Verdant Mosses full moon, fog, friends and foes

For a moment he glanced back to Elettra, taking in and implementing her notion of wisdom. Their numbers were sufficient to warrant the dispersed search of a wide area, and silently he observed the directions the others would take. Stay close, their silver depths beckoned to the River wolf, Fenru, who filtered to his side. The cold, damp air was thick with suspense, and carefully placed steps took him deeper into the forest that now seemed so forbidden. It was sickening to think that here, now, filth slithered just under their noses, just out of sight. They had to be. The lingering fog disguised even the shadows, but there would be no escape for the cowards whose doom closed in on them with every step the army took. Instantly he stopped. An icy chill coursed from head to tail, a thick spine of fur erecting in its wake. The scent was absolutely disgusting, but it served its purpose - to ignite a warrior's wrath somewhere in the darkest depth of his soul. There was no time to react; Ice's warning coincided with the ivory creature's emergence from the night, her black lips oozing as she spat her pathetic challenge. His own curled in repulsion. Swiftly he pivoted to face Ice and the Aniwayan bitch, his posture as offensive as it was defensive as he closed much of the gap between. The situation was unraveling fast, and nearly as fast as the first foe emerged did the scent of a second taint the air. As quickly as he could make sense of it, his eyes darted to every shadow, following every movement as quickly as was possible, before- A flash of an orange stare directly preceded the charge of another Aniwayan, lunging for Ice as his back was turned. Kade raced, as did Elettra but from the opposite side, coming in wide from the male's flank before dropping low. He was poised to strike from behind and to the right, and surely would should Elettra's charge topple the ebony bastard, but not without snapping viciously at the Aniwayan's hock first. His wide jaws part as he closes in, not caring one way or another if he, too, is rocked by Elettra's blow. Two on one were just the odds this asshole deserved.

table by mimi

Kade is currently attacking Slyscar.

(This post was last modified: Apr 17, 2013, 11:59 PM by Kade.)

His battle with the sick heathen was over and victory was his. It was small consolation as he bled from a myriad of wounds that marked him for death. The broken rib that caused a searing pain in his side would kill him first though. He was a practical wolf and knew that he had indeed come to his time to die. The drive to tell the others what he knew propelled him forward even as blood spurted from his mouth with a sudden coughing fit. Catching his breath, he moved on, determination in every step. As he walked, he thought of his life and despite the tragedies, he decided that he'd had a good one. He'd lived, loved and made his mark upon the world once upon a time. Taking down the sick wolf to keep the rest safe had come natural to him. There had been no hesitation and he could pass on to the next life knowing that he'd made a difference in this one.

Lost in his musings another coughing fit caught him off guard. His legs shook with the energy it had sapped from him and he wasn't sure how much further they would take him. As he once more took slow shallow breaths the sound of voices came to him in the distance. Having grown used to the eery quiet of these strange lands, his cinnamon ears locked in on the sounds and he forced himself onward. Closer to the others. As he peeked out from behind a dense clump of bushes, he saw that the others were indeed here. And in force too! Before he had a chance to move forward and show himself so that he could share what he had learned and what he had accomplished a female, one whose scent he recognized from the small pack stepped forward and boldly challenged the leader of the mass from west of the mountains.

He saw her lathering her lips and frowned. Then he realized what her intent was, she wanted them to think that she was ill, but he knew that she wasn't. He'd had the breath of death in his face and she did not have it. Even from this distance, he could smell her health. Again, he was about to step forward and debunk her falsehood when a dark form caught his attention, slinking up behind the large white male, whose attention was on the female in the center of the circle. As the unseen dark brown male leaped at the back of the larger white one, Cisco yelled out, "BEHIND YOU!!" before collapsing in a heap, blood spurting from his pale muzzle as pain racked his body. He did not see the others lunge to intercept the rear attack as his vision tunneled from lack of oxygen.

