Redhawk Caldera Even flow

Pre-puppies, but post-pack therapy session, haha. @Jaws

It had been a while since Elwood had really hunted; sure, he had caught plenty of squirrels and hares, but his last big excursion had been with Saena, and they had been unsuccessful in their attempt to bring down an elk. Their eyes had been bigger than their stomachs and they had overestimated their abilities, but it had been a good experience, anyway. Elwood thought of the elk hunt now as he prowled the lower reaches of the caldera, hoping to scent a herd of deer.

He was nearly silent as he moved through the trees, his paws barely crunching on a light layer of snow. His steps brought him closer and closer to the outskirts of the territory, where the prey he desired was more likely to be found. He wouldn't be opposed to company, but he did not call out for assistance; if there were deer nearby, he didn't want to alert them to his presence just yet.

His patience was rewarded after a short while as he spotted a small group of three deer, grazing at the tender shoots of grass that emerged from beneath the frost. Tucking himself into the underbrush, he settled in to observe them before he devised a plan of attack.

After stocking a couple caches, Jaws took a moment to gulp down a shrew for himself, easing the hunger that had begun to grow. For the coywolf, small animals were the norm; anything from mice to lizards to fish and rabbits. Ever the solo hunter, there were scarce opportunities for him to take down larger game, although he had seized the opportunities when they presented themselves in the form of young or ailing animals. For Jaws, even berries, carrion and hard mast such as apples and nuts were good eating. When in survival mode, one could not afford to be picky.

As he stole through the trees, his eyes caught the movement of something gray. For a flickering moment he thought it was the bird, but he soon realized it was a male wolf. Elwood, Jaws thought, recalling the names Peregrine had given him, or Theseus. The coywolf made not a sound as he started to approach, in time to see his packmate tuck into cover, his attention squarely ahead. As Jaws' gaze moved to look past him, he saw what held the other male's focus: deer. The coywolf crept to his packmate's side, giving him a curt nod and gesturing with his muzzle towards the prey.

He was ready to assist.

Elwood lingered for a long moment, scarcely daring to breathe as he watched the deer. They were flighty creatures, and even the smallest sound -- the simple cracking of a branch underfoot -- could send them scurrying. He didn't want to give up this opportunity; it was just too good.

He suddenly became aware of a presence behind and then next to him, and turned his head sharply. His gaze fell on the shadowy form of the unfamiliar male he had seen lingering near the outskirts of the recent pack activity. A new recruit, thanks to Peregrine -- if he remembered correctly, his name was Jaws. That seemed appropriate, given the way his fangs were exposed even with his lips seemingly closed.

Glad to have a hunting partner, Elwood dropped his voice to a volume that was hardly above a whisper. "Let's split up and circle around them," he suggested, though he waited for Jaws' agreement before moving.

Jaws did not respond with his voice, just a simple nod to show he agreed with Elwood's plan. Without further hesitation, he broke from the Beta's side and stole along the brush. Each paw was deliberately placed, making no sound louder than a mouse's breath. Jaws was careful to conceal himself amongst the cover but not allow himself to graze it such that it would crack and rattle in the cold; although winter had a way of absorbing sound to create a uniquely serene environment, it made things brittle and any disturbance to the silence was almost deafening.

Flanking the herd on one side, Jaws crouched down in the manner of a stalking cat, watching the deer for any sign that they were aware of the encroaching predator: a flick of the ear or tail, a swiveling head, but they remained as they were. His gaze turned to the other male, waiting for him to secure his place on the other flank and choose his target.

As soon as Jaws moved, Elwood did the same. He carefully pivoted and started to creep in the opposite direction, swinging in a large arc around the small herd of deer. He kept the animals in his peripheral vision, one ear trained on them as well while the other listened for any outside sounds that could disturb their hunt.

When he estimated that he was near enough to the prey to strike quickly and without warning, he paused. He sank to the ground, his belly brushing the snow as his muscles tensed in preparation. The deer continued to graze, still unaware of the presence of the predators.

With a final glance at Jaws, he rushed forward, effectively startling and scattering their targets. One veered towards the Zeta and Elwood bore down on it, hoping that Jaws would be ready to attack.

Although Jaws had limited experience hunting with others, he had watched group hunts in progress and could use his sharp instincts and clever mind to devise a course of action. After all, it was his resourcefulness and quick thinking that had saw him this far in life.

With his muscles tensed and ready to spring, the coywolf watched Elwood make his move. The herd broke apart with one individual barreling towards Jaws, with the Beta male hard on his heels. Jaws' leaped from cover, his powerful legs propelling him forward as he charged toward his target. The deer had little time to react before the coywolf sprang, sinking his teeth into the creature's muzzle as it bawled and snorted and begun to stumble. Jaws' weight towed the deer down, it's front legs buckling, leaving Elwood open for the kill.

The two wolves, though they didn't know each other well, ended up being a good team. As Elwood chased the deer, he nipped at its heels, directing it towards Jaws. Luck was on their side as it ran right into Jaws' path, and the dark male was able to seize it by the snout. With a strong grip and the force of his own weight, Jaws pulled the animal down as its brethren galloped away.

