Copper Rock Creek BWP: Red Water

@Raela @Gent & the rest of WFN - A pig is getting close to your lands, better watch your caches!

He'd laid low since the experience among the willow trees, keeping away from the stench of dog as he slowly moved north along the mountains. There was plenty of food even when he stayed away from that cached by his enemies, even if it wasn't as good. He made do, wading through waterways and muddy underbrush, relishing the treats he found there. All was good until he reached the dense, gnarly woods, dry and barren, making him more than a little grumpy. He was a majestic creature, he could not go for many days without eating! Grumbling loudly, he prowled through the forest, not caring what destruction he left in his wake, he was hungry!

When finally the boar emerged from the Ghastly Woods, he was famished, and angry! With great conviction he took to plowing up the earth, filling his empty stomach with fungi and earthworms, but it wasn't enough. He continued forwards, soon reaching a creek bordered by reddish rocks, its banks packed with reeds and other water plants, that the beast took to with the same vigor as he had the earth previous. The roots were filling and fragrant, but he still hungered for more; Only piles of meat would satisfy him.

(This post was last modified: Apr 02, 2016, 11:51 AM by Veho. Edit Reason: Tags! )

Posting here first via Jen's request!

 

Reach for the stars

Not even a full month had passed since the founding of White Fir Notch, and already, there was trouble. While it certainly was a joyous time of year for the former Crest wolves, with Raela and Gent expecting, and with a new home upon which to build their foundation, this paradise seemed to have a way of testing them at every turn. First came the unfortunate injury of the brave second, @Moraxia, and now another unwelcome guest was at their doorstep.

Jynx was not amused. Searing gold eyes were narrowed into slits, russet ears pinned back as she leered at the beast through the dense cover the conifer trees provided. While some may have found the tightly spaced trees too confining, in this case, they assisted the she wolf in staying un-detected by her rival for as long as possible. Dark lips quivered and peeled back, watching as the boar brazenly moved deeper and deeper into the packs territory. Unlike @Raela, who stood not far from her side, Jynx had not yet encountered one of these destructive, dangerous foes. But she was aware of them; she had caught a whiff of one some time ago, back in the Cedar Wood forest. She dismissed it as simply a one time incident, and nothing more. Now, seeing another of it's kind here in her own home confirmed that these wretched animals meant trouble. It needed to be disposed of.

Stifling a growl of pure outrage towards the invader, Jynx turned to share a look with her Queen. She knew intuitively, that with her, there was no need for elaborate words to spell out what had to be done. They thought so much alike...the unspoken communication between them felt natural. "While you call the others, I will keep an eye on it." She swiveled her head back in the boars direction, not yet moving an inch. "I will see to it that it does not get far." A single audit flicked to the side, before she added. "I'll follow at a distance." She assured her friend. @Moraxia was already injured from the bear attack. They did not need another wolf added to that list. Jynx had discussed with Gent and Raela, her wishes of becoming a hunter...the best in the pack. And now, here was a golden opportunity to test her skill. She would prove to them, that even when faced with the most dangerous of prey, that she was as tough as they came. No dirty swine was going to scare her. This wolf was gonna take piggy to market.

OOC: @Gent @Sylva @Merys @Ainashi - Raela is requesting your presence, we need some help over here! Would love to turn this into a pack hunt if you guys are willing. 

The puppies were starving her, or at least that's how it felt sometimes. Cravings and hunger pangs had set in with full force, driving the mother-to-be to seek out more food than ever before. Her children were still just little more than some extra pudge on her underside, but already they demanded their own meals. In a few short weeks, a little hunting trip like this would be difficult, not to mention ill-advised. It was still dangerous even now; should they target deer or elk, but the two women had not set out with such lofty goals in mind. Birds would have been better, or perhaps a couple marmots. Instead, the first scent to really grab their attention once they moved past the borders was boar. 

She had heard of the distasteful creatures from her mate, and his little encounter; even picked up its lingering musk at the scene of their raided cache. They could not allow such a thing to happen again; not with their food stores so low from the move, and depleted daily by the pregnant matriarch. Her eyes settled on the creature as Jynx leered; having heard its ravenous feasting from a ways off. These things weren't particularly stealthy, it would seem. As they stared from within the dense foliage, the Queen felt an uneasiness settle in her chest. It was slowly making its way toward their home. 

