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 Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 5:39 pm
Under his breath, Captain sighed quietly. It was always a shame when the solution for a situation was forced towards violence. He took pity on the bear, wondering if maybe there had been a way to avoid this; one minute could have made all the difference.
But Captain was not named Captain (if that was even his real name) because he was a coward. One wolf would not be enough to take on a bear, even one as battered as this one was.
"Mister 'Jin, if you would keep Miss Heyoka back please. I would hate to get either of you dirty," the beta woofed casually, right before his entire body went tense - and then he was an orange blur.
Tisiphone might have been going for a frontal assault and death blow, but Captain knew better than to let the indignant rage going through his companion be contagious. A bear's fur was thick, and their necks even thicker. Better to agitate the creature's bleeding wounds further.
Rounding about, the male opened his jaws and aimed for one of the bear's wound-riddled back legs, hoping to sever a tendon and prevent her from charging.
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Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 10:14 pm
Held back now by Zanza and Captain, Heyoka seemed to be mollified -- but it was a fleeting thing. Her muscles sang with excitement and a shiver rolled down her spine, her limbs trembling. She didn't even hear Zana'jin's disparaging remark about her distraction: all eyes were focused on the bear.
She wanted to come for her, specifically? Well, all the better.
A pure delighted laugh barked out of her, gleeful and resounding like the call of a hyena -- and then she was all business.
Say one thing for Heyoka. A wolf couldn't survive this long pulling dangerous stunts unless she was actually pretty fast on her paws and a quick thinker to boot. She'd started her fair share of fights, and won more than a few on her own merit.
She thrust her shoulder into Zanza'jin to shove him out of the way -- more so he wouldn't get in the path of the on-coming bear than so he wouldn't stop her from fighting -- and darted forward. For a moment, it looked like she was meeting the bear head-on, but at the last second she darted sideways and swept up beneath the bear, aiming to bite at the loose flesh where leg connects to body. The fur was thinnest there, she thought, and it would be hard for either forepaws or teeth to catch her here.
It occurred to her just now that they must be making a terrible amount of noise, and that perhaps the residents of this territory might step in to intervene. Well, a few big-pawed wolves might come in handy.
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Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 10:36 am
The bear knew her end was coming, but it didn't matter. She was injured, her cubs were dead, and she had decided to stare danger in the face and egg it on. Kodia wasn't afraid of death, and so, she met the wolves head on, without fear. The gray one ducked under her reach, going for her belly with a speed she'd expected. Instead of trying to swipe at her, she kicked forward with her back leg, catching Heyoka with her claws, but it was only a grazing wound. The angle was wrong, and the brown one had attacked her other leg, the more wounded one. She stumbled, roaring her rage. By then, the third one was on her, the black one, and more wounds were opened.
But even through the sound of blood pounding in her ears, she heard reinforcements, their scent drifting to her acute nose. She would die fighting at least.
Zanza'jin had laughed as soon as Captain had asked him to keep Heyoka in check. Was he serious? No one could keep Heyoka in check, and after watching the three of them charge in, he had chosen to stay where he was. He wasn't a coward, but neither was he ready to die an early death. He hadn't yet wooed Tisiphone, after all. And as he watched, he caught the smell of them just as the bear did.
The pack wolves were here.
A massive wolf, his fur a mixture of shining black and burnt orange, burst from the foliage. Another wolf appeared beside him, just as large, but more boldly colored with red, black, and white fur. They towered over the others, and Zanza wondered if all mountain wolves were this large. He realized that they were also the wolves that had been marking the territory. The alphas then...
"Hey, Tisi...I tink we got company..."
"Enough!" Hephaestus roared, worry etching his brows. The wolves were in serious danger, whether they outnumbered the bear or not. Already the gray one bled, and the bear swiped at the black female, catching her with her claws. But he worried more for the bear and didn't want to see her die.
He charged at the bear, Deimos mirroring him from the opposite side. They moved like lightning, low to the ground and as swift as a hunting hawk, between the attacking wolves and the bear. Hephaestus saw Deimos confront the gray one, snarling at her because she wouldn't move. But he had faith in his nephew, and turned his attention to the bear, hoping these trespassers would take the hint.
