So she was here again, the place Esti had begun to call home. It was odd to her how different everything looked in the snow. Her first experience with the stuff had been unpleasant and surprising. She learned that no matter how hard you try, you couldn't bite the fluffs in the air, and if you tried to bite it from the ground, it sent waves of pain up your teeth and directly to your skull. She was still mulling over how this could be a thing. Maybe she'd ask an adult if she cared enough about it later. she couldn't honestly say that she would.
Her breath swirled before her, panting from the run here. She wasn't sure why she came here, or why she went anywhere really. It had been so long since she had seen her family, since anyone said her name, or said anything to her nicely. There was always that little Valhalla pup, but she was annoying. It's not like Esti cared about any of them, so she didn't expect them to really care about her, but a small part of Esti, the tiniest part, felt betrayed by her family and those in Valhalla. Sure they let her eat there, but probably only out of obligation. Esti didn't owe them anything, and she didn't intend to ever see them again once she could hunt properly, which honestly took more time than it was worth when she could go to Valhalla and wait for someone to share or leave something behind.
None of that explained why Esti was here now, though. The trees had always been her friends, shushing her and lulling her to sleep, but now in the snow it seemed as if everything was quiet, frozen in place, afraid to move. It pissed Esti off. Why was everything so quiet? When everything was quiet, her mind got so loud! A growl rumbled in Esti's chest, then a bark, then she was rushing at the trees, pulling on their branches and causing heaps of snow to fall with soft thuds around her, "Why. Don't. You. Say. Somethin'?!" She sprang back from her current tree, "Answer me!"

"Speech"
'Thoughts'

ooc: I didn't make it as an official battle, we can if you want but I wasn't sure that was necessary xD

D?gmar was a wreck. For the most part she was able to hold herself together during her illness but she'd woken that morning with a seizure and a stretch of a hallucination. In her mind she was patrolling the border of Arcanum but in reality she'd wandered well outside of Arcanum territory into the western portion of Alacritis. Dried blood had pooled below her eyes and streaked down her cheeks in stains. Limbs shook just slightly and spit draped in ropes across the fangs of her parted maw. Breath spilled from her panting frame in bursts of smoke. A voice caught her attention and she growled. Tresspassers? Her body slunk low as she stalked toward the voice in time to see a large but young pup yell for answers. Well then? she was happy to provide. Grinning she stepped from behind the trees, approaching the pup from behind. "You have called and I have answered. Now little trespasser it's time for you to answer for your crime!" With a roar D?gmar raced toward the pup, fur and hackles raised, ears pinned back as her eyes narrowed at the target. Open maw aiming to so seize the pups scruff and give her a good shake.

Haha, yeah, no need. Just don't kill her or anything, but a good pin (maybe breath in her face all gross or something) and a little injured is fine before Esti squabbles away.

At her command the trees answered and Esti spun around, not seeing the crazed wolf for a moment as she spoke, "Oh, thank GOD. I was just about to- wait..." Her mind reeled. Trees didn't talk... Which meant- Esti's eyes focused on the wolf before her, drooling, growling, and running straight for her. She didn't have time to react. She didn't know how to react. Run.
Esti turned to run, but was quickly seized by the other wolf. Her world shook, the white of the ground blending with the grey of the trees and skies. Her nose smelled the stench of the other wolf which was close enough to something dead that Esti's skin crawled.
Before she had a chance to think about the smell, Esti found herself on the ground once again. This time she didn't miss a beat and began to scramble away. The snow slipped and crumbled under her frantic paws, her breaths coming in uneven gasps. She looked for an escape, but there was only the red flecked snow all around her. Was that blood? Was that her blood? "No. No no no! Oh, GOD!" Her paws slipped again, sending her body to the ground. She risked a glance back, a glance a t the other wolf. She was bleeding? Esti saw blood on the woman's face and shrieked when she saw the source; her eyes. Things don't bleed from their eyes! What WAS this woman? A demon? Esti found herself stuck in place, frozen and breathless, just as the trees around her.

"Speech"
'Thoughts'

ooc: let me know if you want D?gmar to do any more! Fangs latched onto the scruff of the young femme and a malicious grin spread across D?gmar's maw as she shook the pup violently. Splatters of blood from D?gmar's eyes flew everywhere, staining the ground as well as the pups fur. That would teach the little criminal, oh yes! Mother was going to be soooo proud of her. D?gmar was defending her precious pack and making sure no nasty little creatures were going to sneak in like maggots and rot their meat stores. Especially, fat little giant puppies! D?gmar lost her grip as the pup hit the ground. The female continued shaking her head as it took a moment for it to set in that she'd lost her little criminal. No, no that would not do! D?gmar leapt forward once more, sliding into a pin atop the young pup, her maw inches from the young one's face as her breath spilled out in smoke. "Why is it crying, mother?" Her bloody eyes dripped over the pup as she pondered the little creature for a moment. What was she doing? D?gmar seemed to suddenly realize she was not in Arcanum. The Marquis stumbled off the pup as she gazed in shock at the unfamiliar surroundings, completely forgetting her quarry.

The woman jumped and another scream escaped from Esti's maw as she clawed to get away. She was pinned in an instant below the woman, her breath rolling over Esti's face. The girl swallowed dryly, not daring to breathe as she choked out a sob. The other's face peered into her own as she asked why the pup was crying. Tears rolled down Esti's cheeks as a high pitched voice quietly begged, "Please no. Oh- no." She stared in horror at the eyes that oozed blood, the tears landing squarely on Esti's face, causing her to shiver uncontrollably. A long moment seemed to pass as Esti watched the blood and saliva drip from the woman's face, but suddenly it was over. The woman had lifted and left Esti. The pup rolled onto her paws, glancing back at her attacker. The movement shifted the splatters of blood and saliva on her face, and her vision blotted out for a few seconds with what Esti figured was blood, either her own or the other woman's. The thought made her stomach lurch, but she didn't have time for vomiting now. The pup blinked away the blood and took off, finding another, safer place to process the disgusting turn of events.


"Speech"
'Thoughts'

-exit Esti-
-Esti is now infected with the Epidemic-