Grizzly Hollow Of hooves and horns

Open to all members of Grizzly Hollow!
Random event: Grizzly Hollow, a deer herd is migrating through your territory.
Light snow, late afternoon. 12*F, -3*C

Reach for the stars

All was well and calm within the heart of Grizzly Hollow territory. While still adjusting to her new role as Leader, Jynx had adapted quickly to the changes she needed to make. The winter thus far, was proving uneventful. The pack, while not bursting at the seams, had gained another recent member, Crystal. From afar, Jynx had kept an eye on the tawny female. Not to spy on her, but simply to ensure she was settling in well, and of course, doing her share of work. Any wolf she accepted into the ranks, she wished for them to feel at home. She found it ironic that she was thinking in such a way, when she herself didn't even know for sure, if she would be staying with the pack permanently. After all, she had warned Rook and Veho when they first granted her entry, that her residence might be short term. But...with the way things had shaped out...with Rook and Quil away, she had no other choice but to remain. For the kindness the agouti man had shown her, she at least owed him this much. She always had dreams of being a Leader, but not like this. Not as a fill in, or as a favor. She wanted to be at the head of her own pack, to earn that title, as was common tradition. That time might not be now, but who knew what the future held.

A quiet stroll through the heart of the cedarwood forest allowed her time to think, while being productive at the same time. A gentle snowfall fell from the skies, coating the land in yet another blanket of snow. She paused mid step to observe the near silent surroundings, the only movement that of the falling flakes, or the slight shift of the tree branches. It really was a serene sight, and while she preferred the season of spring, winter days like this were a close second to her favorite. Shaking her head, she got back to business, stepping towards one of the known cache sites. Her dark nose skimmed the ground, yellow eyes flicking over the soil to check that it had not been disturbed. Satisfied that the cache was still full, she moved on.

Just as she began to weave her way back around in the opposite direction, a distant movement through the trees caught her eye. Freezing, her muscles stiffened, head raising to sit high atop her shoulders, ears pricked in attention. A modest sized herd of mule deer were passing through, opting to use her territory as a route to try and find better feeding grounds. A foolish move on their behalf, choosing to stroll so carelessly through a packs backyard. She noted their numbers, genders and age. Mostly does, with a few juvenile bucks. Not one to toss away such a golden opportunity, she moved away to give the illusion of disinterest to the herd. Only then, did she raise her rust and cream muzzle, releasing a rallying cry to her pack mates. Come and gather with me! There is a bounty to be had, and it is ours! Was the message laced in her howl. It was her first attempt on her own to gather them to her, a test of her leadership. Hopefully at least some of them would show up, or enough to take down a weakling.

 

OOC here!

The lightly falling precipitation which came in the form of snow during winter had driven Yvly back into her solitary den when she slipped out during the morning to stretch her legs. She was never one to sit still in one place for too long; it made her edgy, not that she already wasn't. The tawny female had been dozing in the far corner of the den when she heard a rallying cry from Wacipi, calling out to the members of Grizzly Hollow to gather with her and feast. Ears pricking up, Yvly shook out the last dregs of sleep from her mind and body, swiftly staggering to her feet and bounding somewhat excitedly through the falling snow to where the call had come from.

She soon arrived, breathless, but not because of the run there, it was more excitement. The thrill of the chase, blood pumping through her veins, hunting was a wonderful feeling. Spotting Wacipi's russet and cream form, Yvly padded slowly over to her, tail tucking in around her ankles and head lowering as she spoke to the woman. "Miss Wacipi," she said with a dip of her muzzle, before glancing around. It seemed she was the first to arrive, which was never a bad thing. Tardiness didn't reflect well on a wolf's worth in a pack. "May I query as to what we are hunting?" She asked Wacipi, dark amber eyes shifting from their surroundings to the leader herself, tail wagging around her ankles as she did so.

252 words

Yvly Doramor

imagine we are higher than the arrows,
casually we're breathing with the pharaohs,
tragically we fall just like the arrows.

Another hunt.

It is the first thought that springs to mind as a familiar howl wakes Veho from afternoon nap. Being the alpha has kept the man busy, and he finds that perhaps he has not quite mastered time management in the way he previously thought. Catching a few extras z’s before patrolling the border after nightfall seemed the ideal way to spent a few free moments, but it was not to be. The pack’s needs rose high above his own.

