Cedarwood Forest curiosity killed the cat and satisfaction brought him back

Everything seemed to pass by in a blur. Suddenly Veho was by her side and she nodded breathlessly at his words. Driving the mose away would be the best option for everyone. However, she had no time to think of a plan before the moose began charging at them with no intent of slowing down. The tawny female dug her heels in, but the blurred form of Pip appeared and latched onto the much larger creature's muzzle, causing it to stagger and stumble, but still very much coming straight for her and her co-leader. Felix's cry for Pip's safety drew her attention for just a moment as she assessed that he and Ophelia were safe with Lily off to the side. That one moment was just enough time for the moose to reach the two wolves and Yvly found herself scrabbling at the ground to get out of the way before she got flattened.

She could feel the wind on her fur as the moose stumbled past, Pip still hanging on with an iron grip. "Veho, what should we do?" The tawny female called out, ruffled by the close encounter with the moose's hooves as she searched for her co-leaders form, hoping he had gotten out of the way without coming to harm. As long as Lily herded the pups to safety, the rest of the Grizzly Hollow wolves could focus on driving it away. It would be a difficult task, but the other option was bringing it down so it could not come back again for a second round. Pip had already latched on, what was to say she and Veho also went for the moose. There was a possibility of bringing it down, but if they hurt it enough it might just be sufficient to drive it away.

299 words

@Pip -- You're up, wonder woman!

Had you been there tonight, you might know how it feels to be struck to the bone!

Joan’s not here.

Relief washed over the father; at least his third child was safe, not finding hordes of trouble like her younger siblings.  How Felix and Ophelia had found a moose in the first place was beyond him – something he’d have to pursue later, once the children were safe, and the interloper was effectively dealt with.  Ears flipped backwards close to his head as he dropped his shoulders, prepared to ward off the moose when a tawny blur flashed by.

Pip!

Veho’s heart jumped into his chest as his son called out for their pack mate, silver eyes wide as he realized the young sea wolf had flung herself upon the charging bull.  “We must help her!” he urged Yvly, wasting no time as he lurched forward, claws scraping through the earth.  The yearling was a small wolf (even if her heart and courage clearly outsized her minute frame), and she would not be able to hold the large, angry creature forever.

A fierce growl ripped free as Veho followed her example, his teeth finding a mark close to the young hunter’s.  Their combined weight was much greater, and one the moose could not shake easily as it staggered to its feet, and fell further downwards.  Almost.  Almost.

@Felix - you're up.

The mute female's senses felt as if they were surrounded by a fog. As if the world around her was blanketed by heavy snow, absorbing sound in all directions, she barely heard the worried yips and snarls of her nearby packmates. She hardly heard the furious bellowing of the moose and was dimly aware of the hooves striking dangerously close to her danging legs and bared belly. And yet, she would not let go. It didn't matter the danger. It didn't matter if Blitz and Niq'x themselves came to try to bodily rip her away from the beast's face. She would not let go.

This animal had threatened the young prince and one of the princesses of the pack. The future. Young, innocent. As helpless as she had always felt. Well, she wasn't helpless anymore. @Yvly had been the first to show her that. The first friend she'd ever made. @Amaryllis shortly after that. And @Veho an elder brother or even a father. Each of them had helped her to grow into herself. To metamorphose from her frightened cocoon into a protective little butterfly who refused to let her family come to harm if she could stop it.

Months before, Pip would have skittered away anxiously if Veho's jaws had clamped down so close to her own in possessive claim of a meal. Granted, this was no meal, but the little she-wolf had always been quick to submit in the past at any possible perceived sleight. But in this moment, she bore the heart of all leaders passed. With her Alpha's added weight upon the moose's face, she felt her back paws just barely able to touch on the ground again. She used what little traction it gave her to wrestle the animal's face farther down like a macabre game of tug-of-war. She never had played when she was younger, too frightened to offend or even pretend to stake a claim so boldly on something. But she would play it now. Viciously. Angrily. Until death do them part.

Don’t worry, Pip will be fine.

But-- But-- But—

But what if she wasn’t? What if Pip wasn’t fine, and it was all his fault?

Ophelia’s tug at his shoulder, at his thick patch of fur, seemed to snap the boy out of his thoughts and horror, shaking his head violently in that brief moment. He would have to apologize to Pip later. More than anything, he wanted to help, help his friend and his father, but Felix was barely able to chase after mice, much less a charging moose. Much to his great distress, his sister and Amaryllis were right.

