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Post by Phantom on Sept 26, 2009 18:03:41 GMT -5
The day was just like every other day. The sun shone, the grass and trees were as green as was possible in nature, and the birds sang with delight with the coming of spring. But this day was special. This day, the Alpha's three grandchildren would go on their first hunt.
Starfrost threw back his head in a loud, clear call, a call for only six - the three puppies, their parents, and, as joint ceremonies were best, the now-fully accepted Sol. The declared 'Story-teller' was a close friend to Magic, the only male pup, anyway, from saving his life a little more than a year before. Since then, things had gone well, although of course the winter had been harsh. And now, spring was here again.
If even one of the pups passed the test of the hunt, proving their adulthood, then more pups would be born soon after. It was the way in which things went smoothly. Life would keep going on. Starfrost lay down on the crest of the hill now, merely waiting for the others to come to this very special call.
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Post by Mystic on Sept 26, 2009 18:16:15 GMT -5
The first three that came eagerly, eyes sparkling with excitement. Magic, the only male and first-born, led his sisters towards Starfrost. He'd grown into a handsome, strong wolf. Long-legged and slender, much like his mother. To his right walked Forest, a beautiful she-wolf that was predicted to find a mate within the same season. And to his left walked Forest, another beautiful young she-wolf. She was built sturdy like her father, but still managed to appear slender like her mother. Her head was bowed slightly, but she was smiling.
"Good morning, Grandfather." The three chorused their usual greeting, the excitement in their voices obvious as day.
Trailing behind the trio was their beautiful mother, Mystic. She remembered her first hunt very well. The excitement, the thrill. Not too longer afterwards, Mystic had met an old friend and her mate, Romeo. She glanced behind her, looking for her beloved. He was always so sleepy in the mornings, however he was sure to be wide awake on this morning.
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Post by Phantom on Sept 26, 2009 18:33:44 GMT -5
Romeo hustled out from the dens, rather dusty and fur unkept, but eyes wide and fully awake. He hadn't slept much the day before, worried for his pups' success in the hunt today. Anxiously, he leaned over to lick his mate's cheek, ears back. The whole ceremony was new to him - being bron in the Blackshadow pack, which had no rituals whatsoever. Coming of age there was marked with a wolf survived a year, and if they survived initiation, they were allowed to be called grown wolves and given the 'privileges' the adults had. Thus unfamiliar to a ceremony much less brutal, Romeo wished with all his heart for the best.
Meanwhile, from out beneath a rock where he'd dug his own den, Sol slipped out. The agile, beautiful, graceful male that made most females swoon and made most males jealous. The younger brother of the Blackshadow leader loped over and quickly greeted Magic with a reassuring nudge, feeling connected to the pup since he'd saved his life. The golden male sat beside the dens to watch now, ears perked, vastly curious, since like Romeo, he had never seen such a ceremony before. He'd seen several, of course, having seen many, many packs over his more than ten-thousand-year life-time. But not this one.
Starfrost smiled warmly at those gathered and got to his paws. "You all have been told as to how this will happen, but to go over it again... Magic, Forestheart, and Juliet; you three will be expected to do all the work. Your parents will be merely tools in this hunt - they are not ever to instruct you in what to do. The same goes for your companion, Sol. No hints are to be dropped either as to a better strategy for the hunt. Only the three pups are to figure it out, using teamwork and their individual talents. You are expected to bring home at least a full-grown deer. Anything less will not be accepted. You must be back here by sundown." He dipped his head, respectful. "You have a few moments to talk amongst each other, and the adults have this time to give advice. But when you hear my howl, the hunt will start and the adults cannot speak until the catch is brought back into the camp and the howl is sounded for either victory or defeat on the hunt. Good luck."
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Post by Mystic on Sept 26, 2009 18:47:29 GMT -5
Mystic gave Romeo a reassuring lick. She knew how anxious he was, and in truth she was anxious as well. But her pups would pull through, she knew.
Juliet looked at her siblings. "Forest, you'll be the one to lead us while we track. You have the best sense of smell." She pawed the ground nervously. "But how do we go about it?" The young she-wolf looked to her siblings.
"Magic and I could single out a weak one and run it into an ambush." Forest suggested. "We'd have to scout the area a bit to find the best place to lead it, though."
