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 Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 6:54 pm
 Dáire sighed happily as he breathed in a breath of fresh spring air. The temperature was crisp and pleasant on his face as he dashed through the wood, on the hunt. He had chose to be daring today...and now he was further iinto the Fallenstand territory than he had ever been. Not too far of course...but it was still somewhat risky. It had been about a month since his little run in with Ra'shook and several other of the Fallenstand sabers, but Shook's warning had failed to phase him, and he continued to hunt from their bountiful lands, in secret.
He'd dodged a patrol earlier, easily, and was now on the lookout for something to eat. He slowed down abruptly, his ears perked, nostrils flared...something to eat would come in the form of a nice little doe today.....
He had taken her down without too much trouble, and he hadn't seen or heard any sabers in the process. He sat there in the snow, the creature's delicate neck snapped asunder in his powerful jaws, her form limp and bloody in the snow. Now came the difficult part, which was hauling the carcass off so as not to be discovered...it was what he liked least about hunting in forbidden places...you couldn't ever leave behind any evidence.
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 8:03 pm
Rashbah stretched her petite form as she woke from an exceptionally pleasant night's sleep. Her jaws opened wide and her tongue lolled out as she contently yawned a greeting to the morning's air. She scratched behind her ear with a hind leg. Today was going to be great.
After taking a few moments to collect herself, Rash quickly bounded out the mouth of her cave. Though she didn't quite know why, today she seemed more energetic than usual, more alive... and more anxious. It might have had something to do with this day being the eve of her second birthday... a date she wasn't likely to let anyone forget. With spirited bounds she made her way past the rows of caves at the base of Kelleopia, and up the path that led to her father's cavern. Of all the Sabers in Fallenstand, he was the LAST one she'd let forget such and occasion as this.. the eve of her birthday.
Once at the mouth of his cave, Rash was quick to make herself known. She rushed in, heading to the bedding area in the back of the cave where Ra'Shook slept... and the place where she had been born. Hah, how perfect she thought. Sure enough, the old Saber was strewn out in his usual place, sleeping contently... though not for long. Without hesitation Rashbah leapt atop him, taking an ear in her mouth and yanking it. "Wake up!" she called through clenched teeth. "Wake up old man!"
Ra'Shook's eyes opened groggily at the sudden pain of his ear being bitten. With a groan he rolled himself over, flipping Rashbah off in the process.
"Not today..." he moaned, "I've been walking."
Rash frowned at his words, knowing full well what he meant. He'd gone on another one of his 'walks', in which he walked the entire Fallenstand territory. It was something he had done well before she'd ever been born, and knew it wasn't something she could argue with. She had no choice but to let him sleep it off.
With a disgruntled sigh she trotted out of the cave.
She would just have to make her own entertainment today...
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 8:31 pm
Dáire sighed contently as he licked his bloodied maw. He had found a secluded spot, still within the Fallenstand boundaries, but fairly close to Midground, to take a rest and to lighten his load, so to speak. He'd started into the doe's tender flank, though he was quiet in taking his meal, merely praying that no one would smell himself or the fresh blood of his kill. The carcasses were always useful in marring his tracks as he dragged them off through the snow, but he would never be able to escape if he tried to run off with a kill on hand.
He let his mind drift to more pleasant places as he surveyed the terrain of the pride that did not want him there. They were lucky, as everything past the river was bleak, desolate, and all around crappy. The midground, where his den was occupied, was not so terrible, but he never would have been able to survive if he had not been sneaking kills from the Fallenstand territory for all those years. He gave a little purr, and stretched lapping at the open wound on the deer as he stood up, getting ready to move again.
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 8:52 pm
Rashbah wasn't about to let the old man bring her down... not today. Her tail flicked back and fourth in an agitated manor as she made her way down the trail, back to the main den area. She had the next couple of days off from the hunt, so she was free to do as she liked... though that was relative, considering all of her friends were in the leaving party. She paced around anxiously, trying to think who could put up with her today. Nothing in the world could get her to willingly approach Boon and Rummy... there was always Kesh... be he was so serious. No way he could be any fun.
Rash snorted restlessly. She couldn't understand why she was so pumped up this morning... but she needed to do something to burn off this extra energy. Where could she go... hrmmm.
A sly grin crossed her face. Ra'Shook was passed out from his walk... no way he could cause her any trouble if she were, say, to sneak away for a bit. Maybe head over to the Evergreen Woods... or perhaps even dare to take on the Cave of the Fire Mist. Her ears went back as she pondered the scenario... she'd not forgotten her last outing towards the Midground, and both those locations were smack in the middle of it. But she had to do SOMETHING. She roared softly in frustration. She didn't want to blatantly defy her father... but... if he'd just woken up, this wouldn't be an issue. So really it was all his fault.
