Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn's fur bristled at the strange call of the elk, in the distance she could hear the clash of horns and the sounds of the animals dueling. Having agreed to join Birna's band she was on her way north with the cat, exploring various territories and getting more acclimated to cooler weather. Now that she had a traveling partner she was interested in taking large game but from what she could see elk were much larger. She settled at the edge of a clearing, watching the massive creatures go about their day, the mist billowing from their mouths on the frosty morning. She had no idea how to hunt these things, but that wasn't going to stop her from trying.

Birna stretched and exited the abandoned wolf den she'd made into her temporary living space. It was fortuitous to find find the pre-dug dens after a long days journey and now the duo turned to food. A herd of elk had moved in with the mornings light and they weren't subtle about making their presence known. Birna could only guess it was the fall rut though her experience with elk was limited. She inferred what she knew from similar animals in her homeland onto these strange creatures and hoped she was accurate enough.

Birna settled down next to Jynn, watching the elk, and searching for any sign of weakness. There were some smaller bulls nursing injuries on the outskirts of the group but even injured they were large, strong, and very dangerous. She was starting to wonder if this was a good idea.


Speech

Autumn has settled over all of Boreas as the magical bubbles seem to have spread outward across all lands. Terra greets the chilly morning with a huge stretch before she silently moves away from where Lotus sleeps, hoping not to disturb him. A high-pitched screech sets the earthen girl’s teeth on edge and her hackles instinctively raise is she readies for whatever creature made that horrific sound to appear and fight. Yet, nothing leaps out the thickets that surround her and, puzzled, she lifts her nose to scent to the air. Eyebrows lift as she finds a herd of large prey nearby and… some kind of wolf and large feline.

Curious, Terra pads softly onward, staying downwind from the prey animals and the strangers. Soon enough, a maned wolf and strange cat come into view and sees that they are watching a herd of… huge deer. She falters, paws stumbling over themselves for a moment as she takes in the wonderous sight. Moving to join the two strangers, the earthen wolf keeps her ears slicked back and head slightly lowered in a show of submission. Emerald gaze flicks from the maned wolf to the big kitty and out to the herd before she quietly shuffles her paws and offers a nervous grin. Hoping they can read her mind, Terra silently offers her help, if they wish to hunt.


"Terra Qilaq"

A beautiful autumn breeze swept it's way through Thyri's now slightly thicker pelt. She was glad to have a cooler climate in contrast to the blazing summer they had just endured. She'd really just been exploring and scouting the lands. So far her time in these new lands had come to be rather peaceful but it seemed to be time to spice things up a bit. Vibrant blue eyes feasted upon the sight of an Elk herd. Mighty creatures with massive hooves that could crush a Wolf with the proper kick. As her jaws part to allow scents to land on her tongue she picked a few other interesting smells. Feline, unknown, and Wolf. Thyri raised a brow and began to slink through the thicket, perhaps it was a hunting party. After a short amount of time Thyri happened upon the party. There was indeed a large feline, a Maned Wolf, and a Wolf staring at the herd. Thyri lowered herself slightly and carefully lined up with them. The Viking babe offered a small nod to show she was here to help, hoping that they would accept her assistance. Splitting an Elk between four people wouldn't be incredibly fruitful for her but the experience was definitely worth it.

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn glanced to Birna in hopes of some verbal guidance but the cat merely focused her attention on the herd and seemed to be searching for a target. Her large ears picked up the sound of approach and she saw an earthen colored woman with green eyes approach. Jynn smiled in response and beckoned the woman forward. If they could bring down one of these creatures there would be enough meat for all of them.

She was about to turn her focus back to the herd when another young woman approached. No doubt the sound of the rut had attracted a number of predators. Jynn dipped her head and nodded a greeting before looking to Birna. Surely the cat had a plan?

Birna's keen eyes picked out a target, a large and aging bull on the outskirts of the herd. He was limping significantly and had just laid down in the grass, only his antlers were showing. Once a young champion it seemed that age had caught up with him and he'd been dethroned by a younger and stronger opponent. She glanced to Jynn and then to the two wolves that had joined them. She dipped her head in greeting before speaking in hushed tones.

