Blackberry Fields Draw Another Picture

Never had such an intensity burned about her gaze. Brow tight and eyes wide, sights pinned on a rabbit that seemed both blind and deaf to her presence. Oh yes! She was getting much better at this hunting thing with each and every effort. For someone whose instincts had never been honed to chase down her victims, it was no surprise that she had thus far been failing. Not a deer nor a rabbit was yet to feel the bite of the girl whose stomach seemed to protest with each and every step. I'm empty. She knew, but it would no be for long. Low to the ground in the cover of tall grasses, with the blazing sun at her back serving as a hindrance to the vision of her target. The stupid little rabbit would never know what hit it.

Out of nowhere, the creature spooked. It's head whipped back in her direction like it somehow knew she was there. Impossible! No! Like a flash of lightning the rabbit took off with powerful bounding leaps, the chase all but over before the wolf had an opportunity to react. Still she leapt from her cover with a push of hind legs, throwing forward through the air to where the rabbit had been. Long strides had her closing in on her victim, but it was already so far away. Had she the willpower to continue she might have stood a chance, but the defeat was instantly evident as her sprint lasted not four strides before it slowed to a trot, to a walk and to a saunter, and to a stop.

"Auuuugh!" No thought for the peace of the air around her as she threw her head back with a groan of frustration that too had her body rolling to sit on her haunches before turning onto one hip. Rather angrily one fore paw came up, only to slam back onto the ground with a thump of annoyance. Her anger now vented in part, she returned her gaze to the field ahead of her and found no solace in the lush greens of the grass and scattered bushes. A sharp exhale through her nose was almost like a bull at the ready to charge.

"Get back here you... you... fat... rabbit!" That was, in the moment, the best possible insult she could have come up with. Boiling distress had her tossing her head from one side to the other, once twice and three times, with each an audible snap of her jaws ended by a sharp bark of aggression sent forward to the last place she'd sighted the critter. This was a step backwards for the young female, another failure. She had gone from getting better, to getting worse, and it played on her mind, it ate at her conscious. Was she really that pathetic that her life would be reduced to chewing the scraps of kills left behind?

"You were supposed to be my lunch." She spoke to herself with a quiet sigh, and buckled her front legs to drop onto her chest, laying flat in the grass with yet another childish groan. Annoyed and hungry, and now bothered by the sun, she crossed her paws across the top of her muzzle and over her eyes to block the light and everything else around her that might have been watching and undoubtedly laughing. Imagine the thought if her slain family were looking upon her now. Without question, they would have been shaking their heads in disgust.

Blood, water, food, air.

It was the four essentials that burned into the soul that was sweet on the tongue, and it was why the wolf moved with an efficient tune in his head. Things had happened that were supposed to be better expected, and his hunger was not about to be erased with merely a wave of a tail and a notion of a consequence. @Kjors had been a cruel and senseless time, again and again. It was why there was not a moment that could be offered with generosity, and it was why he could not begin to stop the smile from lingering on his features. There was a time and a place for every choice, and every choice would be a benefit to those who felt like they were losing.

It was a choice, it was a question that had not been answered no matter how many times it had been poised. So it was why paws were always restless, and sensations were not about to be eliminated without much more than a flick of a tail. This was a dangerous game to be playing, to know that there was a risk that there would be a doomed position that would take his time and would rip him apart, one piece at a time.

When voice split the air, there was a nastiness that was not going to stop him. He froze, the anger filling up in his chest - who would be so obnoxious as to go around shouting? Who did they think they were, when the world was on such a balance that one wrong move could be the splinter of life and death? It was why he growled, moving swiftly off course towards the sound. Careful, the reminder hissed at him, and his tail twitched, The dragon isn't here to protect his gold. It was why he twisted, the burning in his ears not about to be denied.

The sun caught him as he exited the treeline, shoving himself out into the sunlight. The wolf curled his lip as he lumbered forward, the arrogance was taking him to a choice that could not be denied. It was why there was no missing the intensity in his eyes, flicking and ravaging with a concentration that could not be denied. As his head tipped back with mouth curved up at the edge, voice husky as he grumbled, Women... pesky souls with no trap coverage.

