Moonspear my throat feels raw from all this screaming

thread title dedicated to gasparilla weekend and my present thoughts; im drunk so small post ahahhEHhe

 

The scent of elk hit Hydra in full; a large herd was moving through Moonspear. 

Was this the change of fortune? Hydra could only hope so, but whatever it was she would not let her discovery be for naught; she would see it through. Her keen nose picked up on the scent miles and miles ago; she forged ahead when new snows came and paused only long enough, now, to invite company. The herd was close now; no doubt they would have heard her song and be unsettled for it, but it was the way of the wilds. And that had ever been her own way.

Osiris couldn't believe his nose; the scent of elk carried through the Shortly after recognizing his discovery, he picked his way down the mountainside—curiosity and motivation driving his every step. Hydra's summoning arose not too far into his trek, and Osiris paused to acknowledge his mother's message.  "I'm on my way, Mother!" he replied, his voice both eager a pitchy. Once he had spoken, Osiris forged forward once more, his paws now carrying him to where Hydra waited.

When he arrived, Osiris pulled up alongside the Alpha and licked her chin in greeting. "Ready when you are, Mother," he affirmed in a whisper as he pulled away.

Dragomir was hot on the scent trail, too, when Hydra's howl rang over the mountaintops. Although he couldn't recall ever eating elk, the smell of large game was impossible to mistake and equally impossible to ignore. How long had it been since the wolves of Moonspear feasted so heartily? Their caches allowed them to escape the worst of the famine, but all of them had still been affected, some worse than others. The pack could do with a really good meal.

Dragomir didn't stop to howl a response. He was galloping too hard across the mountainside and was too out of breath for that. He changed his course, making a beeline for Moonspear's Alpha. When he arrived, it was to find Osiris already present. He shot the younger juvenile a warm smile and flanked Hydra on her other side, wordless, but the eager prick of his ears and the bright shine of his eyes sang of his excitement.

and where her brother is, the girl will soon follow. her own approach is noticeably slower; though no less infused with excited energy. once, twice, she slows to catch her breath, but the girl arrives to flank her brother soon enough, gaze flashing toward Hydra once in greeting. her determination, and the deep-rooted hunger, keep away the easy excitement her brother exhibits, but a strained grin curves her muzzle a moment none the less.

The scent wouldn't be unnoticed by one who stays near the borders, and even more so when the familiar howl of the Queen rung out. Desdemona made haste, as she too would join the party. However she didn't know the extent of the excitment others had for the herd, as she had been gone during the famine and could only help their feast. She settled near them with ease and gave a polite nod to the group, waiting for the command.

sorry y'all! should be better about timely replies in february

 

Hydra was pleased when Moonspear's young joined her, and glad, too, when Desdemona soon joined their ranks. This would be a good lesson for her cub and those that had newly entered the ranks of their now fellow adults. Desdemona meant an extra eye and a good set of teeth for the show and tell that would ensue. The matriarch chuffs to those among her and offers them excited, comradely nudges and nips to further bolster the excitement in the air. 

She presumed others would come to meet them soon, given the size of Moonspears terrain; those nearest arrived swiftly, and they could begin their tracking work, at least. Letting Isilme catch her breath and regarding her son with a nod, Hydra looks to the path ahead. They had some weeks ago had the fortune of felling a mountain goat, but even they had been elusive and beyond that large game had yet to make such a return other than the lone doe she had taken down during the whiteout. This was promising; never had such a trail been detected in all her months of searching. 

We are near, she revealed, wondering if Dragomir and Isilme were wise to this. Hydra had much to teach them of the hunt, along with her own children—other than small game, there had not been the opportunity. For now, the goal is to see them. Suss them out. Weakness in our prey is not always obvious to start with. The beginnings of the hunt is to harass and harry and to get them to be on the move so as to determine which among them is the weak link. We separate the weak from the strong, but even then keep away from its striking zone. A solid hit to the head can be deadly; anywhere else sometimes crippling. Its striking zones are here, she moved to point them out on Desdemona; its strong hinds, and powerful forelegs. It is best when hunting to not approach from behind; rather from the side. Good areas to go for are the shoulder; get a good grip and you can weigh it down, slow it... but release whenever it is too much, and return when you are restored. Any questions? she hummed, ears fanning toward those present. Hydra was patient, knowing that a majority among her was green in this realm.

Hydra and Osiris were not alone for long, as several other wolves gathered. He regarded each packmate warmly, his tail swaying between his hocks, and his expression bright; his enthusiasm was unmistakable. When Hydra addressed the group, Osiris turned his undivided attention to her and listened intently. 

Though he understood everything that she had said, there was a question that lingered at the forefront of his mind. "Why isn't it good to approach them from behind?" Osiris asked once the floor had opened. His gaze swept those who surrounded him, his expression curious. "Wouldn't it be easier to catch them off guard that way?"

