Lost Creek Hollow The persuaded we

Doesn't have to be an actual hunt, could just be tracking!

The falling snow had started to cover some of the evidence but something had definitely happened beyond the borders and the wounded deer had taken a shortcut through at least part of the territory.  Treason wasn't entirely sure how long the trail stretched, but the metallic smell of blood had caught her attention from a good distance away and caused her to investigate.  It was certainly a dinner bell rung, but whether or not it turned into anything depended on how much of a head start the target had on her.  It wasn't too badly bleeding, but it was enough for the red marks in the snow to leave a trail that, where it wasn't buried, could easily be followed by sight.

She paused for a moment there where it crossed the borders into their territory, looking both ways down the track.  Well, she certainly was going to investigate.  Treason took off after the blood, moving at a jog to make sure she wasn't going to accidentally lose the trail if it hit a less-pristine patch of snow.  Given the deer's path, it seemed likely at least one of her packmates would probably find the scent as well, but Treason would call for help if it was needed.

It was the pungent smell of blood that drew Breccan's attention, too. He was more inexperienced in hunting than a pup his age should have been, since his father's injury prevented him from teaching the boy, but he was instinctively interested in the sharp odor. Even with his young, untrained senses, he was able to follow the general direction of the trail as it led him across the snow-covered territory.

At some point, his path brought him into Treason's vicinity. She was moving fairly swiftly and purposefully, and Breccan's first thought was to leave her alone. But the scent was just too enticing, so he began to trot behind her. He didn't speak up, but surely the sound of his paws crunching in the snow would alert her to his presence.

As long as nothing spooked the deer, it seemed likely that it would still be within the confines of the territory by the time Treason caught up. It didn't seem super hurried. The real question would be if the injury sustained was going to make the deer easy to hunt.  Obviously if it just had its ear sliced open by a particularly angry stick or something else similarly mundane, that wasn't going to improve their odds of catching it.

However, the one that joined her wasn't exactly one she could necessarily count on to help bring down prey.  Oh well, always the opportunity to call if needed. Treason had pretty much kept away from the pups of the pack.  They weren't hers and her talents were better used elsewhere.  Honestly by this point maybe she should actually pay a bit more attention to them as they would be full members of the pack before they knew it.

When it became obvious Breccan was just going to keep following, she moved a bit farther off the trail, looking back, What can you tell?  The blood itself was obvious, but she didn't know how much he could figure out from the scent of it at this point, or if he'd notice things like the distance between tracks.

There were a few moments where Treason continued to forge ahead without acknowledging Breccan, but she eventually slowed and glanced back at him with a question. He squinted past her, as though he would be able to lay eyes on the deer, even though it was currently out of their line of sight. The smell of its blood, though, was still strong.

"Is it hurt?" he asked, answering her query with one of his own. It might not have been the response she was looking for, but his untrained senses were still processing the information provided by the deer's scent trail. There was still much he needed to learn.

Okay that threw her for a bit of a loop.  That wasn't the answer she was expecting at all.  Perhaps it was just because of Rannoch's injury that their education had slipped?  Though there was a slight flicker of her features, it was such a vague set of emotions that it probably hadn't said much.  At the very least Breccan had the advantage that Treason didn't outright despise his existence -- that was solely due to the fact he was the child of the then-alpha, but she still wasn't entirely sure she wanted to deal with children that weren't related to her.  It just wasn't her job.

But still, they were needed for the pack to survive.  Yes.  The blood had to be a pretty obvious sign, but if he was still questioning that, then perhaps she should make sure that he knew the full range of his senses, But you can tell more besides that.  What it is, how fast it was moving, if it's otherwise healthy.  Not all from sight, not all from smell, but both by paying attention.  The clues are all there.  Which in this case, the answers in the back of the book would say a deer that was otherwise healthy and moving fairly slowly -- they should be able to catch up.

Breccan listened carefully to Treason's guidance, his brow furrowing as he took it all in and processed it. "Okay," he said, and with that information, he breathed in deeply and gave it another go. Now kind of knowing what he was looking for -- or smelling for, really -- he carefully dissected the scent and began to draw his own conclusions from it. In addition to that, he took a moment to carefully look at the tracks in the snow, studying their shape and each print's distance from its brethren.

"I don't think it was going very fast," he said, "and it doesn't smell bad except for being hurt." And by that, he meant there was no odor of sickness that he could detect. He took a few steps forward, instinctively following the trail, then hesitated and looked at Treason for approval.

So Breccan wasn't clueless.  Despite the kind of odd way he had answered her initially, he'd figured out the actual answer in a reasonable amount of time.  Treason approved.  Good.  We should be able to catch up and see it in person, then decide when is best to hunt it.  I don't think it has left the territory yet.  She pointed forward, You lead, but be careful if you think it's close.  She was there to correct him if he went off-track but honestly he'd have to to have misplaced all of his senses to not see where the deer had gone.  The real question would be if he'd startle it.  Obviously together they probably wouldn't be able to take it down -- maybe if the youth had been replaced by an adult it'd be fine, but with a novice on board, it was probably best to just plan for later and grab a few others to help.

