Redhawk Caldera fire in the hole

Eljay had asked @Elwood to help him prepare the pups' first hunt. Together they had spoken about some details and tactics and they had been looking for prey that would be suitable for the hunt. Eventually they had found a small herd of deer. Eljay had noticed that there was a young one in there that limped, and though it was pretty bare-boned he thought it would be a good target for the pups; if they went for it, of course. There was also an older doe in there but aside from its greying, plucky fur and sunken back it was still pretty healthy and without any sort of limps. Apart from these two the current herd gathered consisted of a male and three does, of which two looked like they might be pregnant, judging by their swollen stomachs.

With all information gathered Eljay lifted his nose to call for @Tegan, @Fiadh, @Clover and @Lucca. After calling he looked at daddy, feeling a nervous jittery feeling in his throat, and sighed to try and elevate some of the mixed feelings he felt. He wasn't sure if he could do this. Hunting large prey was the only thing that Eljay was sort of good at, but that was when someone told him what to do. He wasn't too confident in his ability to do it when he was the one calling the shots.

Rest of the pack is welcome to join too! @Finley @Elwood @Colt @Quixote @Sebastian @Towhee Rounds will take 1 week each, no posting order, so I'll throw up a new round next friday :)

Colt knew the first hunt was to be today, so when the call came, he was quick to assemble.  He came circling in and gave a silent nod to both Elwood and Eljay; he wasn't sure if he would be participating, as this was a time for the pups to show what they had and further bound towards adulthood.  The uncle would at least be watching, however, ready to intercede should anything go awry.

Hopefully the hunt would go without a hitch.  He noted the herd and felt a satisfied sense of approval... Eljay had picked well.  It couldn't be a more ideal mark for a few novices to sharpen their teeth against.

feel free to skip me as we go! Fin is just observing from afar :)

Fin knew there was nothing she could do to actually assist in the hunt, but she still couldn't help but drag her big ol' pregnant belly over to see the show. It was the first time she would get to see her babies working together like this, and her hormonal heart was ready to explode just from the thought of it. Plus, she was unbelievably hungry and want to make sure she would be on the front lines of getting something to eat. Otherwise she was going to kill and eat Elwood, and no one wanted to see what would happen to children raised in a single parent home where Finley was the single parent.

So, the pregnant lady settled on a ridge neary where the group had gathered to begin, watching them with smiles and tearful eyes and raging hunger and @Raven for companionship. The pair kept quiet conversation as they waited for the show to start, though Fin stole glances repeatedly over at the group, eager to have her attention stolen.

"You've got this," Elwood said to Eljay, and he meant it. They had spent a good deal of time planning and preparing for this hunt, and while Elwood had offered advice as Eljay requested it, he had allowed his son to make most of the decisions. After they had found this particular herd of deer, they had studied it and examined each individual animal, and Eljay had picked out the best targets. Elwood's gaze skimmed over the group of deer, lingering on the young one with the limp and the older female. Eljay had made good selections, he thought.

Their packmates began to assemble; Colt positioned himself nearby, ready to help if necessary, and Elwood had noticed Finley and Raven watching from a safe distance. His tail flicked and he glanced around, eagerly awaiting the arrival of his four children.

Towhee couldn't decide whether she wanted to participate or observe. As X guided her toward the place where the pack was gathering for the hunt, she deliberated. But by the time she arrived—fiery orange gaze sweeping over her loved ones and Colt—she still hadn't made up her mind. Since Eljay was calling the shots, she decided she would leave it up to him.

"If you need my assistance, I'm happy to come along. Otherwise, I'll sit with Aunt Finley and Rave," she said, then squinted and added, "Where are they?" Several of the adult members were here but this hunt was for and about the four youths. Towhee would've thought they'd be the first to turn up here. With X now resting on her shoulder blade, she shifted a little restlessly.

what the fuck? what do you mean tegan was the first pup to arrive? god damn it, now he looked like an angel. which was ridiculous because tegan was reeeeeally late. ugh. nonetheless, the blackthorn strolled in with his tail swinging and his ears pricked. was the whole pack really gonna watch this? that was so much pressure... and was he supposed to be held accountable for this? ridiculous, tegan hated it. but whatever... today could be an exception, he knew how much this probably meant to his mom. not that it mattered to him...

he stopped before eljay with a quirk of his brow. "you'd think being fashionably late would mean i was the last one to arrive but whatever. present and accounted for, pal," he greeted, and swung around to view towhee and co. up in the crowds, sending them all a big, toothy grin.

