Soon The Hunt Will Begin

"I don't know why we're still in Roenden," Rido huffed quietly from where he stood next to Gamma, a gloved hand upon her sturdy neck. Her maroon gaze turned to him momentarily before turning away in dismissal. Not deigning him with a response. "You're about as miserable as me in the cold. We should be getting back soon," Rido continued as he reached up to scratch behind her ear, grinning as she leaned into the touch. Looking over to the other end of the tundra valley, he watched the herd of caribou. "How many do you reckon?" he mused her quietly, listening to the noise from the herd. "At least a few dozen? There's got to be at least 50 in that herd," he breathed. In retrospect, it wasn't that large of herd, but this past week had been his first visit to Roenden. He'd never laid eyes upon a caribou before now. And deer back in Warrenfall certainly didn't travel in herds so big. It was quite a sight. Rido's attention soon turned to the two other vayrons accompanying him and Gamma. Pumpkin Spice, an outgoing, boisterous dappled apricot chaser female, her duveteux coat keeping her warm against the bitter cold. And then standing on the other side of Gamma was a newcomer they'd came across just yesterday. Alatan, a brushed ciruela with void Runner from Thedale. It was obvious he was from the desert, for the male shivered fiercely, his green eyes shuttered, body tense and hunched as he tried to keep himself warm practically pressed against Gamma. Who, for once, didn't snap and demand for her personal space not to be intruded. An obvious tell of how cold she was. The shadow coloured female narrowed her eyes as she watched the herd, calculating. Rido could see she was figuring out the best approach to bring one down. A herd of dozens against three vayrons. The odds certainly weren't in their favour if the caribou tried to fight back. Any of them could be severely injured - or worse. For once, Gamma wasn't insisting he try and help, and that told him enough on what she thought of their situation. Why they were still set on taking one of them down, he didn't really know. And then all three vayrons stiffened, setting Rido on edge as he scanned the valley for any sign of the threat. But, instead, the thin snow crunched under a paw and a massive shadow fell over him. Rido whirled as his three companions did, snarls tearing out of their throats simultaneously. And when he saw what stood before them, his eyes widened in terror as his face drained of all colour. Tokotas. Rido didn't so much as put up an inkling of protest when Gamma shoved him behind her with a paw, her eyes blazing as she sized up the beasts before them. He'd heard of them before, found a book about them when he was younger. Massive wolf/bear hybrid type creatures from far off lands. And there were three standing right before them. Whilst two of them were shorter than Gamma and Alatan, they were most definitely heavier. And then there was the third one, who was even taller than Gamma, the tallest of the trio he was with. At least twenty centimetres taller, and much, much heavier. He had no idea how or why they were here, but Rido was both in awe and fear of the beasts before him. Even as the three vayrons snarled, moving closer together - to block them from Rido. Even tiny little Spice was moving in front of him. Smaller than the smallest Tokota, and still willing to stand up to them. But the Tokotas, Rido noted, were merely standing there. Calm and watching them with predatory interest. Except one. One, a cream sable tundra, if he could remember the book correctly. She stood slightly behind the massive Tokota - the dire. Her eyes fearful, wary. The dire, a tawny male with bearmarks, watched them cautiously, but Rido found no hostility in his expression. Foreign. Their expressions and mannerisms were so foreign to Rido. They weren't as open as vayrons. More expressionless than Rido was used to. It took a lot of effort to try and understand them. The third Tokota was a cream brown female, body language relaxed, almost playful. These guys were not a threat. Not from what he could tell, anyway.

