Swallow Swallet hard to love

For @Kjell 83  Lemme know if there's anything I should change.

Following his...adventure with that little pack female, Zerxes had wandered his way east for a while a bit more aimlessly than usual. However, nothing captured his attention quite like she had. To be honest, he hoped to bump into Nineva again but part of him also hoped that she would avoid the area like the plague. Had his presence ruined the otherwise peaceful place for her? He liked to think he had the power to make her shudder anytime she thought of it. Of course, he'd enjoy making her shudder in other ways.

Alas, it would not be today, he realized with disappointment. There was neither sight nor scent of the lively vixen.

Overhead swallows chattered and swooped in and out from the nearby sinkhole. All in all, it wasn't a bad spot for taking a break. Zerxes had half a mind to cause a stir by claiming the land for his own. The stench of her pack was thick in the area despite knowing they hadn't laid claim to this specific place. Pissing all over the place to leave a message for her certainly had its appeal. The male stood to do just that when he spotted a dark-furred male not far off.

A loner, clearly. A friend of hers, he wondered, come a-calling? Not when he had anything to say about it.

Without preamble, Zerxes lowered his head and bared his teeth in an audible snarl. "Piss off. The little one is mine." Despite the fact that the heterochromatic girl was far from little, Zerxes liked to imagine the little spitfire as so. Someone small was easier to control.

Warning for mild language.

 

The fuck was this guy talking about?

Kjell – often letting curiosity rule over his well-being these days, loneliness had done a strange thing to the male – had followed the scent of a strange wolf when he had been spotted.  It was not like him to allow himself to emerge from shadows before scouting out the situation.  You’re slipping, he scolded himself, nose wrinkled upwards in a flash of white teeth.  His hunt for Kjors was not serving him well.

“Last I checked, no one owned the damn place,” he snapped, ears laid back in evident displeasure.

The scent of a pack nearby was strong – smelled a bit like Pip.  But this was not too far from where he’d met his little friend, so he supposed he would not worry too much.  As long as he didn’t actually trespass into the girl’s home, no alpha would come after him.  More importantly, the rude beast in front of him didn’t smell like the pack either.  Antagonizing him would not result in other wolves appearing.

Kjell’s tail arched high over his back as his pelt bristled upwards. “The fuck do y’think you are, anyways, bossing me around like that?  How ‘bout you get lost, you spineless bitch, before I decided to make you, yeah?”

Warning for language.

The dark wolf was correct. No one owned the place. Yet. The bastard had rudely interrupted his intention to lay just such a claim on the land and that he wouldn't let pass unpunished. Zerxes did look inwardly for a moment. Perhaps he had not been clear? Maybe his body language wasn't broadcasting loud enough that this stranger wasn't welcome here. At any moment, his girl could drop by and the last thing he needed was the competition of this one for her grave-walking eyes. But no. He'd been plenty clear. It wasn't his fault this dumbass couldn't understand plain wolf.

A flash of the male's tail over his back earned a brutal snarl from Zerxes, his fur bristling like a spire over his spine. Likewise, his own tail lifted high in the air to broadcast what his ears seemed to be missing. The masked man was a forgiving wolf. Really, he didn't ask for much. Obedience when demanded, respect at all times, some goddamn appreciation. But would this one give it? Not without a lesson he wouldn't forget.

Upon hearing himself be likened to some weak, pansy-hearted female, Z practically roared as he charged for the dark coated rival. He didn't bother with the typical prolonged posturing. Though he hadn't officially staked a claim on the land, it was his as far as he was concerned. And this bastard could limp his ass out if he could even live through the encounter. No doubt he would tuck and run like the spineless bitch he'd called him!

Furious teeth flashed for @Kjell's neck while Z rose up over the wolf until his forelimbs were nearly straddling his foe. "Who's the bitch now?" he spat. "Now hold still like a good girl."

There are several fresh rabbit tracks in the mud. Hunt Opportunity

Fortunately, Kjell Sørenson did not expect his challenge to be met with anything less than violence.  If the stranger had not caused it, certainly the dragon prince would have.  He might not own the area, but neither did this loner, and at some point, a man had to stand up for his sense of pride.  Now was just the time, it seemed.

Zerxes announced his intentions with a roar, bounding forward as the younger male held his ground.  Lips peeled upwards to reveal a roar of ivory knives, ears flattening against his skull as they disappeared from easy access.  His skin prickled as hackles rose to their full height; with those broad scars across his neck, Kjell looked like a wolf who had seen a few scuffles.

Predictably, the first thing the other wolf did was try to mount him in dominance display – albeit it slightly askew – and grappled with Kjell’s neck.  He grabbed the fur and the male shrunk down on his legs just a bit, providing him with some spring as Zerxes came down.  Down, down, and up when Kjell, rearing and twisting to grab the side of Zerxes’ face, his neck, his chest, something – and down he went, allowing gravity to do his work as he sought to tackle Zerxes to the floor.

“Bed time, old man.”

He had miscalculated. Zerxes knew even as his bite held true. But his opponent was larger and stronger than himself with more experience as well. While the dark-masked male may have killed more - and now, Z wasn't convinced that was true either - he had done so previously through devious, back-handed ways rather than head-on. Usually, he was better at choosing his opponents. Namely, those he could soundly thrash and walk away no worse for wear. But this one was going to be a handful.

He could feel the man's intentions even as he was incapable to stop it. Zerxes released his hold as if to meet the male's counter, but the bastard was faster than he gave him credit for. Zerxes snarled as he felt sharp teeth latch on to the crux between his jaw and neck. Despite being on top of the male, their positions were quickly reversed with a fierce toss. As his opponent released him to sneer out another insult, the loner quickly righted himself and squared himself off again.

