Big Salmon Lake If you ask me to

It was rare for Elwood to venture out of Redhawk Caldera; since joining the ranks two months ago, he had become something of a permanent fixture. Thoughts of Avery had nearly slipped out of his head completely, replaced by situations he was dealing with in the present -- hunting, patrolling, eagerly awaiting the birth of the Alphas' first litter together. Had he still been thinking of her often, he would have been more likely to meander into neutral territories.

It wasn't because of his twin that he was standing at the edge of Big Salmon Lake, however. He had risen before the dawn and begun tracking a herd of elk near the caldera's outskirts. The hunter had followed them to the north, across the wide expanse of snowy plains. Only after hours of travel did he realize how far he had gone; already, the afternoon sun was slipping away. He would need to decide if he wanted to bed down here, in this unclaimed land, or head home under the cover of darkness.

The elk were still nearby, grazing at the sparse grass that tried its best to protrude from beneath the snow. Elwood gave them a long look before beginning to puncture the ice at the edge of the lake in order to sate his thirst, his ears orbiting alertly on top of his head as he worked.

Nearly a day and a half has passed since Saena was home. On another combined Gamekeeping and Outriding mission, the spotted female departed the safety of her home in the midafternoon, and travelled at a leisurely pace through the night. She'd watched the stars, but come no closer to understanding their secrets than her last dream had left her. She'd slept away the morning in an abandoned fox den that she widened, then rose with the afternoon sun.

Now, darkness was beginning to slip in on the horizon. She debated turning back, but the lowing of elk in the distance urged Saena closer to the large, nameless lake rather than to the safety of home. It was much better to return with a report and plans tonarrange a hunting party than to go back empty handed.

Before she could prowl into their midst, for she didn't threaten them on her own, the crack of ice and the sight of a grey wolf at the lake's edge stole her attention. Her ears swivelled toward him, and with only a little pause, Saena was picking her way through the snow in Elwood's direction with a series of playful, inquisitive growls to gauge his reaction to strangers.

Skillfully, Elwood pushed down on the ice with his paws. Cracks webbed out from the center of pressure, until -- with a delicious snap -- he broke through the surface and felt frigid water against his feet. He stepped back, surveying his handiwork, and was about to lean down and take his first sip when he heard a wolf vocalize behind him.

Since he was in unfamiliar territory, the Redhawk's first reaction was to stiffen. He stood up, swinging his head around to see who -- or what -- approached. The sounds had not been unfriendly and seemed to have more of a curious tone, so he did not immediately become defensive. Instead, he used his other senses to assess the situation: a she-wolf trotted towards him, with a slight build and a peculiar coat. Her fur was white, save for a copper hue on her ears and smudged below her eyes. She seemed inquisitive, and she smelled of other wolves -- though, having only acquainted himself with his own pack, Elwood failed to identify her as belonging to Blacktail Deer Plateau.

It was obvious that she meant him no harm, so he chuffed a nonverbal response, the sound hanging in the air like his breath; the cloud of steam curled over his head and then dissipated as he watched the girl draw nearer.

Elwood turned with a level of uncertain tension, as was expected, but didn't show any signs of hostility at her approach. Saena continued drawing nearer until finally he chuffed a response. She halted at nearly the same time. They assessed one another, but she was unable to pick up his scent and he was unable to recognize hers. By the conflict between Dante and Peregrine, they weren't exactly friends, but neither of them could recognize this presently... and even if she had noticed, Saena was unlikely to retreat. With his help, she might be able to go home with more than just a report.

"Are you hunting those?" she asked, glancing at the elk and flicking one ear in their direction while the other trained itself on Elwood. Sure, the idea that a wolf might be hunting a herd of elk solo was kind of silly, and Saena wasn't sure if it was even possible, but asking never hurt anyone. For all she knew, he was the most skilled hunter in all the land and could take down a moose by himself. Oh, how fortunate for her if that was the case!

