Redhawk Caldera WE GOT GAME

It's time for a pack hunt! Attendance is encouraged for adults and mandatory for the Firebirds! I will begin each round and they will last about five days. Remember that participating in 3+ rounds results in +20 EXP! :)

Four months ago, Fox had given birth to four tiny potatoes. Nowadays, their three surviving children looked more and more like wild wolves every day. When Peregrine returned from the morning's scouting expedition, he paused at the edge of the clearing to marvel at how much they had grown. Nightjar was going to be both tallest and bulkiest; he might even give his father a run for his money. Raven was nearly as tall as her brother, although slenderer and more graceful in build. Wildfire, meanwhile, took after her mother, sharing Fox's petite stature. They were all beautiful and he truly couldn't have been prouder.

"Hey, gang!" the Alpha male called after a few moments of smilingly watching his mate play with the trio. "I've been tracking a herd of mule deer near Lake Rodney all morning. It's time for you three to observe your first pack hunt." Peregrine's jade eyes rested on each pup's face in turn before he exchanged a knowing glance with Fox over their heads. "You get to see all the Redhawks in action."

Motioning for them to follow him, Peregrine spun on his heel and began trotting down the sloping rendezvous site, toward the distant lake shore. Even from up here, they could see the herd milling beside the lake. He pointed them out to the kids as they walked, then asked, "Okay, who wants to call for the rest of the pack? Just tell them to gather at the southwestern foot of the caldera."

Letting one (or more) of the puppies take the reigns on that, the Alpha scooted closer to Fox to walk beside her as the Alpha pair led their litter toward their distant quarry. Soon, they would be joined by the rest of the pack (sans whomever was put in charge of babysitting little Elwood Jr) and a bit after that, they would all be feasting on fresh game.

wasn't sure if the fam should post first or not, but since i'm gone for the weekend i wanted to get a post in (:

When the howl rung from one or more of the Redhawk pups, Pantaleimon was quick to head the call. Although Pantaleimon enjoyed spending time with puppies, he had not visited tiny Elwood Junior yet. The pup had been born early and was small, from what Pan had understood; she didn't want to accidentally hurt the puppy. Pan decided, since she didn't exactly consider herself a close personal friend of the family, to stay away from the Blackthorn pup for now, and let someone else take care of pupsitting (if not one of the parents themselves).

Pantaleimon was first to arrive besides the family: the pups were there, with Fox and Peregrine. Pan wasn't sure if they knew yet, about her and Peregrine, but she decided not to address it just in case. She awkwardly smiled at the Alpha pair, with her head lowered and tail hanging at her hocks in submission. Pan nodded when she arrived and said a quick "Hi," though she did not physically greet any of them, keeping a respectful distance while she waited for the rest of the pack to arrive.

Excuse the language, but I'm freezing my tits off in this office. :(

Every day, the Firebirds became more independent, taller, wider, and generally more adult-like. They were no longer defenseless little balls of fur, but well on their way to becoming true fighters. Fox really was proud of them in a way she hadn't quite thought was possible. She had always known she would push them hard, but she had somehow expected more effort on her part. Perhaps she did something subconsciously to make them try harder and never settle for "good enough."

She had been talking with @Dove about such things (while intermittently romping with the kids) when Peregrine came around and gave her that knowing glance. The kids were going to observe their first hunt! Fox nearly squealed with delight, Dove rolled her eyes (to which Fox batted at her face), and she pricked her ears forward as one or more of the Firebirds called for the rest of the pack.

Pan was quick to arrive (of course), and Fox greeted him with a lick on the cheek. (Correct me if I'm wrong here, Kat...) Peregrine had already told Fox about their most recent talk of being lovers, and Fox was perfectly happy with the arrangement. One more (almost!) member of their growing family, and somebody Fox was happy to call her lover's lover.