Raela met Jynx's eager glance with her own, content to hear the woman's plan out. If Jynx was going to become a hunter, she would have to be allowed the chance to learn. While this was difficult prey to begin with, the older woman would be sure to monitor the coming battle closely. She wasn't about to risk her children by attacking directly anyway. Distraction was going to be her task. Thankfully, her subordinate's words were agreeable, and with a swift nod Raela turned to face the borders. She slunk further into the thick trees, hoping to put more timber between her and the threat, before tipping her muzzle to the sky and summoning all that could hear. She was well aware of @Moraxia's injury, and if the guardian-in-training could not make it, that was fine. Hopefully the rest of them would sense the urgency in her voice and be on the scene quickly. 

            

Merys had not felt so plump in many months. After joining White Fir Notch (as it was now referred to), Merys had enjoyed the days of lounging around the forest and catching small meals to keep his belly full. The rest was a palliate for his hunger and muscle pains. The miles and miles he had been putting underneath his paws before he reached Relic Lore had kept him lean, but now he was able to return to his comfortable weight of muscle and fat. He felt healthy and ready. He was pulling sap from his fur with his teeth from earlier that morning when he heard the alpha female's call. His ears pricked up, his head twitching in the direction of the call. The brown male was not far from the pack den, luckily, so he could locate where the she-wolf was quickly. He huffed as he stood to his feet and shook out his pelt as best he could, and tilted his head back in response, assuring his new alpha that he was coming to her urgent call.

As he had learned over the years of following prey, Merys' eyes were the last of his senses to know what he was being beckoned for. He smelled the pungent pig, heard and felt the ruckus on the outside of their borders, clumsily clashing through wood and earth. He slowed and made to keep his profile hidden so that he did not find himself on the wrong side of their dirty company. He identified Jynx and Raela's scent among the trees and he padded forward, slinking through the foliage until he caught sight of the magistrate. His profile was already low to ground under the circumstances, and he kept it that way as he approached her. "My queen, have you invited company for supper?" he asked in a low voice, still with a playful note in his tone. He willingly tried to ignore her overbearing pregnant scent and her growing belly. A thought crossed his mind about whether or not she should be around the dangerous situation, but he pressed it out of his mind. She was a female who made her choices, and he still harboured annoyance at the first time he had learned it with another, dangerous creature situation.

founding member | 2016

OOC! OOC Note<3

Sylva laid sprawled out beside beside the creek, the very tips of her paws dipped into the gentle tugging current. the young healer in training had been dozing, lulled into a light sleep by the gentle trickle of the thawing source of water. A clear, crisp howl cut through the air and soft brown eyes shot open as the Yearling quickly rolled over and stood, shaking her fur out with a grunt as she realized that the call had belonged to Raela. “That doesn't sound good.” She murmured as she set off at a quick trot toward the source of the noise.

As the small chocolate black shape started to come closer to her destination, a rank and rancid smell took up the air and caused her to gag quietly. UGH! That is disgusting! Sylva gave her muzzle a shake as she ran in order to dislodge the unwelcome smell. Arriving near where she hoped that she detected the source of the noise and in turn Raela. She skidded to a stop as she heard various loud crashes and rustling. Intruder? She wondered as she cocked her head to the side, her ears pricked as she caught her Alpha and packmates’ scent just up ahead.

The young healer in training fell into a low crouch, common sense screaming at her that now was a time to be silent as she moved closer to her family. Her already small body, even lower to the ground as she moved silently before coming up near the agouti female and brown male, She didn’t have a witty or funny comment instead, she realized that whatever was causing the noise was indeed an intruder, not only that, it was briskly destroying the very trees and herbs that her pack would need to survive, a low muted growl escaped the coca colored female at the mere thought of such a transgression and her hazel eyes fell onto Raela “What can I do ma’am?”

