When I try to count all the simple feelings

The morning had started like usual, but this time he had been far too tired to make his usual rounds around the border with his mother. Sleeping soundly - the boy hadn't noticed his sick mother leave the den. How hard he and his brother had tried to keep her still. Ever since the wedding she had started mumbling strange things. His dad told him to try not to worry - and Holly did her best to give their mother herbs but it just seemed like it had been going all sorts of bad. The howl to his ears was what woke him up - the tone of it he didn't yet understand but his paws splayed out in surprise. Teeth grinding against each other as the large nearly yearling stood on his limbs. His breathing quickened once he had noticed where she was, the place wolves only went to fight.

Rivaxorus was quick on his paws, his young age made it easy to get there on time. Yet what he saw wasn't what he had wanted. His two different colored eyes widened, already his mother and Sin were locked into a fight. His head was swimming - ignoring the other wolves completely as his lip quivered. She was going to die, his mother wasn't mentally or physically sound. Sin was going to destroy her. His jaw locked up tears stinging his eyes, pouncing forward he came beside his uncle Leo and grandmother Epiphron. "Mom! MOM Listen to me! You shouldn't be doing this! What about dad. What about everyone else!" he screamed out loud. Looking at Sin. "Why - why is this happening." his limbs quivered. He wanted to badly to go and tear into Sin. At the moment it was his mother he was worried about. He growled to himself. "Damnit mom." he dug his claws into the terrain. Riv was going to jump forward - he wanted to so badly.

MADE BY MINNIE of BTN

Fool. She was hell bent on fighting him. He'd given her a chance to back down, but she had opted not to. He was sure Her challenge would be blamed on him...just as Threars lack of fighting had resulted in a siege against him. But he wouldn't dwell on that. He was content with sticking to the shadows until his time to rise again, but Arian would deny him that. It wasn't going to be much of a challenge, but a deathmatch wrote the end of one participant or the other. He would not be the one dying today. This was Her doing. He had left her alone after the day he maimed her, but evidently she didn't want to be left alone. That was fine. She wouldn't make it out alive. Her words struck him as laughable. She had nothing left to live for, yet when he threatened blackmail the first time she had gotten so riled and sore about being found out...that was when he maimed her. Telling him that nobody would believe him, yet where was she now? Spilling to the world that it was her idea, and then trying to save face that he threw a fit. How naive, that wasn't what he had done at all. If there was anything that he hated more, were liars and those who stepped back on their own word. He laughed openly at her, his gaze narrowing at her futile attempts. "You're so naive. I gave you a chance to leave me alone after you disrespected me and lied to my face. I was willing to help you, especially after you were the one to ask for my help, even begging to be friends. You were too weak then, too spoiled by your own selfish thoughts...not only putting yourself in danger, but your pack as well." He hummed a bit, Seifer's ears twitching to the unnamed tune as he stared at the crippled woman. She was a fool...Sin was right. Even while others continued to appear, the pair paid no mind. The woman was insane, and she clearly wanted her death certificate signed. They probably wouldn't have to work hard though. She was already splayed out on a platter like a roast pig with an apple in its mouth. How delightful. As Sin began setting his defenses, Seifer would step away a few short feet, claws retracting in and out as he scuffed the dirt, a hungry rumble in his throat. Sin would promptly set his defenses then. Eyes narrowed, ears pinned to his alabaster crown, bloodied maw wrinkling to bare deadly fangs, tail swept out like a flag while his head lowered, both aligning with his spine. Chin tucked, shoulders rolled forward slightly to protect his neck, head pulled back a bit to scrunch his scruff, hackles rose while his abdominal muscles tensed. Toes splayed and nails dug into the stained earth as he widened his stance to sit equidistant apart. His knees and elbows lowered slightly to allow fluid motion. Weight shifting towards his haunches as he prepared to launch. Just before he could, however, Arian had decided she wanted to go first. Initially, he had stopped three yards in front of her. But she seemed determined to try and close the fairly large (large for her) distance between them. As she moved forward, he would move as well. Sidestepping twice to his own left (Arian's right), he kicked off with powerful hind limbs. He sought to remove himself from her poor direct line of attack, the woman ungracefully flopping and sliding down to the ground. Her jaws would snatch empty air. Did she really think he was just going to stand there and let her slide under him? wrong. (meanwhile Seifer would burst out laughing at that) He sought to align himself with his right shoulder to her right shoulder, jaws opening to aim to his right. He would seek to lunge down at a rightward angle, teeth seeking to grasp the back of her neck in a powerful grip. Bottom canines sought to dig into the right of her neck, and top canines sought to dig into the portion of her neck at the base of her skull. Should he attain it, he would strive to shake his head violently without releasing, potentially gaining control. Meanwhile, as her right foreleg shot forward, it would strike his right hind leg just below the knee, but with his weight focused on his hind legs, she would not unbalance him, instead, she would only manage to leave a light bruise and mild welts from her blunt claws. As soon as her paw made contact, he lifted his right hind leg and aimed a vicious kick to her face, aiming mostly to kick her right eye and blind her for the fight. Weight shifted to his other three legs to accommodate this. And if he could, he would strive to keep her on the ground where she belonged. Snarling like a wild animal, the fire inside the beast was ignited. He would give her what she so foolishly wished for. Sin VS Arian for DEATH Round 1/3 "Behold my glorious eyepatch of doom!"

