Blackberry Fields Dinner On The Fly

Lugh listened with as much patience as he could muster, hardly able to contain his anticipation of the hunt to come. He gave a firm nod to Minka as he received his role in the intricate dance they would soon perform. The Whelan bounced along with the pack on their way to the field. Once they reached it, the scent of deer filled his nose and he licked at his chops hungrily. Glancing to Inali, he winked as he split off to the right side of the herd. Quietly Lugh filtered through the foliage surrounding the deer, letting his nose and ears guide him when brambles and grass stood too high for him to see clearly over them. Thinking he had gone fairly far ahead, enough to give him a good head start when the chase really began, he stood waiting. Lifting his head, his pale yellow eyes scanned over the top of the grass, first looking for where Inali had positioned herself. The herd mulling about and the trailing blackberry vines made it difficult to find her tawny coat, but eventually he did see her at the opposite side of the herd. Lugh hoped that the blackberries wouldn't be giving them any trouble in the chase, and he mentally checked if they had enough herbs stocked in case of any thorn run ins. Excitement bubbling up his limbs and making him anxious to begin, Lugh looked towards Minka at the top of the field as he waited for her signal to begin the chase.

table by Grey / 2014

Now that the majority of the pack had gathered, Ryka was almost ready to get going. But first, her eyes lingered on Minka as she gave out instructions. The plan was simple and straightforward. Just the way she liked it. As her role was given out, she complied with an understanding nod and a small smile. For the first time, right here, right now, the pack would hunt as a unit. And if all went well, reap the rewards of their efforts. Once the plan was laid out, and that everyone understood their roles, Ryka took off at a brisk trot, chuffing softly for Atlas and Anstice to follow.

The herds were close by, peacefully grazing in the fields, oblivious to the hunting party closing in on them. Well aware of the possibility that they could be spotted out in the open, the chocolate and gray female took the rational approach and hugged the treeline while moving into position. Every other moment or so, her azure eyes would flicker up ahead or towards the side, to pinpoint the location of Minka, Inali and Lugh. With her blood bubbling with excitement, tail twitching, she finally chose a hiding spot between a dense cluster of shrubs. Only her muzzle peeked out, while she observed the herd through a small opening. Poised in a crouch, all she and her team had to do was wait.

Tokino watched his pack mates intently as the scent of deer rolled over his senses. With a grumbling stomach and the antagonizing smell of prey in the air, Tokino wished he could go out on the hunt himself. However he was still healing, and even just placing his full weight on that back leg made pain shoot through all the way up to his hip. It would be a long time until he could go out onto a hunt. Time was an issue since Kino was acutely aware of the position he'd put himself in as winter slowly approached them. Hope fluttered about in his chest as he wished for the injury to heal up before the winter came. Injuries and sickness did not bode well for a wolf facing winter.

Kova's voice reached the man's ears. Kino smiled at the silvery boy who's legs ached to run and join his family on the hunt. Then nipped at the young Lagina's ruff pulling Kova gently closer to him.

Kova you'll be watching them with me kay boy? That goes for you too @Noble. Tokino tried to calm the boy and wished he were younger again. To feel that kind of excitement for the first hunt.

As the other pack mates started the hunt and began to split into their individual positions Tokino pointed his nose to Ryka and Lugh's positions over Kova's shoulder. Lugh, Inali, and Minka there are going to chase the deer over around the hill and into Ryka, Atlas, an Anstice's jaws. Hopefully they'll split a fawn or a sick deer from the herd and take it down quickly. Tokino said quickly to the children as he watched concentrating on the forms of his pack mates.

Like a mystery without a clue

Minka & Tokino

There is no me if I cannot have you

After himself arrived two more wolves: a male of smaller stature and vivid yellow eyes, and a female of medium build with a dusty coat and bright blue eyes. Luckily, this wouldn't be his first hunt. Due to his father's adamant training for them to become the perfect guardians and for their large builds, he'd had Atlas and his brother out on hunt from the time they were 10 months old. At that time he'd already been the size of a medium built wolf, so it hadn't been a huge challenge for him.Before it had been even mentioned by Minka, he'd known that he would be on the take-down. His size insisted it, screaming out power and steadiness and any wolf could see it. The boy only knew one other name in the group besides Minka, and that would be Inali's. Regretfully, she was in the chase group but he knew that it was definitely the best job for her. The woman's abundant energy screamed chaser as much as he did take-down. Auds shifting toward the chuff, meeting the blue gaze of the female who ushered for him to follow. Without a second thought he complied, turning and trotting along with her pace easily with his long legs eating away at the earth. Another large female, larger than even him, followed along with them. It came as a slight shock to see her, as he was used to being the biggest bug in the bush, but he kept his gaze forward and didn't stare. His dark auburn gaze took in his surroundings, testing the wind and keeping an eye on the herd. Where she was leading them was a good place, downwind from the prey, but it gave them a good view of wherever the chasers might erupt from. Once the dusty female settled, he kept going for a moment and widened their radius. He was sure to keep in sight of the woman, but knew that their best chance was to get as much perimeter as they could to be sure they could reach the animal once it was herded their way. Settling himself, he waited patiently and alertly for the event to begin. "Speech"

