As a Warrior-to-be, it was Jinx's job to keep their rivals on their toes. It would do no good for Swiftcurrent Creek if they should be considered complacent wolves who lacked presence. Part of being a wolf was testing the boundaries of your rivals, and taking advantage of them when the opportunity arose. With this task in mind, Jinx had found her way into the heart of the mountains, with her eyes set keenly on the vale that the Northstar wolves called home.
They had come to the borders of her pack, a host of four, to demonstrate their strength. They claimed it was a diplomatic mission, but Fox had suspected otherwise, and it was no secret to the pack what had happened. Therefore, Jinx didn't underestimate these wolves... But their display had her questioning their true strength. A pack that boasted true strength and unity need not send large hosts to prove themselves. Their deeds would precede them.
She positioned herself at the base of Porcupine Ridge. Taking one last deep breath, and knowing that being caught could mean death for her (though she was confident she would neither be caught nor killed), she began an eager lope, crossing over the pack's boundaries with nary a care for etiquette. In her mouth, she clutched a dried up, desiccated fern, her belief in its powers of invisibility strong indeed. Her mission was simple: get deep enough to steal from their caches, and take home a trophy of her success. It was headhunting, as she had done back home, and it sent a thrill through her to do it again.
OOC: Sometime after the SC/NSV thread.
Following the white wolf’s tumble from the mountains, Xi’nuata had increased her patrols at an alarming rate. Hardly was she seen anywhere other than on the face of the mountain, scaling its treacherous reaches with practiced ease but too with more care than what she was known for. It was less to ensure the security of the haven, and more to map out certain paths that others might take safely. As she had come to learn quite vividly, not all were born and raised as mountain dwellers, and some did not have the paws to cling to the rocks. Any one of her companions could find themselves broken at the base of the mountain- and it was an image she did not wish to entertain for longer than a passing thought. Part of her duty amidst her training was to ensure the safety of those that called the Vale their home.
And she felt she was sorely lacking in this regard- simply assuming that all knew how and where to travel. She had been foolish.
It was on another routine map of the mountains, that the female came across something that did not seem ‘correct’ in her mind. Certainly there was the scent of the Vale, strongly preserved by her scent and those of the other warriors… yet another passed through it. A hint, but noticeable. As fresh as her own but without the accompaniment of a Vale wolf just as strong. It set her hackles to rise and lips to quiver with disgust. Her paws once relaxed gripped the rocks with earnest as she pushed from her resting place into a swift descent down the mountain. She remained at its base, crossing the known routes of the Ridge toward the western reaches of the territory. The musk of the other was heavy enough to follow, marred only by the natural aroma of the woodlands. But her nose had grown used to it, each breath discerning the ‘strange’ from the well-known until it grew stronger as it slipped deeper into claimed territory… |
There was no body making rough movements to intercept her, no baying of hounds to suggest she had been noticed. For the time being, Jinx Kesuk slid through the Vale's dense woodland, alone and unseen. A grim smirk revealed her satisfaction with this. No number of treaties could have stopped Jinx from pursuing this course, and any relationship any creek wolf held with those of the vale was beneath her notice. She cared not how the monks and clerics might take her intrusion, and so she proceeded, albeit with every caution she could afford. Peaceful though they may have been, they were still wolves, and would spare no effort to kill her if they caught her.
But first, they would have to catch her. If they did not, she would flee back to the sanctuary of her home. As she skirted tall trees and shrubs alike, she chuckled when she thought of what punishment Fox might dole out when she learned of Jinx's intrusion. The woman suspected her Alpha was of the same mind as her regarding neighbours, and deemed punishment unlikely. If a neighbour failed to stop her here, she would conclude the pack's weakness and report it. Their standing as friend or foe mattered not.
Little did Jinx know that already, the ever-vigilant Xi'nuata was hot on her trail. She had spared no thought or time for masking her scent, so it was only a matter of time before a patrolling guard found her scent, but Jinx thought she had time on her side. She located beneath the roots of a tree the scent of a wolf, as well as signs of disturbance. She couldn't smell the meat, but she knew there was something hidden there. Casting a glance around herself to make sure the coast was clear, Jinx set to excavating the small cache, with every single hair on end and every muscle tightened to move her in an instant if things went south.
OOC:
She cared little for the reason that brought another so deep within their borders, nor did she care about what she might find at the end of the trail. What mattered was that her investigation not end with a dead trail at its end, and thus she was swift and careful in her pursuit. Xi’nuata was not a creature to assume in circumstances she was not familiar, only make an informed conclusion by the facts and experiences gathered over her seasons. She knew this was an intrusion, blatant and without care. The why did not matter… only that it had been done on her watch.
And it was not acceptable.
