It's verbatim and it's shakin'

R̶ E̶ D̶ R̶ U̶ M̶

In the dappled light of the willow grove, the young brute moved with purpose, his senses keen and alert. His vermillion fur did not quite blend seamlessly with the earthy hues of the surrounding foliage, but he kept to the shadows in an effort to not be such a contrasting figure amongst the willows as he stalked silently through the underbrush. The tepid waters of the nearby hot springs whispered softly, their gentle currents mingling with the rustle of leaves overhead. He hadn’t been here before, but it reminded him of the willows that Insomnia had claimed last season.

Redrum was following a trail, a musky scent that had led him to a grouping of tracks – cloven hooves with their telltale two ‘toes’ that formed an upside-down heart-shaped print on the soft mushy ground. A deer. As the boy investigated the trail, his eyes flicked up as he heard a deep grunting noise. A buck. But where?

murder

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Marrow

Marrow was on the hunt for something to eat, she almost always was. These woods seemed like a good place to find prey and if she was lucky she could find something that was already sick or wounded. Her nostrils flared and she took in the scents of the ground, deciphering them for valuable information. It was then she noticed a familiar scent. That yearling she'd hunted a deer with. Maybe they could team up again? She followed his scent but before she could say anything she heard a low growl. It made the fur on the back of her neck stand up. "Fuck, its right behind me isn't it?" The roar only confirmed it. Marrow leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the claws of a giant grizzly bear.

It's verbatim and it's shakin'

R̶ E̶ D̶ R̶ U̶ M̶

His keen eyes scanned the underbrush as he stalked his prey, the deer buck, its lithe form moving with fluid grace as he thought about what angle to stalk it from. But fate had other plans in store for him on this hunt. As Redrum crouched low, ready to spring forward and strike, a familiar scent tickled his senses. It was Marrow, a fellow hunter with whom he had crossed paths before. Memories of their successful deer hunt flashed through his mind, and for a moment his lips twitched into a smile.

Before Redrum could even set sights on her though, a low growl shattered the tranquil forest sounds, sending a shiver down his spine. Marrow's alarmed voice cut through the tension, confirming the presence of danger lurking just behind her. Without hesitation, Redrum whipped around to see a massive grizzly bear looming over Marrow, its horrifying presence casting a dark shadow over the forest floor, and the girl herself.

Instinct kicked in, adrenaline coursing through Redrum's veins as he bounded forward, his red fur bristling with determination. With a defiant snarl, he launched himself at the towering beast, teeth bared and claws unsheathed, ready to defend his hunter friend. The grizzly bear reared up on its hind legs, roaring in fury as it swiped at Redrum with colossal paws. Dodging the brute force of the bear's attacks, Redrum circled around, looking for an opening to strike.

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Marrow

Marrow scrambled to her feet, kicking up dirt as she moved. She saw Redrum charging for the bear and there was no way she could let him face this threat alone. While the bear's focus was on the young man, Marrow snuck around behind the bear and with a flying leap launched herself onto its back. Her cat-like claws sunk into its shoulders as her fangs grabbed at the nearest ear. The bear roared, arms sweeping up to try and grab her. She shrunk down in between its shoulder blades, trying to stay out of reach but alas she was too big. A mighty paw grabbed her and forcefully threw her to the ground. Marrow yelped as she hit the dirt, her head spinning.

It's verbatim and it's shakin'

R̶ E̶ D̶ R̶ U̶ M̶

As the chaos unfolded, Redrum's heart pounded in his chest with a frenzy. With each move calculated, he danced around the towering grizzly, his crimson fur a blur of motion as he sought to divert its attention away from his vulnerable friend. He did succeed in gaining its attention for a moment, and in the moment afterwards Marrow was springing into action, her pale figure flanking the bear before she launched herself up onto its back, avoiding swipes as the bear struggled to detach her. Meanwhile, Redrum continued to harry the bear, his movements ferocious as he nipped and dodged, bit and pulled, always staying one step ahead of the lumbering beast. His loyalty to his maybe friend was unwavering, his every action driven by a fierce desire to ensure her safety.

The bear, caught off guard by the sudden assault from both, bellowed in rage, its massive form thrashing wildly as it sought to dislodge its unwanted passenger first and foremost. The vermillion boy watched in horror as its paws met Marrow’s body and it threw her off – the sound of impact meeting his long ears as he lurched forward to check on her. However, with a thunderous roar, the bear swiped at Redrum in that instant, angry to be disregarded so easily. With a force that could shatter bone, its massive claws slicing through the air with deadly intent. Redrum managed to dodge most of the swipe, but it caught him on the right shoulder with a searing pain. “Run! RUN!” The boy reached her, trying to urge her to run with a push of his snout.