With a low whine, he allowed the adult to herd him towards the trees, bumping into his sister’s shoulder as they loped to safety. Even if the moose was well and truly distracted by the arrival of the other adults, one couldn’t be too sure. His ears flattened against his skull, he pressed his nose against Ophelia’s ruff, mismatched eyes downcast as he whined again. “Thank you,” he whispered softly, ears twitching back and forth. “For, um. For pushing me out of the way. The moose would have squished me, I think.” That it might be held over him later did not occur to the boy as he shifted uncomfortably. For now, his sister’s quick thinking would only be viewed as a boon. A sharp sound had the boy casting eyes back to the group as the moose bellowed and fell.

Please, let everyone be okay.

@Ophelia -- You're up! Thank you everyone! Let's take the moose in this round, and we can call it a thread! :D

For once, Ophelia didn't argue. When @Amaryllis ordered her and @Felix behind the trees out of the way, she jumped to follow her direction. Opie had a particular fondness for the tawny female, recalling the time Lily had spent with her playing silly games when she was teeny. The pale princess accepted her brother's shoulder bump without snapping irritably at him as usual and even reached up to lick at his ear. As the pair found their spots behind the trees, Ophelia stood on guard between her brother and danger. Peridot eyes remained sharply pinned on the ongoing fight until she heard the boy's whines.

Ophelia frowned at the silvery male and even grabbed his muzzle gently in reprimand. "Just because we fight sometimes doesn't mean I'll let anyone else hurt you. You'd do the same for me," she said with confidence. Even Joannie would and the girls fought worse than anything!

"We're family. Always and forever."

No one had taught her that specifically, but Ophelia had come upon the sentiment the very moment she saw her brother in danger. It was compounded by watching their packmates fight for them. Even that quiet, awkward wolf who didn't talk. Really, she never said anything. Opie didn't get it. But to get that one moving like that had to be profound. At least, in Opie's mind.

@Amaryllis - You're up. <3

Both pups quickly followed her orders, scampering off towards the trees and hiding behind them. Good, she thought, following after them, settling on the other side of Felix though she still could peek around the trees and look at what was happening.

Once the pups were safely behind the trees, Amaryllis cast another look towards where her packmates were with the bellowing moose, having heard Veho shout and saw that now both Pip and Veho were hanging off it. Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest at the sight of her family hanging off the massive beast. The moose was slowly being brought to its knees, since there were two wolves basically hanging off its face and trying to pull it down. Yvly was off to the side, having dodges the moose's charge towards them and looking as if she was about to bound after Veho and help drag the moose down.

She had to stay with the pups, had to stay with the pups. She chanted in her head, holding her tounge as her ears flipped over to where the pups were talking to each other, Felix thanking his sister for pushing him out of the way and Ophelia telling him it's what family did. Her tail wiggled uneasily behind her, They were going to be fine. Nothing was going wrong and she'd only step in if it did and it was to help tilt the attack back onto their side.

Turning her attention back to the pups, Amaryllis gently nudged Felix's small muzzle reassuringly. The boy definitely seemed to be the more nervous one out of the two pups right now so it was probably best to try calm him down.

"Ophelia is right dear, family stick together." She had caught the jist of what the young girl had been saying and very much agreed with her. "As much as they may annoy you sometimes, family will always stay by each other's side and help one another. Like what's happening now."

@Veho :)

At Veho's urging words Yvly sprung into action, racing after his form, claws digging into the earth as she pushed herself forward. Pip could not bring down the moose by herself, and she watched with avid eyes as her co-leader sprung at the large creature and also latched onto its face. With their combined weight it staggered, and she could feel it in her bones that they were so close to bringing it down. Pushing off with her hind legs, the tawny female launched into the air aiming to go for not the moose's face, but instead its neck where she latched on with clenched jaws that would not let go until it was dead. Even if she had missed the jugular, it was still a sensitive and potentially life-threatening area to grab hold of, so either way the moose was going to bleed.

She could feel the moose stagger and stumble under the weight of three wolves and mentally willed it to go down onto its knees. The thrill of the chase has her blood pumping, but at the same worry for her pack mates had adrenaline coursing through her body. Only when the moose was dead would she have heartsease. At least Lily had herded two of the three children back to where it was safe, though it did make her wonder where Joan was and if she was safe. Nevertheless, Yvly was not planning on letting go anytime soon and held on with clamped jaws as tightly as she could until the moose could be brought down to the ground.

