Wren's eyes focused on the Delta's surface. She saw a delicious looking pig that would be good for a quick meal. With her lips licking, she approached through the frost covered grasses and toward the prey. It'd be a hassle to drag it all the way back to Armada, but practice made perfect. She could easily use the tusks and bones for something interesting. Maybe she'd craft some armour at last?

As if on cue, she noticed the woman. They seemed to be tracking the hog too. Wren caught her eyes with her blue depths, giving a nod of approval. If the woman wanted, she could help bring the pig down. She also did notice - this was the same wolf she saw with the skeleton weeks prior. Medusa, was her name? She couldn't remember for certain though. They belonged to a pack that was closer than Armada.

The brunette inched closer to the grazing hog, lowering herself to the snow and frozen muck. She wouldn't approach until Medusa cornered it on her end, not willing to risk the hog getting away.

"Speech"
181 WC / 2,500 needed
1/3 track and hunt medium prey (wild hog)
0/3 fight predator (jaguar)

She didn't care if she got in trouble anymore. She didn't care if they tried to punish her again. She wouldn't lie down and take it. Instead, she would fight back. If they thought she would lie down and take it like last time, they were wrong. She was tired of being expected to remain in pack lands and not be able to live her life. How long had she been enslaved there and largely ignored? Too long. Her deceased father had been encouraging her in her dreams. Helping her. Teaching her. Training her. Helping her to be a little better each time she saw him. And now she was confident enough in her abilities to try and take down a hog by herself. She wasn't aware of the brown wolf nearby. Wasn't aware someone else was eyeing her intended target. She licked her lips as she intently eyed the beast. She was careful to make as little noise as possible in the snow, and even more careful especially considering it was more like slush near the river. Some parts were slick and iced over, making keeping your footing more difficult. Fortunately for her, however, she had the sharpened claw covers over her own dull claws, so she was able to get a bit more traction than say, the hooved hog she was tracking. Ears perked up as the hog shuffled around in the snow, snorting as it rooted around for whatever it could eat. Her fur blended smoothly with the browns and whites of the earth, and the pig was none the wiser. She was not too far from it now, maybe a few yards as she steadily inched closer. It was thanks to her father mostly that she had managed to even keep herself this patient because usually, she always just rushed straight into the chase. But not this time. She took a steadying breath, eyes never leaving the hog. As it slowly shuffled the other way, Medusa broke from her cover and started the chase. With a surprised squeal, the hog turned and raced along the river. Both hog and wolf would head in the direction of the other that had been watching. WC: 547/2,500 "Medusa"

"Wait up!"

She hadn't expected the wolf to charge off after the hog like that. Wren broke from her stalking and raced after the pair. Medusa hadn't seemed to notice her, and she assumed she hadn't earlier - else it was rude of the woman to do such a thing. "Corner it!" she called out a suggestion, unaware the two wolves were being stalked by a large predator eyeballing the wild boar "I'll jump on it to distract it!"

Medusa could have the meat if she liked, but Wren at least wanted one boar tusk from her efforts. Okay, maybe a bit of meat too. But not too much. She didn't have anything to bring back to Armada from this location; it'd spoil before she returned to the pack. But the tusk could be useful for something, surely. The hog squealed suddenly, stopping at a deep spot in the Delta. Wren took her chance.

She leaped at the prey, attempting to pin it to the earth. "Medusa!" she called out to the other woman "kill it!" Please, she wanted to say. Wren didn't know how long she'd be able to pin such a hog before it shook her loose. She didn't fancy getting attacked by those tusks either!

