In the time it took them to gather the spears from the castle and get all of the pieces into place, the target for their hunt had wandered a bit closer to the river that flowed away from Cedar Falls and it felt like things were lining up perfectly to match up with their plan. Once Duchess, Avantika, Dunkan, and Lúta had taken their places for their roles in the hunt - triggering the avalanche and finishing the kill at the bottom of the canyon - he took the rest of them to hide among the trees around the falls, carefully making their way closer till the falls were behind them and the wooly creatures were a few dozen feet ahead of them. "As soon as the avalanche goes, start charging them to startle them even more," he instructed them quietly, giving them another moment to get into position before picking up his spear and looking back over his shoulder at where Duchess and Tika stood at the top of the falls, waving his spear to signal for them to knock over the rock that would set off the cascade of rock and snow they had set up at the top of the slope.

Walk | "Talk" | think

Dunkan was on position, down at the bottom of the canyon with both Urasa and Kaira ready to help. He was also ready to help in this, to help bringing down the beast that could easily feed them all for quite a lot of time. Kaira his falcon flew over the place just to check on everything. Now ready, Dunkan had all of his attention to the procedure, not allowing any thought or distraction to take him away from the current business. Now he just needed to wait beside the other one Luta who beside him would be giving the beast the final blow.

Artorias was hunkered down behind some dry brush along the tree line where the rest of the hunting party lay in wait. He and the others had reached the armory and collected six of the spears that appeared in the best condition to bring back for the hunt. Last thing they needed were for the old weapons to fall apart in action. The young wolf gripped his spear tight in his teeth, amber eyes kept focused on the big hairy beasts they were currently downwind from. He cringed as their scent smacked his nose like a sucker punch; gods, did they stink! But they were basically walking buffets that could feed the pack for weeks, and that was good enough reason for him. This was the furthest Artorias had been from home, and as he waited, he surveyed their surroundings, looking up to the falls in the nearby distance, nearly frozen and the cliffside caked in snow and ice. It would make for an excellent avalanche. Now they just had to make sure no one got caught in it or trampled by one of the mammoths.

"Speech" | Thoughts | ”Corbin"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

Duchess waited for Avantika to regroup with the rest of them after gathering the spears before making their way around the incline. When they arrived at the top there would good sized boulders perfect for their plan and also their safety. All they had to do was push them over the edge and the boulders would do that work. Duchess put a paw on a boulder Avantika would use, and she went to her own and pushed it a little more off center of the decline, lined up in a way with Avantika's. She looked to the young girl, not much younger than herself, "We can each push our boulder at three, just be careful not to follow it too far, I'll do the same." She smiled, maybe suggesting she could mess it up just as much as the girl. They were equal, and she wanted Avantika to know she felt that way. This was no time for chit chatting or bonding though. When the signal came up from Ulric, she would start to count with only the nod of her head and a silent spoken number. Walk "Talk" Think

The group of wolves would regroup at the falls, the creatures had grown closer to them making it a perfect set up for their plan. When Ezra came back from the castle with his own two spears, she made a point to grab the second from him instead of anyone else. Only to the fact that she actually knew him compared to any other wolf here. She would set the spear down for a moment as everyone else prepared themselves, and once Ulric gave the signal for the avalanche, she would grab the spear in her mouth again as well, and go for following the leader. She knew she couldn't lead this hunt herself, and she would get her own fine share in the end. She didn't see herself much as a leader anyway. Walk "Talk" Think

Lúta worked her way into the base of the canyon where the rest of the pack intended to drive the mammoths. Hopefully, they'd be able to hit the target about right and the mammoths wouldn't fall too far on either end of the canyon. Lúta nodded to Duncan as she took up her position. Along the lip of the canyon wall her companion, Kolfinna strode. The mountain lion moved effortlessly along the rocky terrain, pacing back and forth. Lúta took a moment to survey her surroundings and get a feel for the landscape they had to work with. There was a river that ran through the middle of the canyon but thankfully it didn't look too deep. She focused on listening, waiting for the sound of the avalanche that would signal the beginning of the hunt.

