King Elk Forest Like a Gilded Idol

The Golden wolf took his first pawsteps in the Teetons by entering a dense forest filled with old oaks, towering and stately. 
He stared about in wonder, an awestruck smile on his features. 
"Fenrir has truly delivered me...this place is beautiful..." 
Barghest's words echoed in his mind- "Find your place in this new world, Solanus. You are meant to do great things." 
He could smell no scent of wolves here in this forest- but something told him he should not limmit himself to just here- no, his destiny lay beyond. If he was to teach the story of the great FireBringer, Fenrir, he needed friends. Followers. And so he set off in search of them, weaving through the trees, the scent of Elk strong in these woods.

The North was uncharted territory for his people. It was that, perhaps, that led him so far from his home. From the warm deserts and savannahs and swamps to the still cold forests of the Northwest coasts. Yao suppressed a shudder as the wind blew through his fur, though he knew no one else was there to see it. He certainly had the fur to protect him from the colder months — it did grow cold where he was from — but he was unused to it this late in the year. The further north he went, the colder it got. Had others of his clan, his tribe actually experienced this? He had been told, certainly, but who else could claim to have seen the North? He latched onto that thought. He would be the first of his tribe, of his clan to see and feel the north. 

His ears pricked at the soft murmur of words somewhere off in the distance. Someone there? He spoke in the common tongue hesitantly, his accent tinging his words as he called out to the voice. He cursed himself. Why give away your position so soon and in such foreign territory? Certain to rectify his mistake, he strode to where he thought the voice came from, ready to face the creature — threat or otherwise — head on.

While he hadn't told his packmates that he was going off to check on the status of the elk herds that usually dwelled in the forest not too far from their pack, he had no intentions of doing any hunting on his own. He simply wanted to take note of any prey in that area, which he could then report to his Sovereign and they could get a hunting party together. It seemed like a good plan, knowing that there was nothing to lose, but that there was potential. And with his mother about to give birth any day now, he was keen on finding a meal fit for a queen as soon as he confirmed that the elk had returned. 

He'd caught sight of a small herd, but with several young elk amongst them, and had begun to depart the area when he caught sight of one wolf- and the scent of another. He kept himself concealed, for the most part, as squinted to take in the sight of the golden wolf in the distance. He huffed. The male bore the same golden pattern that his mother and sister had- and he might've been fooled into thinking that this was possibly another family member of theirs, had he not reminded himself that not all blonde wolves were related. He was simply sheltered. 

He heard a male speak, much closer than the other was, to him. And from the cover stepped another male- one with earthy tones. Bronco hissed, to catch his attention. They were far enough away from the small herd he'd spotted to avoid being noticed- but now that there were three of them, all together, they stood a chance of taking down something to eat. If only, then, they would cooperate. 

"Psst," He said, bobbing his head low to indicate that they keep their conversation quiet. "There's elk nearby. If you an' me can get that fella," He said, gesturing toward the blonde wolf, "We can prolly take one down. Hey! Tcchhhh!" He said, hoping to snag the gold-furred wolf's attention before he wandered too far in the wrong direction and spooked the herd. "You down?" He asked the darker wolf hastily, hoping that he'd get a bit of cooperation from these strangers for the sake of getting a good meal.

It wasn't long before the gods delivered again, and the presence of another wolf became known to him. Or rather, two wolves. He turned, his eyes falling on the darker pelted males and he moved towards them cautiously, his posture showing he was no threat. The Witch had told him there were savages in these regions- he could only hope these two weren't. 
"Greetings, Brother!" He called to the one trying to get his attention. The smell of sand and foreign lands was intriguing on the one, and the other smelled unmistakably like a pack wolf, a blending of personal musks . "I am Solanus. Pleasure to meet you." 

What was one wolf became two. As Yao closed in on the first's voice, he stumbled upon another wolf, another male, crouched and hissing at Yao. The young warrior tensed for a moment, wondering if some danger laid ahead, unbeknownst to him and the other wolf. The brown and cream wolf began to speak in low words. Elk? Yao dropped his voice to a whisper. He was unfamiliar with the term. They were prey obviously if this wolf was going after them. Quite large if he required at least three wolves. Yao was not particularly hungry, but he couldn't turn down the chance to hunt. Especially not for a creature he had never seen before. His brain surged towards a tale, a story of a grand hunt forming in his mind. Haya, I am... his eyes furrowed with the unfamiliar turn of phrase. Down... He turned his attention to the golden wolf. Yao frowned. Now is not the time for formal greetings, I don't think. He warned.