Hm... I think Perry would have told Fox and done his best to explain to the Firebirds as well. :)

Each day, Wildfire not only grew, she became fiercer too. She had picked fights with some of the native wildlife to help her sharpen her Warrior skills and knew the satisfaction of making small kills on her own. When it was announced that they would get to participate (if only passively) in a much larger kill, the smallest pup's rump wiggled excitedly. Hunting was not destined to be one of her trades, yet she looked forward to witnessing the pack coordinate to bring down some large game. Wildfire licked her chops as she pictured the subsequent piles of meat.

Soon, the family began heading down the caldera's slope toward Lake Rodney. Peregrine pointed out the herd, then invited the kids to summon the pack. Although Wildfire could hardly howl, she joined the youthful chorus, lending her soft voice to it. She then continued trundling downhill, occasionally tripping and accidentally smacking into her siblings' rumps as they made the downward climb.

Pan was the first to appear and join the Alphas' caravan. As soon as she saw him, Wildfire trotted toward him, bumping past her mother to give the white male a nudge. "Hi, Pan." The pups' father had explained his new relationship with this wolf to them and Wildfire accepted it without batting an eyelash. "Dud says you're his special friend now." She glanced at Pan's face to see his reaction, causing her to trip suddenly over an exposed root and go tumbling several feet downhill.

"I'm okay," she announced a beat later, bouncing back onto her feet and paying no attention to the fresh scrapes on her forelegs as she resumed trotting again. Her warm golden eyes cast forward and she breathed a quiet sigh of relief when she saw they had nearly reached the foot of the mount, where the ground became much flatter and more even.

Stevie -- if my assumptions aren't okay, PM me! :)

Elwood exchanged a glance with @Finley as the call went up; content to stay behind and keep an eye on Elwood Jr, she encouraged him to go. It had been some time since the gamekeeper had been given the opportunity to really flex his hunting skills -- aside from the small animals he consistently brought for Finley -- and he found that he was excited to participate. He did feel a twinge as he turned and padded away from the den, leaving Finley and Eljay to their own devices; rarely had he separated from them over the last few weeks, so it was a strange feeling that settled over him.

Nevertheless, his spirits lifted when he came upon the group of Redhawks. Fox, Peregrine and the firebirds were present, as well as Pantaleimon. With a wag of his tail, the new father greeted his packmates with a breathy chuff. He came to a halt near Wildfire -- who seemed to have just righted herself after a fall -- and turned his expectant gaze to the Alphas.

As the days went on, Nightjar became less and less vocal. His preference for body language developed rapidly. It was likely a combination of not always knowing the right thing to say and being bested by both of his more intelligent sisters in that department, but he was also very instinctual, and so he found he communicated better without so many words. That's not to say that he suddenly stopped speaking—that was far from true—but he did so less frequently as he matured and grew out of his excitable puppy stage and into his juvenile stage.

Nightjar was rumbling testily at Raven while Fox tussled with Wildfire when Peregrine arrived. The boy pitched his ears forward and gave one last growl to assert his position above his dark-haired sister (something he did on a regular basis, though never with the intent of harming her or her feelings), then turned to face the alpha pair as their daily activity was announced. His eyes flashed greedily at the prospect of a large hunt; he was okay at hunting small game, though he was pretty slow when it came to the chase, so hunting large game was a challenge that the hot-headed Redhawk was ready and willing to take.

By now it was clear to all from his body language alone that Nightjar thought he was going to be actually participating, for the entire concept of "watching" the other Redhawk wolves went in one ear and out the other.

As Peregrine began leading the way to the chosen location, Nightjar surged ahead with an excited growl. His tail waved at half-mast behind him, and he kept on going in his lumbering way while both his sisters pulled ahead of him. He aimed a sharp nip at each of them as they went by—playful but also rough, as was Nightjar's way—and followed without the slightest disappointment for being both the stupidest and the slowest of the pups. He didn't need to excel at those things; he was without a doubt the strongest of them, and that's all that he really cared about anyway.

His voice joined that of his sisters, though like the previous times he'd howled, it didn't actually have any clear message in it. It was just a howl. It served the same purpose anyway, but Nightjar wasn't proficient enough—and never would be—to speak clearly through a howl. They slowed to a trot as Pan joined them. Nightjar chuffed loudly at the pale male he had spent some time with at the borders, waved his tail, but chose those signs over words in way of greeting. Elwood joined as well, but the young male was too breathless by then to greet him similarly, so he merely grinned.

