Hunting Event

Have you been by Firefly Lake lately? Rumor has it that the water levels recently have begun to drop. Is it because of the dry summer season, or something else entirely? As you get closer to the lake, you see that plenty of fish have been stranded on the lake's new shores. The fish clearly haven't been there for long, and would make an easy meal.. but you can't shake the feeling that something is amiss here. Do you dare take the easy (but potentially dangerous) route and scavenge fish to eat, or do you hunt something else out in the thick cattails that surround the lake?

Skill Claim form

If you complete this hunting-focused thread with at least 3 rounds each, you can claim 20 skill points in hunting for participating in a random event! Only the first three participants are allowed to respond. Please be aware that if you take more than three days to reply you might be skipped that round!

Note: No other hunting skill points can be claimed for this thread.

Code:

[b]Skill[/b]: Hunting
[b]Points claiming[/b]: 20
[b]For what?[/b]: Participated in a hunting-related random event
[b]Proof[/b]: <a href="https://www.ardently.org/showthread.php?tid=27511">click!</a>

[*code]+20 - <a href="https://www.ardently.org/showthread.php?tid=27511">Participated in a hunting-related random event</a><br>[*/code]

The drought seemed to be hitting the lands hard. It was evident during his trip to and from the North, and based on what he'd seen so far...was glad his uncle had chosen to settle in the North. He was heading back to their previous home, worried and wondering where Theta had gone off to. He hadn't seen her for a little while and he was concerned. On his way to the forest, however, he decided to pass close to Abaven with the thought of visiting his mother. She was doing as well as she could be last time he saw her, and he wished he could take her to the pack that he was in now...but he wasn't sure that she'd like that.

The sound of splashing followed by a dull thud caught his attention and caused him to stop and turn in that direction. The strong smell of fish was in the air, and though he was confused, he decided to check out the lake to see what was going on. Upon approach, his gaze widened when he saw fish littering the bank and the water level dangerously low. He had never seen this lake near empty before, or so many fish stranded on the shore. It was really unusual...he often studied the habits of his prey, and fish he knew would usually try to stay in the water unless they were leaping for bugs. While it was likely these might have been jumping for fireflies, the time of day indicated that wasn't the case, and seeing as how fresh these fish were (with some still flopping and their gills still moving), he knew for a fact they weren't doing that.

He approached with caution, nostrils flaring as he debated taking one or two...he was tempted, that was for sure. But he didn't want to just yet. He'd feel selfish if he ate by himself instead of sharing with his new pack. Perhaps he could figure out how to transport more...he remained cautious as he trailed around the lake then, wanting to get a feel for how dire this situation was.

Muses decided that she liked best the ponds surrounded by lush carpets of tall grass, where both birds and bugs meandered, unfettered by towering trees or mountain wall. She liked how there were no distractions, and how the small surrounding area was teaming with life. All this was based on how the eastern part of the mainland currently appeared. Choked by the persistent, summer-long drought, the grass was brittle and dry, and many had relocated towards the west in search of reprieve from the heat. Nonetheless, a puddle of the former Firefly pond remained, utterly enthralling for the ivory furred she-wolf who was unaccustomed to seeing spaces even less green than the dehydrated wetlands she found herself in.

It smelled oddly of fish, yet as Muses approached, she saw that the water had receded well past the border of cattails, exposing fish that were rapidly suffocating out of water. The hum of flies was easily discernible, covering her line of sight with a smattering of warm vibrations, comparably annoying to their droning buzz. It was a ghastly sight, though perhaps it had less of an impact on Muses than it did on the other wolf who had arrived there slightly before she had, undoubtedly drawn by the line of fishy odor, just as she had. Tipping her head, she surveyed his expression, absently wondering if she should adjust hers to fit as well. Instead, she shook out her coat in a dainty manner, and approached, clearly too eager to reach him, despite a visible attempt to reel herself in.

"Does this happen often to the pond?" She said, after finally having scooted close enough, her tone a medley of impish eagerness, genuine curiosity, and metered excitement. "There's so many fish just out on the banks of the pond. Will you take some to your home as well?" By that point, she was already stretching forward, tentatively aiming to drag a particularly large fish towards her; as an opportunist living in the harsh climates of the mountains and taiga, she was accustomed to taking risks with her food, though still inexperienced when it came to the world beyond her front door.

