silent as the night

Round 1 -- characters to gather.. keep in mind it would have taken them awhile to travel here. First round can be taking in whereabouts.. Round 2 can be tasks assigned and the hunt to begin. Round 3 can be the take down. Round 4/Final round to be the feast. This will be a faster paced hunt. Keep in mind that participants who do not meet each round can not claim LP.

First round ends December 14th.

He moved the pack along with an urgency that he attempted to placate with excitement, rather than desperation. The herds were seemingly gone, and they were quite a distance away from the one herd he had managed to find. Despite his hesitance on travelling with his handicapped son and still recovering mate, the pack needed more sustenance than what they were getting, and he made the final decision to lead them away to hopefully feast upon a decent meal to keep starvation at bay.

He skirted them widely around lands he knew belonged to another pack – he did not know their name, nor had he met any of their members. It was likely such conditions could bring on rivalries, and he hoped to avoid such a thing until necessary. If Magnolia Glen moved undetected on what could be hunting grounds for others, then nothing could become of it.. for now, at least. With Inkheart and Ataneq gone, the last thing Phineas wanted to do was shake any others in to a fight.

They had finally arrived, and while the land was startlingly unfamiliar to him, the true reason of their journey stood before them. It was a pitiful herd – the caribou herd was drastically thin and extremely small. Still, their own energy was not completely as it should be, and to take down one of the creatures would still prove to be a challenge. With his eyes scanning behind him to wait for the others to settle in and take their whereabouts, the regal Argyris felt his muscles stiffen – he was all too anxious to feed his pack and get out of the way of any scouting strangers from their neighbors.

EDIT: Tagging this since it seems like members might not know it's up.. And it's supposed to be fast paced. :P
@Albireo, @Borlla, @Lucero, @Zia, @Hypatia, @Kyros, @Eek

(This post was last modified: Dec 13, 2013, 11:32 AM by Phineas.)

The journey had been long, tiring. He was sure even at full strength he would have been weary by now, but he put on a brave face. It was his first meeting with the pack, but he had been far too focused on moving and keeping up with the rest to bother with meet and greets. There would be time for that later. With their food supplies waning, he knew they had to bring home enough food to last the winter. It seemed their prey had cottoned on that the falling snow was a sign to move on earlier then they had last year. All around him signs of food were scarce and with the journey they had made to find such a menial group of caribou it appeared he had made the right choice in joining the wolves of Magnolia Glen when he had, else he most likely would have starved to death by now.

The terrain changed as they moved, yet all of it was hidden beneath snow. He hadn't travelled this side of the mountain before, not to explore at any rate and it was interesting to pick up on the scent of another pack... it seemed to very familiar to him, yet so very strange. In either case he was glad their leader chose to avoid the confrontation and focus on bringing home the bacon... or caribou as it were.

As the narrowed in on the herd he felt a wash with relief. There would be no more travelling for the time being. Though the next part would not be any easier. He looked in silence to his leader, waiting for his orders. Rhysis might have hated to take orders from anyone, but he found that in his skin as Caleb he didn't mind so long as in the end he might benefit from doing as he was told. Ha, if only Naira would see him now, being a good boy and doing what he was told. She'd laugh in his face. The thought made his eyes narrow, but he silenced his mind and focused on the task at hand; catching as much as they could and dragging it all the way back home.

The woman refused to let the exhaustion show on her face. As the temperatures had plummeted over the past several weeks, she found the healing process had reached a plateau. A perpetual air of sleepiness found its way over her entire being, no matter how much she'd slept during the night. It was not simply mental exhaustion, but physical as well. It made the trek through the snow rather difficult, but she pushed forward. The reminder that her own son had thought that they were all going to die because of this snow was enough to fuel her. They would not die. And what kind of message would she be sending if she remained behind? No, it was enough that they'd seen her at her weakest, perhaps both physically and mentally. There was no room for that anymore.

All around them was white. The trees were merely statues of ice, dead and unmoving. But even if there had not been such a blinding layer of winter, Borlla could not say that she'd been here before. They'd long since passed by Oak Tree Bend, when she sent a silent wish to Corinna and her family that resided within. Her pace slowed as her mate's did when they came within sight of the herd. The woman would not retract her well-wishes...But if the wolves of the Bend came upon them, Borlla wasn't certain she'd have much good with which to back up her thoughts.

