Lake Rodney [[EVENT HUNT]] The Grand Pursuit!

Sorry, this took so long but here it is! The Autumn Equinox Hunt between Brecheliant and Redhawk has begun! The Target? A large bull elk! A tough target but with good teamwork, it can be taken down!
@Towhee @Ruenna @Bronco @Phox @Maegi @Fennec @Sphyra @Caracal @Blueberry @Vesper @Killdeer
@Eljay @Teya

Weather

71F

Partially cloudy

Windy

And of course, since this is late, it is backdated to the day of the Pack Hunt.

The cold chill ran through the sky and rustled the nearby trees, Autumn at its peak; a prelude, all of it preparing the land for the winter. Aliana paced around the area, her nose low to the moist ground, following the small hints of the musky scent. She had smelt before on her last tracking excursion, though a bit faint, it was not too old. And the tracks their quarry left behind told a lot; a deep v-shape print pressed into the muddy bank of lake. It had come to drink several hours ago, probably even graze then left but it couldn't have gone far... Whatever it was, it was big and heavy, something a single wolf couldn’t dream of taking down...but several wolves from two packs, however... There's a chance, it'll be risky but if they play their cards just right, they’ll eat well.

Aliana goes to take a drink from the lake to refresh herself. Her tail began to wag with growing excitement. It had been too long since she had been in a Pack Hunt, nonetheless she would show her stuff. So there at the Lake’s shore she waited for everyone else to arrive  as she had ventured ahead.

Sphyra was excited for this hunt — it was the first big hunt she partook in where there was another pack present. As the Redhawk wolves arrived, Sphyra waited and watched for the wolves from Brecheliant. She wondered if they were as capable as the Redhawk wolves. They were allies, so they had to be somewhat strong as well, but Sphyra didn't know many of them. She watched for Reyes, wondering if he would show up, too, though she told herself it didn't matter very much anyway.

@Maia @Ukulele @Lilitu @Pyramus @Hymnal @Diantha @Roswell @Sylvie @Reyes @Jasmine

Eljay had informed Brecheliant of the pack hunt with Redhawk Caldera, and he had gathered what wolves could and wanted to come. The children were invited, too, though Eljay would make sure to keep them on the back lines; chasers, if anything, but definitely not getting too close to all the violence. He wouldn't want to risk any of them getting hurt.

Once he arrived, Eljay looked around at the gathered Caldera wolves. If Towhee was there, he wasn't too sure how to respond. They hadn't seen each other since he had run off, and it felt like a lifetime ago now. So much had changed. He was Auspex of Brecheliant now and honestly, he was living a much better life here in Brecheliant than he could've in Redhawk Caldera. He felt like these wolves and this pack were his family now. Yet the wolves of the Caldera would always be family of some sort to him, too, and seeing them again, hunting with them again, made him feel weird. He felt that he had to be there, as Auspex, but at the same time he wished the children were still younger and he could've found an excuse to stay at home with them instead.

only mentioning the ppc kids but assuming any who wanted to are here!

Maia smiled at Sylvie encouragingly. You're going to do great, sweetie. But we need to stay back. As she said this, she looked at the other kids who had come with. She did not think Jasmine, not Roswell, would break ranks but there were a number of them. She'd told them to stay with her after Eljay's instructions and positioned herself so that he didn't have to keep as close an eye on them. Honestly, she was kind of glad to have an excuse not to be in the thick of the hunt. It had been a long time since she'd taken anything down group-wise and she'd absolutely die of embarrassment if she messed this up for them.

Fennec might not have received the direct invite to this event but she certainly showed up anyway. She knew that Bronco wouldn't make it and wondered if Killdeer would show up. If he did, he should have someone here to show him how it worked... and, honestly, fuck it. She wanted to participate and would.

A long time ago, she'd done some hunting with Figment, but it had never worked out super well. Since then most of her kills had been either luck, careful stealth, or scavenging. She was nervous as hell but excited too, not that she'd let anyone catch a whiff of either. Her going plan was just to act chill and present the fuck out of belonging here.

