Silent Moon Plateau rattle

Everyone can assume any attacks made on the lynx land -- or play the lynx themselves!

His instincts were sharp -- his nature true. Phineas Argyris would not have this marauder snake through his lands and elicit damage as they saw fit. His pack was upon his heels.. this much he knew, but it gave him little confidence -- Takis and Celandine were too young to truly know how to fight a beast as this, which left only him and Aesire.. unless Tannis too, seen fit to join the fray and had unhid himself from his daughter's slender figure.

They slowly gained on the predator, whose large paws carried it with a swift grace that Phineas knew he could never mimic. It was perhaps his intimate knowledge of his homeland that gave him the advantage, and as he gained ground upon the dusty lynx, he could feel the creature's heart drumming in its chest.. for it mirrored his own. A vicious snap of his jaws would catch the feline on its hindquarters -- blood sprayed to the ground, though it was only superficial. A guttural snarl escaped him then, and with a desperate leap to stop the creature in his home, Phineas bound forward with a swift jump, his shoulder slamming in to the lynx's hind side and sending it rolling.

Moving forward, his large form made to pin the creature, but it was snake-like and graceful, and it twisted back upon its paws before it's back had fully touched the ground. With one swipe of its massive paw, Phineas was clipped in the shoulder, opening a wound that stained his pristine pelt red. With his ears slid back, the Argyris lunged forward, his jaws seeking his opponent's throat.

Tension grasped the air tightly, to the point at which she feared she might be unable to breath. Muscles taught, and lips curled back. They stood together, ready to tear the monstrosity apart before it could pick them off. Eat, or be eaten. It was the circle of life, though Celandine was confident that it would not be the wolves who were eaten tonight. Practically vibrating from the suspense, the princess looked to her brother. Only then did Phineas release his snarl, sending the beast running for it's life, like a kit afraid of it's own shadow. All hell seemed to break loose, as the elder wolves gave chase. 

Without casting a glance toward Evy, to see if she too was following, Celandine flung herself forward. All snarls, and teeth, the girl kept up with Takis, unwilling to let him have all the fun. They were a formidable group when the odds were six to one, but three of said five were cubs, and Tannis hardly counted. He likely wouldn't give chase, but she knew that already. If the Lynx had brought friends, Silent Moon might have found themselves in quite a dangerous position, something they would have to see to when the current danger had passed. 

Holding up the rear with her brother, Celandine knew her place for once. She wasn't ready for this fight. If it were to come down to it, then she had no qualms, but if Phineas was busy worrying about her, there was a possibility that he could get hurt, and that was the last thing she needed.

Have you seen my OOC preferences?

Cross my heart and hope to die
burn my lungs and curse my eyes

A fierce snarl rose from her throat as she continued the chase alongside Phineas, the pups seeming to charge behind them though she was forced to push that to the back of their mind. The sooner the lynx was lining the den, the more time she had to worry about the safety of the pack. Phineas would reach it first, attacking it with a swipe but it quickly recovered, hitting his shoulder to stain the ivory coat with crimson red just as Aesire reached it. She would lunge to tackle it, keeping it's torso down against the ground where it could not move as Phineas moved in for the final bite. The shock from the (practically) body slam shocked it for only a brief moment in which it did not move. It had been to focused on the alpha male's attacks. It fought back beneath her. It's claws were extended out as one of them managed to scratch at the top base of her front left leg, making her bite her tongue for a brief second.

As it fought beneath her, she aimed for a kill shot at the base of the back of the neck but it was thrashing around too much for her to get a clear shot. Her mind was completely focused on the mission, no longer wondering where Ace was or if the pups were at a safe distance back. There were only three pups there but it seemed like four as one of the subordinates was too timid to be of such use. Fighting, she'd like to think, was her forte. She proved that when she fought her way to the top in the tourney. Now it was time to prove that she deserved to be there and she wasn't going to let anything stand in the way of that. I have to start being more social and open. She felt pinned in a corner.

His senses were heightened as adrenaline coursed through him -- his paws thrummed against the soft ground as his eyes kept a sharp view upon the target before him. He did not attempt to even try to overtake the adults -- he remained at the side of his sister, but that did not mean that if push came to shove, he would not jump to the defenses of his family.

His father was upon the beast, and a low growl bubbled from the boy's own jowls. His ears laid flat upon his skull, and his eyes danced between Aesire and Phineas, noting how the beast ferociously attempted to hinder their attempt at the hunt. Had it not gone this way, it was likely the Plateau wolves would have let it flee instead.. but the speckled cat had sealed its fate when it loped further in to their territory.

He stalked the outside of the group now, clearing himself of the devastation that could be present if the lynx swiped at him instead. But it was fixated upon its two opponents -- and Takis was quick to discern that if it were a single wolf, the lynx would have a far greater advantage. It was graceful in its movements, and the fiery eyed Argyris stole a glance to his sister, the only other one who had kept up to the group, as Evy and Tannis had seemingly fallen behind. His hackles bristled, and yet he remained steadfast, knowing that if he moved forward to aide, it would only give the leaders cause to worry.. and lose their focus on the matter at hand.

