Jael moves across the ground with a lingering limp. Though her rear ankle had mostly healed, it still wasn't as strong as her other joints. As strong as her other limbs. She's sore. While the girl wouldn't admit it out loud, she's sore. Her gait is hindered by the aching of her muscles, and her typically-confident stalk is more of a jagged affair. At least Gil wasn't around to see it. What would he think? Jael didn't like that he worried... by the same token, she like that he worried about her. That was selfish. Did she care? There was a learning curve to it, but Jael was starting to let herself be at least a little selfish with him. Savor his company, his tenderness, all of it. Fuck. Right, don't think too hard about that. You have work to do.

Work she did. Jael was hunting for recreational drugs, things she could return to the pack with. Hunting carefully for them, nose low to the ground. All they had growing for fun plants were a few sad jazz cabbages, and that wouldn't do. Jael knows this market, and she knows it well. She'd have the Raiders up and running in the drug trade in absolute no time, as long as she had her way. If she didn't get her way? Jael had a plan b, even if she wasn't proud of it. But that was something to help them later.

Gripping a large, empty jar, Jael lowers her head. Tracking and trailing the scent of damp earth and good mushrooms, the wolfdog is hot on the chase. Wrapped up in her work, and good work it was.

Az stalked the plains, fur bristling with a barely-contained rage. The brackish water of the incoming tide lapped at his paws, more of an irritant than a soothing presence. At one point the touch of these waters had been home, but that day was long in the past. Nothing about this shore was familiar anymore. He was far from the territory he once ruled - from the pack he once led - snarling against the painful realization that echoed in his skull. He no longer had a home. Everything had changed.

He sniffed the air then, catching not just the scent of the salty sea, but something else - another presence. Az threw himself forward, his powerful limbs carrying him forward with an aggressive grace. Ears pinned, eyes narrowed, lip curled ever so slightly to reveal a hint of his sharp teeth. This wasn't a friendly approach; it was the advance of a wolf on edge, an aggressor seeking an outlet for his pent-up rage. Once upon a time, it might have been the approach of an alpha come to defend his territory.

Before him stood a wolfdog, so focused on her task that she seemed almost a part of the landscape. Az's gaze hardened.

"Lost something?" Az's voice was a low growl, dripping with contempt. He didn't care for an answer, not really. It was just a pretext, a thin veil over his need to lash out. His stance was dominant, tail held high, head lowered. The tension in his body was palpable, a coiled spring ready to snap. He didn't know this woman, didn't know her story, but at this moment she was the embodiment of everything that had gone wrong in his life.

Jael knows better than to think she's alone out here. She'd learned that the last time. She'd learned that the day she'd washed up, exhausted, and nearly lost her life for it. No, she knows better than to get complacent. This is different than the last time-- she's stronger. Well rested, well fed. Even the limp in her hind leg had faded, the broken bone all but fully healed. Jael was lucky enough to have been well cared for, and now? Now she's going to work her ass off, maybe not for the pack but for him. Make the most of her new lease on life, or whatever that was supposed to mean. Was that... fucking sappy? Maybe. Whatever.

A stranger loomed large, seeming to melt from the shadows. He takes up space, standing tall and tense. Aggressive-- this is a predator. This is a predator at work, and Jael's stomach lurches. Her ears pin to her head, but she doesn't shrink. A wild look about him, something in his eyes that turns her stomach. Coming to a stop but standing her ground, the wolfdog fixes the man before her with the classic border collie eye. Near unblinking eye contact. Full body stiffness, one more creeping step forward, staring back down at the stranger. Jael is perfectly still as she takes him in-- tattered ears, facial scars, bone spurs, freaky paws.

"No more than you have." The words are chosen carefully. She speaks clearly, but there is no backing down. Something about the size of the tenacity in the dog-- that's Jael. Unwavering. Entirely unwavering as she gazes at the stranger, tense. A credit to her lineage, shining true, for better or worse. She's no shrinking violet, and her gaze remains just as intense as the rest of her.

Azure's eyes narrowed, taking in every detail of Jael's stance. He recognized the set of her shoulders, the tension in her limbs, the readiness in her eyes. She was braced for conflict. It should have been a deterrent, a signal to back off, but to Azure, it was merely an invitation.

"You're on edge, but you stand your ground well," Az observed, his voice low. "Quite the picture, aren't you?" His stance shifted, muscles coiling like a serpent ready to strike. Every fiber of his being vibrated with anticipation. "A little warrior, poised and ready. But do you know what I see?" His gaze raked over her, taking in every detail, every potential weakness. "I see a challenge. A game."

He stepped closer - a predator circling its prey, each movement smooth and deliberate, each step a silent threat.  "Tell me, do you like to run?" His voice dropped to a predatory whisper. "Because I'd love to see you try. I'll even give you a way to win, just to make it that much more fun."

Azure turned slightly, gesturing with his nose towards the west, where this plain met the next. "There are remnants of a few buildings over there. Make it to them, and I'll let you leave unharmed. However," He paused, locking his gaze with hers, ensuring she felt the weight of his words. "every moment you’re within these borders, you’re mine. If I catch you..." A tilt of his head displayed his open consideration. "You know, it's been a while since I drowned anyone. So bloodless, though." An audible 'tsk' cracked off his tongue. "I'll give it some thought and get back to you, once you're caught."

