H E S T E R

Hester stepped into the dying rays of the sun, Leviticus' eye winking as Leviathan awoke. The full moon was a ghost in the sky, and the sun's final beams winked between the hanging fronds of the weeping willow she stood beneath.

Hester wasn't a small woman, even at average height. Her mass lumbering mass moved quietly as she paced, keeping her steps silent as she avoided twigs and noisy underbrush. Before her laid open land, lavished with towering pines that stood vigil on high. She hunkered down, willing Peregrine, the goddess of the hunt to coat her presence in anonymity, studying the scent the wind brought to her nose and noting that there was pack territory nearby. It didn't faze her, though, as she knew she hadn't encroached on their districts, even if she was closer to it than even she would suffer from another.

The sounds of nighttime drifted around her, insects buzzing in their minuscule place in the world, birds settling in their nests, and the wind dying with the final light of the sun. She was content, for the moment, even if she knew she'd be hungry in a few hours, at best. She was laid, on her chest with her forepaws on the ground to either side of it and her hindlegs curled beneath her, between a bush and another willow tree, allowing it to provide some cover in the small hideaway she'd found.

Hester had slept like this for many nights now, and though it was hardly comfortable and she ached when she stood after a restless slumber, it was the safest option. This way, she would be able to stand and move immediately, should the need arise.

She walks. "She speaks." She thinks.

He wandered through the woods with ease, knowing them as well as he knew his own pack lands. He explored them frequently. Bast prowled somewhere to his left, he didn’t need to scent her to know that she was around. She was his shadow, and had been since he found her as a small cub. Marshal he had left behind to watch over his sneaky kids.

The evening shadows were long, and the distant hooting of an owl told him the time of day as easily as the sky. He would have to get a move on if he intended to bring back super to the Missis.

He was just putting extra speed into his trott, when he heard the sound of breaking leaves to his right, where Bast was. The signal to gain his attention. He crouched low, and slunk forward, searching for what his companion had found, when he almost stumbled over the stranger. The wind had not worked in his favour, blowing his scent away from him until he was almost on top of her.

H E S T E R

Her eyes were drifting shut when the sounds of movement caused an ear to swivel on her head as it came closer. Hester's eyes snapped open as she kept herself from shooting to her paws and readying for battle. She needed, first, to see where they wer-- The sound was suddenly much closer to her, and Hester stood immediately, charging forward and swiveling so that her golden eyed gaze would land on the man that had been behind her. He blended with the night, and had she not had such good vision, she might have missed his form completely but for the white that adorned him.

"Can I help you?" she said dangerously, quietly into the night. This one, Hester noted, carried the same scent of the pack lands that were now at her back with her movement. "I don't take kindly to strangers stepping on me while I my sleep." Her gaze was shrewd, her words reproachful in the nighttime gloom. She heard other sounds (those of Bast, but she was unaware) and wondered if this man had brought friends with him.

Her tail flagged behind her, whipping side-to-side in astute irritation, and she parted her lips to speak again when louder, faster movement caught her ear. Audits pricked forward immediately, studying the forest behind him. The trees weren't close, in these parts, and so though it did surprise her, somehow it made sense that a grizzly could fit between them without trouble. Especially when it was charging directly at them.

"Grizzly!" she shouted, eyes wide as she quickly moved to the other side of the tree, the opposite of where she'd been. She assumed the stranger would obey because she also assumed that no one wanted to be caught unawares with one of the Mother's largest predators nearby. It stopped, slavering, hulking beast that it was, and reared on it's hindlegs. It's roar shattered the air, and Hester hunched low, prepared to move as it surveyed the two wolves before it.

She walks. "She speaks." She thinks.

He looked to the strange tawny wolf he found pretty much with paws instead of his nose, and opened his mouth to speak. Knowing Sirius, it had likely been something uncouth that wouldn’t go over well with the stranger. He never got a chance to formulate or utter then, before he heard Bast yelp, sudden and loud in the woods. The sound was almost drowned by Hester's cry of ‘grizzly!’ But he knew the sound of his companion well.

