HUNT: You literally couldn't get out of bed

Sure enough, the others came out of the woods around them. He greeted them happily at first, the wave of his tail not missing a beat. But the expression had begun to wane when he saw that they were looking not so much at him, but rather to Jinx and the looks therein were a mixture of concern and fear. As they settled, much further away than he had expected, he found a note of irritation budding in the forefront of his mind. While there was the one other who had dared to come closer than he had to Jinx, his thoughts were focused on the group before him, and this time his expression had turned to concern for them. Why did they fear her so?

Granted, the chewing of her foreleg and the drooling wasn't exactly screaming I'm friendly, but she was still their leader. His attention wheeled around to Jinx then, who did not hesitate to call them out for their distance. A spider bite, see, that's all that it was. But the uneasiness was thick in the air, and Mordecai had a feeling it would not be enough to put that ease back into their meeting. Nevertheless, it progressed, and he found himself being handed the spotlight while Jinx chose to once more tend (or tear) at her wound. He offered her a smile all the same, and stepped inward to focus on the group.

“In the last few days, there have been a herd of elk lingering in the forests to our north, just beyond our borders. It appears that they're making their way towards the interior of this valley, and right into the waiting jaws of our neighbors. Since they have persisted in this direction, I say we send them with thinner ranks.” He paused briefly, making sure their attention was coming around to him. “That said, this is a perfect opportunity for us to bolster our caches. The herd is largely female, and there are a few late fawns with them as well, so there are plenty of options and opportunities.” And with any luck of those who had gathered, he hoped they would net more than just a couple bodies from the herd.

“My plan is that we split into two groups; one to ambush them and send them running, and the other to cut them off and cull what we can in their confusion. We'll need them to scatter, and to keep them scattered while we single others out.” Scanning through the group, Mordecai spotted Kaname and met his gaze. “Kaname, would you be willing to head up the group ambushing?” He felt comfortable in asking his once-superior, if only for the fact that he had hunted with him more than he had with anyone else. But he wouldn't fault him if he turned it down; Mordecai was also considering who would go with what group.