Today met her with another opportunity to go out on a solo exploration. She had traveled out to Cedar Falls a couple of times now and had always just gravitated to the river. However, she never spent much time investigating the thickly set evergreen forest. So once she could hear the echo of the waterfall in the background, she veered away from the water's edge. Weaving in and out of the enormous cedar trees. They were so uniform in shape, unlike the hardwoods that grew up around the grove, if she didn't have the assurance that the trickle of fast-moving water was nearby, she thought that it wouldn't be difficult to become lost.

She stayed out in the cedar forest for a long time and didn't realize that it was beginning to get dark until dusk had already set. With the sudden realization that she was going to miss her curfew if she didn't start covering some serious ground back to the castle, a sudden rush of anxiety filled her chest. However, it wasn't anything compared to what the sudden howling screams caused when they sounded off alarmingly close by. She was able to determine that they were coyotes, but it was too difficult to distinguish which direction they were coming from- or even how many there were.

Talyssa's heart raced as she broke out into a sprint in the direction she thought she could find the castle, and after a few heart-wrenching minutes, she thought she was in clear ... until one of them lunged out at her from the cover of some undergrowth. Talyssa cried out in shock and surprise as it struck her in the side, though she was able to keep her paws underneath her. In the sudden fray, she spun around to face it even though her mind screamed at her to run. But in the moment that it really counted, she froze, and the coyote did not.

(322 / 1500 Words)

Since his encounter with the fox and the imprudentgirl, Sephiran found himself lingering within the territories that neighbored the beach. Not only because he found her scent intertwined with the forestry here and there, but he also couldn’t help the curiosity that bubbled inside of him. There was so much to explore and so little time before the season would change from summer to fall. And, if he were to ever run into the girl again, he knew it would bring some thrill to these long, desolate days. Of course, this wasn’t because he sought a degree of friendship with her or cared about her wellbeing. His interest manifested from the desire to torment her, and prove what a Saxe was capable of. The scene he had left her on the beach wasn’t enough to erase the bitter taste she left in his mouth. She needed far more guidance than that, and who better than the young Saxe lord to teach her? Or so his grandiosity told him. So when he found her scent scattered along the riverstone that created the border between the trees and the water's edge, he simply couldn’t help himself. Like a moth drawn to a flame, the boy pivoted on the embankment where he had stopped to get a drink and rushed off into maze-like forest. She must have stayed within earshot of the river, as Sephiran could still hear the water crashing against stone, despite how deep into the woods she had traveled. It was the only sound he could hear in the forest, aside from the drone of his heavy breaths. As he drew closer to his target, his mind was racing to conjure possible outcomes of this encounter. He wanted her to be alone. Possibly even injured, to make her odds of running away again much slimmer. Or maybe she would have a kill he could steal to taunt her, or he could ruin her chances of making a kill, if she was in the midst of a hunt. But what he found wasn't anything he had been expecting. The chatter of barking canines echoed around him, and above their incessant yipping, he heard the frightened sheik of the girl. His hackles immediately rose along his neck and spine, and his tongue flopped from his mouth to slide across his fangs. The sound of her scream excited him. He didn’t hesitate to barrel towards the commotion, trying to calculate how many coyotes there may be, based on the different barks he heard. One, two, three… No, four, five? He didn’t have time to decide on a number before he had erupted from the brush, leaping in front of the girl. His gaping jaws wrapped around the side of the coyote's neck that was standing in front of her. Using his front paws to pin the coyote down, Sephiran started to violently thrash his head from side to side, as he sought to slice through enough flesh until his fangs could penetrate the arteries deep in its neck. A scream that morphed into a gurgle came from the coyote, but before Sephiran could deliver a final squeeze of his jaws to end its life, another coyote lunged from the treeline and grabbed the hock of his left back leg. He snarled and released his current opponent, jaws snapping at the new attacker who had already started to dart away from him. (890 / 1500 Words) ”Speech”

As the coyote lunged forward to close the remaining distance between them, and her only reflex was to brace for impact. She clenched her eyes tightly- gritting her teeth as she anticipated the attack. However, she heard the exchange of blows before she ever registered feeling anything. In an instant, her pale gaze sprung back open- flashing in surprise to the scene that played out before her. There wasn’t time to put rational thought into what was happening, but she felt compelled to react. The boy from the beach had a tight grasp on the throat of the coyote that had knocked her off balance in an effort to prevent her evasion. A second one that had appeared as suddenly as the boy, had already taken a shot directed specifically toward the murderous brute … but in a time like this, she wouldn’t complain. Just as she was searching the fray for an opportunity to provide aid to the situation- not that she knew what she could do- a third coyote appeared from the brush intent on adding to the altercation.

If anything she could do, Talyssa thought being a distraction might be her best bet. Leaving the boy to his two, Talyssa darted around the trio to intercept the approaching third. As they drew near, the coyote locked its joints to try and force a stop, but its momentum kept it sliding forward. Taking the opportunity to get it off its feet, she hit it full force with outstretched paws to its side. As they slammed into the ground, she felt the thud of the impact in her chest. All the while, fighting the scrambling predator to keep the upper hand- luckily, the coyote took the brunt of the fall. It wheezed as the air rushed from its lungs, but even still, it reached to make contact with her closest limb as it remained planted in its shoulder. She felt the tear of flesh against fang, leaving a searing in her forearm that left her gasping in surprise. In sudden reflex, she struck the predator in the face with splayed jaws. Caught in a situation of not entirely sure of how to handle herself- for the first time, realizing being equipped with the knowledge of how to defend herself and the skillset to actually pull it off, were two entirely different things.