His eyes swivelled to the grizzly, to the snow leopard he had pushed aside in his bid to charge towards the wolves, and a vicious snarl escaped his lips. How dare! never mind the fact that it was charging towards them, he had doubly reason to attack.

Hester began to dart to the side to avoid its path. The Warlord, fool that he was, met its charge head on. Picking up speed in the last moment before it reached him, and diving between its big lumbering feet. He was a big wolf, and he barely fit, the wiggle almost scored him a scrape on his butt, but he was free. He slashed at its hindquarters, even as he saw Bast rise from the corner of his eye. She was alive.

"Speech"

H E S T E R

Hester noted the sound of an animal being harmed in the midst of the bear's rampage but kept her eyes on the grizzly before them. If the creature survived the encounter, she'd do what she could for them then. Right now, though, was the time for battle. And as she sank low, watching Sirius dart forward and underneath the bear, she couldn't help but realize that she was built for it.

"Fool," she muttered under her breath but grinned and charged forth. The initial shock gone, and defenses prepared, Hester was apt and eager to take on the bear. Picking up speed with each stride, Hester dove low, opening her maw and snapping it closed, briefly, over its right hindleg with unforgiving intent. She came away with fur, skin and blood and she continued her pace, rounding the bear and dodging around the wolf. She zigzagged around it as it landed on its forepaws, landing swipes with her paws and bites as she herded and distracted the creature, equally eager to see what the other wolf would do.

Bated breath came as her eyes landed on the sweet spot between the grizzly's waist and shoulder and struck with deadly precision. Hester dug her teeth in, the bear's thick coat quelling her assault. She frowned heavy, a snarl floating from her occupied mouth and she threw her weight behind her, hoping to throw the bear off balance, and increased the force behind her bite. She called on Peregrine again, this time asking her for strength needed for difficult hunts and patience as she tasted blood and immediately set her jaw and dropped her weight, nails digging into the ground to gain purchase.

She knew, from experience, that the bear outweighed her. She knew that it could, and likely would, throw her if the chance presented itself. But her efforts were a mere distraction. She'd heard the stranger's snarl and guessed that it meant that he was in it for the blood.

She walks. "She speaks." She thinks.

He had expected the random stranger to scamper off into the woods and escape in the opening he had inadvertently given her. His only thought was driving it off so he could check on Bast, still, he would have thought darkly upon the stranger if she had run as he expected. It was with some surprise that he heard the sound of battle, and would see a glint of her from between the bears legs as she took it on.

The woman threw herself into the fray with an abundance that surprised him. She latched on and dug in deep, but it gave the bear space to attack her with his forepaws if it decided to. Sirius wasn’t going to give it that chance. For whatever reason, she had chosen to be in this with him.

He threw himself at the bear's other side, feline like claws digging in deep to its side, as he walked up its side, claws for purchase, like he was so much vertical earth. Once he was near the head, the Warlord struck with his elongated fangs, biting through ear and hitting bone, before the bear threw his his weight dowarwards, thudding to the earth heavily and dislodging the Warlord. He landed heavily on his side, winded for a moment.

A great raptor battle cyr hit the air, as Marshal, shrieking like a demon, plunged downwards. It was enough of a distraction to give Sirius time to roll to the side and see where Hester had ended up, as the bear waved a paw to ward off the bird.
"Speech"

H E S T E R

She felt it when the other wolf attack; felt it in the bear's jerk and heard it in the sudden rage. With that, she released the animal from her hold, unsuccessfully dodging a massive, deadly paw. The grizzly's claw ripped through her right ear, and her snarl was savage as she danced away, a bird's cry piercing her ears. She felt the damage as blood ran into her fur and settled on her head, but she ignored it and set back to zigzagging around the hulking beast, in search of an opening. The beast's head waved back and forth as it tried to keep both wolves in its view.

Adrenaline pounded in Hester's blood as she dove in, this time at the bear's hind legs, her waiting maw wrapping around the tendon of its left hind limb. Bears were bigger, and more often than not, the successor in these battles. But Hester had no machinations on dying so soon after she'd reached three. So it was the bear whom would fall this night.

