Fallen Tree Cove 'till you run on gasoline

Private for @Vespertio and @Athena

For Namid's RE: You walk under a ladder fallen tree propped against another tree. One day of bad luck!

Oh how she wished she hadn’t walked under that stupid tree. Even though it was thoroughly chilling day, she’d still gone out to perform her daily tasks. While she’d been out she’d come across a rather intriguing looking sight. It seemed that a tree had fallen over against another, forming an archway of sorts. Lichen had grown in a curtain across it and the way the light had hit it had been…fascinating to say the least. She should have known it would be a bad idea, especially with all the stories she’d been told by her superstitious mother as a young girl. But…she’d wanted a better look and those stories had been so long ago. She’d gone closer, and then eventually through it and from then on her day had gone sour. She’d fallen in more burrows than she could count, dodged a few falling branches, and ran into a few spider webs. And just when she’d thought her day couldn’t get any worse.

It did.

She been trying to make her way back to the communal den as carefully as she could when a low bleat caught her attention. She’d stopped in her tracks, her eyes going wide before she’d slowly turned around. Perhaps 30 feet from her was a large, mangy looking mountain goat. What it was doing this close to the territory she had no clue for they normally stayed on the Mountain of Dire, but whatever the reason was she knew it was pissed. And she was in deep trouble. She stayed as still as she could, staring right into the eyes of the large animal. It gave a snort and she struggled to keep from flinching, afraid that the movement would cause it to charge. Then, a faint image of her children came to her mind. If she ever needed motivation to be brave, she always thought of them. She couldn’t allow the animal to remain within the territory where it could injure them or any of her packmates. She had to think of a plan, and quickly.

As soon as it came to her, she knew. Knew she would have to provoke it, lead it out of the territory and back up the mountain. The thought of being chased by the thing terrified her, but she took a trembling breath and stilled herself.

Then she ran. Straight at the mountain goat.

It gave a startled bleat as she did so, clearly not expecting the movement. She took the moment to zoom in and nip at the heel of the mammal. It shrieked and whirled and she agilely leapt out of the way. Leaping back in she went to bite at its belly, weaving in and out to piss it off further until it wanted to give chase. She moved in a last time to feign  from the front, and as her back luck would have it she slid. Right under the animal. Her mismatched gaze widened in panic and she scrambled to her paws, a loud shriek echoing from her jaws as it came down upon her shoulder. Its hooves scraped down it, causing a deep cut there that immediately began oozing crimson blood. She choked down her cries, moving out of the way and turning to face the animal. The Queen of the Lake let out of bark that was far less confident than she would have liked it to be, then turned and ran. She glanced over her shoulder and to both her dismay and relief it was doing exactly as she’d hoped it would. And it was gaining. Turning and pushed herself past the pain in her limb and towards the edge of their territory that bordered the mountain. Lifting her head she let loose a warbling howl for anyone who would listen, then pushed forward once again.

Conscious unable to settle, Athena took a border patrol around the south side of the Lake wolves' territory, her swift body making steady use of the remaining daylight. Her mind would not clear and the white vixen's first remedy was getting her body moving and putting her mind to work. A border patrol was the simplest solution, though tonight wasn't going to be a quiet one like she suspected. Scanning her eyes across the path before her, there was nothing out of place, no scents unfamiliar. Taking a moment to remark a stump with her scent, she continued down the beaten path, humming lightly to herself. As she rounded a bend, she started to catch the scent of a rogue mountain goat. What was this sucker doing all the way down here? She thought, as she turned and followed down the trail it left.

Hearing commotion up ahead where the goat had traveled into their territory, she quickened her pace until she came upon the sight of Vesper's mate trying to fight off this rogue bill. It was fall which was the mountain goat's rutting season, making them more violent then usual. Perhaps this could be why this guy was out here. Nevertheless, it couldn't stay especially with young kids around. Her eyes widened as Namid fell beneath the beast, her legs moving to try to to help her, but she was still too far away. Seeing the hoof coming down upon her shoulder made her cringe, but she was relieved the woman was able to get out of the way and let the goat give chase to her away from the Lake. Athena pumped her slender legs faster to catch up to Namid and the goat, she started barking from behind the goat to get its attention away from Namid and towards her. With the injury Namid had, she would only last for so long before she damaged it even more. She needed medical treatment. Athena could get rid of this nuisance.

She continued to bark, snarl, and nip at the heels of the billy to get it to turn around and face her so she could lead it away from the injured woman and the lake. Eventually, the billy become more irritated with her behind him than the target he put on Namid. Swinging his large body around, he put his horns down and tried to charge Athena, letting out a few loud snorts. Her agile body easily avoided his weapons as she circled around him to put herself between the goat and Namid as she started to dance with the white beast.

"Speech." 

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||

The tawny man had been in the presence of his youngest child, Cernan, practicing hunting techniques when the warbling howl of his distressed wife caught his attention. Rust tinged audits swiftly pivoting forward upon the top of his skull as a glint of worry filled the molten gold irises belonging to Vespertio. There was no denying the urgency that clung to each note in her call, a rough nudge of his snout to his son's side guiding the young boy into the safety of the communal den. "Keep the pups here. I must go." The patriarch instructed the couple subordinates gathered inside, entrusting them to keep the future of the pack safe while their leader left to deal with the newest threat at their doorstep. There was never a dull moment, was there?

It was only once he was positive the children were safe that creamy limbs pounded hard at the surface of the earth flinging up loose debris in the direction the call had rung from. A round of sharp barks left his parted jowls to inform the queen of the lake he was coming, muscles working overtime to bring himself closer to his wife when the tang of blood began to fill his nostrils. "Fuck...Namid!" He hollered through ragged breaths, pushing his body as hard as it would go. Vespertio would be damned to let something happen to his lover and mother of his children. "Im coming!" The adrenaline pumping in his veins fueling the speed he needed to close the final distance and what a sight to behold.

A flash of ivory fur belonging to both Athena and the rouge mountain goat filled his sights first before the fading silver hue of his wife's form came into view, a pang of anxiety squeezing his heart at the noticeable gash in Namid's shoulder. Crimson streaking over her wounded limb. This wasn't good. He didn't need to be told anything to figure out what had happened and this goat would pay for its grave mistake.

It burned, stabbing pain shot through her shoulder and down her side making her gasp for breath. The pounding of hooves behind her was nearly as loud as the pounding in her ears. Still, she kept pushing forward. Her determination was waning, but she had a vast amount of it to begin with. Suddenly, barks and snarls sounded behind her and she turned her head to see the pale form of Athena gathering the attention of the beast. Namid stumbled to a halt, watching as her subordinate leapt and lunged around the piercing horns of the goat. She appreciated the chance to catch her breath, tongue hanging from her jaws as pale clouds of carbon dioxide came from her throat. She searched for an opening, any opening she could to help the scarred she-wolf. The scent of Vespertio hit her and she calmed a little, comforted by the booming bark that resounded toward her. She gave a hoarse bark back, pacing back and forth as the beast and Athena tangoed.

She zeroed in on a spot, her mismatched gaze locking on the hock of the beast. The Queen of the Lake figured that if she were able to severe the tendon, they would be able to get the animal down and into a position for them to successfully end it. She waited for it to turn before barreling forward, teeth connecting with heel with a snarl before swiftly moving away as it whirled on her. The three of them could tag team it. With three of them they could surely, hopefully, take this down before any more of them were hurt. This was something she prayed for.

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