almost easy

@Coal
There is a bear roaming in Cedarwood Forest.
ooc: so i'm a little bit nervous about starting this thread now because of backdating issues, but they're gonna TAKE ON A BEAR OK? and if you still want them to start out with an argument erebos can just be a dick about the whole thing, you'll see. 8D ( btw excuse the shitty writing )

ic:
Having departed from the blackberry fields, Erebos transitioned from thick, brittle grass to widely spaced trees. It was a nice change, and he nearly forgot the struggle of sneaking through the Ghastly Woods. This terrain was a paradise compared to what lay to the east, and Erebos knew he would never want to cross the range again. There was too much here to see and do; for now, at least.

He had recently caught himself a hare, and was carrying the limp carcass betwixt his jaws while searching for a comfortable place to rest and snack. With all the time in the world, he nearly forgot about the morsel on his tongue, instead wrapped up in the beauty of the woods. Blue sky still reigned overhead, broken only by what remained of the forest's canopy. His orange eyes tracked those patches, not a care given to where he was heading or what lay before him. That was, until a certain smell hit his lungs.

Erebos came to an abrupt stop, head snapping down low and tail lifting high and rigid behind him. Farther ahead of him traipsed a bear, the air told him. And within a few short moments, Erebos saw it. A black bear, luckily enough; no taller than himself, but gaining weight from its autumn preparations. But it still looked thin in comparison to the weight it should be at given the season, and there was a type of desperation in its eyes. It's attention was on Ere, clearly interested in the blood leaking from what he held. Defending anything from brute was a suicidal task for any lone wolf, yet there Erebos stood; weighing these options and deciding, fuck it.

Depositing the dead rabbit on the ground, Erebos continued to hold the other animal locked in his sights and took a slow and deliberate step over the carcass. His posture was that of an alpha defending its territory. With a low growl, he issued his challenge. Ultimately, it wouldn't matter if he kept his meal or not; this was not a test for himself or a matter of pride. This was purely for the hell of it.

"Come an' get it, motherfucker."

(This post was last modified: Nov 11, 2013, 10:29 AM by Erebos.)

He had backtracked somewhat, abandoning his journey straight north and traveling west alternating between a lope and a brisk trot, making many detours to chase a rabbit or a tasty field mouse. For the most part his sand and copper coat was endlessly damp under the drizzle falling from gray heavens, which was a bit of an annoyance but not anything he bothered to grumble about. The air smelled rather musty, and the wetness erased many a trail he could have followed towards a meal, but all in all the trip was enjoyable especially now that the Ghastly Woods were far behind him. The openness of this forest was a welcome change from the foreboding heaviness that place possessed, and if by chance a pack could be found here he wouldn't hesitate to find a place in it.

The huge Bielski was enjoying himself now, for the rain had sufficiently halted and his coat had for the most part dried out, and the breeze was delicious. Flashes of blues and yellows and grays danced in the treetops above; the many birds' voices created a harmonious song that made his spirits soar, for he had no cares in the world as of right now besides satisfying his stomach, and even that wasn't a problem just yet. Coal moved at a walk, bright orange ears swiveling to catch every noise, eyes sharp and taking in the activity of the forest. Since the rain had come to a pause critters were out and about and every few feet something new was detected by his ears, nose, or eyes. Nothing much was too exciting. Until now.

The scent of a bear and a wolf from the same direction and of the same strength wafted up his nostrils and they quivered excitedly. Coal broke into a lope, racing between the tall, sturdy trees, a flash of red and tan, headed towards the source. His goal was not to get himself hurt so he slowed before reaching the actual destination and instead poked his copper head out of the undergrowth to see what was going on. His eyes widened in surprise. A large silver male, only slightly smaller than himself, stood over a bloody rabbit and growled dangerously at a young bear who looked as if he was rather hungry. Coal rolled his eyes and grinned, almost wishing he could join the strange brute and stand up to the beast. The black bear wasn't very big, and bears weren't quite as fast as wolves, so it should be simple enough to retreat if need be.

Why not? Coal snorted and ran up alongside the stranger with a loose posture and vertical, wildly wagging tail. His tongue hung out of his mouth and his eyes glinted with mischief. The Bielski wasn't usually one for unnecessary danger, but he was a loner now.

He could do whatever he wanted.

"I'm Coal Bielski. Let's show this bear who's alpha 'round here?"

Erebos waited for the charge, but the enemy remained neutral, keeping a slight distance while eyeing him. A slight mist of confusion slipped into Erebos' mind until he caught on the wind what was causing such hesitation in his opponent; he was not the only wolf in the vicinity. What would one think of him, stumbling onto such a display? Erebos cared little. He didn't even try to source the scent, instead continuing to stare down the black bear. Daring it to make its move.

