Swiftcurrent Creek I will grind your bones to make my bread [Pack Hunt]

@Jinx @Fox @Solène and anyone else interested in this pack hunt! Anyone with access to the SotW account is welcome to reply as the prey at any time.

The plains were not a safe place for many creatures. Especially when it was winter, and more importantly when that creature was alone. Yet as the early evening settled across the hills, a solitary animal crept through the snow. A narrow chest served to crease the rising white of winter's blanket, while the ungulate's long legs tried to lift free of the cold and the wet which was so uncomfortable. It was a young mule deer; its hide cutting a dark silhouette against a backdrop of ice and empty air. Just as the stars began to spark to life against an indigo sky, the creature paused - as if hearing something - only to continue moving in the listless, hungry way of a lost animal.

The night was creeping in, but it was slow. The sky had recently begun to pepper the ground once again with fresh snow and for a time, Njal sat and watched. His silver fur became layered by fluffy flakes, while his head rooted around his curled tail in search of heat. He was all curled up despite the early hour. A long day of tracking, patrolling, and a few attempts at fishing had led Njal to a state of withdrawal. He was tired and disinterested in much else besides sleep.

But he heard the crunch of snow, and began to listen. His ears twisted carefully beneath the thin layer of snow. He lifted his nose carefully and sniffed, inhaling the cold air, and the musk of prey. The man shifted carefully around. He tried to watch for movement and felt a sudden heat within his body; a small rise of adrenaline as his dull eyes crept along the horizon. Njal was lucky - the target was not as close as he initially thought.

It paused, perhaps wary, or perhaps it had heard him. Regardless, he waited for the creature to be a few more lengths ahead of him - and then, as he rose to his paws, he threw back his head and called out to the pack.

"I've found dinner," the song rumbled, rolling across the plains with a fresh enthusiasm. "Come, help, eat."

Jinx had just returned from one last trek around the pack's southern edge. Though her stomach protested, the mambo was too proud to rely on the pack's caches yet, and hadn't had time to scavenge. The sky was growing darker by the minute. The sun was falling fast. The last thing the Kesuk wanted to do was waste her precious energy on a hunt whose odds were low. With fresh snow obscuring scents, and her paws unfamiliar with the territory, her chances of failing were high. Alone, she could do little good against anything that wandered the twilight, particularly while at a terrain disadvantage.

She had thus resigned herself to a hungry night, and retreated to the cover of the grassland. Jinx forced herself to be content with this, but of late her gut was violent in protesting these periods of fasting. No sooner had she circled her chosen spot and laid down, burying her nose in the crook of her hind leg and covering it with her tail, then she was up again. A grumble of discontent parted her mouth as she huffed, pacing as her stomach growled. So vigorous was it, she could almost swear it rippled with every sound.

This increase in appetite was no doubt the result of all her sparring and patrolling of late. She was about ready to call it quits on rest and accept a sleepless night when Njal's howl boomed over the silent creek. Throwing up her ears and growing rigid, the female paused a moment to listen before adding her own voice to his, to state her participation.

With that, she began the trek to him, and by the time she reached him, saliva had pooled in her mouth and coated her lips. Her stomach felt so hollow and yet heavy that the scent of prey on the wind was almost nauseating. At the same time, it was irresistible and tantalizing, and beckoned her to walk even faster. Her tail waved as she approached the Gamma, her lips pulling back into a grin signifying he was the leader here. He had spotted the prey, and Jinx deferred to him, despite any usual defiant pride she might otherwise have sported.

When Njal's call resounded throughout her home, Fox's ears perked up. While she was not particularly hungry, she would never turn down the opportunity to have a go at a good hunt. There was little else to do on such an evening besides sleep, and she could certainly do that during the daylight hours. Jinx's voice soon rose alongside Njal's, which only enticed Fox more. She had become fond of both of them, despite how different the two were, and let her own tiny voice join them for a brief moment before making her way toward them.

After a quick jaunt, the Delta arrived to find Njal and Jinx dancing the ritual respect dance, and Fox followed suit. Njal was, after all, more respectable than her. At least for the moment. He had called this meeting, and Fox was too small to lead such a thing, so his leadership was all the more necessary. She could only hope that he would recognize her speed, rather than try to rely on what little strength she had.

It was Jinx's voice that called to her more than any other.

She moved toward the sound, knowing what the notes meant, hungry for it. Her fast had long since ended, and her ribs no longer jut from her sides. Clarice could not yet offer strength, but like Fox could offer speed. She was not a petite girl, strangely, though neither was she massive. She was the happy-medium between father and mother, though truly she did not think of her stature in a manner that identified her as anything else but herself.