She didn't want to admit it to anyone, but Fiadh had nerves. Not just the little butterflies that popped in your belly when you were a bit apprehensive, but the big heaving tsunami waves that smashed into your heart and made you feel like vomiting and passing out. She'd hunted small things plenty of times without feeling so unsure, but the idea of hunting something large while most of the pack looked on was frankly terrifying. She didn't even know if she was ready for that kind of pressure. Wild though she and her litter mates may be on the outside, internally, Fiadh was screaming.

So she dragged her feet as she heeded Eljay's summoning call, taking the extra time to talk herself down in her head. You're going to be just fine, she repeated, you're a superstar, you got this. By the time she arrived at the meeting area—and after Tegan, wow, that was bad—she had quelled the trembling of her form and the quaking in her knees, but she gulped and her stomach plummeted when she caught sight of their prey: deer. To save herself from stuttering and giving herself away, Fiadh didn't say anything, but unsteadily signed ready instead.

tossing up a new round as promised, next one starts sometime next friday. No post order. @Clover feel free to pop in whenever. PPing Lucca considering they're at PPC!

Eljay felt nerves flitting around in his stomach as he waited for other to join them. Daddy said that he had this, but Eljay wasn't too sure yet. He didn't want to look insecure in front of the pups but he knew it was pretty much unavoidable at this point... Undoubtedly they would pick up on his nerves as he had always sucked at hiding his emotions.

Colt joined them, whom Eljay had presumably met briefly enough to know it was his uncle, and Eljay smiled uneasily, not really sure what his uncle was like yet. Hopefully they'd meet one on one soon so that he could get to know his uncle a little to combat the uncertain feeling. Eljay'd also noticed mommy and Raven watching from afar -- Eljay still had the feeling Raven wasn't his number one fan since he had left to Drageda, but they hadn't had a good heart to heart since his return so he couldn't be sure -- and Towhee arrived next. She asked the very logical question of where are they and Eljay looked 'round, feeling nervous. What if they stood him up? He'd look like an idiot, especially in front of the rest of his family.

He opened his mouth to speak but luckily that was when Tegan arrived. Eljay breathed out, visibly relieved. Fiadh was next to arrive, looking nervous; Eljay definitely felt for her. @Lucca arrived next. Eljay greeted each of them with a friendly chuff and then turned to Towhee, who'd said she could either help or sit it out. He hesitated for a moment because besides the pups being able to prove themselves, the pack also needed the food out of this... But then decided that the adults might be too good and give the pups too little space to prove themselves if they'd all participate. Eljay's voice trembled the first few words he spoke before it settled into a bit calmer manner: "The adults will stay on the side to watch. This one's for you guys." Eljay smiled encouragingly at them, even though he, too, felt sick to his stomach with nerves. "I'll go with you guys. Now, looking at this herd, do you see any particular target you think might work for us..?" Eljay looked at the herd of deer, then back at the pups, hoping they'd pick out the target he had intended (for a full description of the herd, see first post).

hahaha wHOA fiadh looked about ready to shit her pants! it was so obvious. tegan wasn't nervous at all because, lets face it, he set the bar real low when it came to things like this. sure, maybe his family expected a lot out of him when it came to things such as talking trash and spinning tales-- maybe even scouting. but when had he ever shown a real interest in something as important as hunting? mm. rarely. the fact that he showed up was a big ole thumbs up. tegan had no worries-- he'd basically already won.

but he wasn't stone-cold, so he offered fiadh a soft nudge to the shoulder and then turned back to eljay as his older brother began to explain the task at hand. his dark nose twitched, and he regarded the herd curiously for a moment. a pregnant one might be slower? but it had more to live for... since ya know, it was pregnant, the old guy maybe not much. "that one," tegan said with absolutely no indication of which deer he was talking about-- which left fiadh to give a way more in depth analysis, which was her job (in tegan's mind) anyway.

Lucca arrived with a chortle that earned him a glare from Fiadh, but it was only half-hearted; he and Tegan both could sense her nervousness, but where Tegan offered a nudge, Lucca's teasing prevailed, although it was well-meaning enough. He'd always been a giant sook even if he tried to hide it, so she knew he still cared. This was a matter of utmost importance, though; she admired her brothers' ability to remain calm and even confident, and she gave her head a light shake, collar rattling, as she tried to dispel her own worry.

It didn't work but hey, it was worth a short.

