Cut Rock River We share the moon, we share the stars

RE: Elias, you encounter a bear that's woken from hibernation prematurely.
@Ravenna

Elias had forgotten how tough it was to be a loner. Life at the Heights had been considerably easy in comparison to this, and he wasn't even alone alone. He hated to imagine what it was like for the few wolves who chose to go solo, those who had no one to watch their back or snuggle with during these cold nights. Nin was...well, she was getting along now. If they hadn't been able to figure it out before, then there was no denying it now, Nineva was well and truly pregnant.

Which explained her ravenous appetite these days, no matter how much food he brought to her she gobbled it down as though she couldn't get enough. He was glad she was eating, that meant the puppies were growing strong, but what if it wasn't enough? What if he wasn't doing enough to provide? And so, after giving Nineva a parting kiss he'd set out in the early hours of the morning to hunt. As of then he'd found nothing of substance, he meandered further south, sniffing at tracks and trails hoping they would lead him to a prize worthy of Nin's palate.

The sound of running water made Elias slow as his ears perked to attention. It seemed as though he'd found a river, so perhaps fish could be on the menu. If he was clever enough to catch them. Limping on, Elias headed towards the river, over the slabs of rock still coated in snow. It was then he saw it, a big lumbering beast lingering by the river side, head ducked down as it lapped away at the thawing river. A bear, a grizzly one at that.

He paused in his steps and quickly decided that fish wasn't going to be on the menu. There was always something else to catch, Elias would never tangle with a bear unless he truly had to, as would any other wolf. It was common sense.

S Warning. Ravenna curses.

and with a spark its going to be

It had been only yesterday since the death of Ravenna's uncle and the home of Willow Ridge had grown silent with remorse and sorrow for the loss. It was no secret to anyone within the ranks, even surely the newbie @Casanova, that Nicolo had been a sick man, firstly it seemed only emotionally so by the loss of his wife but once his son too had decided to leave the ranks as physical illness had taken over. An illness which no means of fresh meat offered by @Sven or newly sprouted herbs from Ravenna could fix. In the wake of this as well as her brother's not so wanted visit to the pack the day prior, Ravenna was able to slip out from her pack's territory undetected, or so she thought to be at least. Often or not she would be trailed by @Adeltra and yet this time it did not seem she had been able to track Ravenna, likely due to the fact that she was taking some time to herself as well to mourn the loss of her father. It wouldn't be too long now before she (the medic) and Leotie (a scout) would be confined to their dens with new pups and unable to pull their weight in the pack's duties. So for now with some very enjoyed quiet time, Ravenna moved north-west away from home.

There was herbs here. Herbs which did not grow in the Willows, the foothills of the mountains or the open lands of the Rise or meadow. The much more dense forestry would be a worthy visit as it often was. Too many times before she had not only ran into the plant life that she needed but also wolves that either provided her with information or even ones who had thought to join her ranks. Perhaps the Cedarwood Forest would do her well to get the thought of death off of her mind.

And it did. As she neared the riverbed in order to get herself something to drink (because she was a horrible fisher) the smell of a bear caught her attention, too close for comfort. As her attention caught it, it raised it's head to catch her. Oh fuck. Perhaps knowing one wolf as around didn't bother the bear as one was not a threat, but too? After having only just woken from hibernation a bit too early the bear was hungry, groggy and well, flat out irritated. Ravenna did not know another one, most specially @Elias, was near because her attention was focused on the bear which turned away from the river side and towards her, it's paw swiping the ground in warning. Oh shit. Ravenna slowly backed away, panic settling in.

the biggest fire they've ever seen

(This post was last modified: Apr 01, 2018, 09:49 PM by Ravenna.)

Elias backed away, slow and steady with no sudden movements, lest he startle the beast into a rage. It seemed distracted though, as though it hadn't even realised he was there and with each passing second it grew even more irate and grumbly. Following the bear's line of sight his own gaze landed upon a familiar face. Someone a little too familiar. Swallowing thickly, he glanced between the bear and Ravenna, back and forth as he struggled to think of what to do.

