Basilisk was working on increasing the livestock in the Armada. Iggy and Tethys had returned with some goats which made for a good start. But Iggy had also made it clear that the Armada needed to increase their food supplies before winter, or they were going to be in a tough spot. When you were dealing with the lives of all the wolves that looked to you, two goats didn’t cut it.

He decided to double it as a lesson and bonding time with Spider, as well as getting some goats. He had learned recently how to make a trap to catch prey, and was eager to try it out. He had all the supplies he believed they would need set out, before raising his head and calling out for his Heir.


"Basilisk"

Spider answers Bas almost immediately, raising their head to give an affirmative call. they’re quick to Bas’ side, always happy to spend time with their Dad, and approach with a happy gait and a wagging tail. “hiya,” they chirp, eyes skittering over the materials gathered at Bas’ feet. hmm, curious. their mind begins to cycle through possible uses, wondering at the form it might take. is it a weapon? some kind of…cooking utensil? yeah, probably not. “what’s all this, Dad?”

"Speech"

Spider has a male raven companion named Doomsday and a female snake companion named Lady Snakeskin. Assume they are present unless stated otherwise.

It wasn’t long before the wolf in question arrived. Bas smiled at his kid, and ruffled his forehead with an oversized paw. “According to Iggy, we should introduce live animal stock to the pack, good for feeding us over winter” He explained, putting a bit of a huff into his voice, as if he was so hard done by, before grinning. “So, today we are going to learn how to live-catch prey. And by ‘we’ I really do mean ‘we’ I haven’t done this before” He explained.

“I’ve got two different traps we can craft, we can either pick one or use both and see which works better. The first relied on digging a hole, and having the prey fall in. The second uses a snare, which when the goat steps on it, it tights around their leg and pulls them to a stop.” He said, indicating the tools and pieces in front of him.


"Basilisk"

"ah," says Spider, smiling knowingly at Bas' put-out expression. "she's a smart one, that Iggy." they listen eagerly along as Bas explains, nodding thoughtfully. it's true that the pair of them are inexperienced with trappers, but if anything, that just makes Spider all the more eager to learn; they're excited to figure out a new skill with Bas at their side. "hmm, okay," they begin, walking a circle around the supplies, "i think i understand." the craft element appeals to them, something they can get stuck into and make with their own paws. it feels almost like a puzzle, but one that allows them to stay active rather than sitting around and thinking. Spider nudges curiously at a length of rope, then turns back to Bas. "i definitely think both are worth a try, but for now...this one!" they point at the rope, eyes agleam with anticipation. "what do you say? snare first?" they really, really wanna see what an upside down goat looks like.

"Speech"

Spider has a male raven companion named Doomsday and a female snake companion named Lady Snakeskin. Assume they are present unless stated otherwise.

“Smart enough for it to get her into trouble” he agreed, thinking about her adventure in the storeroom that had landed her bed bound. But his attention was quick to turn to the part in front of them as Spider gave it a once over and made a decision. “The snare it is.” He agreed easily.


Right, now they just needed to figure it out… “Alright, can secure it to the tree, I'll set the field to ensure they have to run over it, and cover it so they don't see it.” He explained, before setting to work to do exactly that. He'd already somewhat picked out a spot, so confirming it worked was easy enough.

Spider gives a nod of assent and takes off with one of the rope clamped between their teeth. they tie it firmly around the trunk, testing it a few times to make sure it’ll hold, then returns to Bas’ side to help him cover the rope. when they’re done everything looks suitably impressive and trap-esque, so they figure it’s probably correct. “what’s next?” they prod, satisfied with their progress. “should we hide?“ it wouldn’t do to let the goats see them, they suppose - might give their prey pause if they catch Spider smirking manically over the trap. just a tad suspicious.

Spider returned to his side just as he was finishing up, and together they checked that it was invisible from all angles. Perfect. Now to move on to the next stage of their plan, the goat. “Thunder was tracking a goat, I’ll find her and chase the goat this way, you hide here near the tree, and if it looks like they’re going to veer off course, you can set them right?” He suggested, laying out the plan for the other wolf and waiting a moment to give Spider a chance to agree or fiddle with the plan before he would take off to do exactly that.

"Basilisk"

after Bas lays out the next step of the plan, Spider slips behind the tree as instructed and waits, body tensed in preparation. it doesn’t take long for the thunder of footsteps to fill the air, and as the goat charges forward, bleating in panic, it seems for a moment to be making a beeline for their snare. but at the last second the goat veers sharply to the right, seeming about to miss the snare entirely. jumping out from their hiding place, Spider snaps at it’s flank, baring their teeth as though poised to attack. the goat screams and changes direction, running straight into their trap to avoid Spider’s jaws; a moment later it snaps into the air, suspended overhead as it struggles and writhes.

"Speech"

Spider has a male raven companion named Doomsday and a female snake companion named Lady Snakeskin. Assume they are present unless stated otherwise.

Once he had Spiders agreement, Basilisk trotted off, using Thunder’s form in the sky to help him locate the goat that he and the bird had already stalked earlier today. Knowing Spider was in position, he moved himself around the goat, before shooting forward with a roar. Scaring the creature with the rudeness of his actions. He wanted it frightened, so it didn’t have time to think.

As they neared the trap, the goat did exactly what he was afraid of. Luckily, Spider was in position to set it back on track. It ran directly over their snare, and snapped into the air. Alive, but frightened out of its mind, blaring like crazy. “Now… now we need to get it down without losing it” Basilisk commented a little wryly.


"Basilisk"

Spider comes to stand beside Bas, watching their quarry struggle. they hum consideringly in response to Bas' comment, raking a considering gaze up and down the goat's thrashing body. "maybe," they begin, "if you grip it 'round the neck and i cut the rope at the same time, it'll drop and you can pin it before it can escape?" they eye the rope, nodding to themselves. yes, their dagger can definitely handle that - especially as they're cleaning and sharpening it regularly now. "the real struggle will be to keep out of range of those hooves," they add, more to themselves than to Bas. after those reindeers, they've a healthy wariness for horned prey.

"Speech"

Spider has a male raven companion named Doomsday and a female snake companion named Lady Snakeskin. Assume they are present unless stated otherwise.

Basilisk nodded his head at Spider’s plan, agreeing that it was likely their best choice. “Leave enough rope that we can use to pull it along” He suggested. Hopefully they’d just need to tire it enough, and it would follow them nice and docile. But when were plans ever that easy?

He waited until Spider was in position, and then lunged at the goat, grabbing it around the neck and pulling down on the rope holding it up, so it was nice and taut. He was prepared to push his full weight on the goat once Spider had freed it, hopefully that would be enough to knock it down before it ever had a chance to escape.


"Basilisk"

Spider unsheathes their dagger, pressing the blade against the rope as Bas holds onto the goat. they stretch up on their tiptoes, ensuring to leave a manageable length, then begin to cut down with a sawing motion. the rope shudders as they work, but the sharp blade makes short work of it and it doesn't take long for them to slice it in two. as the rope snaps free, however, the goat's back hooves flail out and catch Spider across the face, causing them to stumble back. Spider swears colourfully, rubbing at their cheekbone. the wound is relatively shallow - the hooves had only clipped them, and  an ugly bruise is likely to be the extent of their injury - but the burst of pain leaves them in grumpy mood. Spider scowls at the goat, pinning it with an accusing glare. "that was rude."

"Speech"

Spider has a male raven companion named Doomsday and a female snake companion named Lady Snakeskin. Assume they are present unless stated otherwise.