Her eyes narrowed as the naughty little grin grew larger.
All that remained was a flurry of snow as she took off towards the forbidden Midground.
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 9:53 pm
The rogue sighed lightly as he gripped the neck of the doe again, starting to move off through the snow. The only thing that he left behind were the furrows of the carcass as he dragged it through the snow, and few drops of blood here and there. He was almost home free, and really doubted seeing any of the Fallenstand this far out. Even if he did...if it were one or two he might actually put up a fight and defend his kill.
But there were none, and he trudged along through the snow, still feeling calm and pleasantly well fed, loving the taste of the blood in his mouth. He had no clue what was coming of course...
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 10:19 pm
Rash was quick on her feet, moving swiftly further and further from the heart of the pridelands. She couldn't control it anymore... this feeling... this drive. It was pushing her forward, and driving out the thoughts of the Fallenstand law... and her own father's wisdom. But there was no real harm in it. After all, lots of Saber gather at the mouth of the Fire Mist cave as cubs.. it was like a game. Whoever went in the deepest before bailing was the winner.
She, of course, had never had the honor of such games. Keshboul had, she remembered. He had actually held the record for a time. Room and Rummy claimed to have had... but she knew better. Until this point it had never really occurred to her how much she had missed out on. She would have been sad, perhaps, if she'd ever known what she was missing out on... but even as a cub it hadn't really bothered her. She actually wasn't sure WHY it was she cared so much now... why she was just so DRIVEN.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Something... a scent... suddenly filled her nostrils. She pulled out the breaks and came to an abrupt stop. That smell... like... blood. Her ears swiveled around... the hunting party didn't come anywhere near these parts.
She took in another long, deep breath... it was defiantly the smell of fresh blood. And it was close. The encounter with the ROGUE (tehe) Saber wasn't far from her mind. Although she was disinclined to think such a thing would happen to her twice... she was also very wary. She sunk low to the ground, trying to pick up some kind of trail... perhaps the familiar scent of a Fallenstand that had just wondered too far...
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:02 pm
Dáire had once again set the carcass down for a short rest, though now he had seated himself, content with licking the dried blood from his paws and face, grooming the grime away from his delicate whiskers. His mind drifted back to the happening of a month ago...he was sure it hadn't happened far from where he was now.
He couldn't help but grin just a little bit as he thought about the female who he had exchanged words with...she seriously was the first female he had met in what seemed like years. Almost no one wandered into the midgrounds, and several of the ones that had had met their ends at his claws. Of course, he hadn't pursued said encounters...but he brushed those thoughts away, focusing on much fresher, more pleasant memories. It had actually been nice to see his own kind again, however stuck up and tight-assed they may have been. War did that to people, he guessed, not that it mattered to him.
All of a sudden, he was jolted from his thoughts by an almost familiar scent...one that he had not noticed before. He sat stock still, ears flicking, swiveling...trying to pick up any sound at all. The scent was vague over the smell of his kill...but it was there. He was suddenly nervous. If it were that big b*****d he might be in deep. No, he could always flee, they were close enough to the midground that he wasn't too worried. Not wanting to lose his kill, he picked it up and set off again, stepping quickly and continuing to listen.
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:23 pm
Rashbah's stomach churned a bit as she suddenly locked onto the trail where the kill had been dragged. It was VERY fresh... perhaps not even an hour old. But it wasn't the scent of the dead animal that suddenly frighted her...
Breathing heavily she noticed a single pawprint in the snow... clearly the others had been wiped clean by the carcass that was dragged across the snow.. but a single, LARGE indention remained. She crept closer, sniffing it gingerly... and suddenly flung herself back with fright.
It was him. The rogue from before. Their past experience together had left his scent burned into her memory forever... and here it was again, right in front of her. Rash tried to keep her cool, but she could feel the panic starting to rise up. The last time he nearly jumped her... and possibly could have done worse, hand Ra'Shook and the others not stepped in to defend her. But this time daddy wasn't around to bail her out of trouble... and from the look of things, neither was anyone else.
She debated what to do. The scent of the blood was still too overpowering to determine his exact location... leaving only the kill's trail as a guide. She could chance running back in the direction she'd came... though he very well could have already picked up on her scent, and circled around to take her from behind... just like before.
Her anxiety levels started to rise... colliding with her already overly excited, anxious mood. She was getting confused and agitated, and was hardly able to control the feelings bubbling up inside her. At last they got the better of her, and she roared out in frustration. A decision she immediately regretted.
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:47 pm
Dáire almost stumbled over the doe's body as the sound of the roar caught him off guard, startled him even...it was really the last sound he was expecting. A minuscule growl rising in his own throat, he crouched, ready to take action, his mind working quickly. He realized quite suddenly that if it were the big bad leader, that he never would have roared, given himself away. The rogue's tension eased away some, and he straightened up, looking around. It hadn't sounded that far off...
