It was hard to believe that summer had started. Even though the temperature had warmed slightly there was still a bite to the air that broke through his less than adequate pelt. He wasn't built for the raging blizzards that should have solely belonged to the north. Even still, the sun was out in full force doing its best to mend what winter had wrought. It was almost strange to see the blazing yellow ball so high in the sky with almost no clouds in sight. He'd almost believed the sun had died and wasn't coming back. Now that it was his dark fur absorbed the warm rays and he was happy to not be completely frozen. Maybe things were going back to normal after all. Of course the slowly changing weather brought about different problems for the male. As he trekked across the terrain the melting snow made things slippery and annoying to deal with. A soft growl escaped him as he huffed his way up the incline. He was aiming to get to the top of the waterfall by midday, but he had a feeling mother nature wasn't overly fond of him. Every time he turned around she was throwing a new issue to deal with his way. If nature had been a tangible being he could inflict pain upon he probably would have tried to rip its throat out. Sure he could bite at trees and kick up the nonexistent flowers, but it wasn't the same as hearing something or someone yelp in agony. Finally he made it to the top of the falls. The hot pools where he'd met the one pallid girl lay spread out before him. The falls were raging in full force as the trickling snow melt added to the river's height as it fell to the hot springs and runoff below. He dipped his head towards the edge and slaked his thirst with his ears on a constant swivel. He hadn't noticed it before, but the area was deathly silent. No bird song, no squirrels chattering from up in the trees, and no sounds of anything walking nearby. Nothing His hackles raised as the feeling that something was watching him crawled over his skin. It was like an itch that he couldn't scratch. His head rose slowly as he glanced behind and around him, but the silence and nothingness was pervasive. His snout wrinkled in irritation as the feeling intensified. Had he not been so vigilant the creature stalking him from above the tree might have got him, but he was just slightly quicker. The beast launched itself from a thick branch above him. The only warning he had was the jostling of the tree as tiny twigs scattered down around him. He barely managed to dodge to the side as a giant feline came crashing to the ground beside him. While the beast scrambled to collect its legs out from underneath it, Rhae whirled to face it and backed up a few paces to stare it down. It was a cat, that much he could ascertain. It was about an inch taller than himself so it was far larger than any tiger he'd ever seen. It was almost reminiscent of a lion tiger cross with exceptionally large teeth. Exceptionally large was actually an understatement. Way too damn big for its damn body was more accurate. He didn't have time to compare tooth sizing as the cat had gained its composure and reached out a paw to swipe at him. He jumped back a little farther out of reach as he analyzed his situation and how to fight it. Cats were typically lean, agile, and packed a punch in both their claws and teeth. Generally they were smaller, but this one's size added a lot of muscle to the mix. Not only did it look fast, but he was positive it was as strong as it looked. Not to mention it looked pissed. Well fuck. If it wanted a fight it was gonna get one. As the feline came forward to swipe at him again he helped close the distance and rammed the blunt front end of his horns into the cat's skull. Its claws dug into his shoulder briefly before it withdrew to escape the pain he'd inflicted. It seemed slightly more wary now that it had a good dose of its own medicine, but even more angry than before. Deep throaty growls resonated within its chest telling tales of the pain it would inflict with its teeth and claws. And he was ready. Boy was he fucking ready. Word Count: 768 Total: 768/1500 ooc: So when I started this it was intended to be a solo post, so just write Relm in how you want! You can assume she's just been with him the whole time or maybe lagging slightly behind. Idk. Walk, "Talk" Think