Eljay set the rules for the hunt, which only made Fiadh feel even queasier as she glanced over at Towhee and Raven, in particular—no help from the adults? What if they totally failed? It would be embarrassing. Pressing her lips together, the juvenile looked back to the herd as Eljay gave them their first command: pick a target. In true Tegan fashion, her palest brother gave absolutely zero indication of what deer they should go for, and Lucca shrugged, leaving Fiadh to pick it.

And since Fiadh was a Blackthorn, and Blackthorns were supposed to be badass, and she wanted to one-up the shit out of her la-dee-da-we're-not-nervous brothers, she levelled her gaze on the biggest and meanest looking deer—the resident buck, as it turned out—and said, "that one, duuh," with an unconvincing quaver to give away her nerves at the end.

quick setup post, obvi skippable <3

Colt was only mildly surprised to hear the younger wolves would be hunting alone... it was a small deer, and there were a few of them.  He nodded and backed up, not to where Finley and Raven stood, but a position that circled the other side.  If something happened and an assist was needed, this way help could come from any angle.

He was excited to see how this shindig ran.  He had never taught hunting, though he had done a fair amount personally.  He silently wished them luck; he gave her shit, but they were Frog's kids.  They'd do fine.

As if cued by their Alpha's query, the foursome arrived, one by one. Towhee studied each of them in turn. They were a mix of nerves and bravado, from what she could see. Her gaze lingered on Fiadh and that dreaded collar around her neck. She wondered if it would be a setback during the hunt. There was a tension about her, though she declared herself ready and the other youths also seemed eager.

"Good luck," Towhee called (rather loudly) to them when Eljay declared that no other adults would be participating. She was impressed by that, truth be told. It was going to be challenging without further assistance and Towhee hadn't anticipated Eljay rising so grandly to the occasion. Feeling pleased with him and herself for having this idea in the first place, the young Alpha grinned at the proud parents and then took a seat beside Raven.

Elwood breathed a sigh of relief when Tegan, Lucca, and Fiadh finally arrived. They were late, but at least they were there. He glanced around for the conspicuously missing @Clover, a small frown creasing his forehead; hopefully, she would arrive soon. Eljay seemed ready to start, and when he began to speak to the Blackthorns that were present, he took a step back to allow his eldest son to take charge.

He listened as Tegan and Fiadh deliberated over which deer to choose as their target, and stifled a grin when Lucca gave an entirely unhelpful shrug as his input. Gradually, he began to move further from the group; while he wanted to be close by to help and observe, he didn't want to step on Eljay's toes. He took up a stance somewhere between the other adults on the ridge and the group of young wolves preparing to hunt, feeling pride welling in his chest as he watched the scene unfold.

After her incident with the Scary Man, Clover had isolated herself some. She had survived it, but she had not slept very well since then, and had not spoken of it to any. Her uncle knew of it, he had saved her, in fact, but it pressed a heavy weight on her mind. In time she would get over it, but being around others, being potentially asked to talk about it... she simply wanted to forget it. 

Eventually, she convinced herself that this day that would not be occurring. She showed up to the scene belatedly, strangely devoid of her typical passionate excitement. Clover moved near to the group and eventually took position beside Fiadh, her tail hanging loosely between her legs. She had arrived in time to hear the selection but had nothing to say about it, her tired gaze avoiding the adults around them. Anxiety welled in her own gut for entirely different reasons, but she swallowed it.

oops, sorry for the hold-up @Fiadh @Tegan @Clover! i'll throw up a new one friday the 6th. feel free to move it along and pping the herd and the splitting off etc :-) i'll roll next round who gets to slay the deer!

While Tegan was first one to point something out, Eljay couldn't quite make out which one he meant. He didn't seem to be looking at one in particular though Eljay would like to think that he had pointed out one of the weaker ones.. because that seemed the most appropriate one to go for. He was surprised when Fiadh seemed to be indicating the biggest one, and his eyes widened in visible surprise for a short moment before he managed to cover it up again. Clover came a little late and didn't point out anything of her own. Lucca, after a moment's hesitation, agreed with Fiadh's choice, though the choice was made a little uncertainly.

