Upkeep

[Meoquanee]

Erebus loped at an easy pace through the woods, slowing once they began to enter the deeper parts and taking care to step on the drier patches of land. His nose tilted up, nostrils flaring, as he scented the air. There were no decent prey animals here. Squirrels, chipmunks, and a few rats. Nothing worth going after. The Alpha glanced back to be sure Saria was behind him before moving to a bent sapling and lifting his leg on it to spray a bit of his strongly scented urine on the helpless thing. The brute moved on, keeping alert for signs of decent prey, and marked another small tree. Erebus paused at one point to study a set of deer tracks. Promising, but not much. They were older, dried except for the very bottom where a little marshy water had seeped through. The scent was so stale it was almost gone entirely and the Alpha decided it was not worth wasting their energy tracking the creature. Likely it was long out of their territory by now anyways. Then, a splash in the distance caught his attention. Erebus' head popped up, ears snapping forward and nose wiggling as he scented. He looked back to Saria again, face asking,'Did you hear that?' before he moved forward at a tender pace. After a little ways, movement caught his burnt orange eyes and he froze. Ahead, working diligently on a little tree, was a fat beaver. That would do. It was no deer, but it was perfect size to fill one wolf up and small enough for one of them to carry along so they could continue to hunt further. However, it would be tricky. Beavers were lightning fast in their element, and though Mak'Unta wolves were well practiced in these marshy lands they were not natural water creatures and could not bolt through the water like these rodents.

[Starry]

Saria

~I Am The Secret, The Words We Dare To Say~

Saria padded out the entrance with a slow gait, not necessarily all to thrilled about this, though as her alpha picked up pace, she had to as well. She paused for a moment at the edge of the den site's island, flicked up her ears, and then padded after him through the muddy water trying to look like this was something she wanted to be doing right now, though all in the least she had much preferred to stay in the den site or in her warm tree den. She really wasn't used to tracking and hunting for as a student was the only time she every truly practiced these things. All she could track down where most likely herbs.

Stepping up onto a tree, which had died and leaned over with time, she sniffed around, happy to be out of the marshy water. Seeing as her Alpha had just marked something seemingly that meant she had to do that too right? Although she wasn't allowed to lift her leg, first of all she was female and secondly she was not the Alpha female which of course could lift her leg to mark if she so pleased. Saria watched him trot a little ways forward and she huffed, this was so weird. Where was she supposed to mark anyway? As they got deeper into the marsh it might become harder to find dry places to mark... oh well this tree seemed as good as any. She marked the tree then backed up a little ways and walked back into the marshy water, making a bit of a face then reaching a more shallow part and following Erebus.

Soon she was directly behind him as he paused to sniff some deer tracks. Clueless, she figured they would be going to find the deer, but when he moved off looking disinterested, she let out a sigh of relief; she would have been no help at all in hunting it. Then a splash sounded off, and as Erebus turned to look at her, her ears and tail had both popped up at the noise, then she glanced at him giving him a quick nod. When he padded forward she followed, trying not to make a sound as she was unpracticed in these areas. Though this was tiring, she really wished she was looking for herbs instead. Walking next to Erebus she stopped when he did, keeping her ears and tail lower than his respectfully as she looked at the beaver with interest. 'How in the world am I gonna help hunt that thing?!' she thought worried figuring Erebus would want her help.

[Meoquanee]

Indeed Erebus wanted her help. He slowly leaned his head closer to hers, though kept his eyes trained on the rodent, and whispered softly to the Healer,"Go around to the opposite side. I'm going to try to get as close as possible to try to make this as easy as we can, but I need you on his other side in case he bolts too early." Erebus then turned his eyes on Saria and his gaze bored into hers, deadly serious,"And do not make a sound." This was a great chance for a decent meal, something Erebus would never pass by. The marshy lands of their home did not allow for teeming deer herds or anything of the like. They got what wandered in, and the creatures that naturally lived in marshlands. Beavers, turtles (which were a heckuva task in themselves), a lost or sick deer...he didn't know why but injured and/or dying deer tended to gravitate towards water (they do O.o) but that was fine with him. It meant food for the pack and a feast at that.

[Starry]

Saria

~I Am The Secret, The Words We Dare To Say~

Saria blinked her golden orbs at the alpha male, then back at the rodent. That thing seemed so much bigger now than when she had seen them brought back into the den site. For some reason when she would see deer roaming through the marsh, she always viewed them as large creatures and left them alone for she was a healer and had no use of hunting them. They seemed to realize it and would even walk by her or eat seeming not to be alarmed by the white wolf's presence in the least.

The stark white wolf froze as Erebrus's breath warmed her ear as he spoke, she'd never been so close to an alpha before, it kinda spooked her a little. Listening to every word she gulped, a lot of this was gonna depend on her. Well, she had to try, with those words being said she figured it was best to crouch down in the water, she may not make that much noise that way, ugh she hadn't done this in forever! With his serious look in mind, Saria somehow managed to slip into the water without a sound as she crawled through the water, swimming in deeper sections as she got to the other side.

Staying crouched down, she felt extremely nervous, her eyes trained on the rodent. With silent hopes that Erebus could catch it without her help... but she had probably just jinxed herself.
'How in the world am I gonna help hunt that thing?!'

