The cryptborn isn't entirely sure how she made it to the Oasis, but she's not looking gift-from-the-gods water in the mouth. Hell, she's not looking anyone in the mouth, at this rate. All she has eyes for? Getting something to drink. Getting some fucking sleep, at least until night fell and she could travel again. Summer was overrated, and she was quite fucking done with it, thanks.

It was all Henbane could do to not throw herself into the small body of water. No. She'd at least pretend to be civilized, lest anyone fucking see her out here. Afternoon sun hanging uncomfortably high around her shoulders, the girl drank her fill. Took a few clumsy backwards steps. Gaze finally shifting upwards to take in the rest of this little slice of heaven, Hen knows better than to assume she could even dream of being alone out here. Wishful thinking, but maybe there'd still be some quiet shade to rest in... hopefully.

"Speech"

*set before her thread with Chimera*

Blood rushed to her ears, heart pounding in her chest, paws burning against the heat of the sand. Nimue was quite literally, running for her life. A symphony of growls resonated from her as she raced across the dunes, heading towards a cluster of palm trees in the distance. Don’t be a mirage, don’t be a mirage! Usually, she wasn’t one to run away from a battle- but when she’s jumped by a pack of wild dingos, she knew better than to face them alone. So, her best option was to try to outrun them, or find a suitable place to hide out. Gliding across the sand, eating away the distance between herself and the oasis. Nimue could hear the dingos yowling behind her, hot on her heels. Finally she reached the small pool of water. Racing along the edge, kicking up mud behind her, nearly running straight into a towering girl who had just finished getting a drink. “Dingos! Dingos!” She yelled, planting her paws in the sand and skidding to a stop, only to whirl around to face the pack. Not bothering to look at the stranger, who'd been roped into a battle of the fittest. Well, at least she didn’t have to fight them alone now. ”Speech”

The relative peace, relative quiet of the afternoon shattered around her. Henabne could hear the shouting before she'd really sorted out what the girl was saying. Tiny, quick think, speeding towards her. On her heels, something red. Her head snapping up, ruby eyes fixing on the creatures. Squinting against the harsh sunlight on the sand, her hackles lifting. Weight shifting forward. It wasn't like she could just... ignore that. No. Picking up a long, confident lope, Hen closed the gap. Dingoes, at least three, maybe more. Lowering her head and rolling her shoulders forward, Henbane supposed it was time for the games to begin. A snarl building from somewhere deep in her throat, the girl lunges to grab the ankle of the closest dingo. Ears pitching back against her skull as a second dingo crashes into her shoulder, already trying to knock her off her feet. The girl is too large, too bulky, too brawny. Not only that, she's in her mother fucking element. Pain sinking into her system as she feels the beasts' teeth. Hell yeah brother. "Speech"

After having whirled around, there was only a few seconds pause before the battle was initiated. The dingos having closed the distance between them, two of them attacking the larger girl, while two more came racing towards her. Snarling and setting her defenses, Nimue waited until they were right in front of her. Lowering down, using her tiny size to her advantage. She ducked and rolled out of the way, which sent one of the dingos straight into the water. With that one distracted, she jumped back up and lunged at the remaining dingo, splayed jaws aiming straight for its manhood. Grabbing life by the balls. Viciously shaking her head, she tore away at the dangling mass of flesh. Spitting her prize onto the ground, weaving in and out of the dingo’s line of fire, waiting for the right moment. And when the time was right, she twisted and leaped up, grabbing it by the throat. Using her paws to leverage against its chest, as it started to thrash with her still attached. Meanwhile, the wet dingo had gotten out of the water- shaking its pelt before racing back towards her. ”Speech”

Three coyotes, a tiny girl, and a whole lotta carnage. Henbane could feel the biting pain of teeth in her side, hot sun on her back, grit of sand between her teeth. Rounding her back and hunching her shoulders, she slammed a dingo into the ground. The creature crumbled with a yelp and a whimper, but there wasn't a moment of reprieve. The original beast she'd grabbed, the one whose ankle she'd relinquished just then, turned and snapped its teeth against Henbane's nose. She's quick to grab this one as well, though it's less elegant than the first time. From the corner of her eyes, she watches the small girl take a rather clear shot at her adversary. Henbane couldn't help but allow a giggle to slip free, gleeful. Alight with it. Having a great time, despite the thrashing and snarling of the dingo now clutched in her jaws. Something about the predator fucking around and finding out. If she could just get a better grip on the thing she could end it, and help the other girl with the last wet rat. "Speech"

