Thunder Bowl the taste of blood is bitter

Random Event: Wraith, is that just a coincidentally odd-shaped mud puddle... or has the rain filled in a giant paw print?! Open to one.

The sky above was dark with heavy storm clouds. It had rained heavily that morning, and they had been granted a reprieve, but as afternoon rolled around, the threat was returning for more rain. They needed it. The lowland grasses felt harsher than normal from lack of good rain and the humidity was bordering on unbearable for the thick-pelted wolf.

Since finding Everly (@Lenae) out this way, Wraith had been itching to return. She was running from something. Someone. Of that he had no doubt. He recognized the ghosts in her gaze. They weren't the same. Couldn't be the same as the ones that had plagued him. But they were similar enough for him to identify with relative ease. There was no true plan for coming out this far. Mostly just to see what he would find, if anything. Would there be someone on her trail? Someone looking for her? Good, bad? Family? An enemy?

She was an enigma, but not one he wanted to unravel through force. By how fearful she had been of him initially, he suspected she had dealt with enough trauma not to be questioned about it. He told himself that in time, she would reveal what had her out on the ledge considering the bottom of the Thunder Bowl with hungry, sad eyes. But until then, he would satisfy his need to know by conducting his own investigation.

Dipping his muzzle to the ground, Wraith began near where the pair had initially met and sniffed around. Many trails crossed and died off, most consisting of stale prey trails he had no intention of following. Annoyed, he snorted and trotted some distance away to where he could still easy see the drop off of the Thunder Bowl and began sniffing again. There was something to the ground here. Some scent that burned at his nose with a heavy musk.

Wraith grunted as his paw fell into a shallow puddle during his intense tracking. Lifting his leg, he peered at it with a deepening frown. The male's experience with bears was minimal at best, and while the size of it suited the rain-filled track in front of him, the shape didn't quite match. It was almost as if a toe was missing. He snorted and twisted away, moving on. Apparently having a child made him more prone to using his imagination as well.

Still, he couldn't quite get rid of the feeling that he was being watched. Maybe even hunted.

Askan wasn't much of a wanderer these days, but that wasn't to say he was a recluse either. He wasn't a coward, nor was he afraid of shadows, it was simply that the outside world didn't have the same allure as it used to. Everything he wanted and needed was in the field. He didn't have to stalk the Lowlands acting as though they were his, when he had a den and a mate to call his own. His own little slice of paradise, so to speak.

Still, the urge to roam the wide tundra wasn't something he could ever ignore.With three little hungry mouths to feed it wasn't as though it was selfish of him to slip away to track down the local herds. If anything it was selfless, wasn't he such a good provider? A good hard worker? The fact that he was hitting two birds with one stone...Well, that was just a coincidence. Really.

With his nose to the ground, he sniffed and snuffed, following a day-or so- old trail. Elk? Mule deer? He couldn't really tell, not when it was so faint. Leaning up, he came to a stop and glanced about and for the first time in a few hours took notice of how far he'd ventured from the Rye borders. Huh, it didn't feel as though he'd been out there long, but time always did seem to fly by when he was in his element.

Rolling his shoulders, Askan wondered whether he should just call it quits and head back. Or at least he did until he noticed the large dark wolf that stood almost parallel to him. Great, just what he needed.

At first Askan didn't recognise Wraith. These lands seemed to be teaming with giant dark wolves-much to his distaste- but after a moment or so of staring as though he hoped the stranger would catch on fire he realised that he looked familiar.

Shadow? Shade? No no that wasn't right? Wraith! That was it, the new leader of their-not so, at least not anymore- pesky neighbours to the north. Things had calmed down and for that Askan was grateful, but at the same time he wasn't willing to play best buddies with the Whitestone wolves just yet. Or ever, for the matter. The Selwyn held onto grudges with dear life, even if it was old news.

Being the petty sod he was, Askan couldn't help but scoff and make a rude remark. Just for old time's sake.

"Oh it's you." He rumbled, once he was within conversational earshot.

Telling himself he was being silly did little to calm his nerves. The black brute's nostrils flared with each inhale as he searched the air for the source of the heavy musk without success. His fur stood bristled over his shoulders as his amber eyes roamed. Wraith cursed sharply under his breath when the voice called his attention to Askan's presence. He let out a noisy exhale that was half relief and half frustration. It must have been Askan's presence he was sensing. There was nothing else out this way.

And still, his hackles refused to calm.

Forcing the stiffness out of his posture, Wraith wagged his tail twice in a sedate greeting. "Askan," he acknowledged with a dip of his head, resisting the urge to bump noses. It was difficult to constantly be surrounded by wolves with which such tactile measures were acceptable and then stumble upon a relative stranger who would far from appreciate the gesture of camaraderie. "Good to see you," he murmured, polite by habit though obviously still distracted. "I hope all is well with your pack?" The question was accompanied by a lifted brow even as his golden gaze scrutinized over the male's head on his ghost hunt.