That would not happen again. Fucking bastard would not catch him so off guard. This time, he would be ready for him.

It was through his own sloppiness that his fury had Z overreaching for the male, leaping past him in his eagerness rather than landing the glancing, teasing blow he meant to give. "Come on!" the masked man snarled.

(This post was last modified: Aug 29, 2016, 12:51 AM by Zerxes. Edit Reason: - revising thread to lengthen fight - )

It was an accident. A horrifying accident.

From where she lay in the spongy grass beside the enormous sinkhole, she watched as disturbed swallows tweeted in fear and flew out from the hole and high into the sky. They circled several times before decided it was safe enough to return to their nests.

The ochre color of Pip's eyes was nearly absent with how wide her pupils had grown. She stood on shaky limbs and rushed to @Kjell's side. Only moments before, she had been standing on the muddy incline above watching in silent horror as her friend was attacked. A small hunting trip had encouraged her out away from Hollow territory and the angry sounds of snarls had drawn her in. She knew better than to approach two wolves fighting. But it was so close to home that she had worried it was one of her packmates.

It was almost worse! Rather than a packmate, it was Kjell! Upon mounting the rise, she had seen the tawny loner mount him as if to do...wrong things with him and then bite his neck. She had opened her mouth to shout a warning, but of course, none had come. Of course, she needn't have worried. By the way he handled that beaver when first rescuing her, she should have known he could handle himself in a scuffle. Still, the look in that male's eyes... She'd never seen such violence before.

By the time Kjell had thrown the male to the ground, Pip stepped forward with the intent to chirp out and call the other wolf's attention. However, with all the recent downpours, the muddy ground beneath her paws had less traction than usual and she lost her footing and half-slid, half-tumbled down the hill straight into the brawling males.

Now, her nose bumped against him, searching out for injuries even as she trembled with excess adrenaline. Though she hadn't the ability to make the sound, in her head, she was whining so loud to not even be able to hear herself think!

(This post was last modified: Sep 30, 2016, 12:07 AM by Pip.)

Maybe he should stop talking.  This whole thing could end much quicker if he stopped opening his mouth – stopped letting the vile stranger escape so quickly.  At least the other man wasn’t quite the fighter he thought himself to be.  Zerxes stumble allowed the loner to gather himself to his feet quickly, paws scraping through the mud as he gave himself a quick shake, flinging dirt and puffing his coat back up.  He was already less protected than he would have liked, scars still evident on his throat and neck from his brother’s attempts on his life all those years ago – he didn’t need a matted coat adding to that disadvantage.

Before he could spring a counterstrike, however, gravity brought Pip to him like a lodestone, a magnet – and for a moment, the world spun out of control.

“What are you doing here!?” he yelped, temporarily forgetting the spatial closeness to her pack lands.  But now was not the time for questions.  Now was the time to finish this, especially with his friend here.  Pip could get hurt – and he couldn’t have that.

Using her appearance for the distraction it was, Kjell barred forward into the older wolf, jaws gaping as he struck out for the jugular.  He would win this.  His opponent would submit, or his opponent would die trying.

For all their ferocity, the brawl came to a screeching halt as another joined into the fray, however unintentional. Though it would have been handy to use the female's arrival to his benefit, Zerxes was just as distracted by her as Kjell. She was a tiny thing; the kind of wolf Z would love to take advantage of given the opportunity. His opponent seemed to almost sense the ugly thought for the dark knight turned upon him with hellfire in his eyes the likes of which even one like Z could appreciate.

Still regaining his own balance, the masked male was unprepared for Kjell's vicious counter. Zerxes' snarl was strangled as his throat was grabbed. For a heartbeat, he wondered if this was what his prey felt like as they died. Of course, the loner had no intention of dying. Not today. He had too many things to do first. Like ravage that little thing at his opponent's side.

In a vain attempt to get free, his paws flailed haplessly at Kjell's chest to shove himself away without success. He was caught fast and his vision swam a bit. Even as blood seeped against his chest, Z's devil green eyes fell upon the female and he smiled gruesomely while blood stained his teeth. The scrawny male hardly had the chance to open his mouth and spill any of his venom upon the girl before he was yanked brutally aside and his eyes were forced back upon the dark male's face.

Mud squelched beneath his back and Zerxes felt himself sliding towards the yawning opening of the chasm. It was surreal to hear the chirping of swallows over the sound of nearly deafening snarls. Had he realized this fight would have gone this way...he wouldn't have picked one with this individual. Ah, but hindsight was 20-20.

The green-eyed wolf might as well have been a beaver for the way @Kjell was able to handle him. Still, Pip did not miss the way she was looked at; like prey. She'd seen the look promising violence from a few of the older members of her birth pack before. It wasn't exactly something she could share with her siblings and garner comfort for. Instead, she'd learned to stay as far from them as possible. Now Niq'x and Blitz wondered why she preferred her life here at Grizzly Hollow. Her packmates didn't look at her like this wolf did.

No, this man looked at her even different from them, too. He smiled. It wasn't the charming kind of smile Kjell gave her. Not the kind that made her belly a little jumpy and her heart light. It left her feeling cold and fearful.

Once upon a time, this entire scene would have terrified her. She would have seen Kjell ripping into this man's neck and feared him as well. But she didn't. Rather, she feared for him. Even seeing him winning, Pip wanted to help in any way she could. But if she got involved and then somehow made it worse? She'd never forgive herself. So the mute girl danced anxiously on her paws all while trying to keep her orange eyes away from that devil's stare.