Go fetch. Hunting grounds.

Fyrebane's ears pricked at the sound of other wolves. He turned to see Howie, Jo, and Denali heading back towards the main group. Jo must have caught up to the little guy pretty quickly. Other movement caught his attention behind them. Quickly, his eyes focused on the sources. They were two wolves, but something didn't seem right. They were farther away, yet appeared larger. As far as he knew, he hadn't hit his head when he got his leg stuck in that hole.

Well, it looked like the strangers were heading back towards the main hunting party, so he'd soon find out what was up with them. Despite the sharp pain in his leg, the red wolf staggered back to his feet and began to trot towards the main group. He silently scolded himself with every step, trying to ignore the pain. Just then, a rabbit darted by. With a sigh, he glared at the little creature.

"Come back to taunt me, have you!" he growled at it.

He just couldn't get over it. Yes, it was his fault for chasing the rabbit, but it didn't have to go down that bloody hole! He was positive that this was the same rabbit. It was a little on the small side with a tiny white splotch on its right hind leg. He made a vow to himself that he would one day kill that awful little beast. One day... he would. By then, he was just to the group. He sat down off to the side to pout about his leg.

Wolves Addressed: The Rabbit
Wolves Mentioned: Howie, Jo, Denali, Hunting Party, Strangers
Notes: Just felt like I should post something. Fry isn't taking this well.

“If you bring peace, it's cool to chill with us. If you're here to crash the party, buzz off.”

Senpell walked towards the origin of the howl, he didnt have any problem to get the message, he gave himself two minutes to think about walking to the pack until another wolf anounced himself looking for shelter and food, he needed the same, plus a healer so he kept walking towards the pack until he saw one of them, he was lucky they where looking to another side, that gave him the oportunity to see their reaction towards the other strangers. As the pack  appeared into his line of sight he began to be all sneaky, his pace was slow yet confident like a predator stalks his prey. the male kept walking until he was a few meters away, the male was too focused on the pack that he didnt see the bunny hole, attemping to recover his balance he used his hind leg, growling in pain.

Addressed:Everyone
Mentioned:Everyone.
Notes: ok...he is kinda clumsy, i cant deny that

Little Old Jo

Jo looked up at the sound of another wolf. He could smell them and knew that there was now indeed three wolves in the area. 'Jeez! Where are they all coming from?' He thought to himself. Did they all hear about his good looks and they all want a little bit of Jo? He didn't think so, but remembered the days when females were flocking around him. Those were the days. He was a bachelor and had no ties to anyone. He travelled the world and joined with anyone willing to have a good time. He had met many wolves during his time, some were friendly and some were very friendly. It was the perfect life for him. However, he didn't regret having this one. He loved both, but he did miss the old life. Though, if he had a choice of staying with the pack and Rebby or going back to the old days with her, then Jo would just stay were he was. He was happy to love and protect Rebekka, and anyway, she was a ton of fun.

Jo cocked an eyebrow as he saw two huge wolves approaching. They were big and when he meant big, they were massive!!Jo had never seen a wolf that size before. He wondered what milk their mothers fed them on. Maybe they could give that milk to Chewbo and help him grow up strong.  Jo remembered to that he had to stand tall and protect his pack, but these wolves could tear him to shreds. So he took another approach. The casual and cool one.  He gave the newbies a smirk and wiggled his eyebrows cockily at them.

"I am Robb Stark, King of the North, and this is my mother, Lady Catelyn Stark, We are not here to harm any of you. We seek shelter and food.." 

“King? Thinking a bit high of yourself aren't you kid?” He smirked playfully. “And we'd love some food too. So tell you what. You hunt with us and you can stay, fair enough?” He asked with a smile. Some big wolves in the pack was an excellent advantage. They were more powerful and intimidating. Prey would be easier to catch if the faster wolves led them to these two. Jo saw no problem with inviting them in, but he wasn't so sure about the pack. Though, he saw these two just as he saw the others. They needed a pack and Jo knew that everyone was led here by destiny. There was a reason they were here and Jo wasn't going to throw that away.

