Whitefish River Erlkönig

last round! Just going to speed things up as this has gotten a bit old <3

The herd bunched together at first, panicked and fearful before they began to run. Solveig held back, veering from one side to the other so she could assess the animals, and watch for those who naturally fell toward the back of the herd, unable to keep up with the faster animals in the vanguard. Ahead, the treeline loomed, and beyond that, the mountain. The steep incline would act as a wall, and with the pressure from the wolves, the elk were left with few options- 

and she was right. The strongest of them, at the head of the herd, veered and began to plunge into the river, not caring how deep or cool the waters ran. 

She caught sight of a terrified yearling that showed the whites of its eyes, one that had fallen behind and seemed to move away from the water as if trying to convince the rest of the herd that they shouldn't swim. Its balling cries were a blatant cry for help- and Solveig uttered a sharp bark, before bolting forward to cut the hesitant elk from the rest of the herd. 

Once separated, it would take the pack's entire strength to bring the animal down, but would provide a mighty feast as a reward for their efforts.