Virtuous hearts; Tirisfal Valley

He watched as the other two pounced on the elk, and positioned himself closer to solid ground. When Cumulus fell into the muck, he stopped himself from going back down. Jewel was in more trouble, dealing with the elk alone. She had grabbed its neck, leaving her vulnerable to the hooves. Doctor was immediately by them, jaws clamped down on one leg. The other made an attempt to hit one of them, but he kicked his own legs out, making the hoof strike empty air, and causing the elk to loose the balance it was trying to regain. He was tangled in a jumble of legs, and tried to hold all of them still as the elk was drained of life.

Cirrus remained alert when Faramir had said that wolves had chased after her. He looked behind her, again vigilant of the enemy, knowing that if they were to cross on his guard, Tirisfal would have no reason to forgive him. Faramir laid on his shoulder that he had offered, and with a watchful eye on the forest behind them, he led her to the high dens. "It's a bit of a climb, because we had a storm not too long ago and there was flooding," he said, mindful of her injured leg. "So don't be afraid to grab onto me if you need to. I'm sure that as soon as everything below is dry, that we will move back down to the dens by the lake." And at that moment, another howl rose in the air, also claiming injury. He gave a small smile to the traveler beside him. "Looks like you aren't alone in your travels," he said, hiding his doubt. Hopefully, that wolf hadn't been chased by dark wolves as well...

Meanwhile, Cumulus had to hold back a laugh at Doctor's mad barking at the elk. It was very silly-looking for him to do, but at the same time, it was a tactic that worked. He angled his way down the steep slope, careful not to fall right onto the elk's massive antlers, a sharp bark erupting from his lungs, startling the her. "Come on, bring it on!" he grinned, and jumped from the slope and onto the elk's back. He dug his teeth into the back of her neck, claws holding on, but she shied up in the air, and the next thing he knew he was tumbling down, down, down. He crashed into the thick mud that had been holding the elk down prior to Doctor's appearance, his landing soft. He groaned, stars in front of his eyes, bones bruised. He stood up, the world spiraling before him, turning back to the hunt at hand. "That one's gonna hurt in the morning..." he moaned, lifting a muddy paw and rubbing his head. Hopefully, Doctor and Jewel would have the situation under control, and the elk didn't come tumbling down his way if they knocked it over... The mud would take considerable time to get out of, and he was nowhere near fast enough to get out of the way if that happened...

Doctor replied, "I've picked up a thing or two on my travels. Trust me." He waited just long enough for them to get closer to their positions before he started to move. The fallen tree wasn't tall enough tall enough to reach him, but there were some boulders and the like to give him some just enough footing to get to the tree. The elk hadn't noticed him yet, as his steps were silent, and she was preoccupied. He let out a bark.

He watched in amusement as the elk turned to her left, but didn't see anything. Oh how he loved this. He couldn't make his voice echo here to make his call sound like many wolves, but he can throw his voice a bit, as if there were many wolves surrounding her, and the only free path was the one that lead out of the muck. He barked, and growled, a few more times, randomizing which direction the elk would hear the barking, and making sure the elk didn't look in a direction where she'd spot Cumulus or Jewel. He let out a final bark, as he suddenly lunged forward. This time, the elk craned her neck to see him stalking closer, along the fallen tree that had knocked her in. If the elk hadn't believed the wolves to be hunting her, she surely did now. She renewed her struggle to free herself, believing other wolves would show up soon, since this one behind her did. He got closer, and crouched down, snarling, as if he was going to jump. Just as he pretended to push his hind legs straight, the elk was able to struggle towards drier land. She wasn't quite on sturdy ground yet, but she was much closer than she was before, enough for the other two to finish it.

"We can heal you, but I can't say much about allowing you to join, as I'm a new member. You'd have to speak with their Alpha, Nuri Bade," Cirrus replied, not wanting to get into trouble. "But what happened? There aren't any dark wolves chasing after you, are there?" He looked in the direction she had come from, ears alert and eyes sharp for any followers. From what he understood, Tirisfal had been under attack not long before he had arrived - preventative measures needed to be taken to prevent any intruders. And, the dark pack of Akira was just over the mountains... She could be planning an attack any time she pleased, given her chaotic heart.

