It was odd, he kept smelling the scent of the wolfdog he'd encountered not long ago in places he visited. This wasn't the first place, but the scent of Poser was so faint he could hardly be sure if it was the ground or his imagination, or a strange combination of the two. The hunter was going around checking traps, or rather.. deep pits that he'd dug out when removing boulders and making shelter- it was a long time ago, a couple months ago actually, since he'd been in the east long enough to check them all. He wasn't sure what to expect as he made his route through the rock garden.

As he came into view of one of the more massive collections in the rock garden, boulders oddly shaped like eggs enough for Elias to memorize. Just beside it was his dug out pit, at least four feet long and six feet deep though haphazardly leveled so in some areas it was less than four feet deep. It was one of the brute's first traps, so he was not surprised that the cover had been disturbed enough to leave the pit uncovered. He did not smell death in the air, so he assumed nothing was inside of the pit and his assumption was confirmed as he neared the edge and looked inside. The dead leaves of the branches he'd placed to hide it were scattered and half decayed along the bottom of the pit, but nothing alive seemed to ever have been caught here. He was confused, but decided not to think further on the matter.

He immediately began looking through the winter landscape for something else to cover it- perhaps a thin rock that would fall in with whatever creature unfortunately would be foolish enough to step on it? With the thought in mind, the big brute got to work- his eyes scanning the rocks in search of one loose enough for him to carry.. on a path that would make it least obvious to have moved. Exposed soil was just unacceptable, so it made his searching much more.. involved in weeding out the boulders that wouldn't work.

Herb hunting seemed to be coming to a close for the year leaving the women with little to do now, but wait until her skills were needed. She still had Quake to train, but she didn't want to force too much information at once on the girl. Lessons would have to be spread out to last the winter, then come spring Storm would be able to test the girl’s new knowledge in finding herbs with her. She was very much excited about having an apprentice and being able to tech someone the skills she was taught by her mother, aunts, and grandmother. To be able to pass knowledge that had been passed down over several generations. She had been waiting for years to be able to do this with children of her own, but Quake was not and that was okay. It still semi filled that void that was missing from her life. Today was not a day to herb hunt, no, today was a day for herself and Jack. To be a little selfish and to slip away from the pack. They were doing a little traveling and sightseeing, well territory exploration. The blind female trailed behind the flying raven the whole way passing through the more familiar territories until they came to someplace new. When they reached the border of the territory Jack landed in front of her making her stop in her tracks. Ears flicked around taking in the sounds around her wondering why Jack had decided that they needed to stop. The female sniffed the air, but didn't smell any danger. Then before she knew it Jack was hopping away guiding her through the maze of rocks and boulders. The pace was much slower because the bird couldn't hop all that fast, but the slower pace was just fine with the silver women. It took them a while before they were in the middle of the territory and had found a spot to lay down and relax. Jack had perched himself up on a high rock as a look out as the silver women laid down in a sternal position at the bottom of the large rock. "Talk" "You" Think

The man had spent some time finding the perfect collection of boulders to secure his trap, he always hated this part. It took some brute force and a lot of patience, but he finally got them laid out where he needed them.. and that was only the first trap!

On his way to the second along this route through the garden he noticed a flying raven, and for a few feet he walked with his eyes on the bird until it landed. He'd been scavenging more this winter than hunting, so part of him wondered if the bird had come across something dead and partially frozen out here in the garden. He was quiet as he made his way to where he'd seen the bird descend, unsure of what he might come across. Once he was there, he found it interesting that he was overwhelmed by the scent of a wolf rather than the scent of a bird.

Her scent hit him with a wave of nostalgia, reminding him of the last woman who's path he crossed. Though, it wasn't the face of Zuriel that stood strong in his mind's eye, it was Katar's. For a moment, he stood there frozen while staring down to the subtle imprints left behind in the small woman's trail. He could fight this, he could.. he didn't need to do this to another woman, again. He could only imagine what had happened to Zuriel, he couldn't recall much of that night but he had feeling.. that he'd done more than enough to leave some damage to that woman. His ears folded back in guilt, and just as they did the haunting voice of his dead wife rang clear in his ears. 'I'll always love you, Elias. No matter what happens. Come to me.'

His ears slowly started to rise with growing confidence as he continued on down the path. He moved slowly, listening carefully to the sounds his mind played for him. The sounds of her gentle laughter guided him down the path until he stood five feet from the rock where the bird was perched. He paid it no mind at first, flicking his ear to the sound of Katar's voice, 'Kill it, Elias. Quick. Before it sees.' His 'brows furrowed in confusion, not quite understanding why Katar wanted him to get the bird. 'Elias, now!'