Avantika was in her position to help start the avalanche. Duchess was beside her, Kaata was circling above them for a better view, and she was ready. She had to be ready. All I'm doing is pushing a rock. She had to remind herself of that a few times before the sinking feeling in her stomach subsided to a manageable level. She smiled quietly back at Duchess, thankful for the reassurance, and waited for the signal. She set her front paws on the cool, rough rock. Once her older partner counted to three, she'd push the boulder with as much of her weight as she could without hurtling down the cliff after it. "Avantika to Kaata telepathy" "Kaata to Avantika telepathy" "speech"

Ezra rejoined the group once he, Artorias, and Avantika had retrieved the spears from the armory in the castle, naturally coming back to Relm first and passing off his second spear to her. Even though most of the group was made up of his pack mates, she was still his buddy of the group so he gravitated toward staying at her side. With everyone in their respective places, the excitement of the hunt started to finally settle in and he grinned around the spear he was holding as he remained hidden among the brush in the woods. Aquila circled overhead, occasionally swooping over the herd of wooly elephant creatures and reporting back to confirm they were still in a good position. His father pulled his attention for a moment as he reminded them of the next steps in their hunt and he nodded before turning his gaze toward their target again. He shifted from foot to foot, eager to get going and see if they could actually take down one of these things. It would be so cool if they could, but he also knew the odds were kind of stacked against them with how big the beasts were, but the "what if" really kept his drive for the hunt going. Some of the herd began to drift closer to the canyon, apparently done grazing wherever they were currently standing and his tail wagged in his excitement. Everything was lining up so well thus far. Now they just had to actually execute the plan and maybe they could actually do this!

Walk | "Talk" | think

Oxx kept reminding himself that he was just here to learn information. This whole situation was boring. Everyone seemed to be afraid of the gargantuan brute. He'd even kept his teeth covered most of the time. Not one single compliment came his way, which was disconcerting. Then again, there weren't any adult women in the group. Most of the hunters were children, it seemed. Extra boring. Oh, wait. There was one. She seemed as dry and boring as the desert sand. Ugh... The rest of the group picked up spears, but Oxx refused. He'd run the stinking beasts wherever the 'leader' wanted, but he wouldn't put their dirty tools in his mouth. The slate and snow man was proud of his teeth and he didn't wish to damage them by holding some gross wooden stick between them. So, he'd follow along like a good little boy. He'd do his part, learn what he needed, then cut off from the group without a goodbye. The mammoths were too smelly to even think about eating. "Speech"

Once everyone was in place, Ulric would give his signal to Avantika and Duchess, waiting a few beats till he heard the crashing and tumbling of snow and rocks starting a building roar behind them. He watched as the mammoths one by one lifted their heads from their scavenging for food to look in the direction of the avalanche, a couple of them quickly beginning to shift away and pick up speed. Perfect. He charged forward, leading the hunting party toward the woolly beasts with a howl, announcing their presence as well as alerting Luta and Dunkan who were at the bottom of the canyon that the hunt was on. He made sure to keep an eye on the others as he went - especially the young ones. They were all nearly adults at this point, but that didn't keep him from worrying. They were smart kids though, he trusted that they wouldn't get themselves into trouble.

The mammoths played right into their plan as one or two of them were spooked by the series of loud noises and disturbances to their environment, running off in the direction of the canyon which triggered the others to do the same. The pack of wolves came running toward them and as they got closer Ulric spotted the one that looked the most panicked and most susceptible to their tactics. It seemed to be younger than the others or perhaps just slightly smaller than the others. A female perhaps or maybe just the runt of the bunch. Either way, he focused his attention on this one and led the group toward it. He let out a bark, getting the attention of Artorias, pulling the boy toward him as he began positioning himself between this one and the herd to break it off from the others. That left Ezra, Relm, and the two dire wolf strangers in the group - as well as Avantika and Duchess if they made it down from the top of the falls by now - to keep pushing the mammoth toward the canyon.

He wrapped his path around one of the mammoths that was trying to follow its kin and jabbed the spear that he held tightly between his teeth into its ankle, pulling a pained sound from the creature as it quickly turned away from him in response. The movement yanked the spear from his grip and nearly pulled him off his feet as the spear got stuck in the beast's leg and it took the weapon with it, but it was enough to make the rest of the herd turn with it and they began to move in the opposite direction.

Walk | "Talk" | think

Lúta couldn't help but pace in anticipation as she waited for the hunt to begin. A rumble shook through the earth, likely the result of the avalanche. Ulric's howl a moment later confirmed it. The hunt was on. Her ears listened intently, gauging the rumbling that was likely caused by the large beasts movement. She called up to her companion. "Raga, report!" The macaque peered down at her and screeched. "So far they're headed about fifty feet to your left." Lúta nodded and shifted her position, knowing that she might need to move back as the herd got even closer. This wasn't an exact science but she'd see what she could do. She didn't want a mammoth squashing her, that was for sure.

