Stone Circle Getting up midday makes me tired

For @Brynn. Corvus is somewhat close to Easthollow's border in Fox's Glade but not trespassing.

This place, he had to admit, was quite beautiful. Like the meadow before it, flowers were abundant here and even felt dominating with how sparse the trees were. In the distance up ahead, Corvus could see a meadow with large stones that appeared to form a circle. It was a formation he'd never seen before. It almost looked unnatural. He would've loved to investigate it closer, but it was claimed land. Most everything interesting around here was claimed, it seemed—save for that dark forest. Well, he supposed the foxes had laid claim to it, but he could easily take it for himself if he so desired.

The summer heat was starting to get to him as the day reached its midpoint, not a single cloud in the sky. Corvus sought refuge under the shade of a tree, sinking into a lying position. His maw parted slightly as he panted. This was why he preferred to be a creature of the night, but he hadn't slept well. He would probably give sleep another go later on once he found a safe spot.

It was part of Brynn's patrol routine to come by this area, as she saw the river in the distance as a potential lure for danger. She was still surprised to pick up the scent of the unknown male so close to their borders. Most loners didn't linger so close unless they wanted something, so she immediately became suspicious. 

Instantly, she began trotting in his direction and when she was close enough, she called out, "What are you doing here?" her greeting was not intended to sound welcoming. This male was too close to their territory and didn't even seem to care; he was just lounging around like there weren't rules for these things. She stopped a short distance from him and stared intently at the dark wolf, holding her tail up and keeping her ears pushed forward, her body language stating loud and clear that she meant business.

He'd just begun to cool down when a rather abrasive-looking woman approached him. Her question and the mingling scents on her pelt made it clear she was of the pack nearby. In his typical fashion, he answered her question with a question in the most nonchalant manner possible: It's a hot day, isn't it? Corvus reluctantly rose to his feet, shaking the dry grass from his dark coat. It did little to rouse him. His lazy posture and lidded gaze only added to his blithe demeanor, though it was mostly out of drowsiness.

The sun is rather unkind to me, but I won't be staying long. He awaited the quip surely coming his way with apathy.

Brynn didn't justify his question with an answer; she just continued to glare at him as he lazily got to his feet. 

She didn't care how the sun made him feel, she just wanted him to leave. Images of Valette's still young pups flashed through her mind feeding her anger that this lone male was creating a potential threat so close to her pack's territory. "You won't be staying at all," she replied with command in her voice. "So, go on," she added with a lift of her head indicating that he should head in the opposite direction of Easthollow. There were plenty of other shaded areas to lay about that were far from here.

Corvus couldn't imagine what it'd be like to be so up-tight all the time like this woman appeared to be. She was glaring daggers into his flesh, and he chuckled lightly. He found it difficult to be compliant with people like her. His stubbornness was waking him up. I have no interest in your pack, He said bluntly. I am simply passing through. I'll make sure to give a wide berth. He was being truthful, though there was a mocking glint in his eye.

With that, Corvus began walking in the direction he'd been originally traveling in—somewhat towards her pack's territory, but going around it. He wasn't ready to turn back to land he'd already seen... at least not yet, and one prickly wolf would not shake him off his course. This area aroused mild interest in him, and interest is what fueled him, at the moment. If there were more wolves, he'd be slightly more cooperative, but that'd be somewhat irritating.

Brynn couldn't believe he laughed. And his tone made her want take a swipe at him. Nothing she said or did implied that she was in the mood to put with a smart-ass. 

So, when he moved in the direction of Easthollow instead of away from it, she bristled even more. She didn't give a fuck how wide a berth he gave their borders, he was still unwelcome this close, especially since he seemed to have no real reason to be here. What kind of lone wolf lounged around, anyway? She certainly did no such thing when she was fending for herself. 

The fact that he was blatantly ignoring her request pissed her off. She was done trying to reason with this male. She was bigger and well-fed, so she had no doubt she could kick his ass. With her mind made up, she flattened her ears to her head and let out a fierce, angry snarl, her yellow gaze filled with fury and challenge.