What the fuck was she doing!? The man had been about to go find her, to see if she wanted to go for a walk and get her out of that den, but as soon as he'd gotten there, he saw Rivaxorous shoot from the den towards the battlefield. He'd heard her howl, but the realization didn't hit until he was following Rivaxorous to the battlefield. Images of their first meeting, of them play fighting and of her accepting him into Sonticus with open arms. Of them finding out they were related. He cursed himself for not spending more time with her, even when she needed him the most. Eyes narrowed as he raced to the fields of war, the tone of her voice ringing in his ears. He had lost others before, why was he running to face the inevitable now? When he arrived, there were so many faces. So many scents. Kakashi had been absent most of the time, but to this he would be late. Stopping with a screeching halt next to riv and Leo and epiphron, Kakashi stared wide eyed at the pair tangled in battle. Well, tangled was an understatement. "What the hell are you doing!? Are you stupid?!" His voice was shocked, his stance stiff as he watched helplessly. He would lose someone else he cared about...but she had chosen to do this, and nothing could change her mind. Looking at those gathered near and around him, he was sure someone had tried to talk her out of it. But as the days had gone by, he noticed something was different about her. She seemed almost normal since the wedding...what made her go off? ""

Art||Plotter

She startled to consciousness. Eyes wide when she felt her brother get up and leave, urgency in his scent. What? What was going on? Peering out of the den, she saw Kakashi running after him at a break neck pace. Fear flooded her...was...was her mother at the battlefield? Who had she called? why had she called? She too would race from the den, heading straight to her secret stash of herbs and grabbing a carefully prepared bundle for emergency cases. Her heart raced, pounding hard in her chest and in her ears. Scrambling then, towards the battlefield. What she saw when she arrived horrified her. She raced up next to Riv, huddling against him and uncle Leo as she dropped the bundle. "Wh-what is she doing?" Her voice was scared, growing high pitched as she watched in horror at the fight. The tone of her mother's howl was different, but Holly didn't know what it meant. Turning to uncle Leo, a pleading and questioning look in her eyed asked unsaid questions. Her head whipped around back to the fight, breath hitching as she swallowed the fear and dread. "Mom! Mommy stop!" She cried out, but little did she know it would be of no use. Neither would her herbs be of any use. "Speak"

The man arrived broken, but arrived all the same. Gaze was narrowed, hackles raised spittle flying from his maw as he called out to the half blind man. "Kill her and it'll be the last life you take, you fucker!" His heart bloomed with rage, more-so then even when Avalon had been taken. He had failed then... but he be damned if he failed now. He'd start to circle the area where Arian and Sin were fighting, tail raised in dominance. Oh this was going to be good. He could hardly move his one leg all that well, but he'd be DAMNED if he let that monster get away with taking his wife. Children, Avalon, packmates... all of them were blocked out right now. All that mattered was the devil himself.

"Speech"

This whole thing was spiraling more and more out of control. He knew some other drama or fight was happening off to the side, but he ignored it entirely. The only fight he was concerned with was his sister's. More wolves would arrive, including his mother. She leaned into him and he wouldn't complain, happy to be her support during this. He would shake his head to her question with gritted teeth. "I'm not entirely sure she even knows. She's so... She's not the Arian I know," he told her, his voice hushed and strained with emotion. He didn't want to watch this fight that was sure to be his adopted sister's demise, but it was impossible to keep from watching the blood shed. His nephew's voice pulled his gaze away and he looked over to see Riv screaming at his mother to stop. He could see the tension in the boy's muscles, the urgency to stop the impossible. Leo quickly reached over with his white pawed foreleg, reaching across his shoulders and pulling his frame closer to his with a shake of his head and a sorrowful look in his eyes. "Leave her be," was all he would say. There was no pleading that any of them could do now. Even if they could stop her there would be no healing her broken soul or mind. She had set this path for herself and he knew better than to try and change it. Arian's daughter showed up next and her cries broke his heart more than anything else had. His gaze met hers and he wished he had answers for the questions her eyes held. There was no explaining this. "Holly... Come here. Stay here with us." He pulled her over against his chest, settling down onto his haunches as he did so. He had his mother leaning in on one side, his nephew on the other, and his niece against his chest. His heart was broken and he was furious at himself for not foreseeing something like this sooner and not being able to stop it, but he held himself together and forced himself to be the pillar for the rest of his family. Cypress arrived soon after Holly and he would watch the man sadly. He would intervene on behalf of his nieces and nephews and cousins and even his mother, but he wouldn't dare try to stop Arian's mate. He knew if it had been Svetlana in that fight he would do the same thing. "Talk" "You" Think

