Chade’s confidence had been rising.  Lately he hadn’t been running from predators.  Between patrolling with Alastor and Manea he had fought a bear, a tiger and a bunch of hyenas, and he had found a bunch of dogs alongside another wolf named Fern.  Ricin and him had a future now.  There was more than just surviving today and discussing plans for the next day.  Now Chade saw years ahead of them, life ahead of them.  If there were any predators around they had better watch out!  Chade wasn’t backing down these days!

On top of that it felt more natural at this point to roam the boundary with Manea.  She wasn’t ‘another wolf’ who was with him but Manea, leader of the band he was part of.  Chade trusted her, well mostly, he still clung tenaciously to some distrust of fate and what the future might bring.  She was someone he enjoyed being near, to relax alongside.

Relaxed muscles twitched and his ears pricked up as he scented a bear.  The memories always came back on that scent but he wasn’t running now.  A whispered soft snarl pulled in his throat.  The bear was hated for the memories it brought alongside.  

The thing lumbered closer, its look questioning on them, a hint of grumpiness coming to it.  The bear wasn’t threatening them yet but its presence itself was a troubling thing when it got near the band.  Chade wanted to fight it but it wasn’t his decision to make, right?  He didn’t have to decide, a freeing thing.  He looked to Manea, “are we killing it?”

"Speech"

Manea walked alongside Chade again who had become a frequent companion on patrols with her. It was wonderful to see him progress and build his confidence with each encounter they faced, the boy growing like a weed and leaning more and more by the day. So much so that when they spotted a lumbering bear near by that wasn't even the aggressor this time he still looked to her with the question over whether they were killing it or not. She grinned and chuckled in response, raising her brow to him. "Do you want to?" She imagined they would either way since the bear just being near by was still a threat and she would rather nip the problem in the bud instead of letting it linger, but she was still curious to hear the boy's answer. Either way, she nodded toward the bear and added, "Why don't you lead. I'll back you up." He was getting to be quite the capable fighter in his own right and she wanted him to have the experience of having something that was "his" kill, even if she ended up doing most of the damage. She wouldn't let anything happen to him on her watch, but it would still be good for him to get some real life experience.

Manea | Temno | Ciemny

Chade nodded at Manea’s question an eagerness often reserved for youth.  “yes, please?” He’d lost the chance to have childish dreams or really enjoy foolish games but he was regaining something lost prior.  Dreams for the future and confidence in himself.  There could be more in life than one day at a time and predators like this bear were no longer a thing he had to run from to live.  It could learn to run from him.  Today he still needed the help of an adult but he could assist and when he got older he’d be as strong as Manea or Alastor and be able to kill these things on his own.

He was going to get to lead!  He had to be doing good if she was going to let him lead, right?  Chade was quickly growing stronger now that he had a constant supply of food and was able to rest properly each day.  On top of that, his body never seemed to want to stop growing!  

The bear turned its shoulder to them, seemingly willing to leave them be so it could go about its own devices.  For the moment at least the bear didn’t want to deal with them.  Chade glared at it, the way it seemed to find them no threat.  It was about to learn otherwise!   Chade walked closer to the bear one step, a second step and on the third, the bear looked at him with a warning gaze.  Chade stared at its eyes for a moment, deciding how he felt about having the bear's full attention.  It was perhaps only the beat of two hearts they looked at each other before Chade smiled at it.  His own personal victory as this time no fear fought against his ideas of fighting it.

With that sorted out Chade charged straight towards its back leg.  The bear of course turned about to face Chade but the boy just circled the bear, and indeed sunk his teeth into its back leg.  The bear spun about a paw coming out to swipe at the boy.  Chade danced with the bear as it turned a stride but grudgingly had to let go to dodge the claws.

The bear looked angry as it moved towards Chade.  The blue wolf raised up his hackles, showing his teeth daring it.

"Speech"

The eagerness and excitement the boy showed at the prospect of killing the bear that intruded on their territory was adorable in its own way and something she was certainly eager to encourage. As much as she would like for him to be careful with who and what he attacked, there would be plenty more time and life ahead of him to be careful. He might as well enjoy the fun of going after something fun and dangerous while he still had her at his back to make sure nothing bad befell him. Manea hung back just behind him as he started to move toward the bear at her insistence that he take the lead, keeping a close eye on the bear in question so that she could jump in when needed. The bear didn't seem all that concerned or bothered by their presence, at least not at first, but it and Chade had a momentary stare down and he watched the boy with a smirk while he stood his ground.

Chade rushed forward, landing a bite on its back leg, and dancing with the predator as it turned toward him with a swipe of his heavy paw. She enjoyed seeing Chade square off with the bear, especially as he snarled and bristled back at the bear as it rounded on him. It was such a departure from how she had found him fighting the bear to protect Ricin when they first reached the grove and it warmed her heart to see his growth. She decided to jump in and lend a paw with the bear now mostly facing away from her. She bit hard into he back leg that Chade had already injured, worsening the wound and giving a few hard shakes of her head to tear though tendons and cripple the limb. She leapt away again as it tried to round on her with a roar, but it stumbled as its back leg began to buckle under its weight and it was easy to avoid its attacks.

Manea | Temno | Ciemny

Even as Chade plotted his next attack Manea was there attacking it from behind, taking its attention off of Chade.  The blue wolf wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass it up.  Nor was he going to treat this where the adult did most the work and he got a piece of it.  As the bear stumbled Chade leaped onto the bear’s back, causing the back leg to fully slap into the ground and throw the bear even more off balance.  Chade sunk his teeth into the bear’s neck, and for a moment he had it but then the bear was getting back up and Chade didn’t have the balance to stay up and finish the job.  Chade jumped off before he could be thrown off.  Even as he landed the boy grinned pleased with himself.  Blood was seeping out of the neck wound.  

He couldn’t have done that without Manea’s aid to steal the bear’s attention and worsen the leg but it sure felt good to see.  The bear rage roared angrily at both of them, for a moment he thought it was going to try and run away with how it shifted but instead it did a lumbering charge straight for Chade.  Yup, angry and dumb.  

The dark blue wolf was forced to retreat at least momentarily when the bear lunged for him, injured or not those claws and teeth were sharp enough to respect the attack.

"Chade & Ricin"