Auriga lowered herself down; her belly scratched against the pitchdark floor, and she dragged herself forward with quiet, careful movements. There was no light around her, of course. Just the long-stretching darkness that settled in and drove her to crawl further into its depths. She could hear squeaking. Interminable little squeaking and squealing. Her entire world became nothingness, became darkness that stretched forever. Auriga loved it. She raised her head and wriggled free of the low entrance, stepping into the room, stepping beyond. She couldn't see a damned thing, but she stood, silent, in the darkness. Something ahead of her rustled, and Auriga keened her senses to it, ears swiveling forward. The dark-coated wolf stood quietly until she felt something rustle up against her fur. There! The batter of leathery wings. She jerked her head forward and missed the first snap. Of course she did, there in the dark. But there was plenty of time left... and the little creatures of the dark would investigate her. "Auriga"

Bylgja didn't know what took place behind her. She had pushed further into the dark, earlier in the day, and was not quite sure, now. Maybe she was lost? Hrmnh. The colorful woman squinted. Not like squinting did her any damn good at all. Though Bylgja was an adaptable sort, she did not like the situation where she found herself. The dark went on and on and on, and even her voice didn't quite help her get out of it. But she heard other noises, and turned her head towards them. Ah! There was somebody. "Hail, traveler! Darkness, hah!" Her thoughts were complex compared to her words, but Bylgja lacked the precise vocabulary in common-tongue to let the stranger (who she could now hear really rustling around in the dark) know that she was rather unnerved, actually, and needed to figure her way out. "Air is different back here!" The viking woman took a tentative step towards where she thought the noises were coming from. "Bylgja"

Auriga heard the other woman and promptly stopped snapping at the air. She sniffed, and swiveled her ears forward. The fur along her back rose, bristled, twitched. "Is it?" She called, low, eyes half-open. "It's rather full of bats, here." But Auriga had no intention of actually conversing. Instead, she began to breathe through her nose, sniffing furiously at the air and falling quiet, listening to the echo of the other woman's call. The act of Tracking was something that excited Auriga greatly, and she lowered her head down, because despite the darkness being absolute, her other senses were still sharp. She began to follow where she thought the noise came from. "Ah... where are you, precisely?" Auriga kept her voice sweet, almost. Not necessarily gentle, but certainly not... what it could have been. In the dark, she was grinning ear to ear, flashing her fangs... but they were in the dark, so the other woman couldn't see. "Auriga"

She listened to the other voice and didn't think twice about it. Bylgja twisted to scratch up under her chin, beginning to feel around in the dark for scraps of cloth or other materials she could use for bandaging. She found moss, instead, which wasn't ideal, but moss was better than nothing.

The viking put the moss in a satchel and shook her body, calling out to the other woman: "Dunno! It's dark! Colder!" What a fool the stranger was for even asking.

Bylgja shook her head and continued to feel around for more moss. Moss, at least, was a good starting point.

There, from further in the dark, was a response.

Auriga took a slow, deep breath. She did not like the other woman's tone, that uppity bitch-! She sounded condescending. Sounded like she was talking to Auriga like Auriga was a god damn fool.

That. That would not do.

Auriga began to smell the air, still. She moved, turning until she had the woman's blood-earth scent in her nose and on her tongue. She tasted good, and Auriga thought of breaking the impudent bitch... only to catch the scent of pack upon the trail.

No fun. No fair.

Auriga frowned and lowered her nose, breathing deeply. The scent was raw and fresh and easily followed in the dark; she crept along, not bothering to call out to the woman again as she trailed the scent, tracking the stranger.

She couldn't break her, but...

.. that didn't mean she couldn't have fun.

Other wolves may have worried about the sudden silence, but Bylgja did not. She had gathered some moss in her satchel, and that meant she was on the lookout for more of it. Moss, Bylgja knew, could be used to stop bleeding.

It could make good bedding, too, yes, but Bylgja would rather use it for healing.

She drifted in the dark, not making an effort to hide the click of her claws on the hard floor or the swish of her fur as she moved, or the clatter of her axe. Feeling about with her paw, Bylgja searched for more moss. Scraping it free, she pocketed it. The trip was dark but plentiful.

Ahhh. The blessings of an idiot. While Auriga drifted in the dark, low, with her head down and her ears back, the stranger made plenty of noise.

Her trail was so.

Damn.

Clear.

Metal clanged. The woman had a weapon. Her nails clicked. Auriga found herself grinning furiously, her tail twitching, saliva in her mouth. Hungry. Hungry for blood. For what this woman could give her.

Close. Close close close. The woman stopped moving ahead of her and she snapped her teeth quietly before lunging forward out of the darkness; she didn't know anything about her prey's size, but this was always a good opener-- the raw, teeth-snapping charge that sought whatever she could grasp of her opponent.

