Cut Rock River Pack Thread

Only moments had passed since her arrival on the scene, and she had barely gotten in a few mouthfuls until there was trouble. Maksim hadn't even gotten the chance to properly greet her, nor any of the other females. Tension was thick in the air, at least on her behalf, that is. Astra had always sensed a feeling of grudging unease around other females. Ever since she was aware of Anastasia's jealousy and her intentions. She was gone now, and for a time, Astra no longer had to deal with such a predicament. However, as more and more wolves joined her ranks, the chances increased for her position to be challenged. While she had not voluntarily stepped up to the plate, she was accepting of Maksim's wishes, embracing her title fully. Before any of the females could even reply to her words, a tawny wolf with green eyes stepped forward. Her posture was all wrong. Defiant, proud...challenging. Her creamy ears flicked back in irritation before sitting forwards again. Who did this girl think she was? Could she not see her own stature...the dominance in her eyes? Whats more, she didn't even bother to speak, to return the words Astra herself had offered. This, was unacceptable. She would make sure that this female learned her place, before the situation could escalate any further. Astra Sellix, was quite frankly, fed up with being looked down upon, disrespected and feeling ganged up on. First with Anastasia and her friend, and now this upstart. The time of being mistaken for a soft, gentle natured girl was over. Her dark glare to the others warned them not to intervene. Maksim and the three other females, she would pay attention to no longer. A more serious matter was at hand, one that could only be resolved between herself and Kisla. She stepped around the carcass, blue eyes narrowing into slits, a sharp glare within. Her tail lifted high above her back, shoulders squared. With the blow of the wind, her hackles raised like quils upon her back. "I will teach you to mind your place. Stand down!" She barked in a forceful voice, her lips quivering. Astra though, with her sour temper as of late, would spare Kisla no mercy. In one swift, abrupt leap, she sprang forward. Her lips were drawn back to expose her teeth as a guttural snarl emerged from her throat. As an extra precaution, she tucked her neck in close to protect her vitals. She came crashing against the others frame solidly, knocking her back. Tongue lashing over her exposed teeth, she dived down to lock her jaws around the scruff of her neck, where she would give a good shaking, should her attack hit.

It only occurred to the tawny she-wolf as the cream beauty cast a glare to those around her - a direct command to let her handle this problem -- that her challenge was done in such a public area, and should Kisla gain the trophy she now sought, Astra's humiliation would be witnessed by half of the pack. There was nothing noble about her deed now, yet the heady scent of blood stirred her insistence forward, raising her muzzle ever more slightly up as her green eyes flashed with the defiance that thrummed at her very soul.

The regal she-wolf spoke then, her insistence met only with a blink as the Tainn prepared herself. Her own teeth flashed in significance to the threat, and the tawny female stiffened as Astra leapt forward then. It was an impressive collision, and tucking her neck closer in, Kisla's ears flattened to her skull in case the female felt it worthy to try to tear one off -- she knew nothing about her, and while grace exuberated from her very being, that did not mean it echoed from her soul.

She grunted from the impact, bracing herself and feeling the harshness of the blow reverberating in her chest. She would have coughed, but there was no time -- instead, her scruff was grabbed by the lady of the River, stirring a snarl from Kisla's tainted lips. She writhed then, her figure twisting as she made to free herself -- her own creamy paws dancing as she escaped from the clench of fury before teeth closed upon fur and skin. Her own body leapt forward now, sidling up to the left of the female as her own jaws gaped open to grab at the female's shoulder where she would clamp skin and fur to push down, rather than tear flesh. If the female would not willingly submit, Kisla would do her best to force it form her.

sparking up my heart

AN AWKWARD LACHESIS APPEARS, sorry for jumping in during the middle of this but Lachesis needs sum food <333 and wants to be a spectator, woo

Days had gone by since his return – perhaps it had been weeks, but the skeleton was no longer keeping track. Most of his time was spent shelled up within his den, his dry, cracked nose desperately searching for any remains of the china doll’s scent. What lingered was faint, but it was enough to keep him going. Enough to keep his mind occupied with hope; hope that she would defeat the mountain and return to him. When visions of the blue-eyed female disappeared from his thoughts the spider-legged boy was consumed by grief. It held him in a vice grip, slowly chipping away at his sanity as hours passed. It all seemed like one long, extremely painful dream – it couldn’t be real. She couldn’t be gone.