Hes dropped her weight again, her teeth sinking passed the thick fur and into the skin beneath. The bear roared, rearing back as though it would swat her, but the female swiveled her rear so she was completely behind it and simultaneously gave her head a vicious shake, snarling as she separated the tendon completely. She released the mongrel and dove out of the way, satisfaction heavy in her gut as she noted the new limp it sported.

She walks. "She speaks." She thinks.

Sirius got back to his feet, shaking out his body, and his head, and trying not to second guess the woozy sensation in his brain. As he got his balance, Marshal and Hester distracted the bear. He tasted the smell of blood in the air, wolf and bear both, and knew none of them would be getting out of this scot free.

He gave his body one more shake, and leaped at the bear, even as Hester crippled it. The bear fell as its tendon gave way, and Sirius leaped, claws scraping against its back on his way past, and then he was at its head again. His paws slipped in its blood, and he almost lost his purchase, feline claws digging in even harder for purchase. No time left, the bear’s paw rose and he knew if it knocked him to the earth it would gore him. He drove his fangs in again, the saber tooth hitting flesh, digging through, and his aim was better this time. He felt the softness of brain beneath the point of his long tooth, and the bear shuddered once, and fell still.

Sirius almost collapsed drawing his teeth out and climbing off the bear. His body shook with the adrenaline that had pumped into his veins. When his paws finally hit solid ground, Bast was there, whimpering, shaken, but alive. They leaned on each other, heads close together, and he gave her cheek a lick, before turning to the wolf. “It seems I owe you one.” he said softly.

"Speech"

H E S T E R

The other wolf moved quickly, and Hester let him take the lead as she distracted the large creature, keeping it from swiping at the wolf on its back as she weaved in, wounded, and then danced away. It wasn't until the bear fell still, dead, that she slowed her pace. Breath was heavy in her lungs as she came to a stop adjacent to their now dead quarry and watched the man lean heavily on a snow leopard, the sounds coming from the smaller of the two making it clear she'd been the one injured in its rampage.

"Is she okay?" Hester asked, unsure how best to respond to the man's words. Adrenaline pounded in her chest, blood pounded in her ears, and though she wasn't ready for the battle to be over, it was clear that rest was what was needed here. Hester, always ready for battle, had a soft spot for the smaller, gentler creatures in nature, though it never caused her pause when sating her own hunger. It was the way of the world, the way Peregrine willed it, and she knew the Mother would forgive her for it.

Something touched her head, a slithering feeling that alarmed her enough for her to shake, and belatedly, she recalled the damage she'd taken and forgotten in the midst of battle as blood flung wildly. She grimaced at the pain, but otherwise, gave no indicator that she'd noticed it.

She walks. "She speaks." She thinks.

He glanced down at the snow leopard again, and she looked up at him trustingly. He suspected she might have a mild concussion, but didn’t think it was anything worse. Still, he would feel better once a healer had a chance to look her over.

He looked back up at the warrior again, taking in the blood that dripped down her face, and the damaged ear. He could only imagine how much that hurt. “I’m going to head back to my pack and get patched up. Did you want to come with and get looked over by a healer?” he offered her. It was only the least he could do after she jumped in battle after him. Her fearlessness and bravery had impressed him, and he also wanted to buy more time to win her over to his pack. He wanted her to join, and he was determined to convince her of it.

"Speech"

H E S T E R

The other wolf spoke, and Hester nodded as the heavy breath in her lungs caused her to pant. She whittled her adrenaline down with her will alone, tucking it away for another day as it was no longer needed here. Vaguely, the pain of her ear peeked through, and Hester nodded again to stave off the urge to shake her head once more. "A healer would be wise," she noted instead and studied the surrounding area. The forest had gone quiet with the sounds of a fight so near, even the wind itself dying, as if the world had waited to see if they would come out on top.

And we did, Hester thought with pride in her chest. Aloud, she said, "Which way is home for you, wolf?" Hes suspected, though she didn't say that. It occurred to her, then, that she did not know the man's name, and considering they'd warded off death together and had survived to tell the tale, she could at the very least learn that. "I am Hester," she said simply, by way of prompting.

She walks. "She speaks." She thinks.