Breccan's uncertainty was replaced by a fledgling confidence as Treason acknowledged his thoughts, and then instructed him to take the lead as they tracked the deer. He nodded solemnly, taking this new responsibility very seriously, then turned his back to her and began to move forward again. Despite his inexperience, he still had enough common sense to know not to go charging full-tilt through the woods and accidentally alert their quarry to their presence.

So he trotted for a short distance, trying to keep his paws as quiet as possible, until the scent suddenly grew stronger. He drew to a halt then, one forefoot suspended in midair as he peered ahead. "I think we're getting closer," he whispered to Treason, and then continued on at a slower pace. Ahead, the trees opened up into something of a clearing, and when he paused again, he could make out the shape of the animal through the snowy underbrush. Without speaking, he looked at his mentor again, his heart thrumming with amateur excitement.

Grabbed a d20, evens as it's the leg, odds was not.  Rolled a 12 :P

Her voice was also low.  Observe.  If it has an injured leg, we maybe can catch it now.  If it does not, we can study it now, gather others tonight.  They should creep along this last part, and Treason's stance definitely shifted to something a bit more stealthy, not that it was easy for her to do, given her size.  She was not particularly light-footed, but hey, Treason was fine at hunting.

She couldn't see it from where she was -- at least not clearly -- so Treason slipped towards a slight opening so she could watch, crouching down into the snow to watch.  The deer was nibbling on some evergreen foliage that had been dusted from the snowstorms, and at least from where she sat, it didn't seem too bad off.  But she was patient, and she waited and watched.  It paused its munching and reached back to scratch at its hip, then went back to the plant, shifting slightly where it stood.

Treason seemed to perk up at this, her head raising and ears tipping forward.  From where she was, she could see that the deer had a wound across its rear leg that looked like it wasn't healing right at all.  That was what had been seeping as it had crossed the territory.  She turned and looked over her shoulder for Breccan, tipping her head inquisitively.  Did he want to try?

And to save a mini post, if he nodded, she'd point with her nose for him to go farther along the treeline away from her.

Breccan hardly dared to breathe as Treason instructed him to examine the deer from a distance for the moment. He was aware of her shifting behind him and then to the side to get a better view for herself, and when his gaze landed on the animal's injured leg his heart skipped a beat. "Maybe we can catch it now," she had said, and the opportunity seemed to be presenting itself.

There was a question in her eyes when she looked back at him, and while he was nervous, he nodded his acceptance and then followed her wordless instructions. He crept away from her, moving in the opposite direction and hugging the treeline and underbrush to stay out of the deer's line of sight. Every few steps, he glanced back over his shoulder, keeping a constant watch on Treason so that he would be ready for any further direction.

It was a risk. Hopefully one worth taking but with a rookie, most of it would rely on her plus whatever instincts he followed.  She kept low and quiet, watching the deer as it continued unaware. Treason wished this was a case where she knew and could rely on her hunting partner being on the same page but oh well. A lot of hunts failed, so if this one did, it was just another learning experience.

There wasn't much to signal or say, just wait for when she saw the right moment.  That was when the deer started to nibble on a branch that was facing away from her.  Treason sprang forward then, full tilt towards their prey, which quickly startled and started to flee.  Breccan  would be closer than her as soon as he started off, but Treason didn't expect them to instantly take it down -- the leg injury would effect it more the longer they chased.

He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he kept redirecting his gaze periodically to Treason. She seemed to be focused wholly on the deer, and he divided his attention between the two. All of a sudden, she sprang into action, and he reacted quickly, following her lead. The deer was surprised by the abrupt appearance of the wolves and immediately took off, though its progress was hindered by its injured leg.

Breccan tried to stay as close to it as he could, although the galloping hooves were daunting and he gave them a wide berth. Overall, he was cautious throughout this endeavor, but his adrenaline was pumping with the thrill of the chase.

She was trying to figure out how to wrangle most of it herself.  Hopefully by the time it got to the kill she'd be confident that Breccan would be able to assist, but in this slightly more fiddly and not obvious part of the chase, the work was on her shoulders -- he just needed to run along and be scary so the deer kept going.

Treason shifted her position behind the deer, trying to steer it towards a bigger branch of the creek.  She snapped at its hindquarters, uttering the odd snarl to punctuate the point, to drive it away from her and towards the way she wanted.  It kind of cooperated.  Treason thought maybe the wider patch of ice might give them an advantage too -- a little bit of slippery footing for their already unstable quarry.

But she, too, wasn't going to get close to the hooves at this point, figuring it needed to be run longer before she could dare to try to open its wound more.  As it was, she could tell the seeping had increased as the deer was forced to run -- if the continued metallic smell of blood wasn't enough encouragement to keep Breccan following, Treason didn't know what would be.  Certainly it would start to slow soon.

