Wheeling Gull Isle trinity

@Mojag or @Heda? or anybody else interested in hunting!

imagine the surprise of the missionary as he made his way from the greenhills to the lavender fields.

only to spot a truly small herd within the meadow. three does. one buck. he imagined they must have only just crossed over within the last cycling of the tide. surely not oblivious to what resided upon the island, but clearly unbothered for now.

and the buck thought very little of the priest, as it stared at him with big, near-black eyes. nostrils flared at one another.

he found himself frozen with the awe of their arrival, unable to call for a proper hunter and the advice they might bring.

heda uncoiled near bartholomew. her eyes did not move from the animals which were now trapped upon the island. "we should take a doe," she told him. "not the buck." 
the remaining three would bring forth new fawns, if they saw fit to stay in sweetharbor. heda knew this fact in the same way she had no comprehension the same might happen to her.
the advisor did not glance to her mentor, waiting only to hear what he would say.

he did not have to look to know it was her.

do you think they will all leave if we take one? the buck returned to graze amongst his herd. shuffling through the well tended to lavender and brush.

sweetharbor would flourish even further if they managed a herd upon the isle!

heda shook her head. "i don't think so. they're the only deer here. could make something of the land first. but even if they do, we'll eat."
she gave him a wry look.
"god provides," she whispered, before her head sunk below her shoulders and she set off at a slow skulk.

Now was his chance! Mo had found the deer around the same time as both adults and he knew they were watching; he would prove himself the hunter of the island!

He came out of hiding at a brisk run, focused on the little family of herbivores. He saw the crown of a buck. The does startled and began to break away - the buck saw the boy and struck the earth with a warning.

Mojag ignored the warning. He was a man now! A man and a hunter; he would prove it to everyone!

God provides!

he felt nearly breathless and compelled to laugh all in one swoop. instead he was stunned into silence at the growth of heda.

then distracted by the bounding form of mo.

the buck struck at the ground, the warning sign of a patriarch protecting his kingdom.

bartholomew was no hunter! he knew not what the best course of action might be, but he felt the need to distract the buck from the growing boy.

he offered a sharp sound to round heda's attention if she had not yet noticed and began to move at a brisk pace. a sharp, yappier sound than the wolves around him might produce. hoping that the buck might turn upon him instead.

before heda could react, mo dodged out in front of she and bartholomew. the young hunter drew up sharply, the breath leaving her lips. the dark man warned them both, then sought to draw the animal's attention.
heda barked to draw mo's attention, jerking herself toward the boy and seeking to cut him off before he came into harm's way. "pick a doe!" she said to him, motioning to the white tails bounding up the greenhills. "not him. he can hurt you."
she dodged out again, golden eyes seeking to draw the antlers her way now.

He heard shouting! There were sounds like barking or maybe singing! Mojag thought that these were cheers on his behalf as he threw himself before the stag; but then there was a flash of white in the corner of his eye and he saw Heda, and heard her warning.

The stag did not immediately strike out for him then. There were two wolves before it and double the danger. It lagged, snorting as Heda pulled away to leave the boy on his own again, and then it brandished its crown for Mojag and he was quick to backpedal.

While he did that, the stag stomped and moved closer; but a sound behind it, of the does moving and the brown dog making his noise and the white wolf stomping the other way, all served to confuse him.

Mojag peeled away from the confrontation and followed Heda.

leader and advisor played their roles.

the buck stayed focused upon them rather than young mo. heda drew its attention with the knowledge and grace of a hunter. bartholomew rounded to be closer to the boy.

a doe! pick and we will move as one!

it was what hunters did.

and the does knew they were being hunted.

the buck lunged. heda dodged back. the male struck again and this time he caught her a blow, a tine through her fur. the flesh would bruise tomorrow.
for now mo was near her, and then bartholomew. "up there!" she urged them breathlessly, laughingly. she tore away from the boy and the man to circle the buck, barking to keep his focus on her. the animal lowered its antlers and charged the hunter.

They were as organized as they could get, given how swiftly Mojag had appeared and distroyed any of their plans; but now Bartholomew called out to chase the does, and Heda moved, and Mo followed her laughter - breaking away only on a proper cue this time, so that they could round upon the target on multiple angles, and split one from the group.

he had to trust.

he had to have faith as he led the boy. or perhaps it was the boy who led him! but bartholomew saw an opportunity among a slower doe. perhaps an old injury kept it behind, or it simply had not been prepared.

he began to dive for blows on the doe, hoping that heda was safe with the buck.

can wrap here or keep going!

the buck grappled with her.
but heda knew she would prevail, and dodged the tines. up above, mo and bartholomew cut a doe apart from the herd and began to strike.
tonight sweetharbor would feast once more.