it meant the others had plenty of room to drive the deer towards him when the time came.

The pale girl's heart swelled with hope when her alpha gave her a small smile. Her tail wagged a bit and she got to one side of Nocturra, she knew that being fast, she could help guide the deer easily if it wandered out of Nocturra's reach. She had a flash of realization and shrunk back a little, not wanting to get out of place. She stuck close behind Nocturra though, she knew that she could prove herself a worthy hunter if she just used what gifts she was given. She knew that her swiftness and stamina would be quite helpful now, so she had to use her advantages and try not to think of the others judging her. She let her maw open into a grin, the excitement of a hunt had her on her toes. Her sharp canines glinted in the moonlight, this is what she had been built for. This process, pack hunting. She finally got to experience it!

OOC- XD sorry, I posted as whisper and it was supposed to be Ezimette! My bad ;P

Next round begins on March 13th. Extended to March 15th.

The thrill of the hunt excited her, even if she was far from being a killer. It was instincts, pure and simple, and the basis of their survival. If not for the hunt, there would be no kill. If not for the kill, they'd have no sustenance. So was how the world went, various life cycles tying into one another. Someday it would be them who would feed the deer, but presently, it was the deer that would feed them. Asterr moved with reason, each step taking a chunk from the distance that kept them away from the stag. She'd not stopped since her orders had been issued, not until their prey was within her line of sight. It was then that she'd given a flick of her tail, signalling to the others to loop around to various sides of the deer, leaving Noctura to do his work.

There was a part of the yearling that yearned for the killing strike to be hers, and yet she'd kept herself from taking it. Small game she could trap and kill without worry, but when it came to any type of cervine... the differences in mass was off-putting. To her, it would always be far more logical to send in someone capable, rather than place herself in the same situation for the sole purpose of obtaining the glory. Thus, she was able to hold herself back with ease, crouching down and stalking through the coverage provided by the forest's floor. She would wait and she would watch, either for the end of the creature's life or for actions in need of being taken.

The large male was poised and prepared, remaining part of the fanned-out group until the chase was well and truly underway. Then he slowed and made careful note of where each wolf was — and of course the stag itself. Until, sooner than a sniff of Spring weather, the prey was in sight, driven towards him exactly as planned. Noctura remained hidden from its hard and lashing antlers, but before it could gallop past him he made his move, teeth flashing quick towards the side of its slender neck.

I thought I had written for the new one to begin on the sixteenth... whoops! ^^;; This can be the last round, so no end date. This round will end once the deer has been killed and it's been insinuated that the feast has begun~ Also, majorly short post, a c k

The girl had waited patiently in her claimed position, making sure to keep Leo near to her. She'd checked to ensure he was watching before giving the deer her full and undivided attention, staring it down from her place in the woods. When it'd been directed towards Noctura, the dragoness' body had stilled entirely and she'd watched—like a cat might a mouse's hole—as the cervine ran, unknowingly, straight towards it's death. The beating of her heart had increased tenfold when he'd struck out at their prey, keeping herself and the others from closing in until the stag's death was assured.

Oop, was waiting for others. ^___^

There was blood, there was the desperate wailing of the once-magnificent stag, and then the faltering stumbling of its hooves. Perhaps there were other wolves on the prey too, perhaps there was not, but Noctura obeyed his Alpha's order and made that final blow. It wasn't the brutality of the event that would later bother Noctura (who was, after all, an experienced hunter... not to mention a wild wolf), but rather the way his mind went so blank and red when he hunted. He seemed so in control, but he wasn't. And so, later, after the pack feasted and they were warm from good food and a team success, Noctura would think about ways he could finally guide and channel his own instincts.