Moonspear bear necessities

"Don't set one foot outside this den, young lady," Kala said gently to her cub. The mother bear had carried her up from the bowels of the mountain but didn't want her venturing beyond the cave's mouth just yet. She was still too small and vulnerable. "Do you understand? I won't be gone long. I'm just going to find us some food, sweetie." She reached out to nuzzle her daughter, then slowly turned and lumbered forth.

Kala enjoyed the fresh air as she shuffled along a mountain path, huge nose combing along the ground. She hoped to forage some berries and other roughage for her young to eat but if she came across something to hunt, the capable predator would love to bring back some meat for her baby girl. The cub was looking a bit thinner than Kala would like and she wanted to make sure to raise her up big and strong like her mother had raised her.

She had walked perhaps two miles when she came across a fresh mountain spring. Her beady eyes brightened as she shifted closer to the edge of the stream, scanning for any sign of fish.

Hydra had in her mouth a fox she had just taken down scavenging from a cache closer to their borders. Moving deeper into the territory Hydra noted a unique scent that she had not come across before, and knowing it was not wolf she trailed it. Something about it caused the furs along her spine to lift, and she licked her chops worriedly, ears flattening atop her crown. In time she had a visual of it, and Hydra noted its round ears and massive frame. But it did not belong here. That much she was certain. With the loss of her younger siblings, Hydra took no chances and threw her head up calling for any of the pack to assist—namely @Charon, @Terance, @Tryphon, @Lyra and @Alya. Korei she imagined would mess things up somehow, as she always did, and her mother would need to keep watch on the brood... or perhaps @Amekaze would come, and Charon would stay with the cubs. She knew her mother was a capable warrior, having learned much from her. Hydra did not know whether to expect the new wolf @Shandra or not, but if she could help then she hoped they would come... and perhaps @Olive would help, too. After all, though the boy Aries was likely dead (dumb as he was), she did have one surviving child to protect. In the meantime, Hydra kept to the woods, keeping in the shadows and wisely out of sight, moving silently.

Alya melted into her sister's side, unnerved by both the sound of Hydra's howl and the strange scent lingering around. "What is it?" she asked, her voice barely even a whisper as she carefully scanned their surroundings.

She was taken back, quite suddenly, to the day of Dashie's death. This wasn't a painter, but it was big as one, and it smelled like sharp teeth and danger. A shiver raked down the dark girl's back, and she pressed into Hydra until they appeared to be one wide, two-headed wolf.

Short posts with Alya right now, sorry guys :(

terance was making absolutely no use for himself today. he'd decided to take off border patrol today, feeling a little groggy that morning, and he couldn't scent a single damn mountain-dwelling prey around... then again, he didn't really go far from his usual sleeping spot, so he didn't try all that hard to make himself busy. as of now, he was quite literally watching paint dry. he'd hidden a cache nearby the night before and had snacked on a rabbit earlier that morning, and was watching with a tilted head and cupped ears as the blood on his grey paw-pads began to fade-- he'd wash it off later, he decided.

hydra's call was his saving grace! hearing it brought him right to his feet-- had anyone been nearby, they might've made note of an audible groan, but terance was very sure he was alone and would tell everyone that he was more than excited to be of service to the pack. it wasn't a lie, he just, well, 5 more minutes, please.

when he finally showed up-- boy was he glad he showed up. he recognized the scent almost instantly, having remembered the one or two times they'd encountered one on their journey. they were not likable creatures-- terance had decided-- and he was only praying to zues that hydra hadn't gotten to it before he did. thankfully, she didn't, and she was alongside... er... alya/lyra-- who looked terrified, leading him to believe it must've been lyra, who he counted as the more timid of the two. right away, the stone darted to the 2/3 cerberus, hearing lyra's (alya) question. "bear," he whispered, nosing both girls on the cheek as a combined act of respect of rank/status, companionship, and reassurance (as lyra (alya) looked terrified still)-- should they let him. "we can't take it down ourselves."

In the week after her number of young to care for was effectively cleaved in two, she found herself more withdrawn to sort through the grief, and all else the incident had inspired.

