Fishblight Mire i knew what it meant to be afraid

group hunt! @Nunataq @Gannet @Treason. no post order; will start next round when everyone has replied. PP to get them moving from LCH

nightfall remained merrick's favorite time, and his first hunt would not be an exception.
at a steady clip he moved over the borders, among the three wolves he had chosen for this particular hunt. his plan was simple: cut out the old stag from the herd where they rested at the edge of the moor, and chase him into the bog, where he might be mired down and therefore less of a threat.
it was some time before they came to the waterways cutting through shadowwyn — merrick glanced to each of them in turn before quickening his own gait, for the scent of deer was fresh, thick upon the ground and the air. 
and when his path brought to him the sight of the small herd, merrick paused, gathering his strength for the chase to come. as planned, the deer quickly spotted the wolves and darted in the direction of the mire; the lost creek denziens would not need to exert effort until they had followed the stag to the reeking place.
not long now; merrick moved in a steady trot after the flagging white tails.

Gannet was intensely pleased to have been chosen to participate in this hunt. He followed as wordlessly as usual, but there was a definite jauntiness to his gait as he followed Merrick, once again easily letting the younger boy lead.

It dropped once they got to the place where the deer apparently were, and he slowed down alongside the others. He tried to move more silently so they wouldn't startle a herd until the time was right.

They succeeded, and now they had a mark. Gannet was not entirely familiar with this part of the territory - he had not explored completely yet. So even though a part of him was eager to take off after the deer, he trusted Merrick's lead and hung back, moving at a steady and characteristically off-kilter lope.

Treason didn't place herself at the front of the group, and in fact more often trailed towards the rear.  This was Merrick's time to shine, if that was to be what fate had decreed.  Besides, she supposed one of the good things about not being the lead in this hunt was that she probably could stay in a safer support role.  Though she continued to do things as she normally would, she was now pretty consistently reminded of her current awkwardness that would only get worse -- but she was not one to just slouch around while she was still able to do otherwise.  Terance hadn't seemed too stoked, but he also didn't argue it so here she was.

She trotted along after them with relative ease, even if she wasn't particularly fond of the mire.  The smell of the deer did make her a bit hungry in anticipation, though, so perhaps it was best that she wish that things went well rather than being apathetic to the whole thing.  Food was always nice.  Her attentive gaze skipped back and forth between the deer and the youth.  How would he handle the hunt when it really got going?  They'd find out soon enough.  Treason had no problem following another's lead as long as it didn't point directly into the land reserved for fools.

Merrick did not have to explain anything to Nunataq - she was always eager to join action and her brother was one of the few people that never disappointed in his choice of entertainment. Whether a pyjama party ir the end of the world - the young coywolf could always depend on Nuna being there.

She followed his lead, though her steady trot was interrupted frequently, when she made several side-stops to either mark or sniff at something very important, but she caught up with him quickly. Her mood became a tad bit sour, when she realized that more people were to join her party, but other than paying no attention to them and minding her own business, she did not show her annoyment.

However, all was forgotten, when Merrick revealed, what he had had in mind. Though the last encounter with deer was still a very vivid memory, she hesitated only for a moment, before joining the "dance of life and death" together with the rest, lending her paw, where it was needed and required at the given moment.

<3

the bog loomed ahead, the land becoming softer underfoot. watching the deer bound ahead, merrick watched the old stag stumble in the darkness, his weight much heavier than the nimble does and the spry predators that followed. and he was winded, the boy saw, watching the great animal tilt his head back beneath the rack of antlers.
a firmer inlet led into the mire, and merrick padded along its length. the stag, unable to go further, stamped a warning hoof, but the action only sank the beast's ankles more firmly into the stinking morass. a baleful glint flickered in the boy's eyes; he glanced to the others, to see that they looked upon what he saw and knew what he meant to do.
merrick broke into a run along the steadier land; the stag whirled and plunged ahead desperately, but his legs were sucked by the mud, and his efforts were in vain.