“Marshal, keep scavengers off the pelt” he instructed his bird. The lone uninjured among them. He could keep watch over what they were leaving behind. To Hester, he nodded his head in a direction “Just West of here, it's not far” he promised, leaning against Bast still, and the leopard leaned even more so on him.

“I’m Sirius, the little one is Bast” he gave off the instructions, and shuffled closer to the wolf, giving her the option to lean on his other side if she wished it.

Together, the sorry lot of them would make their way towards the pack lands, injured, and weary, and more than a little shaken up.

"Speech"

H E S T E R

The man's words confirmed what she'd suspected, though she merely nodded and turned. "Bast," Hester greeted the leopard and shook her head at the wolf's silent offer. "I'll keep watch as we go," she offered instead, though it was less an offer and more a declaration. She padded forward on pecan paws, a few steps ahead to scan the land. She was familiar with patrolling, to a point, and she let her eyes scan the area surrounding as she waited for Sirius and Bast.

The night was quiet still, the Mother reeling at the death of one of her beloveds. But it was a must, Hester told herself, willing the Mother to understand. It was the All Father, the creator of all things, that had gifted her to the goddess of nature and birth and all things quaint. It was the All Father who had created her so lovingly in remembrance of greater warriors than she. Surely, the Mother could understand that death was not an option, not here, when Hester had no purpose, no pack, no family.

Hes shook herself, eyes falling back to the land she watched with a shrewd gaze. Blood still running down the side of her head, though it was quickly slowing as the wound sealed itself shut, Hester padded along, following Sirius to his home.

She walks. "She speaks." She thinks.

Hester took the duty of watch, and he and Bast supported each other as they made their way from the woods to home. He called for his as they approached the border, and she met them there. She helped him and Bast get to her den, and patched up the two wolves and the snow leopard in quick order.

After the rush of the battle and healing, he let exhaustion take him, only instructing some of his warriors to bring in the bear coat, before collapsing into sleep. Perhaps Io had given him something to help hat along, or his beaten body just needed a rest.

He awoke sometime in the late afternoon, a little groggy, but better. Bast was curled about his legs, and he could scent Hester in the air. He raised his head to search for her.

H E S T E R

They crossed the scent border, and Hester's eyes studied their surroundings, realizing that here, Sirius and his Bast would likely be safe, but still being watchful of the two as they hobbled to a singular hut. Hester stepped in after them, the realization that pack lands were protected, and thus, they were as well. Exhaustion weighed heavily on her, the adrenaline finally having died completely during their long walk here. She was still as the healer, unknown to her, set to work. Hester noted that both Sirius and Bast were down and out before the healer was finished with Hester, and deciding that meant that they were indeed safe, Hester followed shortly after. She perched in a corner, as a lion might, her paws laid on the ground before her and her haunches curled underneath her, as Sirius had found her just that night.

[ [ Fade Out / In ] ]

The late morning shone through the entrance of the hut, and Hester blinked away, her body sore, her bones exhausted. Taking on a grizzly had certain not been apart of the plan, but they had come out victorious, and for that, Hes would be thankful. She stood to stretch, wringing the the tension from her muscles, before she would settle again in the same position, closer to the entrance to sure none would disturb Sirius and Bast as they slept.

It was late afternoon when Sirius woke, in the hush of the day, and Hester stayed quiet, unwilling to disturb the snow leopard that still slept. She would wait for Sirius' eyes to find her before she grinned and said, quietly, "Ah, there the old man is."

She walks. "She speaks." She thinks.

He didn’t have to search hard to find her, and still surprise flicked through him. She had stayed, and she stood now as guard at their door. Her damaged ear neatly bandaged, and her grin was for him. He didn’t think he had many years on her, but he grinned, and flicked his tail, gently rolling Bast off his feet so he could rise to them. Kissing his companion on the forehead, he slipped past Bast and towards the very door Hester guarded. “Guarding the Alpha in his own pack, that's a new one” he joked, brushing past her to find the door.