[Meoquanee]

Erebus held rock still as Saria moved into position, only his eyes following her movement. When she'd successfully settled on the other side of the rodent he breathed a silent sigh of relief. The Alpha hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath, sure that she would have scared the prey away. Good.
Erebus' ears flattened loosely as he crouched low to move towards the beaver one agonizingly slow step at a time. Each time the beaver looked up, the black wolf paused. He only moved forward when the creature began to gnaw diligently at the tree again. After what seemed hours, though in reality was only minutes, Erebus decided he was close enough. The brute burst from hiding, teeth bared, and the chase began. Eyes bugged in terror, the beaver dashed into the water as quick as Erebus emerged from hiding. The Alpha, however, was hot on its fat-laden tail and splashed into the mucky marsh after it, snapping his teeth together loudly only inches from one rodent hind leg. As he'd predicted, it started to bolt straight towards Saria, but about halfways towards her the beaver veered off to Erebus' left and the Alpha had to plant a paw in an attempt to turn quickly. His leg landed in thick muck, however, and for a moment he struggled in the water as he tried to pull it free. A couple strong tugs, though, and he pulled free from the suction and continued chase. By now, however, the beaver had a good gain. Erebus looked over quickly to see where Saria was, hoping to all above that she was on the chase also. He did not let his gaze linger, though, and he looked back to the direction the beaver was going. In the near distance ahead, Erebus could see the beaver's destination. A medium sized dam tucked up against a muddy bank. If they couldn't catch the beaver on the run, maybe they could dig him out. Another glance was cast to Saria, wondering if she'd be able to catch up to the creature faster than he with her swifter size.

[Starry]

Saria

~I Am The Secret, The Words We Dare To Say~

Saria watched her alphas every move, intently hoping to remember her small amount of hunting training. She was af course caught off guard when the creature sprang towards her but instinct seemed to jump in when it veered off. The white wolf leapt out of her hiding place and easily bounded through the marsh. She hadn't even realized that her Alpha had gotten stuck and watched the beaver.

She watched as it made it's way towards a dam. She growled and leapt easily though the marsh, she hadn't done this in ages and surprisingly it felt great to run like this. Saria was gaining on the rodent, but it was so close to the dam there was a fifty fifty chance she'd catch it. Just as she was nearly there her jaws snapped a whisker-length away from it's hind leg. Then she met wood.

It swam under to enter the dam then she, for some absurd reason, dove too. Watching it swim up into the dam, and she glared infuriated and turned around. She was gonna get that thing and if they where lucky their would be a whole family in there. Swimming out from under the dam and gasping at the air as her head broke the water's surface. Licking her jaws and turning again she climbed up on top of the dam, shook off and started to look for a weak point.

[Meoquanee]

Erebus was not far behind Saria, and he was so focused on the rodent that he'd hardly noticed her diving down after it. The Alpha had climbed onto the bank that the dam butted up against just seconds before Saria broke the surface and began to poke around. He, too, sniffed around looking for thinner areas in the wall, using a paw now and then to test the strength of the structure. It took several moments, all the while Erebus keeping an eye on the water in case the beaver tried to make an escape, and when he finally found a weaker area he called Saria over. Wasting no time, the Alpha reared up on his hind paws and let all of his weight down on the wall. The dam cracked and groaned, shifting ever so slightly, and the black brute dug away the broken branches on the surface before slamming his forepaws down again. The dam creaked louder, a crack sounded as a larger branch gave way, and suddenly Erebus could see into the interior of the dam. The opening was small, maybe half the size of his paw, but it was a start. Erebus jammed his paw into the hole, snapping more branches and twigs, and ripped it out in one smooth motion to create a larger hole that his nose could fit into. He dared not stick it in, though. Movement within caught his eye, a flash of wet, brown slick fur and he knew the creature was still within.
"Hurry, guard the exits." he grunted to Saria as he began to work at enlarging the hole he had started in the top. It meant she would have to go back into the water, but he knew she could do it. Mak'Unta were born water-wolves and he'd witnessed the drive she had when she was prompted.

[Starry]

Saria

~I Am The Secret, The Words We Dare To Say~

Saria paid no heed to her Alpha for a few moments until she saw him rear up and slam his paws down into the beaver dam. Instantly perking her ears at him as if to say, 'What?' though of course no words where spoken as she took a bound toward him. Watching what he did, she eagerly wanted to help, immediately she start nudging the broken branches away with her nose. Although when he spoke she gave a quick nod of her head.

The pure white wolf dove into the murky water instantly, swimming closer to the dam and looked around it. She didn't see any other place of escape other than where she was swimming at. Saria snorted then dove under again disappearing from view, and going under the dam looking at the hole the beaver used to get in and out. Then a plan formed in her head. Swimming out from under the dam, filling her lungs with air just grabbing one of the floating branches in her jaws.

Nervously pulling her ears back as she dove down again with the branch, seeing the opening again, she swam closer and released th branch right by the opening, it floated up and barred the exit a little. Though Saria had no time to make sure it was in the position she needed. She swam out from under the dam and gasped for air as her head popped up above the surface.

[Meoquanee]

Erebus continued to work at the hole, the new entrance growing larger and larger as he progressed, and now he could see the terrified beaver within...and its mate. His heart raced as he ripped branch by branch away, eyes flicking over just briefly to see Saria dive under. Up she came again, then down, then up and down again but the last time with one of the branches he'd broken away. Below, movement caught his eye and he witnessed the branch floating up only to be stopped by the exit hole. Yes. He thought to himself as he continued on, this time with even more vigor. After a moment, however, he realized that he was moving too fast and he slowed his pace, taking a quick break every few seconds to give the Healer more time to block up the exit. Within, the beavers began to make for the exit hole, but a branch floating up to add to the block startled the duo and they skittered back within to cower in a corner as far from Erebus as possible.