"Speech"
207 WC
2/3 track and hunt medium prey (wild hog)
0/3 fight predator (jaguar)

"Wait up!" Ears flicked back followed by her head. Huh? She didn't realize that someone else was around, much less the woman she had met a few weeks back that she had met while she making things out of a dead wolf's bones. She didn't stop though, and instead, continued to pursue her prey, but she did take heed of Wren's instruction. She raced along behind it, slowly gaining ground though Wren was closer. The hog squealed as it found its way into a deep spot of the river, and its position was enough for the two wolves to come bearing down on it. Wren would reach it to strike first. Jumping onto the hog's back and attempting to pin the big pig down. It thrashed and sputtered as it inhaled water, short legs trying to buck the earthen woman off. And when Wren called out for Medusa to kill it, the skeleton-marked girl was all too happy to oblige. She snarled as she ran at full speed, not bothering to stop as she slammed the entirety of her weight into the side of the hog's head in an effort to daze it. It stumbled over, head thrashing her way and knicking her chest with a curved tusk, but Medusa ignored the stinging pain and instead, latched onto the thick of its neck. With her teeth gripped on the side of the beast's neck, it was no longer able to reach her with its tusks. It squealed in pain and terror as it tried to throw off its attackers, but with Wren's weight on its back and Medusa's wet weight pushing and pulling on its neck, its strength was failing fast. Its shorter legs had trouble getting it out of the softer mud of the river, breaths ragged as it struggled to lift its snout above the freezing water. Was Medusa gonna be cold after this? Hell yes. Did she care right now? Absolutely not. Especially when she was this close to getting her prize. 1,089/2,500 "Medusa"

With Medusa attacking it, Wren tried to focus on not getting thrown off. The hog flailed wildly and she dug her paws into its back in protest. She would not be thrown off! She would get her own prize from this, and hopefully, she'd be none the worse for wear. The other woman lunged at the prey and the brunette assisted her. A sharp bite was aimed at the back of the throat. Blood pooled around her muzzle but she didn't care. She didn't let up.

Wren twisted her neck, and the wild hog squealed in pain. With strength leaving it, the prey fell down and fell over. Its eyes dim as the light died from it. Wren let go, hopping off its back. Her face was stained with red. "Good job" she chirped to the near-stranger, tail wagging once "we sure showed that one" Last they spoke, Medusa had been crafting. Now they hunted together with good results "you can pick first, okay? I just... want a little bit of meat. Maybe a tusk?"

She stepped back to allow Medusa her prize. Wren had all of ten seconds before she felt a heavy limb graze the back of her neck. A swipe?! She yelped and lunged forward, away from the attack. What the hell? Again? She was a beacon for predators stealing her food!

"Speech"
225 WC
3/3 track and hunt medium prey (wild hog)
0/3 fight predator (jaguar)

With both wolves latched onto the boar, it didn't take long for it to go down. Eventually, it fell over in the last throes of death before the light finally faded from its eyes and was forever still. Medusa unlatched her jaws from the boar's wide neck, stretching them for a moment since that hog had definitely strained them some. Wren hopped off next to her, telling her she had done a good job and that she could pick what she wanted first. All Wren wanted in return was a little bit of meat and maybe a tusk. She skeletal-marked girl nodded happily at the request, "Medusa couldn't have done it without your help, so Wren can have whatever she wants from it!" She exclaimed, tail wagging for a moment before she noticed movement behind the earthen girl. Her hackles rose in alarm at the intruder, but before Medusa could say anything, however, the feline had struck like lightning. It struck at Wren, who in turn had lunged forward closer to Medusa to get away from the surprise attack. Snarling, Medusa barked and snarled at the jaguar, hackles standing on end as the larger girl put herself between the cat and the other wolf. She grew a wild look in her eye as she stared down the other predator, challenging it. "This is ours! Back off!" She challenged, but the hungry feline was in no mood to negotiate or listen. Wren had asked for a tusk, well...if this jaguar didn't back off, then she supposed she would just have to teach it a lesson, and take its teeth, after! The Jaguar aimed a heavy, clawed paw at Medusa, though she managed to lean back enough to where its claws swiped the air in front of her nose. Alright, that was it! It was gloves off, now! WC: 1,620/2,500 "Medusa"

She wagged her tail. Wren knew Medusa was a bit... odd? She wanted to say she was unique too. Speaking in the third person, behaving a bit strangely... She knew she shouldn't judge. Medusa had done nothing wrong to her, so Wren assumed she was friendly enough as a wolf. She also knew her patterns would cause others to glance her way, seeing the skeletal etchings as a warning. "You're wrong" she joked, grinning "I couldn't have done it without your help!" A hog alone was something for larger wolves to tackle. Not a smaller wolf that was no Dire.

