Redhawk Caldera IGNIS UMBRA

This is intended for the Firebirds' first active pack hunt. Either way, we're huntin'! Each round will last four days. This will count toward +20 EXP if you complete 3+ rounds.

The full, bright moon floated over the eastern horizon as Peregrine traipsed down the mountainside. The air was invigoratingly cool, with a brisk breeze blustering in from the north. It carried to him the scent of prey. Tonight was the night. With the harvest moon lighting the way, the conditions were ideal to lead his first pack hunt since going partially blind. He was ready.

He hoped he wasn't the only one. The Firebirds were now seven months old and it was time for them to play an active role in the hunt. When he stopped at the caldera's base and howled for the pack, he urged his three growing children to join him. Peregrine knew Wildfire's paw was still bothering her but hopefully she could still play a small role. She and Raven would make good chasers. He particularly hoped Nightjar would attend, as he showed the most promise as a hunter.

There was a herd of elk passing through the wilderness just a mile or two beyond their borders, somewhere out on the prairie. That's what the scents on the breeze told him. The Alpha male licked his chops as he waited for his fellows to join him, then head out on their moonlit hunting party.

Raven had helped her treat her sprained ankle and her sister's remedies had not only helped manage the pain but the swelling as well. Her foot was still tender but she could put weight on it now. Wildfire was relieved. Trying to run around the caldera on three legs was just a disaster waiting to happen. She was sort of surprised she hadn't sprained the remaining three while hobbling around like an invalid.

When her father's howl rose into the air, Wildfire glanced down at her paw, then up at Rave. The sisters' eyes met and they rose in unison. Together they traipsed down the slope toward the Alpha male's position. Neither one aspired to specialize as a hunter but they both knew what this summons meant for them. They would take an active role in the pack hunt.

Although their father's fur was primarily black as night, it was easy to spot him waiting in a radiant shaft of moonlight. The two female Firebirds slowed, with Raven hanging back slightly as Wildfire bumped her smudged muzzle beneath the Gamekeeper's snout. It seemed they were the first ones here, so Wildfire fell back too, scenting the air as they quietly waited for more wolves to gather.

When Peregrine's howl rent the air, Nightjar was brutalizing a coyote that made the fatal error of drawing too close to one of the pack's caches. He gripped its throat so tightly that though the beast's maw yawned wide, it could not make a single sound. His father's summon saved its life. The heavyset tawny dog released his grip and it slumped to the ground, breathless but alive. The wolf would come back for it if it was foolish enough to remain here.

He trotted at a leisurely pace along the borders until he met the assembling hunting party. So far, only Wildfire and Raven had arrived, making the three Redhawk pups the promptest members of the pack. Nightjar greeted them with nips to their chins and a low, freely waving tail, particularly when he approached his parents. He stood above Raven but knew his place beneath Peregrine and Wildfire. Later he might jockey with his sister for rank, but not now, not until a kill was made.

As gamekeeper, Pantaleimon was eager to join in the hunt. He'd been feeling dreamy lately, and at times didn't feel quite grounded, as though he was a ghost floating around the pack but meant little to it. Pan kept telling himself that it was just a feeling though, and he tried to compensate by being useful enough to the pack and keeping an eye on the caches and making sure there was enough food before winter. Pan longed to see the ocean again, but he did not allow himself to depart from the Caldera for so long; the poisoning incident had frightened him.

Pantaleimon arrived and he noticed that Perry and the pups were already there. They were getting so big, Pantaleimon mentally noted as he looked at them and greeted each of them with a smile and a fond nuzzle, and Perry with a lick across the cheek.

"Don't wanna!" Eljay shouted when the howl rang up and his daddy asked him if he wanted to come and watch the hunt. Watching the hunt wasn't gonna bring mommy back. How could everyone just move on with their lives as though mommy had never existed? Eljay knew that daddy was hurt, because there was pain in his steps and his demeanor. How could he go off on a hunt instead of bringing back mommy?

Yet the pack called, and so even Eljay wasn't exempt from heeding it, even if he didn't hunt along. "WHY YOU HATE ME DADDY!" Eljay unhappily screeched at daddy @Elwood , involuntarily trailing after him with a stormy look on his face. The corners of his mouth were pulled down by the gravity of the boy's depression, his every step beside his daddy showing vividly that mommy wasn't on his other side, like she should be.

When he arrived at the scene, Eljay sat down by the side, scowling at everyone from behind his grumpy cat expression on his particularly grouchy day. While he was generally an unhappy boy these days, these tantrums of anger were rare; usually he would just cry a lot, and often he would appear normal while his emotions devoured him form the inside.

