Paradise Falls proud of where i came from

More wolves joined them, their numbers growing with each languid blink of her eyes. Her gaze settled on each of them as they appeared, neutral excepting for Miriam and her brother. They both got the corners of her mouth to lift, even if just a little. When it seemed no one else would filter in, Nadine spoke up with something of a game plan. It was different from how her father led hunts, but it of course wasn't a novel approach either, other adults in the pack having likewise directed her before.

She would drift lackadaisically toward her assigned teammates, half-lidded gaze dancing between them as she waited for further hints as to what they wanted from her. It didn't matter one lick to Addison how they accomplished their goal, and so in this moment she was happy to simply fall in line.

Her ears twisted to catch whatever Nadine's answer to Finley's query would be, but otherwise her attention was fixed between their leader and the newcomer, Towser.

More of their packmates came, faces of varying familiarity appearing from betwixt those towering trunks. Seeing her mom caused her gaze to light with true fondness, tail wagging low, and the glow remained when Micaden followed. She leaned in to nudge his shoulder with hers when he fell into his proper place at her side. The Athesila-Smoke siblings were both dreamers, but in ways that only barely overlapped. She had always found herself far more strongly drawn to his bright energy than Addison's much subtler vibes. As such, it had never been a question that he was her best friend.

Of course, that wasn't to say he was someone who knew everything about her. At least she liked to believe that the things she wanted to be kept reserved were not being picked up on too keenly by anyone else. Like any wolf she was multifaceted, but there were only a select few she was ever comfortable showing, and too many she hoped would never be witnessed at all.

Nadine gave her directions, and Atara's polite and earnest attention to every word was clear. She was to be in a larger group taking on the more challenging target. No problem at all. Her green eyes left the yearling's features briefly when her mother spoke, but returned to await the answer. She was happy to help in any role.

Also curious, he nodded as Miriam asked, "What are we hunting today?"

"Deer… one for certain, maybe two if enough arrive to help."

Towser's tail waved, just happy to be a part of it all. He looked around as one by one the others appeared. The two eager near-yearlings Addison and Atara, the gray-pelted shaman Miriam, Leader Finley, and one other youth, Micaden. He knew their names in passing and recognized them all by scent, but had yet to immerse himself to become one of them. While all could easily be considered a friend, he knew from experience that he was still a stranger. And, he had yet to be trusted.

"'Lo," he returned Atara's greeting with a soft note.

He turned to Nadine, green eyes bright and wide. She was quick to brief them, relaying her findings of a nearby herd. Towser sat up, ears open and forward like satellite dishes. Considering the turnout, he agreed they had enough for two hunting teams. Or, at least a very well-rounded group of chasers and a good-sized group of tacklers. As Nadine saw fit, she separated them into groups, setting him up with Finley and Addison. They would take down the injured deer she had singled out.

Towser's attention went to Miriam as she took her leave, already getting into position. Finley's voice brought him back. ”Who would you like doing chasing, and who would you like doing the ambushes?”

"I can ambush," he volunteered, standing now though his voice was still on the quiet side. He could have bragged and verbally laid out all his father had taught him, but instead, he waited. The women knew what they were doing. If they thought otherwise, he was certain they would let him know. With him being a bit heavier than most, it seemed like an obvious choice.

It appeared he would be the last to join the party, meaning neither of his parents were going to show – not that he had really expected them to, but it was a little daunting, his first big hunt without their supervision. He wouldn’t let the pressure get to him though, returning Atara’s nudge playfully, before focusing in on the instructions.   This was far more complicated than any hunts that the boy had participated in before, his brows furrowing as he tried to visualize the split groups going for different targets. He noted that he’d be in the bigger group, along with Atty, which made him smile again. Then Finley asked about the details, and the other boy raised his large frame to volunteer for the takedown in his group.   As a gangly not-quite-yearling, Mica couldn’t match his same size, and certainly not his weight, but none the less, he didn’t want to fall short of the older male and quickly blurted: “Me too, fer our group!” He wasn’t a fast runner anyway, and at least taller than both his agemate and Miriam; It makes sense… Thoughts ”Speech”

Burtn, FurLined & AFireSmothered

give me your heart

and i'll give you my soul

to just feel a little piece of heaven

Nadine had not given too much thought into what she would do with her life beyond this… she found hunting to be relaxing, and productive… with no conflict to mediate or monitor as she’d done at home, there was something else that needed to fill it’s void and as she looked above, calculating strategy and organizing the hunt… she considered the fact that perhaps this was it. The question coming about made her offer a soft smile and a nod. “For each group the divisions will be based off strength. Those with the strongest jump will be on the ambush, while the others shall take up the chase.” She had considered posing it the other way, but figured one was easier than the other in terms of the wide variety of age and capabilities they saw.

Young, and still much to learn about running a hunt… it was as much a learning experience for her as it was for those around her.

Towser and Micaden stepped up, volunteering for the ambush and she would offer them nods, motioning with her head. “I shall join the ambush of my group. Everyone else should chase.” It would allow Towser a good shot at the injured deer, while two wolves to ambush the larger… a stumble would do them quite well should they time it just right.

She herself would begin to move off to the side, allowing the others to follow suit.

WELCOME TO MIDNIGHT MASS.

---

Miriam remained happy go lucky, content to simply follow the flow without too much of a fuss. She listened to the conversation between Finley and Nadine, simply nodding along as she positioned herself towards the foot of the bush, her eyes on the herd and her own target within it. She would be chasing, and she spotted the limp that denoted the injured deer that was to be her target.

“Ready?” She’d ask in a soft whisper, pausing for a few moments before she’d charge from the bush, driving towards it which began to spook the herd, moving it about as they began to scatter. It allowed their two targets to separate as well, the limping one slow in it’s escape while the other had a wedge driven between it and the rest of the herd, driving it away from the rest of it’s safety net.

She'd continued to push, more strategic than fast as she used cuts and angles in order to close distance where speed could not.

Feel free to pp Finley chasing!

Instructions were clear, and though the woman was slightly concerned to be paired with Addison for chasing knowing how fatigued the child often was, she thought they could pull it off. The Smoke-Athesila girl had been part of successful hunts before,and maybe the leader would need to put in a little extra effort but their target was injured. They could do it, it just might not be the cleanest of endeavors. Smiling brightly at the man in their group she murmured, ”Thank you Towser.” It was probably for the best that she wasn’t on takedown, even if they had the weaker of opponents.

She waited for Addison to get to her paws before falling into position, green eyes looking over the herd until they landed on the injured deer. Nodding once, mostly to herself, she took a deep breath. She felt nervous about this go around, though she would do her best to not betray these emotions on her muzzle. She watched the opposite foliage closely to watch for Towser falling into place before asking Addison under her breath, ”You see it?” She wasn’t sure that she was ready for this, but here goes nothing.