come little children

@Skoll, @Asriel & @Morganna
RE: The sky is dark with storm clouds.

The mother's intentions were everything but to favor her children this day. She would not pamper them, would not coddle and would not, as she had not done in any point of her teachings, be easy on them. Today was yet another learning day for her three children, but it would not be like the teaching of Angier on speaking properly, that which Skana told them of dangerous creatures, not Elettra's demands on the reasoning for borders. Today would be the children's very first hunt. A means to their survival, Elettra would also make this her children's very first first. Far different from this first lesson played out by a half dead rabbit of mouse, the catch within the woman's jaws this evening was a bit more advanced.
The woodchuck's squeals may have alerted members of her pack before even her call was sounded, likely to bring observers to the show. Settling the Woodchuck down, its shattered back leg kept it from moving effectively out of reach as it stumbled about in utter pain and terror. Though a woodchuck was little a threat to her, in it's injured state, flight was little an option against fight, where its tooth and claws would be far more dangerous then a rabbits. The chill of the mid-day ruffled through the Matriarch's coating, a thunderous roar sounding as the clouds darkened and stirred. Perhaps it was not the most fitting day for a practiced hunt, though Elettra took the weather as a further challenge to her young. Though it was not raining, the distracting cracks of thunder, the low lighting and the smell of the coming rain on the air would do well enough to keep her young's senses busy and away from the predator they would be bestowed with. Her call sent out for them, beckoning with demand as the thunder had, awaiting her daughter and sons arrival.

On a cloudy day like this one, Sköll Archer had been spending his time trailing along Angier's trails. With an impending storm on the rise the autumn sky was darker, the air crisper, the ground a bit colder under his feet. All near-perfect conditions to practice and hone his tracking skills; the slight breeze proved to be enough of a challenge to send his nose and eyes into hyperdrive. He had just spotted the fawn-colored brute and had intended to prey upon his black-tipped tail when his mother beckoned for him and his siblings. The thunder that had accompanied her call had not gone unnoticed...

The characteristic scowl that graced his swarthy face narrowed his eyes and wrinkled his muzzle. The Lyall had probably already seen him and without even glancing back to check, he set off at a sprint in hopes that he would be the very first to greet Elettra. Apparently this little meeting was important - it was not often that her summons echoed through the atmosphere with a loud rumble.

When the young prince had drawn close enough, both of his triangular ears pricked and immediately his ghost gray eyes scanned his surroundings in an erratic fashion. What was that? Where was it? His skull rose up, his neck elongating before he finally prowled forward to set his eyes on the Willow Ridge Leader's figure.

Sköll struggled to pick the scent of prey from the air but was quick to express interest when he had drawn close enough as to step to his only parent's side and brush his shoulder against the base of hers. He curled himself around her, his black tail lifting up in a high wag as he lovingly nipped at her ivory chin before gracing his tongue against its fur. Eager whines emitted from him and once he had withdrawn from her, trained his eyes on the slowly retreating form of what looked like a very big mouse. Though he itched to go after it, his gaze obediently went to his mother's face, one whiskered brow perking up in question as to why she had requested his presence.

(This post was last modified: Oct 08, 2013, 09:08 PM by Skoll.)

i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

i'm doing whatever i can to make the bad things go away

There was a different tension in the air; though the heat and humidity of summer had passed, he could sense the arrival of an early autumn storm and when the sky began to darken prematurely, he knew he was right. Even with the chill of frost nipping at the plants and wildlife in the mornings, the afternoon brought a storm which could have very easily been at home on a much hotter day. He enjoyed it; so long as he found a place to stay out of the cold rain, he would enjoy the flashes of lightning as they zig-zagged across the sky and the deafening rumbles and growls of thunder. It made him feel powerful, full of energy.

Just as thunderous and victorious was the voice of his mother on the air and the prince followed the sound of it obediently. Even at a swift gait the prince moved with the ease and fluidity of a swallow flying through the air, but with the deft and easy movements of an eagle. He was growing large but graceful as well, something which he prized; for there was power within the femininity of grace, just as there was power within women that he respected highly. His mother, after all, was still the reigning matriarch and he expected for things to stay that way until he was ready to take the throne. It was something he simply assumed would one day be his.

He heard the shrieks and peculiar wails of an injured, frustrated creature which made the fur along his spine raise. Its scent mingled with that of blood and that of his mother, so his pace quickened. His eyes were bright and wild when he finally came into sight, and saw his brother alongside his mother, but whatever it had been that had made those awful sounds before his mother had called was gone. Its tracks, as well as the droplets of blood, led away from the scene and he had to try very hard not to allow himself to simply start tracking it. It was only proper to greet his mother first, and he did so by offering her the deepest rumble he could manage as he licked her chin and nuzzled his head against her shoulder. He sat at her side, opposite Skoll, feeling some resentment that his younger, smaller brother had arrived first. But it simply meant he'd been playing around and had been closer; he hadn't been doing important things.

