He'd caught his sister's glare, grinning at her in response until his grin became contagious and she ultimately did as well. Of course, he'd been joking now, but he had not forgotten about the time in his past where he would have been completely serious, and clearly she didn't either. He was glad they could laugh about it now, even with the scars they both were adorned with from those hunts. When she sprang up on her paws and looked ready as ever to get this started, he did as well and naturally fell into place to lead her out of the territory.

He hadn't explored much of the East, but knowledge of a pack residing to the Northwest of Mount Volkan kept him facing South when planning out his trajectory. He kept his pace leisurely, able to relax a bit while he walked though his longer limbs might have still made that pace a bit faster than his sister's. He'd occasionally slow it when he was able to remember to, but there was an energy about him that had been previously void of his demeanor. With his sister in his company he felt rejuvenated, away from the mistakes of his past at least physically while still in the company of his most beloved. It was hard to hold back the excitement he had for their first hunt together.

When he wandered upon a new forest of shrubbery which still faintly smelled like ash and burnt bark, he steered clear of it and headed to the west over a valley until they encountered a less-than-friendly looking forest. Deciding not to enter, he was ultimately forced to enter the southern region of Boreas, but barely. Right as he did he was met with a horizon of hills with sparsely placed trees. The grass was thicker here, even with the turn of the season.. he knew that other lands might not be so fruitful, so he looked to his sister. It was time to begin tracking for what they wanted, and he gave her a nod. They'd traveled a bit farther than he'd initially hoped, but the reward of their efforts seemed promising.

The colossal being lowered his stature, his long neck craning to allow his nose to to explore the scents left in the grass around them. So far nothing, but he was sure that there was something.

Honestly, Dagmær didn't know what she was thinking going this far south to hunt.  Well, she knew.  Fenrir's Maw was rough hunting ground and while she was getting better she was looking for something a bit more… level.  That and buffalo hides would be particularly useful this winter though as she was hunting solo she didn't have a prayer of taking one down though she did hope to find a carcass that she could strip chunks off of.  Strolling over the knolls the girl stopped for a moment… the scent of Imperium was gone and her thoughts drifted to Rhys and Rhythm and her small makeshift family that had so rapidly fallen apart.  She hoped wherever they were that they were ok. At least she'd found her aunt.  Slowly she was beginning to assemble a small family but she deeply wished it had been sooner in her life.  Anger started to boil in her gut at the thought of her father.  As usual he wasn't even fucking around and she couldn't help but wonder what he was off doing or what her mother was doing or what that bloody parasite of a healer was doing that convinced her mother to leave her for dead in the first place!  It wasn't fair! Stop it!  Dagmær shook her head.  She didn't need to be dwelling on any of this right now.  She had a job to do dammit and only so much time to do it in.  She needed to find something to take back to Ivory Ridge and it had to be large enough to be worth the trip but small enough to carry back. Dagmær felt the pressure to get more gathered as well before late autumn put her through her first heat.  Thankfully it was still early autumn so she didn't need to deal with that nonsense but later in the season would render her off her game and that would not do.  She only prayed that winter would move slowly.  As she started to climb another knoll she spied a large male in the distance and eyed him carefully. There was a good-sized female near him, just a touch shorter than herself and they clearly seemed to be related.  She wasn't interested in trouble and while she'd been brutally trained in the arts of battle by her father she was in no rush to find herself fighting for her life, especially 2 against 1.  On the other hand though she was getting quite hungry and saw the benefit of having a hunting partner or two. "Excuse me!  You two wouldn't happen to be out hunting by chance?" Walk, "Talk" Think

She was on the move again. With her pale nose to guide her, Reina moved south of all places. It was different than the volcanic area she had stumbled upon; this was much more… pleasant to her eyes. The lush grass that sprawled out across the land seemed unchanged even by the new season. Reina allowed her golden orbs to examine the area, taking notice of the buffalos that roam the area as while remaining peaceful within their home.

