Cold Water Creek Randy Dandy-O

For @Scully
Dated - May 5th

His paws were wet, and his ears were filled with the sound of rushing water, surely there was no better place for a sea captain to be. He was trailing Cold Water Creek, roughly northward, now and then wading through melt-water streams too wide to jump. Each of the tributaries brought masses of icy blood to the heart of the Vale, and yet, the creek seemed no smaller on the upstream side. White foam rushed along the top of rivulets and falls, now and then bringing along a tree branch, or the leg of a deer carcass from somewhere on higher ground. It broke the monotony of travel, though, even the water was starting to bore him, truth be told.   Kyrios had taken the northern route, figuring he might as well stop by the old pack lands, now that he was in the area, but the trip there was tediously long, and had so far been mostly uneventful. It was enough to make him consider veering off from the path marked by the creek, to make a stint into the red hills, just for the sake of diversity. It hadn’t quite yet come to that, but it wasn’t far off, unless something interesting happened upon him very, very soon. Word Count: 209 Thoughts "Speech"

Betty Wiley

Scully had found himself a part of the thin river where the water shallowed, baring stone shelves that raised from it's bed. They offered select places to step, providing an impromptu obstacle course of sorts. The impulse had hit his brain the moment he'd seen them, and soon he was splashing about, perfectly happy with his little game. Rock to rock had proved too easy, and so he promptly started setting challenges for himself. Each time he missed only amped the Archer up further, trying again and again until the feat was mastered.

The commotion of his own paws constantly punching through the icy water masked the other wolf's presence, leaving the younger man oblivious until he turned and twisted and -- a streak of gold caught his eyes. Scully widened his stance and lowered his skull. It was a predatory kind of posturing, but the crooked grin on his face and the mischievous glint in his silver eyes hinted toward play.

Whether in answer to his wish, or simply by the whims of fate, a rush of movement up ahead suddenly caught the Captain’s eye. He stopped in his tracks, jerking up his head and narrowing his eyes to try and see through the trees. All he could make out was a shadow, bounding back and forth along the creek, obscured by the underbrush. Intrigued, Kyrios pressed on, clearing the last trees in time to spot the last, skillful jump made by the younger wolf.   Duly impressed, the older daredevil gave an appreciative yip, smiling wide at the stranger. His reaction to being interrupted though, was quite surprising and Kyrios was taken aback for just a second. The body language was unmistakable, for half a breath it looked like the dark lad might attack him for his trouble, but then golden eyes locked with silvers, instantly recognizing that all too familiar gleam; Ah, it’s a challenge is it!   Well, no one would ever say that Kyrios Aegina Stark was one to back down from a challenge! And so he mirrored the stance, letting out a playful snarl, accepting wordlessly; Your move! Thoughts "Speech"

Betty Wiley

Scully's teeth flashed, the corners of his mouth raised high and uneven, grinning like the chesire cat back at the paler wolf. Once again his luck held out, and rather than being met harshly he was greeted similarly. Energetically, he sprung forward then back again, his paws pushing the water forward in a spray each time they landed. It was aimed right at the other man, and while he hoped to get the other wolf wet, it was almost certain the other would see it coming and simply move out of the way.

What Scully was interested in seeing was what he'd do to retaliate.

   The game was simple, needing no words to clarify the rules. The sooty lad bounded forwards, sending a spray of water right at Kyrios, and, instinctively, the Captain leapt aside, the volley blasting harmlessly past his flank. A wide grin spread on his face to mirror the strangers, triumph gleaming in his eyes, though it was brief.
 

   Soon the second salvo came flying, and Kyrios jumped again, this time to the other side, landing expertly on the wet stones with his shoulders down and rear high in the air, tail waving like a bold flag, mocking the attacker. The pale rogue barked excitedly, calling for his opponent to try his worst, then leaped aside once more, only to repeat the display.

   And all the while, he watched and waited for his time to strike, ready to answer back in equal measure. Once the moment came, he would pound ahead, aiming his full mass at the icy water, to send a great swell towards the other bank and its current occupier.

The other wolf did indeed dodge his attack, and then promptly asked for more. Scully gleefully obliged, this time putting a bit more power and tact behind each blast. Regardless, the stranger continued to skillfully avoid a drop. Just when he was about to pack it in and demand the other wolf fight back, the birch-colored wolf was partially obscured to Scully's low-hanging skull by a wave of water.

The Archer was quick to switch from defense to offense, after all it had been his goal, and managed to avoid the worst of what could have been. Still, he felt the went creep down from fur to skin on his tail and a soft yip left him as he pulled his behind in tight to try and avoid any further soakage. When the coast was clear he spun round to face the other wolf once more, tail curled sideways to allow his eyes a proper viewing of the damage done.

