Balsam was putting together a little setup in the treetops of the soulless forest. The ground below was so dark and mist-covered that with the right weaving his shelter above blended into the darkness. It was curious the things he remembered from his childhood. How to weave the branches, how to hide the shelters from view, etc. Those years were long over and yet here he was able to pull that information from his memories and put it to use.

This setup wasn't jut some cute little shelter. No, this was a base of operations. The operations? Highway robbery. For most of his life Balsam had thieved for what he needed. He didn't hunt, didn't build, didn't do the pack thing at all, honestly. Granted, he'd done all that in a group which had made it considerably easier even factoring in the need to fight for his share. This stuff? All on his own? He was struggling. But, and this was important, he was up for the challenge. Not only was he going to be just fine he was going to make a name for himself. The Treetop Bandit! He could see it now...

His ears perked as a sound in the distance caught his attention. A passerby? God, he hoped so. He was hungry. Balsam skittered through the trees as quickly and quietly as he could before stopping in the shadows of a tall and foreboding oak. There he peeked through the leaves and looked around for signs of travel and goods worth stealing.

Raylan grimaced at the damp wetness that squelched between his toes as he walked, his heavy steps pushing his paws into the ground where he stepped. While he wasn't a stickler about pristine appearances, the feeling of it between his toes was enough to put him off staying amongst this forest any longer than he needed to. He would simply make his way in a direct line, no exploring necessary, and then move on as soon as he got out on the other side. The make-shift hide bag strapped to his shoulder bounced slightly with each large stride, rattling every so often as the small bones and items bumped against each other inside it. The item was by no means a proper bag, already seeing its last days as he hadn't had the time to properly cure it in his haste. One say soon he would sit down and make a proper carry-on for all his odd items. His gaze flickered momentarily upwards, eyes squinting at the eerie silence that seemed to stick around. Not even the chirp of a bird reached his ears, and it rubbed him the wrong way. It was too quiet here, and he didn't like it. So with a grunt he made sure the hide wouldn't slip off his shoulders and picked up the pace to a brisk trot, head ducked as he traversed the thick undergrowth, slinking under spots where he could fit through, and heaving himself over others that he was too large for. Hopefully it wouldn't take him too long to reach the other side of this forest.

Balsam's weaselly little face lit up as he caught sight of a bag-toting traveler. The giant ground dweller looked well fed and put together which had to mean- right- that his bag was full of good things. He was exactly the sort that Balsam was looking for. A little too big, maybe, but he didn't discriminate. No, Balsam was an equal opportunity thief. No size, shape, or creed was excluded. They were all welcome to give up their goods.

He slithered to a lower branch to watch. There, in the shadows, he began to hatch a plan. The only real problem with a guy this big was that there was just too much of him for one bandit to handle well. That wasn't going to stop Balsam. Why should it? Even those getting thieved rarely cried for murder so the worst that would happen was that he might get chased up a tree.

Watching the traveler walk away was like watching someone make off with his birthday present. He couldn't take anymore of it so with a few well timed leaps Balsam burst ahead of Raylan. He hit the ground with a muted padump and then grinned brightly up at the stranger. "Howdy. I couldn't help but notice your bag there and I just," he put a paw to his chest and then flicked it away for emphasis. "Have to have it. So," he tipped his head to the side and eyed Raylan mischievously, "How's about you toss it here and nobody gets hurt?"

He came to a sliding halt as something small and furry suddenly bounded in front of him, grinning widely up at him. At first Raylan thought it was a coyote or a fox with the small form and dark eye markings, but his nose told him the creature was definitely a wolf. It seemed he was running into quite a few very tiny wolves as of late, which he found quite amusing. Perhaps he was a giant of sorts in these lands then. The small wolf then spoke, and Raylan couldn't help the chortling laugh that escaped from him. The wolf had a dramatic type of flair, and it was quite commendable that Raylan couldn't even be mad at the request. When so eloquently put that way he just couldn't say no, but he also wasn't going to just give it away for free. "I appreciate the civility of yer offer, lad," he said with a grin of his own. "But I don't just give my stuff away for free, ye see." Raylan looked down at the small wolf, quirking a brow at him as an idea came to him. Something to spice up his day a bit, and get his blood pumping. "How about we race for it? Winner gets the bag, and like ye said, nobody gets hurt."

Balsam tipped his head the other way as the would-be, should-be victim opted instead to more or less barter with him. This was new for Balsam. He'd had wolves argue with him, fight with him, and sometimes if he was lucky, slide things over the first time he asked for them. But this? This was new and because it was new Balsam decided what the hell. The guy got points for creativity. He'd play along and he would do gladly.