From behind Jo heard a noise. He turned his golden gaze and saw a male wolf fall over a rabbit hole. “The rabbits are making us look like fools today” He muttered to himself with a smile. He guessed that this wolf wanted the same as the large wolves. Shelter and food. “Same goes for you, mate. You hunt with us and you can stay.” He simply said before picking up Chewbo in his jaws and setting on his journey.

At the edge of a well covered slope a herd of deer gently grazed along the land. They looked rather tasty and Jo was dying for some food; he even almost started drooling on Chewbo.  He ser the kid down between his paws and eyed the prey. “Okay chumps, the food is there. Now who can tell me what one to pick?” He asked, hoping that they remembered his lesson.

(Remember that a hunt will take time. So don't just bring down the animal in seconds as it is not realistic. ~Says the Alpha of a mythological pack ) (If there is a problem with moving Chewbo I'll edit my post, Chews)

Wolves addressed: Robb, Cat, Sen and all.
Word count: 628

Senpell sighed in relief as one wolf talked to him, in a friendly way, but he was unable to hunt, at least for a week or two. ''umm...'' he was afraid to talk, it was the first time he had to talk to another wolf in months, it was the first time he had to talk without the help of his brother. the black wolf took a deep breath and walked closer to the pack without putting any weight on his left hind leg. ''i need a...'' he talked way too fast, he knew that no one would understand him, so he tried again ''i...need...a...healer'' the male talked slowly, making sure the other wolves were understanding him.


Addressed:Everyone
Mentioned:Everyone
Notes: lame post TT_TT

 "I do not take insults to my birthright lightly, and no I am not thinking of myself highly. You have no idea what my mother and I have been through."

“No I don't, nor do I want to.”He simply said with a casual smile. He didn't care where the wolves came from or what ghosts were chasing them. He gathered that the majority of his pack had a past that was something that reflected in their eyes. However, Jo had lived a simple life. His parents loved him, he had plenty of siblings to play with and plenty of girls to chase. There was no dead look in his eye, just a twinkle of joy. He knew that Rebby was the same. She had a good life. Her parents were a little bit of pain according to her, but he knew that they were also a family who lived a simple life and loved each other. “Being in this pack isn't a walk in the park you know? We have our fair share of pain. It's really annoying.” He smirked with a quick wag of his tail.

"We do not hunt rabbits and hares or other small game, they are far too small, and too quick for us. Being bigger, we need time to get up our speed, rabbits are down in a hole before that happens"

“Well lucky for you we're hunting deer.” He chirped as he gazed down at the bucks and doe's gently graze. He eyed the prey and found the one that he was looking for. The weakling was easy to spot. It's ribs were poking out from it's skin and it limped heavily across the plain. He would be an easy target for the newbie hunters to hunt. However, he would not tell the others that. He wanted to see if his students knew the answer.

"I know what to pick. But lets see if your pack does..." 

“Well look who's licking the teachers arse.” He chuckled as he looked back at the newbie. He wasn't a little surprised that the male knew about hunting. He looked like he hunted his fair share in his life time.

'i need a...'' ''i...need...a...healer'' 

Jo turned his gaze back at the black male. Oops. He was injured and Jo had failed to see it. Oh well. He had found the newbies, so he did do one good job. “Well, lucky for you we have a healer right here. Denali hunny, it's your time to shine.” He smirked as he waited for the healer to go her job. He was lucky to have such a smart female in his group.

Wolves addressed: Denali, Senpell and Robb.
Word count: 461

One moment, a massive wolf had approached and began gawking about how he was 'king of the north' or something like that, the next, some black wolf was croaking about needing a healer. It had all happened so fast that Denali couldn't keep up. She shot a glance at the oversized 'king'. Sure, she believed him one-hundred percent... fat chance at that! However, she was glad she had her chervil. It was a valuable herb, and it seemed that it was about to prove its worth already.

