It had taken some time for Kestrel to heal, and while he wasn’t back to full strength he could feel the difference in his muscles and body. Better, stronger. But not perfect. He felt the itch to run, and explore, to really stretch himself out as best as he could manage.

It was late in the night, though the full moon sat heavy in the sky above, shedding an unusually bright light across the land. He took himself out to the shoreline at the edge of Raiders Hallow territory. Once he was on the sand, he began to run. Stretching out his body to its fullest length as he kicked up sand behind him. Running like a wolf familiar to the feel of sand beneath him. Who knew how to maximise his momentum where it would be dispersed by the soft footing.

He ran until his breathing was quick, and soreness persisted. The good sort, that told him he was exercising his muscles. It was some time before he realised he could feel the sense of another. Something was watching him, and it didn’t feel like a wolf. He slowed his reckless gait, pricking his ears, though he gave no other outward sign that he knew something was out there. He trotted along the sand, waiting for the feeling to disperse of the something to make the first move.

WC: 231


"Speech"

His head hurt from where his antlers had started to grow, his dexterous paws and the length of his bones ached from the way that he grew, and grew, and grew. It wasn't hard to slip from the treehouse, pad down the stairs unheard and make his way towards the beach. With so many bodies to keep track of, and not-Dad out patrolling somewhere, there weren't enough eyes for the rambunctious brood.

Corsair's violet eyes turned to the sky, he wasn't sure he had ever known true darkness. He didn't know that the lights that danced in the sky were unexpected or that the ravine wouldn't always be this bright. The lulling of the waves beckoned the boy and he broke through the treeline and down to the sand, quickly distracted by the illuminated tracks of Kestrel, another constant since before he was born... and something... something that wasn't so familiar.

Although it hurt, Corsair lengthened his strides, body carried low to the ground, more stalking dog than confidently striding wolf pup. His tipped over ears were turned forward and his vision laser focused. His nose told him he was getting closer, closer to Kestrel, but the nearer he got, the more unnerved he felt. Like his own stare had been turned against him.

There, silhouetted against the sand and the waves, and the waves of colour that danced in the sky was his quarry. He pushed up, gaze locked on Kestrel, a small, strangled, Woof offered in warning. Something was wrong, wrong, wrong, and he raced to close the distance between the familiar, and the unseen.

"speech"

-499/1500-

Kestrel wasn’t afraid of whatever was out there, he was more than ready and willing to take on whatever was making him spook at shadows. He hoped it did show itself, so he could remove it from the pack lands, before it could be a danger to those that had taken him in. As he moved forward across the pack’s sandy territory his trott was light and slow, inviting any watching predators in. giving off the vibe of being weak and slow, and alone. An easy target for any hungry set of eyes. He was waiting, watching, biding his time for the moment he would see any hint of movement or hear any scrap of sound.

When he did hear something, it was a woof that caught his attention, and for a moment he thought that the creature had engaged, though the direction felt wrong. He was sure it had come from the sideline, the trees, and not behind him. He turned behind him, and his eyes flared with surprise as he saw not an enemy, not a danger. Nothing that he had anticipated at all. Now even an adult of the pack. Instead, the appearance was that of Corsair, one of the new young pups racing across the sand towards him. He was one of Modesty and Joel’s brood. There were so many new young pups that sometimes it was hard to keep track. A lot of younglings to watch out for.

In that same instance when his eyes turned and met that of the young pup, the threat shot out from the treelines, heading straight for the smaller wolf. The weaker and easier of the two of them. If only by his age and size. The moment he sensed movement in the tree lines, Kes leaped forward, swallowing the ground between them and tackled the creature - the tiger - before it could touch Corsair. Both tiger and wolf went down in a wild tangle of limbs. He had only had the time to angle his strike to be sweeping, to push the cat away from one of the pups whose care he was partly responsible for. The tiger was a snarling mess of limbs beneath him, and he had to shove his weight hard to the right to avoid the snapping teeth angled for his neck.

He made it, but only just as the tiger skidded to the side around him. He glanced back, making sure the younger pup was still alright and hadn’t gotten caught up in this mess yet. The last thing he needed was for the tiny creature to get close enough to get the tiger's attention, to pull it off the adult wolf and onto the younger. He realised the white wolf was still closing the distance towards them, intending to head into the scene and into danger. Obviously seeing the threat of the tiger hadn’t phased him. He just knew Modesty would be pissed at him if he let a tiger eat one of her kids. “I’ve got this!” he called back to the pup, hoping they would listen and fall back. Let him handle this alone, without having to worry about the pups safety as well.

After that, he couldn’t look to see what the other pup was doing. If they would pay any heed to his words and obey them. It was too late for that, because the tiger had recovered its balance and was coming in for a round two. He could hear the faint brush of its paws against the sand as it launched again. Whatever it was feeling, it was clearly pissed. Making quick, rash choices against the wold. He could use that, if he could rile it up some more, and keep it making stupid choices this would be an easier fight.

“Here, you bastard!” he snarled at the tiger, snapping its teeth towards its neck even as the rest of his body slid to the side again. His teeth grazed its neck, but its fangs managed to make a small slice across his cheek on its way past. He pushed out a paw, and tripped the orange creature. Feeling his paws his the joint of its knee hard and felt something crunch. Not a break, but it definitely had to hurt.

It hit the sand hard, and he had time to see the pup coming up on them fast. Clearly, the young wolf hadn’t listened. No time to do anything else. “Keep to its back end, get its hind legs” he instructed Corsair, hoping the young Raider’s Hallow pup would at least listen to that. The tiger was getting back to its paws again. Panting from either exhaustion or rage as it slunk towards the sailor once more. Kes crouched down, snarling in its face, letting it circle. Giving the kid room to get it.

The moment Corsair made their attack, Kes launched forward, making a swipe at its shoulder with a heavy paw, attempting to buff it to the side. To hurt and distract it, to keep its attention on him and not the pup. He couldn’t see exactly what the boy was doing behind the tiger, but he knew whenever the pup landed a strike. Because the cat snarled, and attempted to turn again. Kes gave it another heavy blow, hitting its head this time. The creature was stunned for a moment and Kestrel took the opening as best he could. Lunging forward, and letting his teeth find its throat. He dragged it down to the ground. Still alive, kicking and flailing beneath him. But he was cutting off its airflow. The sailor looked over its body, searching for the form of the young boy, giving him a pointed look. Did he want to make the death blow? He remembered being young and reckless once, and a wolf in his pack had done him a similar gift. He remembered that first kill, and wouldn’t take this moment from the boy whose bravery had kept him there when the tiger was attacking.

Wc: 1014
Total: over 1500


"Speech"