I'll be power-playing @Raven, since it's kind of imperative the Firebirds are present. I'm gonna drag a @Magpie in here too. :)

In the end, only two more wolves came: Pan and Elwood. Peregrine's brow furrowed as he did a mental head count. Finley wasn't here, which wasn't unexpected. Sebastian was still away on his trip (a fact which unsettled him now). Where was Njal? Novia? Magpie? They could really use their pack mates' help but, furthermore, the Alpha wanted them all to be here for the announcement and celebration. And who wanted to miss the Firebirds' first pack hunt accompaniment?

These thoughts brewed in his head as he stepped over to Pan and nudged his cheek, then licked his jaw. His jade eyes moved to Elwood and Dove, lips parting to inform them of what had transpired between the dark leader and the pale subordinate. But then Magpie trotted onto the scene, adding to their body count. Peregrine acknowledged her arrival with a nod and flick of his tail.

The group had slowed to a stop but he motioned for them to keep moving out toward the lake. Peregrine fell back, taking up the rear, and woofed for Pan to join him if he liked. He then kept his eyes on his kids, admiring Nightjar's subtle enthusiasm and laughing lightly at Wildfire's lack of grace. Raven was quick to ask her sister if she was okay, though the family group soon reached even ground without further incident.

While they gathered around him, keeping their distance from the herd of mule deer and waiting for the Master Gamekeeper's signal, Peregrine addressed Fox, Elwood, Pan, Dove, Magpie and the three Firebirds. "We're here today to celebrate a milestone for the Firebirds. Today, they get to witness their first pack hunt." He grinned at his three children, proud as a peacock. "But we're also here to commemorate something else too. Pan and I are now romantically involved. We'll feast in celebration of that today as well.

Off we go," were the Alpha's next words. This time, he headed to the front of the pack. He hoped Fox and Pan would flank him. With a steely look in his jade eyes, he led the way toward the lake, arching around the herd as he formulated a plan of attack in his head.

A part of Fox wanted to stay with the kids and give them a play-by-play, but Magpie assured her that she could look after them. Fox groaned a little, but eventually relented, nudging Dove to follow her along. Dove seemed... well, less than pleased, but she'd never really been one for dirty work like this. "C'mon, sis, it'll be fun!" Fox insisted. Besides, having another wolf on their team meant the chances of bringing down their prey was greater. Assuming Pan followed, Fox jogged alongside him, Dove trailing a little bit behind. She nudged Pan with her nose, a bright smile on her face. "I'm glad you're a part of the fam," Fox said. And really, she was. Despite being a rather traditional, wild wolf, Fox couldn't see anything wrong with adding yet another guardian for their children.

She glanced back, wondering if Elwood would choose to stay with the kids or help out. She hoped the latter, if only because there were two less-than-adequate hunters on their team (Fox and Dove) and Peregrine was going to need all the help he could get from his big burly male comrades.

Magpie arrived shortly after Elwood, which left them with a sizable hunting group. The firebirds wouldn't be participating, of course, but Elwood presumed that they would be on the sidelines watching with eyes the size of saucers. Wildfire, in particular, seemed excited, although he could sense the anticipation radiating from Raven and Nightjar as well.

Peregrine soon confirmed Elwood's suspicions, announcing that the children would be observing their first hunt. In addition, there was another celebration -- the new relationship between Peregrine and Pantaleimon. Elwood's gaze slid to the pale, shy subordinate; although he personally would not choose to participate in extramarital affairs, he had to admit that there was something fitting about the pair. As the group began to move forward again, Elwood fell into step behind the Alphas -- Peregrine took the lead, with Pan and Fox flanking him, and his dutiful Beta trailed at Pan's shoulder.