How could he abandon her? Would she ever forgive him for leaving her on the mountain?

Giving his groggy head a quick shake the boy stumbled forward, thin legs pushing their way through the snow as he ventured outside for the first time in days. It was so cold; leaving his den suddenly seemed like a horrible idea. A lazy frown fell onto his maw as he paused against the trunk of a tree, sides heaving as the cold air made it difficult for the thin wolf to breathe.

The stale taste of berries lingered on his tongue, but it wasn’t vegetation that the yearling sought: no, it was the scent of meat that the ghost was after. While he had secluded himself within the walls of his den Lachesis had turned to berries and leaves as food in order to halt his hunger. I’m turning into Penny, he had thought a number of times when he caught himself chewing on a juniper berry, its juice spilling over his lips as a weak smile would break the frown that had made itself home on his maw.

Shuddering against the cold the ghost gave his head a quick shake, pear eyes focused ahead as he followed the metallic scent. XIX was not keen on seeing his pack mates but the painful ache in his stomach was impossible to ignore. If he didn’t eat soon the winter would take him, and as miserable as he was Lachesis couldn’t allow that to happen. For Anastasia. He had to be here for when she returned…

The stench of meat filled the air, intoxicating the young wolf as he pushed forward with sudden determination. There was something else that hung in the air, thick and discomforting… Astra’s voice broke his thoughts, her crème-coloured body lunging at a female who XIX did not recognize. He paused instantly, his stomach growling awkwardly as he watched the two female’s wrestle for dominance. That should be Anastasia and Astra, he thought bitterly as a grimace fell onto his maw, his eyes absently lingering on the meat behind them. He didn’t care about some petty rank challenge, he wanted food. He returned his gaze to the two female's just as the tawny female retaliated, her jaws reaching for Astra’s shoulder in order to force her into submission. Cheering silently for the nameless female Lachesis lowered his hindquarters to observe, his ears pinned against the back of his skull.

Well, this should be interesting…

(This post was last modified: Feb 04, 2014, 05:12 AM by Lachesis.)

stick with those who stick with you

Obeying the cue from her alpha, Bastet took her place at the carcass and situated herself near the rump where she could eat without much disturbance and enjoy the meatiest portion of the meal which would hopefully replenish her strength. She ate in silence, her ears pivoting every so often toward the sound of approaching wolves but she remained at the carcass for fear of losing her spot and became much too preoccupied in eating than mingling with her fellow River members. It wasn't until another female came, this one after Kisla, that her attention shifted from her food to the company around her. She hadn't known the leading wolf beside Maksim before, considering her absence, though she made it a point that every female in attendance knew who she was by posture and words collectively. It wasn't until she caught the reaction of Kisla that Bastet's attention shifted from her meal, there was no denying the anger boiling within her once Astra took her rightful position next to their king--perhaps this lower ranked woman had feelings for Maksim? It wasn't surprising, he was a well sought after man, both skillful and strong, his intelligence shown in his cold gaze, but Bastet knew better than to admit this to anyone considering her position in the pack. There was no way her alpha could ever consider her worth his time.

No sooner did Kisla take challenge to Astra did the current alpha accept and the scuffle over leadership position ensued. It was strange, considering that this meeting was for feeding the pack, but there was no better opportunity than now to get everyone in the same place at once, perhaps Kisla had been in search of Astra since joining. Being alpha alongside Maksim was a respectable position that any female would want, there was no surprise that Kisla had taken it upon herself to challenge Astra, she only hoped the female wouldn't make a fool of herself by challenging only to fail. No sooner did the women begin to fight did she caught sight of Lachesis, her medic, and a pang of excitement swelled in her chest, she hadn't seen much of him lately and hoped that he was okay. So much had happened since him finding her, and treating her at his den. Not wanting to interfere with the challenge but anxious to get to Lachesis, she walked from her spot at the kill to get a better view of the fight and settled next to Lachesis, her shoulder bumped him in greeting before she paid attention to the battle at hand. She wondered what he thought of this fight, but thought to ask him later, when tensions weren't so high.