Bronco winced slightly at the male's introduction, and nodded to hasten him to finish- which he did. The darker male- who Bronco temporarily laballed as "Haya" as he hadn't been sure if that was an introduction or just a noise made in agreement- seemed up for a hunt, and directed the sunny male to do so also. Bronco simply hoped he'd catch on to the fact that they were now going into planning mode, and should keep their voices down. 

"There's a small herd of maybe 15 or 20 elk, just in the West side of the forest; maybe the tail-end of a bigger herd," He said. After all, elk could wander in numbers so large they were impossible to count. This grouping was much smaller. "Couple a cow elk that still got last year's calf trailing along with them." He said. "I figure a pregnant cow won't defend last year's calf, so I vote we go for one of the yearlings." He said.

It seemed he had been roped into a hunt- within the first hour of stepping paw into the new lands. 
He was hesitant to do so- after all, he had no interest in joining this pack, not with his lofty goals placed higher- both spiritually and Geologically- and he typically was not one for bloodshed. Still, Fenrir had put these wolves on his path for a reason- if anything to get information. And perhaps he could recruit them. 
The wolf that smelled like a pack quickly went into planning the hunt- Was he confusing himself and the other loner for fellow packmates? Oh the poor dear...he must have some sort of mental ailment! 
A look of sympathy crossed his features; why would any pack let a mentally handicapped wolf just wander? Oh, now he had to help, lest the poor idiot get himself killed! 
"I'll push the herd towards you two, splitting it in half. The cows will try to move their newborn calves off quickly. You two can do the dirty work." 

I'm sorry lol hes an asshole XD

Yao's ears swiveled towards the brown-and-cream wolf. He usually liked to take point during hunts, but he knew when to back down, especially when he was in such unfamiliar territory and chasing such unfamiliar prey. He was content to let the native wolf lay out the plan. Yao nodded along. I agree. 

Haoniyao's lip began to curl as he listened to the golden wolf speak. No, Yao snarled. Either you commit to the entire hunt or you're not part of it, coward. The chase was important, but it was by far the easiest part. It had the least amount of threat to the hunter. In fact, this Solanus would be driving the threat towards them! We should find our target first before we go about spooking the entire herd. Find one female we know is pregnant and has a calf. Then we isolate the yearling as soon as possible before the female is able to retaliate — there's a chance she might try to defend it. He knew little about these elk, but from the terminology that the brown-and-cream wolf used, they were much like deer in behavior. They should bet on the females' desire to protect new offspring.

His gaze narrowed as he looked at the blonde male, and found himself wondering perhaps, if all wolves with this sunny a coat had the same haughty disposition. He knew it wasn't kind, to start passing judgements on others based on their pelt colours- but the two golden wolves he knew (his mother and his sister) were both ones who thought quite highly of themselves...But unlike this fellow, his mother wouldn't have shied away from going in for the kill. If anything, she would've volunteered herself for that position. So maybe he wasn't so much vain as he was cowardly- and his companion hit the nail on the head. 

He found himself wishing that the other two males knew Ptero, the sign language developed by his Regent, and used fluently amongst his packmates. It made it easier to communicate across a distance without having to make a sound, but he wouldn't be able to do that with these wolves. He'd have to reply on them being able to work together and anticipate each other's moves. Bronco;s eyes flicked from one male to the next- and assumed, then, that he was likely the youngest of the three. But that didn't mean he intended to do the least amount of work- he was in training, and this was practice for him, hopefully the sort of practice that came with a payout. 

He nodded, inclined to follow "Haya's" suggestion, and indicated that they move. He still kept his voice low as he began to lead them toward the West, where he'd spotted the herd. "Once we get one separated from the herd, it's still our best to have two of us immobilize it while the other goes for the kill. These aren't easy to take down. Think taking down an adult buck deer- without the antlers, but with a nasty kick." He said, as he thought, then, maybe that Solanus might not have understood exactly how much effort it took to take down a yearling elk. Even a yearling elk would be similar in size to a buck deer, and even though they wouldn't have the rack to defend themselves their size, weight, and kick still made them dangerous. "S'gonna take all three of us." He advised, and hoped that that would be enough to get everyone focused on the game.