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Marrow

Marrow stumbled up, swaying as she tried to stop her vision from swimming long enough to act. The boy was there, pushing at her and prodding her to run. He didn't need to tell her twice, to heck with this! Marrow turned but before she could run the bear was on them. She turned and swiped at the bear's face with her claws out, managing to strike it's nose, shredding right through the septum and out the right nostril. The bear roared and stumbled back, wiping at its nose with its paws.

Marrow turned and ran. Only risking a glance to make sure Redrum was following along. If he wasn't she had no problem going back and giving that bear a few more piercings.

It's verbatim and it's shakin'

R̶ E̶ D̶ R̶ U̶ M̶

Redrum gritted his teeth against the searing pain in his shoulder as he watched Marrow spring into action. Despite the throbbing ache spreading through his body, he watched her turn to face the charging bear, her claws unsheathed and ready for attack. With a swift swipe, she aimed for the bear's vulnerable nose, her claws tearing through flesh with a satisfying rip. The sight of the horrid cut made the vermillion boy grin, but only until another wince controrted his features. The bear recoiled in agony, its roar echoing through the forest as it staggered backward, blood streaming from its wounded snout.

Redrum's heart pounded in his chest as he watched Marrow seize the opportunity to flee. He knew he had to keep up, despite the searing pain radiating from his injured shoulder. With a determined growl, he pushed himself to run, his muscles protesting with each movement. It was hard. But it had to be done.

Through sheer willpower, Redrum managed to keep pace with Marrow as they dashed through the dense underbrush, the willow canopy casting those blindingly dappled shadows over their path. His breath came in ragged gasps, but he refused to let the pain slow him down. Their safety was his priority, and he would do whatever it took to ensure they both made it out of this ordeal unscathed.

As they finally broke through the treeline, Redrum spared a fleeting glance over his shoulder, relieved to see the bear's massive form disappearing in a different direction within the shadows of the forest behind them. Its nose must have been ruined at the moment, too full of blood to recognize their scent and track them down again. With a grateful sigh, he stumbled to a halt, his chest heaving with exertion. “Okay?” He questioned, eyes still wild from the fight as he checked her over for injury. He was but a mere nine months old, and this had been his closest call since the cougar.

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Marrow

Marrow's heart beat rapidly, the blood pounding in her ears to the point that it was all she could hear. She weaved her way through the woods, only slowing when she was fairly certain the bear was no longer following after them. Panting, she came to a stop, her tongue lolling out of her mouth as she tried to catch her breath. How many predator encounters had she had now? Far too many. Marrow was beginning to understand why the wolves of these lands had such a fierce reputation. The had to be fierce to stand against the equally aggressive predators of these lands.

"Okay?"

She turned to Redrum and nodded. "Yea, okay enough. How about you? Your shoulder looks rough." Unfortunately Marrow had no healing knowledge. Her only guess was to just throw some plants in it and hope for the best. Before she could say more her stomach growled, a gurgling awful sound. "Don't suppose you're still up for a hunt? We could always try fishing in the creek that runs through here."

It's verbatim and it's shakin'

R̶ E̶ D̶ R̶ U̶ M̶

At the girl’s mention of his injury Redrum's gaze flickered to the offending wound, his shoulder bearing the brunt of the bear's savage assault, a testament to their narrow escape. But, even amidst the pain, he was just pleased they had made it out alive and with only his (hopefully) superficial gash. "Red will. Be fine." The boy assured her, his voice steady. "A. scratch." He would have shrugged, if it were not for the stinging. In truth this was not his worst injury to date, so it was kind of on the backburner of his focus. Especially as the girl’s stomach quite nearly growled at him, and she suggested a renewed hunt.

Redrum's lips curled into a weary yet determined smile, the resilience of the boy on full display. Besides, couldn’t go home empty handed, what would mother think? "A hunt, then," Redrum nodded in agreement, his skull whipping around to set his sights on the creek she mentioned. “Know how. To fish?” His question was disjointed as usual, a subtle twitch in his legs now that they were not in the thick of a high speed chase.