The rest she'd kind of... figure out when she got there. Couldn't be that much harder than fighting something, right?

teya was not far behind eljay.
she helped to keep the brecheliant children ranged close together. the wolves here were not unfamiliar. the sight of fennec hardened her jawline but otherwise she turned away. 
a red girl caught her eye. 
teya saw now how much of the caldera belonged to reyes. something choking and expansive rose in her chest. 
she smiled wistfully, generally, at the redhawk wolves as they began to gather.

Still PPC - just getting this in the thread log. He can be PP'd lightly by everyone!

Being here was hard. He had contemplated not coming at all, knowing that the adults of Brecheliant would be suitable enough to aid the hunt without him, but the chance to see his children - and make good impressions on the Redhawks somehow - seemed too good an opportunity to pass up. 

All the same, Reyes did not say much on the way over. He kept near Teya and guarded children that were not his own, until he recognized the shape of one of the twins; red among the green. He couldn't tell at first glance which of the girls it was, and was watching intently to catch their eye. Reyes missed the look that Teya passed to him; he was too enthralled by the sight of his grown daughter to be gutted at the moment.

There was a shade of gold that drew his eye next and, thinking it was Caracal, Reyes turned and grinned towards the shape - but the look slipped from him when he saw it wasn't his son, just another young woman. They looked striking. It had been a while since Reyes had seen Fennec or thought of their look-alike, Niamh, so he did not immediately remember her name.

With a heavy sigh he moved to press his nose against Teya's cheek, brief in his desire for comfort, and then pulled away before she could do anything to reciprocate - suddenly thinking about public displays and how unsettled he would feel to be caught, for some reason. Reyes then distanced himself and moved to do a quick sweep of the surroundings, getting a look at everyone else who had arrived.

He'd already declined the invite, in person, when the suggestion had been made. It wasn't even necessary for him to tell Fennec he wasn't going- he was free of those sort of expectations, it seemed. And in the time spent apart he felt a bit of pressure become released- and so when the call went up...He argued with himself. 

Nobody was forcing him, or pressuring him. Nobody was guilting him for having made the decision not to go, and he didn't feel as thought he'd get shamed when the hunters returned, either. The absence of manipulation or pressure relieved him. 

And with a good gathering of hunters all coming together...It was almost safer than being left at home with only border markings to act as warnings, and whoever stayed at home to patrol them. While Bronco hated fighting, hunting was something completely different- he had always loved to hunt. 

He found Fennec's scent trail and warily followed it to the borders. He was far enough behind now that he wouldn't catch up with her- which...Delighted him a bit. Warily, and with the hangdog, submissive lurk that had become his gait, he picked his way down the slope toward the lake just beyond the borders. 

He picked up his pace when he caught the scent of other wolves, wanting to close the gap as soon as possible so he couldn't be caught on his own. His heart raced, but he felt a wave of relief and pride wash over him when they came into view. 

He still stepped very skittishly to Fennec's side, kept his tail tucked, and a wary eye over his own shoulder at all times. His breath came in short, quiet puffs, a sign of his anxiety mixed with anticipation. 

He wilted somewhat, though, when he saw a few faces he recognized from Brechelient. Maya and Eljay were there- he'd forgotten that they might be. Surely, they'd notice the change in him- he simply hoped they wouldn't question or stare, and he hoped that Fennec would discourage any such thing anyway. 

Also present, which made him all the more perplexed, was Reyes... He wasn't sure what had become of the relationship he'd once shared with Towhee, but it had soured Bronco's already somewhat rocky view on his cousin. Especially considering that that foolish altercation he'd had with Niamh had led to her death. 

So he was overwhelmed- but too cowardly to turn and go back to the Caldera alone. The only source of comfort came from the unexpected instinct to glue himself to Fennec's side. He fervently rested his shoulder against her side, and dipped his muzzle down toward her elbow, hoping she'd allow him to cling to her like this.