His yellow gaze followed her as she approached, his tail stirring gently behind him. When she asked about the elk, he looked in their direction, watching as the herd mingled but otherwise paid no attention to the two wolves. After travelling so far alone, Elwood hadn't thought that there would be a chance to bring back any meat to the caldera -- and it would still be a long way to go from his present location -- but maybe this female was offering him an opportunity.

"I tracked them here," he replied with a glance back towards the caldera across the snowy plains. "They wandered a lot farther than I thought they would," the journeyman added. He didn't ask her outright if she wanted to hunt with him, but he thought he could guess her intentions.

Saena couldn't help but follow the line of Elwood's sudden glance to the horizon, where Peregrine's pack lived. A cloud seemed to pass over her face for a minute, but left just as quickly. There were no rules, unspoken or otherwise, about using members of another pack for her own gain, and anyway, it would be mutual. As with Somnia, the dappled juvenile could swallow her hatred for her father if it meant impressing her Alphas.

"They do that," she said knowingly, though really she had no idea. Elk weren't her usual quarry; often she hunted small animals, and the pack dined almost exclusively on the deer that frequented their corner of the world. From the looks of them, elk were much stronger and possibly swifter than deer, so it only made sense they could cover long distances rather effortlessly.

Besides that, Saena didn't have much to say to Elwood. He was a perfect stranger and she was strangely without words. After a lengthy pause in which her eyes went a little out of focus, she took stock of his physique and quickly said, "wanna try to catch one?" The fact that two wolves were unlikely to win against what looked like healthy elk didn't register. Two wolves were more than enough to take down a deer, and these things were kind of like deer, so Saena assumed their odds were pretty good.

He wasn't surprised when the girl asked if he wanted to try and bring down one of the elk. It was a potentially dangerous task -- but equally as exciting. Elwood imagined the amount of meat that he would be able to bring back to the caldera if they were successful. Dragging it all the way back home would be an adventure in itself, but it would be worth it.

"I'm up for it if you are," he replied, his tail giving a predatory twitch as excitement began to flow through his veins. He turned and took a long look at the group of elk, his yellow gaze skimming over their large bodies as he tried to pick out a good target.

The herd was not overly large; it consisted of one bull and his harem of five females. That could either work for them or against them, but Elwood still thought that their chances were pretty good. If they managed to separate one female from the others, they could perhaps bring her down with some effort. He set his sights on the smallest of the five and gestured towards her, wordlessly asking his young hunting partner for her opinion.

As soon as Elwood spoke his agreement, Saena took two lengthy steps forward, then paused with her nose in the air. Her ears flipped forward as she took stock of the elk. She was less experienced than Elwood, and ended up turning back to gauge him as he selected a smaller elk from the herd. He gestured and she turned her head back, surveyed the selected female, and then nodded.

Silently, she prowled nearer the herd. She didn't think they would feel threatened by two wolves until their intentions became clear, so there wasn't a great need to hide herself, but habitually she stalked lower to the ground. One slim ear twisted back and fixed on Elwood, Saena began the painfully slow crawl toward the herd, intent on getting into position to break them up like billiard balls from the cue.

Her movement signaled her agreement, so Elwood, too, began to prowl forward. He slung his belly low to the ground, his strides long and fluid. He kept one ear and his peripheral vision trained on Saena as he crept in a wide arc around the herd of elk, surveying their position and trying to decide which angle of attack would provide the most success.

The elk shifted uneasily, becoming slightly more interested in the two wolves as they drew nearer. Elwood paused, the muscles in his shoulders and hindquarters tensed as he quietly observed the group. He remained still for a long few moments, until the elk seemed to lose some interest in the predators, and then he abruptly trotted forward.

Elwood snaked towards the targeted female, the hair along his spine standing in a ridge. With Saena's help, he was hoping to separate their prey without alarming the rest of the harem.