The sight before them was a sad one, indeed. The herd was insignificant. Food...But not much. She could only hope that their own numbers could overcome. <b style="color:#32527a">

Lurking until the end of July - Please PM/tag me to get my attention

She'd never seen a winter like this. The sense of wonder that had initially been her response to the season's first snowfall had slowly turned to concern, and then to worry, as the blustery days became whiter and colder. Magnolia Glen had always been a haven, sequestered from the elements and the dangers that lingered in the wilderness, but even her home was touched by the hardship that had seemingly befallen every horizon. Travelling south alongside her packmates, Lucero did well to hide her growing concern beneath a gracefully stoical mask.

The land east of the mountains had always been a teeming hunting ground, its rolling hills and supple forests marked with the prints of travelling herds. Now, she couldn't help but to feel like they'd never been there at all. Thick layers of ice and towering banks of windswept snow loomed around every bend of their journey. The branches of the copse's tall trees looked as if they'd been barren and dead for years, even the thinnest of them frosted with snow and dripping, frozen ice. With no sound but the breath of hungry wolves and the whistling of winter's winds as it cut between her ashen ears, she stifled a silent hope that they hadn't come all this way for only the eerie scenery. Eventually, however, the Glen wolves found what they had been looking for.

She breathed in the collaborative scent of the scarce herd, muzzle to the air, halting at Phineas' flank to take in the meager sight. It certainly wasn't what she'd hoped for, but a kill made of one of the gangly creatures would provide nourishment for hungry bellies.

(This post was last modified: Dec 14, 2013, 07:11 PM by Lucero.)

Winter was here to stay. Never in her life, had Zia experienced a winter quite like this. But there was a first time for everything, now isn't there? She could only sigh silently, remembering of her early days in which she resided in her former mountainous home. There, snow was plentiful almost all year round and paired with the daunting terrain, she had grown accustomed to such harsh settings. Times were different now. That barren place was just a memory...an occasional thought in the back of her mind. She was now a part of a tightly knit pack, with loyal followers and dedicated, caring leaders. Her place was secure here...a certainty that was misplaced in the past. Despite the unusual piles of snow and subzero temperatures, Zia remained undaunted. It was the thinning of the herds that worried her, pressing her ever further to remain more diligent than ever. The loss of her close friend Inkheart had taken a toll on the platinum wolfs emotional state. Like the lifeless, frozen land itself, she seemed trapped in a state of depression. She minimized her social interactions with the pack, either remaining curled up in the den sleeping, or passing the time by keeping check on the borders. It was that damn mountain. Clenching her jaw, she cursed herself many a time. If only she hadn't agreed to cross it, then Inkheart never would've been lost. If she could've saved him, all would be well. She should've done more...protested his pleas for her to move on, to survive. Guilt ridden, she was relieved when Phineas decided to rally the pack for a hunt. At least now, she could focus on something other than her own sorrow. Knowing that the herds were thinning, she like every other wolf, knew with a sense of urgency, that they had to act. Their travels may have brought them away from the familiar nook of the Glen, but after some time, their persistence paid off. At last, her nose began to twitch, the enticing scent of caribou sparking a glimmer of hope. That optimism was quickly dashed however, once she caught sight of the herd. It was small...alarmingly so. Proof that this winter was having a severe effect on their prey. Yet they had to eat to remain healthy. Pushing through the snow drifts, Zia came to a halt behind her leaders, azure eyes flicking over their minimal options. In these conditions, her silver coat served her well, blending in with the snow almost perfectly. As silent and still as her icy surroundings, she awaited instructions.

Table by Pann, Image by Jolee

The child's first winter would leave a dark mark on her mind. It was dreadfully cold, and often grey skied she did not see anything to like about this season any more. This, she was told, was only the start of the white, and endless cold. Each day Hypatia searched for the sun, its light and warmth wondering why it could not appear longer. Wondering why it couldn't melt away the terrible mess. Why there was not so much to eat. She had yet to see why the world must sleep in a freezing blanket. It made little sense.

Silent, and focused she kept her orange eyes pinned on the back of her mother's hocks working against the powedery texture with a fierce determination to keep up with the pale, tawny Queen. Sure she was lucky to follow in steps of larger wolves, but there was still lots of snow threatening to slow her. Places where her paw would sink up to her elbow, and with a surpressed growl she would pause to tear herself free. The girl tried to be grateful she had grown to even be able to go with. After witnessing the last hunt she was a little concerned where she would be. A part of her wanted to help, but there was a great bit of fear holding her mind as well.