While mourning Galaxy brought her an ache so unknown--she had never lost a daughter so suddenly, and especially not one so bright and vibrant, and for it to have been the mountain's doing was not easy to cope with--no matter how brutally realistic it was. She did insist to live on these peaks, where she was at her most comfortable and superior where her mark was made unquestionably here. For it to eventually cost her so gravely did not surprise her, in truth. But, as ever, she could rationalize it with the great give-and-take of nature. She had lost one of her own, a piece of her legacy to live on beyond her own lifespan, but here and now, she was lighter. Not only that, but the grayscaled duo that remained could surely benefit from having the pack spread over fewer puppies.

She was determined, though, to not have it make her force them away more than she wanted to already with two now taken away. Vela and the steely boy didn't deserve it, although he could really be a test of her patience and Vela was more than willing to shadow her father around instead--something she supported wholeheartedly for the both of them, for everyone's sake. Which, today was no different; she had gone with him, and her gray son was her shadow, or pest, d

When her older daughter's howl for assistance arose, she shushed Jarilo (who she had been teasing into play) by pressing his biting face into the dirt. She felt her expression cringe as she peered down at him, then weighed her options immediately. Before he could start rattling questions at her, she was up and urging him up and onward. A nearby scent took her to the nearest packwolf she could find, and before ditching the son on them with very strict, albeit concise, instructions to not let him out of sight on the way back to the heart, and to find Vela. She was gone in the next beat, streaking off towards the stretch of mountain her cerberus summoned from..

Amekaze arrived seconds after Terance with her bristles already up, although still with every measure of collected grace; she was rusty, and although she hungered viciously for action already, it would never leave her leaping so headlong into this. The winds were just telling enough from here, and every possessive fiber of her hated that it would come here now. While not to the same degree of vendetta as a wildcat might, bears cursed her mate's family and her pack enough for her to gladly take up a rich distaste too. "It cannot stay here," she declared quietly to the group assembled with a verdant glare set towards the creek.

a lot of junk in here since it's my first post after galaxy fell oops. anyone can self insert themselves into being who she ditched jarilo with. multiples too if you wanna. i figured main candidates were tryphon, olive, and korei unless you wanted to be here instead! <3

Kala's "daughter" hardly reacted to the offered nuzzle. She didn't say a word, dull eyes watching as the bear lumbered away in search of food. She wanted to stand up and walk out of the cave, call for help, but she didn't have the strength. She had been kept safe underground for nearly two weeks, that first sumptuous leg of deer giving way to lean rations of berries and greens that only made her ill. Kala meant well and treated her just as she would her own cub, but that was the problem; she had unwittingly held the puppy hostage and starved her to boot.

It was only Galaxy's fat that kept her alive, though it was lone gone now. She lay there in the cave's mouth, head tipping sideways to feel the sun's warmth for the first time in many days. It pooled in her pale, sunken cheek. She looked like a skeleton wrapped in a ghost. Anyone who stumbled across her might very well think they were looking at nothing but the poor girl's earthly remains... which might be true sooner than later. Galaxy didn't have much time left.

She's about 2 miles away from Kala and anyone's welcome to find her. :)

Korei still felt down. Over some members of her own family having shifted the blame onto her. She heard a call, essentially for everyone. Everyone but her. She felt that now they weren't including her, and her heart felt heavy. So, she did the only thing she thought she could do. She left, down the mountain. She would come back, but for now she needed time to think. And as she usually did, exploring got her lost. She ended up far from the others, no idea where she was. Then she caught the scent of something that had been around. A bear. A small whine escaped her, as she cautiously looked around.

@Vela had been with Charon, as she was most of the time since the accident with Galaxy. Charon made sure to keep her close so that she would stay safe, and Vela stayed close because she'd grown more afraid after the accident. It was a good combination; had the patient parent had this with a child such as Ran he would've been irritated, but his little mini-me could do absolutely no wrong in his eyes.

He hadn't yet picked up on the trail when the howl sounded. It was a call for assistance, and it was dire. Normally he would've come with lead weighing his paws down, because he would never forget the day that he had seen Atreyu's paw ripped from his body while he brought Floki to safety. But now he had Vela, who was not only an excuse not to mess with a bear, but also a good reason to go somewhere safe and look after the pups instead. Charon exchanged a series of howls with @Amekaze to find out where their other child was and to ler her know Vela was safely with him, and then he made his way to where Jarilo was at, relieving whomever had been on pup-duty so that they could help with the bear problem at hand were it necessary.