Finally giving in to his paranoia, he turned in a circle to look around before asking, "Do you smell something off?" He just couldn't pin it down. Whatever it was, it certainly wasn't prey. And it wasn't wolf.

Askan couldn't help but scoff. Yeah right. Good to see him? He'd sooner believe in flying boars than that. No one ever said it was good to see him, and certainly not someone from Whitestone. Craw might be gone-good fucking riddance- but he had a feeling that he would have no doubt bad mouthed Askan till his heart was content. He bet the northern wolves thought he was scum the lowest of the low, a measly flea bitten runt who couldn't keep his damn mouth shut. A shudder of irritation ran down his spine as he felt his hackles stand on end.

He hadn't been this pissy in a long time. Whitestone wolves seemed to bring out the worst in him.

As for his question, Askan's response was anything but congenial. Wraith was a talker then, a sleazy not-so-little smarmy bastard. No wonder he got along with Craw so well.

"Yeah yeah, can't complain." If he wanted more details well he could fuck right off. That was all he was going to get.

Then of course, Wraith had to be completely and utterly weird and bring up something that caught the Selwyn off guard. Weird? What was that supposed to mean? Askan glanced about pointedly, making it pretty damn obvious that there wasn't anything obvious around that could be the source of this mysterious stink that had Wraith's tail twisted into a knot. There was nothing, nothing but tundra, some rocks and...A massive pit in the ground. Huh, he'd never seen that before.

"Maybe you've got a cold."

Under different circumstances, Wraith would have regretted not paying more attention to Askan. It had been clear even from their first meeting that the male was a special kind of sensitive that didn't take well to not having complete and utter respect. Of which Wraith could respect, in a sense. But respect was earned, in his opinion, and Askan hadn't quite gotten there yet overall. One thing that could not be argued was the wolf's loyalty to his pack. In that, the male had Wraith's respect in spades.

But as it was, his attention was divided and he couldn't cater to Askan's needs in just that moment. He took in the Rye wolf's words without actually listening. Even the less than friendly tone was hardly noted. There was just something off. Something -- He couldn't pin it down.

Sarcasm floated across the space between them heavily, but not enough to quite drown out the sound Wraith had been straining to hear. There had to be something around, so all of his senses were on red-alert.

Lucky for his companion.

Wraith had no time to shout out a warning, for his voice failed him as he caught sight of the source of the musk and the muted snuffling that had grown in volume. By the grace of whatever power looked over them all, Wraith's legs had not failed him.

The large Alpha surged toward Askan and bodily shoved him aside as the grizzly bear mounted the edge of the pit and took a swipe at him. The Monadnock leader couldn't be so lucky as to avoid the blow himself as well and had the breath knocked from him as he was tossed with frightening ease several feet away. A quick assessment of his body parts revealed no lasting damage, though his ribs burned. Wraith stood on shaky feet, stance spread wide as he coughed and fought for air.

A furious roar set the ground around the bear and wolves alike trembling. Spittle flew from the beast's mouth, flaring around to spot upon the ground in a semi-circle. As adrenaline kicked into his system, Wraith noted the missing toe on the animal's left paw.

As soon as he had the breath for it, he called out to Askan. "Still think I have a cold?" His voice didn't carry the strength it usually held, still winded from being knocked aside like a misbehaving pup.

Askan hit the floor with a resounding thud and a grunt.

A snarl rumbled from his throat as he scrambled to get to his feet. What the fuck? Did a bit of sarcasm really warrant that sort of response? What sort of guy walloped someone off their feet without giving him a warning first. If Askan had a score to settle with someone he at least had the courtesy to give them a warning or two. He'd never just whacked them about without making it damn clear he was going to do just that. But Wraith? He was a right piece of work, all that polite smarmy shit was just for show. There was nothing civil about him.

"What the fuck do-" And then he saw it and all he could say was "oh shit."

Okay, Askan had been wrong. That was okay. He wasn't perfect, as much as it pained to admit that. But that wasn't important, not when there was a bloody royally pissed grizzly just feet away from where he stood.

Why was it always bears?

He'd been in this sort of situation before, so he knew better than to keep poking it at. But the bear was angry no matter what and the idea of letting this spitting behemoth roam the Lowlands when there were pups back in the field wasn't something he could bear. Pardon the pun. And he imagined Wraith felt the same way, considering the fact his pack wasn't so far from here.

"Ha, very funny." Askan spat back, as he adjusted his stance, his ears flipping back to pin against his forehead."You good?"

Askan couldn't see nor smell any blood, but Wraith had certainly taken the brunt of that hit. Good thing he was so big and bulky, otherwise he would have been flung off like a rag doll. As funny as that might have been, Askan was glad he was okay. Two vs one, that wasn't so bad. Or at the very least it wasn't a death sentence.

Still, it wasn't as though he thought they could fight an actual, massive bear and win to tell the tale. Yeah, like that'd happen. No, if they were gonna handle this situation then they'd have to be smart and take advantage of everything and anything to gain the upper paw.

Good thing there was just a massive crater ready and waiting to be used as a bear grave.

"You think we can make this bear fly?"He asked, nodding to the crater before them.

