Overture Downs all have a hunger

She didn't want to admit it aloud, but the newest batch of Frostfurs were quite the little attention stealers. Deshyr had been helping out as much as she could, babysitting and providing for her parents while they tended to her baby siblings, but the girl couldn't help but want for some one-on-one time too. Although officially in the adult ranks now, she was still a child — and one who was feeling slightly neglected by her parents.

So in an attempt to nab @Rannoch's attention away from the needy litter (she did love them, really), Deshyr lured him out to the borders excitedly exclaiming that she had found a huge herd of deer. It was then that her bluffing skills were put to the test as she drew her father away from the Hollow and into the wide, sweeping plains of Overture Downs.

"I swear, they were right there," she pouted as they crested a hill, a false look of defeat spread across her features. It had all been an act, of course, but unbeknownst to Deshyr, the Gods had smiled upon her that day. In the distance, only barely visible through the misty haze of a light afternoon shower, a herd grazed quietly, not yet aware of the pair of wolves.

"And you just saw them, right sweetie?" Rannoch encouraged, stopping at his daughter's side. Deshyr had come to him with good news—a report of a herd nearby—and he was eager to see what she had discovered. Upon their overlook at the crest of the hill, Rannoch observed the sprawling territory and the rain in the distance caught his attention. 

"The weather doesn't look too good," he remarked, turning to his daughter with a frown; he didn't want to see her efforts wasted. "Do you think that they would stay away from the rain? Or do you think that they'd go towards it?" Rannoch didn't have an answer. He hoped that Deshyr did.

It seemed that he had bought into her lie, either that or Rannoch was just humouring her. Either way, her father wanted to know more about this fictional herd of deer and Deshyr was happy to oblige. "Yes, I ran straight to get you!" she responded with a little frustrated huff as she pretended to eagerly scan the plains as if searching for this elusive herd.

Dropping the facade momentarily, Deshyr spared a look up to gauge Rannoch's reaction, only to be met with a genuine frown as he remarked about the weather and questioned whether the deer would be drawn towards it. The girl's features crinkled in visible confusion for a second. I don't know, father, you're the experienced one here!

But man, oh man, he really had fallen for it! She was at a loss now, as she hadn't expected to get this far. "Uh, um..." she hummed, looking back over at the rain falling in the distance. "They'd stay away..." she decided before her voice rose in uncertainty. "...And go back to their dens?" Did deer sleep in dens?

Dens? Rannoch was confused, and it showed. "I don't think deers have dens, sweetie," he corrected gently, as he turned to face his daughter. "They're nomads, which means that they don't have a home like we do—they're always on the move." 

Rannoch turned in the direction that was spared from the storm, observing the grasslands keenly. "Let's go and find them," he said after a pause; the fresh meat would be well received, especially with all the mothers that were out of commission. "What do you say? Want to tag-team a hunt?" Rannoch said, facing Deshyr once more

Rannoch corrected her gently, yet Deshyr still felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment. Ah, right. Deers do not sleep in dens, got it! As he explained that they were instead nomads, the girl looked back out over the plains, turning to where her father had his own studious gaze trained.

At his words, she perked up, tail beginning to wave excitedly at her flanks. Yes, YES! Her plan had worked after all! "Yes!" she loudly exclaimed, before leaning forward to nip at his nose. "Race ya to the bottom!" And with that, the girl was off, her long, ungainly legs becoming a blur as she rocketed down the hill.

Rannoch did not think that running head-on towards their quarry was sensible, but for the sake of a good time, he threw caution to the wind. "Hey!" he called after, allowing Deshyr a moment or so to gain some ground. "Wait up, you!" It was apparent that she would win, as she had nearly made it to the bottom before he had. Despite his imminent loss, he broke into a careful gallop and chased after her. 

Rannoch began to slow as he made it to, and once he made it to Deshyr's side, he came to a halt and bumped his shoulder to his. "You gave your old man a run for his money," he mused. "Good job, sweetie."

Rannoch couldn't help wonder if their ruckus had alerted the near-by game. As he glanced towards the horizon, was pleasantly surprised to see that the herd had been unaffected by their shenanigans. Breathing a sigh of relief, Rannoch turned his attention back to Deshyr. 

