Arora, Ataji, & Lepiota

Arora led her brood through the forests flanking the sheep pasture, where she used the cover of the branches and the cloak of night to conceal herself from any watching eyes that might be out in the fields. She stopped at the edge of the timberline and peered out at the pasture that lay a few dozen yards away, past the barb-wire fence, eyes scanning the field for any sign of domestic canine.

"The first thing you should do is scout your location. Worry not about what sheep looks weakest or easiest to catch; it's the guard dogs that will be your first hurtle, and it's best to avoid them if you can." Her words were a quiet whisper, forcing Ataji and Lepiota to train their ears forward as they soaked up their mother's information. "Humans generally aren't out this late at night, but if they are they usually have some sort of light with them, so they're easier to spot."

Nhevaris & Umbrik

Nhevaris had taken up the rear of the small hunting party, making sure their three children were traveling between he and their mother. He quietly nosed Umbrik up closer to Arora as she was giving her speech, while he took it upon himself to scan the field and sift through any scents that could be gleaned from the cold, nightly winds. First and foremost, he was making sure that there were no humans or dogs in the area, and if they were, he wanted to know where.

Umbrik scuttled forward under his father's nudge, until he was standing beside Ataji. With a lowered head and ears drawn back anxiously, he nevertheless listened to what his mother was saying. When humans and their lights were mentioned, he immediately turned his dark chestnut eyes to the field, looking for the aforementioned warning signs.

~Sheep~

No sight or scent of human nor dog could be found on this end of the field. There were, however, at least fifteen woolly sheep gathered beneath an oak tree whom hadn't noticed the wolf pack's presence beyond the fence.

Arora, Ataji, & Lepiota

"I don't see any lights out there." Lepiota reported, already putting her mother's advice to use as she joined her father in scanning the field. "And no odor of dog. Does that mean we're in the clear?"

Arora too had scoured the darkened pasture, first noting the bundle of white shapes beneath the tree, and the distinct absence of any possible threats to her pack. She smiled to her daughter's similar observation and nodded, "Very good. Yes, I think we are in the clear. Now, for the hunt - your father and I will each select a sheep, and you three will help us bring them down. It's vital that we do this as quickly as possible; we'll have to make the kill and eat our fill before the humans or their dogs realize we're here." Arora stepped past her children and began to approach the fence, "If your father or I give the call to retreat, do so without question."

And then she was in, gliding over the gleaming metal wires with a simple, powerful launch of her hind limbs. Without giving pause, Arora rushed for the cluster of sheep, going straight for the first one she could reach, and biting for the neck...

Lepoita was over the fence next, sailing over the obstacle with ease and dashing after her dam. While Arora went for the sheep's throat, Lepiota went for a hind limb...

Ataji too had observed the field, and despite his growing reservations, he didn't want to disappoint his parents by refusing to join in. Instead, he put his focus on his brother, giving Umbrik an assuring shoulder-bump. "Lets work together, okay? We'll follow dad in and help with his sheep."

Naiche

She was a little late to the party, arriving just in time to hear the alpha's orders and watch her leap over the fencing with her daughter. Naiche stepped up beside Ataji and Umbrik, her dark, midnight pelt rustling with an incoming breeze, "See what your sister is doing there, going for that leg? That's a good tactic; you should try to help pin down the sheep, and let the adults go for the killing bites." Truth be told, this was her first sheep hunt, but she was well aware of the basics of hunting, and knew these adolescents needed a few more solid months of growth and training before they had the strength of their parents.

"Good luck you two, you've got this." Naiche gave them a bit of encouragement before broaching the fence herself and leaping across it. A small tuft of dark gray fur was snagged from her belly, but she hardly noticed as she bolted across the pasture, heading for the same sheep that Arora had targeted. Letting the alpha go for the throat, Naiche went for a shoulder...

Nhevaris & Umbrik

Nhevaris felt the excitement grow, rising in his blood and casting his tail a-quiver. The hunt itself might be a cake walk, but the thrill of stealing from the humans is what got the ebony wolfdog. He held this glee in check just enough to put on a calm facade for his children, and listened with quiet attention as his mate finished delegating roles and rules. Once she was off and leaping into the field, Nhev was next, rushing in just after Naiche and sailing towards a second sheep a few yards away. Like his mate, he was going for a throat-bite...

Umbrik looked from one adult to the next, nodding vaguely to their words, but it was Ataji's that he stuck to the most. "Okay..." He murmured with a lack of confidence, finding his paws rather heavy all of a sudden. "I'll follow you?" After all three adults and their sister had entered the pasture, Umbrik hesitated still, waiting first for his brother to move before he'd follow him in.

-Sheep-

There was a delayed response to the pack's presence in the field, a few seconds or so where the sheep turned and stared at the approaching danger as if not realizing death was hurtling their direction. Only when Arora was within a few yards away did one of the sheep realize these were not guard dogs and raised a warning bleat, and that sent the whole cluster running. But not soon enough.

Arora secured a bite on the side of her target's neck, just barely catching her quarry before they were lost in the scramble of other fluffy white bodies.