"There's an injured male laying in the grass below that burr oak. I suggest stalking as close as we can get then going for it. I will circle to the thicker part of the thicket and block the elk from escaping that way. There is a good chance it will run instinctively for cover. If you can help herd it toward me I can make the kill shot." She could easily leap up and catch the neck of the creature and with four paws full of claws she'd be able to hang on. Though with its injuries it might be a simple case of just running the elk down. Still, it wouldn't hurt to have a back up.

With that Birna slipped away into the grass, melting into the snow spotted grass. She circled round to the area she pointed out before and settled down to wait.

Speech

As the earthen girl quietly approaches the maned wolf and huge snow leopard, she gives the wolf a warm smile as she turns to look at her. Terra moves slowly and careful up to where the women wait and the trio quickly becomes quartet as another monochrome female joins them. A grin splits the girl’s maw as she thinks about the power of women but her thoughts are interrupted as the leopard comes up with a plan of attack.

Giving a nod as the it laid out, the girl casts her emerald gaze between the three wolves as the feline leaves them. Giving a small smile, the tall, leggy girl moves toward the herd, careful to keep low and downwind as she goes. Once she is to the as close to the animals as she dares to get, Terra hunkers down and casts her gaze about to the other rushers silently checking in them before the chase begins.


"Terra Qilaq"

The plan was well laid out and quite simple. With Thyri having been accepted into the hunting party with nods and smiles she was put at ease. They all seemed fit and capable, the Viking was more then confident that they'd find success in their mission. The Feline moved silently into the brush and in an instant she was gone. Thyri had never worked with such a creature before and was excited to see what she was capable of. - Following the leggy one Thyri slunk through the brush towards the Elk, stopping before she made herself visible. She'd wait for the Maned Wolf to join before giving chase.

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn listened to Birna's plan and nodded. It sounded good to her. She was quick and agile, made for herding and chasing but not for bringing down large prey. She couldn't take a hit or wrestle with an elk like other large predators. Jynn settled into the grass, watching as Birna disappeared into its swaying depths. Only the raven above kept her alert as to the cats location. Following after the other two wolves, she crept as close as she felt she could, looking to the others and when they sprang into action she leapt to join them.

All at once the thicket burst into sound. The elk scattered, their hooves beating into the ground and startling birds and small prey out of the brush as they thundered through the grass and brambles. Jynn tried to keep her focus on the far edge of the thicket. There she saw an older buck stumble to his feet. There were red stains on one of its front legs, punctures, possibly from a fight. Putting on a burst of speed she darted right for the elk head on. It turned and stumbled again, gaining its feet long enough to kick a hind leg back toward her head. Jynn skidded and ducked, just narrowly avoiding a deadly blow.

Birna kept quiet, silent as a shadow as the wolves moved into position then sprang out toward the herd, scattering them like birds. She tucked her hind legs beneath her, ready to spring when it was time but for now she would wait til their target was just a bit closer. Birna was built for ambush rather than for stamina and she didn't want to waste her efforts. The buck stumbled, getting back to its feet to kick out. It was fighting for all it was worth but old age and injury was making it difficult. Yet, such was the way of the natural world and how it kept its order and its seasons of life. If she were to maintain a reindeer herd there would likely come a time for culling.

Speech

The three women slowly close on the herd of elk, moving silently so as not to spook them yet. Eyes scan the area to make sure everyone is in position and, all at once, chaos erupts as the wolves emerge from hiding. The healthy elk scatter before them, frantic to get clear of the deadly predators. Terra races toward the injured male, dodging the thundering herd as they race past her to safety.

As the Terra nears their target, she notices the leggy wolf barely dodges a killing blow from the creature’s hooves and she snarls loudly at their prey. She darts in, delivering a nip to the hind quarters to get it to get the elk moving in the correct direction. It does not realize that the wolves are shepherding it toward its death and the animal dutifully moves. She slows slightly to allow it to pull ahead, giving the leopard some room to leap up and kill the elk when they get it close enough.


"Terra Qilaq"