No matter her disposition the lady would simply laugh, even if her attacks didn't go through. Clamping her jaws shut she laid on her left side right side exposed. As his jaw came down her right back leg pushed into the dirt inching her up as they hit her right shoulder. Painfully she felt the teeth sink in deep. The shaking of his head pulling out chunks of fur and blood. The wound at least a inch deep or more making her right shoulder lock up. His paw would hit her in the middle of her forehead. Immidiatly she would open her jaws as well and aim to snap right on the paw that had caused the bruising on her head and neck. Her jaws would aim to snap shut with as much force as possible. The woman on her side, tucked her tail between her legs. Hackles still raised and ears pinned to the back of her head. Abdomen muscles tightened and her eyes narrowed on her opponent with her pupils dilated. Her right back leg stretched out from her scooting forward the toes were spread for traction on the dirt. At any time given so she could scoot around - not that it would help her much. 2/3 Sin vs. Arian for death. "Talk"

Staying a good distance away from the cluster fuck of wolves the blood colored woman watches the brawl. Amusement dances upon her facial features, a sly smirk creasing her dark lips. When the call rang out across the lands of Alacritis she couldn't help herself. Death matches were fairy rare, so when one did happen it usually drew a pretty large crowd. Because of that she could spectate without feeling out of place. She didn't know either of the contenders, but from the way it was going it was obvious who the winner would be. Excitement rushes through her veins as the crippled woman falls onto her side. She leans forward on her haunches to get a better look, sharp claws digging into the soft earth anxiously. Her attention does not waver despite the quarrels going on between other spectators, she can't wait to see how this man will play out the killing blow.

She had decided against looking for her daughter further for the time being, and instead trailed after the man who tried to press a pack on her. It was too soon... But she would live in the pack for a time... Perhaps mold it... And see how it took under his leadership before she took it for her own. Was Marina heartless? No. But she wasn’t stupid either. She wasn’t going to take some pack just to have it fall apart under her paws a few weeks later. The femme would follow him to the battlefield, just in time to hear his cry pierce the air. She felt sympathetic for him. Marina would cross to the man, gently pushing him back with her muzzle. “Nay, friend. I’m afraid you won’t be doing any battling with those wounds. If your mate should fall you’d wish to avenge her, aye? So you must be patient. Wait until your wounds heal and tackle this man with your full strength.” "Talk" "You" Think

Table by:: Fox

Three legs down. One to go. Arian had made a fatal mistake by challenging him, especially given her disabilities. Did she really hope to beat him? Teeth clamped down upon her right shoulder as she flopped onto her left side, the male shaking violently as his teeth tore away flesh and fur. She had challenged him to the death, and if this was her wish then he was obligated to grant it. He snarled as he felt teeth clamp around his right hind paw after he managed to kick her squarely in the face. He snarled when he felt the telltale sign of toes breaking, but it wouldn't quite hinder him. He would have a broken paw, but it didn't matter as long as he came out on top in the end. He had tormented her, but she had asked for it. The male pulled his right hind leg towards his body, attempting to yank it towards him and her jaws with it to try and see if her head would follow so as to extend her neck for a more brutal bite. She had placed herself in a bad position, and he wondered if she would be able to even get up let alone support herself after he massacred her right shoulder. He kept his defenses in place throughout it all: ears remained pinned, eyes narrowed, hackles stiff along his body, tail tucked this time to protect his vital parts and sensitive belly, maw wrinkled and shoulders rolled forward to protect his jugular. His head lowered to align with his spine, weight distributed among his three grounded limbs, toes splayed and claws biting the earth to hold him in place. His head pulled back slightly to bunch his scruff, chin tucked to add further protection for his throat. With a vicious snarl, he twisted his body like a feral cats, his right foreleg lifting as he then extended the limb towards the back of her head, directly over the back of her neck. Should he be successful in extending her neck when he pulled the trapped paw up, he aimed to slam his right forepaw upon the back of her neck and overextend the muscles there. He would strive to shove her head to the ground--weight shifting to his left side--furthermore, his jaws would seek to once again, lay claim to the already damaged right shoulder. He bowed his head, aiming to land a powerful grip and tear apart the muscle just between the base of her upper shoulder and the base of her neck, aiming to worsen the damage he had inflicted previously. Seifer would rise, stalking around to Sin's left as his gaze hungrily observed the fight. He would call it brutal, but the woman had chosen a path of suicide. All around them, he could hear the screaming and crying of children, hers no doubt, and the rest would be ignored. She was foolish, and in the end, both he and Sin would show her just how foolish this mission was. Sin VS Arian for DEATH Round 2/3 "Behold my glorious eyepatch of doom!"

