I wish you could see me for something more than the things I'm confined and condemned to be

Evening had fallen and the soft orange glow on the horizon was quickly fading. Stjarna should've been back at the shed by now but she'd caught the scent of blood. She wasn't quite sure what the blood belonged to but the scent was vaguely deer-like. Star just couldn't let that idea go without trying to hunt the creature so she'd enlisted the help of Avalon's new… old hunter, Éldi. She'd been briefly introduced to the man by Álarr and when he'd learned of her interest in hunting he had promised to go on a few hunts with her. Tonight was one of those days. Stjarna followed the scent to see a small group of elk. One of the young calves was off by itself. It looked sickly and when it made a horrendous cough she saw the blood. Star looked to Éldi for instruction.


Speech

The Tracks I Tread Are Cold

Éldi was settling in well to his role as a hunter within Avalon. While he mostly stuck to hunting small game by himself he soon decided it was time to start hunting with his pack mates and see if they could get some larger game in the food stores for winter. Of course, there were also quite a few young wolves interested in hunting as well. He'd been introduced to Stjarna by Álarr and agreed to take her out on a little hunting trip. His original plan was to take down something small like a prairie chicken but when he caught the scent of the young, sickly elk, it was to good an opportunity to pass by. Besides, Stjarna was nearly 6 months old, the standard age in his homeland for pups to begin participating in pack hunts.

He leaned down to whisper his plan. "When Askr says go, I want you to run at the young elk. I'm going to hide down in those reeds there, try to get it to run toward me and I'll do the rest." With that he slunk off through the grasses and got into position to wait.

I wish you could see me for something more than the things I'm confined and condemned to be

Stjarna listened carefully to Éldi's instructions as the older man asked her to race toward the elk and try to herd the wounded one toward him. It would be easier with more wolves but she felt like she could do it. It was sickly and slow and the mother seemed to have abandoned it to nature's wims already. She waited til the older hunter was in position then looked to his raven. When the bird croaked at her to go she slipped silently into the brush. Even if they just got them running the smaller one would be sure to fall behind but she was eager for the practice in trying to redirect an animal.

When she was close enough she sprang forward with a snarl, startling the animals and sending them scattering. Her focus was on the sickly one which she herded toward Éldi. It took some doing but she soon got into a rhythm of snapping at the elk and using her body to direct it in the opposite direction of her placement.


Speech

The Tracks I Tread Are Cold

Éldi waited quietly in the rushes, his coat blending in well with them. So far the elk seemed none the wiser to his presence. He looked up at his raven, Askr, who was circling above and nodded. He was ready. The bird shifted course back over toward the girl and he watched as she disappeared into the thicker grasses. His legs coiled beneath him and as the girl sprang the elk burst into motion. Eyes fixed on their quarry, he waited til Stjarna had herded the sickly creature closer to him, then with practiced precision he sprang. Éldi caught the young elk around the neck, his larger size and body weight dragging it down. It only took moments before they had a meal.