Clarice moved quickly toward Jinx's side, her icy eyes roving over the faces around them. She had not yet met Njal, and she shifted her weight thoughtfully. He was above her in the hierarchy... her mind whirled. But she was still, and her eyes averted. Fox, too, was above her in rank. Clarice's head was level with that of Jinx's own, respecting the Gamma and then, naturally, Fox. The red one had earned it, and she thought along the very same line that Fox had toward Njal... for the moment.

Pack members heard the call and came running, which raised his spirits. Njal spent the few moments between his call and their arrival just watching the prey - it had heard his summons as well, and grew wary. Raising it's head and searching furtively for enemies. The wolves were collected away from it; first Jinx, who rose up from the snow like an embodiment of it's chill, and deferred to him as soon as she drew close. Fox came next and Njal felt the familiar tightening in his chest as his gaze fell upon her bright pelt. The fire that was so familiar. The last to arrive was a woman he had not met yet; a strange being who was like Jinx but smaller, and appeared drawn to the burly woman.

This was enough. If more came, then the job would be quicker. Njal wasn't sure if he wanted the hunt to be over too quickly now that he saw the eager energy within the others. With a grunt to draw attention, he motioned with his head for Fox and the new arrival - Clarice, although he wasn't aware of the name - to leave Jinx and himself behind. They could be quick and flank the target, they could drive it back towards the two of them. Njal glanced at Jinx and moved toward her, with her, as they wordlessly assembled.

For clarity, he voiced his plans. "Fox is quick. She will take you," a motion towards Clarice with a subtle flick of his ears as an apology for not knowing her name, "And you will chase. Given the chance, try to herd the creature towards us." A glance to Jinx, a glance away, and Njal picked up speed to follow after the target. If this plan did not work out then he would eagerly give another wolf a chance - his quarry was usually aquatic after all. The last time the man had hunt on land like this, was back on his beloved peak.

i'm assuming there's no posting order? feel free to punt me if i'm wrong.

The only other that joined them was Clarice, the sweet and quiet girl (as far as Fox was concerned) who had been concerned about her wounds. Fox nodded to her in greeting, and then turned her attention back to Njal, who immediately laid out a plan for them. Fox and Clarice would rush them, and Njal and Jinx would attempt to make the kill. It seemed a sound plan, and Fox bumped shoulders with Clarice gently before making her way toward the beast that would hopefully become their dinner.

Once there, she perked her head up to scan the horizon for Njal and Jinx. Seeing their distant figures from where she stood, she then focused her attention back on Clarice. She signaled the girl to move out and away from her. Fox planned on going first, but Clarice would be there to make sure the animal did not go the wrong way. Steadying herself for one, two, three breaths, Fox sprung from her position, knowing that the deer would have no choice but to flee toward Njal and Jinx or face the wrath of tiny pinching Fox teeth.

Anyone with access to the SotW account is welcome to reply as the prey at any time.

The creature stood as still as it could when the sound of wolves reached it. With a raised head and wide-eyed stare, the mule deer surveyed it's flatland surroundings and tried to pinpoint where the threat could be; it's large ears fanning in every direction, eager, desperate. The young buck's speed increased when panic sank in, although the snow slowed it's attempted steps. It could leap and bound all it wanted, but the animal struggled in the snow regardless. The wind shifted briefly and this brought new information to the buck - that it wasn't alone after all. That wolves were indeed somewhere. Without knowing where to go, it continued to try and fight it's way through the snow drifts - leaving a path for the predators to follow.

She needn't be given well worded commands, for Njal's glance held all the information she required. It was a new thing, to be given the role of ambush. Her typical job was the chase, but perhaps it was her new-found bulk that she owed the honour to. She chocked it up to maturity and filling out, and found herself alight with pride when Clarice and Fox were singled out as the chasers. There was nothing wrong with chasing, of course... But the Kesuk's family had all been ambushers, and so she would hope to be, as well.

Her gaze lingered on Clarice a moment before she and Fox left to find their ideal hiding place. She fell in beside Njal for a time, pacing at a distance from the deer that seemed to sense its peril. She watched from afar as it struggled with the snow, encumbered by its weight and thin legs. A more perfect target would not be found this night, so for the sake of the assembled quartet, it would have to go down one way or another. She could see the dark figures of Clarice and Fox closing in on the deer, and her own legs picked up their marching to close her in as well.

But as any good wolf, she remained in waiting whilst in motion. Her strides were long and even, keeping her well distanced from the deer, but her muscles were taut ripples beneath her coat, ready to spring her to full speed at any moment. Jinx's gaze sought Njal's, held on his pale form a brief moment, and then she spurred herself to separate from him somewhat. They would come in like a claw, one from either side with the chasers at its back, should it turn to them. Should it not, then it would become a game of chase... And that was not a game that wolves often lost.

