He had talked it over with Andy and they had a plan. Charlie woke that morning and immediately slipped into the harness-like brace left to him by his mother. Once it was on him, however, the boy paused, frowning down at it. It had her mark… her sigil, she called it, right? He frowned as he looked down at it, ears lowering some. He missed Zee. He was certain that they all did. She was a good woman… and being without her was no doubt hardest on his father. Speaking with his sister, they commented on how much Sirius seemed to do for everyone. He was even helping Charlie build himself a weapon to use with modifications in mind so that he could add to its power and effectiveness when he was old and strong enough to do so. The feeling of wanting to do something special for him was the same… and so they laid out their plan.

After gathering his companions, Silveris and Yorrick, the yearling set off to where he’d meet his sister. It was a territory outside the Armada known as the Devil’s Spout. A dangerous location in winter, with the geyser going off, but now that it was spring it appeared to slumber. Considering the beast the yearlings planned to tackle they didn’t need anything else to add additional difficulty to their task. He arrived at the territory and had Silveris go ahead to scout for their quarry. With any luck the beast would have slipped off the icy island onto the mainland in search of prey. Only… it would be the one getting hunted. Charlie sat, curling his tail around his toes as he glanced over his shoulder back towards the Armada’s territory.

Hopefully Andy would be along soon.

"Speech," 'Thought.'

The siblings had a plan and Andy is excited to see it through. They both wake up early and Charlie is quick to gear up and leave. The purple girl takes a little more time, putting on her armor and kudu horn thorn wraps before rounding up Aquila and Leo. It may seem strange, to any who see the two siblings slip out of the Armada, with the yearlings leaving in their armor. However, the task they have set for themselves is deadly and they do not wish to take any chances.

Silently, swiftly Andy and Leo trek across the expanse that stands between her and Charlie. They arrive quickly and Andy moves to where her brother sits, approaching him with a huge grin on her lips. Excitedly, she asks, “Are you ready?” Eyes sparkle with joy at the prospect of completing something special for someone they love dearly. Leo, the pudgy snow leopard cub, bounds up to Charlie and rubs himself all over her brother’s legs. A chuckle fills the air as she looks at Bast’s grandson, shaking her head at his antics but enjoying them anyway.


"Andromeda Fatalis"

In the end he wasn’t left waiting long. Not that Charlie ever expected Andy would keep him waiting. His sister was reliable, strong… and an inspiration. He meets her gaze with his own and offers a reassuring smile to her. If it wasn’t for her he would have never had the confidence to take on such a dangerous endeavor on his own… but he had found that he enjoyed trying to work with things. Working with his father on his weapon was a far more enjoyable task than he was expecting, and the moments to bond with him meant the world to the yearling. That was what made today just as special and important. They could do this, they would do this. Andy’s question is met with a firm nod.

“Together we can’t fail. With all of us here, we’ll be ready to face whatever comes.” He grinned as he spoke, gaze sliding to the pudgy cub rubbing against his legs. “Hey Leo,” He greets the cub. He can hear Silveris’ call pierce the air and hears Yorrick shift next to him. “She has found it.” The fisher rumbled, moving to start in that direction. “Do you kids have an attack plan? I can try to help get it on this part of the land if its on the island or in the water but… it will be hell to bring down.” Yorrick’s warning wasn’t wrong. They were targeting the most fearsome predator the north could offer outside their own kind, after all.

“Well… we’re probably better off wearing it down, looking for an opening to do a severe attack when we can. We don’t want to take extra risks…” Charlie glanced at Andy and his gaze softened. “Pretty sure none of our family need to worry about what happens if we mess up. So we won’t.” He gave a small nod, as if making it so.

“You’ve had more experience fighting Andy… do you have any other tips or tricks we should use to bring this thing down…?”

"Speech," 'Thought.'

Andy greets Charlie, a warm smile on her lips as she inquires if he is ready. He had come up with an idea and the girl is more than happy to help him execute some of the finer details. At his words, she offers him a wider smile and dips her head in agreement. Leo rubs against Charlie and the purple girl chuckles, shaking her head at the pudgy cub’s antics. At the recognition, the cub looks up at the taller wolf and mews a greeting of his own.

A call pierces the air and Yorrick, her brother’s fisher companion informs them that their target has been spotted. Together, they begin to move in the direction of the call while the bird asks about their plan of attack. Andy has some experience facing bears and she slowly begins to piece together a plan while listening to her brother’s assessment. Nodding at his words about not taking extra risks, she looks up to him with fierce determination blazing in her pale blue eyes.