Retracing the known paths that led into the woodlands, she used what she knew to carry her deeper, silently and purposefully. Due to her diligence in following Njal’s instruction she had done well to shed a good amount of her extra weight, allowing for an easier and mostly quiet run through the woods. And Raheerah had too aided with her balance. Their lessons kept at the forefront of her mind as she shifted her body according to the abrupt changes of the ground. She was far from perfect, but she progressed more towards the image of her role than when she had initially began. And she would prove it this day.
Her ears swiveled forward to the rustle of turned earth, made louder by the stillness that hung in the air. Upon first glance, there were only the few mounds of white that dotted the ground. Snow dirtied by fallen leaf and dead twigs hanging at lethargic angles. But there was a pale spot more ‘living’ than idle, as seen by the healthy rolling folds of the shoulders. The body- no, her body was tense even as she pushed into the earth of their cache. No meat but precious herbs that were gathered by the clerics. And she would be damned to see them damaged by a thief.
Xi’nuata gave no warning save for the pound of her paws on the earth as she advanced. Her laid ears back and eyes narrowed with her head lowered and shoulders forward, she charged for the tail end of the female aiming to ram her with her shoulder away from the cache. |
(Hope u dont mind me jumping in)
As Xi'nuata passed over the trail of the intruder, Raheerah was not far behind. He would not have caught the stench of the Creek wolf unless he were to pass over it himself; despite the blindness in his eye, he did depended largely on sights for the discovery of intruders, for his nose had been dulles by whatever black magic the monks had used in their imprisonment of him. Results of a wound, Raheerah could identify scents within his immediate viscinity, but anything vague carried on the wind escaped him. He was fortunate in that his patrol was to cross Xi'nuata's route, but instead of encountering the woman as he expected, he found only her scent and that of a stranger's.
This stranger did not carry the hints of Lham or the monk, or any of his packmates. In fact, she smelled of the Creek wolves they spoke with not long ago. For what reason they would send this stranger into the Vale territory, Raheerah did not know. All he did know was that he was going to find out. The oily creature diverted his path, following quickly after his fellow warrior and the intruder.
It took only a few minutes for their scents to grow stronger, and soon, he saw them through trees. The white wolf was digging through one of the cleric stashes, and he saw Xi'nuata lunge for her in time for him to decide that she was unwelcome. Raheerah moved in an arc around the clearing and burst forward from the opposite side, trapping the stranger between he and Xi'nuata. With teeth bared, he lunged, aiming to grab at her neck should it come exposed.
this will be my only post in this thread. just thought it might make for some good development.
Fox had picked up on Jinx's trail going from the creek. She intended to seek her out and speak to her about something or another... perhaps talk of their recent joiners and what they might be good for. Haunter seemed like a fairly strong and able-bodied guy, though Fox was not convinced he was going to last long. The way he was always wandering off and preferring to be alone made her wonder why he stuck around at all. There was also the total newbie, Arrakis, who Fox had sent to the plateau to inform them of the leadership change.
The yearling continued following the scent trail of her Gamma, but when she neared the border of the vale, she stopped. Slightly bewildered, but by no means angry, Fox paused there for a moment. After a slight shake of her head, the Alpha smirked and murmured,
“It’s your funeral, Jinxy.” She was not about to go loping into a neighboring pack's land, despite their obvious display of aggression. Now that Fox had purpose, she found no need for such things. Lingering for no more than ten seconds total, Fox did a one-eighty and headed back to the creek. If she made it out alive, Fox would have to track her down then and get the full story.
You guys get to determine the outcome of this! You guys can autohit Jinx, bearing in mind she'll be trying not to get hit so some misses would be appreciated. You guys can also capture her and hold her captive if you want, just let me know by PM if you plan to do this so I know! You guys are mostly free to decide exactly how she's injured, but my one condition is that she can't be fatally wounded or outright killed. I also ask that you guys don't do anything that would cause her to spontaneously abort her litter, since it's part of a personal plot.
As she dug fervently into the hard ground, it became more and more clear that the cache she had come upon was medical in nature. There was no smell of decay or fresh meat, but she was able to uncover some preserved herbs. They were roots of some kind (New Jersey tea roots, to be exact), and while Jinx didn't know what they did, she eagerly dropped her firm to replace it with one of the roots. She was just securing the root in her mouth when something impacted her hindquarters
hard.
She stumbled, but managed to maintain her footing long enough to whirl upon her assailant. The woman was cast in shades of maple and auburn, but she didn't have much of a chance to notice much else, for the sound of footfalls from behind alerted her to another presence. She didn't turn to look at this wolf, knowing her time was very limited now. Instead, she glared defiantly at the first wolf, the root still held firmly (though bloody, since she had bitten her lip when she was shoved) in her jaws.