When Redhawk caldera was mentioned in association with the hunt, Lele felt a little uneasy, because of the youth she had driven away weeks earlier. She had informed that such person had stopped by and in return learned that the fellow in question had been exactly, who he had claimed to be. As far as names and connections went. There could always be a chance of stolen identity. Having pretended to be someone she was not in the past (for fun and occasionally for convenience), she did not have a hard believing that someone else might try that trick too. 

Beyond this anticipation of slight awkwardness, when seeing the red-furred guy again, she followed her packmates from home to the meeting place and then on to the hunt.

There used to be a time when Ruenna was one of the first to arrive when a pack summons lifted into the air, but those days were likely behind her. She had yet to find a lasting remedy for her debilitating limp, and the chilly tingle in the air was enough to make her heart flutter with anxiety each time there was a strong gust of wind. Winter was not a kind season for those with chronic pain. 

Ruenna felt some pride hearing Aliana's call for the hunt's participants. The Caldera was fortunate to have such a dedicated hunter in their ranks. 

The Rehawk's sovereign arrived to find a throng of wolves already gathered. Her own were greeted with nods and wags of her tail. Sphyra seemed alert and raring to go-- Ruenna was reminded that this was probably the first group hunt that young Redhawk would be allowed to join as a full participant. 

Teya and Eljay had already arrived, and Reyes was here as well, drifting around the outskirts of the gathering. Ruenna caught the gaze of both Brecheliant leaders and nodded in greeting. She then moved off towards the spot where the youngest pups were gathered with an unfamiliar woman. 

"Hi there, I'm Ruenna Redfern. Are you Maia?" Rue asked the woman. She could only assume that this was Eljay's family, especially given how much the silver child resembled Eljay with her freckles and green eyes. Ruenna smiled warmly to the children. Given the extent of her disability, she was unlikely to be much help as a hunter. It was her intention to stick to the rear of the group and perhaps help Maia keep tabs on the younger pups.

teya is taking over the pack hunt since aliana is inactive <3

teya's eyes lingered on everyone in turn.
she looked for their lead hunter and was surprised when she did not spot the caller again.
the raven stepped forward to examine the track and waved her tail in a summoning gesture. it was a large animal, and would be antlered.
hunting with germanicus and crowfeather and reyes —
— and kynareth —
had firmed teya into a better hunter with more confidence. she took a breath and looked at ruenna to steady herself.
"it is not old mark. still in area, i think." she hoped that her halting words would be carried; teya was not a decent speaker. her eyes could not keep long from reyes, but she took all of the group with her gaze, moving among them. "i think he is in forest," and she gestured to a stand of trees upward from them. "if so, we bring him back here. he will not fight well in mud."
her eyes shifted to @Fennec and the tall man beside the woman (@Bronco). "maybe one of you come, please? @Reyes and @Eljay will wait with who stay, wait for deer to be chased back." her eyes lingered on fennec, hoping that at least for this time they might be agreeable.
"lele," she asked next, looking toward @ukelele. "you come with us?"
a look to the child @Sphyra. she seemed old enough to join them. the raven tossed her plume. "you come with us too. stay close."
again she glanced to @Ruenna, trying to ensure this was all right. "will you stay with @Maia?" she inquired, a smile lighting her eyes. "they will try to run after," she grinned, nosing one or two of them with the affection of a young aunt.
reyes, eljay, and one of the redhawk pair to wait beside the lake. ruenna and maia with the eager pups. lele, perhaps fennec, herself, and sphyra to rout the deer from the woodlands.
she hoped he was there. teya waited now for any suggestions or new words to attend her ears.

Sphyra watched as one of the Brecheliant wolves took the lead of the hunt. She didn't know this woman and the woman spoke with a bit of a broken voice, but Sphyra could appreciate how authorative her voice sounded and she found herself inclined to listen to what she had to say.

First, other wolves were told where to go. Sphyra watched as some of the Brecheliant wolves and then Fennec and Bronco were directed towards, and then Teya stepped towards her. Sphyra instinctively bolstered up her posture and straightened out a bit extra to look bigger and capable. It seemed to work, as Teya instructed her to come with herself. A half-smile passed Sphyra's face to show this pleased her, and she nodded. Got it. Then she waited to see if anyone had any comments, or if they were ready to go soon.