Then suddenly, another male broke through the foliage, joining Erebos' ranks and carrying the excitement of a youth. Cocking an eyebrow, the boy sized up his new ally before cracking a crooked grin and jerking up his chin in confidence. Yes, he had certainly found luck on that mountain, and she followed him still. Now, with the odds evened up, this would become even more fun.

"Erebos," he answered with a single nod before returning his attention to the opposition.

Stone still, the bear stared back, unsure of its odds and thus waiting for the situation to change in any manner. Erebos was finished with that little game. He shot forward, bulleting at the lug, and maintained the trajectory until the final second, in which the bear let out a cry and swiped forward, thick paw full of lethal claws. At this same instant, Erebos' legs swung to the side and dug into the dirt, launching his body to the right and out of harm's way.

And this was all it took to enrage the bear. With a more violent sound bursting from its throat, the villain charged.

This silvery white wolf was a maniac charging the bear with such recklessness, and to Coal it was almost refreshing to meet someone who could cast aside any worries at any time. The world was full of those who disallowed themselves to enjoy life, to see beauty, to chase a bear. An amused grin curled the copper wolf's mouth as Erebos leaped aside at the very last second to avoid the bear's sweeping claws, and in only seconds Coal found himself sprinting forward to join in the fun. Not to defend the bunny, not to exalt himself, but simply to play.

The bear, however, was nearing the boiling point it seemed, for his threatening roars grew terribly loud and his thick forelimbs swung wildly at the two mad brutes who danced around him washed with glee. Coal's eyes burned with the excitement of everything, his tail wagged in rhythm with the ursine attacks, never doubting his and Erebos' victory.

Coal backed away for a moment to catch his breath, watching carefully the moves of the dark furred bear. A grin painted his face, exhilaration shone through his panting tongue, erect tail and perked ears. Never before had he challenged this type of beast, but now that he had he wondered why it was so. The bear was not clumsy, though driven with rage it appeared so at times, and even at its best moment Coal doubted such a huge animal could dance so well as a wolf.

His muses ended as something came into contact with his ribs and hip and he soared through the air and might have continued to do so for many yards if a thick cedar had not stood in the way. A crack resounded upon impact, and then a cold thump as his limp body fell to the ground. Rising partially his dark eyes could see a second bear, slightly larger than the first, move in towards Erebos. Heaving with the pain of severely bruised ribs Coal managed to stutter a warning.

""Erebos, another bear!"

Now their foolish venture became rather dire, for one wolf against two angered bears was hardly a fair match, and even if Coal was able to join back into the fight his skills would be worth nothing for the pain shooting through his body rendered him nearly immobile. They needed a miracle of some sort or things would not end well.

It was just one bear. As much deadly force as it may have in its limbs, it was still just one meager, weakened bear, yet fucking with it was giving Erebos a temporary sense of invincibility. The poor beast quickly became frustrated and his cries sounded even mildly concerned as time and time again, the two boys threw themselves at him and the animal failed to so much as glance them. These were what caused Erebos to decide that at the end, he would abandon the rabbit and leave it for this bear to pick up; a consolation prize. That should have been the plan, anyways. Losing breath, Erebos began to slow down, nearing the end of this game. The universe had a different idea, however. The solid sound of physical collision caught his ears, initially as the unwelcome fourth member struck Coal and then again as the latter horseshoed around the trunk of a tree. His reaction time was limited, and therefor Erebos tapped into a reserve of adrenaline and acted fast. Swiftly removing himself from the reach of both aggressors, he strained to keep them within sight and simultaneously find Coal. The man was a bit of a ways away, causing Erebos to consider how much the attack must have hurt. He had called out to him, so surely he wasn't that hurt, right? Worry wormed its way into his head. What if he his stupid little game had cost Coal his mobility, or even his life? Erebos' demeanor changed instantly, the playful posture melting off of him to be replaced by the definition of aggressive dominance. By slowly sidestepping, he encouraged the bears to group together while also positioning himself between them and his ally. The general event had stilled, each soul sizing up their situation. It was clear Erebos and Coal had little time to react, as now the enemy knew their advantage and would soon act upon it. "What is your condition?" Erebos asked his friend, his voice now void of the cocky playfulness it had earlier held. He needed to know what Coal was capable of at the moment, if he could still manage for himself or if Erebos would have to play decoy.

@Erebos - So yeah...a little lame. Can Erebos save him?? xD

He could see the silvery male turn at his shout through the lumbering figures of two black bears. Coal felt a little hopeless from his prone position but, as he tried to get up the sharp pain shooting through his sides made him flop back down gasping for breath. He barely heard Erebos's frantic reply but lifted his head enough to see where the man danced around the beasts, eyes filled with worry. Again Coal tried to rise, forcing his limbs to lock in place and hold his large frame above the ground. He stared towards the bears and the wolf with determination dominating his gaze.

