Round and Round

@Akela Gamekeeper thread for ya!

Burke knew that his good friend was an aspiring Gamekeeper, and for the sake of reliving old times Burke was more than keep on having another hunt with his good friend. He also wondered, since he hadn't asked, how much vision Akela lost with his injured eye. The grey male howled for the other, summoning him now the twilight was creeping in. The borders of their land were rich with all sort of prey species. He wondered what kind of prey they would hunt today. Being with two wolves required a different technique than with a whole pack. Akela knew this after all. 

Since Akela wanted to become a gamekeeper Burke decided that he would take a more following role this day. He wanted to see how Akela would imagine going after the prey they locked in on, and how he would divide their roles, all important skills to be a gamekeeper. The tank of a grey male wasn't the fastest to Akela also had to keep that in mind, still Burke was looking forward to Akela analyzing not only their prey but also their whole hunt.

Thank you dear

Akela was minding his own business when he heard the howl.  He had gotten up and trotted to where he had heard it. When Burke called, you came, cause he was the alpha and Akela was not in a teasing mood. He swiftly arrived, and stopped next to his friend. There were only two reasons for him to call him, mischief or ...well mischief but in a useful way.
 
He turned his head towards the male to see him with his good eye.  "You called , my dear?" he asked with a smile on his lips.  It gave him a creepy look with the scar, a wolf from a nightmare, but really, he was only a sweetheart. He picked up a familiar scent in the air.  "Ooooh I know why you called me.... " Akela added almost eagerly.

Burke was pleased with the quickness the other wolf responded. The male got to his feet and instantly had to smile at the dark male greeting him like they were mates. "Hello, my sugar," he returned but shook his head afterwards. He nodded courtly. "Of course you know. I thought you always knew everything," his voice returned with a chuckle and a quirk of his lighter dotted brow. 

The heavy set male looked out over the border. "You will lead the hunt. I will follow this time and help you out. Not that I really need to evaluate you since I know how you hunt," he stated. The large male turned to the black one. "So I'd say lead the way, pick a prey and tell me what my job if for this hunt," he hummed, clearly in the need for a good chase or activity. He felt slow today. He wanted to be active.

"Fair enough"  Akela inclined his head then started to track. Prey was around them, but he just had not decided on what they would get.  His head low, snout almost on the ground, he was looking for a trail that would fit their need. He could feel that Burke had a lot of energy today, which was good, cause they would run. He did not like to play with food, his father and uncle always had taught him to treat the game with respect and thank the ancestors for their sacrifice. 

He  arrived at a clearing with the big game he had decided to follow. It was American bison. He had smelled age on the herd , one of them was going to pass, not really following. Akela had hunted bison before, when younger and in his uncle's pack.  It was highly dangerous to hunt buffalo, they were stubborn and held their ground for days on. To get them to run was a challenge but once they were, it was just a waiting game . While Akela had tracked an elder one, he know was seeing some calves with the herd.  With Burke's size and strength, he would be easy to grab one. " Have you hunted them before?" Akela asked. He needed to know, because you did not go after those animals if you had not experience or a full pack. One wrong move and a buffalo could easily kill you.

Burke followed the dark male and was curious where the male would take him. He found hints of tracks that were more than possible to follow but it seemed that the male wasn't going after those. Burke tried to keep his mind away from Akela's ideas but it was no secret the male was a bit mad. Burke stopped next to him by the clearing, hearing and smelling the American Bison before them. Well since the Hoshor wolves weren't herding them anymore they drifted down towards BlackFeather. The alpha male was almost tempted to call Akela crazy. "You got to be joking. We are only with two," he pointed out. 

Burke then nodded courtly. "I have, what do you want me to do? Make them run?," he asked as he looked over the heard if he spotted any weaklings himself, if there weren't any weak ones they would have to go with young or old. It would give the pack plenty of meat to eat from. Burke was down for it. Plus maybe they could chase them down the water's edge of the great water lake and confuse their prey like that. But he wasn't going to suggest that. He was going after Akela's judgment.

Akela knew it was slightly madness, if not completely.  "We are, but don't let that scare you away from the challenge, brother. These grounds serve us more than them. " he spoke and looked at his alpha.  He had a plan. " We have to make them run, we have to test the herd. " he spoke and licked his lips.  " Let me do the pushing, back me up, until we reach the river. They'll be forced to cross it and the mellow grounds will allow us to see which of them is going to be our playmate for this hunt. " he spoke. 

