Rhaegara had called at the border to let Aurielle know that she was heading east and should not be out long. She had just been hoping to explore some of the surrounding territories though she had been careful to avoid the Aerie pack lands because the last thing she needed was a scuffle. The last thing she wanted was to be in trouble. The winter weather had set in quick which was enough to leave a chill down her spine. She had, in her travels, reached the deluge, a small ravine with a swiftly running underwater river. It was certainly fun to explore.

It was fascinating, having the area be warmer than those around it… it was like they were baking, albeit not that hot because of the winter chills that had firmly settled over. Truthfully, she was relieved because the summer sun made her swelter with how thick her pelt was. She hummed quietly to herself as she and her faithful friend Carlys explored their terrain, constantly keeping their eyes peeled for anything of use… perhaps something they could craft with. She was planning on outfitting herself with armor soon, and she felt the only way to do that was to make it herself. It very much felt like a rite of passage to her.

"Rhae" "Carlys"

Laith had decided to leave that dark and wet forest as far behind him as possible, deciding very quickly that he wanted to be somewhere drier. It took some travelling, but eventually the landscape around him turned from lush greens to sandy yellows, and he relished in it. With a grunt he flopped onto his side, rolling on his back and wiggling his body in the sandy dirt, letting it get all the way into his thick fur. After a few moments he got back to his feet and with a great big shake shook the excess particles from his fur, leaving behind a mere sandy tint in his greyscale coat. That was much better. Now content, he padded onwards in a carefree trot, tail happily swishing behind him. While intense heat was no fun, the feeling of even somewhat warm sunlight on his body was enough to put him in a good mood. When he came upon a small ravine he stopped right at the edge, spotting a river at the very bottom. He was quite thirsty as he had not come across any other sources of water for the last part of his trek. Laith lowered his head to eye the precarious footholds embedded into the ravine walls with squinted eyes. He could use those to make his way to the bottom as, unfortunately, there did not seem to be a better way down. With a huff he cautiously made his way down, ears laying flat on his skull whenever his paws slipped or he wobbled. He let out a sigh of relief upon reaching firm ground, skittering away from the wall of the ravine. Hopefully there was a nicer way out of the ravine on the other side because he was not going back up that way. No fucking way was that happening. With the hazardous portion of his journey over, Laith made his way over to the river, lapping up several mouthfuls of the delightedly cool water to quench his thirst.

It had certainly taken Rhaegara time to scale down the ravine, trusting Carlys to be her eyes to spot ahead for dangerous marks of terrain though eventually she made it to the bottom with no problems. The water down there seemed fresh enough, and so she allowed herself to stop for a quick drink, her faithful companion also partaking as the raven always seemed parched. She wondered if it was a bird thing or if it was just a Car thing. Honestly, it could be either. She continued to follow the river, eyes peeled on her surroundings curious to what she could find. She doubted she would find anything that could be used for armor down here, but she considered perhaps an accessory, a necklace or something to get her used to working with materials like a craftsman.

That was when she caught the scent of another wolf in the distance, eyes sharp as Car settled between her shoulder blades with a soft peck to encourage her to stay alert. She didn’t particularly trust strangers, but she was always willing to meet them and get to know them. For her it was a good learning experience. Her head tilted slightly to the side, remaining several wolf lengths away as she let out a soft woof to alert the man of her presence. If her nose and eyes were not deceiving her, he was about her age, smaller and with a lighter build. She had more muscle to her it seemed, more weight to put behind her too. “Hello. It’s nice to meet you.” She offered with a light dip of her head in greeting.

She felt more confident having a pack to return to when it came to interacting with strangers. Before she’d been rather skittish, afraid that she was being hunted to the ends of the earth by her former best friend’s father… but now she had a little bit of faith. It had been so long and she had travelled so far that she was confident no one was hunting her down. They were simply satisfied with her disappearance. “I’m Rhaegara, and this is my friend Carlys.”

"Rhae"  "Carlys"

Laith lifted his head up when he heard a soft woof, water droplets dripping down his chin to his chest as he turned his head to look at whoever had interrupted him. Green eyes raked over her taller and more built figure, before narrowing as they reached a little black birdy sitting between her shoulders. He sneered at her friendly greeting. Nice to meet you? Why would it be nice? He was certainly not nice by any means. Meeting others was not nice. Sure, it could be fun, dangerous even, but nice was not the word that came to mind for him. He fully turned himself around to face the earthy-coloured female, slightly annoyed that he had to look upwards to look directly into her eyes. The grey male snorted, still not over her greeting. "You can cut the fuckin' formalities lady, I'm not here to be your new buddy or whatever." His words were harsh as he spoke, tail flicking haphazardly behind him to show he was not going to be as friendly as her. However, at her introduction he could not stop the snigger from escaping his maw. The bird was her friend? Was she crazy or just fucking with him? "Friend? That supposed to be your little fucking birdy pet or what?" He said with a snap of his teeth and a wolfish grin. The little birdy would be a tasty treat if he could get his paws on it, but something told him he would have to go through the female to get to it. Oh well, he could always find a snack later. "Name's Laith," he finally said after a moment of silence, head canted to the side as he eyed the black bird perched upon her.