He was glad to be safe but felt a knot in his stomach at the thought of his daughters being out there with the threat at hand. They were grown now and they could help, but still he felt endlessly nervous. Charon decided to just busy himself with Vela and Jarilo to forget about thoughts of the bear problem. He'd hear the outcome soon enough, and hopefully they'd decimate it.

Cameo, feel free to skip us <3 (let me know if any of the pp is not ok!) if you want we can do a mini-side-thread with Jarilo, Vela and Charon @ Chan and Gerra ^^

She quickly realized the current was too swift and the water too shallow to host any schools of fish—at least anything larger than a minnow. Kala couldn't be bothered with such small prey, including the bullfrog that suddenly splashed near her right paw. The bear licked her lips and then walked straight through the small stream, the water cool and refreshing in the July heat and humidity. Upon reaching the other side, she simply continued ambling through the terrain, resuming her search.

Kala stopped short with a snort when the breeze delivered the scent of wolves. She knew of the pack that lived upon the mountain and typically gave them a wide berth. She respected their claim (even if it didn't deter her from living on the mount as well) and didn't seek to interfere with them. Truthfully, she hoped to avoid them. Her great head swung back and forth as she combed the air for more scents, trying to discern their location and other details.

After realizing they couldn't be far and that there were more than just one or two, Kala felt her fight-or-flight mode engaging. She didn't really want a fight and, moreover, she had a cub to protect. With surprising swiftness, the grizzly bear swung around and trotted back through the creek, splashing noisily, and began navigating back toward where she'd left Galaxy in the cave.

Deep down, Kala knew the cub was actually a pup and that she likely belonged to this very pack. When Galaxy had first fallen, she had even planned to return her to her family. But in her grief over her loss, Kala had quite quickly come to think of the young wolf as her own daughter and the reluctance to let her go had grown with each passing day. By now, she had even convinced herself that Galaxy really was her cub. She felt possessive of her, as well as defensive.

In the mother bear's mind, the wolf pack posed a threat to her cub. She needed to get back to the cave and squirrel Galaxy away in the bowels of the mountain again. With a grunt, Kala picked up the pace.

PP = welcome. :)

She arrived just after Alya, Terance and her mother, her pace hurried but not feverish as it usually was. A sense of listlessness still clung to her that even Hydra's urgent call could not budge. Though while her body seemed to move as if through thick mud, her mind still whirred. Panic rose as she came up and took her rightful place beside Hydra, their dark fur blending effortlessly so the three sisters appeared to become a true Cerberus. She cast a quick glance at the others to gauge their reactions; namely Amekaze's though she did linger for a moment on Terance, before lowering her own head, staring worriedly at the monstrous creature her sister had found.

It was huge. She wasn't sure if what she felt was pure fear or a mixture of that and awe. Her mind leapt to poor Galaxy — her tiny, fragile little sister's body lying in the crevice completely vulnerable to one of these things. Would something like it even be able to fit where she had fallen? And what of Vela and Jarilo? They were out and exploring more often than not now! "No, no, no..." she whispered quietly as she shook her head, almost without her meaning to. Enough tragedy had befallen their family, a demon such as this was the last thing they needed. The creature began to amble its through the trees more quickly now, and Lyra waited for her family's commands. Surely they weren't thinking on taking on the beast?

Other pack members are more than welcome to join!

 

Her sisters took their places beside her, and Hydra stood all the taller for it. Terance was here and in light of the circumstance at hand, she was content for the moment to put her aggravation with him on hold. She did not even snap at his touch, thinking to return it though without its usual gusto. Still, he was one of her closest friends. Hydra was glad he was here, and that superceded anything else here and now.

Her call had been for the entirety of the pack, Korei included despite her lack of desire for her to be here (she would probably mess everything up), but to not see her face among them caused her disdain for her to feel all the more justified. Her mind raced as her sister asked, and Hydra thought she might know but could not be certain in having never seen one for herself. Bear, Terance confirmed. Hydra remembered all of her fathers warnings. Bold though she was, she knew better than to ignore her fathers wisdom. Others should come soon, she murmured to them both. Perhaps even Korei. They would need all the help they could get, and if anything Korei could at least act as a decoy—no one could mess that up. But then maybe not. If she did, she might be killed. Although her own feelings bordered on hate for Korei, Hydra would not humor that... even if she was the reason Galaxy was dead. 

