Gift from the heavens (everyone!)

[Gryffin]

(maan has it got boring here or what? Is everyone on holiday? eeep! well post here cause we need to wake up!)

The morning was bright upon the horizon and the skies were a magnificent cerulean blue with long white clouds that scattered across the sky blue canvas. The sky spoke nothing about the winter as it seemed just like a summer horizon, but the snow and bitter cold spoke otherwise. Cold as it was a young she wolf felt nothing of it. Her pelt had thickened to accommodate the new frost and had shed her thinner pelt with a thicker pelt made up of rich brown,black,tan and white. The tri coloured varg shook that very pelt as she emerged from the dark depths of her den where three huddled bodies of pups curled and slept peacefully.


Gryffin stepped out from the darkness her crimson tipped ears twitching as she looked around at the landscape of snowy white. It had snowed the night before and so now the land was carpeted in a new layer of virgin snow. Gryffin grinned and leaped out of the den, landing in the snowy white with a thud of exuberance. Her black nose found the cold white fluff as she sniffed about it in a wonder. She loped across the plains making the flat snow that leveled at her knees, crumble and shift. Gryffin looked over her shoulder to peek at the path she had made. Grinning she threw herself in the soft down and began to roll about it covering her pelt in an icy garment.

Tongue hanging out Gryffin stood back on her feet and shook out the snow that had clung to her fur. Emerald orbs flashed as a grin swept her lips. She looked to the Crimson lake but by now it had covered up with snow and she could no longer see the lone flower that bloomed in the midst of all the ice, the blood red lily that marked her father's death. For the lake was a strange marvel. Once a wolf of List had left the earth, one ruby red lily would bloom atop the crimson lake. The waters of the lake were always crimson. Gryffin knew not why and she would never know. She didn't know anything about rust, and so she didn't know that the water was probably dyed red from rust that had claimed the lake years ago, even before her parents had staked out these territories.

The emissary began to run through the snow, across the plains and descend a large hill. Galloping to the top she grinned as she gazed around and marveled at the mountainous wonder of List. But something caught Gryffin's eye. Curious the beta leaned forward and squinted her emerald optics. In the background she could see three moving forms. A large mass of brown against white. Gryffin cocked a brow and lifted her nose to the bitter col air to scent the wind.

Luck was with her today and Gryffin had found herself downwind of the forms. She took in a large breath and gasped. Herla! It was the scent of roaming herla. Gryffin watched them closely, noting that they were by the northern borders of List. Gryffin predicted that they were lone travelers trying to find any source of food but had gotten disoriented from last nights snowfall and wound up traveling through the mountain paths. Gryffin studied them farther and she noted their skinniness, a sign of starvation. They were making slow progress through the deep snow.
Joy wisped throughout the youth and she immediately leapt of the hill and in search of the main list dens.


Time had found Gryffin slipping through the bare trees as she entered a large clearing with several dens. The she wolf panted, her chest heaving up and down as her pink tongue hung from her jaws. Looking about she galloped to the main Den where she knew she would find Fiory and Brstol. She did not enter but she stood by the entrance and barked, "List List! Wake up. There is great news! Herla! Herla are in List." Gryffin barked with excitement. The pack had not eaten well in weeks and their alpha Fiory needed this meal more then anything. "List come on" Gryffin barked as she created chaos and noise in front of the dens with excited yips and barks that matched that of an excited yearling. "The herla are moving quickly, but they are weak as well." She informed once again and finally seemed to pause as she stood still, still panting as her mouth hang open, her breath visible on the cold morning air.

[Sudak]

Sudak had earlier been relieved of his duties of watching over his pups to stalk the boundaries of List. Searching for the intruders that had seemingly increased in recent times, and of course for any sign of food for the pack. Without luck of either he returned to the main listern dens to rest his weary paws. He let his legs fall out from under him after he completed three full circles just under one of the entrances. With a sigh he slowly let his eyelids close and sleep take his body over.

With a shrill bark his auds jumped erect. The wake up call that seemed to be coming more and more often as of late. With a bolt Sudak's eyes shot open and he jumped to his slightly rested paws. Gryffin had returned from her exploring and Sudak darted to her side and covered her with a bombardment of kisses. His tail wagging furiously behind his ivory form.

"Herla you say! Well List wake up, why are we laying around here for? Let's go!"

// short and icky post I know but it's something I guess //

[Drathlic]

((Sooo sorry for the abscence guys - been working overtime lately and had terrible computer troubles which are still not fully resolved. As soon as possible I will reply to this thread ok? So please, don't jump too ahead of me!))