She was given her role and Clarice shifted her weight, evidently accepting it. She knew she could take no part in the takedown itself, not being large herself—challenge it, challenge yourself, you can do as you please....—the offer was there, and Clarice seemed to turn electric at it. Her eyes darkened some... but it was Jinx's glance that kept her at Bay. Clarice knew of the Kesuk's. This was Jinx's time. She would have hers, soon enough. But certainly not ambushing.

She darted after Fox, and then went her own way, rounding the prey as any able hunter would. In time, she was in her position, and it was there she lingered until a howl would sound and the hunt would begin.

The creatures took to their jobs and routes without hesitation, bolstering a sense of strength within Njal. To think that he had these wolves as family now, willing to obey his commands, willing to respect him in this endeavour, invigorated Njal. Fox and the white girl were off together in swift succession, leaving himself behind with Jinx, who followed him with an eager enough stride. It took mere moments for the quad of wolves to find the target - it had not gotten far - and a few more before Njal noticed the ruddy figure of Fox in the distance. Her partner was lost within the snow drifts, camouflaged conveniently.

With a look to Jinx - as if to ask are you ready, he lifted his head and gave a sharp, quick call. It was time for the chase to begin! With Fox and Clarice working their paths around the stranded deer, Njal moved up the center with a slow gait; he did not want to spook the creature away, but leave it space to believe itself to be safe. When the creature noticed the flash of red that was Fox - and the snapping teeth of Clarice - it was sure to head in the opposite direction, in to the waiting jaws of Jinx and himself.

Fox continued her pursuit, gaining tunnel vision as she did so. The only thing she could focus on was the animal at hand, and she continued to nip at its heels (before quickly drawing back to avoid a fatal kick to the head). She put her trust in the others to help in the ways they had been instructed to. When her legs began to burn with fatigue, Fox pushed onward, not willing to let her physical maladies get in the way of their precious food.

She caught a glimpse of Njal up ahead (Jinx was likely just a blur of white against white snow), and she slowed her pace ever-so-little so that the creature might slow and not trample her friends. Fox was salivating something fierce, and her grey eyes were wild with hunger. If they were unable to catch this beast, it would be an unspeakable disappointment to the yearling.

Anyone with access to the SotW account is welcome to reply as the prey at any time.

It was impossible to know how unsafe the area was for this deer. That there were more than two eager wolves chasing after him. But the stag continued to outrun the blurred figures - he fought against the snow which continued to pile around him, and was forced to divert his course when his chest-wading made the snow build up against him too heavily. It was by sheer unluckiness that the deer turned to run, and was met with a heavy snow drift. The size of it lured him onwards, but as his long legs tried to find purchase against the surface, the creature only sank; the snow was deep but not packed for running. He knew with a bleating cry of despair that the red wolf's snapping teeth had driven him to his doom. But he struggled regardless, the way anything would when faced with death - and managed to get clear of the sinking snow. With a kick of his hind legs the mule deer tried to catch the snapping wolf's tiny skull, and onward he went, thoroughly chilled and growing weary.

Excitement built up in Jinx in those initial moments of biding their time, closing in, and waiting. From afar she could see the little smear of red against the snow that was Fox. No doubt Clarice was there as well, but the distance and the poor lightning made her difficult to see. When Njal's cry went up into the air, no doubt alerting the deer to their presence and spurring the chasers into motion, Jinx's tail whipped against her hindquarters as anticipation gripped her. Her stomach rumbled, and with that she was on the move, pacing to match the deer's erratic leaps and bounds as she closed in on it.

Fox and Clarice did their job flawlessly. The deer found a deep patch of snow and stumbled, hindered by its thin legs in ways the wolves were not. With their flat, wide paws, they could almost glide through deep snow. Their unfortunate hooved prey had no such advantage. When the deer kicked free of its predicament, Jinx moved in hard and fast, closing the gap between herself and the animal. She tried to assess the best way to go about bringing it down as she approached. There were many strategies, but in the end she opted for bleeding it out rather than the riskier method of going straight for its jugular.

To that effect, she burst out of the snow in a hurtling ball of snapping jaws, aiming to catch the creature's exposed nose to either turn it back toward the deep snow, drag its head down and slow its charge, or rip the tender flesh and inflict immense pain.

Clarice was pale white against the snow. And when it was time, she burst from her brush and did her job. In time, Fox was on the other side of their quarry... and soon enough, the duo were slowing, snapping still at the heels of the prey but careful to mind their pack mates.

In good health due to her fast ending, Clarice still felt the stress of the exertion, breathing hard in their now slowing sprint. She got a few good snaps that cut at the heel, minor injuries to the thing... but she still felt some satisfaction, only letting off when the others flooded in.