"Who're you?" Gamma snarled as she shoved Rido behind her. She would not let him get harmed. She'd die before she let him die by foreign paws. She'd never laid eyes upon beasts like these, but she knew what they were. Rido had told her before. Explained what they looked like, and given as much information as he knew about them. Tokotas. "Aden," the largest one - the dire - replied, his ears flicking. He glanced back at the nervous looking female standing almost behind him. "And that's Rougarou. Newcomers scare her, so don't mind her," he explained, flicking her lightly with his tail. "I'm Catrina," the brown female piped up, "but feel free to call me Cat!" Cat? ... That didn't seem to fit very well.But Gamma didn't voice that opinion. "What're you doing here?" Alatan asked mildly, hiding his suspicion about the Tokotas. "We came here with our handlers," Aden explained, glancing between the three vayrons before his gaze settled on Rido, "as you guys have, it seems." Gamma growled her warning, bringing his focus back to her, "he's not my handler. He's my companion. Friend." she snapped. "We don't have handlers." Spice nodded her agreement. "Hmm" Catrina mused, "I think it's the same thing, though?" Gamma sneered at her, "our companions don't handle us. So, no, not the same. We are not owned like common pets," the Tokotas all bristled at that, but said nothing against her. "We live together. Work together. We're a team." Aden sighed, "well, either way, we came here with our handlers. But they're currently busy, so we thought we'd come out to get something to eat," he replied calmly as Rougarou growled faintly, apparently not liking these vayrons very much at all. "And then we smelt the caribou found their tracks, and followed them," Catrina explained, brushing off Gamma's insult. "We were here first," Alatan warned, taking a small step forward, ready to fight for their prey. "Wait, Tan," Gamma started, tugging on his ear lightly with her teeth. "There's plenty there," she looked over her shoulder at the caribou still grazing, far enough away from the six massive predators to deign them as non threatening. Looking back at the Tokotas, Gamma cocked her head slightly, considering. "What if they help us?" Spice suggested brightly as she strode up to Catrina, "name's Spice! Well, Pumpkin Spice, but spice will do!" she said with a giggle. "Perhaps," Gamma said slowly, watching them. "How fast are you guys?" she asked, eyes studying Aden's massive, heavy form and then Rougarou's smaller, but still heavy build. "No where near as fast as you guys, if that's what you're asking," Aden replied, shifting until he was sitting on the ground, Alatan growling softly at the sudden, uncalled for movement. "Quick enough, though," Rougarou responded sharply, glaring at the trio of vayrons. "It wasn't an insult, Roo, don't get all huffy," Cat responded with a grunt, earning a glare from the other female. "We could go around," Gamma mused to herself. "And these guys could spread out on this side," Spice piped up, watching Gamma closely. Having been with her for the whole week she and Rido had been here, she'd learnt to read her fairly well. "Whilst we spread out on the other side of them," Gamma continued with a nod to Spice. "Then what?" Rougarou snapped, "we chase them toward you like snapping mutts?" "Oh shut up," Gamma growled at the snappy female. Aden tensed slightly, but said nothing about the reprimand, even as Gamma said, "we're trying to work out a compromise here. You guys are the outsiders. So just shut your rutting muzzle and stop with the attitude." Rougarou stared at her, wide eyed with shock, before those pale green eyes narrowed to a glare. "She's right, Roo. Calm," Cat soothed. "What did you have in mind after we've surrounded them - as best we can, anyway, with so few of us," Aden inquired, curious. "If we all charge from different directions," Gamma muttered, thinking to herself, "then the herd will scatter, no matter how big. We're predator the same size, if not bigger than most of them. They're prey animals, they'll panic quickly." "Once they've scattered, we can go after the caribou by themselves, who're separated from the herd majority," Alatan guessed, grinning at Gamma's nod. "It sounds like a good plan," Aden replied, thinking it through. "Solid enough. And if we make enough noise as we close it, it'll scare them more." They all nodded their agreement. "Spice, you go the end that's already the thinnest," Gamma said, but sighed at the chaser's glare, "you can't take on a bull, no matter how much you'd like to. Not by yourself. I don't think even I couldn't do it comfortably," she explained. "What about him?" Rougarou asked cautiously. Gamma glanced at her before following her gaze to Rido, who was watching them with lowered brows. Gamma looked back at Aden, levelling him with a steely stare. "You won't harm him?" she asked slowly. "Of course not," Aden breathed. "Then I want you stationed closest to him," Gamma replied immediately. "That one I trust about the same as I trust the snow beneath my paws not to melt in Summer," she ignored Roo's snarl as she looked to Cat, who watched her with keen eyes, "and you're better off closer to Spice, just in case. You'll be quicker than Aden should anything happen," the brown female nodded in understanding - and agreement. Gamma turned her attention back to Aden. "He's my partner. My best friend. I am trusting his safety in your paws. Do not betray that trust. You see a caribou coming his way that you think even for a second will hurt him, you come help him. Understand?" Aden bristled at the tone, but nodded nonetheless. "Of course. I will not let him come to harm. In fact," he started, taking a step forward. Slow, to show he meant no harm. Gamma stepped back, away from her human, as Aden came up to him and crouched low, gesturing with his muzzle to his back. "He can ride on me," Aden told Gamma quietly, watching the young man keenly as he came forward, allowing him to stroke his muzzle and run his hand through his thick mane. Gamma met Rido's questioning stare and nodded to him in answer. Needing no more encouragement, Rido tentatively climbed onto the dire Tokota's back, settling in as much as could, gripping the beast's mane, white knuckled. Aden stood. "Well then," Gamma said after watching the both of them for a long, tense moment. She turned to go, "Let's-" "Wait," Cat said, stepping forward. Gamma paused, looking to her. "What's your names?" she asked, glancing at her and Alatan. "Gamma." "Alatan." The Tokotas nodded in silence and watched as the vayrons made their way around the valley, keeping well away from the caribou herd to get into position. "Soon," Aden whispered to his friends. Soon the hunt would begin.