[Fiory]

[glow=purple,2,3,00]((Goodness...such inactivity...and from the alphess no less....x.x' Sorry for my absence folks...))

Run my starling..Run and never look back damn you..Run!

The fires seemed to be brighter as of late, and within the dark recesses of her mind, Fiory seemed to seer with the heat they brought. Why was this nightmare continually plaguing her usually cool and cleared mind. The heavens were clouded with the darkest of forces, and only the fires Wolfbane himself kept secret seemed able to penetrate the wickedness that surrounded the Listern Alphess. 'No...Stop this...It..It wasn't my fault!' Her pitiful cries seemed drowned out by the sinister laughter of the demon in hell, the beast which consumed the vargs of this world so they might travel to the next. The smoke was intoxicating and yet it choked the very life out of the weakened female. So much smoke, so much death clung to the atmosphere around her nostrils, and yet no matter how fast the ebony femora ran, she seemed choked still further. 'Not like this...Please..Not like this...' Tears sizzled on red hot coals and steam burst from the sudden change in temperature upon them. She could see Wolfbane's sinister snarl, his decayed muzzle, his singed fur much darker then Fiory's herself, those eyes of peircing fire...His jaws opened and welcomed the small frightened female within, his jowls dripping with lava instead of the natural saliva, his teeth in rows of three and sharpened like the pikes, itching to stab the skin and boned wolfess. The coals burnt her paw pads before!-

"Herla! Herla are in List!"

It was Gryffin who woke her. And so suddenly, that Fiory's cranium shot backward and actually clocked her mate Bristol in the jaw. A sharp pain ran through her head, and slowly a paw was lifted to rub the spot that would eventually become sore. Her breathing was a pant, heavy like she had just run clear up and down the mountain that shadowed List, and smiled with a strange man's face in it's northern side. Such an odd and silly little man's face peered down upon the Listern vargs, but usually the wolves and creatures paid his softened rocky gaze no mind. It actually took a few moments before Fiory understood her neices cries of happiness.

"Herla?..Herla....Wait a moment...Herla are back??" It was almost as if the word had been foreign to her these months of winter deprivation. Groggily, the alphess stirred from her warm bed of dead leaves and grasses from the previous summer, and scooted from the comfort her mate Bristol gave her during the night; even if these nightmare continued to scar her mind.

"Gryffin....What is this about, Herla?" Fiory asked softly, her voice quieted from her recent awakening, the bitter cold slapping her in the face like it did every morning when she woke. The feeling was quickly over looked, her eyes squinting in the brightness of t he day, though the puffs of smoke from her nostrils told her it was not spring yet, even if mother nature wished it to seem so. The snow on the ground froze her boney paws, and when the ebony female shook out her fur, ridding it of a twig that had tangled itself within her depths, Fiory's condition seemed to only worsen in sight. In reality, she was probably on the mend, though it was hard to tell in the deprived months of winter. The ribs stuck out eerily, and the spinal bones gave the already skinnier-then-a-twig female a rather ghostly appearance. Though, the smile on her face didn't help, but wrinkle her withering face, Fiory was actually quite happy at the news of finally having the possibility to recieve a decent meal in months. Ah, it would be nice to relieve herself from the nearby village she had been traveling to. Though, as of late, she had not visited the barn that was so full of plumped up lambs and their ewes. The thought of them always made the ebony stargazer's maw water. But she had already murdered six of the villages lambs, and two of their more sickly ewes. The cash was never eaten by herself, though it was stolen away so that her pack wouldn't know where such nutrients were coming from. The stargazer did not wish her family to risk their lives to bring back larger game, like the rams or the mares, or the cows and their calves. A few sheep's legs every so often, was enough to keep her family from knowing, and enough to keep them alive...and that had been of course, Fiory's main goal.

"If you say there are Herla in the area, I say that the ones who have woken, come now to hunt...We must catch at least one if not two before they discover this area is the resting place of vargs such as us." A small smirk of a smile came across her lips and an almost eery joking manner swayed across her bodice. "Besides that...we wouldn't want any of the other packs to have the chance at a fresh kill or two before us now do we?" In Fiory's eyes, List had suffered more then the other packs, even with their fires and the other evils that plagued them. List, to Fiory, came first and foremost over any other pack...including of course, the Balkar. Her long feathered tail wagged softly from side to side, though this could have been mistaken for a passing breeze playing it's little tricks. Those golden hues glinted like lost stars on the pelt of ebony, those goldenrod ears flicked foreward with anticipation.

