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The Great Hunt - Aryn RP - P1

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Athena

 

Spring. The sky was still grey and the wind cold, but it did not carry the same darkness and bitterness of the winter. This was a welcome sign. Raphael, though not improved, had not worsened, either, and Athena supposed the wolves of Fellfang could be thanked for that. And with warmer weather hopefully on the way, perhaps soon the trials would be over. Perhaps Cricket might yet survive.

 

The buffalo hunt provided a welcome opportunity to reconnect with the pack, as well as her own self. Weeks spent in darkness, tending to one deathly-ill and so close to her heart left Athena feeling very much between worlds herself.

 

Aryn territory was bright and stark and the wolves who had gathered for the hunt were abuzz with excitement. Most of the juveniles were present, their inexperience tempered by the presence of the pack’s highest ranking Coursers.

 

Athena made her way through the gathering, sharing friendly nuzzles and lighthearted banter as she came to the front of the party. Barking once, the Lady called all to attention. Briefly surveying her family, she smiled and slid into a familiar rhythm. “Today is a day for celebration, as our youngest members embark on this rite of passage and join the pack in one of our most important traditions. The hunt is a test of unity and skill, one where every wolf must play a part if there is to be success. May the One guide our feet and our fangs in this, and every, endeavor.”

 

Turning to Char, Athena dipped her head, a faint glimmer in her eye. “Master Charaka has much experience hunting bison. As such, I have chosen her to lead this hunt. She will, no doubt, wish to provide further instructions.”  

 


 

Teva

 

Teva stood as close to the front of the group as she could, stepping forward anytime she perceived another to be further ahead than her, but remained a bit behind a few of the adults such as Charaka and her mother when she made her way to the head of the group.

 

The alpha juvenile had grown considerably since her pup years. She no longer stood so short beside her siblings, her cheek and mane fur had grown even more giving her a more elegant look while some white fur was beginning to show on her tail and her eyes seemed to have become a little bluer. Teva was acutely aware of her physical changes knowing that it would mean she was nearing the age where she could become the Lady of Aryn.

 

The she wolf searched the group until her eyes found Lazarus. She grinned in his direction. This wasn’t the idea she’d had in mind for settling their little bet about who could make their first kill before the other but she would work with it. Teva certainly wasn’t going to let her brother outdo her in this so she would have to give it everything she had. No future alpha would lose to their sibling after all!

 

With one more glance around the group she was also able to find her sister and cousins minus one of the twins. Teva rolled her eyes at the noticeable absence of Raphael. Despite her body growing older, she seemed to still have the same perception of Raphael’s frailty as she had since the very beginning of her life. He received practically all of their mother’s attention when she wasn’t carrying out her duties and then was skipping such an important event.

 

‘Worthless.’ Teva thought impulsively, glancing in her mother’s direction as though she could hear her very thoughts.

 

Shaking out her fur - and nerves but she’d never tell - she looked to Charaka to see what other instructions she had to say about the event. Not that Teva was too concerned since she was going to do everything she could to be the one to bring the Bison down.

 


 

Storm

 

Storm stood beside her mother, waiting quietly as Athena spoke to the pack.

 

The young wolf had grown spindly and long-legged in her adolescence, and almost seemed more awkward and gangly than before.  She stood there nervously, appearing almost like a frightened deer in demeanor, though in reality Storm was quite calm - simply observing, rather than engaging.

 

Storm had been more than enjoying her new task recently, and had been taking advantage of its opportunities for long periods alone in the wilderness.  She had in fact just arrived from another short, private excursion far into the territory last night, and had returned early this morning when mist and dew still hung over the territory - just in time for this new event.

 

Now she waited for her mother and the rest of the hunting party, quietly excited - in her own silent, thoughtful way - that she had arrived back soon enough to be part of this.  Storm watched and listened carefully, quiet ears alert, and stuck close to Athena as the crowd of wolves began to organize and shift into the beginning stages of the hunt.

 


 

Valencia

 

The call of the alpha had made Valencia curious; she hadn’t seen hide or hair of the black she-wolf since she’d arrived. When she learned that this Athena was Lazarus’ mother, the young newcomer was ever more motivated. When Aryn’s Lady appeared, she found herself slightly disappointed, though she couldn’t discern why. Though the she-wolf undoubtedly had the presence befitting one of her standing, the way she carried herself, worry in her eyes, all of it had Valencia on edge. It was disturbing, as if she recognized that look.

 

Turning away from the crowd, she padded around; partly because she was short and it was difficult to see, partly to pace in an attempt to alleviate her discomfort. She was new here; might as well have been new at everything. Though she recognized a few faces who might’ve passed through the Vicar’s area while she’d been in recovery, she’d never taken the time to speak to anyone.

