Ouroboros Spine la nuit du chasseur [PACK HUNT]

Alusia trailed behind Cara, wondering when they were going to arrive at this lake. Then the pale wolfess spotted the moose, and licked her muzzle read to hunt. When Cara 's tail raised in the air, it almost hit Alusia in the face, and the pale female snorted out nothing but air. It was then the group she was in arrived at the lake, and Alusia watched as her queen stepped out onto the ice and her paw slid out from under her.

Remembering something her mother once told her, the pale female trotted out onto the ice, making it look easy to walk on the frozen substance. She was a good five feet from the group when she turned to face them, "paws not claws" she said looking down at her paws on the frozen ice. Alusia looked back up waited for the group to join her, hoping they wouldn't fall on their face.

As they grew closer to the ice, Kaname occasionally stole glances onto the lake, watching with a slight bit of fear as his mate crossed onto the ice. He hoped, he prayed to whatever deity truly existed, that his Cara would be safe on the ice.

He could never forgive himself if she fell. Even if she survived, he would hate himself forever for putting her in such danger.

When they were in charging range, Kaname paused. He turned to Sitri and Lotan, and gave them a silent instruction. His ear swiveled to the outer reaches of the herd. He hoped they would get his drift, and fan out, positioning themselves on the other two sides of the herd so that the moose would be forced onto the ice with no other place to go.

As the lighter wolves crept carefully out onto the ice, Lotan followed Kaname. The leader led his small task force in a wide arc, then indicated that they should separate. As he moved, the Epsilon kept his gaze trained on the figures in the distance -- he looked alternately at the moose and at Wyvern's group. He, too, was worried about how they would fare as they maneuvered across the slick and unpredictable surface, but he trusted the judgement of both Cara and Kaname.

Obediently, he prowled away from his team, leaving Kaname and Sitri to their own devices. He did not stray too far, but he positioned himself so that he would be prepared to act when the prey took to their feet.

The rest of the pack had quickly hiked off to the lake edge, moving at a quick trot. Ivev followed behind, her usable paws sinking into the layer of snow that coated the ground between the trees. The wolves had met in a clearing high up the slopes of the lake, and the path that they had taken wound down a gradual decline. She could see their pawprints, most in a single trail, and it was easier to walk now that the ground had been churned enough to provide friction.

Ivev knew the risk in the plan, and she was a little uneasy as she followed from a distance behind. Stopping in the dark shade of the winter evergreens, she had a view of the vast spread of icy lake, in which Cara was beginning to lead some of the wolves onto. Ivev had positioned herself along the banks near Kaname's waiting forces, and she could spot the small string of moose that would be their target. Anxiously the healer waited in the wings, fearful that the ice would snap at any second and swallow one of the Ouroboros up.

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She followed dutifully. With her attention on Cara, awaiting command when the time was right, it was hard not to stray her sights too far ahead when the moose came into view. Wyvern's ears pricked and she licked her lips, then breathed deep to renew focus. About then, Cara's tail swung up and the ice drew near -- almost imposing with the danger and opportunity it posed, but certainly exciting at the same time.

When her paws took to the new surface, it was something to adjust to. Her ears fanned back in concentration, and of course, the Ostrega's first few steps were cautious. Once she mustered up a bit more boldness and moved more, there were a few small slips now and there, but bit by bit, she found the groove that worked for her. Feeling more confident by the moment as she adapted to the change, she faced what was to come excited and eager.

Sitri went to the other side, got in position. He lowered his body to the ground, shoulders sticking up at the peak. He waited for the go from Kaname. Then he would burst out, with all hell. He would run and chase as if the devil was nipping at his heels, and death was coming. Which in a way it was, after all if they didn't eat they would die. And Cara she wanted children he knew this, and they would need to make sure she was cared for if that were to happen.

