Winner takes the Cows, Loser meets the dinner table. [Pack Hunt!]
Ardyn
Master Fighter (250)
Master Hunter (240)
Knight
Bloodletter
6 Years
Male
1056
BrienaSkysong
Ardyn Cadeyrn Aodhán Phoenix Adravendi |
He watched the elk bulls as antlers clattered together and autumn sod flew from cloven hooves. This particular pair had been at it for an hour or two, now, reaching stalemates and letting out their piercing bugles to continue the argument of who was better than whom.
The cows milled and grazed their way along the plains, last year’s calves both watching the action and doing their best to stay out of the way.
Bison herds could be seen in the distance, but Ardyn’s gaze was for the elk bulls, ears perking as one, larger and fitter by a small margin than the other, finally managed to wrangle his opponent around enough to rake his sharp tines over the loser’s haunches, drawing blood and deciding the battle - and the war between those particular two bulls - in his own favor.
The loser fled, limping and licking his metaphorical wounds, and Ardyn waited patiently, watching the winner stride back to the cows and stalk among them, bugling his triumph and assessing his new harem for any receptive cows.
Once the loser was out of sight, the young King slid from the boulder he’d been sprawled across and followed, drifting into the tall golden grass and finding the scent of the target. Lyr, meanwhile, winged off in search of Drachen and Cairo, plus anyone else who might want to join in on the hunt.
Each wolf he found was given a simple rundown of “Ardyn’s hunting a bull elk in the western quadrant of the Plains. The bull’s injured from a fight and heading southward.”
The young king felt the loss of Domari with an ache. The old Xanilov had been a fun hunting partner, hard working and good-natured.
As he slid along the scent trail, he listened for the approach of his huntmates, and quietly made a note to seek out hunting inclined wolves to better fill their numbers. Hunting, healing, fighting, diplomatic and spies… they needed everything.
Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think |
Ardyn at first glance is as black as can be imagined with a raven sheen.
Closer inspection proves that he shimmers in fire tones in every hair on his hide right down to his lashes.
More obviously, he glows like a bed of coals and flames with every movement and brush of fur. His tail is usually wagging, so blazes like a torch.
His adult teeth are in and his saber canines have grown to their full length (see profile). His mane and tail hair have grown to full length, as well as being lightweight and easily buffeted by breezes.
A look at his front paws will give the impression of hands, with his dew claw dropped low and lengthened into a functioning thumb, and his toes elongated into fingers. He has retractable, solid black cat-like claws on every paw.
Ardyn has developed a glowing mast of intricate markings in fire and ice colors over his face, symmetrical over the last seasons of Year 17 (see profile for details). During hunts or raids/sieges, he will smudge them out with black soot to cover the glow, otherwise, they are bright enough to note at first direct glance at his face. Not all his artwork currently portrays the mask markings.
He is also often bedecked in beads, small bells, feathers in blues, ribbons and braids thanks to the Ooze Event of Halloween 2021, and the Coathanger item that he got. The accessories generally are seen most in his mane and tail hair. He removes the brighter items and bells for hunts or battle.
Amorielle
Advanced Fighter (80)
Beginner Healer (0)
5 Years
Female
0
Dragon Mod
Amorielle Adravendi |
She was often in and out between Valhalla and the Nomads these days. And sometimes, she was gone for days or weeks at a time as she studied with their brethren. But it just so happened that as she was returning to Valhalla for a week-long stay, she caught sight of Ardyn's companion flying ahead with a simple message. Ears perked as her stomach growled. She knew she had eaten...at some point...but now she couldn't remember if she had today, or if had been the day before. She had been so occupied and busy with her studies that she was often distracted. Ah well, if her stomach was rumbling, that meant she ought to join in on the hunt and get a meal in, right? A slight smile tugged at her lips as she headed towards Ardyn's general location. She moved at a brisk trot, the smaller woman tracking down her brother's scent trail until she eventually found him. "Halo a bhràthair ghràdhaich, tha mi an dòchas nach eil dragh agad ma thèid mi còmhla riut." It wasn't exactly a question, especially considering nobody else had yet to arrive.
Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think |
Tel'Teukiira
Expert Fighter (160)
Expert Intellectual (140)
5 Years
Female
10
Dragon Mod
She was near the border wall putting away a few dried goods she had made in case she got hungry during her night patrol later when she spotted Ardyn's companion flying overhead and calling out a message. Her ears perked up when she heard the message, eyes dancing with delight as her fur pulsed with excitement. A pack hunt? Count her in! The young Moonchild decided to leave her armor and weaponry so they wouldn't hinder or tangle up during the hunt and quickly made her way to Ardyn's location.
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Provider he may be by nature, and a hunter of some skill, but Fili had never learned to find it as easy as so many to meld into a group so most of his expeditions had been solo. He was expected to help with group hunts, though, for they could be dangerous with too few to properly take down a large prey animal, and it would be wrong of him to hold back just because it made him uncomfortable. And yet... it was, that. Uncomfortable, that was. It was easier to hover outside the group, not looking at any of them, rather than put himself into the group itself.
Ardyn
Master Fighter (250)
Master Hunter (240)
Knight
Bloodletter
6 Years
Male
1056
BrienaSkysong
Ardyn Cadeyrn Aodhán Phoenix Adravendi |
Ardyn was slightly surprised to see first Amory and second Tel answering the call to hunt. Fidelias was less of a surprise, though he could be as elusive as smoke to catch time to interact with.
Lyr returned, announcing that Cairo was busy with a kill already, and Ardyn nodded. Well, hopefully this bull elk would be too sore and tired from his fight and injury to cause too much hurt to the girls.
He smiled at each of the arrivals. “As Lyr explained, we have a bull elk who lost a fight and is injured enough that he should be a good kill.”
