It was a risky venture, but Hattori was reassured by his packmates quick thinking. They were swift to fall into place, boxing in the creature as they guided her along, taking full advantage of her blind and senseless fleeing. In the distance he saw the rest of the herd slow and look on with wary gazes, they seemed to sense what was about to happen but did nothing to intervene. For the rest of the herd to thrive this one had to die, the elders knew this. With each thundering step the group inched closer and closer to the trap, Hattori could just see the browns and greens of the bamboo shoots jutting out ahead, spiked points reaching out to impale flesh but the creature seemed none the wiser. No doubt tunnel visioning in on the prospect of freedom and safety.

The group rounded the corner and it was only then that the female saw what laid ahead. In a wide eyed panic she attempted to skid to a stop, but her massive size and velocity made her hurtle forward nonetheless. It was too late, she knew it, they all did but she struggled all the same. Hattori slammed on his own breaks as he pulled back, arching his tail to signal for the rest to do the same. She collided with the spikes with a sickening slice and snapping of bamboo stalks. The reek of blood filled the air and the female let out a pained cry as she tried in vain to dislodge herself. She was stuck in deep, spears jutting out of her shoulders and limbs. If they did not end her life the blood loss and shock would soon do the trick.

Hattori stepped in, teeth bared as he made a grab for her leg and dug his talons deep into the snow as he hauled with all his might.

Oh..wow. Kuroki hung back as the adults started to draw in, taking bites and chunks out of the impaled beast. He understood why they had to do this, that they wouldn't have been able to bring it down without using the trap but it seemed a bit excessive in his mind. She had no way to fight back or try to defend herself, just useless struggling that was only tiring herself out even more. He glanced to his sisters, beyond the excitement and newness of it all he wondered how they felt about it. Whether they were proud of what they'd all accomplished together, as one big unit. Shooing away those thoughts he attempted to step in and get a chomp in of his own, only to be scowled off when Hattori caught wind of his idea. Fine. He'd hang back and watch the adults work...keep watch for other predators that no doubt would be attracted by the scents and ruckus.

He breathed in deep and scanned the surrounding prairie, the her of creatures were still watching from afar. The coast looked clear for now but the Ashen wolves ought to make fast work of picking the corpse clean if they wanted to haul their goods back home.

Panic was impressed by how well they did, like an until they worked and at the end that brought success to the cause. She felt proud of being in such a powerful force, a force other packs should fear and respet. Just like her cousin Kuroki she stood in the outskirts, watching for any predators that could take advantage of this. That was all she could do in her side, in her stage as a mere youngling. And like that she just observed there to offer her support.

She also wondered how that thing would taste, and yes she stared blank to the bloody scene, she didnt feel emphathy in the suffering of others. It was just how life was and there was nothing to do. The weak had to perish.

Smiling upon seeing their plan worked, she was ready to help giving it a good end, a glorious completion of the soo worked out the hunt. Seeing Hattori's sign with the tail, she was quick to approach to the now agonizing beast, feeling any remorse of its suffering. She never did to anyone, she even sometimes felt pleased with them, and more if part of their suffering was in part from her. Quickly with a sick smile, she went to bite into another of its legs just like Hattori did. Bitting as hard and deep as she could. Today's dinner is mammoth. And she wasn't going to let go until that was a fact. "Talk"

"Speech"

No one came to help him... no one even seemed to notice he'd broken off from the group and that on top of the herd clearly not seeing him as a threat as they slowed to watch the main group really only helped to sour his already low opinion on the whole matter. Malachai stayed where he was, brooding and probably a little too close to the herd for the comfort of the adults but he was beyond caring about that at this point, not even his mother or sister had noticed his attempt to actually prove himself. The boy settled himself on his haunches with a huff, he'd let everyone else start taking apart the giant creature without him since clearly, no one cared to pay attention anyways.

Art by Skelle!

