Blacktail Deer Plateau PACK HUNT: Prancer was Good Eatin'

Pack hunt! Everyone is encouraged to join in. Round 1 will end Monday, Dec 22nd.

A fierce winter storm had blown through the wilds, burying the land beneath several inches of fluffy white snow. Icicles hung from the boughs of trees like glass ornaments, swaying gently as a cold breeze rushed through the woods. Koda barely felt the cold air as he stalked through the trees, pausing every few strides to bury his muzzle in the snow as he searched for prey smell. As the plateau's only gamekeeper, it was up to him to initiate pack hunts. The young wolf didn't have much experience leading others, but he knew his trade well. He hoped to be able to impress his pack mates, and his sweetheart, with his skill.

The hunter was on the trail of the plateau's namesake. The resident blacktail deer had banded together to face the harsh winter. The herd liked to stay on the move, and the dense woods offered plenty of places to hide, so it wasn't exactly easy to track them down.

As he entered a stand of maple trees, Koda discovered the first signs of deer activity. The trunks had been stripped of bark, and the lower branches heavily browsed. The herd had spent a lot of time in this area, perhaps they were still nearby. Koda stayed on course, following the breadcrumb trail of bare trunks and chewed twigs. Finally, he came upon fresh tracks in the snow. He was closing in, it wouldn't be long now.

The trail led to a dense thicket, where the herd had sought shelter from the elements. Koda could see them through the branches. Most were asleep, while those that were awake silently chewed their cuds. The thick growth presented a new challenge: the wolves would have to flush the deer out in order to make a kill.

Koda's howl rang out through the crisp winter air, summoning all who could hear to join him in the first hunt of the season.

One of the first to arrive, Finn had no choice but to go up and greet Koda. It was not that he had anything against him -- in fact he had been added to his list of friends after the second he had voiced his hatred towards the insolent fuck that had driven Finley away. Just that after the bitter goodbye he had had to face he had fallen out of the spotlight and into the sidelines instead; hoping that his sudden sorrow would pass on its own. With his paws breaking through the fresh layers of snow, he approached the man, bumping his cold nose against his shoulder as greeting.
Brought together by a mutual enemy Finn was sure it would not be long before they turned into fine friends.

What's up? he whispered, aware that his voice could alert the scaredy critters up ahead and ruin any potential chance of bringing one down. In spite of not having a recognition as a Gamekeeper --unlike Koda -- his olive eyes immediately danced across the herd, scouting for a visibly weaker individual that might serve as their target.

Saena was the next to arrive, and when she did, it was in an unabashed and bold manner, with her head and tail held proudly, though she wasn't arrogant about it. After all, the girl was an aspiring Gamekeeper and was keen to prove herself during a pack hunt, not to mention this was the perfect place (and perfect time) for her to begin establishing herself among the adults and vying for a rank. Day by day, the girl's desire to rank highly grew, spurred on by the departure of Junior, as though Saena felt she needed to fill her sister's shoes.

Speaking of her sister, Finn and Koda's recent conversation about Junior was something Saena knew nothing about, and that was fortunate for her, for in the week following Junior's punishment, Saena had been very vocal about her support for her sister's actions. There was no reason to tolerate a traitor in their midst, so Saena believed that Finley should have been sent off sooner. The leaders were being too kind, and Junior had done what needed doing, even if no one else agreed that it had been necessary. No doubt this belief put her in the category of "insolent fuck" as well. Knowing it would have made her turn on the spot and leave as soon as she spotted the pair.

Instead, she seated herself comfortably, none the wiser to their inner feelings. The Blacktail lowered her head to Koda and glanced at Finn, paying them both the proper respects and silently conveying her interest in joining the hunt before she tucked her snout and began preening her chest.

He had been expecting a call to the hunt as he had allowed Koda to do so, giving the honor of taking charge of the event to their lone Gamekeeper. The alpha had led some of the hunts previously (behind the scenes) but he was still simply aspiring, having yet to believe he deserved the title just yet. He still needed more practice in cooperative take-downs.

