He had been tracking a small herd of deer for a couple of days and had finally gotten his prize. One of them had slipped off of the ice and into the ocean, and when it finally made it to the shore it had been too tired and wracked with cold from the freezing waters, making it a slow and easy target for him to bring down. He stood over his kill, tongue swiping over his lips to clear it of blood. It wasn't an easy journey tracking them here, but with the scarcity of prey this winter he couldn't afford to just let them go. Now all he had to do was take it back to Acapella and the others, and no doubt she was worried about him. He had promised to return as soon as he could, he just didn't anticipate having to track them so far. No matter, he had his prey now and all that was left was to bring it back safely. He picked the deer up by the throat and started to drag it away. So focused on trying to get the kill back to Acapella, he hadn't realized that something else was tracking him. He was unaware of his stalker, at least not until the world became so eerily silent that it just felt wrong. He shortened his steps, blue eyes narrowing as the fur on the back of his neck started to stand on end. He remained quiet, ears slowly moving as he strained to listen for any sound around him. Carefully, he placed the deer on the ground so he could get a better smell of his surroundings, nostrils flaring as he tried to detect something other than the fresh kill he had. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye, his head turning to try and catch whatever it was but the figure slipped behind the cover of the trees that adorned this place. A low growl began to rise in his chest, one that was almost quiet enough just for him to hear. He scanned his surroundings, paws turning him in a slow and careful circle to try and catch sight of whatever seemed to be watching him. He didn't smell anything and the lack of wind didn't help him either. The world had fallen silent and still, and it began to set him on edge a little bit. Whatever was watching him, he didn't like it...he didn't know what it was. Another wolf? A bird? Someone he knew? "Alright," He muttered to himself, his irritation growing. "I know someone's there, show yourself!" He bellowed into the silence. His voice echoed around him, but no answer came. Eyes narrowed, ears flattening against his skull as that nagging, prickling feeling wouldn't go away. He wasn't about to just stand here all day waiting, either. So he decided to pick up his kill again and try to hurry out of there. He didn't get further than a few short steps before something came bursting out of the trees and crashed into his side, sending him rolling into the snow and forcing the air from his lungs on impact. Surprised and winded, he blinked his eyes open to see a cougar in front of him, a massive paw aimed directly at his face. Greed managed to wriggle away just in time as he clumsily got back on his feet, teeth bared as he instinctively snapped at the incoming paw. The cougar roared as his teeth closed over one of its toes, but it managed to yank itself free. Greed squared off, his hackles bristling and teeth bared as the pair circled one another. He had tracked this kill for a good while and he didn't really feel like letting it go without a fight. The cougar no doubt, was hungry. Which was more than likely the cause on why it had decided to attack him for the easy meal. He circled back around until the deer carcass was behind him and the cougar was in front of him. He feigned a lunge towards the cougar, who in turn hissed and swiped at him. He waited for it to attack first, and when it did he was ready. The feline charged at him and Greed did the same. The pair collided with force, though the cougar had the upper hand. It swung its forelegs around to either side of his body, claws gripping and digging into his shoulders which caused him to yelp with pain. He swung his head towards the cougar's throat, aiming a bite at the side of its neck and shaking his head as much as he could. The cougar claws at him as it tried to bite his face, but he kept tucked close to the cougar's neck to avoid it as much as he could. When he felt his fangs puncture the cougar's skin, it roared and pulled away from him. Narrowed blue eyes watched for a second as the cougar's right paw came swinging at him, and as he tried to turn his body away he felt claws slash across his left shoulder. A pained growl slipped from his jaws, and while he wanted to continue fighting he was beginning to feel the exhaustion from his previous trek. Panting, he growled and turned his body, following the cougar's movements as it circled him. His shoulder bled the lacerations left behind from the cougar burned. While he didn't want to leave his prey, he knew he wouldn't win. He couldn't chance to get severely injured out here so far from the others. Reluctantly he began to back off, teeth bared as he moved away. As the cougar hissed at him, Greed backed off and went back the way he came. He was pissed that his kill had been stolen from him, but there was nothing he could do in his state of exhaustion without getting seriously injured, or worse. With a bleeding wound and his left foreleg held off the ground, he began his slow journey back to the mainland. "Talk"

“speech” & thoughts   Dante ambled lazily along his path. His maw gaped slightly, satin tongue eased out from its ivory cage. The rogue had journeyed to that area in hopes of finding prey. After several days of surveying he was finally able to latch onto a herd and cautiously track them. However, he soon discovered that he was not alone. He never saw the other wolf, but he’d stumbled upon its scent more times than once during his trek. It was probably for the better anyways that they’d never crossed paths. Andante was not sure how that may have turned out and he wasn’t in the mood to be defensive.   The faint scent of blood , metallic and enticing, seeped into his nostrils. His head perked up in interest, a sly smile on his mug. Well, it certainly seemed like somebody was able to get a kill in. If that were true then it meant that the herd was nearby. Andante heaved his massive frame atop a heavy log before crossing over it. Creamy mitts would sink into the ground as he landed with a thud. He let out a small hum of contentment before easing into a traipse towards his goal. He’d just broken through the barrier of the trees, reaching the shore, when he spotted the other male heading straight towards his way. Dante swiftly halted in his stride and didn’t advance further. The other wolf was still about an acre away and Andante could make out his striking colors, but that was it. He kept his distance before sidling up along the tree line and creeping in closer. His frame was tense, his expression stoic. He kept his gaze fixed on the stranger. That was when the scent of fresh blood hit him! He could smell it way before he spotted it. Is he wounded? He queried silently. Brows would furrow in deep thought before he suddenly barked out in concern to the male.

He was in a very sour mood. He was upset that he hadn't been able to keep the prey. Angry that a damn cat had been able to drive him away from his kill. He supposed he was glad he was alive. Before meeting Acapella and taking her under his wing, he wasn't afraid of death. But now? He feared it. Only because if he died, Acapella would be on her own again. And that thought made his chest ache. That wasn't the only thing that ached though. His shoulder hurt, forcing the male to walk on with a limp as he hugged his injured leg closer to his body. The snow didn't make it easy, however. And he had a long way to go to get back to Acapella. She was waiting for him, and he was determined to get to her as quickly as possible. His usual cold gaze was glazed over with pain and feverish determination. His gaze was on the ground, ears listening for any sound of approach in the event another predator tried to ambush the injured wolf. It wasn't until he heard a bark up ahead that his head snapped up, blue eyes finding a brown male some distance away. Great...someone to witness my failure... He thought bitterly. He almost thought about turning away and taking a longer path, but he was already going slow. Doing that would take longer, and he wasn't keen on taking longer than he already would be. With a resigned sigh, he continued until he was within earshot of the man, though Greed was unsure if he was friend or foe, so as he approached, he took up a wary and visibly aggressive attitude. His hackles bristled, lip curling slightly to show the glint of fangs. Clearly showing the male that if he were a foe, Greed was still very much willing to fight him if need be. "Talk"