They dogged their prey into tougher terrain and Gannet began to take more care in where he jogged. Finally, the stag they were closing in on slowed, and Gannet could see its hooves had sank into the mire.

Merrick went alongside and startled the animal into lunging, but it was futile for the moment. Gannet watched for a second, then began to circle the other way, picking firmer ground as well on the side opposite. When the stag saw him, it knew that it was surrounded, and it bucked more wildly to get free. Hopefully he could frighten the creature into a panic, forcing it to tire itself out even more in an attempt to escape them.

It was no wonder this wasn't a place she loved adventuring.  Even in winter it was just squelchy enough that it would otherwise turn her away.  Treason liked knowing the earth beneath her wasn't going to try to pull any pranks, but today it was only their prey that seemed to be succumbing.

Despite the fact it appeared to be slowly becoming more and more stuck, she would give the stag a few more inches than she thought would otherwise be completely safe -- just in case.  To do less than that would be foolish.  Treason had been thinking similar to Gannet: run the creature down until it was too tired to do anything but die nicely for them.  She came at its rear, where its wild, wide-set eyes wouldn't be able to see as well, so she gave it a bit of help, snarling fiercely as she feinted a dive to bite it.  Her teeth clipped at the air, purposely short.  If the motion itself wasn't enough to panic it farther, then certainly the sound would help encourage it.

That sent her into shallower mud that squished around her paws, but she should be able to get free and retreat if it managed to leap into the air and spin 180 degrees to face her.  Probably not a good idea for her to go farther forward, though.  Treason would pick a more firm path unless this was where it was to fall.

Where the rest of the hunting crew were quite succesful at avoiding to get stuck the same way the deer had, Nunataq did not share the same fate. It was difficult for her to keep the excitement under control and be careful about her footing at the same time, and adjust her moves and actions with the rest of the group. Therefore it happened so that she wandered just a little off the course and the next moment, what had seemed a safe and solid carpet of moss, gave way and she found herself chest deep in muddy, ice-cold water. The shock caught her breath, but it took a minute for her to recover, before she began to backpedal herself out of the trap and find a more suitable path for her endeavours.

The water was quick to freeze in the cold air and her gait was somewhat hobbling and awkward, when she rejoined others.

the adults followed on dryer land, but merrick did not move forward toward the stag until nunataq had rejoined them, regarding her with a brief look of encouragement despite her fall. she would soon forget it, he expected; his sister was never one to let such small things interfere with what she wanted to do. before them, the mired animal thrashed, his eyes rolling wildly; merrick chose this moment to slip forward, worrying its unguarded flank with a flash of his teeth.
a bloodstain bloomed along the stag's flesh. he gave a great bellow, lowering antlers toward the pale gannet, but whatever charge it may have made was impeded by the sucking mud.
and so merrick darted again, this time snapping toward the place behind one of their quarry's forelegs. setting his jaws, he dragged backward with all his might, grip breaking only when the stag swung its head of knives toward the boy with a snort of pained anger.

It was time. Gannet was poised, his eyes constantly tracking between Merrick and the quarry. He took every cue from what the young huntmaster did, and when he began to worry the large animal, Gannet moved to help.

The head and the hooves were the biggest danger he knew. Gannet hadn't been afforded the chance to hunt things like this often, especially not in a group. He'd been alone much of his early life and in Moonspear had been injured. But the hunts he had been on had definitely taught him caution.

It was prevented from charging by the mud, thankfully. Soon it would doubtless figure out it could reach them only when they darted in, but before it could target Merrick with all of its attention, Gannet leapt in at its hindquarters, opposite the side Merrick had torn. He clamped down and tore, opening a wide welt.

The hoof clipped him a stinging blow as he danced backwards, trying to keep his steps light on the sticking mud. They just needed to tire it enough that it stopped fighting.

At some point she'd have to take a risk.  Hopefully a not very risky risk, but it was still one to begin with.  She shifted her feet on the uneven ground, trying to keep in the watery top layers of muck as much as possible.  Treason really didn't need to get stuck.

