Wolf RPG

since his success upon the two wolves of the hollow, and the creature of the pack regipre loathed, shardul had pursued no members of a canine grouping, preferring instead to torture the few lone wolves he located. yet the desire to take from a pack rose in him -- he crept from the cavern, leaving there his charge with a cache of meat, and he himself took his steps toward the coast.

the silver cat roamed along the stone ridge, gazing out at the expanse of water, and presently he batted aside a murre and broke its hapless neck for the sheer diversion of killing. the eggs he pushed over the side of the ridge -- he ate nothing.

After her trip through the borders and her subsequent meeting with Red (the memory of which burned a pleasant fire in her still), it was time to cut back to the coast and see what the quiet, sparse Saltwinter crew was up to.  Likely her absense wouldn't have fallen under too much notice, but she didn't want to miss out on any hunts.

On her way home she passed through the hot springs, intending to cut along the river and across the ridge to the Sound.  Her tail waved jauntily behind her as she traveled, for her spirits were high.  This winter was looking up, despite her rather questionable company and the long snows bound to be ahead.

Then she saw the cat.

He was prowling the ridge she was now starting to climb, and at first his lazy motions were invisible to her.  As soon as she saw him, she froze, fur rising in a defensive bristle as an involuntary snarl lifted her lip.  She could feel the adrenaline begin to pump and hovered a moment, poised for flight.  Perhaps the creature would pay her no mind.

but pay her mind he did; shardul's nostrils flared at the sudden stench of wolf, and he swung his broad square muzzle round, his own lips revealing the thick ivories set sharply in his jaw. at the sight of its raised hackles, its defensive stature, the silver cat gave a low rill of sibilant laughter, mocking in its suddenness. 

in the next moment, he lunged down from the ridge to give ponderous chase after the darkfurred wolf. he did not think he would catch the verminous creature, but luck had done more amusing things for him in the past.

Did the damn thing just laugh at her?  A shiver went down her spine, and she wasted no time in turning tail.  Creepy as hell.  What was this cat's problem anyway?  Of course she knew - they were competing predators, and she was a wolf with no immediate pack, but that didn't mean she had to accept that fact without a little righteous outrage.  But mostly terror.  Most definitely terror.

She sprinted fast as she could across the unfamiliar terrain, hoping to leave the cat behind.  If all went well, she would, but luck had a way of screwing her sometimes, usually when it mattered most.  C'mon Roz, get back to the coast.  Just get back to the coast.  Vlad and the like might not be the most impressive pack in the world, but they'd make a world of a difference right now.  Damn her and her wandering.

the wolf turned tail and rushed away from shardul; he gave chase.  the largesse of his body, coupled with the heavy muscle clinging to his frame, would make for a short race, but the murderous cat fully intended to catch the foolish creature before he was winded by her speed. teeth flashed as he gave the characteristic scream of his species.

to rip, to tear, to rend. to torment, ah, that was his lot. shardul sped on, his mouth watering for the blood beating beneath the lupine flesh, and his desire lent a small burst of speed to his plunging paws.

She knew, once he had given chase, that should he catch her he would attempt to take her life.  She fled all the harder, but as usual, luck was twisted out of her favor.  As she ran, her paw turned upon the uneven and unfamiliar rise and she fell heavily, the wind knocked from her as her side and hip struck the stone.

Panicked, she snarled, baring sharp fangs as a rebuttal to the cat who was too close to now outrun.  The remainder of her breath expelled in a sharp, throaty warning sound, somewhere between a growl and a bark.  She scrabbled backwards, attempting to rise before Shardul reached her, heart pounding madly in her chest.  This was not the closest yet that Roz had come to death, but this time her chances of escape were dwindling.  If she couldn't get away, his size and strength would be unmatchable.

his sides began to strain with the exertion, but he was buoyed by the collapse of the fleeing fool. her sharp sound went unheeded; shardul hissed in his response, mustering his last reserves of quickness to speed down upon her. the world grew silent presently as his heartbeat pleasantly filled his hearing; the thirst for wolf'sblood watered his mouth and he swung his paw at her hip, at an ankle, yellow eyes blazing with anticipation.

She was too slow to rise, and before she could really find her feet, Shardul was upon her. Claws bit into her hip and a feral desperation filled her, causing her to snap out at his face, his chest, anything within reach. Twisting, she finished rising, but no longer had the space to run. The instant she turned her back, she feared the cat would end her from behind.

blood filled his mouth; the flesh of the wolf parted easily beneath his jaws, the jagged claws. her snaps scored his cheeks, the bridge of his nose, but when the wolf whirled, terrified, shardul brought his forepaw down with a crushing blow upon her spine. at the same moment, he lunged to sink his fangs into the base of her skull, his body thrumming with the eroticism of the impending kill.

She screeched as his teeth sank down, tearing at her flesh, and her attacks became more desperate.  She couldn't die here.  She wouldn't die here.  His blow to her spine brought her down once more and her vision flickered, the hit a heavy one that knocked her teeth together.  At one point she must have bitten her tongue, for she tasted heavy blood, hers and the cat's mixed.  Spitting, she turned her head just as he struck, his teeth missing their mark and instead catching the side of her neck.

It was more than she could take.  Pain and fear made her wild, releasing any thought of caution or strategy.  Striking out with both forelegs, she attempted to thrust herself up, hopefully tearing herself free in the process and mindless of the damage that might cause.  The instant she was free she would run, fast and hard as she could, hoping what remained of her endurance would carry her out of range before her body succumbed to shock.

in a last attempt to free herself, the wolf surged from his claws, tearing her flanks. the result was the hard upthrust of one bony shoulder against the teeth set in his upper jaw -- a wave of pain fired through his head, and he hissed in agony, tasting the drip of his own blood. halted, his downward attack cut only a superficial cut along her spine and then in the next moment she was lunging away, filled with the adrenaline of terror.

shardul shrieked his anger to the heavens.

By some miracle she was able to connect, and the cougar withdrew.  Her window was small but she made full use, bolting with nothing but pure terror and self-preservation fueling her flight.  Her breath was gone, so his parting blows elicited no cry - instead they only provided even more impetus for her to get the hell out of dodge asap.

Inventory would come later.  For the moment, distance was her only goal and the only thought within her frenzied mind.