ThoughtDialogue

Raela's wholesome voice sung of danger on the fringe, immediately setting the mammoth beast into motion. The forest around him spoke of others on the move, all converging onto the cynosure that was their summoning Queen. When her agouti-draped figure came into view, the gathered packmates garnered little attention from him. Swept up against her side in a whisper of a moment, his muzzle searched her crown and nape for harm and only when this brief, prink gesture confirmed that she remained untouched did he focus on the situation as a whole. His subordinates' voices had picked up as the alpha had made his approach, vaguely registered within his head and all asking for direction. The scent that siphoned through his lungs was familiar, reminding him that the only other to face such an animal with him was not present. Hopefully, @Ainashi was only moments behind them.

As they were and with what he knew, it was certain within Gent that he did not want Raela involved. The boar that had desecrated Minka's final resting place had been enough to resist the attempts of three grown men to dissuade it, managing to make its way to and demolish a small cache before at last they'd been able to run it off. Every piece of that event encouraged him to act vengefully upon this one, but also whispered to him that a level of caution must be taken.

"We're going to hunt it down; it has to be killed," he announced then, and motioned forward with his muzzle to encourage the pack to seek out the woman that could be scented, still hidden within the trees before them. "Jynx is ahead, she will lead."

The recruit had made it obvious she wanted to be a hunter; this would be her test. If she faltered, Gent would be certain to regain hold of the reigns. He would need to be watching closely, lest Moraxia find herself with a roommate.

Hey guys, so because we're wrapping up the BWP, this is going to be the last staff post in this thread. The boar is going to attempt to leave, but it's up to you guys if you want to continue the hunt or let him go. If you choose to continue, you're free to control the boar from this point forwards.

Focused intently on the reeds that were quickly disappearing into the depths of his gaping maw, he did not feel the eyes watching him from the safety of the tree line. Frankly, he didn't really care either. He was big, he was dangerous, and he was hangry - a terrible combination for any dog stupid enough to attempt to take him down. As it was, he continued his search for reeds and food with little concern for caution. That is, until one of them howled. Lifting his furry head up from the water, he stared up at the trees where the sound had come from. Grunting, he pulled back from the water and onto the rocky bank. Tossing his head angrily, he barked menacingly at the trees where he just knew more of them would be gathering, warning them that it was in their best interest to leave him alone.

As much as he welcomed the challenge, and knew that the dogs would have meat stored away, he could not see how many of them there were. Frankly, he was more in the mood for eating, not fighting. Grunting, he backed up a few paces, a little unsure about which was the best route for him to take out of here. But the longer he waited, the more opportunity they had, and so with one last angry bellow, the beast took off, charging forward and to his right into the trees with no intention of stopping or slowing down until the scents of the dogs had subsided.

Reach for the stars

Jynx had known that the moment Raela howled, the pig would start to flee and the game would be up. But, several of the pack were quick to answer the call. While she could hear the voices of Merys, Sylva and Gent behind her, the russet huntress remained poised and focused. Darting yellow eyes never once leaving the now fleeing boar.

With their presence given away, there was no sense in trying to hide or keep quiet any longer. With a rough, short bark, as a signal for the pack to follow, Jynx bolted out from cover. The damned pig was headed for the trees on the opposite side of the stream where it had been drinking, but she would not allow that to slow her down. Before breaking out into a full on sprint, she sent a glance back towards her pack mates. A glint in her eyes...a silent message. She needed at least two or three of them to diverge off to the right, back into cover, to cut the boar off. Hopefully they understood, for silent communication was often key in hunts such as these.

Wasting no further time, she used her paws to fly over the earth, a growl bellowing from her throat as she sought to gain ground on the pig. Just chasing it out of their territory wasn't good enough for her. She wanted the beast dead, a threat terminated once and for all. Open jaws snapping on empty air as she flied closer, she was nearly upon the animal. If she wanted, she could have aimed a bite at the haunches, but stayed clear. She did not need to get kicked or gored. Once the pack had the pig surrounded, then as a group, they could deal the lethal blows.

OOC: Rae is following but she can't get too close. 

