Redtail Rise the domain of arnheim

the weather is warming, the elk from the north have begun their descent up the Rise, and Avicus is pregnant. everything is perfect.

almost.

Tulimaq's leave of absence prickles at her—and her mood swings are more volatile than ever—but he had promised to return with more hunters in tow. and she has no reason to doubt him now. but—

"you will come back by end of 'hhummer, or i will name a new Ulfhedinn."

an aging bull in the small elk band has caught her eye, and she stands upon the foothills of the mountains, watching him from afar with gimlet gaze. feeling her children alive and hearty in her belly, she howls for her pack, watches the game startle at the shrill sound—but they won't go far.

the grass is green with deluge after deluge. the cows are fat with unborn calves. why do they tolerate this old man's presence? he's perfect cannon fodder for the wolves of the Rise.

but first—a frank discussion on the days to come.

for @Prophet @Augur @Ratio @Ashlar

vaguest vague..some assumptions of his behavior made, mercury lemme know if they're not okay <3

He had become protective of the rise more than before.

He was a strong man, but the whole state of the rise drove him to be stronger. The state of Avicus is obvious now and he sticks by her more when the borders don't need his presence. Perhaps the children were not his, perhaps they were. Regardless of their lineage, he is glued by their nearing arrival.

So when she calls he is not far already, quick to turn his path back towards her. A warm rumble in his chest as he approached her side.

If she would not position him elsewhere, it was where he would stay.

Ashlar knew that he would need to stay close as Avicus's pregnancy advanced further. He had taken advantage of the newness of the news already to make a short trip to the shore, but now those trips would be severely limited. It was a mixed feeling but he didn't hold any resentment for it. Things were the way things were.

He was a little ashamed to not be sorry to see Tulimaq depart. Maybe, when he returned, they could start over.

When Avicus called, Ashlar left the quail he was tracking and veered towards her voice. He wondered what she wanted with the entirety of the pack, and despite his eager approach, he felt a touch of foreboding. It couldn't be time. They hadn't spoken of war in so long that Ashlar held out hope it was forgotten. Yet every time she summoned them, he couldn't help remembering.

tall man had gone.

augur did not understand why but it was not for him to comprehend. instinct told him that the place of a hunter must be filled.

she was with child. augur's attachment to redtail rise and to her had intensified. he greeted red woman first with a polite splay of his ears and offered a harder bump to blood eyes.

blacktail was given a tongue-lolling look. augur was curious to know if the young wolf would go to join the sea female.

his yellow eyes latched to the elk. augur's muscles tightened in anticipation. he looked hard at every detail of their quarry, though if red woman shifted so would his focus back to her.

Ratio came to the call like a dog to heel - instant, his paws shifting him in the correct direction almost before his brain had registered the sound.

Tulimaq was missing. Ratio had little to do with the man but he was not displeased by his departure. If he had known more about the way he made Ashlar feel, Ratio may have been more overtly pleased. Or angry he had not found a way to sort it before he'd left.

Speaking of which, he headed straight for the earthy male as he came upon his packmates. He was the last to arrive, much to his chagrin. He nodded a friendly greeting to Augur and came upon the side of the chocolate man, fur brushing against his. He wanted to run his head and muzzle along his flank and hold him with a long kiss but there was a time and place for everything.

His eyes fell upon Avicus and Prophet at her side. Curious. Ratio was clueless as to the relationship that was forming between the two but he would be glad of it. A short wag of greeting to both of them. She was pregnant. He still did not regret chasing the man out when he had, no matter the outcome.

sorryyy....meant to make this into an actual thing but time got away from me ;-; this will be my last post in the thread; play along/PP her in the hunt if you *do* want to continue

her pack assembles quickly; she supposes that's one benefit of lower numbers. she looks upon them all with approval, eyes shifting from one to another. 

Ulfhedinn ih' gone for now, she announces, though it's no secret. he'll be backgh. wi' warriorhh'.

another no-brainer: i am pregnan', an' we needh foodh. we hunh' now. she gives a brusque nod to the decrepit elk below.

they will group together in their accustomed fashion, with @Mori, Avicus and Ashlar giving chase and the burly Prophet, Ratio and Augur dealing the death blow. hopefully they will succeed.

she begins to move, growing belly hindering her only slightly.

last from me!

tall man was gone.

augur aimed a polite lick to red woman's chin.

the rise wolves were off thereafter, and this time when the tall brawny hunter leapt for the muzzle of the elk, he did not miss. he held it there as the others tore and killed.

they ate well. augur later turned up his bloodied muzzle and called a song of victory out over their land.

last from me <3

Near tradition by now, for him to round up his men to do the killing blows.

It brought pride each time. As Augur grabbed and Prophet ripped, Ratio damaging too. His heart beat wildly, pumping blood through him while the blood of the beast splattered onto him.

They would feast, they would sing victory.

Prophet's mind would know momentary peace.

Ashlar too did his part. He still did not know the ways to kill such a strong creature, but as always, he was diligent in driving the poor creature to its end.

Hemming it firmly in place with the others, the kill was made. He would partake when he had the space to do so, content to wait a moment for the others to settle in, and sang with the rest in a voice alight with the joy of accompaniment.