The gurgling, wheezy sound of something choking on saliva through breathless pants filled her ears. The dingo she was holding by the throat starting to stumble, knocking straight into its wet adversary who was snapping at her, trying to pull her off. But with her jaws constricting its windpipe, it was becoming lightheaded- vision likely blurring, until it tumbled over into the sand. Blood tricking from the corners of her mouth, the familiar pulsation of an artery tickling her lips. Tightening her grip, digging her fangs deeper. She held on until the dingo became still and lifeless. Having regained its footing for a second time (dumb dingo), the wet dingo was coming at her again. Swopping by and grabbing her by the scruff, plucking her from the ground. Her head twisted, snapping at its chest. Grabbing a chunk of fur and flesh, but it wasn’t enough to make it let her go. ”Speech”

All it would take was finding a little better grip. Getting more traction against the ground, claws digging into the ground ungodly hard, Hen made it happen. With a sickening crack, Henbane snapped the neck of the coyote that hung from her jaws. Really, there was no use in drawing out. No use in making it suffer more than it needed to, especially not with the little brown wolf looking like she was a little worse for wear. Refocusing on the very last dingo, the one holding the companion of the minute by the scruff. Leaping forward, Henbane sinks her jaws into the predator's hip. It's a savage bite, an unhinged snarl crackling through the air. The damage was already dire, but it was about sending a message. Pressing forward with her tusks, sinking in, goring all she can reach. Hen didn't just slaughter the creature, she destroyed it. It's not until her face and chest are coated in gore that she steps back, panting, from the corpse. "You're alright, yeah?" "Speech"

Shaking her head, worsening the wound, trying to disorient the dingo. She thought it was her assault that did the trick- the predator finally dropping her, before slumping to the ground. But alas, it was her battle partner that killed the dingo. Having mutilated it at the waist, penetrating vital organs, and boring out a hole large enough to cause a hemorrhage. Nimue was forced to take a few steps back- amethyst gaze roving across the damage dealt to the dingo, before looking up at the other girl. Whoa. Another giant, which seemed to be the trend in these parts. Was everyone to freakishly huge? Or was she freakishly too small? “Nothing I couldn’t handle- names Nimue.” She said, licking the blood from her lips, puffing out her little chest to look tougher. “How come you’ve got tusks like a pig?” Blatant and straight to the point, Nimue couldn’t help but stare at the girl’s mouth. It was freaky, and kinda cool? But it also made her want to break them off her face and use em as a weapon. ”Speech”

Shining in the sun, dripping gore, grinning-- Henabne is a sight. Maybe too casual about the carnage that surrounded them now, though her own injuries were decidedly nominal. Bleeding from the shoulder and the ear, and her midsection would be bruised tomorrow. The rest of the blood? Dingo blood. Covered in the stuff, and damn proud of it. Though her eyebrows lifted, she didn't argue. Nimue. Pretty. "Henbane," she introduced. Unable to help herself, she gave the girl a long, appreciative look. Delicate looking as she was, Nimue was vicious. Moving to walk back into the water, dipping her head and letting it drag back through her coat, Henbane was half-assing her way through cleaning up. "Generational curse, good for stabbing shit." Ruby eyes glimmering, she relaxed in the water. "What'd you do to get that many dingoes chasing you?" Her turn for a blunt question, though her grin didn't waver. "Speech"

Henbane was the girls name. And she wore a quirky, sinew covered smile as she stared down at Nimue. Shifting her weight, she felt scrutinized beneath her stare- it was obvious the girl was analyzing her, though the expression on her face was appreciative. Weird. Moving towards the water, she mimicked Bane’s desire to rinse some of the gore off. Noting she’d taken a few punches in the battle, but nothing serious- a tear on her shoulder, another on her ear. But it would heal soon enough, she assumed. Generational curse, good for stabbing shit. Now that earned a smirk from Nimue. Deciding to take a good, long drink before answering her question. She finally turned her gaze back to Bane, clearing the water from her whiskers. “Nothing crazy- just wanted some of their kill, was all.” A shrug of her shoulders, a nonchalant expression on her face. Predators were so damn stingy with their food, just like packs and alphas with their land. ”Speech”