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Marrow

Marrow paid little mind to the boy's starts and stops in his speech, assuming he was just winded from the run. She needed a moment to catch her breath as well. At least fishing didn't require a lot of exertion. Redrum agreed to the hunt then asked if she knew how to fish. "Umm…. no, not really, but I saw a coyote catch one once." She was sure there were more practical ways with bait and Ghoul had mentioned using a basket trap but considering she didn't know how to do either approach her way would have to do.

Marrow padded over to the stream and started to wade in up to her knees. As she did the fish scattered but she was fine with that. "I think you just stand here and wait and when one gets close try to catch it. I'm open to ideas though." She twitched her tail, debating if she could use it as a large furry lure.

It's verbatim and it's shakin'

R̶ E̶ D̶ R̶ U̶ M̶

The older girl confessed that she did not have hands-on experience in fishing,but had seen a coyote do it before. Redrum nodded, a twitchy smirk tugging at the corners of his muzzle as he considered their unconventional approach to securing their meal. "Worth. A try." He replied, his tone filled with optimism and a touch of mischief towards their makeshift fishing expedition.

As Marrow settled into her improvised stance within the stream, Redrum scanned the surroundings, his golden eyes scanning the surface of the water for any signs of movement. There was a river that cut through his mother’s territory, but with the abundance of other prey in the area he hadn’t even seen another predator go near it other than to drink. Maybe logic was all there was to it? A sitting and waiting game, with a quick bite to end it? Marrow suggested as much, her tail flicking in contemplation as she pondered alternative strategies.

Redrum chuckled softly, his crimson form edging into the water as she had before he settled into a comfortable position a little ways away from the girl so he would not disturb her own hunt. “Maybe. A smack. Onto land.” Then his gaze fixed intently on the dancing currents before him, brows furrowing as he waited. He was a flash of silver, a wiggle of a fish swimming between his legs. But it was too soon, it had to swim just ahead of his snout first…

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Marrow

Her ears twitched at the sound of a splash farther upstream. Maybe she could position herself against the current in such a way that it would help bring the fish to her. She glanced over at Redrum as he joined her and suggested smacking the fish onto dry land. "Hey! That's a good idea. Let's try it." She shifted her weight to three of her legs, lifting her front right leg just slightly, claws unsheathed as she waited. If she could attract one near to her paw maybe she could scoop it then pounce. Marrow watched quietly as a few fish swam closer, she resisted the urge to giggle as she felt a few nibbling on her tail. No, not the tail! She needed them near her paw. Hopefully her crusty paw pads would attract them. At least this was one way to cool off after running for their lives through the summer heat.

It's verbatim and it's shakin'

R̶ E̶ D̶ R̶ U̶ M̶

Redrum mimicked her raised paw, breath bated as he waited balancing on three legs. It did not actually take long for a fish to foolishly swim ahead of him, the current keeping it suspended in motion as it leisurely swam in place.

But, as he swung his paw towards the water in a clumsy attempt to carry out his own suggestion, his movements lacked the grace and precision he had hoped for. With a resounding splash, his paw met the surface of the stream with a less-than-elegant thud, sending ripples cascading outward in all directions. Opps.

For a moment, Redrum feared he had missed his mark entirely, his heart sinking with disappointment at his perceived failure. But then, to his astonishment, the fish was propelled from the water by the force of his clumsy blow, landing with a wet slap onto the dry land nearby.

A grin of sheer disbelief spread across Redrum's muzzle as he stared in awe at the fish now flopping helplessly at his feet. Though his attempt had been far from graceful, he had somehow managed to achieve their goal through sheer determination and a healthy dose of luck.

Turning to the older girl with a sheepish grin, Redrum let loose a boyish snicker at the absurdity of the situation. "Not- pretty. But. job- done." He remarked with a playful twinkle in his eye.

murder

Code by TR

Marrow

Marrow continued to wait, enjoying the feel of the warm sun on her back while the cool water ran around her legs. Her stomach gurgled. Each minute that passed by made the waiting harder and when one of the fish finally swam close to her raided paw she went for it, flipping her paw up to the surface and flinging the fish onto land… but only a foot from the water. Oh shit! With a might flop the fish started to hurl itself back to the water. Marrow scrambled through the water, her head diving down as she caught the fish just in time before it made it to safety. Phew! That was a close call.

Marrow bounded back onto dry land with her catch, trotting over to RedRum. She pinned her fish with her claws and licked the blood of her teeth as she grinned at the boy. "Nice work! Any successful meal is a win in my book."