Lepiota was equally as successful in snatching the sheep's leg, opening a wound across the upper haunch.

With two wolves already drawing blood and slowing their quarry down, Naiche had little trouble reaching the shoulder and puncturing through the dense wool to reach the flesh below it, delivering a particularly damaging bite.

The ewe bleated loudly and pulled herself away from her pursuers, trying frantically to rejoin the rest of the flock....

The second sheep fared little better as Nehvaris barrelled down on it. It had hesitated, freezing for a split second before trying to leap up and over another sheep in her way, but was snagged by Nhev. His fangs hit hard, sending an immediate welling of red through the dirtied white fleece of the creature's neck. The ewe scrambled and briefly fell on her side before rising up and darting blindly towards the fence...

Arora, Ataji, & Lepiota

Ataji had listened obediently to Naiche's instructions, switching his gaze from her to his grizzle-coated sibling already in the pasture tackling her prey. It did give him a little boost of confidence, and despite his reservations, the sight of the whole pack rushing in to secure food did instill the youngster with a sense of pride and belonging. He'd smiled and nodded to Naiche before swinging his tail and stepping away from Umbrik, "This shouldn't take long. We'll be in and out with full bellies in no time." His smile, now a little less forced, was shown at his brother before he finally made the leap and sprung over the fence himself. Running hard and sure, he went straight for the sheep his father had knocked over, and tried to seize the hind leg just as Naiche had suggested...

Arora's blood was up now that the taste of sheep was in her mouth. A delighted growl rolled through her chest and throat, and she spat a fluff of wool from her mouth. When the sheep tried to run away, Arora was on it already, paws pounding against the frozen ground and carrying her after their prey. She went again for the neck...

At the tail end of the sheep, Lepiota was delighting in her first hunt, and savoring the taste of this new prey. A lively snarl welled in her own vocals as she pursued the ewe, and leaped again to snag it by the leg...

Naiche

Like the others, Naiche enjoyed the rush of it all, and alluring danger of stealing human prey, and the thoughts of dining on something a little more exotic tonight. She all but danced after the ewe that was trying to flee, stepping lightly but quickly as she shouldered through the rest of the flock and turned her fangs for the haunch of the creature.

Nhevaris & Umbrik

'Perfect!' Thought Nhevaris as the sheep panicked and ran in the very direction the pack had come from. He yipped and gnashed his fangs at the creature's heels, trying to further steer the daft creature that way, where it would be easier for his sons get a hold of. Only when it was close to Ataji to Nhevaris put on a rush of speed and snap for the ewe's flank...

Last into the pasture was Umbrik, who almost didn't make it. Instead of jumping over as everyone else had, the youngster tried to squeeze between the wires, and found it snagged against his fur and tearing at his skin below. He yelped in surprise and struggled, tearing himself free just in time to find the panicked ewe heading right for him. With another yelp, this one in surprise, Umbrik bolted along the edge of the fence to get away from the charging creature...

*Sheep*

Arora too had an easy time of her mark, once more catching up to her quarry and delivering a series of deep punctures nearly on top of the original ones.

By sheer luck on the ewe's part, and perhaps a smidgen of instinct, she managed to kick up her feet just as Lepiota was lunging in low for the bite. Lepi missed her mark, and was instead rewarded with a smarting bruise on the side of her muzzle where the hoof had hit.

Where Lepiota had missed, Naiche succeeded. Again her teeth pierced flesh, digging in deep and tearing open a grievous wound. The ewe bleated and struggled to get away, but being mauled upon by three wolves was more than she could endure. She stumbled and fell to the ground, and within moments, was dead of shock.

With second the sheep, running blindly as it was, and in the direction of the charging brothers, made Ataji's job all that much easier. The young wolf easily met his mark, teeth seizing hold of the haunch and digging easily past the dense wool. It wasn't enough to completely stop the ewe, but it did slow her down just enough that she didn't slam head-first into Umbrik.

Already struggling, it was easy for Nhevaris to seize the creature's flank, further shedding the sheep's blood and weakening it. It managed to pull itself up from the ground after it tumbled and fell, but it's movements were slowed and uncertain...

Arora, Ataji, & Lepiota

Arora's ear perked at the sound of a sharp yelp. The dying ewe was put on the side burner as she rounded back to check on Lepiota, who'd stopped to paw at her stinging nose. Leaving Naiche to finish off their prey, Arora's focus went to her daughter, "What happened Lepi?" She nudged Lepiota's paw aside, trying to get a better look at the young wolf's snout.

Lepi growled quietly and shook her head, trying to draw it away from her mother's worried gaze, "Just caught a hoof, it's nothing." And truly it wasn't serious, with only a bit of blood trickling from a nare. It had smarted though, and her eyes were watering fiercely for it. But what stung more was her pride, and to recover it, she pushed past Arora and charged for the second sheep when she saw that theirs had now been felled by Naiche. Trying to make up for her blunder, Lepiota went straight for the kill, trying to seize the struggling sheep by the throat and shake the life out of it...

