The earthy musk of the forest floor mingled with the crisp autumn air as he followed the trail of a coyote pack. Just another task, another bit of blood to spill, all for the sake of betterment. The scent of the beasts hung heavy in the air, an invitation that spurred Caedes forward. With each step, he drew closer to his quarry, his instincts guiding him as he moved with grace through the underbrush. There were the sounds of bird song, of twigs snapping, the distant call of larger prey. But above all else, he focused on the faint yet distinct scent of the coyotes, leading him ever onward.

Suddenly, a shift in the wind brought a surge of fresh scent to his nares — the unmistakable odor of the coyote pack, stronger now, closer than before. Caedes paused, his eyes gleaming with anticipation as he honed in on their location. Silently he crept up, watching as he took account of the number of them. Six. They were gathered around something, a fresh kill - a fawn. He’d do well to steal that when he was done with them, no?

With a low growl rumbling in his chest, Caedes surged forward, his muscles coiled powerfully before releasing the bulk of his weight and muscle into the clearing. He let himself be known, a reverberating growl erupting from his chest. The coyotes whirled to face him, their lips pulling back in defensive growls and barks as he charged the nearest one.

"speaking"

Kaija certainly hadn't come all this way just to pick a fight with some coyotes, but it seemed she had been pushed into this predicament against her will. Not that she had anything against violence. As far as she was convinced, it was a perfectly fine solution to some things, but she generally just didn't care enough to seek it out. Wasn't like it really benefited her, and she did most things for that reason and that reason alone.

She'd been minding her own business, strutting through the forest like she owned the place when she caught wind of a coyote. It didn't bother her at first, not until she accidentally got a bit too close to one of them - the smell of the fresh prey they'd taken down was obvious to her, and though she wasn't interested the mongrel seemed threatened by her nearby presence. Though she was a decent distance away, it seemed one of them had been circling the area, apparently trying to keep scroungers from getting too close.

Kaija didn't take lightly to the coyote's attempts to being ushered away. A threatening growl fell from her throat as she stood her ground. The coyote tried to make itself look big, trying to appear threatening - at least for a moment before it began to retreat, slinking through the underbrush back tot he rest of the group.

Pissed off now, she all but sprinted after the dog, catching the sound of another growl echoing through the forest. Not a coyote this time but another wolf. Maybe someone after their prey? Interesting.

The tusked woman wasted little time in charging forward, barely registering the sight of the other wolf as she zeroed in on the coyote that had tried to pick a fight with her. Like Caedes she charged, aiming to throw her much greater weight at the coyote and send it to the ground, and hard.

Caedes absolutely throttled the coyote to the ground, his teeth snapping at its face, making purchase against its delicate cheek skin. It was brutal the way he ripped away that section of its face, spitting it to the side as he readjusted his bite. However, just as he was about to go for the killing blow on the coyote’s throat, another coyote began to bite at his flank. And then another. At his side, darting in to deliver quick, slashing blows before leaping out of his reach again.

Caedes couldn’t let that slide. He ignored their efforts to distract him, those massive jaws lowering to snap his initial opponent's throat before he was finally able to whirl around, a paw shooting out to bat the coyote at his flank away. He sent it more or less flying, turning his attention to the other and barreling his weight into it. There was a lesson to be learned in all this, and it was that they could have gotten away had they only left their kill to him.

He briefly managed to hear the sound of another skirmish to his side, but his eyes did not glance over in favor of finishing his current task of dispatching these little beasts.

"speaking"

One of the coyotes hit the ground hard, and so did Kaija's opponent, letting out the yelp as the larger female's weight pummeled into it. Success! That'd teach him to pick fights with creatures bigger than himself. She'd been minding her own damn business anyway, why couldn't he have done the same? Her own annoyance at the situation seemed to pale in comparison to this other male's though. From the corner of her eye she could see just how much damage he was trying to do, watching as another coyote was flung away.

Of course it wasn't like she'd just get to walk away once she dispatched one of the dogs. Another was immediately charging her, all snarls and snapping teeth. Without hesitation Kaija stood her ground, ducking her head low and snapping it up again when the coyote charged her way, the hard jerk of her head sending the coyote flying and hitting the ground with a loud, cracking thud. "Hey! B'hind you," Kaija managed to spit out, seeing a flash of movement that told her one of the dogs had managed to circle around Caedes and was attempting to ambush him from behind.

Caedes swiftly incapacitated a coyote, sending it sprawling to the ground, gasping for air that had been knocked out of it as his powerful jaws clamped around its hind leg. With a surge of muscle, he prepared to whirl around, only to fling the predator into the underbrush with a resounding whoosh-THUD.

As he caught his breath, Caedes heard a warning shout from the stranger nearby, also engaged in combat with the overzealous creatures. His attention immediately snapped to the side to heed her warning just in time to see another coyote hurtling towards him, leaping onto his back and sinking its teeth into the base of his neck. With a furious growl, Caedes shook his body violently, attempting to dislodge his small assailant.

"speaking"

Kaija shouting out a warning to the stranger wasn't a purely altruistic choice - few things that she did were - but keeping him upright and fighting back meant she was less likely to get overwhelmed by these coyotes. Not that they really stood a chance against the two of them, that was becoming increasingly clear. One coyote was dealt with after another, the one she'd warned Caedes about quickly dispatched with a furious shake of his head.

That was one, two, three, four... the fifth she'd just flung off of her. Where the hell was the sixth one, now? Kaija's eyes narrowed as she steadied herself, panting hard from the fight. Her tusked head swung around, catching sight of the one she'd just flung off her charging her again, even madder now than before. Without hesitation her parted jaws sought the creature's neck, intending to permanently disable the creature before it could strike her a second time.

Caedes moved with calculated precision, each movement deliberate as he dispatched his foes with ruthless efficiency. The coyote Kaija had warned him about met its swift end, tossed aside with a powerful shake of his head before he swiftly claimed its throat with a ferocious snap of his jaws. As he lifted his head once more, a gruff pant escaping his lips, he took stock of his surroundings.

With a quick assessment, Caedes noted the dwindling numbers of their adversaries. His emerald gaze flickered to Kaija, observing her as she continued to battle within the chaos. Then, with a surge of movement, another coyote charged towards Kaija, its fury undiminished despite the loss of its kin. Caedes tensed, ready to intervene if necessary, but Kaija's response was swift and decisive. Her powerful jaws closed around the creature's neck without hesitation, swiftly neutralizing the threat before it could strike again.

Now, Caedes simply watched, shaking loose any debris that had become caught in his fur during the scuffles.

"speaking"