But enough about that. There was a fight to win! Hopefully. Wren felt some subtle blood pool from the swipe on her back. She rounded, snarling as Medusa placed herself between. The other woman called a warning but the jaguar did not listen. The brunette rounded the larger wolf as it lunged at Medusa, snapping her jaws. She managed to connect with the end of its nose. It was a brief feeling of victory - for the jaguar yanked itself back. The blood was little but enough for it to think twice.

"Get lost!" she snapped along with Medusa's words "or die!" She had no trouble killing a feline like this. Its coat would look pretty great in her new den. And if they killed it, she would no doubt save some other wolf from harm.

"Speech"
235 WC
3/3 track and hunt medium prey (wild hog)
1/3 fight predator (jaguar)

Wren moved past her to snap at the jaguar, landing a bite on its nose. It was two against one, surely this cat would think twice about continuing to try and steal their kill, right? Apparently not. Infuriated, the jaguar roared at them, aiming another swipe towards Wren, but Medusa was already locked and loaded. She sprung forward, jaws open and teeth gleaming as she moved to intercept the attack. Both wolves were surely capable of taking on one Jaguar, right? She supposed they would find out soon enough! Her teeth managed to clamp onto the jaguar's foreleg, and she bit down with as much force as was possible. She heard the satisfying crack of bone between her teeth, causing the big cat to howl in pain. It aimed its other paw at the skeletal-marked girl, whacking her on the side of the head. Medusa, however, refused to let go as she continued her relentless grip, and as a result, she had earned herself a few good lacerations on the left side of her head and muzzle, but nothing that she couldn't handle. Adrenaline coursed through the girl that knew no fear. Her snarls were like that of a rabid, hungry animal. If anything, this cat should fear her! It didn't know it yet, but she had already decided that it was going to die today. The wild light in her dual-toned gaze indicated as much, as well as the ferocity in which she assaulted the exotic cat! She was going to steal its teeth and claws whether it liked it or not! WC: 2,118/2,500 "Medusa"

It was almost over.

The jaguar seemed to grow weary and second-guessing. Wren didn't know how to feel about them killing the cat after all. It did not seem to be a female one, so there could not be a risk of cubs growing inside or raising somewhere. As a male, it could sire some sure. This only fueled Wren's desire to end it quickly. If the male had cubs somewhere, it would now be void. He would never get to see them or his mate again. The thought was sad but did fuel her in other ways. She never knew her father. Why should anyone else get to?

This was selfish. Ending someone's life due to unresolved feelings. She didn't process it quickly due to Medusa's brutal attack. The jaguar yowled in pain as its bone broke. Wren moved in for the kill. She didn't want it to suffer so much, her shit aside. She lunged and latched onto its neck, biting as hard as possible. The cat screeched due to the pain she caused it. It flailed. It hit her. But she didn't let go. Crunching down, she felt herself hit an artery. Blood seeped from the wound, and she continued to hold her own. Her head was scratched pretty badly, but she kept it up.

If Medusa wanted to end it quicker, she better gets a move on else Wren would slowly seep the energy from the cat.

