Redhawk Caldera Winterlight

Mini-hunt thread intended for @Elwood and @Somnia. @Finley is welcome to hang out on the sidelines and reap the spoils if she wants?!

Snow drifted from the cold gray sky—just a shimmering sprinkle. Peregrine perched on the lip of the caldera and watched it, time spinning away from him until late morning wore into mid-afternoon. He might have sat there like a statue until nightfall but he spotted movement in the trees down below, perhaps a mile beyond his territory's borders. Unwilling to let any opportunity go untested, the Alpha male rose and began to pick his way down the mountain, collecting whoever he could find en route as he made his way toward their distant quarry.

The swarthy male led the small hunting party into the wilderness, their passage through the trees silent as the falling snow. When they came within stalking range, he signaled for them to stop. Peregrine then proceeded much more slowly and cautiously, slinking through the failing winter light as he closed in on what smelled like a small herd of mule deer, perhaps even the subspecies that frequented his former home.

Through a break in the trees, he spotted them: a young buck and three does. All appeared relatively healthy and spry, so Peregrine watched them carefully as he tried to weed out the weakest of the four to target. He glanced at his hunting comrades, wondering if any of them could spot something that made one deer a better choice than the others. Surely none of them would risk the stag's antlers, yet which of the three does might be their safest bet?

It had been sudden when Somnia had encountered her alpha male, Peregrine, and was offered the opportunity to hunt with him and Elwood, but she had accepted quickly. She felt that she had screwed up last time around the alpha, but hadn't realized it in the moment. It was later in the night that she had remembered the need to ask to be dismissed. Peregrine hadn't seemed as strict about being submissive as her parents had, and she had made the mistake of throwing it all out the door, instead of being the in-between that he may or may not have been expecting. Somnia was already planning an apology for that, but it would wait until later.

Silently, Somnia follwed the two males through through the snow. Eventually they spotted their targets, and she halted at Peregrine's signal. There were four deer. One buck, and three healthy females. While she waited for Peregrine to choose their target, she made her own observations.

The buck was strong and healthy, but the antlers were also sharp and threatening. The buck was the biggest, and thus bore the most meat, but would Peregrine decide to have them risk the antlers? The three does looked similar, but upon detailed observation, she might be able to find some difference. Well, they wanted the easiest target, so it would deal with which one could run the fastest. Leg muscles. The bigger the muscles, the more they had run, thus could probably run faster. It was hard to tell, but the one doe looked to have the bigger leg muscles.

OOC: Let me know if what I said about the doe moving away from the group is okay! I'll change it if not. :) Also, almost shadow-posted Somnia!

IC: Elwood had followed his leader without a second thought, excited by the prospect of a group hunt with his packmates. It had been some time since he had hunted in the company of others, so he was worried that he would be rusty, but he reassured himself as they padded softly through the snow-blanketed forest. He was a fairly skilled hunter -- though he wouldn't call himself a professional by any means -- and simply would have to remind himself to stay in tune with his partners' cues.

He was pleased when Somnia joined them, and bumped the female's shoulder happily with his nose. He then fell into step behind Peregrine, his countenance becoming more serious as he prepared himself for the task ahead. Soon, the Alpha came to a halt and Elwood mimicked him, pausing and surveying the landscape with his ears and nose as well as his eyes.

His gaze fell on the small group of deer, and he, too, examined them carefully. They all appeared to be in good health, which could potentially make the hunt difficult for the wolves. The three does were of similar size, though Elwood paid particular attention to the smallest; she could be the easiest to bring down, but did they want to sacrifice size for convenience? As they continued to observe, one doe stepped away from the group -- not a significant distance, but enough to perhaps give the gamekeepers an advantage.

Peregrine fancied he could see the gears working in his subordinates' heads as they, too, attempted to single out the best target. Had prey been more bountiful, they might have taken a bigger risk and gone after the buck, which would give the most meat. But the pack hunts had failed two weeks in a row and winter was close at hand, so they needed to go after the safest bet, not the biggest payout. For this reason, Peregrine was personally eyeballing the smallest doe.