Fennec was too tuned in to miss Bronco's approach, fortunately, and she was too surprised by it to really react when he suddenly anchored himself at her side. When she sensed his nervousness, however, her pelt prickled. Not with annoyance at him, but with whatever the hell it was that was making him uncomfortable. Was someone pulling some shit?

With a decidedly 'fucking try it' expression, she turned her head to listen, but she couldn't tell if anything was actually going on. It seemed everyone was just kind of gathered - she didn't take stock of exactly who yet - until Teya began to give marching orders. Yeah, sure. Shit, she was really doing this, wasn't she? Her stomach tightened with the best kind of nervous excitement.

We'll both come, she answered, stating rather than asking. She had to wait for process of elimination to tell her who the hell Teya was addressing, so it came after the orders were all laid out.

Look, she wasn't a complete idiot - she needed someone there who knew that she'd need direction and she didn't trust anyone else here besides Bronco. Hopefully that reasoning was clear enough. Though she suspected, from the way he'd come in, separating wasn't a good idea for him either. She didn't know why but she wasn't about to question him on it. It felt pretty damn good to be his go-to, even for just this hunt.

He'd hunted and had fallen under the savage lunge of antlered prey before, but just the thought of the fruitful reward was enough to prompt him to be game for another try. Venison was perhaps his favourite meal- and he was not picky at all about choosing elk, deer, moose or any other large game. They were all delicious. He felt his stomach clench and gurgle. 

When the wolf spoke up, Bronco perked his ears. He didn't recognize her, but assumed she belonged to Brechelient. A leader? Perhaps. It made his heart twinge painfully when the memory of @Wraen came to mind. He missed her- and carried with him the guilt of knowing that the last conversation they'd had had been a quarrel. He tried not to think about it too much- but it was the sort of thing he found very hard to forgive himself for.

He gently nudged Fennec when Teya summoned either him or Fennec to go with her, though it seemed she'd already figured that they were the ones being referred to. He was a bit overstimulated- new faces in combination with being outside of the pack's borders made it a bit tricker for him to figure out exactly what the plan was- who was staying, who was going. 

But Fennec took charge which was a relief. He didn't want to be separated from her. He also didn't really want to be left with Reyes- too many complicated emotions there. So with a nod, he stood, ready to follow after Teya and aid in the effort of herding their chosen prey back toward the muddy area where it might be brought down.

Teya took charge of the operation, and Eljay smiled, feeling somewhat proud of her. He nodded when Teya instructed him to wait here for the deer to be chased back, and nodded to Reyes for good measure. Then he waited for further instructions, for everyone's role to be hashed out, and for the hunt to properly begin.

Ruenna nodded when Teya addressed her with the request. This was more or less the role she had expected. While she had no prayer of keeping up with a stampeding herd and hunters in their prime, she felt confident that she could shepherd a group of children. Especially with Maia's help. She smiled at the little family and wagged her tail. 

"See how the group is split? Some are chasers, and some are pouncers. Which group do you think you would would want to be in, if you were big?" Ruenna would instruct the littlest ones, pointing out the different elements of the hunt that were important for them to notice.

I am. Maia's response was quieter than it might usually be, but most of her attention was directed at the children and her own nerves about this. She gave Ruenna an infinitely grateful look, though, when she seemed keen on sticking around and keeping them entertained while she helped them learn.

Maia knew that hunts like this were absolutely necessary, but she couldn't help doubting her ability to be a teacher here. She'd never really... done well in them. Usually she just ended up tripping over her own feet, or going the wrong way, or falling behind. Ruenna's presence and soft assurance eased her nerves a whole lot.

Over the next while she would be sure that Ruenna knew their names and help to answer any questions they had best she could.