Then, Charlie defers to her and the girl blinks in surprise before dipping her head in acknowledgement. Leo waddles along behind the pair and Andy slowly begins to explain, “They are fast and will try to either swat you or crush you. When we are close enough, I will signal for Aquila. She usually harasses their face to try and injure eyes and take some attention away from us.” Looking to the fisher, she adds, “Follow Aquila’s cues. She has learned what to look for to avoid getting injured.”

Turning her gaze back to her brother, Andy offers him a confident grin as she continues, “Leo will leap on the creature’s back and attack from there. We should split our attacks and one go for the face while the other tries to take out a leg. I think you should you go for legs since your teeth can do more damage. Aim for the joints and twist your head to help shred tendons and such.” There is so much that he should know but, in the end, it boils down to trusting your partner and reading their cues.


"Andromeda Fatalis"

Andy was quick to offer what advice she could. Their quarry would be fast, attempting to swat the two young wolves away with a hefty blow or attempt to crush them. She also appeared to have a game plan that, once they were close enough, she would signal for her companion Aquila to harass their prey. Going for the eyes would be a good strategy. If Silveris had been bigger he might have thought to use the bird in a similar manner. Damaging the beast’s eyes could make taking it down a bit easier. He listened intently, giving nods to show that he was listening and understood his sister’s instructions. He was determined that they would succeed, and if Andy’s companion had more knowledge about this then he would follow the instructions she could give.

At Andy’s grin the boy found himself smiling. “You have worked with Aquila more than I have. I think you should help her with the face and I’ll work on the legs on one side alongside Yorrick.” She gave advice to aim for the beast’s joints, so he could try to sever tendons. It made sense. It would be a messy and hard fight, but Charlie was certain that they could do it because they’d be doing it together. He was sure if they each focused more one side of the beast with their respective targets they could bring it down. He could feel his heart pounding with excitement in his chest. He looked up, seeing Silveris beating her wings as she remained near the beast they were after.

The polar bear had just heaved itself up onto the side of the land they were on. Charlie glanced at Andy. He would follow the lead of his sister and her companions, and together, they would be successful!


"Speech," 'Thought.'

The girl is confident in her ability to fight large predators and she offers her tan brother what information she can. Andy isn’t worried about what is coming, knowing it is just wasted energy to do so. The pair will take on the polar bear and what happens, happens. It is the way the world works and, in the moments before a battle of life and death, the girl always seems to find sudden peace. She grins at Charlie and her brother easily returns it saying that she and Aquila should take the face. Excitement floods her system at the prospect of facing the creature head on and she dips her head in agreement.

At that moment, the polar bear appears, heaving its heavy frame up on the land. Pale blue eyes look toward Charlie and she quickly says, “Okay, this is it. Stay low and use cover. Circle its side and wait until I have its full attention. I am going to draw it forward, you cut of its retreat so it cannot escape back into the water. Be safe and, if you feel that you are in danger, back off and reset. We will bring it down. It is okay if it takes some time to it. Don’t put yourself into unneeded dangerous situations.” Eyes are sharp and serious as she turns back to stare down the fight ahead. With a dip of her horned head, the girl signals her brother to begin his circle.

Taking a deep breath, Andy slowly lets it out as she counts off the bear’s steps. It spies her and shows no intention of wander off, choosing to plod straight for her. Her black horns are wrapped with the thorn studded leather her mother had showed her how to make and her black armor is buckled firmly in place. The girl came to fight and she is ready. As it takes it tenth step forward, the purple girl’s lips curl back, her ears flatting against her skull as she growls threating at the approaching, soggy bear. It does not deter the beast and the girl had expected this, she is simple buying her brother more time to move and get into position.

Pale gaze flicks over to where Charlie is, offering a single, short dip of her head as the only warning that she is beginning. Andy kicks off, rushing full-tilt at the bear. It stops, planting its feet and roars its anger at her. Barreling down on it, the girl suddenly releases a sharp whistle as she enters the polar bear’s space and Aquila, her Eastern chanting goshawk companion, appears. The bird screams, drawing the beast’s attention up as Andy deftly strikes out at the suddenly exposed throat. She curls her own neck, sending her horns forward jutting forward and she stands, thrusting the deadly weapons into the fat and muscle on the underside of its throat.

At the same time, Aquila begins to harass the bear’s face, talons opening wounds as the creature roars in outrage. It blindly strikes out, attempting to swat at the horned girl but she is already gone, having carefully removed herself from the polar bear’s vicinity. Eyes flick toward where Charlie is, checking on his wellbeing as she resets for her next attack.


