Larkcall Lowlands after the rain

For @Wraith, and anyone else who wishes to join :3

RE - Torrential rain has caused flooding in certain areas.

The sky was still dark and grey and brooding as Lorcan gazed up to it, golden eyes observing it with suspicion as he once again made his way wandering through the lowland expanse. The rain had just eased, with the last few droplets of water plummeting from the stormy skies. A large raindrop splattered on the ridge of the young male’s nose before slowly trickling down to settle within the crevasse of his charcoal lips. He shook his pelt, sending a fine spray of water in every direction. He had been unlucky with the weather, having been positioned too far away from the monadnock to seek shelter when the rain had started. Now, with his fur slicked into haphazard spikes, the male was starting to dry off – and he hoped that the rain was over for now so that he would not have to turn back to the pack empty-handed.

The young male had spotted an area of shallow water pooling on the tundra in the distance. Today had not been the first time the area had been struck with heavy rain, but it was only now that Lorcan had spotted an opportunity to turn the weather to his advantage. Where the land had flooded, and temporary bodies of water had formed, waterfowl settled. Still a fair distance away, Lorcan sat eagerly in the tall grasses of the lowlands, eyeing a particular group of birds up hungrily. Large birds with stark white plumage and onyx beaks. The swans seemed to have taken a particular fancy to the new semi-aquatic terrain, squawking and honking loudly in delight. Throwing his head to the sky, Lorcan howled out to any wolves nearby, hoping to rally a small hunting party.

(This post was last modified: Jul 23, 2016, 03:01 PM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

As luck would have it, Whitestone Monadnock's Second was out on a routine patrol when he heard the call. Quirking an ear, he recognized the voice as belonging to their newest recruit. The black man wagged his tail and lifted his muzzle skyward to signal Lorcan back to let him know he was on his way. A short hunt was more interesting than his currently boring patrol. Thankfully, he'd spotted nothing out of the ordinary, but Wraith had to admit he could use some break from the daily norm every now and then. As long as that break did not include a certain loopy female from one of the bordering packs... It was a miracle Sylva was still among the living after how that mouth of hers could run off at the most inopportune moments. Making his way through the scratchy fields of stiff grass, Wraith found Lorcan standing watch over a bevy of tundra swans. He'd seen the large birds many a time flying over the mountains of his homelands, but they'd never settled so far up in altitude for him to get such a good look at them. They were larger than he expected and could put up for an interesting hunt. Upon approaching Lorcan, Wraith growled his greeting gently, teasingly nipping at the younger wolf's ears. "Looks like you're getting the hang of the tundra. Are you after taking one down, then?"

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de

@Wraith, feel free to PP them starting to move towards them in your next post if you want :)

Russet ears perked up with interest when a familiar voice howled through the cool breeze. Wraith. Lorcan’s tail swayed excitedly at the call of his fellow pack mate, eager to spend some time with his superior. He knew little of the dark-hued male, having only brief encounters previously, the first when he was accepted into the pack and, the second during the pack hunt they had both participated in, although he has already come to admire and respect the male.

Lorcan sensed Wraith approaching long before his slightly larger dark form finally presented itself, the thick musky scent of the pack clung to his fur like strong perfume. Black nostrils flared as the Lorcan inhaled the man’s scent as he drew close, and purred back in greeting. When his superior nipped playfully at his ear, Lorcan immediately shook his head in an equally playful manner to shake him off, before flattening back his ears and submissively curling his tail and then snaking his muzzle up to nestle beneath Wraith’s chin, salmon pink tongue licking at his jowls in humble greeting.

A grin tugged at his charcoal lips when Wraith commented on his adaptation to the tundra terrain, turning back to look towards the group of swans which continued to splash about on the shallow water in the distance. “Yes, I was hoping that you could assist me – they look rather large for a bird.” Lorcan commented, his tone surprised, as he turned back to glance at Wraith with one white brow raised. “I’ve never taken down a swan before,” He admitted, doubt hinting in his voice as he licked at his muzzle with uncertainty. “How do you think we should tackle this?” He asked, tail swaying with eager curiosity. Lorcan was always willing to learn and only practice would inculcate the skills and knowledge he desired.

