Fight off another hungry predator from something you recently killed.
313/2500 WC

She knew as a vagabond she was limited. Help would have to come in order to survive the location she found herself in. The North was harsh and unforgiving, but she found solace in this woodland. The scent of prey was heavy, so she opted to follow a trail at random and see what she finds. Random is as random does, she can't survive off fish forever. Wren tries to track as stealthily as possible. She also knows as a lone woman, she had a chance to catch anything unawares. Her scent isn't heavy with a pack. She doesn't seem to be threatening. That has to change sometime. She should really throw herself into fights and work on her skills. So much to do... So little time, it seemed.

The deer she spots is one alone. It seems to be a young buck, fresh off a mother's milk and eager to prove itself. Wren creeps closer, checking the direction it seems to be going. South. Probably to warmer climates while it waited out the winter months. Movement out of the corner of her eye catches her off-guard. She stares openly at a stranger, who seemed to be tracking the same deer. She decides in an instant. Neither of them would go home hungry if they worked together. She raises her tail silently, gesturing with her olive-colored nose to the deer. Her eyes suggest going in together. But would they? She wasn't entirely sure. It's not like she could talk to them, being in such close proximity to their prey.

Wren wasn't willing to place her trust in the stranger, but she was willing to at least work together. This way, they could both have a meal. If they had a pack, they could bring food back to them. Or a family, or just a few friends. Who knows? She isn't one to judge.

It was Basilisk’s first time exploring beyond the borders of their new territory. He liked Mile High Woods, with its infinite possibilities. Like a giant playground, built for a wolf with his type of claws. That was why he had set about to build a treehouse, nestled among some leaning trunks. But Redwood was wonderful in a different sort of way. There would be no building or climbing among these giants. Here, a boy who outstretched every wolf in his life in height could feel small. He just wasn’t sure he liked the feeling.

He could get lost among these redwoods. Even with his falcon soaring silently in the sky above him. It was hard to get an aerial view of home when the towering trees blocked everything below them. He set out to nosing through the undergrowth so far below them. Catching the scent of moss, and decaying leaves beneath the winter frost. He was so distracted by his wanderings, he didn’t notice the stranger immediately. He found her eyes on him and he stilled. Looking for a threat in her gaze, but finding none. She seemed to be indicating something… silent but certain. He pulled his nose up and scented. Finding the buck she must be hunting with his nose. He realised how close he had come to bumbling his way over her hunt and ruining it. He glanced back towards the stranger, who’s icky blue gaze could be a mirror of his own. Her fawny coat seemed to be better made for these redwoods then the brighter toned Fatalis. Perhaps he could file that down as the reason she had spotted him first.

Finally understanding that she was offering him to join her hunt, he gave a decisive nod. A sharp incline of his head as he looked towards the short stranger. He made a gesture of his own. Brushing his paw across the ground silently, gesturing for her to proceed. To take the lead. He could play nice, and this was her hunt. He would follow her.

WC: 341
Total: 654

"Speech"

Fight off another hungry predator from something you recently killed.
WC: 263
917/2500 Total WC

The other was a massive beast. One of those old-new fangled dire wolves she heard of and never met before now. He seemed to grasp her reasoning, unaware he hadn't been paying attention to the prey before now. The yearling was on though, he made sure to let her know it was her hunt and he'd follow after her. A deer wouldn't be trouble for two wolves on the prowl, especially one of this guy's size. That made her confident. She knew what to do. Skirting around the grazing deer, she made sure her body was blended into their surroundings. Directly aligning herself with the buck, she bounced out of the foliage.

A vicious snarl escaped her lips. Wren rushed the startled buck, trying to herd it in the direction of Big Guy. She was trusting he had the instinct to bring it down, having no knowledge of his experience. Hunting was one thing she could do. She could do it very well. It had served her well, too. But sometimes she knew she couldn't do it alone. That's when help came in. Maybe one day... She'd be part of a pack again. Until then, she licked her wounds and made sure to take care of her skill sets. Nobody liked a lazy, inexperienced member of the pack! "Now!" she managed to snap, her jaws inches away from the buck's back leg.

It ran right into the big guy, blind panic. It didn't smell the other wolf, but if it turned their neck... Big Guy wasn't exactly, you know, blend into the woodwork.

