Walk | Talk | Think The petite grey wolf sat still and silent upon the edge of the wide plain that made up one of the central locations in the pack's territory. Summer heat was in the air, making even the simple task of sitting a chore. There were better places to be, the lake for instance, but for her purpose this was the better location. Ashtoreth was waiting, patiently, giving a hunch she had time enough to manifest itself and prove her right. It was less fun than actual tracking but she had already done that part. Now she just needed to see if all the pieces she had been bringing together would fall into place for the better of Valhalla. Though her gold and purple eyes glanced about her, scanning expectantly, her thoughts became somewhat distracted. While not much had changed since the midnight gathering their Alpha had called together, what had changed was significant to her. The mateship she had agreed to with Leon had been made publicly official by a special ceremony given to them by their Alpha, a ceremony Ash had been hoping the busy leader would have forgotten about. But it was over just as quickly as it had begun, and with Leon beside her looking quite pleased about the whole business she had truthfully found difficulty in claiming it entirely pointless. He was happy. That was what was important. What came after the festivities had been more stressful. She had known from the beginning what them becoming mates would mean, and knew Leon had hopes of a family for his future just as he knew the thought of it made her nervous. And she was glad she had told him. He had not pressured, had given her time, and eventually - much, much sooner than she had expected - she had agreed. It was still uncertain whether even now tiny little beings were beginning to form inside of her or whether they would need to try again. But the uncertainty, the fact one of her biggest worries was going to become a reality, was more than enough to warrant a distraction. It took the arrival of a new scent carried in upon the wind to drag her from her unwanted reverie and back to the here and now, and as it did it gave her reason to smile. Yep. The herd was on the move, and they were moving in. Ashtoreth quickly got to her paws and hurried away into the trees, following the familiar paths that led toward the central den site before they had gone and lived upon the island. Not everyone had chosen to resettle here, what with Valhalla gaining new territories to their name, but it still felt like the official meeting place and it was far enough away from their intended targets not to cause a stir before it was necessary. The lean wolf's loping gait only stopped when she was within the familiar circle of once-heavily populated dens and no sooner than she halted she angled her muzzle upward in a quiet, summoning howl, requesting her hunters and anyone else who thought they could be of use. Finally feeling as if she was back in her old skin again, comfortable with her purpose, Ash stood in waiting, two-toned eyes peeled for the arrival of those who would assist her in preparing Valhalla's first feast since their rebirth under Erani. OOC: Everyone welcome; can be a learning experience if desired. c: Also, I was thinking, to try and hopefully get this seen through all the way to the end, I figured it could be very free form with a lax posting order and control of their prey (elk) when we get to it could also be open to everyone. If other ideas would like to be suggested, feel free to voice them. We're all ears. ^^

The black and white man would emerged from the shadows of Valhalla to great lady Ashtoreth. He had been the first to arrive and that brought him a bit of pride, yet he knew too much pride was a bad thing. Especially in cases like this as he could simply have been the closest one to her when she sent out the call. Aqua blue eyes would shine brightly at the woman, just as he would smile and bow respectfully to the higher ranked wolfess. White ears would be held upward and his white tipped tail would wag gently behind him as he lifted himself once more. "What are we hunting today Ashtoreth?" Speech,

Sarak

Mechanically, long legs carried the mottled brown male toward the call. It was the first pack hunt, and naturally, as a Psi, he needed to be there to pitch in. For now, he forced his depression aside in the interest of keeping the pack fed. He needed to stay alive, to be here when Azalea came home. Or for her two sons. His sons. The two boys had already had a Valhallan ethic instilled into them; he doubted they would accept Isardis, if they were even there. Moss green gaze clouded with worry. Would they come home? Ever? He was second to arrive at Ashtoreth?s side. He didn?t begrudge her for her happiness. Just because he was alone, his mate gone, he wouldn?t insult Erani?s kindness and all that she had done for him instead of killing him two years ago. He wouldn?t be bitter toward those that had not done anything. So when it came to work, he compartmentalized his pain, and set it aside. And there was a thrill to the hunt that just slightly helped him feel better. Silently, he nodded to Ravine, their newest Sigma, a trainee, and turned his attention to Ashtoreth, vaguely wondering if she carried new lives for Valhalla, and hoping she didn?t get hurt in the hunt.