He knew he was only seeing ghost figures with his left eye, which was at times, especially when hunting a disadvantage. He wished not to see then, because the moving shadows were sometimes misleading him.  "Stay on my right. " he told Burke.  "I will get them to run...just... attract their attention while  I go trigger a reason for them to run..well...today"

Burke stood before the herd and wondered if they had a chance. Oh well, he would have to look out for kicking legs, that was for sure. "You are more than right. I do trust you," he pointed out and then too a good gulp of air. Burke nodded, making the bison run was the only way to have a shot at these monsters of prey. "Okay, sounds more than perfect." Burke looked at Akela and nodded when he asked him to stay on his right side, that was probably because of his eye injury. Burke stood right from him and then nodded. "gotcha," he assured and nodded.

Burke then had to to attacked their attention. He moved to the heard and howled, he knew that was going to get their attention but not to run. Burke let out a few barks too and then trotted up to one. The herd moved together as one, making the young go into the middle and the big adults protecting the weaker ones. Now Akela would have to make them run.

Akela made his way around the herd, still staying hidden. He looked up at a tree and smiled. Exactly what he needed.  "Oh raven ... tell your queen she will be able to feast if  gracious as she is, she allows some croaking to come to our assistance" he asked the raven who looked at them then flattered away.  He  trotted down , staying hidden while Burke was doing a great job at having their attention. With all butts turned to him, he waited , not long when four birds came flying croaking in a panicked voice that the waters were rising again.  All it took was to create more chaos by jumping and biting one or the other in the legs, avoiding the kicking.  The fear and unexpected bites helped them run , the heavy animals started to run, not towards Burke who was blocking their way but towards the river, like they wanted too. All they needed now, was to trot after them, occasionally biting one or the other to get the herd moving.  They didn't need to go fast for now, because those animals were slow , even when they were running.  Much like domestic herding , Burke and him were working to keep them going into one direction.  Akela got slower when they reached the river. One of the bisons stumbled. Akela gave a known whistling sound to alert Burke then used his asset. He was fast, incredibly fast. He jumped over the river, and barked at the animal to lead it away from the safety of the herd, making it confused and not sure where to go.

Burke stayed by the herd but needed to make sure that he didn't didn't get tramped once the heard started to run. But they ran away from him, which was to be expected. The large wolf followed and nipped at their heels like a trained herding dog. He could be one after all. Burke kept the herd together with Akela. Burke saw the massive animal stumble too, he didn't need a whistle for that. Still it was a good reminder for those wolves that would go completely into the hunting zone. Burke made sure to chase after the whole herd make sure they were far off before making a u-turn to Akela and the fallen Bison.

Burke came charging back, not wanting his muddy to stay alone for too long with a kicking and separated frightened animal. The gray male was heavily panting once he returned but that panting didn't stop him from attacking the Bison by its legs and weaken it by making huge bleeding wounds.

This was like a dance, bite, avoid any kicking, not going for the front just yet.  He was assisting Burke in getting the bison weaker. Bites after bites.  They had time now,  the herd would not come get him, no mother would try to protect that one, he had to resign to his fate. The welp of agony went into a deaf ' ear, for Akela did not stop his job assisting Burke.  When finally the bison after minutes of trying to get away, bent one knee , Akela went for the throat.  He bid hard, trying to cut as much tissue as possible.  Of course the animal reacted, threw his head around and Akela had to let go before he was either punctured by a horn or trampled by the animal's feet.   Akela was starting to get tired , panting heavily yet still focused.  It was almost time.

He gathered his strength, then attacked again, this time, not letting go.  He felt the pulse go slower and slower, while the metallic taste of blood finished to fill his mouth.  He was choking the animal to death. A silence of death  fell around them when  Akela let go.  He looked down at the big prey.  "By the ancestors spirits , we thank you for your sacrifice. " he whispered and chuckled while sitting down.  " See... easy as going for a piss."

Burke made sure to keep the bison a bit in the same place as Akela tried to lunge at his neck. He wasn't going go wait until Akela killed it. Burke was only going to tire it out even more and bit down his sensitive belly to make it bleed, not eating to just but he was basically cutting the bison open while it was still half alive. He stopped when the last breath came. He stepped back licking his lips. Burke snorted. "We were very lucky,' he pointed out but was pleased with the hunt. Even with Akela's eye injury he had lead a perfect hunt. The male was pleased. 