She stepped away from her three counterparts and, just like that, the choice was made for them. Peregrine licked his chops and exchanged a long glance with Somnia, then Elwood. He motioned for them to give him a moment as he pondered strategies. As Alpha and lead Gamekeeper (seeing as he was the only one formally titled), he took it upon himself to lead this miniature hunt.

You go left, he signaled to Somnia, giving her a nudge, and you go right, Elwood. Go around the herd and station yourself about ten feet apart. I'll drive her into the trap you lay. Using body language, the Alpha male conveyed his instructions to his pair of hunting partners, then once more signaled for them to wait. He didn't want them moving until he was absolutely sure none of the deer would become alerted to their presence.

When all but one doe were bent over to clip at the dry, dying grass, Peregrine nodded his head, issuing a silent command for Somnia and Elwood to take their positions.

So it's going to fail. How will we fail? Anyone have any ideas besides that the doe outruns them? Maybe it runs around the trap area instead of between the two?

Somnia watched as a doe stepped away from the others. Suddenly, the next target became easier to choose. Peregrine looked at her for a long moment. She watched him as he came up with a strategy. She was to go left, while Elwood went right. It was clear from his signals. Somnia waited for Peregrine to give the signal to move out.

With the nod of the dark wolf's head, Somnia started. Carefully, she made her way to her designated location. She watched out for any dead leaves or twigs that may make a noise if stepped on. Avoiding those obstacles wasn't too hard; she just had to make it to the spot quietly.

Once a little past the other side of the herd, Somnia stood, waiting. She was partially hidden by a bush. She could see also see Elwood nearby, about ten feet away from her. Somnia tried to see the swarthy black alpha from her spot, so she could give a little nod that they were ready. But, distance and trees prevented this.

OOC: Any of those options work for me; surprise us, Kat. :)

IC: As soon as the doe began to move, Elwood shifted his attention to Peregrine. The Alpha took a moment to consider their options, then, using body language, he delivered his instructions. He nudged Somnia to the left, then gestured for Elwood to go right. With a nod, the Delta prepared to move, though he didn't step away just yet; he waited for further direction from Peregrine.

Once he was given the go ahead, he began to prowl in a wide arc toward the group of deer, keeping his body slung low to the ground and his eyes fixed on the prize. His steps were quiet and calculated, and when he judged that he was close enough to the quarry -- but not so close as to alarm them -- he halted, his tail flicking in a predatory manner between his hocks. He glanced at Somnia, who had taken up her position opposite him, then looked back to Peregrine; the leader would tell them when to spring into action.

His comrades slipped out of view and Peregrine hunkered low to the ground to wait. As he gave them time to get into position, he continued to observe the four mule deer. Their intended target remained on the outskirts of the group for several minutes... then abruptly cantered right into the middle of her brethren. Peregrine's ears flicked backward and he shifted his weight. It was too late to communicate another target now, so he would just have to run with it. The Alpha cursed inwardly, as her movement definitely lowered their chances of success.

After a quarter of an hour, Peregrine abruptly revealed himself by springing from his cover with a loud growl. The deer reacted by fleeing, most of them in the direction he had sent Somnia and Elwood. The stag leaped clear of their waiting ambush, as did their intended doe. The other two cut directly across the clearing and presumably into the waiting wolves' path, so it seemed they would have no choice but to improvise. Well, this would be a learning experience for all: sometimes, hunts didn't go according to plan!

Peregrine caught up to the closer of the two does. He snapped at her leg and, in doing so, signaled for his Delta and Eta to spring their trap and help him bring her down. Although the doe was perfectly positioned for them to swoop in from either side, however, she shook off Peregrine with surprising strength and then kicked him square in the side of the head. Her hoof was small and light but there was enough power in the blow to completely knock Peregrine unconscious. He crumpled instantly, sprawling on the forest floor and leaving his pack mates to choose between running to his aid—thereby letting the deer go—or going after her anyway.

Eventually, Peregrine rushed the deer. Their original target avoided them, but the Gamekeeper made it clear which deer the target had shifted to. Somnia charged in, her focus at first on the deer. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Peregrine lay down. Distracted, she looked at him incredulously. It then became apparent that something had happened to him. "You continue the hunt!" She practically screamed at Elwood without thinking.