"Enough, great one. You don't need to fight any more." He dodged her swinging paw, keeping just out of her reach. The big male had gained all of her attention, as he had planned.
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Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 11:54 am
Distantly, Tis heard Zanza’s warning and noted that he had not joined in the attack. Later, she would deal with that, for the band moved as one, or not at all, but for now, she had more pressing matters to attend to. The new wolves, the locals, had arrived, providing something of a distraction. What would their reaction be?
In that moment of distraction, the bear caught her in the side. It was not a deep wound, more of a scratch, really, but she should not have been that careless. Heyoka had already been wounded, as well. Tisiphone snarled her fury, tensing for another strike, but before she could make her move, a great, black and orange blur darted between her and her target. Tis was ready to see red, a low growl rumbled in her chest before the backwash of the first wolf’s scent reached her nose. It was that heady, decadent scent that had stood out so strongly to her earlier. In fact, fresh and strong, it was even more distracting, even through her anger, but she did not want to be sidetracked. She wanted blood.
Well, more blood than already coated her maw from when she had bitten the bear.
However, the great wolf was already addressing the bear, for all the good it would do him. Another wolf was trying to corral Heyoka, Tis saw, and when he snarled at her, she felt a fresh wave of anger. Strangers were interfering with her wolves. She twitched with the need to move, to protect her wolves from all of these others, but she held herself in check.
These were the natives, she reminded herself; she had to play nice. It would not do to alienate them so soon, not when she had already told her band that they would try to find a home here. Still, she thought it might be worth it, to see the bear dead and get that red wolf away from her foundling. A shudder rippled all the way down her body. How she wanted to attack.
She knew she had to calm down, but it had always been easier to embrace anger than to let it go, ever since…
Tis exhaled sharply and glanced at her boys, but both Captain and Zanza seemed fine. Despite the red wolf before her, Heyoka, too, seemed well enough. Assured that they were all safe for the moment, Tis used the conversation between the big wolf and the bear to distract herself from her rage.
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Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 12:25 pm
The bear lunged at this new annoyance, his words bouncing off of her rage at first. But as he nimbly dodged the blow from her claws, she seemed to come back to herself, realizing that he was not trying to attack her, as the others were. Even the red and black male was trying to keep the green spotted one from biting her. Their actions made her pause, and she tilted her head at Hephaestus, her breathing heavy. Blood dripped freely into the soil now, but she paid it no mind. "Give me a reason that I should stop fighting, old one." Heph bristled at the old comment, but he shrugged it off, knowing she meant no ill-will at the nickname. His gaze flitted to Deimos, who kept stepping into the gray female's path every time she tried to go around him. The black female seemed ready to burst, her bloodlust quite clear.
Focusing his attention on the task at hand, he looked the bear in the eyes.
"Your cubs were killed," he started, seeing her tense at his words. The red started coming back to her eyes, and he hastened to continue, "But that does not mean that you must die as well. You are young. You have much to live for, even if revenge is one of those things."
He took a slow step forward, his body language languid and friendly. His bushy tail wagged gently behind him. "Have more cubs some day."The bear snorted, but the rage was leaving her. It showed in her eyes, the red dwindling away to reveal soft black, and her entire body seemed to sag from her exhaustion and pain now that the adrenaline was leaving her. "There is no point. They will simply be killed again." Heph softened, his voice earnest when he said, "Not if you stay with us. We will protect your cubs. Stand by your side."
He was taking a gamble. Bears were dangerous, known for their explosive tempers. But he couldn't let her die, especially not at the jaws of wolves trespassing on his grounds. Normally he would welcome strangers, if a little suspiciously at first until he knew their intent. But these wolves had not only gone far into his lands, but they had also attacked a creature on them. The fact that it was a bear meant no difference to him. He could only imagine what was going through Deimos' head.The bear looked away, her gaze losing focus. Protection. It rankled her to even think about accepting protection from a mere wolf, but at the same time, she didn't want to go through this kind of pain again. Her heart ached, and though it would heal over time, she didn't think she could handle it a second time. She opened her mouth to say something, but her strength failed her, the blood loss and exhaustion winning out. She slumped to the ground, darkness consuming her. Heph rushed forward, but sighed in relief when he felt her hot breath on his foot. She had simply passed out, too weary to continue. He lifted his head to the heavens and let out a clear, ululating howl that echoed around them. It was a call to arms, the first step in fixing this huge mess that he and Deimos had walked into.