(This post was last modified: Jul 26, 2016, 09:23 AM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

@Lorcan's polite, yet playful greeting was appreciated as always. Though the wolf's time in the pack had been short, Wraith had yet to find a single instance in which the younger male had fallen out of line or shirked assigned duties. In fact, he seemed to relish each opportunity to prove himself. In this instance, Wraith was more than happy to continue to extend that branch to see just where he would take it. At Lorcan's question, Wraith turned and smiled back at him. "How do you think we should take them?" he challenged. The northerner already had his own plan formed on how to take one of their flighted quarry, but he was far more interested in seeing how the other would work out the challenge both in theory and in practice. He would learn more if he was able to formulate his own plan and try it out rather than simply follow Wraith's direction. It was how his own father had taught him how to hunt and how Wraith felt was best for others to learn. Try, try, and try again. Only then would a helping paw be offered. Besides, Lorcan was hardly a pup. He was capable. All he needed was the confidence to follow through with it. "Walk me through what you would do," Wraith suggested quietly, amber eyes tracking back towards the aggressively dabbling bevy.

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de

If you want me to add more, let me know, and feel free to PP them begin the hunt whenever you want to start it :)

When @Wraith turned to smile across to him, Lorcan wagged his tail and eagerly awaited to hear the superiors hunting advice. However, the subordinate was left waiting with mild disappointment when no such advice was offered and instead the dark-haired male suggested that Lorcan suggest his own plan. The agouti-coloured male tilted his head to one side in thought whilst his golden eyes scanned over the group of large white swans that honked contentedly on the temporary body of water in the distance. His nose twitched as he pondered over different strategies and quickly decided his initial idea wouldn't be the best. "Well, I wouldn't want to take one head-on..." He stated, tongue licking at his charcoal lips. With their long narrow necks and large orange beaks, the swans would surely strike at them from all sorts of angles before they could even get close enough to attack back. "... And those large wings look like they could get in the way if we attacked from the side." He murmured, still engrossed in thought.

 Golden eyes focused on the swans, his state narrowing into concentrated slits. His tail flicked subconsciously behind him as the gears in his brain churned with schemes and ideas. A sharp inhale broke the momentary silence as he came to a decision. Hesitantly he turned to Wraith, head tilted to one side in question, unsure the the older superior would like his idea. "Maybe if we attack from behind? One of us could keep low and try and grab its feet to keep it down, whilst the other tries to get on its back and go for its neck?" To Lorcan the plan seemed like it could work, but there was always room for mishap. The swan could turn its head around at any moment and attack or use its large wings to take off and fly away before they even got close.

(This post was last modified: Aug 13, 2016, 11:27 AM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

Lorcan was capable, that much was clear. His strategies weren't horribly detailed and Wraith noted the two-dimensional mindset of a younger hunter with acceptance. Of course, the northerner had grown in a world where land was never flat and there were plenty of ledges to use to one's advantage. Front, side, behind. Nothing on how to keep them from simply flying off or using the wind to help them. The black male lifted his face to said wind, mouth slightly ajar as he took in a deep breath. It was blasting powerfully enough to ruffle fur and feathers alike. Strong gusts almost seemed to pummel down upon the land. Wraith imagined it would be rather difficult to get lift off without a good running start. He nearly allowed the younger wolf to have his way. Experience was often a better teacher, but there was little point setting Lorcan up for failure. Still, he didn't intend on giving his answer away. "Look at the way they stand," Wraith encouraged patiently. "Too many eyes in too many directions and those necks are fast enough to swivel in whichever direction we would come from." The black brute allowed for a pause, hoping the youth would catch on to what he was trying to communicate without blurting it out for him. "There is something else that could help us. It's useful in most hunts, especially for herd animals. Though I've heard birds have a poor sense of smell, so I imagine these ones will have to rely on sight and sound to learn of our presence." And with the way the wind was buffeting across the plains, it was likely they would have plenty of cover in terms of sound. "But yes," he murmured, smiling at Lorcan. "Attacking one from behind would be ideal."

