The sandy shores of kamui delta were a spectacular sight, uncountable numbers of river forming dozens of slim islands with warm, sandy beaches and foliage brimming with all sorts of life. Birds, fish and small critters clearly frequented the tropical wetland, and Azure had the good fortune to find many interesting trails that could serve a new and delightful meal. He paced along the soft white sand leisurely until he reached the shore, breathing the salty sea air in deeply and bellowing it back out with a relaxed sigh.

When the pod of manta rays caught his gaze, his interest piqued. The odd, flat looking creatures swam and played between the islands, occasionally coming up to the water's surface to snag at whatever slim meals they could skim off the top and splashing as they dove back beneath. They would be a challenge to hunt, that much he was certain, though he'd never turned down a challenge before.

"Speech"

With Avalon still new and needing as many paws to help as they could get, Fin headed east from the range in search of a few solid kills to fill their stores. While Corbie's new claim to leadership had come with a preestablished herd, he assumed the initial set-up of their new home could benefit from some easy meals that did not require any sort of early slaughter or harvest. These lands were familiar to him, he'd walked the tropics along the rio grande since he was big enough to leave territory unsupervised. Today he was feeling seafood, and he hoped the rest of his pack would appreciate the variety of meals as much as he would. Another was already present, staring out into the sea. Fin approached and gave the man a grin - never one to be shy or restrained with strangers. "Watching, or stalking?" He teased, following the man's gaze toward where the manta ray played in the inlet. "They look big enough to share, want some help? I'm not the strongest swimmer but I doubt there's a wolf in Boreas adept enough to single handedly catch one of these guys." "Speech" "Thinking" "You." table art by nightauctor

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn found the delta to be a great place to fish. She'd already had luck with her bamboo fishing trap and now it was time to try something with her fishing basket. She wandered along the sand, the basket bouncing at her side when she suddenly spied a familiar, and not terribly welcome face. Ahh yes, the Armada wolf that had attacked her when she was out exploring with Álarr. Jynn was about to make a hasty retreat when she noticed the strange shadowy somethings swimming in the water. Shortly after another male appeared, this one less familiar but with a potential buffer and the pull of curiosity she ventured forward. "What are those things? Have either of you eaten them before?"

Well, she'd definitely gotten herself turned around. Birna settled in the sand underneath a palm tree, doing her best to keep to the shade. As she gazed out at the ocean she noticed a trio of wolves staring out at something. Birna's blue eyes narrowed as she noted something moving out in the water, several somethings. Curiosity pulled her forward. Soft-padded paws glided across the sand as she pulled up next to the long-legged canine to watch the manta rays. She'd never seen such creatures before. "I don't know what they are or if they're edible but if you are planning to take one consider me game." She could use a little break and the cool water would be welcome relief from the heat.

More hunters arrived and Azure's resolve to take down one of these ocean creatures intensified. With support, this should not be too difficult. He turned toward each stranger in turn and offered a quiet greeting, noticing suddenly that one of these wolves was not actually a stranger. The maned wolf had trespassed on his land before and had lost a fight to him. His instinct was to chase her off once more, but the scent of fireside had long faded from her pelt. He knew the pack had dissolved, this wolf had lost her ridiculous home. The threat level was low, and seeing as he had pirates to worry about, Az could not afford to cause drama here. "I think between the four of us we can manage it. I haven't seen a creature yet that isn't edible in some way or form."

Glancing at the cat, he raised a brow. "Can you swim?" Az had lived alongside another feline for most of his young life and did not judge nor doubt the creature's capabilities, but he vaguely remembered a distaste for water (along with a taste for seafood, which was ironic now that he thought about it.) Beginning to think about what positions could be assigned for each, he hoped the cat was prepared to get waterlogged. "I've been watching them, it seems they occasionally come into the rivers. I think our best chance would be to try to cut one off from the ocean. Maybe drive it up onto the shore if we can scare it enough. Does anyone else have any ideas?"

"Speech"

Tyrfing kept his easy grin as more strangers approached, nodding to each of them in turn with a friendly wag of his tail. This was definitely happening now. As conversation progressed to strategy, Fin stepped up closer to the raised shore to peer down into the bay. "Well you can do it the boring strategic way, or, we could just take turns leaping in and see who lands on one first. I think they'd make for a fun ride." His tone was playful, the suggestion clearly more a joke then anything else... though Fin knew if the opportunity rose, he'd absolutely try and ride one of these flat beasts to the end. Turning to the feline he tipped his head in question. "How about you, kitty? Don't your kind love fish, you must have some secret strategies, yeah?" Fin had plenty of experience in taking down land creatures, but one of the sea was an entirely different story. "Speech" "Thinking" "You." table art by nightauctor

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn wrinkled her nose at the Armada wolf's confidence that everything was edible. She could think of a few exceptions to the rule but considering the goal was hunting now she kept her sassy remarks to herself. She noticed his recognition and she stared right back at him. She and Álarr had been exploring, showing nothing but respect to Armada's borders as they navigated their way around to head from east to west. For their respect they were attacked. Of course the Armada would swear up and down that they had been wronged and she was just a loner, always had been, probably always would be, so what weight could her words possibly carry?

