Wolf RPG

The alpha female called off the assault on the young moose nearly an hour in, sensing that the burly calf wasn't going to budge. She wasn't ashamed of their failure, as a pack was lucky to take down a moose one in ten hunts, but she was frustrated. She spent the better part of that morning treading around the borders, avidly avoiding her mate and his young pests charges, supposing they were still around. When she caught the fresh scent of an older white-tailed deer, she abandoned her patrol, eager for an opportunity to feed her pack after their failed morning hunt.

She was on the move as she sent up a howl for her members, and would continue traveling while they assembled. Only when she spotted the doe a little ways outside their borders would Saena stop to lift her voice to the wind once again, locating herself for her subordinates to find.

Their first attempt in hunting a moose was unsuccessful. It was a pity. A moose would be a well sustaining animal for them to consume. They'd all be able to eat and there would still be plenty left to save. A shame they had been unable to wrestle it down for dinner. Perhaps it was better for all of them to scavenge for something smaller and search for something different later. She didn't know. Those decisions were not up to her. She was a healer and something of a gardener. She'd leave the hunting to the hunters.

After they'd dispersed, Citali had returned to her garden. She tended the plants accordingly. Only a few weeds had sprouted since she'd last checked and she disposed of those appropriately. Others were ready trim and store. She was in the process of cutting and adding those to her stores when Saena's first howl rose. She'd found something else. Citali cleaned up her endeavors and set off in the direction of the howl.

She was starting to think she was getting lost when the second howl rose. Redirected, Citali altered her course a bit and happened upon Saena who was stalking a deer. Amicable enough. Not the full glory of a moose, but something that would suffice and perhaps redeem themselves from their earlier failures. It would do. Upon entering the scene, Citali nodded once, but held her silence as she observed the deer in the distance. More would need to gather if they wished to truly be successful.

Defeated, she was not. A pack had its ups and downs and failed hunts were a part of that. They had tried for a moose and had failed together, which simply meant that they had another chance to learn to work together as a team. Overall, things hadn't gone terribly, but she could not deny that the pack would do well to bring down something substantial. She found herself looking for the trail of such a prey creature, tracking down cold trails diligently to find something close to home base.

This was what she was doing when the howl went up, turning on her heels to rush to Saena's present location. She did not raise her voice to answer, eliminating the possibility of spooking whatever creature had been found. The second howl spurned her faster, her pace only slowing once she came upon the other two females.

Her posture corrected immediately, tail wagging a time or two before her eyes shifted to look for Saena's target. She was looking forward to working with the pack again to fell this doe.

Regipre heard the howl. Although she felt no obligation to heed it—hell, she was pretty sure Saena would rather she not—the coyote pup slipped out from the hollowed tree and began trotting that way. She would hang back, out of sight, and observe the wolves. Although Reek's misrepresentation had shaken her faith in the species, she nonetheless knew her place in the grand scheme of things. Besides, as Sart had pointed out (surprising Reggie with her astuteness), winter was coming. They were only babes. They couldn't hunt or otherwise fend for themselves. They had no choice now but to rely on Reek. He had seen to that.

Her tawny head popped out from behind a tree and she spotted Saena and two other wolves gathering nearby. She ducked behind the trunk, then more slowly peeked out again. Her expression remained blank, her blue eyes watchful. She did not have any deigns on their meat. Truthfully, Reggie didn't even know why Saena was rallying the wolves together. The plains wolves had left before the whelp could get a true grasp on wolfish society. She had much to learn and that's just what she'd do today.

A howl rose. And then another. Both times it rattled Sart down to the core. There was simply something so beautifully eerie about the sound that she didn't quite know how to react to it. She merely heard the sound echo and folded her ears upon her head until she could decide what to make of it. Right now? She hadn't the slightest idea what to do about it. But Reggie did. When she saw her sister slip away, Sart hesitated for a moment before padding out after her. She'd know what to do. She always knew what to do.

When Reggie huddled around a tree, Sart tucked herself into the large roots of a neighboring tree and made herself at home. Her nose popped out over the top of it as she looked at Reggie for a second and then looked back towards the gathering of wolves. She had no idea what was going on. She'd never seen a hunt before. She didn't recognize that this was the early stages of one, this gathering. Curious and observant, she watched and waited to see what would happen next.