"Lead on Gryffin....show the pack where the feast is moving."

((blech...excuse the ickyness of this post, and the fact that I have been incredibly inactive as of late...x.x' Sorry all ))[/glow]

[Silent]

The den was cool, but had the warm prescence of the adolescent Varg which slept in its soft leafed embrace. The slumberer did not even awake when the exited Beta and lead Emissary started to yelp and yip with exitement. The silver fae just slept on. Her dreams almost swirling about her as her head then was moved to a softer cusion of her paws. The smells of List were now comforting and welcome to her, she had not yet met all of the varg which were in the List terrain, but at least she had got to grips with some. Then, her dream was cut short when another voice rung into the cold air of the morn. It was her drappa, Silent had only met her drappa once. But that was a quick stay as she was out hunting for the lera about.

The silver form shifted as the golden hazel eyes shot open, exposing them to the light so she had to quickly shut them. Slowly opening them again, the light seemed a bit duller from the dark den in which she had found. I was small, small enough for at least a small varg to find comfort and warmth. She crawled forth, poking her head out from the entrance to spot the two figures talking. She blinked from the light, which now was reflecting from the snow and ice. The air was cool, crisp. Every breath gave a small puff of smoke which woke the youth up. She dragged herself from the depths of her den and slowly padded, blurry eyed towards her Drappa and her Beta. She bowed lowly, but found herself slipping into the snow out of weariness and sleepiness. She looked up at Fiory's maw, not saring to catch her eye.
"Morning Fiory, hope you slept well. Sorry for my intrusion" Her voice seemed weak, but of coarse, it always does in the morning. The coldness of the ice chilled her soft belly, but Silent awaited her Drappa to alow her to rise, her stoumach rumbled from not eating in days. Her eyes glittered as her vision became clearer and she could begin to see her surrounding alot better.
"Morning Gryffon, I hope you slept well too. But I heard on the wind that you have seen Herla, or was that just a mistake and am hearing things hilst I slumber?" She was begginning to mature. You could tell it inher cvoice. But alas, her coat was not that of an adult Varg, still of an adolescent. She awaited for an answer, or a snap around the muzzle.

[Gryffin]

Gryffin loped about in front of the List dens and stopped to pause, her tail up high as was her muzzle as she displayed a playful stance, her lips curled with a grin from one ear to the other as she waited. Her emerald orbs looked over to a white form that emerged from the dens giving out a large yawn was Sudak. Gryffin yowled and dipped her front paws low to the ground, her tail and bottom sticking up as she bowed in a playful manner. She growled and yipped jumping up back on her tippy toes as she was assaulted with licks and kisses from the ivory male.

Gryffin laughed, her auburn tail wagging and she took Sudak's muzzle in her mouth, chewing on it playfully. She heard Sudak's exclamation of the hunt and she grinned, "Yes let's go!" she muffled. Letting go of the he varg's muzzle Gryffin jumped back and was ready for another pounce when a lanky black wolf emerged from the dens.

Gryffin dropped her stance immediately and stood tall, though her head nor tail never exceeded the alpha female's height.
Gryffin tip toed over to the drappa and bowed deeply to Fiory. Rising she gave the ebony hued femme a great lick on her muzzle and chin. Gryffin stood back listening to Fiory's words. Gryffin nodded vigorously. "Yes,yes. Before it travels back down into Koran and Ge rad." She said with an excited wag of her tail. "I suppose these herla are lost. The storm last evening must have distorted their sight. This is lucky Fiory. And we need this meal more then ever. You need it" Gryffin purred and barked as she nodded with Fiory's words.

Gryffin gave a large jump, excited and filled with a new energy. It had been a while since the pack had hunted together to bring down such large prey. For since the late autumn had came the pack had to hunt smaller game such as the rodents and rabbits for most of the remaining herla had migrated to lusher lands then the Listern mountains. Besides the Listern mountains were far colder.

Gryffin pricked her ears and looked over to see Silent. The young she wolf. Gryffin grinned and jumped over to Silent, looking intimidating as she growled. Gryffin skidded to a stop in front of the youth and grinned playfully. Gryffin was in too much of a good mood. The tri coloured she wolf licked Silent affectionately on her muzzle and nodded, "Yes, there are herla in the mountains Silent. You have not heard wrong" Gryffin grinned, her pink tongue hanging out. "come let's go before they wander away" She said and gave the she varg a nuzzle before turning to fiory and nodded to her order.