At the time of the call Arwel had been taking a small nap, a light sleep having taken his form into it?s hold. He had chosen to use the central densite as the location for his den, wanting to be close to the members of the pack in hopes of bonding further with them. Bonds kept a pack strong. Not only that but if he was here, from what Arwel expected anyway, he would catch onto important information quickly enough. A howl would break through his dreams. It was quiet but the purpose behind it was clear -- a summoning howl. He recognized the voice of the one calling to the sigma of the pack as well. Ashtoreth. He would move, stretching out each limb as he got to his paws. Though he didn?t get stiff or had trouble with joints or anything yet the male was ever conscious of the fact he was getting older... And certain habits could help ease such things. He would arrive before too long. He wasn?t the first to arrive but he was sure he wouldn?t be the last. He would dip his head to Ash, a gentle smile upon his face as a greeting slipped past his lips. ?A good day to you, Ashtoreth.? His cerulean gaze would shift between the others there. ?As well as to you both as well.? A pack hunt was something he was truly looking forward to, as well as attending sessions of other skills. He wanted to work on bettering himself on a more rounded level. "normal. talk. think. you"

Walk | Talk | Think She had hardly time to wait before the first of her hunters showed themselves, and a beaming grin spread across her muzzle when she realized the first was Ravine. Perfect! The newest of the sigmas, he probably had the most to prove but his background alone spoke well for him. His father had once held her own position before it had been passed to her, and she had no doubt at least a little of that talent had been passed to Thane's son. He greeted her with much the same show of respect and bearing that she would have expected from his father and politely nodded her head in acknowledgement back, gold and purple eyes meeting his blue. "Elk," she answered simply, tone cheery and eager. "They're starting to migrate into the field, perfect for an easy hunt." At least she hoped so. Sarak's arrival was almost like that of a ghost, his lean, dark figure slinking quietly in to join them. Though he said nothing, Ashtoreth offered him a small smile and made no attempts at cordial conversation. She might not have known the true extent of his feelings for Azalea or her small family, but ever since the move he had been quiet, almost brooding, and that had been enough to hint at a deeper discontent for how things presently were. Whatever the case, she was not one to pry and so gave him space, grateful that he had answered her summons at all. One other appeared from one of the dens and though she had no name for him he seemed to recall her name readily enough. Another of the sigmas, perhaps? "Good day," Ash greeted, gaze resting on him for a moment as he joined them before shifting eagerly away in search of the next arrival. Was this it? There had to be more, right? For a moment, her expression grew puzzled, concerned, but there was too much riding on this for her to be upset with their turn out. There was still time yet. Maybe more would come. Returning her attention to the newest of the arrivals, she posed a question, angling her head curiously to one side, "You're one of our new sigmas?" Erani had added a pretty sizable bunch to their pack during their last pack meeting. Maybe she had just missed placing a name with a face during that time.

Elk! They were hunting Elk. He had never been able to bring down an adult elk before. Then again he had always when alone when he was hunting the large deer like creature. A smile had been plastered to his maw at Ashtoreth's answer. Slowly other wolves started arriving. Sarak and Arwel were the only other wolves to arrive as of yet, and he still didn't know them but remembered hearing their names at one of the pack meetings. He sat quietly as they each gave their greeting and then as Ashtoreth replied to them. Speech,