(This post was last modified: Feb 06, 2014, 12:20 AM by Bastet.)

Avatars by Becca! Thank you!

There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health

Her intentions had been made clear, her displeasure expressed to the fullest extent. But inside, she was conflicted. It was Maksim who had so graciously asked her to take on the roll of Lead female. She had never wanted, nor asked for such a title. But back then, on that day when Cut Rock River was founded, she felt compelled to accept his wishes, if only so the pack would not be without a pair of strong leaders. Times were hard and Astra did not want to shirk the responsibility placed on her shoulders. This challenge...she knew it was inevitable. From day one, she knew that it would eventually come, one way or another. The jealousy in Anastasia's eyes had told her of her intentions. Who wouldn't want to lead alongside a strong male like Maksim? However, Astra did not share any strong feelings of fondness with the Baranski. Only a healthy amount of respect and friendship. Even with her leading position, she considered herself subservient to him. So why fight? Instinct told her that it was what she must do. To maintain her pride...she had filled her responsibilities, accepted new members and lead a successful pack hunt. She wasn't about to let go of all of that so easily. She smirked inwardly as her attack hit, feeling the body of the other female collide against her own. Paws shuffled through the snow, legs twisting expertly as she adjusted her stance, certain of a retaliation. She spun, attempting to get out of the way of Kisla's charge, but was too late. Her timing was off just a bit, and it cost her. The piercing sting of teeth sinking into fur and flesh earned a wince, but the adrenalin pumping through her blood dulled the pain. Snarling in more anger than agony, her teeth snapped together with a resounding click. Prying herself away and out of Kisla's grasp, she paid little attention to the stain of red upon her coat, nor the creamy fur that flew out of place. Instead, she whirled, springing forward at an angle, towards the back of her rivals head. There she clamped down on the junction between her ear and neck, a place she knew to be a pressure point. With a firm, locked grip, maybe she would be able to gain at least some control over her challenger.

(Thought it was the best way to explain such a large drop, so close to home. Maybe Bast wants to jump on those health points?) Lani was exhausted. After spending days hardly coming home or speaking to the rest of the pack, she would finally get a rest. She had been out looking for food, usually what she spent most of her time doing unless she was patrolling. Most of the time she was forced to go empty handed. She hated the fact that she was useless. She was never going to get anywhere in this pack if she couldn't prove herself, so she had been elated when she had stumbled upon a goldmine. A half eaten carcass had been burried in the snow. She had taken the time to unearth it, and considering it was actually all that far from the den, she desided to bring it back herself, rather than going for help. Now she was paying for it. Her body was almost dead by the time she managed to drag the damn thing into the den site. She hoped that once there, she would have help storing it. She had already taken her fill where she had found it. She had needed the precious energy and hoped it would help bring her health back up where it used to be. It wasn't until she had actually finished moving, had let go of the carcass, and sat, that she realized that not everything was normal. She had stumbled upon a fight! Not just any fight, a rank challenge. She watched as the two females grappled, and wondered who would win. She didn't really mind all that much, if she was telling the truth. She didn't have much contact with the leaders as it was. Turing her eyes away from the battle, she spotted a few other pack members watching also. One of them being Bastet. Lani perked her ears in the girls direction, hoping to catch her attention. Lani wondered if the girl was hungry. She could see that food had already been brought in, but she wouldn't mind the company.

(This post was last modified: Feb 13, 2014, 08:22 PM by Lalani.)

Her mark had hit – while her grasp had not meant to tear, Astra’s wrench from it had torn skin, and as blood filled the honeyed she-wolf’s senses, she bit back a snarl, upset at having injured her pack mate, despite however little. Rank challenges were not meant to be so vicious as that, and spreading her paws further apart for balance, her eyes locked upon the creamy female’s form as she spurned to action – wondering if it worth it at all. Astra had only made herself known when there was food, and while Kisla wished for the woman to show her why she should be Leader over her or forfeit, the Tainn woman cringed at the metallic taste of the blood upon her tongue.