Compelled by the sound of his dead wife's words, the beast quietly began stalking the bird while the sound of her laughter grew in approval. The unfortunate avian was caught in his crosshairs as he moved with immaculate stealth, carefully laying down each step to keep it silent until the beast was ready to lunge. It only took getting a couple feet away from the raven, and in a split second his muscles has worked to launch him on to the bird with jaws swinging to close around it. He felt his teeth crunch around the poor thing's body, catching it tail first. His jaws had grabbed one wing, but he immediately felt the beat of the other flapping frantically to get away from him. Elias fell against the rock, completely unaware of the wolf on the other side and now just below him. His nose was being assaulted by the raven, but in one quick shake of his head the bird's skull was crushed against the rock below them and the assault ceased.

The garden was quiet and rather peaceful. The weather hadn't been to bad today either which was a relief from the past couple of weeks. The women quietly rested feeling rather secure for the time being. She never worried to much, even though she was blind she had her eyes in Jack. He made her feel free like she did as a child, never having to worry about looking for danger because he was there. Without him she didn't know how she would be! She was never alerted to the approach of the other, his stealth hadn't alerted Jack of his presence. Everything had been peaceful until her sensitive ears heard the quieted commotion up above. Jack had no time to cry out, instinct kicking in as he tried to escape the male's jaws. The flapping of his wing. When she heard this the women stood from her spot, confusion twisting her facial muscles as she wondered what was going on. Ears pinned in that direction, head lifted upward. The quiet crack of bone and the silence that fallowed made her heart instantly drop to her stomach. She waited for a few moments before walking forward, out from under the large rock. "Jack" she called out. There was silence, no answer from her beloved companion. Fear began to blossom within her wondering what had happened, what monster was out there that had silenced her friend. Had it been a simple mistake that Jack was a meal for the taking? Or was there truly a beast wandering about. She felt insecurities suddenly wash over her unsure of what she should do. She felt her hairs stand up as an eerie chill washed over her spine. "Talk" "You" Think

ooc: Permission given for Elias to kill Jack (Storm's Companion) and to rough Storm up a bit.

He felt the life leave the raven within the clutch of his jaws and seemed to calm down, relaxing only slightly as he held his balance up on the rock. He noticed the woman walk ahead of him and peer back, though the color of her eyes and her indirect stare made it clear to him that she was blind. Suddenly, she spoke a name and he put the pieces together enough to know that he likely just murdered her guide. Why would Katar want him to do that?

He had to have known he was following a wolf, after all he had seen her tracks on his way here.. but he was too distracted by the haunting voice of his dead wife to really think about it. She knew-- he knew, that they were stalking this woman. Suddenly, his ears drooped as he stepped forward and dropped to the ground right in front of Storm. He stood, though his posture nearly looked defeated and he wasn't standing as tall as the giant could have. He dropped the bird at her feet and took advantage of his moment of clarity. A low rumble started in his throat as he thought of the appropriate words to say, "Jack is dead. I'm sorry, though you really shouldn't expect any less if you choose to keep snacks as pets."

A harsh sigh left his inky lips as he started to stand up straighter, looking around for any signs of his nearby traps. If she was blind, he already had a feeling that she'd be at risk of falling into one had he allowed her to leave on her own. He decided to wait and hear what she had to say about his little act, but already he'd made the internal decision to follow her and make sure she made it out of the garden without falling into and destroying one of his pits.

The silence was soon broken as her ears picked up the sound of another body jumping down from the rock. Her muscles tensed unsure of what was before her, for all she knew it could be some large beast aiming to kill her. The low rumbling voice then hit her ears and she relaxed a bit, another wolf was all that it was. He had dropped the body of the bird and her feet. She winced at the words sorrow suddenly hit her as she realized what the male had said. Lowering her head she gently touched the lifeless body with her nose before sighing. Holding back her mourning for her friend until she would return home to the safety of the pack. Her thoughts were more concerned about this male before her and how in the world she would find home when she suddenly felt so helpless. Lifting her head as her ears gently pinned against her skull. How could she blame him, he didn't know what Jack was to her. She had always worried about him being mistaken for a meal, but she had always been lucky that it hadn't happened, now it had and she wasn't sure what to do. She figured now she better head home quickly, despite normally being friendly she just felt urgent to get home and to give her friend a proper burial. "I must return home to bury him" she said softly not blaming the male or angry with him for what he had done. Nor did she really feel like staying and talking, she wanted out of here and to be alone to mourn. With a vary soft grip the female gently picked up her companion in her mouth, ears still gently pinned to her skull. She turned away from the male and began to leave. "Talk" "You" Think