Today, however, Eljay was angry, because he couldn't believe that everyone else was just moving on with their lives when something critical was missing from his.

let me know if any of the pp is not ok Kim :3

Dean heard the howl from his older brother and got up out of the temporary house he had which had been turning into more of a permanent home. He checked his reflection just to make sure he wasn't looking too bad. No one should ever meet the alpha even if it was their brother looking like they had just rolled around in a pile of branches and junk that made the wolf look like a loner that hadn't seen anyone else in at least a few days.

His legs moved on their own to the rest of the pack. A smile appeared on his face. These wolves looked like they would treat him much better than his other pack did. Packs reminded him of family. Dean hadn't seen Ray in what seemed like forever. Worry found its way into his eyes. While his smile showed happiness his eyes showed a mix of joy and worry. 

Dean walked closer to everyone else and sat down farther out to see how the others treated each other. They all seemed fairly happy to be there.

His head seemed to move up and look up at the moon. Red started to appear at the edge of the usually yellow-ish colored moon.

LOL, I love your post, Iris. <3

It came as no surprise to Elwood that his son didn't want to attend the pack hunt. But the weary father didn't have any other options; his usual babysitters would probably be there, running alongside him, and he didn't think that leaving Elwood Jr alone at night would be a good idea. He did his best to ignore the boy's yelling all the way to the base of the caldera. Once there, he found that Peregrine, Nightjar, Wildfire, Pantaleimon and Dean had already gathered.

Luckily, Eljay escorted himself to a safe location and plopped down without any further instruction from his father. Elwood moved towards Peregrine, shrugging his shoulders in defeat as Eljay glowered at each and every wolf present.

*flails*

The call that resounded through the caldera was one that was so familiar to Fox, she could have been dead asleep, and she still would have known exactly who and what it was. Peregrine had called for a hunt, and Fox's red ears swiveled toward the summons. Without hesitation, she bounded toward her mate, her lover, her partner, her co-parent. It was sometimes hard to believe that the Firebirds were nearly full-grown.

She arrived to find several of the Redhawk members already gathered, and she greeted each of them with a glance, some with a nod, and the ones she was closest to—Wildfire, Nightjar, Pan, Elwood—with a small nudge. Peregrine was the exception, and he got a full-on face lick.

Peregrine's chest nearly burst with pride when the three Firebirds showed up promptly, arriving before anyone else. "Hey, guys!" he greeted them, his tail raising into a wag as they greeted him. Although he was excited for all three of them, he found his single jade eye lingering on his son the longest. He couldn't wait to see Nightjar go into beast mode.

Pan, Dean, Elwood (complete with mini-me) and Fox all came quickly too, enough wolves to form a proper hunting party. The Alpha noticed little Elwood's unhappy expression and shot him an encouraging smile. He knew the boy missed his mother and likely wasn't remotely interested in the fresh meat they were about to bring him. Peregrine couldn't blame him, though. Hopefully he would be all right hanging back on his own, where he could sulk in peace.

"All right, here's what we're gonna do," the Alpha began, motioning for the rest of them to gather close. "Fox, Pan, Wildfire and Rave, I want you to head the group. You'll lead the chase, tiring out the elk and singling out the best victim. When that's done, you'll give us—Elwood, Dean, Nightjar and myself—the signal and we'll move in for the kill."

He didn't give them time to react to their assignments. "Let's head out!" he yelled, breaking up the huddle and swiveling to begin loping into the night, even as a shadow began to eat away at the moon above.

Pantaleimon nodded when Peregrine handed out assignments, just following the orders given. He didn't want to think too much, and maybe it would be good to just hunt. Pantaleimon kept to himself until the hunt started, which luckily didn't take too long. Pan shot Elwood Junior a fond smile; he almost wished that he could've just stayed with the pup. Pan didn't really feel fantastic on all other areas, so even a grumpy pup felt better than the alternative at the moment. However, he'd already been divided into a group and so after pulling a funny face in Elwood Junior's direction — and even finding traces of a smile on his face as he watched the pup glower in return [/mdash] Pantaleimon resigned to his position.

Pan wasn't his usual focussed self in hunts, keeping to himself mostly and letting Fox or Wildfire take the lead while Pan stayed back with Raven. Raven cast Pan a worried look — Pan had noticed from young age that Raven was emotionally sensitive, like he, and was one of few whom Pan had confided his gender-secret to — but seemed to decide to let it go when Pan looked away. Pan'd follow wherever the rest would head and he'd do his best to help, but it was evident he wasn't on top of his game.

i am very awkward with ppc's but i hope this raven-pp is ok?? if not let me know and i can change!

