Since joining the ranks of Valta, the earthen-hued woman has felt homesick. It is a strange sensation for Athena since she is use to living a nomadic lifestyle, having grown up moving constantly. But, when she had been welcomed into Fenmyre and allowed to become a part of the pack, she had thought that, maybe, her travelling days where over. She had laid down her pack, struck up friendships, and welcomed the change. Everything was comfortable and the earthen woman was finally letting her guard down. Of course, just when she expected it the least, change had shaken her world. The King had fallen ill and he, along with many of his family, left in search of a cure. Athena’s focus shifted as she foced herself to not grieve the sudden loss of the familiar. One of the King’s sons had stayed behind and lost himself in a swirl of anxiety and depression. She turned to him, willingly becoming his caretaker and blissfully losing herself in his care and the need to keep them both fed. Again, things changed when Strix had pulled himself out of his downward spiral and decided to rejoin the world. Together, they had traveled up to Boreas and sought out a pack to join. Now, with the dust settled and both of them settling back into pack life, Athena had found her mind turning back to the lands down in Auster. Maybe she needs to go back and say her goodbyes or perhaps she just wants to lay eyes on the lands and find that the pack’s scent no longer lingers on the borders. Whatever her reasoning is, the woman’s paw pull her into the familiar grove of aspen trees that she knows will give way to the dam. Sadness tugs at her heart as she wanders underneath the trees, remembering the summer swim that is not that long gone. She misses the wolves, Chimera, Albion, and the funny, strange wild dog Kione. Thoughts tumble and turn as her amber gaze sweeps over the land, seeing memories in the trees but not the danger that lurks there now. It isn’t until a growl interrupts her thoughts that Athena realizes her grave mistake. Halting her forward momentum, the woman wearily eyes the coyotes that appear from behind the white barked trees and slowly begin to approach her. If there weren’t six coyotes in her path, she may have tried to stand her ground but the earthen wolf knows a losing battle when she sees one and turns to run. However, she is greeted by more growls and coyotes as three more stand in her way. Without hesitating, she releases a howl for help, before the woman then bristles and sets her defenses, readying for the fight ahead. The coyotes hesitate a moment, sharing an uneasy glance around before deciding to charge in. They decide, with a flick of their eyes, that it is better to take her down before any other wolves arrive. If only they had been quicker in their decision. WC: 506 Total WC: 506 / 1500 "Athena Nocturna"  ’Thought’

When she was pulled ashore in Auster with hardly any memory of what brought her there, the thought of laying down some kind of roots was the last thing on her mind. Her only focus had been to survive and heal—and maybe get to know the male that had rescued her. She had done those things, but then that left her with the question of what came next. She had ventured around Auster a bit and had gotten to know the lands that the winds of fate had blown her toward and all in all it wasn't a bad place to live. She enjoyed the variety of terrains that she came across, all of them beautiful and unique in their own rights. The castle that the Hallows called home was grand and welcoming, even if living in stone walls was something that had taken her some time to grow accustomed to. The wolves that made up the pack seemed to be genuinely welcoming and she had appreciated their hospitality while she got back on her feet.

She was still trying to figure out what her next move would be, but in the mean time she was trying to find ways to make herself useful to the wolves that had given her so much while at the same time trying to get to know more of the wolves that made up the pack beyond just Mercury. That landed her in a patrol of the grove that the Hallows laid claim over with one of Artorias' siblings. While she had never really had a reason to be much of a fighter back in her old home, it was something she was noticing was a more prominent part of the lives of the wolves here and she felt like it was something she should at least become more familiar with. She was told that there was always a possibility of predators around this part of the pack's lands, but she was hopeful that she and Bowen wouldn't encounter anything of that sort while they were out.

Their patrol was pretty quiet and uneventful for the most part—or at least it was until a call for help came from the direction of the near by grove of aspen trees that make up the territory to the east from where they were currently standing. Her ears perked and her gradient eyes shot to Bowen with a worried glance as she stopped in place. There was a beat of hesitation, but she remembered too well how she had felt when she needed help and felt like no one would come. She didn't know if this situation was as dire, but she didn't want to be the one to just turn a blind eye to someone that needed help when she was capable of doing so. Without asking Bowen if she would come too, she turned toward the call and started running, eyes peeled for the source of the sound.

Soon enough she spotted the earthen-hued woman that was surrounded by a rabid pack of coyotes. She watched as a few of them began to launch themselves at the stranger and Anthea started to run faster, growling as she charged for the coyote that was closest to her. She wasn't practiced or skilled in the ways of fighting, but she had been in skirmishes with predators from time to time in the hunting trips she and her family would make so she while her movements weren't precise or nuanced, they were at least effective. She was able to catch the coyote by surprise and she grabbed it by the scruff, thrashing her head a bit before she went to yank it off of its feet, tossing it to the ground a couple of feet from her. Another of the coyote pack leapt at her shoulder in the mean time and she snarled as she turned her attention toward that one instead, biting into its front leg and pulling it off of her just as it was biting into the side of her neck.

"Anthea Dásos"

WC: 676
Total: 1182 / 1500

Up above, Bishop flew, the obsidian raven leading the way towards those in need of aid. The pair had been out wandering when the call rang out through the air. Bowen wasted no time in changing her course, the small fae's streamlined body cutting through the aspens until she reached a pair of wolves, one of which she had seen in passing. The other was an unknown. It didn't matter though. Bowen wouldn't leave anyone to their fate if she was capable of doing something about it. Though still relatively new to the fighting game, she knew that she could offer at least a little assistance.

The raven dropped down from the sky, pestering and harrying the coyotes that had converged on the two women. It distracted them enough to give Bowen an opening. As one of the coyotes attacked the gold marked woman, the lithe, copper and cream fae dove towards it, jaws open. Small, sharp teeth latched into the side of its face and the beast instantly redirected its attention onto her. Bo grappled with the somewhat equally sized predator for a time before a rather painful twist to the flesh in her jaws brought a squeal from the coyote. She released it and the canine promptly ran off.

Fur flew as the two species continued to collide, grunts, growls and snarls filling the air. Chunks of sod were ripped from the ground during the fight from the sheer power of the twists and turns of the combatants. There would be no mistake that a battle had occurred here. Hopefully the proof would be in the landscape alone and there wouldn't be any bodies left behind. It was always difficult to tell, however.

Bowen released a pained yelp as sharp teeth bit into one copper marked hip. Being so small, she spun quickly, biting into the face of the coyote. A canine tooth struck the beasts eye, sinking through lid and the concealed orb behind. The coyote shrieked and tore away from her grasp, tail tucked and running for cover. Bowen's hip bled, but the adrenaline kept it from hurting too badly. The rest of the coyotes, seeing that they were on the losing end, slunk off into the trees, leaving the trio of women alone and victorious.

"Bowen"

WC-380 (1562)