She ran blindly. So overwhelmed by everything going on in her life, it was the only thing she knew how to do. Run until she couldn't move. Paws slapping the cold, frozen ground. Pain, both inside and outside, it radiates through every cell of her being. Why couldn't it be easy? Why couldn't she have just told him about it like a normal wolf? It wasn't like what had happened was life-ending. She was still alive, still breathing. So why was it difficult? Everything about it made her want to cry, throw up, run, anything other than talk about it. Not like it was his fault. He was trying to be nice for once. Which made it worse in a way. He was supposed to be the asshole.

Escaping into the thicket, Delphi follows the paths until she finds the smallest, most narrowest, tunnel of thorns she can find. A place that only her or rabbits would be able to slip into. That way no one could follow her. She could be alone to curl up and cry. Cry until tomorrow came. Cry until the pain went away. Maybe if she cried enough, she would be okay for once. Maybe she could forget about everything that happened and start over. Be the real Delphi. But this was her now and she had to deal with it. As the thorns and branches pull and tug at her sticky and muddy fur, she finally finds a space just small enough for her and only her to fit into. Curling up, she hides her head under her paws and cries.

He followed her, hesitating at the river. He knew here lay the boundary of Heidinn. Would there be trouble for him for leaving it? Most likely, yes. As a Thrall he didn’t have the same freedoms as the other wolves. He took a soft, frustrated breath, and then plunged on. That stupid toxic idiot was going to get herself into trouble, wasn’t she? Maybe if he followed her, he could get a front row seat to her demise. Because that was exactly why he was chasing after her.

She plunged into the thicket, and this time he didn’t hesitate. She already had a decent head start on him, and there was nothing else for it. He hunched down and followed her. Feeling branches catch and snag at his coat as he moved further in. the path got smaller, and smaller. Fine for a stupid midget like her, maybe. He was crawling now, and still he was getting poked, stabbed, and pulled fur. He knew he lost more than one tuff of his coat squeezing in. Finally, at last, he could go no further. He could hear her crying softly to herself somewhere up ahead. He tried to pull himself under the thicket, and got a resounding smack to the head from a twig that rebounded off his head. Nope. he couldn’t do it, he’d have to just leave the idiot to her misery then. He tried to shuffle backwards, and all the branches he’d shoved past suddenly poked him in the butt. He tried to turn, but he hadn’t left himself enough room even for that. He tried to inch forward again, but there just wasn’t enough room. He was stuck, utterly. “...Delphi…”


"Speech"

Through all of her own commotion and crying, she didn't hear Strai approach. Not even the branches and thorns poking and prodding him alerted her to his presence. Not until he spoke.

Delphi.

He'd never said her name before. His nickname for her had been Toxic. Never once had she heard him say her own name. The sound struck a cord in her heart. Her tears slow as she begins to sniffle, slowly scooting around until she can see his larger form through the shadows of the thicket. He hadn't deserved her lashing out at him like that. He didn't deserve to be stuck in the thicket either. He'd only been playing, right? But it had seemed so... serious. So terrifying. So much like that moment. Delphi closes her eyes tightly as she shakes away the bad feelings. No. He hadn't meant it. If he had, why would he chase after her? Why would he say her real name now...

"I-I'm sorry, Strai," Delphi whispers as she army crawls closer to where he is bound by sticks and thorns. Her chin is practically scraping across the ground as she can finally see him about a foot away. "I-I don't know what happened," her voice his hoarse as more tears threatened to spill from her eyes. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she be normal?

He could feel his panic rising. Feeling trapped like this felt like death. He would be easy pickings for anything big enough to come from above, and he couldn’t even lift his head and look above him. It felt like every part of him was being poked and prodded, and so much as shuffling hurt now. He could feel tears of frustration burning in the back of his eyes. He curled his toes and let out a soft hissed breath. He wouldn’t cry, he couldn’t. When Delphi came to him, she was apologising for - he assumed - her running off. Honestly, at this point that was pretty much forgotten. “That’s fine, but can you please help me?” He asked her, his voice coming out more like a squeak than he would have liked. He was terrified. "Delphi" & "Strai"

Delphi is surprised when he dismisses her apology and asks for her help. Though thorns stick into her ears, they perk up slightly as her eyes look around. He was stuck? Like stuck stuck? Concern fills her unexpectedly. This was her fault. He had followed her into the thicket. Stupid boy. Letting out a sigh of frustration herself, Delphi crawls closer to him to try and get a better look. "Uh, how exactly are you stuck?" She asks as she tries to get a good look around him. All she can really see are thorns and branches and sticks sticking every which way. While she can almost stand, still rather crouched, she can tell he won't be able to do the same. "Delphi" & "Strai"

