Kingsfall An old acquaintance severed [M]

Private for a few rounds at least, then will open up. Date flexible a few days.

Swollen flanks heaved under fire-red fur, every step a struggle for stiff, overburdened legs. The day was warm, only adding to her discomfort as she struggled along through the underbrush – which was sparse at least, under the cover of the giant sequoia’s. Flair was more than ready to be done with this whole pregnancy thing, in fact, in her most frustrated moments she’d loathe herself for ever taking on the endeavor, especially without the support of a proper pack behind her. She could blame no one else though, it had been her own decision entirely and there was no other course for her than to wait for it to be over; It can’t be that much longer now…

With the drought, everyone was a bit on edge, and she felt bad for her own bad temper adding to the tension – so she’d kept mostly to herself in the last week or so. Only @Chan had continued to visit her at the den, dutifully bringing water now that she was too fat to make it to the lake and back on her own.

She always tried to put her best face on for him, least of all wanting him to become victim to her frustrations. In her heart she was still excited, still thrilled for what was to come, but at the moment her discomfort and worry simply overshadowed those things. She hoped he understood.

Heaving a deep sigh, she stopped in her tracks, letting her rear thump heavily against the ground. She’d only walked a short distance from the den, just enough to put its entrance (under the roots of a fallen tree) out of sight. It was about all she could manage now, yet she found walking to be the best relief when all the irritations grew too strong, soon she wouldn’t even be able to do that, so she tried to enjoy her last freedom.

As she caught her breath, amber eyes brushed over the surroundings with dull curiosity. This part of Kingsfall was especially interesting, many of the giant trees being toppled and broken, as if a great force had swept through the forest a long time ago, forcing them to bend. A few steps ahead of her, the ground had been churned up in a broad scar, so big that it couldn’t be jumped, and too deep to get down and up unassisted – even for those not carrying a litter. To her left though, one of the fallen trees made a natural bridge across the chasm, for the more agile. However she was content simply to watch the other side, where the smaller trees from the southern woods had seized the advantage and were encroaching on the giants, snatching up the light left by their demise.

Thoughts ”Speech”

(This post was last modified: Jun 20, 2022, 12:16 AM by Flair.)

She didn’t like the giant trees, towering as high as the mountains, making her feel small. But she needed to stay near the lake, it was the largest remaining source of water she’d come across, big enough that she didn’t need to fight another pack for it – or so she hoped. When first arriving on the shores, the wind had carried the scent of other wolves from across the water, so she continued to circle the large basin, hoping to keep it between her and them.

It wasn’t that she minded fighting, if it came to it, but she knew the odds would be against her if she was up against a group, especially weakened as she was by the drought. So, she stayed hidden, recuperating slowly now that she had access water. Still, prey was scarce in these imposing woods, even with the lake nearby, and she had to trek far around to find a carcass or some small critters to sate her hunger, leaving her continuously annoyed.

Today, she’d made it to the edge of the oversized forest, where, at least, she could hunt among more normal trees. But pickings remained slim, and the growing growling of her stomach only added to her irritation. That’s when she smelled the other wolf, not far up ahead.

Carrow was tired of running off and hiding like a coward whenever she sensed the strangers, she growled to herself, pausing only briefly before setting off in direction of the other – it was time she challenged this group of stragglers, and what better opportunity than getting one of them alone, and compromised. And additionally, as the scent continued to fill her nose, she felt a small twinge of recognition.

Coming out of the denser forest, into this torn and tumbled borderland, the young Asurn bared her teeth, grinning icily at the fiery figure across the chasm; “Well, well, looky who we have here!”

Thoughts ”Speech”

(This post was last modified: Jun 02, 2022, 08:15 PM by Carrow.)

