Ankyra Sound and we were burnt down like catholics

for @Rayen but SW cameos welcome!

as the fog rolled over the strand the coywolf walked between it, looking in some ways like a wraith were it not for her piteous stature. the weather, while dreary to some, was excellent seal hunting weather -- their poor eyesight and the combined mist made for an easy bloodbath. caiaphas was not inclined to do hard work of her own accord, and with a slow, ambling gait the siren queen set off in the direction of the grotto to detract rayen from wherever she rested and invite her along.

Rayen lay outside her den, a boulder that leaned against a tree that created a three walled shelter to sleep in. She was knawing on a bone in an effort to crack or puncture it so she may extract the nutritious marrow within. 

Her ears perked, alerting her to the sound of soft footfalls long before she could smell her leader. When she came into sight Rayen put down the bone and stood respectfully. "Good morning, Caiaphas," she greeted as the woman approached. She didn't know if her Alpha was there for a specific reason or just passing through. She waited to see which it was, wondering if she was possibly in trouble for something.

once the sylph located rayen she moved with a quickened pace. she allowed her gaze to trail to the fatigued-white bone, which had been abandoned for a pose of subservience. it seemed strange to the siren that rayen would elect to forge shelter outside of the grotto's harem, yet she made no comment. with a jut of her jaw the wraith queried: "fancy hunting seals today?"

She nodded, moving to follow after the grey woman. Food had begun to get scarce around here, she had begun scouring the seashore for crabs and other crustaceans. She had found that the tide pools held mussels that could be pried off, anemones, and even the occasional sea slug or fish that was edible. There were even few varieties of edible berries and roots. She had resorted to an omnivorous diet before and would do so again if need be, and it would if the lack of prey about the territory proved anything. 

"Are seals hard to hunt?" She attempted to make small talk on the way, wondering if Caiaphas ever got lonely. She seemed like an island unto herself, commanding the pack but having no friends or family. Perhaps Rayen could be a friend to the coywolf.

amicably the dark chestnut woman followed caiaphas -- who slowed her stride so that rayen could come somewhat abreast of her. a long slender ear cast back as the wolf queried the ease of bringing down a seal. the coywolf offered a grim smile, for the water dogs were no easy opponent for the uninitiated.

"they are easy to outrun, but not easy to bring down." she wondered if rayen had yet to see a seal up close -- they outweighed most wolves by hundreds of pounds, and often used that weight to their advantage. "the trick is to separate them from the water -- once they are in the sea, it is a lost cause. they often sunbathe in the morning and are drowsy, which makes for the best time for an ambush." she turned towards the rocky shoal, keeping care about her to remain covered. "i do not think they see well. the best method to bring them down is to ambush them and hold them down while another wolf asphyxiates them." her voice grew hushed and she looked up, as if scanning for anyone else. "it may be hard with two."

quicky quick!!

Unfortunately for Roz, she happened to wander by at just the right (wrong) moment.  She was slinking by a ways further from the coast, but that was more to avoid notice from any prey than other wolves.  Prey smaller than a seal, as she had no desire to cross one of the huge creatures today (and more obviously not alone).

A group hunt wasn't what she wanted to do, but if Caiaphas spotted her, she'd likely be drawn in anyway.

Rayen nodded, captivated by her Alpha's words. She had never seen a seal and had no idea of what she was up against yet. In her naive mind she was confident, not cocky, that they could do it. 

"Perhaps we could find someone else to accompany us there to hunt.  Would three do it?" Her head turned just in time to spot a flash of red fur amongst the undergrowth, recognizing it as one of the pack wolves. 

"Hey," she called out as she jogged over in their general direction. "Wanna hunt seals?" 

>8)

"three would suit us just fine." caiaphas replied, her gaze trailing rayen's own -- until they fell upon rosalyn. past experiences lead her to believe the wolf would not extend her help unless her hand was played, and she regarded the red woman somewhat sourly as rayen approached her. of all the wolves in saltwinter, did it have to be this one? rosalyn had in the past proven a tenacious hunter for seals, and for that, she remained silent -- she was curious to witness the interaction between her two subordinates and said nothing further.

Well, fuck.  She'd been had.  Not even realizing there was a situation to be avoided here, she'd stumbled right into it.  "Uhh..."  hmmm.  She had no excuse, nothing more important she was doing.  And when food was in the balance, personal preference played a little less into the equation.  She could put herself out for a good slice of seal.

"Why not," she said finally, shrugging and wandering over to join them.  "Better idea than playing hide and seek with the crabs I guess."  She kept her voice somewhat lowered, though gave the one who had invited her a good looking over first.  They'd met in passing previously, but not in any real capacity.

Unaware of the tension between the two as she was too excited by the prospect of hunting seals, Rayen only beamed at the other before moving back to her Alpha's side. 


As she began to once more follow after Caiaphas, she turned to Rosalyn. "Have you ever hunted seals before?"

LMAO poor rayen has no idea

caiaphas watched the proceedings silently, a thinly veiled smirk just barely perceptible on her features. it seemed rosalyn had obliged -- how surprising to caipahas! she made no attempt to say anything positive -- if anything, caiaphas distinctly remained neutral as if rosalyn wasn't even there. poor rosalyn -- it was no wonder she didn't like the siren queen. with an amble to her gait she pulled towards the shore where she heard the baying of seals.

sorry guys >< eep

"A couple of times", she responded offhandedly.  What was there to know, really? Bite, tear, try to kill it without it killing you.  Maybe get lucky.

 There was a reason she didn't tend to plan tactical hunts.

"So, what's the mark?" She asked quietly, following Caiaphas' lead without (too much) issue.  She didn't know if they had already scouted the prey ahead or if this was more a spur-of-the-moment deal.

supervague powerplay to archive - hope that is okay!

rosalyn had inquired to their mark -- with a glance of her flinty gaze caiaphas gestured towards the basking seal. she pulled forth, huddling before the wolves as she detailed a light and instructional plan in which to take down the waterbeasts. they separated and flanked outward, three long shadows on the desolate strand. they would hunt -- they would fight -- and tonight, their bellies would be full of the savage comfort that came with being a wolf.