He focused on his breathing. If he could keep that under control, he might also be able to stop the slight tremors he could already feel building up in his muscles. He didn’t want Delphi to see how terrified he actually was. He swallowed, closing his eyes as he lowered that last bit to the floor. It wasn’t like he could raise his head more than a twitch, anyway. “When I tried to back up, all the branches were facing the wrong way and dug into me. If you could push them aside, I can try and back out until it’s big enough to turn around?” he asked her. He needed her smaller size, she had more freedom to move here. "Delphi" & "Strai"

"Yeah, okay, I can try that," Delphi agrees and begins to crawl forward and around Strai. Once she is near his bum, she can see how the branches have been shifted in the wrong direction. It is clear that it should be hurting him and must not be comfortable. Feeling worse now than before, Delphi reaches for one of the branches and pushes it aside until it can get snagged on another branch and stay out of the way. She goes to push the next one and it ends up snapping back in her face and a thorn pokes her in the lip. She lets out a little whine but persists and shoves the branch out of the way. Moving back around him, she moves another one and another one until she thinks he's clear to start backing up. "If you get stuck again, just show me which one," Delphi says as she moves to the side of him so he can start to back up. "Delphi" & "Strai"

He couldn’t turn around and see what Delphi was doing, but he could hear her. His ears were back, and he strained to hear as much as he could. When she suddenly whines, he starts to struggle again. “What is it?” he growled. Was there a threat, were they about to be eaten? He almost couldn’t stand it anymore, he started to thrash, shoving at the branches around him as he struggled to turn around. He got poked pretty hard in the ribs for his troubles, and was forced to slow down and breath. Then, suddenly, he can move. He did so at velocity, though crawling backwards wasn’t easy. He scampered out of there as fast as he could, and then suddenly he could turn around. He shot out of the thicket as fast as he could, and he didn’t stop until he was clear of it. The second he was, he stood there. Shaking from limb to limb. "Delphi" & "Strai"

She doesn't realize his thrashing is because of his fear. She thinks its purely due to the pain of having thorns stuck in his side - literally. As she pulls the branch away to allow him room to get out, her eyes widen in confusion as he backs up and then suddenly turns and races out of there. Slightly crouched, still in the shadow of the thorns, Delphi watches Strai disappear. Standing there, half-frozen, wondering what was wrong, she is suddenly overcome with concern. Was he okay? Delphi looks at the ground and doesn't notice any sizeable blood splatter, maybe a few drops here and there. Not wanting to waste any more time, she finally rushes out after him, trying to be cautious of the thorns that threaten to stab her. Once she is able to escape the thicket, Delphi finds Strai standing there, shaking in his boots. Her brow furrows and her lips turn down in a frown as her ears slide backward. "S-Strai?" It is not often that she speaks his name, but by the look on his face, now wasn't the time to be bullying him. Approaching him slowly, she keeps some space as she stops and lowers herself down until she's almost lying down again. "Are-are you okay?" Delphi's voice is a concerned whisper as she watches him. "Delphi" & "Strai"

Delphi came out after him a short moment later, and he scowled heavily at her. He didn’t want her to see him like this, but he hadn’t gotten himself under control yet. His nostrils were flaring, and he knew he was breathing heavily. His eyes probably looked a little unhinged, too. But the shaking was the worst. The shaking was impossible to conceal. As Delphi lowered herself down and looked at him like he was about to come flying off at the hinges, he growled at her. “I’m fine.” he snapped angrily, locking his limbs as he finally wrestled his body under control. He took a step towards her then, his face lit up with anger. “If you hadn’t gotten in your head to hide like some… coward I wouldn’t have even been in there!” he yelled. "Delphi" & "Strai"

The real genuine Delphi wanted to hold him, to curl up in his arms, and to comfort him. She could see him shaking. Not just like a shiver kind of shake, but like he was scared for his life. She understood it. She had been there. Those all too terrifying feelings bubble up in her belly as she watches him try to get it under control. Trying to make herself appear smaller than before, hoping that maybe it helps, she wonders if it does. When he growls at her, she realizes it isn't. About to stand up and do something about whatever was happening to him, she is surprised by his snap. Delphi understood because she had done the same thing earlier that day. Not wanting to retaliate, she stays there until he takes a step toward her. His threatening posture signals her fight or flight. Then as he begins yelling at her, calling her a coward, her ears flatten and her lips raise in a snarl. "I'm no COWARD!" Delphi screams back at him as she instinctually leaps at his face. With paws extended, hoping to grab onto his neck, she aims to bite at his jaw or wherever she can reach. "Delphi" & "Strai"