The audacity! Calling him a coward, of all things! Solanus was not the bravest wolf, of course, but he was no coward. He simply considered killing beneath him, especially for wolves that were neither pack nor kin. 
The Pack wolf that may be a bit touched in the head began explaining something that sounded a lot like giant deer...what a wonderland this place must be to have giant prey! 
He was curious now about what these things looked like. 
He nodded wordlessly, Apparently stuck in this situation for now- he wasn't about to let a potential follower get killed. As he padded towards the direction the young wolf indicated his paws collided with an enormous tree branch- except on closer inspection this wasn't a branch at all- it was a great antler, nearly as long as his body with deadly points. If it belonged to the deer creatures they were hunting, it must be absolutely massive. A quiver of nervousness ran through him. He picked up the antler, showing the other two wolves. "Look what I found!" 

Yao nodded solemnly, though inside his heart leaped. If the yearlings were the size of an adult buck, how large were the adults? It became clear that the other wolf was just as much of a foreigner as Yao, if he didn't know how large the creatures they were hunting were. Yao always took hunts seriously, be they as small as a rabbit or as large as a buck (or larger, in the case of these creatures). Acknowledging the brown-and-cream wolf as the leader of this operation, he followed his lead towards the elk herd.

The trio had barely taken a few steps before the golden wolf detoured them, crowing over something he found like a child. Yao locked the golden wolf with a glare, hissing through his teeth to silence him. The antlers caught his eyes however. If the trek from here to home was not arduously long, Yao would have wanted to bring back a rack as a trophy (of one he had hunted, of course. He had personal integrity.). Yao gave an impressed snort, then continued to follow the brown-and-cream male. Twende​, let's go, his voice remained low. He was unsure how well these elk could hear.

"Oh for f----" Bronco hissed, exhasperated when Solanus not only stepped on, but then hoisted up a an elk antler which had been shed likely after the last rutting season was over, proud as a peacock. He rolled his eyes, latched onto one of the tines and with a movement deft and impatient, jerked it aside, intending to pull it right out of Solanus' mouth. He bared his teeth; his short temper flaring slightly. In a low voice barely above a whisper he uttered a soft, but controlled threat. "Great. Yeah. That's an elk antler. Now if you don't mind, I reeeeeeally don't wanna be run through by one of them sharp bits, attached to an actual, live elk, so kindly- shut the frack up and pay attention." He said. He was through with Solanus' sense of humour. On any other day, it might've been fine- but Bronco took hunting a bit too seriously, and it often had the effect of turning him into a bit of a killjoy. He shook his head, content to simply continue on without Solanus if need be. 

Hoping to discourage any sort of retort, Bronco turned swiftly on his heel, then, brushed quietly past
the male he still referred to as "Haya" in his mind, and led the way at a brisk march. He began to slow when he caught the scent of the animals, and used his ears an indication flicking forward and back to communicate with his companions that they ought to slow down or pay attention. He came to a stop when he could see the elk moving in the distance, having hunkered down to hide behind a patch of bushes. He waited for his companions to join him, and began to scan the herd for the perfect catch.

He gawped as the antler was snatched clear out of his jaws, indignant. 
"You sir, are rude." He pouted. Absolutely no respect from this whelp! He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to contribute to the hunting efforts. As a Prophet, he knew full well not everyone would receive his message. "Good luck." 
He picked up the antler again, haughtily prancing away. 

Im sorry lol he's an ass 

While Yao's admonishment of the golden wolf was tame at best, the brown-and-cream wolf's was sharp, dripping with exasperation and annoyance. The golden wolf Solanus took offense to it, which did not surprise Yao in the slightest. He was glad to see Solanus turn tail and leave. While they lacked the third member, he'd rather go as a duo than deal with that man's pompous airs anymore. Good riddance, Yao sneered in Kiswahili. He pushed the golden wolf from his mind and settled himself back on the hunt. He caught up to the brown-and-cream wolf, matching his step. Would we still be able to take down the elk with just two of us? he whispered as the crouched in the bushes,.

One ear flicked back when the dark male spoke- saying something that sounded vaguely like "utabeeree Zuree" but he simply thought he'd misheard. He was concentrated too much on the task at hand to realize he'd likely befriended someone who spoke another language. It would have interested him quite a bit- but hunger and the need to hunt took precedence, and he wasn't too upset about losing one hunting partner- given the fact he likely would have been a dudd that potentilly could get the other two harmed. 

