The wind had abated and the lightning stopped, but the rain continued to fall without any sign of clearing. Aideen had gotten hopelessly turned around within the Ghastly Woods, and now found herself no closer to the pass, with the mountains to her left, as opposed to right in front of her snout, where she'd hoped to find them. But with the heavy downpour, any plans of investigating the southern parts of the mountain ridge had been pushed to the back of her mind, and her first priority was finding shelter. It just keeps coming! I thought it would have stopped by now... The rust-pelted wolfess was already disgruntled after her delay in the impenetrable woods, and the gloomy weather certainly didn't help her mood.






Drenched, almost to the bone, she made her way through the lighter terrain, searching desperately for cover amongst the trees. It would surely have been a better bet to stay under the thick canopies, but stubbornness had pushed her this far before she gave in to her need for rest, and dry fur; and there was no chance of her turning back! So now her copper lookouts scanned fiercely for any possible shelter, running over trunks, rocks and stubs in the open forest.






Fallen leaves crunched under her paws, and above her the branches were mostly naked, only a few brown and golden leaves sticking persistently to their trees; more and more torn down by the raindrops for every second. I tired growl escaped the fae's maw before she once again turned her gaze to the ground and continued her hunt for cover.






Finally, luck smiled at her, as a small cavern came into view amongst the rocks up ahead. Speeding up to a run, the orange girl hurried to the dry securities it promised, squeezing into the small space and sighing heavily when her body finally rested on dry ground. Her eyes were already heavy, and as she started to drift off, thoughts of her experiences from the last few days rushed over her. She felt a sting of guilt as she left reality, thinking of the quest she had taken upon herself and the promise she had made; I'm sorry Rayne... Just a few hours, then she would trek out again, she had to make up for the time she had lost! Just a few hours...






Word count: 393




I'm not stupid <b style="color:#c7470f">”I've got bark!”

Slowly, awareness comes back to Lani. First comes the noise. A mighty rushing noise that seems to be coming form everywhere. She smells the the sharp scent of the trees and the decaying leaves. The deep, earthy smell of the damp earth. She feels a steady. 'plop.' 'plop' 'plop' landing on her head, waking her from a deep but restless sleep. She opens her eyes to dim lighting. Lifting her head and scanning her surroundings, she finds that the rushing noise was the sound of falling rain. Standing shakily, she takes a few steps, stretching her stiff muscles. She winces. She had definately over worked them. What had she done? Her memory evaded her and her thoughts were foggy. She felt sad, but couldn't remember why.

She steps out into the rain, washing the dried sweat from her fur. She gasps. Her back stings, she was wounded. Then it came rushing back. Her father's rage, his attack, Canini's intervening, and her running. Lots of running. She chokes back a sob. It was her fault. Caniri was probably dead because of her. She stands in the rain, grieving for brother, her friend, a piece of her soul. Her tears blend with the heavy down pour. When she finally calms herself, she takes a deep breath. She couldn't change what happened. She needed to concentrate on something else.

Squaring her shoulders she heads off into the forest. Keeping her nose to air, she explores the territory. She could smell other wolves but the trails were old. She couldn't smell much more than the fresh rain. As she travelled she left frequent scent markers. She couldn't go back home, there was no way she was going back, so she might as well make a knew home. She was claiming this territory as her own.

She wanders her new home warily. She is just about to turn back when she catches the scent of another. She follows the faint, drowned trail until she comes to a small cave. Carefully, she steps into the mouth. "Who's there?"

Her muscles remain tense, ready to run or fight. She didn't know this area or the wolves in it.

A voice broke through the tricolored wolfess' slumber, awaking her with a start. When she opened her heavy lids, a pair of pale bluish eyes were staring back at her from only inches away; the outside light streaming in from behind the stranger making the rest of her face indiscernible. A surprised snarl escaped the sleepy lass, as she squeezed against the back of her little cave, ears press flat to her skull. Her head was still hazy from sleep, so before she had time to react further, another wise sounded outside her hideout; I thought I was safe here! Soon the new arrival showed herself, face appearing behind the darker female opposing her.






With the start, and her still foggy brain, there was no room in Aideen's head for sensible thought. Instead, anger flared up within her, eclipsing her shock, and she rose her haggles and growled: <b style="color:#c7470f">"You're damn right I will!" She moved a bit forwards, keeping her teeth bared in an attempt o drive back the strangers; I need to get out of here! She didn't know what these two other wolves were up to, but no matter what, she wouldn't be alright before she had open air all around her.






In aims to get out of the shelter, that had become her prison, she continued her harsh tone, snarling viciously: <b style="color:#c7470f">"What the fuck are you two doing, waking me up like this?! How about showing a little consideration?!" While she wasn't quite ready to jump these strangers, one false move on anyone's part would make the fiery wolf lash out; she wasn't a stranger to scuffles and fights, and something about the last arrived wolfs yellow stare rubbed her the wrong way.