Once the boulder pushed over, Duchess made sure Avantika was all good and safe before moving her way down the cliffs around the avalanche. It would take a minute, and she wasn't even sure she could catch up with the group with her own small frame, but she managed. She lingered behind the mammoth as they drove it, just another wolf to the wall to keep it moving. She was much too small to be lingering around it's feet. She wasn't sure what much help she could be, but she would do what was asked of her the best she could. In only a few moments, they could have what they desired and needed for their survival. Walk "Talk" Think

Ezra's father would begin the hunt as the avalanche started, and Relm would waste no time in joining the group now. While she had taken a liking just to the presence of Ezra knowing him from a previous encounter, now in the heat of the hunt the thought of the other wolves blended together in her mind. She was keen to her own footing, and she worked well beside the others despite her lonely upbringing.   With her own spear, she moved up to the mammoth Ulric had chosen from the group. She ran up close to it's front left leg, the ground rumbled from it's massive weight attempting to escape the avalanche and now the wolves. She jabbed it around it's upper foreleg, but she failed at getting a stick in it as Ulric had. Still, the sight and smell of blood fell from it's leg. If anything it would make it weaker from the pain, and more easily driven to their target location. Walk "Talk" Think

What sounded and felt like a tremendous earthquake disturbed the peace of the day, and Artorias watched with eager eyes while their plan began to unfold. Chunks of ice and snow tumbled down the cliffside by the falls, picking up more volume and momentum as it sped toward the mammoth herd. It was actually pretty amazing to watch while the cascade of white death rushed toward the mammoths, and just as he had expected, the dopey prey animals began to turn and run fro it—straight towards Bent Canyon.

Ulric led the charge, and Artorias was quick to follow behind their leader, eyeing up the fleeing mammoths to identify their best target. Ulric barked for his attention and the boy saw the one he wanted to hunt, a smaller runt of a mammoth, but still more than enough food for the pack. He nodded and wordlessly veered off to accompany Ulric, the two wolves darting between it at the others with snarls and spears to separate it. The closer they got to the mammoths, the more the earth seemed to tremble like he were running on a trampoline, so heavy were the beast's footfalls. He watched Ulric drive his spear into its legs and leg go, now snapping at the mammoth to steer it toward the canyon.

Artorias noticed the canyon a short distance up ahead, the crevasse only barely visible from along the horizon line. Perfect, the beast wouldn't know what hit it! All they had to do was keep moving it forward. Artorias slowed his gait a bit to pull up behind the mammoth, targeting its hind rear leg and twisting his head to slash the sharp metal end of the spear against the mammoth's calf. The mammoth bellowed in terror and began a full tilt sprint toward the canyon in a desperate gambit to get away from the pack of wolves. The other mammoths had run off now, all but abandoning the calf to its fate.

Steeling his gaze, Artorias followed Ulric's example and drove the spear deep into the mammoth's thigh with a ferocious growl. The spear lodged itself in the animal's flesh—except the mammoth didn't stop or slow when it was struck, instead rushing into a mad dash forward. Artorias was unable to let go of the spear in time and the next thing he knew, the young wolf was airborne. Ohshitohshitohshit...! Amber eyes went wide as he shouted out in surprise, his legs kicking and flailing wildly in the air. He only had one choice: to let go of the spear. Releasing his hold on the pole arm, Artorias went sailing through the air and came to a crash landing in amongst the snow, tumbling through the frigid powder a few times before coming to a stop with all four feet on the ground. His body ached, but he had no time to stop and assess the damages; he sprung back up and launched himself back into the hunt, trailing right behind the mammoth and the hunting party.


"Artorias" | Thoughts | "Corbin"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

Talk Dunkan beside Luta waited at the bottom of the canyon, being ready to end the dumb beast that did fall into the abysm toward a painful death. a death that even if the fall itself didn't bring, he and Luta would. Kaira his falcon waited for instructions. Urasa had joined the wolf's chase up in the running stampede. The jaguar followed close to Ulric and the rest of the chaser. "Kaira please call if you see them approaching" And there is when a howl from above reached his ears, the hunt was on. Nodding he waited readily to begin the bloody dance.