Basilisk followed after the stranger. Crouching a little so his towering height and flashes of bright colour wouldn’t let them be seen. He was still learning when it came to hunting, and he knew he would do best if he treated this like a lesson. A chance to learn from another wolf. So he followed her through the foliage, working hard to keep himself lower. When she indicated for him to stay, he did so. Crouching down and waiting. He had a feeling this would be a flush and grab, and held himself in the ready position.

When he heard her growl and snap at the deer, he knew it would be coming his way. Her barked now was his que, and he leaped forward at the same time as the deer broke into his cover. It had no chance to realise another wolf was in its path before the dark toned wolf was upon it. He barreled into it hard, and almost miscalculated the force of its momentum. Feeling the breath leave his stomach as he collided, and knocked it to the ground.

It got in a good kick to his shoulder that would bruise later, before he was able to put a knee on its neck, holding it down. Panting as his breath returned, and finding his wheezing breaths were a mixture of exhilaration and pain, he bit down on the deer. His elongated fangs ripped out its throat with ease, and then at last it was still. He bounced off the kill and rubbed his shoulder a little ruefully. He might have jumped a little too fast without looking, but the deer hadn’t seen it coming.

He glanced across at the stranger, and offered her a charming smile. “I’m Basilisk, by the way. How do you want to split this?” He said, pointing at the fallen deer.


WC: 314
Total: 1231

"Speech"

Fight off another hungry predator from something you recently killed.
WC: 369
1600/2500 Total WC

He would end the life of the deer.

Good, that meant there was hope for the lad yet. Wren had met many men who couldn't be bothered or hated to take direction from a woman. She supposed he deferred to her because of her year on him, but that was a guess. She approached when he offered his name, the snake he was named for... Well, she wasn't certain or uncertain he was slimy like one. This was just a meeting. A greet and go. She looked down at the buck. There wasn't much to share considering it was a young thing. "I'll take part of the meat on the back - the haunch" she responded to him, giving a nod at his saber fangs "I could cut it up myself, but your teeth are better suited for that. I wouldn't want a mess and alert something else with the blood" But she hadn't given her name, had she? "Wren" the young woman began, opening her mouth to speak again when a growl split the air. Winter made fools of everyone "the fuck?" she said instead, shocked more than anything when something landed.

On her. Wren buckled under the weight of a large mountain lion. It had dropped on the smaller wolf unawares, catching her back legs and dragging her to the earth. "Get" she snapped, kicking out a leg to free herself "off me!" Unable to get her legs free, she turned sharply and tried to bite the cougar in the face. Her teeth met cheek as the feline yowled and lashed out with a paw. She saw stars when they smacked her in the face. Obviously, this cougar was here for the meal. And probably kicking some wolf ass along with them. Maybe it had been slighted by the activity in the area. Who could say? She just knew she was fighting for her life, here. Wren could lose the meal, but hungry drove her in a fury. Surviving off fish had not been a good idea. She wanted deer meat. She'd fucking get deer meat. She lunged again, finding the angle awkward as hell when she dove at the cougar in order to get it off her.

She asked for a small amount of the meat - a fact that surprised him, but he wouldn’t argue. He had a larger pack to feed, and if he was reading the scents on her right, she was alone. He nodded his head, offering her a flash of a smile as she spoke of his fangs for the job. “My claws are even better for that” he told her, and held up a paw. Showing her the sharp retractable claws that lay in their sheaths. His fangs worked in a pinch, but it was easier to control his movements when he used his claws.

“Pleasure to meet you, Wren” he said, and placed a paw back over the deer. He didn’t even get a chance to map out how he was going to do this before she spoke again. Her voice was a little shocked and surprised this time. His head shot up at the same time the mountain lion landed on her back.

He let out a snarl of his own as she began to fight for her life. He crouched, trying to determine the best way to get a shot in of his own without hurting Wren in the process. She was twisting herself up trying to get at him, and Basilisk waded in. Using his greater size and weight as he grabbed the cougar in a bear hug. “Kick him, i’ll hold him still!” he called out, hoping the added weight of Basilisk on the cougar would help give Wren the leverage she needed to break free.


WC: 265
Total: 1865

"Speech"

There was no need to tell her twice!

Wren gave a pained snarl when the lad entered the fray too. He didn't need to. He could have run off with the meat while the cougar battered her around. The fact he stayed and stuck meant something. She just didn't know what. It was probably a bad idea to think too long on ulterior motives when she was fighting. Flights of fancy in her mind were a thing.

