Coran's interest in the various kinds of prey in Boreas only continued to grow. Of course it was most important to understand the prey in the southern and western areas where he would do the majority of hunting but while he was still untethered he sought to try for prey in the northern region. One of the most notable northern species was the caribou. He could hear the clicking of their knees even before he crested the hill to see them grazing down below. They were breaking out into smaller groups for the breeding season and he focused on the nearest, looking to see if any injuries or illnesses would reveal a target.

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn tagged along with Coran to the north on a hunting trip. The duo had hit it off and considering both had an interest in hunting it made sense to travel together and sample new foods. In particular there were the caribou that had Jynn's attention. She had tried them once before and really never thought she'd get another shot at it. This was definitely their last chance before late fall and winter brought heavy snow and made hunting less enjoyable, especially for the maned wolf. She was not made for the harsh winters of the arctic. As Coran settled down to watch the caribou, Jynn crouched down to join him.

"Speech"

It had been a long and arduous trip from Ethne, Eltrys hoped Alex would also like the taste of Caribou and make the trip worth it. It was his favorite growing up and usually worth the trip.

The pines towered above them, and branches creaked and clacked against each other, winter was coming to this land quickly as a light powdering of snow layered the ground. The fresh smell of sap and needles would almost hide the caribou scent he was tracking.

Another scent crossed the trail, two canines, maybe they could team up? Eltrys exchanged a look with Alex and nodded his head in the direction of the strangers, hopefully, he also caught the scent and would understand what Eltrys was alluding to.

The boys approached the other hunters, Eltrys made a low quiet sound, a rumble but not a growl, to alert them to their presence.
"Mind if we join you? Got eyes on them already have you?" Eltrys asked in low whispered tones and peered over the edge at the prey.

Eltrys had proved a reliable hunting partner in their first hunt so when the other male offered to take him to hunt caribou. The prey animals were among those that Alexander had never had the pleasure of hunting - after all, he had spent most of his life living in and hunting the beasts of Auster - and he had jumped at the chance to try his paw at hunting them. El was already proving to be a strong hunting partner which only excited Alex at the idea of hunting more and more larger game with another wolf. He had always had an interest in the sport, but so many of his hunts had been done solo. Who wouldn’t jump at the chance to expand on their skill with others?

The trip North had proven to be long but if Eltrys’ boast about the taste of caribou was anything to go by it was going to be worth the effort of getting here. Unlike in Ethne, where things were beginning to warm up in Auster’s spring, Northern Boreas was feeling the chill of fall with winter nipping at its heels. It was cold enough that Alexander was a little surprised that there wasn’t already snow on the ground of the bleak landscape but it seemed that the weather worked in their favor for now.

They had finally found the trail of the herbivores when a change in the trail caught not just Alexander’s attention, but El’s as well. Alex’s green gaze lifted, meeting with that of his packmate, and a silent nod was given. They were changing their plan slightly, likely to see if the other two wolves they had picked up the scent of might be interested in joining their hunt so that all involved could take their share of meat. Alexander was fine with that - the meat they gathered here wouldn’t exactly make it all the way back to Ethne.

The duo would find the other pair of wolves together watching over the caribou already, and as Eltrys did the speaking Alexander would let his gaze sweep toward the herd. His ears were perked forward, his expression thoughtful as he examined each member. There appeared to be an older female on the far end of the herd that was moving stiffly. An ear flicked back in thought, a soft “Hmm,” leaving his maw as he looked over at the others. “...Over there, far edge of the herd toward the back.” He spoke softly, not wanting his voice to carry to the grazing animals but he also made sure it was loud enough to be heard.

Would the others focus on the same female he was looking at, or a different one?

"Speech," 'Thought.'

Coran continued to watch the caribou, only pulling his eyes away as he heard two wolves approach. The older male asked if they might join and Coran nodded, answering quietly. "Certainly, we're good to split the kill." The younger male then pointed out an older female caribou on the far end of the herd that seemed to be moving more slowly. Could her joints be giving her some trouble?

Coran nodded. "Seems a good target to me. Let's stalk closer and see if we can break her off from the herd." The trick with the caribou is once they got running their numbers would make it difficult to keep an eye on their target. Thankfully the autumn herds were smaller. Coran stalked forward through the grasses, weaving his way around the pine trees until he was as close as he dared to get. He was facing the older caribous rear, hoping to charge forward and splinter her off from the group. Coran waited til the others were positioned then he darted forward, racing along the edge of the herd toward the target. The sudden motion caused a ripple through the herd, the caribou starting to panic and run.

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn offered the young men a smile as Coran invited them into the hunting group. This was excellent timing, they had a much better shot at taking a caribou down now. She listened attentively to the plan and gave it her nod of approval. She was terribly hungry so the sooner they got this party started the better. As Coran slipped off into the grasses, Jynn followed suit, eventually splitting off from him to get a different angle on the cow. It was hard to know where they'd run once they realized the wolves were there.