For a wolf who hated hunting, Reek had done his fair share of it lately. Life changed dramatically once he brought the coyote pups back to to Maplewood, and while the mysteries of pseudo-fatherhood were slowing beginning to unravel around him, there was only one thing Reek was completely sure of: being a dad was hard work. Quickly, he realized he had bitten off more than he could chew, but he dared not show it.  They were his burden to bare after all.

Every waking moment was devoted to hunting in some fashion: either with the pack as a unit, or tracking small game for the pups individually. Lazy days were a thing of the past and Reek felt as if he hadn't properly slept in ages. After rubbing his tired eyes, Reek began his work by rooting around a rabbit warren in the hopes he could snatch one of the slow ones.  Teeth gnashed in the dirt, but the more he snapped, the more likely it was that there was nothing hiding in the darkness. He sighed, disappointed in his failure.  

Thankfully, his one man pity-party was cut short by his mate's howl. Not one, but two. Whatever she had found, it must have been important. Reek turned tail and loped his way toward the source of the call, passing both coyote pups in the process. "Wait here," he said as he peeked into the cluster of roots. "I promise, I'll bring you back something good." While he meant it wholeheartedly, his word was probably lost on the little ones, especially after what had happened with Saena.

He then pressed on a short distance and soon found himself at Saena's side. He let his eyes linger upon her face for a moment before looking back down at the ground. They hadn't spoken since their altercation at the boarder. It certainly wasn't the way he wanted to leave things with her, but he just couldn't find the time to talk to her the way he wanted to.

Citali, Nochtli and Reek were prompt in heeding her call. Hawk, Arion and Gunnar were nowhere to be seen, and the coyote pups escaped her notice, possibly because they were small and well hidden. Though not surprised that three of their number were absent given she hadn't seen any of them in quite some time (in Hawk's case, since his acceptance), Saena was still disappointed. They needed all the power they could get to secure a kill this afternoon and with three of their members lacking, the hunting party would need to work extra hard to take anything down.

Her gaze lingered on the amazons, then flit across the face of her husband. Her gaze on him was still steely, betraying her true feelings about his selfless act toward the coyote pups. She turned back to the doe, which was wary but still oblivious to their intentions. It had heard the howl as well as her subordinates, but couldn't presently see the wolves hidden in the trees.

"It's in the open so we'll need to do our best to inflict a grievous wound," Saena said in a hushed voice. They couldn't necessarily rely on stealth here. It would be tough to flank the deer with only the forest's edge to use. The best way would be to bleed it out, and if they didn't cause enough damage to do that early on, they'd lose their chance.

"Citali, Reek, can I count on you to spook it closer to the trees?" she asked, turning to her mate and then the Gamma. She knew Citali wasn't much of a chaser and Reek was a clumsy hunter at best, and she chose them for herding for that purpose. While Citali was undoubtedly the largest member of Phoenix Maplewood, it was speed that would win the first strike, and she had that advantage with Nochtli. "Nochtli and I can get in and out quick. We aim to injure the belly early on... then we strike when the chance presents itself. If we get a good hit in, we need only wait for blood loss to take its toll."

Being a gamekeeper, she felt entitled to making these decisions, but her eyes flicked to each wolf present. The plan needed their cooperation and that was only assured if they agreed it was the best course, which is what she wordlessly asked them now.

She, like Saena, waited to see who else might arrive. Nochtli. Then Reek. She did not notice the coyote pups lingering in the distance, nor did she think to look for them. They'd be useless in this endeavor. They were not on the forefront of her mind. Instead, she looked at their meager crew. Those gathered appeared to be the heart and soul of this pack, but they would prevail all the same. The target was a deer. Unless it out ran them all, they'd most certainly be able to out muscle it.

Now that it seemed as though all who would come were gathered, Saena briefed them. She listened as the game plan was disclosed. "Mm," she murmured with a nod. She could spook and herd. It was a hell of a lot more enjoyable than the actual chase, which would be left for those of fleeter foot. Well and good. This little plan was excellent in theory. Now they just needed to put it to the test.

"Just give the word, dearie," she crooned before she lifted to her paws and waited for either Saena to dismiss them or for Reek to lead the way towards their new position. Spooking deer. Citali beamed. They shouldn't have any trouble with this at all.