Relm had quite the opposite issue as Rhaegath, her body was built for the northern lands and therefor the cold. She had moved to Dreamer's Col as soon as Agria had died and she was weaned. And the winter only extended from there. The freezing, blizzard weather was just about all she knew. Of course she still hated it, but the warm spring that they had been robbed of and now a hotter summer arrived. And now she wasn't exactly sure what she hated more. If her body hadn't grown used to the harsh blizzards of the north, she wouldn't be like this. Well, maybe, she was quite the complainer after all. That being said, slick mud also wasn't on her list of weaknesses. She had lots of practice on ice and sliding snow, she just couldn't agree to the mess it made. She wasn't a girly girl, mud didn't really bother her. But the constant heavy pull as it dried on her legs, it was getting tedious and annoying. It wasn't a pleasant feeling for sure. She had finally done the deed, she left Kefka in Auster. And while she had planned to find and join Rhaegath after doing so, she needed to clear the tracks behind her and lead him in a wrong direction. She knew Kefka would catch on to her leaving soon. After her night on the beach with Rhaegath, he certainly wasn't happy but he had given in to the thought that Relm was growing out of the baby stages. And he had let loose of the reins he held on her just as Agria had on him. She would probably have a few days before he came on the search, and by then her trail would be long gone. But who would have known that she would come across the brute by chance. Of course it wasn't the best scene she stumbled on. She had already been around the side of the falls that would make it to the top. She wouldn't see the gigantic beast leap from it's stalking place, she only saw now while it was face to face with Rhaegath. As he was, he was ready to take it on. It was admirable to Relm, but she wasn't a ditz. It was also an expected reaction from the young brute. She immediately took off and closed the distance between her and the cat, taking it mostly be surprise by the time she leaped up at it's side and took hold of that massive creature's side scruff. Her body flipped and rolled over top of the saber cat's shoulders, awkwardly falling onto the other side and quickly trying to regain her footing before it came down on her with it's teeth. She hoped Rhaegath caught on rather quickly and wasn't just standing there in awe like a dumbass. Relm was able to rip a good hole on the right side of the cat's neck, but it would need more to be scared off and a lot more to be taken down. Fighting Seasonal Prompt Total Word Count: 1277 words Word Count Goal: 1500 words Walk "Talk" Think

He was ready. Ready to rip this creature limb from limb. It couldn't have just left him alone, oh no, apparently he'd done something to offend it. He faced off against it with a snarl on his face as he prepared to go in for another strike. What he hadn't expected for a large pink thing to come crashing against it rolling across its back like some kind of colorful acrobat. He stood, slightly surprised to see Relm here of all places. They'd agreed to meet up later, but this wasn't exactly where he'd thought she'd catch up to him. His surprise quickly fell away. This thing wasn't dead yet. They could catch up later. For now, he was going to enjoy inflicting as much pain as he could to the beast who'd ruined his morning. With the cat taken by surprise, and not paying him any mind, he rushed forward. They were close enough to the river now that an idea began forming in his head. While he loved a good fight he wasn't entirely stupid and reckless. He knew one bite from those long teeth and he'd be done for. As he rushed the creature he lowered his head and headbutted it with the flat of his horns right in its shoulder. Unprepared for an attack from the blue wolf it let out an angered growl as it slipped back down the embankment towards the river attempting to regain its footing in the slick mud. Rhae wouldn't let it catch its composure and rammed it against, this time shoulder against shoulder, a little further back. Just as it began to slip back, a front paw reaching out to catch a hold of him, Rhae stuck out one of his own paws, snagging the foot closest to him as he pulled the cats leg out from underneath it. That was all it took to dump the saber cat into the ever growing river. He took a step back from the angry waters as the feline tried to stop itself from floating down river, but they were far too close to the falls. With a sick fascination, he watched with a grin as it floated down the river till it reached the top of the falls and then plummeted like a very heavy stone. He heard another roar from it right before he could hear it land with a sick thud on the rocks below. He moved to the rocky edge of the falls and peered down to see the feline with its legs twisted at odd angles. There was a nice pool of blood surrounding it already. It wouldn't be getting back up from that. Satisfied that he'd enacted revenge, he turned to Relm and raised a brow. "While I appreciate good timing and help, what are you doing here? Did you managed to lose your father?" Word Count: 480 Total Word Count: 1757/1500 Walk, "Talk" Think

