Overture Downs momentum for the sake of momentum

For @Riordan & @Luke, but also open for anyone else. :D

Early into the day, but past sunrise, Mordecai had gathered a couple of able bodies had set out for the open expanse of terrain before the hollow. When the wolves had originally past through the countryside, he could not help but notice the hoof tracks mingling. And with their most recent hunt an exceeding failure, it seemed proper that they scouted for something a little better. Plus it wouldn't have hurt to take stock of the herds that they would have some privy to.

His eyes scanned through the haze of the morning as they climbed a small rise, and he brought himself to pause at the crest. The view was pleasant and to him, just a touch promising. Hopefully here they'd have the opportunity to track the herds that were loose in that part of the valley, and hopefully, they'd be able to thin their ranks here and there without driving them away. Or alternatively, driving them too far out of reach into the claim of another pack.

Wordlessly, he looked to his companions with a quirky smile, and started off again.

neko case — lion's jaws

Their first hunt as a pack had been a failure, but this did not bother the ever-optimistic blue-nosed wolf. He was certain that as they established themselves and got to know one another better, their coordination as a hunting unit would improve and success would be theirs. But, optimism did not put food in their bellies, and he could not catch enough fish to feed them all comfortably. So when Mordecai suggested tracking the herds, he was eager to join him, and together they, along with one of their new packmates, headed off.

Mordecai paused at the crest of a rise, and Luke's eyes scanned the area. His tail was set in a gentle wag, happy to be on this quest, to be part of the pack. Mordecai looked to him and Riordan with a smile, which Luke returned as he gave a single nod. They started moving again, and while he was relaxed and content, his eyes and nose were focused on the task, scouring their surroundings for sign of prey.

Given the order to follow after the leader, Riordan was quick on the uptake; he headed off as soon as he was requested, and the pair were quickly met by a pale third wolf. Riordan had seen him around, but he couldn't place a name - there were many wolves that he didn't know, and his memory wasn't so great. Not being mindful enough of details, really. But it didn't matter - they were on their way, silent as they crept on through the hollow and pursued (what Riordan assumed to be) their target. He was uncharacteristically quiet, almost somber, reflecting the business-like nature of Mordecai.

The morning, though cool, already showed promise of warmth and humidity. Mordecai found as they moved further into the tall grasses of the plain that even there lingered residual fog. But it was light in comparison to other mornings they had and if anything, only signified the persisting change of season. He hadn't noticed it, but the days were shorter now. The animals bed early and rose just as early, and he suspected that they were already on the move.

And that evidence was around them here and there, tucked away in pockets where the grass lied mashed. He passed through such a pocket, lingering long enough to gather the smell of deer and continue on. No warmth to be found there, but the scent remained strong. "They must have rested here a day or two ago," he surmised quietly, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. "Do either of you remember any streams that cut through here?" Chances were, he was willing to believe they went towards water, and hopefully had not ventured further beyond that.

Luke's head dipped to breathe the scent of the deer. Mordecai spoke up about what the scent suggested, and he nodded in agreement. He was in a quiet, stalking sort of mode, but when his leader asked about streams his ears perked up and his face brightened with a grin. He knew water, and was quick to speak up about it. "There's a lake to the west, and a river to the north, and quite a few streams in the meadow itself." Luke had spotted these (of course). They followed the land and flowed down toward their hollow, no doubt giving life to some of their own streams. "If we keep moving east, we're sure to cross one."

When Mordecai spoke, they both listened - and Luke was faster on the uptake, listing the details that the man had requested before Riordan could get himself composed. He opened his mouth, but the voice he heard was foreign; for a split second he was annoyed at having his thunder stolen. It wasn't a big problem though, and he let the perceived slight fade from his mind. He gave a small nod, agreeing with the assessment while staying otherwise mute, and waited for instruction. Evidently, being awake at this early hour was not his forte.

Luke supplied him with information, and Mordecai was not surprised by what he retained. With a love of the water, Luke may have been a natural go-to as far as inquiry was concerned. As silence enveloped him in his consideration, Mordecai could not see the deer going towards the river so readily. And the lake, well, if it were the lake that he had encountered Vega at, Mordecai doubted a lengthy stay around there.