 

As she walked back and forth, she noticed how different some of the wolves looked. While those related to the alpha were obvious in their dark black coats, there were those with light colors, earthy tones, and greys that matched the sky. She didn’t know why she cared; a wolf was a wolf after all. Pausing, she lifted a paw and stared at her own color: a strange light cream. Even here she stood out.

 

Raising her head to stare up at the sky, the little she-wolf gathered her courage and quietly tried to squeeze in with the others. Her eyes darted around, trying to locate Lazarus and Seven.

 


 

Kane

 

Kane stood at the front of the group, between all of his friends and family. He listened intently to his aunt, but still had a smile on his face as he did so. He couldn’t wait to get started on the bison hunt. For him, it was a test to see if he was ready to move on as a pup, to an adult. He saw many faces of friends and family, but one was not absent, and he wished that he was there. Raphael was feeling better, but he knew that he wouldn’t be well enough to go on a hunt like this. He looked at his parents as his aunt addressed his mother’s skills in hunting, feeling proud to be her son. His whole body was almost jumping with excitement, and even more so with all of his friends joining, and his new friends like Seven in the hunt as well.

 


 

Mavis

 

Today was an important day to the juvenile, it was his first serious hunting in his life, also it was with the pack itself, his brothers and him were old enough to hunt down a bison, and so Mavis was really confident, even his father haven’t come to the event since he thought the boys were ready to go in such an important event.

 

He looked and listened attentively to his aunt, her speech made him feel excited and nervous, but he would manage to get the hold of this.

 


 

Hani

 

A thrill shot down Hani’s spine as the Lady’s gaze swept over the eager crowd, hackles spiking up in anticipation. The thought of the hunt ahead had sent them all into a buzz, and Hani could not deny the whirlwind of excitement that had claimed her. It was a big day, after all! A bison was, in her opinion, the most difficult creature to take down, but the prospects of catching one were immense. It would be a feast truly fitting of their celebration.

 

She stood among her fellow coursers with pride, shoulder gently brushing against Lawson to keep herself grounded. This would be their second time attempting a hunt like this and she was beyond glad to have a good friend and experienced hunter like himself beside her. The Courser Crew was a strong and skilled band of hunters, and more than anyone else Hani knew they all wanted to show their abilities were still sharp as ever. Well, besides the pups, that is, who were of course ready and willing to show what they were made of.

 

Leaning forward, Hani let her gaze drift to where the young wolves of Aryn stood. A bittersweet smile unfurled across her maw as she individually found the now grown children of Lady Athena and Charaka themselves. It simultaneously filled her heart with joy, and broke it, to see them, especially Kane, who she couldn't help but lovingly glance back to from time to time. They really did grow up fast. One moment, she was telling them tales of brave heroes and adventure in their birthing dens, and now they were about to set off into the realm of adulthood. Most of them, anyway. Huginn had preferred to stay away from the commotion of the hunt, which was understandable, but... Raphael. Hani felt her cheery mood dampen ever so slightly as she leaned back into Lawson's side. The poor kid was still too ill. It wasn't fair to keep him pent up, and she knew this feeling was shared with many of the other members of the hunting party, but Raph would be able to prove himself one day. For now, though, Hani would do her best to help the juveniles where she could during this momentous event.

 


 

Seven

 

Seven turned her head around, her blue eyes pinning with excitement as the Alpha let out a call to gather the pack. Her paws bounded with joy. This was to be her first real hunt with the pack! Her first real task as a member of Aryn. A chance to prove herself to her new family and friends. A chance to bond. To find out about each other in a thrilling, blood pumping adventure. Seven had hunted on her own before, her father having taught her the basics, but this was a true hunt. The kind she had heard tales about. And now she was going to be a part of it!

 

Thrilled, and literally bursting with enthusiasm, Seven padded alongside her pack-mates, her ears shoved forwards as she desperately tried to here the Alpha's words. Her eyes scanned the group, catching on a few that she knew, including Kane, a new friend of hers. Suddenly they caught on the form of a cream female, the newcomer whom she had only just met. A timid she-wolf, but nice nonetheless. Seven was eager to get to know her better! She turned her pace towards her, noticing the cream female's hesitant actions, and nudged her gently. "Here! Come stand with me. We can be new at this together" she remarked, her blue eyes sparkling with a friendly light.