In his peripheral vision, Breccan could see Treason moving closer to the deer, although she, too, was cautious around its heels. She didn't give him any further verbal instruction, but he understood that she simply needed him to keep pursuing the animal for now. Even he could understand that the deer would gradually be worn out simply by running with its injury; he could see its stride weakening.

Suddenly, it stumbled, its spindly legs buckling beneath its body. Breccan tensed, but the animal managed to right itself and keep moving, although at a less fluid pace. He looked at Treason; it seemed like it wouldn't be much longer now, but still he pressed on at its flank, hoping it would go down soon.

The dice really don't want "it falls down like an idiot" in my posts.  Either way, it can get actually nommed in my next post unless you wanna!

That was a good sign for the hunters.  Then they probably wouldn't have to chase it too much farther.  She looked briefly to Breccan and gave him a nod -- time to up the ante.  The dip in the earth from the creek wasn't too far ahead now, so Treason dove forward to try to sink her fangs into its uninjured hip.  That was the more dangerous angle, for it had far better flexibility with that leg than the other one.  She let her own weight drag it down a little, but a few jolts from its panicked gallop eventually yanked it free and left a gaping tear to match its original one.

That would be what to do.  To slowly make it bleed, to make it stress, and then when couldn't run any more, they could finally end the chase. To do differently with only two of them was probably dangerous.  Assuming it didn't just wipe out when there was something with less traction beneath the top layer of snow.

Sounds good, I'll let you do it in your post! :D

There were a breathless few seconds when Treason surged forward and used her teeth to try and pull the deer down from its non-injured side. Breccan nearly stopped running entirely as he watched her, but when the animal managed to keep its feet and continue running despite her attack, he resumed his pace with extra determination. He wasn't bold enough to make a concentrated effort like hers, but he gave a few snaps of his own teeth near its hocks.

Again she nipped at its hip, barely pinching its hide before it was yanked out of her grip.  With a bleat it leaped forward, down into the frozen creek, and for a moment it looked like it would continue, until its hooves skidded on the ice and it crashed down on the uneven ground.  It became a suddenly flailing mass of limbs, 

Treason rushed forward, reaching for the creature's throat so they could end this.  She sank her fangs in, and tried to hold it down so that it wouldn't be able to get its feet under it even though it tried. She did her best to stay out of the way, but it did do the equivalent of kneeing her in the chest, which wasn't exactly pleasant, but she kept her hold and it was far better than the pointy thing at the end of a leg.  Its end would come swift enough.

All of a sudden, in a flurry of legs, the deer slipped and fell. Without hesitating, Treason surged ahead and fell onto it with her teeth. Breccan skidded to a halt, eyes wide as he watched his leader commit the takedown. This was the first time he had witnessed a kill up close, and he was in awe as she effectively snuffed out the animal's life even despite its wriggling.

When it did presumably grow still a few moments later, he breathed a single word to express the rush of excitement and adrenaline he felt: "Wow."

It was a good thing that the deer had already been weakened, that luck had favored them.  On her own, as powerful as she was, it would have been only a freak chance of victory if she was to take on a healthy deer.

When she finally let go, Treason rocked back to her haunches unevenly, finishing catching her breath and letting the remnants of adrenaline fade now that she didn't have a deer impeding her breathing.  She licked her lips.  Treason was a creature of business, and after a nod to Breccan, If there's anyone you want to call to share it now, you can do so.  Otherwise we can have our fill then bring the rest to a cache and they can have it when they wish.  But this thread was far enough back in time she probably wouldn't call for Terance.  Weird how that works.

Breccan's first response was to call for his dad -- but (also because this thread is old) Rannoch was currently incapacitated, and he felt deflated at the realization that hecouldn't be there to share in his spoils. He quickly wiped any emotion from his face, though, and simply stored this memory carefully in his mind to share with his father when he was healed.

Feeling slightly intimidated by Treason's businesslike demeanor, he simply shook his head. "No, that's okay. That sounds good to me," he said, and then waited for her to have the first bite before he would taste it himself.

And shall we wrap? :D

She nodded.  Okay.  So spoils went to the hunters, hm?  Treason moved around to the deer's side, giving it a shove to roll it over onto its side.  With precision, she tore at its belly, trying to give them access to the prized bits of the carcass.  If they hollowed it out, ate their fill, and ditched the parts that were inedible to start, that would make things easier when they need to move it.

Dinner was served.  Or was it lunch?

Thanks for the thread! :D

Once he was cleared to taste the kill after Treason, Breccan took a tentative bite. He wasn't hesitant for long, though; it was even more flavorful since he had helped to procure this meal. Sure, he hadn't actually been instrumental in bringing the deer down, but he had assisted Treason, and the fruits of his labor were delicious.

He ate his fill, and then thanked Treason profusely. He followed any direction she gave as far as disposing of and caching the remainders; then hurried home to brag to his sisters about what he had just done.