The sun shone through the tops of the trees as he approached the outsides of the mines. Eraithus hadnt explored much of the north, the cold weather made him fluff up his fur. However he chose a good time because the spring weather was kicking in. With the darkness gone the ground was beginning to warm once more. By the time he got here it must have been mid day. Patches of snow and ice caked the the outsides of the mines entrance. Sniffing the earth he noted the stale scent of bear, but surely it had moved on from here.

"its probably easy to get lost in there." he couldnt help but say it out loud. Even though talking to himself probably didnt look too sane. He flicked his crooked tail looking behind him before getting closer to the mines entrance. Durs seemed to line the decrepit carts obvious that many a wolf had taken to these mines at one point or another.

Kione was a social sort of fellow.  Since he was along so much of the time lately he tended to drift close to anyone else he found out alone to either spend a few minutes or hours with them to refuel on his sense of companionship when it got low.  This was a perfect example.  Here he was exploring this rocky mountainside that its main flaw was too many trees near the bottom when he heard a voice.

Moving closer to the edge of an outcropping he looked down to the wolf.  Sure were a lot of wolves around this land.  “Yah, I didn’t go in very far when I first saw it.” The words were spoken with good cheer.  

Apparently, two wolves talking was enough to upset someone.  It was as if the earth itself grumbled as the half-irritated roar from the bear sounded near the cave entrance.  It wasn’t so much it was loud as the cave echoed and deepened the sound on its own.  Kione had made his way right to the overhang entrance of the mine so seeing a bear walk out his face lit up in a grin.  Never would he get this easy of an opening again!

Kione leaped off the stone to land on the bear’s back with a laugh that got choked off as he bit into the nape of the bear’s neck, thrashing it before the bear stood up with a far angrier roar.  It stepped back attempting to shove his back into the rocky wall behind and in the process planning to squish the dog.

Kione leaped off with a bit of a sprawl, grinning with a bit of bear flesh still in his mouth.  Kione didn’t stay down long, he preferred living and the bear was charging him.


"Speech"

Eraithus didnt even get a chance to decide if it was safe or not. First it was the african wild dog, a creature hed met before in his homeland, a hardy type of canine. His took a step back when the roar hit, a polar bear thrice his size had the new stranger on its back. Hit with surprise the predator reared up on its hind legs. Eraithus couldnt help but to smile what a crazy little guy! The wolf took action after it sunk in and the polar bear was looking to make a snack out of his companion.

"Not on my watch." he growled. Eraithus had taken nany a predator down but with a size like this there was a challenge. His hackles raised as he forced himself forward. In a moments notice his teeth landed in its right forelimb where the ankle was. Distracting it from Kione Eraithus sank his teeth further feeling the blood well. The polar bear screamed turning its head to the wolf. Eraithus heard its teeth slap shut just above his ear. He growled letting go and going for its face, unsure if it was a good idea as he stopped mid attack and threw himself back from the flying paws of the bear.

Kione heard the wolf join the fray and laughed in pleasure as once again there would be help in the fray.  The painted dog had no concept of playing it safe apparently.  He spun about and ran back in trusting the wolf had his part in order, certainly, the bear seemed unhappy with teeth sunk into its ankle.  Its head had turned to face the blueish wolf and Kione couldn’t ask for anything better.

Kione’s teeth sunk into the polar bear's giant cheek, jerking his head to actually tear off a chunk of skin, back peddling fast as the bear swung its head about with a roar of pain and a massive, massive paw swinging out in Kione’s direction.  Kione showed his feelings on it as he took one showy chomp of the fur, skin, and hint of meat in his mouth then swallowed it.  Dang, that bear was pissed, and again it wasn’t watching the wolf.  Kione was the flashy sort for sure and enjoyed pissing off the enemy, it tended to make them stupid.

Kione didn’t watch to see what blue-boy was up to and instead spun around to head towards the bear’s flank.  He intended to get a good bite of bear-rump.  The bear’s hot stinky breath would let him know if the bear’s head was following him or dealing with the wolf.  Kione had never seen a white bear before but meat’s meat.


"Speech"

When he heard the dog laugh he was unsire what to think. His eyes widened as adrenamine oushed through him. The sight of blood but somehow the dogs playfulness amused him. For once Eraithus stopped and gave a chuckle back. Hunting, fighting, it didnt matter what they were doing. He wanted to help Kione, to him unnamed, take down this polar bear. The attacks on the creature thus far had tired it or at least he thought. Eraithus went in this time for a bite to the underbelly. The creature screamed, rearing ul and taking Eraithus with it. He let go seeing a point.