It was why he approached, swaggering with a fairly subordinate position, a bit more bold than he should have been. Arrogance plucked at him, unable to be able to suspend the motions that were pulling him through endless games and questions. When he became well enough to see her collapsed on the ground, moping, the wolf chuffed out a greeting with an edge of irritability, tail flicking more as he enclosed on her space - growing warier by the moment. It could have been a ruse.

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

A sound. A scent. God forbid the girl have to uncover her muzzle and pull her head into the air. No, for as long as she could she remained with her paws over her eyes, even though it was clear by the swivelling of dark ears that she had picked up the sound of someone on the air. Someone with a rather rude tone about their approach. Whoever it was, he clearly had something to say. No sooner had the grumbling of his voice hit sensitive ears did the girl make a move. So used to special treatment, it was a shock to hear someone speak of her so poorly. No trap coverage. What in the hell did that even mean?!

"Excuse me?!" She spoke in sharp tones as she rose, swinging her head and body around to face the male head-on as he approached. Instantly she rose her head and her shoulders, appearing as regal as she had once been, but failing to realise that she no longer had the power. In his approach she scanned him with caution and curiosity, noting his arrogant mien that only seemed to intensify with each second. There he was just... staring at her. Thank the heavens he'd kept his distance, or she might have taken the end off his nose.

"Just who do you think you are, waltzing up here and mumbling under your breath like that." Tail lashed with irritation and her gaze narrowed into a sharp and pointed leer. There was no denying the confidence in the girl, she could certainly talk the talk. It was only when someone had the gall to call her out on her foolishness that she found herself in trouble. Unfortunately by the time she realised what she'd gotten into it was usually a few minutes too late to do anything about it...

"For your information I already caught like... six rabbits." She huffed through her nose a gruff sound of self-importance, refusing to take her eyes off the male as she spoke. "If you think you can do better, you go right on ahead." Maybe, if he was stupid enough, he'd bring some of them back to her as proof that he could succeed, and then she'd make off with one while he wasn't looking! A genius plan if ever there was one...

Easing himself out, he knew there was a risk. There was always a reason to be wary to someone who might have come from the unknown, and that was why he took his face from the ice to something more intense; if he was a dragon's gold, fire would not melt him so easily. The snappy voice that replied was feminine enough, but not of the soul that would have been particularly useful to him. No matter, the half smile continued to play on his face as he approached - eyes glancing over his shoulder. What a precarious situation for a woman who thought herself superior to be out in the sunlight without a guardian. Who was this mystery?

Women who speak lies always die swifter, Observation was accompanied with shifting paws as he veered out to the right of her, keeping his body language low to the ground. It was why he could not begin to miss the smile that was on his features, and he rumbled in his chest with silent threat. Fur began to stand on end, the snippier she became with him, assuming she had a benefit in the manner of things that she could not control. Yet her claim, of having caught rabbits before, was met with a blank stare. Not stupid, no; but he doubted she could understand the intelligence that he had.

Once an acolyte of cursed spoke a similar tune. Crisp voice informed her, as if he had himself any telegnosis; but the pack that he had been in previously, they believed in the dark arts. They believed that there was a risk to even the most powerful when it came to otherworldly interjections. Tell me, slaver, does the moon fall behind me or in front? An embarrassment to the statements otherwise marked, but the witches always burn at the stake. Especially those with false tongues.

Well, tail swishing from one side to the other - he tested her. Did she not know how to better work things? Did she really think that he would not spread rumors about the arrogant female that could not lie? This was his impassioned choice this time around, and his head remained squarely at her shoulder level; prepared to react to what other insanity might be thrown at him. Urien was no fool, he knew how to play the game.