LAST ROUND -- THE HUNT IS PLANNED TO BE SUCCESSFUL!!!
ENDS ON MARCH 15TH MAX!
@Gaiban @Wyvern @Sitri

[size=medium]"in the land of gods and monsters,
I was an angel"[/size]

[size=small]With her lungs puffing out clouds of fog as she breathed the proud Spine Queen advanced over the glossy layer of ice that laid beneath her, her tail giving quick awknowledgement to her friend's careful warning as she tried to avoid the contact between her claws and the ice. Despite not being a cat that could simply sheath her claws, in an almost feline manner, Cara glided over the surface of the ice-skating rink that had become the Spine's lake, her steps measured yet determined.
She was oblivious to the reason that lied underneath her wolves' concern for her, for the future children she would bear.

And the responsability that came along with it.
As the youngest, yet most recurrent, leader the Spine had held at its throne the 'r' word was one Cara had not yet, entirely, learnt to handle. But then again, neither was the 'd' word.
Defeat.
She was a vicious competitor in the race that was life.
Fighting too hard, living too fast, lying too much but never giving up.

Letting the silence settle over them once again, Cara guided her little group further back into the icy surfcace, her head turning momentarily over her shoulder as a sudden urge to see the other group ticked in her head. Quickly her eyes fell upon her mate's brown visage, only to bring her lips into an involuntary smile that sent a comforting sense of reassurance through her whole body.
He was capable of doing this -- they were all capable.

It were precisely at these times that the the nit picking and hardships that the Spine had endured proved to have been fruitful.
All of the wolves that were present, whether on the ice on or on by Kaname, were in perfect synch, perfect armony, because they were simply the perfect wolves. Scanning her eyes briefly over the small group that had silently, and loyally followed her into the unstable floors of the frozen lake she realized that she could not name even one she remotely disliked.
They, the Spine's careful elite group that had undergone Cara's strict selectiveness, were truly the dream team.

Finally, with her yellow eyes fleeting again to the distant bulks of brown that were their target she slowed to a stop. Now it all fell back on the assault group's shoulders, and until they gave the signal, there was nothing her group, the ambush group, could do other than watch. And while the impotence of not being able to contibute it what was also a crucial part of the hunt sent anxious shivers down her vertebrae she knew very well that the aid she could not give during the assault she'd double at the time of the ambush.
Her litheness and agility serving as proof.

"now, we wait", she breathed softly, another heavy smog cloud escaping from her lips at the same time as a silent prayer the Queen sent to the sky.
[/size]

His eyes did not stop moving. The ice chips that served as his eyes constantly roved from his teammates, to the herd, and then to Cara's group. After a few cycles of wolves, moose, and wolves on ice, Kaname saw that Cara was ready. He breathed in and out for a few beats, then silently stalked forward, his ears twitching towards Sitri and Lotan as a signal to move with him. He closed in the gap, and waited for the others to do suit. Then, when there was a deafening silence in the air, Kaname barked loudly, alerting the moose to their presence.

He charged towards them, but drew back, bluffing the moose into running. With Lotan and Sitri covering their other means of escape, the moose had only one place to go. The assassin ran alongside them, firming his hold on the large deer, hoping that at least one of them would make a break for it on the ice.

Dutifully, Lotan waited for Kaname's signal before moving a single muscle. When the male's bark resounded sharply, he sprung forward, veering directly towards the moose. The mighty animals barreled across the snow, with the three wolves guiding their path with snarls and snapping teeth.

It seemed that their plan was going to work out -- at least one of the beasts was heading for the slick ice where the rest of the group was waiting. Lotan nipped at the flying hooves of the closest moose, careful to avoid being hit.

Sitri snarled, an unholy sound. And leapt forward, his red eyes gleaming with the lust for battle and blood. Chasing the one side, he forced the animals leg. He snapped and growled and hackles raised, to make him look bigger than he already was.

He got a few bites into flanks and legs, but he would let the major blows come to those who were waiting. He followed beside, keeping pace.

lets end this!! Last round! all those who posted in at least 3 consecutive rounds can claim their exp!!

[size=medium]"in the land of gods and monsters,
I was an angel"[/size]

[size=small]Whether there was something out there in the dying pinks of the sky to hear her plead was unkown to her, yet it was also irrelevant. Without an established belief and no stronger dogma than the one nature itself proposed to her, Cara was not a spiritual individual.Because in the crazy race that was life there was little time for deities and worship -- that of course if they were directed to someone different than her.
Besides, life was too much of a race to stop herself for anyone else.