"What now?" he prompted with a wave of his tail.

She heard his calls but did not slow her roll, sprinting all the way until she was at the bottom of the slope. She skidded to a halt and turned to watch her father hasten after her, an impressive sight despite his limp. She felt a little guilty for making him run after her what with his gimpy leg, but he seemed fine enough. Good job, sweetie. Deshyr returned his praise with an affectionate bump of her head to the underside of his muzzle before she too glanced towards the deer.

Some idly moved around as they grazed but they didn't seem at all startled by the noise. Nor did they seem aware of their hunters. Her tail began to wave as she looked back to Rannoch, remembering what he had taught them. "We gotta move upwind," she said, voice quieter now that they were in hunting mode. She lifted her nose to the air, feeling the cold breeze bite at one side; the wind was behind them which was not good, so DJ motioned for them both to quietly stalk around their prey, giving them a wide berth.

Rannoch deferred his lead to Deshyr, confident that she'd make him proud regardless of the outcome of the hunt. When her voice dropped to a whisper, and she tested the air, Rannoch nodded in approval; Deshyr had started their pursuit on the right paw. "Yes, good job," he praised. 

They then fell into a wordless stillness, stalking their prey with a wide circuit. Rannoch moved lightly, doing his best to work with the hitch of his pace.

His encouragement only served to fuel her confidence, and with a determined smile, Deshyr begun to lead them both around the grazing herd. Her gaze flicked from them to where they were headed, spying a tall patch of grass that could easily obscure their figures. "Over there," she mouthed wordlessly back to Rannoch, gesturing with her muzzle in the direction of the grass.

Her father moved with surprisingly quietness despite his bulk, but DJ still looked nervously over to the deer to make sure they weren't startled by the soft rustling of grass underfoot. Apart from some snorts and grunts, they hadn't made any sign that they yet noticed the wolves. "Which one do you reckon?" she whispered quietly when she and Rannoch had settled into their vantage point.

Rannoch moved with care, trailing a step behind Deshyr until they reached their vantage point. Once still, he was given a chance to observe the heard from afar. 

"That one," Rannoch replied after an extended break in the conversation.  "We'll just have to make sure that it's separated from its mother," he pointed towards their target with his snout, as he searched the crowd for the child's mother.

THE DICE GODS HATH DECIDED — THE FAWN SHALL DIE

They were silent for a few minutes, both staring at the animals and picking out the best candidate. Deshyr dragged her gaze away from the largest with effort, knowing that one day, one day she'd be able to take down the alpha of the herd. However, today was not that day.

Instead Rannoch drew Deshyr's attention to a young calf. She licked her lips and readjusted her position, watching eagerly. They waited a few minutes more, before it became clear the calf was alone, its mother nowhere in sight. Rannoch gave the signal, and then the two slipped silently from the tall grasses, splitting as they drew near the herd to surround the motherless calf and seperate it from its brethren.

Note: HUZZAH!

 
They had the yearling surrounded, and all that was left was to go in for the kill. Rannoch was the first to reveal himself to their target. He vaulted from the cover of the tall grass with an intent to drive the child towards Deshyr, not too concerned about the others who scattered at his arrival. Rannoch only had eyes for the one they had singled out. 

Surprisingly, the doe complied in its panic. It galloped away from the group towards Deshyr with a shriek, unaware of the danger that lurked.

As Rannoch leapt into action, Deshyr followed his lead moments later with an instinctive growl. She watched as he scattered the other deer, immediately locking onto the youngest one like a heat-seeking missile. In its panicked state, it turned to flee from the larger wolf, only to be ambushed by another — Deshyr had been ready. The girl snapped at the creature's ankles as it galloped past, feeling her teeth latching onto a bony limb for all but a second before she was just as quickly shaken off.

But that was all they had needed. It was bleeding; they had a trail now.

The two wolves chased the young ungulate for a few more minutes before falling into a lazy stride, Rannoch explaining to his disappointed daughter that the hunt was not yet a write off. Separated and injured, the animal would not last long. His words rang true, for after following the trail for an hour, they eventually came across the wounded deer once more, laying upon a riverbank to rest. And it was there it drew its last breath as the wolves descended upon it.