Pedestal Rock [TfT] Rabbit foot

Tit for Tat, This or That

Some ravenous predator ate all of the rabbit but left its hind foot untouched next to a giant mossy rock. Maybe it's lucky?

Anyone wanna come help Gent chase off this rival predator, and claim the rabbit's foot as a toy for the kiddos? c:
@Ainashi @Jynx @Merys @Sylva @Urokh

There was plenty of extra pep in the king's steps these days. While Moraxia's absence continued even now to nag in the far back of his mind, especially with the emotional toll he knew it had taken on @Raela, there was truly nothing else negative that had befallen the pack lately. It was a remarkable thing given the persistent pattern of horrors that had plagued the past winter season. The turning of the tide bolstered his confidence and allowed him to feel more ease than anxiety at the newest responsibility welcomed upon his shoulders; fatherhood.

They were, easily, the center of his attention and the cynosure of his heart each and every waking moment, and even into his dreams. Before, his motivation had always sourced either from his most central and lofty life goal, or Raela's happiness--now, every single action taken was in one way or another tied to the children's wellbeing, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

His work continued to be thorough, but completed quicker all the same if it had him away from the natal den in which they spent their days. Every time he was gone from them, he simply couldn't wait to be back. He was on his returning leg now, having patrolled and secured the outer perimeters of the pack from early that morning to now, into the afternoon. Passing by the Springs, what he liked to think of as their private natatorium even if the pack's consistent reach could not encompass the entire body of water, the scent of a predator was noticed.

Dammit. He'd be getting back later than anticipated. This had to be addressed immediately.

Tilting back his skull, he sent out a howl requesting the assistance of any nearby subordinate in hunting down this possible threat.

After returning from the south again, Merys was happy to be strolling into familiar small and villatic territory again. He was curious to know how the pups were doing, as they seemed to grow with each day, he couldn’t imagine what a week without seeing them would be like. He ensured to have rabbits and ducks delivered to the birthing den as often as he could, and when he knew Raela or Gent were directly inside, but for the most part he enjoyed filling the caches so as he could do most of his job unseen whenever possible. The thing about being a hunter was that it was a job that could easily be identified if it was being done or not, but was not overly sociable. Granted, the less wolves he had helping with hunts, the more frequently he would have to do the actual hunting, as no large prey could be taken down by himself. At least not realistically, though Merys’ ego could likely be stretched to believe it.
 
He had not quite reached the heavily scented borders of White Fir Notch when Gent’s familiar howl went up. No sooner had the concept of ‘possible thread’ been deciphered when Merys quickened his pace to a run. His ears flicked back in concern at the thought, but then forward as his expression darkened. He did not like the idea of threats thinking they had a right to encroach on their territory just because he had stepped out. His heavy frame brought him to Gent’s projected location, though he made sure he had energy left once he got there; it was to no one’s surprise that the larger male was not a well-oiled cardiopulmonary machine, his heavy frame best used for brutish displays and strength. When Gent’s even larger dark frame came to view he slowed to a near stop, the scent of the predator thickly lined in his memory. He lowered his head and tail as he swept past the alpha before turning around again, listening for any hints on the exact location of their to-be prey. His body language was a melange of disapproval and ‘lets-get-down-to-business’ to defeat the Huns. He was more than confident now that he and his alpha were in understanding of each other when it came to these things, and he knew he would want to hit the ground running to get this over and done with immediately.

founding member | 2016

Recently, life for the White Fir Notch wolves had been smooth sailing. Raela had given birth to three healthy babies, and the new parents couldn't have seemed happier. The pups were growing like weeds already, and even though Jynx had not yet gotten a chance to socialize with them, she knew it wouldn't be long now. Her focus, was as always, making sure the growing pack was well fed, with plenty of resources within easy reach. At this time of year, late spring, animals all around had given birth to their young. Predator and prey alike. That meant an abundance of fawns courtesy of the local deer, elk and moose population to choose from. They were easy pickings on their own, provided you could get by the watchful eyes of their mothers, and avoid a hoof clipping your shoulder.