"Alright then, Come on, they are near the mountain paths of our borders. If we spread out we should be able to corner them and if they run they'll be heading toward the mountain ranges. Herla aren't too good at walking on mountains, and besides the snow on the cliffs will slow them down and trap them" Gryffin said with a large happy smirk.

Nodding Gryffin sent out a small howl to commence the hunting party. Her tail whipped behind her as she began to spring into a fast gallop. Her mouth ajar as her tongue hung out. Her paws working fast as she led the way toward the herla.



A few runs later Gryffin found herself standing atop the same ridge where she had seen the herla. The brown smudges had stopped. Taking a rest and trying to see where they were and what surroundings they were currently in. Gryffin tasted the air. She could scent the herla's strong musky scent. This was a good sign, they were upwind and it would take a while more before the winds would change and alert the deer of the wolves by scent.

Gryffin looked back. "There they are Fiory. Now whats the hunting plan?" She said panting slightly as she looked down at the moving forms. Stomach empty and hungry, as her mouth began to water. The tri hued emissary could almost taste the succulent taste of herla flesh.

(sorry i kinda fast forwarded in time, but i thought if we wait any longer the thread will start to die eep!)

[Drathlic]

((Right, finally have some time! So sorry guys - I will jump into this as swiftly and subtly as I can )

The den was desperately cold within the midst of winter's hold, especially after the night's dreadful snow storm that had engulfed the entire mountain which List lay claim to in snow and mist. But to the now almost fully grown young timber male, his thickening winter pelt was proving a great insulator, and one that he was greatly thankful for.
Curling rightly round his large body, tightly pressed against his fellow packmates and friends to extra warmth, Drathlic dozed peacefully, his chest rising and falling in gentle, steady breathes - each one sending out a plume of misty clouds.

Extatic barks, shuffling bodies and speak of herla suddenly arroused the young male from his deep sleep and cyan eyes flickered into view, wincing as the glare of the ivory snow suddenly caught his tired eyes and he pawed his muzzle in annoyance. Finally lifting it and shaking the last reminants of sleep from his head, Drathlic observed as his midnight Drappa and silver friend Silent slunk from the den and followed Gryffin and Sudak into the snow abyss beyond the cave's entrance.
A hunt? Was he ready to join in with such a thing after having never been able to bring the courage in himself to hunt alone, even to practise? Drathlic swallowed hard and flattened his auds suddenly as he peered beside him to see the space where Renn should have still been lazing peacefully in a fitful dream. A slight whine escaped his muzzle as fear began to grasp his heart for his dear friend. Where she'd disapeared to he didn't know, but he thought it might have had something to do with that Ge-Rad varg Kop - a friend of his that he could have only just considered being a friend at all.
Had she left with him and had they gone to start a pack of their own somewhere in the forest without even telling him? Would she ever return? Would he ever see those emerald orbs lighten up again with joy and her golen pelt ruffle in the blistering List winds atop the mountain's crags? He suspected not...and sighed heavily with sadness. He missed Renn sorely, as a friend and a companion to share his days with.

The party of varg were suddenly moving out as Drathlic finally picked himself up off the cold den floor and made his way to the den's entrance, shaking his thick pelt of all the debris and peering silently out after them, his tail and head held low as he was suddenly very reluctant to follow them.
List were in desperate need of a good feed - and he was no skilled hunter. In fact, he'd never hunted in his life before - as the pack and Ilinga had always provided his meals for him, he was always too young to join in.
But now...now he had the chance to take part. And he had no courage to face his ultimate fears - death, blood and ravens.

Though he had eaten at many carcasses and kills before - Drathlic still despised the stench of blood and its taste - only enjoying the texture and sensation of having a full belly at the end of it drove him to eat the foul stuff. Shuddering at the thought of those beady eyed ravens gawking at him whilst eating, flapping their wings in challange and the stench of death absorbing everything around him.
Another whined escaped his muzzle bfore finally gathering himself together and dropping sluggishly from the step and padding swiftly after his Betas, Drappa and good friend Silent.

It didn't take him long to pick up their scents and follow them quickly enough so that when they arrived on the ledge, he arrived only a few moments later, panting heavily in exasperated breathes.
Peering down to the herd of Herla lazing restlessly amongst the mountain's rocky crags, Drathlic's heart sank and he suddenly knew that he had little to no idea what he had to do. Throwing a worried glance up towards Gryffin and Fiory, his auds flattened guiltily across his scalp and he lowered his tail and head into a mere sikla stance.

