ooc: note this thread takes place on the eve of winter

Dwarfed by the massive trees Karabela imagined that this was what it felt like to be an insect. Shame she could fly right up to the tops of them. Red bark stood starkly against the freshly fallen snow. Winter waited right around the corner, it's chill breath sent a shiver down the spine of most creatures but for Karabela it only filled her with excitement. She hadn't really seen much of snow til she started traveling north but the Red Forest was truly majestic. Curious the young pup sniffed around the trees base. Did monstrous birds live in these trees perhaps? Everything seemed eerily silent here and it bothered her a bit. Cracking twigs caught her attention, her hear nearly leaping out of her through as she whirled around. ""

Aksel was walking an old route, determined to get one last look at the north before winter moved in.  Afterwards he'd head as far south as he could to the new lands where he'd make his winter home and stay til the spring came once again.  He supposed others might consider it weak of him but he considered it smart.  Let the tough old wars fight and struggle it out in the north rather than using their brains and getting out of the dangerous terra.  It wasn't like there were many packs up in the north any more anyway. The young man paused as he caught a whiff of a familiar scent.  Karabela?  What was she doing so far north?  Oh boy… did that mean Dægmar was also around?  Aksel quickly moved in the direction of the scent until he came upon his wayward little sister.  "You're going to get in trouble you know… I hope you don't plan on dragging me along with you." speech

Karabela glared at her older brother as he came morphing out of the woods.  Ew.  What did he want?  She snorted at his comment. "For your information I'm now almost nine months old and I can go where I want now just as long as I'm not gone for too long at a time.  What are you doing here?"  How long had he been following her anyway?  She could look after herself without her scrawny sibling following her around.  She walked towards him, pausing only a foot away.   What right did he have to parade around like she needed his protection. Karabela froze suddenly as she heard a strange noise, like something very large was moving out there in the forest.  Unconsciously she moved closer to Aksel before she realized what she was doing.  Pfft, no way! "I heard something… come on lets go check it out!" She'd show him just how brave she was as she moved toward the noise.  She was a Thyre!  Nothing could touch her. ""

Twerp! Aksel wasn't sure if he should believe the squirt or not so he just shrugged. It was no skin off his back if she got a licking from their mother. "Me? Well I am a world class explorer, I'm just traveling same as you. You know if you hang with me I could show you a thing or two." Aksel's smile faded slightly as she moved toward him, smiling down at him. Why did so many wolves think being tall was such an amazing thing? Ohhh everyone can see up your nose, congrats! He was about to make a snide remark to the fact when he heard a similar sound. Something big… was moving nearby. Aksel felt his stomach sink. Winter was barely here, there was still a chance of bears looking to scrap up a bit more food before hibernation and a pair of young wolves was as good a game as any. Karabela started moving toward the noise. "No, wait-" The words were barely out of his mouth before a massive Kodiak bear came roaring out from behind one of the trees, right for Karabela. It was horrifically massive, some sort of unholy spectre. Before he realized what he was doing Aksel had darted forward, shoving Karabela to the left, just in time to knock her away from the down swipe of a massive clawed paw. However, the movement put Aksel himself right in the bears path. He screamed as he was knocked violently to the right, sent rolling into the trunk of a tree as the bears paw smashed into his left side, breaking ribs, leaving four deep, raging gashes along his side. He chocked, trying to breath, the pain was more than he thought he could bear, but his little sister…. his little sister…. she was in danger! Aksel struggled to his feet in time to see the bear charging right for him. speech

Dægmar growled to herself in irritation as she stocked north. She was in a foul mood, cut up over her sister's death far more than she ever expected to be. She never would have guessed the woman meant anything until she suddenly wasn't there any more. Karabela had gone wandering much farther than Dægmar had allowed and now she was stalking her fool of a daughter into the snowy lands of the north. What had possessed the girl to wander this far? It was nearly evening and time for training. She had a special lesson all planned out and they were going to be late. A violent roar caused her head to turn sharply as she peered to the west. A bear? Dægmar was about to change her course when the wind shifted suddenly, bringing with it the scent of her wayward daughter and eldest son. Emerald eyes widened. She didn't even stop to think as she barreled toward the source of the scent, defesnes flying rapidly into place as she saw the beast bearing down on her son. Oh hell no, she didn't think so! Legs coiled, back arched before she leapt onto the bear's back, fangs seizing hold over a delicate ear, paws scrambling for a nearly impossible foothold. The bear roared, shaking it's head violently, swatting at her, spliting open her right thigh before hurling her to the ground. Dægmar was on her feet a second later, feeding off the pain as a deranged grin spread across her maw. "YOU DO NOT SCARE ME YOU OVERGROWN HAIRBALL!" The bear turned on her, it's attention fully on her… good. "Raba! Run get out of here! That's an order!" "Speech"