Knowing that the children of the Notch would soon be shifted to an all meat diet, Jynx was nearly ready to start them off with something easy. A small mouse, no bigger than her paw, would make for a fine first practice tool. However, so as not to overwhelm or confuse the pups, she would not bring it back alive. Not yet. The russet female had been on the trail, in search of a nest where she could locate this tiny, yet somehow elusive prey. And that's when Gent's voice broke the peace. Her ivory brows furrowed, delicate facial features hardening somewhat. It sounded serious. Tossing all previous thoughts of her miniature hunt aside, she turned and loped off quickly to his call. Only a single phrase repeated itself in her mind, whilst on her way. Now what?

At almost every other turn, just when the tides were beginning to shift favorably for his wolves, that there was another problem to be dealt with. She didn't complain, just took it in stride. Chalking it up to fates way of testing the pack, to keep them strong and bonded. A reminder that the paradise they called home, while beautiful, was full of constant challenges. Emerging from a thin line of trees, she appeared several yards away to Gent and Merys's right. Nothing was amidst, not upon first sight. But the overpowering scent that hit her nose was unmistakable. Cat. Hackles standing on end instinctively, her lips pursed as she scoured the area with narrowed yellow optics for the encroaching feline. It was close. She took a step forward to move towards the males, but an imperfection in the soil made her pause. Glancing down, her left fore-paw sat directly atop a much larger footprint. Distinctly cat like, reeking of cougar. Jynx knew enough about these felines, that judging by this print, this cat was not quite fully grown. Blazing yellow eyes filled with seriousness flickered up to Gent and Merys. "Cougar..." She hissed in a low voice. "Adolescent." What they really needed now was for Raela, Sylva and Zilas to arrive. Just three wolves against a juvenile mountain lion was gonna be tough. 

(This post was last modified: Jun 08, 2016, 04:13 AM by Jynx.)

@Merys was the one to answer his call, and the man was greeted with a small and brief but appreciative smile. No questions were asked of him, instead the older wolf slipped straight into tracking mode, and Gent would not waste time either. His limbs moved at a steady stride to take him onto the trail and he began to work with Merys to navigate the scent cone the rival had left in its wake. It was only moments later that @Jynx joined in, and she was given the same silent greeting. It was fairly wonderful that both of their aspiring hunters had been the one to answer his request, and not, say, @Sylva.

Jynx' voice rose up to clarify the target, and Gent's directions came swiftly after.

"Give it a good scare and chase it out of bounds."

If it was an adolescent, it was possible that it was still living under the protective radar of its mother, as well as having nearby siblings. While he could not claim to know the mind of cougars, retribution from other predators was not unheard of. With his own children wandering farther each and every day, he would not risk such ire being drawn to his pack. If they frightened the cat, rather than murdering, it was far more likely to carry the fact back to its relatives that the wolf pack near the springs was not to be trifled with.

His pace picked up once more, off on this mission. He wanted it done fast so that he could finally return back to his family.

Once Jynx joined them, Merys was more than happy to keep their small party the size it was. At least he knew that these two wolves were committed to the same ideals. Of all the wolves in White Fir Notch, Gent and Jynx were the two he trusted the most. Once Gent gave his orders for scare tactics rather than an exotic meal, Merys bid his wishes for a challenge a silent goodbye. Cougars were cats packed with muscle with a dangerous vigour for staying alive. While it was an obvious choice, Merys would still have liked to have that trophy in his wheel-house. That would have been an accomplishment worth being proud of the Notch wolves for. But, alas.

The alpha picked up his pace, and the hunters followed suit. Having picked up the scent, Merys weaved back and forth as they narrowed in on the edges of the cone. The scent was easily identifiable, such a solid creature gave off so many skin grafts compared to a rabbit or even a light doe. As its scent grew stronger, Merys' motivation increased, licking his lips in anticipation. The lucky thing about cougars is that they were also lazy and sloth-like. They sat in trees, they sun-bathed, they cleaned their face with their paws ... right?? Who does that.. Merys shook his head; felines would forever be a mystery for themselves. 

The trio were in luck two-fold for sneaking up on the cougar, as it was the middle of the day - the best time to hunt. The warm sun overhead ensured that the air currents switched back and forth when hit with hot sun and cool shade, making it difficult for prey to identify its suitors until it was too late. Three wolves narrowing edges on a zeitgeber scent cone was going to be a lot more successful than a lazing cat with lots of sun and shade between them. 

