Rudyard walked through the plains with no great fixed position.  He’d end up eventually probably at the water's edge for fishing.  The motley wolf imagined he’d have a spar again later today and perhaps make a snare but for now, he was just building up stamina some more.  He’d just been working at it after the bear attack when Oxx happened.  So once more it was an attempt to build up the muscles he needed to fight and hunt.  

Rudy was tired of others having to do more work because he wasn’t doing his share.  Blame the bear and blame Oxx but no matter how you slice it he wasn’t working and it wasn’t fair to the others.  He wasn’t planning to do any full patrol about the land but he had been nearing the border that would have led to the berry grove.  Even as he closed in he spotted a threat.  The bear was chunkier than another he had seen.  This one probably had avoided getting the sickness, and by its weight, he probably made out like a bandit where others went hungry.

Rudy howled for assistance with no intent to fight the bear alone.


Rudyard Carpathius

Getting back into the rhythm of normality now that the apocalypse had ended was a much welcome breath of fresh air for Romulus. He'd overcome his sickness, recovered to full health, and culminated his relationship with Lillith into something new and wonderful. To say the silver and slate wolf was walking on cloud nine would be an understatement! With the return of the sun, Artorias had once more resumed regular patrols and permitted wolves out of the castle walls, so he was taking advantage of the liberty as much as he could. The sunlight felt amazing on his coat and the warm breeze brought about on Austerian winds gently tousled his fur. But along with it came a scent, one he didn't recognize. Not long after his nose twitched to catch the smell, the call of Rudyard went out. Romulus hadn't spent much time with the Carpathian wolf, but he had seen him about.

Rushing to answer the call, Roman found the other wolf facing off with a bear and he suddenly understood the call for assistance. The bear was massive, larger than it should have any right being, and lumbering onto Hallowed lands in search of food. Like hell it was going to raid there food stores! "Looks like you found a good time," Romulus said to Rudy as he came cantering up, narrowed silver steel eyes laser focused on the bear. "Got a plan, or are we just going for it?" As a Knight, Roman defaulted to Rudy's strategy. However the Carpathian wanted to handle the threat, he would back his pack mate up.

"Romulus Armada"

Rudy glanced to the wolf approaching.  It was one he had seen but sadly hadn’t put enough time into getting to know.  Well, no time like the present.  Fighting together would be a grand start. Plan for fighting the bear?  Rudy had always fought on instinct and the general dynamic was distracting for the other to bite and swap it out each time the bear’s attention changed focus.  Bite where?  Easy, whatever was open.

The question stuck in Rudy’s mind about if he could quickly duck in and out.  Rudy was tired of worrying though and shook his head, “I’ll focus mostly on distracting and getting shots in where I can.  You go for the big damage blows.  I won’t let him touch you.”    Rudy hadn't thought of how often it seemed he fought with his brother or Tika or those who he just knew how they'd react versus a stranger who wouldn't be use to any particular style.  Something to think of, when he wasn't fighting a bear.

Rudy said that then charged towards the bear that was already closing the distance, teeth showing.  The motley wolf ran towards a beefy shoulder as if he intended to take a bite out but even before the bear went to swat at him Rudy slowed down to watch the mighty paw breeze by.  

The bear roared and Rudy clacked his teeth making sure it forgot about his companion.

Rudyard Carpathius

Rudyard's plan was simple: he would distract the bear and get in quick attacks where he could, Romulus would go for the bulk of the assault. It was an easy and direct plan and he approved. When Rudy promised that he wouldn't let the bear hit him, Roman gave a barking laugh and shot his pack mate a wily grin. "Good, because this handsome mug is just about my only good feature," he joked in return. His grin fell when he saw the bear veering towards them, roaring with vicious teeth bared. Oh, it was show time! Flashing his fangs back, Roman charged in with Rudy, the two wolves diverting off in different directions around the enraged ursine.

Silvery steel eyes followed the bear's movement while Romulus circled the bear, letting Rudy do his thing ducking in and avoiding the swiping paws to keep the bear's attention on him. When the bear was sufficiently distracted, the silver and slate wolf maneuvered to the bear's side and charged in, sprinting underneath the bear's belly with jaws snapping at its inner thighs. He found purchase in fatty flesh, feeling meat tear away and blood pool in his mouth. The bear bellowed in pained shock, trying to rear onto its hind legs and get to the wolf beneath it, but Roman was already running back out, feeling the air displace just behind his rump while the bear swiped at him.

With the bear's thighs rent, its movements became more like shambles as it lost blood and couldn't support its weight very well. Romulus nodded to Rudy, giving the other wolf the signal to keep it distracted while he waited for another opening to really cripple the bear.