Sarak

Only one other wolf came to the hunter?s call. Arwel. Moss green gaze took in the two males that had joined them to hunt? Likely most wolves just hadn?t heard the call, But he would speak to Erani about the lack of attendance. Perhaps they could work out some sort of Schedule so that Valhallans would know when to head toward the plains of Valhalla, or to listen for his or Ashtoreth?s calls. Ashtoreth named the menu item of the day; Elk. Sarak, nodding to Arwel, thought he recalled seeing an older bull with a limp a day ago. ?I think the herd has a bull that?s come up lame. The one with a crooked left antler. Should be good for our current number, unless more of the pack shows up.? Low tones held a faint rasp. He hadn?t spoken much at all since Azalea?s disappearance. Moss green eyes turned to Ashtoreth to see her view on this notation. The older bull had probably been a part of the herd for over ten years. His hide was scarred from past fights, and Sarak recalled now, that he?d seen the old bull before the war had started up. The main characteristic of the bull?s appearance that set him apart was the crooked left antler, that always grew back after a shedding with a bend near the middle that sent the antler jutting outward, instead of the lazy curve backward toward the muscular back. He wondered, vaguely, what had caused the limp he?d seen in the old bull. Had he stepped wrong in a fight with a younger rival? Maybe contracted a hoof disease? With the young hunter Ravine, it?d be a good learning experience to take the old bull down, not to mention they would be helping to keep the herd healthy, if the bull had something contagious. That was Erani?s reasoning when it came to hunting. Cull the weakened animals, those sick or injured. A sick animal with a contagious illness could wipe out a herd, and the food source for the pack would be taken away. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Surreal Adravendi

Surreal was late! What kind of Beta was she, if she was late to the first big pack hunt? She had, admittedly, been patrolling, but that was little excuse, now was it? Surreal trotted quickly toward Ashtoreth?s call, arriving just in time to hear Sarak?s suggestion. ?I remember that bull. Saw him on my patrol. His flank?s gored. He didn?t look all that great.? She remarked, dipping her head to the four wolves as she slowed to a stop next to Ravine and Arwel. ?Sorry I?m late. I was patrolling the lake.? Despite the peaceful stretch of time they were having, she wasn?t going to let her guard fall. She looked around. ?Is this really all who?ve shown up?? Well? Her ears flicked with minor annoyance. While they wouldn?t need every single wolf in the pack to hunt one bull elk, if that was what Ashtoreth chose, this was a pack event, and attendance was smiled upon. Sarak caught her eye and shrugged. She nodded. ?I?ll talk to Mother after the hunt.? Another shrug from the silent Psi male. She wondered if Azalea would ever come home. Sarak thrived when Azalea was home. He was practically a new wolf with the female around. She was aware that he and Azalea had become mates. The absence of both mate and sons must have been agony to him. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Quintus Nero was never one for being particularly prompt. And truth be told, he'd been rather irritable since arriving in Valhalla -- no, it had been going on much longer than that. He'd decided it was utterly unfair that his parents had been taken from the throne without so much as a fight, and even worse, they had accepted it meekly. Since then,, living alone had been pretty terrible, and joining Valhalla had seemed like a better option. Even still, it didn't mean he was completely happy here. He'd promised Erani he would help as a pack hunter, and so when the call for a group hunt rang across the lands, he tried his best to not ignore it. Despite his instinct to instead laze about all day, with no company save his own, and ignore everyone who tried to speak with him. After awhile he found himself rolling onto his belly and pushing himself upright, beginning to saunter toward the group of wolves that had gathered. He was certain none of them knew him yet, unless Erani had told them about him. A snort left his lips as he drew closer. Not a single one was familiar him. Quintus had never been particularly shy, but he felt a sudden self-consciousness overwhelm him as he padded toward the group quietly. His nose wrinkled a bit as he sat down. "Sorry I'm late," the boy began to drawl on. "Guess I'll be hunting with you guys. I'm Quintus Nero Adravendi-Mathias, by the way." His gaze darted away to the distance, feeling rather awkward among all these strangers.