Isilmë and Desdemona soon followed, bringing the hunting party up to five. Dragomir shot the dusky adult a warm smile, remembering fondly their time tracking a marmot, and leaned gently into his sister's side in greeting. No others gathered. Either they would miss out on the opportunity to hunt or they would arrive later. Dragomir wondered if it was possible they were hiding out in the trees elsewhere, gathering another group; it would be a smart tactic.

The lesson began with Hydra's hushed voice informing them of the proper way to test the herd, as well as the points to avoid. Dragomir hungrily consumed all the information, drawing a crude picture of the elk in his head as he did. The sides were the target. Osiris asked a good question, then, and Dragomir turned his curious hazel eyes upon the matriarch for her response. He had an idea why approaching from the rear was a bad idea based on what she'd already said, but it was only a guess.

But maybe it was possible to attack the rear while running more alongside than directly behind them... a thought he kept in the back of his mind.

hydra's words are absorbed greedily, and she moves easily at her brother's flank, anticipation brewing. at the boy's question, her gaze flicks to him and then to the queen; she's not entirely certain of the answer herself. already, her mind works at imaging at what might come. it is her first time partaking in a hunt like this one, and uneasy desire to succeed competes with her excitement for the task.

Desdemona nodded back to Dragomir, though remained stoic per usual, cold against his warmth. Greens went back toward the Queen, listening with an interest as she gave a lesson toward the younger generation. Ah, she thought, perhaps this was intended for them and she shouldn't have tagged, but it was far too late to back out now, as she was seen by all. Especially as she was now used as a teaching tool, though the spider did not mind and stayed still for the demonstrational points.

They all listened to the Alpha, as she taught the lesson. Their eyes gleamed with exictment, and Desdemona awaited for the command.

You can approach them from behind, she informed, though not directly. It would be better to approach like so, she explained, before demonstrating upon Desdemona again the area it would be best to go for when approaching from the rear if nothing else could be reached—just as Dragomir had smartly suspected. They can also strike you down from the front if they are stopped; head-on is not the wisest way to strike our prey. They will rear and lash out with their forelegs, bearing their weight down. Best to circle around and strike where they cannot reach you for retaliation, the Ostrega advised. They had watched some hunts, though none too recently to have a great picture in their head. So, they would need to learn through their own experiences. 

Though Hydra hoped for success, she knew the odds were not necessarily in their favor with so many of them green—namely because so many hunts failed to begin with given the difficulty of it. Moonspear had always been fortunate in their take-downs, but each one among her here had yet to participate in a large game hunt such as this except for she herself and Desdemona. She was quite thankful for her being here. 

Several hunts might fail before one succeeds. That is the nature of the hunt, Hydra explained, but what is most important is that we live to hunt another day. Recklessness will likely only get you, or another, hurt; follow the direction you are given, and when there is none, follow instinct and let go of pride. It is a great privilege to be a part of the hunt, and now your time to join it has come, her tail swayed behind her, pride in her own eyes. She wanted to be sure they understood before they began, and awaited any further questions.

Hydra's explanation cleared the confusion that Osiris had felt; every situation was different, and there was no one best way to hunt. Every lesson allowed him more variations to make the best decisions in his future endeavors—he would use his mother's wisdom with care. 

Excitement overcame Osiris as Hydra's speaking concluded. The time had come for him to hunt—finally! Wordlessly, his gaze swept through the crowd as he attempted to gauge the energy of the rest of the group. Osiris wondered if they shared in his excitement, or if his energy was somehow misplaced. Regardless, once his curiosity was satisfied, Osiris returned his attention to Hydra. Somehow, he had managed to stay still—save for the occasional wag of his tail—despite the buzzing eagerness that radiated through his being. 

Once their marching orders were given, Osiris would oblige.

Dragomir nodded. It was as he suspected. He wasn't sure if that was some ancient, instinctive knowledge or just accumulated sensibility from his time hunting smaller prey, but something told him the rump was the place to go for, while staying out of striking range for the hind legs. Easier said than done.

He shifted his paws in the snow and made no effort to quell the waving of his tail. Excitement crackled between the younger members of the pack. Dragomir had hunted once before with Arcturus, but that was a smaller effort. This was a larger group and rather than an individual, he had to become a cog in the greater machine that was the pack. He hoped desperately that he wouldn't screw it up.

Since Isilmë's inactive but it wouldn't make sense for her to leave mid-hunt, I'll minorly PP her as participating.

Stiffened and listened, as used as a demonstration doll. They were the basics explained, and she knew them well, but she still appreciated the thought out explanations. She didn't remember in her own childhood, where Desdemona was welcomed in such a lesson, or even given one. Most of her hunts were of instinct and self-lessons, trial and error that was made. 

Especially with the bigger prey, but that was an embarassing part the woman wished to not remember.

Rolled hunt success; this round will be the follow / harass and harry bit!