When Koda summoned the pack, Dante came at once, arriving third to the gathering and keeping back from the center. He dipped his head once in acknowledgement of Koda, a friendly greeting as well as confirmation that he would be sitting in the side seat this hunt. He would participate, but would have no say in the decisions. Instead he would observe and possibly learn something in the process. He was glad to see both Finn and Saena in attendance as well. Both were apt and he knew that Saena at least was looking to gain the trade also. Even if no others came they could still give any game they came across a run for it's money. Any additions would certainly up their chances though, and he turned his attention to the surrounding woods, hoping for a couple more bodies to make an appearance.

It was with silent footsteps that a very pregnant Blue made her appearance. She wouldn't hunt for fear of something happening this far into term and for the simple fact that it could possibly cause labor to start. So she would rather observe and congratulate and support those who were hunting. She offered a smile to Koda and all the others and then she sat back and away and simply waited and watched.

She didn't say anything didn't have too, though she did offer a second special smile just for Saena. She was proud of the girl and hoped she would earn her gamekeeping trade soon enough.

Hearing the call of her love, Kesuk's ears pricked immediately and she set off in the direction his voice rang from. When she got there, a few of her pack mates had already arrived. She quietly trotted up to Koda's side after respectfully dipping her head to her alpha and nodding to her other pack mates.

She could see their targets in the thick undergrowth ahead of them and she immediately started trying to figure out how the hunt would work, her nose scrunched up in concentration.

She recalled her last hunt with Koda, that had been very successful, and smiled. She was sure the only reason they had managed to take the deer down was because of his amazing hunting skills. She herself was not to wonderful at the whole plan it out first thing that made most hunts achievable.

Turning, she greeted Koda with a light lick on the cheek. His fur was cold against her tongue and she shivered slightly.

@Koda I'm gonna go ahead and take this into the next round. Please let me know if this isn't alright <3
Edit: @Finn @Blue Willow @Kesuk this round will end Wed, Jan 15 or when everyone responds. I wanna get this guy closed up ^^

It soon became clear that all who were going to participate in the hunt had shown up. Some had shown up after he though, so they had upped their chances in numbers at least. Dante could scent the deer, though after Koda's call they milled about uncertainly. They would need to work quickly in order to catch them before they bolted.

Knowing this was his Gamekeeper's hunt, he did not wish to take charge. But surely a suggestion would not be amiss. "Why don't we split in two and take them from each side?" He proposed, taking in the setting. The fact that they were in the forest put the prey at an immediate disadvantage. If they were careful, perhaps they could squeeze the herd between them, and in the panic, make it out with a catch. He looked around, seeking out opinions or other ideas. They could not tarry long.

The group seemed to be at a standstill. No one else arrived, leaving only a small party of five, plus the pack's pregnant Beta. With these numbers, Saena guessed they would only be able to take out one deer. It would be enough to feed the six of them, but it would be slim pickings for leftovers. Being generally selfish, this didn't bother Saena at all; the way she saw it, if others were hungry, they should have shown their faces.

When Koda didn't say anything and the silence and stillness began to grow awkwardly long, Dante offered up a suggestion. Her gaze turned respectfully to the Alpha male, who made no effort to usurp Koda's hunt but gave with gentle care a set of instructions. Saena waited only a moment for the hunt's leader to make a move, and when he didn't, she defaulted to the role of loyal subordinate of Dante and did as he had told.

She slung her head low and twisted her ears alertly forward, her gaze passing between them all, and then slipped off to the right. She silently assigned herself to that group with a restlessness characteristic of her hunting style, betrayed by the side to side switching of her tail.

Gonna sneek in >__>

A howl had echoed across the plateau for all to hear. It summoned each wolf for a hunt - something Val had neither watched or participated in. Mother, Father, Malachi, or Danica had always provided good meals when he was a child... and now the newcomer scoured the Blacktail territory for carrion or old caches. He was sustained on these meager meals, always being last to eat whenever the pack landed a hunt.