Out of the very fog and shadows that shrouded the land crept forth a she-wolf, pale pelt illuminated by the soft glow of the moon. She could have passed for an average wolf, any of the great number that traversed the lore, yet the knowledge of what her pack had done to innocents and the glint of foam on her lips told Skana otherwise. It was almost a convincing act, but Elettra caught on swiftly, alerting them all of the deception. Skana took a deep breath, finding that while the land itself reeked of stale disease, the scent of this wolf did not carry the familiar festering of the cursed pack that had once threatened Skana's childhood home.

Skana narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the single wolf as she thought, no heed given to the brave words shouted their way. Was this it? Was a single wolf all that remained, and knowing her demise was inevitable she chose to face them boldly? Or was the woman simply a distraction from others that might creep around them. Before Skana could quite decide, there was a sudden explosion of sound and motion in Skana's peripheral. She swung her large head to see a black wolf lunge towards Ice's neck, materializing from the shadows, with Kade and Elettra already moving to his defense. Skana's wasn't sure who was a distraction for whom now, but they couldn't allow the scuffle to let the female a have a chance to escape.

"Guiness, Kasai," Skana barked, calling their attention towards the woman. They would need to watch eachother's backs, and between Elettra, Kade, and Ice, the black wolf would have plenty to contend with already. Skana loped a circle around the female, trying to box the woman in. Her amber eyes locked on her as her scarred grey lips peeled back in a silent baring of fangs.

Skana moves to the other side of Fleetfoot.

(This post was last modified: Apr 18, 2013, 02:45 AM by Skana.)

Moving fluidly with Athena proved to be as easy as a task as it always was. With ease the three poisoned members positioned themselves accordingly, Ash deciding he would take one of the outer rings, his back facing Athena and Steel’s own, not wishing for any bastard wolves to sneak up on his family, or any other wolf that happened to be facing the other way. His ears were pricked high on his head as he scanned the area around them, his mossy green eyes sharp and alert. His eyes flickered slightly only when movement came from his peripheral, his head remained rooted in the same place, refusing to look away from his spot. An unfamiliar voice caused his ears to flicker back, the woman’s voice touching his ears delicately, and a small sneer forming on his muzzle in response. A growl rose from within his chest, not bothering to turn around to see if she was sick or not. By the sounding of Elettra’s enraged voice, he would only guess at what had happened.

Baring his fangs at the empty lands in front of him, he glanced around and seeing that other wolves were also in the same position as him, he blankly turned around, his massive form instantly darting over towards Athena, his body covering hers in a protective manner his shoulders bunched and ready to leap out and defend his lady if so need be. His eyes took in the situation quickly. A female, the one that had spoke, stood around the middle of their circle, her mouth foaming, a sign that he did now know meant sickness, but could guess that Elettra meant that she wasn’t sick. He watched as a team of three from Elettra's own pack jumped into the mix and immediately, Ash followed suit, his large form bounding into the circle with the three Willow wolves, his fangs exposed to the woman in front of them and a nasty snarl forming on his lips.

(This post was last modified: Apr 18, 2013, 02:01 AM by Ash.)

I think I've finally seen the light..in you.

Things started happening ever so quickly. It had been a short while after they had formed a line and began scouring the forest for the army's prey when suddenly one of the Aniwayan's showed themselves. A white she wolf stepped out from the shadows baring her fangs dripping with saliva. A snarl instantly appeared on Kasai's muzzle. His burnt features making the dark wolf look like a demon from the fired pits of hell. Area's where there was fur bristled seemingly doubling his size as the dark man growled out a few curses towards the white wolf.

He had started to run forward ready to attack until Ice shouted that the she wolf had the illness. As much as he would love to disobey the white ass' command Kasai didn't want to get sick and die either. Why not? What the hell do we have to lose now? Was the only thought that ran through his head. However for some reason his legs stayed locked in place only a few feet away from the white she wolf.

Somewhere nearby an actual sick wolf did show. However this was not in Kasai's focus at the moment. He was out for blood now.