(1245 / 1500 Words)

Within a few strides, Sephiran had closed the space between himself and the second attacker rushing toward the brush, trying to escape. Jaws splayed before he snapped at the coyote’s back limb, closing around the curvature of the back of its knee, which caused it to tumble. Unable to stop his momentum, he trampled over the flailing body, which caused him to let go of the leg he was trying to break. He heard the snapping of bone beneath his weight, heavy paws crushing the ribs that met his paws. They splintered into fragments within the coyote’s chest cavity, and unknowingly to Sephiran, punctured through a lung wall. His victim released a bloodcurdling scream, and the gurgling of blood-filled lungs followed. Moments later, the coyote took one last unavailing breath before all movement ceased. Under normal circumstances, he would have taken this moment to admire his work. But, the sound of the girl gasping caught his attention, causing his head to swivel upon his shoulders to witness her fighting against a third coyote. He watched her snap at her opponent’s face, snaring a chunk of its flesh in her jaws as she struggled to hold it down with her weight. He couldn’t help but smirk at her, bloodied lips contorting as they seemed to peel back to the corners of his eyes. Where were all those skills she claimed to have now? Jaws parted and he let out a deep, raspy chuckle; one that meant to catch her attention, and make her wonder if he was laughing at her or just enjoying the gluttonous joy he found in bloodshed. But his taunt was short-lived, as two more coyotes erupted from the foliage, charging in their direction as he assumed they meant to circle the girl attacking their comrade. He leaped forward, leaving her behind, jaws splayed and snapping at the two, causing them to pivot in place and dart away. He chased after them, trying to grab one of their tails which was just out of his reach; which turned out to be a poor decision. Another coyote out of sight leaped from a rock that gave it leverage, landing on his back and sinking its fangs into the thick scruff of his neck. (1619 /1500 Words) ”Speech”

In her grapple for control, it seemed that she was able to inflict an injury of her own as her teeth caught in the shallow flesh of the coyote’s face. It yipped out of pain and tried to retaliate by redirecting another blow to any place it could reach. However, with her own grip, she managed to hold it at bay. But it was at that moment that she heard the maniac laughing over what … she didn’t know. Her attention shifted off to her side- a leer from the corner of her eye, a flick of her ear- all in an effort to catch a glimpse of her unusual companion. That was all it took. A split second of distraction and the coyote she had pinned recognized its window of opportunity. The predator was able to rip itself away from her slackening grasp and slide out from under her in a frantic burst of energy. Hearing the sounds of death and agony in the wake of a challenger it wasn’t prepared to fight, it ran for its life- leaving its companions to the fate they had sealed.

Realizing she had allowed its escape, Talyssa pursued it a few strides for good measure- snapping at its heels for display. However, she was relieved that this was the outcome of this particular encounter. The stinging sensation of the bite on her forearm reminded her of what she had sustained, but the sound of ongoing battle prevented her from lingering on it for too long. The shot of motion across her field of view immediately captured her attention as the boy was in pursuit of two more coyotes she perceived to be making an attempt at escape. Except for a sixth one that made the decision to try and attack from the boy’s back.

Talyssa surged past him and the predator that he was obviously capable of dealing with. She moved to help by continuing to chase the ones off that had thought better of meeting their demise this evening. If they decided that maybe they had a chance of taking on the real threat three against one, she wanted them to at least think twice- even if she wasn’t much of a scare tactic herself.

When the teeth of his newest opponent sank into his scruff, the boy released a snarl filled with rage. The tearing of flesh sent a searing sensation of pain down his spine, blood trickling from the puncture marks as the coyote clawed at his back to stay on top of him. His first reaction was instinctive, his head twisting over his shoulder as he snapped behind him. But his attack was in vain, as the coyote started to shake its head, causing his own to jerk from side to side and his attack to miss. The gears within his mind turned, as he conjured up a solution. But the pain coursing from his back made his thought process jumbled. So, he did the only thing he could think of at that moment; something his father had taught him, which was to use his bulk to his advantage. Without further thought, he lifted his front paws from the earth, shifting his weight onto his hind limbs to rear up. He felt claws digging harder into his back as the coyote slipped down, but it didn’t let go of his scruff. In a swift, single motion, Sephiran coiled his strength into his hindquarters before leaping backward, flinging himself back-first onto the earth. Which mercilessly crushed the coyote beneath him. The shriek of pain that came from the coyote seeped into his ears and echoed within the towering pines surrounding the small clearing. The coyote frantically thrashed beneath his weight, trying to claw its way out from beneath him. But it was all in vain. Moments turned into minutes, and soon the coyote took its last breath, suffocating beneath the weight of his body and the bulk of his thick pelt. Sephiran didn’t pull himself back onto his feet until the cries of agony ceased and he felt it stop moving. His gaze fell upon his victim, and a look of admiration flashed across his face, before it shifted to his surroundings. Ears twitched upon his skull as he looked for the girl, who he expected to be laying on the ground, beat up. But to his surprise, she had just stopped chasing the last two coyotes and was several yards away from him. With his tongue hanging from his jaws, blood covering much of the front half of his body and face, he strode towards her. His chest rose and fell in an exaggerated way, as he was out of breath and panting roughly. He closed the distance between them, leaving only several feet of space before making a single demand. “Take us to the river.” He pivoted then, not waiting for her response, turning towards the direction he thought the river was. And then he waited, wanting her to guide him towards it, as he expected her to heed his command. -exit- ”Speech”