Reek arrived and that... was it. No Arion, no Hawk... Her mouth tightened into a frown for a moment but she let the unnerving thoughts go. Though they were a small pack, they would thrive, without a doubt. The coyote pups were actually completely unknown to the darker of the Amazons and so them being nearby did not register in her mind at all. Instead, she focused now on Saena who spoke, staying silent though she nodded in response. Reek's hunting abilities were another unknown for her but she trusted the Alpha Female's judgement and did not question her in the slightest as she devised a plan.

Her tail wagged once, her ears perked and alert to signify that she was ready when Saena was, fine with following the paler female's lead.

She heard a noise behind her but didn't bother turning right away. She knew Sart's footsteps when she heard them. Reggie eventually turned to acknowledge her sister, who decided to camp out in a neighboring tree's roots, before refocusing her attention on the small cluster of wolves. Perhaps they were...

The coyote whelp heard another sound coming from behind them and pressed herself closer to the tree while simultaneously flattening her small body to the ground. It turned out to be Reek, who addressed them both as he passed by on his way toward the others. "I'll bring you back something good," he promised, which caused Regipre's ears to perk. Then she frowned, immediately distrustful.

She exchanged another quick glance with Sart, then the wolves began speaking to one another. She strained to catch their words, though it was difficult from all the way back here. She would have to rely on their actions and body language to tell what they were doing. So far, her best guess was that they were gathering together for a hunt.

Her mouth watered and she licked her lips, then her blue eyes shifted to Saena and her earlier distrust spoiled into disappointment. Even if the wolves were hunting, the Alpha female would never let them eat a single scrap.

As the last to arrive, Reek was disappointed in the turnout. Despite the wolves of Phoenix Maplewood being a small and familial pack, Reek had expected more of a response to Saena's call. Nevertheless, the core group— the heart of the Maplewood had made the hunt their priority. Arion's absence was duly noted in the situation.  The once eager candidate for beta had fallen far in the eyes of Reek, and had no doubt disappointed Saena in turn.  

The plan was set. He listened along as Saena spoke, remaining silent while the others talked business.  It wasn't his place to speak up in such a situation.  Despite being an alpha, Reek was no gamekeeper, therefore he was perfectly content to act as a subordinate in this sort of situation. Thankfully, Saena had accounted for his lack of skill and assigned Reek to distraction duty. A job more fitting to a man with his skill set.

After the plan was discussed, Reek affixed his gaze on his partner in crime, Citali, as he waited for their next move.

She was only here to observe. Anything else and she'd most definitely get in the way. She was still too little to be of much good for anything other than her very own, personal, version of play. Since the adults seemed super serious, she understood that this wasn't playtime. No. Something else was happening here and she was just going to sit back and watch with wide eyes.

Reek's promise that he'd bring something back sent her spiraling int a series of day dreams. What would it be? Something good, he'd said. But was it a new plaything? She hoped it was. She hoped it was some high wonderful and grand that she could have all sorts of adventures with! Whatever it was, it was sure to be fascinating. These adults needed to get a move on so she could go play again.

There was no dissent in the ranks following her role assignment and Saena nodded to signal they should split up. She shared a meaningful look with Reek that, through the haze of anger, hopefully told him that he had the reins now. She and Nochtli would lie in wait for the deer to come their way. Giving the signal from that position would compromise it. It was up to the male Redtail to pull the trigger and get things started. If he wasn't willing, then Saena was sure Citali would get the ball rolling.

She chuffed a familiar note to Nochtli and nudged at her jaw as they set off. Saena intended to stick to the trees for now, a place that afforded them some stealth and secrecy. It would be short-lived, as they didn't have the luxury of biding their time with this kill—once the deer was onto them, there was no hiding it out—but it would be a small advantage nonetheless. "I'll take right side," she whispered, waving just the tip of her tail as anticipation settled over her. She crouched in the shade of a bush near the edge of the woods and waited for Citali or Reek to break cover with her eyes pinned attentively to their target.

Orders given, Citali and Reek deployed to move into their new position. The wandered through the woods until they'd reached the proper place. Shifting around to glance back towards Saena and Nochtli, Citali realized the pair of wolves had mostly disappeared from view. No matter. The plan had been spoken and agreed upon. They all knew what they needed to do.

