Cut the wire

Also used for territory creation, since my last one for this went daaaaid.

A labyrinth of tunnels through concertina wire-like thorn bushes encrusted in the woody colour of rust, the briar patch is a confusing, dense and thorny thicket made painful with agonizingly sharp turns more suitable for a rabbit or fox. There are few landmarks nearby from which a wolf could catch their bearings, and the branches arching overhead sometimes make it impossible to see more than a shred of blue sky. Some paths end in an impassable cul-de-sac, and it is not unusual to spot a scattering of bones or tufts of fur caught in the thorns. In the high of Summer, however, this otherwise plain and ugly labyrinth becomes disguised under the blossoming of the pale pink briar rose- but the facade does not last for long and otherwise serves to be as beautiful and dangerous as a venus flytrap.

Pic 1
pic 2
Pic 3

The hunt was on.

Sagacity had been as careful as possible over the past few weeks, minding the borders of Nomad's Pass while secretly following whatever trails she could pick up which had been left behind by the swarthy fiend. She'd taken care of herself, hadn't pushed herself too hard so as to avoid injuries, but had made sure that she'd been eating well. She needed to be at the top of her game, and have the perfect edge if she wanted to take him down. It had been so easy for him, the last time, to get the upper hand- and she knew he'd likely try whatever tricks he had to get the better of her. But she felt fit, strong, and most importantly, she was focused.

This time, she was not distracted by her own peril.This time she was ready. She tracked down his scent which lead into the darkness of the Fen toward the briarpatch she'd discovered not long ago. This place, where the thorny bushes grew thick, was where his trail led, and she followed it without hesitation and with the practiced ease of an expert hunter. Anticipation fuelled her, but with her rage bridled for the time being, she kept herself from making any foolish mistakes. She wanted to catch him like a wolf does a weak fawn. She wanted to catch him and kill him with no need for dramatic speeches or torture.

She wanted him dead by the simplest means possible. If it came to a full-on fight, then so be it. But she crept forward through the briarpatch until she came to an opening; a small clearing thick with non-threatening bushes where his scent was thickest. The evening sky was already the colour of spilled blood, and with a lusty growl humming in her throat, she advanced, ready to take on the gutless beast and dispatch him without mercy.

Avatars by Arla!

Sorry this took so long!

corvus corvum nigrum nominat

Corsair Fleetwood

The crow calls the raven black

He had been at this too long, and he knew - it was no longer a case of comfort, he needed a pack to keep him fed. Already his muscle was beginning to waste away, his once hefty frame how little more than skin and bone. He had been getting by on what scraps could be scavenged - abandoned caches by the lake but it wasn’t enough anymore. He needed to be cautious and that wasn’t a measure he liked to be required to consider. His lips pulled tightly across his muzzle as he struggled to not snarl. Weak. That was what he was right now, and it rubbed him wrong in all sorts of ways.

The briars loomed above him, the pink flowers disguising the danger within. Deciding this was as good a place as any to rest, his ears tucked flat to his skull and he lowered himself to his elbows to shuffle forwards until his scruffy coat was completely concealed by a myriad of thorns. As quickly as he had settled his eyes were closed and he was asleep... but not for long...

A menacing growl and a familiar scent left the dark and rusty male momentarily dazed. Attempting to get his feet underneath himself more steadily he retreated further into the briars with a startled growl of his own. Blinking rapidly in an attempt to clear his vision he was left seeing double of the sterling female before him.

He still wasn’t convinced this wasn’t all a dream.

☽ ✦ ☾

template made by GINNYSAURUS. of RPG-D.

They were both now corralled within the briarpatch, with the only escape route behind Sagacity. She heard the scuffle of feet as her foe gave away his position and her eyes fastened upon him at once. He'd scrambled to his feet and backwards to get away from the present threat but he wouldn't be able to go too far, not without getting himself tangled in the thorny, coiling branches which would make it even easier for her to kill him. He'd been quick to get himself to his feet, but this wouldn't be enough to save him. He stared at her in disbelief, and she glared back, taking a few stiff paces forward.

"You're going to pay with your life," She growled,"For what you did to me." She had absolutely no intention of allowing him to leave the briar patch. His carcass would rot there, in this small clearing which became a very convenient boxing ring for them to fight inside. Slowly she began to advance toward him, teeth bared, ready to leap into motion as soon as she came within range. But she would push him into a circling motion first, so that he might stare into the eyes of the wolf who would be his killer. She wanted him to feel fear and regret for what he'd done- she decided now that she wanted to hear him beg for mercy- so while it was theatrical and over-dramatic, she wanted to push him to his limits and make him feel every ounce of the fear, pain and shame he'd put her through.

Avatars by Arla!