 @Merys was first to join them, with an amusing remark. It reminded the matriarch of his quip during their earlier meeting, and she continued their usual comity with a wry grin. Her attention shifted to the dark yearling as she appeared between the trees then; swiftly showing her disgust with the boar and asking for direction. Raela opened her mouth to answer the natural inquiry, but the unmistakable huge cobalt form of her mate caught her eye, and she remained silent. 

He was quick to speak, and the Queen nodded in agreement. It was a hunt, after all. She was thankful for his deft clarification regarding Jynx; and made sure to glance at each of their faces in affirmation. Raela had come here with her to practice; and it was only natural that she be given a chance at the helm. That Gent would have this idea on his own, with no information about the little hunting trip the women had been on was most helpful indeed. She didn't really have to say anything more. 

With a brisk nod the mother-to-be spun from those gathered; padding toward the younger woman and her quarry with her head low. So the pig wasn't so terribly stupid after all. It  let out a foul cry and fled from them, but Raela wasn't worried just yet. A single glance toward Jynx told her that her subordinate was keeping the closest of eyes on the animal even as it tried to escape. Good. Her heart sank a little then as she broke into an easy lope. The matriarch could not risk herself as much as she would have otherwise, and thus could not offer much more than moral support and perhaps a distraction if needed. 

She could feel the slight lack of oxygen compounding upon itself as she moved across the earth and through the stream. The chill water was a wake up call to her muscles, and they so wished to participate fully in the chase. Her sunshine eyes caught Jynx's mirrored gold for a fraction of a second, and the older woman immediately understood. There was no pre-planning, no assigned roles for the attack this time. A bit trickier perhaps, but most of them knew their place in the hunt. Gent and Merys would know that the glance was definitely meant for them, and Sylva was much too small to be part of the immediate takedown, at least safely. Raela elected to keep up her brisk jog behind the huntress-in-training. For now, this was the safest place for her, and hopefully her added presence at the rear would help to keep it running into the forming trap. 

            

Merys licked his lips eagerly as he matched Jynx's glare towards the boar. He enjoyed that the young female had good instincts, he would be interested to see if she would let her air of confidence get in the way of making practical decisions. Given their already few numbers, he hoped it would not be the case. This is going to be fun, he thought wickedly. There was nothing that brought him more joy than pulling the life successfully from prey. It wasn't necessarily always in a predatory manner, but often a feeling of victory over the correct planning and calculations that it often took to take down a challenging creature. His muscles twitched and it was milliseconds after Jynx moved that he bolted after her. He knew Gent would be moving similarly, and so he moved his gallop outwards to flank the other side of the boar. 

The swine was heading for the thicker brush near the water unsurprisingly, and while he saw Jynx glance over to him in a message, he didn't need to make eye contact to know their next step; they were moving instinctually and in sync, a gratifying feeling that was oh-so familiar to him. Leading the boar into an ambush could prove dangerous if it decided to charge those that stood in its way, but with it already on the run and the terrain they found themselves in, it was their safest and quickest option. He glanced back to confirm that the others hadn't decided to take on that job, and confirmed that Gent and him had drawn those straws. He knew the black alpha would not sway once the boar came at them, of that he was confident, and so he comfortably ducked away into the brush alongside him, reaching his strides as fast as he could so they could meet Jynx at an opportune time. He only hoped that she would be wise and quick enough to only steer the boar -- a difficult task for a single wolf -- towards the two males and not try to begin taking it down herself. He had seen more than one wolf take a tusk to their gut or neck simply because they underestimated the proud creature's vigour to live and fight. This was no docile doe or caribou who accepted death when it knocked.

They listened and watched the rustle as Jynx chased the boar, readjusting every now and then when the boar veered one direction or the next. His hackles raised in anticipation of the fight they were about to have attempting to take the beast down. He knew it would not be tired before Jynx led it to them, but he was confident that at least the two male's large body weight would help throw it around and Jynx's quickness would make up for their lack. He growled low and slow, a sneer mixed into his features. His body tingled with anticipation and malice as he crouched, adrenaline ready to rip apart their prize. "You picked the wrong day, piggy," he chuckled with venom to his tone to the approaching swine. Oh, he missed this.

(This post was last modified: Jun 08, 2016, 06:56 PM by Merys.)

founding member | 2016