However, Koda's call drew the adolescent out of hiding. His gaunt figure skittered across the ice fields, arriving late at the party. He paced outside the circle like a vulture hungry for both knowledge and food. Instinct kept him at bay - he was too young to be of any real use, but there was much to gain from watching his superiors.

He stood quietly, listening with upturned ears. Dante spoke up, offering a strategy. Conquer and divide... his words seemed simple but it was known any hunt was deceptively hard to coordinate. Val remained passive in the back like a ghost waiting to watch the hunt begin if no role was assigned.

Blue Willow saw Valtyr and she smiled at him. She shifted her weight and listened, she couldn't hunt today, but she could watch and lend her support to those who were hunting. She listened and agreed with DAnte, it would be good to divide and conquer. She tilted her head and offered a smile to the others too, Saena was turning into a regular good little game keeper, and Blue was extremely proud of her.

When Dante made the suggestion of splitting up, a little wolf she had never met before started towards the right side of the herd. Kesuk quietly trotted after her, her paws as light as feathers. When she caught up with the girl, she lightly bumped her shoulder in a friendly manner, her eyes happy and her posture respectful.

Some wolves could be very rude so she tried to keep her smart ass comments to herself and be polite to everyone, but sometimes it didn't matter. Hopefully this wouldn't be one of those cases.

pardon the delay and crappyness :p

It wasn't long until more members of the Plateu came to show their face. First came Saena, a juvenile that despite not knowing personally still earned a brief dip of his nose as a greeting. The unfamiliarity between them felt suddenly strange for the platinumn man, who only now realized that during all his time here he had never bothered to introduce himself to the younger members of the pack.
Now that the hatred he held for the girl's sister had cooled, this could change.

It was then that the familiar figure of a greyscale male joined the trio, making Finn's tail begin to swish back and forth in greeting. An action that repeated itself once the pregnant Beta made an appereance shortly after. He watched expectantly as the wolves arrived, moving and greeting one another either with silent nods -- or kisses in the Koda and Kesuk's case.

Whie they continued to arrive or simply accomodate themselves, Finn's attention switched over to their targeted prey. He knew that there was not much time for small talk so as soon as Dante's voice rose with a suggestion he did not hesitate to chuff in approval. Even if the hunt had beeen summoned by Koda, the goal was the same as what Dante now suggested.

Instintively he moved towards the greyscale male, assuming that the lovey-dovey pair would join forces and that Blue would not participate.

I'm so sorry :'( I also changed the title b/c I wasn't happy with the other one. Also, I hope this all makes sense.

In the moments after Koda's call, most of the herd had stirred to their feet, warily eying the gray wolf as he stared back, trying to pick out a target. A lone wolf wasn't enough to send them running, but as his pack mates began to gather one by one the herd became increasingly suspicious. At least the terrain would give the wolves an advantage.

He was satisfied with the turnout. A party of five shouldn't be too hard for him to manage while still being enough to make a kill. He was especially glad to see Finn and Dante among the ranks. Between himself and the other males they had enough muscle to take on a good sized deer. Kesuk's presence was slightly unnerving, he was worried he'd screw up in front of her, or he'd see her get hurt. But he'd seen her in action and he knew she was a capable hunter, and fast too.

The other girl was, in his opinion, too young to join his hunt. Juveniles were usually dead weight that hampered the rest of the pack. But this girl was one of the plateau's princesses and he knew that they liked to use this to get their way, so there was no use wasting time arguing with her. The very pregnant Blue had the good sense not to get involved, though he wondered why she'd bothered to show at all. Moral support, perhaps?

Koda suddenly realized they were all waiting for orders. He hesitated. He'd never led a hunt before, how was he supposed to get this started? Luckily, Dante offered up a solid plan. Koda nodded in agreement, and when the pack split up he followed the two females.