Slinking through the underbrush and away from his kill, Daire tried to pinpoint the other's location, hoping to approach from the side rather than from the front. He took in a deep breath, and came to another realization...that scent, it was the very youngster who had been on his thoughts only a while earlier. Immediately he was overcome by a certain kind of amused glee...he couldn't believe she was out here yet again. Of course, there was the danger that daddy could be nearby as well. He continued to watch, slinking past bushes and trees.
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Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 5:46 pm
Oh god... what had she done. How STUPID... giving yourself away like that...
She started to fidget, pawing nervously at the ground as she continued to survey around her. It looked like there wasn't a choice now... she'd have to make a run for it. Her eyes clenched tightly together, a wave of heat washing over her. She was hot. Unnaturally hot. What was WRONG with her. Suddenly, it seemed, she was completely disorientated, and everything around her was spinning. She growled, confused and angered at the sudden intensity of her frustration. That was it. She couldn't handle this anymore.
Rash took off, sprinting in whatever direction she'd happen to have been facing. She didn't know which way she was going, or whether it was towards home or the intruder... the important thing was that she was going. Her eyes were still tightly shut, not allowing the dizziness to slow her down. She would just have to keep pushing forward... until she was home... she was safe...
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Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 6:26 pm
The rogue's eyes narrowed as he finally spied what he was looking for, a grin playing across his features. She was just as beautiful as he'd remembered, and he wondered what had possessed her to come back out so far...that father of hers was obviously over-protective. It was amusing really, that a saber should be so protective of his offspring, at her age. He observed her there, standing and fidgeting in the snow, a frown flashing over his features...something was wrong with her.
Sick, perhaps? He didn't have long to think on it, and he jumped as she took off, only to make the same course of action as he darted after her with a grin. She hadn't even turned around...she was still sprinting in the direction of the midground. As he followed her he leapt over underbrush and other small bushes, easily able to follow her as she sped off blindly. "Where do you think you're headed!?" he cried out, and took a swat at her hindquarters, his claws retracted, not wanting to injure her just yet.
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Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 6:48 pm
Rashbah sprang up in terror at the sudden blow to her flank. Every hair on her body was standing on end as she landed in front of the male... the same rogue from before. Her ears lay flat on the back of her head as she hissed wildly... still too disoriented to actually launch any kind reasonable attack... not that such a thing would do any good anyway. He was at least twice her size.
"STAY BACK!" she shirked, her heart in her throat. Thoughts were spinning wildly in her head... she could hardly even keep her focus on the male. She knew that whatever had come over her was preventing any kind of logical action... but there was hardly anything she could do about it. Except keep trying.
She trashed about with her claws, vainly trying to ward him off just long enough to attempt another dash...
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Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 8:55 pm
Dáire skidded to a halt as the riled female landed before him, all puffed out. It was all he could do to keep from smirking or snickering at the sight of her, though it was somewhat scary as well. He backed up quickly as she hissed at him, his expression calm, if not a tad surprised.
"I'm not going to hurt you!" he replied as she screamed at him, and backed up more to give her some room. "I was never planning to!" he said, wishing she would calm down. He didn't think she would be so flustered still, even now, and he was starting to get an idea of what was wrong with her. He had opened his mouth to continue before she dashed off again, cutting him off. "Come on!" he cried, and took chase again, trying to cut her off.
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Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 9:14 pm
Rash didn't know what to think. No way this big male could be telling the truth... not after their first meeting. He'd nearly jumped her! No, she would keep running, and absolutely nothing would stop her.
Except maybe her own feet. A feeling of mortal fear ran down Rash's spine as her claws caught hold of a bramble, effectively halting any plans of escape. As the front paw remained fixed to the plant, her backside flew out from under her, sending her crashing down into the snow. She yowled, more from shock and fear than pan, and clawed wildly at the scraggly bush in which her nails were tangled. Her heart pounded wildly as she realized the rogue was almost upon her. In a frenzy she batted and flipped herself around, desperately trying to free herself before it was too late.
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Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 9:49 pm
Fortunately for her, Dáire really was telling the truth...and while he could be a deceptive b*****d, he generally wasn't totally malicious, at least toward good looking females.
He skidded to a halt once more when she became tangled, and watched her for a moment, calmly, perhaps waiting for her to expend a bit of that energy. She definitely wasn't sick...and a grin tugged at the corner of his fanged mouth as he thought about what it was that had her so bothered. "You finished, kid? For as fierce as your dad is I'm surprised you aren't as experienced with fighting." he said with a chuckle as he sat down in the snow, letting her flop around.
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