Instantly, she could tell what the problem was. She was glad that she wouldn't have to ask, because a conversation with this wolf could have taken a while. Denali padded over and looked at his back leg. It didn't look good, but she'd have to examine it to know what to do. The injury looked very similar to Fyrebane's, and she suspected that they were both sprains. Chervil could help with that. Chervil could help with a lot. Unfortunately, this wolf's injury seemed worse. She wondered if there would be need to splint it. Well, she still needed to check it over. Normally she'd have asked more questions, but his vocal cords weren't in good shape, so she didn't want to push it.

"Can you sit down and stretch out your leg?" Denali asked him. "I need to examine it," she said as she carefully placed the chervil at her side.

Wolves Addressed: Senpell
Wolves Mentioned: Robb, Fyrebane, Senpell


"You were my new dream"- Tangled

The male nodded at the alpha when he said they had a healer, lucky wolf he was, the pack was friendly, maybe but only maybe he could stay. Senpell moved his attention to the female that approached to him, a good looking she-wolf, he began to take deatils of her and with a tired smile he greeted her, keeping his voice low, to be understood ''so...your name is Denali...nice to mee-'' his lovely speech was interrupted by the female who wanted him to sit down, and so he did.

The black wolf took a few seconds to think how he could move his hind leg without causing any extra pain and then began to stretch his leg so Denali could see it and heal it.



Addressed:Denali
Mentioned:Everyone, Joe
Notes:derp

Jo howled an - invitation or threat, Howie couldn't tell - and three wolves appeared. Two of them were so large that Howie could have walked right under them if he wanted. The other one was normal size but had an inky black coat and a deep, grating voice. Howie avoided the gaze of the giant ones, feeling a bit freaked out.

Introductions were made, and the black one asked for a medic. The little Mexican strayed to the edge, still sulking about the previous 'hunt' and reluctant to get kicked in the face by a deer.

His ears perked as he heard a faint howl from the trees; a wolf was calling them back. Well, Jo could go beat up some more innocent wolves or something, but he was going back to the den. He had helped the pack in their twisted training session, so as far as he was concerned he had done his part.

Quietly, he inched away while Jo was scanning the deer.

- to the den site -

ADRESSED: no one
MENTIONED: Jo and Rebby and others
NOTES: lame catch up post.

Jo smiled down at this little healer. She was good with her patients and she seemed to know what to do. He was glad to have her in the pack. Something was stirring in the air, he could just feel it in his bones. Something bad was coming their way and Jo did not like that. They had just come back from the shadow destroying their land and now something else was heading their way. Who knew that being Alpha or being in Scotland could hold so much trouble and danger. He sighed at the thought. Life sucked at times, better get used to it. As long as Jo kept Rebekka and the pack safe, then nothing else really mattered. Fate could do whatever she wanted, Jo just wanted the safety of those under his protection.

However, trouble was brewing their way when a howl pierced the air. Rebekka! Jo knew her howl as well as he knew his paw prints. Something was wrong. He howled back to the female, hoping that she knew that he was on his way. He frowned at the howl. What was wrong now? Had fate visited? Were they in trouble? Was something dying? Jo had no clue and the questions buzzing in his head did not help. They were making him worried, and he hated it when he worried.

The looked back at his hunting party, noticing that Howie had vanished. Gathering that he had run back to the pack, he would not send out a search party for him. Despite that Jo loved to tease the tiny male, he still didn't want anything bad happening to him or any pack member. “Put a rain check on the hunt, gang. Lets beat it” He ordered, but smile dazzled on his face. “Denali, help the poor chap back to the pack.” He asked with a grin before picking up his pup and running to the pack.

(Gone to the pack.)

Wolves addressed: Pack, Denali.
Word count: 321
Music: 1920/30's music

(I'll change it chews, if you don't want Jo carrying him)

     The trot to the hunting grounds had been easy enough for him, but his companion didn't appear to be getting on quite so well. It wasn't unlike he hadn't slowed down a bit over the past two weeks as well, everyone had. But he'd held on to most of his physical condition, as he'd been out on most every hunting expedition.