When finished, he looked at Tisiphone with a slightly unfriendly look.
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Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 12:47 pm
 Mythrila might not have been there for a long while, but it was hard not to distinguish when one of the alphas was calling. What could it be this time? she wondered as she loped towards the sound. Trespassers? Prey? Both?
She had the wild thought that maybe it was her sister. There was absolutely no evidence to suggest this, but Myth couldn't help herself.
She loped along faster, quickly panting in the summer heat.
Indeed there was a wolf with the alphas. Two wolves. Three. Four? And a bear!
None of them were blue, however. She sighed inwardly and began to slow as she approached, woofing to alert Deimos and Hephaestus of her presence.
There was a lot of blood on the ground. Too much red. Mythrila winced and looked away from it. "Raiders?"
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Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 1:02 pm
Just as quickly as Captain leapt into the action, he was quick to back out of it. The roars, the shaking as the bear had tried to dislodge him, and the presence of two rather large wolves: it was more than enough for Captain to let go and reassess the situation. He licked his maw of warm blood and observed his companions: Zanza'jin, who had been shoved out of harm's way and happily kept it so; Tisiphone, battered and still bloodlusting despite it, no doubt angered that their fight had been interrupted; and Heyoka, who was . . .
Sigh. "Miss Heyoka, you've gone and disobeyed me again," Captain told her with an odd mix of disapproval that she had done so, relief that she had not been harmed, and familiarity that was only found amongst the four companions.
The bear was dealt with, weakened and on the ground; if she stayed, Captain made a note to apologize for their attack when she was healthy once more.
Now. The packwolves.
Captain had no doubt that at least the spotted one with blue eyes had created some of the tracks they had found, and to be honest his size did intimidate the beta. Assuming a more relaxed, submissive pose, he placed himself back beside Tisiphone and cleared his throat.
"Not raiders, miss, but simple travelers. The bear came to us with violent intents; we had no choice but to defend our own. Please do not take it as a sign of hostility -"
- this being said with a bristling female beside him -
"- more than it is our willingness to defend our own. We have been searching long and hard for a place to stay, you must understands, sirs and madam."
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Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 1:53 pm
“Any threat to mine must be dealt with,” Tis agreed, keeping her eyes on the big male as she licked the blood off of her own maw. She was beginning to calm down a little, her anger tempered by Captain’s usual sensibility. Still, she did not appreciate the way that they had interrupted her dispersal of justice, nor did she like how quickly that that male had managed to stop the she-bear, even if it was only because of how wounded and weary the beast was. It would not take much to set the midnight-black wolf off again.
“The bear had made her choice,” she continued. “We offered a peaceful resolution, she said she wanted death. I will not stand by as anyone attacks my band.” However, now that she had heard the bear’s motives, she felt a little less hostile about it. Tisiphone knew what it was to lose something precious. But her thirst for revenge had outweighed any longing for her own death, by far.
Tis’s eyes flickered to Heyoka, who was still at an impasse with the red wolf.
“Heyoka,” she said firmly, “Stand down. You cannot fight an unconscious bear.” She did not like the way that the red wolf was looking at the smaller female, either. The last thing that they needed was for Heyoka to pick a fight with a local wolf, especially when their alpha had already called for the pack. And especially when Heyoka was already wounded and her opponent would be much larger and stronger and quite fresh.
Tisiphone did not know what she would do if a fight broke out. She might not be able to hold herself back, her control was so frayed.
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Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 1:58 pm
Bia was old and weary, she looked forward to days of rest and peace, of tending young pups and trying so hard to relieve her happy motherhood memories. The older female was harmless but still she rushed out and followed the alpha males in support. If she couldn't physically be of aid at least she could stand by her family and support in any way it was asked of her. After so much time and after so many foolish deeds she had to find redemption where she could.
Her eyes fell on the bear and she felt a tightness in her chest for the female. No mother should ever be separated from her pups for any reason, a lesson she had sadly learned too late.