When their brother strode into view, Wildfire's black tail broke into a wag. She accepted his greeting with a friendly nibble and even a muffled bark. Soon, others joined them, starting with Pan and ending with her mother. The middle child gave them each a friendly smile and tipped her head at Elwood Jr particularly, wondering if he was grumpy because he'd been pulled from his bed or if he was just missing his mother right now.

Her godmother's absence was certainly felt, though Peregrine quickly began to issue instructions and Wildfire turned to focus on him. It might have been cool to play a more direct role in the kill, yet Wildfire understood the logistics of the Master Gamekeeper's decision and didn't question his instructions. As the groups split, she forged ahead with her mother, Raven and Pan close at hand.

As they ran in the direction of the elk herd out on the prairie, Wildfire glanced upward and gasped. "Whoa, look!" she cried quietly, pointing her smudged muzzle at the moon. It had been full just moments ago and now there was a small chip missing from it. "Wasn't that full a minute ago?" she questioned, glancing at Fox in particular for whatever reason before the movement up ahead snapped her attention back to the hunt.

When the others began to run faster, so did Wildfire. Beneath the light of the eclipsing harvest moon, they approached the elk herd, the four chasers leading the way and causing the ungulates to send up an alarm and begin to scatter before them. Now it was just a matter of pinpointing the best possible prey and singling it out from the rest of the group.

As other wolves arrived, Nightjar moved between them, greeting them with either bumps of his jaw or steely looks depending on the position he felt they deserved. Notably, he paused in place to regard Elwood Jr. with a cold stare, and when he turned away, it was with a ripple of his hackles and the stiffening of his tail to betray his discomfort. That he hadn't been to visit Elwood Jr. was no mistake. Nightjar hadn't overlooked him; rather, the male wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. He wasn't family and he wasn't an alpha's child, which immediately made him unsanctioned in the eyes of the feral wolf.

He relaxed when Peregrine began giving orders and accepted his wordlessly. The tip of his tail swept the air, the base remained still, and his ears fanned to the sides as the first group headed out into the herd. Nightjar's excitement was evident in the way he alternately panted and formed a thin line with his mouth, and when the second party began loping in the wake of the first, he followed eagerly. No one needed to tell him what to do. He need only consult his wild ancestry to know.

The elk herd split like billiard balls and the male picked up his pace, following at a short distance and awaiting the moment that Wildfire, Pantaleimon, Fox and Raven selected their target.

haha, typical 'parent arrives at party with tantrummy kid'. XD

Not even Wifi could fix Eljay's temper, and he just looked at her with a sour expression. She was supposed to have brought mommy home, but she hadn't, and now she was just going to hunt with the rest of them. Peregrine divided the wolves into groups, and it sounded at first like the daddy-group would stay here. However, when Peregrine came into motion it became clear to Eljay that daddy was actually going away too, rather than staying here with him.

"NO DADDY!" Eljay screamed, hoping to prevent his father from walking off. "NO DON'T LEAVE!" Eljay dashed up to daddy's side and looked up at him, rolling his eyes up as he looked up at daddy with watery eyes that begged him not to go. After mommy's disappearance, Eljay had become extra protective over what he had left: daddy. If daddy would walk off, he'd follow him, unwilling to sit by the side while daddy was elsewhere.

I'm not gonna lie, I'm a big fan of how difficult Eljay makes Elwood's life. :P

Once it appeared that the hunting group had assembled, Peregrine began to give out instructions. Elwood listened attentively, pricking his ears towards the master gamekeeper. It was nice to have something to focus on, even if it would only be for a short time. He would throw himself into this hunt with his whole self, pushing thoughts of Finley out of his mind and relying on instinct.

But Eljay had different plans. As Elwood started to move into position, following Peregrine beneath the eerie light of the harvest moon, the boy cried out and raced towards him. Elwood's ears flattened and he whirled to look at his son, feeling a flash of irritation. He inhaled sharply through his nostrils, then exhaled slowly, forcing himself to calm. Fighting fire with fire surely wouldn't be effective. He glanced at Peregrine, indicating that he would catch up, then he turned towards Elwood Jr.

"You can follow along, but I want you to stay clear of the action, okay? I don't want you getting hurt. You'll be able to see me the whole time, I promise," he said quietly, angling his snout down to look at his son. Hoping his compromise would be satisfactory, he gestured for Eljay to trail behind the group, then pivoted and loped back towards Peregrine and the rest of his team.

Although Peregrine caught Elwood Sr's glance, he did not move ahead without his Beta. He signaled for everyone to wait, then walked over toward the father and son. He arched his head and tail as he came closer, though the expression on his face was soft. He understood why Elwood Jr was upset, though the pack couldn't afford to let a temper tantrum cost them a meal. This hunt was important for other reasons too.

