Phoenix Maplewood I know the bowline, sheepshank, and the double overhand

Let's end this one on September 27!

Citali, Nochtli and Reek were prompt in heeding her call. Hawk, Arion and Gunnar were nowhere to be seen, and the coyote pups escaped her notice, possibly because they were small and well hidden. Though not surprised that three of their number were absent given she hadn't seen any of them in quite some time (in Hawk's case, since his acceptance), Saena was still disappointed. They needed all the power they could get to secure a kill this afternoon and with three of their members lacking, the hunting party would need to work extra hard to take anything down.

Her gaze lingered on the amazons, then flit across the face of her husband. Her gaze on him was still steely, betraying her true feelings about his selfless act toward the coyote pups. She turned back to the doe, which was wary but still oblivious to their intentions. It had heard the howl as well as her subordinates, but couldn't presently see the wolves hidden in the trees.

"It's in the open so we'll need to do our best to inflict a grievous wound," Saena said in a hushed voice. They couldn't necessarily rely on stealth here. It would be tough to flank the deer with only the forest's edge to use. The best way would be to bleed it out, and if they didn't cause enough damage to do that early on, they'd lose their chance.

"Citali, Reek, can I count on you to spook it closer to the trees?" she asked, turning to her mate and then the Gamma. She knew Citali wasn't much of a chaser and Reek was a clumsy hunter at best, and she chose them for herding for that purpose. While Citali was undoubtedly the largest member of Phoenix Maplewood, it was speed that would win the first strike, and she had that advantage with Nochtli. "Nochtli and I can get in and out quick. We aim to injure the belly early on... then we strike when the chance presents itself. If we get a good hit in, we need only wait for blood loss to take its toll."

Being a gamekeeper, she felt entitled to making these decisions, but her eyes flicked to each wolf present. The plan needed their cooperation and that was only assured if they agreed it was the best course, which is what she wordlessly asked them now.