The deep shadows between the ghostly trees told him that it was time to head home. He carried the carcass of a beaver in his jaws, intent on bringing it home and skinning it. The wind picked up around him and blew through the leaves above. It was deep night already, how long had he been gone? With the wind, a scent came to him, a curious smell of others, strangers. He started the long walk back to Polaris, the scent of strangers not so out of place among the trees of Auster, it wasn't something he had to worry about. As long as they kept to themselves and he kept to himself, he would be fine.

A shadow shifted out of the corner of his eye. It was nothing, he kept on moving. Another shadow shifted on the other corner of his other eye and it sent his fur to bristling. He tried to shake it off, it was just the night, the shadows and the wind playing tricks on him. But the smell of strangers, a group smell of strangers grew stronger.

He kept walking, pretending he had noticed their presence. How long would they stalking him? He had a distinct feeling they wanted him to lead them back home. He'd do not such thing. He veered somewhat south, aiming to lead them to the barren boneyard. He couldn't help the way his fur bristled, he wondered if it would alert his pursuers. Why would they pursue him? Could they be the slavers that had taken their packmates already? Lucette? Alexander? He doubled back, he'd teach these bastards a lesson.

272/1500

It had been a long time since Lia had spent any time around Auster. She felt a little guilty skirting around the Hallows. But, she had thought that when she saw them next, she would be someone who was driven, and motivated. Someone who had a purpose. Vanta’s disappearance had ripped away that certainty she had been feeling. She still hunted down slavers, believing the absolute importance of removing all traces of that sick trade. But she did it alone, and that uncertainty was a gaping hole inside of her.

No, she wasn’t ready to visit her oldest friends, not just yet. Instead, she continued deeper into Auster, hunting down another rumour, another possibility of slavers. The trail led her to Aspen Dam, where the scent of water and beaver permeated the air around her. Had she been this way before when she had lived in the Hallows? She couldn’t remember. Her time outside pack lands when she had been a member had been short and far between.

She picked up a trail of a band of wolves, and started to track it. There was every possibility that these she followed were innocent, but she couldn’t pass up investigating. Finding a group out here where her rumours had led her was suspicious. She started to trail them, and before long realised that they were trailing someone else. She bristled, picking up her pace. Had they picked out a victim? She arrived just as the concentration was about to start. The slavers started to surround a brown wolf. “Hey! Leave him alone.” She growled. No one. No one was becoming a slave on her watch.

WC: 276
Total: 548


"Speech"

He could feel the tensions rise as he walked, obvious he was on to them. Suddenly a shadow burst forth and Eltrys dropped his kill with a snarl and launched himself as his assailant. Another appeared to his left, intent on ganging up on him.

Then through the din of snarls, a beacon of hope rings loud and clear. A woman on a hill with the pronged antlers of a stag calls out in his defense. The scene stuns his attackers and Eltrys uses the opportunity to launch himself at one of the slavers intending to capture him.

His wide jaw is open and menacing as he grabs their cheek ruff and thrashes his head about, pulling the fur and some muscle away from the bone. The slaver screams in agony suddenly pushing away and trying to make him release his hold. His second attacker rounds on the woman who wishes to intervene, while a third launches from the bushes to take Eltrys by the scruff, intending to pull him off their companion. Eltrys holds his grip on the flesh of the first and uses his forelegs to push the body away and he uses his maw to pull. His mouth is filled with fur as the first attacker is left with a bald spot on their cheek, and a growing bruise over their face.

He rounds on his next attacker, holding his scruff but feels himself trapped. He tries to spin and trip, but this slaver is moving with him. He snarls in pain as the slaver attempts to push him down to force their dominance. Eltrys then rolls over the ground, making his assailant release their hold finally. He snarls and launches himself at them. He hoped his rescuer was faring well, he didn't know how many there were intending to capture him.

853 / 1500

"Speech!"