Control Insanity did strange things to a wolf, no matter how much pain she was in. Now she was determined to cause some sort of pain more then a broken paw. At their right angle she snapped her jaws back, tucking her chin to her chest as her eyes looked at the towering male. Arian moved her head forward in a ducking motion so his paw slammed into the dirt. The woman used all of her weight and rolled forward to her right, his jaws slamming shut just between the shoulder blade before she ended up on her right side instead of her left. Hissing at the pain of lost fur between her shoulders. Now hoping that she was directly beneath him in a cross like manner. Arian rocked herself to the left, to get herself into a laying down position. Her tail raised she tilted her head to the right and used her back legs to pull up. Shakily her right shoulder painfully supporting her as her leg back leg also slipped. However her jaws opened and aimed directly for his tendon right below the elbow. Aiming to grab hold and severe it, hoping to maim the man in one way or another. Her hackles still remained raised, ears pinned to the back of her head. Abdomen muscles tightened as well as the rest of her body. Toes splayed out into the terrain and her scruff rolled forward. Her eyes narrowed, pupils dialated all noise was blocked out. All she wanted to concentrate on was drawing blood and pain. 3/3 Arian v Sin for Death. ooc: This post sucked I know xD it's kinda hard to fight with a disabled wolf. Good fight dragon ^w^ "Talk"

He sneered as teeth connected right between her shoulder blades, the males teeth digging in as he tasted blood. She was trying to move, sure as hell she was trying to get underneath him, but he would be quicker then the fish out of water he was fighting. It almost made him snort with laughter, and he would have if he wasn't currently trying to fight and save his hide. Not that it would be hard to do against her. As his body was curved to his right like a cat in a tangle of its own, he released his hold on her shoulders, fur and skin ripping away. His paw had missed the back of her head, and with his widened stance and angle, he would quickly pull it back to him and reground the leg she had let go and the leg he had tried to push her with, and maneuver himself away. As she tried to flop around beneath him, he would swing his hips to his left away from her, almost like a semi circle as he sought to align them up like a T so she wasn't beneath him. his defenses remained as she tried to cross them over one another. Amber gaze narrowed to slits, hackles raised all along his body, tail flagged out to align with his spine as well as aid him in balance, his shoulders rolled forward, head falling slightly to align with his spine, chin tucked, ears pinned, weight redistributed to his three good paws, toes splayed and nails biting the dirt. His head pulled back slightly to bunch his scruff, and his knees bent to give him more fluid motion. With his new positioning, her jaws would meet with the lower portion of his chest, the woman attaining a mild grip as her teeth dug in about an inch deep. She was fighting a losing battle, and he would note it as she now stood shakily, somehow. He would sneer then, using this opportunity to throw her in the dirt. He would coil his hind limbs, then kick forward as he attempted to throw all of his weight forward. Her teeth tore moderate lacerations further across his chest, but he would take it as long as she ended up in the dirt where she belonged. His goal was to unbalance her with his shove, knock her over onto her left side as he strove to push her from her right. To help with this, Sin would reach forward with his left forepaw, aiming to snake it around Arian's right hind leg and yank it towards him. Weight redistributed once again to his other three legs (though not as much on his broken paw). Jaws opened, and he would tilt his head slightly downward as he sought to place a good bite on the center of her spine. (top fangs over the left side of the spine, bottom fangs on the right side). He aimed to get a crippling bite, potentially seeking to break her back and render her completely useless. Seifer had been stalking around them the whole time, crimson eyes hungry for blood. His bobbed tail twitched, muscles coiling as he watched them fight. Finally, as he saw Sin attempt to knock her to the ground, Seifer would take the opportunity to strike. Coiling his limbs, he rushed in at a leftward angle (Arian's left side), his jaws opening as he sought to close in. Glistening fangs sought to do one thing, and that was to choke the life from her. He would seek to close his fangs around Arian's neck, bottom fangs curving into her throat, top fangs curving into the left side of her neck. Should he be successful, he wanted to strangle her, maybe even bleed her out. She would die a martyr, but it wouldn't be a glorious death. Sin VS Arian for DEATH Round 3/3 ""

The girl seemed to show a complete air of ignorance, which further pissed him off. He always knew bitches like her were nothing more then a piece of trash. A waste of a life. He snarled at her, hackles bristling as he stared her down. Before he could say anything another voice cut in, and it was the woman who had maimed him, but he didn't care too much about that. What was done was done, he and takira would go on and overcome it. He already had, it didn't make him any less of who he was. Without turning his burning gaze from the scarred bitch, Enigma answered the other woman. "I don't care about that, it's Her I want." He growled, taking a step towards Lillie. There was approximately four feet between them, and oh how he would fuck her up the best he could. Everything else was blocked out, sure that his father would dominate the field. As he prepared to lunge, yet another voice would speak. Amber gaze fell on the stuttering boy in front of him, teeth baring at the two. He sneered, evidently she couldn't fight for herself. Obviously, since she needed help in the siege. Now it clicked. "My quarrel is with Her not you. Back of. If she thinks she's hot shit then prove it! Yes, he was hell bent on fighting her and her alone. Not her stuttering boyfriend.