He was well aware that this woman was displeased with him but didn't expect to hear a snarl sound behind him as her steely exterior cracked. That made his battle instincts kick in, and his whole body tensed as he whipped around to face his opponent, ready to take some kind of blow—but she had not lunged for him, only challenged him. At least, that's how he viewed the action. Some would view it as a warning. However, seeing how he would not heed it, it may as well have been a blatant challenge.

The flash of intensity in his expression faded away at this realization and was replaced with a cool smirk. If she wanted to have at him, he expected her to catch him somewhat off-guard—this would be no spar, after all. How foolish, he mused. Still, he said, If it's a fight you want, I cannot deny you. If she gave any sign of affirmation, Corvus would lunge for her with parted jaws and aim for her muzzle in an attempt to seize it. He'd clamp down with a fierce grip and no intention of releasing it anytime soon.

If she showed aversion to a fight, though, he'd continue on his way with caution.

His question was dumb. Did her demeanor not state that a fight was exactly what she wanted? Continuing to glare at the male, Brynn gave him a malicious grin. "I don't have all damn day, so either go back from where you came, or let's go." She wasn't sure what kept her from just throwing herself at the irritating male then, but somewhere beyond her current bitchy mood, there was a fair wolf who wanted to give him one more chance to get the fuck out of here, as undeserving as that chance may be. Even so, he didn't seem like he'd be smart and take the out, so she tensed and waited for the attack that was sure to come.

Her words meant nothing to him, as he, too, was giving her a chance to back out of this fight. This stranger perplexed him, as he really expected her to have been upon him by now. No matter, he was fine with taking the initiative. As soon as the last word left her lips, Corvus leapt forwards, going through with the aforementioned attack plan. He aimed his split jaws for the top of her snout. If he landed as intended, he'd hold on with a solid grip, not holding back in ferocity and uncaring of the pain it'd bring his opponent.

I did a dice roll to determine if she dodged his attack or not

Even=dodge; Odd=Hit

Rolled 1d10: 4 (dodge)

As she had anticipated, the dark wolf ignored her warning and went straight for her face. Good. She was so in the mood for a fight. It was like she was seeing everything in slow motion as he came closer to her face. At the last minute, she simply stepped out of the way, hopefully throwing him off balance enough to make her counter-attack successful. 

Not wanting to miss her opportunity, Brynn lunged; her aim for the side of his neck that was closest to her. If her attack went as planned, she could hopefully knock him down with her weight and sink her teeth into the fleshy part on the back of his neck. She didn't want to kill him or anything since he hadn't trespassed, but she was hoping to injure him enough to make him think twice next time he wanted to ignore the warning of a pack wolf so close to their territory.

I'll do rolls too for fairness! I got a 6, so that's a dodge for Corv too.

If you're not okay with muzzle scars on Brynn (in case I hit), I can change his attack. o:

He expected her to be prepared for his attack and wasn't surprised that he missed a relatively small, movable target. But now, the woman would be ready to retaliate. Knowing this and knowing that his throat was a target, he instinctively snapped his head away from her as soon as he saw her move, shifting his weight onto the side of his body opposite to her. Corvus felt her vicious teeth snag a few clumps of hair, but his flesh managed to narrowly escape her grasp.

Sidestepping and turning to face her fully again, he went in for another attack. He decided to aim for her snout again, this time out of convenience more than anything, as they were now face-to-face, and he'd rather not try to avoid her jaws to get to her throat.

What's a mercenary without some scars? Lol!

Even=dodge; odd=hit: Rolled 1d10 (9)= hit

The male managed to dodge her attack, her teeth barely making contact with the spot on his neck she had aimed for. He didn't waste a second; he was lunging at her face as soon as he had turned back towards her and this time, she wasn't able to get out of the way fast enough. His teeth connected with the top half of her muzzle, and she let out a rage-filled snarl. The pain didn't even register with her at this point, the adrenaline masking everything and giving her strength to continue. 

