Beneath the glistening expanse of the midwinter sun, Rakia's icy blue eyes, piercing and judicious, focused ahead. Her breath misted in the frigid air as she crouched low to inspect the hoof shape imprinted deeply into the fresh blanket of snow. Its size indicated an adult bull, mature and strong. But the uneven distribution of weight, evidenced by a deeper trench carved by one side of its track, suggested an injury that hindered its once more balanced movements.

There was no time for discussion, whether the others in the hunting party picked up on that information or not. They were drawing closer to it, the bull's pungent musk mixing with the crisp air and pine scent. She lowered herself to the ground in her stalk, moving as quickly as she could afford while maintaining the adopted stealth. It was simply a matter of time.

"Rakia Perreau"

Their encounter with Setekh had been one well overdue. He spoke of Absinth being presented within these lands and something inside filled her to the brim. Pushing her to level of obsession. Would the poisonous woman be happy to see the dark flower? Black lips tugged into a devilish smirk. Winter’s chilled breath carrying a scent of Bull t’wards them. Helonia snarled at the idea of being free once more. Knowing surely Melanth dared not to get dirtied up by the hunt. Being more of the healer type. Herbs and plants being her thing. 

Hel’s body slipped into a hunting crouch. Paws silent against the crunch of snow. She’d taken fair note of the oddly colored female. Whose attention remained solely focused on prints embedded below. Ears swiveled, rounding forward in order to listen. Something to their left shuffled amongst the trees. Not far from where they resided. Was it their prey?
"Helonia"~~"Melanth"

The smell of caribou was so strong in the frigid winter air that it could have led a blind wolf right to the herd. This hunt was going to be an easy one, Azrael could already tell. A wicked, almost playful grin on his features as he followed the rest of the hunting party. Noses to the ground, sharp eyes up, following tracks in the snow. Winter made hunting almost too easy it wasn't fair. The cold air carried scents and sounds farther and the snow was a veritable GPS to their prize. The brute padded quietly through the snow, large paws acting like snowshoes, scanning the horizon while the pink-tinged fae took the lead on the tracks. Teamwork made the dream work, after all!

The hunting party moved swiftly and silently in the direction of the tracks, Azrael's breath hanging like a humid fog at the end of his snout. Sage eyes swiveled across the horizon, darting between the trunks of trees, looking for any signs of their prey through the foliage. They couldn't be far now. No one spoke, remaining in skillful silence, moving like wraiths through the woods. Ah, what fun it was getting to hone his skills in this new land! By the end of the day, they would all have tasted blood.

"Azrael"

The smell of elk on the wind had pulled Ezekiel forward and he had found of group of like-minded individuals who sought to take down one of the masses creatures in the area. His expression is neutral, bordering on bored as he moves with the group, duel-toned eyes easily landing on the hoof prints in the snow.

Knowing that they are closing in, he adopts a low crouch as he continues to move with the group while they slip across the land, the few trees in the area throwing shadows that they expertly use to hide their approach. They remain silent, their paws barely making a whisper as they cross the snowy land and Zeke drinks in the scent of the herd, eyes scanning for the large beasts while his mouth waters with anticipation.


"Ezekiel Saxe"

Aristaios moved silently through the underbrush, each step deliberate. He had been tracking with the ragtag group of hunters for the better part of the day, his senses attuned to their every movement. The scent of the elk bull lingered in the air, their next target. Aristaios was so eager to get acquainted. Elk were giant, strong, but with numbers they would succeed in felling the best of them — the reigning bull. At least that was the goal.

For now though, he searched for an opening, keeping himself within sight of each hunter so they could better coordinate their attack.


""

Rakia absorbed the surrounding mood, the heady thrill of the chase seeping into her veins like an ancient tonic. Her senses were dialled in, razor sharp and alert, each rustle of wind through snow-laden branches, each crunch of paw on frozen earth interpreted effortlessly. Her heart drummed in sync with the haunting silence of the wilderness. Each beat was an affirmation of her survival instincts as she moved, soft as a wisp of winter fog amidst the pine trees.

When the large stature of Elk broke into view, she bolted- driving her pace near her top speed. At the sudden movement, the Elk moved to flee but had very little of a head start. In no time, they were on it’s heals. Running it. Exhausting it. And at the first available opportunity, she went for a hold on one of it’s back legs. To slow it down, and allow some of the others the opportunity to take it down.

"Rakia Perreau"

The hunting party drew closer to their prey, nearing close enough that Azrael could practically hear the beating of its heart, the pump of blood in its veins. The crest of antlers rose up into view. Az's heart beat steady and strong, adrenaline coursing through his veins as his gaze locked in on his target. When the pink fae surged forward, so too did he, commencing the chase to give the elk as little time to react to the wolves' presence as possible. His muscles flexed, his senses firing as his paws raced across the snowy ground. The cold air in his lungs now didn't feel cold enough as he went from a slow stalk to a full sprint in the blink of an eye. This would not take long.