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de

There is a rabbit's nest nearby. +1 Health

Feel free to have Lorcan follow Wraith’s lead, if you want to start the hunt. Also, could try and make this a ‘teaching’ thread for you if you like? Lorcan would be happy to follow instructions/advice

It was only when @Wraith pointed out to him that the group of swans had eyes in every direction, that Lorcan realised that if even a single bird should spy them approaching that the game would be over. They would all turn against him without hesitation, and getting pecked to death wasn’t on Lorcan’s agenda today. Nodding in agreement, the subordinates charcoal lips tugged to one side in contemplation. “You’re right..” He murmured, his golden eyes scanning over the large flapping birds and observed them, noticing that there was always at least one bird with his neck up whilst the others had their attention on the water.

Lorcan grew more hopeful when Wraith pointed out that birds often had a poor sense of smell, and so relied much more on sight and sound. Luckily for them, the weather was on their side and the wind would easily muffle their movement through the grass – and if they kept out of sight, they would be almost undetectable to the swans. “If we use the grass for cover, they won’t see us coming.” He turned to Wraith, tongue lolling from his mouth in excitement. “If we get close enough, we could just spring out onto the back of one.” Lorcan chuffed, rather pleased with the plan he had formulated with Wraith’s assistance. “What do you think?” He asked, stretching out into a play bow, readying his muscles for movement.

(This post was last modified: Sep 08, 2016, 08:50 AM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

It was more than just a test of the boy's ability to hunt. Wraith wanted to know how amiable to changing strategies Lorcan could be. While he could work with a stubborn mule for a hunting partner, it was nicer to have one willing to take advice to try a different technique on the gamble that it may not work. Not so set in his ways that he was incapable of growing, this one. It pleased the dark northerner that their pack was growing in more ways than just in number. "I like it," the brute complimented with a gentle smile. Soon enough, he'd be helping to take the pups through the same paces. It was nice to have the practice now with someone who already had some experience so he wasn't starting from the ground up. Already, he'd been working on training techniques catered to the pups' age. Games made for perfect lessons, even if they thought they were only having fun. Hiding a rabbit hide around the monandock was one such game Odin and Kara seemed to enjoy, giving them plenty of scenting practice. "I'll follow your lead," Wraith murmured, inclining his head. Letting @Lorcan get the practice leading a hunt was another such test for when the pups would be old enough to go out on their own. Knowing if the younger male was trustworthy enough to lead such a hunt would be another good thing to know.

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de

Hunting post 1/8

Lorcan raised a brow in surprise when his superior, Wraith, suggested that he should lead the hunt. The subordinate felt a slight tugging in his stomach, unsure about Wraiths decision to put him in charge. Surely he was more experienced? But, Lorcan would not contest with the man’s decision, and so, with a small nod of his head Lorcan rose to his feet. Quickly, he scanned the surrounding area. The long grass would only be good cover once they were in close proximity to the tundra swans, but from their current position upon a small hill in the lowlands, they were easily spotted.

Rotating his head slowly, his golden eyes eventually settled on the trees which clung to the edge of the lowlands. They could walk towards them in plain sight of the birds without them feeling threatened, since they would not appear to be heading towards the white-feathered prey. For all the swans knew, they would be off in search of other prey. Once behind the cover of the trees they could advance around to position themselves behind the birds and then stalk carefully through the long grass. Now his plan was formulated, Lorcan turned back to Wraith. Waving his muzzle through the air towards the trees, he indicated towards them to his superior. “This way.” He stated, before continuing in a hushed tone. “We’ll find a better position to advance on them.” He stated, swiftly turning on his heels as he began to make his way casually down towards the woodland, tail wagging briefly in the air with excitement.

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together