He had her in a bad position right now, but she could figure her way out. She shook her head violently attempting to dislodge the male's grasp. While she did that, she also reached her front paws up and clawed at his chest, hoping to cause pain and push him back. Her efforts were finally successful, and she freed herself for his teeth. Blood rand down her muzzle and dripped on the ground, but she barely noticed, nor took any time to worry about it. Instead, she lunged at his face since it was closest, hoping to make contact with any part of it.

u right! I do want to avoid any gnarly scars on Corv's face... until he's older. :3c

1d10 = 7; hit for Brynn.

Corvus was able to hit his mark this time, feeling a rush of satisfaction wash over him at the feeling of her snout crushed between his jaws. A metallic taste greeted his tongue, and he savored the taste whilst keeping up his firm grip, teeth sure to leave scars. But this woman was also a skilled fighter, knowing that the claws―dull as they were―could be used to get out of a situation. Her large paws shoved harshly into his windpipe, claws digging into his flesh savagely and leaving long welts. The thrashing of her head (and therefore his) dragged the wounds around, which only brought more pain. If he had to, the shadow could've forced himself to push through it, but that wasn't necessary. With a hoarse cough, he released the woman's snout.

Several more hoarse coughs erupted from his pained throat as his body attempted to alleviate the discomfort but only added to it. Even while his body acted on its own accord, the mercenary knew better than to let his eyes stray from an opponent. The woman, unfazed by the pain due to the rush of adrenaline, now lunged for his face. Not wanting to suffer the same blow he dealt to her but unable to move out of the way quick enough, Corvus tilted his head away from her teeth, causing them to latch onto the soft flesh of his cheek. The stinging of his pinched flesh made him snarl in both pain and excitement.

If he weren't careful, she could tear a good chunk out of his cheek, so the raven lifted a foreleg to scratch at her eye with his dull, hard claws and persuade the woman to relinquish her hold. He kept the other foreleg firmly on the ground and his stance wide so that the behemoth wouldn't be able to topple him too easily. Thankfully, it worked, the only remaining pain a dull throb that was easily set on the back-burner with the rest. With their close range, Corvus knew he had to act fast. Offense seemed like the best defense for the situation, so he went low this time to ideally grab hold of the front of the wolfess' throat. If successful, he would thrash his head to tear flesh.

Same rules; rolled 1d10: (3)= hit

A feeling of satisfaction spread through Brynn as her teeth sank into the male's cheek. It wasn't quite where she had aimed, but it was good enough. Her victory was short lived, though, as he aimed his own claws for her eye, causing her to let go, wanting to avoid any injury to her eyes. 

She didn't have any time to try another strike because the other wolf lunged for her throat almost immediately after being freed from her teeth. She tried to dodge his teeth but was only able to keep him from connecting with the vulnerable part of her throat. He still managed to lock his jaw on the spot where her neck met her shoulder; it was too close to her jugular for comfort, and fueled by the rage from yet another successful bite on his part, she threw her weight onto him. Her hope was to throw him off and get him to the ground where she might be able to make another attempt at his neck.

1d10 = 6; dodge. 6 is the lucky number, lmao. I assume "dodge" would translate into her attempt at getting him off failing. Lmk tho!

It wasn't the mark he aimed for, but it was good enough. As long as he dealt damage, Corvus was satisfied. He growled while his head shook to and fro with her flesh between his teeth, more blood flooding into his greedy jaws. The behemoth threw her weight at him to try and dislodge him, her body slamming against his face painfully. He had to back up as she moved forwards but was ultimately able to keep his grip and his footing. Corvus would keep his hold there until persuaded to do otherwise, happy to cause pain and draw blood.

Making his rounds through the territory under the blistering summer heat, Greyback's attention was soon caught by the sound of snarls in the distance. Perking his ears and raising his head, he trotted up a plateau nestled within the tall meadows grass. From here, he overlooked the meadow; two forms instantly came into his field of vision, both circling each other in a frenzy of gnashing jaws.