peachesrox-stock @DA & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

speech In quick time, others arrived to the call of their alpha. Inali stayed at Tokino's side, keeping a watchful eye on the two children at his paws while also mentally checking off who had arrived and who hadn't. As soon as everyone showed up, Minka wasted no time into jumping right into buisness. She never did play around when it came to a hunt, Inali remembered with amusment before tuning in to Minka's directions to the various pack members. No matter how much Inali loved to tease, Minka knew her stuff. She was in her element, and Inali smiled inwardly as she saw her friend thrive in it. It had been too long. Inali heard her role as a chaser, knowing previously she would already have it since her size wouldn't fit anywhere else, but the woman nodded in firm agreement nonetheless. Her pack mates started to pair off and as Inali caught Lugh's wink, she smirked slightly as she saw him vanish into the foliage. Taking a page from his book, the scout urged her strong, lean legs to move forward in quick time. As she rounded the opposite edge of the field, using the tall grass and blackberry bushes to hide her small stature as much as possible, her blue orbs were trained on Lugh's yellow form that zipped in and out of her eyesight. Was he faster than her?, she couldn't help but wonder. Interesting, she mused. She'd have to challenge him to a race sometime to see who was truly the most sleek footed in the pack. Amusmement and excitement was clear in her gaze as she focused back on the task at hand. Feeling like she had gone far enough, the woman still kept herself hidden in the foliage provided as she eagerly awaited Minka's signal for the chase to begin.

AustriaAngloAlliance @DA & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

hi everybody!
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A hunt! Eagerly she listened to her mom's directions with all the interest of the present adults. Of course she didn't understand any of it. 'Typical formation', 'takedown', 'ambush', it was all much too complicated for a pup who still lived by tag and hide-and-seek. This was another game, and she loved playing. Noble wanted to go and she was gonna be ready, so she listened raptly. It sounded fun and exciting and important...

and she wasn't allowed to come.

Kova complained loudly. Noble complained on the inside. She looked at her brother once, considering pulling his ear for no reason beyond frustration. Glancing at the adults, she held back. If she was bad they would never let her go. And she wanted to go! Every time an adult looked at the pups Noble would fix her most pleading expression on them. Surely they would realize it was an error to leave her behind! They left anyways. Noble watched them go, then turned to her brother with a quiet growl. This sucked!

When she looked back they were gone! They had disappeared into the tall grasses. She craned her neck, looking too impatiently to notice the rippling of their forms through the the grass. "Da," She said insistently, "I can't see 'em." Bored, her hind-end plunked against the ground. A puff of dust, and a bug, flew out when her butt hit the ground. Noble watched it the single-minded interest of a puppy, her head spiraling with it's flight. When her Dad started talking she looked up excitedly at him. The bug was forgotten instantly. She pressed her back into him and looked in the direction of his gaze. "How come the deer sick?" She asked.

Sorry for the delay everyone, I think since @Anstice is on absence we can just assume she's hanging out with the ambush group waiting for the deer.
Also I'd like to welcome Emma as Noble's new player <3

For a minute or two the woman just stood ready and waiting within the tall grass at the top of the field. Golden eyes flit from one prey to another making quick assessments over which would be the easiest to take down, to move too soon could foil their hunt. Finally deciding that there were multiple does that seemed feeble Minka pounced from her place. It was only an instant before the whole herd was fleeing away from the sudden appearance of the tawny huntress, and quickly one doe in particular fell behind. Young, obviously just on the cusp of adult hood the doe had a slight deformation on her leg, small enough to only be seen when she was in motion. This was nature's law, the weakest and the slowest would be picked off so next year the young would have stronger genes.

Now that the prey was chosen the Down's alpha picked up her speed, sprinting towards the slower doe as if her life depended on it. Lugh and Inali would clearly be able to see which animal was being targeted and make their plans for how to separate it from the herd. Already the rest of the deer were veering away from Minka's jaws, leaving the young doe behind for they too knew what was going to occur. The doe pulled slightly back towards the herd in desperation but quickly the woman closed off that way of escape, pulling up close to her hind legs and snapping her teeth together with a growl.

