Round Stone Crest Imminence

OOC: For @Moraxia

2/28/2016
Weather:
33° F, 1° C
Sunny
1:32 PM

She raked her fur through the pine's rough bark, snapping off the tinier bits and lodging them in her russet coat. The movement was harsher than it would have been at any other time of year. Right now, the mild scraping felt good. A good shake sent the wooden hitchhikers flying in all directions. Her skin was beginning to feel hot; legs itching to keep moving and exerting themselves on some new task. The warmer, sun-baked midday air was not helping Raela feel any less agitated. This first heat made her understand just a little better why her own mother had snapped at everyone so. She was fine around the men in the pack, and she practically walked on air around Gent, but all the other females seemed to kick up something she'd rather not experience.  

It wasn't Raela, it was instinct. That didn't mean she had to like it, and until today the matriarch had managed to stay clear of internal transgressions. The others did not deserve to be snarled and leered at, no matter how much her hormones demanded it. They would not breed this year; she trusted in that much. Two of the women were brand new, and Moraxia was a friend. The Queen of the Crest might have managed to keep her temper in check, but she was still finding herself behaving more dominantly than before. Her tail had begun to sneak up behind her back; a silent status symbol and signal to keep them in their places until this season was over. Even her stride had stiffened a little in recent days.  

It was still very mild behavior compared to other Alphas, who were no doubt slamming subordinates to the ground and grabbing muzzles to make their point. Was she even going to sire pups this year? The temptation was real with the leader's estrus breathing down her neck, but it was still too big a question. She and Gent might have declared their love, but puppies? She wasn't going to think about it now. Another pine tree bore the brunt of her aggressions with a casual shoulder-check. A few tawny hairs clung to the trunk, yet another reminder of the impending spring. Her coat would be shedding in mere weeks. The unsuspecting timber was then coated in urine, and Raela went on her way with a loftily arched tail. 

There weren't others around at the moment anyway, so hopefully this method of venting herself wouldn't bother them. 

(This post was last modified: Feb 28, 2016, 07:10 PM by Raela.)

            

Moraxia’s emotions had become more erratic and unpredictable in the most recent days. During her patrols she had taken the liberty of angrily scratching her marking into trees as well as chasing, tormenting, and brutally murdering small animals; today was no different. The wolf had been attempting to avoid others in her pack, not wanting to stir up any trouble amongst the ranks while her hormones ran amuck inside her. It was her first heat, and although her instincts were spelling something completely different, the female had no intention of finding a mate before the season ended. She would occasionally remark to herself her large size would scare off any potential mates even if she did feel enough need for a litter of her own.

Digging deep into her memories the girl tried to recall how her pack had once dealt with pups. Unable to quickly recall anything other than foggy thoughts of her former family, Moraxia shoved the emotional strain quickly away. She could feel the tension rising within her already agitated frame as she trotted harshly about the territory. ‘Who needs men anyway, all they do is fight.’ Her tail jumped about behind her in unrest. A flustered snort erupted from her nostrils as the broody wolf stopped to scratch her claws upon another tree. Glancing about the forest, she couldn’t help but notice Raela swiftly approaching her position in a seemingly upset manner.

The alpha’s body screamed superiority. Moraxia hadn’t even considered what the leader would be thinking about her subordinates during the breeding season, much less how she should react in such a situation. The large beast danced backward away from the tree in one quick bound, her body rigid and teaming with anxious energy as her paws harshly dug into the dirt below. Cautiously, the woman attempted to lock eyes with the approaching Alpha in an attempt to gauge the irritability she would be facing. Her legs were planted firmly on the ground in front of her, and although her head was bowed in concern her tail fluttered dramatically awake behind her. The leader would have definitely seen or at the very least heard her—there was no turning away now.

The mammoth female's sudden movement in the distance jerked Raela's eyes up and made her stop in her tracks. Her tail deflated a little almost reflexively; she had no desire to lord over Moraxia of all wolves, but something else made it stop. Her posture. From however many strides were between them, and Raela guessed there were quite a few, she could see the way the other woman was watching her. At first her adrenaline level rose, wondering for a startled moment if this was a real challenge, but the behavior was off. She knew how on edge the younger woman had been from her own heat; likely just as on edge as she was currently. Her head was low and her tail was wagging, well, sort of. It seemed to snap and twitch a little, as if the tension in the air was snagging in her fur.

Raela simply stared for a few more seconds, trying to figure out the signals being sent her way before deciding to move any closer. Her stance was wide, like she was ready for a fight, but there didn't seem to be anger in her either. The Queen's ears rammed forward more harshly. The tension in her own body was building higher at the sight of this other female, standing as she was. It was itching to act, to take her subtle challenge head on. Raela felt her head slipping down inch by inch, like a bull ready to charge. She wasn't angry either, not in the hostile sense. There seemed to be some wordless communication between them, broadcasting their pent up energy and agitation.