"But for the time being, you can come with me, and I can take you to the pack healer," he said, not seeing anything. "And my name is Cirrus, in case you were wondering. You can lean on my shoulder if you'd like." He gave her a smile, turning to the side so she could take it if she liked. He didn't completely turn his back on the forest, though, still alert, and wanting to keep a watchful eye for any enemies...

Cumulus grinned. "So, we're gonna be the big bad wolves and use some scare tactics? I like this," he said with a hint of deviousness, tail wagging. It had been so long since he had felt the thrill of the hunt. "I'm up for it." He looked down onto the embankment, the elk still kicking hard and bleating loudly. Other than the obvious danger of getting killed by her hooves, the only concern that crossed Cumulus' mind was the possibility of another predator showing up... A large predator, at that. The sound of a wounded animal was like a free meal. "We should get her before something else comes along," he said with a slight sense of urgency, even though Jewel was the leader. Whatever she said would go.

A howl rose in the air. Cumulus inwardly cursed - something else was already on its way. He looked to Jewel, heart thudding in his throat as he looked into her two-toned eyes, but he didn't let it distract him. He knew that in order to be with her, he had to prove to her what he was capable of first. And right now, that was succeeding at this hunt.

Cirrus paused on his way back to the main lands, hearing the howl as well. It was close to the hunting party, but it didn't come from them - no, it came from a newcomer, and on the opposite side that Cardinal was. He turned in the direction of the howl and came to an abrupt halt when he saw a white wolf with her front drenched in blood. He went on high alert, at first thinking that she was a threat, but he could see the pureness in her eyes. She had no evil intentions. She carried her front leg, as if sprained or broken. He cautiously approached. "Are you all right?" he asked. "What happened?"

He listened to their conversation, not having said anything earlier in thought. Even a trapped elk was dangerous, even for three wolves, one who doesn't yet have a large belt of experience, one who does, and one who he's unsure about.

"The only issue is killing her while keeping everyone safe. She's still going to cause a good struggle. I think we'll be able to get her out in the with your suggestion, though..." His eyes noticed the tree. It was still partly on shore and partly in the muck. It was safe enough for a skilled enough wolf to traverse upon. "Even elk know when they need to retreat. Seeing a free, not stuck lone wolf would get her anxious to get out. With all my travelling experience, I can safely walk on what's left of that tree and threaten her back towards the land. She'll tire out from the extra struggling to get away from me, and she'll be at a nicer place for you two kill her and for us to drag up." He looked at Jewel, almost expectantly, since he wasn't the one leading the hunt. The elk, would move back to shore to loosen her limbs to hit him if not try to escape. Either way, she'd still be tired from the sudden struggle to free herself, and her back would be to the two lying in wait, not noticing them. In this way, he wouldn't be as worried about Jewel and Cumulus taking her on, as she'd still be focused on him.

Cumulus followed Jewel to the scene. An elk was stuck beneath a toppled log, thrashing and making so much noise that he wondered how they hadn't heard it from the mainlands. His heart skipped a beat when she turned to him... Well, okay, not him specifically, but to the rest of the hunting party. He gave her a wide smile... Which probably looked retarded, and it fell just as quickly as it had been brought up. "Um... Looks... Delicious?" he said, his mind as spacious as it could be. He lowered his head and decided that talking probably wasn't the best idea. He needed to focus on the hunt. If he kept thinking about Jewel than skirting down the slope to the elk, trouble was likely to follow. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of such thoughts, even though he didn't want to... But for now, he had to, for everyone's sake. And, well, how else was he supposed to prove himself to her? He needed to be strong, clear-headed, and direct. There was no need for goofy puppy love when it came to this situation. He cleared his throat. "Pardon me. It looks like we will have to approach with caution," he said, raising his head and straightening his shoulders. He tried to mimic the pride Cirrus would get when speaking to women... Hopefully, he was pulling it off well.