263 words

Had you been there tonight, you might know how it feels to be struck to the bone!

The third wolf on his front end was far too much for the bull moose, even one in rut as was this particular beast.  Veho could not see his female counterpart, but could safely assume she’d made her move when the ungulate staggered, a hoarse bellow falling from its lips before its knees buckled, and gravity finally took its toll.  The moose only pushed another step or two behind before his haunches gave as well, and with one last bugle, the animal breathed its last and fell upon the earth in the pile, not even living long enough to attempt to spite the wolves who’d taken him down.

The Macieo male fell away from his prize, shaking his head from side to side as he sought to work out the pain budding in his jaw.  It could wait.  They had been successful – not only in defending the children, but in bringing down a massive prey item for everyone in the pack.  Why, they’d probably have food leftover for the caches even after everyone had their fill!

Glancing over at the pair of females, he chuffed softly. “I hope you are hungry,” he hummed, a slow wag of his tail giving away his exhaustion.  <b.“Pip, I believe you have earned the first bite, yes?”</b>

A glance over at the children, and he bobbed his head. “It is safe now,” he called.  “Lily, thank you--”

@Pip -- Your turn!  <3

Pip felt her paws tangle dangerously with @Yvly's when the female made her strike. She wasn't so overcome by the battle haze that she couldn't automatically correct her position to keep out of her leader's way. The mute girl adjusted her grip not because she was slipping, but because it would hurt the animal that had dared threaten her family. Steamy blood coated her chest from the wounds she'd left behind and she felt sure there would be flecks of blood along her backside as well from the way Yvly was pulling on the bull's neck.

Finally, it crashed down to its knees and Pip knew that no matter how many struggles it had at that point, the kill was theirs. Red-tinted ears pressed harder against the back of Pip's neck when the moose bellowed out its dying call. The noise vibrated from her teeth, down her throat, and straight to the end of her tail that left hackles from head to tail lifted high on her back. When her leaders stepped back, the mute she-wolf finally got her own clue that it was safe to let go as well.

She didn't look like Pip; not cowering and anxious, but fierce and dusted with blood. It was a heady feeling that culminated as a roll of nausea as she thought back on what she'd done.

Moose. The sea wolf recalled the word. @Oula had warned her not to go try taking one down on her own after teasing that perhaps she would. Well, she hadn't done it on her own... But she had done it.

The wolf paused mid-pant when @Veho invited her to take the first bite. Immediately, orange eyes lost the fire that had been there before and her tail tucked tightly. Were it not for the blood staining, one would think she had not changed from the first day they had found her, quivering and alone.

Without a doubt, she loved her found family. She trusted them, idolized them, and was opening up quite a bit and discovering herself around them. But some lessons would never be unlearned.

One must not eat before their betters.

Or pain would be the punishment.

It was a lesson Pip recalled well from Bella Coola and not one she would ever forget. Trying to play off the immediate, crippling anxiety, Pip attempted to unwind her tail from beneath her legs unsuccessfully and shook her head. If that wasn't clear enough, the female did an about-face and trotted over to where Lily and the pups waited to greet them with nervous licks to make sure they were okay.

@Felix - you're up! No way, no how is Pip taking first bite. x3

Relief.

The emotion could only be described as sheer, utter relief as the moose gave a bellow with the very last of its energy, nothing left in its reserves for even the meekest of death throes. None of the adults had been injured for his folly and neither had his sister. Oh, and Felix remained whole as well, but that did not seem as important when faced with the very real possibility of being responsible of harm befalling others.

Ears finally flicked forward, and he might have said something, had Pip not come over to check on Ophelia and him. The boy wiggled his tail, reaching over to lick at the brave woman’s chin, no matter how covered in blood she might have been.

“Thank you,” he whispered to the small wolf, his mismatched eyes searching her face. “That was very brave of you.”

He realized, then, that she had not taken up his father’s offer. The others would probably start to eat, but it seemed wrong to leave Pip out. With another soft noise, he bumped her shoulder gently. “C’mon. There’s plenty to eat.” Even he would get some, he thought, and it was his fault the moose had charged in the first place. Pip certainly deserved some, too. Felix stepped forward, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Pip was in tow. “C’mon. It’ll be good. Promise.”

Fade.

@Ophelia -- Thank you everyone for partipating! This is the last round. You can eat, bring food back, or just leave! As soon as we all fade/exit, we can archive and get points for complete thread, pack activity, and pack hunt!