Lillianna's posture would not change as she awaited a response - and it was not long before she got one. From Integra. Her gaze switched to the woman. "I shouldn't certainly hope not. That was all you," she answered the woman smoothly; she had no desire to take credit for the Imperium woman's accomplishment - none at all. The messenger girl would smirk at Integra's words; she'd be surprised if those didn't rile the creature in front of her up.

That smirk would drop when a certain brown figure would zip up, and her ears would slowly pull back. Starling. Her emotions were mixed, right now, regarding him. After what happened in the siege meeting... but he was her friend. And then he spoke. Her ears flattened even more, lips beginning to pull back at his actions. How dare he? Did he think her incapable of a fight? Did he think her unable to defend herself? True, she had been unable to back when her face was maimed, but during the siege she handled herself well enough, even if she got... a little assistance from Imperium. He'd glance at her... she'd recognize the look, and he spoke. She did not know what he said, but she knew the tone: it as almost a... pleading tone, or so it seemed to her.

She was about to step up herself, figuratively, when Enigma responded... not caring about the fact his balls were gone? Him wanting to attack her anyways? What sense did that make? It made none, to Lillianna - why the hell was she a target? She did nothing to the male. He completely ignored everything else that Lillianna and Integra had said; was he deaf too? Selective hearing, of course. And apparently he had an issue with her. As if that wasn't apparent. Snorting, she eyed the male. "And what glorious thing did I do that made you so pissed off at me when Integra here took your very manhood?" Her tone was almost degrading; none of this made sense at all - no rhyme, nor reason.

Integra gazed bemusedly at the man who insisted he didn't care about his maim. Well, well, if he wanted to put on a brave face who was she to say otherwise, especially when she knew she'd claimed part of his future. He'd never be having any pups of his own with that whore. Though she was curious why he was so dead set on Lillie? If the fools of Hellstrom hadn't tried to gang up on Lillie in the first place, prompting her and Vana to intervene, things might've turned out differently. So it really was his own fault. But such as it was with morons, they couldn't see what was right in front of their faces. However, Integra wasn't about to leap to the girls defense in a one on one fight especially as the other girl was a warrior, as far as Integra knew. She should be able to handle this herself. "Aww… guess I'll have to go for something a bit more sensitive next time… like your eyes… or maybe your mates eyes?" Integra winked at Enigma and moved back a few more steps to give them room to spar. How fun would that be to pluck off an ear or something to give to him as a memento of his captured lover. So romantic… she wasn't quite sure where this streak of cruelty came from though she was quite certain the world had put it there. It had sought to stab her at every possible turn and she was beginning to feel it was time to start stabbing back. She was sick of trying to be happy and kind and understanding. Clearly it wasn't worth the effort. But her fangs? Her hard edges? Her malice? Those seemed to be the forces actually moving her forward and bringing her understanding and respect. When Starling spoke up Integra flinched, turning to gaze at the male. Was he stupid? "What are you doing?" she hissed,"can you even fight?" Not that it was her job to look out for him either. They'd met once, maybe twice but she owed the boy nothing and a lot had changed since then. She had enough of her own problems to worry about with out trying to keep an eye on Abaven's members. ""

A cry for battle, for death! It electrified his flesh and pumped him with excitement. He hadn’t witnessed any kind of death in far too long, and craved it like a drug. He didn’t care who it was; he didn’t know the voice, and probably wouldn’t know anybody participating or watching. He just wanted to see blood spill – wanted to devour the miracle of death with his pale vision. And so, immediately ripped from his previous occupation, the imp skittered off towards the origin of the call with high hopes and a tingling sense of anxiety – he didn’t want to miss it.