Somnia went to her alpha, making sure he was still alive. She put a cold nose into his side, feeling the movements of his lungs. At least Peregrine was alive. Now she just had to figure out what had happened to him, which proved to be easy. The side of his head was bleeding, although it had to be more serious than that if it had knocked him out. Even though Somnia wasn't a healer, she knew bleeding alone didn't knock you out unless you lost a lot of blood.

The smartest thing to do would have been calling for Ashton, but alas, the thought never even occurred in Somnia's mind. There wasn't much she could think about except that Peregrine was unconscious, and that was a bad thing. A very bad thing. If he wasn't unconscious, it wouldn't be bad. So she tried to wake him up. "Helloooo? Peregrine, wake up. I don't want to be the one that our Alpha got killed by a deer." When that didn't work, Somnia started nudging him with her cold, wet nose.

The waiting was almost agonizing; Elwood shifted his gaze from the deer to Peregrine to Somnia seemingly dozens of times in the long minutes while they waited for the perfect moment. He forced himself to take several deep breaths, to calm his nerves and help him refocus. Suddenly, with little warning, Peregrine sprang into action, and the Delta tensed, ready to follow the Alpha's lead.

He watched as the deer began to scatter, promptly moving into exactly the wrong formation. Elwood hesitated for only a moment before taking flight; the doe they had planned to bring down was running in the other direction, but there were two more that lined themselves up almost perfectly. In a flurry of motion, the gunmetal male sprang forward, but before he could make contact with either of the runaway deer, there was a commotion near Peregrine's dark figure.

There was a sickening thud, and then the Alpha dropped to the ground. Elwood ground to a halt, his jaw slackening with surprise. Somnia, however, was quicker to react, and leapt to Peregrine's side, simultaneously yelling for Elwood to continue the hunt. He whirled, ready to take off again, but the group of deer were already disappearing into the foliage, leaving behind the three unsuccessful hunters. Elwood gnashed his teeth in frustration, then joined Somnia at Peregrine's side. "Should I go get Ashton?" he asked, glancing worriedly down at the comatose leader.

"No," Peregrine groaned in response to Elwood's question. He had only been out for a minute or two but Somnia's urgent tone and her panicked nudges had roused him. "I'm fine. I just need a minute," he added in an almost groggy tone. He did feel like he'd just woken from a very deep sleep and the darkness didn't quite want to give up on him.

After a time, he slowly rolled into a sphinx-like position and blinked at his concerned pack mates. "I have a massive headache but I really think I'm going to be fine," he said. Carefully, Peregrine pushed himself upright, then climbed to his feet. "Yep, head's pounding. But I don't feel dizzy or anything. Am I bleeding?" he asked suddenly, catching a whiff of the tangy odor of blood.

That reminded him of their hunt and he gazed off into the dim forest. "Sorry, guys," he sighed. "I have just had shit luck lately. Want to head back to the caldera?" Peregrine winced slightly as a particularly sharp pain shot through his skull, though he was sure he would be fine. It wasn't the first kick he'd taken in the course of a hunt.

Before Somnia could tell Elwood that he probably should get Ashton, Peregrine gained consciousness and gave his own answer. Within a few moments, The black alpha was back on his feet. Somnia was impressed; if she had been in his position she could only imagine that she wouldn't have gotten up until a whiles after. Kudos to him for his level of pain tolerance.

As for the bleeding question, "Yeah, there's blood, but it's not too bad. I think most of the damage was from the impact, rather than the cuts. Might be wise to have someone clean it at least." That was Somnia's input on the matter.

With going back, Somnia saw no reason not to. "Unless you, Elwood, see any reason to stay, I think it'd be best to head back. And for your shitty luck, think of it this way. If karma unloads a lot of crap on you now, later on it'll have to shower with good things to even it out somewhat. If I were you, I'd rather have the crap now, so that the good things could come when Fox and you have pups."

Luckily, as soon as the words were out of Elwood's mouth, Peregrine stirred. He insisted that they didn't need to seek out the aspiring medic, and Elwood rocked back onto his haunches as he waited for Peregrine to get his bearings and gather himself. Somnia gave him a brief check-up, noting that he was bleeding a bit but that it was nothing life-changing. "Yeah, not too much blood," he agreed.