The deer saw the pack go into action and started to move. They stayed together, knowing it was their best chance against the wolves. The pack needed to split them up in order to single out a target. Koda loped past the two girls along the right side of the herd. He could see Dante and Finn through the trees, flanking the herd from the left side. With a growl, Koda would command his squad to cut into the herd, breaking it into two smaller groups. Cut off from the main herd, the deer would panic and scatter, and then it would be easy to see who the weak link was.

Gonna pp a bit that Koda gave the signal first so we can get this show on the road :D

With Koda's nod of affirmation, Dante broke left, trying to keep as quiet as possible. He would never be as soundless as some small wolves could be, but he did well for his size. The herd was spooked, he could sense that they were about to bolt in the shufflings and tension on the air.

Still Dante waited, knowing that to move too soon could spell disaster for the hunt. Not only could they lose the prey, but they could send the deer trampling towards their packmates on the other side before they were aware and ready to dodge. Serious harm could be done.

Instead he waited until he saw movement, unknowingly echoing Koda's signal with a growl of his own as he leapt towards the deer that were scattering through the clearing. One of the creatures had been unlucky in that it's fellows were not only close, but larger than itself. The doe was currently struggling back to it's hooves after being knocked aside in the initial panic. The lack of room to maneuver had worked in their favor.

Marking the target, he rushed in just as it rose to their feet, unaware if any of his packmates had gotten there before he. All that was in his line of sights was his focused target... the doe's foreleg, which once crushed between his teeth would make their catch a guarantee.

Blue had not come for anything more than to watch. She wasn't even sure if she would partake in the feast, her belly being a little upset as she got further into her pregnancy. She didn't see the harm in watching and wishing her family good luck. However, she supposed some may not see it that way, but she did not dwell on that. For as far as she knew none had held any misgivings about her being there.

She watched with green eyes as they headed towards their targets and she silently egged them all on. Howling on the inside for them to succeed and have food in their bellies.

The pack dynamic was interesting to watch from the sidelines. All faces he recognized from the meeting, though some names eluded him. A dark woman and an agouti male stole Valtýr's attention as he watched with interest. It appeared they were a couple, in the same way Taltos and Blue Willow were together. Juxtaposed, the silver bachelors, Danta and Finn, felt very much out of place.

Molten eyes shifted over each wolf individually as the group eagerly awaited orders. Valtýr would have liked a few more moments to observe his new family, but soon the plan was in motion. Half of the group went left, and half right. Valtýr, who was without a position or any knowledge of the hunt, chose to lope besides the pregnant Blue Willow at the rear.

At first, Valtýr's wan strides were careful and nervous. The sooty youth didn't want to make any loud noises and disturb the herd. Suddenly, the older wolves broke from their hiding place to begin the chase. Their strong bodies of silver, brown, and black flexed as they hurtled towards their target. Val registered their movements over the winter scrim adeptly and found his blood becoming hot. Something about the hunt — the thrill of watching his company — spiked a new feeling within his veins. He felt cut free from his inhibitions, imbued with new confidence.

His lanky stride soon became a lively jaunt, copper ears perked forward to better monitor the pack. Everything about his posture changed from head carriage to his waving tail. A whine squeaked from his lips, eager to join them but not knowing how.

@Valtyr

As Koda and Dante rushed into the chaos, the chocolate girl heard a little squeak of excitement behind her and she turned to see a young male standing on the sidelines with longing in his eyes. Glancing back at the jumble of hooves and paws, Kesuk quickly ran over to the unknown little wolf. She didn't want him to miss out.

"Hey, do you want to help me? I cant take down a whole deer on my own." she whispered enthusiastically.

She angled her brown ears to a doe that was trying to get away to the side. If they were quick enough, they would be able to catch her before she got to far ahead of them.

"I'm thinkin that one."