Word count: 286




I'm not stupid <b style="color:#c7470f">”I've got bark!”

The girls whole body was coiled and tense like a spring, her teeth showing, hackles raised, and ears pressed back flat against her skull. She wanted most of all to get out of this crammed space, be able to move; what had she even been thinking crawling in here in the first place? The entire situation was insane, and it only got more so for every second.






Eyes so wide, the white in them were showing, Aideen stared from the black female, to the grey beast, and back to the first, growling deep down in her throat; MOVE! Then the darker, smaller wolf spoke, her voice laden with haughty spite. Aideen snarled back as she retracted from the cave entrance, voice rough with anger; <b style="color:#c7470f">"Don't tell me what to do!" The truth of the others words rang in the back of her mind, only serving to further her anger at this point. A rising wish to rip both of the others apart pressed behind the reddish girl's eyes, her thoughts were slow and dense, she needed fresh air.






From outside her frame of view, she heard the black girls voice ask the other to back down; How noble of her! The sarcastic thought came slowly, like it was forcing its way through tar, and it was the last one to form before instinct took over completely. As the largest of the three replied thunderously and hurled herself towards Aideen, the girl shot out a hind paw from her coil, attempting to hit the attackers face and push it to the side, such blocking the attack. Then she went into action, every muscle in her form finding its way into a familiar pattern. She might be small and slow, but she had a mother with the exact same disadvantages, who was still a hell of a fighter, and she had taught her daughter well.






The slender fae tossed herself forwards, set on getting out of this prison and onto better fighting ground, and, taking advantage of the attackers compromised position, aimed her teeth at the flesh right behind her ear. She pushed forwards, moving to use her grip in place of her lesser strength, to force the woman out of the cave, and give herself a better chance of victory.






Word count: 398




I'm not stupid <b style="color:#c7470f">”I've got bark!”

Her teeth connected, jaws clutching tight, and a taste of blood filling her maw. A feeling of triumph mixed with disgust, as her canines pierced skin and grabbed fat and fur, and her first impulse was to let go immediately, the taste of wolf bitter an unwelcome on her tongue. But with a persistent grunt, the reddish fae held her ground, locking her jaw and pushing at the had-stamped floor with her hind paws; determined to keep her grip. She shoved forwards with all her force, pressing back at the larger attacker, paws scratching at the ground as she tried to force the light pelted woman out of the cave; so that she herself could get free.






It was an effort unlikely to pay out, unless the attacker gave up her own advance, but stubborn as she was, Aideen continued pushing. Eyes half closed against the fur of the large dame, ears pressed flat back and shoulders rolled up to protect herself from a possible retaliation, the small femme was unaware of anything going on beyond her own body and that of her target, thus, she could only guess about the thud that echoed lowly through the cave, from somewhere near the entrance; Was that... Black? A voice soon followed, its words no more than a muddle to Aideen, but enough to confirm that the black lass was still out there and doing... Something!






Then she felt movement under her teeth, as, amazingly, the brutish wolfess gave in to her pressure, swiveling sideways to give free passage to the outside. The tri-colored girl released her grip, only happy to leave the enemy in her compromised position, and continue her forwards motion out into the rain. A good few leaps free of her prison, she then turned t observe the situation from her open position.






Heavy rain still hammering down, quickly soaking her newly dried fur, left the whole area a slippery mess, mud and fallen leaves covered the ground and small streams of water trickled along creases in the forest floor. Copper eyes scanning the surroundings, she noticed a double row of skid marks in the muck, leading down near the cave opening, where miss black was standing, a bit of mud in her fur explaining what had happened; Took a little tumble it seems... Aideen flashed her teeth in a joyless sneer, this whole situation was ridiculous! carefully placing her paws on the slippery surface, the slender girl trotted towards Black, who was still positioned at the entrance.






Ears still lowered unsurely, but tail lifted in a peace offering, the small fea approached the larger dame and spoke in a hoarse voice: <b style="color:#c7470f">"This is one pretty mess, isn't it?!" Her tone was harsh, a hint of poison lasing it, but the look she gave Black was diplomatic, even hinting towards apologetic. Then she rolled her eyes and turned them on the big woman, now neatly tucked within the shelter of the cave; <b style="color:#c7470f">"But I guess you got everything you wanted, right?!" Her gaze at this woman held nothing but flames and repulsion, a flash of teeth, that had nothing in common with a smile, following as she continued; <b style="color:#c7470f">"Where do you go around, thinking you can just assault everyone you come across to get what you want?! Give me one good reason I shouldn't widen that wound, now when you're so nicely cornered in there?!" Her tail was lifted now, her every fiber supporting her threat, and promising that she would follow it up, was there any need to.






Word count: 590




I'm not stupid <b style="color:#c7470f">”I've got bark!”