She found a good spot behind a fallen pine and settled in to wait. When Coran darted forward she leapt over the pine tree and darted in toward the cow. The older female tried to move in toward the herd but with a burst of speed Jynn came up on her left, seeking to push her to the right and away from the herd. Her long neck twisted, fangs snapping at the caribous front legs to drive it where she wanted.

"Speech"

They were welcomed easily. He hummed in approval at Alexander's keen eyes spying the cow at the edges of the herd. The others agreed and Eltrys followed the pale brindle hunter, letting him take the lead. It had been a while since he had last hunted caribou, his mouth watering at the smooth mild taste he remembered. Much milder than deer or antelope in flavor.

He sunk into the grasses, then spied the agile red woman taking a position, if he guessed correctly she was going to drive it to the right, away from the herd.
He motioned to Alex and murmured, "Drive to the right." Before Eltrys moved off to take a protective point in case one of it's herd decided to be a hero.

When they were all crouched and ready, the brindle darted out then the herd began to move. Eltrys circled the party in a wide arc, growling and snapping at the other caribou to urge them onward and further separate the elder female from them. He then pulled up the rear ready to take a bite if one of the party fell back.

The wolves they had come across were willing to split the kill, which was fortunate, and more fortunately the older male felt the target he had selected was a good one. With the plan in place the wolves would begin to weave through the trees. Alexander kept somewhat close to Eltrys, trusting his fellow Woodsman to give him advice on how to hunt the caribou. He could see the other two moving into place, his gaze fixed on their target. He was eager to sink his teeth into the prey. He was ready and eager to begin the hunt, to feel the thrill as he chased the prey down and then got a good meal out of it. At the suggestion from Eltrys, Alexander gave a firm nod. “Right.” The young man murmured. Keeping the animal away from her herd would be the best plan. Alexander kicked off with the rest of the wolves, moving off to the female elk’s left to drive her right and into the jaws of the female of their party. He was aware of the pale-furred male behind the cow as he snapped at the back of a foreleg. He had to be careful here, because one kick and he could be in trouble. Fangs also nip toward her side. The cow was heading away from the herd just like they wanted. Now all they had to do was bring her down! "Speech," 'Thought.'

table coding by bunni ♥

Coran raced along behind the caribou as the other hunters swiftly joined him. Jynn inserted herself between the herd and the older caribou while the earthen-pelted man raced alongside, driving the rest of the herd away and effectively separating their target. The young male then came up along the left side of the caribou. Excellent! Between the young man and Jynn they could effectively drive the caribou where they wanted it to go. Now they just needed to trip her up and make the final blow.

Coran shifted slightly to the right, just in time for the caribou kicked back, but it proved a risky gambit. The cow missed striking him and in risking the kick she slowed her pace. She tried racing forward again but this time Coran was ready. His fangs caught her hind right leg and with a mighty pull the sudden shift of the limb caused the cow to stumble forward.

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn had a blast chasing after the caribou. She'd snap when she needed to to keep the cow panicked and running. Her light form and slim legs helped her to keep up with her prey and she kept pace as the men worked to fully separate her from the herd. She noted the cow suddenly stumble and that was the opportunity she needed. Jynn trusted the men to keep cow pinned while she dove in, jaws snagging the cows throat. She wrapped her arms around the caribou's neck, her weight pulling the cow forward and down. Jynn tucked her tail and her hind legs to over her stomach to try and help protect herself from forward kicks. Soon enough, however, the cow passed and the wolves had their meal.

"Speech"

Eltrys brought up the rear, grateful the company he was with seemed masterful in taking down the cow. He lurched and snapped at the caribou's hind legs. Though Eltrys seemed to be the dwarf of the crew his powerful legs and shoulders let him keep pace with the others.

The cow fumbled and he took his chance to leap up and grasp her hip with his teeth, he added his weight to the group to pull her down and saw the slender woman go in for the kill while they held the ungulate down.

They were triumphant! He silently thanked the caribou for her life force to feed them, then dug in to fill his belly with his favorite flavor.

With each wolf in position, it wasn’t hard getting the cow to where they wanted her to go. The caribou had little room to shift away from the wolves, though she dared try to kick at one of the older hunts. That would be her final mistake. As the white male caught her leg, Alexander would throw his body weight at the female and clamp down to help her down. It felt like the entire process was smooth, the effort of several experienced hunters having a hunt that worked well together. He pressed forelegs down upon her, making sure all of his weight was working against her. The female hunter would go for the kill and moments passed.

The kill was made and Alexander drew back, licking the blood from the prey animal from his chin. He gave grateful nods to his allies before turning his attention to the caribou, his curiosities about the prey animal that his packmate had mentioned about to be satisfied. Lowering his head down he stripped away some of her flesh, chewing the meat slowly so that he could savor it. He could see now why Eltrys favored the animal as one of his favorite prey. He was pretty sure it was ranking up high on his personal list too!

"Speech," 'Thought.'