Larkcall Lowlands after the rain

He could tell he'd thrown the younger male off. Had he really never been granted the opportunity to lead his own hunt in his birth pack? How were wolves being raised these days? By the time Wraith was Lorcan's age, he'd been leading scouting missions and hunts alike with his father acting as a gentle guide. The brute supposed he'd have to play the role of his father with concerns to young @Lorcan. Pleased to play mentor, Wraith took to it with a swaying tail. As expected, the agouti wolf rose to the occasion and swiftly made his decision. The northerner nodded with approval, offering a smile of encouragement. He was doing well for his being his first time. Most others would still be uncertain. So it wasn't a confidence problem. Merely a lack of experience. Wraith would make certain to provide the wolf with ample opportunity then. He'd speak with @Craw about it. No doubt the lead would be just fine with also teaching their new member to take more responsibility. The black male made no further comment and followed Lorcan readily to the trees. He bumped his shoulder against the lad companionably, glad that he'd answered the male's call. Every chance to teach another was a gift that he'd not waste without reason. It was good experience for him as well to guide an older wolf so that he may reign in the younger generation with a more experienced paw.

Burtn @DA & Dawnthieves.de

Hunting post 3/8

To Lorcan’s relief his superior offered him an approving nod, which made the young male relax just a little knowing that his plan had some promise. The subordinate had, of course, been on hunts before – but they had always been alongside his more dominant siblings and so he had never actually had the opportunity to lead one himself. Always been pushed out of the way, Lorcan had learnt to simply follow orders to get the job done.

With Wraith’s approval, Lorcan began to jog towards the trees where they would stay hidden undercover from the bathing swans. The subordinate yapped excitedly when their shoulders bumped, tail sweeping down in a brief moment of submission before it rose again to wag fervently through the air as they moved together. Salmon pink tongue lolled from his mouth as they covered the distance towards the surrounding woodland as he felt his muscles grow warm and his breath quicken with adrenaline.

Finally, the shade of the trees greeted them, cool air washing over their warm skin as they moved beneath the canopy. Lorcan made sure to keep well hidden, trailing along the edge of the trees and weaving between them so that his agouti coat should not catch the sunlight. Glancing to his right, his golden eyes remained fixed upon the group of swans out on the hinterland, searching for the perfect angle to advance.

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

@Lorcan - sorry for the wait. Gonna try to get this wrapped up soon.

This was what all of them had yearned for, wasn't it? Upon founding Whitestone, Craw, Morganna, Capable, Celandine, and himself had hoped for a strongly knit pack. Encouraging free-thinking seemed the wisest course of action as long as egos could remain tempered. Lorcan was a gentle fellow by Wraith's judgement. He was hesitant, but willing to learn, willing to work. Perhaps others in the past had pushed him aside to follow their own aspirations for leadership, but the black brute would do no such thing. As long as Lorcan could still follow orders when necessary, the Second was happy for him to learn to think freely, to develop a sense of independence for the rare time when he would not have the entire strength of the pack behind him in times of need.

The younger wolf's excitement in the heat of the hunt was infectious and brought forth a quiet, delighted chuckle from the more experienced male. He knew well it wasn't Lorcan's first hunt, but it was a first of sorts. A first in which he was responsible for its success or failure, either way. In the end, the result hardly mattered. The pack was well fed and a failure in this day would mean little. But in another, it could be detrimental. Better for mistakes to be made and learned from now when all was well so that he could be trusted in full when winter hit hard.

And it would hit hard. The tundra swans were already evidence of that. Their migrations were early. Winter was coming fast. If the scent on the air was anything to judge by, Wraith would say it would be a hard one. But they would prevail. They must.

As Lorcan stopped and considered, the brute saw an opportunity. By chance, the wind had shifted. While any other prey would be long gone with the wind coming from behind the wolves and carrying their scent directly to them, the swans were more concerned by the harshness of the biting cold against their eyes. Each turned in unison against the battering wind. It killed Wraith to wait and allow the boy the chance to see it for himself and make a move, but teaching required patience. This hunt was Lorcan's to lead, win or lose.

Hunting post 5/8

As Lorcan lingered there is search of the perfect position to advance on the large gathering of a birds, the wind changed its direction. The subordinate froze as the wind hurtled back straight towards the white-feathered prey, carrying their pungent scent along with it. Surely the game was over now? The swans would catch on to their ominous scent. However, as Lorcan’s heart began to sink with disappointment, his golden eyes remained gazing towards the birds and noticed something odd. Mere seconds passed before his heart quickened with excitement yet again. The swans weren’t fleeing and instead were now turning their bodies away to shield themselves from the sharp wind.