Two more came, but the two that did were the most, in her knowledgeable opinion, effective. Even Lyra in her depression would make a formidable foe, particularly now that she knew what was at stake. Her mother announced her opinion, and as each inky wolf watched from the woods Hydra found herself agreeing. But then it moved to retreat, and Hydra squinted. Perhaps its den was off of the territory, but Hydra felt they needed to know. If we can avoid fighting it, perhaps we should... but we should know where it stays, so as to keep a good lookout. It definitely should not come back here—we can patrol this area more, she thought out loud, and looked to her mother. She was in command here, but Hydra felt that her father would not want them doing anything stupid so as to harm any capable protector. He had been pretty explicit in their discussion together, and his words were not ever taken lightly. What do you think? She asked, her gaze falling back to the bear. Hydra wondered if the bear lived upon the mountain; she had not noted it before. Regardless, she began skulking forward so as to keep the bear in their line of sight, hoping to remain hidden all the while.

Soaking up the sunshine seemed to vitalize her, at least enough that Galaxy found the strength to roll onto her belly and then slowly push to her feet. Her legs felt weak and shaky but she managed to take a few steps forward, emerging from the cave. Her eyes watered terribly beneath the more direct sunlight but she refused to let it hold her back. She squeezed them shut and then blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision even as she slowly arrived at the head of a footpath.

She sank into a sit, conserving her critically low reserves of energy. She was trying to summon up the breath to howl when a whine caused her to jump lightly. Galaxy's head whipped back and forth and she let out a hoarse, quiet cry for, "Help!"

Korei remained frozen. She made no move to get away, no thoughts even to do so. She was frozen, as if in ice. There were even the chills like she were cold. 

There was only one thing that brought her out of her frozen, fearful state. A cry, one she felt was somewhat familiar. It was quiet. Almost nothing, but a whisper across the wind. "W-Who's there?" Korei asked out, not thinking that it was the bear itself. There was another scent, however, but it did not cross her mind as being there. "Are...Are you the bear?"

Super late, sorry XD

Alya caught a chunk of @Terance's fur between her teeth as he passed and attempted to yank him to her other side. If it'd been Lyra, she've been placed between Hydra and Alya, but since Lyra wasn't there, Alya decided she'd take the protected spot for a while. "Good. So stay right here," she said imperiously, though her voice shook quite a bit.

The others quickly arrived, and with each addition to their party, Alya relaxed. When Lyra showed up, Alya got into formation, feeling much more grounded with both her mirrors present. From there, she was mostly PP'd by the rest of her family, being supportive but largely unhelpful, as was her wont.

They were a decent little group assembled already, all draped in shadows and quietly riling; but, it could always be more. She brought the experience, the most of it that she knew about at least.. while they were speed and force, yet so young. Terance, she wondered abruptly, could probably go either way and at least her trio knew of the dangers of bears through tale--which did not stand up against real-world experience, but neither were they clueless here at least.

She could not be sure if the others were on their way as well, nor if they had the time to wait. Charon was with the pups, and she hoped Tryphon was nearby him too just in case all hell broke loose here. Olive.. and Korei too, she did not think to include for such offense, and that only left a newcomer after a promising mercenary, Dakarai, had vanished to the winds.. Amekaze bit back an anxiousness once more and knew she could not stall for very long.

She stewed in a heavy, thoughtful silence as one daughter spoke true. How was she going to let her pups out of her sight to roam freely knowing a bear loomed near? "Do not lose sight of it," she hissed.. all senses narrowing viciously onto the bear as it began to move off, as without their eyes on it, it could only escalate into a risk for her two remaining puppies: the main motivation in her contained fury, though the sanctuary for all the rest of her fellows tailed it quickly to stoke the flames. If this did not get handled here, it was only bound to haunt them further for more strife down the road--what she hoped to avoid for her family. She was still grieving, and she was mad. 

"We find where it goes and let it know it is not welcome here. Driving it away without a direct fight would be best. Surround and pressure it," she voiced. Unless something changed and demanded new tactics, this was a start. They could use the mountain to the advantage, and maybe even make the bear think they were more wolves than they actually were. This banked on luck on their behalf too. "Should we get close: Watch yourself, and your comrades. Go no further if doubt weighs you down. They can be faster than they look," she warned, then went striding after the bear through the best cover she could find. Already the beast had begun to gain ground, so she went faster--not burdening herself with a look to see if she went alone or not. Not yet.