When the shifting of the herd took on a nervous edge and the air seemed to still, Saena stiffened. Her heart hammered in her chest as she surveyed the true threat: the bull. His head was held confidently high, showing off his impressive rack, and he seemed indifferent. The females seemed more uncertain, the smallest the most nervous, and for good reason.

They seemed to settle when the perceived threat didn't show itself, indicating that it was safe to move forth once more. Saena resumed her purposeful prowl, aiming her body for the small space between the smallest female and her companions. As she drew nearer, her feet slowed until she was practically creeping, waiting for an opportunity to drive between them and begin the process of separating the target from the herd.

That opportunity presented itself when the small female took a few tentative steps away from the harem in search of further grass, and the bull turned his hefty body away from her, apparently interested in one of the other females... so much that he was soon preoccupied with pressing his chest against her hindquarters. Without paying much attention to what was happening there, Saena streaked forward in a quick line and placed herself squarely between the selected female and the others, and only then did she growl to announce herself and send them scattering so that they could truly cut their target off.

Nature seemed to be on their side, and the wolves couldn't have asked for better luck -- under the watchful eyes of the predators, the bull focused his full attention on one of the females. Elwood didn't allow himself to become distracted by what was likely a mating ritual; instead, he seized the opportunity to strike.

He could see the pale streak of Saena's fur from the corner of his eye as he darted towards their target. His hunting partner growled as she sliced through the herd like a knife, effectively severing the female from the others. The rest of the elk moved nervously, and while their prey attempted to follow, Elwood and Saena blocked her forward motion.

Instead, she started to amble away from the rest with a cry of distress. Elwood glanced over his shoulder and was pleased to see that the bull was paying more attention to the rest of his harem. So he began to snap his teeth at the female's ankles, driving her further from the group and at at faster pace. He wanted to tire her a bit if possible before attempting to bring her down, but the worry that was evident in her face was already taking its toll.

The pair of wolves had a long, trying race ahead of them. The cow wheeled away from the group and, being unable to rejoin them, cantered off in another direction. Though she wasn't any master hunter, and in fact never hunted elk, Saena was pleased with this outcome and could tell it'd gone perfectly. Elwood was rushing the elk away from her comrades, and Saena was all too glad to fall in with him, breathing hard as they spurred her into a flat-out run.

The cow was far larger than any deer Saena'd ever gone after. Instinct told her that it wouldn't be wise to snap at this one's sides and hocks without first exhausting it, even if her limited experience told her that was how to hunt. So she chose to bide her time, keeping pace but not over-exerting herself, to watch and wait for signs that the cow's energy was failing her. She glanced sidelong at Elwood, searching his form and technique for cues on how she should carry herself and what to do next.

It doesn't matter to me if they're successful or not; you can decide with your next post, if you want!

The task of bringing down such a large animal with such a small group was unfamiliar to Elwood, but he pulled from his own experience. With more wolves, the goal was still to tire the creature before striking; so that was his plan, even though it would be fatiguing for him and Saena, as well.

Luck was on their side, at least in the beginning, as the elk continued to put more distance between herself and the rest of the harem. A quick glance over his shoulder showed Elwood just how far they had gone in a short time. He occasionally looked to his hunting partner, making sure that she was keeping pace; she was young and vivacious, and kept up with him without complaint.

After what seemed like ages of running, the beast finally started to slow. Its breath was becoming more labored, and its steps were heavy and uneven. With a snarl, Elwood gave a burst of speed -- likely his last, as his legs were starting to feel like lead -- and darted closer to their target, briefly sinking his teeth into her stomach. She writhed, very nearly kicking him, and he lost his footing; the grey hunter fell behind but scrambled to catch up once more.

Let's say not, for interest's sake, and also because elk are huge!

Like an epic documentary scene, the two wolves kept close to the panicked elk, streaking across the landscape for what felt like an hour or longer. The harem was nowhere to be seen anymore; in fact, the lake itself was nowhere to be seen. Still the small female elk trampled on and the wolves followed, but it was getting harder and harder to keep up. Saena's pudgy body warred with her young, determined spirit, and soon she was panting heavily.

