Rumors spread like wildfire throughout Boreas. Starting in the north and moving south, word that more and more animals began acting strangle made its rounds. At first, Wilder believed it to be some after effect of the blight. Surely it wasn't related to the red sky or the tremors. Maybe it was just him being stubborn or maybe he didn't want to think the blight was spreading.

It wouldn't take long for Wilder to return to the Armada and inform the Warlord that he would scout out the northern territories. Moving slowly toward the abandoned ship covered in ice, he peers around at the eerie landscape. There was no reason for prey to be out this far north, but sure enough a large bull moose could be seen scraping his antlers along the thick ice surrounding the ship. Wilder watches, head canted, brow furrowed. Well, if he was going to hunt it, he couldn't do it alone...

"Wilder"

1/4 wolves entered
1/3 round - hunt large prey (bull moose)

Tsuki knew her dad's were on edge but she thought this was all good fun, the sky didn't turn red every day, and strange obelisk like structures didn't grow out of the ground either! Mojito certainly hadn't been eager to see her go charging off after rumors of strange behaviour in the north but she was old enough now to make her own calls. So she had!

Brrr it was cold up here, though she had some natural insulation and it was summer she found herself shivering slightly. She padded gingerly on the ice, unused to the slippery footing. So far she hadn't seen much, she'd skirted close to the big metal carcass in the ice at one point and found deer velvet but little else. Until she'd popped out from behind the ship, where she saw a moose, massive, and what looked like another wolf sizing him up. With as much grace as she could, which was to say basically none, Tsuki made her way over to the other wolf. Bigger than her, unsurprising and maybe a bit older? Very little could muffle Tsuki's volume normally but her Outou-san had drilled it into her head enough times to know she had to be quite when hunting was happening so as she slid up closer her voice was low as she spoke: "Gonna chase 'im?" It was a childish way of asking and she knew chasing was only one part of a hunt but Tsuki was looking to see if this wolf was friendly, and if so if she could try and help... She certainly couldn't handle it on her own!

"Speech"

Art by Sin

The soon to be yearling felt the change around her, she got separated from everyone from the large spires that climbed to the skies. A low whimper escaped her throat as she hadn't laid eyes upon her family members and now nervous she continued spotting a ship frozen. Confusion even more within her mind, her tail moved behind her, soon she spotted two others. Hopefully they were nice - and wouldn't dare harm her. Sagittarius Fallen slowly made her way towards the strangers. Then that's when she cast her gaze over the frozen territory, ears flick back. Frantically looking to the others, they both were older than her for sure. "What is it doing." She asked out. Standing out of the way from the large brute with a set of antlers that could send her flying threw the skies and end up dead or with broken bones. Hoping she wasn't going to be the one doing the chasing or bringing it closer to the other two. "Talking."

code by Bird & art by Resin!

Tethys was slowly coming back into herself, recovering from the strange sickness that had befallen on her when the blight had struck the Armada woods. Though she was mostly well now, it was hard not to feel like she wasn't fully herself still- she tired more easily these days, though she was trying to push her body to regain the strength she'd lost. With Wilder's reports of prey animals acting strangely, she too couldn't help but wonder if the strange blight sickness was reoccurring.. or had it left at all? Maybe it had just spread to other lands, other creatures. Though she was a bit wary of investigating, she didn't want to show that nervousness, so she did what any loyal Armada member would do- she pushed down all those worries and volunteered to accompany Wilder to investigate. She was bewildered as they found the moose and studied its behaviors. Maybe it was searching for vegetation below the ice? That made no sense though, there was no food for it here. Maybe it had been driven mad somehow? By some strange sickness? That might've been a good explanation, but Wilder had explained that he'd seen other prey animals with similar behaviors. It didn't make sense... She knew the plan was to try to take the beast down, and fortunately it seemed others had similar ideas. Wary of the strangers, despite them both being younger than her, she gave a careful nod of acknowledgement as they approached. "This group suitable, you think?" Tethys inquired, tilting her head toward Wilder to see what he thought.

First is the wolfdog who at least tries to be somewhat quiet upon approach. His gaze flicks to Tsuki for a moment, contemplating on answering before the moose’s rack forces the ice to groan loudly along the ground. It was an odd place to rut or search, and it wasn’t the only animal acting like this. Next was the pup, so clearly a pup by the hesitant movements, that Wilder almost turned her away. A moose acting so out of character surely was dangerous for a youngster like this one.

With the two wolves at his side, Wilder wonders if it’s even worth it. Perhaps he should just keep them back and observe for now. That would be safer, no? His mouth opens to answer their questions when Tethys speaks up. Wilder’s fur poofs slightly in surprise. He had been so distracted by the odd behavior of the moose that he had forgotten she’d come with. At least they would have two of dire size to try and takedown the large mammal.

“Suitable is objective,” Wilder replies in that rough, western accent, his red gaze moving over the three females once more as his mind puts a plan together. “We shoul’ corner it. I’ll take one side, Tethys you take the other, an’ you two work together for its front where it’ll be safer. If we can keep it trapped against that boat, Tethys or I can go for a clean kill,” he nods toward Tethys, a tentative smile thrown her way as he waits for the group to agree to the plan.

Once they’re in place, Wilder takes one more moment to look at the group. “Avoid the antlers. You can survive a kick or stomp from a hoof but that antler’ll gore ya an’ ya’ll bleed out,” his tone is stern, words, though accented, as serious as he’ll ever sound. Inhaling a deep breath, he steels his nerves and sets off toward the bull moose who is still too preoccupied with its unusual behavior to take notice.

Nearing the large bull, Wilder doesn’t allow his vermilion gaze to move from it. One second of hesitation and they could wind up dead. Shoving those thoughts toward the back of his mind, Wilder nears the moose with bared teeth and a piercing bark to try and disorient it even more.