The elk did not have the same momentum of the wolves; it was slow on the uptake, much too slow in the turn and the run. As the fae went to one side, Azrael swerved over to its opposite side, cutting off its means of escape and corralling it into a straight line. With fangs bared, Az lunged for the elk's back leg, snapping at the air just millimeters behind its flesh. Not one to be deterred by a little misstep, Azrael regained his footing and picked up the pace again, surging forward with a burst of speed to get him closer to the elk—close enough that this time, his teeth found purchase on the fleeing animal's thigh. He immediately dropped his weight with Rakia to try and topple it down so the others could get their licks in on it as well.

"Azrael"

Unlike the others, Helonia and Melanth's body was not only large; but light in build. Their muscles are pumped with adrenaline. Toned, muscled legs stretched the length of the pines with ease. Nearly leading the hunt herself. Passing the multicolored woman by just a tad. The united front ran the Bull Elk. Exhausted him down to the point she took note when the one who'd called them all here latched onto a hind leg. Helonia wanted more. Despite her next move being quite dangerous, she took the opportunity to jump onto the creature's back. Displaying front limbs on either side. At the same time, teeth sank their sharp points into the thick flesh of its neck.

The thrashing of the Bull's head moving to try and puncture her with its curved horns proved pointless. Body nearly fell to the ground due to the amount of weight from the three wolves. She couldn't stop the bloodlust growl that slipped into the small gaps in her mouth. Tugging the fatty meat with a sharp twist of her head. There was nothing more satisfying than the sounds their prey made. How beautiful the noise was to her ears.

"Helonia"~~"Melanth"

Aristaios sprinted alongside the other wolves, their formation fluid and relentless. The elk's hooves thundered against the ground, its fear palpable. The hunt was well and truly on now! Aristaios darted in, snapping at its feet, driving the beast into a frenzy. With a sudden burst of speed, he surged ahead, jaws wide. He latched onto its shoulder, his teeth sinking into flesh. The elk bucked wildly, but Aristaios held firm, his weight pulling it down. The others held their own position, their collective strength beginning to overpower the mighty bull. Hopefully, the elk would go crashing down, as soon as it’s energy and strength were depleted.

""

Rakia felt herself instinctively working in concert with the others, as if their movements were a wordless language she was fluent in. Her sharp eyes locked onto the elk, watching the light dim within them as every heavy breath was drawn. The thrill of the chase ran hot through her veins - her heart pounding with the symphony of life and death surrounding her in this vast wilderness.

She could almost taste their impending victory. Rakia circled to the front, drawing the beast's attention away from its hindquarters. The elk's eyes met hers and for a brief moment, time seemed to pause. She saw in its gaze a primal realization of its fate and the inexorable pull of nature’s law. A silent plea, an acceptance, a resignation. She felt the cold wind against her fur, heard the resonant howls of her pack, smelled the pungent mixture of sweat and fear emanating from the elk – it was all part of this intricate dance of life.

Then she lunged, aiming for the exposed throat. Her fangs sank into its flesh with a satisfying thud. Blood filled her mouth, hot and metallic - the final mark of their hard-fought success.

"Rakia Perreau"

With the four wolves working in unison, the elk truly stood no chance of survival. Between their relentless assaults and their combined strengths, the bull was soon toppled off its cloven hooves, bellowing and bleating in panic. As soon as their prey was on the ground, Azrael struck, lunging for the back of the bull's neck and throwing all of his weight down on the cervine's spine. He was holding its head still so it couldn't thrash about and gore any of them with its rack of antlers. Knowing its fate was sealed, the elk gave a few more pathetic attempts at freedom, but the blush-furred fae ended its futile resistance. As soon as her jaws were around its throat, the animal knew it was dead. It didn't try to fight any longer. It just laid there and died like the good prey animal it was.

All the while, Azrael kept holding the elk's head down, not giving it even an inch to try and hurt them. He could feel each labored breath of the bull while he lifted his head to watch with macabre fascination and glee as the light began to leave its eyes, succumbing to its fatal injuries. Soon it would be gone, and the hunting pack would have enough meat to fill their bellies and then some!

"Azrael Saxe"

The thrill of the hunt surged through his veins, his heart pounding in time with the life-and-death struggle unfolding around him.

Rakia circled to the front, drawing the elk's attention away from the weight of he and the other male.He felt the cold wind against his fur, heard the resonant sounds of anguish from the elk, smelled the mingled scents of sweat and fear.

Then Rakia lunged, her fangs sinking into the elk's exposed throat with a satisfying thud. And that was that. He loses his grip on the animals hide, just as it succumbs to the killing bite.


""

Rakia went in for the kill. With all four wolves doing their part, there was absolutely nothing the elk could do. Especially when there were a set of teeth cutting away at its only life source.

Their muscles ached from the amount of energy used. Tongue lolled out in quick pants. Chest heaving with each breath. The first thought of a bath crossed Mel’s mind. Which Helonia quickly dismissed by chewing on the fatty flesh that once rested in her jaws. Not caring to wait on the others to join the feast.

Starvation clawed at her insides. And there was nothing else to do but answer its calls. Throat moving with each swallow of the Elk’s meaty body.
"Helonia"~~"Melanth"