It seemed proper that Merrick was the first one to go for an actual bite, and both he then Gannet drew the creature's ire most directly.  She kept her distance a bit more, thankful for doing so when one leg came free and struck the latter.  He still stood, so probably nothing super serious, but again, Treason was not wanting risks right now.  Her attention shifted back to the Stag.  She picked the leg opposite the one Gannet had chosen, but her angle put her more at the creature's rear and lunged forward to bite the back side of its leg, a nice well-muscled area, ripe for the chomping.

She could see it shift and promptly let go, just in case, but the leg that hadn't kicked at Gannet seemed to be pretty firmly mired.  It couldn't hit her.  Perhaps by causing whatever bruises Gannet might have in the morning, the shift of weight had trapped its other stick-like limb?  Seemed reasonable.  Well then.  Treason reached out a second time, sinking her teeth into the back of its thigh again, shaking her head with a growl to try and widen the wound.  She did not stay forever, though, and as it writhed again, she backpedaled.

Nunataq was quick to act, when she was hunting on her own or when she did this in Merrick's company. This being her first experience hunting in a group was a more difficult feat, because there were so many numbers she had to take in account for the equation to work properly. She watched Merrick, Treason and Gannet all work together to, what it seemed to her, pull the animal down with their weight and do as much damage as it was possible in the process. Which seemed easy enough, considering that hanging in trees was one of Nunataq's free time occupations.

From experience with a crew of deer she had met weeks earlier and who had taught her some painful lessons about respecting the beast, she decided that the best place to strike was the one, which would be unguarded. And either luckily or unfortunately (we will see) for her, this turned out to be the side of the neck, when the animal turned to swat Merrick. All too soon she realized that the neck in question was far bigger than the span of her jaws, that her light-weight stature helped in no way and that she - once again - had chosen the wrong footing. Because instead of having a somewhat solid ground for leverage there was the watery, swampy mess beneath her feet.

And as their prey moved more to shake the predators off, she felt herself slowly losing her grip. Despite her best efforts.

so enthralled was he with the smoothness of the dance he led that merrick did not immediately notice nunataq's predicament. the scent of blood rose metallic in the air, infusing him with a rigorous sense of accomplishment. his sister struck, and then he did again, this time opening a wound along the beast's shoulder.
the stag bellowed, using his depleted strength to aim a rough shoulder at nunataq. then, merrick saw the slipping of her paws, the way her jaws strained along the hide, and dashed forward. 
with luck, before the stag targeted them with a blow, he would bury his own teeth near nunataq's, and drag the animal sideways into the mire.

The clipped blow stung, but only momentarily. It luckily hadn't caught him broadly, and he was able to dart back in, judging the situation with calculating platinum eyes.

The stag was stumbling, it would be over soon. Nunataq and now Merrick pulled at it's neck, and as soon as he saw this, Gannet lunged for a foreleg. His jaws clamped tight, further throwing the majestic creature's wavering balance sideways. He hung on there, willing it to fall, but all the while watching to ensure he would not be beneath it when it did.

Again, Treason played cautious.  The deer was flailing, and she wasn't going to be within hoof strike range in the process.  Back onto firm ground again, she circled around the outside and found a place and after a quick examination again went for its hip but this time from a different angle than before.

She aimed higher.  Once her teeth found purchase, unlike before she didn't try to rip or tear, but instead just yanked backwards with all her sizable weight.  If mass was all that would be needed, then she had plenty of it before, and more of it now. Hopefully the angle of attack and their combined force would be enough for them to bring this to its conclusion.

Merrick came to Nunataq's aid immediately and she would have given him a greatful look were it not for the gravity of the situation. With the combined efforts of the hunting party and the advantage of the marshy land, where the deer had got stuck, the animal began to lose balance. And for a moment there she felt a rush of excitement and energy, renewed the strength of her grip and pulled with all she had got in her. Only to realize later that there was a disadvantage coming her way: when and if the deer fell, she would find herself right underneath it and it's weight would push her through the soft and unstable ground of the moss and straight in the water.

it was at that moment a deep sense of fear gripped merrick. the deer was toppling, and quickly, tired by the half-dozen wounds ripped in its flesh by the hunting party, but nunataq was in danger. merrick cared about no other creature on earth save for his sister, and so threw aside caution to dart between the young she-wolf and the struggling deer, presumably knocking her into the water behind himself and sinking his own teeth into its pelt as it began to descend with a dangerous quickness into the marsh.