Haya posed a good question, but Bronco didn't make to answer- instead, he scanned the herd to see if there might be anything they could handle. Yearling elk bucks could weigh as much as an adult buck deer- but the yearling females were smaller, so he sought to find one of them, meandering and grazing along near the rear of the herd. Slightly taller than a deer, but with long gangly legs, the fwe yearling elk that he saw looked to be in good condition, though one was noticeably smaller than the others- perhaps it had been born later. It grazed, without seeming to pay to much attention to the other elk, which encouraged Bronco to think that it might not bolt in the same direction as the rest if it got distracted and then surprised. He gestured toward it. "Maybe that one." He said. "We'll need to creep closer...An' then separate it, and take it down." It wasn't hanging too close to any cow elk in particular, making Bronco believe it would be unprotected when the threat arrived. "That hedge there. See if we can make it there." He said. It would bring them closer- not within striking range, but if they were able to get to the hedge and then attack from there, they had a chance of overtaking the elk before they could hit top speed and run away.

Yao surveyed the large creatures that his hunting companion had called 'elk'. His companion had not exaggerated in terms of their size — the younger calves were barely the size of their mothers, and yet they already towered over adult deer. He tried to remove the awe from his brain in order to plan their hunt, but he found himself getting distracted, his jaw-dropping as he tried to imagine the size an adult male, pairing the image of the antlers the golden wolf found and the form of the elk he saw before him.

His companion drew his attention away from his dreams of glory. He found a target, gesturing to one of the smaller-looking calves. Yao nodded at the plan, grunting in affirmation. Let's go then, Yao said, lifting himself slightly off the ground to slowly creep towards the hedge. His heavy weight always made stalking difficult, but he was certain that he could make it to the hedge before any of the herd was alerted to his presence.

With a swift nod, Bronco moved, keeping his posture low as he crept from their current position and toward the hedge, pausing whenever he felt a dark eye glanced in his direction. He didn't want to stir the elk, not now- they were still too far away. It would be a shame to miss out on a hunt...And he looked forward to potentially bringing a good chunk of the meat back to the Copse with him when the hunt was over. Of course- the spoils would be split between the two of them, should they succeed- but Bronco's share wasn't his alone. It would serve to feed his family as well. 

Fortune seemed to be on their side, as he reached the hedge quietly, and lay in wait for a moent along with his companion. He spared a glance for the male for only a moment, wherein he nodded. Game on. 

He crouched and prepared himself, before he rounded the hedge and darted toward the hers, still doing his best to keep his frame low and took small dips and obstacles in stride as he zipped toward the herd, which spooked, and began to move. He found himself among them in a few strides, but had to accelerate in order to reach the one yearling they had deemed their best chance. And so, once he was at its flank, he began to close in, snapping at its ankles and growling, terrifying the cresture and forcing it to betray its herd instincts and swerve away from the its herd so as to avoid the wolf hot on its heels.

Their stalk to the hedge went off without a hitch. Internally, Yao was surprised. His previous stalking attempts always had a lot of forethought and planning in order to ensure that he wouldn't mess up. Or to let someone else handle the initial burst of speed required to get the hunt started. Maybe he was getting better. Or maybe it was just luck this time around.

Yao matched his companion's gaze and nodded in turn. He let the brown-and-cream wolf go first. While the wolf had not explained his own strengths and weaknesses, Yao could tell from his long, slender legs that he would be the faster runner. He followed closely behind, making sure that the split in the herd that his companion made was maintained. He barked and snorted and growled at the herd, spooking them enough for them to keep away from the yearling that his companion was beginning to break away.

Bronco had faith that his partner would slip in and do his job- and when he tilted his head to expand his peripheral vision in the herd's direction, he saw them flow away in a pattern. Resiliently, then, the yearling he'd chosen tried to swerve toward them, but he continued to snap and snarl at it until he was able to get it to turn its back on its herd and run in the opposite direction. Now that he potentially didn't have to worry about any other members of the herd, all he had to do was chase the elk, wear it down, and then do what he could to stop it from exhausting him, too. 

These creatures had great stamina, and while wolves did as well, it wasn't a risk he wanted to take now that he had the yearling singled out. His best bet was to injure it so that it could further injure itself and weaken until it was safe for two wolves to come in close contact. And so, he began to weave dangerously near the elk's heels, which it lifted with sprightly, springy steps. It took a few strides before Bronco managed to be able to anticipate when the elk's near hind foot would be on the ground, and he lunged for it and snapped at the elk's ankle. He bit down as hard as he could before the elk pulled its leg free, blood dripping down its ankle. Now, it couldn't simply sprint away- and he could follow as it limped, taking this time to catch up on his breath while he waited for his copanion to arrive for the final steps.

