She was continuing her journey through the territory just to refamiliarize herself with what she could, though truth be told she was putting off visiting either of her old homes. She'd heard rumor from Hige that Kouji was wandering around with his daughter somewhere, which could only mean that their birth pack had failed.... again...
She sighed softly to herself as she paused in working on the bone between her paws. The remains of a recent kill of deer. She wanted to run into someone familiar. Hell, she was even starting to miss Tsume. Maybe splitting paths hadn't been the best choice ever... She'd had a few months to do the single-girl thing again and in leu of this....
She hated it.
Talia grumbled and went back to aggressively working on that bone, wanting to hear it crack and splinter before she worked past the sharp shards to get to the marrow inside.
Shego was annoyed, which was a constant state lately thanks to her one time companion. Ever since her lynx friend had foolishly proclaimed he loved her, he stalked her in the hope she would reciprocate his feelings. She didn't feel anything for Lorcan but disgust and annoyance, how could that stupid cat honestly think she would see him as a mate. They had been partners in crime and on the hunt but she certainly had never deluded him into thinking any romantic fantasies of her. She lifted her head and sniffed her ears perking at the sound of tooth against bone. There was someone nearby and if she was lucky it would be someone she could take out some agression on.
She was aware when a new scent filtered into the area thicker than the rest. Someone was nearby, and by the smell of it not moving away either. Talia paused, lifting her head from her bone long enough to lick her chops, curious as to who had decided some stranger was worth seeing. The scent was completely unfamiliar, but wolf, and female, so she was definitely curious.
Green eyes focused ahead and she noticed a lone female enjoying a bone, well if she couldn't enjoy herself without that fool lynx stalking her she was going to make sure no one could enjoy themselves. She slipped into the open and eyed the female with a huff.
"Well now...you know it would be rude of you not to share that, I could hear you munching away from all the way down near the river." Which wasn't true of course but no one was about to give the vicious green she-wolf a prize for telling truths.
She moved closer her posture lifted her tail sweeping high and a determined look in her eyes. She would chase this female off and claim a prize and a moment of peace before Lorcan found her again.
Talia arched her non-dotted brow at the green female coming into view, not because of her appearance, but her words. Her bone laid between her paws already in a casual but secure grip, and she flashed the green and black she wolf a cocky, toothy grin.
"Oh? So desperate for another's leftovers, are we? You're more than welcome to the bones with the rest of the kill. This one, I'm afraid, is mine, friend."
She said the last word with just enough of an edge to make it clear that she was standing firm on that. The way she'd been greeted could still be a joke, but unless this female had other wolves with her to take it by force, or turned out to be starving, or a mother of too many pups to feed, well.... She was out of luck.
She didn't look pressed for a meal, no scent of puppies, and no sign of any other wolves about to jump her for one measly bone, so.
Shego let her lips lift in a small snarl, this female wasn't smart enough to recognize her subtle threat. She didn't care if there wasn't a scrap of meat left on the bone, the point was about making someone else unhappy. Now that the female had stated her claim on the bone Shego was determined to have it from her.
"I think not...you see I've had a very bad day, and I know exactly what would cheer me up. Now step aside unless your spoiling for a fight..." She growled low her tail sweeping the ground as she crouched. For a moment she felt a pang of guilt, she used to help others she used to feed orphan pups and stand alongside her family. She had tired of doing good for others though, it had never gotten her anywhere and left her alone and unsatisfied. She had turned her back on her brothers and their do-gooder attitude and become their total opposite, she lived to wreak havoc, chaos, and upset happiness. The only problem was at night when sleep found her she was still alone and unhappy.
Talia stood, smirking a bit, but was growling softly past the words she spoke next.
"Too bad for you I don't buy into being bullied. Sorry you're having a pissy day, but I'll be glad to humor you for a bit if you're looking to get taught a lesson."
Her own tail lashed slowly with aggression, ears slowly lowering back against her skull as she lifted her lip in an answering snarl.
Her guilt was short lived however since this female was hardly a helpless little pushover. She snarled and braced herself against the ground her hackles raising. Oh she thought she was tough did she, well even match or no she wouldn't turn from a fight. She lived for the rush of combat, the sensation of slamming, ripping, biting, clawing...for your life. Not that she had any desire to die but really it was pretty easy to throw yourself into the fray when you had no mate, no pups, no pack...nothing to mourn if you lost.
"Well..come on then teacher." She smirked and flung herself at the other female her jaws snapping quickly. This was gonna be good...
She snarled and braced, diving forward at the last moment to snap at the other female in return, not afraid to get bit but not looking forward to it either. She hadn't had a good fight in a while, not since her scrap with that other lone wolf, this was just what she needed. Even if she were to lose or come out with a draw at least she'd be keeping her fighting skills sharp.
Talia snarled and growled in anger as Shego's jaws found purchase on her once their bodies clashed with a loud THUD.
She aimed for the green and black female's shoulder, looking to dig in and do a bit of damage. If she could injure her seriously early on she might back down.
All this over a bone? No, honestly, it seemed like two females wound up and itching for a fight. It wouldn't have taken much.