She caught his sneer, and instantly her guard went up, a jaded look in her eyes as Carlys eyed the man suspiciously. There was no reason to be so rude but Rhaegara was painfully aware of the fact that not every wolf she met would be kind. She let a scowl onto her features at his words. “They’re called manners, fuckwad.” She could give out just as much as she could take. She started to snicker when she mentioned Carlys and there was a soft growl from her throat. Car rolled her eyes. “Watch your tongue or I’ll pluck out your eyes.” Great, Car, just great. She raised a brow at her friend who simply shifted to the ground next to her.

Laith. “Well then, what a displeasure to meet you.” She retorted dryly. Never before had she encountered such rudeness in a stranger. Hostility? Sure. She could understand hostility or a jaded demeanor, but this was something else. He was something else and she wasn’t a fan… why did he feel like she was eyeing her friend as a piece of meat… thankfully she had been training, and she had full plans to take him in a fight if it came to it, though she hoped to avoid it.

Her parents had always preached violence as a last resort… but look where it had gotten them. They were both dead and she a disgraced princess from her homeland… “Did a wolf shove a stick up your ass or are you normally just this unpleasant?” She just had to know, and if she didn’t know any better she’d think that perhaps she was even egging him on a bit. She couldn’t help it… perhaps it was the resentful cynic in her.

"Rhae"  "Carlys"

He barked out a laugh, head thrown back in delight at her angry response. Ah, so she had a bit of fire to her spirit after all then, maybe she was not as boring as he had first thought. His green eyes shifted from the bird to the woman, filled with mischievous intent. "Afraid I lost mine a little while ago, but what can ya do?" He drawled out with a shrug of his lithe shoulders, amusement pulling his lips up into a smile. Laith feigned shock as the bird spoke, ears pulling back dramatically as he gasped in fake surprise. "Oh no, I am sooo scared." He lowered his head to be in line with his shoulders, looking down at the black bird as it hopped to stand on the dusty ravine ground. "Try me you feathery bitch," he said with a slight growl. He was not above fighting with a bird, not even one that could talk. However his focus shifted back to the female when she spoke again, and he gave the bird a nasty look before lifting his head up again. "And a displeasure to you, too," he said snarkily, glad to see she was able to take his bad attitude in stride. Laith snorted again, a rumble of a laugh deep in his chest. Maybe they could get along after all, though in his mind getting along was less rainbows and daisy's and more potshots at each others' insecurities whenever possible. "Wouldn't you like to know, sweetheart." He batted what little eyelashes he had. "But I ain't gonna pretend to be nice to every wolf I see, I just tell it how I see it." If she disagreed with his world view then she could fuck right off for all he cared.

He left such a bitter taste on her tongue but she supposed that charm worked for some… just not her. She snorted softly at his words. “What? Someone put them where you can’t reach it?” She shot back with a soft grown naturally escaping her maw. He had certainly hit a sore spot talking about Carlys, and now he likely knew it too. She was her best friend, and all she had left from her old life. Carlys was her connection to her past, her companion gifted to her by the Spirits of her ancestors and no one would insult her like that.

She snarled softly though made no move to attack at calling her a feathery bitch. Carlys was just irritated, lifting off the ground to settle on a branch where she would remain out of reach, just to be safe. He was snarky and rude, and Rhae knew she should probably turn around and walk away… except she didn’t trust this man, and so she certainly was not going to turn her back to him. She wasn’t stupid. She knew how this worked and she wasn’t going to give him any kind of upper hand. She had been raised better than that, or so she would like to believe.

How did one wolf act so insufferable? “Pretty sure you’ve answered my question for me.” She figured a man so vulgar had to be rough around the edges because of something. “What’s your damage? Mommy didn’t love you? Daddy kicked you out?” She snorted softly, her tone mocking because she certainly could sink to the level of the wolf across from her. “Whatever it is, don’t try and justify being an asshole by calling it brutal honesty.”