The herd rippled away, their mentality focused on preserving the whole rather than the individual. On his side he could hear his companion breaking the yearling away, snarling and snapping at the yearling until it too broke away, determined to save its own life than risk running into their jaws. Now for the end.

He was unsure how far and long these creatures could run for. He could not run fast but his stamina was high, thanks to his training in warfare. He rounded to follow his companion. Blood was in the air. He could see the yearling ahead, a wound deep in its leg. He knew this game. He looked at the brown-and-cream wolf, checking him for any signs of wounds. Satisfied with his assessment, he trotted off after their quarry, intent on ending this soon.

It was only once it had been injured that the young elk began to search for the rest of its herd, which was disappearing into the distance, ushered by the dark wolf. Bronco continued to maintain his presence, further causing it to panic when it came to the realization that its family would not protect it, that it was injured, and that its chances of survival were diminsihing by the second. When Haya came back to his side, Bronco gave the male a nod, and continued to move along with the elk, which began to slow and pause more frequently, as though it was contemplating making an attempt to bolt back to its herd. It was during one of these hesitations that Bronco growled, dove toward the elk, and struck. 

He hit above the elk's shoulder, grabbing some of the loose skin along the side of the elk's neck, but hadn't managed to grab it by the jugular as it had jerked its head out of reach. Using his body weight and his impressive jaw strength, he was able to yank the elk's head low, and he snarled hoping Haya would then take his cue, and finish the elk off before it could escape Bronco's grasp.

The wound, while not fatal, was lethal. The yearling slowed, its leg dragging behind it as it moved through the woods. Its pauses and hesitations were more markers of its death, one that his companion took advantage of. The brown-and-cream wolf lunged in to hold the yearling down, grabbing at its shoulder, pulling their quarry down enough for Yao to make the kill. 

Even without antlers, the yearling could pose a threat, especially in the irrationality of death throes. He had to be cautious, but he couldn't dawdle any longer. Yao reared up and fixed his jaws in the elk's throat. It jerks. His fangs slide through the skin, not catching on. He snaps again, tighter this time. He's able to pull the elk down with him as his back legs give out. He presses his fangs down, feeling blood spurt into his jaws in waves, and the elk's body kick and squirm as it began to bleed out.

He felt the male brush past him, and suddenly, the effort he had to put into holding the elk's head down lessened considerably, with a couple jerks signifying Haoniyao's grip on the elk which spilled its blood and spelled the end for it. As long as his companion kept his hold on the elk, Bronco would to- just in case it had any ideas of striking out at them with its forelegs but it succumbed to shock and bloodloss and sank slowly to the ground. Bronco finally growled, and let go of the elk, and panting softly, looked over at his hunting partner. 

He chuckled, still half out of breath, and gave the stranger a respectful nod of his head. "We did it. Great work, Haya," He said. "You're a remarkable hunter...Thank you," He said, dipping his head again, and licking his lips.

Yao held the elk's throat until he was certain that it was dead, moving down with its body as it collapsed. When he felt the last ebb of life throb through their quarry's neck, Yao finally let go, licking his bloodstained chops through his pants. He was prepared to reciprocate the compliment, only to stop when he realized what his companion had called him. Thanks, but haya means ok. He laughed. My name is Haoniyao.

Bronco's expression went from surprised to slightly ashamed, but he laughed and shook his head to admit his error. He'd thought that the greeting he'd received had been a name- but in the end, he was thankful at least that the word he'd interpreted as being Haoniyao's name simply meant "Ok," not something worse. "My bad. Nice to meet you, Haoniyao," He said. He stumbled over the male's name, struggling a bit with his enunciation. "Sorry...I'm not much good at pronunciation. Haoniyao?" He asked again, coming slightly closer to the male's pronunciation- but Bronco's own accent coupled with his general twang made it difficult for him to get it right. Still- he wanted to try, at least, so that he could properly pronounce his new friend's name. 

Once the pronunciation was sorted, he turned his attention to the elk, and shimmied his shoulders with delight. "This gonna be good. You eat as much as you want, bud...I think I'll take my share back to my pack. My Ma's gonna have pups any day now, an' she's been eating us all out of house an' home." He said, and stepped back, so Haoniyao could eat his fill, and decide what he wanted to have for himself.