Stavanger Bay It goes like this

Hunting thread for @Gunnar — @Levi and/or anyone else who wants to join is welcome to pop in too! :-)

The pups were beginning to learn about hunting, being taken on trips with the adult wolves of the pack to teach them to hunt. Charon loved learning new things, so he did his homework well and practised hunting in his spare time. At 4,5 months of age, Charon was growing rapidly, looking more and more like a slightly smaller version of an adult and less and less like a puppy.

Presently, the youth was practising his pouncing tactics. He practised on a rock for a little while, just to perfect his aiming and jumping-out-of-the-brush-in-a-surprise-pounce. Since rocks didn't move at all, it was time to move on once he had perfected his paw-eye-coordination on the rock.

Charon tracked through the forest, trying to catch a scent trail. "Lemme know if you find anything, Drake," the youth told his imaginary friend while he tracked through the forest with his nose near the ground, trying to find some actual live prey to catch.

Gunnar tried to hunt as much as he could. Being an aspiring gamekeeper it was important he learned it and learned it well. He was excited to start learning it with the only other wolves near his own age in the pack. Charon and Levi, were younger than him sure, but not by much. So he could learn as they did. He could take down bigger game, being almost fully grown, but they could still help each other.

It was on such a day that he was out looking about him to hunt. When he came across Charon with his nose to the ground and his tail in the air. Hey Charon! He chuffed trying to get the youths attention, maybe they could hunt together that would be awesome wouldn't it.

Charon didn't have much luck finding any leads just yet, and it seemed that Drake wasn't finding much either. Deep in thoughts, Charon startled a little when he heard Gunnar's voice. He looked to the side and greeted, "Oh, hey Gunnar! Whatcha up to?" Gunnar didn't look very busy, so maybe he wanted to join in the hunting trip. Even though he didn't like to admit it, Charon wasn't very good at it yet, so he liked having someone with a bit more experience (even if it was just a bit more) to back him up.

"Do you wanna come hunt with me?" Charon asked. "Me 'n Drake were just hunting but we didn't find any leads or scents yet..." The disappointment was clear in Charon's voice as he spoke, considering Charon was rather impatient and he wanted results fast, rather than chasing non-existant animals all day.

Gunnar gave him a smile, I was goin' huntin' Gunnar wasn't the best at hunting either, but he did want that trade. So any moment he had, he practiced. He had even caught a few things. His mom had shown him what she could, but she was such a tiny thing. She couldn't catch bigger than a hare or a squirrel unless she had someone with her.

Sure I do! Drake huh? I don't think I met him yet. Gunnar didn't know yet that Drake was Charon's own special friend. He had never had any imaginary friends, after all he had grown up with his siblings until they were 4 months old, and his parents were active in his life.

"You were going hunting too?" Charon cheerfully noted and he repeated, even though he had just said so and invited Gunnar along, "Me too!" His tail wagged in a friendly gesture that empowered his invitation. He was glad that Gunnar could join him; having Gunnar around really helped with how much he missed the rest of his family. The other day he had even accidentally called Thistle 'mum', which showed how much Charon appreciated the care of his foster family.

Gunnar asked about Drake, and Charon nodded. "Oh! Right, well, Drake is my Lauren friend. He looks kinda furry, like a bear, but he isn't a bear or anything, and kinda smaller too anyway." All the while, Charon directed the empty space to his right, as though addressing someone who stood there.

Gunnar chuckled and nodded Yea I am. I want to fill some caches and I'm a little bit hungry. Gunnar returned the tail wag. Gunnar didn't mind having Charon around. As far as he was concerned the youth was his little brother, just like Levi. He knew his mother saw them as such as well. His mother was a nurturing being at heart.

Gunnar didn't see Drake, but realizing that the youth really thought he was there. He dipped his muzzle to him. Well met Drake. I'm Gunnar. He smiled at the empty space, but continued forward. So Charon do you want to lead this hunt?

It seemed like fate had brought them together this day, so that they could hunt together. Charon still missed his own missing and lost family, but Thistle's family filled some of the gaps in his heart. The other day, he had accidentally called her his mother to some strangers, and he was still a little confused about that; but he decided to just forget it ever happened, for now.

Gunnar asked Charon to lead the hunt, and he hesitated visibly. "Uh... Sure, but I'm not super good at it yet." He had only gone along on hunting trips with adults, but he hadn't really done much catching just yet. Charon could find scent trails most of the time, but they had not often lead him to actual prey yet, much less actual prey he could manage catching.

I'm sorry love i've had sick babies

Gunnar didn't mind sharing his mom, even with those who weren't blood. Because frankly any kids his mother had would only share half his blood now. His father being a different man than most thought. Not that he cared, because Ragnar was his father, regardless of genetics.

