Uruk's heavy hooves crunched softly over the rocky terrain as he approached the hot springs, his breath forming a faint mist in the warm air. The opalescent pools shimmered in the dappled sunlight filtering through the surrounding trees, but his focus was on the thick scent of wolves drifting in from the east. He snorted, his ears swiveling in every direction, alert to any threat.

As he dipped his head to inspect one of the deeper pools, a low growl rumbled through the underbrush. Uruk tensed, muscles coiling in preparation, and lifted his gaze just as a shadowy figure emerged from the misty foliage - a melanistic jaguar, its golden eyes locked on to him with predatory intent. The beast's muscles rippled beneath its dark coat, a lethal predator clearly assessing its chances against the massive stallion. Uruk's lips curled back in an amused grin, his rhino horn gleaming ominously as he prepared to defend himself.

[ 1/3 Explore new land (The Hot Springs) ]
[ 1/3 Fought a large opponent (Jaguar) ]

"Speech"

CODE BY SIN

Scylla had been on the tail of the jaguar for some time. It had gotten close enough to Obscura lands that it needed to be dealt with. In fact, it had taken a swipe at her, crossing over the border to do so. That signed its death warrant. A c at dumb enough to ignore the signs of a pack of wolves was dumb enough to come back and start trouble later.

On the trail, Scylla noted that the cat was headed towards the springs. Once she killed it, maybe she'd go for a soak. Hmm... or maybe not. It seemed that the idiot cat was already picking a fight with something else. Peeling herself from the ground cover, Scylla moved out into the clearing. A horse. Neat.. The idiot cat must have brain damage or something. With a sigh, the Obscuran Sovereign prepared to do what she could and hopefully not get trampled.

"Scylla"

His ghostly eyes narrowed as he sized up the jaguar, but before he could make his move, the scent of another predator reached his nostrils - wolf, but not just any wolf, one with the air of authority and the familiar scent of the nearby pack. His gaze flicked to the side, where the mottled coated creature emerged. The wolf's calm, confident stride signaled she was not here for him. When she glanced briefly at Uruk, her mismatched eyes caught his attention for just a moment before he switched his focus back to the jaguar.

Understanding the unspoken truce between them, Uruk gave a subtle nod, muscles coiled, ready to act in tandem with the wolf. His heavy hoof stomped the ground, a warning to the jaguar. The jaguar hesitated now that it realized it had been outnumbered. Uruk snorted, a low, threatening sound, as he prepared to charge, trusting the wolf to flank the cat and make their combined attack swift.

[ 2/3 Explore new land (The Hot Springs) ]
[ 2/3 Fought a large opponent (Jaguar) ]

"Speech"

CODE BY SIN

The horse seemed to understand that they were both on the same side in this instance and shot her a curt nod. That was fine. The cat was going to die either way. Help just meant that it would die faster.

The jaguar snarled, moving towards the equine and the striped fae moved out behind it. Right before the cat lunged, Scylla lashed out, one of her daggers slashing at the Achilles tendon at the back end of the cat. The feline screeched and spun to face her, its leg crumpling, useless. Calm as ever, Scylla set her defenses, ready for the feline to make its way towards her now. Hopefully the horse wasn't too much of a wuss to help.

"Scylla"

The shadowed stallion watched as the wolf moved with lethal precision, her dagger finding the mark on the jaguar's Achilles tendon. The cat's screech echoed throughout the clearing as it crumpled, momentarily distracted from its original target. Seizing the opportunity, Uruk charged forward, his powerful muscles propelling him with a burst of speed. His horn, sharp and strong, found its mark, driving deep into the jaguar's side.

A triumphant snort escaped Uruk as the impact sent a shockwave through his body, but the victory was short-lived. The jaguar, though impaled, was not done fighting. It twisted in agony, its claws lashing out wildly, catching Uruk across the chest and shoulders. Pain shot through him, but he gritted his teeth, determined not to let the beast gain any leverage.

With the jaguar still thrashing on his horn, Uruk shook his head violently, trying to dislodge the predator. Blood slicked his coat, but he remained focused, keeping the cat pinned in place against the ground for now while he relied on the wolf to deliver the final blow.

[ 3/3 Explore new land (The Hot Springs) ]
[ 3/3 Fought a large opponent (Jaguar) ]

"Speech"

CODE BY SIN

Oh, hey. That worked out, didn't it? As the jaguar spun to face her, the horse took the moment to impale the thing on its fancy face spike. Of course the cat didn't die. Why would it? Nothing was ever easy and the drive to survive was strong. Not strong enough though.

