Redtail Rise High Risk, High Reward

The headaches abated in frequency and strength, though they didn’t disappear entirely. Masquerade woke very early this morning to a familiar pounding. Unable to fall back to sleep, they slithered from beneath their favorite evergreen and decided to perform a dawn patrol. They would start it with a cold drink, which would hopefully clear their head.

As they loped along the rise’s southern flank some time later, an unearthly cry quite suddenly pierced the morning quiet. Masquerade startled, recognizing the sound instantly. They dropped into a defensive crouch as they tried to pinpoint the source, though the glare of the rising sun through the fog made it difficult.

Out of the morning mist just yards away, a bull elk cantered into view with a second bugle, pitched higher than the first. Masque scurried out of his way, their movement prompting the ungulate to stop and swing his head, a hoof pawing at the earth. Neither one of them took their eyes off the other, though the wolf’s dropped to note several rather terrible wounds marking the elk’s broad chest.

Perhaps another predator had done this to him. More likely, it was the result of a rutting spar gone awry. The elk clearly hadn’t accepted defeat, though the Ulfr sniffed the air and thought they scented traces of infection. Their heart thumped as they wondered if the Redtail pack could take him. At the very least, they ought to chase him from their borders, as he was particularly dangerous in this state.

Masquerade howled for @Augur. Surely he’d heard the bull’s cries. Perhaps he was already en route. The Ulfr hunkered down to await him as the elk snorted and swung his head again, the tines of his antlers catching the morning light as the fog burned away. They would rely on the Ulfhedinn’s judgment regarding the elk’s fate.