Njal ran alongside Jinx for a short burst, and then she pulled ahead of him. He watched as she snapped at the creature's front end - grabbing at it's nose, pulling, yanking, irritating. He saw a flash of red as Fox wove close, and the movement of a small white snow-beast when Clarice drove in as well. The pack was comprised of many strangers and yet they could hunt together with ease. It was a sight to see, indeed. Njal launched himself through the snow after his fellow wolves and squared his body with the deer; it fought the snow and tried to escape the grasp of Jinx's fangs, spraying blood with every twist of it's head. The grey man took to his own role with a turn of his stride. He thrust his mouth open and drove his teeth in to the flesh nearest to his face; the withers, the shoulders, the neck, whatever he could grasp and rend. He tasted blood and fell back amongst the others, to follow the creature's crimson trail.

She felt her teeth sink into the tender flesh of the deer's nose. It cried out in pain and swung its head viciously, forcing the lithe Kesuk to fall back from its charging advance, but the damage was done. The deer had slowed marginally in response to the wolf's advance, and struggled to regain its former speed, allowing her comrades to either fall in beside it or catch up. Jinx was quick to spring away from the creature, then closed in again to nip at its sides, hoping to catch and tear flesh and open more wounds.

The beast bled freely now, from its nose and a variety of sites along its body. Even if the deer ran for several more miles, it would eventually collapse from blood loss, which is exactly what the wolves wanted. No wolf had qualms with following prey until it fell, and Jinx was the same. She fell in behind the deer, her pace slowing just enough to keep pace with the heavily bleeding animal. There was no need any longer for her to charge in and put herself in harm's way. The deer would fall.

@Njal - Do you want to go ahead and wrap this up after this round? Feel free to fade out. :)

Now that the beast was bleeding from various wounds, Fox knew they had this one in the bag, so to speak. She continued her slowed pace, ducking between trees when necessary and skirting brush here and there. The trail of blood made the dying creature easy to follow, so they technically did not even need to keep it within eyesight now, but Fox could not help herself. Besides, it would do no good for their dinner to die and become somebody else's dish. She wanted it for the pack. They had done all the work, after all.

As she continued to trail the beast, she wondered who would eat first. Perhaps Jinx, for she was the largest. Although Njal had more prestige in the pack. Whatever the order, there would be plenty enough to go around plus some to store away for the remaining cold months.

The deer did not look like it would last much longer. Leaving trails of pink and red streaking around it, the creature struggled through the snow; harried by wolves on all sides, torn at, tasted. Njal drew back to watch the others pester it, but kept himself in line to follow the floundering body. There was pride welling within him for the way they worked together. As the deer veered in a new direction Njal picked up speed, leaping through the snow to the point where he was flanking Jinx, and then as he ran beside her, the target stumbled. Its limbs splayed and kicked in desperation as a clear dizziness overtook it; the blood loss was sufficient enough and it was like the deer knew that its life was going to end soon.

With a sag of it's front end, it went down. Sliding on to its belly, lifting and writhing in an effort to stand and keep going, but the blood continued to seep from it. Staining its skin, the snow, until finally it gave a great breath and went limp against the earth. The deer was not yet dead, but utterly exhausted. It would take hours for the creature to be exanguinated but the pack did not need to wait. Njal fell upon it as soon as it was down, grabbing at its face and then its throat with a precise bite to the larynx. What bones were there quickly cracked and popped, and he clenched at it to finish the animal. However, Njal was tired himself - and after a few moments when the deer began to kick, he released and drew back. Perhaps Jinx would have better luck with ending it.

Knowing that the deer would soon be dead, Njal sank back and waited. He watched as his pack-mates drew close. When the animal was killed he let out a bark of glee, which transitioned in to a howl of pleasure; they had done it, they had taken down the mule deer together. While Njal wanted to take the first bite, he deferred to Fox; looking to her, and standing himself up with a small rumble in his chest, warning the others away until she took her rightful place as the first to feast.

From that point, Njal tore at the creature. He carved away some of the fatty tissue of the warm body and gulped down chunks of meat, taking a bit of extra for a cache, and dragged a few strips away, leaving the rest for the others to fight over.

[exit njal]

The deer faltered and fell, and the wolves fell upon it instantly. In the frenzy of it, Jinx wasn't sure whether it was Njal, herself, or Fox who landed the ending blow. Clarice seemed to be haunting them in the distance, strange as always, but Jinx knew that was just how she operated. For short times, she existed in their mortal world, but it never took long for the loa to whisk her back into her mental prison. No doubt the girl would feed as well, but in her own time.

She longed to force the others away, to make them wait their turn, as she had done in Shearwater, but forced herself to be patient. She was no longer the Alpha as she had been there, and there were fewer of them than Shearwater's ranks had held. Even if she was the last to feed, it was a veritable feast awaiting her. She took her fill when she had the chance, and when an opportunity presented itself, darted in to snatch at the leftovers so she could pull some meat away to make a cache closer to her usual haunts. She shared one last moment with them, lifting her head into a proud howl, before departing to find sleep at last.