Rhaegath had the right idea, knocking the large cat creature into the river to be swept away in the rapids was an excellent plan. After his first push to get the creature backwards, Relm too would trust herself forward to catch her oxen horn armor into the beast's shoulder, it gorged right through, Relm had a bit of an issue pulling the horn back out though, but she managed as it caused the beast to jump more backwards again, and allowed Rheagath to finish off the deed. She eagerly ran behind him as they peered down at the broken, bleeding cat, Relm just as satisfied as her new companion. She raised a brow as he spoke, "You're welcome? I guess." She didn't really take his appreciation as a thank you, but she wasn't being genuine about a head bashing attitude. It was much more another joke for her like minded friend. "Yeah, yeah. I'm working on it. He'd lose my scent at Firefly lake, his head gets kind of fuzzy any time we've been near." It was where Relm was born, and where Kefka killed Agria. He never really felt right anytime they traveled this far east, and Relm had noticed. Relm's shoulders rolled as she adjusted the harness of her ox horns, looking back to the young brute with her casual, joking smile, "Don't worry, I've been following your rivers or whatever." Her head turned to the horn she stuck into the cat creature, gently licking the blood off the inside not just to keep it clean, but she liked the taste too. "Care for a taste?" She imagined Rhaegath would take the offer, but she wouldn't have judged him otherwise. He had made a name in her books, so it would take a little more than him being queasy around kitty blood to write him off as a dick. Well, maybe he was already that but there was the good kind and the bad kind. Or at least an equal kind. Walk "Talk" Think

He snorted at her response. It didn't seem like gratitude was something she was used to. Not that he couldn't have handled the cat on his own. He would have shoved that thing in the river one way or another, but she'd made his job easier. He was quite pleased with the way its body contorted at the bottom of the falls. It'd gotten what it deserved and then some. He was tempted to go down and get a tooth from it, but he supposed the trophy could wait. He needed to make sure she hadn't been followed first. After that, well he imagined a giant tooth would make a pretty decent necklace. A joke about how it could replace Zosime's broken one popped into his mind causing him to snicker to himself. Yeah, he was definitely going to go back and get that fang once he was able. He listened as she explained she'd lost him at Firefly lake. He hadn't been, but the details of where or what it was didn't really concern him. He had just wanted to know if they needed to keep moving or prepare themselves for a fight. He was slightly surprised she had heeded his advice. It seemed there was reason somewhere in her brain after all. "Good." Was all he replied. Once she lost Kefka he imagined she was going to realize how valuable her freedom was. No parents telling her what to do, where to go, or who to see. She'd get her occasional fight in and it was a win-win for every body. He'd have someone to master his own skills with and have company that didn't completely suck. He watched her curiously as she began to lick the blood from her horn. He didn't think much of it until she offered him a taste. Cats weren't really on the menu for him as food, but seeing as he probably wouldn't get the opportunity to taste the blood of the large toothed cat again he couldn't find a reason not to. Shrugging his shoulders, he padded over to her and bent his head down to take a swipe of the blood with his tongue. Once he had, he withdrew from her personal space and savored the taste on his tongue. It tasted like ... well cat blood. Slightly foreign, like nothing he'd ever tasted, but still cat blood nonetheless. "Hmm, I expected it to taste more exotic than that." He said, slightly disappointed. Oh well. "It's almost a shame there's not another one to kill." Cats weren't known to travel in groups, so he wasn't concerned about another one. The fight left in him was just itching for the ability to go revive the one they'd just killed and kill it again. "Where'd you get your armor?" He was curious, mostly because he'd contemplated getting his own. With the amount of fights he intended on throwing himself in he supposed the protection would be necessary. He didn't exactly have the best of mind when it came to dodging things he should. The pain was too enticing to shy away from. Walk, "Talk" Think