He swept his eyes over the three faces, studying them, before turning to the two young women. “If you’re up for it, Fidelias and I will circle ahead of him. Lyr can guide you from the sky. You two have the task of driving him toward us. Once we ambush him, get in there and do your best to help bring him down. Tel, use your sabers to slash the achilles tendons if you can. That will prevent him from putting up too much of a fight and injuring any of us, hopefully.”
He looked at each wolf, ears perking as he asked, “Does that sound like a plan?”
Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think |
Ardyn at first glance is as black as can be imagined with a raven sheen.
Closer inspection proves that he shimmers in fire tones in every hair on his hide right down to his lashes.
More obviously, he glows like a bed of coals and flames with every movement and brush of fur. His tail is usually wagging, so blazes like a torch.
His adult teeth are in and his saber canines have grown to their full length (see profile). His mane and tail hair have grown to full length, as well as being lightweight and easily buffeted by breezes.
A look at his front paws will give the impression of hands, with his dew claw dropped low and lengthened into a functioning thumb, and his toes elongated into fingers. He has retractable, solid black cat-like claws on every paw.
Ardyn has developed a glowing mast of intricate markings in fire and ice colors over his face, symmetrical over the last seasons of Year 17 (see profile for details). During hunts or raids/sieges, he will smudge them out with black soot to cover the glow, otherwise, they are bright enough to note at first direct glance at his face. Not all his artwork currently portrays the mask markings.
He is also often bedecked in beads, small bells, feathers in blues, ribbons and braids thanks to the Ooze Event of Halloween 2021, and the Coathanger item that he got. The accessories generally are seen most in his mane and tail hair. He removes the brighter items and bells for hunts or battle.
Amorielle
Advanced Fighter (80)
Beginner Healer (0)
5 Years
Female
0
Dragon Mod
Amorielle Adravendi |
Tel and Fidelias came to join her and her brother. Shortly after the latter arrival, Ardyn explained to them the plan with the bull elk to which she nodded along. He wanted her and Tel to chase the bull elk towards the boys, which was fine and well with her. She was significantly smaller compared to all three of them, and she felt much more comfortable being in the back of the potentially dangerous animal as opposed to the front. Also with her position in the back, she could watch the others in case they got injured during the hunt. "Yes, sounds good to me!" She exclaimed, tail thumping the ground in anticipation. She was hungry, and couldn't wait till she could start digging in!
Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think |
Tel'Teukiira
Expert Fighter (160)
Expert Intellectual (140)
5 Years
Female
10
Dragon Mod
She waited until the last hunter to join arrived before turning her attention to Ardyn and listening to his plan. She had never hunted a bull elk before, but she was eager for the experience. She briefly glanced at the other two that were there with her eyes falling on the rust-marked she-wolf for a moment. That would be her hunting partner. She had yet to formally meet her, but she was sure that after this, she would definitely make the effort to get to know her as well as the rest of her packmates. When Ardyn more or less addressed her for the role she was to play, she nodded. "I'll do my best!" She clicked her jaws before smiling. She often forgot she had these things despite them being a natural part of her. Though she hadn't thought about using them in a more aggressive manner to severely disable another creature. She subconsciously ran her tongue over her longer fangs, claws flexing in the earth. She was definitely ready to get started!
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Ardyn
Master Fighter (250)
Master Hunter (240)
Knight
Bloodletter
6 Years
Male
1056
BrienaSkysong
Ardyn Cadeyrn Aodhán Phoenix Adravendi |
As each gave their agreement to their roles in the hunt, Ardyn nodded, then tipped his head to Fidelias and led the way with a flick of his tail. He led the younger hunter in a wide arc to the south, aiming to get ahead of the elk before they stopped and settled in a spot the elk commonly passed through, maybe 400 paces ahead of the bull.
Keeping his voice low, he murmured to Fidelias, “This should be a good spot. Once he’s within a few paces, we’ll jump out to cut him off from either side and do our best to hold him back until the girls get here. If you can get a hold on his throat without getting kicked I can try to sever some tendons in his front legs.”
He slipped into the bushes and tall grass, hunkering down. The wind was blowing straight south, and he nodded to himself in satisfaction. Barring a sudden wind-shift to the north, the elk would have very little warning of the ambush.
Meanwhile, above the two ladies, Lyr wheeled, watching until he saw that Ardyn and Fidelias were in place, before he stooped and led Tel and Amory across the plains toward the elk. Then, with a loud call, he sounded the charge.
While the two women did the driving from behind, Lyr would be tasked with keeping the elk on course with flapping dives at the bull’s head to drive him toward the ambush.
Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think |
Ardyn at first glance is as black as can be imagined with a raven sheen.
Closer inspection proves that he shimmers in fire tones in every hair on his hide right down to his lashes.
More obviously, he glows like a bed of coals and flames with every movement and brush of fur. His tail is usually wagging, so blazes like a torch.
His adult teeth are in and his saber canines have grown to their full length (see profile). His mane and tail hair have grown to full length, as well as being lightweight and easily buffeted by breezes.
A look at his front paws will give the impression of hands, with his dew claw dropped low and lengthened into a functioning thumb, and his toes elongated into fingers. He has retractable, solid black cat-like claws on every paw.
Ardyn has developed a glowing mast of intricate markings in fire and ice colors over his face, symmetrical over the last seasons of Year 17 (see profile for details). During hunts or raids/sieges, he will smudge them out with black soot to cover the glow, otherwise, they are bright enough to note at first direct glance at his face. Not all his artwork currently portrays the mask markings.
He is also often bedecked in beads, small bells, feathers in blues, ribbons and braids thanks to the Ooze Event of Halloween 2021, and the Coathanger item that he got. The accessories generally are seen most in his mane and tail hair. He removes the brighter items and bells for hunts or battle.