Finally they reached their destination, but looking around it the world seemed the same. Only...a paw lifted, and her nose wiggled at the curious scent. What were they hoping to eat? Brows pushed together, curious yet cautious she eyed the herd. No idea it was anything pathetic like the rest Hyp only wondered which one would be it. How did they decide? Momentarily she dared to take a peek at her father, a swift gaze with her mixed emotions lit her bright gaze before letting her attention rest to her mother. What could she do? Hunting mice were one thing.

Albireo had expected that upon joining this pack he would be eating well, never in want for anything and able to laze about as he pleased. As it turned out, the caches were down to a few frozen, dry scraps of meat barely clinging to bone, and Albireo left that to the cubs. Not for any sense of care for the young ones, but more a fear of Phineas than anything else. Albireo knew the grass wouldn't be any greener on the other side. If there was nothing to eat now, his situation would be even worse without the pack. The small creatures that would have made an easy summer meal for a lone wolf had either gone into hibernation or fled for warmer climes, and a lone wolf would have a tough time getting enough to eat.

Eager for the chance to eat something substantive, he journeyed along with the pack as they snaked through the forest, trusting Phineas would know where to go. Albireo held back laugh when he saw the handful of half starved caribou mulling about. Not much of a selection to be had, and whichever of the few stringy beasts the pack would manage to take down today wouldn't have much meat on it. Though he should have been eyeing the herd, he couldn't help but glance to his packmates, already thinking about who he'd shove out of the way to get to the carcass they hadn't even caught yet. Saliva already pooling in his mouth and empty stomach gurgling sympathetically, he couldn't wait to get started.

Albireo
a tooth for an eye

K, so.. I dropped the ball on this 'fast paced' hunt. So sorry guys. <3 Round 2 ends December 29.

He wanted to waste no time – the winter wind was fickle, and the male wanted the element of surprise on their side, especially given the fatigue from their hunger and harsh travel for such a meagre prize. His eyes were narrow as he watched their quarry and finally emitting a gentle chuff, his muzzle swung down to murmur softly to his fellow pack mates. “It’s not much, but it’s better than what we've been eating,” he spoke, his voice humbling to a form of apology. He had hoped a grander feast.. yet he knew with the dangers of famine they faced, it would worsen only as the winter drew on. He had been raised on stories of the north and of harsh winters.

“We’re going for the slumped one in the center, with the grey on her face. She seems the weakest of them. Zia, Caleb.. you both should split off and round closer behind her, driving her to us. Albireo, Lucero.. branch and flank more to her front. Borlla, you and I will help steer any misdirection and bring her down.” There was a small pause, allowing for any comments to be made or other suggestions on how to take on the beast before them. His eyes fell gently to Hypatia then, and casting a loving nudge to her crown, he allowed a small smile to press to his lips – the first one in many days, “Hypatia, stay back and take in everything you can from this experience.. but I want you to stay away from the caribou.” While his tone was strict, it was hard to keep a plea from it – he could not have her injured as well. With that, the male gave a nod to the others, allowing for them to flank out as directed before he prowled closer to his mate, waiting for their own task to arise.

eeep. so I was waiting for Tyrant, buuuuuut...

She eyed the caribou ahead of them, before turning her golden gaze upon Phineas. The woman tried to remain hopeful as the man chuckled, and she smiled, reaping the humor from his voice. Nodding gently, she exhaled, prepared for whatever would be thrown at them. Anything, certainly anything, was better than starving. But she did not linger upon that thought for long. They were a pack, hunting together. Nothing more, nothing less. It would bring them closer together when all was said and done.

Commands were given and her eyes swung around to her pack mates. They could do this. Finding Hypatia, one ear turned towards Phineas as he instructed the girl, and Borlla nodded, feeling no need to add to it. It was imperative that she stayed on the sidelines. The girl was growing, but this would not be a hunt she'd participate in. Focusing in on the task at hand again, she honed in on the caribou that he'd pointed out. The fur along her haunches and spine rose in anticipation, providing her with a rather nice hibernaculum as well. As their packmates flew to their own tasks, she and Phineas remained behind, waiting. Shifting slightly, she pressed her shoulder against his for a moment before straightening again. <b style="color:#32527a">

Lurking until the end of July - Please PM/tag me to get my attention

Look Out!

Water is beginning to freeze and some fish are trapped. Hunt Opportunity