Maybe it had been a bad idea for Mitros to get involved in so many hunts. Maybe it was a bad idea for him to not just follow the rest of his family members to the pirates. Maybe one of the many adults who he'd have hunted with recently or grew up around should have attempted to tell him that he could not conquer the world before he was a two year old. These were all things that crossed his mind as the very bold and very stupid yearling attempted to take the elephant down on his own.

Corbie had made it look so dang easy! Mitros had a cliff nearby just like they had, he could bark and bite and do everything the group of wolves had done to chase it over. Why wasn't the technique working? The longer the yearling stood his ground and attempted to harass the animal, the less confident he grew. This elephant was much smaller and younger then the last had been but that was fine, he was down five wolves anyways. A true Imperialis would be able to do this, that much Mitros knew, and to earn his name he knew he had to come to Valentine with something at least as cool as an elephant tusk. It was the driving motivation to everything he did, and ultimately the reason he continued against his better judgement to try and drive the elephant over.

No matter how much he tried, the thing refused to run from him. It stood it's ground and bellowed loudly with it's trunk, swinging hard and fast and more than once swiping Mitros off his paws entirely. Each blow to the ribs felt like the air was being sucked straight out of his lungs, but he knew each time that he was lucky it was just the young trunk and not the growing tusks that protruded from beneath it's lip. Pushing forward and backwards with uncertainty and nerve, Mitros carried on. At his back were his companions - a pygmy hog and a puffin, both too intelligent to throw themselves into the losing fight. It was honestly a bit upsetting, he'd raised the bastards from near birth and now when he needed them, this was how they repaid him? Mitros shot them an angry glare as he picked himself off the ground for the dozenth time, wincing as the sharp ache in his lungs grew, and then wincing again as the inhale of breath shot more agony through his core.

The elephant gave another threatening bellow and then a charge and Mitros scrambled on his paws to safety. The charge was a bluff, the elephant stopping short of the wolf and stamping a heavy hoof upon the ground to assert his very clear desire to remain unharmed and to make clear to the young wolf that this was not a fight he wanted to pick. Mitros should have been wise enough to take the hint, but instead leaped forward and aimed to bite the trunk, earning himself another blow but this time to the shoulder.

A sound caught his ears, heavy and with enough force to shake the very ground beneath his feet. Standing unsteadily and wheezing out a pained breath, he turned to watch in terror and awe as two more elephants ran in to their calf's rescue. Mitros had nearly forgotten how big an elephant was. The calf was big, but these beasts were absolutely massive, dwarfing him, their child, and the pygmy hog and puffin that had now disappeared somewhere into the trees. Mitros did not have a death wish, even a pack of wolves wouldn't stand toe to toe with three elephants. With a yelp, he turned and ran, tail tucked between his legs. His stride was uneven and every step brought more agony, but the adrenaline of watching a thunderous death cross the plains moments prior was enough to force him to continue the sprint long past what was necessary. Past, in fact, a scent border. Mitros didn't know who's pack this was nor did he really care, he'd rather die at the paws of an angry alpha then at the tusks of an angry elephant.

After what felt like hours of escaping certain death, Mitros slowed and allowed his head to turn over his shoulder. Nothing pursued him. The relief that came with that knowledge was overwhelming, and no sooner did he stop his stride did his body hit the ground with a groan. Not even the understanding that he was currently trespassing was enough to bring him back to his paws. To their credit, his companions reluctantly revealed themselves. Waddling up to his side the puffin pressed in close, while the pygmy hog kept a careful eye for any who might approach.

Word Count: 800

Ardyn Cadeyrn Aodhán Phoenix Adravendi

He’d already been heading on his way from the top of the hillock to patrol when the angry noises of an elephant – several elephants? – blasted across the plains to his ears. They had some of the most incredible noises, he’s learned from their elephant hunt a week or so ago. You didn’t just hear them with your ears. You felt them through your bones and feet in the ground. They overlaid a yelp of a wolf, and as he paused and squinted, Ardyn potted a distant blue speck and the grey forms of at least two elephants, chasing after the speck. They were far off still, but headed toward Valhalla’s wall. “Lunira, Sädir, get torches and head the elephants off before they hit the wall. If we hurry, we should be able to stop them.” The two big cats departed, taking a shortcut down the hill while Ardyn barreled down the path, letting Lyr point the way once he was out of the wooded base of the hill and in the tall grasses that stood above even his shoulder sin places. Lunira and Sädir caught up, carrying two lit torches in their teeth. The bypassed the blue yearling that had fled right into Valhalla, though Lyr circled above, following the yearling’s continued headlong flight while Ardyn and the cats took on the task of chasing off two very angry family members. It took a great deal of convincing, but the threat of fire was one of the few things the beasts actively feared, and instinctive fear of fire won over the anger of motherhood and matriarchy. The elephants broke off and left to collect their calf and move on. Ardyn made a note of the animals, wondering at the continued appearance of Austerian prey animals wandering so far north. What was going on in the southern continent? Once he was sure they’d left, Ardyn turned back and followed the yearling male’s trail, glancing up to scan for Lyr’s form in the sky. The raven was stationary, circling like a vulture over one spot, and Ardyn picked up his pace to a trot, his path made simpler by the similarly sized hole made in the grass by the unwitting trespasser. He finally came upon the yearling, woofing softly. In another circumstance, he’d have attacked an intruder, but he’d seen what led up to the boy’s trespass, and he wasn’t going to throw the boy out for saving his own hide. “You alright?” The yearling certainly didn’t lookalright. He hadn’t stayed on his paws, and Ardyn had heard a yelp among the bellowing trumpets. He perked his ears, listening intently to the boy’s breaths before he introduced himself. “I’m Ardyn Adravendi, Ard Rí of Valhalla. Normally, we’d attack a trespasser, but I think you had a really good reason. Do you need a healer?” He slanted a look up to Lyr, and the raven veered off, winging toward Eramaya’s little hut. Sädir bolted away into the grasses to seek Legacy or a first aid pack, whichever he found first. Lunira took a seat nearby, pale lavender eyes watching coolly for any sign of subterfuge. She wasn’t so readily trusting, even though it was pretty clear the yearling intruder wasn’t up for causing mischief. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Mitros' hog alerted him to the approaching stranger, but the bright blue yearling had no interest in any information that would force him to his paws. Each breath felt like agony as his lungs struggled beneath bruised and cracked ribs, and the frantic pace had seemingly set his pawpads on fire. If his end was to be death-by-angry-alpha-because-he-messed-with-the-wrong-herbivore then so be it, Mitros was ready to accept the consequences.