Ears rocked forward as the bulky male pulled himself to his feet, pausing only to shake himself out and orient himself before taking off in the direction of Jynx’s call. His feet were light over snowfall, and he arrived shortly after their newest recruit. The woman was offered a brief nod before he joined the other alpha’s side, ears swiveling forward as he scented the nearby herd. “The deer are terribly brave,” he murmured, lips twisting into a wry smile. But a doe would be a fine prize to add to the pack’s cache. One ear rotated back as he considered the queen with a thoughtful look. “Have you picked a target?” he asked, voice low. “Or are we ‘winging it’?”

Held off on this long enough. Any other GH members are still welcome to join!

 

Reach for the stars

She did not have to wait long until her summons was answered. Much to her satisfaction, the newest member of the pack, whom she had accepted herself, arrived first. Crystal, the russet colored female. Her submission was appreciated, to which was returned with a gentle, but firm nudge of her chin to the subordinates shoulder. "Crystal...good to see you again. Thank you for joining me." As much as she would have liked to inquire about how Crystal was settling in to her new home, there was no time for such small talk now. A walking parade of meat was yards away in the midst of their territory, and this was too good an opportunity to pass up. At this potentially harsh time of year, the Hollow wolves needed to seize every chance they got.

She turned to face the direction of the herd of mule deer, body tense, her lowered intently between her shoulders. "Deer..." She said, her voice low and quiet, so as not to spook the herd. "We are fortunate that they so foolishly chose to navigate through our home." Jynx was not ignoring Crystal...far from it. Instead, she was incredibly focused. Her brilliant yellow eyes pinned firmly on the animals, from one to the next, individually assessing them for weaknesses. It was then that Veho arrived on the scene, who was acknowledged with a flick of one ear. "They won't linger for long.." She shifted slightly, adjusting her stance so her body was nearly hidden behind the tree to her right. "I have..." She nodded, her voice soft. "See that doe there...towards the back? Her right hind leg is swollen. She should be easy to catch, if we play this right." She now glanced back to look at Crystal and Veho, to confirm that the suggested target was indeed an appropriate choice.

OOC here!

Yvly was greeted with a warm welcome and firm, yet gentle nudge to the shoulder from Wacipi. Her dark amber gaze shifted to where the russet and cream leader was looking at, instantly spotting the herd of mule deer that seemed to be migrating quite stupidly through Grizzly Hollow territory, especially at a time like this. She silently agreed to her leader's comment with a twitch from her tawny ears. The less noise they made, the more likely the chance of them not disturbing the herd. The worst possible outcome was them spooking and running in all directions, leaving almost no chance of catching a meal for the pack.

When Veho arrived the tawny female acknowledged his brief nod with a respectful dip of her muzzle, but swiftly returned her focus to the herd. In this case hopefully it wasn't disrespectful to brush over subordinate greetings as she didn't wish to upset the leaders, however, in her mind the more important task at the moment was keeping a careful watch over their prey. It was much easier in her birth pack where she needn't worry over who held which rank and what to do when faced with a higher ranked wolf seeing as she spent much of her time outside of pack lands unless if it was something very important. Then there was the fact that she was the offspring of the leading pair...

Carefully and as silently as possible, Yvly changed her position so she was now hiding behind a particularly snowy mound, ears and eyes peeking over the top so she could keep her gaze on the prey, searching for a suitable target. With one ear faced forward towards the deer and the other to the side where the two leaders stood, she idly listened as Wacipi singled out a doe near the back with a swollen right hind leg, eyes seeking out said doe. She wouldn't necessarily be an easy target, but being unable to run at full speed would work to the wolves' advantage, if they could get into their positions without scaring her away. The tawny female hummed softly in response, momentarily glancing at Wacipi to show she had heard what she had said and agreed with the decision. Now all they had to do was figure out a plan of attack, but as a new recruit, she didn't want to take control of the situation, so she stayed silent, letting Wacipi or Veho offer their suggestions first.

413 words

Yvly Doramor

imagine we are higher than the arrows,
casually we're breathing with the pharaohs,
tragically we fall just like the arrows.

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

Veho remained where he was, untroubled by the woman’s general lack of greeting. It was secrecy that was of utmost importance here, not acknowledgement or rank, and he matched the alpha’s stance as they scoped out the herd. While the mule deer were not cryophilic, they were among the prey animals that did not flee south for warmer temperatures, or chose to sleep through the worst months of the year. Were he able, the medicine man might have done the same – but he was needed, both in body and in spirit, and continued to preform his duties as both medic and alpha.

