Redhawk Caldera Thàinig mo leannan ’nam chòmhdhail

Open to anyone in Brecheliant. Medb is tracking a herd just beyond the borders! Hunter trade thread

She had been settling nicely, but it was time to get to work. While hunting small game had been commonplace for her as an effort to both feed herself and contribute in the previous weeks, she no longer had an excuse to avoid the larger game. She hummed, determination in her icy gaze as she wandered paces from the Brecheliant border, the distinctive scent of deer lingering in her nose. It was uncommon, in her experience, to see a herd so close to an established pack territory, but she was not about to look a gift hare in the mouth.
 
She started to trek, noting the broken twigs and tracks in the snow, keeping contently along the path. She let out a small call to alert others, requesting company. More eyes would be better, and it would give her a chance to finally figure things out when it came to the nature of her packmates. She had not gotten to converse with many, only Eljay, Teya, and Lilitu… but that would also need to change.

Before Maia left on a short trip, she wanted to meet the newest member of Brecheliant. She'd heard only good things from her mate, but was a little nervous as she sought her out. It had been so long since anyone new had come! Their family had settled out at the number they'd had, but with the Caldera no longer a neighbor, she wondered if they would change.

Oh, she's hunting. Maia froze when she recognized the body language and paused, one paw raised, while she considered her options. She could join and maybe help - but also maybe ruin things. Or she could wait and come back later. That'd be rude, right? Turning around and leaving?

Hey. Did you want to maybe team up? She asked, keeping her voice low as she came closer. If there was anything nearby she didn't want to scare it off before they had the chance to spot it. She wasn't that hopeless (thankfully).

She almost hadn’t noticed the woman’s appearance… almost. The scent waded and her head turned curiously, momentarily distracted from her task as the woman spoke and offered help. She offered a nod, words failing her in the moment as she motioned with her head towards the creatures. Perhaps they could get a proper hunt going, call a few more together and feast. It would be a nice way to send winter out. At least, she hoped that winter was ending soon. It had not lasted this long in her birth pack, accustomed to a more southern climate that warmed up faster.
 
Finally, words found her. “I was tracking a herd along the edge of the Caldera.” She explained in similarly hushed tones. “It’s probably too large a prey for us to take down together but if we can get another body or two we could bring something sizable back for the caches.” The excitement in her voice was hard to miss. "Based on hoof patterns in the snow, it's a smaller herd, which means it'll be easier to scatter them to lock in on a target."

Oh. Yeah, okay. Maia was not a small wolf, but she was clearly nervous when Medb mentioned larger prey. She'd been secretly hoping for something small and easy, but instead she'd have to try and help as best she could. She'd never been much of a hunter.

I'm not sure where Eljay is. Maybe the girls could help, and Roswell, but they're young. It was probably time, though. If we could get at least two of them, maybe. They could call and see who would come, but she would invite them directly. Her stomach clenched even more, thinking they might be hurt in the process, but just because she was scared didn't mean they weren't old enough to begin hunting with the pack. It had been almost a year. She couldn't believe it.

Let's try. She agreed quietly, looking back up. She knew her name from Eljay, but hadn't thought to share her own back yet.

The nerves caught her attention, a frown on her features though she did not comment on it. She was not sure it would be appreciated, or that it was her place to comment on it either. “The more wolves we have, the easier it will be. How young are they?” Instruction could be necessary and Medb was more than willing to provide it, even if the hunt ended up failing. It would be a good experience for them. Larger prey was easier to feed the entire pack but it came with it’s own risks as well as rewards.
 
“For now, we can track the herds and see if they look as if they’re about to move. If it looks like they might be settling down we can worry about a hunt in a little bit?” She offered, though it occurred to her that she didn’t actually know the woman’s name, nor had Medb given her own. “There’s the risk that calling for others will startle the herd as well.” She added with a light frown on her features.

Nearly a year, Maia answered, feeling herself get a little emotional at the thought. She kept a lid on it while she was here, though, sending Medbh wasn't quite that sentimental. She didn't think she was either, but now!

If we don't scare them off, they'll stick pretty close, yeah? Then we can gather the others back closer and come back. That'd probably be less obvious. She had never organized a hunt before and it showed. Despite her age, Maia's role had only ever been supporting, and all of her suggestions were uncertain. You've done this a lot, haven't you? Sorry, I just... really haven't. She laughed quietly, and sheepishly, glancing sideways at the herd to make sure they were far enough. Tracking was a good idea.

Almost a year. They were getting to that age where they started to branch out and do their own thing. Medb had never been a mother so it was difficult for her to try and grasp the emotions anyone with a more motherly nature than her might feel about that…
 
“Yes, that would work perfectly so long as we don’t scare them off.” She offered encouragingly. She offered a friendly smile over her shoulder in the process. “No need to apologize… everyone starts from somewhere, right? I have done this quite a bit.” It had been one of her main roles though it had been a hot minute since her last pack hunt… Still, tracking was what she did. It was in her nature. It played into every aspect of her skills. “There are prints heading west of here… it looks like a fairly small herd, if I had to guess likely deer or elk. The hoofprints aren’t big or deep enough to be from something like a moose.” Her tone hushed as she moved to follow along the trail.

Maia just nodded and watched, fascinated, as Medb worked through the logic of what the herd was. She would have never thought to judge the weight and determine how big the animals were just from tracks! She filed that away for future reference. Not only for her own hunting sake (though she needed all the help she could get), but because details like that could come in real handy when she formed stories. Imagine a suspense tale where she used that to build the danger?

Now it was in her brain, and she was distracted. That's a really neat trick. I usually only track smaller prey, so I've never seen that. Maia fell in step slightly behind, trying to move somewhat quietly, even though they hadn't caught up enough yet for it to matter. Are there any others? Like, if there weren't tracks, would you be able to tell?