Shego growled and let out a vicious snarl as she felt the other females teeth sink into her shoulder. It hurt she wasn't gonna deny it but pain she could handle. She shoved herself forward despite it unwilling to let the other female rip away. Her own teeth snapped down on something but she let go quickly enough and aimed higher trying to grab an ear or better some neck. Bringing down your opponent by the neck was almost always a sure win.
She twisted and moved trying to lift her body and thrust against the other female. She wasn't sure if she actually weighed more but maybe dropping on her would be enough to get her down. She was skilled though that was for sure.
When she felt Shego thrashing Talia timed it before quickly letting go and jerking back, refusing to let her get a hold of her neck. She didn't know how far the wolf would go, and a foolish death over a bone to pick wasn't something she was willing to face.
She growled and tried to ignore the singing pain of her own shoulder, but it didn't seem bad, the other wolf hadn't gotten in very long. She was an aggressive fighter, though. Talia charged again, low from the ground and threw her weight upwards, trying to tackle the other female to the ground. She'd always had a smaller size and build, but she wouldn't know unless she tried, and she couldn't win by being on the defensive.
Shego smirked as they tore away from each other both injured but both still full of passion and fire. Her shoulder throbbed but she had given as good as she got which lessened the ache in her mind. She crouched again watching the other female carefully trying to decide if she would go again. She came in low, and shego moved to leap just a fraction too late.
She winced as the other female threw her weight up and sent her sailing and crashing to the ground. She grunted and quickly whirled to stand with a snarl, she was fast if not bulky or strong. Cunning and agility often beat out brute strength, luckily shego wasn't a brute by any means. She ran in at the other female and sprang to the side at the last minute trying to snap her fangs into the she-wolfs side.
There was a brief moment when a fleeting sense of triumph flooded her system, but she pushed the thoughts back down, not wanting to let it cloud her judgement.
When Shego recovered and came at her again Talia was ready to dodge, but barely had enough room to do so. She almost got away, but by a narrow margin she didn't have enough room. Shego's fangs blazed a hot trail against her side. Talia growled again in anger and lunged right back in, not caring if it gave Shego a better hold. She was going for Shego's own ears and neck now, just as the green female had done earlier. Her already bloodied fangs sought a new hold on sensitive limb or appendages.
Shego snarled as she felt the female clamp on her ear and shook her head with the bit of skin she had on the side. She couldn't break away and risk tearing her ear, but she wasn't about to let go and simply hope that the other female would do the same. She growled against her side with a huff "Truce?" The word was muffled against fur, but audible.
Talia winced as Shego shook, returning the favor, but stopping short when the muffled word reached her ear, good thing too. If she had shaken as hard as Shego had then she probably would have ruined the appendage, and since it obviously wasn't worth it to Shego to take things that far Talia was willing to let the matter drop.
"Fine." She muttered back around her mouthful of ear, trying to look down eye to eye with the other female from the corner of her eyes. "... On three then."
As much as she loathed it she agreed and nodded her head, which probably also caused a bit more tearing in the females side what with her mouth clamped on the skin there. Still it wasn't exactly done in malice and on the count of three she let go and stepped back panting. She shook her head droplets of blood splattering off her ear. Well that was refreshing if not a tad on the painful side, would probably hurt a lot more tonight.
"Your not a half bad scrapper..." She finally huffed out and licked her lips her gaze falling back on the other female. She lifted her paw and brushed it over her head with a wince. "Time heals all wounds..." she muttered.
Once again Talia winced as she felt more tearing. Damn it!
She'd been wary, but on three they both let go, which to her spoke a bit of this female's character. She could have been completely distrusting, or tried to trick her.
She wiped at her muzzle with a paw, then licked away the rest, not having much fancy for the taste of another wolf's blood, though not opposed to grooming it off by conventional means. There was just no point in ingesting most of it if she could just bathe it off.
Plus she did still have her bone she could use to get the taste out.
"You either." She consented, figuring they had come out about even, with her side and shoulder wounds, and the other female's ear and shoulder wounds. As she stood catching her breath she ventured to ask. "Talia. What are you called?"
"I'm Shego...sorry about that I've been pretty foul since my friend turned stupid. He's been following me and my nerves are a little on the raw side." She gave a slow grin and shook off still amused that she and the female had been so evenly matched.
"Well...I'll leave you to enjoy your meal, I don't want to be around when that fool lynx comes through." She stood and flicked her tail with a smile. "You take care..."
Talia relaxed slowly as Shego did, and was even grinning back, sympathetic.
"We all have to get it out of our systems sometimes. Don't want to get too rusty, besides."
She ignored the slowly building ache as her muscles began to stiffen bit by bit, nodding.
"Shego. Might run into you again sometime... If I see your Lynx I'll be sure to point him the other way for you." She grinned, moving back over to her bone.
"You do the same, Shego." She smiled back, feeling pretty good considering she was coming away with bleeding wounds.
"Of course, and your obviously not rusty at all. It was a pleasure..." She shook off and turned to head out of the area and continue her wandering. Perhaps now she'd be less likely to pick on the next unsuspecting wolf.
"It's appreciate that immensely...he's green and black...and stupid." She huffed with a snarl. The truth was Lorcan was a cunning lynx, but he was an idiot to think Shego would ever love him as a mate.
"Until we meet again..." She gave one last shake off and loped away her green and black pelt quickly blending into the surrounding darkening forest.