The moment he spoke, her eyes narrowed. It was what sounded like a threat on the air, calling her both a liar and promising a quick death. The thought caused a growl to start in her throat before she could prevent it. Her head lowered and her lips wrinkled just slightly as a result, causing the faintest flash of white from between blackened lips. As he swung to her right, her body would turn with him, eyes locked on his own as she became more and more uncomfortable with the situation she'd found herself in. Who was this male, and what was all this flumadiddle he was speaking. Riddles and words to which she had never been exposed, it caused her tail to curl in annoyance, and hackles threatened to raise.

"I'm not a liar." She snapped quickly, leaning her head forward and snapping her jaws at the air between them. "Not a slaver, either. I don't know what you're trying to say, but you better cut it out!" Lips curled higher, showing more teeth. She didn't like this one bit, nor would she be prepared to tolerate it any longer. The problem therein lied in that she knew nothing about how to fight. She'd seen others engaged in battle, at times merely for her own entertainment, but nobody had ever bothered to take the time to show her how to fend for herself.

Cautious paws back up a few steps, looking to place more distance between the two of them. His behaviour was not something she was used to. She'd seen it before, but not directed at her. What she reacted with was mostly out of instinct, growls and snaps of fangs with pinned ears. She'd not look away from him either, mostly out of fear. She was all but waiting for an attack, but sought to avoid it wherever possible. A smarter woman would have looked around, been more aware of her surroundings, but the young female was none so lucky. A few more steps and she'd feel the sting of sharp thorns - her path was headed straight for a blackberry shrub...

The female was someone who proved that the world was filled with twits and those who would otherwise be damned for their choices. It was why he wrinkled his nose, and he found himself unable to stop the pressure that was ringing in his ears. Such was a madness, it was a motion that could not be stepped upon as he found himself staring at her, watching her freak out over merely words. Evidently, she was not well versed in the actual way of the world. It was enough that he would have started laughing at her, but that would have been quite rude. Something would have had to be said if that would have turned in such a way.

This was merely a game that could not be ignored, it was why his shoulders rolled as he eased himself forward. Hungered, he knew about the ways of survival. This intimidation game was not something he was accustomed to having a paw in, oftentimes he was more content to bow over. Yet there was something so arrogant about this creature that there was no missing the shine in his eyes, and he found his excitement rolling through his body. This was so very... different.

His head cocked though, and he stared at her. The hunger was not about to be chased away, and the thudding of his heart entered his ears. To be honest, Urien was in a similar position as the female before him - although he knew how to defend himself - but the fact of the matter was he was not much more than a bulldozer watcher. His sister had always been the one to step up and do the bullying, so this weakling... it enthused him, knowing that he was superior. That he was all of a sudden in the position that had his head spinning, and his tail swishing to one side to the other.

Why does the snake slither away from the fish? The male did not cachinnate but the temptation was there, it was why his eyes seemed to be growing wilder by the moment. The anticipation filled him, and his breath was coming faster, and the anticipation filled him. Something could come of this, and he continued to close in on her, beginning to salivate. This was an opportunity he had stumbled upon, and his eyes twinkled with mirth.

Doesn't the snake hunger for the flesh? He cooed, gripping the grounds as he leaned forward, lolling his tongue out of his mouth.

Many of the things that would have been more natural for wolves used to fending for themselves were simply lost on the young female. This was not a situation she had ever had to encounter before, and thus it only incited more fear in her chest. The more she stressed, the more the fire in the male's eyes seemed to blaze, and that only continued the cycle. She should have had a better read on the male than what she did. It should have been more obvious that the solution to this situation was just to stand her ground and let her tongue fight back, but therein lied the problem. Fighting back with her words was near impossible when she hadn't the slightest clue what he was saying.

Sliding steps backward should have been more careful, but clearly weren't in given the state of her mind. It was this which had her foot and limb sliding along the earth, slipping between the leaves and branches of but one of the ample blackberry bushes, and with her mistake came the sharp sting of thorns and sticks sinking into flesh. It was a burn almost meaningless, but to the young female it was simply dire. Tugging her leg free brought shallow scratches and a sharp gasp through gritted teeth. The male that had been so threatening, so terrifying, suddenly ceased to exist. In the matter of a few seconds he'd gone from king of the world to... well... nothing.