She turned her focus on the task at hand, surprised he was even asking if anyone else had any ideas instead of barking at them like soldiers. Not that he'd probably listen to her anyway but may as well try. "I think we should try and grab them by the wings and drag them on shore til they die. I don't know where to bite on that thing to kill it efficiently in the water."

Birna sat quietly in the sand, watching the strange creatures move back and forth. She crouched, head tilting slight as she tried to get a better look at them, realizing that their wide open mouths seemed to lack teeth and that whatever they were hunting she could not see it. Or perhaps they just swam like that?

Can you swim?

Birna nodded. "Quite well, actually. Though I can't say I enjoy getting wet there are prices to pay for a meal." She debated sharing her ability to shock prey but thought better of it. It was a secret she preferred to keep to herself and it would be disadventageous in this instance. Releasing a shock in the water or while her companions held onto the rays could result in them being shocked. No, this talent was not of much help in a pack hunt.

She quirked an eyebrow, turning to the purple eyed youth. "My kind? Boy, I grew up on the highest of mountains in the cold and snow. There were no bodies of water such as this, though I have my ways of slaying fish they are not suitable to this prey." She turned back to the older male.

"I agree, we'll need to cut it off from the ocean, if we can wait til one is at the shallowest point of the river we'll have a better chance of dragging it out. While I don't see a throat I'm sure it will bleed out all the same from its gills."

Speech

Azure nodded, accepting each idea as having merit as it was posed (except Tyrfing's, to which he raised a brow but did not mock the younger man aloud.) With so many different hunting styles in the party, they would have a wide array of skills as well as backup plans if one wolf's method was not working. Everyone seemed to agree that getting the beast to shore was important - none of them could do a sustained underwater battle, for obvious reasons - and however it got there, surely it'd be simple to deliver a killing blow when it was beached. "Alright then. I'll admit that I'm not the strongest swimmer, I'm not quite agile. I'll go in first and try to spook the group further in towards the shore, the rest I assume we'll have to play by ear, but if anyone gets a chance to grab a wing then go for it. Good luck."

He manoeuvred himself to the tip of the long thin island and to the top of a half-buried boulder so he'd have some purchase from which to jump. To the side was an inlet where the ocean was corralled on both sides by the slender landmasses common in the delta. Taking care to wait until the creatures were well past his rock and moving inwards, he leapt to land with a splash in the water behind them to encourage them to drive forward where they would be effectively trapped. Of course, he couldn't cover the entire mouth of the river himself and so time was of the essence, the other wolves would need to move quickly to ensure the rays did not double back and escape past him.

"Speech"

The strategy was set, and while Tyrfing didn't think dragging the thing onto the beach was half as fun as riding it to death would have been, he begrudgingly accepted the plan for the prize of a potentially edible seafood snack afterwards. The darker man threw himself in first, cutting the pod of rays into the shallows and setting off an explosion of panicked splashes and movement. The water grew harder to see through between the disturbed sand and silt, but through the cloud he caught sight of one that was moving off on it's own. Galloping across the hard packed sand, he leaped up a small incline and off into the water. He was aiming, of course, to land right onto it's back but misjudged the creature's speed, instead landing just beside it and forcing it to rocket away from the pod and closer to shore. The remainder of the pod scattered and Tyrfing ignored them, doggy paddling to stay afloat and doing his best to herd the one he'd cut toward where the last two strangers could get a better angle on it. "Speech" "Thinking" "You." table art by nightauctor

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn was pleasantly surprised the Armada didn't take an opportunity to say something cruel to her or dismiss her thoughts entirely. A plan was put into place and she nodded. She crouched down so that her silouette wouldn't deter the creatures. Her supple limbs coiled beneath her like a spring as she watched and waited for a chance to strike. As the Armada wolf leapt into the water the rays scattered, a few tried to double back, a few others skidded farther upstream. The younger male leapt in and scattered one of the rays toward where the women lay in wait. Jynn sprang. In one leap she closed the distance between herself and the creature, narrow head diving into the water like a spear as she caught its wing in her teeth. It flapped hard and Jynn shut her eyes tight as she was pulled forward. She couldn't see anything or hear anything as her head was yanked in and out of the water in a viscious tug of war. Her only thought was holding on.

Birna nodded her understanding and moved a bit farther upstream to lay in wait. She settled, limbs coiled tight beneath her. She could jump and turn like few could. She was built for leaping up rocky craigs and maneuvering after mountain ibex. The males went in first, herding the rays toward them. The maned wolf jumped in next, snagging a ray's wings but she was quickly being dragged into the water. Birna leapt forward, jaws latching onto the ray where the same wing connected to its body. She pulled back with her hind legs and core while her front limbs, with claws unsheathed, lacerated the gills on the underside of the rays body, bathing them in bloody water. The struggle continued at first but the rapid blood loss soon enabled the hunters to drag their prey on shore.

Speech