Oak Tree Bend Seize the Day

Partly Cloudy — Current Temperature: -15° F/-33° C Late MorningCaribou Herd — Last seen in Umbra Copse — small herd, drastically thinning.This is an OTB Pack Hunt. If you want to join add your wolf, and let Triell and everyone else know what they want to be/where they would like to be. Next round we will get to position, and the caribou can be chosen by one of the chasers. Shoot for December 14th to start the next.

But I'm too young to worry

Exhaled air clung near his muzzle, sparkling crystals of frost hanging in the long tips of a black coat. It was a considerably chilly day as it was not yet afternoon. No doubt it was winter now, and the snows were here to stay. They would need to be on top of their caches, and any large prey that might be suffering from the cold. The man was quite aware the many mouths they had to feed. Even though there were a lot of things he could worry about the Tainn had a smile on. Today was going to be a good day. The pale blue sky was patched with light grey clouds that promised to keep warmth in the valley, and Jessie had scouted the remains of a Caribou herd near by. It was a perfect opportunity they would need to take advantage of to assure a comfortable winter. Despite how they still had not seen Ice nor Merlin, he was going to do everything in his power to keep spirits up, and stomachs fed.

Raising his head he called those of his family who could to join him on this fine day. When the faces soon gathered, the sun glittering off the snowy drifts he pointed to their reward. The small herd in the distance. Without two strong figures he was still confident everyone could their part, and make this hunt a success. Females were a lot quicker, and lighter for this sort of hunt. The leader volunteered to be at the end of the chase, where he could run in to help early if need be, or if everything went well he could add another bite to make a successful kill. Eager to see where everyone felt comfortable he waited, and listened.

(This post was last modified: Dec 07, 2013, 03:44 AM by Triell.)

are you with me through it all?

@Jessie, Fenru, @Sceral - Remember, we need 4 wolves to be able to bring down a caribou! Serach will be tagging along with his mother, separate post to come.

Gone Tomorrow

Winter was well and truly upon them now. Darkness dominated the light and snow covered the ground as far as the eye could see. Her winter coat had grown in in the previous weeks, though, and despite the chill of the wind, she was not cold. But the urge to lay dormant like bears did during the winter season was a pleasant one. But duties could not be put aside for rest, not now.

Breathing in the chill air, she was alerted to the sounds of footsteps behind her by the telltale sound of crunching snow. Turning her her head over her shoulder, she yipped in greeting and trotted over to her son. Serach had followed her, just as she had been following the trail of Triell. The pair nuzzled one another, their tails wagging and churning up loose snowflakes on the ground. But their play was cut short when a familiar howl called to them. With a wolfish grin, Corinna barked at Serach a sharp command to follow before bounding off in the direction of the call.

The pair plowed through the snow; it was not terribly quick going. But it seemed that the others too must have been caught up in the snowdrifts, because they were the first to arrive. Corinna approached Triell and offered him a nudge to the cheek in greeting. His summons had startled the herd, but they were just as trapped by the snow as the wolves were - which would play to their advantage. They could drive them into the deep snows where they would not be outrun, then it would be a matter of bringing the large beasts to their knees. "Remember, Serach, we're looking for the young, the old, or the weak," the leader reminder her son as she began to pace back and forth in the snows, eyeing the migrating herd in the distance. Soon enough other Oak Tree Bend wolves began to arrive and Corinna looked at Triell in approval. "I'll lead the chase. Once we've separated our target, we'll need to drive it into the deep snows so it can't escape. But be careful," she said, eyeing the youngest members of the pack. "Once it's cornered, it will fight back. No second guessing; you either attack or you don't."

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Recently, the huntress and tracker had finally found the remains of what once could have been a large caribou herd. The numbers that she had encountered this time of year were terrifying. Never had she seen prey leave so fast out of the lands…and yet, there had never been quite a cold winter as the one that she was experiencing now. She had passed by Triell when she had returned and immediately told him the news, and it seemed with the call that he had just issued out to the pack that he would be acting on the information that Jessie had gathered. Opening her eyes from her relaxed position on the ground, she stood up and shook her pelt, letting the snow that had accumulated on her fur slide off of her. Letting a large huff escape her and white cloud puff in front of her, she started off into the direction that Triell had called them. Her green eyes tracked the area around her quickly but accurately, inhaling the familiar scent of the area around her.

Just as she was arriving to the scene, Jessie heard the last bit of what Corinna said. It looked as though Jessie wouldn’t be taking the lead for this one and that was perfectly fine with her. She needed to give other wolves the same opportunities…especially if that wolf just so happened to be her Alpha. Bowing her head towards the two wolves that she considered close family, she spoke formally to them, "If you don’t mind, I will go along with the chase and follow Lady Corinna." She was the smallest out of the ones gathered, save Serach, who was almost challenging her in size anyway. Moving swiftly over to the other emerald-eyed lady’s side, she waited for the others to arrive. Hopefully, there would be others to arrive.