The trio slowed down once the cat came into view. As expected, the cat lazed away in the spring sun, cleaning its chest fur. The Notch wolves were still hidden behind foliage, safely down draft from the feline. "You're sure you don't want cat steaks for supper?" He asked of the king quietly, a playful lilt to his tone assuring that it was understood as a joke. Couldn't be too careful with these pack wolves, sometimes they didn't get his sense of humour. His ears pricked forward, eyes remaining fixed on their enemy. "We're going to have to flank her if we want to send her away from the borders," he stated, though it was a fact easily visible by all three, "I hope she's skittish," he said calmly, he voice lowered to a more serious one now. It wasn't the chasing part that would be difficult, it would be convincing the feline to run.. and then run in the right direction. They were climbers, not runners, so if they weren't careful, they might not get the cat very far if she simply decided to head up a tree. "Let's try to avoid her heading up a conifer. I myself am not a strong climber, I don't know about you guys," he said, finally turning his eyes away from the feline for a second, and instead to his pack mates for a confirmation of the plan. 

founding member | 2016

With a short, stiff nod, Jynx was prepared to execute her leaders commands. Falling into line with her fellow hunting partner, (and a fine one at that), she allowed the PUISSANT scent of cat to filter into her nostrils, expelling it back out with each breath. Each stride of her long limbs brought her closer and closer to their quarry. Instinctively, her hackles began to rise, each flame and black tipped hair quivering. Jaw set, lips pulled into a thin, taut line, the huntress was ready to take on a different kind of prey altogether.

Slowing down her pace, she silently moved up alongside the two larger males, grateful for the cover the foliage provided. There, in typical feline fashion, the tawny cat lounged. Jynx could only crinkle her lips back in a silent sneer at the sight of her. This cat had some nerve, lazing about in their backyard as if it owned the place! Just as they had taught the bear, they would show this cat the wolves of White Fir Notch did not tolerate uninvited guests. Her brows knitted together briefly, considering Merys' suggestion, and what to add on to it.

"We want her out, past the borders." She said stiffly, not to criticize, but to further elaborate on the plan. "If we tree her, she won't be likely to come down for a while." A shift of yellow eyes found those of her hunting partner, a single ear turned to show Gent that she had him in mind as well. "To avoid that..." She moistened her dry lips with a lick of her tongue. "...we need to place ourselves between her and the treeline." It was a risk, getting between the cougar and her only direct route to safety. But if faced with three, angry wolves blocking that path, she would be foolish to try and take them on.

Instinctively, Gent felt a flare of agitation as the cougar came within view. It wasn't the animal's nature or being that disgruntled him, however; the man had a certain amount of admiration for any well-muscled beast. Rather, it was alone the flippant manner in which it had chosen to hunt and laze about in the domain that he commanded that crawled under his skin and gnawed at him. @Merys' joking voice reached his ears, and that tiny piece of him that was impulsive yearned to say on second thought... but of course it was squashed by reason.

"Autumn," he answered, throwing the other man a small but wry smile. "I promise."

The season of changing leaves was the sweet spot for mother cats to abandon their young to fend for themselves, making a hunt far safer as far as lingering repercussions were involved. Gent himself wouldn't mind going up against once of powerful felines so long as it was safe for his pack to do so, in fact the idea was rather appealing.

As the two hunters discussed the lay of what they were about to undertake, Gent merely listened. The treeline Jynx proposed, and the shade king's pale eyes swept over their surroundings briefly. Already they were very near their target, the ground gravelly and the trees sparse compared to what was behind them. Ahead, they thinned swiftly, and Gent felt confident as he moved forward without a word.

Trusting Jynx and Merys to place themselves startegically in reaction to his movements by their own merits, he did not throw pointed looks or use his voice to guide them. As heavy as he was, his steps were silent, waiting until an opportune moment to make his presence known. They had really gotten lucky to catch the beast cat napping, remnants of its poached meal scattered at the base of the boulder it lay upon. When the position and timing was right, Gent lunged.

His jaws opened and closed repeatedly, expelling a sharp and threatening bark each time. The cougar nearly leapt from out of its skin, a jagged yowl bellowing from its snarling mouth as it took a swipe at him. Wary to such attempts, Gent easily dodged the attack without relenting the barrage of raucous sound and intimidating flashes of his fangs. It would be up to his subordinates to add to the bluff and send her running.