"I'm alright, I think! Just a little stunned." He had to muster up this strength, fight back. Blood was pooling below him as it trickled from the base of his ears. But it couldn't stop him. He parted with the ground as a wicked snarl ripped from his throat and he flew. His leap brought him right to the feet of the larger bear who stared down at its small foe with something akin to amusement. The blood within the Bielski boiled at the disgrace and he rose onto his hind feet, ignoring the awesome pain racking his body, and clamped his teeth down on the creature's jaws, hard. He felt a satisfying crunch and tasted blood before the bear's paws wrapped around his shoulder and pinned him to the snow with an incredible roar.

This was the end, he was sure. He watched the mutilated face as it breathed heavily into his own expressionless one, saliva and blood intermixing before falling in gross globs and blocking his vision. In an act of desperation he clawed at the bear's belly with all of the strength in his hind legs but knew it was hopeless. He wondered what Erebos was doing.

@Coal
sorry for taking forever. one more reply from you after this then our exiting posts and we can cash this thread in and be done with it. c:
also i have no clue how realistic i'm being because my only 'knowledge' of bear on wolf fights comes from watching balto, soo yeah. xD;

Erebos' plan for the most part had been to run; after all, there was no way in hell they could take down two bears. Coal, however, seemed to have a different idea. Erebos cursed under breath as his ally threw himself at the larger bear, and instantly his mind shifted into rapid gear. 'Damage control time, Ere.' The man decided to take on the other brute, hoping to scare it away and therefor increase their odds. He back pedaled a few steps, until he felt the rabbit carcass roll underpaw. With swifter movement, his jaws wrapped around its torso and he shifted his momentum forward. Closing in the distance between himself and the disengaged ursa, Erebos tossed the meat at it. Shock flooded the predator's expression before it stretched out its neck to catch the meal. However, it wasn't good enough. After a moment of thought, the beast charged once more. Erebos did what he could. He dodged the heavy paws and slipped between them, tucking his tail between his legs to avoid having it ripped off. With seconds available, he began to tear into the underside of his opponent with feral ferocity. A series of panicked cries and enraged snarls were released into the air as the bear stumbled backwards, frantically trying to escape Erebos' shredding claws and jaws. The Argyris at this point quickly disengaged himself and dodged backwards, putting a slight distance between them. Hurt and shocked, the smaller and weaker bear saw only one option; taking the rabbit with it, he escaped. The sense of victory within Erebos' chest burned away his exhaustion. Swiveling around on his toes, he then launched himself in the complete opposite direction. That valiant thrill was quickly replaced by a gut dropping fear as he saw the possibly fatal position Coal was in. Erebos shifted gears, now acting on the full ability of his adrenaline. If this man died because of his stupid games, Erebos would have a hard time coming to terms with it. Coming up the right side of the bear, Erebos' teeth sank into the flesh of its flank like bullets, rapidly biting and releasing and biting again. The bear felt this second barrage and turned its head to see what was attacking it, and that was when Erebos tore into the wounds Coal had previously afflicted. It's pain doubled and one of its eyes now permanently rendered useless, the bear reared up and batted heavily at the latched-on Erebos, who held on for all he was worth.

Ugh what a terrible post. Sorry for taking forever. :/

The huge, copper and cream brute passed out as what he expected to be the last blow came sweeping down to steal his life. But something intervened, forcefully drawing the bear's attention with expert snaps and snarls. Coal lay limp and cold as a quick battle raged between the bear and his friend Erebos. Only seconds later his mind drifted back to consciousness, only slightly aware of the insanity of his surroundings. The snarling and roaring did not penetrate through his ears but was thought a distant, gentle rumble, like that of a waterfall or welcome thunder.

Suddenly a blindfold seemed to be lifted from his senses and he snapped back to reality, rising from his prone position and searching wildly for the bear that had nearly killed him. An angry growl ripped from his throat and he backed away, gripped the earth with his paws, and launched himself just as the larger bear took a heavy swing at Erebos. Coal's teeth clicked together through the beast's paw and blood sprayed in all directions.

Before the bear could follow up with a swing by its other great paw Coal danced away, barely noticing the pain in his sides. "Erebos, run!" The large bear was too powerful to beat, unlike its smaller companion who had already fled and was gone, which was a great relief. Two bears was just too much to deal with.

"I'll keep it distracted while you get away!" He knew that he was going to die, for in this state he could not outrun the bear nor fight it and hope to win. But he would likely perish anyway, and Erebos had not taken any dangerous injuries, so it seemed like the best option.