Look Out!

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +7 Health

Winter was a confusing time of year--it was always cold and dark! The sun went down to sleep earlier and earlier every passing day. Sceral didn't really like it all that much but, apparently, you couldn't wake up the sun, no matter how much you barked at it to wake up. The snow was getting thicker, too, and a lot more of it fell from the sky. Because of this, it was getting a little harder for the youngest Aesir to plough through the cold, wet stuff but he did his best and almost always succeeded in moving around. Sometimes, when no one was around, he'd leap right into the deepest snow drifts he had found around the Oak Tree Bend territory.

So, as he followed Serach (who was following their mother's trail), he grew a little distracted now and then. This time, he had decided to try and see how much snow he could fit into his gob. As he snapped up the powdered white, he lost track of time and his brother. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#5e8022;">"Srrch, lhhk!" He whirled around, his grinning mouth brimming with snow that had numbed his teeth, expecting to hear his brother's laughter when he was instead met with footprints. Sceral's eyes almost popped out of his head; Serach had gone off ahead! Spluttering a little, spraying snow all over the place, he scurried onwards on gangly legs.

He pushed himself to run as fast as possible, occasionally sinking down into the deep drifts of snow, desperate to catch up with his family. He'd never been to this place before and was a little out of his depth--quite literally--when it came to the terrain. Then there was a howl. It summoned them all, no doubt from Uncle Triell, and Sceral pushed onwards even harder (and hopefully faster). It took him a while but, finally, he caught up with the Oak wolves as his chest heaved, chilled air hitting the back of his throat. He blinked, looking to his mother as she spoke of a chase. A hunt?! Sceral's tail whipped behind him. He wanted to help; he wanted to attack. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#5e8022;">"I can help! Right? I wanna help hunt with uncle Triell!" He beamed at the older wolves. Perhaps he thought himself a little too big. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#5e8022;">

Shadow and I thought the pups could find the deer after the hunt?

When it gets cold outside

A deep howl of promise reached her ears. A hunt? Now? The white lady was certainly ready, and a little more eager than she would have guessed. A gathering of purpose was just what she needed. The younger lady hoped this would be an easier way to break the ice. A hunt had to act as a team, rely and communicate with each other. The hunt itself, she tried not to think about all the 'what ifs'. Lettie would do her best to leave her nerves behind. The white lady raised her head, pinpointed the location, and began to charge through the powdery snow.

The cold crystals awoke her senses by finding a place under her arms or over a top her nose. Something about the feeling put a faint smile to her pale face. What better way to wake up? A delightful warm breakfast. Though Arlette had not experienced a hunt with her new pack, she presumed if they failed it would be a strange misfortune and not because they lacked the ability.

Lucky for her, because she told herself there would be no negativity, she found a broken trail to Triell's call. It carried the scents of Cori,Serach, and... she paused, eying some of the trail where it seemed another had left different marks. Playing in the snow. Laughing, she began to bound, soon catching sight of Fenru's younger, long legged brother. Yellow eyes could also see the darkest Tainn, Corinna, and Jessie. A little surprised not to see another pair of fiery eyes, Arlette was sure she would see them sometime. Kisla was not here either.

Approaching the group, the female kept her frame low from nose to tail. At the same time forcing her eyes downward, first acknowledging Triell and Corrina with a respectful dip of her head. Then quietly she settled next to Jessie somehow feeling she knew her the best, offering a quick smile to the pair of Aesir boys. Ears perked up about plans, and she had never ended a big kill. "I would like to stick with Corinna and Jessie unless numbers need me on the other end because I'm not the best there," quietly she offered, waiting for the final decisions. Waiting for him.

(This post was last modified: Dec 13, 2013, 05:10 AM by Arlette.)

Ok was waiting for another joiner, but I'll just start the next round. No post order. I'll start the next the 10th. Corinna,Sceral,Jessie

But I'm too young to worry

Face after face showed, but not exactly all the ones he had imagined. Fenru and Kisla he thought would be high on the list. They must be busy elsewhere so he put the issue aside for later. Their latest member Arlette was still here, and offering help so it was time to put her to the test. Serach and Sceral even if they didn't attack the caribou they could intimidate, and added in their numbers. With Corinna there he didn't fret of doing something that may displease her, since they were not his offspring. She seemed to feel they were ready to participate, at least to a point.The Tainn nodded at her choice, and eyed the boys hoping they heeded her warning. If they would not he was sure their mother would leave them no choice but to stay and watch.