"Elwood Jr," the Alpha said, actually using the suffix for the first time, his tone quiet but firm, "your mother would want you to listen to your father. Nightjar, Wildfire and Raven are your mother's nieces and nephews, her godchildren. She wouldn't want anything interfering with their special night. But what's more important is that we want to have lots of meat stored for when she comes back," he finished on a positive note. "Stay back and be quiet," he commanded gently.

Swiveling, the Alpha strode ahead again and followed as the others began to canter closer to the elk herd grazing on the prairie. Even if Elwood Jr completely ignored him, at least they weren't going for the element of surprise. This would be a game of endurance, with the wolves carefully running their chosen prey ragged and splitting it from the group before attacking. It would not be ideal if the pup ran after them, screaming and breaking their concentration, but they might still be able to pull it off.

Wildfire's gasped exclamation caused Peregrine's ears to prick and he looked upward. There was a sliver of moon missing where it had been full previously. "It's an eclipse," he realized out loud. His brow furrowed. That meant it was going to go from very bright to very dark, which would affect his hunting abilities. But usually these celestial phenomena took hours, so hopefully by the time the shadow hid the moon entirely, they would be feasting.

With that thought in mind, the Alpha wolf licked his lips and kept running forward, albeit he hung back, waiting for the she-wolves and Pan to indicate their target.

An eclipse, Wildfire thought, more than a little distracted by the phenomenon occurring right over their heads. Stay focused, she reminded herself, though it was already too late. Having craned her neck to stare upward, she bumped into Raven and over-corrected, causing her to stumble. She managed to avoid falling flat on her face, though for a moment she definitely threw off the group's general rhythm.

"Sorry," she hissed under her breath, ears flattening, when Raven suddenly said, "Look!" Wildfire's gaze snapped ahead to watch as the elk caught either wind or sight of the wolf pack and began to scatter over the dark plain. "What about that one?" her sister cried quietly, thrusting her black snout toward a cow near the back of the group.

"Or that one?" Wildfire was also eager to guide the hunt. She indicated a willowy yearling on the outer edge of the herd, veering toward the right. But even as the youth made her recommendation, two older cows pressed closer to the yearling, guarding its rear and making it an unlikely choice.

Her amber gaze flicked back to the elk Raven had chosen. It was keeping up with the group but the youth called, "Hey, I think the one you picked is partially lame, Rave. Look!" She was hobbling ever so slightly. "I think you made the right pick," Wildfire said to her sister, shooting her a sideways smile, before her amber eyes glanced toward Fox and Pan. They were older and more experienced; did they agree with the pups' choice?

Pantaleimon stayed close to the rest of the group. When Wildfire nearly fell, Pan almost bumped right into her, his mind elsewhere. Just in time Pan managed to keep himself from stumbling into Wildfire and making the situation even worse, and he quickly gathered himself and fell into step again once Wildfire seemed to be okay; though not before shooting Wildfire a worried frown.

Raven and Wildfire discussed among themselves, and Pantaleimon watched the moving herd, but didn't really look at them. He wasn't paying much attention, in turmoil with himself, and just watched as they ran, following the rest of the group at the tail end. When Wildfire turned to look at her, Pan's absent gaze just kept on the herd, not even noticing the youth was trying to get his attention and gamekeeper opinion on their pick. He didn't even realise they had a pick yet.

Daddy halted and turned towards Eljar, much to his relief, when he started to shout. If Eljay wasn't in the way, he could follow the adults, and Eljay decided that was probably as good as it was gonna get. He didn't consider the possibility that his dad might get hurt in the hunt, as he didn't realise it was dangerous at all (for him or for daddy). Therefore he did not understand either when daddy said he could get hurt, but he just nodded quickly.

"Okay daddy!" he eagerly agreed. "I'm be good, promiss!"

Eljay looked at Uncle P. when he said that mommy would want him to be good and listen to daddy. He felt tears well up as he thought of mommy's lacking presence, and anger that uncle P. was telling him what mommy would want rather than finding her. Eljay was upset that his uncle was telling him off, not used to anyone outside of daddy treating him roughly, but unlike with daddy earlier today he didn't find any angry retorts. Instead, the sensitive little boy just glared at his uncle with an unhappy frown before he averted his gaze, not saying anything to his uncle. He feared losing daddy more than being reprimanded though, and nuzzled daddy's haunch to indicate that he was ready to go. They took off again, Eljay following closely by daddy's hind (possibly a little too close for comfort once they'd engage), focussed entirely on staying with daddy to make sure he didn't get lost or away.