Plague was relentless with his drive of the mammoth until she was too close to the trap to turn away now. He didn't stop until he noticed Hattori signaling them to fall back and his steps slowed to a lope and eventually came to a halt as the beast topped over, shaking the ground as it crashed into the spikes of sharpened bamboo that made quick work of mangling the beast's legs and shoulder. The cry of pain it gave wasn't exactly pleasant, but it was prey the same way deer, rabbit, and other various animals were prey. If they did well at gathering supplies and meat from this creature they'd stay fed for quite a while so one big hunt had turned out successful. As Hattori and Hela went to begin finishing off the beast he took a quick second to scan for all the younger members of their party. Kitsune, Malachai, Shuriken, Panic, Kuroki... Yes, they were all okay. Good, he could relax then. That had been is only real concern going into this whole thing, but it seemed like they had all followed the orders they were given even if some of them had been less than thrilled to do so. With that he went to go help with their kill, knowing it would still take all of them working quickly to finish it off and start breaking it down into pieces that they could carry home. Plague | Viridis | Procella

Venom swung around the other side of the mammoth between their target and the rest of the herd. Ahead of Malachai, to a point where she did not see him behind her, veering off towards the massive beasts. Thankfully the majority of the herd realized the value in allowing the young one to lead the pack of hungry wolves and they stampeded onward away from the threat. Their prey stumbled into the trap, impaling itself morbidly. There would be no escape and Ashen would claim their victory over the massive beast. Already she contemplated uses for the supplies they were blessed with here.

Her breathing came in gasps after the efforts she went through and her sunset gaze was swift to scan the rest of the pack. She especially wanted to lay eyes on her children. Most of the pups were gathering together a ways back, as she expected of them, but she didn’t hide her disappointed brow furrow as she found Malachai sitting off on his own, close to where the mammoths departed and obviously away from the group. Her first assumption was that he’d not done anything with the way he was sitting.

Instead of pushing forward to finish their prey Venom rounded on the younger part of the pack, most of them had done exactly their part and she didn’t hide the pride in her expression.

Kiyohime continued onward, her clumsy paws pulling her forward as the massive beast was forced towards the trap they had laid for it. She tried to watch but most of the young girl’s focus had to remain on her mismatched paws. Excitement well up in her tiny form, her tail wagged eagerly at her hips as her tiny paws scurried along eagerly. The pack seemed to slow as the adults swarmed the elephant like beast. Ike slowed to a stop as she lowered herself back to her haunches as she watched the animal’s final demise.

This would be an event that she remembered for the rest of her life. She didn’t know that there would ever be another herd like this near Ashen again. Ike watched the rest of the panicked herd as they abandoned their member for the greater good. The greater good for Ashen really. She smiled as the pack took their victory, but a part of her was moved by the beast’s final struggle.

It was a good thing the herd did not interfere. If the large creatures had stampeded towards the wolves, it would have delved into chaos. With a lot of planning and a little bit of luck, they led the prey where they desired. Driving her onto the spikes. He closed his ears to the sound of her pained cry, and jumped forward to where his leader began to pull on a leg.

He placed himself nearby, watching the struggles of the mammoth where he could jump in and help if it was needed. He doubted it would, the creatures struggling was becoming weaker. There was nothing she could do, and bloodless would kill her as effectively as anything.

"Speech"

Thomp, thomp, thomp! she loved the earthquake-like sound of the running mammoths. She gave a breathless laugh, glancing towards her sister to see what the other thought of this hunt. Then, before she knew it, her father was signalling the wolves to stop. She, with the other pups, had already broken off, but still she watched. And winced, as the large creature fell with a pained cry.

She nudged Ike, and kissed her sister on the cheek, flushed from the excitement of running with the pack. Looking at the suddenly stopped wolves, her eyes caught on Malachai, and she darted forward towards the duel-eyed wolf. She planted herself by his huffy form, and wiggled her ears at him in an attempt to bring him from whatever dark mood he had delved into.


"Speech"