The dark wolf was not surprised by Jessie's choice, and exchanged looks with the silver lady confirming what she said. Sceral seemed the most excited, but who wouldn't? The thrill of your first real hunt? Triell grinned, and bobbed his head. "Of coarse you can. You and Serach will listen to your mother and Jessie. We need to drive one in the deep snow like she said, and you two can bark and growl to herd it there, right?" Proudly, he looked between them, and felt a profound wish their father was here to lead and guide them. He would have likely taken one to hunt beside him. Triell wasn't ready to risk that. He felt far more comfortable they could simply follow their mother's lead, easily escaping any danger.

If Kisla and Fenru had been he would have let the white lady do the same, but in this case he wanted another to help ambush. "Today you can come with me, and I'll be sure to get first bite in. I'm sure between the all of us we can weaken one." Once more he looked around, but his gaze rested on Cori in case there was anything she wished to add before Arlette and him moved off. "We will wait up behind that snow drift," he gestured above the small herd deciding for the boys' first hunt the circumstances were considerable favorable. Knowing they needed to be swift he quickly set to work following Jessie's trail out to the prey. There he would wait.

are you with me through it all?

Sorry about the delay on this >.< @Fenru, @Sceral, @Jessie, @Ruiko, and @Aeylen. For sake of time, Cori is going to pick a target this round and begin the actual hunt.

Gone Tomorrow

The final number that gathered was not what she was hoping for - they were smaller than she would have liked for this kind of hunt. Neither Fenru nor Kisla were there, but with four adults present and an eager pair of cubs, they might do alright. Her attention was diverted to Sceral, and she couldn't help but grin. He wanted to help with Triell, but Corinna had to firmly shake her head "no." The black Tainn beside her confirmed it as well. "For your first hunt, it's better that you, both of you, stick with me and Jessie. Hunts are dangerous, I don't want either one of you getting hurt," she explained, her voice firm. There would be no arguing with her on this point, and hopefully her eager son would understand.

Corinna offered her nod to Triell and Arlette as the pair slunk off to wait. Once they were well out of sight, the matriarch looked to the remainder of the group. Silent, she indicated it was time to go by walking past them. Her nose was lowered to the ground, and she guided the group towards the herd, following the scent trail that Jessie had left behind. Their trail diverged from that of Triell and Arlette's, though, with the chasers continuing on. Soon enough, they were on the flat ground of the meadow with the small herd in their sights. Crouched low to the ground, Corinna peered at them, trying to gauge their health and stamina.

It was a small group, ten or maybe 15 animals. Mostly cows and their offspring, roughly 7 months old. There were a few bulls, though, and that was where Corinna kept her gaze the longest. Much larger than the females and younger members of the groups, the bulls would provide them with far more food, but none present that stood out to her as a good target. The risk was greater to match the greater reward, and with such a small pack to back them up, Corinna wasn't willing to risk it.

Turning her head round, she looked to the three gathered behind her. "Either a cow or a calf - stay away from the bulls. When we get closer, they'll scatter. Stick close," she instructed quietly. Satisfied that they would understand, Corinna took a deep breath to steady herself. Time to go.

Springing from the ground, Corinna made no sound. But the snow scattered before her, and the bleats and cries from the caribou herd indicated that they had heard her. Panic hit the group, and they began to run as the pack bore down upon them. The ones on the outside of the group scattered and escaped into the shelter of the trees, while others simply turned tail and ran. One pair, a mother and daughter, had done the latter. They were headed towards the snowdrift that hid Triell and Arlette. Running at a sprint, Corinna adjusted her path to make a beeline towards them. Weaving in and out of frightened animals, the pack leader snarled at them, snapping at any caribou who came to close to her. Eventually, though, she had caught up to her two targets and without hesitation, leaped between them to separate them. Snapping at the cow, the pack leader snarled and snapped, hoping to push the caribou away from her offspring while the rest of the pack chased the young beast into their trap.

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Serach followed along after his mother, his anticipation rising with each step that he took. He was oblivious to the fact that Sceral was following them, but that didn't matter - he was going on a hunt! And not just by himself, but with the whole pack! But with all this snow, he wasn't entirely sure how it was going to work. He was having a hard time moving, never mind actually running in the stuff. His mother seemed confident, though, and that was good enough for him.

Eventually, though, they were there. Uncle Triell stood proud and tall, and Serach's grin instantly grew when he saw him. Jessie, Arlette, and even his brother. Bumping shoulders with his littermate, he growled a hello before quieting as his mother spoke to them. Her tone of voice had switched, and he felt a shiver go down his spine. This was not "mom" like he was used to seeing - this was "mom, leader of the pack." His green eyes shifted and he looked at his brother with a somewhat grim expression. Clearly, this wasn't playtime, but something much more serious.