"Excellent choice, Tegan," Eljay ended up saying and he glanced over the herd. He wasn't too sure if Tegan had actually pointed out one of the weaker ones but he liked to believe it so. "We're going for the young limpy one over there." He gestured at the scrawny thing, which wouldn't provide them with altogether too much meat but it'd provide a good challenge and learning experience for the youths. "We will chase the herd until it can't keep up. Be careful of the adults, they'll try to protect it so we have to tire them out and split the little one from the herd before attacking. Let's go!" Eljay didn't wait any longer and woofed to indicate they needed to get into motion. He and Lucca were first to start running towards the herd into the rolling, hilly fields where the herd roamed. Their heads flew up at the wolves' approach and it didn't take long for the small herd of deer to start running.

tegan bowed happily to eljay as he received his not-at-all-deserved praise, and shot a quick, sneaky look to fiadh to see her reaction. ha ha loser! his expression seemed to yell, but of course he said nothing, and turned sweetly back to look at eljay. and then-- oh shoot, they were off! okay okay, tegan thought, this was simple, he could totally do this. i mean, they were just like, running right now? baby stuff. 

so tegan took off behind eljay and lucca, paws thump-thump-thumping against the ground and his ears pricked like some sort of goober. tegan, despite his own opinions of himself, was truly not a wolf of any kind of grace.

What! Impossible! How could Eljay agree with Tegan? He hadn't even chosen a deer! Her brother's oily grin slide sideways into her view and she puffed her cheeks out, disgruntled. She'd picked the best deer! She yearned to look around to the adults—surely Towhee would agree with her choice, right?—but Eljay was already spurring them into motion and she fell in at the rear, stomach swooping as her nerves came back full force.

Her brothers were gonna tease her later for not having her deer chosen, but she couldn't focus on that right now. They were busy and she had to prove herself. She had to rise above her nerves. The deer they were after seemed pretty scrawny and sad, which made Fiadh feel a little better about their chances. Nevertheless, nerves made her swing hard to the left when the first of the healthier deer veered suggestively in her direction and she lost sight of Eljay as the herd began to move.

She caught sight of Lucca, though, and stuck close to him as they caught back up.

At this point in time, Clover was no brave warrior Blackthorn as she used to be. No, she was liable, lately, to be left shaking in her boots more than anything else. But she wanted to get out of her own rut. Noting the disappointment on Fiadh's face, Clover darted nearer to her. I wonder why they didn't pick him, she asked in a breath, he looks good, and little did she know, that was the problem. His good looks were a sign of his good health, though Clover and her siblings were now learning who in the scheme of things was the best pick.

She was not one to be disobedient, but her eyes stuck on that healthy buck. Maybe she and Fiadh could try their own hand another time. But for now, Clover moved after the crowd, content to linger more on the wayside than truly interact. When called upon she would act, but in the meantime she was an inactive observer, dreading participating. No, all she could really see were those terrifying eyes—and as she sniffed at the air, she swore she smelt the breath of decay. Her ears cupped uncertainly backwards, her head dipping.

Eljay really just wanted the pups to get credit for picking the right deer, even if no one really had; it wouldn't do to tell them 'you are all wrong, let's go with the one I had in mind'. And neither did he think it would be a good idea to go for the one Fiadh'd pointed out... It would be too dangerous. For now he did not want to focus on all of that however and he took off towards the herd of deer so they could get a move on. The deer started moving and it did not take long for the limping one to fall behind.

"Cut it off!" Eljay called out to them as he stayed behind the herd, allowing the pups to make their move. Lucca glanced at his sister beside him before he steered off to the right so that he could place himself between the herd and the limping deer -- the only resistance was the young limping deer's mother who stayed behind as the rest of the herd moved on, seeming not wanting to give up her child so easily. "Stay safe but intimidate them, keep them running! Once it's far away from the herd the doe will leave it behind!" Eljay tried to shout as loud as he could though he was not sure if the rest of them caught on; meanwhile, the herd was getting further away from their target and the doe that was left behind. The doe looked ready for a fight, but anyone with a keen eye could easily see that half her attention was nervously with the herd, and she was ready to make the decision to leave her child behind.

again, no post order :) i'll toss up a new round when y'all have replied or in ±1,5 week. feel free to pp the deer doing whatever! ˆˆ

"I know," panted Fiadh in reply, frowning. "Maybe Enjoy is afraid of that one?" At first, she'd messed up her eldest brother's name entirely by mistake, but now it was like a game, at least between her and Tegan. That had to be it. The mild-mannered ex-Drageda wolf had paled significantly in comparison to his cooler comrades, so maybe he was just a bit of a coward. Nothin' wrong with that, except being teased by your baby siblings who are all totally fearless.
Well, except when chasing down a thundering herd of deer. Eljay's commands were yelled over the drowning din of deer hooves striking the ground. Fiadh didn't hear everything. Mostly, she just heard his first command. Cut them off? She was skeptical, but threw every ounce of energy she had into her legs and managed, by some miracle, to get ahead of doe and lame child. She turned on the spot and stopped, and before she could yell out to ask what next, the doe leaped over her, kicking her in the side of the head in the process and sending her tumbling to the ground.
The child, in the meantime, stumbled over her fallen body.