Avantika's boulder tumbled down, beginning the cacophonous roar of the avalanche. Snow, rocks, everything was moving. She would have taken a moment to stare out at the beautiful mess she and Duchess had created. Controlled chaos was her favorite sort of chaos. But she couldn't forget the hunt she was currently in. She wasn't entirely happy about that, but the joy of the hunt would be worth it. And the usefulness, too. A nice look at a pretty avalanche couldn't get her pack food. She couldn't disappoint them. She ran over to the herd, her longer legs carrying her just a bit ahead of Duchess, and joined the group in driving the selected mammoth towards the cliff. "Avantika to Kaata telepathy" "Kaata to Avantika telepathy" "speech"

Ezra darted forward with the rest of the hunting party when they got the signal from his father, hearing the crash of the avalanche behind them as he ran along beside Relm. Aquila soared overhead, giving a shrill call whenever one of the stampeding beasts got too close to him to make sure he was paying attention. The eagle also did its part to urge the mammoth on, swooping and dive bombing around its head to spook it even a little bit more. He saw the herd began to separate from the one they were quickly chasing toward the edge of the canyon, glancing back to see his father and Artorias turning them the other way with some jabs at the head of that section of the herd. He focused on the mammoth in front of him, jointing the rest of the pack with snarls and howls and jabbing at its ankles, keeping it moving and refusing to let it slow down as they got it closer and closer to the cliff.

Ezra Adravendi

Oxx was doing the bare minimum. He wasn't going to partake of this stinking furry meat. The giant was just here for the intel. As he ran along, the shark-toothed brute paid close attention to the wolves that smelled like his mother. There were a few with faint traces, but others that reeked heavily of her stench. They were all young. Did he have new siblings? Surely not. His mother was old. Too old to pop out children, he was sure. Foundlings? Adopted orphans? Resin had always collected the broken and abandoned. A trumpet pulled the brute's attention back to the hunt. The filthy hairy elephants were running. Or at least shamblng? Oxx wasn't sure that he could call that a run. Either way, he did his part to herd the selected meal in the direction that everyone else was going. How boring. Wait until he told Isidora about it. She'd get a kick out of how utterly mundane his day had been. "Speech"

Ulric paused his drive of the mammoths just long enough to make sure Artorias got back on his feet alright after being thrown to the ground trying to spear the mammoth's ankles. With a nod he took off running again, letting out louder howls now that his own spear was gone. He raced forward to come up alongside the one they had singled out, glancing over his shoulder occasionally to make sure the others hadn't gotten brave and was trying to go back for their friend. They all seemed to come to a stop a fair distance away, lingering for a few moments before beginning to move again, shifting away from the hunting pack of wolves. "Keep going! Don't give it a chance to slow down!" he yelled to the others now that the whole group of them were solely focused on keeping it moving and keeping up the level of fear so it couldn't stop.

As they got closer to the ridge he yelled, "Incoming!" down to Dunkan and Luta, warning them of the mammoth that would shortly be tumbling down toward them. Just a few moments later he heard a panicked bellow from the mammoth as it tried to skid to a stop, failing and tripping over its own massive feet, falling over the edge and down into the canyon, taking a bit of the crumbling rock with it. He slowed to an easy lope to keep from going over the edge himself, stopping and looking over the edge, seeing the mammoth that had fallen shoulder first, one of its legs very clearly broken and its neck turned at an odd angle. It struggled for just a few moments longer before Luta and Dunkan did the job of finishing it off.

It certainly wasn't the cleanest kill, but it had been fairly effective and they would certainly have plenty to eat for quite some time. "Well done, everyone!" he called out with a grin. "Lets get down there and start breaking it down to take back to the castle." He looked toward the loaners that had joined in on their hunt - the pink friend of Ezra's and the large, speckled male - and added, "You're of course welcome to take as much as you can carry. I appreciate your help." With that he began to make his way down into the canyon, proud of the pack for coming together to accomplish this.

Walk | "Talk" | think

Ezra watched the huge form of this furry creature go tumbling over the edge of the cliff and he skidded to a stop, grinning with his tail wagging. He threw the spear he was still holding onto the ground and cheered, looking toward Relm and bumping his shoulder against hers. He did really enjoy the thrill of hunting and this was one hell of a hunt! He couldn't quite believe that they had pulled it off, but was really happy they did. He went over to the edge of the cliff, seeing the beaten up and dead mammoth waiting for them at the bottom. Well, it was going to be a lot of work getting it into pieces that they could take back with them so he figured the faster they get started the better. He followed his father down into the canyon, happier to be walking next to his dad than he had been in a really long time.

Ezra Adravendi