Calling the Hunters: First Pack Hunt

[Cypress]

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[atrb=background,http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac298/Wonderwhy_wolves/cypress-1.png] Cypress padded over the freshly fallen snow, her nose twitched as she finally picked up the scent of prey. A herd of caribou, she could vaguely tell what direction the herd was moving. This would be a good opportunity for her and her hunters. They needed to learn about each other, get to know the strengths and weaknesses so they would become more efficient. She turned away and lopped back toward the border of the pack lands. Once she was sure she was out of earshot of the cervids, she stopped and lifted her head. She emitted a strong and haunting howl, trilled slightly with a certain feminine thread that made it uniquely hers. Her message was a clear one, she was summoning her hunters to gather. It was time for a hunt...hopefully it would help the set the foundation of a powerful team. Her ears twitched as she listened to the dying echo of her call, she would wait until they came to her.

[osiris]

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[atrb=background,http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d50/kikkiy/OsirisMiddle.jpg] Osiris stretched largely, rolling his large head and popping his neck joints. He hadn’t done much since the pack meeting other then scout around the lands that his new pack claimed. It took him less than a day to go around and familiarize himself with his new home. As night had fallen he found himself a den that could accommodate his horns and shoulders and had the first good rest since he left his old home. As Osiris started to trot around, his belly already wishing for something to fill it, he heard Cypress’s howl and his ears pricked up. His feet had started moving in her direction almost as soon as the song hit his ears and he felt a small satisfaction that he was rather close to her. It only took a few minutes of trotting before she came into view, a few more seconds before he was right beside her. “Greetings, Cupressus,” his head dipped slightly, a smile still on his maw. “Are we to hunt together again?” He had felt the change of the seasons and knew that the fish were going to be all but gone, so what else would they go after this time? He hoped desperately that it was going to be something with more meat then the thin fish, and something could fill the whole packs belly with hot, bloody meat.

[Cypress]

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[atrb=background,http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac298/Wonderwhy_wolves/cypress-1.png] Her intense green eyes focus on the form of the yagi male she had hunted with before. She felt a little more confident, seeing him come up to her. She was not familiar with the other two hunters, and she was anxious enough as it was putting together the first hunt. She allowed a smile to grace her black lips in greeting. "Yes, it seems we will, Osiris Hyen. It seems that it is becoming a habit." A habit that she was not about to complain about. He was strong and capable. Just what the pack needed in a hunter. She peered over the lands, searching for the two keiyou females that were her huntresses.

[holly]

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[atrb=background,http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac298/Wonderwhy_wolves/lll-1.png] ooc// Yo yo yo << Loverly Lissome Hey... << Darling Lilt (: bic. Lissome's ears perked up at the sound of Cypress's call. She turned to her sister, I guess I'll be leaving you here Lil." Lissome told her. Lilt smiled, "I suppose so Lissome, shall we meet back at the camp?" Lissome smiled and nodded to her sister. As they parted Lissome took off into the air. Normally she would have walked, but she did not much like the idea of disappointing the formidable looking wolf she had seen at the meeting. After a few minutes movement caught Lissome's eye. "Aha!" She murmured to herself as she began her decent. It did not take long to reach the ground, traveling at the speed she was. As soon as Lissome's long legs touched the ground a little ways away from Cypress she began to lope towards them. She stumbled slightly, she was used to running through the air, but she made it to Cypress, and one other wolf, without mishap. She dipped her head respectfully to the wolf. "Greetings" she murmured in her low voice. "I apologize for my lateness." As Lissome rose up from her bow she looked around. Both of her companions were Yagi, like Sheba. For some reason, the dark huntress felt a burst of stage fright. She suppressed a shiver and her wings involuntarily pressed closer to her sided. She turned to the other wolf, "Hello, I am Lissome.

[Cypress]

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[atrb=background,http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac298/Wonderwhy_wolves/cypress-1.png] Cypress' attention was taken to the sky as a dark figure appeared on the horizon. A winged wolf. Must be one of the huntresses she sought. She waited patiently for the keiyou to reach the small group. Once Lissome arrived, she dipped her head in a curt nod. "I am Cypress, this is Osiris Hyen." She really only gave her full name to fellow yagi, a habit that was beaten into her when she was younger. She turned her head back toward where she had originally come. The scent of the herd was further away....they were moving. She growled softly, they would not have time to wait for the last hunter. "We have no time to chat, we are hunting caribou and they are moving as we dawdle." She turned with out another word and started to trot toward the scent of the deer. They were lucky to already be downwind, that would help them out. Her trot broke into a steady lope, conserving her strength as best she could. They needed to scope the herd together to figure out the plan of attack...

[osiris]

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[atrb=background,http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d50/kikkiy/OsirisMiddle.jpg] Osiris laughed a little, looking away from the lead hunter and towards the land in front of them. He took a deep, long breath of the fresh air. It was then that the swift wings of an airborne wolf caught his attention and he felt his fellow Yagi watch the wolf as well. Another hunter, Osiris thought as he watched her land. Os felt himself watch her wings beat with mild interest, for though he had never wished to fly himself he could understand the attraction to such ability. His horns were strong enough to please him and he would never dream of asking for anything more or less. He felt the new female’s slight fear and did nothing to relieve it. If they were both to be hunters under Cypress, then she was to get used to him. Osiris looked towards his leader as she spoke and he felt her anticipation up his own. Yes, he thought as his own muscles started to move beside Cypress, we must get a move on. “You have already scouted out a herd if caribou, Cypress?” He asked as they all traveled, “Do we already have an idea of which you would like take down?” He knew that many young wolves would go after the male stag of the herd in their giddiness and overconfidence and those young wolves almost always failed and got themselves and their fellow hunters injured. If they were to take down a caribou with the most meat but with the least amount of energy they would aim for one that old, sick, or injured. Unfortunately it wasn’t the season for baby caribou, those the easiest to hunt.

