Blackberry Fields born to the wild

PPing them getting down there to get this started. Everyone let me know if I need to change anything!

She was happy to see Sibyl was the next to arrive, leaning into the friendly brush against her side. Not a day went by now when she could bring herself to imagine her life without the tawny wolf in it, just like the young ones, now towering over her tiny frame. There was nowhere else for the sooty girl than here. With her family.

The dark second was the next to arrive, a wolf Aniu knew eventually she would need to rustle up the confidence to get to know on better terms, but for now, she was content to keep to herself, and her duties, teaching the younglings and hunting down what herbs she could and what small game she could wrangle on her own. She was far too busy, she told herself... and all her social time was spent with Sibyl anyway.

The next to arrive made her visibly cringe with the way his eyes slid over them. The large silvered male smelled of pack, but the way he carried himself spoke of trouble. She would not go seeking out this one, no way no how. Far too busy of course.

She could not stop her tail from waving as Taima finally joined them, and then slowed a little as the would be healer joined them. While she was not adverse to the older woman, she simply did not know her well, and so preferred to curb her enthusiasm at the sight. More legs, more teeth, more food. It was enough to put her at ease - for now.

She listened closely as Jayse gave them their directions. Nodding to the women who would accompany her with a friendly smile to the youngest of their party she didn’t dare tell the girl to keep close, knowing full well to do so would send her further in front than the gathered would be able to shelter her from flailing hooves. Hopefully, silent acceptance was enough for the headstrong girl.

Swiftly she moved them out before the wind would have a chance to change direction or have anyone blow their cover. It only took a few minutes to reach the herd, her sharp eyes scouting out. Old, young, sick, injured... It was hard to tell with the herd so bunched... but they needed to wait for the others to gain position anyway.

Shifting low behind the blackberry bushes that offered them cover she waited, finally spotting the one they would hunt. An old buck, well past his prime, his tattered pelt, bald in patches, his old joints swollen in the cold.

She raised the call.

It was time to hunt.

(This post was last modified: Jan 08, 2013, 08:00 AM by Aniu.)

Shadowstorm watched as Jaysek began to speak, it was time to hunt and it was surely going to be successful or Shadow would have a few problems. She glanced around at the wolves, the silver and black figures {Kade and Valiant} she did not know. She'd briefly heard of Renier and Ryvet. She'd met Renier when she was in the cave helping Follko, and he seemed to be a gentlemen. Taima she'd talked to a little while ago, but not very long. She knew Aniu was a healer and was helping to heal Follko. She'd met Sybil, and Sybil seemed to be a friend of Follko as well and that put her up there in Shadow's book.

Shadowstorm nodded to Jaysyek as she gave out her instructions. She was to go with wolves she knew, Taima and Aniu, and of course Sybil. They had to decide what prey to go after and they needed to separate it from the rest of the group. She started to look at the animals to pick from. She knew it was to the point of Shadow feeling as if this was a test to prove her worth to Grizzly Hollow. She wasn't going to let it go. She glanced at Aniu and Sybil and Taima, did they want to discuss it now, she saw a few prime pickings and wanted to converse about it.
(230 Words total, sorry it is shorter)

~ραяαησια ιѕ α tнєσяу, ι'м ησt ραяαησι∂, ι'м ιηѕαηє~

Sibyl watched silently as the rest of the pack soon filtered in. She politely nodded to Kade, and gave a warm smile to Shadowstorm, remembering the inky wolf helping Follko. It was a little disappointing knowing that the older wolf probably wouldn't show, but hopefully they'd catch enough caribou to bring him some of the leftovers. It would surely taste better than all those little rats he'd been eating. She gave a curious glance to the pale coated male, not knowing him from either appearance or name, but taking it for granted that he must be part of the pack, otherwise, why else would he be there?

Her tail twitched with the beginnings of a wag in response to the somewhat unsure excitement the children brought. Sibyl held still, not wanting to get ahead of herself. She needed to channel her energy into the hunt, not yipping and frolicking around like an overeager dog. Finally Jaysyek gave out her much anticipated instructions, and Sibyl was relieved to hear she was with Aniu. Things always seemed to go better for her with Aniu around.

Aniu had started for a position behind the shelter of the blackberry brambles and Sibyl followed not far behind, keeping an eye on Taima to make sure she was keeping up. She didn't think anything would go wrong, but one could never be too careful. With her tail held rigid and even with her body and head low and seeking forward, Sibyl settled behind the shelter of the blackberry to look for a suitable target.

An aging buck caught her eye, and she glanced to Aniu to see her gaze fixed on the same animal. Shadowstorm was looking towards her with question in her eyes, and Sibyl jerked her snout quickly towards the buck to signal which caribou they were looking at, hoping that Taima was paying attention as well. It was too risky to be talking so close to their prey, and simple gestures would have to suffice.