But still, as the cries and battle growls of her wolves merged with the exasperated bellows of the moose, she could not avoid, maybe automatically, to urge the heavens for their help, for their grace. It was but a meaningless ritual she had adopted from her father; a man who despite speaking with reason as base also held faith close to him.

Soon, all thoughts different to killing faded from the Queen's mind. With the sound of the animal's hooves drumming against the fragile ice flooring and her muscles tensing instinctively under her pale fur Cara gave the mightly signal for the second team, the A team (ambush team), to act. With her hind legs flinging her like a projectile out the barrel of a gun, the pale Queen began to weave carefully through the storm of kicking and bucking legs, her teeth nipping consistently at a particularly slow indivudual that was pushed towards her by the Ostrega man and Sitri.

The struggle of latching her teeth to the animal's flesh suddenly became stronger as the glossy surface beneath the animal, and herself, began to creak and shatter like glass. It was then that Cara, for the first time since the hunt had started, began to dubiously, ask for whatever laid above --this time with more urgency-- for salvation, because for the first time since her third and current rise to power, Cara felt like she was going to die.

And she was.

If it had not been for her quick legs and the moose's evident greater size she would have been the one that ended in the frigid water. Still, she could not evade being splashed with it as she struggled to get away from the crumbling floor.
As soon as her skin was touched by the liquid she squirmed and hissed a curse, her eyes scanning the surrounding areas around the icy void that held the selected moose confined and agonizing.
As far as she had seen, there were no other bodies in the water.

So with her tongue hanging limply from her mouth in triumph and her wet ears slicking back she chuffed for the wolves to gather around.
Dinner was almost ready.

"I hope you like your moose cold" she breathed between heaves, her words directed at any other of her packmates who was waiting for the animal to cease its moving.
[/size]

With the moose heading towards the ice and the remainder of the pack, Kaname stepped backed, his chest heaving. The wolf watched, hoping his queen and the rest of her followers would capture their prey without any wolf being pulled into the frozen depths that was the lake. Kaname held his breath, his wintry eyes focused on the pale queen and her only. It would be a tragedy if any of the others was dragged in, but his life would figuratively, and possible literally, end if she was killed today.

He didn't breath more a few seconds when the moon-of-his-life [size=x-small]yes I read A Song of Ice and Fire. Come at me [/size] bit one of the unlucky moose's sides, and bit out a "No." when she nearly fell with the moose. But his queen was smart. She pulled herself away before the ice enveloped her with their prey. Kaname breathed a sigh of relief, then stepped cautiously onto the ice. They would need help bringing the moose out, if Kaname could reach them. More than that, he simply wanted to hug his mate again. The Beta was so happy that she did not die today. He could not express it in words.

Ooc/|\sorry for inactivity,Got pnuemonia, yo. Also, i don't mind. @Alusia/|\

Gaiban was sitting behind the moose, plural.. Meese? Yeah, that seemed correct. Gaiban was still thinking about the Mabble of Meese, when he slid a tad too close to one of them. Gaiban drunkenly stumbled sideways, trying to keep his balance. He fell sideways, and kept his momentum, and kept sliding toward the moose. When the Moose finally rushed into the frozen water, with a loud sploosh, The moose came down, but one of it's mighty horns caught Gaiban on the way down, knocking him under the water, and, maybe, unconscious. The white-furred teen kicked his legs, as he was pulled under, and away from the hole the moose had made. The water was dark, and Gaiban couldn't see. his air was running low. What was he going to do?!

While he was unconscious, Gaiban dreamt of strange things. Of being acepted. Of being scolded. of being lied to. of being forgiven. And he fucked it up, by being careless. He could have died under that water. How his packmates responded would shape his outcome. Overhead, a final few bubbles emerged, and popped on the surface.

(ooc) Slight PP of Gaiban. Let me know if you want me to change anything

Everything was going according to plan, and Alusia smiled as she attacked the moose. She was exited to finally be getting a fresh meal, however as she watched the moose fall in the water, she also watched a packmate go with it. The pale female let out a cry for help and dove into the freezing water not knowing if anyone else had heard or seen the young male fall. Alusia felt like she needed to save him, like he needed to survive. The water stung, and she wanted to abandon the boy, but she stayed strong and started to kick her legs until she reached the pale male. 