Karabela barely had time to process what was going on.  She was frozen with fear, the monstrosity of a bear was charging right towards her and she froze.  Oh her mother would be so ashamed to see her freeze in fear but no matter how she tried her body would not respond.  BAM!  Raba was knocked to the side, sent rolling in a tumble of legs but relatively unharmed as her brother shoved her out of the way, only to be knocked aside by the bear.  No… "Aksel!" She was on her feet, setting her defenses despite her shaking limbs, the fear, the fear was so tangible.  It made her feel like a three-month old whelp, no more than that.  As a pup she had never feared a thing but now fear was all she knew.  Yet, Aksel was in trouble… she had to help.   Just as she was about to make a move her mother, her glorious mother came charging in with a snarl, leaping onto the bear, ripping into it's flesh.  Yet even her mother was tossed aside.  Raba stared in horror at the wound but Dægmar didn't seem to mind.  The warrioress was on her feet barking out orders.  Raba's mind was able to process the order, hesitating only for a second before she turned and fled.  In her startled state of mind she could not quite remember what route she'd taken but that was all that mattered.  The movement caught the bears attention and a moment later it was after her.   ""

Aksel's head was swimming from pain and sudden blood loss but all the same he was standing. He heard Dægmar's voice, she was here? There was no time to think, simply no time for anything. The bear was right on Raba's heels. Aksel dove forward, fangs ripping into the bear's heel. It turned on him paw, sweeping down but this time Aksel managed to roll out of the way though the motion sent more waves of pain through his body nearly causing him to black out in the process. Was he going to die like this? Were all of them? speech

Dægmar hissed in frustration as the bear immediately went for her daughter. "Oh no you don't fuzzbutt!" She dove for the bears right hind leg as Aksel appeared diving for the left. The sudden weight and pain caused the bear to cease it's chase and turn on the adults. Dægmar felt a swell of pride as she stood next to the boy, facing down this enemy. She regretted her previous beratement and perhaps even abandonment… who'd have thought there was a warrior's heart buried in that elegant, intelligent frame. "Aksel, get behind it, go for the other ear and get me a shot at it's throat." She didn't wait to see if he'd obey her orders and instead dove right for the bears exposed genitalia. Latching on she thrashed her head, tearing flesh and vessels before the bear beat her aside with a fierce swing, jaws locking on the back of her neck right in front of her shoulders. Dammit! She yelped, unable to hold the pain in silence. "Speech"

Karabela dove quickly into the brush surrounding one of the tree trunks, her heart pounding so loudly in her ears she couldn't hear anything else.  Panting she watched the battle in horror, ever fiber in her body struggling with the decision.  Should she help or stay hidden as she was ordered to do?  Deciding she'd only get in the way she remained where she was, desperately praying for the safety of their family.  She wanted to look away but could only stare, golden eyes wide as they took in her first show of true, life or death violence. ""

Aksel did as he was ordered, circling around to the back as the bear struggled with Dægmar. Oh no… the bear was so big, how the hell was he supposed to do this? He heard Dægmar's yell of pain and new there was simply no choice, he had to try. Pushing his own pain as far away as he could, spitting the blood out of his mouth he leapt onto the beast's back. Body writhing as he pushed forward just far enough to latch onto the bears untorn ear. Violently Aksel shook his head back and forth until the ear was nearly torn free. The bear roared and reeled back on it's hind legs, the head tilting back. Come on, come on just a bit farther…. speech

Jaws crushed into her sides and she wretched.  "You fucking son of a bitch…. I'm going to rip your entrails out through your eyes!" Her roars of fury were drowned out by the bears as it suddenly reared back.  Aksel did it…. bless his mismatched eyes. "WAY TO GO BOY!" Limbs coiled again, as she took a few steps back before leaping, jaws latching onto the bears throat.  Body thrashed as she tried to do as much damage as possible.   Suddenly the bear fell backwards.  There was a sickening crack and a gurgling shriek as the massive animal fell backwards onto Aksel, pinning him beneath it but Dægmar couldn't, wouldn't allow herself to think about that.  The bear's claws were ripping into her back and sides as it struggled to dislodge her but she would not let go.  She was a mother dammit!  She was going to protect her children as best she could if it killed her! Claws slammed into her chest, flinging her back but her jaws never opened as the bears throat ripped with her, a large chunk of flesh still held in her jaws.  A low moan dribbled from the beasts maw as it got to four feet, stumbling a ways before it fell, spasming and groaning. Slowly, shakily, Dægmar got to her feet.  Vision blurred as she moved to nuzzle Aksel.   "Aksel…  Aksel… I… I'm so sorry, you were brilliant today, a real warrior.  I was a fool to doubt my own blood.  You go on ahead love, I'll be with you soon." For a moment she thought he might have smiled but there was no breath in his body.  Aksel was dead.  Dægmar snarled for a moment, foreign emotions threatening to overwhelm her.  It seemed fate had finally come to collect it's due, just when she decided she wasn't ready to go after all, how typical.   Dægmar got to her feet.  "Karabela….  Raba…. darling… we have to go home now.  "  She didn't have the strength to bury her son, hopefully his siblings would return and do him the honor of a proper burial.   "Speech"

Karabela shrieked as Aksel fell, watching in awe as her mother killed the bear but the injuries. She'd never seen so much blood on a wolf. Her legs felt numb, she couldn't stand. Raba didn't dare move until her mother called for her, beckoning to the child with a soft smile on her face. "Momma!" Raba rushed to her mother, nuzzling the woman's bloody fur. In the span of minutes she'd been reducced to a tiny pup again but there was still some part of her, perhaps thanks to her training, that managed to keep her sense of logic going. Raba moved to her mothers side, offering the woman something to lean on. She paused for just a moment to gaze at Aksel before promising she'd be back to say a proper goodbye. Surely the scent of bear would keep the scavengers at bay for awhile. With her mother at her side Karabela waked home, struggling not to cry. ""