Home. A place she has yet to claim as her own. Wherever the rouge woman traveled, it did not please her enough for the claiming. A pack would do her more justice, but she was not ready for such a commitment. As Reina enjoyed the peaceful silent, a growl caused her to sigh. It had been days since she last tasted meat, her stomach grumbled loudly which forced the feminine creature to move forward, her limbs stretching out to carry her across the field.

As she jogged, the scent of other wolves filled her nostrils, causing her to pause and investigate. One was familiar to her, but the others were not. Reina continued walking until she saw the figures clearly, a large male and two other females near him. The woman blinked, recognizing the man as Elias from the volcanic mountains but the women remained unknown to her.

Her pace began to slow down as she approached, keeping a respectable distance from all of them. Her lips remained still as she did not find it necessary to speak. Reina dipped her head to Elias then focused her stare on the other two females.

"speech"

original code by merci; code editing by sheeplet; image by StarShadowist

Elias seemed just as eager as she was to find a more suitable hunting ground and yet she noted his slower pace. His long limbs still ate up a bit more ground than she could cover, but overall she had no trouble keeping up with him. Even with the distance she'd traveled in the past few days she was excited. She was reunited with him once again and it gave her a whole new sort of energy to keep her going. Despite the cramps in her stomach from going so long without food, she was patient enough to find suitable hunting ground. A little while longer wasn't going to kill her. It seemed that their quest for food would take a little longer than she'd originally anticipated. Areas near the volcano lacked good resources for prey and to the north she'd scented a pack so they'd avoided going that way. The forest they encountered seemed... well less than pleasing to Elias so he then headed away from it just as he had with the others. She followed him silently and eventually they found themselves in a more southern region. Her crimson gaze swept over it hastily and overall she was more impressed with it than she had been with the other places. The grassy green hills seemed promising. So far she couldn't scent anything, but with an area this nice she had no doubt they could find a nice sized deer or something large to take down together. Her posture mimicked Elias' as she lowered her head to the ground to sniff around. So far she couldn't pick up on anything yet either, though the sound of someone approaching definitely caught her attention. Her head raised and she eyed the slightly larger female warily as she approached. She seemed friendly enough, but that didn't matter to the girl. She just stared at the strangely marked wolf with a steely expression and never let her gaze wander. She didn't have much option to answer her question so she stood as vigilantly as ever as she let Elias do all of the speaking. The idea of adding another wolf to the hunting party was a tempting idea, but with a stranger? To her dismay another female approached, roughly the same size of her, and she found herself forcing down the urge to lift her lip in a snarl. What was Elias, a chick magnet? This one didn't say anything though so she eyed her more warily than the first. So it remained like that with her gaze flicking between the two females.

He'd just started to move again when he noticed the black and silvery accented female on the horizon coming straight toward them. His tail remained free-hanging behind him, his stature relaxed though his head raised with quite a bit of interest. He did not recognize her in the slightest and before she could fully approach them, he'd cast a glance to his sister as if questioning her if she knew this one with his eyes. No, neither of them did.

He kept silent and returned his stare to the approaching woman, an ear flicking to show that he was listening when her polite voice met his ears. She didn't mention that she was hunting, but her interest could have said that for her. He didn't doubt Lia and his abilities to bring down a fawn or calf on their own, but actually going for a full blown adult would have certainly taken another set of jaws.. and well, here one seemed to just fall right before their paws. Him and his sister weren't exactly known for their welcome parties back at home, it was tradition to maim outsiders that wandered in, after all. He'd cast a glance to her once again, noting her less than friendly steel gaze. There were some parts of home that he wanted to leave behind, and what better way to explain that to Lia than by setting an example for her right here and now. This wasn't their home, there were no territory markers, there was no reason to turn this woman away.

He lifted his head, his eyes relaxing on Dagmaer's emeralds as a gentle smile came over his features. Finally, he gave her a nod. "Yes, we are." Elias took a step closer, his neck outstretching to sniff the air around the woman and check her for scents. She carried many, which told him that she was of a pack and not another rogue like the two of them. Well, why was she out hunting alone, he wondered? "And you?"

