Ravensblood Forest dead man's chest

pack hunt!
here ye here ye, come meet the rest of the crew (lmk mercury & aelius if these assumptions aren't ok!)
single posts each round are welcome, round 1 ends 24th Jan

Beneath the evergreen canopy, Murkwood thrived. Often did the bleedwood trees see the captain patrolling with @Emris or exploring new grounds with @Meredith. And when he was not with them, Noxir sought the coward @Firefly or their newest recruits @Aelius and @Hex. But while their ranks expanded, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that something was missing; a camaraderie of such that they had yet to foster.

He came upon the tracks of a large herd of white-tailed deer seeking shelter from the flatlands, nose twitching as with them came the scent of rotting flesh. They harboured the weak, the sick - at this time of year it was common for those of ill-health to fall behind the rest. Where this forest would become the final resting place of one, it served an opportunity for feast and entertainment for others.

It was time to rally the troops.

A high-pitched howl sounded from within the ancient sequoias, summoning all that called this place home to partake - even the bait-wolf @Worm. And when they would eventually emerge from the gloom, Noxir would motion to the trail and the chase would begin.

she moved swiftly through the dense shadow of murkwood, the captain’s call pulling her from the river’s edge. droplets of water clung to her fur, the remnants of her earlier hunt now forgotten as her paws carried her toward the sound.

her steps were deliberate, weaving through the towering bleedwood trees with practiced ease. the forest whispered its secrets to her—fresh trails, distant rustles, and the faint scent of decay that hung on the air, promising a kill.

when she reached him, she needed no words. her posture spoke of readiness, her pale eyes flicking to noxir before settling on the trail he indicated. without hesitation, meredith fell into step, her focus now entirely on the hunt to come.

making some assumptions on Worm's captive-esque role in the pack, just lmk if i should edit!

She had not been without eyes on her since she'd taken up residence among the coast wolves, not that she'd expected otherwise, but the distrust in each stare tickled something in her. She met each stare with an intense one of her own each time, seeing how much she could rattle some of them with just those ghostly silver peepers of hers. It was a funny enough way to pass the time while she waited for the raid.

What sort of distraction would she be? Worm laid on her side, fidgeting with a small bone between her forepaws while she thought of it, running different scenarios over and over; in this tightrope-walking act, she felt alive. There was few other things that gave her such a rush.

No longer was she motivated by survival. It had been a while since then. Her motivations now were merely self-satisfying. What fun she could reap before she was returned to the dirt, or perhaps the sea.

When the captain's call ripped through the air, she pulled herself from her thoughts, rounded, coyish ears attuned to the pitch. The vermin would waste little time in slinking into the shadows, moulding them to herself; her pace was quick, her steps light. Her arrival was announced by the intentional shifting of bramble, from which she crept out and settled near Meredith.

So they would kill something today. The scent of rot already hung heavy in the wind.

Murkwood. It was an apropos name for this dark forest, constantly cast in shadow—even the Ridge had been given some semblance of light.

It perfectly mirrored the condition of his soul.

Noxir and a pair of she-wolves had gathered to the summons, and now it was Hex's turn to arrive on scene. He gave no greeting nor remark, instead standing to the side and waiting for the next command.

A hunt, apparently. He had organized his pack's one and only big game pursuit, but where some wolves might have smarted from the demotion, the lack of power, Hex found relief in it.

He was not in charge. Perhaps he was never meant to have been in charge.

So this was what it was to live among mortals.

Murkwood was as different from Sunfil Grove as Aelius had been from Acheron, but Aelius had never belonged as a god at his father's side. Already, he felt more at home with the raff Noxir had gathered round him here more than he ever had with the gilded throng.

How would father like to see him now? Aelius was nameless to him, anyway. Why should he care where or how he made a name for himself now?

When the rangy boy finally navigated to the call, most of the others had already assembled, Meredith and Noxir, the most familiar. Used to taking charge, he nearly settled next to Noxir on instinct - but he caught himself and fell into line at Hex's side, deer tracks studding the trail they followed.

the call was made and a response was needed. as his ears perked up, his attention was quickly pulled away from the bird song he had begun to follow.

as he turned on his heels and begun to race towards the captain his mind begun to wander. mother and father always told him to hold back, never letting him wander far from home. but he could not help but feel a twinge of guilt that he would not be returning.

and so, with boundless energy he burst on the growing scene. like icarus, firefly never knew how close he was flying towards the sun.

next round ends 7th Feb (or when everyone has posted!)
1 post per round, no order to keep things easy <3

And so they came.

One by one, the captain greeted each of his crew with a nod and toothy grin. Meredith was first, her steady confidence a welcome sight. He almost missed the arrival as Worm as she came to stand near the girl, eyes grazing over her to rest on Hex but nevertheless glad for her presence. The more wolves, the more they could hunt, and the more they could feast like Kings.