"Rhae"  "Carlys"

Laith smirked at her growled words, this was just too much fun for him, he could not help himself by playing it up a little. "Nah, just couldn't be bothered looking for 'em when they got lost in the first place." If he needed to he could be a bit less of an asshole, but as he had no intention of pledging his allegiance and what-not to some stuck up alpha, why would he? The lone empty road was where he liked it best, just doing whatever he wanted, living life carefree and not being told what to do every single goddamn day. Just imagining the regime of living in a pack left a foul taste in his mouth. No thanks, that was not for him. It was a pity the bird flew out of his reach, he was really hoping to distract the female enough to allow him to get a swipe in at the plump, feathery morsel. But alas, he would have to find some common ground prey to satiate his desire to rip and kill. At her mocking tone a grim look appeared on his face, lips pulling back to bare his teeth as he let out a snarl. Yeah sure, he had some family issues that clearly facilitated the development of his bad attitude, but that was a fucking low blow. "Some families just ain't got that loving vibe," he all but hissed out, his tail lashing out angrily behind him. "I'm sure you grew up with nice parents and a pack who all loved you unconditionally." The picture perfect life with loving parents and aunts and uncles was not what he had, and he was glad. It made him stronger. A wolf who had love for another was just opening themselves to disaster, but not him. He would just as easily rip his own siblings throat out if he had half the chance. "Maybe I like who I am. If you don't like it, why don't you fucking do something about it, eh?" Trying to get a rise out of her was probably not the best idea Laith had ever had, but fuck it, what did he have to lose at this point?

He was toying with her, and there was a part of her that could certainly recognize that was what was happening. She scowled, and Carlys just rolled her eyes because the bird was quite snarky herself. One of these days, this loner was going to get what was coming to him. She just wasn’t certain if right here and right now would be the best place to do that, not with the river so close and how the terrain was set up. She knew her strengths. A war with words could be just as successful as a war with tooth and claw in her mind. “Clearly.” Her tone was flat. She’d never met a wolf who didn’t care for manners. She found they were important but to each their own, she guessed… if he wanted to get maimed by a skilled wolf he crossed, then more power to him.

She scowled at her words with a soft snort, shaking her head. “An orphan, actually.” It wasn’t a lie. It truly wasn’t because her parents had both passed before she reached the age of one. “You know, the usual violence, coups, leaving orphaned children on the run.” She trailed. She let it roll off of her because in her mind, it was just a fact of her history. She had taken time to mourn. She hadn’t had it all sunshine and rainbows. He started to go off. She scowled as she glanced at Car, nodding before she rushed him, jaws snapping as she didn’t hold back. She didn’t know why he got under her skin so much, but she did… and she knew that there was one surefire way to solve this.

She aimed for his shoulder near the base of his neck to sink her teeth into, looking to assert dominance over him. There was a fierce snarl as Carlys went in, talons going for his muzzle to scratch at it in order to assist her friend in the process.

---

Rhaegara Ravyne vs Laith Cline for Dominance

Round 1/2

Age: Over 1 year

Size: Medium

Build: Medium

Companion 1: Raven, Female - Battle

Skills: Novice Fighter & Beginner Intellectual

Specialty: N/A

"Rhae"  "Carlys"

Any enjoyment he would have gotten out of hearing the female say she was orphaned and being able to mock her about it was soured by the memories of his own family. "Aw, I'm sure you get a lot of attention by playing that as a sympathy card for others," he said with a sneer, his tone more angry than mocking. "But you won't get any comfort from me." A bit harsh yes, but sometimes life just decides to say fuck you for no reason at all. He certainly did not have it the worst, there were others out there with far more tragic stories than he had, but that was just how it was. There would be no complaining from him about it, life fucking went on regardless if one was ready to go with it. He was unprepared when she rushed at him, but if it had not been for that fucking bird Laith felt like he could have dodged out of the way from her rush attack. Instead, he got caught between both her and the feathery creature, feeling her jaws grab at his shoulder and pain blossoming on his muzzle from the sharp talons. "Argh, you fucking bitch!" A snarl roared from his mouth as he shook his head back to get away from the bird, jaws snapping on the off chance he could rip it from the air. Laith knew that it would be difficult to shake the earthy female off him, she was larger and heavier than he, but that could also be used to his advantage. He dropped to his stomach and aimed to grab a foreleg in his jaws with the intent of pushing forwards so that he pulled her own leg underneath her. He was hoping that it would unbalance her enough to topple her forwards so she would let go of his damned shoulder and give him the chance to scramble out of her reach before she grabbed anywhere closer to his throat. Laith Cline vs Rhaegara Ravyne for Dominance Round 1/2 Age: Over 1 year Size: Medium Build: Light Skills: Beginner Hunter & Beginner Fighter Specialty: N/A

Rhaegara just scowled at his words and scoffed. “I don’t need anyone’s pity.” She snapped fiercely. It had happened, and it had certainly sucked, but she had managed to find closure in recent months which had allowed her to move on from it unlike some others. She was proud of the fact that she had caught him off guard, especially with how much he had been working her up. Carlys worked in unison with her, and he felt her teeth sink into his shoulder, and she felt success, holding onto it as best as she could as he cursed.