[Silent]

The silver hued youth followed her fellows towards the crags. The cold was now grasping at her skin, almost clawing its way into her heart. But she knew that if she didn't eat soon. She would certainly die of starvation. Her silver pelt glistened in the sun as she made her way to the ledge and looked down longingly at the herla. Her heart raced, this was not the first kill she had made, oh no. She was quite the hunter was Silent. She looked at Gryffin whom still looked overwhelmed by the sight and thought of herla actually being in the listern terratory at this time of year. Her exitement channeled through the cold air into the youth, Silent was now fired up for the hunt. She was determined that she was going to eat her share. Or hopefully she would.

Suddenly the scent of another varg filled the silver fae's nose. Drathlic! Silent whirled around to see the figure of her first friend in the stance of a Sikla. She yipped quietly and took a step toward her friend. She was then nudging her friend. She ould feel fear running through his body, the look of fear in his eyes. She whimperred and licked his muzzle reassuringly as she could. Her ears were back as she then took her own Sikla stance to him. Since he was a higher ranked varg than she was. She then looked back to Fiory. Awaiting an order from the midnight hued Drappa or from her Tri Hued Beta.

(Ack crappy posts. Got a cold )

[Sudak]

Sudak let a yip escape his maw as his star gazzing drappa emerged from the den. Sudak's heart was already pumping with adrenaline. Herla was exactly what List needed and the thought of another great hunt swelled in his mind. Sudak dashed off after his mate as they followed her with all his might. They emerged upon a hilltop with the crisp snow firm beneath his paws. The varg were light enough to remain tall atop the crystalized snow however the massive herla were too heavy to remain atop the snow. They would however collapse through the crisp layer and this hindered their movement and search for the scarce food of List. Sudak's eyes pierced through the stinging bitter cold air that hung around the mountains very often this time of year. Sure enough there lay the herla just were Gryffin had said they would be. Sudak turned his ivory form around with his head now rising up to stand tall. He noticed that Silent and Drathlic had followed behind and now Silent seemed to be trying to comfort Drathlic. Sudak padded up to the quickly growing varg. Sudak had wanted to gather the young varg of List together earlier to help train the cubs in the swift art of hunting however it was now too late for any practice. Sudak towered over Drathlic and Silent and he let out a smile.

"Don't worry you two. You will be fine. Stick by our sides and heed our warnings and you have nothing to fear."

Sudak now leaned down and licked Drathlic and Silent each upon the maw as to cheer them up. A depressed varg had other thoughts on their mind and that would not help in the hunt. He needed them focused. Now it was time to take the herla by complete surprise. He glanced to Gryffin then to Fiory.

"We await your command my drappa.

[Fiory]

[glow=purple,2,3,00]((Sorry I've been away for a while..I've had to mingle with teh family because of the birthday I've just celebrated....-.-' Again, sorry for my absense..))

Auburn auditories flicked backward as the agile ebon streak flew through the wood, only to become halted in her run upon a ledge overlooking the prey that would be the feast of the rest of the pack of List. There were three of them, fairly large by the looks of it, and a single fawn, more then likely an early birth of the year. Pity, early births of calves were desperatly harsh on their mothers as well as themselves. Of course, this only focuesed the stargazer's cunning mind to tally up who's day had come this morn. The whimpering behind her however, caused a sudden burst of irritation out of the female, something rare and unexpected to say the least.

"I appreciate the added assistance, but Drathlic and Silent, Do Be Quiet." Her words were fairly stern, like a lovingly scolding mother, though they were hushed all the same. Her golden hues never left the four straggling bodies below, relaxed in a winter's day. Her mind was working overtime, glancing towards the woods where the does would want to escape to, and then to possible trapping areas where the pack could lay and wait. Rock faces jutted out from the northern side of the diminished herd of herla, blocking their path onward while forest surrounded them on the other three sides. It was there that Fiory finally saw the opening she wished for. A sly smile came to her boney muzzle and she turned to look at Gryffin, Sudak, Silent and Drathlic periodically, as if sizing each of them up in turns, before glancing back down at the herla below. Every once in a while a mumble of a word or a sound came from her raven lips, but it seemed as though she were counting them out and planning the attack almost outloud. After a moment of this, a final note of finishment eminated from her muzzle and her smile spread.