[holly]

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[atrb=background,http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac298/Wonderwhy_wolves/lll-1.png] ooc// Yo yo yo << Loverly Lissome Hey... << Darling Lilt (: bic. Lissome nodded at the wolves curt greetings, she expected nothing more. They were different from her, they were strangers to her. The only pieces of information they knew about her was her name and her species. Two words. Two words were not enough to start a friendship, and Lissome wasn't to interested in starting friendships. Lissome was only interested in pleasing Batsheba. She was only interested in the pack as a whole, not in individuals. Lissome quickly fell into step at the back of the group. She heard the male Yagi, whose name she had already forgotten, question Cypress about tactics. Lissome felt a battle plan involuntarily begin to form in her mind. She had wings, so she could help with certainty in an attack from above. She was about to voice this idea when she remembered, A. Cypress would have already thought of it. and B. She was not in charge. These were two things Lissome would have to keep close in her mind. She was liable to forget that Cypress was not a fool and she was not the leader.

[Cypress]

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[atrb=background,http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac298/Wonderwhy_wolves/cypress-1.png] Cypress set the steady pace as they pushed through the freshly fallen snow. The powder may make hunting more difficult if it was deep over by the prey. She was trying to come up with a plan. She was anxious and afraid to ask for help, as always. She could do this. She wasn't Captain for nothing. Her intense gaze shifted briefly to Osiris as he spoke to her, she nodded in response, speaking with even breaths, "Yes. It is a small herd with a few old and weak. I think we can get a good vantage point if we stay low." The Tundra was mostly flat, so they had to be careful in approaching. They may need a distraction to keep the attentions of the herd long enough to get a good position. Then she had an idea and glanced over her shoulder at Lissome. "We may need your skills of flight to have a chance." Her plan was a tentative one, she would need to see the herd to determine if it was required. Her nostrils flared slightly as the wind brought a stronger scent. They were close. She slowed the pace, and lowered her self a little. There was a shallow bluff that was no doubt between them and their quarry. She aimed for a scrawny, lonely group of shrubs near the small summit. Perhaps the vegetation would provide some camouflage while they got a game plan. She crept to the bushes and peered over them carefully, looking for the first target of the Empire's hunters.

[The Creature Account]

The herd of caribou was just below a little dip in the land. And in the slight roll of the Tundra, they would disappear and reappear depending on where the lupine hunters' paws had fallen. On risen ground, the caribou herd looked like a teasing treasure and on lower ground, they were hidden away in safety, but their smell could bring many a hungry wolf to find them.

The creatures seemed unaware of the danger of wolves, or perhaps they were simply too confident. They were wolves who could stand up against a caribou, but then again, there was a reason it took a pack to bring these creatures down.

In fact, against wolves, a herd of caribou were practically invincible... if they only had their heads focused on the fact that there was nothing to worry about. The hundred head of this large prey seemed smiling as the bobbing heads grazed, looked up, grazed, looked up.

However, a single caribou stood strong. He was sort of like the leader. His wisdom could be counted on his antlers--the years he had lived. And his hooves were worn. It was strange. Despite the fact that he wasn't the strongest, the herd unanimously agreed that he was the most worthy to lead them. He caught the scent of wolves. His eyes widened.

He let out a cry and the others lifted their head in unison. And he gave a What if? to his herd. What if they were to stand their ground? Stay where they were and not be hunted? What if they resisted that instinctual urge to flee? He gave a low sigh and then resumed grazing. The pregnant females of the herd nervously followed his example while the young males were eager to show off their courage.

The lead male then chose out his favorite doe. In the tongue of deer, he said, "Don't worry. Even if the wolves come and kill us, they won't take the does. If they do, then they kill the future meals." The female didn't seem too excited about the fact that he just said that they were all food. She stormed away and left the male on his own.

All the caribou then put a wary eye on the crest of the hill. And they were only at the foot of the hill because the grasses were sweeter, kicked to life by hooves so that the grass could breathe through the snow.

[Cypress]

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[atrb=background,http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac298/Wonderwhy_wolves/cypress-1.png] Cypress stopped just shy of the crest of the hill. Her ears quivered as she heard the roar of the male caribou. She growled silently to herself. Had they already been detected? She glanced over her shoulder to the winged hunter as well as the male yagi. She silently bade them to stay still and back while she scouted on ahead. She crept silently parallel to the hill top, trying to find a little dip that she could peer though. She found one after a few yards. She carefully stepped up to gaze out over the herd. They kept on grazing...she studied a few of them, searching for one that would make a prime target. Her poorly docked tail twitched. There had to be at least one weak one that the three of them could get. Her intense gaze floated like a ghost across the beasts. She noticed a narrow way between two steep bluffs. That could work for funneling the herd...thinning out the numbers until the target was forced through. She logged it away in her mind and stepped out of her viewing window. She gave a low growl to her companions, signaling them to come to her so they too could help her find a weak one.