“You’d be old too if you fell off a bear, not once, but twice ” he continued, his humor running dry, amusement in his blue eyes. “But I thank you, for staying.” he said, even as he wondered just how far her ‘staying’ would extend. Could he convince her to stay?
"Speech"

H E S T E R

The other wolf was up and moving quicker than Hester would have, considering the night prior, but she supposed she was, too. Hester scoffed at his words. "I have no knowledge of these wolves," she deadpan, not hiding the distrust that, based on his willingness to sleep unguarded within his own borders, she knew was likely misplaced. "And the packs I have met were bloodthirsty enough to battle for supremacy amongst themselves." It was true enough, she decided, though it hadn't been after she'd entered this new land.

Hester stood to follow Sirius out, blinking against the light as her eyes adjusted from the darkness of the hut. Hester laughed. "The trick," she said with a grin and a challenge, "is to not fall off in the first place." Her paws sank into supple soil, and she could hear the water nearby. There was land, uncultured and unused, surrounding, but off in the distance, Hester could spot a few standing structures. His thanks tumbled into perked ears, and Hester looked at Sirius. "Even I decide to continue on my way, the Mother compels me to be sure that she only lost one soul in the prior night's fight." It was also her own concern that had caused her to linger so long, but Hester kept that particular detail to herself.

She walks. "She speaks." She thinks.

He would be taking it easy for a few days, but as a general rule, the Warlord didn’t show his wounds when he could help it. The painkillers were still running through his bloodstream, and well his ribs ached and his side felt bruised, it wasn’t enough to keep him down. Bast was going to need a small vocation after this, she seemed to have gotten the worst of the angry bear. At the reminder, he was almost sad the creature was dead, he couldn’t kill it again now.

He had to laugh at Hesters words, though he meant no offence to it. He gave her a friendly shoulder bump. “Oh grief,” he laughed. “A solid eighty percent of my wolves are healers, and the rest are my family. I have nothing to fear from these wolves when injured. I almost wish it were otherwise, I wouldn’t mind a few more beefy fighters around” he joked. He had definitely gone wrong somewhere when creating his Armada.

“Ah, that would be a handy trick. Wish I thought of it.” he said with a gusty sigh, soft amusement in the flick of his tail.

“Well, if you decide to linger instead, I might just have a place for you…” his suggestion wasn’t very subtle.

H E S T E R

Hester took in the knowledge he offered her about his pack, accepting his shoulder bump with a tilted head. "Have you been stocking up for war?" she asked in amusement. "I've never heard of a pack with such a large number of healers." That was true, although she'd never heard of any pack for that matter. She'd come across a few in her blind meandering until she'd reached this land, but she'd never actually come across rumors or stories of others.

She noted her own peaked interest at his search for warriors. "Too many lambs, eh?" she said and laughed at her own joke as her eyes squinted against the evening sun. His next words caused the woman to smirk. "I'll bet you wish you had, old man." She was assuming he was older because of how much longer it had taken him to wake up than her, but in reality, Hester didn't actually know. If it truly bothered him, she supposed she could cease her poking. Her ear twitched, the bandages on it heavy and awkward in the light wind. The blood had been cleaned from his fur, and though she could feel a minuscule scale of pain, it was nothing compared to when it had been fresh. Although, at least half of her ear was now missing, and for that, she couldn't decide if she was upset at having lost it or proud of the victory its absence represented.

"Oh?" she said. "It sounds as though you've already decided." There was no anger in her voice, though she did take time to consider. She, currently, had nowhere else to be, and though she was anxious to explore and glean more of her new surroundings, there should be no qualms with finding a home so soon. Maybe this was what the All Father had intended. "Aye," she agreed. "Why not linger a while longer."

She walks. "She speaks." She thinks.

“Perhaps i’m just so accident prone.” he drowled. If he was stocking up for war, he would need a better balance of warriors over healers. He was teaching some of the lost lambs the art of war, but it would be a while before the Armada was in a better position to defend against raids, and do raids themselves.

It seemed the title ‘old man’ had stuck, but that was alright. Give it a few days and he would show her he was still in the prime of his life. Just let his poor old ribs take a break first.

“Why no indeed” he agreed softly, and then offered her a companionable smile. He was glad she so easily agreed to stay. He needed more warriors around, and he found he rather liked her, despite her attitude.