"Andromeda Fatalis"

Seeing the form of the bear on their side, the realization of what he and Andy are about to try and do settles over him. The fur on the yearling’s body bristles and the danger of the situation comes to the front of his mind. He needed to focus and do his part so Andy and their companions weren’t hurt because of him. This was not some spar, this was the real deal! He would listen to his sister’s instructions, giving a small nod as his focus deviates from the bear long enough to listen to what she has to say. He was to cut off the escape route but be mindful of the bear’s attacks too, backing off when needed. “I’ll be as careful as I can… you do the same.” A request of his sister, not wanting her to get in a bad spot either. She was taking the more dangerous location, the risk to her greater… Charlie would not forgive himself if he allowed his littermate to get hurt.

The break to different positions. Charlie lowers his body down, moving with quick yet silent steps. One of his father’s first lessons comes into play here, stalking around their intended, yet dangerous prey. There is little foliage here, in part thanks to the dangerous temperatures of the geyser, but with the bear focused on his sister it pays him no mind. He can feel his heart hammering in his chest, trusting Silveris to guide him from the skies as Yorrick falls into step beside him. They move and breathe as one in the same. Ears fall against his head and he can feel the strength of his mother in the armor and cuffs he wears. The jay feathers around his right ear flick in the wind beside his head, yet his gaze does not deviate from their target. The bear had spotted Andy and was heading for her. Charlie quickens his steps, but does not sacrifice his stealth. He can not afford to alert it before he is in the proper position to cut off its retreat. He has to trust his sister and her companions to start the fight and give them their opening.

The bear and his purple sister charge, and above the beast Silveris wings up into the sky, her series of trills informing Charlie of the movements going on. Bird speech is something fast, garbled, but the sounds she makes are ones they have come up with for signals, and Charlie abandons his stealth to close the last of the distance. Silver keeps above the bear, her calls constant, hoping to aid not just Charlie but serve as an additional distraction for the other predator as Andy and her hawk keep the front of the beast busy. The seconds feel like they take an eternity to get in position, but he is there, behind the beast. Yorrick follows his lead, deviating from the rear right leg, where Charlie is heading, to the left leg right above the paw.

His jaws open, the intent being a quick, tearing bite before he danced back on the off chance the bear managed to spin around. His bite aims higher up, for tendons and joints connected to the upper and lower part of the leg, allowing for movement. If he can cripple the beast he reduces the threat, right? He lunges forward, clamping down as he lands. The beast roars again and snaps its jaws toward Andy’s companion as it spins, swiping with a forelimb at the bigger source of pain; Charlie.

The yearling expects this reaction. He keeps his jaws around the limb and kicks back against the earth to hop back, tearing through flesh before he lets go and the bear’s limb swipes where his face was a moment before. But the damage is done. It moves that leg and stumbles on it. Yorrick moves as its rear slumps towards the earth and Charlie hops further back, defenses up as he snarls at the beast. He knows he is just out of range of the bear, but he does not back down. Silver wings down, flying past the bear’s fast to distract it from her companion. It follows her with its eyes, snapping again, but the small shrike is fast, calling out to Andy and her companions to make their next move.

"Speech," 'Thought.'

Andy instructs Charlie to be safe and her brother agrees, adding for her to do the same. A warm smile appears as she nods her agreement before breaking away to start her approach. The polar bear does as she expects, turning its attention fully to her and completely missing the stealthily form of her brother. Horns deliver a powerful hit to the bear’s exposed throat and she manages to dance away before it has time to recover. Both Aquila and Silveris work wonders at distracting the enraged beast and she escapes unharmed.

Darting backward to a spot where she can replant her paws, Charlie appears and delivers a strong bite to the creature’s back left leg. It snaps at Aquila who buffets it with air as she swiftly gains altitude before rounding on her brother but the damage is already done and the leg is crippled. Charlie is safe and Silveris calls out to Andy just as the girl launches her next attack. Pushing off, she races forward, again whistling sharply but in two, sharp blasts and her snow leopards seemingly materialize out of thin air.

Leo jumps on the polar bear’s back, sharp claws helping as leopard begins to scale the creature. The bear roars, swinging around wildly in an attempt to bite Leo as he climbs but Gemini appears. She draws its attention away by leaping up at the exposed gore wounds on its throat and she opens the wounds further, spilling hot blood to steam on the cold ground. The beast roars, angry, hurting, and now slightly afraid ,as it swings around to strike at the snow leopard as she darts past his side. But Andy is there, snarling loudly as she leaps up toward the already open wound.