With that, he stepped back, giving her space - granting her a head start, should she choose to take it.

"Speech"

She doesn't recoil, she doesn't flinch. She can't. There would be no weakness from Jael here, she knows better. Predators were all the same. A challenge-- if only he knew. There's something strange coursing just beneath the surface of the girl, and she watches him ever so carefully. A finely tuned machine, Jael does not waver. She does not falter. Carefully listening, watching, from the edge of control. Opalescent eyes glimmering, Jael takes the creature before her in.

As the stranger steps to her, Jael takes a forward step of her own. It's a creeping step, bold. Once more, a credit to her instincts. She remained clearheaded. Here he is, trying to stalk, trying to intimidate. "Are you always so entitled with your playmates?" The words slip past her lips, silken. It would explain why he didn't have friends of his own to play silly games with. Jael watches him carefully. She's gone more than a few rounds with men who don't take no for an answer-- on those grounds alone. It's all the same.

Jael doesn't shrink from the eye contact, instead meeting it with growing intensity. Her ears remain back against her head, teeth glimmering just barely from beneath her lips. "Do you really just sit out here to threaten passers by?" She quirked her head a few degrees to the side, something that would have been almost cute in most other contexts. You're mine-- the words come, and Jael feels tension in her chest. In her ribs. No, that's not a privilege of his. Why does her heart ache just a little when he crosses her mind like this? It's not the time or place. She swallows it back.

Azure takes a step back. Jael takes a step forward. Though he may not have the physique of a common bridge troll, he certainly had the temperament. She wasn't going to back down, she wasn't going to shy-- she can't. Bristling, still standing firm, Jael remains calm. As calm as she can, given the circumstance. "If you're bent on blood I'll fight you, that's fine." The girl's gaze is unblinking, unwavering. "But you know as well as I do that any relief it brings will be temporary. I'm not the one you're really mad at." She would conceal her fear, her nerves, in the face of the predator that stood more than twice her size. She's not dumb enough to be fearless here, but she's intelligent enough to sound like some dumb girl while she stares danger in the face. Shoulders hunched forward, weight distributed evenly, Jael's posture is decidedly defensive in the event that she needs to be.

Azure watched the wolfdog with an expression of mild amusement, a sardonic arch to his brow as she boldly met him step for step. Her bravery - or perhaps it was foolhardiness - struck him as almost laughable.

"Yes. And yes," He replied, his tone dismissive, almost bored. "You're hardly the first to stumble into my path, and even less likely to be the last. Unwilling playmates are... somewhat of a hobby of mine." The slight quirk of her head caught Azure's eye, a movement that parted the plush fur of her coat just enough to reveal the vulnerable lines of her throat. Perhaps by the end of this encounter her heart might be pounding hard enough for the pulse of her heart to show through.

Preparing himself for a fight, Az flicked his gaze across her, picking apart her weaknesses with clinical precision. The hind leg - previously injured - was a glaring vulnerability, one betrayed by the uneven wear of her claws and the slight wasting of muscle. "Oh, little dog," Azure sighed, feigning disappointment. "I had hoped for more of a challenge. You should know; the more you resist, the more... enticing it becomes. Your defiance, it only adds to the game."

"If it's a fight you want, be my guest." His eyes locked onto hers, a predator assessing its prey. "But when I have you pinned - and I will - the first thing I'm going to do is target this leg." A mutated paw flicked lazily in its direction, a single claw clenching like how one might twang a string. "One quick move, and it'll snap like a twig. Might even take it off, you never know. These things happen, in the heat of the moment."

Azure paused, letting the gravity of his words hang in the air before continuing. "Or, you could choose to run. Make it interesting for both of us. And when I catch you..." His voice dipped into a darker timbre. "You can still have your fight. I'll just be a tad gentler."

He cleared his throat. "Choose."

---

Azure vs Jael for Maim
Round 0/?
Age: over 1 year
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Bracers with knife
Defensive Battle Accessory: Condor body armor
Companion 1: Large flying fox, Male - Battle - Boosted
Companion 2: Clouded leopard, Female - Battle
*Companion 3: Fisher, Male - Battle
Mutation 1: Saber fangs - Offensive
Mutation 2: Bear paws - Offensive
Mutation 3: Bone spurs - Offensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter
Specialty: Saboteur or Bloodletter

---

Azure vs Jael for Race
Round 0/?
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter
Specialty: Saboteur or Bloodletter

"Speech"

Her hackles are up along her back, rising. Jael is trying her damndest to look bigger, look scarier than she is. It was fucking hard, especially given her stature. The way this creep looks at her... disdain. Disgust. Something worse. It colors her expression, drips from her tone of voice. Tense. Jael is so incredibly tense. Every bit as coiled, prepared to strike as the man before her.