They hit our rudder captain, he played out in his head, while outwardly he mocked great offense, jaw dropped and brows scrunched together, for the stranger's amusement. In the next breath, he was back at the water.

Then full speed ahead.

Scully charged, perhaps to put everything he had in one final barrage, except his paws never changed course even as the creek turned to bank. Everything he had was put into ramming directly into the other man; even if he dodged, the younger wolf would simply follow, insistent on barreling into him full-on.

(This post was last modified: May 29, 2021, 03:15 AM by Scully.)

 

Success! A perfect hit, to clip his sails. Kyrios grinned lopsidedly, watching with gleaming eyes as the dark lad made a show of his indignation. So enthralled was he by the display, that he was completely unprepared for the sudden shift, his wily opponent suddenly barreling at him at full sail.

 

Kyrios backpaddled, trying desperately to change his course in time to avoid a collision, but to no avail. Their bodies met in a flurry of black and white, the heftier Captain giving way and rolling back on the stone bank, trying to bring his legs up before the other wolf landed on top of him. His aim was to put his paws against the skinnier boy’s belly to push him off – a goal made considerably harder by the stranger’s lanky build, his legs, though skinnier, were also longer than Kyrios’. At worst, if the sooty fighter spotted his ploy in time, he might end up pinned between those black bars; Which is what back-up plans are for…! He just, needed a little time to think of one.

(This post was last modified: May 31, 2021, 12:15 AM by Kyrios.)

Every inch closer he grew to the man, Scully's devilish grin widened in kind. His success would have been celebrated with a gleeful yowl swiftly after their bodies collided, but the wind necessary was pushed from out of his thorax by the other man's paws. His own overgrown mitts scrabbled for purchase, trying to maintain his position. They still touched earth, but not enough to give him control. For a few seconds he was suspended, glaring down at the other wolf for stealing his advantage before the scales tipped entirely and Scully's balance was lost.

When he realized he had no other options, he dropped like a corpse, refusing to allow distance to be put between them. His side hit the ground with a soft thud and then his spindly legs were after the pale wolf once more, attempting to wrestle him down and keep him off his paws too. Scully began to use his teeth, mindful not to injure but certainly not shy about grabbing and pulling at the other wolf's shoulders, neck and cheek; whichever was closest.

This was his final stand; if the older man got to his feet, the Archer would be done for.

     

Once again, his plan worked flawlessly! Except, once he did have the rascal in his hold, he was kinda stumped as to what to do next. Despite his skinnier frame, the dark lad did hold quite some weight to him, and it wasn’t as easy to throw back off as Kyrios had hoped. Instead he was faced with the strain of holding him at stretched legs, to keep his scrambling paws off the ground.

 

Then the body went suddenly limp, and the deadweight was too much for him to bear. The swarthy wolf slit to the ground, and Kyrios gratefully curled up his legs, wincing at the soreness in his elbows. But the fight was not over yet! The Captain only had time to roll onto his side, before his persistent opponent was on him again, falling onto everything within reach, in his attempt to keep the stockier wolf down.

 

The nibs were not entirely painless, though certainly no worse than any playfights he had engaged in with his younger siblings over the years. Still, it wasn’t something he could endure for too long, and so he tried his best to shove aside the rouge, twisting his neck to try and get at him with his own teeth. A snarl erupted from his chest, still playful but with an edge, as he began to tire of the game.

 

As a final push for freedom, he jerked up a shoulder to try and knock aside his attacker, and then pushed off with both front legs, hoping to drive him off balance with the sudden lift. Should he fail though, the full weight of the other wolf would likely be too much for him to carry, sending him right back down on his belly; In which case, he would have no other choice than to surrender.

If life allowed Scully to grow older and older, he would eventually catch on to the cues that told him when others were tiring of his antics. It would be advantageous to know, saving him from pushing the wrong wolves too far and suffering the possibly gruesome consequences. Already he had seen his fair share of beatings and nasty bites, but the lesson had yet to be learned, only just starting to germinate underneath his thick skull. As such, there was no letting up despite the signs that his pale opponent was reaching a line. Scully returned the gravelly noises, impish determination clear within his own voice.

He did his best to hold strong against the other's shoves and kicks, as well as ignore the glances of ivory teeth about his face. A gift and curse, Scully was particularly obstinate when it came to acknowledging many kinds of pain. The tides appeared to be turning with finality in his favor, until the man's shoulder caught against his chin, knocking his teeth together probably far harder than would have been intended and clipping his tongue. The sound of it rebounded within his skull while lightning shot down his throat, and all efforts to keep the other close were abruptly abandoned.

Yowch.

Scully rolled the opposite way as the victor, before leaping to his feet and putting another yard between them. He worked his jaw and scraped his tongue against his fangs, as though he could massage away the ache. He tasted blood only briefly, the cut minute. The damage wasn't anything major, just enough to give him a proper jolt.