Carlys flapped her wings to narrowly avoid his grasp. He dropped to his stomach and his jaws reached for her foreleg. She tried to pull it out of the way but she felt his teeth grab it. She hissed, letting go of his shoulder as she reached to bite the top of his muzzle and sink her teeth into it, hoping if she succeeded the pain would cause a retreat, but also hoping a grip on his muzzle would force him to submit. She lowered her own stance to steady herself and keep her balance, her tail lashing vigorously from side to side.

Carlys in the meantime settled back on the branches, feeling she had helped her friend gain an upper hand in the fight. Only time would tell who won and who lost.

---

Rhaegara Ravyne vs Laith Cline for Dominance

Round 2/2

Age: Over 1 year

Size: Medium

Build: Medium

Companion 1: Raven, Female - Battle

Skills: Novice Fighter & Beginner Intellectual

Specialty: N/A

"Rhae"  "Carlys"

Lucky for the bird it managed to evade his snapping jaws, and it seemed to be backing off for the rest of the fight which was good for him. Now he only had one opponent to deal with. Laith felt adrenaline surge through his veins as his jaws made contact with her foot, growling loudly as he bit down, not willing to let go. He felt her grip loosen from his shoulder, but she managed to stay upright. Fuck. He was not in a good position, but there was nothing he could do about it now. Partially expecting her to go for the back of his neck given it was a easy grab, he let out a high pitched whine when she bit at the top of his muzzle, pain lancing from where her teeth met his flesh as his eyes welled with tears. Unwilling to submit to her even though she was clearly in a better position, Laith dug his claws into the sandy soil and got his legs properly underneath him. Any normal wolf might try to back up and escape from the hold, but Laith was determined to win and show her he was as much bite as he was bark. Letting go of her foreleg, he pushed his body upwards with all his strength, front legs lifting up to wrap around her neck in an attempt to force his way above her, and hopefully push her onto the ground. She was bigger and heavier than him, but he was counting on his unexpected move to throw her off just enough for him to get the upper hand in this fight. Laith Cline vs Rhaegara Ravyne for Dominance Round 2/2 Age: Over 1 year Size: Medium Build: Light Skills: Beginner Hunter & Beginner Fighter Specialty: N/A

And the winner is...

Rhaegara

Laith must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: Rhaegara: Rolls: 4 69 34 54 Adjusted: 4.8    69    34    54 Total: 161.80 Laith: Rolls: 23 2 6 44 Adjusted: 24.15    2    6.3    44 Total: 76.45

~Tasha has given me permission to post out of order!~ Oh he had fucked up. He had fucked up, completely and irreversibly. He just did not have the strength to overpower her from his position mostly beneath her, all he ended up doing was making himself lose his footing so that he fell backwards - thankfully out of her grasp, but he could feel her teeth scrape along his muzzle. He landed with a thud on his side, gasping for air as the breath was knocked out of him. "Oh you bitch!" He managed to growl out, glaring up at her from his position on the ground. He would remember this, and take his revenge at some point in the future. But for now he would flee while he had the chance as dying was not on his agenda that day. Clambering to his legs he backed up away from her, tail between his legs and lips pulled back in a snarl, but he had nothing left to say to her that she probably already did not know. Laith spun on his heels as he got far enough way, deciding he would in fact go back up out of the ravine he had come down on after all. But he would be back before long, and she would pay dearly.

Rhaegara could feel herself gaining an upper hand. He fell backwards, her jaws snapping as she snarled at him, watching as he gasped for air before exclaiming outward. Her tail curled up behind her back, shoulders rolled back as he began to flee. She chased after him for a bit. “That’s right, you better run.” The words were hissed out. He was gone, and she was turning back to Carlys who had watched the rest of the fight from her perch, a soft grin on her features. It felt good to win. “Come on Car, let’s go home.” He offered before they both headed back in the direction of Valhalla, done with adventuring for now.

"Rhae"  "Carlys"