Her heart skipped a beat as Elwood seemed to find his second wind and rush in. He sunk his teeth into the cow's side, but was dislodged as easily as a mite. She could hear him scrambling in the snow behind, and forced herself to push harder; her head ducked down with the effort, her ears flung back, and the wheezing bitch put every last ounce of strength into her legs.

But it wasn't enough. The elk was starting to pull ahead, and there was nothing left in Saena. She managed what felt like another quarter mile, watching helplessly as the cow outpaced them, before she ground to a halt. Breathing hard, the female shakily sank to her rump and shot Elwood an apologetic glance. She'd been horribly wrong that these creatures were the same as deer; they were significantly more powerful than deer, and that was why the cow had escaped.

Though Elwood gave it his best effort and tried to cover the ground that he lost, his exhaustion was just too great. He felt like he could hardly keep his legs moving, and though the cow was tired as well, she seemed to have more stamina than the wolves. As he finally caught up with Saena, he noticed how heavily she was breathing and that her pace was slowing against her will.

With a frustrated snort, the gamekeeper, too, dropped to a lower speed. Eventually, they both halted; by that point, the elk was well beyond their reach. He had done a decent amount of damage to her gut, but he didn't know if it would be enough to cause her death later on in the evening. It wasn't worth sticking around for, as he was now tired, disappointed, and a long way from home.

Despite their failure, it had been a good learning experience, and Elwood shrugged his shoulders as he looked at his young hunting partner. "Good effort," he said, his voice ragged with the effort of trying to rapidly fill his lungs with air.

"You... too," gasped Saena as her eyes lifted to the departing figure of the female elk. With any luck she would enter the flatlands and be unable to find her herd again. Maybe Blacktail Deer Plateau would have an opportunity to pick her off. Saena knew they didn't need it, but it was a nice thought nonetheless.

Glancing back at Elwood, she apologetically shook her head and said, "sorry we... didn't get... it," with a sheepish grin. At least, she thought, it wasn't because she did something only an amateur would do. Both wolves put in a good effort, and both wolves lost. That was the way of the wild sometimes, a fact Saena had to remind herself of pretty regularly.

"I guess you probably wanna head back?" she guessed now that her breathing was slowing a little. Admittedly, she didn't have any reason to spend more time with Elwood. It was nothing against him, of course, but they both knew their energy was depleted, and anyone who knew Saena knew she was a bit chilly when she was tired.

You can wrap up with your next post! Thanks for the thread. :)

Gradually, Elwood's heart rate decreased and his breathing became more normal. His lungs hurt from sucking in so much cold air so quickly, but that would ease soon enough. The she-wolf apologized for their joint failure and he shrugged his shoulders. He had learned that he couldn't always be successful; at the very least, it had been fun and a good experience.

"That's okay," he panted. She suggested that they return to their respective homes, and he cast a glance around him. Night had nearly enveloped them. He considered staying the night near the lake, but then decided that he would rather walk back to the caldera, despite his fatigue. If he ended up too tired to carry on, he could always find a place to crash for the night -- hopefully somewhere with a little more coverage than this open plain provided.

With a nod, he agreed, "Yeah, I've got a ways to go. Thanks for your help, though." She was young, but he liked her spunk. As he turned to leave, he paused. "I'm Elwood, by the way," he added, an afterthought that probably wasn't really necessary but that he tacked on anyway.

"No prob," she said with a grin that came across more cheeky than anything. There wasn't much either wolf could do but part ways. In a way it felt a little awkward, like there was more Saena should do to engage Elwood, but it was already quite dark. She was unwilling to linger out here where cannibals roamed, and was willing to bet he was, too.

He turned to introduce himself, prompting Saena to return the favour with a more sincere smile. "Saena," she brightly replied, before angling her form for home and taking off at a leisurely trot.