 

They seemed to understand, and there were no further questions. Hydra drawled, follow my lead. For they would be closing in shortly. 

Again Hydra was on the move, her strides lengthening. They had a mile or so to go before they arrived, and the trail only became more promising. And then, as they arrived near a clearing—still in a forest, themselves—Hydra saw them. Typically Hydra would not have paused near the clearing, but today she did to reveal: we want them to see us, to feel uneasy. This is not small game where we want to crouch and stay hidden when we hunt them. For the hunting itself, our prey needs to be moving. But while they are still, we can survey them; test them. While it is wise to trail them downwind so they will not leave where they linger before we arrive, once we are in this proximity, being noticed is only a matter of time unless your sole goal is to simply track them... in that case, keep out of sight. Now, come with me, she encourages with a wave of her plume as she regards them. 

It was then Hydra broke free from the clearing; one doe, then two, lifted their heads to regard her approach. Hydra was direct in her approach of the herd, and soon enough others too heeded their arrival. She paused for a moment, foreleg held in the air as she sniffed at the air, and she moved again; her path arced as her eyes focused entirely on the herd before her. Though all had been relatively still before, there was a newfound tension in the air as predator inspected prey. The sound and scent of uncertainty, of trepidation and fear, eminated from them; hoof-stamping, and the flair of their tails. It would not be long now—

one broke. And then, the others followed in short order; the vocalisations continued between the herd, and Hydra's haunches coiled as she followed after them. The matriarch followed behind them, eyes on the movements of the herd and looking for any irregularities. As with most things, it was not that easy to simply see, at least not yet—but some miles more and the worn members of the herd would reveal themselves, should there be any. The younger member of the packs with their energy levels could give the herd a tough, exhausting run—Hydra remembered her own instinct bid she do so, though for the time she conserved her own energy as she gave chase. 

She did bridge the gap with one temporarily as a brief show-and-tell to snap, loosely, at a hind before falling back some to be out of its reach and watch for its reaction. Fear made these animals prone to make mistakes, but this one remained on its feet and increased its pace, leaving another herd member in its place that continued to press on itself.

Their mission began; motivated by the fresh trail, Osiris matched the group's pace. Although he wasn't entirely sure what to expect, he felt a mixture of excitement and anticipation—esepically once the herd came into view. As they assembled, and Hydra explained the next leg of their journey, Osiris listened carefully. They would work to inspire anxiety, scattering their numbers to test them—it all made sense to him, and he had no further questions. 

Osiris emerged from the shadows as he followed his mother's lead. The herd scattered as the group appeared, panicked by their unsuspected threat; Osiris fed into their energy, and it fueled him as they drove. Taking to Hydra's show-and-tell, Osiris veered left of her and nipped at the heels of their target before falling back to avoid any retaliation. Once alongside his mother, he hurriedly beamed in her direction; Osiris had never felt so alive and was enjoying his lesson thoroughly. Still, he couldn't help but wonder what came next.

The sight of the herd awoke the dormant ancestral knowledge in Dragomir that already knew everything Hydra was telling them. He listened all the same, but the blood in his veins, the blood of thousands of wolves who came before, already knew. They needed the herd to run. An animal that large standing its ground was far too dangerous to take on even with many wolves, but a running herd showed its weaknesses. The old. The sick. The young and inexperienced. These were their best bets.

Hydra led them down among the herd. Dragomir circled to the right, breaking away from Osiris and the Alpha female with Isilmë close behind. His ears were pricked and his eyes alert as he scanned the fidgeting herd until finally their nerve broke and they began to run. The sound of their hooves on the icy ground beat a similar tattoo to his heart and he surged into motion, cantering leisurely behind them and waiting for an opening.

Hydra and Osiris tried their luck by testing one of the elk, which flew ahead and out of their range. No dice. Dragomir swung in to snap harmlessly at a younger elk's flank but it neatly stepped back in line with its fellows, bleating its alarm. In spite of the chaos unfolding his body knew exactly what to do; he swung out of the way last second when one chose to lower its head and swipe sidelong on the run, then fell back into pace with Isilmë, watching all the while for any faltering among the prey animals and any indication by his fellow hunters that they'd found their target.

Desdemona followed through, beind the last on their heels. She watched the alpha and the younger wolves circle toward the elk, and she behind guarding faithfully. There was always uncertainty when it came to the hunt, regardless if the prey broke from it's crowd. Jade eyes watched with a keen sight for anything amiss, but nothing was to be found as the group hounded toward the mighty steed.

She watched them nip and tease the beast, and she too joined alongst the tag the elk. However fell back more once she felt the taste of it's iron. The spider watched with an interest to how the Queen would command the young, but also did not wish to interrupt their teachings. She trailed to the end of them all, further away as the group together circled their target, and she too, following along. Desdemona did not mind if she were a tag-along, and only continued her duty; a guard of the pack.