Gwen, Skylit, & Argolis

The shadows of night draped like a security blanket around the pack, concealing them from the eyes of humans as they left the confines of Atroe City and drifted into the rolling countryside. Left behind were the flickering yellow lights of the streets, replaced now by the pale white glow of the moon, where the scent of earth and musky animals replaced the fumes and oils of the streets. That latter might be familiar and welcoming to the bunch of street wolves, but there was something refreshing about returning to their roots.

Sort of.

The menu tonight was not deer or boar, but domesticated sheep. Gwen led the silent charge, bringing her pack towards the pasture at an opposite direction from where the ranch house was situated. The brindled leader sprung easily over the fence, while little Skylit shimmied between two of the wires, losing only a bit of fur to the barbed metal. Leggy Argolis had to leap like his daughter, and managed to clear the fence as well, despite older age trying to slow him down.

Once inside the pasture, the trio waited for the rest of the pack to gather. Gwen used this time to survey the field, to see what, if any, sheep were visible from their vantage point. Argolis was testing the wind and scanning for other canines, ready to head off any Ranch dogs, or possibly greet any Lurker relatives.

Zeus & Hons

Zeus and honz both follow leaping over the fence line.

Ebony

Ebony remained only a few strides ahead of Argolis on the pack's excursion to the farm. It had been a moment since Ebony had been on a true hunting trip, her blood rushing with eagerness the whole trip to this farm. When Gwen brought the party to a stop, Ebony stands there with a waver of anticipation. She, like Argolis, tests the wind with an open maw and wags her tail slightly. "Docile little creatures," Ebony murmurs, mostly to herself. The she-wolf cast a glance over at Gwen, awaiting her alpha's signal.

*Sheep*

The scent of sheep is strong on the cool night air, and fresh. A small flock is gathered a ways down the fence line, resting around a sprawling oak tree. Roughly fifteen of the fleecy creature are there, and none seem aware of the danger that had entered their pasture.

The scent of canine lingers in the air as well, but a survey of the land around reveals no obvious signs of another wolf or ranch dog.

Gwen, Skylit, & Argolis

A brindle-brown ear swings back in Ebony's direction, and a soft snort is offered in agreement to her statement. This hunt should be an easy one, as long as they don't rouse the suspicion of the two-leggers, or stir up too much trouble with the non-Lurker ranch dogs. With her muzzle pointed towards the distant oak, where the patch of sheep huddled like a formation of grounded clouds, the alphess spoke quietly, "Two sheep should be enough. Skylit, Zeus, and myself can take one, if the rest target another."

The alphess began to move forward then, heading in a wide semi-circle around the flock. Her goal was to approach them from the opposite end, so that when she rushed in for the attack, they'd run in the direction the pack had entered the pasture at. Whether or not they cooperated with another story. Forgoing any growls or snarls, the wolfdog put on a burst of speed and charged headlong into the small gathering. She targeted the nearest individual, not bothering to check for vitality or age, as easy as they were to pick off. A swift, powerful bite to the neck was her aim...

Skylit followed course with her mother. She'd never been on a hunt like this, and had never taken down quarry bigger than a rat or pigeon. Moving just as silently as her dam, the youngster charged for the same sheep, flying across the ground like a black and white wraith. Instinct kicked in from here, guiding her fangs for the haunch of the targeted beast...

Argolis turned part of his attention to Honz, looking to the alpha to guide their leg of the hunt. Some focus was directed to that lingering scent of canine though, and he'd be sure to keep an eye out for any unwanted surprises.

Zeus

Zeus listened carefully then begins to stalk toward a sheep with the others. His head low and tail low as his ears listen. He watches for any signs of weakness and when he believes he finds an easy target he goes for it. He gets as close as possible and goes in attempting to bite onto one of its back legs.

Honz nodds and moves off with the other group and starts stalking the second sheep a little off from the group. He too goes in for a leg.

Ebony

The dark wolfess eyes Honz and allows the brute to lead the second group for the herd. The she-wolf creeps close to the ground, her belly fur nearly brushing the damp earth. Eyes flit from sheep to sheep, the roar of adrenaline rampant in her blood. At the command, Ebony rushes forward with vitalized steps. She fluidly moves alongside Honz, the she-wolf lunging for the sheep's hindquarter. She snaps her massive jaws down, hoping she procures something.

*Sheep*

The sheep remain oblivious to the danger until the thump of of feet across the dew-lit grasses rouse them from their sleepy state. By this time, Gwen is nearly upon them, and the flock explodes into action, flowing out and away from the charging alpha like a school of frightened fish. In the chaos of bleats and scrambling hooves, one unlucky sheep is plucked from the rest, the side of her fleecy neck taken between the powerful jaws of Gwen. The wound is a serious one, and soon complicated by the addition of Skylit's jaws anchoring into its flank. Her only act of defense is to bleat louder and struggle, which does manage to free her from the wolves' hold, but blood has already welled into the white of her coat, and her stumbling run makes it easy for Zeus to sweep in and catch her by the same wounded limb. Teeth further rend the leg, and though she managed to pull it free, the ewe is limping severely...