More fat and flesh give way as she latches on and allows gravity to do most of the work. Back paws hit the ground and she releases her hold as the bear stumbles, its leg unable to hold its weight and its neck now bleeding profusely. Andy backs away as Leo, having reached the spot between the bear’s shoulder blades, bites into the creature’s scruff and shakes his head, distracting it further and leaving Charlie a wide opening.


"Andromeda Fatalis"

As dangerous as fighting the polar bear could have been, the siblings and their companions work in harmony to weaken it. The bear has rounded toward him and Charlie catches sight of the damage Andy’s horns have already done to its throat. Blood sweeps down the front of its neck and down its chest and its leg is crippled. Getting in the water would be difficult for it now, and trying to leave by land would be even harder for it with the two yearlings and their companions lashing at it. Aquila was doing a fantastic job keeping the bear distracted with buffs of air, and Silveris continued to make noise between her calls, using her small size to dart above the bear’s ears and serve as an additional distraction.

The attacks continue, his sister and her snow leopards lunging at the bear’s unprotected back. The bear roars, spinning around wildly, swaying as it attempts to bite the cat as he climbs. The other cat leaps for the exposed wounds on his neck and, with its back to him again, Charlie marks for the good rear leg. He sinks his fangs in, feels the beast crumple forward. He can feel the front part of the bear working, swinging at the leopard, toward his sister. Charlie bites harder, feeling the bone beneath the flesh protest. Blood flows into his mouth and a snarl bubbles up from the tawny yearling. The bear crumbles forward, both rear legs now crippled, blood loss taking effect. It is breathing hard, labored breathing. It is almost over as the yearling releases it and circles around the front with his sister.

The scent of fear from the dying creature begins to mingle with the metallic scent of blood. Charlton’s breathing comes out in pants as his gaze flicks from Leo, holding the beast’s scruff, to Andy, and then back to the bear. It is dying… and the fight in it had gone from fierce fighting to realizing the end was near. It’s breathing was off, gurgling. It was choking on its blood, hardly able to breathe now. “It’s fading.” His words were soft. “It’s safer to stay away from its front now. It may be at death’s door, but I don’t trust it not to make a last throw at one of us if we get near it now.” It’d be kinder to put it down, but he didn’t want to risk injury… unless… his gaze flicked to Leo.

“Leo, are you able to get to the spinal cord in the neck?” He didn’t know how thick the thing’s neck would be but he was in the safest position to finish it off and end its misery.

"Speech," 'Thought.'

They fight with precision and weaken the bear together. Charlie cripples the other back leg and it sags forward, breathing heavily as blood loss begins to take hold. The wound continues to pour the life-giving liquid and the end draws near for the creature. There is no pity in the lavender girl’s heart for the beast since the siblings had set out to take it down for the special gift they are making for their father. However, while she does not have pity for the creature’s death, she knows that there is no need for the bear to suffer needlessly.

Charlie asks if Leo can reach it spinal cord and the cat mewls softly in reply before repositioning himself. Andy draws closer to her brother, offering a smile as the bear grunts and its legs give out, no longer able to support its weight. The girl steps forward, pining one of its large front paws to the earth and signaling to Charlie to get the other. Leo swiftly bites the spot where the neck joins the body, applying pressure until the crunching of bones can be heard. A soft grunt is the final word of the polar bear and with that, it enters the afterlife.

Releasing her hold, Andy steps back and wags her tail, looking at Charlie as she says, “Okay. Do you have the leather cord for the necklace? I can start removing the knuckles if you want to start putting the necklace together.” They had come here with a plan and, now that the beast is dead, they can carry through with it.


"Andromeda Fatalis"

Charlie does not mourn the other predator’s life, but like his sister he does not want the bear to suffer either. Dangerous as it was, his gentle heart wants to see it end, and not just let the poor thing choke to death on its blood. Leo would mewl in response, letting them know it could be done. The bear grows weaker, now completely on the earth as its energy wanes. He gives a small nod to Andy before moving onto the other paw with the whole of his weight. A couple additional moments pass and the bear is gone, its last grunt passed its lips before it completely goes limp.

Charlie stepped back and let his gaze sweep over it. Their plan was coming to fruition, and after the necklace was made additional parts of the bear could be harvested over time for the Armada. The hide could make for additional furs for bedding or even scraps for cleaning. Its meat, while gamey, could be a source of fat rich food for their packmates. His blue gaze flicks back to his sister as she asks if he had the leather cord. “Go right ahead. I’ll get the cord and knife ready. Yorrick, you still have them, right?”” Charlie called to his companion, the fisher approaching.

