Hoshor Plains i've been running all my life

@Runion dated for yesterday

Just two months ago, he would not have set foot in the valley. Time and Delight's apparent ignorance of the war had lulled him into security, though; he found himself hunting in a familiar field. It was not far from Tindómë, either— Ali told himself that didn't matter, but it did. He planned on visiting again, before he went back. Only briefly, though— already he would be late coming home.
He thought of Lanawyn and clenched his jaw tightly. Okay, time for new thoughts. Alarian put his nose— and focus— to the ground. A meal sounded nice right about now.

Runion had gone far since his chat with Daggerjaw. She had been most kind to him and since then he had rested up until he was...well, mostly healed. They weren't as fresh, merely scabbing now. But now he suddenly felt hungry...so he got his nose to the ground, trying to sniff out something. He scented a hare, and he could feel himself drooling. Immediately he headed in that direction.

The boy hadn't been tracking scents for long when he came upon something familiar. For several beats, he couldn't place it. He paused, lifting his head to survey the area around him— wait.
Alarian knew that scent— it was impossible, unthinkable, but he knew this wolf. His breath halted, heart skipping erratically until it lodged heavily in his throat. No, no, no. He turned slowly to find the source of the scent, hackles rising instinctively.
Oh, shit.

Runion kept on going. The hunger he had driving him forward, towards the...wait. He stopped. Stood still, frozen on the spot. There was another scent. He felt a growl rise up, his eyes emblazoned with fury. He lifted his head up, and barely caught sight of the hare seeing him then running...but he could care less. 

He turned his head slowly in the direction of the scent. And a wicked smile spread across despite the fury in his face. This fury powered his words. "TRAITOR!"

The rage on the other wolf's face as he turned only further confirmed his identity. Alarian stood still as a statue for several beats, fear burning cold in his chest. There was no one around but them— no one he needed to defend, and no one to defend him. He flinched back from the other's forceful declaration. Traitor.
Lanawyn might have agreed.
With nothing holding him back, the boy ghosted back a few steps— then turned to do what he did best. Run. But the adrenaline did not serve him well, now; the thought of his sister had thrown him off, filled him too entirely with pain. He sprinted clumsily for several minutes, not stopping to see if his brother followed— surely he did.
Then, his paw caught on something hard. Stone scraped and pushed against his foreleg as he crumpled, until the latter's delicate protection broke open; droplets of blood scattered across the rock beneath him. He went down without grace, cursing and hyperventilating and suddenly quite certain that he would die here.

Runion saw that brother of his move backwards. No, he would not get away. Not this time! Runion turned right after him, going straight into a sprint after the traitorous wolf. "No! You will not get away, not this time! You took so much from me!" His anger drove him forth, moving with such speed.

He saw Alarian trip forward. Such a fool he was, having not paid any attention. "You! Are! Mine!" he shouted, just before leaping forth.

He paid no attention to Runion's words— did it matter, now? They both knew what he wanted, and they both knew Alarian would not give it up easily. The young Governor tried to rise from where he had fallen, but it was too late.
In the next moment, his brother was upon him. The impact knocked the breath from Ali; gasping, he threw his weight to one side, hoping to dislodge the other's grip. But Alarian had always been small— petite and fine-boned like their mother, while Runion had taken their father's build. Nausea came in waves, now— it was hopeless. He was going to die.
The end would not be quiet or dignified for Alarian. That had never been in the plan. He closed his eyes as the first sob tore itself from his chest, tense and waiting for the blow he knew would come.

Runion landed atop the other. Alarian tried throwing his weight about, in an attempt to get him off. But Runion had always been the stronger one. However something else threw him off...was Alarian sobbing? He had expected a fighting spirit from his father's murderer. But whatever feelings he had towards the sobbing were gone in a flash as he growled into Alarian's ear. He planned to make this as painful as possible. 

"You killed my father...You know that mother killed herself from all the pain?!" He paused, growling again. "She was so beautiful, Alarian...she could have lasted longer if you had not caused such pain!"

No teeth met the boy's flesh; he was struck instead with something undeniably more cruel. Alarian's heart stopped. No. You're lying— you're a fucking liar! Lanawyn would have—
He realized his slip too late, and could only hope it went unnoticed. Ali took a breath and started again, but he sounded uncertain even to himself. That's a lie.

Runion snapped next to Ali's ear. That was the fight he had been looking for. "Lanawyn? That bitch is here too?" Oh how delightful, two for one! "It's true. She. Is. Dead. And it's your fault, all your fault! And now our children lived without a mother! Do you know how hard it is to live without a mother?!"

Runion was talking too fast— it was too much. Out of the jumble he picked out words like Lanawyn, bitch, dead, children, mother— children. The implications hit him in the next moment. Something rose in his throat. He couldn't—
Oh, god. Alarian threw his weight hard enough to turn, still trapped beneath Runion but facing away now. He retched, chest heaving with the effort; only bile came up.