He was funny, wasn't he? It was as close to an apology as the male could manage, Wraith imagined, and it suited him just fine given the circumstances. Though, he supposed he did owe one himself for knocking the poor brute off his paws. But that'd be something to gloat and tease him about later. At a more appropriate time. When they weren't in the midst of a face off with the most pissed off predator in the Lowlands.

Askan's question was met with a muted nod as he took another steadying breath. Fenrir be damned but it hurt! There was a moment more of panting before he was able to speak. "Yeah," he told his new ally. "I'm good."

Wraith was loathe to admit it but for all the time he'd spent in Relic Lore, it was his first time ever coming across a bear. They never came to the Far North where he was born and, perhaps by luck alone, he'd never seen one otherwise. But he'd heard of them and the destruction they could bring. Of the dens they could ruin and the caches they could pillage and the pups and yearlings they could slaughter in droves. His thinking was right in line with Askan's; they could not suffer such a beast to live between their packs. Not with young ones now getting their first tastes of adventure and wandering on their own. Cyril would meet this creature over his dead body.

The Monadnock male followed the Rye wolf's gaze towards the Thunder Bowl the beast had somehow managed to scale. Everly had been perched on that ledge when first they met, posed to dive off of it. He'd looked down the pit himself and knew well the fall would be deadly. Wraith inclined his head in agreement.

"Together, then," he acknowledged with a wry smile. In a painful stab, he was reminded of Craw. The ease with which the pair of them had always communicated in vital moments like this was something he missed sorely. But Askan - sensitive as he was - seemed just as intuitive.

Wraith set his paws boldly apart as he prepared for the risky maneuver. He thought of Piety and sent up a quick prayer that she would not have to come searching only to find his broken body. For his acushla, he had to return.

As the wolves snarls mingled, the grizzly rose on its hind paws and roared again into the sky. "Now!" Wraith shouted as he charged.

If he hadn't been so busy Askan would have no doubt laughed out loud. Working together with a Whitestone wolf, how times had changed. Some might say for the better, as there was finally peace in the Lowlands. But really, how peaceful could it be when there was a damn giant bear on the loose? Ah well, they'd soon fix that problem. If they weren't cleaved in two that was. For now, Askan was willing to meet in the middle. To forge a truce between the two of them to ensure that this menace was taken care of.

"Together." Askan rumbled in agreement.

At his signal, the Selwyn rushed forward, teeth bared and snarls tearing from his open lips. They weren't damn gonna fling themselves at the bear like cannon fodder, but they damn well had to make it seem as though they were. And their display had to be convincing too, otherwise the bear wouldn't take them seriously at all.  Which, at this point Askan assumed it didn't.

If the roles were reversed and a couple of coyotes were snarling at him, he would have just laughed his arse off. But of course, they weren't mangy mutts, they were wolves and they had numbers and cunning on their side.

Barrelling ahead, Askan charged the bear head on as though he intended to take a chunk of his big exposed belly. Darting to the side, he narrowly avoided a swipe of it's humongous paw and ducked down to grab the back of it's ankle. With a mighty heave, he yanked back as hard as he could, throwing all of his strength and weight into the action. He knew he wouldn't be able to topple the giant alone, he'd sooner get squished in the process. But if he could at least make the beast a little unsteady on it's feet, it'd give Wraith the opportunity to do his part.

With Askan closer, it gave the male the opportunity to initiate his attack first. Distraction was the initial goal and it was working marvelously. A snarl worked its way from Wraith's throat in warning when the bear made a swipe for the Rye male, but Askan was already moving out of its path. Despite the fact that the wolf was not his packmate, Wraith felt an overwhelming sense of duty and responsibility towards him anyway. Askan was strong and capable, but he could not do this alone. Perhaps it was the father in him, though imagined the irritable wolf would not take kindly to the thought of Wraith protecting him like some wayward pup.

And indeed he was not a pup in need of direction. In fact, it seemed he had more experience with battling such monsters already. Wraith kept up his charge even as his companion ducked under the swiping paw and grabbed at the bear's ankle. It gave the Monadnock leader just the edge he needed as he raced forward.

For all his weight and strength, Wraith could be surprisingly light on his paws. Born and raised along the sheer mountain cliffs of the Far North, he had a gift for acrobatics. Taking down prey from above was something of a specialty, and though the situation didn't fit exactly, the male didn't have any qualms or hesitation about his actions.

With a mighty leap, Wraith's four paws crashed with all his strength against the bear's chest just below its chin. He felt the bear's rancorous breath blast across his face as his impact forced the air from the animal. For that breath, their noses almost touched. Bracing himself for that breath, the black wolf shoved off the animal and twisted backwards to land heavily with a forceful exhale.

Already caught off balance by Askan yanking on its ankle, Wraith's shove tipped the bear's center of gravity back towards the Thunder Bowl. "Let go!" he barked in warning to the Rye male just as the beast's balance was completely lost.

(This post was last modified: Aug 22, 2017, 02:38 PM by Wraith.)

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health