Two wolves against one lynx was better odds - but they would not escape unscathed. Already the wound from his shoulder bled.. not enough to be of threat to his life, but deep enough that it would take awhile to heal. The silver she-wolf fought at his side -- her own body weight shoved in to the creature as she pushed it down in perfect sync to his own movements -- his jaws clipped forward, his fangs slicing through flesh in a swift moment that did not allow for hesitation, else it would have been missed.

The lynx shrieked terribly then -- thrashing once before it's life drained quickly. Phineas' jaws released its throat, having crushed its windpipe, and as its head slumped to the floor, he took a pace back, his tongue sweeping forward to clean the blood from his lips. His eyes were narrowed as he studied the beast, but only then did they shift from it to Aesire, offering a nod as his eyes assessed her quietly -- assuring she was okay.

Tilting his muzzle then, he took in the sight of his two children -- Tannis and Evy were nowhere to be found, and he believed they stayed behind.. something he might have desired his other two to do as well, had they not been able to witness basic instinct. They would need training for moments like these, and the Argyris released a soft sigh. He had been lax with preparing them in the arts of fighting and hunting -- and now, more than ever, was the time they were to learn. Shifting then, Phinea sswung his muzzle down to nudge Aesire upon her shoulder in silent gratitude, giving a nod in the direction where they had left their other comrades. They would need to assure them they were safe now -- and later, after the lead male had cleaned his wounds, they would feast upon the lynx.. for no meat would be wasted by the Plateau wolves

Sorry for not getting to this sooner... and apologies on Tannis' behalf for being dumb. :c

As quickly as the pack assembled and how easily everyone - even the cubs! - gathered, Tannis was left on his own to continue slinking backwards in retreat. Continuous whimpers lifted from his muzzle, whines whistling through his nose until the sounds of battle echoed against the foothills and the stones that jutted up against them. He crawled on his heels and elbows with his eyes closed and ears still slicked back, afraid of what he might see of the face off if he peeked or failed to close himself off.

When the mountain feline had let out a final shriek, the sand-colored brute instinctively rolled up into a ball, fighting the urge to writhe as violent images flashed across the back of his eyelids. Blood, fur, teeth and claws... streaks of red across the ground and the jaws of his pack members rendered crimson with their presumed victory.

Blindly, he tried again to scale the mountain but found he could not. Up against a snow-covered rock he dragged himself to the other side of it and trembled, knowing that, if anything, he should have at least protected the cubs. While he assumed that Evy would have joined her father and siblings, he regretted not taking action in case the princess had not kept up or had looked to him for security. Tannis was alone, though, and that much was confirmed as one of his pale yellow eyes cracked open to take in the silent winter scene. Everything was quiet again; the lynx no longer protested, the wolves no longer growled in mid-fight, the cubs did not even wail or call out for their father. They were fine.

A soft cry sounded from his throat. His pack might have prevailed, but Tannis Andreas had obviously, undeniably failed...

(Tannis fade/exit.)

Takis watched the final blow, his eyes captivated solely upon the scene before him. Phineas lunged, his teeth finding their mark, and as blood stained his father's white pelt, the lynx went limp within his grasp. He felt a surge of pride and shame -- his inability to do such a thing clawing at his self worth, and with a keen eye, he cast a stolen glance to his sister, curious to what she thought.

They did not speak much. Phineas motioned for them to follow, and the mirror-image of the proud Argyris man followed dutifully, only one step behind. His gaze shifted back, his muzzle swinging over his shoulder as he looked to the fallen predator, and then to Aesire. She had fought her way to the top of the female hierarchy and he could see why. Had his mother been so fierce, as well? he could scarcely remember her now, spare for her scent and soft white fur. He could only imagine that having led Magnolia Glen aside their father, she had been able to hold her own -- though he knew little of his Tainn heritage.

Come evening, Takis would feast upon lynx for the first time.. and it would be a lie if he said it was perhaps one of the most delicious meats he had ever tasted. Whether it was because of the ferocity the creature had fought with, or because it was new to him.. it mattered little. He savored every last drop of what the leaders of the Plateau had slain for them all.

Completely entranced, the pale girl watched as her father sparred with the beast. Claws, fur, and the snapping of teeth. The sound of hisses, and growls. It was an ancient dance, one that she needed to learn, for this could be her someday. Then something unexpected happened. Her heart skipped a beat as the creature's claw came crashing down on Phineas. Her eyes flew wildly to the woman, in hopes that she might be able to stop the attack. Then Phineas was back, lunging at the creature with renewed vigor, while blood marred his shoulder. Aesire was there then, her movements just as quick as her father's. Had it not been for the apparent obstacles between them, she might have felt some semblance of respect for the alpha female.  

Blood stained the pristine fur around her father's mouth, as the lynx realized it's fate. One final clamp to it's throat, and the shrieks stopped. A silence fell over the Plateau wolves, like any calm preceding, or following a storm. Some might have been considering all they could have lost, some celebrating their victory, but Celandine still watched her father, admiring his unwavering strength. He never shrank away, never thought twice about his own safety. He was what everyone desired in a King, but when it finally came down to it, could she be a desirable queen? When her gaze did fall away, it was only to catch Takis' in which she produced a reassuring nod. They would have their time.

(This post was last modified: Jun 28, 2015, 03:43 AM by Celandine.)

Have you seen my OOC preferences?