He raised a paw as if to move closer, but then pressed it firmly back onto the snow. Getting closer wouldn't help, Elias wasn't fluent in bear but he had a lot of experience when it came to de-escalatingtense situations. Rolling over on his back wouldn't help, the bear wasn't asking for submission, it wanted them to get lost. The best thing to do was to give it what it wanted sooner rather than later. He looked to Ravenna once more as she inched away, clearly not fast enough for the bear's liking.

Elias could sense the panic building within her, her wide eyes revelled all, she was scared...Well, maybe Elias could help with that. Things were no doubt complicated between them, but he wanted-needed- to help her nonetheless. Even if she wasn't quite the friend she used to be.

"Ravenna." He called, softly, as not to startle her or the bear. With a flick of his snout, he motioned for her to come closer, as though they were friends on opposing sides of a street. He didn't move from his spot, not yet."This way. It's okay Mr Bear, the river is all yours. You can have it, no problem. It's all right Ravenna, keep heading this way."

Got permission from Alice to post!

Everything felt like it moved in slow motion. It felt like it had been a million years in the time between her father’s death and the current time. They had buried him, paid their respects, and a heavy film seemed to float over the heads of the Willow wolves. The forest felt quieter, emptier without the presence of the older Archer. A dull ache had settled in her chest. An ache that could only be filled by the presence of her father, and therefore she was convinced it would never go away.

Some wolves might have stayed hulled up in a den, in the dark, while mourning but Adeltra had taken the opposite. Instead, she wandered. And wandered. And wandered, without any real idea of where her paws were taking her. She hadn’t slept, afraid of what her dreams would bring her. She hadn’t gone out of the territory, but instead trekked the borders a thousand and one times. Shuffling, constantly shuffling. Until she came across the scent of her cousin, leading from the territory. She didn’t feel curiosity, she didn’t feel concern. All of those feelings were too much for her to feel at that moment, but instead her paws carried her after the scent.

A strange smell came as she followed, one she had never smelt before. It was a strong smell, musty and acrid and judging by the amount of it it was big. Her paws picked up the pace, her body simply along for the ride as she approached. As she approached she could feel her body naturally reacting, though in her state she felt like she was reacting slowly. The hairs along her neck stood on end as she gazed at the massive beast, honeyed gaze traveling between Ravenna and Elias. She noted the panicked look on her cousin’s face and the golden man, who seemed to be trying to lure the monster away. She was carried to the silver woman’s side, brushing against her and crossing in front to press against her chest.

We’re gonna take care of you, her voice spoke, seemingly without her permission. The dark girl began pressed against her cousin’s chest, enticing her to slowly back away. Her gaze remained on the beast, watching it’s movements carefully while flickered to Elias. Why was he helping them? He’d already done plenty of damage, why not let the beast attack and do more?

Shallow water has trapped several fish in a small pond. Hunt Opportunity

and with a spark its going to be

Ravenna should have known that at some point in time she was bound to run into one of these creatures. She had never however before. Though the term 'Grizzly Hollow' had once been explained, describing the large furry creature that she could only assume to be the same creature which was standing before her now - a bear. With winter ending and spring arriving it was time for these large animals to come out from their hiding they did during the cold months. She had been told that one could live peacefully with them near so long as you always kept your distance. This time and Ravenna's first interaction with one it would seem she had mistakenly gotten a little too close to one that was in particular having a very rough morning much as herself.

A familiar voice broke between the grunts and snarls of the bear. One she did not need to turn to in order to know who it was. It was Elias. A former close friend of hers, a man she now did not know where she stood with and, quite possibly, the father of the pups which she carried in her now. Her silver eyes remained locked on the beast before her, unwilling to turn away her attention though her ears turned back, listening for the direction which Elias was at as he spoke, trying to both ease the bear and encourage Ravenna to come near. Of course Ravenna was scared, having never seen a predator of this size before although it was not just herself she had to worry about but the lives which were also growing within her.