Walk | Talk | Think The grey wolf's head turned to take in Sarak as he finally piped up, commenting upon the elk herd that she had said they would go after. He had been keeping his eye on them too it seemed, and for that she was grateful. Already they had a target and they were not even out in the field stalking them yet. "I know the one," she spoke with a nod and grin, "He was there the last I saw them." Oh how eager she was to see them through their first hunt! Not only was it a wonderful way to finish the celebrations from their pack meeting, all the exciting new alliances that Erani had announced, and her own wedding, but it had been much too long since she had had them gathered like this, since they had successfully brought down something together. This was long overdue. To Ashtoreth's surprise, they were quickly joined by another grey-clad female, their Beta and Erani's daugther. Another friendly smile was turned in Surreal's direction, welcoming her to the slowly growing group, and she confirmed herself that the bull in question was with the herd and injured on his flank. "Perfect! Sounds like he'll be waiting for us when we get there." Everything seemed to be falling into place nicely, though as their Beta took stock of their present and available hunters she gave voice to what Ash had noticed as well. The bright expression upon her face fell slightly as Surreal spoke of it, her gold and purple eyes glancing toward her fellow Psi to catch his shrug and offering a rather apologetic smile in return upon finding out that it was going to be reported to their leader. Oh boy. Hopefully nothing too drastic would come of it. Just when she was ready to assume their group complete, or as complete as it was going to get this time around, another wolf padded into their midst leisurely yet purposefully. At a first glance, he reminded her strikingly of their own previous leader, Chrysanthe, with his facial marking though the russet shade of it seemed different, strangely brighter. But he was unknown to her otherwise, just a strange reminder of the Adravendi family that had ruled Valhalla for such a long time. Her gaze might have been curious but Ashtoreth smiled welcomingly just the same, a slow realization dawning over her as the young male introduced himself and stated his purpose there with them. Adravendi-Mathias! He was a part of the Adravendi line. But Mathias... Oh. She could see him now, a bright, russet wolf with dappled haunches. Maverick. "Glad to have you, Quintus," Ash welcomed as she realized this was one of Epiphron's children, previously of Seracia. What had happened to bring him this way? "I'm starting to think this is everyone," she added with a quiet chuckle, taking stock of their group one last time. They needed to get moving, before their window of opportunity closed on them. "If you guys are ready?" Ash's gold and purple eyes settled momentarily upon her fellow Psi, grateful to have someone else to help lead the hunting party, before she gave a quick nod and began to lead the way from the forested densite to the open plains where she knew the elk herd would be. "Let's find the herd and figure out how we should tackle this injured bull."

She was the furthest thing from a sigma in her own mind, but she would try to help Ashtoreth as well as anyone else that had responded to her call. The girl would have a bit of a trip ahead of her, she had been wandering the moors when she heard the little hunter's howl. Yet she would take it as a little warm up as she quickly headed toward the others, stretching her muscles and getting her blood flowing before the hunt started. By the time that she got there, there were others that were seemingly ready to hunt, and she would take a quiet place near the back of the gathering. Sarak's voice just barelywould be heard by her in the distance, followed by Surreal's tones which grew clearer as she drew closer to the group. Her family held an air of regality, and she would smile - proud of the two and their constant caring for the pack. Quintus arrived around the same time as her, if not a bit before. "Nice to meet you Quintus - I'm Lyric." She would whisper to him, a gentle look on her features as she hoped to help the boy feel a little less nervous. They were family after all, weren't they? Although she was older than he was, she wasn't much larger and felt just as new here at times despite this being her birthpack.


With that she would look to Ashtoreth, the leader of this hunt. "Sorry I'm late." Hopefully she wouldn't mind one more late addition to her hunt - and an inexperienced on at that. The woman would ask if everyone was ready, and she would follow after her with everyone else, keeping toward the flank of the group - she didn't want to get in anyone's way, she knew little to nothing about this but she could take orders as well as any able bodied adult. With that in mind she would wait for orders from Ashtoreth or Sarak - and aide the hunting party anyway that she could.
"Speech."