  At first he'd gotten a bit ahead on the way to the hunting grounds, but for the sake of Ailis' slightly slower pace, he'd dropped back and allowed her to take the lead. It was usually the position he preferred, to be in the lead and directing the others, but Fyrebane didn't mind letting the lady take the lead. Ladies first. After all, this wasn't a big deal; they were just hunting for fun, but still in hopes of bringing something down. And the whole point of the excursion was to get to know each other better, to kick off a friendship. He had a feeling that this was going to go well---the friendship and the hunt.

  As the grounds came into sight, his nostrils flared as he opened himself to the barrage of scents. Fragrant grass here, stale deer scat there, and then there was that ominous trace of rabbit. But aside from that, he was picking up on something he identified as elk. She broke into his thoughts with a, "Follow me." Quietly, he obeyed.

  Proceeding behind Ailis, he confirmed his suspicion as his eyes picked out the beasts he'd scented. Clearly, she'd scented them from back there, too. He was glad to see that they'd had the same thing in mind. Fyrebane hadn't known what the female would be up for hunting, but he would have guessed smaller game. He couldn't have been more pleased though, considering that big game was his specialty. Most small prey was either too easy or too frustrating for his taste. The battle that  larger prey provided was great sport and a much fairer match. Sometimes, the prey even had the upper hand, and success was by no means a guarantee either way.

  "Go big or go home," Ailis remarked, nearly having read his thoughts. "My thoughts exactly," he replied in a soft tone, catching her smirk. They really were on the same page here. Assessing the herd, Fyrebane pro-and-con-listed each potential victim. The sight of the bull elk left him with a lust. Some day soon, he'd like to assemble a big group and go after it. He hadn't had a bull's blood on his muzzle for several moons, and they were nothing short of the best thrill. With just the two of them today, they would need to target the weakest link. "How about that one?" she asked, her gaze guiding him to the cow elk. He couldn't deny that she had a good eye. This female was sharp and observant, more so than himself. Certainly, it would have taken him a moment to think on the candidates and make a decision. His brain was quick, but not like that.

  The cow was undoubtedly the most realistic target around. It was only just mature, and its age meant inexperience on its part. It was small enough, too, that it would be manageable for him. He knew that Ailis was going to end up being more of the brain, and he, more of the brawn. Kneading at the ground with his claws out of habit, he spoke in a whispery tone, "Looks good to me." With another glance at the female, he began with strategy, "Assuming you don't mind some running, here's the plan." Fyrebane, being the hunter, took it upon himself to provide the plan of action.

  "I'm going to charge in, initially, and scatter the herd. You hang back and wait, and I'm going to begin to drive the cow your way. Start chasing her with me, and then I'll drop back and you keep going. I'm going to double back and hide near where the herd regroups. The cow will want to get back to the group, so after keeping her busy for a few moments, you can turn her back towards the others and trail her. I'll be waiting in her path. Just as she's about to tread on me, I'm going to jump for her throat. Once she's down, you spring too. Try and get hold of the shoulder so she can't kick at me. Mind the hooves yourself, though. I can easily slash the throat once I've got a grip." He gave her a moment. "Sound like a plan?"

  Fyrebane hoped he hadn't overwhelmed the coppery female. He couldn't really tell, but she was bright, so she must have understood. He gave her a goofy smile, just to keep the mood light.

Addressed: Ailis
Mentioned: Ailis, Cow Elk
Word Count: 798
Notes: At last I have written this! Will be posting for Ava tomorrow, probably.

     "A perfect one."

  He grinned. This was good. The hunt was on now, no turning back; they were out for blood. Fyrebane was happy, excited, thrilled --- something between those three. And the best part of it all was the fact that he was not only getting to do what he loved, but he was getting to do what he loved with a new friend. Making friends wasn't as bad as he had expected. He could see the predatory glint in Ailis' eyes as they decided on the hunt. She was a hunter too, some kind of hunter, at least. He could tell by her nature.