"She needs rest and care..." Bia murmured softly as the bear fell and then raised her gaze to the strangers. She stayed put and frowned to herself keeping quiet until it was clear if these wolves were dangerous or not. Her eyes traveled back to Deimos not only for instruction but with a mothers adoring and worried gaze.
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Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 9:50 pm
It was not too long after the call was made that the gathering of the Acropolis wolves had arrived on the scene with their alphas. The young Beta pushed past the brush and down to his alpha's side, taking a quick observation of the situation. An unconscious bear, a pack of wolves in their territory, the alphas, Bia and Mythrila are here, and the air was thick with tension. Looking to the four strangers, his fur raised at the glances at the black female, such bloodlust intent...
"A place to stay?" He asked the, assumingly, lead male of the group. "A home you seek, and here you stand before those whom call it home."
Ehrek flicked his tail behind him as he assessed the situation further silently to himself. Strangers in their land was not an unusual event, not too long ago, another wolf entered their home and called it her own. At least for the time, as far as he could tell.
The charcoal-blue wolf came to the red alpha's side, nudging him.
"I know of a bear whom could be with her. He'll at least provide some semblance of being with her own rather than surrounded by us," looking worried toward the female ursine, he gave a sigh. "Do we even know what took them from her? Her cubs?"
Putting a bear, whom gone through such a tragic event, with those who caused it would do no good for any. Hopefully, the option of introducing her to Sancho would ease her when she was ready.
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Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 10:25 pm
Pain seared through her as the bear's claws grazed her, and she laughed again -- a deeply unseated, high-on-life maniac laugh. The wound wasn't deep, but it was just enough to sting, and she grinned and made another lunge for the bear's flank.
Then, before she could move, a wolf!
A giant hulking beast of red and white and spots. She growled in frustration, but already the fight was leaving her. She became aware of the arrival of other wolves, and distant conversation, and her ears flopped back, eyes narrowing.
This was a buzz-kill, is what this was. The fun had gotten out of it. The bear wasn't even fighting anymore. It had been good while it lasted, but this rush was over.
Unless...unless the new wolf wanted to fight!
Heyoka flicked her eyes up at the wolf and she opened her maw to start conversation, but Tisiphone broke into her thoughts.
Stand down?
She sighed and withdrew, sulking a little. She was moderately surprised to realize that the area had nearly exploded in wolves.
Calmly, as though she hadn't just been starting fights with enraged ursines, she flopped back on her haunch and began disinterestedly examining the wound on her side. She tilted her head, licked the coppery blood, and smiled.
"Sorry," she called, in the bear's direction. Her ears drooped. "Nothing personal."
And for Heyoka, at least, that was true. It was like somebody had turned an off-switch in her thoughts. She looked over, somewhat obediently, at Tisiphone and awaited further instruction.
She'd have to apologize to Captain later, but she knew he'd understand. Somehow.
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Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 8:53 pm
 Deimos curled his lip at Heyoka, but only because she looked disappointed that her time of fun was over. He saw a strange light in her eyes, and wondered if she was slightly off her rocker. It wouldn't be the first wolf he'd come across that was.
"Don't be so disappointed, young one. I'm sure you will find something else to occupy your time with," he said, his deep voice clearly heard throughout the small space. Sensing that he could leave off baby-sitting her, he turned to the rest of the wolves, eyeing each of the painted ones in turn. He met Tisiphone's gave last, and held it the longest, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"We found the mother's cubs dead not too far from here. A male bear killed them, so I doubt she wants anything to do with her kind right now," he said in answer to Ehrek's unspoken thought, because he knew his mate that well. Huffing, he broke contact from Tisiphone, not in a show of submission, but clearly showing her that he did not care to stand there playing dominance games. Tail held high, he went to his mate, nuzzling the smaller blue wolf. Hephaestus nodded, leaning forward to nudge the bear. She probably wouldn't move on her own for hours, and he didn't want to leave her here, vulnerable. He looked behind him, searching the trees.
Where was Syn?
"Why do you seek a place to stay? Four is plenty to control land of your own. Why travel so far, especially to this place? We live amongst the clouds, and most find it to be uncomfortable."