Elias flicked an ear to her words, watching her with piqued interest as she gently scooped up the raven in her mouth. He didn't quite understand the attachment to a bird, but there was a tinge of remorse prickling under his skin as he witnessed just how sad the event was. Both ears then fell back to his marred skull as he reclined his weight to his haunches and thought over what to say.

"I don't think you understand where you are. These are my hunting grounds, and all around us are laid out traps that I've constructed. Are you confident of finding your way out of here without ending up trapped in the bottom of some pit with a broken leg?" He hissed out his last words, hoping to instill a bit of doubt in the woman before him. According to Elias, she'd be wise to doubt her ability to navigate through traps without eyes in the sky. Whether or not she appeared doubtful, his ruby gaze found the bird and suddenly he felt sorry for her.

'Stop it, Elias. Do not feel sorry for her,' the voice of Katar suddenly rang clear in his mind and he instantly picked himself up.

'She is sick, suffering from needless attachment to something so utterly fragile. You need to help her get over that bird. If you help her, she will be strong her. Set her free, Elias.' He thought over the words for a moment, quiet as his eyes remained wide within his skull. He could feel a dizziness starting on the left side of his brain, sending a tingling sensation down his spine that reminded him of the way Kat made him feel when he'd first embraced her. Suddenly, he had purpose for this little encounter.

"I will guide you out of here and take you back home, but you will need your strength and your mouth so that you can tell me what you are looking for. Drop the bird, and eat it." His voice boomed with a sternness as his lips began to shake with a sense of urgency. He hoped he didn't have to put anymore force behind his words than that, though..

He spoke again making her stop in her tracks and her ears flicking back to catch his words. She hated to admit it, but he was 100% right. She had already doubted herself moments ago and now that he added in the fact that traps were hidden throughout this territory it made her doubt even stronger. She still didn't like his tone, but what else could she do? She didn't need to fall and break any of her legs or else she really would die in this territory. She shifted uncomfortably as her mind and her emotions reeled wildly unsure of what she should do or say. She turned around facing the male biting her tongue. What should she do? She was way to far from the pack to howl for help because she was feeling uncomfortable with this male. He had offered to help her out of here, but she wasn't feeling like she could trust him. Something about his tone gave her that same cold chill from a few moments earlier.She couldn't defend herself vary well, one thing her family couldn't teach her vary well. What other choice did she have but to allow the male to guide her home. Just when she felt like she would be okay with it the male again spoke this time his voice boomed and his words stern. Her hair stood on end and her ears pinned at the sudden change in tone. What he told her to do was what really threw her off guard. In fact even the thought of eating her companion made her stomach twist and her throat tighten like she was going to vomit. She gently placed the lifeless body on the ground before her paws. Dull stare from her milky eyes aimed towards the male. She would not eat a creature she felt was part of her family, no matter what this male did to her, she would not do it. "I most certainly will not," she stated defensively standing her ground and hoping that the gods would help her through whatever came next. "Talk" "You" Think

He waited expectantly as she laid the bird down. For just the briefest of moments, Elias was certain she would follow his orders and do as he told her to do. Once she glared back up in his direction, his upper lip curled back to reveal the thick of his teeth as he realized her act of defiance. Why did she have to fight about it?

Though no physical attack had been made on her part, the fiend felt utterly wounded that his demand had been disobeyed. How could she not be scared of what he could do if she didn't? An immediate snarl ripped through his throat and split his teeth as she spoke out to confirm her denial to his request. He could not believe it, though.. he supposed that with her blindness, perhaps she was not aware by just how massive of a beast he was. Maybe he needed to show her an example of his force.

No, what was he doing? For just a moment, he hushed his growling and relaxed his facial features out of an expression of hatred and into one of guilt. No, he couldn't hurt her.

He felt dizzy, really dizzy. Enough so that his weight swayed as it struggled to hold his tall frame upright and sent him stumbling forward just a step.

He whimpered audibly just before he stopped all movement, every muscle in his body tensing as his chest began to heave with his labored breathing. He was fighting, he didn't want to give in but then... Katar's sweet humming silenced the world around him and filled his hearing with her elegant tone. He let himself slip away as his consciousness faded into a memory of his beloved, deceased wife.