They were after her. Kala couldn't say how she knew, she just knew. She could feel eyes on her back, though she couldn't possibly hear her pursuers (not over the sound of her own monstrous paws and heavy panting), nor did she see anything when she cast her beady eyes over her shoulder. But the bear knew the wolf pack must be tracking her across the mountain. She let out a breathy rumble of warning and kept trundling back in the direction of the cave.

She was nearly there when she saw a white wolf on the path ahead of her. Kala's initial instinct was to slow down and maintain a neutral stance so as not to invite a physical altercation. She might even speak to the young she-wolf, assure her that she meant no harm and let her know that she just wanted to return to her cub and go back underground.

But then Kala saw Galaxy sitting a few dozen yards beyond the white wolf, putting the stranger in between the mother bear and her cub. All thoughts of diplomacy fled from the grizzly's mind. She did slow down but only to abruptly rise onto her hind paws and unleash a horrible roar. She intended to frighten the wolf into running away, though if that didn't work, Kala would absolutely attack in order to defend her baby.

She was relieved slightly by Hydra's words; they would not be fighting it. She gave a nod as Amekaze added that they shouldn't lose sight of it, something Lyra agreed with completely despite her every instinct telling her to run. Who knew what the beast would be able to do to her young siblings, let alone a full grown wolf caught unawares. She knew her family were stalwart fighters, her parents and Hydra were proof of that, but she wasn't so foolish to think they could go up against a monster such as this.

The unit began to slink through the trees then, with Amekaze at the forefront. Lyra wanted to race to catch up to her mother, provide what little assistance she could should she find herself in danger, but she instead forced herself to lag slightly behind. She was not a fighter, but she could help in other ways. Where Hydra excelled in brawn and Alya in tactics, Lyra was her best in keeping herself hidden — a lookout. She let the rest of her family (and Terance, who she included in that family) surge ahead, tailing behind them and splitting off slightly, keeping the bear within her sights.

They followed it deep within Moonspear's territory, and Lyra couldn't help but wonder fearfully how long it had actually been here for. How long had this demon haunted their mountain without them even knowing? For surely if they had known, they would have dealt with it already? She made to regroup with her sisters as the creature seemed to rumble to a halt, but another scent made her pause. She looked towards where the beast was heading, gasping as she saw the familiar white coat of her other sister. It was then it reared, unleashing a terrifying roar that reverberated off the walls of their home and causing Lyra's ears to fall flat upon her head. Her eyes locked onto her sister who stood before it — her poor, stupid, unlucky sister.

She may have caused Galaxy's death, but she was still family. "KOREI!!" Lyra shrieked in blood-curdling fear, lurching forward and sprinting towards Hydra and Alya, panic clouding her senses.

The voice tentatively called back to her. A rush of adrenaline flooded through Galaxy at its familiarity and she lurched onto her feet once more, wobbling forward. Just around a bend in the path, she spotted one of her older sisters. In her exhaustion, the puppy couldn't recollect her name but she was family. The dirty, emaciated youngster began to run toward Korei.

Galaxy stopped short and froze when the mama bear appeared and rose onto her hind legs. She had never properly seen Kala, not in the light of day and certainly not in such a frightening pose. The bear she knew was big, warm and fuzzy, with a soft, soothing voice and gentle mannerisms. She had saved Galaxy's life (even if she was doing a bad job of it lately). But the sight of this Kala scared her half to death. When Kala roared, Galaxy swore her heart stuttered to a stop.

Then it began beating wildly in her chest. Galaxy's legs felt like jelly but she still managed to jump forward to Korei's side. "No!" she wailed at the gigantic grizzly, her scream simultaneous with someone else's cry of her sister's name. "Kala, stop!"

Hydra careened after her mother, obedient to her intentions as she relayed them. The bear was not once let out of their sight, though it halted near a cave—its own cave. Hydra, too, saw what Lyra did. She bristled as it stood on its hinds and roared at her insipid sister. Who the hell hung out at a bears den, she wondered for a horrible moment, before Lyra's scream brought her to her senses. Hydra heard her sister approach from behind, and Hydra knew what she ought to do and waited no longer. 