  The male had been hunting for himself his entire life, and he had some skill to show for it. After having miraculously survived his mother's homicide attempt, he'd just as astonishingly taught himself how to survive, and hunting was the most important part of that. He'd only been a few months only old at the time, and completely alone, and he'd had to adapt. A month of scavenging frequently and a lot of trial and error hunting had brought him to some conclusion of how to hunt, what was essential and what wasn't. The struggles he faced were vicious, but in the end, he survived. He had had to give up his puphood too early. Doing what he had to to survive had been horrible for him, and terrifying, and he shouldn't of survived it.

  But against the odds, he had. And now Fyrebane was even more all grown up, standing here and ready for the hunt, but relying on the same things he taught himself as a child to complete this hunt successfully. The basics of hunting were very simple once understood, but not nearly as easy to carry out. Despite that, he'd had many seasons of practice to perfect his techniques. Hunting was the one thing he really stood out for, and he couldn't be more proud about what he could accomplish.

  He could feel the adrenaline moving through his veins. The spotlight was going to be his for this moment, and he was going to enjoy it. The taste of hot blood was already in his mouth, making him breathe harder than before. Fyrebane started to pick up his feet like he was jogging in place a bit, warming up. Preparing his body and loosening himself up was essential to performing fully. "Get ready," he told Ailis quietly. "Might wanna start movin' out." He was about to start off the hunt now, and she would need to be ready once he scattered the herd.

  "Ready, set, go!" he called quietly. He crept stealthily at first, getting as close as he could. He was about twelve meters out from the herd when the first elk spotted him. It stared for a moment before bellowing a warning call to the others. They all stuck their heads up in the air, searching for the hidden threat. He remained tucked away in the grasses for a moment, belly brushing the ground.

  Now came the fun part.

  Fyrebane darted out from the bushes, rushing the herd at full speed. For a second, they all remained frozen with shock. "Look at me!" he screamed at them. "I'm coming to eat you!" he howled in a pitchy voice. Of course, they couldn't understand what he was saying, but it was an effective method for scaring the elk.

  He charged into the middle of the group, growling and howling, and tossing his head about madly. The terrified beasts fled, pounding off in all different directions and raising loud warning calls. Hooves struck at him from one side, and he swerved to the side, narrowly avoiding a stomping from the bull elk. He spun on it and snapped at its face, convincing it to back off. Turning to run, and older cow darted in front of him and knocked him off of his feet, but unharmed, he leapt back up from the dirt and sped off. His eyes searched wildly for the intended target.

  Locating the young cow they were after, he changed course to bear down on her. He forced his burning muscles to work harder, propelling him closer to its heals. Fyrebane's mouth hung open as he inhaled its scent through both his nose and his mouth, savoring the scent of its fear. His claws left scars in the earth from his pursuit. The cow swerved suddenly, trying to steer herself back towards the others. He spun on a dime, colliding with her body, and she sprang away from him. The burn in his muscles made him feel heavy now, and he was starting to loose ground. The herd was far away now, but he still heard extra hooves beating behind him.

  "Ailis!" he shouted, slowing down to allow her to take over. He whipped back around to locate the source of the extra hoofbeats. The older cow who'd taken him off of his feet previously had followed him, leaving him to guess that this recently matured cow could be her offspring. Though it wasn't typical for other elk to chase the hunters of another elk, he'd seen it before. Usually, this practice was only upheld with calves, though.

  Bracing himself, he stayed planted in her path. He hoped that Ailis was chasing the young cow by now, because he would have to deal with this older cow, or it might go after her instead. If anybody was going to get trampled here, he'd rather it be him. Plus, he was larger and more durable physically. The impact on his body wouldn't be as severe as if it were her.

  He lunged at the older cow's side, trying to drive it away from the trail. A hoof clipped his left hip as it spun about, but he left it with toothmarks in its hide. Giving up, it whirled around and pounded back towards the others. The cut on his hip was shallow, and had barely drawn any blood. It wasn't bad at all, but it still stung freshly. Slinking off, he winced at first as the skin around his cut stretched, but he ignored the discomfort and proceeded back towards where the herd was clustering. If thing were going according to plan still, Ailis would be steering the young cow back his way in a moment.