The male lead joined her and Kesuk on the right. He was the head of the hunt, but Saena pressed on ahead, at least until Koda loped forward once they were in position. In a hunt there was no place for hesitation, and so the moment he rumbled she shot out of the cover like a set of red bullets: four small and one very long, the only parts of her that stood out from the snow.

The herd scattered, pinched by the parties on both sides, and there—in the middle—a doe was shoved aside. Saena's eyes locked onto the deer at about the same moment Dante's run became a focused charge, and she picked up her own pace in hopes of catching it between them, where it would be unable to run.

She couldn't see Koda or Finn from where she was, but she could see Kesuk... who, unlike the rest of them, wasn't going after the deer while their window of opportunity remained open. Instead, the older female peeled away from the group, back toward the hill where Blue Willow and Valtyr followed. "What the fuck," Saena muttered to herself, but she was closing in on the deer, and had no more time to wonder why Kesuk wasn't helping the hunters like she was supposed to.

Saena was in range of the doe, and she leapt, jaws agape... but instead of catching the deer's leg, the juvenile was caught in the jaw by an unlucky sudden kick as the doe unexpectedly whirled. Her vision exploded into white and black spots and she stumbled and fell, yelping loudly as she went down.

Without further ado the bodies of the hunters slinked towards the unsuspecting herd of deer so characteristic of the Plateu. With his own ears swivelling restlessly atop of his head he moved silently, always keeping himself at the right of the Alpha as the others fanned out for ambush.

Finally the signal was given and every wolf -- with exception of the pregnant Beta, the unrecognized youngling and surprisingly Kesuk(?) -- leaped into action. Snarls and barks filled the silence that had once prevailed as the wolves moved forth on their selected doe. In the midst of kicking legs and snapping jaws, Finn was able to catch a glimpse of the falling body of a partner.
Fuck
The yearling.

With a mildly concerned howl, he turned his gaze onto the fallen female.
This sudden stop however did not last long since as soon as the doe's bellows reached his ears he jerked himself back into action, quickly dissapearing behind the bucking creature.

To be honest, there wasn't much he could've have done for her anyways.
He was no healer, and having stopped to aid her would have most likely resulted in the loss of the pack's much needed dinner....

Quickly he found himself latched onto the animal's rear end, his teeth fastened on the flesh but beginning to lose grip as the animal continued to move, bucking wildly in a last attempt to shake him off.

Dante was far too focused on the hunt to notice anything that wasn't in the immediate vicinity of the doe. Just as he was going in to snap at the haunch, the doe kicked out wildly, striking Saena who had also thrown herself at the quarry. Seeing her go down, the Alpha male didn't even think before placing himself between the thrashing animal and his packmate. As a result he took a hefty kick to the shoulder, but luckily the area was solid and it did little but hurt (like hell). He could not turn to check on Saena without turning his back and letting the hunt go to shit, so instead he let out a low snarl, lunging and ducking around the kicks to latch onto the shoulder.

With Finn on the doe's rear and Dante on the front, he gave a mighty heave, attempting to get the doe away from the girl, whose status was unknown, and trying to overbalance her to hold her here. He felt his teeth tearing in deep and knew that at least their prey would not be going anywhere soon... They'd grounded her. Either they'd kill her slowly by tearing her apart or someone available could take the merciful killing bite.

A gasp left Blue Willow's maw and she wanted to rush forward, but there were so many kicks flying she didn't know if she should. She wasn't about to cause damage to herself too, as she couldn't move as quickly as she could have weeks before. As the deer went further on and the others were chasing it.

She darted forward after it was further away that she could and headed towards Saena. If the girl wished to get up and go she would just wait and check on her afterwards. However, she couldn't stop herself from surging forward. Intent on the little girl that she saw as her own family. Though a little girl no more.

Oh Saena are you okay? She leaned forward to try and see if Saena was even conscious.