The lightning struck stallion pinned the feline to the ground and Scylla wasted no time in sending her dagger straight through its throat. One nice, clean slice. She then stepped back, allowing the choking, flailing cat to expire, its blood pumping onto the earth and dribbling into some of the lower pools. The woman shot the horse a wink and motioned towards his shoulder with a pull of her skull. "Good job. Want me to fix that or are you too tough for healing?"

"Scylla"

The lightningstruck stallion watched as the wolf swiftly ended the jaguar's life with a precise strike to its throat. The cat's struggles ceased, and Uruk felt the weight of it lessen as its life drained from its body. He finally managed to shake the lifeless feline from his horn, and it fell to the ground with a dull thud. His chest heaved from the exertion, and he couldn't help but notice the deep scratches marring his hide, blood trickling down to the dirt.

When the wolf, the Obscura Sovereign unbeknownst to him, offered her help with a wink and a nod towards his wounds, Uruk hesitated. Pride told him to refuse, but practicality won against it. He gave her a curt nod, acknowledging her offer. With a huff, he lumbered toward a pool, easing his large frame into the warm water. The heat seeped into his muscles, soothing the ache from both his travel and the fight as he settled down, the water lapping gently at his wounds. He glanced at the wolf now that his shoulder was more at her height level and gave her a nod, waiting for her to begin, still not entirely comfortable with the idea of being fussed over, but recognizing the necessity.

"Speech"

CODE BY SIN

Scylla definitely thought that the big horse was going to turn her down. In fact, she may have damn near bet on it. He surprised her though, nodding and moving towards one of the nearby pool. Stepping in put them at a better angle and the slate colored fae was glad for it. Would have been a long stretch to get way up there on her own little hind tootsies.

Sifting about in the smaller satchel that she used for travelling, Scylla took out a scrap of soft skin and a little pot of something. Dipping the rag into the water of the pool, the wolf dabbed at the slice marks, gauging their depth. Thankfully none were too terribly deep. Superficial, mostly. It was important to make sure that the wounds were clean and free of debris. The horse had assisted her, so she'd do well by him in terms of healing.

"Scylla"

Uruk remained still, his massive frame almost disappearing in the pool as the warm water soothed his tired muscles. He kept his eyes on Scylla as she worked, noting the practiced ease with which she cleaned his wounds. The feel of the damp rag against his cuts was a mix of discomfort and relief, but he made no complaint, simply grunted occasionally as she dabbed at particularly sensitive spots.

He had expected to feel more irritation at needing help, but the wolf's calm and efficient manner put him at ease. Her size made the task almost comical, yet she handled it with a seriousness that Uruk couldn't help but respect. As she worked, he found himself relaxing further into the pool, the tension from the fight easing away.

"Why are you helping me, wolf?" he asked, finally breaking his silence. "What's stopping you from slicing my throat and taking me home to your pack as a feast?"

"Speech"

CODE BY SIN

She worked diligently. nimble digits flying over the wounds with practiced ease. Once she deemed the scratches clean, Scylla sat the scrap of skin aside and opened the crock full of a thick, waxy substance. It was when she was smearing to salve over the wounds that the horse said the funniest thing ever. Why didn't she kill him and drag him home?

A sweet, bell-like laugh pulled from Scylla and she shook her head. "You're too heavy, for one," she spoke through her laughter, resuming her work at his shoulder. "Second, you helped when you could have run. That means something." Once the salve was pressed into the wounds and covering the scratches, Scylla began cleaning off her paws. "You could have trampled me and avoided putting yourself in danger, but you didn't. Why did you help me?" she asked in return.

"Scylla"

Uruk listened to Scylla's response, her laughter ringing out unexpectedly and causing him to twitch his ears. Her reasoning was practical, but her curiosity in return was something he hadn't anticipated. He shifted slightly, feeling the salve cool and soothe his wounds as he considered her question.

"I'm not one to run from a fight," he replied, his voice low and steady. "Especially not when it's with a beast as arrogant as that cat was," he paused, glancing at the now lifeless jaguar, then back to Scylla. "But, more than that, I saw a chance to see what this small wolf was made of."

He let his words hang in the air for a moment, the steam from the hot spring curling around him like a veil. "I'm not interested in alliances with the weak. You proved you're not. Maybe that's worth something," he added, his tone almost contemplative, but with a hard edge that spoke of his true nature.

"Speech"

CODE BY SIN