When Rhaegath came forward to lick the horn as she suggested, she tensed after realizing how close he was to her. It was different than when they were trying to hurt each other, and it was all Kefka's doing to make her feel that way. She wouldn't recollect the memories right now in this moment, but there were faint memories of when she was young not all that long ago and craved the physical comfort of her father, and he denied her over and over again. Rhaegath would move backwards, Relm exhaling a breath she didn't know she was holding in, but she would push on like she didn't feel anything she just felt. He said something about the blood tasting, or wanting it to taste exotic. Was that a thing? Well she certainly was thinking about the palettes of different bloods. Maybe she should be more observant, or maybe she wouldn't. Meat was meat and blood was blood, she definitely never sat back to think of the different kinds of flavors. Or did she even have a favorite meal? This was no time to sit down and think and wonder. Maybe some other day she would think of the possibilities. Rhaegath's blood lust though she could relate on. Of course his inward thoughts of a potential wolf predator behind Relm was a true threat. Relm had spent weeks preparing though, spending more nights outside the den and eventually giving herself a head start before Kefka would get worried. "I'm sure you'll get more chances. There were plenty of them down in Auster. Apparently gave that pack a hell of a lot of trouble." She had been able to observe some of the sabers in Auster, maybe not as big as this one but with all that free time getting away from Kefka, perching up somewhere and watching the other wolves and wildlife in the shadows is what occupied her time. He would ask where she got her armor which she didn't know exactly where the materials came from but she did trade for it. "Oh, some total fucking weirdo in a tree." She happened to pass the merchant by chance at the ancient oaks. All he wanted was the meat as price while he was quite small himself and must not have had the skills to really provide for himself. For some neat armor to stab someone with, the difficult task was worth it. "Traded some meat for it, heck if I know where that guy is now." Relm may have enjoyed battle like Rhaegath, but she liked getting hurt more than hurting others. Specifically the feeling of a bite relieved her tension. She didn't care how she hurt others from her end though. "We should probably keep moving on." She suggested, but moved back over the edge of the falls to look down at the misshapen saber. "I should be many days ahead of Kefka though if you wanted to go down and get anything from that." She considered the meal, though Rhaegath seemed to have some other things in mind. Walk "Talk" Think

The idea that there were more of the beasts down in Auster enticed him. It was a shame that they were exactly where he'd just come from not too long ago, but if they stayed there then he would keep an eye out. "Maybe another time. I don't feel like back tracking." He shrugged. There were always opportunities for a fight, even if it didn't happen to be against another one of the felines. He would, however, take himself a trophy from this one. He was dead set on it now. A brow rose as she explained where she'd gotten her armor from. A weirdo in a tree. That definitely would classify as weird. He curled his lip at the thought of having to interact with anyone who chose to live in a tree. It seemed like something a lunatic would do. No, he'd prefer to get his armor elsewhere. He definitely wasn't going to track down a guy either, even if it would be as simple as trading meat for something. He'd just have to appreciate Relm's for now and see what he could scrounge up. Maybe he'd have Zosime craft him something later if time permitted. "Yeah I'm good on that." He rumbled, the distaste clear on his face and in his voice. She mentioned moving on and he nodded absentmindedly as he moved to the edge of the falls with her. She still didn't sound completely confident that her father wouldn't find her yet. He supposed they had more traveling to do before they were far enough away to throw him off her trail. "Yeah I had an idea on what I'd like to do with it." He didn't elaborate though and instead started to carefully pick his way down the falls. It was painstakingly slow, but finally he made it to the group of rocks where it had landed in a heap. Luckily its mouth was still intact. He wasn't sure if Relm would want any of the meat, but he ignored it. He didn't feel like carrying anything around with him for an extended period of time and preferred just hunting when he was hungry. He gripped onto one of the large teeth and began to pull until a sickening pop was heard and the tooth gave way from its body. Content with his prize, he clambered off the rocks and found a bundle of large leaves. He wrapped the tooth into them and then managed to tie it against his ankle with a loose knot. He'd probably have to retighten it occasionally, but it would due until they got to where they were going. He wasn't going to carry it in his mouth the whole way home. Walk, "Talk" Think

Relm gently followed behind Rhaegath, letting him take his approach first on the broken, warped cat. When he went for the tooth she was surprised because it wasn't something she would do. Her body reflexed as the tooth broke and his hold on the cat as a whole was released. And when he moved away from the cat to prepare a pocket for it, she looked at him confused. Shrugging her shoulders, she couldn't really care that he had abandoned the rest of the cat. "Well, if that's all you needed I guess we should be going along then. Guess I don't have to run around looking for you then."  She watched as he finished up the tie on his souvenir, observing the slight look of his contentness on the trophy. She wouldn't bother to mention the faint smug look on his face though, "I guess we are moving north then?" She internally cringed at the thought of living in the northern lands again, but it was also the smart way to route. Kefka would least expect her to go back considering how much she hated it. Now that the weather had let up some she supposed it wasn't so bad. But maybe one day she could convince Rhaegath to move somewhere else. She supposed she could just go move somewhere without him, but a hidden part of her didn't want to live alone. It had only been her and her father for so long, she didn't want to be all by herself even with how fit for survival she was, or at least she felt like she was. Walk "Talk" Think