His ear flicked as the sound of another female crept up on him, not noticing her until she was just a short distance away and already coming to a stop. He recognized her immediately and his ears lowered, a feeling of guilt washing over him as he stared at her for a moment. "You." He looked to his sister, wondering what she would think of the words that he wanted to say, but lifted his head and decided to go through with it, "I was wondering if I'd run into you again; I owe you an apology. I want you to know that you did nothing wrong back there, what happened had nothing to do with you at all, really. I was out of line." He hesitated, but eventually turned his skull back to face the first woman that had approached them. "My name is Elias and this is my lovely sister, Eliana."

He'd not properly introduced himself to the second woman before, part of him wondered if she'd even speak to him again after what had happened before. The thought of hunting as a group together did cross his mind, but he didn't want to propose such an idea just yet. He wasn't sure what size of a meal they would capture, he could not guarantee that it would be enough to feed four hungry wolves.. but, that didn't mean he wouldn't try to find out if it was a possibility. "We are hunting though unfortunately, we are not familiar with the area. Have either of you seen anything out on these hills? With grass like this, surely there must be something taking advantage and grazing upon them."

He waited for there answer and looked to Eliana one more time, his 'brow dots rising a bit as his features softened. He did not want to make things awkward in the slightest, but he knew already how short his sister could be when in the company of women with eyes that lingered a little too long on her brother. It happened more back home than he liked to admit, but he wasn't an alpha anymore. Things were a little different, but one thing that remained the same was his loyalty to Katar, whether or not she was dead. He hoped his sister knew that, and oh how he wished his eyes could talk for him.

Dagmær's focus remained on the pair in front of her though the arrival of a third woman did not go unnoticed.  The young huntress would spare a glance to the new arrival, another large woman and she wondered if the pair knew this woman.  Well, the more the merrier she supposed, especially if they sought to take particularly large prey.  Of course… she was probably getting ahead of herself.  For all she knew Dagmær had stumbled upon a gathering hunting party that she was not meant to be a part of and if that were the case she would simply cut her losses and go back to the original plan.  The female part of the pair would gaze coldly at Dagmær before the man nodded, stating that they were indeed hunting.  Ok, score one!  Now, were they open to another set of jaws? "Scavenging…. though I'd prefer to be hunting.  I fancy a sizeable piece of buffalo hide but taking one myself is impossible and so I scrounge for corpses.  Do you have a particular quarry in mind?  If you're open to a partnership I'd be willing to make a deal." When the third female arrived the man would address her.  Hmm… seemed these three knew each other, making her the odd woman out.  Not the position she really cared to be in but she was adaptable and would roll with the situation for now.  Her head cocked just slightly to the side as she wondered what had gone down between the man and the third woman but she pushed it aside.  It wouldn't do to be nosey.  The man would introduce himself as Elias and the woman as his sister Eliana.  Siblings.  Well, that definitely explained the similarities. "I'm Dagmær Thyre.  It's nice to meet you." Elias would ask about the territory and Dagmær would nod tentatively. "I used to live here once upon a time, I'm passingly familiar with the prey varieties here.  The easiest to find are the buffalo, there's a herd of them that usually gather at the confluence of the two main streams that cut through the land.  They'll be  grazing down between the knolls." Buffalo were large and travelled in even larger groups.  It was difficult to miss them and most of the time they tended to ignore lone wolves.  "I'm afraid that's all I've seen.  There was a deer trail about a mile north of here but it's old.  I don't know that it would be much help." Walk, "Talk" Think

Silent is what came of the woman. Rather than to speak up and announce her business to the three that stood before her, she allowed her presence go unnoticed if they were interested. Her golden orbs were observing the two female; the one that stood close to the massive brute did not seem pleased with their appearance in the area, yet like Reina, she did not speak, only used her face to express her emotions. The coal-like woman dipped her head slightly to the dark green one, a way to assure she meant no harm when she approached.

The dark gray creature seemed friendly enough from what Reina could observe. Although she had just arrived to the small party, she did not see what trouble that one would cause. Blinking slowly, she shifted her attention to the only male of the party as he addressed her.

