Empress Riffle it's just for attention, I'm making her jealous, you guessed it

RE: Viorel, The other animals around you are growing hostile to your presence. AW!
Midnight, Broken Clouds 1F/-17C

It had been a big day, seven pups arriving from the mountain and getting everyone settled and toured around the territory. He has also felt the need to keep an extra close eye on the Backwater pups as well, ensuring his daughters were at least somewhat decent and that Asmund wasn’t overwhelmed. It was a lot. Viorel was happy to have a moment to himself now that the moon was high behind the broken clouds and everyone had been left in the den. He hardly expected all the children to stay there, it was a big group and they were young after all, but they had been settled.

Normally he went a lot farther at night, but tonight he held back in case he was called for or someone was looking for him. The leader was hanging out at the Rifle, watching idly as the water bubbled against the rapids, every once and a while gathering a stick to throw in and watch it race down the creek. He missed Vanadis, and the arrival of these visitors reminded him of the exchange last year and sneaking away with her for private moments whenever possible. He had been sad, and then angry, and now he was just lonely.

He had been dropping another branch in the water when he heard a snort from behind him. Turning he was surprised to see a mountain goat staring him down, he never saw them this far from the mountain. Viorel rolled his shoulders and watched closely as the goat stomped with anger, not entirely sure what it was doing here.

She could not sleep. She blamed it on her empty stomach. It was following the stretch of creek she decided a drink of water might placate her for a little longer. She felt her options were growing slim. If only she could find a carcass, or an almost-dead something? Last year she'd survived off winterkill.

With a faint grown, thinking about food wasn't helpful. Neither was she fond of joining a pack. She was a bit doubtful any would let her in as for one she was young, fairly strong considering her loner status, but she was another mouth to feed. Taking away from what could be a lot more important mouths. There was a reason her mother and her had been on their own as long as they had. Would this place be different? Wouldn't they see she was joining just so she didn't starve? Would she have to make a promise to stay for so long? Pledge to do something in turn? She was probably getting ahead of herself again because she'd yet to come across a wolf with a pack.

There was a snort downstream...or so she could have sworn even with the bubble of water. Inching forward, she tried to take in a whiff of what was ahead. Prey, but none she had ever encountered. If on cue her stomach rumbled. It could be something small...

The closer she became she knew there was another wolf. Damn, she silently cursed, but then she froze when the beast came into view. It was definitely not something she could deal with on her own. It had curved, pointed tines on its head, and it was stomping its hooves.Puzzled, she was able to find the other dark figure in the distance not far from the beast. Shouldn't he be running? Or did he know something she didn't?

     

Just a note for myself, Torrent is not part of DEB yet at the time of this thread

Viorel let out a slow breath as he weighed his options here, the goat staring him down unblinkingly. He knew he couldn’t take the thing down by himself, and he would be lucky if a fight broke out if he managed to get away without horrific injuries. The curved horns were a risk, but so were the sharp hooves attached to its feet. He glanced side to side, the creek was behind him so it was not an option in the freezing weather.

It was when the man looked to the left when he noticed that a stranger had silently appeared on the scene. He didn’t have time to do a full analysis or anything, but by her smell she was clearly female and alone. With her help he might be able to get out of here alive, or at least increase his chances of survival. Unfortunately, the goat seemed to notice her at the same moment and it readjusted its stance so it could see both wolves at once.

Another stomp and a couple of snorts, horns tossed in warning towards the new female. Viorel took the opportunity to take a single sidestep to put some more distance between himself and the beast. Without looking away from the goat he called in a forcibly calm voice, ”Don’t move too quickly. If we play this right, and you’re willing, we might have full bellies at the end of this.” Then he added hastily, ”And no injuries.” That was the main goal. But wouldn’t a fresh meal be nice?

Torrent is in ok condition but def skinny in this post.

Before she knew it the creature stared at her and was giving her the same threatening gestures. Her hair stood on end, and she crinkled her muzzle. She was afraid but it didn't need to know that. Perhaps they could scare it in turn? Or was running their only option? Why didn't it just go back where it came from?

Don't move to quickly?! She couldn't help but give the stranger a glimpse obviously worried. Did she hear that right? She could only assume he knew that would make this beast worse. She was going to put a lot of trust in this guy but what other choice did she have? At least he mentioned the goal of no injuries. Maybe, he wasn't as reckless as he sounded.

"Take the lead I'll follow." She had experience hunting in groups for elk and deer, so she wasn't entirely useless. But this creature seemed more agile, and onery she wasn't certain if usual tactics would backfire.

     

Viorel’s eyes never left the goat as he took another step to the side, his view now able to see both the prey and the other wolf. A little on the scrawnier side and clearly worried. Okay, so he would need to take the lead and now he suddenly felt obligated to keep both of them safe even though he didn’t know this woman. And maybe he cared a little bit about getting a meal, he was a tad hungry.

But, what to do?

Suddenly the rushing of the water behind him came back to his full attention and an idea sprang to mind. Very cautiously he stepped back to where he had been standing before, directly in front of the goat. Quietly he called, ”We need to try to scare it into the stream and then we can get it from behind. Don’t get too close but you need to chase it when it starts running.” And hopefully he times all of this right.

The leader suddenly puffed himself up, teeth gnashing tauntingly yipping and causing a scene. The goat took the bait and charged towards the male, head down and horns poised to impale him at the first chance. Viorel waited until he absolutely couldn’t anymore before leaping out of the way, heart pounding too hard to hear whether or not the goat had splashed down into the creek as planned. Once it was wet and panicking it would be easier to grab it from behind and take it down. They needed it on the defensive, not the offensive.

Oh the water! Why hadn't she thought of that? Because having an unknown creature threatening you didn't leave room for all the thinking parts of her brain. Survial trumping logic.He didn't have that issue, but she didn't have time to entertain the thought. How would she convince it needed to back from her? Or was it just going to be about distracting the thing enough? "Ok," was all she could say.

With whatever strength she could muster she let a low growl build in her throat, every hair on her body began to stand on end. The stranger was putting on a much loftier display, and the goat headed straight for him. She almost closed her eyes, but forced herself to watch as he moved just in time, the goat taking the bait, and now in the water. It was then she headed toward it, not feeling courageous in the slightest, but again she doubted the goat would question her snapping teeth, the way she moved as if going to try to draw blood when really, she wasn't getting that close. She was merely the distraction, taunting the beast.

     

The goat did exactly as he was hoping it would and in its panic it fell right into the creek, thrashing about in the frozen water. The Vale man backed off a little, still puffed and snarling but allowing it some room as it threw its sharp horns about haphazardly. His new companion seemed to be doing her best to offer the distraction and it was pure luck that when the goat finally began to emerge from the water it went after her and not him.

Viorel only had a split second and he knew it. But, thanks to his size, and the fact that he had always been more strength than speed, that was all that he would need. He launched himself and hoped for the best, latching onto the beast’s neck and clamping on for dear life. Horns thrashed close enough to pull out a couple of tufts of fur, but he just grit his teeth and bore it, it wasn’t making contact with his skin so he couldn’t have hoped for much better.

When he could hold on no longer he let go, hitting the snow and rolling, desperately trying to put some room between himself and the prey. The salt and pepper canine watched panting as the goat struggled forward a few steps, blood flowing from its neck, before falling to its knees and then the ground. They had done it, it was dead.