His gaze was set out along the tracks which disappeared into the undergrowth. He understood, soon, what he was to do, but he wouldn't move a muscle until his mother gave the word.

Avatars by Allie <3

sola bona quae honesta

Morganna

Those things only are good which are honest

Disapproving peach hued eyes glared a challenge at the sky, daring it to dampen her spirits. The flash of lightning though startling was not enough to make the gangly pup flinch however the rolling of distant thunder was another matter entirely. Her hackles stood on end as she growled back at the sky, a sharp bark of defiance rounding off her tirade. She would not let the sky have the last word! Their running argument was cut short however, when her mothers voice rang across the willows.

With a final disapproving glare and a chuff of annoyance the young wolf picked up her feet and gangled in the direction of her mother’s voice, neither rushing mindlessly nor dilly-dallying, she only picked up her pace at the sound of shrieking squeals and the scent of blood. Her stomach gave a rumble of appreciation as her pace quickened and her nose dipped to the ground. Catching the scent of blood, she followed the trail for a step or two before swinging back towards her siblings and mother. She almost danced up to her mother, excitement shining in her eyes as her nose bumped against the regals dark jaw and she twirled to playfully swat the ground in front of her brothers, a challenging bark leaving her chest with a toothy grin. She was not sure what today’s lesson would entail but she was sure it would make her more grown up, and she was excited to get started just as soon as her mother was ready.

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@Asriel, @Morganna

The first arrival was to be Skoll, expected of him despite him being the one to wonder farther from their homelands then the others. He was always there when she beckoned him, there even in times when she did not will his attention and his efforts did not go without notice. Asriel's arrival was prompt today, perhaps more interested to adhere his mother's demands if only due to the excitement and wonder of the hunt. Then there was Morganna, fashioned with a delicate sway of growing hips, harboring a proud stance as she strode which mimicked her mother before her. The Archer Matriach's tail waved low, her head falling to accept the greetings of her children, her own tongue lashing out to their faces and nips to their hides in turn with the rougher nips and rumbles of her children. A growl sounds in her lungs, a distant rumble as her eyes turn from her kin and out to the trail of blood which would lead them to their food.
She breaths in deep the scent, unwilling to loose the catch should her children not be successful this day. They would be forced to face a meal of leftovers within the caches if they did not catch the woodchuck, but ether way Elettra would dine happily tonight. Another flash of lightning brings the world of the Lore to light and after the thunder roars across the skies, she speaks. "This will be your first lesson in the hunt..." Her eyes whipped over Skoll, who would claim this as his second time working with live food, after his firstly experience with the field mouse. Perhaps his further knowledge would prove him better at the game them his swift sister and heavier brother. "Kill him, my children." She directed her spawn, jutting her nose in the direction of the woodchuck as her body danced in slow bounds towards it, ready to keep on her toes on the outskirts of the hunting scene should aid be of need from her.

(This post was last modified: Oct 16, 2013, 05:58 AM by Elettra.)

Unsurprisingly, Asriel was next to arrive and Sköll did little else than stand his ground beside his mother and stare as the amber-eyed prince doled out his own greeting to the Willow matriarch. He managed to fold his gangly frame into a proper sitting position while waiting for the princess, his sister, and for a while Sköll's muzzle wrinkled up along one side. The expression barely disappeared when Morganna came frolicking about on her toes. The dark prince's tail rose up in some form of dominant display, turning his head to one side to watch as she touched her nose to their mother's chin. He tried to steal another glance at Asriel, everything about his face hinting at an invitation for a brotherly brawl. He might have lost their bouts in the past, but at five months old, for some reason, he was certain he could handle it.

The princess was quick to snatch his attention, her paw swiping at the earth in front of them. Sköll let out a stern low growl, a sound that didn't quite seem to fit his scrawny physique with his thin neck and lean chest. Another flash of lightning lit up the sky above them and a rumble of thunder sounded out in its wake. Sköll's curious eyes were momentarily diverted but Elettra's words easily demanded his full attention. Today would be their first lesson in the hunt and the task at hand required them to kill him.

Kill. While the word had not been familiar to Sköll before this very instant, the young Archer's mind easily took to the concept of it. His mother had given him a command and the gesture that had accompanied it directed him to the direction in which their target had tried to flee. Hunt. Target. Kill. In a second's passing the prince was up on all fours, already propelling himself along the blood-tainted trail of the woodchuck with his hackles up and his teeth greedily bared.

i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

i'm doing whatever i can to make the bad things go away

Asriel waited patiently by his mother's side and pricked his ears when he heard Morganna approach. His gaze, which had been keen but aloof, softened when he saw her trot into view and momentarily take a brighter interest in the trail the creature had left behind before she came over. So princcess-like and dainty- Asriel was proud of his sister who he intended to help grow into a queen, just like their mother. Morganna's features were lit up momentarily by another flash of lightning, and Asriel could feel the hairs along his spine and neck begin to lift in anticipation of his mother's words and the approaching storm.