Reina blinked in surprised when the words of apology rolled from his tongue; her expression relaxed as her lips parted open to speak, “There is no need for an apology. I should have been more careful with my words, especially to a stranger I did not know.” Her response was sincere, they did not know each other after first, lines were crossed, and now apologies were made.

Her gaze returned to the female who stood next to him again, an ear twitched at the sound of her name that escaped Elias’ lips. Eliana. So they were siblings! “I am Reina.” She said, finally deciding to introduce herself to the group. Black paws began to pace ahead, observing the field from which she came from as Elias spoke of their plans to hunt, but no actual knowledge of what resides in these arts.

“If I may” The female began, turning her head to face the others. “Upon my arrival to this land, I noticed a herd of bisons roaming not far from here. They’re large and meaty, something that can satisfy all of us for days. Would that be a promising choice for us?” She inquired to the group, her gaze shifting to each face, searching for their approval of the idea. The rouge woman was more than happy to hear other options.

"speech"

original code by merci; code editing by sheeplet; image by StarShadowist

Well Elias didn't know the first new comer at all either judging by the look he shot at her. She didn't know the woman either so she wasn't sure what to make of it all. Of course Elias was always one for surprises and her eyes would widen as he smiled at the other girl. Eliana stood her ground as Elias answered her and then stepped forward to sniff the air. She could smell the other scents on the girls fur which didn't help ease her mind any. The girl was a part of a pack. What was she doing all the way out here? She hadn't missed the look Elias had given her though so tried to keep the looks of disdain to a minimum. This was supposed to be their fresh start and she wasn't going to ruin it. The mention of buffalo seemed promising. An ear flicked up with lazy interest - were they actually all going to work together to hunt something? Ruby eyes flicked in between the three other wolves. Overall she felt a little out of place in this conversation. Between not being able to talk, not liking strangers, and not quite understanding why Elias was apologizing to the darker colored woman with gold eyes... well there was clearly a lot going on that she didn't know about. As much as she disliked the idea of hanging out with two other females, she'd originally just intended for this to be Elias and herself, the idea of a very large meal seemed like a good idea. Begrudgingly she recognized it as a great idea really. So with that though she glanced towards Elias and gave him a slight nod of her head. She'd go along with this plan and see how it went, if only for him and the promise of food. They both needed a good meal.

As Elias took the opportunity to wait for their responses, he also took the opportunity to look around him; he couldn't help but notice the collection of dark coats that surrounded him, and his own wasn't much lighter. A small smirk came to his lips, it was almost as if he were back in Ruina again, he always seemed to find himself around the darkest of wolves. It seemed stealth was on their side, and that was a pleasing thought.

As Reina's apology fell on his ears, he returned his focus to her and gave her a nod of gratitude, though Dagmaer's words stole his attention quickly as she informed him of not only what her intentions were, but what prey was in the area. Reina then seemed to hold information of the same thing, bison and buffalo just two words to describe the same animal- depending on where you were from. He lifted his ears, staring at Reina for a moment before turning his massive skull to look to Dagmaer and respond to her first.

"So be it. The chosen quarry shall be bison and you, Dagmaer Thyre, will hold claim to all the hide and bones you wish so long as the flesh remains ours. That is the sort of deal you were hoping to bargain from my understanding, is it not?" His Latin accent seemed to slip toward the end of his words before that thick neck twisted, his ruby gaze drifting toward his sister's as if asking if she agreed. They had no need for hides and bones, and no place to store them. The meat they could bury, but even that wasn't guaranteed scavengers wouldn't find it before they came back for it- especially with the winds changing and the rains absent.

He then looked to Reina, his head lifting as an inquisitive expression came over him. "Though, you never really stated what it was that you wanted out of this bargain. If it is bones and skin that you want, you'll have to take it up with Dagmaer after. Otherwise, you are welcome to feast with my sister and I." He may have been jumping to assumptions, but honestly it wasn't hard to guess what it was that a rogue might be after.