"After you, sir," Citali prodded with a verbal whisper. Technically Reek held rank here which meant she was supposed to follow his lead, however if he offered any kind of hesitation she'd prove she had none and lead the charge herself. Either way, she was convinced they'd do an adequate job of herding this deer into the jaws of their pack mates so they all might dine well this evening.

Upon catching Saena's brief attempt at eye contact, Reek knew exactly what was about to go down. He nodded in confirmation, accepting the responsibility of initiation upon himself.  Part of Reek welled with pride at the opportunity to lead the pack as an alpha should, but the rest of him was consumed with nervous jitters.  The pressure was on and he was well out of his element.

He gulped and let out a tight exhale before following Citali into position. From their hiding spot, Reek craned his neck to get a good look at the grazing doe.  The plan was relatively straight-forward. Nevertheless, a failure would be a heavy blunder.  One that would rest entirely upon Reek's shoulders.  But, what was one more blunder to add to the list? 

Citali spoke, and Reek responded with a whispered, "Okay." His legs were rigid. He could already feel the adrenaline building. "Let's do the thing," he added— this time, stronger than before. Like a bullet shot out of a gun, Reek sprinted from the brush without looking back. The doe was obviously shaken, and it took off in a lope directly into their trap.

As Citali and Reek split off, so too did the two females. An ear flickered at the huff Saena gave, turning her head to lick at Saena's chin in a quick movement before they slipped away, her paw steps light and almost silent. When the alpha went right, the only female veered and went left, hunkering down as she prowled her way into a good location to both hide and extract her self from.

Sure enough, when Reek and Citali spooked the creature, Nochtli followed Saena's lead and stayed crouched until the distance between predator and prey closed, and rapidly at that. Her muscles were tense, coiled, but as soon as Saena gave her signal, she was off like a bullet, sprinting to get her teeth close enough to make a grievous wound.

She couldn't hear the conversation from where she was tucked away, but she did know something was happening. Watching with her little eyes peeping over a root, she saw the wolves split up into two... no three groups and slip away. Reek and the brown female walked off one way. The white and black ones slipped aside too. Where were they going? Were they leaving them here?

She turned wide eyes towards Regipre, looking to her sister quickly as if to ask her sister what was going on here. Were they being abandoned again? She didn't know, but Reggie knew everything so she'd definitely know what to think about this sort of thing.

The pounding of feet caused her to sharply turn her gaze back to the main scene. The hoofed things were moving and — oh look! There was Reek! He was chasing a thing and then the others were slowly starting to move in. Sart lifted herself up on the root, placing her paws upon it so she might stretch her neck and get a better view of the action. It was strange, but there was something very exciting about it all. Her tail wagged as she silently cheered them on.

As much as the young coyote wanted to observe and learn, especially when it came to hunting, she couldn't get the sour taste out of her mouth. She watched the wolves for a few moments as the hunt began, then glanced sideways, watching with bemusement as Sart literally moved to the edge of her own seat. Her sister seemed to be enjoying herself and Reggie wouldn't normally begrudge her that, because for once she wasn't being silly, but...

"They're not going to share," Regripe said flatly, turning forcefully away from the hunt-in-progress and skulking away into the forest.

Staying hidden was the hardest part. A shift in the wind could ruin any well-laid plan, but luckily for them, the weather favoured them today. There would be no errant breezes giving away the ambush, and as Reek and Citali broke cover to send the doe toward them at a full gallop, Saena felt sure they would succeed here. They were out of alternative options anyway.

Saena broke cover with a growl, her own signal to Nochtli, who was quickly alongside her. The pair zoomed toward their panicking target, who only just now realized the danger she was in. With a wolf approaching from the left, another from the right and two behind, the doe had few options. She faltered. That was enough for the two ambushing wolves to draw close, and then the lead bitch lost track of Nochtli in the chaos that always followed.

The doe, sensing she was in mortal peril, kicked out in an attempt to shake off her attackers and clear an opening for escape. Saena was for once nimble enough to avoid being struck, and when she was certain the doe was in a position to cause minimal harm, she dove in to chomp at her belly. The white-tailed deer managed to careen away from her before Saena could do any severe damage and she swore as she fell back to avoid a desperate swipe of a thick skull.

They had about thirty seconds now to do some serious damage before the doe would inevitably bolt, through them if she had to. Saena could only hope that Nochtli was able to land a fatal blow or that one of the two chasers was able to catch up and lend their teeth to the assault. Instead of going for the stomach again, the alpha dove for a front leg in an effort to hinder the deer's attempted escape so one of her comrades could rip open a wound that would bleed her to death.