"Piss off!" she snapped at the lion when Basilisk grabbed it, pulling it off her back legs. She used them to kick the stomach of the beast. It yowled in fury and pain but refused to give up so easily. That would be something, wouldn't it? Nothing ever went her way. Wren growled as the cat clung to her rear but one final kick dislodged it.

She was quick, even if she was in pain. The young woman dove at its belly, chomping down on a particularly weak spot of flesh. The cougar gave another cry but was more or less locked with Basilisk's hold on it. It couldn't move its paws very well, and the neck was too short. It began to fade, at least the courage did. Now it was more or less held there by the lad.

Wren's muzzle was stained with cougar blood. Yuck. She viciously tore at anything she could get, ripping and biting. Her head flailed wildly to the side and back. She was pissed off. Almost in a good mood and it was ruined. The thrill of the hunt made her weary after; she was ruining on fumes.

"Speech"
WC: 272
Total WC: 2137

Basilisk had never considered the Redwood trees as a good place for an ambush. The towering monstrosities would have been impossible for him to climb. With all his bulk to weigh him down, a vertical climb was impossible. Therefore, he had taken no mind to the potential danger around him. But for a mountain lion? A creature truly built for scaling a tree, this was their hunting ground. It was possible that Bas and Wren had even stolen its kill. No wonder it had ambushed them. This was a lesson he wouldn’t soon forget. He just hoped poor Wren didn’t suffer for his folly.

The woodland wolf had invited him into her hunt without a second thought. She hadn’t blinked at his age and had trusted him to watch her back. That meant something to the loyal wolf, who wouldn’t and couldn’t walk away while she was in danger.

He held the thrashing cougar tight in a grip as strong as any bear. He felt the impact of her kick in its stomach, and it yowled and fought him. He held on with a grim determination, and then at last Wren was free. He couldn’t do much but hold it down, so he trusted that Wren would take the offered chance to take it down. He watched as she rendered into it, tearing it to pieces. When he released his grip, it fell in a bloody heap to the ground. ‘Well. Won't be using that hide any time soon” He said lightly, before leaning towards her, taking a look at her back legs where the cougar had held on. “Do you want to come back to my pack and get those looked at?” he suggested.



WC: 289
Total: 1426

"Speech"

The cougar slumped to the ground in a lump. She growled lowly at it, giving it one last kick for good measure. Now that it was dead, there seemed to be no real threat. She felt herself relax. The stinging of her pelt could be ignored; she was made of tougher stuff than this. "No" Wren felt herself inwardly bristle at the mention of a pack "no, thank you." She shook her head. If she went to an unfamiliar place, there was no telling what sort of place it was. She could be trapped there. She could be held, prisoner to the wolves there.

Sorry, kiddo she wanted to joke, to laugh it off. "If you think I'm going to roll over and die over a few scratches I'll disappoint you" Wren scoffed with good nature "I know enough to get by, Basilisk. I'm not totally stupid" Yes, she was stupid. A fool. An idiot. Everyone could be at one point! Fact is, she could take care of herself. She didn't need a pack she never knew existed to do that for her. "I'll clean my wounds a bit, so go ahead and slice that meat up. Thanks." She wasn't ungrateful.

It's just...

She didn't want to take a chance on the unknown.

"Speech"
WC: 213
Total WC: 2500+

Her response surprised him. To him, the Armada was home. It had always been home, and when he needed help or healing, he went there. He went to Halo, who was the most kind-hearted wolf he knew, who would patch up his bumps and bruises and sneak him treats she had made himself. Comforting.

“Alright then, no offence was meant.” He said, still uncertain what had set her off. He shrugged and made his way back over to the deer. Shaking off the blood from the mountain lion as he did so. He crouched by the deer, and began the process of cutting it with quick, deft movements. Splitting open the hide in a way that wouldn’t damage it. “If you ever want a hunting companion again, look me up. I’m in the Armada, we have the woods adjacent to these ones - but if you don’t want to get close to it, just howl.” He suggested.


"Speech"

He didn't understand. As a female, she had to be extra careful. He was big, bulky, and had something between his legs that set him apart from ladies. That something could be used to harm. Wren also was surprised, but not because of his reply. If he didn't get why a lone wolf was hesitant to go to a pack, hell, any place with strangers... Maybe he had been born into the pack. Who knew. But she had indirectly and probably insulted him. He went to work on the meat.

After a brief hesitation, Wren inched closer. If allowed, she pressed her olive nose to his cheek in a gentle bump before backing off. "No offense was taken" she replied to him as upfront as possible "me and packs don't really get along" Which was probably the most honest thing she could say without getting into a whole fucking story about shit "besides!" she huffed, sitting down and waiting.

