He was angry. He was confused. He wanted so badly to believe that his dream had all been a lie, that he hadn't actually talked to Ganta, and what his father had told him wasn't true at all. Furious anger twisted at his gut in a way that he wasn't at all familiar with and as he pulled himself back to the falls he tried his best to reign himself in. He didn't want to throw around any accusations until he got the real truth out of his sister, but it was hard to do. Nothing mattered to him more than his family, but to know that his own sister put his niece in danger out of... what... pride? He didn't even really know her reasons, not yet, but he would. He would find the truth if it was the last thing he did.

Ulric reached the falls where his family had been staying since he returned with Roza and Nausicaa and he stoped, his eyes scanning the area as he looked for his sister. Then the smell of blood hit him. It made his fur bristle and a flash of panic was added to the already overwhelming mix of emotions that was stirring in his gut. He rushed toward the den Philomena had been sharing with her daughters and immediately found Meme, clearly fresh from a fight and bloody. Worry gripped his gut and his eyes went to Philomena, the sight of her pulling that anger back to the surface.

"What happened?" he asked, barely keeping himself together as he questioned his sister, but trying desperately to do it for Meme's sake. Being out of control like this was so outside of the realm of how he usually handled things, but everything about this went against what he believed and wanted. "Why is she here? We should get her to Valhalla so she can get some help." His teeth grit together as he looked accusingly at Philomena. He wouldn't let history repeat itself. He absolutely would not allow it. He hadn't been here to talk sense in to her the first time, but he would never let that be the case again.

Philomena felt sick. Her mind was reeling as she tried her best to clear her daughter. Worry, guilt, and anger bubbled as she tried to tend to her child, shaking, though which caused the most concern within her she didn’t know. The description Meme gave her… it reminded her of Amon. Abraxas scum. Philomena had barely let Memento talk after that. Her fuss to get her cleaned up for now, to tend to her wounds best she could, was first concern. She just to hold out a little while, as long as she could anyway…

Meme whimpered as she saw Ulric approach them and Philly lifted her gaze to him. Her ears flicked back, his tone catching her off guard. She bristled. “You think I don’t know she needs help!?” Philomena’s voice was laced with anger Memento had never heard. Philly didn’t even notice how her daughter flinched from her voice.

“I sent No Face to find Célestin. He has family in Lirim. I am not taking her anywhere without him knowing. Let alone a pack neither of us are familiar with.” It was all she could do to keep her voice level. “A fucking Abraxas got in a fight with her, Ulric…” There was hate in her eyes as she uttered the surname. “First dad, now they’ve hurt her…” She was shaking. “They’re not going to stop until they’re all dead. Once she’s with Cel I’m going after that bastard!” She hissed.

His anger flared into out right fury. His hackles bristled at her excuses for why Meme was laying here right now instead of being taken to a pack or a healer or literally anyone that could help her. He could care less about any fucking Abraxas and what they had done to Ganta. Ganta had made his own mess and that wasn't something Ulric was going to hold against that family. He could under stand her anger for them hurting someone as young and innocent as Meme, but that was the last thing on his mind right now. "We have family in Valhalla and we probably still have family in Lirim! And even if we didn't, do you think either pack would turn away a bloody pup?!" He could feel himself raising his voice, but at this point his anger was so beyond his control that he just gave up altogether.

"This is what happened to Venti, isn't it?" he demanded, his claws digging into the soil while his shoulders trembled with anger. His voice was a hoarse whisper purely out of an effort to keep from yelling. "Ganta... Ganta told me. You just stayed here instead of doing anything. You could have taken her anywhere, you can take Meme anywhere. Why does it fucking matter that it was an Abraxas that did it when she's still in trouble?!" At this point he was beyond caring about Philomena's feelings or what she thought of him after this. He was going to protect his niece and Philomena wasn't going to stop him from doing that.

Ulric raising his voice at her had Philomena snarl. She moved in front of Memento now, about to speak, when he spoke of Venti. That was it.

“Shut. Up.” Her eyes were narrowed and her lips peeled back in a snarl. “You of all wolves should know DAMN well why I’m hesitant to trust someone just because of blood. It worked out so well when I trusted our uncle, didn’t it?” Her words had become cold, laced with venom. “Meme wanted Cel here. She wanted her dad.” The female lifted her head and bared her teeth.

“And for the record? Just because I didn’t know how to ask for help didn’t mean I didn’t care.” Anger clouded her judgement now, the accusation rising within her a bitterness she didn’t know she had. “So yes, take my child anywhere, trust her with anyone, right? Cause it’s not like there aren’t others out there who will hurt us, Abraxas or not. But oh well, worry about that later.” She took a step closer to him.

“Let me tell you something, Ulric.” Her teeth flashed. “Before you question what happened with Ventuswill I’ll remind you that I was not part of a pack, attempting to keep four children together as a first time mom. I had few I could trust and by the time I found someone I thought may be able to help she had already passed. I didn’t think I could trust a pack! The rest of my children scattered, and, in my grief, yes, I’ll admit, I didn’t think to try and find them right away.” Her eyes flashed.

