Tusked Tumble [Valhalla Elephant Hunt]

[ooc: Longggg post! Let's get this on the road! Cairo will lead the charge up-top. If anyone has questions, ask me xD]

As the hunters gathered, Ardyn watched and waited, nodding to Torben and Cairo, as they caught up and Cairo began unloading his packs. Soon enough Lyr swooped in to drop to Ardyn’s withers and murmured, “Three have answered, they should be here shortly; they weren’t too far off.” into the king’s ear. Ardyn smiled, nodding as he watched Legacy, and the healers who would be on standby in case this hunt brought injury to the hunters, set up a yurt. It was small enough to be travel worthy, but large enough to fit several wolves if needed, even if it might be cramped.

Paw steps approached and first came a large earthen man, who introduced himself as Seumas Cranak. Interestingly, the man seemed to know Legacy, who had offered a fleeting smile of greeting and recognition to the man as he’d greeted her to the side when he’d approached. The silent recommendation from his cousin settled Ardyn that this was a good wolf to have on the hunt, and he smiled back. “You’re quite welcome in this hunt, Seumas.”

Two more came. A mid-sized girl – a yearling but no less welcome – introduced herself as Tallulah Colt. And another tall man in darker earth colors, ruby eyes touched with white from cheekbones to brow points. He didn’t introduce himself, but his intentions were clear and Ardyn took him into the hunt with a nod.

A soft rustle from the bushes brought his attention to Sädir and Lunira as the two big cats slid into sight, returning from their scouting mission.

Lunira settled, pale lavender gaze flicking over the unfamiliar wolves that had joined her charge while she and the over-eager kitten of a mountain lion vibrating beside her had been scouting the elephant’s position.

Keeping her voice low, she spoke directly to Ardyn. “The elephant has settled on the upper levels of the ravine. He is sleeping, so if care is taken, he could be startled over the edge. The ravine below his location is narrow. If he falls in, he will be in a tight space and injured. Still dangerous, but less able to fend off a pack.”

Ardyn nodded, then turned to the gathered group of hunters, nodding as Legacy sauntered to the side, camp set up and waiting, to listen to the plans.

“I am Ardyn Adravendi, Ard Rí – High King – of Valhalla. Simply call me Ardyn. This is Torben and my First Guardian, Cairo Adravendi. Consider him as a Beta. You’ll have heard it from Lyr here,” He tipped his head back to the glowing black and white raven still perched on his shoulders, watching closely, “That we have an ambitious goal for this hunt. We’re after an elephant.”

He tipped his head to study the three loners, taking stock. “Now, this won’t be a typical hunt like with a bison. We’ll be using lit torches to scare the elephant into flight, and trying to drive him over the edge of the ravine. According to my friend Lunira, the ravine where the elephant is located currently is narrow enough to make it difficult for him to fight back effectively, but let’s not any of us grow too confident.”

He nodded toward Legacy and the others that had gathered, either to act as healers for the injured, or guardians to keep them safe at camp.

“This is Legacy. She and her fellow healers and guardians here at camp won’t be hunting with us. They’ll be staying here and treating any who get injured in the hunt. If you are hurt badly enough not to carry on in the hunt, pull back and get treated if you can. Lyr will be above keeping an eye out for any in need of help.”

He studied the group as a whole, checking for any questions before gathering a pile of torches and laying them out for the hunters to grab up.

“When we’re closer, I’ll light the torches. Tallulah, Seumas, Cairo; you’ll take the main scare-work. Wave those torches around and scare the daylights out of him. Myself, Torben, and …” he paused, eyes flicking toward the ruby-eyed man, letting him supply his name if he wished, before continuing, “Will handle getting him subdued at the bottom of the ravine while you follow the elephant down. We’ll split up further along the ridge. There should be a path leading down. I’ll light the torches there.”

Once he was certain there were no questions or added input, Ardyn led the way at a silent trot. Lunira and Sädir led the way while Lyr pushed off into the sky to wheel higher and higher, there to keep watch for injury and warn the healer’s camp if the elephant broke free and charged in their direction.

Lunira flicked her long-fringed tail, hairs glinting like silver as she drew to a stop at a fork in the path. One kept on along the ridge, but the other dropped down, following a path that had been widened by Aerie’s occupation, and possibly Ashen before them, but may have started out as a goat or deer trail.

“Alright, this is where we split.”

Before parting ways with the three detailed to do the driving, Ardyn pulled a bull’s horn from his pouch. Uncorking its porous seal, he tapped the coal out onto a flat piece of wood. He coaxed the coal into a flame with offerings of dry fodder and breath. Taking each torch, he lit the pine tar ends of the torches and handed them back to their holders.

“The elephant should be about two hundred feet along the ridge. If you circle around and come in from three sides, it should be caught off guard enough to run over the edge. We’ll be down in the ravine lighting a barrier of brush on fire to discourage him from running down the ravine to a wider area. Sädir will go with you to lead the way. Give us about twenty minutes to get in position and then charge. Be safe.”

He tapped the small blaze out and tucked the smoldering coal back into its horn. Corking the horn and putting it back in his pouch, he led the way down the path into the ravine, while Sädir led the way along the ridge-trail. In time, he directed first Seumas, then Talullah into place with their torches. Cairo, the last, he didn't direct. The man was experienced and well-known to Valhalla, and already knew what to do. Sädir slid to wait, within sight of each of the hunters he'd been tasked to guide and assist. Inside he was still vibrating with excitement, but he did his best to tamp it down. Lunira would cuff him if he botched this, and she wasn't shy about unsheathing her claws while she did it.

Once on the bottom, and a couple of hundred feet along, Ardyn could hear the elephant’s breathing. It sounded asleep, but who could really know for sure?

“Alright, let's get some dry brush stacked along the ravine in a barrier. Don’t light it until the three up top have gotten underway. Once the elephant’s fallen off into the ravine, light the brush on fire.”

He found a small cave alcove at the bottom of the ravine and struck a small fire there, leaving it to smolder into a bed of coals while he helped gather enough brush and fodder to build a barrier from one wall of the ravine to the other.

Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think