Salmon pink tongue lolled from his parted jowls as Lorcan feigned forwards, a single forepaw lingering above the ground as he tested the birds’ reaction. When nothing happened, Lorcan grew bolder, stepping out from the cover of the trees as traipsing cautiously across the expanse of grassland towards the temporary water source where the prey congregated, pausing mid-step every so often to check that they hadn’t noticed him approaching. The scent of the large birds filled his nostrils as he grew closer. He was now positioned just a few metres away. Keeping low to the ground and his tail still, the subordinate studied the birds. Golden eyes hungrily darted through the plump white-feathered bodies in search of a suitable target to strike down.

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

@Lorcan - Again, sorry for the wait. I wrote my reply about 6 times. Unfortunately, I would accidentally close out the tab when I was nearly finished by flicking back and forth between other tabs. You think I would have learned...

A thrum of approval wove through Wraith's chest. He could see the very moment the young hunter spotted the same opportunity he had by the way the male froze and unblinkingly stared at the flock of gathered swans. The Northerner could guide a budding hunter to seeing opportunities but it was not necessarily something he could teach. Time and experience were often better teachers whereas hunger was a counter-teacher.

However, to the brute's surprise, Lorcan didn't take full advantage of the situation. Where Wraith would have taken charge, the other male timidly stepped closer in an attempt to sneak up on them despite knowing that at any moment, the wind could change and their advantage would be lost. He made no mention of it and didn't call to attention the blunder. Either Lorcan would learn when the planned failed today or Wraith would say something after as a note on how to improve.

Following suit as promised, Wraith also stalked the animals, drawing closer as the wind seemed to be on their side. When the pair were within a few strides, he ached to grumble to the wolf to make a move quickly, but patiently held his tongue even as his gut said to go, go, now, now.

Hunting post 7/8. Fade at the end of your next post?

As the agouti male crouched there, temptingly close to the seemingly-unsuspecting swans, his golden eye flitted from one individual to the next as he searched for an easy target. Unfortunately for the less experienced hunter, the birds hid their ailments well. Their faces were stoic and their calm preening and swimming behaviour gave little away. That didn’t but the subordinate off though. He’d instead target one based on its location and go for a swan more isolated from the others.

Eyeing one up which was located towards the edge of the water, Lorcan nodded his head towards it to indicate to @Wraith that he had chosen a target. The swan seemed to be busy grazing on the grasses at the edge of the water, which meant that for moments at a time its head was down, providing Lorcan with the perfect opportunity to pounce upon it unsuspectingly. Without a moment’s more hesitation, the male sprang up from the grass and raced full-speed towards the swan. Of course in that moment the entire flock of swans erupted in panic, but before the lone swan had time to react, Lorcan was upon him.

Wrestling with the large bird, Lorcan scrambled atop its back and quickly clamped his jaws around the base of the bird’s neck. Ruby red quickly stained the swan’s pristine white feathers, but the swan continued to struggle. Lorcan’s bite had been misplaced and the swan was far from etiolate. He needed to grab it from further up its neck. The swan’s head twisted around and an orange bill immediately began to pull and bite at the fur along his back…

(This post was last modified: Jan 06, 2017, 04:48 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

@Lorcan - I have archived the thread. Don't forget your LP. c:

Impatience nipped at his heels. With effort, Wraith squashed it down, refusing to relent. This hunt was being led by Lorcan and he would damn well let him lead it without taking charge. The worst thing, in the Second's opinion, to do to ruin the confidence of a young hunter was to take over without warning at the last minute. He would give the male this hunt - or the swans would not. But any failing would not be on his part.

When finally Lorcan settled on a target and charged, his attack was sloppy and ungainly. The sight nearly made him explode with laughter as his hunting partner tried to mount his quarry as if it were an elk. The other swans in their sudden fright flapped their giant wings in a flurry of feathers and wind, abandoning their flockmate to its fate. Wraith took a few snaps after them to ensure they did not interfere before turning back towards the impossibly funny sight of the swan now yanking out tufts of fur from Lorcan's back and head.

With a well aimed launch, Wraith crunched down on the bird's head, effectively ending its struggles and freeing Lorcan from the swan's counterattack. Once their prey was well and dead, the black male sat down and laughed until he could hardly breathe.

"Well done," he praised between guffaws.