And then Adeltra came. She moved in so silently and so smoothly to Ravenna's front, pressing to her chest, urging her to keep moving and that both she had Elias were going to take care of her. This damn pup! Even in the wake of her father's recent death, the young girl, not even a year old, still found ways to surprise Ravenna. She could remain calm in even the most horrible, terrifying moments. Though the bear did not at all seem impressed. He was outnumbered even more now and when it came to a bear the 'fight or flight' option normally leaned to the former. Doing something the silver queen did not know it was capable of doing, the bear lifted up off the ground, it's roar causing Ravenna to jerk. "Run." She whispered to Adeltra and then the bear slammed its weight back to the ground... And charged. "Run!!" Ravenna spun around and in a flash of silver ran as fast as her legs could take her. Surely Adeltra could outrun her, but what of Elias? She didn't know how fast the bear could move, but she swore she could feel it's breath on her backside.

the biggest fire they've ever seen

(This post was last modified: Apr 02, 2018, 01:02 AM by Ravenna.)

Despite his efforts, the situation only went from bad to worse. The bear had no interest in his attempts to placate it, if anything the beast got even angrier, more confused as the seconds passed by. He licked his lips nervously, his tail curling between his legs as he watched the fire burn in the bear's eyes. For some reason or another it had taken a real disliking to Ravenna, as though she had personally offended it's mother. His mind raced, he had to do something but what?

It was then he realised that another wolf had entered the fray, Adeltra .

His ears were pinned against his skull as he took another, careful, step back. The bear took one forward, moving ever closer with loud, thundering steps. If Elias was going to do something it would have to be soon...nor or never. But what? What what what? Ravenna's voice broke the silence and the mounting tension. RUN! Yep, Elias couldn't argue with her. Turning tail, he rushed after the duo, his odd limpy run putting him at a distinct disadvantage. He could hunt and cover distances, but could he outrun a bear? Well, he supposed he was about to find out.

He barrelled onward, sides heaving as they weaved through the trees. Ravenna and Adeltra were some distance ahead, would they leave him in the dust? Not that he could blame them but... He shook his head as he pushed on, they needed to find somewhere the bear wouldn't follow. Surely the beast wouldn't chase them forever, it'd be a waste of energy considering it wouldn't want to eat them, right?

Adeltra could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest, could feel her body reacting in alarm but her headspace didn’t allow for anything other than a cool fog. She was still emotionally stagnant from her father’s death. She was being led purely by instinct, an instinct that drove her to protect her cousin. In a normal circumstance she would have reacted much differently. Likely would have tucked tail and run screaming her head off. But, in that moment all she could do was stare down her foe with empty eyes.

Suddenly, the animal was rearing up on its hind legs and her eyes widened. It looked like a giant. Like it was enveloping the entire sky with its horrible mass. A roar escaped the animal’s jaws, bellowing and shaking her to her core so that even in her stunted state she felt a pinprick of fear. She heard Ravenna say run, but all she could do was stare. It wasn’t until it slammed onto the ground, shaking the earth beneath her paws, and her cousin screamed the word again that she finally processed. Little paws scrambled, tripping over themselves in a hurry to get the hell out of dodge.

They ran, paws eating away at the ground as the bear gave chase. Her gaze was locked on her cousin’s rump, legs far shorter than hers as she struggled to keep up. Her honeyed gaze glanced behind her, the blonde form of Elias trailing not too much further behind them. The beast still gave chase, rumbling growls and heavy breaths escaping its mouth. Then, of course, fate frowned upon the girl. As if it hadn’t taken enough from her already.

She tripped.

