Scouring the north again, Wren began to feel a bit better about being new here. She also knew now the names of the two lands connected together. Boreas and Auster. Things that folks had told her too, like packs and locations. Keeping low to the ground, she gathered snare materials. It had worked well enough with Gimli, so she thought to try again. Maybe she could find some weasels around here. They seemed to be active.

First, she'd collect spare pieces of wood. Making a small pile, Wren circled it once before heading off. She needed rope of some kind. Wishing she still had the catgut, she searched. It wasn't until a familiar scent hit her nose that she paused. An ear twitched as the bulking shadow of the lad came into sight. Her tail flickered once in greeting. "Didn't think I'd see you again so soon."

"Speech"
1/3 craft snare

Basilisk grinned, having been caught. He slunk out of the shadows. The little trot-trot of his tiny reindeer clomping behind him as he came fully into view. He had ventured out a little further then the main Armada hunting grounds to see what else he could catch the scent of. He hadn’t expected that of a familiar face, but he wasn’t going to complain, either. “You're only a stone's throw from Armada here” he explained as he came to a stop a comfortable distance from her.

“What brings you by this time?” he asked, remembering the last time they had met. He sniffed the air cautiously, just to check he wasn’t tripping over another of her hunts.


"Speech"

He would seem amused by being caught. It wasn't like he was trying to hide well, but she'd keep that to herself. A smirk crossed her lips instead, knowing he was just too massive and dark to hide at all in these conditions. The ivory kept him looking like a sore thumb. His companion(s) trailed after him. Must be nice; she hadn't bonded with any animal in any land. Not yet anyway.

"What else would I be doing but hunting?" she scoffed with good humour, shaking her head as if clearing it "I'm trying to figure out trap making, but I prefer the natural way honestly." Hearing she was so close to Armada made her nervous, even if she had an acquaintance in Basilisk. He said once upon a time he would let her leave if she needed their services though.

But she didn't trust him yet. Not completely. "You wouldn't happen to have any rope or string, would you?" she asked at last. Her gaze turned back to the pile of wood, and she approached it. Wren began to sort through it, finding a sharp piece and pulling it out. A boulder nearby, half hidden in snow, was used to file it to a fine point.

"Speech"
2/3 craft trap

Basilisk snorted in amusement at her comment. “I feel like that’s all I’m doing these days, too.” His grandfather loved to send him out to hunt. Said it had something to do with his ability to eat enough for three wolves… not that he complained, really. He still had a lot to learn, and there was a sense of accomplishment in bringing something down.

“I’ve done traps a couple different ways, but haven’t used wood yet. Mind if I stick around and see how you're going to do it?” He asked. He was definitely getting a good variety of hunting styles under his belt. At her request, he gave a sharp whistle and a falcon swooped down. After he murmured something to her, she took off. Returning shortly later with some rope hanging from her beak.


"Speech"

She snorts this time. It is amused, not scoffing.

"You probably down prey much larger than the average wolf" she points out, remembering their previous hunt "such an asset would be good for any pack" but! "honestly, I started out in my old pack as a hunter. They called it Fisherman, since we lived by the sea. It's just a step to better things, proving how valuable you can be to your pack. Though I really don't know what your rank is and you don't have to tell me." She chuckled.

But he had a request. Hmm. "Fine" she replied shortly, finishing the filing and looking at the pointed stick now "I typically make the end pointy so it sticks into the ground, and wrap rope or catgut around the top..." There was more to it than that, but she was distracted with Basilisk's companion bringing rope. She smirked again. "my, aren't we full of surprises?" She felt herself tease, despite only knowing him for a bit. One meeting wasn't enough to call someone friend.

She did accept the rope gratefully though. Tying it around the top of the stick, she stepped back so Basilisk could view it properly.

"Speech"
3/3 craft trap

He shuffled a little awkwardly at that. There was heat to his cheeks, though he ducked his head to try and hide it. Likely that did little, with the way he towered over her. “I don’t really have a rank yet. My dad keeps talking about a challenge to try for one, but he hasn’t started it yet” he explained. He had only recently become a yearling, and he was itching for the change to prove himself.

“So, how's this trap work?” he asked to distract away from his rank, or lack thereof. He eyed the sticks curiously, wondering what she was planning on doing with them. When she accepted the rope from his companion, he watched as she tied it to top of the stick. He stepped back, and eyed it too. Alright, so what was it?