The dark grey male then glanced at the other. "Lets have a good meal before dragging this back," he spoke, deciding that they definitely deserved a meal after their efforts, unless Akela decided that they should drag the bison back now. Burke wondered if it would be wiser to just howl for the pack and drag it back together. Hmm.

"Lucky is NOT what we were. We had good odds in a hunt we both are experienced with, that's different. " Akela corrected the Alpha and licked his lips. He looked at their catch and did feel excitement flowing in his veins, that over the exhaustion he felt or the pain that was going through his body. It was a good pain, however, not one to get you down. He just was not used to use that much energy for something that big, because as a loner you mostly went for small preys.

"I think we can, after you. " he was not going to challenge the chain of command here, he did kill it but the Alpha went first.  He also saw the ravens already waiting for their claim.  "Store it or eat it now ? " Akela asked as this would determine of the pack must be called or not.

Burke glanced at Akela, it was true that they were very experienced hunters and they knew each other well which was also something that could tip the scale of life and death. Burke then decided to agree with the dark male. "Alright,' he returned and then looked at the still warm blooded animal before them. Burke then opened the belly further, and started to feast on the organs. The alpha male had made a decision without replying to the other male. Burke was hungry and the hunt had gotten tired him out. He needed some fuel.

"We can drag the carcass back after we ate," he returned, his head covered his blood now. He let out a one of his creepier smiles, it didn't help that his pale eyes popped even more in contract with the blood. "Join me brother. You did a good job," he pointed out.

When it came to eating, there was nothing more messy than a wolf, no matter how hard one tried to eat without making a mess, it failed .  The wolf waited patiently to be invited to feast with Burke.  He couldn't help but smile fondly at the grey bobtail when he lifted his head full of blood and finally granted him permission to share with him.  The red on fur and the blue of his eyes gave him a cute look, there was nothing more terrifying that that one. He approached the carcass but first gave Burke a lick on his cheek , just because he could, then carefully picked what he would eat.  Since the area around his eye was still sensitive , having blood on it  or bumping with it against a sharp bone was not a good idea.  That's where he most has troubles with, being able to eat without causing more damage and orienting himself. Therefore, he ate slower than even his normal pace. He needed to get rid of the chewing habit of lone wolves. As meat was rare  , you would chew and chew slowly on it to get a feeling of having eaten much.

Burke was sort of a messy eater but he calmed down after he suffered a horrible bloat attack. Luckily Meldresi saved him, otherwise he wouldn't be alive to day. Sometimes a prey could kick back after death it seemed. Still Burke ate far more ravenous compared to Akela. He eyed at the male next to him and wondered for a moment why he was eating so carefully, Burke would ask later. 

He pulled back after he felt his stomach was more than full. He laid down and eyed at Akela. Not really wanting to tell him how he almost died because he had too much gas in his stomach. He let Akela eat further in peace. He studied him for a moment, and maybe it was his eye that was bothering him. "Is it your eye?," he asked. Burke then sat up, now he did feel a bit fat. The tank of a male kept his pale eyes on the other. 

"You are thinking of me licking you clean, aren't you?," he then stated suspiciously and then chuckled. He pushed himself carefully to his feet. He was getting old, thinking about his bloat and being careful. He then gave Akela a big wet lick over his cheek, almost in a silly way.

Akela stopped feeding at Burke's question.  "Yes." he simply replied, there was no need to lie about it, he was not ashamed of his injury, and anyone knew that there were things that would be complicated with one eye working. He went on with his meal, ripping a junk out and threw it at the ravens. A deal was a deal.  He finished  when he felt full and lied down  not far from Burke. This was something he needed to get used to again.  Be able to relax after a meal. It didn't take long before he was alert again, always watching his back for a threat.  However Burke got his attention and he huffed.  "You wish" he simply stated and back his head up.  "Ew gross. " he joked then stood up.  " Come on Bunbun, let the pack enjoy some, while I store some and you bring your lady something to eat ." he suggested and started to skin the carcass in order to prepare it for directly feeding, and part for storage.  He did not know what Meldresi liked, so he left one up for Burke and started to drag what he could carry to the nearest cache before the rest of the pack would feast. This had been fun and liberating.

END