The doe's eyes narrowed as it lowered its head. Her nostrils flared, snorting out hot breath that fogged in the crisp early spring air. Sericea watched it all with wide, acidic green eyes, her bush of a tail tucked firmly between her lean, black-furred legs. She sensed the doe's protective instinct, saw the wobbly-legged fawn nearby, and knew she was on risky grounds. She was trapped- though she dare not turn away from the mother deer. The forest around them still bore the chill of winter, with leftover piles of snow in haphazard drift beneath the sparse pines. A wind rustled through the grasses, setting the shrubbery to a soft whisper. Its touch was icy, raising goosebumps along Sericea's red fur. She wanted to scream. But she couldn’t find her voice. Overhead, she heard the scattering of birds taking flight, but she was too engulfed of the looming threat that had her pinned up against a cluster of trees.

159 / 1500 words
"Sericea Praetor-Inferos"

Ludovic approached the scene with a careful lope, his mismatched eyes catching the tension between his sister and the doe. The chill of the lingering winter clung to his fur, but he paid it no mind, his focus solely on Sericea and the precarious situation she found herself in.

He moved quickly, his fiery red and monochrome tones blending with the forest's shadows. His voice, when he spoke, was calm and steady, meant to soothe his sister and defuse the situation.

“Sericea..” He called softly, his voice carrying a hint of authority mixed with reassurance. “Don’t be scared. Keep your eyes on her.”

He positioned himself between Sericea and the mother deer, his presence a protective barrier even though he was still a pup like her. He took a single step forward, his fur bristled and his chest puffed out in defiance.

wc; 142
ludoviciana

Zagan heard the commotion in the distance, but he ignored it. A herbivore was defending its offspring, no doubt. And Zagan had no interest in intervening- at least, not until his raven came flying down from the sky, alerting him of the wolves who were trying to fight the damn thing. Seri and Ludo. Absinth and Aresenn’s children, and his adoptive siblings in a sense. They were facing off with the doe, and Zagan wanted a piece of the action.

Loping through the forest, Zagan emerges from the underbrush on the opposing side of the two, red siblings. Their vibrant pelts stood out against the forest backdrop of the Polar Sound, but so did his. And, with his arrival, the nearby fawn let out a bleat, announcing his presence to its mother. Still, the doe didn’t take its eyes off Ludo and Seri. Which gave Zagan an opportunity to continue stalking toward it, using its hyper-fixation to his advantage.

"Speech"

461 / 1500

Feeling the tension in the air shift as Ludovic stepped in, Sericea’s piercing green eyes locked into the doe's. For a second, she couldn't help but admire the raw beauty and power of nature. It was indeed a formidable force to be reckoned with - the doe's fierce protection of her fawn. The shadow of Ludovic settled between her and the doe, it was replaced by a newfound sense of security. His calm confidence managed to quell some of the fear that was gnawing at her insides.

The bleat of the fawn snapped her back to reality, the sound piercing the tense silence between them like a sharp blade. Turning her gaze, she saw Zagan emerge from the pines. There had to be safety and numbers. And while they were all just pups. Maybe three pups would be enough to scare it off. “What do we do?” She asked the boys lowly, drwaing herself closer to Ludovic. Her fluffy tail tucked under her in nervous anticipation, her eyes darted between the doe and her brothers, waiting for one of them to take the lead.

643 / 1500 words
"Sericea Praetor-Inferos"

The bleat of the fawn cut through the silence, and Ludovic’s ears flicked towards the sound, eyes catching sight of Zagan emerging from the pines.

When Sericea's voice trembled with uncertainty, Ludovic’s response was swift and firm. “Stay close,” He said quietly, his gaze flicking between the doe and his brother. “Don’t make any sudden movements. I think Z will try to fight it, but we don’t move until he does.”

He glanced at Zagan, giving a slight nod to signal his readiness. With a final growl to reassure Sericea, Ludovic began to lead, his steps measured and deliberate. His paws shoulder width apart, limber and ready.

wc; 107
ludoviciana

Sericea’s voice cut through the silence, searching for guidance in the larger males. Technically, Ludo was the oldest of them all, defaulting him into the role of lead protector. But Zagan didn’t care. He was the child of the Sultan, the Saxe prodigy who would rule over The Syndicate. Absinth and Aresenn’s children were meant to be his pawns.