 

She began to head over to the familiar form of Lazarus, his dark coat gleaming in the spring rays. She kept one eye on the shy she-wolf, hoping that she would accept her offer for them to stick together. She reached the dark male and bumped his side with her shoulder. "Ready for this Laz?" she stated, enthusiasm toning her voice as she turned her head to look at the wolf who was leading the hunt.

 


 

Muninn

 

Muninn stared straight ahead, purposefully avoiding looking at the area where his twin was sitting with the Vicars. He couldn’t understand why Huginn had refused to join in? Even Mom tried her best to encourage him to participate but he had stubbornly refused. They usually did everything together, he and Huginn, but when he decided to become a ranger he suddenly started doing things without him. It was an unpleasant change, Muninn thought as he scowled and purposefully inched past Teva on occasion just to vent some of his frustrations out on her.

 

All of them had grown bigger, he could almost meet his mother’s eye now which for some reason made her stern stares even worse to suffer through. He re-eyed Mavis, Kane, and Lazarus again and tried to make himself stand a little taller. He and Huginn were the shortest out of the guys and with all of them minus his twin aiming to become Wardens the size difference irked him even more. Why couldn’t he have inherited whatever it was that made Mav and Kane so big? Out of the corner of his eye he saw the two new girls and promptly took a few steps forward ahead of the small group, chest puffed out, but quickly deflated as he saw Seven heading over to Laz and Kane.

 


 

Raghaalr

 

A heavy breeze ruffled her thick coat, drawing her attention briefly to the cloud-swathed sky. Although dark, it wasn’t foreboding. The she-wolf felt a prickle of excitement run down her spine, ending in a swish of her darkened tail. As she returned her gaze to the gathered wolves, she couldn’t help but feel a little out of place. The presence of nearly all of the group’s youth was going to make quite an impact. It gladdened, her, though, to see such strong growth. Of course, she harbored the same bitterness for the Lady’s ill son as they all did. But she directed her focus now to the day’s task.

 

Hunting was not exactly Raghaalr’s main strength. She could make it on her own, of course, and provide for the pack when needed. But it wasn’t something she excelled at. At least, however, the snow was leaving just as winter was, and that would help greatly. Near-black fur made for tough stalking in a white wonderland. Spring was the season of bounty and growth, and she was glad of its arrival.

 

Catching the bark for attention, the shaggy beast straightened up, peering over other heads to catch sight of the shadow-lynx. Her ears swiveled, listening with interest as the introduction of sorts was given. Raghaalr flexed her claws against the soil, already anticipating things. She’d almost never hunted in such a large group before. It seemed ritualistic, almost. She was quite eager, though managed to appear quite calm, as such masking came easy to her.

 

Again she glanced over the rest of the wolves, recognizing each by name as she passed. From juveniles to adults, male to female, brown to grey, they all stood here as one. It was an experience she was honored to be a part of. With a soft huffing breath, Raghaalr stepped forwards, muscles tensing slightly as if she was preparing to spring into action.

 


 

Lazarus

 

The black juvenile was a bit late to the party, strolling out of the den with a yawn as he joined the group. He stretched luxuriously and then sat down by the edge of the group, blinking the sleep out of his eyes and glancing around at the group that was gathered.

 

All of his siblings, save for Raph, were here. And most of his cousins as well. He noticed Teva staring at him and he blinked curiously, locking his eyes with hers. She had one of her smug grins on her face, the ones that meant that she was better than everyone. Or in this case him. It took him a moment to realize what that had to do with him; their hunting bet, she was ready to beat him! His confusion turned into understanding and slight amusement and he returned the smile. He didn’t know how they were going to settle this now since it was a team hunt, after all. Could one win at a team hunt? Eh, maybe. They would soon see.

 

’Ready for this Laz?’ The young black male glanced over sharply to see Seven and Valencia making their way toward him. He was happy that Valencia had made a full recovery, and she was now well enough to join them. Seven bumped his shoulder and he gave her ear a playful nip before she backed away. He wagged his black tail, smiling a greeting to them both, ”Hey Seven, Val! Yeah, I sure am. Never had bison before I don’t think,” the Ranger answered.

 


 

Vasilis

 

The large, dark furred male had been just heading back to the main dens when Athena’s summons made his sliced ear nubs perk up. He shifted direction slightly and picked up his pace from a walk to a trot, curiosity prickling at his mind as he closed in on the crowd and stopped near the back of the gathering.

Vasilis listened intently, his interest having been sparked as the Alpha female spoke of a bison hunt. It had been some time since he'd hunted anything larger than a young deer and he decided it would be a great opportunity to not only sharpen his skills but to bond with his packmates as well. He was ready.