He moved toward the two as silently as a shadow, his head lowered as his wide eyes surveyed the situation. This was a strange sight in any corner of the world, fish flailing in the mud and long grasses surrounding the lake in an attempt to fill their gills with water. “Could they be ill?” He let the question hang on the air addressing neither of them but not quite speaking only to himself. Cautiously he snuffed at one of the gaping trout, there was an odor to them but that was hardly unusual for fish. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a great blue heron stalk toward them, its throat warbling as it scooped up a fish and swallowed it greedily. He lifted his head as more bird calls echoed around them and the expansive wings of cranes and egrets soared above them. Speech

It was only after a moment that Muses noticed that the white furred wolf was careful to avoid the fish that had washed up on shore. After some hesitation, she took a step back as well, leery of the prey that had been so graciously served up on the shore. One more arrived just then, drawing from the young wolf a curious stare. She wondered how one might be able to tell if a fish was sick, much less diagnose their condition. From both their appearance and smell, they were fresh, though even now, flies were beginning to circle the bodies. It was not unusual to scavenge a meal. Her first winter had been difficult, and many days passed where their only hope was to run into something else that had succumb to the extreme temperatures or unfortunate circumstances first.

Before she could suggest investigating the situation any further, a heron confidently strode out from the cattails, scooping up a fish for itself before taking flight, climbing the thermals with each powerful stroke of its wings. Muses shied away from the creature with impossibly blue plumage, but could not help but watch in awe, taken by its majestic display. Yet another part of her mind wandered, circling back to the question of how she would get food in her belly. As the heron continued to rise, an idea came to her. "There are other animals eating this fish. Why don't we have a look around the reeds? If the fish are poisonous, then those who have consumed them will not have gone far." Hunting, Muses found, was mostly a matter of problem solving. If they wanted to fill their bellies, they would have to work together.

It was certainly a mystery as to why these fish were flopping out of the water instead of remaining in what was left of the lake. He couldn't quite place his paw on it, and it was bothering him. He always lived in the mind of a hunter. It was his life's work. It was all he really knew how to do asides from fighting, but hunting had always been his strong suit ever since he could remember. So focused on checking the fish that he passed, he almost didn't notice the approach of another until she spoke up, "Does this happen often to the pond?" He looked up to find a she-wolf approaching the stranded fish, his ear twitching for a moment as he shook his head. "No, I've never seen this before." He frowned as he looked along the bank. It was highly unusual...her second question nearly got an answer before he heard another approach. As the she-wolf started to reach for a fish..."Could they be ill?" His brows shut up at the realization of that possibility "Wait!" He jumped forward to slap his paw down on the fish before the girl could taste it, "That's a possibility. I've never seen fish behave this way before," Part of him hoped they believed him, but he wouldn't blame them if they didn't. For all they knew, he could be trying to hoard all of the fish to himself, and if he was trying to trick them, he would have just let the yearling girl eat the fish. He glanced around as he noticed birds starting to flock, and even watched as one came along and took a fish before taking off. His gaze returned to the girl, nodding at her suggestion. "Yeah, I think that's the safer course. Fish don't normally just...jump out and strand themselves...and yet it seems half of the lakes population is on the shore.." He turned away and approached the reeds closest to the water, already beginning his investigation. If the fish were poisoned, it was hard to detect beneath their already smelly, fishy odor. But if they could find other evidence of it, then they could all go home knowing they just missed an appointment with death. "Speak"

art by Risketch

He turned away, shifting to stalk the birds that had landed nearby to feast and watching them intently, his eyes blazing. He considered running back to Legion and reporting what he saw to Chaos but instead lowered himself to the ground, creeping toward one of the herons with his tail leveled with his body for balance. Quick as lightning he pounced, seizing the bird while it was still gulping down a fish and shaking his head as the wings battered against his body, frantic for escape. He thrashed his head and with a shriek the bird submitted, scrawny stick legs flailing as he held his prey in his jaws. Speech