"Romulus Armada"

Rudyard had charged up to the bear’s face, as close as he dared to share glare for glare and air-snap for air-snap.  Admittedly, it looked far more impressive when the bear snapped at air.  Occasionally the bear swung a paw at him.  Rudy backed away from one claw, snapped his teeth over a paw that got too close to his mouth.  Rudy bit down but let go fairly fast.  He’d try and keep the bear from doing too many extremely fast movements, granting Romulus time to get the best attack in.  

Sure enough, Romulus was able to go for a thigh, a good attack indeed. As the bear raised up onto its hind legs Rudy ran forward to close back the distance which had opened as the bear stood up.  Rudy leaped up, snapping for a raised paw, darting back when the muzzle came towards him.  The bear tried to turn its head for Romulus and Rudy ran in that direction, attempting to nip and bite daring the bear to not look at him.  Rudy occasionally barked with no other purpose than to antagonize it more.

The bear was slower from Rom’s attack, making it easier for Rudy to get in more fast bites attacks.  With Rom’s first solid attack Rudy felt the confidence they had already won even if the fight itself wasn’t over.


Rudyard Carpathius

Romulus had intended to cripple the bear, which his thrashing to its hamstring had done effectively. The ursine was slowed and off balance, but even handicapped the way it was, the stupid creature refused to surrender and flee. He'd hoped that dealing a grievous enough wound and seeing itself outnumbered would encourage the bear to leave, but it seemed like this would be a do or die sort of day. Well, have it your way! Sharp fangs still bared, Romulus backed away from the bear when it began to swing wildly, stalking around to try and find another good opening. Rudyard was making a grand spectacle of himself while he distracted the grizzly, deftly dodging its swings while it shambled about. Even still, Roman worried for the one time one of those paws might not miss. They needed to end this fight quickly.

The silver and slate brute got his opening to do just that when Rudy got the bear to turn fully away from him. Realizing that this was his chance, Romulus made a daring move of running for the bear, leaping up onto the bear's back and clawing his way up the grizzly's massive frame. The grizzly bellowed in confusion and started to rise up again, but this was what Roman had wanted. With all its weight going back onto its injured leg, the bear was top-heavy and unstable. Roman kicked with powerful legs off of the bear, sending it wobbling and toppling over onto its back. Its delicate vulnerable underside exposed, Romulus charged the bear again, leaping up its soft belly and going straight for the throat with open jaws and exposed fangs.

The sensation of flesh tearing and arteries popping in his jaws brought a rush of victory to the young brute. The coppery flavor of blood flooded his mouth and coated his tongue, a sweet taste of success! The bear gave a gurgling, strangled roar and flailed to try and hit the wolf or grab him, but the coup de grace had been dealt. Roman ripped his fangs from the bear's throat, bringing with him a chunk of fat, flesh, and fur as crimson soaked into the grizzly's brown pelt. He rolled off of the bear, narrowly avoiding razor claws from clipping his head, and spat the fur from his mouth, watching the bear roll about in weak effort to stay alive while it slowly bled to death. Romulus turned to look at Rudy, giving his partner a smirk and a nod. If the Carpathian wanted the honor of finishing it off and killing the bear, it was all his. Otherwise, time would do their work for them in a matter of minutes.

"Romulus Armada"

Rudyard had kept doing his part of distracting and irritating the bear that had gotten to close to home.  With Rudyard's own work he couldn’t spend too much time watching Romulus but it suddenly got very easy when the silvery wolf made an impressive display going up the bear’s back and with well-timed precision managing to get the bear off-balance to fall on the ground.

Then Romulus was at its throat and Rudyard no longer was needed for distracting.  Rudyard charged to the bear, biting into one of the massive flailing arms.  He tried holding it in place to make sure it didn’t hit Rom even on accident.  Yeah, right, death-flailing arm of a grizzly was still pretty powerful.  Rudyard kept a grip but the arm was still flailing.  Flailing until it suddenly went limp.

Rudyard backed up and watched the dying bear.  He nodded to Romulus at the smirk and grinned, “that was great.” Looking back to the bear’s suffering Rudy let out a slow sigh.  He jumped up on the bear and bit into the death-dealing throat wound Rom had delt it and tore the injury open further, making the bleed out go all the more.  Rudy wanted it to die, not out of hatred but mercy.  There was only one predator he wanted to suffer but, this bear wasn’t innocent of the demonic nature of Oxx.

When the bear was fully dead Rudyard walked away from it shrugging at Romulus, not bothering to explain his reason.  He smiled at Romulus again, “Thanks for coming out so fast.  I don’t have a lot of luck fighting bears alone.” Thankfully not many wolves did fight bears alone.

"Speech"