A hunt it was- he tensed, like a well-trained beast on the end of the lead, simply waiting for the clip to be loosened and for his freedom to be granted. When the order came, and his mother moved forward, Asriel wasted no time, surging forward and past her. He got the feeling that his mother would be close by- and he had every intention of having her there when he made the kill.

Skoll had leapt to his feet and had begun to barrel toward the bushes along the blood-stained path the creature had left behind. But Asriel, still larger than his brother, powered forward and uttered a competitive growl, accompanied by a snap of his teeth to keep his younger brother in check- they were wolves, hunting as a pack. If Skoll wanted to run willy-nilly and hunt that way, he'd find himself hungry. He took a glance to see where Morganna was, and uttered a chuff, encouraging her to stay by his side. He hoped she'd be willing to listen to him- as he knew he'd already have his hands full, trying to keep Skoll in check so that they could hunt down the woodchuck in true wolf pack fashion.

Avatars by Allie <3

So sorry for the hold up!

sola bona quae honesta

Morganna

Those things only are good which are honest

Kill it.

Her brothers were a little quicker on the uptake than the dark princess. She had spied on older wolves hunting before, and knew that it resulted in food. She had also quite happily torn into the hide of the young fawn that Narime had dragged with her to the borders, but to actually hunt something herself? It sounded like a lot of hard work...

But all it took was her brothers swift movements to get her heart racing. A chase? yes, a chase she could handle. Dropping her nose to the ground, her rear wriggled from side to side with the excitement of her whipping tail, her rear legs almost outpacing her front and causing her to run skewiff. She managed to keep her vocals in check after a chuff from @Asriel reminded her that this was far from a game, and after all, she wanted to make her mother proud.

The further they paced, the calmer her movements became until a rustling ahead bought a quiet whine to the back of her throat. Her ears pricked forward and her tail began to wave again excitedly. Peachy eyes darted to one brother and back again. Surely one of them would know what to do next...

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Her commanded ended with their obey as each of her three strong, healthy children darted off into the brush after the fairly injured woodchuck she had captured for them. She walked with her heavy limp from her injured ankle as she made way, seeking the woodchuck's hideaway though keeping her distance. There was a bit of brush ahead, a cluster of bushes away from the patches of willow trees. It was here the woodchuck kept, still as it could, breath labored and quivering. She could not fight (and would not) the smug expression on her lips as her children began working together, Asriel huffing out for his sibling's attention as they first made attempts upon what would be their first official kill. Elettra Archer could only be left to wonder if other pups within the Lore were doing so well. Was Narime's children learning the hard lessons of survival as the Willow Ridge wolves had been introduced to? So far her pups had faced off floods, cobras, rogues and now, prey. The Archer woman was a lucky woman, this was for certain. Already a child of Nina had died. Poison Path had been destroyed and their pack members separated. @Phineas son was born disfigured and the children of Pitch Pine Trail were left without a single parent to their side. If only she'd known, she would feel for the lose amongst the Lore though would not at all feel less of a pride in herself as she watched her youth now. This was how it was meant to feel as a mother. This is what parenthood should be and now, with them in the world, Elettra hoped she would never have to look back on the four children she had lost.

-grabs Sköll by the tail to make him sit and write a post with her...- Kept them waiting long enough so this better be decent...

Asriel was quick to follow his brother's lead and a hasty, competitive snap of his jaws had the middle-born Archer growling back in reply. "FIIIIINE!" it wordlessly conveyed, hinting at Sköll's willingness to listen. As the trio approached the thickening grass and the clumps of brush tucked away within it, Sköll's pace slowed, allowing Asriel to take the lead. Aside from hearing their mother come a bit closer but still keep her distance, Sköll realized that everything had become too quiet. He resorted to breathing through his nose, knowing the sounds of his panting would drive their target even further away. If he had to guess, with it being injured, it was lying in wait, fearfully anticipating being ambushed while hoping with all its might that it wouldn't be found out by the young Archers.

If his brother was going to go one way, Sköll opted to go the opposite with his nose in the grass and footsteps as silent as the whispering of the wind on a cloudless afternoon. Lifting his head once, he cast his silvery eyes back to Elettra, then to Morganna and Asriel. His nose twitched and without further question, he started on his path again, scoping out the autumn-touched ground for the sight and scent of blood or hurried scratch marks in the dirt.

He stepped a little closer to Asriel, angling himself so that he wouldn't need to turn his head in order to see them. Craning his head downward, he moved forward again, searching and listening. It really shouldn't have been able to go too far, but the second-born prince had been unpleasantly surprised. At the sound of something rustling through some dead leaves, his head shot up and his eyes widened, all of his silent questions easily readable on his face, "Did you hear that? Where is it? Where'd that come from? Did you find it?!"

i'm a dreamer, i'm a man

i'm doing whatever i can to make the bad things go away