For as proud as Jael is, she's not stupid. She knows just how much size, just how much weigh Azure has on her. She knows the odds. She knows they're shit. Far to the west, there were the islands in the distance. Safety. Gil. He's the safety she needs. He's the aching in her chest, in her lungs. Everything comes in a split second-- Jael is quick after all. Bred for speed, for agility. For decision making. Jael takes a couple long steps before smashing the glass jar on the ground behind her. Taking off at a dead run.

Taking off in the direction of home, as fast as her paws will take her. Heart pounding in her chest. At the top of her lungs, she calls out for him. Cries out. Though she doesn't want to give the madman the satisfaction, she also needs her safe haven. Her guardian. "Gil!" It's at the top of her lungs. All Jael can do is hope he comes for her.

Jael vs Azure for Race
Round 0/2
Age: over 1
Size: Extra small
Build: Medium
Skills: Intermediate Fighter & Intermediate Intellectual

Azure watched with a predator's focus as Jael's hackles rose, her attempt to appear more formidable than her size would allow. He observed her tension, the way she seemed ready to spring into action, noting the way her eyes flicked westward - towards the islands - a glimmer of something like hope or longing flashing briefly in her gaze.

As Jael shattered the glass jar on the ground, Az's senses sharpened. The sudden noise, the burst of movement – it was the gunshot that signaled the beginning to the race. The moment he had been waiting for. In one fluid motion he launched himself forward, his powerful limbs propelling him effortlessly across the sand.

He was aware of the glass shards scattered on the ground, but he paid them little heed. The sharp pain as they pierced his pads was a minor inconvenience - a triviality, compared to the thrill of the chase. Despite the pain, Azure could move with an impressive speed, his larger frame and strength giving him an edge.

He relished the sound of her cries, the desperation in her voice as she called out for her guardian. It was music to his ears, a melody that only spurred him on.

Azure vs Jael for Race
Round 1/?
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter

While Jael's stomach churned at the idea of giving this random bully what he wants, she knows that she's at a disadvantage. He's taller, his limbs are longer, he's got dangerous teeth and dangerous spines... no. She doesn't like this, but then, she'd rather survive than... whatever else. What kind of psycho sits around threatening others' lives for... no reason?

Ah well, another day, another random man making up for his tiny dick by taking out his inadequacy issues on strangers.

Jael tracks towards the islands at a dead run. She's small, far smaller than the man who coursed after her. She'd use that to her advantage. The cypress trees grew close together near the shore, and she'd seek refuge in that. The ground beneath her feet seemed to melt away, each leap and bound pushing her farther, closer to home. There's no doubt in her mind that the raid king himself heard her plea, she just has to last long enough for him to come bail her out... right?

Jael vs Azure for Race
Round 1/2
Age: over 1
Size: Extra small
Build: Medium
Skills: Intermediate Fighter & Intermediate Intellectual

Azure's breaths were heavy, a rhythmic pant that matched the pounding of his oversized paws. The blood upon his pads mixed with the sand, leaving a crimson trail in his wake. His eyes never left her figure, not even as she darted and weaved through the trees. She was smart to use her size to her advantage, but Az knew the land well. Every twist and turn, every tree and shadow, it was all etched into his memory.

As the wolfdog disappeared into the thicket of cypress trees, Azure moved to follow, his larger body pushing through the tight space. Branches snagged at his fur, pulling and tearing, but he pushed forward regardless, driven by the hunt. Her fear, her desperation... it drew him in like a moth to flame.

Azure let out a low growl, a sound that rumbled from deep within his chest. He was close, so close he could almost taste victory. But he knew better than to underestimate his opponent. She had more than one advantage here, and plus, she was running for her life.

Azure vs Jael for Race
Round 2/2
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter

What kinda asshole sits around threatening to kill people for passing through. That's the whole thing Jael doesn't understand. This kind of aggression, this kind of violence, she can't fathom it. A threat to society, a rabid dog that appeared to be off his leash. Sickening. Raiders territory bobbing in her vision not far off. If things went south, she could only hope Gil was on his way. Calling again would give away any positional advantage she'd gotten under cover of the trees.

A balance of precision and speed, she could do this. She could outpace the brute. Fuck, she had to hope she could. Jael tore off in the direction of home. Is that what it was now? Is this it, the first time she sees the island for what it is? For what it could be? The feelings won't hit her until later. For now, all the girl can feel is the pounding in her chest and the aching in her lungs. She's running for her fucking life man.

Jael vs Azure for Race
Round 2/2
Age: over 1
Size: Extra small
Build: Medium
Skills: Intermediate Fighter & Intermediate Intellectual

And the winner is...

Jael

Azure is a slow bitch and lost the race. Totals: Jael: Speed Roll: 93 Stamina Roll: 13 Balance Roll: 28 Total: 134 Speed[93] + 10% Bonus[9.30]: 102.30 Stamina[13] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 13.00 Balance[28] + 5% Bonus[1.40]: 29.40 Total[144.70] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 144.70 Azure: Speed Roll: 10 Stamina Roll: 24 Balance Roll: 96 Total: 130 Speed[10] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 10.00 Stamina[24] + 10% Bonus[2.40]: 26.40 Balance[96] + 5% Bonus[4.80]: 100.80 Total[137.20] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 137.20