Her ears flicked as she spoke to her sisters mutely—divide and distract—and she launched toward the bear. It seemed to heed only Korei for whatever reason and Hydra took the opportunity then to make like a bee and sting whatever the hell she could. They had come close enough for Hydra to reach for the bears rear, and snap at it, before sprinting in the opposite direction. Her mothers advice that bears were faster than they looked was one she remembered, and so she ran like the wind through the woods, wheeling around and moving as according to what she heard. If they behaved as though they were attacking Kala, perhaps the bear would no longer heed Korei at all and defend herself rather than go offensive on a wolf that could not respond with proper defense. Hopefully she did not need to tell Korei what to do: run.

Korei did not get a response. Instead, she saw someone approaching. She saw movement, and seized up. And then, well she just couldn't believe it. If she could have gone anymore pale than her fur, she would have if it were possible. 

She wasn't dead...All the blame shifted onto Korei, for nothing. She wanted to cry out to the young one, not even stopping to think if it were even real. But as one good thing came, a bad thing followed. 

She turned her head when her name was called, or rather screamed. That's when she truly froze up once more, her heart skipped a beat. There was a bear. And it was headed straight for her. She wanted to run, like Lyra and the others no odubt wanted her to. Yet, they did not call out Galaxy's name. Did they not see her? Korei felt someone come up next to her. That ignited a spark, one of defiance. She stood still, but not because she was afraid. She had just gotten Galaxy back. And she would not lose her again. Putting her head down, trying to stand protectively in front of Galaxy, even though she shook more than a leaf in a hurricane, she tried to look menacing. "S-Stay behind" she treid to say to Galaxy, eyes on the bear.

i'm hardcore pretending that terance's timeline isn't all over the place. woof.

terance took his place by a surprisingly bossy lyra (whom he immediately realized was alya), and gave her another quick nudge. only when the true lyra arrive did terance scoot out of the way to let her take her spot-- offering her the same nudge he offered the other two. he was feeling kind of tense, especially after his chat with hydra the other day, and there was no doubt everyone else was too. while they waited, he figured he might as well just offer up some manly comfort to all his lady friends... or whatever.

but soon everyone else arrived and terance did his best to appear not totally worried about his favorite shadows and ready for action. and he was totally ready for action! with a whole pack here? god damn they could do some damage... he assumed, anyway. a few words were exchanged, tactics discussed and then... korei.

goddamn that poor, ignorant girl. 

suddenly, the cerberus was off. feeling naked without at least one of the three sisters nearby, he tore off after them. he worked so well with hydra, maybe even better than sarah, so he personally made a mental note to stay nearby her. his green gaze kept a watchful eye on lyra though, who he worried about. though, he'd almost forgotten how well the sisters worked together-- without him... he just kind of assumed he would be included in whatever plan they had. 

hydra looked like she was headed for the rear, so terance made a run around the other side, aiming to strike at the shoulder and take off right behind the cerberus.

Soon after she found her rhythm, she heard the others joining her.. here and there, all trailing similarly to her to varying degrees. She wasn't alone, so chased the beast and her focus alike, running headlong to what she knew could turn south so easily. It simply had to be done, though.

When she saw the bear stop, rear up to its towering height, and roar she did not immediately notice why the sudden change of tactic but her heart sank the instant she did. Korei was here too, suddenly opposite the bear to them by some wretched manner of bad luck. The sullen girl who was only pressed further to the bottom of the totem pole of her sisters after Galaxy's fall was poorly prepared for any of this right now, Amekaze knew this, hated this.. but had to act or watch her be slaughtered. The dark alpha wouldn't waste her momentum, not even with another daughter's cries ringing in her ears, and went zeroing in for the bear's thigh teeth first.

While rending flesh on the flyby was her goal, their thick fur was not as easy to chomp through and she was reluctant to stay close for any length of time so soon. It was possibly a nuisance wound at best, but she only needed the bear's attentions for a moment. Any of it to delay Korei's inevitable demise if she didn't get moving.

As she swung by, out of reach to turn back for retaliation #2, she saw Hydra doing much the same as she had, and others were not far behind that. Together, they could potentially wear it down..