“...and when I did do you have any idea of the level of heartbreak I felt knowing I had failed them? That I had fucked up and they could be anywhere, enslaved, hurt, fucking dead and it’d be my fault.” She hissed.

“...you know nothing of what happened after you left. You know nothing about how any of what happened made me feel. I’m not fucking perfect, Ulric, I am trying my best, but if you think you can come at me and snap at how I’ve raised my children when I’m trying to figure this shit out on my own, about who I should trust…” Her voice became colder.

“Maybe I can’t even trust you.” She wasn’t even thinking anymore, blinded by her emotion. She had felt that maybe the gods had punished her enough… that maybe her sin had been paid. But it seemed she was damned to continuously be reminded…

“Mom no!” Memento’s scream was lost as Philomena lunged to close the distance between herself and Ulric.

The female swung her torso upward with the moment from her lunge, towards the right, Ulric’s left in an attempt to wrap her right foreleg around his neck. Her head, meanwhile, would tilt down to the left, jaws parted as Philomena made an attempt to grab onto the top of her brother’s muzzle. Upper jaw was positioned to land closer to his face, under his eye at the end, whereas her lower jaw was aimed for the left side of his muzzle in the middle. She wanted to clamp down as hard as she could muster, leave him with something to remember this by. She was so angry, so bitter… she wasn’t even sure what or who she was truly angry with anymore.

She just wanted to bite something.

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Philomena Lore vs Ulric Adravendi for Minor Maim {Facial Scarring} / Fall, Year 14 Fight Seasonal
Round 1/2
Age: Over 1 Year
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Skills: Beginner Fighter & Intermediate Navigator
Specialty: N/A        

The soft part of his heart that wanted to assume and believe the best in others, including his sister, began to waver as she stood between him and Meme, snapping back at his accusations and berating him for ever trying to put the blame on her. But she was to blame, wasn't she? It would be one thing if she could tell him that she had done everything in her power to save Venti, but she couldn't and everything began to feel like excuses. He didn't expect her to be perfect, but to let his niece die because of her own distrust of others? Using anyone in their "family" beyond the Adravendi side of it as an example for how they had been treated felt like a poor example and a lousy excuse. There were many reasons why he had completely abandoned their father's lineage and she was just emphasizing his point. He just couldn't understand why she didn't get it! Her claim that he was the one she couldn't trust stung as if she had just clawed him across the face. Of all of the wolves in this damn continent for her to say that about... she wasn't going to trust him?

He wanted to shake some sense into her and it seemed that perhaps he would get his chance. She lunged at him and he immediately launched into the fight without a second thought. Ulric fell into that familiar, defensive stance easily, his large paws shifting further apart to give him a stable stance while her form came down onto his, feeling her foreleg wrap around the back of his neck. With a growling snarl, he jerked his head away from her open jaws, feeling her teeth just scrape against his cheek and leave a shallow wound there. It clearly wasn't the attack she had intended, but she had drawn first blood all the same. The stinging pain that radiated from the bite added fire to the flame that was his anger and he threw his left shoulder into Philomena's chest, using his heavier weight to attempt to knock her off her feet or at least off of his back. He twisted his neck with open jaws as he lunged for the lower portion of her neck near her shoulder. His emotions and anger clouded his judgement, completely forgetting his niece watching them from the sidelines.

Ulric Adravendi vs Philomena Lore for Minor Maim (Neck Scarring) / Fall, Year 14 Fighting Seasonal Prompt
Round 1/2
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Heavy
Skills: Novice Fighter & Beginner Intellectual
Specialty: N/A

It was too late to back down now.

The fight was on and adrenaline flooded through Philomena’s veins.

Had she had time to think, to reflect further, rather than fall into anger then maybe she had seen what her brother was trying to say. She wasn’t fully wrong; she knew she had screwed up, and it had hurt. Still hurt. He didn’t know how she questioned if she deserved Memento. If she deserved any of her children. It wasn’t that she was a victim, no, Philomena knew otherwise. Yes circumstances helped make judgement hard… but she could have learned. She could have made better decisions. The fact that even now she struggled to make the right ones was something she didn’t want to admit.

Couldn’t admit.

Shutting down was easier.

Pretending it could be fixed by her anger, and fighting it, rather than accepting, was easier.

Her teeth sliced Ulric’s cheek, drawing blood. A victory short lived as she felt a shoulder slammed into her chest. It knocked the wind from her lungs and she stumbled, hardly able to keep her balance as her foreleg slipped from Ulric’s back. She was attempting to correct her balance as she fell, redistributing the weight to compromise for the limb that would be back on the ground so it’d be across all four, when she felt fangs slice into her lower neck.

The pain flared and a yelp fell from her lips as Philomena twisted her head to reach it over Ulric’s back, towards the base of his neck, and grab hold of the flesh there. Her right forelimb was lifted again as well and, using her best judgement, she attempted to bring it down upon the toes of Ulric’s left forepaw. Bruises, scratching… it didn’t matter what she managed to get done. She wanted him to back off.