"'Lad,'" he parroted with a giggle. No one had ever called him that, not even when he was small -er, young- enough for it. That alone would have been enough to convince him to race had he already not made up his mind. He bunched his feet together and gave a small, frisky shrug. "Alright, but only 'cause you asked so nicely."

He leaned in teasingly, wondering if the guy was really going to trust a thief. "How about you leave the bag here? We run to that lightning struck oak on the edge of the forest and back. I'll even let you say 'go'."

He gave the smaller wolf a bit of a side-eye as they parroted back a word he had said with a giggle. "Are ye not a lad?" A quick sniff of the air confirmed that no this wolf was definitely a male, but perhaps it was more the term he had used instead of calling the wolf a male. At the very least the wolf agreed to his terms, even offering up how the race would be determined. Less for him to think about then, so he was fine with that. Raylan stared at the wolf for a few seconds, shifting his weight to the leg that carried the make-shift bag. He wasn't too worried about leaving it on the ground, as it wasn't filled with things that he couldn't ever find again. If he couldn't protect his own stuff then he didn't deserve to have them, but he wouldn't go as far to trust this wolf to not make a sneaky grab for it. "Very well, I accept yer terms." He let it fall to the ground with a thump, gently pushing it to the side so it wouldn't be in their way as his gaze found the lightning struck tree in the distance. He rolled his shoulders back and stretched down in a bow to make sure he wouldn't pull a muscle once they started. Once ready he leaned forward onto the very tip of his toes, glancing sideways at the smaller wolf to make sure they were ready before he began counting down. "Three, two, one... go!" Raylan pushed off with his back legs in a giant leap forwards, eating up multiple strides in one go before his front paws touched the earth again, and then just as quickly he bounded forward again in a lengthy stride. His long legs made it easy to leap over anything low that was in his way, but he wasted few precious seconds needing to slip under and between the undergrowth that he couldn't climb over. In this type of foliage it was probably better to be smaller-framed, but that was out of his control. And so he pushed himself as fast as his long legs could take him, bounding over and around obstacles he could, all the while trying to keep an eye on the smaller wolf as they raced. Raylan vs Balsam for Race Round 1/? Age: Over 1 year Size: Extra large Build: Heavy Skills: Advanced Fighter & Beginner Navigator

In response to the man's -rhetorical? Not that it mattered, his response would be the same- Balsam shrugged and let his eyes roll heavenward before breaking into a teasing smirk that suggested Raylan was welcome to find out. The little thief would leave it at that. They could stand here and nail down the specifics of the word or they could race and one of them -not saying who- could leave with his new goods.

Both brows went up when the man agreed and set his bag down. Really? Just like that? What if Balsam's buddies dropped out of the trees once he was gone and stole all his shit? Balsam giggled at the thought but didn' say anything and instead dropped into a ready crouch.

At 'go' Balsam was off at an easy clip. There was quite some distance between here and the tree and he wanted to save the 'oomph' for when he needed to dig deep. He dodged low branches and slithered through the underbrush like a fish through water. The ground may not have been home to him but his size made some things come naturally.

Balsam vs Raylan for Race
Round 1 of 2
Age: 1+
Size: Extra small
Build: Light
Skills: Beginner Navigator & Expert Fighter

The smaller wolf was fast and limber, and from the corner of his eye Raylan could see him dodging underneath and through smaller spaces as easily as if there wasn't any obstacles in his path. Focusing his attention up ahead, Raylan methodically leaped over the undergrowth where he could, keeping his gaze locked on the lighting struck oak that was coming closer and closer with each long stride. Before he knew it the tree was right in front of him, and using it as a springboard of sorts, he leaped against it and spun around, propelling himself back the way they had just come from. In the thick growth of the trees and shrubbery he couldn't pinpoint exactly where the smaller and darker form of the other wolf was, and so he simply focused on running back to his make-shift bag without tripping or getting caught up. Some of the vines were blocking his way, but his large bulk was enough to simply run through it, leaving broken strands in his wake. Raylan hiked over a large boulder, blunt claws finding some purchase in the thick moss covering so he didn't slip as he pushed off against it, his momentum carrying him ever forward. Finally the bag was in sight again, dumped ceremoniously on the ground, and Raylan glanced sideways to check on where the other wolf was. But most of his attention was on reaching out with his long strides to reach it first, wanting to keep the items e had collected during his time here. But at the end of the day he could always find some more, and he wouldn't be too annoyed if he lost. This race was quite fun if he was being honest, an exciting thrill to spice up his otherwise boring day. And so he pushed himself harder as the finish line grew steadily closer and closer, even leaning his head forward to gain an extra inch in the hopes it would make up all the difference. Raylan vs Balsam for Race Round 2/2 Age: Over 1 year Size: Extra large Build: Heavy Skills: Advanced Fighter & Beginner Navigator