And just like that, it was time to go. Triell and Arlette slunk off, leaving the rest of them to follow his mother. Serach stuck close to Sceral, padding off after him as the group followed their leader into the snow. He still wasn't entirely clear on what it was they were hunting, or how their plan was going to work, but his mother's tone had convinced him of the seriousness of the situation. Crouched low in the snow, though, he was able to see their targets for the first time. His green eyes grew wide, and his whole body froze in a mixture of surprise and fear. Those things were big. Like, really, really big. Bigger than Uncle Triell, and even bigger than his father. And they were going to hunt it? The young wolf swallowed anxiously, a high pitched whine escaping his throat. But he was silenced by the sight of his mother leaping out of safety and into the field. Unwilling to be left behind, the young Aesir followed suit.

Leaping from his crouch, Serach could have sworn he was flying for a moment. But his paws met the snowy earth and in a moment, he was running, trying his best to keep up with his mother. The caribou were scared, and their bleating and braying was enough to set his fur on edge. The biggest ones as big pointy things on top of their heads, antlers he thought they were called. They looked dangerous, and he resolved to avoid them if at all possible. The sound of hooves against the snow though was everywhere, and once Serach almost met his end. Slipping in the snow, he lurched forward, limbs flailing as he tried to catch himself. One of the frightened beasts was running towards him, and Serach whined and growled and cried as he tried to push himself up and out of the way. He made it, but barely. The young caribou was just as inexperienced as the young wolf and rather than lash out at his assailant, had ran right past him and towards the safety of the woods.

But there was no time for the Aesir boy to catch his breath. His mother had continued to run, as had the rest of the pack. He had to help them! Righting himself on his feet, he lurched forward and growled, trying to mimic the older adults and how they acted during a hunt. His mother had selected their target, and as she split off to bark at another caribou, he kept on, chasing after the young one. The going was slower, though, as the snow became deeper. His chest hurt, and his tongue rolled out in exhaustion. But he couldn't stop, he had to help. So he leaped on, hoping that with each bark and each jump, they would be joined by Triell and Arlette.

With the nudge from Serach, the pale cub offered his older brother a grin and a quiet woof. His tail wagged excitedly and a nervous glee had overwhelmed him. He almost couldn't sit still. Sadly, the joy would not last long, as Sceral's little heart dipped; Triell said he was to stay with his mother and help her. Whilst he had no qualms with being with the much loved Corinna, he wanted to prove himself both big and strong—that he could bring down prey. Neither of them were having it though. Pouting and just about ready to engage in a little back chat, Corinna explained that the Aesir siblings were to stay with her because she didn't want them getting hurt. His ears folded back, but Sceral meekly nodded. He didn't particularly want to get hurt either and the firmness in his mother's voice told him this was not negotiable. After shooting a glance to his sibling, it was obvious Serach had felt that tone too. It was time to be serious, indeed.

He was quick to follow Corinna, gently nudging his brother with a grin. He was bubbling with a mixture of excitement and fear of the unknown. Soon they were crawling and Sceral stole a look at the prey. His eyes widened, much like Serach's, and a single tooth bit back his bottom lip. They were massive! Bigger than any wolf the youngest Aesir lad had seen! His brother whined and Sceral, though scared, offered his brother an encouraging nose poke. As soon as contact was made, Corinna leapt from their hiding place and the cub flinched back from his brother. He followed his family and swallowed thickly as he leapt forwards himself, desperate to prove himself. The hunting party approached the noisy caribou, Sceral's heart matching the thundering of his paws against the ground.

They bleated, startled by the sudden appearance of the predators, and began to move. Following his mother's example, the lad snapped and barked and snarled as much as possible. Catching sight of his brother stumbling in the snow, Sceral's bark caught in his throat momentarily, bubbling forth as a mangled shriek. He slowed, only briefly, altered his course to get close to his brother. The approaching caribou's sharp hooves barely missed Serach and, finally, words found the youngest brother's tongue. “Serach,” he hollered, though no response was given. It was as if Serach hadn't heard him and Sceral watched as his older brother lunged forward—it seemed he didn't want to be a burden—towards the caribou their mother singled out.

Being the faster of the two brothers, Sceral easily caught up. The snow deepened, however, and he almost had to throw his entire body forward to plough on. His chested heaved with ragged gasps for air and barks. He pressed on, though, now going entirely from what instinct told him to. Focusing on the young now that Corinna had split the mother away from the calf's side, Sceral snapped his jaws and kept making as much noise as possible. Slipping with a yelp, the cub's chin hit the snow with a dull whomp before he scrambled back onto his paws, back onto the young caribou's tail. Hopefully Uncle Triell and Arlette would show soon.