It took him a little while to arrive, but he found it alright. He could tell that that was it from far away. Several wolves had gathered, and the cacophony of dissent danced in the air. The fiend’s lips stretched back, showing his teeth in a shaky grin that wasn’t quite a grin. He felt saliva creep up under his tongue, anticipating. With a short and bouncing gait, he approached, stretching his neck and twisting his ears to the side as he tried to pry his stare through the other onlookers. He was surprised that the combatants seemed… familiar. Not that he knew them, he had just seen them around before. He gasped softly as he paused on the outskirts of the audience, momentarily ignoring the side conversations he’d usually be dipping into. One of the fighters was that really cool bloody wolf! The other was the crippled dummy who had snapped at him when the ground had been eating that old man. Sudden sadistic delight leapt up in his chest, and his empty grin filled with joy. ”Dee-vour her!” he cheered shrilly, feeling he was doing his part to support. His tail began to sway back and forth – he couldn’t help it! It was just so exciting! ”Loser is dinner,” he mumbled to himself, his glassy stare unmoving from the scene, unblinking in fear of missing something.

Tornach stiffened at his cousin's words and jerked away from his attempt at soothing him. Do not hush me, cousin, he wanted to snarl, he wanted so badly to snarl, but manners were so deeply ingrained in him that he could not give into the passionate anger that wanted to free itself in hot words. "You could have stopped this before it began," he accused tightly, his voice coming out in a half-strangled, wooden tone. "You would not allow a pup to jump into a raging river because it is incapable of deciding for itself what it should do, so why would you allow someone who is clearly incapable of making rational decisions for herself to fight someone to the death? You have killed her, sir, you and everyone else here who sat back and watched while she called for him." He trembled beneath a righteous fury, barely stopping his face from twitching into a snarl, barely kept his face smooth and fangs covered. Even the best of his control could not help stop the deliberately hurtful words that slipped from him at the end. He had always believed he could trust adults to always do the right thing but twice now in his young life that belief had been badly shaken, and by his own family. He wanted to throw himself forward and knock the two combatants apart, both to protect his cousin from the fangs of her enemy and to pin her down and keep her from fighting, but now in his heart he was convinced that the adults would stop him - clearly they were invested in allowing this fight to happen, and clearly had no interest in actually stopping it. Tears of hurt, of anger and frustration, pricked hotly at his eyes, and he spun away from his family and the gawking pitying gazes of the wolves who came to watch. Were he any less the wolf he was, he might have thrown himself at the pale, speckled female who'd spoken so mockingly in answer to his pained question and given her a taste of what she was so eager for his cousin to go through but he clamped down on his own anger and turned away. His eyes lit on Enigma, the wolf he had defied his mother to save, rushing forward to snarl and threaten some bystander who'd had nothing to do with this, and a cool sort of numbness spread over Tor from head to toes like a bucket of water running down him. Why? Why was everything in his life so intent on coming back to hurt him? Had he saved this wolf only for him to go cause more suffering in the world? Saved him only for him to die anyway in another foolish quarrel? Well he would not stand back and gawk while Enigma made a stupid mistake, not like his family did. Bounding forward, trying to blink away that hot feeling behind his eyes, he skidded in between Enigma and the girl, and the boy from her pack that had stepped up ready to fight. "Stop it," he barked, "all of you! Hasn't there already been enough violence? Enough pain? When will there be enough to satisfy you?" Though he was clearly younger than all the would-be combatants, he was taller and already heavier than all three, and he glared down at all of them with crackling fur and sharp blue eyes with equal disappointment and anger directed toward all three of them. Was the world always this... dark, and he'd just been too young and too sheltered to notice? Or had the forced relocation of his family been just the first signs of a world going mad around him? " "

She hadn't believed it when she heard her adoptive sisters call. Amalia had been tucked away in her herb den trying to get over her cold, and thought that it had just been a dream. But with a panicked expression she knew that the echos of the call were not summoned from her mind. The tiny woman fought for breath, panic fluttering in her chest. Arian had told her that she didn't even want to learn how to hunt again, and now she was fighting that man to the death? Oh dear... this was going to be a blood bath. Feeling the tears already pooling in her deep blue eyes she grabbed as many herbs as she could, hurrying to the battlefield.

When she got there there was already quite the crowd. Amalia hardly saw Leo and her mother, h er gaze finding the fighters in the middle of the group. Tears flowed freely from her eyes now, and she dropped her herbs with a horrified gasp. "Arian no! What are you doing?" she cried. But it was too late. The battle was already well underhand, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Sobbing, she picked up her herb bundle and races towards her mother, pushing firmly into the larger woman's coat. "Oh mother, I was too late. I can't stop them now." she whisperer, her voice betraying her already broken heart. She knew that if Arian won this, the woman would be gravely injured. With only two working legs, she had a feeling that it would not end well. Trying to be optimistic, she placed her herbs on the ground and hid her russet face in Pic's shoulder, letting her silent sobs be erased by her dames thick coat.