"You, go for the throat!" he yelled as loud as he could to his current fighting companion. In this momeny the bear looked down but Eraithus had already gone to the wound he had already created. The polar bear screamed its head tilting back. Eraithus just goped the male had heard him. His bite eould be able to finish the beast off. He could collect some meat to take back to the camp, or perhaps skin it to shoe his strength?

Kione had gotten a chunk of bear rump in his mouth as Eraithus had kept it busy with his own attacks. As the dog turned to grab the first new target the presented itself he heard the wolf’s call to go for the throat.  Kione grinned, he could do that.  Kione put his trust in the blue wolf to not get himself killed so that he could focus on the plan.  

Two strides carried Kione to in front of the bear, a powerful leap to slam himself into the bear’s throat, claws scratching for purchase as his fangs locked in.  Kione jaw’s tightened on the throat, shaking his head, as his feet sometimes did and sometimes did not touch the ground as the bear swung him about trying to shake off the determined dog.  Kione finally let go when a bear’s paw was aimed at him.  The painted dog backed up, blood coating his muzzle and other splotches along his face.  He stepped back admiring the blood coming from the bear’s neck.

Technically it was still alive but with the blood pouring from its wounds Kione doubted it would be for long.  The painted dog licked some of the blood from his face, waiting for the bear to weaken so that he could go in for a more relaxed bite.  “C’mon ya walkin pelt,” the dog mocked it, “not gonna lose to something you can step on are ya?” Of course it was.  It already had.  Kione just couldn’t seem to help but mock the things he was killing.  It was fun to see how riled up the enemy got.

"Good time there friend," Kione offered as an aside to the blue wolf.  Still, for his bluster and for his confidence the polar bear was dead Kione still wasn't taking his eyes off of it.  Sometimes folks don't realize when they were already dead.

"Speech"

Eraithus hadnt let go of the bear, but his ears could catch the dogs actions and voice. His heart thumped against his chest as joy exploded in him. This dog could fight! When all was finally done the animal fell, making Eraithus pull back standing next to Kione. He mocked the bear and sich a sentence made him laugh. It reminded him of home in a way, his new home Habari. Either way the dog was turning out to be a great potential friend. His tail wagged and Eraithus may not have noticed but reallly he liked the way he fought.

"Same to you! Whats a dog like you doing in Boreas North?" Eraithus tilted his head. He then moved forward placing a pae on their newly killed bear. His stomach rumbled and with his maw already covered in blood. He took a laege bite out of the stomach the meat was actually sweet. "Im Eraithus by the way." he introduced himself lifting his head from his meal he smiled. "Come eat with me. You surely deserve it." he knew the dog didnt need an invite but Eraithus now slightly enamoured wanted the dog to eat their kill together.

“Traveling,” a simple answer to avoid an unwanted story but, it was still said with a pleasant attitude not intending to shut him down.  Kione made his way to the dead or dying bear, opening up the stomach tear a bit more before helping himself to a piece, talking as he chewed, “aiming to find more,” chomp, swallow, “of m’ kind.”  It was nice to share a meal, there was no pleasure in meals that went unshared with others, at least not as much.

Kione placed a paw on the corpse, biting in and ripping out a larger piece. “Don’t s’pose you’ve seen any about the land have ya friend?”  Kione had to keep up faith someday he would ask and hear yes, or someday he’d smell more of his kind and run to find them.  Hopefully, when he did they’d let him in.  Kione missed his own kind and their large families, the familiar voices, and living a life that made the most sense to him.


"Speech"

It was this that he missed. Meeting others and having moments where they bonded. If it hadnt been for his decision to want to get to know boreas better this wouldnt have happened. Eraithus was no mind reader to him Kione simply was as cheerful as many of his species. When Kione said he was looking for more of his kind though Eraithus frowned. He smiled again though sympathy touching him. Here he was surrounded by wolves, he had lost his siblings but hed gained a brand new family all on his own. "I havent seen any of your kind thus far and ive lived here for a few cycles." he tilted his head. "I dont think ai caught your name friend? If i know it i can keep a look out thats for sure." it probably wasnt what he most wanted to hear. Eraithus took another bite and grinned.

"My homeland is a seasons travel from here. My pack was in good standing with your kind. I would hunt with them sometimes." the memories were recalled fondly. Eraithus after he had his dill began pulled off strips, he grabbed one of the pelts from the mine and began to lay the meat on it. He hoped Habari would be pleased. Though his attention was mostly towards his handsome new friend.