Larkcall Lowlands out of the easy

Thread meant for @Odin and @Kara ; Wraith intends to take them out hunting so they can stretch out their legs away from the small prey at the monadnock and try their jaws at something a bit larger. Others from the pack are welcome, but this is intended as a teaching thread between Wraith and his pupils. c:

It was a stroke of luck that Wraith had spotted the displaced herd of pronghorn from atop the monadnock. The pups were growing well, no longer the bumbling, floppy fuzzballs, but lithe and long-legged in their awkwardness. Perfect time for their first real hunt! Honestly, he probably should have run it by @Morganna or even @Craw, but their mother had entrusted him with their instruction and he'd do it as he saw fit until he was deemed unfit. Wraith wasted little time and descended from the grand plateau quickly, locating the pair down at the base. "The pair of you with me," he said sternly, though his smile was well hidden as he turned away. Expecting Kara and Odin to fall in line nervously - Wraith was rarely so fierce with them - he continued on towards the Lowlands briskly. It was to Odin he turned to first. "What do you smell? Anything new?" he demanded. "Quickly." And then he turned to Kara with the same intensity. "What do you remember of your hunting lessons?" It was then that a smile broke from his face, unable to maintain the ruse any longer. He'd been promising them a true hunt ever since they were old enough to wobble on those legs of theirs. Today would be that day. Whether success would come of it was completely up to them. Heading off any excited yips and barks, Wraith laughed. "There are some pronghorn nearby. Their fast buggers but not strong jumpers. Best to get close," he advised kindly. "We'll have to work together. Think you two are up to the task?"

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de

(This post was last modified: Jan 11, 2017, 12:29 AM by Sahalie. Edit Reason: removing pack tag )

After their journey to the far south, their mother had relaxed the reins a little. No longer were the children confined to the top of the monadnock, their lessons having been learnt well while they were away. They had smelled different trails and identified rather quickly, which should be followed and which should be avoided, they had crossed streams and rivers, and learned to carefully place their steps in woods that made an awful racket if you stepped in just the wrong spot. Their mother trusted them to keep themselves out of trouble and to have enough brain cells to call for assistance if it was needed, so when Wraith came down from the top to interrupt their incessant teasing of a resident turtle, slow with the cooling weather but tucked safely in his shell, the dark boy fell in step without complaint, nor questioning if it was okay.

The boy was already scenting the air to try and catch some idea of what was on the cards today, "Hmm..." he considered the scent, "Some sorta deer? It's not familiar but it's not a meat eater..." Peachy eyes surveyed the tundra as @Kara gave her response, feet picking up a little now they had a clue. The youngsters had amused themselves with rodents and small injured prey their mother had dragged home with her, but they had yet to take part in a proper hunt. The lad's tail took up a steady wave, his excited whine already drowned out by @Wraith's laugh. "Of course." He answered without hesitation. Were there more capable children anywhere in the lore?

Coding and image by becuffin

(This post was last modified: Oct 17, 2016, 10:31 PM by Odin.)

Sorry I'm slow! Also that Kara is coming into her teenage years with a vengeance -.- 

They had been having quite some fun with the turtle that they had found, poking, prodding and batting it around between the two of them. Taking turns thinking its slow get away had been a success before jumping out to startle it back into its shell. Even with the entertainment it was providing both Kára and Odin promptly forgot it the second that Wraith had come upon them. His stern tone set her temper a little higher but the girl knew well enough that she couldn't explode on the older man as she might have if her brother had spoken to her that way.

Still the anger she felt in being treated like a child still blistered within her stomach, as she aged she was beginning to push the boundaries as to what was and was not acceptable behaviour. Kára was well aware that yelling at Wraith wasn't appropriate but instead she purposely kept silent at his questioning. Setting her jaw in place the grey eyes focused on the distance as if she had not heard him speak at all though her flicked ear made it very clear that she had.

All of this was quickly forgotten at the announcement of a hunt, a real hunt not just a mock one like they had been on before. Scarlet tail started beating the air behind her vigorously as the pup barked her excited agreement to her brother's answers. Of course they would be able to get the pronghorns, Wraith had been teaching them well after all.

Coding and image by becuffin

It had not escaped the Second's notice how Kára had remained silent at his questions. Though he'd smiled to himself about it out of her vision, the brute did pin her with a steely stare. A patient, gentle teacher he may be, but he would only forgive so many transgressions before meting out the appropriate punishment. Just because Kára and Odin held his heart as if they were his own didn't mean he wouldn't give them a good nip to remind them of their places.