"East it is then," he decided. "Riordan, why don't you take point this time?" Given that Riordan had been rather useful at sussing out foxes on the fly, Mordecai was once more intrigued with the premise of seeing his skill at tracking something larger.

/Mordecai considered his information, before deciding to continue east toward the smaller streams that fed their home. Luke nodded, and then glanced to Riordan as Mordecai suggested he take point. He knew nothing of the male but his name, and like his leader, was curious to see him work. If they were all to come together as a pack, they would have to know each other's skills and be able to pull them together. So with a smile and a small wag to his tail, he waited for the quiet man to step forward and lead them.

pushing this forward, sorry for the (implied?) powerplay :C

They moved on once again, from his position somewhere in the triangle that they made Mordecai was just as content to take a role of observation. His eyes scanned over the tops of the yellowing grasses, picking over and searching for any sign of a potential quarry. If they found something and it wasn't too far outside of their range, it would have been good for them to have a hunt. Something more to solidify their claim and establish their bonds. And for him, a hunt would have been a decent way for him to ascertain the roles that his subordinates were liable to take through the oncoming weeks.

Minutes ticked by unheard, silence once more overcoming the trio as they crossed their way towards a thin copse. The trees there were old and hardwood, nondescript as many forests were wont to be. But Mordecai did not miss the signs that something had been through recently. Score marks lined the bark well above even his head and he tested the air as they approached.

"Looks like we're going in one of the right directions," he said. His tone was quiet, but the thin ghost of a smile on his face was pleased that they had chosen their path wisely.

I hope I interpreted your score marks right LOL

The trio moved into a deciduous stand, and like Mordecai's, Luke's gaze was drawn to the scored bark above their heads. It was an unmistakable sign: an antlered animal had passed through here and had left his mark behind. He had intended it as communication and among his own, but the wolves had since figured out these imprints that bucks made. With fresh sap still bleeding from the scrapes, it told them food was near. The white wolf's head lowered to inspect the ground. At the base of the tree large prints indicative of a male, but further out he could see the smaller indents left by does.

"I don't think he'd miss one of his girlfriends too much," Luke winked, suggesting in his own way (and hoping, too) that they'd encounter a doe to hunt. They were a much safer bet than a buck with a sizeable rack to swing upon them.

i'd say you did! you're the hunter here, so you also know what to look for. i am hunter through others. ;_;

Luke was the one who ultimately stepped forward to do a closer investigation. In turn, he was the one that found a reward that benefited them all. Mordecai stepped up beside him to examine those prints as well, a smirk lightly playing on his features.

"I don't think he'll miss one of them either. Lucky fellow." Though there was no real telling whether or not they would be fortunate enough to sink their teeth into a doe, Mordecai was banking on at least one of them to be some sort of lame. "Maybe if we're lucky we can give them a little nudge to come back to our neck of the woods," he mentioned, choosing them to move on a bit.

He was tempted to more or less say to hell with the tracking and go for the hunt, but they were just three against a small herd. Three had favorable odds, sure, but the Hollow teemed with able bodies. Wolves that for whatever reason, Mordecai assumed could hunt. For the most part they were composed of wayfarers that for the most part, hadn't been too worse for wear. Some more than others had been though, but they had their rest.

lmao ok. :D

Luke's mind was on the trio of them locating and taking down a doe, but Mordecai's second statement lent pause to his thoughts as they pressed toward the herd. He hummed in consideration. This was why the agouti male lead and the white wolf followed him; Luke was eager, and in that eagerness he did not stop to think. It was often his impulsive way. The strength of the wolf was in the pack and the strength of the pack was in their numbers; three capable wolves was nothing to sniff at, but if the deer could be driven closer to home, an entire pack had far better odds. Not to mention, an easier trek to cache any excess.

He turned to look at Mordecai grinning, believing that they were now on the same page. "Let's drive them home, then." He winked, and then hurried his paws along, deferring to Mordecai's lead as they moved to get around the herd.

Once again, he took the lead unknowingly. There was an eagerness about him that wanted to find those deer, or elk, or whatever they would ultimately turn out to be. He had certainties that what they were after were in fact deer, though a herd of elk would have been nice. Something to pick through and thin while they made their way through the rolling hills and valleys and forests.