"Congrats," he murmured quietly to his friends with a lopsided grin, then he directed his focus towards the hunt. He glanced at the team and noticed that Magpie had stayed behind with the firebirds, while Dove kept pace with the gamekeepers.

When Raven slid up alongside her and asked if she was all right, Wildfire shook her head, then caught herself and nodded. "I'm fine. Just clumsy. Like usual." She shot her sister a goofy grin, then pricked her ears as the tribe of wolves reached the slope's foot and collectively paused. All eyes and ears jumped to Peregrine, including Wildfire's.

Of course, he didn't tell them anything she didn't already know. Her black tail waved in slow, sweeping arcs behind her as she nonetheless listened. Soon, the adults were moving away, with a recently appeared Magpie staying behind to monitor the three youths. Wildfire had a flashback to the day Tiger had commentated her mother's and Sebastian's attack on that stupid trespasser. Would Magpie provide a play-by-play? Why was she okay with sitting on the sidelines with them rather than hunting with the group? Wildfire wondered these things even as she sidled up to the yearling and nibbled at her chin.

But before she could ask, Magpie said, "This way," and began trotting parallel to the hunting group while staying in the background. Wildfire did her best to keep up with her young aunt, all while trying to avoid getting her legs tangled in knots. She exchanged intermittent glances with Nightjar and Raven, who both appeared equally riveted. It actually looked as if her brother might take off at any minute to join the hunting adults. Wildfire followed his pale gray gaze to the pack and the herd milling beyond them.

Pantaleimon felt all jittery when she moved up to Peregrine and his family. It would take some time to get used to the whole being-a-part-of-things; she still sort of felt like the third wheel as things were. It would have to grow in time. It helped that Pan loved the pups, and she felt like she was doing alright with the pups, too.

Only Magpie, Dove and Elwood joined the group, and Peregrine explained they were going to hunt while the pups watched. Then he announced the thing about the two of them, and Pantaleimon bashfully looked away, in case anyone was looking at her. When Perry came into motion, Pantaleimon awkwardly did so too. It took a bit of time for her to find her space -- she didn't feel it was her place to be in front of Elwood, or next to the Alpha pair, and this moment was definitely part of the getting-used-to-everything -- but with a bit of help from Perry and Fox she managed to find her place.

Elwood congratulated her and Perry, and Fox said she was glad to have Pan as part of the family, both of which made Pantaleimon smile and mumble a nervous, "Oh, uhm, thanks!" She was glad that they would soon be able to focus on the hunt, so that she wouldn't feel quite so much in the spotlight of all of this. Right now, putting her gamekeeper face on was difficult, but it'd slide on easily enough when they would get into action.

The trotting group of wolves chit-chatted idly on their way to the hunt site. Nightjar did his best to listen in on all the conversations, but with one dead ear, it was a lot harder than it looked, and he soon lost interest. Thankfully, by the time his attention began to wander elsewhere, they reached the herd and the pack began to move forward more earnestly than before. Nightjar didn't even have time to say anything to Pantaleimon, who was evidently Peregrine's new mate, before Magpie beckoned the three cubs away from the main group.

Nightjar had no choice but to follow her, but as he did, he imagined they would be making up another attack team. Somehow, he was dense enough to have missed Peregrine's announcement that they were witnessing, not joining, the hunt. As he padded along with Magpie in pursuit of the main group, his whole body was taut and a low rumble built in his throat from the sheer excitement and anticipation.

Truth be told, Peregrine stopped paying attention to who was near to him when he fully entered hunting mode. With Magpie sitting the pups, that meant it was Fox, Elwood, Pan, Dove and himself left to take down the prey. Five able-bodied wolves could easily take down a mule deer. But they would have to strategize. Should they simply rush their victim, hoping to overpower it with sheer force, or should they attempt something more indirect, like an ambush?

Motioning everyone to stop again, the Alpha became aware of his companions once more. He looked to his leading lady first, then glanced at Elwood and Pan before briefly acknowledging Dove. Peregrine deliberated a long moment, then decided aloud, "Since the ground's flat and there's very little cover, I don't think we can manage an ambush. Instead, we're going to give chase. But we're going to use the water to our advantage."