Odin, of course, didn't disappoint. The young lad was earnest in answering his questions and quick to use his senses. Pride swelled within the brute; they were learning well. This was the perfect time for the pair to try their paws at chasing down some real prey. Even if they were unsuccessful today, it would be a good run. Pronghorn were fast and among the most difficult in Wraith's opinion, especially with so few in number. Hopefully, they would get lucky and one would injure itself in the panic their arrival would most certainly cause.

Wraith licked affectionately at Odin's head first in reward for his quick response with a gentle, teasing nip to Kára for dragging her tail. Were she just as quick as her brother, he might have entrusted her to have more experience in potentially leading the hunt.

He led them out into the lowlands, but still close enough to call the pack if anything happened. As the three of them drew closer to the grazing herd, Wraith got down on his belly and didn't bother looking to the children to know that if they wanted to continue this hunt, they would do the same without question or complaint.

"What do you see?" he murmured to @Odin. "What are the basics of a hunt that we must always keep in mind?" he asked @Kara.

Wraith had already partially answered his own question to @Kara, they had to get close so that couldn't be the answer he was after. The boy smirked, knowing his sarcastic answer might earn him a boxing of the ears but the teacher had left himself wide open. "Don't get trampled." It was something his mother often muttered when she heard the children had been spending time on the flatlands unaccompanied. Apparently, she'd still make them do laps of the borders (and even maybe twice as many) if they were foolish enough to get their legs or ribs broken by getting in the way of something larger than they were.

Nobody would be able to call these children coddled.

As to what he saw, eyes turned first to the sky, no sign of his dark heckler or his friends in sight, he set his eyes a little lower. There was movement on the horizon, not the obvious kind that came with the movement of the big hairy beasts or the ones that had long fur on their shoulders, no but movement there was. Perhaps they were better camouflaged against the earthy yellow and muted brown hues than their darker cousins? "There," he gestured with a tip of his muzzle. "Movement."

@Wraith

Kára's brief bout of anger was completely forgotten as she barked excitedly at the idea of a hunt, a real one. She quieted down as they lowered their bodies to the earth, creeping along so they were hidden in the long grass. Still when her brother answered her question for her, with a sarcastic remark no less she wacked him with her fiery tail. Smirking as her banner collided with his face the pup lay down completely, tucking it back near her so as to not receive a retaliating bite.

Turning her attention back towards her teacher she murmured, "Always take th' weak one." Grey eyes cast upwards to follow her brother's before looking towards he had announced that he had found movement. Being shorter than Odin was she couldn't see what he had seen and had to abandon her laying position for a half crouch. Finally when Kára found the great horned creatures a hungry grin spread across her maw, she couldn't wait to sink her teeth into them.

Stamping her paws in impatience her eyes never left where they had become glued on the herd, "Which 'ne Wraith?" She knew he would probably make her demonstrate her knowledge again by picking herself but her excitement had far outweighed her patience. She didn't want a verbal lesson right now, she wanted to tear the prey down with her own claws and teeth.

Coding and image by becuffin

Don't get tr-- Wraith shot to boy a glare. That answer could only have come from one. He hardly had an argument for something his Alpha no doubt taught him, but certainly expected better of him. At the very least, it earned @Odin a firm tug on an ear. "Neither of you are taking this seriously," he grumbled, intent on making them realize it wasn't a game or time for jokes. It was dangerous and would require them both to pay attention. At least something got to them and the pair put their thick skulls into the hunt. @Kara's answer was far more acceptable. "Yes," he praised, brushing against her shoulder with approval. "We take the weakest for several reasons. The most obvious is that it is the easiest to catch. The other is that we must ensure the future survival of the herd. If we take out the strongest, biggest, fattest, that animal won't be there to keep the herd healthy later on." Satisfied that the lesson was sinking in now, Wraith nodded at Odin's announcement. "Good. Very good." Wraith was a stern teacher, but delighted in delivering praise as much as he did nips when his students weren't giving it their all like he knew they were capable of offering. When the russet girl asked which of the beasts was their target, he smiled and turned to Odin, entrusting the hunt to him. "Odin? Care to demonstrate? Kara and I will follow your lead." It was a big responsibility and he licked the boy's head in reassurance. "I'll be here if you need help. You can do this."

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de