 


 

Kris’tran

 

The call of Lady Athena and the excited sounds of many wolves had instantly put the young, nervous Courser on edge but he had somehow managed to creep up to the gathering anyway, clinging to the back of the congregation like a burr. The words of the Lady of Aryn caused his ears to prick curiously at what was being proposed. A group hunt of bison? The name of the animal brought back memories of his life in his old home - big, violent beasts when it came to defending themselves and their herd. He had seen wolves gorged on their sharp horns and broken bodies of those trampled under their hooves. This was a dangerous task alone.

 

But with so many wolves gathered to take part, he pushed his worries aside. Aryn will be fine… He was further reassured by the fact that the wolf that would be heading the hunt was already experienced with hunting these large beasts. He turned his head so that his hazel eyes settled on Charaka while he shifted uncomfortably at the back. Will they expect me to have a more leading role? Already he had come to an uncomfortable realization that most of the wolves gathered currently were juveniles and his hackles rose with concern seeing Seven among them. At the same time… he hated being under so much scrutiny.

 

Trying his best to make himself look smaller in the back of the crowd, Kris’tran hunkered himself down with his ears flat against his skull. He wanted to help in the hunt but he also didn’t want to be even remotely within the center of everyone’s attention. He could help from the back. Yes, that sounded like a good idea to him.

 


 

Seven

 

Seven giggled at Lazarus's playful greeting, and cast an amused glance his way, her eyes shining. She nodded in agreement at his statement. "Same! I am so pumped to give it a go though" she replied, her face creasing with determination. She had never had the chance to try really large prey, in fact, most of her pup-hood had been surviving off of small game such as rabbits, marten and birds. Not exactly protein rich, but certainly enough to keep her and her father alive. On a few occasions, Tyro had managed to bring down Elk, but never any that were full in the meat department. Seven was excited to be a part of this hunt. A new experience, and a new taste test!

 

She took the time in between Athena's announcement to cast her gaze around and survey the wolves who had turned up for the hunt. She locked eyes with her father, well adoptive father, but y'know, they were both just as important. He was nervous looking, although that wasn't really surprising. The golden female cocked her head and smiled at him, seeing the concern in his eyes, even though he lingered at the back of the group. You’ll be alright. If I can do it, so can you, she thought to herself.

 

Turning her gaze back to the front, she sat down on the dusty ground and awaited orders.

 


 

Mavis

 

The juvenile saw from a good distance his pack,Lazarus was sure popular among the ladies, he giggled, well maybe he was overly friendly and free caring, who knew, thought he saw that Munnin was a little irritated, he somehow understood, Huggin wasn’t here with him after all, they had always  been so unit, but they had choose different tasks to follow, he decided to approach his brother “Let's give our best together Munnin, maybe we can even defeat our cousins~...Kane come here!” a mischievous smile with a grin left his mouth, he didn’t want to be left behind in this, and three were better than one.

 


 

Kane

 

Kane saw his brother Mavis and Munnin, and quickly went over to them. He gave them both a big hug, and playfully tugged on their ears. Their mother, Charaka, was soon right next to them, and Kane quickly went over to her to give her a kiss on the cheek. “I know that we are ready mom! We’ll make you proud!” His smile was evident, and he was so happy to be with so many of Aryn.

 


 

Valencia

 

Eyeing Lazarus and Seven curiously, she wondered why they were so excited about hunting this animal. She’d never heard of a ‘bison’, but if this many wolves were needed to kill it then it must be big. Scanning the large gathering with a tinge of nervousness, Valencia scooted closer to her friends. All these strange wolves made her feel uncomfortable, like she didn’t belong. She needed to anchor herself to the two wolves she knew.

 

Despite the large number of wolves present for the hunt, it intrigued her that there were just as many missing. Of course it didn’t make sense for all of the wolves to be on one hunt; it was dangerous to leave home unprotected. There was one missing that concerned her. While she didn’t know the wolves who surrounded her on a name basis, she was familiar with how many of them looked, and who they talked about, while she was in the Vicar’s den. The mention of the Lady’s fourth pup was a hot topic, but she only counted three pups who looked related to her. Where was the fourth?

 

Perhaps she’d ask Lazarus about him later. Or maybe not; it wasn’t her business after all. Settling in for the briefing, she leaned over to her two companions and whispered, “You two ever hunted before?”, ears perking ever so slightly.

 


 

Lazarus

 

Lazarus chuckled, “Yeah, it’ll be an adventure alright,” he agreed. He found pack life somewhat boring usually, so it was often left to him to amuse himself and find exciting and fun situations to overcome or weasel his way out of. But today, for once, he was excited to be with his pack. Because what could be more fun than a bison hunt! Bison were huge! If anything would be a challenge, it would be this.