Finally, he positioned himself so that he could better see the three of them; his lean and well-muscled limbs moving in jerky motions as he turned to make a little circle of four out of the small hunting party. He'd organized many royal hunts back home, but that was with people that he knew and siblings who's training he could depend on. He imagined what he was about to say wouldn't fall very kindly on Eliana's ears, so a sharp inhale would precedent his words of strategy. "We will need to split up into pairings. Dagmaer," his gaze shifted to her own, "since you are seeking a pelt, I would like you to accompany me on the chase so we can pick one to single out from the rest that is to your liking." Though that was partially the reason, inwardly he knew that he ultimately wanted someone he could rely on in a hunt to judge the right time to ambush, and a quick glance to Eliana with a softened gaze might of told her that he was sorry to split them up and ask her to work with a stranger, but he needed her simply because he knew she'd never let him down. He then finally parted his lips again to speak, softer words of a loving brother meant to come out as less of a demand but a request, "Eliana, you and Reina shall break off to set up an ambush and we will drive one toward you once it has been singled out- providing everything goes to plan."

He looked over their faces, wondering if his chosen strategy for the hunt was to their liking, though his limbs were beginning to grow restless from simply standing around. He was eager to get the hunt under way, a tightening in his stomach not able to make him forget his hunger. "Reina, shall we follow you to their tracks and split up after?"

ooc:  sneaking in a quick post before I leave.  I will be back Tuesday and I'll see if I can get another post in late in the evening.  I'm going to speed it up a bit and have Dag pick a target so you guys can get the hunt part going while I'm away.  :)

The gold-eyed woman introduced herself as Reina and Dagmær's eyes lit up at the mention of a bison sighting.  Perfect!  Dag would nod. "Aye, I find this a promising choice." The were in the Buffalo Knolls after all.  It seemed a shame to hunt anything other than the beasts whose deaths gave the place its very name.  Dag would casually glance to Elias and Eliana.  She wonder if the quiet woman was terribly shy, preferred to keep to herself or had a physical limitation that forced her to be so silent.   Either way it was Elias that would address her and she would quickly give him her attention as he hashed out the deal.  She mulled his words over for a moment then nodded.  "Yes, this bargain pleases me.  I accept."  It would be a chore to haul the items back to Ivory Ridge but the skins and bones would be of little interest to scavengers and she knew Birna was lurky around Imperium's old packlands somewhere.  She was certain she could recruit the older woman's help. She would glance to Reina. "I am willing to work out a deal with the bones but I do not wish to make concessions on the hide." With winter coming the hide was of critical value where as the bones were merely a start to a suggested set of goods. Elias would take command of the hunt and begin to instruct them and she would grin and nod at his words.  She would get to pick?  Excellent! "Sounds like a plan to me" The man's strategy was an interesting one.  She'd never been in an ambush style hunt for buffalo before.  When she was Imperium they mostly just ran the beasts down, separating and picking off a straggler or maneuvering one down a steeper part of the knolls to its death.  Dagmær made a mental note to pay close attention. Following Reina's instructions Dagmær would move swiftly and silently across the land, her movements muffled by the sound of wind through the grass.  They'd have to watch the wind.  No doubt their scent might cause the animals to get restless and she didn't want to ruin the ambush.  Soon the wind brought with it the scent of bison and as she carefully crested a nearby knoll and peered down into the shallow valley a herd of bison stretched out before them.  Her eyes would greedily look between them and she wondered how ambitious her hunting mates were.  The healthiest beasts would have the nicest pelts but that went against her instinct to hunt for the injured and sick though she felt fairly certain she could find one close to the middle…. ahhhh… bingo.   Dagmær's sight narrowed in on a pregnant cow.  They were in the tail end of breeding season so it made sense to her that there might be a few fall calves waiting to be brought into the world.  She was also fond of two for the price of one.  She glanced to Elias and gestured toward the cow, whispering quietly. "That one.  That pregnant cow loitering on the west side of the herd." Walk, "Talk" Think

Her golden orbs first landed on Eliana; no words have yet to escaped the dark green woman, leaving Reina to wonder if she was going speak at all. She watched as the other woman turned to nod at her brother which one could only assume she agreed to their plan. Her gaze lingered on the woman’s neck, observing the scars that stretched across just like the scars on her brother’s body. It interested her, leading her to wonder what caused those scars, but she brushed that curiosity aside, seeing it be inappropriate to ask about it.