Like his mother, Ataji had turned a worried ear towards his sister's pained cry. He might have circled away from his target too, if not for Umbrik being in path of the fleeing sheep. Keeping his focus on his primary target, Ataji struck against for the haunch, only this time he planned and bite down hard and not letting go. If the sheep wanted to move, it was going to have to drag him with.

Naiche

Lepi's yelp had startled Naiche too, but a quick glance assured her that the youngster wasn't seriously injured. She kept up her assault on the first sheep, giving it a few thrashes after it had fallen, and didn't let go until it had stopped moving. And after seeing that the second sheep looked all but doomed, Naiche took it upon herself to begin tearing into her kill, filling her belly with meat.

Nhevaris & Umbrik

"Umbrik, this way!" Nhevaris barked this command to their son after he began to run away from the prey. If only time wasn't of the essence here on the human's property, he'd have spent more time trying to herd the prey towards his son and encourage him to make a move. But they didn't have time. Caging his frustration, Nhevaris continued to pursue their wounded quarry, now slipping in on the side opposite of his other children as he bit for the sides and flank...

Umbrik had heard his father's command, but he also heard his sister's yelp. In his mind, fear easily won, and the young wolf bolted underneath the fence. His fur again snagged on the barbed wire, and for a panicked few seconds, Umbrik found himself stuck amongst the wires. With a yelp of his own, he kicked and scrambled, and finally pulled himself free, to stand tail-tucked on the opposite side of the fence.

*Sheep*

There was little the struggle ewe could do to get away when so many wolves were after her. Separated from her flock, her bleating cries went unanswered, and in the darkness, there were no humans to come to her aid. She tried veering away from the charging Lepiota, but Ataji had snagged her leg and tripped her up, giving his sister a perfect shot at the throat-hold. A third pair of jaws came at her flank, and by then it was all over. In a matter of minutes, the pack had their second kill of the night.

Arora, Ataji, & Lepiota

Arora had jogged towards the second sheep, but it was taken care of before she could muscle her way in to offer any help. She stood proud, a smile holding firm on her bloodied jaws to see Ataji and Lepiota work so well to take down their prey, "You two did an excellent job tonight. Lepi, you can join me over here. Eat quickly, now. And take what spare meat we can back home."

The alpha stalked back to the first sheep, flagging her tail up and bristling her hackles as she did so. A low growl was issued to Naiche, followed by a warning snap - Naiche was not to begin eating before her or her children. If Naiche didn't back off with these warnings, those teeth would be used more forcefully. Once that was made clear, the alphess settled in to their dinner, inhaling as much meat as her belly could handle.

Lepiota was quick to join her. The grizzled female even dared to bristle her fur and pull rank on the much larger Naiche, shoving past her to share in the mutton. Like Arora, she quickly ate her fill, picking the choicest parts of the kill before tearing off a hunk of ribs to take back to the territory.

Ataji had remained by his own kill, quietly basking in the praise from their mother, and giving his sister a quick, appreciative "Thanks for the help." His delight only wilted when he saw that Umbrik was now on the opposite side of the fence, receiving no praise on his failure to help. "Umbrik, it's safe to come back in. The rest of the sheep have fled."

Naiche

She'd half expected a little reprimand for digging in before the alphas, but it still irked her that she was chased off the meal that she'd help catch. She stifled her would-be growl into a grumble and lowered her tail, sidestepping away from Arora, and then from Lepiota when the adolescent dared to throw her smaller weight around. Naiche might have challenged Lepi back, but with Arora there, she didn't dare attempt to stand her ground.

The wolfess moved off a few paces, cleaning the blood from her muzzle and waiting until the other two females had finished their meal. When it was clear, she stepped in to finish filling her own belly, and tore a hind limb off to return to the territory.

Nhevaris & Umbrik

"No." Nhevaris's low bark, firm but quiet, shut down Ataji's invitation to Umbrik. "He didn't help in the hunt, he will have to wait until we're finished before he eats his fill." There was sternness in the way the father looked to Umbrik, and he kept his eyes on the younger wolf until he was sure his son had gotten the message. It wasn't a fun task for Nhev, but teamwork was crucial for a pack, and Umbrik had to learn that lesson one way or another.

With a softer voice, he spoke to his other child, "Eat your fill, Ataji. You and Lepiota did a terrific job. Both of you are to do as your mother says, and taken some meat back once you're finished." Nhevaris was soon chowing down on the sheep himself, gulping down huge portions, and taking the choices parts. Once his stomach was full to burst, he severed a hunk of meaty shoulder and prepared to carry it away - once Umbrik had finished eating. Punishment or not, he wouldn't leave his son alone in the humans' field.

Umbrik took the punishment with leveled ears and a tucked tail, and sat quietly at the edge of the fence, "Yes, sir." He'd responded humbly, then sat with his head low and shoulders hunched above him. Like Naiche, he was forced to wait until Ataji and his father had finished eating before he slunk back into the pasture and scarfed down what good meat was left. And as if to make up for his failure during the actual hunt, Umbrik tore the backend of the sheep off, determined to bring as much meat as he could home with him.