A small tree root stuck out of the ground and her paw caught it, causing her form to topple to the ground. The breath was knocked from her and she rolled to her paws in a daze, a roar causing her to bolt once again. She felt a hot puff of air against her backside and she kicked it into another gear, auds plastered to her head. The girl felt a dull pain in her hindleg, but the panic and adrenaline out weighed it. She would find, later, a small gash from the bear’s claws but until then she kept running. Surely it would stop once they ran far enough from it’s territory.

and with a spark its going to be

She ran. Ran as fast as her long limbs could take her, the foliage around her in the forest a blur and she rushed past them, further east, back towards home where the cedar forest would become less and less dense as it mingled into the marshes and edges of the willows. Of course she had quite a bit of running to go before she ever made it home but home was the only place Ravenna could think to run to. Back to Willow Ridge, back to the safety of her borders and inside the pack den.

In reality only a few minutes of running had passed but it was so sudden and with so much adrenaline Ravenna began to tire. It felt she had been running forever. With Adeltra behind her and Elias behind her, she did not hear when Adeltra had tripped only to quickly regain her footing before it was too late. Ravenna slowed only when she could no longer here the snarls and breathes of the bear, only when his thundering footsteps did not pound behind her. She did not feel safe to stop running completely until she checked behind her, quickly looking back to see if the bear had truly lost interest in his assault. It was gone.

Ravenna slowed to a trot, then a walk until she found herself stumbling forward to a stop, her head falling low between her front limbs, her sides heaving. Once she was able to catch her breath, she whined in worry. Though they may have made it to the clear, what of her pups? With the stress of @Niles, the death of her uncle and now this, it would be a wonder if her pups survived.

The smell of blood then made her cringe, causing her to break her thoughts and lift up her head as she turned her attention to the other two wolves behind her, likely still struggling to catch their own breaths after the chase. It was the first time for Ravenna she had been the one running for her life in a chase. A role reversal she hoped she would never have to endure again. Her silver eyes sweeper over both Elias and Adeltra, moving in closer to the both of them with worry set still locked onto her expression. She pushed her muzzle roughly into the nape of Adeltra, breathing deep into her dark fur with such a happiness she was okay. But then she pulled away, circling her, sniffing. "Del, your leg..." She murmured, her words still breathless. The would did not mangle Her limb nor was it broken, yet the gash would prove to be a nuisance for her for awhile it seemed, likely to be sore and leaving her with a limp. Ravenna's worry was only to keep it protected and clean until the would closed. She reached down and licked it, another small whine touching her. "It will be okay. I can get you patched up when we get home." Then her head lifted, turning to Elias with a questioning look. Was he okay?

the biggest fire they've ever seen

Elias' ears flicked back as alarm seized his heart. He risked a glance over his shoulder, they had to keep moving but never would he ever even think about leaving Adeltra to the mercy of that beast. He knew how it would end but...he'd rather fight the beast one on one, than face that possibility. Perhaps she didn't like him, resented him for how he'd acted on that tumultuous day but he cared for her just as much, if not more so than he did before.

Despite the lingering scent of blood in the air the bear seemingly lost interest, it's message had been received loud and clear. Even if it had gone above and beyond the usual means of saying get lost. At least it was over. Nonetheless, Elias' stood tall as he watched the beast amble back into the forest as Ravenna tended to Adeltra's wound, as minor as it seemed to be.

Honestly, he didn't know what to do with himself at that point. His heart thudded in his chest but for different reason this time. There was....His gaze roamed over Ravenna's pale form, just as pretty and womanly as it had been on that day. And yet, something was undeniably different. The tang of blood lingered heavy in the air but even over that he could smell it, the familiar scent of growing life.

Oh.Oh!

Elias flinched when he met Ravenna's gaze, as though she was biting down on his muzzle  once more. What was he supposed to say, congratulations? Had she gotten what she'd wanted from him? Was she going to use this opportunity to demand more? The bear didn't seem so bad now, he glanced over his shoulder and for a brief, foolish moment considered running after it, only to shove the notion away with a shake of his head.

"That was...bracing." Was all he said, doing his best to look anywhere but at the Willow wolves.