 

He turned to Valencia, “Define hunting! All the squirrels and rabbits are afraid of me around here,” he explained with a cool smile, ”but as far as big game goes, this’ll be my first.”

 


 

Charaka

 

Charaka waited patiently for Lady Athe’s appearance, her face beaming with excitement. Things were miserable when she returned from her self-granted  ‘out-of-borders-patrol’ and discovered Raphael’s sickness had just turned deadly. Fear gripped her as she was unpleasantly reminded of the sickness she and half her family caught all those years ago. She survived but her brothers were…

 

Anyway, Charaka helped out with the Alphas’ duties whenever she could and it was a relief to everyone when Fellfang and Winema stopped Raphael’s condition from worsening. He seemed to be moments away from death but hopefully the small juvenile had enough strength to claw his way back to a recovery.

 

Then her best friend finally entered and a sigh of relief escaped her lips. Sure Athe had promised she’d be present at the hunt but something could have happened with Raph. Charaka’s tail, which was in its usual dominant curl, lowered out of respect for her friend and when she was near enough she gave her an affectionate nuzzle before letting her announce the pack.

 

Charaka returned the look Lady Athe gave her with her own knowing gleam. A year ago she and Athe had first met while taking down an injured bison. A small bond was created that day that only strengthened as Aryn was formed and then grew. So much has happened that it seemed incredible they had only known each other for a year.

 

As Lady Athe indicated for her to take over, Charaka stepped forward to address the group. Most of Aryn’s youth were here today except for Raphael and surprisingly Huginn. She was disappointed that Huginn firmly resisted her nagged to join in and relented when he promised to participate in the family-only elk hunt. She was relieved to find that Aryn’s experienced Coursers had volunteered to join in. Unfortunately Aryn's bison herd had stayed strong throughout the winter if a bit weathered. They would need Lawson, Hani, Skunk, and Kris’tran to cut a suitable bison for them to focus on. Once the bison was slowed down or if there was any trouble she, Lord Alcatraz, Raghaalr, and Vasilis should be able to handle it.

 

“Alright! So for the sake of the pups-I mean-our young adults, I’m going to give a few safety warnings.” Then her tone went from light and joking to completely serious. “Bison are extremely dangerous. They are unpredictable and as vicious as mother bears. Sure they look peaceful now,” she jerked her head sharply at the herd grazing nonchalantly in the distance behind her, “But they are fully capable of severely injuring and killing an fully grown wolf. Especially if they’re foolish enough to dare attack from the front of the bison! This is not a contest. This is not worth risking our life over and none of us can bear it if any of you die.” The last sentence was directed mainly towards the adolescents. A wolf that found him/herself in the path of a bison could be trampled or gored by its horns. Hopefully the danger of death and their parent’s weeping will keep them from doing something reckless. But then again they were adolescents. It was best to keep a firm eye on them anyway.

 

“Make sure to always have an adult with you and follow everything they say! Now once our Coursers have selected an individual we will keep it running for a while to wear it down and then either chase it into a ravine or steep slope or some other obstacle to slow it down. Those of us who can’t keep up with them during the chase will still follow while keeping an eye out for other bison trying to help out their comrade. I will be in that group. Once we have it cornered focus on bleeding it to kill it while the experienced Wardens hold it in place. NOT on finishing it off!” She glared sternly at Muninn and Teva who’s proud and/or restless stance indicated they were the ones most likely to do something reckless. She was rewarded with Muninn’s disappointed but at least agreeable look.


“If no one has any questions then try to team up with those similar in build to you and we shall start on my mark.”



Original skin by SimplySilent | BG from Tumana-stock
P1 | P2 | P3 | P4

Summary:
Aryn pack goes on a hunt! The wolves gather.

Athena | Teva | Storm | Valencia | Kane | Mavis | Hani Seven | Muninn  Raghaalr | Lazarus | Vasilis | Kris'tran | Charaka
:iconwynbird: :iconazzwrath: :iconfireshrike: :icondata-bull: :iconbaseballfan2414: :iconflorafudou: :iconariel-hunter: :iconfaiienshadows: :iconkikkatar: :iconzoketi: :iconwildfire-tama: :iconcoffeehunter: :iconlilwyverngirl:

I REALLY HOPE THAT'S EVERYONE THERE ARE SO MANY OF YOU
© 2016 - 2024 WynBird
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GalaxyCatReporting's avatar
SO MANY PLAYERS AAHH

You have my interest in this though!
Hopefully no one will get stomped on or maimed