Peregrine then suggested that they call it a day, and Somnia quickly agreed. Elwood glanced briefly in the direction that the deer had run, but knew that it would be pointless for any of them to pursue their prey now. He shook his head in response to Somnia's comment, indicating that he had no desire to stay if both of his companions would be retiring. He gave them a wry smile as he got to his feet. "Guess you can't win them all," he quipped, then added, "I bet Somnia's right about your luck."

"I'll have Fox look at it when we get back," he murmured in reply to Somnia's suggestion. "That's a very positive outlook you have there," he added when she mentioned karma. "I hope you're right, though. Sorry again, guys. Just goes to show you that nothing ever goes according to plan."

Because of his pounding head, the Alpha male could only manage a slow walk without making it worse. He wanted to be back home, curled up in his den with Fox's warm tongue soothing his wound, yet he would have to take his time if he wanted to avoid making it worse. Ah, well, he had good company. That was the least he could provide, in lieu of something to eat.

"Okay, okay, I have a joke. What did the green grape say to the purple grape?"

Both Peregrine and Fox had face/head wounds now, Somnia realized. "I just realized, you and Fox match now." It could be taken two ways. Either it could be a bad thing that both alphas have wounds, or it could be amusing to some. Not sure of which way Peregrine would take it, Somnia kept her tone of voice neutral.

Somnia then commented on her own positive outlook. "If you don't have a positive outlook, you won't have the motivation to achieve your goals. We went into this thinking, 'we're going to catch food for the pack!', not 'a deer will try to kill you!'. With the positive outlook, we at least had a chance. With the negative outlook, we would've been too worried to function properly."

She slowed her pace to match Peregrine's. She replied to his joke with a shrug.

Life was unpredictable, in the best and worst ways. Peregrine was right; it was possible to meticulously plan out an interaction, but there could always be an unexpected surprise. In this case, the result was negative but could have been worse -- Peregrine was lucky that his injury was not more severe.

Elwood bobbed his head thoughtfully in response to Somnia's musings. She was an introspective wolf, and he liked her outlook on life. As they moved slowly back towards the caldera, he threw a sideways glance at Peregrine, who had offered up a joke. "I don't know, what?" he replied, raising his brows as he waited for the punch line.

Somnia didn't seem terribly interested in his joke, though Elwood took the bait and asked, "I don't know, what?" Before the words entirely left his mouth, Peregrine hollered, "Breathe!" and then cackled for the remaining eighth of a mile back to the caldera.

"Let's do this again sometime. The hunting, not my shitty attempt at stand-up comedy," the Alpha clarified. "I'm off to see Fox. Catch up with you two later," Peregrine said. He took a few steps, then paused and added, "And thanks for playing." Perhaps Somnia's positivism had rubbed off on him, for a little grin arched his lips as he trotted off to find his mate.

Somnia sat there, stony-faced. She tried to make the connection between different colored grapes and breathing, but she just couldn't. Grapes couldn't have anything to do with breathing, could they? Seeing Peregrine cackling, she pretended to understand, making herself chuckle a bit.

When they reached their departing location, she replied with a, "See you later," to Peregrine who was already leaving. Somnia brushed shoulders with Elwood amiably, telling him, "I'll see you around too." Once Elwood and Peregrine were out of sight, the meaning of the joke hit her. Your face supposedly got purple underneath your fur when you weren't breathing. She chuckled for real this time, continuing on the way home.

Elwood chuckled as Peregrine delivered the punch line of his joke, though he didn't initially laugh quite as hard as the Alpha did. However, Peregrine's laughter was contagious, for he soon found himself unable to stop guffawing at the silly joke. Somnia, on the other hand, seemed either to not enjoy the joke or not understand it -- either way, she appeared to be more mature than the two males.

When it came time for the failed hunters to go their separate ways, Elwood bid an affectionate farewell to his packmates. Though the hunt hadn't been successful, he was still happy to have spent time with Peregrine and Somnia, and hoped that Peregrine would follow through on his offer to hunt with them again on another occasion. "Bye, y'all," he called after their receding figures, then he, too, disappeared into the forest.