Clover followed the adults lead, and then her sister. When commanded to cut it off, Clover made to do the same thing her sister did, but Fiadh, longer-legged than she, made it before she did. Clover, therefore, witnessed everything up close and personal. When she observed her sisters head getting kicked, and then its child tumbling over her, Clover forgot all about the hunt and instead rushed to Fiadh's side. 

Fiadh! What the fuck! Are you okay?! Frantically, Clover began to harass her sister by attempting to plant half a dozen rousing licks to her head, sniffing over the rest of her. Fuck that doe! I'll fuck her up for you! She declared before turning on her heel and ignoring the far more easier target in lieu of her preference of avenging her sister.

tegan echoed clover's expletive quickly in a "oh, fuck!" as soon as he saw her get kicked to the floor. he kept running alongside lucca-- who was doing his job, apparently-- and eljay, not slowing because he knew fiadh was fiiiiinnnee. but, of course, as soon as clover declared this a matter of revenge, tegan was set to completely ignore algae's command. "don't fuck with blackthorns!" tegan hollered over to clover, and gave lucca a look that said 'it's go time!' both brothers veered off from where they were supposed to be and instead were tailing the doe that had kicked fiadh, clover trailing right behind them. maybe the fawn that stumbled was the easier target but blackthorns stuck together!! and if fiadh would get her ass up, she'd have plenty of time to fuck that baby up!!

if there were any commands from eljroy, they went ingored-- lucca and tegan and clover were coming in hot, right at the doe's heels. tegan gave a loud growl and snapped at the doe's hind legs, trying to knock it off balance.

The hunt went fine for a while.... and then it deteriorated rapidly.  Colt started when he saw Fiadh go down, and then rushed forward as he saw the other pups convene on the doe, ignoring their hunt lead in favor of the larger prey.  He admired their pluck but holy shit what dumbasses.

He was aiming to help however he could in taking the doe down or averting their target elsewhere.  He wouldn't catch up just yet, but he was angling for a cutoff from
the side he had been observing on.

At first everything seemed to go well. The doe and the limping youngster were separated easily enough but when Fiadh placed herself between them and the rest of the herd the doe panicked and moved up. Eljay's heart raced as he saw the doe jump, Fiadh moving out of sight for a moment as he didn't see what happened. He heard a thud that certainly didn't look right. The cripple youth stumbled over Fiadh's body and Eljay raced towards it to snap it onwards. "Stop!" he called towards Clover and Tegan, who easily decided that they would take down the doe; if anything, they could try taking down the young one but right now Fiadh's health was more urgent. Lucca cast only a brief glance at Eljay before following Clover and Tegan into battle.

He didn't really expect them to listen to his command but regardless of what happened, Eljay focussed on Fiadh first and foremost. He felt panicked and like he needed to do something to save the other three, but first he needed to make sure that Fiadh was good. He nosed her neck and licked her face while he watched to make sure that she was still breathing. Meanwhile, Raven had left her position beside @Finley as soon as she saw the youth go down, a concerned frown on her face as she made her way towards the wounded Fiadh.

tag team ppc! you guys can have lucca, i'll nab raven from mom? :p again, no post order, i'll post a round when y'all in the hunt have posted or in a week's time or so.

If the other bystanders conversed around her, Towhee remained oblivious. Her eyes tracked every single one of her pack mates' movements as they set off on their hunt. She had no attention to spare to read lips. Being deaf sometimes had its perks: she wasn't bothered or distracted by any sounds in the backdrop, letting her focus remain solid.

The instant everything went awry, Towhee bolted to her feet. X just barely swooped off her shoulder as she shot like a rocket toward her fallen sister. "Fiadh!" she bellowed, teeth snapping at the fumbling fawn if only to get it out of the way. "Someone kill this thing!" the Alpha shouted in flustered exasperation even as Raven raced onto the scene.

When the medic took control, Towhee spared a glance upward. She saw the three other youths chasing the doe, Colt hot on their heels. "Fuckin'—" she blurted under her breath even as she shot the downed Fiadh a concerned glance and then sprang toward the ongoing hunt. "Stop! Stop! STOP!"