Leaving no more time for deliberation, Aniu's howl cut the air. Where the caribou had been a little wary before with Jaysyek's earlier call, they were even more agitated by the much closer howl. Stamping and huffing the herd shuffled, seemingly stuck between the decision to move or stand their ground. Sibyl knew they'd have to split off the old buck somehow, and the best way to do that would be to get the herd on the move. Sucking in a breath through clenched teeth, Sibyl steadied herself before she dashed under and out of the shelter of the brambles, heading towards the thicker part of the herd to try and split off the elderly buck.

i'll seek you out, flay you alive

TAIMA LYALL

one more word & you won't survive

"Taima, you will go with Sibyl, Aniu, and Shadowstorm," Jaysyek's voice firmly instructed. The girl debated for a second about whether or not she got the short end of the stick. "The four of you will have to make a choice, and separate it from the rest." The sentence repeated in Taima's head twice more before she decided she had gotten one of the best positions for the hunt. The hard look in the Leader's eye was quick to stifle whatever beaming pride the young Lyall was ready to boast. Hunting was serious business, she immediately deducted as her mother continued to relay further directions.

Her mustard-hued eyes dropped to the ground, studying the bits of brush she could see before casting her gaze out toward the field where the their targets grazed in a sort of oblivion. Obedient, for once, she turned her attention to the women she was assigned to run with. As Aniu seized the moment to take her party toward the herd, Taima did nothing more than follow and keep her head and ears down. Compared to the other interactions she had had with her family, she might have considered this sort of activity absolutely suffocating, but as the group huddled in the brush she became aware of the silent communication taking place. Catching Sibyl turning her head to look at Aniu and exchanging glances with Shadow made Taima realize they were looking for something...

She opened her mouth to ask what they were searching for or observing but she clamped her jaw shut again, remembering where she was, where they were, and what goal they had been given to accomplish. It took some time, a handful of seconds ticking past, for the pup to catch what Aniu had successfully spotted, but gradually their target became clear. Details that she probably would have never picked up on began to manifest on the buck that had been chosen. Compared to the rest of the herd, telltale signs of his aging called attention to him - dissimilar and knobby elbows and a matted, scruffy coat.

Before Taima could even try to wordlessly ask if she was picking up on the improvised lesson in scouting, they were on the move. Keeping at Aniu's flank, she propelled herself forward with long strides, simply following at best, but also heeding her desire to run. If anything could be said, Taima Lyall was built to chase. As Sibyl ventured to separate the elderly caribou from his companions, the girl maintained her path behind her group, snapping her jowls audibly with a few growls in attempt to startle any of the other hoofed beasts they darted past.

template made by GINNYSAURUS. of RPG-D.

He stood patiently at the side of the queen as the others began to appear here and there. Valiant was next to arrive, and the bump he issued elicited a most earnest half grin from the dark male; then Taima, whose surprising gesture he responded to with an affectionate nip; and finally a dark-coated female he'd yet to encounter. Upon taking a quick glance at the faces of the hunting party he found himself both satisfied and excited at the fact that the pack's numbers had grown for the winter season, and that today their collaborative work effort would be put to the test.

Jaysyek issued her instructions, willing the females to choose the target, and for he and Valiant to lay in wait for the takedown. After she'd had her say the group began to disperse, and the guard would waste no time in making for a secluded area just downwind of the herd, nipping Valiant's broad, fluffy chest on the way as if to challenge him to try and be the better hunter.

His pace would slow as he descended the hillside, a watchful eye sweeping from the unknowing caribou to the drifted snow underfoot and back. Settling behind the cover of a thick patch of deadened vegetation, he looked to his friend with no less fervor than such an engagement should deserve; he truly was glad to have him back.

The wait was soon over as Aniu's call rang out through the still wilderness like the first clap of thunder before a storm. Silver eyes were locked to the distant target as he gathered his weight, poised to spring into action at the right moment.

(This post was last modified: Dec 28, 2012, 05:55 PM by Kade.)

Short post is short. Sorry for holding this up!

