Sunder cruised along the river at an easy pace. While he wasn’t about to dip a toe in the frigid water being so close to it made him feel a little at home. He loved the sound of water on the rocky shore. A new and lovely thing he’d noticed was that in the dips and crevices of the riverbank, any place that was good and slow, really, little frozen bubbles would often gather. He’d crunched a couple underfoot and found the sound absolutely delightful.

Feeling inspired by his surroundings Sunder decided the only thing that would make it better was a race. He threw back his head and did his best wolf impression. Honestly though he’d take on whatever critter was up to the challenge. The little dog was an equal opportunity racer.

_________________________________________________________________ Attempting to escape the frigid chill of the plain, she made her way down south toward the river. Familiar with its wide berth and rocky shores, her paws left tracks in the sand. Listening to the quiet plop of fish breaching the surface, she enjoyed the calm and quiet of a lazy afternoon. Humming softly to herself, Audra found herself deep in the forest before an odd howl made her ears perk up. Interested, her golden eyes scanned the landscape before landing on a hairless dog? What in the world... Curiosity leading her paws toward the canine, Audra approached with a tilted chin. "A-are you look-king for s-someone?" She asked in her chiming tone, eyes bright as she hesitated a few feet away. Never having seen a dog like this before, she wondered if it was someone's companion who was lost. Flicking her tail back and forth in a nervous manner, she also was eager to learn more about him. _________________________________________________________________ A  U  D  R  A

While waiting Sunder took the opportunity to adjust his clothes. The pelt around his waist and thighs had a tendency to slip down sometimes. If he let them go they’d reach a point where only his tail was keeping them up, and it just sort of looked like he’d messed himself which was not the look he was going for. That also hampered his running so he needed to fix it toot sweet.

Just as the last of his leather straps was adjusted a wolf appeared. Sunder sat up bright and cheery, and fixed her with a keen expression. “I am, yes, hello!” As per the norm she was looking at him like he had a third eye in the middle of his head, but he paid that no mind and set about giving her a rundown of what he was, who he was, and what he wanted. “My name is Sunda, I am a dog wit no haih, yes I know, and no you canna catch it.” All of this he said with the same friendly enthusiasm as his greeting. “An I am looking fo a racing pa’tna if ya feel up fo a challenge,” he said with a teasing smile.

_________________________________________________________________ His attire was interesting and the way he sat up in a cheery manner made her smile. Thanking the heavens that she hadn't yet come across a grumpy or violent animal yet, Audra was counting her lucky stars. He appeared nice enough so she slowly closed the gap between them. Eyeing the gear and jewelry he adorned, a tinge of jealousy rang through her. How could a hairless dog be so pretty? Meeting his olive eyes with her own golden-honey pair, she listened to his heavily accented words. "A p-pleasure Sunda!" She chirped, her tail now swishing in a happier manner. "I-I'm Audra and a-actually, yes! I'd love to race!" Her voice was eager, ears perking up as she looked up and down the river's embankment. "Where to?" She asked as she felt a buzz of excitement dust off the chill of winter in her bones. _________________________________________________________________ A  U  D  R  A

Ah, her name was Audra, how lovely! She seemed like a pleasant sort and took all his peculiarities in stride. Just the kind of wolf he liked to meet. It baffled him, honestly, how many of the hairy beasts took issue with his lack of a coat. The only time he envied their fluff was winter and even then he thought his mismatched gear was better. At least he could take it off.

Excellent, she was in! Sunder nodded in the direction he wished to go, noting to himself the trail that would make the first stretch easy. “See da bluffs ova dere? Nice little stretch I tink; good little finish line. Winna reaches dere first.” His enthusiasm got the better of him then and he fell into a ready crouch as he mentally skipped ahead a couple steps. “Ready? On da count of tree! One…two…tree!” And just like that he was off. If Audra had any questions or hesitations he might circle back around, it was hard to tell for sure.

Sunder vs Audra for Race
Round 1/2
Age: 1+
Size: Small
Build: Medium
Skills: Expert Hunter & Beginner Navigator

_________________________________________________________________ The energy from Sunder was infectious and she couldn't help but smile. Turning her chin so she could spot the area he was motioning to, she nodded in response. Not far off, water burbled over an edge, the bluff just within sight. Everything seemed to fade away as she honed in on their finish line. While not having a lot of experience in racing, her previous races had given her some sort of idea of what they entailed. Turning her body so that she was shoulder to shoulder with Sunder, it wasn't a moment later that he was counting down to start. Not quite ready, the hairless dog got a one-step start. As his voice called out to them, her paws hit the dirt. Stretching out her legs with ears flat to her skull, she raced after him. While his lack of hair may be an advantage, her own slender body was fast and improving day by day. Audra vs Sunder for Race Round 1/2 Age: Over 1 year Size: Small Build: Light Skills: Intermediate Healer & Intermediate Navigator _________________________________________________________________ A  U  D  R  A

Sunder cruised along at a steady pace and let his eyes rove between the river and the land as he tried to find a balance between watching where he was going and enjoying the scenery. With the rolling water and the hills behind them it really was quite the lovely scene. The only thing that spoiled it was knowing those hills belonged to a pack and the bluffs that marked their finish line also marked its border. Boo. He’d have kept going if not for them.

He stumbled over a rock and realized he’d gotten lost in grumpy pack-hating thought. Quickly Sunder brought his attention back to the ground at his paws so he could plot a course. He noted the upcoming pebble laden shoreline and his spirits lifting knowing the little rocks would crackle under his paws.

Sunder vs Audra for Race
Round 2/2
Age: 1+
Size: Small
Build: Medium
Skills: Expert Hunter & Beginner Navigator

_________________________________________________________________ Determined to beat the sleek coated male beside her, Audra pressed forward. The scenery around her wasn't anything she hadn't seen before so her attention was left for the pebbled shorefront ahead of them. Her paws reached out, drumming along the ground beneath them in a hurried fashion. As they whipped down their stretch, a multitude of scents breezed by her. Were they really that close to pack lands? Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed Sunder trip over a rock. Clamping down her jaws to prevent herself from laughing, she smiled in his direction as they neared the end. With a change of terrain evolving underfoot, her own paws were having difficulty adjusting at the speed they were going. A small yip of excitement let loose from her as she pushed her nose in front, hoping that maybe it would be the winning factor. Audra vs Sunder for Race Round 2/2 Age: Over 1 year Size: Small Build: Light Skills: Intermediate Healer & Intermediate Navigator _________________________________________________________________ A  U  D  R  A

And the winner is...

Sunder

Audra was left in the dust!! Totals: Sunder: Speed Roll: 76 Stamina Roll: 35 Balance Roll: 95 Total: 206 Speed[76] + 5% Bonus[3.80]: 79.80 Stamina[35] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 35.00 Balance[95] + 5% Bonus[4.75]: 99.75 Total[214.55] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 214.55 Audra: Speed Roll: 30 Stamina Roll: 51 Balance Roll: 99 Total: 180 Speed[30] + 10% Bonus[3.00]: 33.00 Stamina[51] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 51.00 Balance[99] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 99.00 Total[183.00] + 10% Bonus[18.30]: 201.30