He asked this all while still searching the trees, his concentration split. He could hear the others coming, Lachesis and her sisters, her daughter. Phrixos from the opposite side, no doubt just returned from one of his romps. Dione stepped from the trees behind Deimos, coming up to sit beside her alpha and son, she, too, staring at Tisiphone. They all arrived, one by one, and surrounded the intruders. Hephaestus realized then how much his pack had grown, and how potentially ominous their unified presence might be.
"Well?"
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Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 10:09 pm
Sancho would have been a friendly face for the female, a very affectionate one that ursine was, but if the case was as Deimos said then his friend would be in danger. A male must have attacked her cubs to entice her to mate again, or something. The beta looked upon the fainted mother with woe and sadness as it gripped his heart. To lose her offspring in such a way...
His mate nuzzling into him nearly pushed him over due to unanticipation, knocking the blue one out his thoughts. Smiling, he returned it briefly. Luckily, he had his mate and the pack was safe. Everyone was safe.
Ehrek watched as the other members of the Acropolis soon arrived on the scene, one after the other, including the sister fates. He manages to catch a glimpse at the two females, specifically the one whom was staring down Deimos. He resisted the urge to growl at her, feeling as if she was trying to entice him to attack or something. Ehrek pressed his head firmly against the red alpha's side and continued to look upon the crazed female.
Mine, he thought.
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Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 12:09 am
Tisiphone was glad when the red one turned his attention away from Heyoka. It allowed her to relax a little more, gain a little more control over her anger. At the same time, the growing number of wolves surrounding them made her a little edgy. It was true that she had wanted to try living here. It was even true that she was glad for the pack’s large numbers; that was one of the things that spoke in their favor. However, it was also true that this was not the ideal situation in which she had hoped to meet them all. If the local pack decided that her band was better off dead, there was a good chance that it would end that way, or at least, there was little chance that they would escape without further injury.
Fortunately or not, the alpha chose just then to ask his question, which threw Tisiphone completely off balance.
Why did they seek a place to stay? Four was enough to control a territory? How could Tis even begin to explain to him what she was searching for when she barely understood it herself? Four wolves were not enough. Not nearly enough. Perhaps they could handle the usual threats, but she knew all too well that there were other dangers. Tisiphone had lived in a pack before she became a wanderer and collected her band. It had been a good pack, loving, if a little on the small side. There were only five adults, and the pups, but it they had never had any problems. They thought they were strong enough. Oh, how wrong they had been.
How could she make these wolves understand that it was not enough? If they could not hold their own territory, then they must find a pack to take them in. And they had found other packs. Dozens. More. She could not remember them all, but they were not good enough. They were not strong enough or large enough or stable enough. There was something about them that she did not trust. Nothing ever felt right. So, they wandered. They wandered and fought and survived while Tisiphone sought that indescribable something that she had never found.
“We do not seek a place to stay,” she said at last, her voice quiet, but filled with a solemn conviction. She had been staring at the ground while her thoughts and emotions tore through her, but now she lifted her head and met the large alpha’s eyes with her own clear, emerald pair. Her anger was nowhere to be seen.
“We seek a home.”
And there it was. Simple, really, and a fine distinction, something that many might not bother with, but it was the truth. Her wolves could survive anywhere. They had proven that with all of their traveling. But there was a difference between surviving and living, between somewhere to stay and somewhere that they could be truly safe. A place to call home.
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Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 1:31 am
Her ear flicked as Deimos spoke. "Pretty soon, I'm guessing," she muttered in regards to his comment. If he wanted to challenge her, she wouldn't back down -- she never backed down from a fight -- but she wasn't going to pick another fight. Not now. She'd gotten her adrenaline fix for the time being, and besides, the fun had gone out of it now that the momentum had halted.
Something stirred in Heyoka's heart which she thought might be pity for the bear. Somewhere deep in her thoughts, she remembered screaming...blood, so much blood...and then death. The memory made her shudder and she struggled to shove the heavy door in her thoughts closed before such thoughts flooded into her. Not here, not now.
She distracted herself instead by watching the interplay between the red and the blue wolves. Her brow furrowed, caught off-guard by their relationship; Heyoka had never witnessed such a thing, and it intrigued her.
"What Tisiphone's getting at," she said, knowing perfectly well that this was a point Captain should be making and not her, "Is where we live isn't really the point. How we feel when we get there is."
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