@Ukulele, hop in anytime! wanted to get the next round up, also no posting order! <3

fennec and her man both deciding to come threw off teya's count. but one look at eager little sphyra told her she could not readjust things now. 
"reyes and eljay. do not try to stand in front of deer when it run toward you. wound and follow." she did not intend for anyone to be hurt today, and shook under the new and realized weight of the role she had assumed.
she wished one of those two hunters were here with her today, because reyes could not be at her side. but she would do what must be done to keep the caldera wolves and brecheliant close.
"sphyra. stay with me. do not try to chase alone or ahead." yes. the girl was youngest. she must understand that her inexpertise could bring injury or worse to herself. but the raven did not mean to shame her, and grinned next. "i need good co-runner."
she glanced to lele, bronco, and fennec. "when we come up on deer, bronco and fennec this way," muzzle moving to the right, "and you to the left, lele," a gesture in this direction, an encouraging look at them all. "cut it off if it try to break from me and sphyra."
"the plan is that deer run, we curve back to this place. but i also give you a second plan. if he break, i call for you back here. we all chase."
teya did not intend for their hunt to be in vain.
a nod to @Maia and @Ruenna. she turned, waited for the redhawk girl, and then began a wolf's-trot up the slope.
the scent of the large stag grew stronger the further that they moved from water. she paused a couple of times to allow sphyra the full experience of growing excitement. teya led her running-party into the hushed forest. her coolwater eyes searched for any sign of the animal. a broad hoofprint here. a tuft of white fur there. at each sign of spoor she stopped again.
they did not need to rush. the beast was close.
the sun filtered through the branches. before them, a magnificent animal stood. teya near quailed inside herself at the sight, especially as the light highlighted the sharpness of the tines.
she did not hesitate longer. teya began her run at once, grunting "around!" move to the back of the animal, drive it back along the path they had taken into the forest.
the creature swung its head too late; it bellowed in panic. teya only hoped that it would not seek to fight here in the tightweave of the forest.

Lele nodded quietly, accepting Teya's guidance and following her directions dilligently. It had been a while, since she had hunted the big game - there was thrill of excitement and a little bit of fear too, for she did not want to fail. At this age, she may have outgrown the need prove her worth to anyone, but then it was different, when you really wanted to succeed for the sake of a good packmate and leader. 

She did as she was told for the rest of the hunt.

I am not much of a hunt thread writer, therefore @Teya  may powerplay Lele [size=small]as she pleases[/size], except for injury or death.

Maia confirmed her identity, and Ruenna shared a warm look with her. She was glad to know that Eljay had such a sweet family here in Brecheliant. 

The hunters took off, and suddenly Ruenna's and Maia's paws were very full with keeping the excited children herded together. Ruenna attempted to keep a running commentary going, directing the attention of the young wolves toward important aspects of the hunt, but she was often interrupted by the need to reach out and grab a child who was overcome with excitement and intent on joining the older wolves. 

When the prey were felled and hunt was concluded, Ruenna would keep the children contained until it was their turn to feast. As they had not participated directly in the hunt, by traditional law their little group would not eat until the hungry hunters were sated, unless of course a hunter (most likely Eljay) brought a share over for them specifically. 

This can be the last for Ruenna.

Given one last set of guidelines, Bronco moved forward alongside Fennec and knew that they would make up one flank of the attack, to herd the animal toward Reyes and Eljay. His skulking pace was quiet and careful, and while his teeth wanted to chatter in nervousness, he kept them clamped shut. 

Once the hunt was on, his instincts kicked in, and a smal fragment of his true nature was unearthed. Confidence returned and aided him in harrying the beast forward, cutting off its escape route with snarls and snaps, while dodging its hooves and tines as they shepherded the animal toward its doom.

gonna go ahead and fade this <3 anyone who wants to reopen it for trade purposes lmk!

their hunt was swift, filled with the pounding of hooves and the cooperation of multiple wolves.
her hunting party stampeded the animal from the woodland.
the others caught it down the rise and pulled it into the mud.
the churn of muck and blood was grand. exhilarating.
there was laughter and sighing when the beast was down, and teya oversaw the divvying out of much meat to both packs.