Auriga vs Bylgja for Dominance
Round 1/?
Age: Over 1 Year
Size: Large
Build: Heavy
Defensive Battle Accessory: Skull helm w/ leather cloak
Skills: Intermediate Hunter & Beginner Healer

Bylgja did not have time to gather more moss, in the dark. She had no time, because someone was upon her. The surprise attack took Bylgja off-guard and she felt teeth latch into her fur, her flesh; blood welled from the wound, and Bylgja moved to wrench her shoulder from the mouth that had seized it. In the dark, she was not so pleased with having to fight. Not pleased at all. Still, she had her opponent right here, and unless the other motherfucker could move quickly... Bylgja reacted with a snarl and a lunge, trying to sink her teeth into the face of her attacker. She could not tell where the woman's face was, necessarily, but she knew that it had to be somewhere in the area that had seized her shoulder. Bylgja did not speak-- she just struck, finding it a waste of her time to snarl and snap at her attacker. No, no-- this was time for blood. She was furious at the backhanded nature of the attack, and sought to make the stranger pay for it. "Bylgja"

Bylgja vs Auriga for Maim (Facial Scar)
Round 1/2
Age: Over 1 Year
Size: Large
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Metal Rune Axe
Companion 1: Female Tahr, 24"
Skills: Advanced Fighter & Intermediate Healer

Auriga couldn't help but laugh as her body clashed with the woman's. Her mouth filled with fur, with blood, and Auriga felt skin rip under her jaws. She shook her head and sneered with bloody jaws, though in the dark neither of them could see the sneer and mark its impressive nature. Auriga clicked her teeth, licking at the blood there before she felt the jaws of her opponent snatch at her face! With a low, throat-rumbling snarl, she spoke: "Oh, you uppity bitch!" The word tears from her like a roar and Auriga flings herself at the strange wolf, trying to grab her by the scruff or neck or shoulder and force her onto the ground, force her to her back to make her submit, to make this uppity motherfucker show her neck and throat to humiliate her and show her who was in charge. Auriga was fuming; any amusement was gone with the blood that snaked down the side of her face. Later, she would feel... differently, but in the moment... the rage is very real. "Auriga"

Auriga vs Bylgja for Dominance
Round 1/?
Age: Over 1 Year
Size: Large
Build: Heavy
Defensive Battle Accessory: Skull helm w/ leather cloak
Skills: Intermediate Hunter & Beginner Healer

Bylgja pushed forward. The other woman's outraged cry fuelled her; let her be fucking angry! Let her snarl and scream and have a tantrum. Bylgja didn't care; she was going to rip open this woman and make a point, goddamnit. Auriga's body collided with her own. Bylgja knew where her face was more certainly this time; she bared her fangs and sought to bite into the woman's face and rip it open along the cheek-- to leave a scar that rises from the lower jaw up to the edge of the eye if she won their little fight.

Frustration spun in her belly. She had just wanted to find her herbs and gather belongings for the pack; here she was, tussling and snapping with a stranger. Bylgja hadn't wanted that. But she would fight, regardless. She wasn't the sort to give in .

If she won, she'd get to see her opponent again out of the darkness, one day-- and would know her by the pain in her face, the scar on her cheek.

"Bylgja"

Bylgja vs Auriga for Maim (Facial Scar)
Round 2/2
Age: Over 1 Year
Size: Large
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Metal Rune Axe
Companion 1: Female Tahr, 24"
Skills: Advanced Fighter & Intermediate Healer

And the winner is...

Bylgja

Auriga must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Bylgja's maim is successful. Totals: Auriga : Attack Roll: 48 Defense Roll: 20 Agility Roll: 44 Perception Roll: 73 Total: 185 Attack[48] + 10% Bonus[4.80]: 52.80 Defense[20] + 20% Bonus[4.00]: 24.00 Agility[44] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 44.00 Perception[73] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 73.00 Total[193.80] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 193.80 Bylgja: Attack Roll: 62 Defense Roll: 81 Agility Roll: 100 Perception Roll: 59 Total: 302 Attack[62] + 25% Bonus[15.50]: 77.50 Defense[81] + 15% Bonus[12.15]: 93.15 Agility[100] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 100.00 Perception[59] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 59.00 Total[329.65] + 15% Bonus[49.45]: 379.10

Auriga snaps her teeth angrily, but her attempt turns back on her with a shock of pain down the right side of her face.

The Saxe woman lets out a low dangerous snarl -- she has half a mind to attack once more -- but the strange woman has made her bleed. Shaking in fury, Auriga backs away-- next time they fight, Auriga won't be alone.

She swears it.

Wheeling around, Auriga lurches from the area, blood spattering down her face. Fucking hell, that hurts!

Bylgja feels her opponent give -- she feels the rend of teeth through skin and fur, the metal burst of blood in her mouth. Bylgja shivers at the taste of it and licks across her teeth, spitting down between her paws. She hadn't intended a fight.

But she didn't mind it.

Having won, Bylgja snickers and returns to her task. In the dark, she feels about in the dark for more moss, scraping it off of stone and gathering it close. The moss will be good for what she wants to do. Others will laugh at the story, too. She knows that.

She grins at the thought of Strai's face when she tells him.