Runion shook his head in disgust at Alarian. Why was he retching now? Runion just did not see how exactly wrong all the things he said were. "You disgust me...everything about you disgusts me..." He stepped back. He planned to make this plenty painful. "And I shall have my vengence!" With that, he aimed for Alarian's rear left leg once he was far enough back.

Runion's words incited anger, now— he was disgusting? He was the one deserving of Runion's vengeance? No. Alarian had only ever done what he had to— to survive, to live, though perhaps he forgot sometimes that one was not the other. The thought gave him renewed energy— a will to fight.
When his brother lunged for his leg, Ali responded with his own teeth. He turned his front half, coiling around snake-like to snap at Runion's face. The boy had underestimated his own pain— fangs met flesh, and a cry was forced from him. He abandoned his own attack, struggling and twisting to free himself from the grip on his leg. Skin and muscle tore further, relented far too easily under snapping jaws. Alarian shrieked again, breathy and panicked this time.

Alarian flashed his teeth, and Runion barely caught sight of it. But then Alarian twisted away, crying out. Runion clamped harder, but he did not wish to cause too much harm. Only pain. He let go, aiming to readjust his jaws onto another point for him to grab at. In his mind, Alarian deserved all the pain he could give.

The vice-like grip on his leg released, but the boy's relief only lasted a moment. Again, he felt jaws close on him— this time, Runion latched to his hip. Alarian twisted again, but only succeeded in causing a sickening ripping sensation in his hip. Suddenly it burned intensely; the fire in his hip drew a yelp from him, but he dared not glance to the flood of warmth or the strange feeling of something hanging loosely against his side. The torn, freed skin, barely attached, stung against the raw flesh beneath.
Ali had freed himself. He knew, even as he turned, that he should run— but before he could stop himself, he was lashing out at his brother. The boy lunged for Runion's neck, not considering now his own vulnerability to attack.

Runion gripped Alarian's hip with his fangs, clamping down again to cause as much pain as he could. He was seething with rage by now. He was so focused on delivering pain, delivering wounds...he did not expect Alarian to strike back by now, after Alarian tore away. Runion was blinded by rage, and expected Alarian to run. 

The strike hit to his neck, and he was thrown off by the lunge. Runion found himself stunned by the attack against him.

Once he had hold of the soft tissue of Runion's neck, he clamped down hard. Briefly it flashed through his mind that he could kill him like this— he could end it all now. It would have been easy. But—
His thoughts flashed to Lanawyn, to his friends awaiting his return; what would he bring back to them, then? A murderer? Alarian had killed before. It had been necessary, though, and he was suddenly uncertain. Was this necessary?
Ali hesitated. His grip loosened in that moment— and then he was still, teeth still embedded but lacking force behind them. It would only last a moment.

Runion was stunned for a moment...but feeling Alarian loosing his grip brought him out of it. Suddenly Runion snapped towards the frozen Alarian, aiming for his right. Aiming for his neck and his shoulder. He would continue with his pain delivering, snapping across and tearing where he could.

exit Ali!

The moment his grip loosened, Runion pulled free. Immediately Ali knew the shame of his own weakness. Piercing teeth ripped at his shoulder, slicing through skin to reveal pink-and-white muscle in the moments before the wounds welled with crimson. Another cry, ragged this time, forced itself from his raw throat. The torment continued.
Ali felt the white-hot trail continue to his neck, to the exposed skin of his slim throat; he was only vaguely aware of the pressure now, the feeling of tearing. It was an indistinct trail of flame. Time slowed. Warmth dripped from his chest; its metallic tang choked the air around him. He turned, slow as if moving through water, and reared back.
Then, he struck. Alarian's vision blurred and his head spun from the rush of suddenly moving faster than he thought himself capable of. He felt fur and flesh between his teeth; instinctively, he gripped it.
But, he had to go. As if suddenly sobered, the boy tugged back, making to leave— but found himself unable to release his hold. Whether it was feral instinct or some fault of his own, he would never know. Alarian ripped himself away, taking whatever flesh he held with him, and stumbled back. He was still for several beats.
In this moments, he could only stare in horror at his brother— at the blood surrounding them, mostly his own. He had never thought it would come to this. The Governor let the flesh fall from his jaws— and, with speed only explained by fight-or-flight adrenaline, bolted for Tindómë.

Runion met his marks, slicing through muscle and skin. Then he earned his own mark as Alarian turned on him, across his face. He felt a strike down across his muzzle. Runion pulled back, reeling in pain from the sting. 

His eyes trailed after Alarian who was getting further and further away. "I will find you again! You will never hide! Never again! I know you are here, and I will find where you lurk! And you and all you hold dear will pay!"