The woodland that they breached was not as dense as it had seemed from afar. Silence enveloped the trio again as they continued. Mordecai left his gaze to wander through the late summer scenery as they passed. Soon those leaves would change their coats and enter free-fall and he wondered beyond that, when would the first frosts and snows come to the land. Though it would be gradual, he knew that it always seemed to happen quickly.

Much like the appearance of the deer towards the end of the sprawling thin copse.

He halted swift and suddenly tense, hoping that the very action he made would spur the others to do the same. Ahead of them as nothing more than confusing shapes that only seemed to resemble deer-like woods, the distinctive call of a doe bleated once and began to move on. And they had not been seen, not yet.

Mordecai halted, and Luke's paws were quick to do the same. The tension of his leader's muscles were detected, and his eyes followed that of Mordecai's. Ahead of them deer milled amid the trees, their brown coats disguising them among the shade and bark of the forest. A doe bleated, and the blue-nosed wolf's ears flicked forward with interest. But he reminded himself they were not here to target her; not yet. The whole herd needed to be moved. Luke looked to Mordecai, taking his cue from him.

In his continued silence, he watched with baited breath as they moved leisurely. It was hard to say for certain what the total head count was, but he thought to have seen no more than ten. He felt safe in saying that there were more than five, but beyond that his guesswork was sketchy and truthfully, they were witnessing the tail end of the herd to begin with.

He let out a breath noisily; his mind trying to work out some working plan that they could have followed on the run. Quietly, he ventured forward in their wake to follow. The others he expected would do the same at this point, as was the purpose of their little unit. Try as he may to see past the herd that melded in with the wood, Mordecai did not spy the buck that was at the head of his so-called harem.

"Think they'll move out of the woods soon?" he said in hushed tones, casting a careful and swift glance back to his companions.

Deer that milled in the woods were not like sheep in a farmer's field as they moved from one pasture to the next. The cloven-hoofed animals broke from each other's side to browse and investigate, and seldom maintained such a close group as to be easily herded and driven. Furthermore, the trees served well as obstacles to prevent such a clean maneuver. As Luke watched the herd move, it occurred to him that they were unlikely to push all the deer toward the hollow, but he was not deterred, thinking that they could at least encourage a handful to move that way. He turned to look at Mordecai as the leader posed a question.

"Probably not," he guessed with a roll of his shoulders. The forest provided for them, it was likely they had chosen to be here for that reason. If they had a need to expose themselves to the open soon, he could not fathom it. "I say we take our chance, cut around the side of the herd and try to drive as many as we can, before the wind shifts and gives us away." No sense in following the deer all over the countryside.

Feel free to start to push this towards a close, Kris. Sorry for holding things up.

Luke, prompt as ever, chimed in with a reply that Mordecai found himself agreeing with. From what he could ascertain, those deer were not keen on moving on their own. And why would they? With the cover of the forest, they could keep together loosely and quietly. Had there been more of the wolves and perhaps a couple less of the deer, they could have very easily spurred them to go the way that they wanted. Of course, more of them would have meant that the deer would have caught wind of them easier — the ungulates were not entirely dim by default.

With a nod as he stepped forward, Mordecai opted to close in on them just a little more. He was willing to believe that they could close in some of that gap and startle them, get them running. And once they ran... well, it was showtime.

Slight PP because I'd like to get this one wrapped up asap! :) No worries for the hold up, I've been absent too as you know!

It did not take long. The pair closed in, and Luke could see the telltale signs that the deer were starting to take notice of a presence besides their own. Their heads lifted, their ears turned, and their tails rose behind them in a white flag, a warning to the rest that something was amiss. They had not yet made the wolves, but now was the time to act before they knew for certain what was alarming them, and took it upon themselves to run in a direction of their choice. A glance, a silent agreement, passed between the wolves. They circled behind the deer, and sprang. With a stomp of hooves and a sharp blow through their nose the deer were off, charging away from the predators and toward the hollow. The wolves separated, one taking each flank and the other staying centered, driving the deer toward home and preventing them from turning in another direction.