Don't badger me!

*Recluse* · Updated 04/30/23:

An alpha's work was never done, and today she had a bit of a pressing matter on her agenda. Her uncle had informed her about the badger set he'd found, he'd been with his boys at the time or he'd have dealt with it then and there but his paws were a little tied. Normally Recluse would not have been quite so keen to disturb the creature, but she had pups on her lands, and while a badger was less of a threat to a fully grown wolf she had concerns for her younger cousins... especially tiny little twiggy Jigsaw. She was already invested in the little healer's growth and she'd be mighty pissed off if he got smushed by a badger before he reached his full potential.

So it fell on her to chase the menace from her lands, there was also the hope that the badger's set might be useful for the creation of a new den or maybe excess storage. That'd come after though, for now, she had to focus on dealing with the problem at hand. She really wished this problem hadn't happened now of all times. She knew enough that the badger would be in the middle of preparing for its time sequestered away in the den for the winter, probably gathering small prey or whatever plants they ate, which would mean one angry mammal on her paws. As such, she'd made sure to bring her bracers with her, and Lilith was poised at the ready, hanging off her shoulders. The sun was dipping below the horizon as she walked, which was better for her but also, she knew, good for the nocturnal creature she was hunting. Still, maybe she'd be able to shake the creature from its sleep, a dazed and confused badger was more appealing to her than a fully awake one in its element.

Finally, she arrived at the set, the badger's scent strong and she suppressed a growl. She skirted the mouth of the set, knowing exactly what she was going to do, after all she'd done it once before, with her paws only a few inches from the mouth of the den she stood over where the hollow was in the ground, then she rose up on her hind paws and with a grunt allowed gravity to slam her forepaws back down on the set, a soft shuffling noise reached her ears and she reared up again, and again, each time letting her full weight slam down onto the earth until a masked face poked out of the mouth of the set and Recluse reached out, smacking her paw down on the badger's muzzle.

The creature snarled wildly, lumbering out of the ground with a speed she'd not have assumed capable of the low to the ground creature. It whirled towards her, baring impressive fangs, and her eyes flew to its long imposing claws. She'd want to avoid those. The short mammal was rushing towards her and she let out a hissing breath, a forepaw flashing out to bat at the badger's head, much like a cat.

The badger took a few snaps at her paw as she flashed them out and Recluse knew enough to stop. The thing growled gutturally at her and continued to rush her, even despite its smaller size, it certainly had the ferocity of something much bigger. It swiped its own cruel paws out at her and Recluse tried to dance out of its reach but had one of her forepaws knocked out from under her and she stumbled, fighting to stay on her paws, and failed. That was not good. The badger took its chance and lumbered towards her, it's dangerous jaws approaching her rapidly.

Recluse twisted letting her shoulder jam into the Badger's mouth, avoiding her vulnerable throat being hit. She curled and wrapped her forelegs around her opponents, biting at whatever part of it she could reach. Lilith having escaped from Recluse's fall and was quickly trying to climb her way up the writhing mammal. Still, she managed to get up to the base of the badger's skull, reared back, her fangs unfolding from the roof of her mouth and venom visibly dripping from them. One moment Lilith's head was visible and the next it was gone, the badger rearing back suddenly, opening up its throat and Recluse took her opportunity. Her fangs plunging into the badger's throat, feeling its heartbeat pulsing, pulsing, and finally stopping. She dropped the badger, disentangling herself from its now limp body. Panting and wincing as her shoulder protested. She'd have to get that checked by her aunt, maybe make Jigsaw help. But for now, she had one thought and one thought in mind.

Recluse licked the blood from her lips, knowing her muzzle would need a deeper wash but for now, she set about maneuvering the badger until she felt comfortable trying to start breaking down the corpse, her plan was to strip the hide from the beast, remove its forepaws (she had a specific idea for those in mind) and maybe go through its meat and adding to the pack stash.

WC:856

speech think action

Art by Akage-Kitsu

Login
Username:
Password:	Lost Password?
	Remember me