Finally it was done! For the most part, at least. Gannet's teeth hit home just as everyone else's did, and he latched on as it fell.

He couldn't see what was happening at the head, so he didn't move to assist. Instead as soon as it was downed, Gannet began to tug, hoping between all of them they could drag the body onto former ground before it began to sink further into the mire around them.

Everything felt like it was happening at once.  Merrick had shoved Nuna, or at least she thought that's what was going on out of the corner of her eye, then the deer started to tip. Once she was pretty sure it was past the point of no recovery (okay, maybe a tiny bit before that, she was hedging her bets) she let go and backed up swiftly.  Well, not too swiftly, the ground was nice and squishy and slowed her.  But it was enough.

Since it falling over didn't mean it was actually dead yet or anything, she gave it a second to see where the limbs would be flailing and approached again to help Gannet try to tug it somewhere better slightly better for the wolves, whether it was kicking and bleating or not.  It probably didn't have too much fight on it, and if it was on its side still suckered into the marsh in places, it probably wasn't too dangerous unless someone got careless.  Treason also had the mass to make it much easier to do, so it was more an issue of making sure that they wouldn't move it too far too fast and give the stag a chance to get up.  Merrick was the one up by the front end, so he or Nuna (once she got her paws back under her) was going to be the one to probably put an end to it.

Merrick came to Nunataq's aid and though she did not escape the trouble with dry feet, so to say, she did not end up as a swamp ghoul, who would let out it's last mournful cries under the weight of the deer. Her brother's position gave his sister the advantage of approaching their prey from the front end. After brief, but careful deliberation, the young wolf decided to stay away from the feet that were kicking and thrashing and settled for the snout. At the right moment she attacked it, latching on the animal's nose and keeping a firm grip of it. If the deer was unable to raise it's head, it would not be able to get up either. The animal struggled and bellowed, but the girl kept her grip firm.

with the other three of the hunting party properly placed, merrick snapped wide his dripping jaws and lunged to catch the old downed beast just beneath the chin. the thrill of life beating beneath his teeth was near-erotic; he bit harder and the delicate jugular tore, spraying blood down his throat until it overflowed and poured down his chin, his chest, dripping into the stinking marsh-water below.
merrick held fast as the aged stag kicked his legs weakly in a last defiance of death, adjusting his grip until it was tighter, a vise around the throat and its draining crimson. the proud animal toppled, snorting a last breath, and the boy disentangled himself to watch the light fade like snowmelt from the large brown eyes.
panting, he looked first to nunataq, then to treason, and last to gannet, pride limning his form, gratitude showing in the glint of his eyes. look upon what he had done, what they had done. an era, ended by wolfsteeth.

Merrick was successful, and Gannet watched proudly as the struggles slowed, then ceased. Once they had, he resumed pulling, dragging it with help onto firmer ground.

The boy seemed proud, which was only right!! His plan to take it where the footing was bad was a good one, one that he had successfully seen through. Gannet's smile as a result mirrored Merrick's... he was grateful he'd been trusted to come along, he'd enjoyed this immensely. They would eat well tonight.

Right now, though, Merrick would get first choice from his standpoint, as the takedown and command was his. So when he got it where it would not sink, Gannet released it and stepped back, though he would join after in helping them to tear in and take the portions where they needed to go.

fading <3 thanks to all!

through their collective strength had they lowered the beast and rent its flesh. and merrick stood proudly over the gnashing teeth, knowing he had done well. his place had been earned in blood, and happily he glanced to nunataq. in time the small hunting party divvied up as much as they could carry and returned home, though merrick in the days to follow oft revisited the scene of his first triumph.