Hello! And welcome to Caribou Plains! So far, the only packs that hunt here, are listed below:
1. Pack of the Vanishing Snow
2.Pack of the Blue Moon
3. Lake Pack
Wolves roam freely in and out of the hunting range. It is free of humans, and other predators. Just for Caribou, Wolves and other prey! You don't have to be in a pack to hunt here, loners are welcome! But, beware, some packs might not like you eating off of their Caribou! Come here at your own risk!
An elegant young she-wolf with long grey fur and silver eyes trots to the hunting grounds. She is Gentle Breeze, beta female of the Pack of Vanishing Snow.
Sage led her Byrrgis on a hunt for Caribou, sniffing the air, and ears pricked. She then flicked her tail,"Oh, shoot we forgot to bring Ember along! Oh well! I guess I have to lead, Kindle, take my position.", Kindle dipped her head and took The Beta Female's position, glancing at Phantom, giving her notice that she could see a young she-wolf with grey fur, on her side. Tugga saw it too, but he was to busy looking for signs of Caribou.
Phantom flicks her ear to let the other wolf know she sees. She makes sure to keep one eye on the she-wolf, making sure that she's not from the Blue Moon Pack, their enemies.
"Sage!" the she-wolf calls. She obviously knows the other wolf well. Phantom then catches her scent, not of the Blue Moon pack, but instead of the Vanishing Snow. Phantom recognizes the wolf as Gentle Breeze, the Beta female.
Sage glances back, flicking her tail for Kindle to take the lead, and Tugga to be Outflanker West. Sage dropped back into the middle of the Byrrgis, and glanced at her,"What is it?"
"My pack has scented Blue Moon nearby! We don't know exactly where, but make sure to keep your guard up!" Gentle Breeze warns them.
Phantom flicks her ear. "That's what I was about to say, too." she mumbles.
"Great minds think alike," Gentle Breeze smiles. She's nicer than most Beta wolves, oddly enough.
Phantom dips her gaze respectfully, but the Gentle Breeze has already turned back to Lakepack's Beta.
"Just keep your guard up, and let our scouts know if you scent any trouble," Gentle Breeze dips her head to Sage then trots off again.
Sage nodded,and muttered something under her breath, then glanced at Tugga. "Have you gotten any signs yet?"
Tugga nods,"Ember said they were to the east, and I have the signs of chewed grass, manure, and urine.:, he replied calmly, lowering his head and eyes.
Sage flicked her tail,"Enough with the positions, Tugga, now Kindle, lead us in the direction of Caribou. Tugga, instruct her and help her."
Tugga nodded and began speaking with Kindle, nodding to the east, and sniffing the ground as he trotted.
Phantom waits for her instructions calmly, though inside she's freaking out. What if I'm not fast enough? If I trip? If I bump into another wolf? What if I mess up the whole hunt? she takes a deep breath, calming herself down. She's done this before. She will be fine.
Gentle Breeze scents the air, but the enemy pack's scent seems to have gone away for now. She relaxes slightly and goes back to where her pack waits for her.
Mist greets Gentle Breeze, and sits down on some ferns, watching the scene.
Sage's heart was pumping now. Sage was now using her terms to describe left and right. "Tugga take Starboard, Kindle take port. Phantom, your with me, we will be chasing them. Remember, get the oldest, weakest one!", Sage howled, in wolf language. The Caribou wouldn't understand them now! Sage let out a long howl that was light and high to Tugga, (Tugga, single last one off and drive away!). She thn howled to Kindle, a long curve-tuned howl,(Run with Tugga, turn and drive Caribou, till' tired!), Sage glanced at Phantom for them to start gaining speed, as Tugga edged the female away from her herd, but Kindle kept her from leaving their herding trap.
Phantom blinks in response to Sage's order (I'm on it!). She starts to gradually get faster, though she makes sure to stay in line with the other outflanker. She increases her speed a little more, sensing a change in the pack's mood. Almost got it! she thinks happily. They would probably be eating well today!
Sage then howls to Phantom (On its rear, bring it down!!!), Sage charges up, landing on its rear, snapping and clawing. Sage falls off, waiting for Phantom to take her place.
By now, Kindle could see the old Caribou getting tired, and she put in a few snaps of her own, at it's low neck.
Tugga saw Kindle snapping, so he jumped up while running, grabbing its ears, but what he didn't realixe, is that when he landed, he still had it's ear in his mouth, and this Caribou was weak by now.
The Caribou was running alongside the wolves, when she felt something grab her ear! She didn't see what did, but felt herself falling to the side! She almost crushed one of th wolves, which got out of the way before she could.
Sage then glanced at Phantoom and howled,"End it!", in regular language.
Phantom leaps at the Caribou after sage falls off, in perfect timing. When Sage tells her to end it, she's surprised, but honored, and does so. She kills the caribou and lies down next to it, looking into its large brown eyes, thanking it. She makes sure that there is room next to her so the others can do the same if they wish. Phantom's fiery blue eyes meet the caribou's, and she silently says a prayer for it to have a safe journey to its heaven. "Rest in peace," she murmurs, not loud enough for the other wolves to hear.
Gentle Breeze looks on as the hunt ends, impressed by the pack. "They're good!" she says to Mist in approval. "I'm just glad they're our allies, and not our enemies!" she adds.
The other members of the Byrrgis lay down, staring into its eyes, thanking it in their own ways.
Mist flicks her tail,"That is not necessarily good, you know, they could catch all the Caribou in the area for themselves...", Mist's green eyes flickered with worry,"But what would we be then?", she then glanced at Gentle Breeze,"Allies, and Enemies have their tolls."
Gentle Breeze nods slowly. "I think I know what you mean. But, it is better to be friendly towards other packs and sacrifice a little bit of food than start a battle with an enemy pack, and lose our wolves, right?" she decides. "Plus, we're good hunters, too." she adds.
The caribou's eyes grow dim, and the light in them fades. Phantom rises, stretching. She backs up and awaits her turn to eat.
Sage leaned down, ripping out a chunk of meat, and snacking on it. "You next, Phantom, then you Kindle, then you Tugga.", she commanded, stepping back once she was finished.
Phantom has never eaten second before, and feels proud to be honored by the much higher-ranked she-wolf. She dips her head respectfully and waits until the Beta is done. Then she goes in and grabs her share. She wolfs it down and then steps back to let the rest of the wolves go, licking the tangy blood from her lips.
Kindle ate, happy to be third, and stepped back, while Tugga ate.
Sage then glanced at the Byrrgis that she had led here, and started howlig a chant ( We are theeee LakePackkk, we hold our heads high in prideeeee, and tonight, we willl feast uponnnn our Caribouuu....), Sage's chant rang out, and she repeated it many times in the same tune. It wasn't long till Kindle and Tugga joined in.
Ember trotted out onto the plains. "Wolves of Lake Pack! One caribou will not be enough to feed us, as we have been eating only small prey for a long time. We must catch another! Reform the Byrgis! There is an elder among the herd. That will be our target."
Ember strode to the front of the formation, head and tail high. "Subs behind me, and Omegas behind them! Fan formation! We will fan out and close in!"
Sage nodded, flicking her tail at Phantom to be an east outflanker. Sage took her place as west outflanker, and nodded at Tugga to take starboad, and Kindle as port. The beta, Sage, was usually the one who organized the positions.
Once the wolves were in place, Ember signaled them to push forward, but slowly. Then, she ran faster, faster... "Pushpaw speed!" she barked, closing the distance between the pack and the caribou.
The elderly caribou perked its ears. Something was not right...