"That wouldn't be a problem, as long as the ambush place is in a reasonable distance...you and are pretty well runners. We can run for the longest without getting tired." Magic remarked. He looked to Sol and his parents to see what advice they could give. Each pup thought themselves considerably lucky. Sol was very old and intelligent, and was bound to have good advice. While their parents were two remarkable hunters in their prime. They had learned from the mistakes they had made and could help their young ones learn from them.
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Post by Phantom on Sept 26, 2009 19:00:54 GMT -5
Romeo chuckled lightly as he listened to his and Mystic's pups talk about what they'd do. "Remember not to waste too much energy on running down the prey too much. You're still gonna have to catch it. Bringing down a big buck will take a lot out of you, and its very risky." He advised, laying out to try and force himself to relax before the hunt.
Sol, meanwhile, was keeping pretty quiet. In his opinion, speaking up would be the equivilent of cheating. So he kept his sweet, sweetly alluring smile and just watched the pups as they conversed, keeping as silent as possible. He was inwardly thinking himself what a good idea might be in this scenario, but dare not suggest it. Instead, he kept his gaze on the three real hunters, specifically Magic and the shy Forest. Juliet was a swift thinker, he observed, noting how quickly she took charge. This was good; it made things even so Magic wasn't singled out just because of his ordeal a year before.
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Post by Mystic on Sept 26, 2009 19:12:38 GMT -5
"Yes, Papa." Forest and Magic nodded gratefully to their father. They'd have to be very wary of their energy levels. Romeo's comment reminded them of that. Each of the three made a mental note to not waste their energy unless it was absolutely required.
"Remember to keep your excitement in check." Mystic warned. It was easy for a young, inexperinced wolf to get too eager and make the wrong move too early or too late. The pups nodded once towards her. That was also something they'd have to be wary of. No matter what they would have to keep their heads clear and mind focused. At any moment a hunt could go wrong and have disastrous effects. "Be mindful of each other, as well."
Magic knew what she meant. Magic knew his sisters' strengths and weaknesses very well. They would have to play on each other's strengths and use their own to make up for areas where they fell short. And most importantly: watch each other's backs. A deer could kill a wolf with its sharp hooves and horns. Keeping each other safe was important, even if it meant abandoning the hunt.
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Post by Phantom on Sept 26, 2009 19:40:56 GMT -5
Sol's lip twitched, and finally, he spoke up, unable to keep himself quiet much longer. These pups should know something, so none of them felt too paranoid. But... He was careful to phrase his next words, making sure nothing was mistaken. "Listen, if anything bad happens, I can bring back the dead and heal wounds." He rected carefully, ears back. "It's a gift I have. But don't let this go to your head. I'm just telling you so you don't abandon something that you could have won. But don't get too full of yourself knowing this, and be reckless. Because if you get killed with this thought process, I may bring you back, but I won't heal you completely - the best way to learn a lesson is to have it hurt." One tiny thing he actually agreed with his brother on. But he was nervous in telling them all this. He'd been taken serious advantage of before, and he'd hate to have it happen again.
Romeo scowled darkly at the older wolf, ears back. He honestly hated Sol's guts, but hid it from his mate and pups and practically the whole pack. They didn't have to know about their very one-sided rivalry.
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Post by Mystic on Sept 26, 2009 19:54:36 GMT -5
The pup's eyes grew wide, and they nodded. They would heed Sol's warning well. They could not be reckless...they would have to act as if Sol's gift did not exist. Just because he could heal them did not mean they shouldn't be careful. But it was also helpful...it meant they wouldn't have to abandon the chase in order to protect one another.
"Thank you, Sol." Magic said gratefully. "We'll keep it in mind. But we can't throw caution into the wind, my sisters."
Forest nodded once in agreement. She kept her gaze on the ground. "It's useful...but why get hurt, unless it's unavoidable? Besides...we...we wouldn't want to trouble you too much, Sol." Ah, just liked Forest. Never wanting to bother anyone for anything.
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Post by Phantom on Sept 26, 2009 20:00:20 GMT -5
Sol smiled warmly down at Forest, leaning down to lightly lick the top of her head, reassuring. "It's no trouble, believe me." He assured, voice soft. "But you don't have to deliberatly get hurt. I'm just saying, in case of emergancies, I'm here." He leaned back some, but kept soothing eyes on the sky sister. The words, despite being in general, were also in a way, directed only to Forest herself. He wanted her to know how special she was. Kind of like a pep talk. She would need it before the hunt.