Knitting his brows, he craned his head forward, focusing on the pair. 'Are they Easthollow?' The wind licked at his fur, blowing the scents toward to him. It looked like a border skirmish, but he could tell it was quite serious. Concern washed over him as soon as he caught the scent of Brynn. With his veins like ice, he rose up. "HALT!" He commanded, his voice booming over the air. The urgency in his tone clear.

Bonding downwards into the grass, the elder rushed forward. His paws kicking up dirt and grass from the sheer weight and muscle that hid under his skin.

Brynn's attempt to use her size against the smaller male failed, and she was left with his teeth still painfully in her chest. A rage-filled snarl left her mouth, and she suddenly saw this for the opportunity it was. With her opponent's face locked on her chest, the back of his neck was left wide open to her. If her plan was successful, she could sink her teeth into the back of his neck and hopefully pull him off her, or at the very least, injure him enough to make him let go.

The sound of her packmate's voice sent relief flooding through her. This fight didn't seem like it would ever end, and she had suffered some pretty decent wounds, one of which would leave a scar on the top of her muzzle. She halted her actions, but didn't risk a look behind her in case the irritating male took it as an opportunity to attack her again. Brynn hoped the arrival of a fellow pack member would deter the stranger from trying anything, and he would just leave.

He'd gotten greedy. The woman roughly snatched him up by the back of his neck, teeth sinking in cruelly. Corvus had just let go to readjust himself when the sound of a man's deep, booming voice hit him. His eyes widened in surprise, darting in the voice's direction to behold the most massive wolf the mercenary had ever seen, muscles rippling beneath thick grey fur―and he was charging right for him. Corvus was confident, but not a fool.

A fresh wave of adrenaline overcame him as his body screamed, move! He wriggled out of the woman's grasp and sprinted away, though the bastard ran with his tail held high. He'd shown the virago what he was made of and even left his permanent mark on her. She did the same to him, but not quite as savagely. Corvus felt no shame in not allowing himself to be flung around like a ragdoll by the bearish monster that had appeared. Besides: he had exploring to do.

As Greyback grew closer, he noticed the dark male turn and flee, but not without earning an impressive bite on the back of his neck by Brynn. Though he did not condone violence, Greyback still felt pride for his packmate's last effort of an attack.

Slowing down into a trot before stopping beside Brynn, the man glanced over, his face still painted in worry. Was she hurt? He could smell and see blood that spotted her fur from the fight. The most obvious spot was one gash on her muzzle that would certainly leave a scar. "Miss Brynn," he gasped "You're hurt, we should get you back to the others right away." The urge to lean forward and lick the wound clean was strong, but the elder knew better than to touch. He didn't know the female too well, and had no idea how she would take such a bold action. 

Circling her, he looked for any fatal wounds, but not without glancing in the direction where the other ran off. 'What did that strange male want? What had started the fight, and more importantly, who?' He didnt smell of Blackfeather woods. Perhaps it had escalated due to Valettes pups being so young. Sighing, he pushed the thoughts away for another time. Brynn needed medical attention.

Brynn watched as the stranger took off, spitting his blood and hair from her mouth. She turned to Greyback as he approached, blood dripping from the wounds on her face and chest. She probably looked like a mess. She nodded at his words, blood still pounding in her ears from the adrenaline. 

"Thanks for the help. I owe you one," Brynn said a little breathlessly. "That lone wolf was too close to the borders. I tried to warn him away, but he wouldn't listen. As you can see, things escalated from there." She smiled at her packmate then glad once again that he had come to break up the fight. The action caused her to wince in pain. As her heart slowed and the adrenaline trickled from her blood, she was starting to feel the wounds, and she agreed that they should head back to the others. Fighting, she could do, but treating wounds was not something she knew very much about. "You're right, we should head back," she said before turning to head back over the borders of Easthollow.