Fiery ears perked at the sound of rustling, eyes darting to the woods across the rift as a dark-mottled figure appeared. Clearly expecting to find someone else, the stranger’s gaze locked instantly on Flair, sending a cold chill down her spine with the eerie smile and sing-song comment. Amber eyes narrowed, sweeping across the dark silhouette, hesitation in her voice as she answered: “Do I know…” Then she froze, hackles rising and ears flattening back; It can’t be… And yet, those bright, almost burning eyes in the unusually dark face were unmistakable, even if their owner had put on a considerable amount of muscle since their last encounter.

Flair bared her own teeth, heaving herself back on her feet with considerable effort, a groan escaping her against her will. Staring down the younger shewolf, she was acutely aware of her current disadvantage, uncertainty washing over her. She did not want to yield any ground to this ill-tempered youngster, and yet she knew

she couldn’t fight in her condition. Finally, she called sharply: “Leave! There’s nothing for us to fight over here.”

If she’d had any scraps, she might even have offered them to the feisty girl, if it meant being free of her. But with nothing  between them other than the gorge and its log bridge, surely there was no reason for it to come to a battle. Hell, she’d be happy to waddle off, back to the den and leave the area to the new arrival, if that would satiate her – even if the thought of retreat did put a sour taste in her mouth – she knew it was the safest option. But for now, her eyes remained fixed on the other wolf, waiting for her answer – she wouldn’t turn her back on this one, even for a second.

Thoughts ”Speech”

The red bitch hadn’t changed a bit since their last encounter, except for one, notable detail. Carrow’s smile grew wider as the other wolf struggled to her feet, ember-like eyes glowing as they focused on the swell of the other’s belly; Starting a family? How cute…! And utterly stupid, putting herself in such a vulnerable state. especially with the draught hanging over their heads.

She seemed to realize her situation too, once she recognized her opponent, making a weak attempt at deterring a fight. The dark girl’s jaws split in a cold, high pitched laugh, echoing ominously between the giant trees, but the rest of her face remained emotionless. Just as quickly, her jaws snapped back together with an audible clack, her eyes still fixed on her target. “Oh, but I disagree,” she announced wickedly, shaking her head from side to side so that her bat-like ears flopped, drawing attention to the healed tear through the right-side one; “I’ve got a few nicks that need repaying!”

 

Tired of the chit-chat, Carrow moved, quick as a cat, crossing the last bit of earth before the drop. Then, she leapt onto the fallen tree, easily balancing on its wide trunk, to stalk across the ditch. Once on the other side, it was just a short distance to the russet woman, and the Crow would cross it just as eagerly, legs outstretched and mouth agape, hoping to catch hold of much more than just and ear.  

Thoughts ”Speech”

(This post was last modified: Jun 11, 2022, 08:53 PM by Carrow.)

  Flair flinched at the eerie sound of the younger wolf’s laugh, her eyes growing wide. The girl had seemed a little unhinged when they last met, but she’d figured it was desperation driving her, now she wasn’t so sure. Amber gaze flicked to the torn ear as her opposer spoke, muscles tensing at the memory. She might have pointed out her own scar in return, except she wasn’t given time, as the dark figure suddenly set in motion. 

Ears flattening back and teeth baring, Flair backed up several steps while her opponent crossed the log-bridge. But she instantly knew there was no hope of escape, her extra weight making her far too slow to outrun the lither wolf. And damn she was coming on fast. Devoid of other options, the fiery woman ducked her head to protect her throat and muzzle from the oncoming teeth, instead putting her less vulnerable scruff in harms way. A snarl escaped her as the blow landed, less vital perhaps, but it still hurt.

 

She wasn’t about to give in though, ignoring the pain as the other woman’s teeth dug into her skin. With a fierce growl, she pushed forwards, into the hold, using her weight as an advantage now, close up. Twisting against the hold, she was able to lash out, locking her jaws around the other’s lower leg, teeth rubbing painfully against bone. She continued to press the advantage, pushing down and forwards, forcing the other to release her hold, or risk breaking the leg.

 

She just needed to free herself for a moment so she could call for help, that was all she could focus on, just break free and call the others so they could chase off this psychotic wench; Please…!