She knew Moraxia liked scuffling; the massive woman seemed to thoroughly enjoy a good spar. Something in the smaller female's mind was clicking, and instinct was gradually gaining control. Her lips broke in a dark, anticipatory smile. Her muscles were beginning to burn, and Raela was finding that perhaps she wanted to do this just as much as Moraxia did. Her arched tail began to sway, both in a gesture to reaffirm her good intent and to signal her building attack arousal. This wasn't going to end in blood, but it would be no ordinary practice either. They were far too riled up for that.

Silence invaded the land between them, allowing each challenger's tension to build, until Raela felt the time was right. The smaller woman lurched forward with a snap of her jaws and a wide, devilish grin plastered across her muzzle. Already her body felt better for this burst of speed, for the way her mind locked onto her target with vexation. She rushed the much larger beast, tail streaking out like a war banner. The matriarch was angled slightly to the right, hoping to rear up and snag her pearly teeth on Moraxia's thick scruff. It was rougher play to be sure, but she would not draw blood on a friend; even in this mutual hormone-induced frenzy.

 

(This post was last modified: Mar 03, 2016, 10:49 PM by Raela.)

            

Moraxia stood, eyes remaining intently locked as the smaller female moved toward her. The alpha was unrelenting in her dominant ways as she made it apparently clear who was in charge. Still, the beast refused to stand down. Something was building within her as she watched the wolf’s movements in silence. The retaliation exchanged back made the red fur on her back stand to attention, lips curling into a snarl. Raela moved swiftly forward, an insanely large grin plastered onto her face. Moraxia offered a look of confusion at first, unsure if the alpha was simply play-fighting or intentionally wanted to injure her. Teeth suddenly met with skin as Raela’s muzzle connected with the giant’s scruff, catching her off guard and sending her into a stagger.

Regaining her balance and realizing the Queen wasn’t set on hurting her, Moraxia crazily smiled and snapped backwards toward the woman, her body reeling sideways. She pushed her paws harshly into the ground and continued to dance sideways as her tail fluttered angrily behind her. Snap after snap the woman’s attempts to dig her teeth into Raela failed, her muzzle clicking together just inches from Rae’s fur. Her stance shifted as she dug her claws into the ground, parting her legs wide to compensate for any attack Raela might be planning now that she had the upper hand. Moraxia waited, snarling and barking at the woman. She had waited so long for another spar with her alpha, and she definitely wasn’t going to go down so easily.

       

(This post was last modified: Mar 29, 2016, 03:44 AM by Moraxia.)

Success came in the way she felt her momentum transfer; forcing the mammoth female back and away from her charge. It was more than Raela would have expected with her smaller size, but the little victory was plenty of incentive to keep going. She'd not had such a promising start in, well, perhaps never. Her teeth had landed squarely; latching onto the mammoth girl while her front legs clung to Moraxia's shoulders and neck. For a fleeting moment she wondered if the impact would be enough to flatten her opponent, but the weight below her rocked back; stabilizing once more. As soon as she was balanced again the retaliation was instant, and fierce. Raela tugged at her neck; skittering on her back legs to try and keep out of range of those snapping teeth. 

A growl left her mouth and she shook her head; yanking at the girl's fur but still intent on keeping this interaction bloodless. Something inside the Queen demanded that she taunt her subordinate in this way, and she knew that Moraxia could both handle and appreciate the competitive gesture. When had she become this tenacious? It was an effect of the season, no doubt, but in the moment it was all too real. Each time she twisted away was punctuated with a sharp inhale; her skin prickling in anticipation of finally being caught. Somehow, Raela twisted away from it all. Her heartbeat had climbed to a racing pace as they struggled against one another. Once the snapping had stopped, the Queen thought it high time she release and step back. It was dangerous to stay so close to her opponent for so long.

She was speed, not strength. The older woman's jaws went slack and she darted away, trying to swerve around the girl and come in at a different angle. Her shimmering golden gaze flicked back; finding Moraxia's stance to be sturdy and wide. She'd have to get the behemoth staggering once more if she had any hope of getting her to the ground. Raela's own teeth flashed white and menacing, though a smile pricked up the corner of her lips. This was all still friendly. Suddenly she moved, darting headlong for Moraxia's back leg. The Alphess aimed to grab ahold of the appendage and pull it out from beneath its owner in the other direction; a tactic that would be all the more effective with speed behind it. Even better if the target tried to turn and face the action, as the movement would further unbalance her.