Starfrost leapt atop the den as a warning to start talking quickly if anyone wanted to add any last-minute advice. The sun was already above the horizon, and they needed to get going soon.
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Post by Mystic on Sept 26, 2009 20:44:39 GMT -5
Forest blushed lightly and smiled. Juliet nudged her lightly and nodded towards their grandfather. Forest would have to get focused soon. Part of this hunt's outcome rested on her shoulders. She would have to get her game face on. Forest raised her head higher. Sol's words gave her a little more courage.
"Just remember..." Mystic told her pups quickly. "Your father and I are very proud of all three of you." She smiled at her pups.
Magic nudged his sisters, his tail wagging with excitement. Forest tensed in anticipation, her face twisted in anxiety. Juliet sat upright, her tail thumping lightly against the ground.
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Post by Phantom on Sept 26, 2009 21:00:51 GMT -5
Romeo smiled softly at all three of his pups, nuzzling Mystic lightly before getting to his paws, ready to be commanded by the three who would lead the hunt. He trusted his pups whole-heartedly, and even wagged his tail lightly in anticipation. Beside him, Sol moved to the back of the ranks, letting the others know where he stood when it came to rank. He was an outsider, and all but Romeo were descendants from the Alpha's blood of the pack. And Romeo had been bred in. Sol was an outsider, and he made sure he stuck to that.
A moment later, and Starfrost's howl split the air, loud and very, very clear. Let the hunt begin!
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Post by Mystic on Sept 26, 2009 21:10:32 GMT -5
Forest sprang to her feet and hurried into the forest. Magic and Juliet followed just behind her. Mystic followed her pups, praying that this hunt went well. Forest set to work right away. She sniffed the air and stood still for a moment. She sniffed again, and her ears went upwards in recognition.
"Do you have something?" Magic asked quietly, unsure how close the prey was.
Forest nodded. "A herd of them, just north." She took off running in the direction, keeping her pace even and steady. The others followed suit, not wanting to get too tired too quickly. The deer must have been a good distance away, for Forest's siblings couldn't pick it up. But they'd learned to trust Forest on matters such as this.
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Post by Phantom on Sept 26, 2009 21:20:42 GMT -5
Romeo kept right alongside Mystic, keeping to the silent treatment loyally. He couldn't smell the deer at all, but knew just as his pups knew, to trust his daughter when it came to things like this. She was born to track.
Sol, unlike the others, could also smell it. But not because of born instinct - just because he'd lived so long, he could pick out smells all the way at his brother's border. Hemitite was there now, trying to see how far he could get in. Sol only prayed the hunting troop didn't need to go near that way at all. But if they needed to go north, then they shouldn't have to swerve south-east for any reason, towards the border.
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Post by Mystic on Sept 26, 2009 21:31:15 GMT -5
Forest led them to where the herd of deer could be found, far north into the territory. They were clustered in a small clearing, comfortably munching on the grass. Juliet murmured as quietly as she could, "Magic and I will scout ahead. Stay here and try to spot a weak one." She and Magic slipped off silently to scout for the perfect place for an ambush.
Forest's eyes scanned the herd. They were all grouped together due to the size of the clearly, so it was hard to pick one out. But finally she spotted a buck that was past his prime. He stood on the edge of ther herd and munched lazily on the grass. This one was going to be a challenge, but not anywhere near as hard as the bright young bucks that were strutting around. Forest kept her eyes on him, watching his every movement.
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Post by Phantom on Sept 26, 2009 21:53:48 GMT -5
Without really being conscious of it, Sol leaned forward and gently licked Forest's flank, nuzzling the spot gently in reassurance. He wanted to warn against going for the old buck - it would be really dangerous for the inexperianced hunters. But he knew to keep quiet. And he also, somewhere deep inside, wanted one of them to get hurt. Just so he could prove he had a use. But he shoved these dark thoughts down and stayed close to the shy female, ready to be ordered.
Romeo frowned softly, moving to nudge Mystic lightly. He motioned to the target Forest had picked out, questioning. Wondering if she thought the three would be capable of bringing down such a hefty meal.
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