Eyes flicked to each wolf as their name was mentioned, storing the information aside for later. The young ones made him nervous, there was so much that might go wrong and yet, he couldn’t help but feel with the gathered present, all would be just fine. He watched as the chasers moved off into position and gave a small start when the dark wolf nipped at his chest, a broad grin plastering itself on his maw, the anticipation growing as they moved swiftly to the location that had been designated as theirs. He shadowed the darker male, slowing when he slowed, crouching a short distance away to allow them to come at the beast from different angles. The call went out, and all they could do was wait as the females threw themselves from their cover. He watched in awe at how fast they were moving. It wouldn’t take them long to reach the males at all with the pace they were flying. For a moment he wistfully wondered what it would be like to be fast instead of strong?

code by bryony

Jayse ushered her sons to move, and quickly follow with a gentle snap at the hair between their ears. Following the trail of Valiant and Kade, her body was kept stretched, brought to the ground while she moved along the ground of snow, and mud. The blackberry bushes were the rest of the cover, and she hung tight to them. Eyes would wander off to the direction of prey, but she did not once look back to her boys. They surely would fall in line, and find their place.

White tail,urgently twitching behind her, she slowed at the middle of the field. A thin smile she turned to her boys, taking in their faces for a second. This was one part of being a mother she enjoyed. The look of wonder. The call sounded, and Jaysyek sat up as tall as she dared, seeing as the cloven hoofed beasts starting to scramble. She eyed the position of the herd, mismatched eyes darting from one end to the other when she saw the old one, and part of her pack.

"Ready boys?" Question was whispered, a pause to gauge if they were. It was not the time to back down, and she didn't think they would. With a smile she dashed into the open, and Jayse was greeted by the bleat of a cow. A snarling bark, she made a fake snap for the heifer, hoping she might join in with the old bull. If not she woud take what she could get.

This was it. Being paired with mom put a bit of a damper on his mood, but he held it back. This was better than sitting by doing nothing, this was a step as an adult, a true member of the pack pulling his weight. He would never let the words slip his lips, he was glad he wasn't with Valiant and Kade. Their part seemed a lot messier something Renier was not ready to do yet. Although he would like to see how it was done, but had a feeling today he would.

All sorts of energy mixing in his stomach it felt like sickly moths were beating through him not butterflies. Yes, he was ready to move, get this over with.

A quiet laugh erupted from him as his mother's antics, and he made sure to bump into Ryvet while trailing right at her legs. He could keep up today, and planned to be right there every step.

Mirroring her movements he tried to have the same grace, and balanced. He was certainly not as quick, or fluid but was happy he did not make a single sound that would give their position away.

Golden eyes drawn upon their future meal, he hunched, slowly as Jayse did. His heart quickened, and he felt something else he had not so strongly started by the caribou's scent. Was it time? A question, he brought his head around to a snap, certain his look was wide eyes with eagerness. A grin split his lip, and he bobbed his head. He was ready. No hesitation he went after his mother, feeling his guard hair rise, and a growl loom in his own throat. He would echo her with a bark of his own, following to the side of the old bull.

This was. Different. And exciting. He too, was glad he had not been sent with Valiant and Kade, but couldn’t help but envy his sister receiving the larger portion of the thrill of the chase. Still, he stuck close to his mother, bumping back at his brother, yet knowing all the same this was not the time for either of them to erupt into a full blown brawl. It would ruin it for everyone. A familiar voice sung to the sky and the ashen boy quivered with anticipation. The ground shook. They were so close, and so many, surely he must be trampled? But his brother showed no hesitation, and either would he.

The beasts were monstrous, he was certain that if they even tried to pull one down it would just trample right on over him. Wide eyed, he added his own barks to the foray, pulling in close to his mother but not so close as to trip her up, unwittingly scaring the cow in the same direction as the bull. His heart raced, and adrenaline pumped through his system. There was so much to absorb, so many to watch... Until finally he settled. Keeping his mother in the corner of his eye was clearly his best option.

He found his pace, and matched it to hers, settling in to the frantic rhythm of the fleeing beasts. How Kade and Valiant would handle the two huge beasts was still a wonderment to the young wolf. But soon, he would see.

She was not sure that Shadowstorm was in sync with the rest of them as she raised the call, but at least Taima had picked up on the silent cues Aniu and Sibyl were sharing. A hunt was a dangerous task, especially when hunting something so large, and she could only hope that all the children would remain safe throughout the venture. Shadowstorm was old enough to look out for herself after all.

Sibyl veered into the thick of the herd and Aniu had to smile. It would appear that when it came to lunch, the colourful girl was fearless. She kept her eyes trained specifically on their prey as the herd thinned and a few stragglers remained. They were approaching the position where Jayse and the boys should be, and it wouldn’t be long now. The small wolf pushed herself forward to bite savagely at the tender flesh on the inside of the powerful hind legs of the buck, a heavy hoof narrowly missing her head. She dropped back a ways with blood marring her jaw and dripping from the creature they pursued, leaving a fine crimson trail in its wake.

Then they were joined. A cow trapped between Jaysyek and Ryvet while the women and children continued to push the buck toward the waiting men. They would need to do some more damage if they wanted to bag both of the well fleshed beasts.