An evil grin crossed Merys’ maw at the king’s promise. That would be more than an appropriate time to go back for feline revenge. While cubs typically had that extra effort to kill the innocent, there was always that more overbearing need to protect for the future. So they could run into less situation like this one. A good battle with Momma-cat would be nice before the winter came, and it would be a tasty and well-earned trophy to bring back to the bear cave. Satiated, his mind moved back to the task at hand.
 
Jynx added that the treeline would be best to head the cat towards, and his eyes travelled towards the thinning greenery. “Mm,” he agreed quietly, appreciative that there was an even playing when it came to the three hunters. A mutual understanding of the plan beforehand would be best, that way they could execute it with minimal flaw and refrain from squandering if something unfortunate arose.
 
Merys bolted as soon as his peripherals saw the black figure next to him move forward. That would be it, I guess. He opened up his strides widely as they covered the ground quickly. He let his Alpha take the lead, but was at his side the moment the cougar startled towards him. A dangerous snarl ripped from his maw, his teeth bared for the cat to see. He was happy to watch Gent anticipate the cougar’s reaction to the rude awakening. He jumped and lunged at the cat a few feet to the right, aiming himself between the cat and the back of their borders. She would have to go through him if she dared go further into their borders. He filled the air with a raucous of terrifying sounds, his legs dancing beneath him as she tried her own intimidation routine at them. 
 
She stammered back a few steps before turning back to them, back curled and teeth bared, swiping instinctively. She repeated this again and again, winning them a couple feet at a time, too proud to fully bolt just yet. But every time she turned, oh how he wanted to scrape at her flanks.. He refrained though, however much he wanted that victory. The feline-canine war would have to wait for another day, giving him a malicious pleasure that helped his self-control. He continued to lunge with his partners strategically, ensuring the cougar had nowhere to go but out, and she was going to have to go soon.

founding member | 2016

The thought of taking on a cougar one day, and using it's carcass as a potential meal, was not quite as appealing to the vibrantly colored female as it was to the males. Still, as a hunter, the prospect of sampling new cuisine was never out of the question. Maybe if she ever got a sudden, real craving for cat, then she would dive in without any further contemplation. For now, Jynx only huffed amusedly at the exchange of jest between the mature males, a smile barely detectable on her lips. Her mind did not linger for long, as her eyes shifted back to their target again. There was work to be done.

Gent and Merys wordlessly seemed to agree to her suggested tactics, and as the black Alpha bolted forward leading the charge, she followed on the heels of her fellow hunter. Her state of mind clicked into an entirely different gear. One of predatory aggression, instinct and defensiveness. This cat had to be driven out at all costs. Dealing with such an animal, the wolves had to be bold, but just as cautious. Those teeth and razor claws were not to be taken lightly. Her paws flew across the earth, legs tucking and extending to provide short, powerful strides forward. Although smaller in comparison to Gent and Merys, Jynx was no less intimidating. Especially when she was soaring towards the lounging feline like an angry hornet. Ears pinned back, her dark lips peeled away unsheathe all forty two glistening white teeth. From that gaping throat emerged booming snarl after snarl, incisors clicking on empty air as she filled in the gap to the right. 

While her pack mates worked the startled cougar with their bluffs, Jynx kept the pressure on. Even with all of her snarling, hissing and swiping, the cougar seemed to give ground, slowly. Wisely, as she reeled around to face the third wolf at her side, Jynx darted out of range of those extended claws. Just growling, lunging and barking wasn't going to cut it. In her personal opinion, she wanted to make absolutely sure that the cougar got the message that these wolves were serious. Backpedaling, Jynx spotted an opening at the young cats unguarded backside. Perfect! Bravely, she lunged, jaws opening. Her target was the very tip of it's tail, where she would surely feel the pressure of teeth against her sensitive appendage, perhaps enough of an aggravation to send her running. As her teeth hit the mark, she only held on for a split second, well aware of the retaliation that could come her way. And sure enough, the cougar yowled angrily and in pain, whirling around to try and land yet another swipe of the claws on a wolf who was no longer attached to her tail.