  Getting in position, he settled down in the brush, remaining tense in preparation for the leap that was to come. Fyrebane took a split moment to glance back at the cut, which was small and barely stung anymore. It was a very common hunting injury, and wouldn't effect him at all. His body was tense and rigid as he waited for Ailis to drive the cow towards the final stretch.

  For a spilt second, Fyrebane waved his red tail in the air, indicating to Ailis where he was hiding. He could already taste its blood in his mouth.

Wolves Addressed: Ailis, (The Elk)
Wolves Mentioned: Ailis, (The Elk)
Word Count: 1,155
Notes: Long. Hunting posts are fun. Also, his cut is just a tiny thing, not a big deal.

     Chest still heaving from the chase, Fyrebane remained tense as he lay in wait. He could feel the thump, thump, thumping of his heart, so loud that he could hear it outside of his body. It was working overtime to disperse blood to all of his extremities. He was a hunter, indeed, but more specifically and wrestler than a chaser. It took a sturdy wolf to break the herd up, and then usually as smaller wolf took immediately over to give the first stretch of chase, but because he and Ailis numbered only two, they had to play multiple roles. Though it was about a four-wolf job, two could manage, but he remembered why it wasn't ideal.

  Himself, Fyrebane had taken on about two-and-a-half of the jobs, leaving Ailis with one-and-a-half portions of the job. He hadn't wanted to put too much stress on her, because he didn't gather that she was used to hunting like this. His sport was one of high impact, and he didn't want her to get hurt. Hunting, while wolves did sometimes go on more recreational outings of it, was still potentially dangerous. It was rare to come out of a hunt unscathed if you got anywhere near the pray. He was used to the wear and tear of his trade, but he knew how rough it could be on others, especially if they didn't have much experience with the rebound that was needed in such situations. Hunting an elk, between two wolves, was no easy task.

  Hearing hoofbeats drawing nearer, he pricked up his ears to tune in. Then, there was a sound that sounded strangely like a wolfish screech. Ailis?

  Having an on-the-dime reaction, he nearly blew his cover to find out what had happened. Forcing himself to stay still caused tension built up quickly in his muscles, as if he wasn't already fiercely rigid. They ached with the desire to fling him out into the open, so that he could see what had happened. Patience was a learned trait,  and though he'd acquired enough of it to lay low through situations like this, it still wasn't easy for him.

  Fyrebane hoped that Ailis was alright out there, and it sounded as if the chase had resumed, but he'd just have to wait to find out for sure. He didn't want to blow the hunt over what could have been nothing; it also could have been the sound of Ailis being pummeled, though. He squinted at the thought. He'd seen a wolf being trampled by an elk before, stomped on, and ultimately had the life kicked out of it. Remembering back to its battered body, he cringed. The male told himself that Ailis was fine, and that the noise was nothing to worry about, but the huntsman knew better. He'd received his fair share of kicks, jabs, and bites from prey, and he knew what kind of noise a wolf made when they were kicked by a large animal.

  All he could think was, 'Damn, that must have hurt.' Judging by what he could hear, though, she was still giving chase. His own breathing had calmed a bit, but he remained alert, aware that in moments, he would be throwing himself at this beast and trying to drag it to the ground. Some wolves must find this kind of act to be... lacking in sanity. But Fyrebane lived for it.

  Ailis was saying something. "All right, ya pack of hooves and fur! We're almost there!" She was safe and headed his way.

  The pounding of hooves. And three. Closer now. And two. Tearing through the grass in from of him. And one. Hooves rising over his head. And jump.

  The tension built up in his shoulders and haunches propelled him up and out. His body, chest protruding forward, braced for impact, slammed against the front of the elk. Chest on chest, they hurtled over. Fyrebane's back met the ground, painfully, as he tried to twist in the air in an attempt not to be landed on last second. The second the cow's body struck the ground, he darted up and clung onto it's body. His teeth found the base of its neck first, and he clamped his jaws shut. Blood oozed from the wounds and felt hot and sticky in his mouth. If he hadn't been holding on so tight, he would have smiled.