Aelius came to his side, and soon Firefly too made his presence known. Nox's smile only widened at the man's enthusiasm; hoping that his talent for entertainment was matched by his ability to hunt.

"Now the crew's all 'ere," he started, leading the pack deeper into the forest at a steady lope. "I suggest we split into two. I'll take 'Firefly an' Hex, Meredith can lead Aelius and Worm." This, he reckoned, balanced their numbers into more manageable groups and gave them a fighting chance at felling more than one deer while taking into account each wolf's individual strength.

"Mere, you stay near. Creep up and get the herd runnin' northwest towards the treeline. There's sick among 'em, old too - they'll fall behind. The rest of us will be waitin' there to cut 'em off." An ambush of sorts. Wetting his nose, the captain ground to a halt atop a gentle rise to look down upon a nearby clearing where a crowd of deer were making the best of winter vegetation.

"Got it?" his voice was hushed now, molten eyes flicking between the waiting faces of his crew. Once he was satisfied they were all on the same page, he flagged his tail expectantly for his men to follow.

aye, meredith replied, her voice low and steady.

without waiting any longer, she slunk into position, her form melting into the shadows like a ghost. her movements were silent, calculated, as she crept closer to the herd. muscles coiled, she waited for the perfect moment to send the deer scattering toward the treeline, just as the captain commanded.

firefly’s ears perked as the captain laid out the plan, his tail giving an eager wag at the thought of being part of something so coordinated. He shot a glance at hex, trying to gauge his reaction, but his expression betrayed nothing. turning back to the captain, he dipped his head quickly, his voice hushed but full of energy.  

got it, cap’n. northwest treeline, wait for the runaways. easy enough. he said, though his paws shifted with contained excitement. this would be his first real hunt with the crew, and he was determined not to mess it up.  

casting one last glance at @Meredith and her group as they split off, he whispered with a smile and quick wink good luck, before refocusing on the task ahead, his muscles coiling with anticipation. he had messed up her hunt before and he was determined to not let history repeat itself.

he trailed after nox, his movements quieter than usual as he tried to emulate the practiced grace of the others. his gaze flicked ahead to the herd of deer, his nose twitching as he caught their faint, musky scent on the breeze.  

firefly’s heart raced, but his determination burned brighter. this is my chance to prove i belong here, don’t screw it up.

Instructions were doled out. He was to go with the captain—Nox, whom he'd already met. Hex gave a brusque nod and a rumbled, Sure thing, before falling into line beside the man. They were accompanied by Firefly, an agouti a year or so older than himself, who he acknowledged with another nod.

Hunting was easy enough, so long as one followed good orders. He had never been great at giving said orders. Was that why Shadow Ridge had dissolved?

He cast the thought aside, instead setting himself into position for the ambush to come.

And so she was delegated her task, to chase.

What a bore, and what a workout. Vermin ink had to ask herself, as they slipped through snow and shadow; would she even get a piece of these spoils? Untrusted as she was. Even if she contributed all that she could've? Deviance stirred in her chest, tempting and almost anticipatory, a budding flower which threatened to bloom.

She followed after Meredith, the silence between each hunter broken only by the softest brush of their paws against the ground; and even that noise faded to nothing as they came closer and closer to the herd.

Indeed, more than one of them looked to be frail from the harsh winter months. They had their pick of the litter. She waited, muscles coiled to spring.

oops let this get away from me. round ends when everyone has posted <3
since Aelius is inactive, feel free to pp him in the background

They took to their positions, the Captain's eyes lingering briefly as Meredith's sandy form disappeared into the gloom, catching Firefly's similar wistful smile with a conspiratorial shoulder nudge before he took off into the forest. Hex travelled alongside, the trio reaching a place where the trees thinned and the river tumbled down to the sea.

The scent of prey was thick on his tongue, teeth itching for blood that he knew Meredith and Worm would deliver. A strange thing it was to rely on others. As Captain, he felt it his responsibility to ensure everything went as plan, but to put his trust in his crew was almost foreign. Paws rocked, senses primed as he mulled the thought, eager to regain a sense of control.

she catches nox’s glance before she disappears into the dark, catching firefly’s smirk in passing. she knows what they expect from her. knows she won’t disappoint.

the scent of prey thickens as she moves deeper, sharp and musky. she slows, her breath evening out, ears pricked forward. there. movement just beyond the break in the trees. a herd, restless, shifting in place.

she flicks her tail once in signal. the others will be in position soon. worm will drive them. she will cut them off. and nox—nox will be waiting.

her muscles coil. waiting. watching. and when the moment is right, she will strike.

Their bilge rat once again was tasked with initiating the event.

She would take her time. Just long enough to make them wonder, just long enough to make them impatient.

Impatience would spur their jaws to bite harder, their teeth to sink deeper. This; and perhaps the vermin girl simply liked to play with fire. When she decided enough time had passed to make a point, she would thrust forward from the darkness, a monstrous thing come to shatter the monotony of the night, toppling the dominoes.

The chase begins.