ARIAN vs SIN for DEATH ROUND ONE ARIAN CLARITY - “Her claws scraping against the ground for traction as her head tilted to the right and aimed for his baby making parts.” Where exactly was she aiming? Top jaws where, bottom jaws where? -2 - “Using her right front leg as she reached upward she attempted to kick at his right back leg.” Where on his back leg was she aiming? What part of her front leg? Her paw, her knee? -2 - Your attacks all rely on her being able to actually get under him, which is quite a large movement. To assume that she would be able to reach all the way back there without him reacting to her getting underneath him is a pretty big thing, in my opinion. -2 Total: 4 POWERPLAY - None seen Total: 10 DEFENSES Ears pinned, weight distributed, tail aligned with spine, chin tucked, hackles raised, shoulders rolled, narrowed eyes. Total: 7 ATTACK + 2 bite to... manly parts. Minus points for clarity. + 1 for slam to leg. Minus points for clarity. Total: 3 INJURIES - First round. Total: 10 Total for Round One: 34/50 SIN CLARITY - “Meanwhile, as her right foreleg shot forward, it would strike his right hind leg just below the knee, but with his weight focused on his hind legs,” What part of her struck him? Her entire leg just flopped on him? Her paw? Her knee? -2 - “As soon as her paw made contact, he lifted his right hind leg and aimed a vicious kick to her face, aiming mostly to kick her right eye and blind her for the fight.” It is unrealistic to blind her with just a paw slam, unless you are aiming claws into the eye itself, or hope for it to swell enough that it will be slightly closed. -2 - “And if he could, he would strive to keep her on the ground where she belonged.” How is he attempting to keep her on the ground? This isn't attached to any of your attacks but after them. -2 Total: 4 POWERPLAY - “Should he attain it, he would strive to shake his head violently without releasing, potentially gaining control.” Conditional attack, you cannot assume that your bite landed. No if this than that. -2 Total: 8 DEFENSES Eyes narrowed, ears pinned, lips snarling, tail aligned with spine, head aligned with spine, chin tucked, shoulders rolled, hackles raised, toes splayed, nails dug in ground. Total: 10 ATTACK + 2 for bite to neck + grip attempt. Minus points for conditional. + 2 for kick to face + severity. Minus points for clarity issue. Total: 4 INJURIES - First round. - (Minor bruise to right hind knee) Total: 10 Total for Round One: 36/50 ROUND TWO ARIAN CLARITY - “As his jaw came down her right back leg pushed into the dirt inching her up as they hit her right shoulder.” This doesn't make sense, it's a little hard to understand. What hit her right shoulder? His jaws? Where did they land? -2 - “Painfully she felt the teeth sink in deep.” How much damage did this cause? -2 - “His paw would hit her in the middle of her forehead.” Did this do any damage to her? Bruising? Cuts? Spontaneous combustion? -2 - “Immidiatly she would open her jaws as well and aim to snap right on the paw that had caused the bruising on her head and neck. Her jaws would aim to snap shut with as much force as possible.” What paw? I cannot assume, you need to state which one she is attacking. Where is she aiming? Ankle, right over the paw? Where are her jaws aimed? Did she raise her head to try and catch the paw that just hit her in the forehead, or was it magically by her jaws? -4 Total: 0 POWERPLAY - None seen. Total: 10 DEFENSES Tail tucked, hackles raised, ears pinned, belly muscles tightened (only accepting because her stomach is exposed), eyes narrowed, toes spread. Total: 6 ATTACK + 1 bite to paw. Minus points for many clarity issues. Total: 1 INJURIES - 3 for moderate bite to right shoulder. (Decided by judge) - 1 for minor bruise to forehead. (Decided by judge) Total: 6 Total for Round Two: 23/50 SIN CLARITY - “The male pulled his right hind leg towards his body, attempting to yank it towards him and her jaws with it to try and see if her head would follow so as to extend her neck for a more brutal bite.” Did this cause pulling on the wounds on his paw? Did the movement make it worse? -2 - “With a vicious snarl, he twisted his body like a feral cats,” How? In what direction? -2 Total: 6 POWERPLAY - “Should he be successful in extending her neck when he pulled the trapped paw up, he aimed to slam his right forepaw upon the back of her neck and overextend the muscles there.” Another conditional. You can't assume that the first move worked, or that this would land. You need to give your opponent more time to react. -2 - “his jaws would seek to once again, lay claim to the already damaged right shoulder.” You never stated that you let go of your first hold. -2 Total: 6 DEFENSES Ears pinned, eyes narrowed, hackles raised, tail tucked, lips curled, shoulders rolled, head aligned with spine, weight evenly distributed, toes splayed, claws in ground. Total: 10 ATTACK + 1 head step, shove thing. Minus points for conditional. + 3 for bite to already wounded shoulder, worsening damage. Minus points for powerplay issue. Total: 4 INJURIES - 4 for broken right hind paw. Total: 6 Total for Round Two: 32/50 ROUND THREE ARIAN CLARITY - “The woman used all of her weight and rolled forward to her right, his jaws slamming shut just between the shoulder blade before she ended up on her right side instead of her left. Hissing at the pain of lost fur between her shoulders. Now hoping that she was directly beneath him in a cross like manner.” Okay, I am really confused here. So she rolled forward as in a somersault, but he still managed to bite her shoulder blade? Or do you mean between her shoulders? How did it knock her to the right? Did he shove her too? How did she end up getting under him with that movement? While he was biting her shoulder?