She grabbed him by the scruff and started to pull him up, but it was not working. He weighed to much for Alusia, and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't pull him up. Not wanting to accept the young male's death the Alaskan female rose to the surface to take another deep breath, before diving down once again. This time she went lower than the male and used her head to start bumping the pale male to the surface, but without the help of her packmates, she had little chance of saving him.

The hunt progressed and they all fell into place. She steadily adapted, and now, with her footing so slick and dangerous, her eyes turned forward towards the prey as they waited. Then, before long, it was all in motion again -- their quarry guided by their fellows, Wyvern was in motion not far behind her pale queen's signal to proceed.

Adrenaline coursed and the motions became a blur, yet when she had lived them, it had seemed so much slower. She listened, and she felt the breaths of all the others around her -- both predator and prey, as she reached out for her attacks and dodged hooves accordingly. Now and then she got jostled around, and took a bad step to strain her muscles, but in the moment of the hunt this was of no concern. Bruises and aches could wait. With a full belly, they'd be much easier to weather anyway.

Careful when she could be, and underlined with just enough boldness to help her success, they dug their teeth deep into the hide of their chosen. Until, a certain sound seemed to stand out above the clamor of the rest.. the ice gave way.

New worry blossomed immediately and her paws were forced to answer accordingly to get her away from the cracking ice, and the faster the better. She had to put distance between them, and just as she did, she saw Cara on the moose's opposite side. By a hair's breath, the leader escaped, but just as Wyvern watched the moose fall, she saw the pale male follow suit right into the water and out of sight. Before it all could even register, Alusia went in for the rescue. Wyvern yipped, then skidded to an awkward stop to turn back around -- what had even happened! She saw Cara was safe, but the male? And the moose? Trying to move quickly with panting breaths, she swung back towards the broken ice, not certain of how she could help.

wat do o:

From what she could sense from the treeline banking around the frozen lake, the hunt and its plan had been going off without a hitch. Ivev moved farther down the snowy bluff, out of the pines and onto the flat bank where some of the ground had been churned by fleeing moose.

Out on the ice, a swarm of smaller bodies had encircled a particular moose, in which Cara's pale form had latched onto its haunch. It seemed to be going well until the ice shivered and cracked, and the moose sunk into the ground and out of sight. Fortunately, the pack had caught up to the edge and stood, peering at the rapidly freezing body of their prey, of which was starting to bob and dip below the surface. Ivev started out on the cool ice, quickly limping towards them in order to congratulate and check for wounds, as there had been a flurry of hooves and bodies when the Spine initially charged the herd. She was about to stop and say something when a furry white body slid across the slippery lake and right into the dark, gaping water.

Alusia had a similar idea, and Ivev had swung around to the side closest to where she could see the young male's ghost-like body sinking below the rippling lake surface. The healer reached out, throwing most of her weight onto her front paws and reaching out to grapple her teeth onto Alusia's back. She aimed for the layers of loose skin upon her packmate's haunch. The ice quavered dangerously at her toes, but the healer was backpedaling fast enough to retreat from the ice edge and hopefully help drag out the two wolves in tow, but it was likely impossible with just her pulling them.

Sitri watched it in slow motion, as Cara almost fell in and then Gaiban did. Sitri didn't think twice about it, the girls were trying to pull him out. He leaned forward as far as he could, and he grasped a hold of Ivev, hard. And being full of muscle and twice as tough, he gave a good jerk. He just hoped it was enough to get all of them out. His tattered ears, held slicked to his head as he pulled.

Gaiban felt an odd bump on his stomach, followed by a soft tug on his foot, followed by an abrupt yank. He swung out over the surface, and slapped against the ice outside. The smack, even though it was annoying to the half-dead Gaiban, was good. It had knocked some water from his lungs. Sadly, with lungs, almost wasn't enough. Gaiban lay there, lifeless and limp. A quick shiver crossed his body. All Gaiban felt then was cold. A cold, so very cold, loneliness he couldn't describe. He was in a place where all was silent and there wasn't a word for anything.