But in the split second between here and there when she pivoted back towards the bear, she saw more. Eyes wide and nostrils flared, this didn't make sense. Another pale-fur was here: another wolf, a young one..one of her own even! And she could only barely believe this was true at all. She had never seen her so shrunken.. yet, there she was? Who else? But also why else? It was impossibly worse than before, no matter how shocking--not matter the weird disbelief that clung to it either. Fuck, she almost couldn't breathe, but she surged forward off her hindlegs anyway, aiming for the bear again while wishing she could use her desperation to move her faster back on the pure offensive.

"Go!" she snarled wildly at her pale daughter as she went lunging forward. "Take Galaxy and GO!" she commanded to anyone smart enough to heed her without any questions as to why they were grabbing dead puppies before making her contact with the bear's flank. This time, she was sticking around long enough to try to dig deep. She had to create an opening for them to escape, and didn't care where they went as long as it was not here where a precious second or two could mean life or death.

"Kala, stop!"

The grizzly froze, face softening abruptly as she peered down at Galaxy. Kala didn't see a wolf pup; she saw her own cub, lost mere hours before Galaxy quite literally tumbled into the mother bear's life. Ignoring the cacophonous flurry of motion around her, she dropped back into all fours. She nosed right past the larger wolf—quite possibly shoving her rudely aside with her great muzzle—and gathered the shaking puppy into her arms.

Even as she fell back onto her haunches to sing to and soothe the youngster, teeth and claws scored her great withers. Kala unwittingly unleashed another horrendous roar (right in Galaxy's face), finally turning to acknowledge the wolf pack circling about her like a shiver of sharks preparing for a feeding frenzy. She clutched the cub tightly to her breast and glared for a moment, only for her face to suddenly fall.

"We mean you no harm," she appealed to the wolves. "Please, just let me and my cub go back into the caves! We won't bother you anymore..."

It pained her to see both Hydra and her mother dive for the creatures limbs — limbs that ended in lethal talons. She wanted nothing more to turn tail and run far, far from the massive beast, dragging her sisters along by by their ears if she had to. Terance was also here, though, and engaging in the fight in equal measure. While he was just as capable a warrior as Hydra and Amekaze, she still feared for him, too. She tried her best to keep each and every one of her family members in her sights as she heeded the main head of the Cerberus, taking off to where she gestured to as Alya peeled away in the opposite direction.

However, she spotted Korei still standing before the bear, defiant before such a massive beast. For a brief moment, Lyra thought she saw a glimmer of Charon within her...but then she spoke. The stutter was one of fear and the girl knew her sister would need some more coercion to get out. She rounded the bear (giving it a wide berth) and went to sprint towards her pale sibling to nudge her, bite her, anything to get her moving, before she saw what she was guarding.

More specifically, who she was guarding.

She couldn't look away from the tiny figure — the pale, thin creature who faced the bear just as Korei did. A ghost? It was the only reasoning Lyra was able to come up with for what she was seeing. Surely it couldn't be her sister, the one who had fallen from the edge of a cliff? The fall would have broken every bone in her body. Yet there she stood. Her mother's command broke her out of her trance-like stare, and Lyra snapped back to attention, glancing once to Amekaze and her two sisters who still tried to grab the bear's attention.

It gave another roar, one that Lyra ducked as if to avoid, before it spoke. It spoke. She ignored whatever it had said, too focused on trying to get both of her younger sisters out of there now. Korei had been shoved to the side; she was partially relieved the bear was no longer targeting her litter mate but she was still in the danger zone. Racing up to her, Lyra nosed her pale neck fur with an added rough nip in both a sign of affection as well as urging her to run. "Korei, you have to move!" she yelled, turning to catch another glimpse of Galaxy just to remind herself she was, in fact, not dead — though her heart dropped when she saw she was scooped in the bear's arms.

Her cry had the desired effect on Kala. Before the puppy could sigh in relief, the bear was looming directly over her. She made a halfhearted attempt to backpedal but found herself scooped into those familiar arms. She trembled a bit, still frightened by the grizzly's aggressive display, but Kala was extremely gentle with her... despite the wolves suddenly attacking her on all sides.

Squirming in Kala's grip, Galaxy's head popped into view. "Stop!" she cried, this time her plea aimed at her family. "Stop! Don't hurt her!" Because even though Kala had accidentally put her in this careworn state: "She saved me!"