The wolf that lifted its head and glared at the woman before him was not the same one that had released that pathetic whimper. A heathen stood in Elias' skin as the giant lurched forward, kicking off the ground with his hind legs as he shot across the earth in an effort to close their distance. His jowls sprang apart from one another as his red eyes became crazed and wide. His neck twisted and allowed for his teeth to seek in to the woman's neck while one of his well-muscled forelimbs aimed to throw itself over her shoulders with some force. Enough force that, he hoped, she would be unable to do anything but bow as he desired with her face forced into the dead body of the raven.

Eerie silence loomed between the two for what seemed like forever. Making her so much more uncomfortable as she stood with her body tense and ears pressed forward. She waited not knowing what she should do. If she fled she was sure she would fall into one of his traps and injure herself, maybe even kill herself, so all she could do was stand her ground. The snarl that ripped through the man's teeth made her muscles tense as much as they could and her hair raise in defense, fluffing up around her to protect her body. Though the snarl was cut short and once again silence loomed between the two. Ears flattened when a whine come from the male her mind spinning with uncertainty of what was going on. The deep chill ran down her spine once more just before the male lurched forward, her ears catching the scrape of claws against the ground as he sprung from his back legs. Sudden heat from the male's breath brushed over her neck right before his teeth sliced through delicate skin. Warm ooze of blood spilling into her thick winter coat. Grunting as the weight of his arm was tossed onto her back and right before he shoved her body down, she kicked Jack's body away from the two to prevent further damage to his mangled form. The male shoved her downward just as her foot contacted the ground again and the small women couldn't fight back under his weight. When he shoved her down her nose made a rather rough contact with the still frozen earth, since the ravens body was no longer there. Sharp pain racked through her muzzle before a small trickle of blood from each nostril flowed down to her lips. Her tail whipped upwards in an attempt to remain balanced the small women not even realizing that she was starting a vary early heat cycle. Ooc: I can fade next post, feel free to rough her some more :) I like the drama!! Ps: Hope you don't mind me making it a little gory "Talk" "You" Think

And so, there was no hope for either of these lost souls. Inhabited by the rage that had consumed him, Elias' conscience was far to disconnected to stop him from his instinctual demand for her obedience. As she tossed the raven out of harm's way, it only further infuriated him that his efforts were for nothing in that regard, but a new desire caught his attention as he felt her tail lift and hit his hip. It was a desire that stirred his heart, made him light-headed and made the echoing sound of Katar's haunting laugh in his ears ring eternal.

Just as he did with Zuriel, it was Katar's body that he envisioned as he sank his teeth into her neck and held her down. He forced his weight on her as Katar cooed, beckoning for him to continue. He seemed to lose most of his desire to hurt her, his hold on her hips firm but gentle providing she did not struggle. Why was it that he could only feel so connected to Katar in these instances? Why did it always have to be these poor fragile women?

-fade-

When he pulled away from her body, he had already had time for his adrenaline to run it's course through his body. Reality crept up on him once again, and he was left in a sea of emotion most bittersweet. Katar was quiet, his mind was quiet except for his consuming sorrow. He took a few steps away from her, unable to look at her or even listen to a word she had to say, had she said any at all. He could only muster up enough strength for a few words before he left her there, in the middle of his little mine field of traps. "I'm sorry." It was up to Apollyon to help her now.

Sinking his teeth further the silver women stiffened, moving her head slightly so that she wouldn't be breathing in the frozen earth. Ears flattened as she struggled with what to do, fear ripping through her as to what this man was going to do to her. She could vary well die tonight by the teeth of this man. Pain surged like hot fire on the skin of her neck and he latched onto her hips. His weight pressing down on her smaller form, she couldn't fight him. Her instinct now was to just try and stand strong for whatever he did to her. -fade- As quickly as the attack happened she felt the release of his jaws and the grip to her hips. He backed off though she remained in the spot she was, tail now pinned between her legs. It was done though she wasn't sure if he was finished with her or not. It wasn't until her ears caught the apology and the silence that fallowed did she feel that the male was finally gone. Though for precaution she remained still for a while longer until she was sure he was gone. She searched with her nose, crawling on the ground until she found Jack's lifeless body, gently picking him up then slowly retreating towards home. She was careful not to hit one of his traps. -exit- "Talk" "You" Think