Astra leapt then, and while the tawny woman would have initially ducked had she not been so shaken, she had no time, and best she could do was brace herself once more from the blow. Her injured paw screamed – but none more so than the tender point in which the Leader grasped her. A grunt escaped her then, and as the creamy female pushed, Kisla felt herself give way for but a moment. Clearly the she-wolf would fight for her role – that much she could be grateful for in a Leader.

And yet once more the stir in her chest reminded her that this she-wolf was not Maksim’s mate. The knowledge in itself startled her thoughts, though she would not dwell upon what this meant. Not yet.

She twisted her lithe form then, pulling herself from the grasp of the regal and sliding away – her own flesh tearing and crimson staining her golden pelt. More angered now than challenging, the Tainn released another warning snarl as she came to the side of the she-wolf, her jaws seeking to clasp the female’s muzzle firmly in her mouth and force her down head first – rougher than before, as her own ministrations of not breaking skin had clearly gone by the wayside.

sparking up my heart

As the struggle continued, Astra began to wonder just how long she and Kisla would be locked in battle like this. It was nothing more than a common rank challenge, and yet it had been enough to flare her temper. As time wore on, she felt her muscles growing weaker from the strain. Was something so petty as a rank really worth fighting for? While the throbbing wound on her shoulder was hardly a bother, it had not been in her intentions to draw blood from her fellow pack mate. Yet as Kisla ripped herself free from her jaws, fur and flesh peeled away, leaving an angry red wound in place. Astra wouldn't blame Kisla for her injury...she had merely been to desperate to get away, too rough. Perhaps these wounds, should they scar, could serve as proof of their battles. A reminder that each had fought with their heart and soul to have what they desired. But the rank of Alpha female was seeming less and less desirable as the seconds flew by. Why should she have to shoulder the responsibilities of the pack with Maksim, when there was clearly a better wolf for the job? Kisla was young and experienced, from what she could tell. Unbeknownst to her, the golden girl also had a soft spot for the Baranski male in her heart. Feelings which Astra lacked, nor wanted. Twisting around as Kisla moved in for another attack, Astra then felt all the fight rush out of her. There was no point in fighting for what she did not want. The woman had proven herself, and thus earned her respect. Still very much irritated, Astra did not struggle as the firm clamp of jaws wrapped around her muzzle. Instead, her ears slicked back against her skull, tail lowering between her legs. She dropped down on her side, letting the pressure placed upon her muzzle guide her body towards the ground. Admitting defeat, she extended one leg up to paw submissively at the new queens chest. She may have lost, but at least she had proven not to be a complete pushover.

The winter wind seared the broken skin upon her nape – while flesh was protected by thick fur, it still served as an angry reminder to what had taken place this day. The creamy female seemed to slow suddenly, allowing the Tainn woman’s jaws to clamp upon her muzzle and lead her to the ground. It was not out of physical exhaustion she surrendered, that much was obvious to the golden female. Kisla knew nothing of the woman she scuffled with, and so she would not dwell upon the matter. As Astra gave way to her ministrations, the tawny female would relent her grip slightly, softening her touch before a crooning growl would slip past her throat.

Her posture was tense – her paws spread purposefully upon the blanketed snow in a firm grip. Her opponent relented fully, sliding to the ground on her side, one delicate paw touching to Kisla’s chest. Only then did the Tainn release her grasp, her tongue moving to smooth across the she-wolf’s muzzle in acceptance and apology. Opponents moments before, the Tainn woman found her only a pack mate now, and not an enemy. Whether the Sellix she-wolf was compliant to this was her own nature.

Taking a pace back then, the tawny female’s posture lifted to reflect her new position within the River. Her green eyes flashed over the other females within the vicinity, her movements stiff as she then prowled to Maksim’s side, pressing her muzzle to his cheek as she sought his acceptance for the changes that had suddenly stemmed.

sparking up my heart