"Speech"
241 WC
3/3 track and hunt medium prey (wild hog)
2/3 fight predator (jaguar)

The jaguar was fighting a losing battle. She had already severely damaged and broken his foreleg, so even if they decided to spare his life, the damaged limb would have been a death sentence. Although Medusa hadn't a clue what humane was, killing it was the better option at this point. It wouldn't suffer. Not after the pair of wolves were done with it. Perhaps it thought this would be an easy steal, but boy was he wrong! Medusa had had enough of others treating her poorly, wolf and wild animal alike. This encounter would only serve to strengthen her. To fuel her on. She was on a path that Habari had essentially forced her on, and there was no straying from it. Wren gunned for the jaguar's neck, and through her own snarling, Medusa watched it flail as it hit Wren over, and over, and over again. The limb she had in her mouth was useless to the big cat now, so she let go and lunged for an opening on the back of its neck. It snarled and thrashed and cried out in pain as it was assaulted. But Medusa didn't exactly have the empathy to feel bad for the beast. It had tried to steal their kill. It had attacked them first. Since Habari came into her life, she had learned it was a dog-eat-dog world. Her father whom she often saw in her dreams told her it was her, or them. And she chose herself. She would always choose herself when it came to survival. That's all she knew how to do since the moment she was born. From the moment her mother abandoned her without a trace and basically left her barely hanging on. Teeth clamped onto the back of the jaguar's neck, and she used her motion and grip to twist it. An audible snap was heard, and the next thing she knew the jaguar had fallen limp, the light and fight gone from its eyes. WC: 2,691/2,500 "Medusa"

Done. She slipped from the back, having given a sharp bite once she knew Medusa locked onto the jaguar's neck. Wren's neck reared back and she snapped by its eyes, momentarily blinding the feline. There was fear and sweat and blood in the air. She was going to assume it attracted more predators. But - the important thing. It was done.

It was done. Over. Dead. Wren tore away from the dead feline, panting. The effort of the hunt and the fight was almost too much. She had just gotten to this world. "Thanks" she breathed to Medusa, sitting down "I need to catch my breath." It was true, she was almost at her limit. She would watch if the other woman began to loot, content to breathe in and out slowly. Steadily.

She was alive. But for how long? This world was so dangerous. Countless predators attacking wolves, who had seemed akin to gods in other realms. No one fucked with a pack wolf, even if they were alone. Wren closed her eyes, relishing in the darkness it brought.

"Speech"
3/3 track and hunt medium prey (wild hog)
3/3 fight predator (jaguar)

The fight was over. But unfortunately, Medusa couldn't find it in her to feel empathetic for the beast. It was survival of the fittest, and once again, she had won. As Wren peeled herself away from the cat, so too did Medusa. She was breathing hard, fur messed up from the fight, and blood painting the white mask of her fur. They had succeeded, and to the victors went the spoils, right? They still hadn't gotten a chance to peel away what they wanted from the hog, but whereas Wren wanted the hog's tusks, Medusa now wanted some of the Jaguar's teeth and claws. Medusa's ears flicked at Wren's words, and while she would have considered taking a breather too, she was far too interested in those fangs and claws. "Wren can rest, but Medusa wants some pieces from him!" Then maybe when she was done collecting what she wanted, she'd help Wren get what she wanted and maybe they could share a meal. She stepped up to the jaguar's jaw, prying its mouth open as she inspected the glistening fangs. "He can make a nice necklace, huh?" She grinned, glancing back at Wren with a glint in her eyes. "Medusa"

She couldn't help but laugh at the enthusiasm. "They would make a fitting trophy, yeah!" she agreed breathlessly "and the pelt could make a nice cape for your armor, I think" she pondered if they could dye it and make it black to offset the white bones "could have a fierce set of armor when you're done. A necklace of fangs, bone armor, and a flowing cape." She pondered helping Medusa skin the cat.

But she did want the tusks first. After catching her breath, Wren moved to the hog. She began the difficult collection, trying to snap the tusks from the hog before giving up. Next, she used her teeth to pry them from the corpse. That worked a bit better. The tusks were loose from the attack on the wolves. "We could store the materials nearby and come back later for them" she added "somewhere only we'd know." She pondered.

"Speech"