Elettra then spoke, either knowing from her healing expertise or just by scent that the white wolf was faking illness. This gave Kasai the incentive to attack once more. Elettra was his leader not Ice. Not anymore. All of the sudden his yellow orbs caught a dark movement to his left. A dark male wolf with the same stench as the female showed his ugly face and was headed for Elettra. The good thing Kasai noted was that two other wolves were jumping to the male at the same time. He won't survive that, and Elettra will be fine. Kasai snarled once, turned to stare down the white female, then moved in-sync with Skanna as she threw out commands of her own for he and Guiness to attack. Though Kasai barely knew the brown mist coated she wolf named Skana. Honestly in the heat of the moment he was attacking for himself, for the pleasure of the fight, and not for this apparently higher up brownish female within Willow Ridge.

Kasai went to the opposite of Skanna attacking the right side of Fleetfoot and aiming for her skinny neck. If he missed then so be it, but if he hit Kasai would get the satisfaction of blood upon his lips. A pup murderer's blood. They deserved to die in hell. The very place where he had come from.

(Kasai attacks Fleetfoot)

Though he saw some wolves suffering slightly from the exertion, the trek across the mountain had not fazed him in the least. His time living here had toughened the burly male until his muscles were rock hard and his stamina had improved greatly and he was prepared for anything as they stopped and regrouped. He hadn't said a word to anyone as they had traveled, uneasy in such a large group. For this reason, he had hugged the edges of the group while remaining near his own pack members.

Not long after they stopped, things started to happen. In a strange way this pleased the stoic wolf. The sooner that they got this business over with the sooner he could get back to his near-solitary life by the Lake. The woman, Elettra called for them to fan out. He moved as one with his pack mates, but before all had moved out a strange woman emerged and called out a bold challenge to their leader. Seeing her standing alone amongst so many, he wondered at her temerity. Or insanity. Ice moved forward and others followed suit, circling her as she foamed at the mouth. This sight confused him and he wondered if she had the sickness that had been spoken of previously. Almost as if answering his thought, Elettra once more called out, this time exposing the lie of her illness, or lack thereof

The logistics of the deception escaped him, but he chose not to dwell on the 'why' of it. A male came out of the woods behind the large male and a couple of others flew into action against him. Ash moved towards Athena and he followed suit, falling in on her other side, eyes locked on the enemy in the circle before them. A snarl erupted from his white maw as he whipped his stormy blue gaze back towards the female, sure she would be attacking too. Instead, several other wolves had pressed their advantage, knowing that she wasn't actually sick. Caught up in the moment, adrenaline pumping through his burly frame, he too moved forward, hackles raised and teeth bared in a vicious snarl.

(This post was last modified: Apr 18, 2013, 03:24 AM by Steel.)

It was time. The yearlings previous youthful energy now flowed into steady limbs, not an ounce of movement would be seen from him. He heard the she wolf's call and stepped to the side of his family. Hollow's mind blocked out all thoughts. At once a she wolf appeared, ragged, and at first glance the dark male was fooled until he caught her scent, she was not sick in the least. But at the transfer of words between the white leader and the dark one it had been noticed, he added his own input, not caring whether or not anyone needed reassurance. "She's right it's only a trick!" With that he prowled forwards, in Hollow's mind now was not a time for formalities. Any other day the young wolf would have waited for Nina's call, but today was about much more than a border skirmish. Today they would rid their lands of this evil. Once and for all.

A split second told of another wolf's arrival and a third, both male, but the third was not foe for he called a warning at the very moment the dark lady shifted her attack to meet the other. Hollow noted the appearance of the newcomer who had called just before the bloodied wolf fell flat. The yearling moved but not towards either of the two newcomers but to the other female. His lips peeled back to utter a guttural snarl, the sound of hatred and determination. In the commotion others moved towards the female and a few towards the male that had foolishly flung himself at the white leader. Hollow himself found a position behind the she wolf, if she turned to flee he would meet her, if not he would launch himself onto her back and his teeth would meet her spine. These were no longer matters of who did what, this was full open battle and someone would never see the light of the next day. In a very small part of his mind, Hollow just hoped beyond hope it would not be him, or any of the wolves that had come over the mountain to exterminate these vermin.