Thoughts ”Speech”

Success! She would have snarled out her triumph, but her mouth was full of coarse, red fur. Still, she felt the excitement wash through her, clamping down as hard as she could and feeling the satisfaction of her teeth piercing flesh. Now she finally had this bitch right where she wanted her, starting to pull back, hoping to take a nice chunk out of her victim’s neck.

 

Except, the russet woman was already tearing her own scruff, twisting in Carrow’s grip despite the worsening of her wounds. Confused, the Crow growled and tried to clench her jaws even tighter but to no avail. She felt her opponent shift and then, unexpected pain made her jolt, pulling backwards and twisting her own head to try and see where the fiery woman had taken hold of her leg. Most of it was blocked by that blasted red mane, but it didn’t really matter, she could feel it!

Not only was the bitch biting down on her leg, a searing pain indicating that she’d pierced skin in several places, but she was also applying pressure, leaning her notable weight onto Carrow’s fragile bones.

 As she tried to stand her ground, she actually felt her lower leg start to bow, the unnatural bend of the bones making her stomach lurch.

Begrudgingly, she released her hold, taking a small step back to relieve the pressure. Then, without hesitation, she reared up on her hind legs, forcing the red woman’s head upwards with her trapped leg while she raised the other even higher in the air. With speed and all the force she could muster, she then slammed the leg back down, onto the bridge of her opponent’s muzzle in an effort to make her release her grip; raking her claws down over her snout for good measure.

Once free, Carrow would spin around, slamming her shoulder into the other’s swollen flank, pushing her towards the nearby chasm. She was filled with bloodlust and fierce determination, ignoring the pain in her leg as she pressed forwards, lashing out like a cobra, to make another attempt at her opponent’s head, with a very particular target in mind; It’s payback time!

Thoughts ”Speech”

(This post was last modified: Jun 19, 2022, 11:15 PM by Carrow.)

Alright, opening up for anyone to come save her please! Special tag for @Chan but also @Jethro @Reika or anyone else who happens to be in the area.

Her strategy appeared to have worked, at least in so far as the dark wolf released her grip on Flair’s scruff. However she was far from deterred, bringing her retaliation with swift dedication. When she pulled backwards, Flair had let up the pressure, to avoid stumbling forwards. However, paired with the sudden, unexpected lift, this made her head snap up, perfectly positioned to take the full force of the next blow. 

With a loud yelp, Flair let go of the leg, instinctively backing up. Her eyes swam, head spinning from the impact, and she struggled to keep track of her opponent pain, and fear, clouding her mind. Still, she had enough presence to use this brief moment of air to call for help, tilting back her head and howling as loud as she could, for anyone nearby – someone had to be close enough to hear.

    Her plea was cut off when the others weight slammed into her side, a sharp stab of pain shooting through her stomach. The force was enough to knock her sideways and she stumbled several steps, fighting to stay on her feet. Feeling a growing sense of panic, she was unaware of how close she’d come to the deep trench, all her attention on her dark attacker as she spun around to face the woman.

 

She’d never felt so helpless, even struggling as a loner, she’d always been able to depend on her strength – the strength that had made it possible to fight off a dark yearling who wasn’t content to share a bit of carrion. Yet now, she couldn’t even hold her own, frantically trying to survive until someone could intervene.

 

Snarling desperately, she ducked her head again as protection against the oncoming attack. But this time, rather than her bleeding scruff, the dark wolf closed her teeth around Flair’s ear, teeth piercing the cartilage all across, with searing pain. She whimpered, again pulling backwards, instinctively. Except this time, her paws found air rather than solid earth. Her attacker had pushed her right onto the crumbling edge of the chasm, and she found herself teetering, struggling to keep her balance. For a startling, excruciating moment, she was held up only by the other’s hold on her ear.

