Dawn cast cascading rays of pinks and oranges over the still nearly dark sky. In the middle of the herbaceous garden, a herd of deer stood half-asleep or already grazing. Their tails flick at bugs and fawns suckle at their mother's teats. Everything is calm and quiet. Not a bird stir nor a coyote or mouse. A gentle breeze rolls in from the west bringing with it a salty scent of brine and sand. The world is perfection for the time being. No danger, no sense of urgency, just the deer and the garden with its crumbling stone walls.

Until a rustling along the territory's edge catches a doe's attention. The taller green grass that has been slowly fading to yellow freezes suddenly. As if the breeze tickling by hadn't just wafted in a whiff of feline. Not just any feline either, but a big cat scent. The doe stares for a moment longer, but the grass rustles no more and she is satisfied that it truly was just the wind or mouse.

Raumr releases a steady breath through his nostrils that only flutter his whiskers. His belly is pressed to the ground, tail that normally flicks back and forth now lies still along the path he's laid out. Perfectly hidden behind the extra tall grass, he peers through it with feline precision. Barely a blink to be seen as he waits for his moment. His toes flex, claws digging gently into the dirt as he licks his lips. Already he can taste the delicious sweetness of venison...

Just as he's about to make another move, the thunder of hooves stomping directly behind him sends both does and himself startling into the air. Thick, angry snorts light the air as the large antlered buck charges him. Leaping to his paws, swiveling so that his back is facing the now running herd and his eyes are on the male deer, Raumr releases a challenging roar meant to scare off the buck. It doesn't...

Raumr Regalus, the Third

table coding by bunni ♥
photo credit unplash.com

word count: 333 / 1500

She ventured out beyond the bamboo for the first time in a long time. The yearling girls horns had finished growing at last, and the pain of the headaches had subsided. She didn't feel like her life was so much on hold anymore now that she was pain free, and it was time she went about and took back her life. And what better way to do that than to go out and explore lands she had yet to see or touch? The alabaster and silver fae had heard of a garden near the castle that was inhabited by another pack, but she had very little interest in the pack that was settled there, so she avoided their boundaries and made way straight for the garden. When she arrived, she could see that it really lived up to its name. It was beautiful here, and she was keen on exploring it and seeing what she could find. She moved quietly, talons retracted so she wouldn't disturb the peace here. But it seemed it wouldn't be here disturbing the peace, as sound she had never heard before shattered the silence. Her head shot up in alarm, ears perked and all of her sense on alert. What on earth could that be this early in the morning!? Hunkering down in the grass so as not to be seen, her heart hammered in her chest. She wasn't sure whether to be afraid or not, as whatever had made that sound definitely sounded dangerous. Trying to keep her breath still, she moved quietly through the long grasses, mostly trying to avoid whatever it was, but it seemed she'd end up within its vicinity. She heard the many stomping of hooves as a herd of deer ran straight towards her, their eyes white with fear and she barely managed to flatten herself to the ground to avoid getting trampled by them. Once that danger had passed, she sat up and found yet another sight. A large, angry looking buck taking on a cat far bigger than the one she had. The pair were squared off against each other. She figured if she left quietly now, she could get away without being seen. She took a step back, then another, and just when she thought she was in the clear, her paw stepped on some dry leaves and she swore it was the loudest sound she'd ever heard! Before she knew it, the buck had her in his sights, and as it stomped the ground and reared, snorting with the morning mist slipping from its nostrils, her sense of survival kicked in and so she decided she would need to fight. She had never quite fought a prey animal before, but there was a first for everything, no? Now caught between her and the big cat, the buck looked between the two as it seemed to try and decide which one to attack first. Hinata would make the decision, teeth baring as she snarled and charged. Maybe if she was lucky, she'd get to take some of it home with her. That at least, would make it worth fighting. She angled herself to come toward its rear, her head angled enough so that her own horns might make contact with its hind legs and cut them out from under it. WC: 887/1500 Hinata

Raumr could understand why the buck would be so angry. Deer were known for being territorial, but was it so blinded by hormones and rage that it did not see it was facing off against a very large feline? Confusion glances across his expression as he squares off with the muscular herbivore. While it had no sharp teeth or claws to defend itself, it had a very large rack of antler and the hooves were nothing to dismiss. The buck could clearly hold its own and it was willing and ready to prove itself now.

Releasing another intimidating roar that has the buck snorting back in defiance, Raumr takes this moment to calculate. Where best would it be for him to attack? He had to avoid the antlers at all costs. Being gored by one of those sharp points would do him no good. Being kicked could potentially break a rib, but that was less worrisome for the big cat. His fiery amber colored eyes rove over the buck until the sound of leaf litter crunching loudly under paw catches not only his attention, but the buck's as well. Both he and the enraged buck look over to where the herd had ran to find a tall, slender, and ethereal appearing wolf with long catfish like whiskers and curving horns.

As amazed as he is at the sight of the canine, introductions would have to wait for now. They needed to take on the buck before they were both squished into the ground or gored against a tree. Raumr quickly turns his attention back to the buck, settling on the fact that he would protect the young wolf from harm and run the buck off without hurting it too much. The herd of does would need a buck to protect them and killing this one wouldn't do them any good. But clearly, the buck had other ideas. Ignoring Raumr's initial step forward toward it and rather focusing intently on the canine, he watches as the wolf charges ahead and aims to attack the buck.

His eyes widen in surprise, watching the scene unfold in front of him. Horns to thigh, deer antlers swinging down and around to try and carve into the girl's side. Knowing he needed to act fast before the buck got ahold of her, Raumr leaps without a second thought. Pushing himself up into the air and closing the distance quickly, he lands claws first upon the buck's face and rack of antlers. Digging in deep and raking his claws down the deer's face, his weight easily brings the buck's head down and away from the wolf. Warm blood coats his paws as he continues to hold on as the buck attempts to shake him off.

Though the buck is able to swing Raumr back and forth, with the help of the wolf, it can't move far or very much. While he feels terrible for feeling the need to kill the buck, he knows it must be done now. It was either their lives or the buck's. Releasing his back paws from their perch on the buck's shoulders, Raumr swings them toward the buck's throat. After a few attempts, he feels skin slice open and more blood wash over his legs. The buck lets out one last gurgling bugle of pain before stumbling forward onto the grass. Raumr hurriedly removes his sharp claws from the buck, leaping backward and out of harm's way. Out of breath, he turns to the girl with a tired smile.

"You fight well," he comments, collapsing onto the grass for a moment so that he may recuperate some energy. "If you need help taking this back to your home, I would be delighted to assist," Raumr says casually as he brings up a paw to start licking the blood clean from his ivory fur.

Raumr Regalus, the Third

table coding by bunni ♥

total: 1529 / 1500