Curiosity had brought her into the woods, now bad luck seemed intent on making sure she didn't get out. Arayne grumbled as she glared at a tree she was certain she had passed three or four times already. Somewhere in the woods an animal screamed, followed by a bird calling. She shuddered, drawing her limbs in. She wasn't scared of the dark, no. It was what was in the dark that frightened her.

She sighed, taking a deep breath and stepping away from the tree. She needed to stay calm about this. She sniffed the air, trying to detect any new scents or feel any air movements in her whiskers that might indicate a draft from outside the woods. Following a likely trail, she leapt off into the brush, turning this way and that as she followed the trail...

...Only to end up at that same damn tree.

"Godsdammit!"

Chuckling, the dark brute leapt out of a bush, only to see the female that seemed to be lost in the woods that he happened to reside in. "Lost, aren't you?", his young voice spoke, yet the 1 year old seemed quite matured with his deep voice. "I don't really know this place either, but it's worth something I guess. I am Dergerei, and yours?" he spoke, curiosity nipping at his young, quick beating heart. Dergerei never really thought he'd need friends, but apparently even he seemed oblivious to what he was doing. There are always things wolves cannot avoid. If only he had decided to attack instead. Perhaps she could cense his great evil that seemed to be boiling up by the minute? He never knew what to expect, and liked to plan ahead after gathering a bit of info. Perhaps he should at least try to kill her afterwards? It seemed like a pleasant idea.

(Posting from phone)

Arayne jumped as a black form moved out of the underbrush. Her body tensed, but relaxed somewhat as the male spoke in a friendly manner. "Y-Yeah, I am." she said. "Oh, my name? Arayne." A few wags of her tail accompanied a hopeful smile. "Do you know any ways out of here?"

There was something about him that unnerved her slightly. Maybe his eyes just seemed a little off, or perhaps she was just being paranoid. If he knew a route out of the woods, she couldn't exactly afford to be picky.

Chuckling to himself, Dergerei only smiled once more to hide is gut wrenching feeling. "I am afraid I am just as lost as you are," he spoke before looking around. "It'd be cool if we tried to find our way out together. A team of two is much better than one." Hopefully, the female would accept. He may be able to slowly trick her into being one like him. He would hopefully be able to even make a cruel, blood spilling group of wolves. It'd be fun, tormenting innocents and slaying those who wouldn't enjoy being around him. "How about....hunting first? I'm starving!" he spoke once more, only to wait for the female to speak. Maybe....maybe she may come in handy," the brute thought.

Arayne nodded. Hunting sounded good to her. A scent trail was easier to follow than a dirt trail. "I am kind of hungry." she admitted. While being a rogue was refreshingly free, it did have a few downsides; Namely, having to hunt for herself. When she was a princess, most of her meals had been provided by her father's professional hunters. She rarely killed anything larger than a beaver, or, on rare occasion, an elk or buffalo calf. But she was no expert hunter, and now, in winter, it showed. She looked just a little bony, her pelt a little less shiny. She could do with a good meal.

"In fact," she sniffed the air, then sniffed again, deeper, "I think I smell a deer over that way." She turned away and trotted after the smell, ears held forward.

The 'deer' turned out to be nothing more than a buck's scrape and a pile of droppings, but next to them were the telltale tracks deep in the mud. "Come on, this way!" she called, bounding after the tracks, nose to the ground.

Feeling a little hesitant, Dergerei began to follow after as the deer's scent began to become more profound. Letting out a fierce, evil growl escaped the young wolf's throat, the brute began to bound ahead as it's scent became stronger and stronger. Hunger, excitement, and the urge to spill blood urging his young muscles forward. His weakness today was definitely silence. Finally seeing the der in the underbrush, Dergerei automatically crouched down and snarled lowly, to hope the female was close behind or perhaps even ahead.

Let's spill it's innocent blood! he thought before leaping toward the deer, hoping Arayne was ready to bound up to aid. Hi immediately clamped his jaws around the deer's maw as his body curled up, claws scratching the deer's chin. Hopefully it would fall from his weight, jaws clamped as blood began to leak into every crevice of his mouth. The male's dark pelt lurched from the masculine's incredibly strong muscles bunched and tightened.

Dergerei's eyes were staring directly into the deer's eyes. Pure evil seemed to radiate from every corner of him. His growls echoed everywhere in his chest, making his body tremble. Do it soon, Arayne! he thought as exhaustion began to overcome his body.

Dergerei soon overtook her, and now she was following him. She saw the deer as well, and broke away from Dergerei to flank it. It moved to bound away, but when the black wolf slammed into it, jaws around it's muzzle, she knew it wasn't going to get away. She turned rapidly, aiming for it's throat. The deer struggled valiantly, but as she clenched her jaws and bore down her weight on the animal, it's movements became more feeble. Finally, the light died in large black eyes, and she released her deathgrip, lower jaw streaked with crimson. She stepped away, panting and happy. "We did it, Der! We--" It was only then that she turned and saw the feral gleam in his eyes. It was one thing to get excited during a hunt, but he seemed downright homicidal. She lowered her head, unconsciously stepping away from Dergerei. "Um, are you okay?" "Speech"

Things were tuned out as the deer collapsed. Dergerei eventually released his strong grip on the deer as he backed up with fur bristling and a huge, menacing snarl on his face before the female's words finally entered his mind. Awaking from his wage of rage, Dergerei lowered his ears to his head, the masculine looking down in sadness. I hate this act, he thought before speaking up. "Sorry, I can get carried away sometimes.," he chucked before licking his maw. Go ahead and dig in. Your kill," he spoke before winking. For some reason, Arayne felt different to him. He usually despised other females and would usually chase them away for fun. Now, his inner self felt a little at peace. It was strange. The cold, brisk wind began to rise as he shivered slightly.


Hopefully she didn't run off or anything. He could use the company, despite his actual cruel self.

Thankfully, whatever had come over him dissipated quickly. And she was too hungry to dwell on it for long. She stepped forward as he let her have the first feed, and opened her jaws, ready to tear into it. And then stopped. Somehow, it didn't seem right that she should eat first before he did. She wasn't exactly a princess anymore, so hierarchy no longer applied. "Well," she said, lifting her head to look at him. "you drew first blood, didn't you? So that makes us even." She shrugged. "I wouldn't have been able to catch up with it if it you hadn't grappled with it first." She smiled. "So I say we can eat at the same time.""Speech"

"Okay, I guess," he chuckled before biting in along with his new friend. The female seemed really cool. It was good to actually be at peace. Maybe he could change? "Good job, too."


As the brute dug into the carcass, his tail wagged every now and then. His sharp ivories easily tore into the soft, warm flesh. This was his first large meal in a very long time. It felt good to have a filled stomach, and he was sure Arayne felt the same. If only another person would join. It'd be amazing to have a group of friends for once.



"That was so good," Dergerei spoke slowly as he sat down a bit aways from the carcass.

Arayne ate with gusto, savoring the fresh blood and tender meat. When she had finally sated her hunger, she flopped down a couple feet away from the remnants and sighed contentedly, rolling onto her back. Her muzzle was darkened with blood, and her belly was now comfortably full. "Ah, I haven't eaten like that since I left home." she said happily, shutting her eyes. The foggy woods hardly seemed so frightening now. Why had she been scared in the first place? She was a predator, not some dumb rabbit. She looked over at her newfound friend, grinning at the upside-down view she got while lying on her back. "You know, these woods really aren't the best place to hunt. What brought you here in the first place?""Speech"