As the flock splits, the scene becomes a chaotic one. Honz's chosen target sees him at the last possible second and nearly falls over herself jumping back and spinning, just narrowly evading his grasping jaws. The fleece of her coat tickles his nose as she springs away, but given her far slower speed and no real room for escape, her chances of evading him for long aren't good. Honz's efforts prove useful to Ebony though, as the sheep's clumsy dodge leaves her open wide for the elder hybrid to seize her back leg. Teeth not only find their way to flesh, but tear deep enough to snag a vital artery. The sheep flings herself away from Ebony and begins to run, but like the other ewe, her steps are marred by a serious limp, and a trail of red...

So far, there is no sight or sound of guard dog or human.

Gwen, Skylit, & Argolis

That metallic taste upon her tongue drives Gwen's own blood up. For a moment the alphess loses herself in the hunt, forgetting about the potential dangers that lurked at this farm. A part of her even wants to go further, to take on more than just these two simple sheep she'd declared. And a younger version of her might have done that, if not properly taught by Dixie and Argolis how to handle herself in such situations. Through the haze of bloodlust, the hybrid seizes control of herself once more, and pushes after their wounded prey. A bound or two brings her back in line with her quarry, and again she rushes in for the attack, going for the soft neck...

Skylit, somewhat disappointed that the sheep managed to get away from her, charges forward with ignited fury. She skirts around Zeus and her mother, and attempts to reach the front of the sheep, where she aims explicitly for the creature's nose. Her goal this time isn't to bite and rend the flesh, it's to secure a hold and keep it, to make the sheep easier for the others to bring down.

The ex-alpha follows his comrades, eyes darting from sheep to sheep, but ultimately fixating on the one that Honz has chosen for them. And while the alpha and Ebony close in on their prey, Argolis pauses just a moment, lifting his dark muzzle and rotating his broad ears towards the direction of the ranch house, just to be certain. Seeing no dogs, but keep his auds keen for their barks, he ducks his cranium back down and rejoins the fray. Long legs propel him towards the now wounded ewe, and like a metal to a magnet, he rushes in with a burst of speed and energy to seize the unfortunate creature by the neck...

Honz

He is moving even as he ends up releasing the ewes leg he now moves to race around her and as Argolis goes for the neck he goes for the muzzle intending on suffocating the sheep.

Zeus grunts as his jaws miss but causes her to be snag by another and as that happens he moves around to the front to cut ewe off and aim for its muzzle to suffocate it.

Ebony

The black fae's teeth snag deep into the sheep's leg, the tear of flesh igniting a flurry of sparks within the she-wolf. While the ewe manages to fight away from Ebony's hold, Ebony is all too aware of the gushing wound left by the she-wolf's fangs. Ebony takes a moment to regain her footing, springing after my ewe. Argolis is aiming for the ewe's neck and Zeus for the face. Ebony snaps at the ewe's heels, hoping to halt the creature's sprint and immobilize the creature.

*Sheep*

The ewe's startled bleat turns to a muffle as Zeus secures a critical hold on her muzzle, teeth easily finding purchase against the softer flesh. This stops the creature in her tracks, nearly causing her to crash against Zeus under her panicked momentum, and she might have done just that if Skylit hadn't also snagged her fangs into the side of the sheep's face, effectively bringing their prey to a stop. The teamwork is swift and efficient, with the ewe soon collapsing to the ground as breath fails to fill her lungs. But the crush of bodies ultimately squeezes Gwen out of position, with her daughter's body momentarily blocking her attempt at seizing the sheep's throat. At this point though, their prey is nearly spent, and if Zeus can hold for a few more moments on the snout, they'll have their kill.

The second sheep had luck momentarily on her side, but that is fading as fast as the ex-alpha barrels in and catches her by the side of the throat, his efforts made easier by the creature's limping gait. The bite is a solid one, but the sheep thrashes with a surprising amount of strength, nearly tearing herself free, and twisting her snout away from Honz before he can fully close his jaws on her. The new alpha's attack isn't in vain though, for several deep gashes now cross the ewe's mug, spilling fresh blood on the trampled ground below. Before she can even attempt to wiggle free, Ebony as at her again, snapping at her wounded leg and further exacerbating the crippling wound.

The bawling of the frightened sheep does not go unnoticed. A deep, baying bark sounds in the distance....

Gwen, Skylit, & Argolis

Frustration roils through Gwen as she misses her mark, and has to pull back in order to avoid hitting her own daughter with her teeth. She's about to skirt around Skylit and go for the haunch, but a nearby bark stalls her efforts. The sheep is already down, and with Zeus covering its snout, it's fate was surely sealed. The alphess turns her attention towards the source of the bark, trying to determine whether this was a Ranch Lurker, or some new pet that didn't understand their pact. To be sure, Gwen raises her dial and answers back with a low, brief howl herself, letting the other know that the Lurkers were here, and they would finish their meal in peace... or fight for it, if need be.

Skylit too perks her ears, but she doesn't give up her hold on the ewe. She's close enough to Zeus to feel the tickle of his whiskers against hers, and feel the hot breath that leaves his nose with each exhale. Her tail wags a few times, pure excitement and camaraderie coursing through her as the sheep eventually crumples to the ground, the hunt nearly finished.

The second sheep is proving a little tougher than the first, but Argolis has no doubts they can take it down. He hangs on to his hold for as long as he can, squeezing his jaws together and using one of his large paws to try and press down against the sheep's back and shoulders, to keep it from getting away. A growl awakens deep in his chest when he hears the bark, but he's loathe to give up his hold. Letting Gwen deal with the intrusion, he keeps his focus on downing their prey.