"Speech"

"From what I see" Wren began again "you're doing fine. Rank comes with time and dedication, and most of all... Beating the other competition to the punch" she wasn't coddling him but stating a fact. Her shoulders rolled casually "work hard. Or challenge for someone's rank, but just know... Some folks may eyeball you for that. You may be under scrutiny and expectations more than you want."

She had heard of wolves fighting wolves for rank. She had been promoted due to her activity and participation in the pack she had been in. Wren didn't like the idea of fighting for a rank when she could prove she deserved it. Basilisk quickly tried to change the subject and she respected that. "When I bring it and set it up somewhere, I'll do more" it was a pain in the ass to set it up and then take it somewhere "you prop the end rope up with a stick so it's able to wrap around the animal." She paused, trying to remember more.

Explaining was not her strong suit. "The rabbit or small prey won't see the rope cause it'll be blended with the snow. It'll run into it and get caught. I'll make a loop and it'll pull tight between the two sticks, sealing off the air and killing it... Slowly." She swallowed, not liking that part.

"Speech"
3/3 craft trap
1/3 use trap

It sounded like she had a great deal of experience. He remembered the story she had told him of her old pack. The one she had worked her way up to Beta in, before her Alpha had abandoned her in a time of need. He took her advice to heart, and nodded. He knew the Warlord would respect him for challenging for a rank. Maybe that was what his family was waiting for, for him to take the initiative.

She explained the trap in more detail, and he nodded his head, curious. He hadn’t heard of a trap that did the killing before. Normally he’d seen traps used as a way to ensnare their prey and give the wolf a chance to kill them. Her plan sounded rather clever. “Alright, let's do this” he said, moving to help her grab what she needed.


"Speech"

He didn't seem to have a big head about it. Good. She didn't want to associate with an egotistic wolf. Basilisk gave a nod, and he seemed to be thinking about her words. He didn't have to, but he did anyway. She grinned inwardly, pleased she could at least give some advice to another and they listened. Sybil hadn't really done such a thing. Seemed like in and out one ear. Wren didn't talk to hear herself speak. She had opinions to give.

"Okay" she glanced around, spotting a dense brush. She picked up the singular trap and approached it, clearing the foliage with her paws and holding the snare in her jaws. The smell of prey was heavy here. She tried not to leave her own scent too much on it. Quickly making a loop when she set down the snare with the rope, she left it and covered it back up. "we need to wait." she added to the lad.

Wren would lead them back to an opposite location, sitting down against the snow coloured earth. She glanced to her side, indicating Basilisk could sit there if he wanted. The whole point of a trap was to wait and see, and see if it worked. Weasel was heavy in the air, so she opted to guess that's what they'd catch.

"Speech"
3/3 craft trap
2/3 use trap

He watched as she set down the snare, finishing up with the rope in a way that seemed to be careful about brushing up against it too much. That made sense if she wanted something to go into the trap herself. So far, Bas’ experience with trap setting also led to herding creatures at break-neck speeds into it. This was something else entirely. Perhaps something one could set up and come back to check on later. It seemed like a very sensible idea.

He followed her away from the snare and settled down at her side, sharing some of her warmth as he watched the trap. “Waiting. I can do waiting.” He said in a soft whisper. Fighting the urge to fidget.


"Speech"

It was a waiting game.

Wren knew she would like to chat more, but patience was required and silence needed. Thankfully, about ten minutes of total quiet passed before a weasel hopped into view. She made herself still - er, more still if possible. Her blue eyes locked onto the frame of the prey as it hopped closer to the snare. When it was before the bush, she lowered herself to crawl toward it. The woman flicked a tail for Basilisk to be still and remain there.

Herding was more practical; just in case the weasel didn't take the bait. She growled softly, startling the small critter into jumping into the brush. With a sick snap! the rope tangled around it. Wren was still novice at snare making, so she lunged forward before it could potentially escape the trap. With a deciding bite, she ended its life. The weasel had time to shriek shortly, but the pines remained relatively still of movement.

Wren reappeared with the weasel in her jaws, walking back to Basilisk.

"Speech"
3/3 craft trap
3/3 use trap