Blacktail Deer Plateau We don't talk about it

Group hunt for 2-4 fellow BDP members! I'm gonna say no post order!

Deep in the heart of the Plateau's vast forest, a deer stumbled on a snow-covered rock and twisted its dainty ankle. Like all stupid prey animals, it attempted to blend with its herd, acting as much as possible like nothing was amiss.

But something was amiss. Hidden in the sharp talons of a tangle of bare bushes, a female with bright red ears witnessed the stumble and felt her heart leap.

Saena wasted no time in pulling back from her hiding place and throwing a summoning howl into the sky, requesting any pack wolf in range to help her take it down. She felt better than she had in days and had a good feeling about this hunt. Her tail waved high above her hindquarters as she turned back to witness the nervous, but unthreatened shifting of the herd. The lame doe still hid amongst its fellows, hoping upon hope that it would survive its twisted hoof.

Hearing the unmistakable call for a hunt, the silvered alpha immediately complied, eagerly tracing Saena's call to its source. His spirits too were high, a good day for a hunt. It felt like a successful sort of afternoon.

Coming up on the scene, he didn't immediately see her, though he was careful to skirt the herd so as not to cause undue fear. When he did catch sight of the younger gamekeeper, he slunk (as well as one his size could) over to hunch down beside her. "What's the situation?" He asked quietly, assuming she had been observing and had a plan.

Never fear, Valtýr is here!

Lessons with Pura had been going well. The titan was a practical teacher and Val did his best to follow along so his mentor didn't need to repeat himself. So far they had toured the Plateau and investigated each landmark, gradually easing into the art of tracking prey and identifying their footprints and scat. The Sveijarn was a sharp learner, but he struggled to overcome his wan personality. Sometimes Pura's objective criticism was too harsh and caused the boy to shrink away, depressed. However, the juvenile's nature was pliable like a sapling... and he bounced back quickly, thirsty for more knowledge and the companionship the Virtue offered.

When Saena's howl loosed in the air -- an urgent summons -- Valtýr hesitated. He so badly wanted to join whatever quest she was on, but lacked the guts to spring into action. One moment went by. Then two. He became fidgety. What was there to lose? His hold out eventually broke, spirit convincing his unwilling body to crawl forth, slipping into a loping stride.

He arrived a few leagues away. Dante was already on the scene and so Valtýr approached, hunched, with quiet steps (or as quiet as he could muster). His bronze gaze ebbed between the two, oversized ears pitched to either side with a nervous smile crooked on his maw. Patiently, he waited for Saena's response and some direction on what to do.

[size=medium]"If I had a heart you're the one who should break it"[/size]

[size=small]After recently aquiring his official title as Gamekeeper, it was with great eagerness that the silvery Epsilon dedicated his afternoons to tend the pack's supplies. He was in fact doing so as the pressing howl of the pack's Delta broke loose through the air. Instantly, with his ears pricked in attention he turned his man to listen. Saena, the caller, was not a wolf Finn was particularly familiar to, yet not foreign towards. He had not seen her since the last pack hunt, and remembering the close call she had managed to evade, and the risk she had placed herself --and the whole hunt-- under chewed in his bottom lip thoughtfully as he tried to decide whether to attend or not.

Finally, after a moment of fleeting doubt, he pushed himself forth.
This had nothing to do with Koda's degrading view on woman, both his personal opinion and his doubt strayed far from the other Gamekeeper's opinion. It was, really, his reluctance to mingle at this given time what made him hesitate. As of late, he and for reasons yet to be comprehended by his own mind, the Ollivander had been keeping himself at margin, again falling into the tangled web that was his wanderlust.
This, in spite of serving as an excuse for him to exercise his Outrider duty, was also proving to become a bit of an obstacle, especially as he realized that, despite his longevity and fairly high rank, there were still faces in the Plateu he could not give a name to.

And as he reeled closer to the small group of wolves that had gathered to Saena's summons, he realized than one of the nameless faces stood in the small crowd. A young boy he had also seen in the previous hunt A bystander in that occassion, but hopefully, not in this one. With his head held at a respectful stance and his lips parting to reveal a quick glimmer of his teeth he greeted the wolves.
While the two higher ranked wolves recieved a friendly bump to their shoulders -- Dante's being slightly more enthusiastic -- the no-name boy was greeted with a simple dip of his head.

Whit his identity anonymous, Finn hoped the boy's ability to hunt -- or to chip in-- was not as secluded.

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They filtered in slowly, three able wolves who had Saena's respect and care. She wasn't surprised that some of the others didn't show; Osprey knew Saena had no love for her, Blue Willow and Lasher had their babes to tend to, Koda thought she was worthless, and her brother rarely showed his face regardless. She was mostly glad these three had come, for they ranked among the plateau's truest wolves as far as Saena was concerned. She grinned at Valtyr and returned Finn's bump amiably, feeling at once at ease with this place.

When it was clear no other would arrive, Saena let her gaze trail over each wolf in turn. She'd learned from her mistake last time and hoped that Valtyr witnessing it would serve as a reminder to him as well. Deer were just as dangerous as wolves.

"That one," she said quietly, turning to lead their gazes to the injured doe. "She stumbled and her leg is hurt. She's trying to hide it. She will make an easy target." Taking mental stock of her hunting crew, the young female easily split them into pairs. Valtyr was young and reedy, surely energetic, and she was capable of a burst of speed still despite growing into a curvy young thing. Finn and Dante were stronger, comparatively.

"Valtyr," she said quietly, turning to the younger boy with a smile, "you're with me. We're going to try to break the herd and split her away from it. All we gotta do is run fast." She turned to the Alpha male and Finn then, and said, "can I count on you two to flank her and deal the initial damage? We can wear her down until she falls, but you two carry more power for those initial hits. We will confuse her, keep her less dangerous initially."

Sorry!!! I didn't think I would have time to post this week but I'm holding this up so gonna stick a response out real quick... completely forgot that this was a group plottish thing!

They gathered a nice group, Valtyr joining soon after Dante and Finn following close behind. Nodding to both, an approving greeting, he turned his focus back to Saena and her plan of action. He warmed at Finn's affectionate bump, grateful that his friend had come, for he had not seen much of him lately.

It was a solid plan that she proposed, and he looked at Finn, his partner in taking the doe down. They had teamed up in the former hunt well and could do so again, he was sure. "I think we can manage it, don't you?" he said with a grin. He was looking forward to this, and glad that Valtyr would be participating. It would give him some practice, yet his role would not put him in undue danger. "It's a good idea."