  Out of terror, the creature bucked beneath him, flailing at him wildly. For a brief moment, he leapt back to avoid a sharply aimed hoof and lost his hold at the base of its throat. He lunged again, more strategically this time, and grabbed hold of the jugular with his fangs. Pressing his teeth into the animal's skin brought a satisfying rush of blood to its surface. The taste made him quiver with lust, but he stayed still and kept his grip on the cow elk's throat. He would have to keep his hold until she was finished off. It may have seemed cruel, but a death was faster and less painful that way. His teeth were buried deep beneath her skin, and though he wanted to ask Ailis if she was alright, he could possibly speak like this. His legs were splayed out at awkward angles as he braced himself against the elk's struggling. It had a strong will to live.

  This was the worst part of the hunt, because you'd finally won, and at first, victory was sweet. But then it occurred to you that taking this beautiful creature's life was terrible, and you realized that you hadn't won at all.

  After what felt like an hour, the beast faded away. Fyrebane let go to allow the elk its last breaths. "Thank you," he murmured to it. It went still. Thanking the prey as it died was something he'd always done, since he was very young. He would thank the animal for its life, which he would be taking in order to sustain himself. It had helped him to understand that he was killing the animals because he had to, and to respect them. After all, they were giving their lives so that he could live.

  Fyrebane cleared his throat. "Ailis, you okay?" he asked her.

Wolves Addressed: Ailis, (The Elk)
Wolves Mentioned: Ailis, (The Elk)
Word Count: 1,039
Notes: Blah, I've been so busy lately. PM for edits.

  The ruddy male ran his tongue around his lips to clean away the blood. It took him a few passes before the aluminum taste started to fade. He needed a moment to cool down from the excitement, and the adrenaline was starting to ebb. He let his breaths slow as he stared at the carcass of the elk. The hunt hadn't gone quite as planned, but in the end, they'd found success. Fyrebane had come out of it relatively unharmed, saved for a cut or two and a sore back, but he didn't think Ailis had faired so well.

  Looking back up, he found himself hoping that he hadn't asked too much of her. Sometimes he forgot that others weren't used to this kind of abuse. It took a toll on one's body to push themselves like this; the only difference was, he was used to it. He remembered the sound of her scream while he'd waited in the grass, and he knew that she'd been hurt. Ailis may have been good at playing stuff of like it was nothing, but he could tell just by looking at her that it certainly wasn't nothing. He wished she'd tell him what was wrong, but he could also understand why she didn't want to admit to any weakness or injury --- it was simply instinct.

  What Fyrebane also wished, is that Ailis would answer his question. He almost needed to hear her speak to know if she was okay or not. She looked okay enough, but sometimes a voice could give it all away. The male wouldn't be convinced either way until he got a response from her.

  At last, "Mm... Yes, yes, I just... Hard landing, damn," she muttered. He wasn't convinced that it was just a hard landing. Her face didn't give it away, but the tone of her voice did. He could hear the pain behind it. "Don't worry about it, probably nothing..." But he did worry.

  "I'm not convinced," Fyrebane responded quietly. He was more of thinking out loud than talking to Ailis, but either way it was the truth.

  "What about you, though?" she asked. "Oh, I'm fine," he stated honestly and casually, "Just some nicks and bruises. The usual. You're not fine, though. I heard you scream. What happened?" he asked more gently, a bit of his fatherly side showing through. He was concerned for Ailis, and he'd pretty much gotten her into this. If it was anyone's fault, he felt that it was his. Even though she'd suggested hunting, he was supposed to know what he was doing.

  Fyrebane looked down at the elk again, his gaze sweeping its length. It was heavy; he knew because he'd run into it. But, he also though he could manage its weight. He could pull this much weight, he had before. The route back to Stonehenge wasn't too rough, and the distance wasn't as bad as it could have been. "Should we call the others?" Ailis inquired. She still hadn't answered his question. "I think I can manage."

Wolves Addressed: Ailis
Wolves Mentioned: Ailis
Word Count: 509
Notes: AT LAST. Sorry this is short, but it's better than nothing.