His blunt introduction had been awkward, and he was fully prepared to feel uncomfortable for some time. Quintus was not the most social of wolves, though he was far from shy -- he shifted uncomfortably from one paw to the other. His worries subsided slightly when the apparent leader of the hunt acknowledged him. He swore he saw the gears turning in her head, trying to figure out just who he was. A smirk toyed with the corners of his lips, his head dipping lightly in response to her. He made a mental note to find out all of these wolves' names -- he didn't know a single one of them. Another wolf spoke to him, from his side. Slowly he turned to gaze at Lyric. Immediately her scent reminded him of Erani, his adoptive grandmother -- perhaps this girl was family as well, albeit not by blood? Either way, she was rather pretty, he realized abruptly. His tail would flick behind his seated frame. "Nice to meet you," he whispered back, a grin growing on his lips. He almost seemed polite in that moment, though mostly was amazed at this stranger's beauty and wanting even the shortest conversation with her. But they would be ushered forward soon enough. Quintus would trail near the group, not wanting to find himself too far in front of the group, nor so far behind that he lost their trail. His ears would remain perked, willing to listen and try his best to follow along. "Speech."

Surreal Adravendi

Ashtoreth answered her mention of the bull, and Surreal grinned back at the Psi Primary. It was certainly clear that they might be having an old bull for the pack feast tonight. Quintus arrived, and Surreal?s tail wagged at the young male, who was her nephew through Erani?s adoption of Epiphron, and Epiphron?s birthing of the male. He introduced himself, and as Ashtoreth thanked him for coming, Surreal reached over and nosed his shoulder lightly in a sign of friendship. ?I?m your aunt Surreal. It?s great to see you here at the hunt.? Lazy accented Russian and Scottish voice was friendly, her mismatched bleu and gold eyes warm. As her sister arrived, Surreal grinned, padding forward to playfully nudge her shoulder into Lyric?s. ?Sis! Ready for some elk dinner?? Silver and black timber tail waved merrily behind her, a panted laugh escaping open jaws. Ashtoreth spoke up, and Surreal nodded to announce her readiness for the hunt, falling into line behind Ashtoreth and Sarak as they headed off. She was pumped, ready to expend some extra energy on a successful hunt. She hoped her cousin Alsander, and Caerul as well, might be able to make it, but she?d understand if they didn?t. They were patrolling the Moor, and it was a bit more interesting to patrol, what with the fog that muffled scents and sounds. More care was needed there to be sure that all was as it should be. So as they went, Surreal turned her attention to Quintus with a smile, asking in a curious voice, ?So is this your first big hunt?? It was hers, surprisingly. There hadn?t been a big pack hunt in her lifetime yet, and she was delighted to be able to attend this one. Long legs carried her at an easy, paced trot behind the Psis, paws falling silently as she practiced the forest craft. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Alpine had been at the edge of the territory as the call rang out for the hung, and the first sound of it was one that he had missed. In fact, as he found himself moving back into the Valhalla territory it was the sound of commission, the joined scents of many in one place that alerted him. He had been surprised, and worried that he had missed a meeting had found himself moving quickly until he was within view of the group. He recognised a couple of wolves within the mass, with Lyric being the first to catch his eye. He vaguely knew Surrel from the meeting that had commenced upon his arrival into the pack but the rest of them where almost strangers to him. As he approached he heard snippets of conversation, enough to tell him this gathering was for a hunt of sorts. He cleared his throat, casting his eyes about as he tried to asses who was the one on point, leading this hunt. ?I was out of the territory and think I missed something? he said with a warm, if slightly embarrassed laugh. ?Can I join this hunt? Can?t say I?ve been a part of a pack hunt before and it could be an interesting experience? he admitted. as he fell into step beside's Lyric, brushing his tail against her side in greeting without actually speaking, he was worried he had already disrupted this hunt enough as it was. "Speech"