Gunnar chuckled So what? If you fail we just try again right? Nothing wrong with not being good at something. Thats why you learn. he gave the youth a charming smile and motioned for him to lead. Everyone started in the beginning, everyone learned differently. Who was he to judge others on their failings or ambitions. He himself was ambitious to a fault and harder on himself than most.

no problem :-)

Charon wished that he knew a little bit more about tracking and hunting, and coordinating others. When he watched the rest of the pack hunt — at first from afar, but lately he'd tag along to try and learn too — it always looked so well-coordinated and everybody knew exactly what to do. Charon didn't yet know what he was good at in the hunt and he certainly wasn't good at coordinating others. Time would just have to tell what part of the hunt he'd be best at.

"Okay," Charon said and he lead the way. He sniffed the air around them, though found no scents. Since he found nothing, Charon decided to search through the rest of the forest. In a brisk pace, he trotted through the forest, nose low to the ground. "Tell me when you find anything," Charon told Gunnar. Truthfully, he hoped Gunnar would find something, because Charon's nose wasn't super good yet and in the past, he often had walked right up to something and didn't smell it until they actually saw him - and he them - and ran off. It was still a learning process.

I'm so sorry. I should be back up to good activity now.

Gunnar knew very well that it took time to become as good as an entire pack. And not all pack hunts ended the way you wanted. But everyone started somewhere. It was the way of things.

Gunnar bit back a smile at the youth's exuberance. As well as his awkwardness. Gunnar kept his nose to the ground and he smelled a hare, though it was not very fresh. It was still something and he chuffed gently at Charon. There's a hare this way my friend.

no problem, hope you are feeling better now :)

Charon kept searching for a scent trail, determined to find something that he could show off to Gunnar. He was desperate to make a good impression on the other youth. However, he couldn't decipher anything specific; not anything fresh enough for him to find anything good, anyway, so he just kept on searching until he heard Gunnar call out that he'd found a hare somewhere.

"Yeah, I was on track for something too, but it's cool, we'll follow your lead," Charon lied as he joined with Gunnar, and he sniffed the ground around the spot Gunnar had called him to. Charon followed the trail with his nose on the ground, tracking it in silence until it became fresher and more abundantly present. Charon lifted his head when he saw the hole in the ground. He was pretty excited and his first instinct was to dash up to the hole and start digging for the hare, but Charon decided to wait and see what the pro hunter Gunnar would do with their find, first.

Gunnar smiled at the youth beside him. As he turned to come towards him and the scent. There was nothing wrong, with not knowing all there was to know yet. He would get there of that Gunnar was sure.

Gunnar studied the hole and then looked around. okay there's always an escape hole. I'll go find it and when I give my signal they'll be coming towards you. SO be ready to spring and ambush? Think you can do that?

Charon listened as Gunnar told him the plan. That certainly sounded a lot better than just digging until he reached the prey inside. Charon nodded at Gunnar and said, "Okay, got it!" Then he walked a bit closer to the entrance hole and he waited for Gunnar to find the escape hole.

All the while, Charon kept his eyes trained on the entrance hole, ready for the hare to come out so that he could pounce on it.

Gunnar slid quietly through the underbrush, to the other side. He sniffed about, and had to move some grass. Soon enough, he found what he was looking for. He looked up towards Charon, and gave a soft yip so that the other knew to be ready.

Then settling his body closer to the hole, he started into a frenzied set of barks, snarls, and growls. He smiled a bit, when he heard the creatures inside shuffling about and running trying to get away from the noise. They would head right into Charon's trap.

He yelled, Here they come Charon Be ready. Then he continued with the uproar, and chaos at the mouth of the hole.

Charon waited and stared at the hole, ready to pounce when the hares would get out. Gunnar soon left his view, and it didn't take long before Charon heard lots of noise coming from the direction that Gunnar had gone into, after which he yelled they would be coming at any moment. Charon lowered his front to the ground, his hind in the air, his butt swiveling back in forth due to lack of balance and tension and excitement because he needed to stay alert.

When the first creature came out, Charon pounced, but was too late -- however, another soon followed. When it bumped into Charon, who had pounced and missed and was therefore in front of the hole, it tried to turn around and flee back into the hole, but Charon managed to grab it before it could go back into the hole. Charon grabbed it by the hind, and it squirmed around. He put it on the ground, holding his paws on top of it, while he grabbed it again, by the neck this time, and snapped its neck. The hare fell limp and Charon's tail wagged while he put down his prize and wagged his tail. "Come here Gunnar, I did it!" Charon shouted, on accident forgetting to say 'we' instead of 'I' because he was youthful and selfish.

The boys shared the hare, both an experience richer and proud that they had hunted a hare with the pair of them without any adults present.