"Do you make a habit of inviting strangers into your fold? Shouldn't you be, I dunno, a wee bit cautious?" She hadn't meant anything by it, but she was curious all the same. Maybe his pack was full of big bulky wolves. Maybe they didn't have anything to worry about.

"Speech"

He didn’t move when she pressed a cold nose into his cheek, but he was surprised. He raised an eyebrow, and only turned after she had backed off again. The gesture seemed to indicate (to him) a budding friendship with this wolf who had been a stranger only a few hours ago. “I’ve only known pack life, my grandads the Alpha” he explained, giving a half shrug in apology. He didn’t have a clue what it was like to be a stranger.

At her next question he had to pause his cutting of the hide, and wheezed slightly in surprised laughter. “Cautious? Of what” he asked, genuinely confused. But then his laughter tapered off, and he frowned, regarding her. And hearing at last what she was saying. She couldn’t go near his pack, because she was afraid something might happen. “Are you afraid of packs? Why?” He asked, trying to better understand what lessons her life had taught her.

"Speech"

Oh boy. Here it was. The questions. "Not afraid" Wren corrected. Some folks would laugh, boast and talk shit their actions couldn't cache. They would say afraid? Me? You're insulting! Something that a typical pack wolf would say, knowing their comrades backed them up. That wasn't fair. Basilisk hadn't thrown his pack around like a god's name. He only mentioned it to help her. She shook off her unease. "used to be in a pack. I fought for them against invaders... In another realm. I put my fucking life on the line for them. But..."

She snorted, a gruff growl escaping her lips. She looked momentarily in emotional pain, not physical. "That place fell. The pack fell. All the packs fell" she told Basilisk now "but I wanted to go with my alpha. He took his family and ran. Apparently, I hadn't been good enough to stick with. I had been his beta. But all he cared about was preserving a legacy. Not his close friend and confidant." She looked directly at the lad, a leering sort of grin on her features now. She did look in pain this time. Sorting through shit.

"I don't... doubt there are good alphas out there. Better ones. Even better friends. I just don't want to place my trust in someone I just met, yanno? If I go with you, I'll only have your word I'd be free to leave. But what if you take that back? What if you keep me there?" She shook her head again "as for being cautious... Enemies can lurk within. You don't know who you're inviting. Maybe they plot shit."

"Speech"

Basilisk shivered momentarily at the thought of a pack falling… but Sirius and Azure were unbeaten. Legends, in his juvenile eyes. He couldn’t imagine the Armada falling, and if it did… His Grandfather collected wolves like lost chicks, and hoarded them close. He couldn’t imagine him leaving anyone behind. His father? His father would take his children and leave. Maybe. He didn’t grow attached as easily. “That’s awful, I’m sorry. I can't even imagine what that would be like.” He said truthfully.

“I wouldn’t break my word to you.” he said solemnly. He was only a yearling. A little sheltered perhaps, and seen so little of the world. But he wanted his word to mean something. “You don’t know it yet, but you can trust me. And it's okay that you don’t know it yet.” he gave her a shy smile. “Maybe I can prove it to you next time.” As for enemies within… “Never had someone try to harm home before. Why would we turn away someone that needs us, if one in thirty might be bad?” he shook his head. “Or maybe my Grandpa can tell. I don’t know.” He admitted. He finished carving up the kill, and moved her portion to the side so she could grab it whenever she pleased.


"Speech"

She regarded him quietly at first. While she had a feeling he was the type to keep his word, she didn't want to be sure until she was sure. But I don't need you she wanted to say to him or your pack but that was rude wasn't it? To be honest, talking with him had been fun. He pulled his weight. He didn't want anything from her. The lad seemed shocked that she didn't want more meat either. Maybe I'm a bit lonely. She decided on that part silently.

"Well I hope your pack sticks it out" she told him "even if I got a right to be cautious about your word. We just met, yanno" Surely he could see that? Or was he just too trusting for his own good? "next time, huh..." Would it be nice to have a friend again? Maybe "I'll let you come to me next time." She decided this rather playfully, flashing him a smirk. She approached the meat and took the slice in her jaws.

Walking a bit away, she flicked her tail one final time before vanishing into the woods. Deeper in. Safely away from cougar bodies and other crap that wanted to kill her. /EXIT

"Speech"