Without warning, and with a burst of her characteristic speed, Jinx broke off in a random direction, hoping to put just enough distance between herself and them that their little attempt to trap her would fail.
OOc: We've hashed out something nice in compliance with your wishes, so let me say it for the record that NO actions will be taken to risk an abortion of the pups, and there will be NO FATAL attacks delivered. You'll be receiving a PM shortly with the details. We hope it's agreeable. Let the chase begin! Keep them on their toes!Note: Given the nature of the topic at hand, the following posts will be shorter.
She had come to accept now, and would always, that a shadow was never far from its light. As long as she shown, he would be there to follow and spread it formidable shade. Her impact had been solid, taking the female by surprise, and to her own displeasure the warrior spied the precious herb clung between now bloodied jaws. Her lips curled with disgust, and too quaked with rage as her voice rang with the ill-regard for this trespasser.
But there was no time for scolding, nor breath prepared to spare words with the pale female before she darted. Xi’nuata pushed from the ground to give chase after the Creek wolf, a fact in which she was not pleased to acknowledge, but kept close to the mountain’s base as its rocks crept through the woodland. Whilst in pursuit her chords rumbled with a signaling snarl to Raheerah, urging him to keep to the woods as she kept course along the base. The swift tail of their quarry was not far out of sight, but gifted speed kept her just within yet out of reach at the same time. Perhaps on the plains, she might have had the better of them. But in the thick woodlands they claimed, they knew the grounds better.
It was only a matter of time.
|
He landed hard just next to the woman as she whirled around to face Xi'nuata. Her sudden movement had torn his target from his trajectory and he ended up snapping his teeth just shy of it, grazing the skin of her neck. A wild snarl tore from his jaws and he righted himself to swing his head back and sink his fangs into her spine, but within seconds she had darted away - Raheerah again missed his target, uttering a roar of frustration. He adjusted his head so that they fell within his sights again, and saw his companion falling into step behind the intruder. The oily beast joined her, regardless of the summoning she sent back to him. But he recognized her plans, and so he joined the chase on the opposite side of the female.
She was still well ahead of them, having had a jumpstart from bolting away like a frightened deer - coward that she was. Raheerah lunged forward, taking the earth beneath his paws and bursting after the two. They moved in such a way that the intruder had been positioned on his visible side, and the woods he ran alongside fell outside of his vision. Paws pounded the earth, relentless, and he sought to close the distance between he and the intruder as well as Xi'nuata. His body was thick, massive; he had a hefty weight to carry along with him and so it took the beast longer to reach her, but once he had, he immediately began to close in on her, shoving his shoulder against her flank in an attempt to knock her off balance.
A satisfied rumble found its home in her chest as she successfully broke away from the Vale wolves. She put distance between herself and them, clutching the root in her jaws like a most precious possession. All she needed to do now was find her way back to the pass, remaining out of their reach, and she'd be home free. The open plains beyond the mountains were all too familiar to her, and she would find the speediest routes from there.
Jinx had grown up in woods, however, and navigated the trees with ease. What she hadn't grown up on was mountain terrain, and so she shied away from the rolling base as much as she could. A glance backward revealed the auburn-haired female trailing along the mountain's edge, which was all the more motivation for Jinx to angle herself into the trees. She was unaware that the other wolf, whose face she hadn't seen, was tailing her from within the trees. A haughty laugh bubbled in her throat at their perceived failure, but it was choked off by the herb in her teeth.
But what Jinx thought was a success was no more than the beginning of a much longer struggle. A misstep around the next tree had her shoulder colliding with its trunk, eliciting a sharp hiss of pain from the wolf. The impact slowed her down just enough for Raheerah to reach her, and she felt her footing falter and her breath whoosh out of her lungs as his strong body collided with her side. Some primal wave of terror and protectiveness washed through her as she cringed away from him, subconsciously protecting her stomach from any harm. A heavy kick of her hind legs put her back into running, a success on the Kesuk's part for not falling (yet), but Xi'nuata had caught up on the other side. Her pursuers had closed her into a straight line that would lead her exactly where they wanted her to go... But that didn't mean Jinx gave up.
Arrogance would not allow her to foresee their plan. She thought she could throw them off if she was clever enough. In the deeper woods, it was impossible to see what paths she could take, so Jinx charged on ahead, heedless of what the two wolves were attempting to do, though her side and her shoulder both throbbed with every pounding step she took.
The frigid air roared in her ears as she charged on with might, taking the rocky terrain underfoot as one would take the flat lands. True the bolder course left much to be desired as far as speed was concerned, but she worried little as she had faith that Raheerah would understand her summon and follow the course without needing further direction. It would be no different than herding prey, though the difference was that this ‘deer’ was intelligent, even if her trespass suggested otherwise. She was wolf, and not to be taken lightly.