Exhaling softly, the rouge woman turned her head to face the other two. Each had their own agenda for this hunt, leaving Reina to wonder what would hers be. The male’s voice caught her attention when he spoke to her, mentioning she never stated her intentions for this hunt. “Then I will join you and your sister on this feast.” She said in return, seeing it was better than leaving with an empty stomach.

Finally, it was time for the game plan. Her watchful gaze followed the massive brute as he moved and faced all of them. Reina was ready for this; her ears flicked at the sound of his voice executing a plan that has a high potential of leaving them all with full stomachs. Her eyes blinked, head turned to face the quiet woman, Eliana, as they are now paired up for this hunt. The dark female nodded her head at the male’s voice, seeing no problems with this pairing.

An ambush against a buffalo seemed risky but also thrilling. She could feel her heart thump wildly against her chest; her face, however, revealed nothing of her excitement. Now, Reina was given the task to lead the group to where she spotted the herd. “Of course.” She nodded slowly then turned her back against the group. “This way, follow me.” Reina began to jog across the lush grass, keeping her pace reasonable as she did not want to alert the heard of their appearance.  The dark woman lead them to a hill which oversaw the valley below, from there the herd would be found, grazing and wandering about.

As the group arrived at the area, Reina stepped back to allow Dagmær to chose what they would hunt. Soon they would feast and fill their stomachs, for now, they must wait for the orders to start the ambush.

"speech"

original code by merci; code editing by sheeplet; image by StarShadowist

ooc: Sorry for the wait guys >.> I'll try to be quicker next go around.

Eliana listened with a very lazy patience. She was eager to get started and she glanced back and forth between the small group as she listened to them work out who was getting what. She couldn't imagine what the one white marked woman wanted with bones, but she could understand that the hides would be useful. With no place to actually call home she personally wasn't interested in them. She just wanted a full belly for once. It'd been a few days since she'd last eaten and she could feel herself getting antsy to begin. The other woman, Reina, stated she was only interested in the food. She was glad there wasn't going to be any more arguments. She glanced towards her brother as he explained the details and she flashed him a wary look (close enough to a glare) as he told her she'd pair off with Reina. She nodded in agreement though. As unhappy as she was working with a stranger she didn't know she accepted the plan regardless. It made sense so no argument came from her. Finally it seemed they were ready. She rose to her feet and padded after Reina. Ears would flick towards Elias and Dagmaer as she picked out a buffalo. She scanned the herd herself and managed to see which one she had pointed out. She recognized the swelling belly and found herself approving. It wouldn't be able to run as fast as the others so perhaps they'd have an easy time of it if their ambush went well. She glanced back and forth between Elias and Reina and waited for the signal to get into their positions.

The near glare from his sister didn't go unnoticed and for a moment, Elias felt a hint of guilt for sending her off with a stranger though he knew she was fully capable of handling herself if she needed to for any reason. He also knew that she understood, so he did his best to hide the feeling and trusted his decision. He followed after Reina eagerly, remaining at her flank with his eyes peeled on the horizon of hills, scanning every side for signs of life while they remained quiet in their travels. Finally, they seemed to reach the herd and he found himself beside Dagmaer to scope out their chosen target.