 

Then, gravity won out. A horrific, ripping sensation instantly followed by burning hot pain consumed her mind as she tumbled backwards. She didn’t even notice the fall until her flank struck the gravel with a loud thump, forcing the air from her lungs and sending shots of pain along her spine and through her abdomen. Blind to the world, the last thing she felt was a single, powerful cramp seizing her stomach, and then she blacked out.

Thoughts ”Speech”

-sorry for the wait - was kinda waiting to see if anyone else would hop in. Hope you don't mind if I drop Cole in instead of Jet, though I could possibly have him come in another round or so

There was a lot going on around her, and try as she might to ignore it and distance herself from it, the ghost never quite managed to do so. She picked up on more details about things than she might’ve liked, just because she’d hung around for Reika’s sake.

Chan had moved on, she knew. He had a suitor and a very pregnant one at that. That was perhaps the first thing in a long time that’d brought her anywhere close to feeling something like genuine happiness. He’d moved on, had family and someone special in his life. So that meant it also scared her more than anything in recent memory, to hear a panicked call from the area she knew Chan's special someone to be.

Unliked the alarm call that had come from the other woman at the lakeside, this one did not require a single moment of thought as the ghost rushed off toward it. Colette had yet to meet Chan’s new woman and hadn't wanted to. But it wasn’t something she could ignore, despite her jaded persona. Much to her chagrin, probably against better judgment - and similar to how she felt about Reika, a part of her still wanted to be around to try to shield her former lover against some of the evil of the world. Especially considering what she’d wrought upon others he’d cared about in the past.

Amidst the trees, her good eye spotted only one figure, who she was pretty sure was not Chan’s new lover. The latter was not visible, and that was not a good sign. Whatever was going on, whoever had started this mess and why didn’t matter. The ghost chose to charge forth, intent on confronting and drawing this stranger’s attention to hopefully figure out just what the hell was going on.

@Colette works for me thanks!! Sorry I had to put this on hold for a bit, think we can finish this in a couple more rounds though if you're up? We can use the fight system if you like, but I'm also fine to play it by ear - Carrow's gonna run after taking a few hits, or if anyone else shows up.

 

She felt her teeth close on the red woman’s ear with grim satisfaction, teeth piercing straight through. The Crow snarled in triumph, tugging hard on her prize as her victim teetered on the edge of the crevasse. Gravity was against her, and with Carrow refusing to release her grip, there was only one way for things to go. She felt every glorious tear as the ear gave way, sending the rusty shewolf tumbling.

 

The thump of her body hitting the gravel echoed through the giant woods, sending a delight full tinkle down along the Crow’s back. Walking to the edge of the ditch, she looked down at her work, spitting out the tattered ear and licking the blood from her lips; Sweet revenge…!

 

Relishing her victory, she was going over her repertoire of fitting insults when rustling in the brush caught her attention. Instantly, she spun, facing her new foe, teeth bared. The red bitch had been screaming so much, really it was no wonder someone would come to her aide, supposedly there was a guy out there somewhere, responsible for that distended belly of hers. This wasn’t him though, it was a female, clearly intend on drawing Carrow’s attention: Well, you’ve got it! Letting out a threatening growl, the Crow steadied herself waiting her new enemy to draw close before lunging, aiming straight for the throat.

Thoughts ”Speech”

The stranger - definitely not Chan’s new woman - turned about to face Colette almost instantly, a growl emanating from her, while the look in her eyes was all too familiar. Curiously, and concerningly, Chan’s girl was nowhere to be seen. A deep-seated feeling of dread, unlike anything the ghost could recall feeling, took root in her stomach at that, but more prevalent was anger. She didn’t know how or why this conflict had started, but she was pretty sure she knew what would result from it.

She’d been the one inflicting such pain before, but for it to happen to someone she cared about was something entirely new. But there wasn’t time to stop and think about that. The other was lunging for her throat then, and with momentum carrying her forward there was little Cole could do aside from swing her left shoulder around to shove the other and take the attack.

The ghost growled in pain and anger as teeth tore at her flesh, though hopefully, the momentum from her charge would be enough to drive the attacker back temporarily.