So many things were happening at once. The woman had come before them, looking as ill as ever, but Elettra soon called her out on her own bluff, not believing a second of them believing that the woman in front of them, was indeed sick. Perhaps the silver woman was a fool to think that they would not have brought trained specialists with them to determine who was and who was not sick around them. At this, his fangs flashed before him, a nasty growl erupted from his muzzle as everyone jumped into the action. He saw one man going for the white man that had led them all here, but Elettra and a few others were quick to jump to the rescue, while his own golden amber eyes remained on the silver female in front of the remaining circle. Skana, a trusted member within their pack quickly snapped to both Kasai and Guiness. Instinctively, he followed her orders and went with her tail, his body fanning out along with her own.

A vicious snarl erupted from his muzzle when the Willow wolves surrounded the silver woman. Another wolf, from a pack that he did not know of soon joined his side, along with another wolf from the same pack, both wolves extremely dark in comparison to him. Many wolves were around them now, including one wolf from Nina’s pack that he didn’t know. Out of his peripheral he saw their newest male member going to attack the silver lady, along with the yearling from their ally’s pack. With an encouraging growl, he too lifted himself up and barreled towards the female, wanting to crush her beneath her paws and finish her off. As he got closer the man continued running, only hoping that his lack of speed would make up in strength as he attempted to collide into her.

[Guiness is trying to barrel into Fleetfoot}

Pillar of Strength

There was quiet discussion of moving out in groups, and Destin was preparing himself to continue the walk deeper into these lands. A female suddenly emerged from the bushes, saliva dripping from her jaws as she spoke of warnings and death. The subordinate male took a few steps back, now unsure. This wolf did not seem as manic as the fox with rabies had- that animal hadn't been in his right mind, either. A call from the side shouted out that this wolf was lying about her disease and the McBain grew courage, taking a few steps forwards towards the female. He was waiting for an order from Kade, but destiny seemed to take matters into its own hands.

Sounds coming from behind him caused Destin to whip his head around in an attempt to see what was happening. A wolf appeared to have leaped into the air towards the white male who had lead them here. Another wolf then leaped towards this male and a flurry of activity began, one event after another. It was hard to tell what, exactly, was going on. Hearing a call from the bushes- one of pain and suffering, Destin turned his head to looked. An injured wolf laid there. Knowing he couldn't help much more with the battle without causing more confusion, the male wolf ran over to the fallen. He stayed a distance away from the wolf just in case. "How can I help you?" he asked urgently. The male had the smell of sickness, but also the scent of relic lore. This wasn't one of the pup stealers.

Her unasked question did not go unanswered for too long. Surely enough, Elettra soon spoke up, her voice rising above all of the pack wolves. Nodding her head, she flicked her tail for the Woodland wolves to follow her, their bodies moving towards the left of the massive land that was in front of them. The wolves did not last long though, for another wolf graced their presence, one that none of the wolves gathered were familiar with the silvery female. She hadn’t noticed at first, due to the fact that Nina had been checking mainly for scent instead of appearance, but when she looked at the maw of the female, she could see the foaming of her mouth. Knowing from prior experience as to what the disease smelt like, she peeled her lips back and let out a vicious snarl. The mysterious wolf in front of them all was lying straight to their faces and a few other wolves seemed to realize this, including Elettra, who called the bluff straight to the other’s face.

At the corner of her vision she could see another wolf attack Ice, but Elettra and a few other wolves were quick on this. While some of the other wolves, two of whom she recognized from the Willow’s pack advanced towards the silver lady, along with another follower of theirs. In the process, the sight of Cisco caught the Healer’s eye, and she focused on him. There was nothing she could do in this point of time. Herbs were not growing back in yet and she was sure she would not find some just laying down within the land. For all she knew, she would not be able to help him anyways, and so she quickly diverted her attention back towards the female that had taken from the other packs, her green eye merciless as she stared at the murderer. Ash and a wolf from his pack soon joined in on the mix, while Hollow pressed on, growing closer and closer to the woman. Snapping her head towards Sloane, she snapped an order to him in a low growl, "Go with Hollow. Protect him." She then looked back towards Koda and mentioned for him to press the circle tighter around the wolves to bound them closer in hopes that it would be easier to land more attacks on the opposing side.

It seems when you're around, my life is complete.