It seemed like only seconds since she had found her spot at the top of the clearing, her body was alight with bloodlust. Her veins pounded and saliva gathered in her jaws and though she knew afterwards exhausted would catch up to her, for now she felt like nothing could slow her down. The group barrelled towards the end, Lugh and Inali on each side and Minka from behind. Even the doe knew it and though she bleated out in anxiety, her movements were slowing, she was giving up.

@Atlas @Inali @Noble @Anstice

Kova was overly eager to try what the adults were doing himself, but his mother had told the two pups to stay and watch. Normally Kova was fine with being watchful and observant, but when it came to exciting things like this (what almost looked like play to the boy) Kova wanted in. His claws scraped at the dirt making little dust clouds puff up into the air every time he stepped on the loose earth. The child's tail waved back and forth excitedly as he struggled to sit still and watch. Tokino's words echoed in his ears as the older male explained what was going on. Suddenly many of the forms of his pack mates disappear into the undergrowth. Kova growls nearly at the same time as his sister while the pups try to watch the hunt from afar. He glances to his father pleadingly as Noble voices the same complaint he had been thinking. I can't see either... the boy thought while looking to his father with a pouting face. He was not a happy camper. Noble's next question had the young lad curious as to its answer. He also wanted to know that, and something else. "Why are they going after the sick one instead of the others?" He cocked his head while his blue orbs danced over his fathers face waiting for a moment as the male answered. Kova silver crown turned to where the other adults had disappeared into the long grasses and bushes. He searched desperately for the shapes of the wolves he knew best like his mother, Inali, and Atlas. Though only one shape began to appear to the boy as he watched impatiently. A white shape of the one really light colored she wolf Kova hadn't really met yet began to move into his view. The child didn't know that this shape was Anstice, with her pure coat sticking out against the darker terrain. "Oh there's one! Noble look!" He moved his nose to poke his sisters shoulder before gesturing to the white wolf who seemed so far away. Though the other adults remained hidden to him.

SalsolaStock @DA, Eirian-stock & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

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(This post was last modified: Oct 03, 2014, 11:14 PM by Kova.)

Tokino watched his pack mates hunt almost as impatiently as his children. The old wolf so wished that he could be out there running after prey. Sighing, he glanced to Noble and Kova as they struggled on their short legs to see the scene unfold before them. One ear tipped down to scoop up Noble's complaint while Kino gave her a smooth half smile. Come over here by me it's higher up. Maybe then you can see. he suggested to the large blackish pup while flicking his tail in invitation.

Then the questions started to flow from both Noble and Kova. A wider smile poured across the older males face as he thought of a way to answer his curious young.

Deer can get sick like you and me. We all can get sick by getting hurt, like my leg for example. If I didn't get it fixed by @Lugh and @Ryka I might have gotten really sick. He answered while gently wiggling his injured leg to draw the pups attention to it. Sometimes we get sick for no reason. It just happens, usually during the winter months. Then you cough a lot and feel tired all the time. He explained quickly before looking back to the pack trying to spot where Minka was hiding. It was a bit hard to see the hunters as they hid from their prey to get into position.

Sick deer are slower and won't fight back too much. They are easier to catch than healthy ones who aren't sick. Deer who aren't hurt or sick are very fast and strong. They can hurt you badly if you don't know what you're doing. Tokino answered the gray boys question just as his own stomach began to rumble in hunger. I hope they get it... he thought quietly before turning his gaze back to Noble and Kova.

Like a mystery without a clue

Minka & Tokino

There is no me if I cannot have you

Finally! Lugh burst from his hiding place as if his tail were on fire, his lean, bony limbs working in overtime to catch up with the fleeing deer. At first Lugh wasn't sure why Minka had picked out the one she had, but once he neared their target he noticed the uneven gait of the doe that slowed her down, and the scent of sickness that lingered about her which the herbalist was well acquainted with. Lugh dashed up to the doe's side, wedging the deer between him and Inali who was soon at the opposite flank. Occasionally he reached out to nip up at the short, tan furred elbow as they ran, driving the doe off her course and away from the herd. Which wasn't as hard as it could have been, seeing that her herd was set on leaving the doomed herdmate in the dust. Lugh was close enough to see her dark eye rolling to look back at him as he chased at her flank like a determined sheepdog. Lugh always felt a twinge of guilt when his prey looked him in the eye like that. He had been told that wolves did their prey a service by culling the sick and infirm, though he hated to think what would happen if such a line of thought were applied to his fellow wolves. But the pack had to eat, which meant that something had to die. Lugh could hear the doe's labored breaths wheezing through her chest and weary bleats, and it seemed like if the chase went on much further she might simple topple over dead from exhaustion. His pale yellow eyes searched ahead, looking for the takedown group who would give this hunt a swifter end.

table by Grey / 2014