-4 - “his jaws slamming shut just between the shoulder blade” How much damage did this cause? Did he get a hold? -2 - “Arian rocked herself to the left, to get herself into a laying down position.” Wait, she wasn't laying down before? This is a lot of movement here. -2 - “However her jaws opened and aimed directly for his tendon right below the elbow.” What elbow? -2 Total: 0 POWERPLAY - None seen. Total: 10 DEFENSES Chin tucked, tail raised, hackles raised, ears pinned, belly tightened (only counting because belly is exposed), toes splayed, eyes narrowed. Total: 7 ATTACK + 3 bite to elbow + maim attempt. Minus points for clarity issue. Total: 3 INJURIES - 3 moderate bite to middle of shoulder blades? (decided by judge) Total: 7 Total for Round Three: 27/50 Sin CLARITY - “he would swing his hips to his left away from her, almost like a semi circle as he sought to align them up like a T so she wasn't beneath him.” It would take more than a hip swing to manage this, he would have to take a few steps at least. -2 - “her jaws would meet with the lower portion of his chest, the woman attaining a mild grip as her teeth dug in about an inch deep.” How severe is this wound? Simply stating that it is an inch isn't enough, because an inch could be nothing with fur and fat, but on a more exposed area like the belly it would cause more damage. Also, where on his lower chest? Left side, right side, middle? -4 - “He would coil his hind limbs, then kick forward as he attempted to throw all of his weight forward.” Into what part of her? Her side, front, chest, butt? -2 Total: 2 POWERPLAY - “he released his hold on her shoulders, fur and skin ripping away.” She never stated that he had gotten a hold on her. Plus 'letting go' wouldn't do any more damage, and assuming that the fur and skin ripped away is for sure pp. -2 Total: 8 DEFENSES Eyes narrowed, hackles raised, tail aligned with spine, shoulders rolled, head aligning with spine, chin tucked, nails in ground, legs bent. Total: 8 ATTACK + 1 for shove. + 1 for paw swipe. + 4 bite to spine + maim attempt. + 3 for bite to neck. (Companion) Total: 9 INJURIES - 3 moderate bite to lower chest. - 3 moderate lacerations to chest. Total: 4 Total for Round Three: 31/50 Totals: ARIAN 34 + 23 + 27 = 84/150 SIN 36 + 32 + 31 = 99/150 And the winner is... SIN Arian must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out, and Sin may deal the death blow. Damage: Arian - N/A, death is kinda worse than any of the wounds. NAME - Minor bruise to right hind knee will take 3 OOC days to heal. - Broken right hind paw will take 1 OOC month to heal, and should be seen by a healer or it could be permanently crippled. - Moderate bite and the moderate lacerations will take 2 OOC weeks to heal, could scar. Notes: Tips for writing and some suggestions. (no points are deducted here): RIV To be honest, I was a little bit irritated with this judging. I know that you wanted to play this out, but to me it seemed like there could have been more effort put into this fight. I know it's hard with a crippled wolf, but you didn't even list 10 defenses through the fight. As a judge it's just pretty frustrating to see that. Super easy points there! XD I do, however, want to thank you for playing Arian with her maims in play. There are times when I see people leave out old injuries for the sake of doing better in a fight, and I really appreciate that you stuck with your character. Just a bit frustrated is all, I feel like you could have done so much better! Just listing 10 defenses would have boosted your score and made this a much closer fight. Try to add in more attacks as well! DRAGON I know from judging some of your past fights that you are making a few of the same mistakes, like conditionals and not listing damage properly. I know that you are on a phone but try to take what the judges say to heart! We are here to try and help you. You did a good job, just watch those clarity and power playing, you lost quite a few points there. Conditionals are big no-nos, the 'if this than this.' You have to give your opponent enough time to react to the initial attack/movement before you can try another one. TO BOTH Remember that there is one more judging coming after this, this is not the say all end all here! - By [Evelyn]

ATTENTION OK.   Arin is planning to have the second judging up this weekend.  I know judging can be slow at times but please be patient.  That said if you have characters fighting in a DM do NOT write with them in a post set AFTER the DM when the results have not been finalized.  It's incredibly rude both to the judges and to your opponent no matter how confident you are. If this happens again the character that posted will automatically default the DM and be slain. *for those not participating in the DM please be respectful of players and do not mention the death of either wolf until both judgings have been posted and results have been finalized.