"Yes..I have it." Slowly she turned to the group and laid out the plans as quickly and quietly as possible, a gleam of what appeared to be hunger or madness but also of cunning and wits that came with age and with experience. "Right, We will need our strongest mouths and claws by that crevace, down towards the northern area of the rock faces, hidden in the rocks and within the trees that border that narrow passage. The rest will drive the herla through. That crevace is filled with stones and rocks, easy for Does and fawns to slip up upon and the does down there are already laiden with calves it seems for the impending spring that should arrive soon..I dearly hope...They should not give too much trouble to the paws we have. Hiding amongst that crevace will be the workings of our three strongest vargs here...I ask Sudak, Gryffin and Silent for this job alone." For a moment Fiory stopped and looked at each varg mentioned with a dignified and assertive stare. As always, the stargazer never faltered to stare directly at her fellow vargs, straight within the pupils of their hues, though this was how she was raised; Fiory herself did not pose a threat to her fellows this day or any other day of course. With a small silence, she broke to continue with the planning.

"Our two swiftest will drive the herla into the crevace from the south. Being that I am the darkest of our group and completly unequipped to be within the ranks of our strongest vargs, the running portion will be mine, and I ask Drathlic to accompany on such a task." A soft glance was given to the young varg in a sikla's stance. Fiory hoped to better his fears, and to free him of them. She herself hated the bloodshed hunts caused, though she knew their purpose and accepted it. After a moment to contemplated once more, the drappa continued almost regally.

"Once the herd has been driven into the crevace wait until they are completly within it. Hide and stalk both in the wooded area and in the rocks between the small space. That crevace doesn't go on forever, and eventually slopes down a fairly steep drop, into a ditch full of sharp and quite damaging rocks and spires. If we can drive the lot of them there, there will be no escape route for those does and fawn, and the pack will eat plentily tonight and for the coming weeks." The plan was set, the trap was ready, and without waiting for a complaint of her fellows, she turned to Silent, Gryffin and Sudak with a nod of encouragement and composure. "You three will be able to reach the crevace easily down the path behind you towards the west. Drathlic and I will descend the opposite way towards the south east to be sure the herla know nothing of our...little visit. Shall we?" A slight flick of her muzzle was given, indicating the brushed upon path behind her beta's and younger member of the pack, leading down the ledge slope and into the bracken filled woods, concealment easily abled. Slowly Fiory turned to the young male of her pack and gave a small smile. They would be heading down the opposite side of the ledge, where it was a fair bit more trecherous, but concealed from the wood around them all the same. Even though, once decended to the herla's level, they would need to make themselves seen as to frighten the herd into running, for the most part the two of them would need to stay quiet and hidden until the time was right for them to come from hiding...

"Fenris and Tor be with us this day...Sucess to the Hunt be Granted." It was said to all, gods and pack memebers for the stargazer of List wished nothing more then to have fill the emaciated bellies of her fellows, more then her own boney self. [/glow]

[Sudak]

Sudak gazed back to his Drappa taking in her ingenious plan of flanking the herla. Sudak gave a quick nod after she finished their briefing and he gave a glances to Silent on his left side and Gryffin on his right making sure they understood the plan perfectly. This is something he did not want to be messed up with ignorance or misunderstanding. Before the ivory beta was to begin off into position he smiled toward his ebony drappa as she wished the blessings of the gods upon them all. Sudak responded with a proud but whispered bark.

"And let us hunt as one."

With a nod to Fiory, Sudak darted around on his haunches with a quick lick to Gryffin and a motion to Silent he darted off with them to follow. The ivory beta silently made his through the surrounding forest making sure not to disturb the fallen braken beneath his paws and the few that lay hidden beneath the crystaline layer. The soft click of his nails could be heard on the hard snow top as he bolted across the matching tundra. He made sure to remain well clear of the herla and other lera as to not reveal their presence moving into strike position both by scent and sight. Along the edge of the crevace entrance Sudak lay himself silently and invisibly behind the low lying brush. Snug between the trees and brush he would still have perfect sight of the prey as Drathlic and Fiory would force them towards the attack group. Sudak now turned his head and auds as to confirm his accomplainces prescense. Every hair now standing on end and adrenaline racing through his contricted veins he lay still awaiting the emergence of the dinner to be.