His own eyes had been wandering around the edge of the herd while Dagmaer's seemed to dare to venture closer to the middle, though as she pointed out the cow he watched the heavily pregnant beast with interest. He finally gave a nod, confirming that it was a good idea in his mind before he twisted his neck to look toward his sister and Reina. "Head southwest from here, we'll chase them until she gets left behind enough for us to cut her off and herd her back toward you. Good luck." He lingered only long enough to watch where they were heading before looking to Dagmaer with a stern face of determination. He would nod, signalling that it was time for them to begin getting the herd moving. In a prowling pose, the man descended the hillside cautiously until he lacked proper coverage to keep his tall frame hidden and took off toward the herd in a full run. He would cast a glance to his side searching for Dagmaer, then narrow his gaze and focus ahead of him as his paws beat against the terrain to quickly fill the space between them and the herd. Every muscle in his body was put to work in his run while a low growl erupted from his throat, hoping to scare the already alerted herd with it's ferocity. It seemed to work, though most of them were already scrambling to get closer to one another and begin their escape. It wasn't long before the sound of their heavy hooves rang in his ears and they were running south like he had hoped.

Excitement shivered down her spine. She couldn't wait to show her aunt and the rest of the pack. Of course… she was getting ahead of herself. Dag felt good on their chances but even the best laid plans could crumble and there was no bison hide until the beast was dead at her feet. She was glad that she would get the hide and bones to herself. She couldn't wait to see what unusual purposes the Menders might find for them, particularly Kassander who seemed to have no end to unusual new ideas. She didn't have any immediate plans for the calf and would leave that to the others. They could easily gorge themselves on the cow and leave the internal remains for the scavengers if none would claim it. Dagmær's ears would flatten to her skull, her hackles raising as her claws dug into the earth. She was ready to go at a moments notice and would wait for Elias to give the cue. They would watch the others bet into position before Elias would turn to her with a nod. She grinned. Game on! Keeping her body low she slunk into the brush, shifting with the grasses, keeping Elias in her vision for the moment when they'd begin the full assault. Her heart was pounding in her chest, any moment now. Her limbs coiled beneath her and as she saw Elias spring forward so did she, her muscular limbs uncoiling and launching her forward. A snarl ripped from her maw as she dived toward the herd, fangs snapping as the panicked creatures stampeded. Dagmær was relentless, keeping enough on their heels to push them forward but far back enough to keep herself out of the way. The cow was beginning to slow, she could see the labored breathing, the snot bubbles forming around it's nose as massive lungs tried to provide the oxygen she needed. Good they were close, very close. She glanced to Elias then put on a burst of speed to align herself on the left side of the cow. Just a few more sprints and they could cut her off. Walk, "Talk" Think

Elias ran with purpose, each of his limbs expertly reaching for more ground to cover as he corralled the bison. He saw what Dag saw, the cow's labored breathing and inability to keep up with the rest of her herd. It seemed that with everything happening so fast, the bulls didn't have the mind to protect her as she began to lag behind the stampede.

Elias could feel his lips lubricate around the thick of his teeth as he began to drool in anticipation for a meal to finally fill his stomach. He was a large beast with a fast metabolism, having a full stomach never seemed to last long but it certainly got his blood rushing to think about. Toes stretched as he ran, gripping the knolls to propel him forward with each step until finally he was at the beast's heels. All he needed was the perfect moment to make his jump; once the cow noticed the wolves moving in front of her trajectory and fully cutting her off from the rest of the hear, she stumbled slightly and lost a good amount of her momentum. That is when the beastly wolf kicked against the ground and rocketed himself straight down her side, mouth agape and flinging his excess saliva all over the poor bison.

He felt his teeth drag against the hide of her neck and instinctively clamped down, grabbing a good bit of the meat over her jugular to help him hold on. He was in a dangerous position, though he was completely aware. He swing his back legs away from the cow's, but inevitably he felt the beat of her front hoof against his flank. He growled, but kept his hold.. he only hoped his hunting partners were quick to aid him in the take down. The faster this cow bled out, the fewer kicks he had to endure.

