The massive black wolf, his sleek fur marred entirely by a plethora of imperfections upon his skin, sauntered through the terrain like a blade. He cut through everything in his path as he prowled with that eerie grace of his, eyes an unsettling shade of green devouring the surroundings with a meticulous gaze. The dense vegetation of the plains made for a good place to forage for herbs- which is exactly what he was investigating. He had been drawn here, eager to build a cache of fauna in this new land.

As the beast moved through the verdant landscape, all manner of serpents slithered in the grass, their movements smooth and precise. He much appreciated the creatures for that, it was a beautiful evolution that had perfected them for hardy survival. All was silent, the hush broken only by the occasional rustling of leaves and the distant, constant crash of waves. The brutish male, guided by his purpose, sought out each of medicinal herbs hidden in the brush, all of them taken into account within his memory; their locations saved for future use.

Amid the unsettling peacefulness of the plain and his task, Caedes’ thoughts momentarily flickered to that haunting, delightful encounter with Mariah. Her eyes that glinted like liquid silver, her fragile frame — the utter beauty in her plight… The memory lingered in the air, casting a possessive shadow over the brute’s features. However, with an impatient huff, the scarred man suppressed these thoughts and continued his work, driven by the desire to make use of himself in the time before he reunited with his kin. That had to be his first and foremost focus. Not the willowy details of a girl. His teeth gritted, a paw swiping out at an unfortunate passerby snake, smacking it off to who knows where.

It did turn out to be an excellent piece of luck though, as a roar erupted from the brushes the snake had flown into. Caedes rose with his fur bristling and his tail held high, eyes alight with fury at the sight of a grizzly bear charging him — the snake clinging to the side of its face, poisonous fangs sunk deeply into the flesh there. Caedes laughed, readying himself to sidestep the bear as it sought revenge for an interrupted ambush. Teeth flashed from both beasts, but the man allowed the bears own momentum to carry it too far forward, his side step turned into a twist of his massive body as jaws made purchase with the side of the bear’s neck — attempting to lock down its movements for a moment while he thought of a plan of action. He was no fool to think he could kill it this way easily, but hell if he wasn’t going to try.


""

With a new land claimed for the season, there was much patrolling and much marking to be done. Kaino had chased a few curious wolves away from the plains and had pissed just about everywhere that she could manage before the tank ran dry. There were furrows upon the various trees where the fae had used her claws to make visual markers. Anyone that didn't see or smell the marks was a complete dumbshit or didn't care about consequences. When a new scent blew to her on the breeze, the woman rolled her eyes and prepared for another chase or a fight. Then the scent clicked within her mind, mint and blue eyes widening. Caedes?

There was a bit of pep in her step as Kaino followed the scent. How long had it been since she'd seen her childhood friend? As she padded through the longer grasses of the plains, a snake went sailing over her head. Reflexively, the lavender and charcoal woman ducked. Good thing, too. A moment later a roar reverberated through the land and a massive grizzly bear also went sailing over her head. What. The. Actual. Fuck.

The bear had leaped over her rather than bowl her over and Kaino blinked before raising her head above the grass. The grizzly made it's way towards something and only when the hulking brown mass shifted sideways did she see that it's target was Caedes. Well... that simply wouldn't do.

With the beasts attention on the scarred brute, Kaino made her move. A few bounds and a might leap sent the woman soaring. She landed upon the bears back, jaws biting down hard at the base of its skull. Claws dug in, holding on as best as she could. The fae's head whipped back and forth and blood flew, spattering the gently swaying blades of grass with iron rich claret. The ursine roared its displeasure and began to thrash, but Kai rode it like a bull, her body limber and rolling with each movement. Only when she pulled a great swath of skin and fur away did she push off of the bears spine with nimble paws, landing beside Caedes with barely a stumble. The fae's bobbed tail flicked up above her spine and she snarled loudly.

"Speech"

Caedes had seized the opportune moment, his powerful jaws clamped onto the side of the bear's neck. His grip was firm and unyielding, holding the massive creature in place with his own weight and leverage. But for how long? The bear was a hulking mass of muscle, as was he, but it held far more bulk – and it must have been nearly half a foot taller… It was only as the brute sank his fangs ever deeper into the hide of the bear, striking liquid gold, did the form of another wolf come into view. Just a shift of his gaze upwards, and there, Kaino. His beloved cousin. Sister – almost. The emerald eyed brute grinned through his bite, ears pulled back against his skull as he fought to keep his footing. The grizzly, now caught between the relentless assault from Kaino on its back and the determined wolf at its side, roared in agony. It snapped at Caedes’, thrashing its head, but its thick neck did not allow it the range of movement to make purchase on him. Nor could it rear up with the two wolves simultaneously controlling its movement.

Blood trickled down the bear's neck as it screamed in fury, mingling in the fur at Caedes’s chest and sending vibrations through his jaws. Still he maintained his hold, anchored to the struggling beast. But as the bear thrashed, Caedes’ gaze flicked up to his cousin – just in time to see Kaino pushing off the bear's spine. He raised his fores upwards, pushing the bear away as he released his grip. His skull jerked sideways, checking on Kaino and seeing only blazing passion in the heat of battle. It was only a moment though, before his muscles bunched up in his hinds, and he was charging forward again; throwing his weight into the bear once again, trying to open the wound he had already made in its neck further.