He had the sheath of a knife resting across his side bound in the cord. Charlie would draw the knife from the sheath, intending to use the thin bladed object to pierce through each knuckle and thread the cord through them to make a necklace. Tying it would require some finagaling between the wolves and Silveris, who was small enough to grab the cord and pull it where they needed. The necklace was an important one. A gift that they wanted to make together. “Do you think he’ll like it?” Charlie asked his sister. The gift was important to them, but would it be as valued by the one it was for?

"Speech," 'Thought.'

Charlie agrees to her plan and moves to begin prepping his items. Andy gives a nod and steps off the paw she had been holding in order to access the bear’s claws. Carefully, she removes two claws, right above the knuckles and passes one over to Charlie. The items need to be cleaned and she sets about chewing off the meat and licking away the blood that was left behind. At her brother’s words, the girl lifts her pale gaze and removes the now clean knuckle from her mouth.

Swiping her tongue over her lips to remove the blood, she softly offers, “Of course he will, Charlie. Because we made it… together.” The smile she offers is genuine and kind, knowing, in her heart, that their father will adore the necklace if, for no other reason, because they had made it. Andy passes the cleaned knuckled to her brother before shifting to remove more knuckles. Pausing she asks, “One paw or all of them?” Lifting her gaze to her brother, she lifts a brow, curious what he thinks will look the best for the necklace.


"Andromeda Fatalis"

His sister is thorough, removing the claws right above the knuckles before passing them to him. It is then that he kneels down, knife in maw, letting his companion guide the point of the blade to where it needs to be. At this angle he will not be able to both hold the knife and see what he is doing, but he trusts Yorrick. He wittles a hole in the claw, ears flicking towards his sister as Andy answers with confidence. That was true. The siblings were making the necklace together, and had brought down a dangerous foe together. To remove the claws without damaging them from the knuckles was a tricky task in and of itself, and making sure he didn’t shatter them while attempting to make a hole big enough for the cord required delicacy. But it would be perfect, because of how much this meant to them. A gift for the wolf who meant the most to them.

Once the first two holes were made he pauses, gaze flicking towards his sister as she asks how many claws they should prepare. He thinks for a moment, and sets the knife down. “All of them. I’m going to use half on his necklace, but… something is telling me we might need the other set later. Call it a hunch?” He offers Andy a smile. “We’ll prepare the necklace, and hold onto it until a good time to give it to him arises. Here, I’ll work on the paws on the other side. It’ll go faster if we’re both gnawing them off. Silveris! Assist Yorrick with making the holes please~” The boy padded to one of the bear’s back legs, leaning down and getting to work.

"Speech," 'Thought.'

Andy works diligently to cleanly sever the polar bear’s knuckles from its body. It is slow going but, when she finally manages to get one paw done, she looks to her brother and questions if he wishes to take them all. Charlie has been slowly boring holes into the claws and he pauses in his work to look over at her. Setting aside his knife, he speaks and she flicks her gaze back to the dead beast, absently nodding as she moves to the next paw to begin her work.

Charlie moves to the other side and instructs his companions to continue making the holes in the claws and she pauses to look at her brother. Tilting her head slightly, she muses out loud, “I hate for any of this to go to waste. We can use the fur for scraps and feed its meat to the companions in the pack. I think is bones can be made into tools too.” Bringing down such a formidable beast and only taking its claws seems like a waste and Andy does not wish to dishonor this life with such thoughtless discarding.

With her thoughts voiced, Andy returns to the paw, carefully working to remove the knuckles and set them aside for Yorrick and Silveris to work on.


"Andromeda Fatalis"

Using sharp sabers, Charlie began to break the knuckles away from the bear’s body. He was mindful of the claws… they wouldn’t be much use in jewelry making if he damaged them. He rolled the first knuckle around in his mouth, removing the flesh with skillful scrapes against his fangs as he maneuvered it with his tongue. He wasn’t fond of the gamey flavor of the polar bear… or maybe it was because he was tasting the flesh of another predator that it was so unappealing.

His ears twitch as he hears Andy’s musings and a grin comes to Charlie’s maw. He sets the cleaned knuckle on the ground and calls from the other side of the bear. “That sounds like a fantastic idea, sis! We can carry back as much as we can now, and maybe get some help bringing the rest back!” He brought the knuckles back over to his companions, gnawing another of them as he did so. Yorrick had already managed to get holes bored into a couple other of the claws. At this rate they would have their gifts ready in no time!

"Speech," 'Thought.'