Shifting his weight in the snow, he followed Jynx’s gaze and gave a small nod. “I see her,” he murmured softly, glancing between both females. A small group – but they could handle a lame doe between the three of them. “I am the largest,” he hummed after a moment. And the heaviest, but that seemed to go without saying. “So I should help take it down – so one of you two should flush the chosen item.”

His tail switched in the wind, giving Yvly a long look. She was new yet, but she had proven to be fairly helpful so far. It was a good opportunity, he thought, if she felt up for it. Silver eyes found Jynx, and he bowed his head in deference. It was her hunt, after all. “Who will chase?”

 

Reach for the stars

With their target agreed upon, all the trio of Hollow wolves had to do now, was to set up the perfect ambush. In a larger hunting party, with a more fit animal, Jynx would have opted for a little more complex strategy. But today, there was no need for such an approach. Direct, clean and simple was the way to go. Veho, without a doubt, was the appropriate choice for trying to bring the doe down. A soft nod signaled her agreement, and now it was left up to who would chase. 

Already a skilled hunter herself, Jynx would've not minded such a task. But, she wanted to put Yvly to the test here. To see how talented a huntress she was, in dealing with larger prey. "Yvly, you can go ahead and start the chase. Once you do, I'll move in to block her escape." A sudden repetitive stomping of a hoof on mud and snow made her tense. The herd had paused, and were getting nervous, especially the lead animal. "Go, now. Before they get too wary and spook." That said, she hunkered down low as she slinked off to the side, towards the thicker cover of some dead bushes, where she had somewhat of a better chance of not being spotted.

OOC here!

She agreed with Veho's statement. He was the largest and the heaviest out of them, and so was the best chance of taking the injured doe head on and bringing her down. Now all they needed to figure out was who would initiate the chase. Either her or Wacipi. She would love to do it, but it wasn't her place to say who would be doing what. Wacipi had called them out here, so she would call the shots, and dutifully, Yvly would follow them. Bringing the doe down was more important than who would do what. Veho's long look had her slightly on edge. What was he thinking about? She wasn't sure if he would say she was (or wasn't) up to the job, but then he looked away, meeting Wacipi's gaze.

A twitch of her ears and a slight pulling of her lips to the side was her reaction to the use of her given name, but she didn't say anything and let it slide for the time being. Now was not the time to calumniate, and if she wished to use that name, she was free to do so. There was a certain leeway she gave to her superiors. At her affirmation of allowing her to start the chase, Yvly silently but quickly made her way around the herd, being careful to make sure the wind stayed in her favour until she was in the position to chase the injured doe straight to where Veho and Wacipi lay in hiding. If it all went well they would have a delicious meal to share with the rest of the pack, if not, well a lot of the blame could be put on her. But she wasn't worried about that happening. She knew her skills in hunting could get the job done quickly and efficiently.

Taking a deep breath, Yvly slunk forward slowly before suddenly leaping forth at the injured doe, startling her and the rest of the herd into scattering in small groups. She stayed with her intended target, merely keeping pace just behind her, darting forward every now and then to nip on her heels and keep her moving in the direction of the two wolves lying in wait until the time came for them to strike.

380 words

Yvly Doramor

imagine we are higher than the arrows,
casually we're breathing with the pharaohs,
tragically we fall just like the arrows.

Once the lead huntress agreed to his suggestion, Veho nodded in return before he drew back. Pale eyes scanned the surrounding environment for a suitable place to hide. The unfortunate reality of the winter season was that there were few places for a large, healthy male to hide. As the small hunting trio broke to fill their respective roles, he did not follow the lead female; it would defeat the purpose of his function in the small party. So the male veered off in the opposite direction, padding across the snow quickly until he found a large glacial erratic to hunker down behind. While not quite as large as a bush, it would have to do in the current scenario.

There he crouched in wait, ears straining forward for any sign of Crystal startling the herd apart. It came soon enough, the flurry of hooves across snow as animals scattered. The paces grew louder, but he dared not peek out from his spot, not while @Jynx remained in her own area. It was her job to chase the animal towards him. Jumping the gun could easily result in a failed hunt, and that was not something the grey wolf wanted to be responsible for. So he would have to wait. Patience was a virtue.