[Renn]

Little did the thought of a hunt cross her broken mind as she made her way through the territory of List. Pausing every now and then to take a gulping breath of air, testing it for scents of her friends, the golden youth continued forth to the heart of her Pack's terra, twisting and turning to avoid the stout rocks and large ridges of the rough mountain terrain, as her mind wandered to those of List she had missed during her absence. Renn had dissapeared from Listern territory about a Moon ago, for reasons that would sadden even the coldest bitch. It had began when Renn had ventured out of Listern terra to travel to the woods, aiming to reach the very heart of the dark forest to meet the youth who had stolen her heart, Kop. Many things had been spoken of on that day, beautiful, wonderful things, yet also sad things, such as the War. The golden faemme had attempted to persuade Kop to leave his birth-Pack, Ge-Rad, and live as a Kerl, to avoid the threat of death at Balkan jaws. The grizzled dragga had refused to leave his family, the Alphas of Ge-Rad, and his siblings, Trile, Shayla and Lycaon, and so they moved on to better things to talk about. It was immediately after Renn had confessed her love to Kop that Man rained arrows down upon the pair, thrice striking Renn's leg. The pair had fled, but a lone arrow struck Kop's flank and brought him down, captured by Man to fight in the pit, an awful place where Lera were set against each other for a drunken bet.

The burden of telling Kop's parents, Draeg and Cwen, was set upon Renn's shoulders, and she had carried it out, staggering blindly through Ge-Rad terra until at last a small group of Varg, led by none other than Draeg himself, found the Listern youth. It was then that Renn had confessed all to Draeg, explaining every little detail of what had happened that terrible day, and Draeg had thanked her by setting the Pack's Beta and Healer, Lydair, to heal Renn's arrowhead wounds, before he left in search of his son. Renn had gone through an agonizing period where she was constantly looking over her shoulder to check that there was no Ge-Rad Varg attacking her, while she was confined to their terra by her injuries. A breif chat with Lydair's daughter, Caoimhe, a pup who seemed to be obsessed with Renn's love, Kop, Renn put aside her jealousy of others who got too close to Kop, or in another case, Drathlic, though she was always wary of the cub's stare, and the stare of her companion, Tarak, a falcon who watched over the young bitch.

After leaving, Renn had travelled to the Mountains, avoiding Listern terra, and seriously considering becoming a recluse when she met a young faemme, one called Lucy Fair, who showed Renn that she still had a life to live, and share it with her Pack, particularly the ruddy Mann who had first brought her to the sacred terra. Another breif meeting with Lydair and the Kerl, Thunder, at the River and soon Renn was sniffing the borders of her terra. Alkiera, the crippled faemme that had been staying on List, had been the first to find the golden youth, and the pair had exchanged greetings, before Renn continued forward, searching for her closest friends, Gryffin, Silent and Drathlic.

The scent of Herla was strong on the wind, and Renn instinctively ducked down, slavering as she remembered the taste of the juicy meat of such creatures, crunching up the bones for marrow and feeling blood drip down her throat. The painful memory of a hoof kicking her muzzle was a sting to her confidence in hunting such powerful Lera, but still the golden youth krept forward. Muddled with the Herla scent, were the scents of a few of the Pack, Fiory, Sudak, Silent, Gryffin...Drathlic. However, Renn reigned in her joy and watched the hunt that was unfolding before her, prepared to offer a paw if something went wrong. Still, the golden faemme did not announce her prescence to the others, but stayed upwind of the Herla and hid in a bush, surrounded by stinky mushrooms just to be sure.

[Silent]

The silver fae turned as her Drappa told both her and her friend to hush in case of any chance in sound to carry down to the Herla. The youth went silent as she watched the elder varg think. Think of the hunting plan to take out, the best, one surely to work. Then it came, Fiory told the group who did what and where. Silent was overjoyed as she was sent with btoh beta varg to take down the herla near the crevace. Silver body started to tremble softly with adrenaline which pumped throughout her body at this moment in time. Sudak, the ivory beta mann led the way to their hiding spot in the crevace. Taking a look behind her, she quickly and silently nuzzled her friend softly on the neck before swiftly turning and following the ivory varg to the brush.

Like a ghost she covered the ground, not a sound she made, well maybe the slightly rustling, but that may be just the wind to the herla ears. But still, the youth was as silent as ever. The tension was mounting as this was the most important hunt that she would maybe ever make. This was a matter of life and death for her, and maybe even Fiory or the rest of the pack. Listern varg were becoming thinner by every day, she just hoped Fenriis would give her the power to bring down the already weary herla. Leaping over small groups of bracken, Silent tried still not to make a sound, again and again she told herself to be ghostlike, to be like the flying putnar which swooped on prey unexpectedly. She slowed to a brisk trot as she approached the ivory male in his hiding spot. She didn't want to be too close to him. Maybe if she hid just a little away, next to the rocks but hidden by the low brush which held the snow. She took that chance and stalked over, checking it, a clear shot out at the place the attack would be held, she crounched down in the striking position. Still clear, but maybe a sbit of snow would be thrown into her coat. She then crouched down, this spot would do her for the hunt. She looked around to see if she could still spot Sudak, she had to watch closely, but yes, she did see the hidden figure of the ivory beta lying in wait. She did the same, invisible to the herla when they would come. She awaited the beasts to come.