He paused a moment, then hunkered down not unlike the quarterback during a team huddle. "Fox, Dove and myself are going to drive from the left. You two will drive from the right." Again, he made eye contact with Elwood and Pan, his jade gaze lingering an extra beat or two on his lover's face. "We'll push them toward the water, forcing them to flee along the shore or into the bottleneck we've created. Either way, a straggler will present itself and we'll give chase.

Sound like a plan?" he said, straightening up as his senses began to zero in on the herd again.

The adults all drew closer to the herd, but rather than rushing in like the wild, hot-blooded animals they were, Nightjar's parents and the other hunters formed a tight circle. Confused by this (for he felt that he would've preferred to just run in), the young wolf looked back to Magpie for an answer. "They're strategizing," said Magpie, earning a frown from the young pup. There was no place for talking and planning in his brain; action was his way.

"Why?" he asked, almost petulantly, as though the very concept of using a tactic while hunting was offensive to him. It wasn't, of course, but he didn't understand it properly. He would never have a strategist's mind; he was purely instinctual, and instincts weren't quite enough to formulate a plan off of. "To better succeed," said their mentor. Nightjar thought they could succeed just fine on their own, but he didn't argue or press the issue. Instead, he faced the group again and prepared himself to join the hunt, as he thought he soon would be.

Wildfire's ears tilted back and forth at her brother's exchange with their aunt. "They're strategizing." "Why?" "To better succeed." Without looking at either of them, the smallest of the pups bobbed her head sagely. Sure, the adults could rush in there and hope for the best... or they could increase their chance of success by formulating a plan. She licked her chops, eyes briefly riveted on her father for a moment. He looked so predatory, she understood for a moment why Raven was uneasy around him.

Speaking of her sister, Wildfire accidentally bumped into Raven's rear and murmured a smiling, "Sorry," before circling around the leggy black youth and moving closer to Aunt Magpie. "Which one will they hunt?" she wondered aloud, amber eyes drifting to the eager Nightjar for a moment before raising up to the side of the yearling's face. "Or is that what they're deciding right now?" she guessed, black tail swaying thoughtfully.

"Indeed," Magpie replied with a smile. "It'll be any minute now," she added, lime green eyes dancing with amusement at her nephew's intensity in particular.

Wildfire followed Magpie's gaze, once more wondering if Nightjar was about to take off after them. What would the adults do if he broke loose and joined the fray? The thought sort of amused her, when she suddenly thought: what if his interruption not only ruined the hunt but resulted in injury to himself or one of the adult hunters? Frowning, she took a step toward him, then slid up alongside him, nipping at the side of his neck.

"Just watch," she said lightly, black tail swinging to thump against his hip.

Okay, time to get into gamekeeper mode, Pan. It was hard to concentrate when Pantaleimon felt like there was so much attention on her. She didn't realise that there wasn't all that much attention on her to begin with. She really just wanted the hunt to begin so that it was easier to focus for her. Pan looked at Peregrine while he talked strategy, but all of his words seemed to blur away when she looked at his face with a goofy smile on her face.

When Perry looked at her and Elwood, Pan snapped from her thoughts. Drive from right. Something with water. She could do this. Peregrine asked if it sounded like a plan, and while Pantaleimon had only heard part of it, she nodded in agreement. "Let's do this," Pan said with a bashful smile, still working her way into hunter mode. Once she was running, things'd be fine. Besides, she had hunted with Elwood before, so Pan was confident they would be a good team.

Elwood halted when Peregrine gestured to do so, his ears pressing forward to listen to the Alpha male's instructions. He nodded, first acknowledging Peregrine's suggestion to chase rather than ambush, and then again to show his understanding of his task. He would be running from the right with Pantaleimon, while the rest of the group charged at the deer from the other side.

With a flick of his tail, he narrowed his eyes and gazed at the herd for a long moment, the muscles in his shoulders twitching as he readied himself to move on Peregrine's command. He noticed Pan preparing himself as well, and moved closer to the other male so that they would be able to run in tandem.