With a wince her body swung, turning sharply to set her eyes upon the back left leg that had been subjected to the deadly attack from the bush. "Ah. Ouch." The sound of her voice was over dramatic, blood on her leg wasn't even thick enough to trickle, but she sat awkwardly, staring with wide eyes. This was blood. Her blood. Her head rolled back with a whine, and it was done in such a way that her whole body followed suit until she landed on her side with a thump, eyes closed and jaws cracked to allow for a steady panting.

"Oh gosh..." she spoke through slightly quick breaths. "I'm dying.." She didn't believe it, but it was a habit to make things seem worse than they were. It was uncanny that she could have felt so threatened by the presence of the male only to forget him at the scratch of a plant. She spoke, to nobody in particular, but it would have sounded like her voice was directed to the male, simply because there was nobody else around, and it was a rather miserable sound if ever there was one. "Save me..."

What could the male have ever asked for more in the wishes that could come into the moments of his life. He found himself balancing on a precarious ledge that was bound to send him toppling if he was not careful. For such reasons, he was starving with the opportunity that should have been in his head. Hungry to be able to cause a chaotic response, but he knew that there was no other choice. Watching the female, he would have thought that a snake indeed had come out of the grass and attacked her, for her throes of terror took him in a wind.

It took him perhaps almost a full minute to realize what happened, and maybe he never would have knew what was going through his head. There was a raging feeling that was taking him, and he could feel himself almost sickened with his own excitement. The blood hit the air, but it was so miniscule he was almost ashamed of her for being so... so... weak!

It was why his eyes narrowed, dangerously so as he moved in her. Nose reached out, and his voice purred with an enthusiasm, I am so... so sorry for the pains that lick. Does it steal your breath? Bending over her leg, he observed the little holes with disappointment, although he allowed a sound that could have been taken as mock concern as he shifted into a dominant, leaning over posture above her. His head tipped curiously as he found himself unable to stop the pull.

The infection potential grows high, climbing, climbing... aid requests on ears... and it is summoned... Swallowing the excitement seemed to steal him away. As he leaned down, his tongue dropped out of his mouth and he began to lick, hungrily, fighting to keep his mouth from opening wider. It was why his eyes seemed to narrow, and there was a loss in his senses - but he could not keep himself focused.... perhaps he could find a reason to chew her leg off...?

So intense was the agony of Karima's wounds that she was at a loss to the fact that the other male had drawn near. Too busy tossing her head and moaning sorrowful sounds of pain that she was blinded to the fact that he was encroaching on her space until he was all but on top of her. With his voice her ear turned, but her eyes remained closed. Sympathy was what the girl was looking for deep down, attention to her needs, and his speaking to her just barely did enough to satisfy that unusual hunger.

"It's killing me!" She howled in response at first, every other breath drawn in through tightly clenched jaws with a hissing sound of pain. The slight stinging was a horrible thing to have to endure for her. It was the first time she'd ever stepped in a blackberry shrub. Without the exposure to sparring and adventure, she had never so much as scraped a knee. Know she was bleeding! It was a shock to the system, a horrible experience, one that caused her such stress she parted her jaws and began to pant.

Something touched her though, right where she'd been wounded, and her entire body froze. Her breathing stopped and her eyes opened wide, and just like that she was suddenly braver. Like magic! Her head turned only to see the male above her, tongue at her leg, and he was licking at those horrible gaping wounds!

"What are you--" Stunned, there wasn't a single thought to her actions as she responded purely by nature. Her lower leg bent up towards her and came up from the ground. "Aaugh!" How disgusting could this male possibly be?! She kicked her other leg out with the intention of hitting his face, or at the very least forcing him to move away. What a horrible thing to be doing, licking at her blood. Was he some kind of barbarian?! The young girl simply couldn't believe it!