"speaking"

Caedes was the first to leap back into the fray. He worked at the wound that he'd initially created while Kaino sought to make a new one. It would probably be a better idea to fell the bear if she was going to take its pajamas home with her. So the lavender smoke woman rushed to the bear's back end. Once there, she slid her teeth through the thin partition of skin between bone and achilles tendon. Planting her paws, Kaino flung her head back and forth until that sheet of skin was shredded. The bear howled in pain, but the Saxe fae wouldn't give up!

The bear whirled and Kai ran right along with it, refusing to give up her hold on the thick tendon of the bear's heel. Locking her jaws, the bear even pulled her a bit, saving her a little bit of energy and taking her for a nice ride. Mint and Ice eyes flashed and she tried hard not to giggle through her mouthful of bear.

Unable to use its hind leg, the ursine crumpled to one knee, then dropped to its side, thrashing about in an attempt to swipe at and kick both wolves. Kai had released its heel and was watching it kick about like a child having a tantrum. Now... she giggled.

"Speech"

While Caedes focused on the wound he had initially inflicted in the bear’s neck, Kaino sought to create another opening, and while his attention was completely consumed by his own struggle to control the beast’s movements, he was all too aware of the bear’s vocal displeasure at her new target. Still he barrelled in, snapping, piercing the flesh and then dodging back out to avoid those huge claws. The bear would begin to stumble, and he knew instantly she must have ruined it’s mobility.

Seeing an opportunity to assist his cousin, Caedes rushed to maintain a grip on the bear, using his massive weight and size to his advantage. With calculated movements, he leaned into the struggle, adding his strength to Kaino's efforts, helping to bring the bear down to its knees.

As the bear fell and kicked in a desperate attempt to dislodge its tenacious assailants, Caedes' bulk bolstered her efforts by exhausting it, and as his fangs sank deeper and deeper into the thick hide until he was rewarded by a spout of blood that signaled he’d reached a depth of a mortal wound. He would release his hold, watching in tandem with his cousin as the bear carried out its ever weakening tantrum. Finally he could give his almost full attention to Kaino, and he proceeded to push his snout into the space between her nape and shoulders. “The honors, won’t you, Kai?” The brute grinned, and the amusement of it all reached his cold emerald orbs. He reckoned it would die either way in a matter of minutes.

"speaking"

There was little better in the world than fighting beside someone that you loved. Kaino definitely loved Caedes, but it wasn't your typical love. They were cousins, but she saw the scarred brute as more of a brother. He'd always been one of her favorite wolves in the entire world. Being here with him, killing some big, stupid bear... all was right in the world.

As Cae pressed into her and offered her the honors, the lavender fae bowed and flashed him a bloody grin of her own. "My pleasure." While the bear kicked and thrashed, its movements weakening, Kaino took the opportunity to rocket forward, sinking her teeth into the very spot that Caedes had been tearing at. The thick fat of the bear was ripped away and the vulnerable artery upon it was exposed. With a bite and a twist, Kaino severed that artery. Blood began to spray and, rather than drown on buckets of bear blood, she released her hold and danced backwards, though not before getting sprayed. Nai was going to have a fit.

Knowing that the bear was toast, Kaino turned to look at her cousin, then made a beeline for him, unceremoniously leaping at him and wrapping her forelegs around his neck with a whoop. "Cae, you handsome son of a bitch! I've missed you!" The lavender and smoke fae mashed her cheek against his, covering him with bear blood as well. Wasn't she a delight?

"Speech"

The massive brute stood amidst the aftermath of their fierce battle with the bear. His fur was streaked with blood, his numerous scars scattered across his rugged frame remained untouched, the stupid bear hadn’t even tried to aim for the weaker scar tissue – dumb thing. Despite the brutality they had inflicted here, there was a sense of light-heartedness and even playfulness that hung in the air.

Once Caedes offered Kaino the honor of delivering the final blow, she lunged forward, her jaws clamping down on the bear's exposed artery, the lifeblood of their adversary spilling forth in a crimson cascade. It was a sight to behold, the sheer ferocity and skill with which she dispatched their enemy. She was a vision of strength and grace, her lavender fur stained with the blood of their fallen foe.

As the bear drew its final breaths, Kaino turned to him, her eyes alight with affection. Without hesitation, she launched herself at him, her forelegs wrapping around his neck in a tight embrace. "Cae, you handsome son of a bitch! I've missed you!" She exclaimed, her voice filled with joy. He felt the warm wetness of blood smearing across his face, her own cheek pressed into his. Oh his delightful cousin little sister. Caedes grinned, his neck craning so that his skull would come down on her shoulder and press her body further into his own much larger one. A hug. He rumbled out a chuckle, returning her face smush with his own rough nudge. “Kai. You little minx.” Caedes sighed her nickname out, his nares taking in a deep breath of her scent. It had been too long. “Missed me, or annoying me?” The brute laughed, the sound like thunder crackling. “Have you gotten into trouble while I’ve been gone? Can I make it double?” He said, his voice falling low and conspiratorial. He wasn’t the runt anymore, so it was a lot more foreboding than when they were children. Really, he was brimming with the need to put himself to use – his pride demanded it.

"speaking"