Everyone seemed ready, so Peregrine wasted no more time. "Split up and make a run for it," he barked, bumping against Fox as he hastily began to veer toward the left. He glanced over his shoulder to watch as Elwood and Pan headed in the opposite direction, then faced forward. He was not the swiftest wolf in the world, yet he galloped rapidly toward the herd, swinging wide and then blitzing along the shoreline. As soon as he became parallel with the water, he charged to his top speed and let out a feral snarl to announce his intentions to the mule deer.

Having likely spotted the wolves long before the Alpha's growl, the herd began to scatter. Most of them darted away into the open space between the two teams long before the wolves could close the gap. A doe and her calf scrambled into the water in confusion. A yearling buck saw the Alpha and his two cohorts and attempted to run away in a straight line along the waterfront, only to be faced with the swiftly encroaching Beta and Gamma. He panicked and reared halfway into the air before plunging into the bottleneck, which was now quite narrow.

Everything about the Gamekeeper's body language announced his intent to his comrades: After him! Ignoring the rest of the mule deer, he lunged at the panicky young stag. They would have to be careful; even though his antlers were small, they could nonetheless skewer easily. Keeping this in mind, Peregrine aimed for the deer's backside, leaping upward and digging his claws into the yearling's haunch in the hope of slowing him down or, better yet, dragging him to the ground.

As Elwood moved away from the rest of the group with Pantaleimon by his side, he shifted his gaze periodically between the herd of deer and Peregrine. The master gamekeeper was calling the shots, and Elwood watched his movements to judge how he should act and react. The prey started to scatter, some moving towards and even into the water, while others attempted to skirt away from the lake.

The scene played out before him and he snapped his teeth at a stray doe that raced past him, earning a kick of her heels. He drew up short, just barely missing the impact of her hooves; they whizzed past his head and he could feel the rush of air from the momentum. Regaining his balance and his focus, Elwood fixed his gaze on Peregrine, Fox, and Dove, who were all presumably closing in on the chosen target: a young stag.

Elwood bore down from the side, keeping the deer's potential exits blocked even as Peregrine sank his claws into flesh.

Pantaleimon followed Elwood, since she had been staring dreamily at Perry rather than paying attention to the explanation that well. Elwood would know what to do, surely. They moved up on the other side, and the intent of the hunt soon became clear to Pan when they drove the mule deer away from two sides and one young beast tried to escape.

When Elwood was nearly kicked, Pan was distracted for a moment, but she decided to keep her focus upon the beast selected by Peregrine and ignore the rest of the mule deer. Their chase was successful: the young buck was split off when Elwood and Pan blocked its way.

Pan followed with the rest once the young buck was chased further. It was fast, and Pantaleimon was not the fastest runner around, so she wasn't yet near enough to attack it, like Peregrine.

His body was taut with anticipation. At any moment, Magpie would give the signal and the pups would be let loose to join the adults. Of this, Nightjar felt absolutely certain. Even when Wildfire nipped him and told him to watch—he responded with a temperamental growl and a warning to back off in the form of a returned nip toward her nose—he didn't get it. He just didn't understand the point of coming at all if they weren't going to be joining. He didn't have patience for watching things. Nightjar did.

Which is why he grew bored of waiting for Magpie's signal.

Which is why he all of a sudden bolted toward the hunting party.

Magpie sprang after him but Nightjar was already out of her immediate range. He was slow, slow enough that the yearling would inevitably catch up to him and slow enough that he would never reach the hunt before the adults downed their prey, but he did find himself in the midst of the fleeing remains of the herd as he barreled across the open land between himself and the adults. His blood almost burned in his veins, such was his desire to join in and contribute, and it was the fastest he'd ever run... not fast, by any means.

Nightjar met her words with a growl, which caused Wildfire's ears to fall back. His teeth clipped her nose and she flinched backward, out of reach, even as she gazed at him questioningly. Before she could ask him about his attitude problem, he darted off after the adults after all. She blinked in surprise, her amber eyes immediately seeking out Magpie. The yearling was already darting after the large pup with a cry of, "Nightjar! Get back here!"

