Sacred Grove [bwp] A Stroke of Luck

This is a special hunt thread for @Vaken, @Iskander, & @Ferreiran. Please note that after this initial post, you will control the prey and outcome of the hunt.

A Stroke of Luck

It is early, early morning; the sun has only just begun to rise over the trees of Sacred Grove. Recent rains have left the ground damp, even muddy in some places. The rising water has swelled the banks of Swift River, making it dangerous to cross for smaller animals. Although the forest had been infested by coyotes, the rains had forced them to move on, at least until the water has receded to its normal levels. Larger animals in the area, like elk have sought shelter under the thick canopy of the trees, but have otherwise been unbothered by the rain.

A herd of elk, 20 members strong, has taken to grazing on the long grass in the eastern part of the territory, between the two forks of the river. They had settled in for the night, but several members of the herd have begun to stir and wander away from the herd to find their first taste of breakfast.

I feel numb, born with a weak heart

Leading the hunt, the small yearling kept himself pressed to the ground. His body blended into the darkness of the early morning perfectly. He was so small, so well-hidden in the close-knitted trees. The cold morning breeze was refreshing on his fur, it kept him alert. His paws were damp and muddy, but the rest of his body stayed relatively dry. He stayed as quiet as possible, even monitoring his breathing. He wasn’t going to mess this up. It would be the first large prey he had eaten since entering relic lore, and that meant a lot to him. Drool was starting to form on the sides of his mouth, but he licked it away desperately. Just watching them was making him hungry.

He kept his eyes directly forward, watching patiently. “There,” he softly hissed, narrowing his eyes. “The female. Her left leg," he gestured subtly with his muzzle, but stayed well-hidden. He watched the female elk limp with cold pleasure. He wanted to kill, to eat. He didn’t move his gaze onto the other wolves, but could feel their presence alongside him. The three of them could easily move her away from the herd, deeper into the forest. With an injury as deadly as an affected wound, especially on the leg, she was an easy target. Giving almost a soft purr of pleasure, Vaken inched forward. 


I guess I must be having fun

(This post was last modified: Jul 31, 2018, 04:38 AM by Vaken.)

currently travelling with Circe (she can jump in any of his threads)

Ferreiran nodded at his friend's words. He too was practically drooling at the cornucopia of meat walking around on slender hooves. His eyes quickly searched the herd to pinpoint the female mentioned, before soundlessly creeping a few steps towards her. She was grazing peacefully, not at all aware of her hopefully soon to be killers. The world narrowed in the dark wolf's mind until it was just him, Vaken, Iskandr, and the cow elk. One small paw lifted to take a step. It seemed that the whole universe was holding its breath.

"I'll go around behind her and chase her towards you," he whispered, barely daring to speak. His paws moved through the grass quietly, though he cringed at every sound. He'd have to be careful to pull this off, since the wind would be blowing in the wrong direction once he got in position.

Have you read my player preferences?

Through the wet underbrush he brought up the rear, slinking with ears and body laid low, delicious tension in every muscle. His fur stood off his body in wet spikes and his lower extremities were stained darkly with mud, but Iskandr's eye gleamed a bright and hungry green in the dim, early light. This was what he knew how to do, what he was good at, what he missed more than anything else about home. To join his brethren in the hunt, working together to survive. That was what wolves were meant for.

He raised an eyebrow upon hearing the other wolf speak for the first time, before giving a small nod. He had already begun to consider the man as a mute shadow to the other, more talkative male - Vaken - but it turned out he spoke after all. And it was a good enough plan.

His gaze found the cow elk that Vaken had pointed out. She looked otherwise healthy; it must have been a recent injury. Gods, he hadn't realized until now how hungry he was. He watched her move slowly along, grazing with her head down, tenderly favoring her left front leg with each fourth step. Once she stopped and raise her head to look about, ears twitching and nose flaring, gracefully holding the hoof poised above the muddy ground... but she didn't seem to sense the impending threat, and went back to her grazing. The mud, the rain, the river... his thoughts ran together in quick succession, the idea flooding him suddenly. They could use them.

Iskandr had never been blessed with speed, the gods had built him with sturdiness more in mind. "You two are likely faster than me, but if I can get close, I can strike true." His voice was low and fervid as he spoke with baited breath.

"Let's position ourselves so that the river will cut her off if she tries to escape us. We could use that low spot there..." he tipped his muzzle toward a wide swath of flat, soft-looking dark earth along the river's edge, veiled in long grasses. The indentations of several hoof prints were sunk deeply there already, infilled with water. "She should have a bit of trouble in that, I'd think." He glanced from one dark companion to the other to see if either had anything else to add. Iskandr was hungry for this, and more than ready to let the hunt begin in earnest.

@Ferreiran
OOC: feel free to write your character taking off next and pp the elk

I feel numb, born with a weak heart

Moving steadily, low to the ground, Vaken weaved through the trees to reposition. Iskander was right. It would be easier to drive her against the water and trap her there to begin their attacks. She would struggle in the thick grass, giving them the opportunity to strike. It would be far away from the herd that no one would come to her defence, but close enough that she couldn’t escape them. Vaken was confident in his speed, and with the help of the two wolves, he was confident in their ability to take her down. He knew Ferreiran was quick, and that Iskander was strong. They had both proved to be tough allies against the coyotes, working in synchrony. What Vaken lacked in stamina and logical thinking, he gained from his teammates.  Vaken was content with the small pack of lone wolves hunting alongside him.

The yearling gave a sharp nod to both hunters. He knew that it wasn’t going to be easy. With luck on their side, she was still a larger animal than Vaken was use to normally hunting. It would take a lot of strategy and quick-thinking to be successful, but the petite male was certain they could do it. He was too hungry to mess it up. “Ferreiran and I will confront her from her sides and drive her towards the water. Stay on her hind Iskander, so she doesn’t try and turn around. ”

If the three of them could keep her heading straight, they’d have an easy meal. She wouldn’t be quick enough to escape them, but she would be strong enough to injure them if she became aggressive. Vaken knew with his speed that he’d be relatively safe from her hooves. The scruffy boy stared at her with unblinking eyes from the secrecy of forest. Drool began to drip from the corners of his mouth, but he stayed painfully still. She continued to graze, heading towards them. It was clear she had not caught their scent yet. He wanted to wait it out, wait until she was closer, or until she smelt them.

Twitching his tail, the ravenous youth lowered his head and raised his haunches, preparing to pounce. “Soon,” he hissed. “Wait till she’s closer.”

I guess I must be having fun

(This post was last modified: Aug 05, 2018, 07:18 AM by Vaken.)

currently travelling with Circe (she can jump in any of his threads)

Ferreiran saw the river they were referring to. It was deep and fast-flowing and was sure to cause some difficulty for the elk. He moved slightly so he was pointing towards it. He took a deep breath and launched out from his silent post. She ran a bit too late, and he got a good bite on her hindquarter. His paws seemed to pound the ground in an effortless gait. He was going just fast enough to pressure her but slow enough to preserve his energy. He didn't want to tire before the actual attack.

She tried to turn back towards the herd, and he dashed to cut her off with a hard bite. They were almost at the river already. If everything worked they would feast on her soon.

Have you read my player preferences?