Dagmær kept her breaths deep and steady, suppling her working muscles with oxygen. She was a beast of stamina and she was not going to let this expecting cow out pace her, especially not in front of the older hunters. She had something to prove this day. Fangs snapped at the cow's hind leg closest to her. This was a dangerous game she was playing and she knew it. If the cow managed to kick her in the head it could all be over in an instant but the cow would have to slow to kick her and the chance of making her prey stumble made the risk worth it. If they couldn't get her on the ground then this meal was lost to them. There! As the others moved in front of her the cow stumbled in a failed attempt at shifting her direction. In an instance Elias was upon the poor creature. Dagmær's legs bunched beneath her as she put on a burst of speed, leaping at the cow's left front leg, just above the elbow. Her fangs sang in and held fast, the sudden extra weight causing the cow to misstep and come crashing completely to the ground in a flailing tangle of hooves and sheer mass. She could feel the creature trying to stand, flailing wildly as it tried to dislodge the wolves, foam sputtering out of its mouth and nose. She was over-heating and loosing strength with every second but the battle wasn't over yet. Dagmær risked leaving her hold on the leg and shifted towards the cow's head, fangs seeing the bison's throat just below the corners of it's jaw. Hoping she could get a strong enough bite to weaken the creature quickly while Elias bled it out. Walk, "Talk" Think

With a ferocious growl of his ringing in the air, he endured the pain of several kicks to his flank. There would undoubtedly be some bruising caused by the cow's retaliation, but he could feel her growing weak as the blood spilled over his teeth and tongue. The taste of her was utterly satisfying after a long hunt and several days without eating, he could feel his saliva mixing into a pink froth around his lips as he bit down harder and swing his body side to side, causing his teeth to pull her veins out from her skin so that she would bleed faster.

He could tell the others were putting in work by how few and far between her kicks to his flank were becoming. He could feel a warm rush of blood trickling down his back leg with her next blow, he knew he had to end this fast. He let go of her throat but in a split instant, he clamped back down with his teeth slicing into even more of the meat of her throat. Finally, he felt her spill and grow weaker than ever. He felt the life siphon out of her dramatically as she fell to the ground and before long, he was able to let go and relax the muscles of his aching jowls. Wounded, he stood tall and proud as he looked around to those that had aided him in this hunt. It was a short lived moment before instincts took in and the beast began ripping into the very same kill wound, eating her alive as she took her last breaths. His stomach was yearning for this, the taste of the bison akin to something otherworldly as it slid past his tongue and fueled his strength. If any interrupted him, they would be met with a sharp growl though he knew better than to fall short on his side of the bargain.

Once he was finished eating enough to sate the edge of his hunger, he twisted his bloodied neck to look for the one he'd made a deal with. He gave her a nod of approval for her to approach and take what she needed. Skinning a bison was no easy feat, he imagined.. so for now he remained quiet as he watched and learned her strategy for it's removal. A few pelts for a den of his own wasn't a bad idea, so he hoped to leave with the knowledge of the trade after his watch.

Blood oozed around her teeth, bubbling warm in her mouth as her jaws locked down on the beasts throat and she held on. She could feel the cow thrashing beneath her, growing weaker with each pass until at last its body stilled and the life left it, soon to be followed by the calf it carried. Dagmær cautiously released her grip and slowly worked her jaws. They were stiff and tense and she winced at the cracking. Ow. Ok, in terms of bison she had to say she just preferred running them down, it took longer certainly, and burned more energy but it was a lot less risky. Though the sudden burst of violence had unknotted some of the tension she'd been dealing with and for that she was grateful. Dagmær set about licking the blood off her maw while the others feasted. Her main goal had been the hide. Dragging the meat back to Ivory Ridge without it spoiling was not worth the effort. She would gorge herself on the remaining scraps and then go about collecting her treasures. When Elias nodded his approval she moved in and began the delicate work of separating skin from muscle. Dagmær moved to the opening of the belly fangs swiftly and nimbly snipping through the desired tissues, her paws slipping in along the way to act as a guide and lift the skin while she worked. It was a long and arduous task but she'd had enough practice to skillfully execute her desires efficiently. She snipped off the flesh at the neck and mid legs, not bothering with getting the thinner scraps of skin. With a huff she pulled it off and drug it a little ways away, flipping the bloody portion skyward to dry off a bit before she called for Birna and the pair would drag it back. After a brief rest she'd return to the meat and the bones. -end?- Walk, "Talk" Think