The man however did not appear angry, and while he made clear that the transgression was worthy of combat, did not step to initiate one. Mitros groaned, relaxing his further into the grass once he realised he'd not be murdered where he lay. "I think I had a really good reason too." He grumbled in reply. "Is the healer far? Because if it's far I think I'd rather just accept my fate and stay here. I'll try to die quietly, as to not bother any of your members." Exaggeration was a gift all children were capable of, though Mitros liked to think he'd inherited his skill at embellishment from his father.

"Speech"

Ardyn Cadeyrn Aodhán Phoenix Adravendi

The yearling reiterated Ardyn’s words, and the young king chuckled softly, circling around into the sapphire fellow’s line of sight and taking a seat. “One of them should be here soon enough. My friends have gone to get them.” He studied the younger wolf curiously, head tilting slightly before he scanned toward the wall, just to be sure the elephants hadn’t decided taking revenge was still a favorable option after all. “So is there a story behind all the chaos out there? Get too close to the herd?” He’d have to see if the pack was up for another elephant hunt later on. If the huge beasts were going to be wandering far outside their natural habitats, then Valhalla might as well make use of the walking buffet. He wondered if it was more a matter of this yearling had tried to bite off more than he could chew. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

The fire-hued man suggested that the healers were already on their way and Mitros nodded in sad acceptance against the grass. If they came to him, he could survive just a few minutes longer. He was then being queried on the events that had led up to his attempted murder. Mitros paused to consider exactly how much of the tale was worth telling, but in the end decided that if he was to perish here today, someone should know his story. Perhaps his grandfather would give him the Imperalis name in death.

"So, my family, they do this thing..." Each breath was painful, and the young wolf's sentence was punctuated often by a seething intake as he collected his thoughts. "We get named Regni when we're born.. but it's not our name, our name is Imperialis.. but you have to earn it, or you'll be a Regni forever." His lip quivered, the pain and annoyance bringing too much emotion to the forefront of the yearling's attention which only made him more upset. Imperialis' didn't get upset. "Anyway. I killed an elephant with a nice lady when I was a pup.. she told me I was destined for great things. I saw the baby elephant and wanted it's tusk, I didn't see it's parents. I just want to be an Imperialis." Mitros finished his story with a loud and dramatic sigh, his muzzle rubbing in the dirt to try to subdue the sting of threatening tears. He didn't want this man to see him cry. "Are the healers almost here?"

"Speech"

Ardyn Cadeyrn Aodhán Phoenix Adravendi

[ooc: Eramaya will be coming in next once I've finished alpha posts ^^ ] Ardyn listened to the younger wolf’s story, considering the information with interest. Imperialis was a familiar surname – it was one any long-standing family native to the continent couldn’t have lived long without hearing about. When it was attached to the name Valentine you knew you were standing in front of a legend. With those big pawprints to fill, it was no wonder the boy nearly got himself killed trying to prove himself worthy of the name. He pretended to be scanning the plains, letting the blue-pelted yearling compose himself. His ears caught the patter of paws coming from the direction of Eramaya’s hut almost at the same time as the boy’s query and grinned. “Yes.” As the small woman popped into view at a brisk trot, Ardyn stepped back and introduced her to the boy, “This is Eramaya. She’s one of the most experienced wolves here.” He moved to one side, letting the healer take over with her patient while he watched, on stand-by in case she needed a task that his own digits would be most useful for. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Eramaya of Valhalla

She’d been digging in her garden, pulling weeds and watering with the pottery water cannister held in her teeth by the handle when Lyr landed on the low stone wall Ardyn and her daughter had erected around the garden in the last week. The raven’s message was brisk, and Eramaya nodded, setting the watering pot aside and ducking into the hut for her kit. She broke into a lope as the glowing black and white raven led the way. She’d heard the commotion but hadn’t realized that there was someone involved. Ardyn hadn’t called for another elephant hunt, so she had no reason to expect to tend patients, but apparently, the commotion would bring her someone to tend. Soon enough she slowed to a trot as she heard Ardyn’s voice ahead in the grasses. She stepped into full sight, taking quick note of the surroundings and then her patient-to-be. A yearling of vibrant shades of blue. Ardyn introduced her and stepped aside; on call in case she needed him. She came to stand alongside the boy, offering reassurance in a smile as she asked, “Can you tell me where all you hurt? When does it hurt most? When you breathe or move?” Her accented voice was low and soothing, though her look told him to set aside any ego or pride he might have and be honest. She knew youth; they could be stubborn about admitting they were in pain, especially in front of an older wolf, or strangers. But the boy’s wellbeing was in her paws, and she needed all the honesty he had so she could do her job well. She set aside the pouch with her kit, flipping the lid open to leave her supplies and tools within easy reach, as she ran a paw gently over every inch of the boy once she got his consent, firm enough to get a read on his reaction, but gently enough not to cause him undue pain. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Art by NightofRavens