That left Wildfire and Raven standing there alone. "What should we do?" she wondered out loud, slinking closer to her sister. Raven didn't seem to be certain, either, so they remained rooted to the spot. Wildfire anxiously watched as Magpie attempted to catch up to Nightjar, her eyes widening in horror when the hunting adults simultaneously rushed the herd, causing a few stray mule deer to stampede right in her brother's and aunt's direction.

"Nightjar, Magpie, watch out!" Wildfire tried to scream, though of course her muted voice would never be heard over the distance and commotion.

I feel like my writing is "off" today, but here you go!

The hunt was on, and the adults closed in on their prey. As usual, Fox focused her full attention on the task at hand, letting her instincts take over as they came closer and closer to their intended meal. Fox paid no attention to Wildfire's yelling, nor did she happen to notice when Dove was brutally kicked to the side, leaving a large, open gash on her shoulder. With Dove now yelping and skittering away, it was up to the rest of the team to take down their kill.

Quickly, Fox darted to the side of their prey, taking a bloody bite out of the deer's shoulder. The taste of it only fueled her faster and further, the bleating sounds of the beast filling the air around the hunters. He didn't have a chance, not now, and Fox knew it would only be a matter of time before he succumbed to the wounds inflicted upon him by the predators.

Peregrine dimly registered a shout in the background, yet the sounds of the hunt quickly overpowered it. Having fallen back after his initial attack, he watched in horror as a hoof struck out at Dove, nailing her in the shoulder and sending her fleeing the scene with blood dripping from a gaping wound. He wanted to go after her, yet the loss of one hunter made the game all the more dangerous for the rest of them. They had to finish the job before they could tend to Dove.

Renewing his attack, Peregrine snarled as he reared up again and sank his fangs right into the stag's hindquarters. He bit deep, then began to shake his head back and forth, goring the deer's backside. Meanwhile, the other wolves did their part to bleed the life out of him. After only a few moments, he stumbled to a stop, shook his antlered head, then collapsed. Peregrine let go as he went down, mostly to avoid getting crushed.

As soon as the buck lay twitching on the ground, Peregrine scanned the area for any sign of Dove. He spotted her white form across the plain. But he also saw Nightjar nearby, Magpie closing in hot on his tail. The two female pups remained in the distance. The Alpha panted, his eyes narrowing. Licking blood and gore from his chops, he approached his son with his head and tail positioned dominantly.

"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded. "You were to stay back until we called for you, Nightjar. You're too close." He shot Magpie a look that was both questioning and disapproving, then returned his gaze to his son and softened. "You're not old enough just yet. You could have gotten hurt very easily. Did you see what happened to Dove? And she's an experienced hunter." Even as he addressed Nightjar, he saw the wolf in question limping back toward the group. "You can come closer too!" he called to Wildfire and Raven as he moved toward the pups' injured aunt to inspect the pale female's wound.

Fortunately, nothing terrible happened to Nightjar or Magpie... but Wildfire flinched when she heard Dove's yip and saw her bloodied aunt take off across the flat ground. She almost ran after her, yet she obediently remained where the adults had left her. Only when they felled the stag and Peregrine called out to them did she begin moving. Raven fell into step beside her, though her leggy sister soon outpaced her. Wildfire arrived near the kill a solid five seconds after the larger youth.

Dove was limping back toward the group. Though the smell of the mule deer's blood caused Wildfire's pupils to dilate and her mouth to water, she wriggled her nose in her aunt's direction. She brought a different but equally strong scent of blood with her. The wound on her shoulder was red and raw against her white fur. Wildfire's ears flicked when she picked up on the quiet whines hissing through Dove's clenched teeth.

"Can you help her?" Wildfire thought aloud, glancing at Raven, then over her shoulder to Magpie. Both of them at least dabbled in medicine. She then frowned as she looked back at the gruesome hole torn in the pale she-wolf's shoulder. It looked pretty bad.