Delphi vs Strai for Dominance
Round 1/?
Age: Under 1 year
Size: Extra small
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Leather bracers with cougar claws
Defensive Battle Accessory: Spiked collar of bear teeth
Companion 1: Male Binturong, 22” - Battle
Companion 2: Tasmanian Devil, Female - Battle
Mutation 1: Saber fangs (Offensive)
Mutation 2: Spicy blood (Defensive)
Skills: Advanced Healer & Beginner Fighter

He wasn’t exactly surprised when she reacted with anger, but he also kind of expected her to react with fear. To run off with the remaining scrap of her tail between her legs. At least then she wouldn’t keep looking at him like he was broken. Like there was something wrong with him. But anger worked, too. It set his blood pumping, and the last of the shakes faded away as he set his own stance, and took her first hit. Once again, she was striking for his face. Predictable. He turned his head, hoping to catch her jaws on his spur again. “If your not a coward, why did you run?”  He snarled at her, aiming to hook his paw behind hers, trying to trip her. “Why won’t you tell me what happened!”  he extended his claws, trying to dig them in. Astraios vs Delphi for Truth Round 1/2 Age: Under one Size: Dire wolf Build: Light Offensive Battle Accessory: Small dagged with sheath Defensive Battle Accessory: Protective bracers Companion 1: Snowy Owl, Male, Battle Companion 2: Snow Leopard, Male, 25" Mutation 1: Cheek Bone Spurs (Defensive) Mutation 2: Retractable Claws (Offensive) Skills: Advanced Fighter & Intermediate Hunter "Delphi" & "Strai"

Maybe she was predictable, but she was also inexperienced. He was the only one she had fought with so far. No one else even really knew she wanted to be a fighter. Originally, she had wanted to hunt or explore, but now, the thrill of the fight got to her. There hadn't even been a moment to tell her dad or Vidarr. They would've helped her train, she just had to tell them. It didn't matter now because here she was, getting into, yet again, another fight with the boy. All she saw was red. Pure, hot, red, fiery anger coursing through her veins as she sailed toward his face. When he turns to try and catch her with his spurs, she aims to grab ahold of one and yank on it as she goes crashing toward the ground. Knowing he would retaliate, she lets him hook his paw around and trip her. The momentum from his pull sends her closer to the ground and she hopes one of those stupid spurs goes with her. As she is recovering and trying to move, she hears his seething voice. A growl releases as she spreads her paws and lunges for one of his ankles. She didn't want to tell him. Anything but reliving those moments. The fear she felt that day made her want to throw up. "You wouldn't understand!" Delphi yells back as she hopes to latch onto his leg. "Delphi" & "Strai"

Delphi vs Strai for Not the heckin' truth
Round 2/2
Age: Under 1 year
Size: Extra small
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Leather bracers with cougar claws
Defensive Battle Accessory: Spiked collar of bear teeth
Companion 1: Male Binturong, 22” - Battle
Companion 2: Tasmanian Devil, Female - Battle
Mutation 1: Saber fangs (Offensive)
Mutation 2: Spicy blood (Defensive)
Skills: Advanced Healer & Beginner Fighter

She avoided his spur this time, proving she was learning. She grabbed onto it, and he winced as he felt her tug against it. Luckily, she went down a moment later. Just as he was about to put a paw down on her back, she lunged for one of his ankles. He let her have it, raising the other as he attempted to press it down right behind her ears. Trying to push her into the dirt beneath them. At the same time, he extended his claws and let them dig into her coat, trying to get a good purchase so she couldn’t shake him loose too easily. font color="#9d8fc7"> “I understand, I get it. People are stronger than you, and they take. Sometimes you're stronger, sometimes they're stronger. Sometimes they take a limb, sometimes they take your parents.” He snarled at her. Astraios vs Delphi for Truth Round 2/2 Age: Under one Size: Dire wolf Build: Light Offensive Battle Accessory: Small dagged with sheath Defensive Battle Accessory: Protective bracers Companion 1: Snowy Owl, Male, Battle Companion 2: Snow Leopard, Male, 25" Mutation 1: Cheek Bone Spurs (Defensive) Mutation 2: Retractable Claws (Offensive) Skills: Advanced Fighter & Intermediate Hunter "Delphi" & "Strai"

And the winner is...