Elwood skidded to a halt as the doe hit the ground in front of him. Jaws did a great deal of damage to its face, surely preventing it from breathing properly and perhaps even snapping its neck -- Elwood couldn't be sure. But it thrashed momentarily, driven by panic as it tried to escape. This was Elwood's cue; he dug his teeth deep into the deer's belly, spilling its organs in a glistening pool around his paws. Its breath bubbled in its lungs and it shuddered, then lay still.

Deer, like many animals, had a indomitable will to survive. Despite the damage to her snout and the extreme pain, despite the mounting odds against her, the doe continued to thrash, snort and bleat through bubbles of blood. Even as Elwood disemboweled her she struggled, but only weakly, the beat of her heart quickly fading as she stopped drawing her breath, only involuntarily gasping. When her body grew still and limp, Jaws released his hold, gazing upon the fallen doe in quiet respect for a few moments before turning to his hunting partner with an approving smile and nod. "You're a good game driver," he said.

Elwood did not back away from the kill until he was sure that it was deceased. When he did, his chest, paws, and face were splattered with blood. He looked to Jaws and grinned in spite of the gore painted on his body. In response to the compliment, he dipped his muzzle respectfully. He appreciated Jaws' assistance.

"Thanks. And you wasted no time bringing her down," he replied, gesturing at the deer's snout, which was essentially carved to pieces from the sharp points of Jaws' hooked fangs. "You hungry?" he asked in the next instant; he didn't intend to digest any of the hard-earned meal now, but would soon set to work dividing it in order to deposit it into a nearby cache.

The shrew Jaws had consumed earlier had long since burned off, having never fully satiated him to begin with. When Elwood asked if he was hungry, he grinned and offered him back a nod."Yeah, I could use a snack," he replied, "but we can stash some away before we eat if you prefer."Jaws had enough sense to know that it would be improper for the two of them to feed themselves before making sure the pack needs were tended to; at least that was his assumption. Either way he deferred again to the higher ranking male, letting him make the choices. It was the safest bet for the coywolf. "Name's Jaws, by the way."

Although Jaws indicated that he was hungry, he was willing to help Elwood place the majority of the meat in a cache before eating. The Beta appreciated that -- as well as the official introduction, since they hadn't actually exchanged names with each other yet -- and bobbed his head to show his approval. "Elwood," he said, though the other male probably already knew what he was called.

"Okay, so let's try to split it up into some smaller pieces. You can set aside what you think you might want to eat after we're done," he said, gesturing towards the carcass. He then set to work, using his teeth and claws to pull at the deer's flesh and bones and carve it into more manageable hunks that they would be able to carry in their mouths. Luckily, the storage location was not far.

Made a bit of an assumption / pp here, let me know if it's not ok and I'll fix (but only if you ask nicely!) ;)

With a nod, Jaws set to work. For himself he selected the liver, plucking it from the rest of the entrails and setting aside. It was plenty enough for him at the time and he could always retrieve another piece later if he was still hungry. He also had his eye on the bones, whichever of them did not make it into the cache may very well find themselves in Jaws' den, for he loved a good chew and did not often get to enjoy fresh deer bones and the marrow within.

Working from the opposite end of Elwood, he chewed and teared until he too had produced a few chunks. The entire deer could have been hauled off and stashed but such a large portion would be harder to conceal than what they were doing. Gathering a piece between his teeth, Jaws followed Elwood to the storage and deposited it there, each making several trips before the majority of the deer was safely cached and only scraps remained.

"Think that'll do?" he asked.

I'll never ask nicely! :P

A comfortable silence settled between the two males as they worked, the only sound being the tearing of the deer's carcass. Elwood seized large slabs when he could and carried them the short distance to the cache. He had to drop his first portion in order to use his paws to unearth the burrow, revealing a shallow grave in which they placed the meat.

When they had salvaged as much of the body as they could -- including some bones but leaving others on the ground where the deer had fallen -- Elwood covered the hole and then marked it with a few scratches of his claws. He looked up at Jaws' question and nodded a response. "Yep, that'll work. Thanks for your help," he said, genuinely glad that the newcomer had been willing to work with him on all aspects of the hunt.

fine be like that! NYAAh :P
Up to you if you'd like to make another post or have it archived. :)

With the work done, Jaws momentarily reflected on the moment. It had been his first hunt with another wolf, and it was a success with complication. Elwood was even comfortable to be around. The whole experience was just another stepping stone for Jaws to settling into his new life, embracing his social instincts, and easing some of the uncertainty he had been feeling.

"Anytime," he replied with a smile. Reaching down he gathered the liver and one of the bones in his mouth. For him, it was the perfect time to make an exit, before he got cornered into settling down and eating with Elwood and making small talk. Another day, but this had been enough for him for now. He respectfully dipped his head to the beta, and turned to return to his den, wholly looking forward to such a treat.

Thanks for the thread! :)

Elwood would have been curious to hear about Jaws' history -- it wasn't obvious to him that the other wolf had never hunted in a pair before, and that thought didn't even cross his mind. He had grown up within the hierarchy of a pack, just like many other wolves, so he had no reasons to believe otherwise about Jaws. His only opinion at the moment was that he was appreciative of the other male's help, and was pleased to find that he already seemed to be committed to tending to the pack.

As the dark wolf nonverbally excused himself, Elwood sent a farewell chuff in his direction. Then he, too, turned and departed the scene, feeling accomplished and satisfied.