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Philomena Lore vs Ulric Adravendi for Minor Maim {Facial Scarring} / Fall, Year 14 Fight Seasonal
Round 2/2
Age: Over 1 Year
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Skills: Beginner Fighter & Intermediate Navigator
Specialty: N/A

Teeth connected with flesh, but it felt like a hollow victory. He didn't want this. He was angry, but this wasn't the answer. Now that he had been able to get out a bit of that frustration, he realized a bit too late that he didn't want to hurt her. But it was too late. He heard her yelp as he bit into her neck, her skin giving way to his teeth. He didn't hold her there for long, quickly back peddling as he released her neck. Her blood still stained his muzzle and a flare of guilt hit him. Ulric did a quick back step from her, but he landed himself square in the middle of her frantically biting jaws. The bite that had gone for his scruff ended up hitting the side of his face, her sharp teeth catching from the top of his head around the left side of his face to the cheek she had previously bitten.

Pain flared across his skin and he stumbled back away from her, but out of reflex his large paw swung toward her to shove her away, aiming for her neck where his teeth had previously been. This had gone too far. Way, way too far. He had never been someone to let his anger get the better of him and of all the times for his emotions to get away from him it had to be his sister on the other end. He just cared about them so incredibly much and he couldn't understand her thought process. He was angry, he was frustrated, and most of it wasn't even because of her. It was because of their whole situation and the unfortunate turn their lives had taken.

Ulric Adravendi vs Philomena Lore for Minor Maim (Neck Scarring) / Fall, Year 14 Fighting Seasonal Prompt
Round 2/2
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Heavy
Skills: Novice Fighter & Beginner Intellectual
Specialty: N/A

And the winner is...

ULRIC

PHILOMENA must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. ULRIC'S maim (neck scarring) is successful. Totals: Philomena: 205.75 (3, 94, 63, 39 - 3.45, 94, 69.3, 39) Ulric: 316.45 (100, 89, 59, 54, - Adjusted to 110, 93.45, 59, 54)

-nyx

Philomena knew in her heart she didn’t want to do this. Her heart hurt but she was in too deep now to just simply stop. She wanted desperately for them to come apart but it felt like she couldn’t do that until one or the other pushed the other away.

She felt fangs tear into his flesh again and this time her eyes widened. What… was she doing? This was her brother! A flash, a memory, of her family together, whole, passed through her mind. The two of them as pups, smiling…

Then she felt Ulric’s paw against her neck. The shove on the injured area brought forth another yelp from her lips as she stumbled back.

Blue eyes briefly lifted to meet with silver. Hurt swam in them and that anger had dissipated…

“I can’t do this…”

She averted her gaze, feeling that pain in her chest grow… and did what she had been doing best.

She turned on her heels and ran.

--Philomena has fled!--

Memento wasn’t sure how to feel. The scene that unfolded, the yelling… her mom and uncle fighting. It made her feel sick to her stomach. She was hurting yes, and had wanted her dad… and now she wanted him more than ever. She had tried to call out, to get them to stop, but it kept going. It was worse than when she fought the other boy… and Meme was shaking.

Then, with another yelp, she watched her mom and uncle break away from one another. A whine passed her lips and Memento took a hesitant step towards her mom… but Philly wasn’t in her right mind. She was stressed, she was hurt, and the emotions she felt were clearly written across her features. Seeing her mom down was one thing… but seeing her look so vulnerable was something Memento Mori never wanted to see.

“Mom…”

Philomena ran.

Meme understood it wasn’t for lack of love… and her worry for the woman surpassed the pain she felt from the injury on her back. Her gaze shot pleadingly to her uncle.

“Go after her… please!” She whimpered.

“She needs help too!”

His gaze began to slowly refocus even though the dull, aching pain that radiated from his cheek kept his teeth clenched. He panted through his teeth and the adrenaline pumping through his veins began to dissipate, leaving his stocky form trembling lightly with shock. His eyes connected with his sister's and for a moment he struggled with how to respond. He wanted to take it all back, he wanted to erase this entire day from history, but he couldn't. What was done was done and now he and his only sibling stood across from each other bloodied and injured.

He barely heard her response before she took off into the trees and he stood there with his mouth agape, wanting to call out to her, but unable to find the words. Memento's voice pulled his eyes down to her and his ears folded back with shame. He didn't want the young girl to see him like this. He especially didn't want her to see her own mother like this. Guilt gripped him and at her pleading for him to go after her he looked toward where she had disappeared into the trees. "Damn it..." he cursed quietly under his breath before a heavy sigh passed his lips. He looked back to Meme for a moment, trying his best to remain as calm as he could despite the panic filling his chest. "Stay here, okay? Stay in the den, I'll go find her. Just... Just don't go anywhere, okay?"

He didn't wait for her to answer before be turned and ran off after his sister. At this point he didn't know if this was going to make things better or worse, but he couldn't deny Memento's pleading for him to go find her. All he could do at this point was try to piece things back together - if for no other reason than for this pup's sake.

"Speech" Thought