As Elwood pivoted to return to the group, he found that Peregrine and the others hadn't yet gone ahead. Peregrine approached, speaking sternly but kindly to Eljay, and Elwood shifted his gaze to his son. The boy didn't have anything to say to his uncle, simply gazing up at him with the shadow of a frown on his face. He had already promised to obey the instructions given to him, so Elwood hoped that Eljay would stick to his word. He cast a quick, thankful glance at Peregrine, then moved ahead with the rest of the wolves.

As he fell into step with Peregrine, Dean, and Nightjar, he looked over his shoulder and found that Eljay was much too close to the hunting group. "Stay back a little further," he said firmly, then refocused his attention, though he kept one ear tilted back towards the stubborn Pi.

Eljay stayed glued to daddy's haunch, and his tail wiggled when daddy looked back at him. However, he was instructed to go back further and leave daddy's side, which caused his tail to droop again. Though Eljay didn't really want to, and he mostly wanted to stay right where he was, he unhappily said, "fine." and stayed back a teensy bit further.

His heart raced in his chest as he watched daddy disappear further and further away from his side. The urge to cry and scream and dash after him started to rise seriously in Eljay's body, barely able to control himself and stay back like he promised. He clamped his teeth together as he watched daddy, his heart in his throat and his mind racing with anxiety while he tried his hardest to be a good boy like he'd promised.

*late to the party*

Fox never had a problem with Peregrine figuring out where everybody would best be utilized. She was a natural chaser, feeling much more comfortable on the ground rather than attempting to go for the much larger animal's skin, muscle, hooves, and other bits. She just wasn't cut out for that kind of work. Running had always been, and probably always would be, her area of expertise.

There was talk of the changing moon, but Fox paid it no mind. Her focus was the hunt, the kill, the food. Wildfire and Raven were seeking out some of the weaker looking prey, and Fox's eyes flitted to each one they spoke of. "Good catch, Raven," Fox praised, giving her darker daughter a solid smile. "Dhole and Raven, you stay close to me, okay? If you feel you’re in any danger, back off."

That said, Fox motioned to her group as a whole to give chase. They would need to keep the cow separate from the rest of the herd and drive her away so that the others could take her down. It was a solid plan, provided everything went smoothly.

Peregrine patiently tailed the group of chasers, exchanging glances with his Beta, brother and son every so often. He also occasionally looked behind them to check on Elwood Jr and make sure the pack's youngest member wasn't about to get underfoot. If he ever caught the kid's eye, he tried shooting him a quick smile, though he sensed the pup was not happy with him. Maybe his mood would improve once they made a kill and filled their bellies.

Overhead, the night sky grew dimmer and dimmer as a shadow fell over the moon. It was not black but a deep, burnished red. It looked like blood or fire. Peregrine didn't spare it much thought, however, as the chasers had effectively singled out a lame cow toward the back of the herd and were already trying to separate her from the group.

"Get ready," the Alpha whispered to his fellow hunters, knowing it was only a matter of minutes before one of the four sent up the signal to close in for the kill.

Pan didn't have much to say, yet Fox confirmed that they would go with Raven's pick. With their eyes on the prize, the chasers sped up and began to dog the cow's steps. Wildfire paid close attention to what Fox and Pan were doing, then emulated them. She tried to wedge herself in between the lame elk and the rest of the herd. The youth even got close enough to nip at the cow's heels, which sent a little thrill through her.

Much too focused on the task at hand, Wildfire didn't even notice as the moon slowly turned umber. Her amber eyes remained fix on the cow as she slowly but surely fell behind her comrades. She only glanced back to make sure the other hunters were ready and waiting before facing forward again, waiting on one of the two adult chasers to give the final signal for Peregrine's group to move in and make the kill.

Dean stayed close to his brother since he didn't have Ray with him to talk to. His steps had been silent and his voice quieter than ever. He felt lost without his littermate with him. He looked at the pup that was honestly annoying the crap out of him and heard Peregrine's voice that without all of the sugar in the words had basically told him to shut up. The pup did and he almost laughed at how powerful his older brother was.  Dean never knew that he would ever be that powerful even Dean himself could hardly imagine being a leader. He sighed, maybe one day.

Once it seemed that Eljay could put a damper on his separation anxiety -- at least for the time being -- Elwood felt a little more at ease. He fine tuned his senses, preparing himself for the exhilaration of the hunt. With ears pricked and muscles tensed, he stayed near Peregrine, his eyes straying to the other group as they pinpointed their target.

For now, he was playing the waiting game, but the minute he was given the signal he would be ready to spring into action.