With the muffled sound of Blue and Dante's concern barks ringing behind him, the silver Ollivander wondered if the ugly incident had put a stop to the hunt. He hesitated to let go of the doe, who continued to buck and kick but each time with a decreasing intensity.
Thankfully, instinct had reigned over his concern.

The blur of grey that Finn awknowledged as his friend, Dante, poised himself in front of the trashing animal, delivering a crucial blow that made the animal quickly lose it's balance.Inmediately Finn stepped away from the animal's rear only to hover aggresively over the other extreme (the head) now.

In a matter of seconds, both males were toppled over the helpless creature, the Ollivander's teeth latched around the base of its neck in an attempt to suffocate it.
Their hunt, as rewarding as it would be, had come with a high price.
One that Blue would have the scary task to determine.
Recieving a blow to the head was not a small injury -- a contusion or shattered cranium was not the only worst case scenario..

Are we still doing rounds? >_>?

As Valtýr eagerly skipped alongside Blue Willow, the dark, and unnamed woman from earlier fell back to join them. Immediately, the boys posture withered in her presence, though he maintained his easy canter to keep up with the pursuit. 'Hey, do you want to help me? I cant take down a whole deer on my own. I'm thinkin that one,' she asked him with good intentions, trying to inspire Valtýr to act upon his confidence. Yet, the moment passed and the teen became wary of breaking position. He gave her an awkward grin, eyeing their quarry hungrily but lacking the resolve to join Kesuk.

Suddenly, everything happened at once. The silver men worked in tandem to harass the doe, but a flying kick pegged Saena square in the head. She collapsed into the snow with a yowl. "Saena!" Valtýr practically shrieked as he watched her go limp, horrified that such a thing had happened on the first hunt he had ever accompanied. While Dante, Finn, and Koda corralled the deer way from the fallen girl, Valtýr and Blue Willow approached her with haste. Soon, the deer's bleating became quiet and pungent blood filled the air, but their success meant nothing to the young Sveijarn who's face was sheet white with concern. He hovered over the pale adolescent, searching for signs of pain, injury, or consciousness.

With her ears ringing and head swimming, she was unable to see or hear the conclusion of the hunt. When next Saena was able to register anything, it was Valtyr's shrieking and Blue Willow's concerned voice. She groaned against the snow and tried to sit up, but found the effort made her dizzy.

"'m okay," she muttered, even as a dull throb started spreading from her cheek to her temple. The deer hadn't caught her in a vital spot, thankfully, but it still hurt like a bitch. Definitely a concussion, possibly a bad one, but nothing too life threatening. She swallowed thickly and opened her eyes to look up at the wolves above her.

The ghostly bear loomed right by Blue Willow's shoulder. She meant to point it out, but her focus fled when she remembered the hunt.

"Did we win?" she asked shakily. She slowly tilted her head, wincing at the headache that protested, and spotted the felled deer. She smiled. "Don't wait for me, I'm fine." She didn't know that she'd eat any of it, since her stomach was starting to feel uneasy, but there was always tomorrow.

Koda's reservations about letting Saena join the hunt were soon justified, when the girl rushed recklessly toward the deer and took a hoof to the face. She hit the ground hard, and though Dante bravely put himself between her and the lashing hooves, Koda was sure she was mortally wounded. He faltered, torn between going back for the girl and possibly letting the prey escape. He was thankful now for Blue Willow, who rushed to the injured wolf's side, allowing the hunters to finish what they'd started.

He dog piled the doe along with Finn and Dante, and used his weight to keep the struggling prey down as Finn's jaws throttled the life from her. When the animal became still, Koda stepped back from the carcass and joined the wolves gathered around the injured girl. She was awake and talking, to his surprise and relief. He'd seen more than a few young wolves die from a blow to the head.

"You idiot, throwing yourself at a bucking deer like that," he scorned. His relief had been replaced by anger at the girl's recklessness. He was equally angry with himself, if he listened to his gut and stopped her from joining the hunt, this wouldn't have happened. "You're lucky she didn't take your head clean off."