[Fiory]

[glow=purple,2,3,00]Silken strands of ebony billowed in the light gusts of wind that plagued the ledge the hunting party stood upon. Golden hues watched as Sudak sped away with his half, and soon after without waiting for Drathlic, the stargazer moved in the opposite direction. Her body hung low to the ground as her legs flew over bramble and dirt. Ah to run again, to feel the wind slapping you in the face, with either the chill winter's air or the heat of summer's sunlight was invigorating...and sorely missed by Fiory. So many times before now she wished to fly away, to run free again, knowing full well that such a thing would not be allowed. She had a pack to look after, though for how much longer was uncertain. So much seemed uncertain now, and with their allies beyond the Listern mountains now a lingering threat to her existance, Fiory doubted whether the Night hunters would end List, or herself. The ebon stargazer kept their aliance if only for the sake of her late Dragga Leohlic, who had once been the finest of Balkar firsts. Unfortunatly however, with his passing it seemed that the Night Hunters no longer wished to protect their former Dragga's packlands, nor the vargs within it. Though this matter seemed settled, Fiory could not help but dwell on the fact that every waking morning, she may come closer and closer to her own demise with allying herself with List's Balkar bretherin.

A branch rustled with the wind as it blew, the ebon Drappa slowing her pace as the neared the spot where the attack would begin. Hidden for the moment with other strong smelling shrubbery to mask her scent before it was to soon to begin, Fiory waited. Her head count was fairly accurate. The does were heavily laiden with calves an in themselves would make easy tarkets in the snow that would slow them down. Of course, that only had a slight success rate, the bigger plan seemed much higher.

Here the ebon shadow of skin and bones waited for her partner to catch up, and to lie nearby. She had a few things to say to make sure their attack was successful, but she was also anxious to get started. It didn't help matters that her stomach growled greedily at the thought of eating fresh meat for the first time since the beginning of Winter it seemed. Goldenrod auditories flattened against her cranium of ebony, waiting...watching through the emerald beneath the snow to the fattened does and the frolicking fawn that seemed intent to run from it's mother. Soon.....Soon Fiory kept telling herself, if not to stem the urge to charge foreward teeth bared...[/glow]

[Drathlic]

Drathlic smiled fondly at Silent and licked her muzzle back in a friendly manner before wincing at Fiory's sharp order to silence them and peered up at her apologetically, waiting in silence now with the impending doom now resting heavily on his mind. He would fail...he knew he would.
Peering back up towards Fiory now, though making no direct eye-contact knowing that he was not of a high ranking wolf, Drathlic listened slowly to her hunting plan. His ears suddenly perked and azure gaze widened in pure shock as she struck him with the task of assisting her to chase down the heavily built herla. Flicking his tail in thought, he began to wonder greatly if she knew about his fear...and if so...how? But this thought had little time to sink in to its full effect before the two seperate troops parted ways and were off down the mountain side. Drathlic threw a weak smile to Silent as she bounded off in swift persuit of Sudak and in turn made his way after the swift footed Fiory, his long legs closing the distance between them quickly enough to have suprised him.

Never had Drathlic thought of a good place for him to be within List, and for a time he thought that Fiory and Bristol may have run him out for being useless with no cause to his existence within their pack's territory apart from Sikla. But now...now he had a chance to prove himself. To show them that he was a fine runner and one that could take on any prey - no matter their size or speed. Of course...he sorely hoped...that she would not expect him to hurt the beasts.

Shaking the thought of blood and death off his shoulders again, the young timber male bounded down in short persuit of his Drappa, his large paws and rough pads catching the jutting rocks and making his decent far easier than for those clumsy footed mountain goats. And so too were his paws so large and still soft that the sounds he made were muffled by his thickly furred paws and toes. Keeping a rgowl within himself from erupting, the rudey male finally got to Fiory's level and lowered himself instinctively to the ground and snuck up to her side within the undergrowth, letting short pants out then closing his muzzle to prevent making too much noise with his breathing.
Peering at the small herd of does and fawns, Drathlic peered back to his sleek Drappa and flattened his auds, suddenly remembering the task she was wanting him to do. Could he go through with it? Especially with the weight of all List's hungry bellies on his shoulders?