Cirrus sighed, shaking his head. "No," he said. He wondered where the whelps could have gone, but it seemed that with not even a trace of scent, that they had vanished beyond the borders. They could be anywhere in the world, now, and two wolves of a small pack would never be able to cover such grounds. A howl rose in the air. "I'll head back with an update." Cardinal was much better suited to greet the new wolf than he, who was still a new wolf himself. It was a shame that they couldn't find anything, but there wasn't much more they could do. Cumulus trotted back into the main area, making a wide berth for the hunting party. He spotted Cumulus with them, close to his lady-friend. Well, at least the pup was enjoying himself. Cumulus wandered back to the dens, but to his surprise, one of the whelps had returned. "Well, what do ya know..." he said with a smile, but turned his gaze to Robin and Ali... Their little boy was still missing.

He didn't know why he felt the need to prove himself. Perhaps it had something to do with being the first-born of a litter; you were the first to experience everything, the first to challenge everything, the first to do everything. If you didn't do it first, then your younger siblings wouldn't do it, or they wouldn't know how to. He was wanted to set an example for Cumulus - especially since Nimbus tended to be a bad influence at times. The bru had a good heart, though, which was what was important. He wondered where his brother had ventured off to...

He couldn't help but grin a little at the way the two younger wolves looked at one another. Following the pair, Doctor paid attention to what Jewel was doing. This was her first time leading a hunt, and he wanted to see how well she'd fare. He knew she'd do a good job, but it was always good to have feedback if someone were to request it. She gave off the silent signal that there was something. Jewel was determining the sound, while Cumulus looked excited; they looked almost like opposites at the moment. With the patience he's had for a long time, he waited to see their next move. Would they go after the sound, or would they keep moving.

Cumulus loped like a hovering cloud at Jewel's side, light on his feet and swift on his toes, as not to make a sound in the blanketed forest. He saw her glance at him, and his graceful footing almost gave way, but he caught himself before he could make any sort of noise. He grinned, lopsided but handsome, and continued onward. His heart still pounded in his chest, walking at Jewel's side... And he didn't know why he liked her so much. She was much like the other fems back in the Cloud Kingdom, but... something about her was just different. He inwardly guessed that she lacked the holier-than-thou persona of most of the fems he had come to know; Jewel treated him as an equal, as a partner. Cumulus shivered - he wasn't sure if he was ready to venture into that territory yet. There was still a lot about her he had to get to know.

Jewel came to a stop, and he likewise, still at her flank. Her ears were twitching and her nose was sniffing, and a soft sound hit his own auds. He perked his head this way and that, trying to find the source of it, sky-blue eyes lit up in excitement. What could it be?

Ali's auds perked at a whimper from the back of the den. She nuzzled her husband and said, "Be back soon, love. Duty calls," and she darted for Namaria. She was awake again, and in a mild panic. Ali came to her side, gentle and calm. "You're all right, dear. You're all right. You're with me, Ali, a healer of Tirisfal Valley. Our wolves rescued you from the storm, remember?" Her blue eyes shimmered in the dim light, patiently waiting for an answer.

Robin sighed, but didn't let his smile fade. He looked to his daughter. "Good luck," he said, and sat back on his haunches, content. He watched the young male, Cumulus, follow Jewel and the rest of the hunting party. Cumulus fell into place at Jewel's flank, his sky-hued eyes ahead, nose down to the ground in search of a scent. Finding something might have been difficult because of the storm, but eventually, all the animals had to come out and eat again.

Cirrus followed Cardinal to the borders. He loped back and forth along the edges and a little bit beyond, but nothing sufficient crossed his nares. He thought he picked up on a scent, but he wasn't sure. He sighed, knowing that the parents of the lost whelps wouldn't be happy, but the truth was out.