Ludo’s voice came next, instructing Seri to stay close. The doe was still hyper-fixated on the pair, but its fawn was watching him- backing up to its mother’s rump as Zagan stalked forward. Ludo was trying to give Zagan a signal, but he ignored it- a streak of defiance rushing through him, as he suddenly shot forward on his own accord. He shoved his way past the fawn, knocking it down, lunging at the doe’s right hind leg with his open jaws. He sank his needle-like teeth into its hock.

"Speech"

899 / 1500

A surge of panic overtook Sericea as she darted after Zagan. The tall grasses whipped against her legs as she ran, the earth vibrating beneath her hooves. As the doe reared, trying to shrug off the nuisance gnawing at her leg, her head whipping around to find the source of the pain. With a fierce determination, Sericea lunged forward, narrowly avoiding the flailing hooves that threatened to strike her down. She could see the wild look in Zagan's eyes and knew they needed to act fast. As the doe twisted and kicked out, Sericea leapt to the side before quickly moving back in to snap at the injured leg as it was withdrawn. Every muscle in her body was tense as she fought alongside her siblings, determined to protect them at all costs.

1033 / 1500 words
"Sericea Praetor-Inferos"

His gaze flicked between the doe and Zagan, trying to coordinate their actions. But Zagan, consumed by the hunt, ignored Ludovic’s silent cues.

As Zagan lunged forward, shoving the fawn aside and sinking his teeth into the doe's hind leg, Ludovic’s eyes narrowed. His brother’s impulsiveness would cost them. With a low growl, he moved swiftly to cover Zagan, muscles coiled and ready.

“Focus, Z!” He barked sharply, his voice a mixture of frustration and urgency. “We work together, or I leave you to the doe and let her break your bones!” The boy barked. His lash lashing as he leapt for the doe’s side, strong teeth piercing into her hide with minimal blood shed as his teeth were still small. If he were bigger, they would have rendered her side to a gaping hole.
Wc; 135

ludoviciana

The moment he bites down on the doe’s hock, he’s met with resistance. It starts to kick its leg out, its head whipping around to find its attacker. He heard Ludo yelling something in the background, but Zagan was too consumed by the thrill of the hunt, the thrill of an impending kill. A snarl rippled from his jaws, his body jerking to and fro but he held on for dear life. Funny pun inserted here. He stumbled back, Ludo’s weight crashing into the deer shifting its position, which forced him to let go.

With another growl and a tsk, he follows the doe’s movements, waiting to strike again. But the damn fawn was bleating in the background, laying in the snow and Zagan became overwhelmed by it. Whipping around, he lunges on top of the fawn, grabbing it by the neck and using his sharp claws to slash its skin. He’s ravenous, his movement uncoordinated as he’s driven by the impulse to shut it up.

"Speech"

1334 / 1500

It seemed like everything was going okay. The three of them together were doing a pretty good job at occupying the doe. But when Zagan broke away to go attack the fawn … everything went to pieces. Sensing that its offspring was now in danger, the doe kicked her own shallow hold off one of it’s legs. Sericea was thrown through the air several feet before landing in a heap on the ground. She righted herself just in time to see it racing towards Zagan and its fawn. “Zagan!” Sericea called out, desperate to try to get her brother aware- to see him escape the wrath of the mother deer.

1443 / 1500 words
"Sericea Praetor-Inferos"

Ludovic's heart sank as he watched the chaos unfold. What had started as a somewhat coordinated effort was quickly unraveling. Zagan’s impulsive move to attack the fawn had disrupted their strategy, and now Sericea was paying the price. The doe, fueled by a mother’s fury, broke free and sent Sericea flying. They could make up for his lack of foresight, but not this shit!

Ludo’s muscles burned as he withdrew his attack on the doe, and as he saw Sericea crash to the ground. His mind raced, trying to find a way to regain control. The sight of the doe charging towards Zagan and the fawn filled him with rage. He’ll be kicked to death!

“Zagan!” Ludovic barked, his voice sharp and urgent. “Get out of the way!”

He moved with lightning speed, already being closer to the doe than the fawn, his legs propelling him towards the impending disaster. He leapt towards the doe, aiming to intercept and divert its attention. He held no hope of killing it. A bite to its shoulder, only meant to veer its attention off of his brother’s; even for a moment.

The impact was jarring to say the least, but Ludovic held on, claws grasping for whatever he could, his bite drawing blood, making the doe narrowly avoid Zagan as it tried to buck him off.

wc; 223
ludoviciana