Astraios

Delphi must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: Delphi : Attack Roll: 74 Defense Roll: 31 Agility Roll: 18 Perception Roll: 24 Total: 147 Attack[74] + 40% Bonus[29.60]: 103.60 Defense[31] + 35% Bonus[10.85]: 41.85 Agility[18] + 15% Bonus[2.70]: 20.70 Perception[24] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 24.00 Total[190.15] + -15% Bonus[-28.52]: 161.63 Astraios: Attack Roll: 59 Defense Roll: 12 Agility Roll: 81 Perception Roll: 3 Total: 155 Attack[59] + 60% Bonus[35.40]: 94.40 Defense[12] + 20% Bonus[2.40]: 14.40 Agility[81] + 5% Bonus[4.05]: 85.05 Perception[3] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 3.00 Total[196.85] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 196.85

Just when she thought she had the upper hand as her teeth latched onto his ankle, she felt the pressure of his paw to the back of her neck. Even though her teeth dug into his skin, his own claws dug into hers. Tears pricked at her eyes as he snarled at her. A whine builds in her as he presses her into the dirt. Hard. Too hard. She lets go of his ankle. Her mind hones in on what he says. His parents were gone. That was worse than having her tail stolen. Chills run through her as she whines louder. "Please," Delphi whimpers as she tries to look up at him. "I-I'll tell you whatever," she whispers, "please let me up," her lips tremble as she braces her paws against his leg. He was bigger, and stronger, making it almost too easy to overpower her. Would she always be weak? "Delphi" & "Strai"

He pushed her into the dirt, eliciting a whine from the smaller wolf. He pushed aside the feeling of guilt, determined to see this through. He wanted answers, it was clear that there was a great deal of emotional damage that had been dealt here, and he needed to understand it. His tactics might be brutish and thoughtless, but his heart was in the right place. When the fight was clearly won, he listened to her pleading, releasing his hold of her, and offering her a paw up. He didn’t really expect her to take it, but he felt the need to offer regardless. “What happened, Delphi?” He asked again. "Delphi" & "Strai"

It felt like an eternity when he finally allowed her up. Brushing the dirt from her legs, she scowls at the paw offered. Lifting her lips in a sneer, she refuses his help as she stands up and takes a step back. Folding her ears back until they were firmly pressed against her skull, she stays silent as she moves to sit and turns her chin so she doesn't have to look at him. Pain and anger and so many other emotions well in her as she hides the tears that once again threaten to spill. Why was he so insistent? Why did he care? Did he just want to use it against her? Her lips tremble as she fights the urge to run knowing he would just catch her again. "I was out playing when I came across an older boy," her voice starts unsteady, a mere whisper as she nearly speaks through clenched teeth. "I ran into him, trying to play, he didn't take it so kindly," Delphi continues and turns her eyes down to the dirt and leaf-littered ground. "I-I just wanted to play, but he decided to rip my tail off as punishment was a better action," she barely kept herself from the tears now as she tilted her chin downward. "I-I was so scared," Delphi finally ends, her eyes closing and her mouth shut tightly to hold back her emotions. What she didn't want to do was break down again in front of the boy. He didn't need to know how weak she truly was. "Delphi" & "Strai"

He wasn't really surprised as she declined his help. What did surprise him was the sting of it. A feeling he completely ignored. He watched her patiently as she folded back her ears and turned her head from him. Watching and feeling the build up of rage in his gut. Someone had hurt her this badly. She admitted her family couldn't find the man that did it. That meant he was still out there. Did he lurk in her dreams? He thought of his own dreams, watching as wolves tore his parents apart. Yes, he was almost certain he did haunt them.


Despite winning the fight, he was surprised when she started to speak. He leaned back on his hunches, giving him more space as he kept his silence and listened. He startled as he told her how the boy responded to play. No wonder she had freaked out, he too had responded badly. His own ears flicked back, disliking the feeling of guilt in his chest. 


In the end, he couldn't help himself. Whatever power Delphi held over him compelled him forward. He came up behind her and wrapped his paws around her front. Leaning his chin on her shoulder. "I'm sorry I reacted badly to your play." He knew his apology was clumsy, he was unfamiliar with doing so.

Her body trembled as she tensed all of her muscles. Even her jaw began to ache as she clenched her teeth together. The tears that welled in her eyes blinded her, making everything blurry as she continued to stare at the ground. She'd laid everything out for him. He knew now why she had reacted poorly. Had run off and freaked out. Of course, that boy still haunted her dreams. No, her nightmares. There were plenty of nights where she woke with sweat and tears making her fur damp and her lungs out of breath. Cursing herself for being so weak, Delphi almost wanted to strike the ground. Before she could, Strai was reaching forward and pulling her into a hug. Squeezing her tight with his chin on her shoulder, she buried her face into his chest. Letting out the sob, she barely heard him apologize. It was enough. More than enough. Why did they have to fight all the time? Why did he infuriate her? These emotions were so confusing and weird and ugh! There was no explaining it. Leaning in harder to Strai, Delphi practically curled in on him as she also wrapped her front legs around his waist. "I'msorryforfreakingout," her voice is muffled into his fur as she lets out the tears. With her chest hitching, she tries to catch her breath. Why was being a girl so shitty? "Delphi" & "Strai"