Ashtoreth would address him and Arwel would give a nod. "Yes, though I have been with you all for a little bit of time now. I first joined on the island, coming back home here." The male would smile just a bit more. "I greatly look forward to working with all of you." He would look to the other two gathered, excitement building within. This was truly going to be wonderful, and Arwel could feel a sort of excitement he had not felt in quite some time. Their target seemed to be picked out already too. A lame bull elk. The male would give a nod to other male. More wolves would begin showing up, and better late than never. A female, the beta if he recalled correctly, though her name ran away him. A younger male would show too, one that he did not recognize. Quintus. Arwel would give a nod of his head to the other in greeting. He made a note to hopefully get to know the other better a little later on, perhaps after the hunt was wrapped up. For now Arwel remained quiet, slipping into a mode of readiness as he looked to Ash and Sarak. The hunt was ready to get underway, though another late arrival would appear. He?d give a nod to her as well, a more serious aura having come across him now. Hunting was no game... And even with a larger number of wolves if they were reckless someone could still very well get hurt. As they moved along yet another would come along, though this time a male. There were so many faces in Valhalla. Ones he needed to become familiar with. "normal. speech. thought. you."

It wasn't long and Ashtoreth began to lead the small group to the heard of elk, though before they could leave others would arrive. Surreal, Quintus, Lyric and Alpine would be the arrivals to the hunt. Even though they were late, he would still give each of them a friendly smile before fallowing close behind Ashtoreth. His excitement for the hunt was well hidden as he new for this he had to remain calm and quiet or risk scaring off the prey before they even saw it. The others were still making noise but they were far enough away right now that they wouldn't frighten the heard, weren't they? Silently he would listen to what the others were saying, but his mind would be solely on the elk. On the hunt at hand. He loved to be goofy and lay back but now was not the time for that, now was one of the few times he would sober up his expression and concentrate on one thing rather than several things. Speech,

Sarak

Sarak?s mind wandered while he kept one ear on the conversation. He was paying attention to the scents on the wind, and as the conversation turned toward heading out, he noted Ashtoreth?s glance, nodding at her as he fell into step in the secondary position. Lyric arrived, greeting Quintus, Erani?s grandson, and Surreal fell into line, chatting to the young male. Alpine arrived, and at his words, Sarak raised on brow point. ?This is a Pack hunt. Of course you can join. In fact, there were supposed to be all able wolves.? It was a long speech for the silent Psi Secondary. It held no scathing tones, just the flat, soft tones of a wolf who probably never raised his voice much. They made their way out, following Ashtoreth, though Sarak knew where the herd was. It was on the wind, and he could smell the festering, rotting scent of infection among the healthier spores on the air. That bull wasn?t long for the world, even if they didn?t hunt him down. The herd came into view, the animals of prey milling about as they grazed, one creature standing out noticeably. The old bull wit the crooked antler did indeed look the worse for wear. He gimped along on the outer edge of the herd, nibbling disinterestedly at the grass while flies buzzed around an angry red gore wound in the flank. Every now and then, the bull would ineffectually stamp the injured leg, wincing obviously. Sarak glanced at Ashtoreth, then looked over the wolves present. ?That bull is the target. As you can see, he?s already sick from infection, so it probably won?t take long to bring him down. Mind, he isn?t harmless. Nor are the other elk around him. Keep an eye on both parties. You never know when an uninvolved deer will try to act the hero. Don?t stray too close to the cows or the last year calves, that will get you trampled by an angry mom.? His words were for the Apprentices, Lyric and Ravine, as well as Surreal, whom he knew had never been on a pack hunt for large prey. He glanced at Ashtoreth, letting her suggest a plan. It was an unusually long winded chunk of talking for the male. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think