Kolt crept through the underbrush, his paws silent against the damp forest floor. The scent of autumn hung heavy in the air - decaying leaves, rich soil, the first hints of winter's chill. He reveled in it, in the subtle shift of the seasons, in the way the land seemed to be holding its breath. A rustle up ahead caught his attention. Kolt froze, his ears swiveling forward. There, in a small clearing, stood a bull moose. Its massive head was lowered as it browsed, antlers glinting in the dappled sunlight that filtered through the canopy.

He knew he should back away. There was no question in his mind. But of course, his youthful would curiosity get the better of him. He couldn’t help but inch his way forward, wanting to take a closer look. And as fate would have it, a twig snapped beneath his paw. The moose's head shot up, its dark eyes locking onto Kolt. For a heartbeat, they stared at each other, the forest holding its breath around them.

Then the moose snorted, pawing at the ground. It lowered its head, antlers pointed directly at Kolt. A clear threat. Kolt's heart raced, but he held his ground. Some instinct told him that running would only encourage a chase. Instead, he drew himself up to his full height, meeting the moose's gaze steadily. "Easy," he said, his voice low and calm, despite the hammering of his heart. "I mean no harm." He said more to himself than the moose.

It snorted again, its breath misting in the cool air. It took a step forward, its hooves thudding against the packed earth. Kolt fought the urge to back away, knowing that any sudden movement could trigger an attack. He kept his posture relaxed, his eyes locked on the moose's, trying to project a sense of calm he didn't quite feel. But of course, all that would go out the wayside when the bull lowered its head to the ground to charge.

"Kolt Carpathius"

Ballad felt a little more comfortable following his brother's scent out past the bifrost this time. He wouldn't have gone alone, but with someone familiar out this way he wouldn't hold any anxieties of running into trouble. The both of them seemed capable with their last interaction with a bear.

As Kolt's scent grew stronger, so did a very unfamiliar one. And soon he would be looking at the two faced off a distance away, Ballad at both of their sides. He didn't give away his position, but it seemed Kolt wouldn't have the opportunity to at the point Ballad stepped in. Once the stand off was over and the moose took it's first charge, that's when Ballad bolted forward to intercept. Probably far early than the moose would have made contact, Ballad leapt at his brother to tumble the each of them out of the way. The moose losing it's focus as it charged through air instead of a wolf. It would be spinning around to meet it's match yet again. Ballad helping his brother up if he needed but standing side by side with him ready to try and drive the moose away, or at least hinder it enough for the two of them to run.

"Ballad"

Kolt tumbled to the side as - - Ballad collided with him, the two brothers rolling in a tangle of fur and limbs. Boy, was he glad to see Ballad. His brother seemed to have impeccable timing. The moose's charge missed them by mere inches, its heavy hooves pounding the earth where Kolt had stood just moments before. Scrambling to his feet, Kolt shook the dirt from his coat, his heart still racing from the close call. He glanced at Ballad, a flash of gratitude in his blue eyes. "Thanks," he panted, before turning his attention back to the moose.

The beast had wheeled around, snorting and pawing the ground in frustration. Its dark eyes gleamed with a wild anger as it faced the two wolves, clearly not deterred by the failed charge. Squaring his shoulders, Kolt stepped forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ballad. Despite the danger, a part of him thrilled at the challenge. He knew they couldn't outrun the moose - their only chance was to stand their ground and fight. "We need to drive it off," Kolt said, his voice low and steady. "Go for the flanks, try to confuse it. I'll keep its attention."

With that, he lunged forward, a fierce snarl ripping from his throat. The beast snorted, antlers lowering to meet Kolt's charge head-on. But Kolt was nimble, dodging to the side at the last moment. His jaws snapped at the moose's shoulder, teeth sinking into thick hide before he danced away again.

"Kolt Carpathius"

The two got back on their feet, ready to take the moose on. That was really all they needed, a little confidence, a little luck, and they'd be back home soon. Ballad wasn't in a place to comprehend what could happen if something bad really did happen, just that he couldn't let that happen.

Kolt gave him some instruction and he was much more the follower than the leader so that worked out great. Always act on the word, never think of what could have been better. Maybe after the fact, but in the moment? He'd do just as his brother said.

Circling around the moose, Ballad didn't hesitate one second before leaping up to grab a bite under the moose's hip. It became enraged as the two brothers took toothy grips at it, but would it be enough to send the moose away? It seemed they would have to do more damage.

"Ballad"

Kolt snarled as he darted away from the moose's flailing hooves, blood dripping from his muzzle. The metallic taste only fueled his determination. He could hear Ballad's growls as his brother harried the beast from the other side, nipping at its flanks. The moose spun, trying to keep both wolves in sight, its eyes rolling wildly.

But they were wearing it down. Kolt could see the heaving of its sides, the froth beginning to form around its mouth. They just needed to keep up the pressure, keep it off balance. He feinted to the left, drawing the moose's attention, then lunged right, his teeth finding purchase on its neck. The moose bellowed, rearing up on its hind legs. Kolt hung on grimly, his jaws locked, even as he felt his paws leave the ground.

Then, with a mighty shake of its head, the moose flung Kolt aside. He hit the ground hard, the breath knocked from his lungs and only vaguely aware of crashing through the undergrowth that indicated the Moose’s attempt to flee. He couldn’t say that he had any objections.

"Kolt Carpathius"

The two were certainly a match for the moose despite their smaller size and younger minds. They still had a lot of learning and training but what better way was there to learn than this? Perhaps if the adults were around, they would have pushed the young ones away and they would have missed the opportunity. There was great risk of course, Ballad knew that. But there may have been a day he would be even without his brother and he'd have to find a way out of this.

He too took note of the moose losing steam, Kolt was much more in tune with moving it around, confusing it. Ballad kept his teeth on the back end. And in the end it was kicking up heels in a far off direction. They had done it yet again. Only this time they actually ran their challenge off. He could be proud of his brother, moreso than he was himself. He wasn't much of a spotlight kind of guy anyway.

"Ballad"