Code © Skelle/Witchdogtor DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Her words, striking out like a bell, had their desired effect. It brought the stranger time, and some of them turned their attention to her. It brought the wolf time, and gave him a chance. Of course, it also meant that suddenly there were multiple wolves looking at her as if she was prey. She would have much preferred to take her time and pick them off when the chance presented itself. Now, she had no choice but to go all in. She could only hope her unpolished skills were up to the task.

She couldn’t pay attention to the brown wolf anymore, her eyes were on the wolf that began to stalk her. He was bigger than she was, and was clearly accustomed to being the biggest, meanest wolf in the room. He grinned at her, and she had to fight her instincts. The tendencies beaten into her from a young age. She wasn’t a victim anymore!

She waited until he struck, and ducked to the side avoiding his first blow, and striking a glancing blow against his side with one of her antlers. In the brief opening, she saw the wolf she had intended to save was in trouble. She launched herself forward, intending to help him from the two wolves teaming up against him. Her own attacker stopped her before she could do much more than take a step. He swiped a heavy paw at her shoulder, claws extended. She felt the blow leave a bloody trail, and knock her off her balance.

She lowered her antlers, buying herself distance between herself and the bastard of a wolf. She tried to channel her inner Vanta. She rushed forward, striking his chest with her antlers, but his reach was long. He managed to dig his paw into her shoulder again, pulling her down to the ground. She could feel the bone of her mutation bending and she snarled, struggling against his superior weight. Flashes of memory, wolves on her. She gritted her teeth, refusing to let the memories swamp her. A cry above her reminded her of her falcon, the bird shrieked and dove for the man. She took the opening, leaping forward and skewering him on the point of her antlers. Blood mixed with the fiery reds of her adornment as she pressed it down, into his side. This time, he struggled to rise. Clear pain across his muzzle. She pressed her advantage and swiped at his face, his neck. She could see him starting to slow, blood lust from the wound her antlers pried open was wearing on him.

Suddenly, there was a wolf behind her. She could feel their teeth sinking into her back and she howled in pain, struggling to pull her antlers off the first wolf, but she had no room to move. All she could feel was pain, shooting through her skin and muscles as they were torn.

Wc: 488
Total: 1234

"Lia"

He grabbed his attacker's leg and thrashed it, trying his best to inflict as much pain as possible to chase them away. Their yelps were music to his ears as they called for mercy and retreated.

Eltrys spun, ready to meet anyone else head-on. That was when he saw the antlered woman was not faring as well as he had. His breath rolled into a harsh growl as he bounded toward them, his dark paws eating the ground with claws digging into the flesh of the earth. She was now under *his* protection! He launched himself at her attacker attached to her rump. His mouth agape to take them by the throat. He barreled into them, rushing them away from their victim. Their cries of surprise did nothing to dissuade the priest away from him shoving them and holding their neck. They kicked at him and he finally released them with a snarl.

"I don't want to smell hide nor hair of your clan in these lands again." Eltrys rumbled threatening as they scrambled away from them. He watched them disappear into the underbrush for a good moment longer and huffed when he was satisfied that they got the message.

He turned back to the woman, concern easily overtaking his harsh countenance. She didn't look so good.

"Here, let me help you to my pack. We can get those wounds tended to. They'll be very grateful you helped me chase them off. What's your name?" He asked gently, offering his shoulder to help her. He had a mild limp himself and the scruff on the back of his neck would be bruised for a few weeks for sure.

1512 / 1500

The brown stranger gained the upper hand, and was able to free her from her attacker and send them packing. They were damaged enough to realise they weren’t the easy prey they had originally thought. She didn’t like letting them walk off, to hunt wolves another day. But she was too hurt to do anything about it right now.

She panted a little from the pain as the stranger offered his shoulder and asked her name. “Lia” she whispered, pulling herself up with his help. She leaned heavily on him, leaving a trail of blood behind her. “Thank you for your help.” She had been planning to take on those slavers alone. She knew now how bad an idea that would have been.

"Lia"