Set into motion, the events happened fast, her lean form rushing alongside the animal they sought to bring down. The doe stumbled and lashed out in her panicked throes, narrowly missing Saena which Nochtli saw but did not wholly register, too focused on the task at hand to divert her attention for the moment. Bright eyes watched an attempt to open the creature's belly, the deer turning towards Saena to whip its head in a hopeful movement to cripple its attackers.

The Amazon took that moment to lunge, letting the deer's attention on Saena provide an opening for her to go in and secure her jaws on the soft flesh of the doe's belly. She had mere moments to wound their target before it stomped on her, and utilized them effectively. The sharp tang of iron filled the air as she ripped the stomach open, blood spurting over her muzzle before she pulled back, pulling a piece of flesh with her teeth which hadn't quite fully opened before she broke away.

Nevertheless, the deed was done and the mammal was left fatally injured, sure to drop after a few moments of gushing blood loss. They would have to be careful to avoid the hooves until it fell to the ground and lay prone to their hungry mouths.

Reek took off. Citali was right behind him. Together, their rushing startled the doe and sent her running straight into the trap that was Saena and Nochtli. When the two hunters darted in, Citali dropped back a little ways to survey it from the distance. If it bolted in any other direction than the one they wanted it in, she was going to do her best to head it off. Thankfully, that didn't seem to be a problem.

Saena went for the stomach and after that, a leg. Nochtli took that moment to get in that fatal blow which left the coppery scent of blood thick upon the air. Somewhere within her, Citali found a burst of speed fueled by hunger and the promise of a meal, that encouraged her to keep up the chase and keep that doe's blood pumping. The more fear within it, the faster its heart would beat. The faster that heart beat, the more blood would be circulated and lost. The more blood was lost? The faster it would pass out. It was only a matter of time now and the promise of a meal kept her at its heels.

Nochtli landed a fatal blow, cutting through the does gullet like a hot knife through butter.  It was a grousome scene to watch unfold, but Reek felt no qualms. Food was food, and the rumbling in Reek's stomach kept him barreling toward his prize. Mid gallop, Reek inhaled. Senses were snared by the pungent scent of blood. The hunt was over; they had won.

Pulling ahead of Citali, Reek lunged for the dying doe and sank his teeth deep into it's haunches. Clamping down, he pulled, tearing the sinew and a mouthful flesh away with his powerful jaws. It was only an appetizer— soon the main course would fold to the ground, and Reek would have his fill.

Saena didn't manage to hinder the doe by inflicting a serious wound, but her assault successfully distracted it long enough for Nochtli to land the killing blow. When the scent of blood filled the air, the alpha female knew they'd won. That didn't stop her from going into a bit of a frenzy; she chased the doe just as closely, snapping just as viciously, if not moreso with the pungent smell all around. They would have a good meal today in spite of their earlier failed hunt.

Reek dove in when he drew close and came away with a chunk of flesh from the deer's haunch. Saena contemplated following his example. The deer was dead anyway so why not start eating it even before it fell over? But she decided it was too dangerous for her, so she ran and she waited. And at long last, the heavily bleeding doe slowed, then swaggered drunkenly, then fell over with a defeated bleat.

Before it even took its last breath, the alpha female fell upon it. She targeted the belly first and sliced through the flesh with savagely gnashing teeth and began eating it alive, even as the doe cried out in pain. It would die in a few seconds, a minute at most, but Saena wasn't one to wait for an animal to die before digging in.

She hung back now, cleaning the blood off of her muzzle as Reek and Saena darted in to feast. Knowing her place, Nochtli stood back and let them eat until it was her time to do so, her stomach rumbling quietly while she waited. The hunt had been a good one. They had all done quite well. It was a good sign that the group would be able to continue this kind of teamwork in the future and survive the winter, even if they were a small group.

Reek went in for the final blow and the creature was felled. Citali pulled her paws to a halt as she slowed herself and eventually settled in the grass while the alpha pair dined. She knew her place. She'd be invited to feast later. For now, she was content to linger within the autumn sun and catch her breath. Her gaze shifted to Nochtli for a moment before a yawn stole her attention away. A nice bit of supper and then an evening nap would serve her quite well.