And true to this, Xi’nuata kept a careful eye on the woman’s tail as she wove through the trees, and in the same instance kept an eye open for the living shadow nearing their quarry. A snag upon a tree gave them an advantage in the pursuit, stalling the female enough just to bring her within reach, just close enough that eager paws could snap out with stout muzzle to grab for her leg- only to have it jut violently into her face as she kicked off to resume her flight.
Audibly seething through opened jaws, the warrior too resume the chase with hardly a moment to truly register the pain of the kick. She saw only white ahead, felt only the earth under her paws, and heard only the rush of blood in her ears as adrenaline surged through her in thrilling circulation. Her sights cut to Raheerah as they neared the prominent curve of the mountain’s base. They were nearing where they wanted, but all routes of escape needed to be sealed. Again she snarled at him, this time to address the change in the land and where it led. The chase was not over, though she feigned a draw back if only to begin her swifter ascent along the mountainside, taking ground on the rocks in two if not a single bound to gain ahead. As long as he kept at the female from the forest side, the mountain and the Vale female would do their part to close the trap if able.
|
His attack had landed true; he made contact with the female, although appeared to hit her further up than he'd intended. He meant to shove his shoulder into her flank in the hopes of knocking her leg out, but what he accomplished was fairly similar with regards to slowing her down - she stumbled, even if for a moment, giving Raheerah the opportunity to gain on her. She wouldn't be leaving them behind any time soon. Out of the corner of his eye, as he moved faster, he saw Xi'nuata try to lunge for her but only receive a kick in the face. The beast curled back his lips in a furious snarl, snapping his teeth at Jinx, but missed.
His companion was quick to regain her position, and Raheerah held strong on his side. They were slowly beginning to veer away from the forest, and he ran as fast as his legs could take him to keep up with the intruder and block off any attempts she would make to dash into the trees. No, he used his large body as a blockade, snapping his teeth at the woman to drive her into Xi'nuata's direction. His steps took him closer and closer to her still, and if she had any sense of personal safety, she would hopefully move away from him to avoid his dangerous jaws.
Personal safety... No, Jinx had no sense of that. She was yet young and naive, unschooled in the importance of preserving one's own body. Were it not for the lives in her belly, and their importance to Sos, Jinx might have done the foolish thing and ran straight into Raheerah. Alas, she was too conscious of her Dark God's desires, so when the bulky male began to close in on her from the side, she had no choice but to follow his course. Xi'nuata was out of sight now, but that was because Jinx didn't know where to look for her.
She was displeased to find that the hounds drove her from the trees, and the stinking mongrel had barred her from re-entering their shade. Gripping the root tighter in her jaws, Jinx made a headlong charge for the mountain right ahead, hoping beyond hope that her pursuers were bluffing. She was no woman of the mountains, but surely they couldn't know that. She could only assume that they were either very skilled mountaineers and expected her to slow down there, or they were bluffing and she would lose them.
While attempting to keep her gaze on the pair below, she maintained her climbing pace. Breathing deeply as she ascended then exhaling slowly as she bound from one treacherous ledge to another. There was no other path more natural to her than the mountains, and it showed with the care she took in her climb. And the height only served to further excite her senses, as if the thrill of the chase was not enough to set her blood on fire.
Her jaws parted as she breathed, a shallow hiss flowing free as she began her swift descent. As she had hoped Raheerah was leading the female right where they needed her, and it was time then for the Vale female to show what she knew of the mountain.
Her timing had to be quick lest their efforts be for nothing. Guided by righteous fury, she hurried in her descent from the rocky faces leaving gaps in stride as she bound from one protrusion to another. She was ahead of them, but only by a wolf's length, though she did not falter once the moment revealed itself as a lone standing stone. Xi'nuata lept for its top then quickly turned half at an angle, half around facing the thief. Her lips peeled back as the roar rumbled from her chest, as she pushed with all her strength from the higher mark toward the female. Her intention was to slam into her shoulder if not take her by the neck, the force knocking her off course and into her companion's awaiting jaws.
|
His companion slowly began to divert into the rocks and ledges that marked the mountain. Out of the corner of his single eye, Raheerah could see, and then she left his view. It was at that point his full focus returned to Jinx, trusting that Xi'nuata would know what she was doing. He continued to push against Jinx and run her away from the trees, a low growl rumbling from his chest as he moved. He made sure that she was following the direction he set, until she suddenly pushed forward. The intruder managed to gain another few bounds on him, and Raheerah was about to push forth when he saw his fellow warrior again.
Running along a higher ledge, he watched her. It seemed in slow motion that she launched from the rocks and twisted to face the intruder, charging her with wide jaws. Raheerah suddenly slowed so that he wouldn't stumble over the female - he skidded and swooped his head low, wide jaws aiming to wrap around her hind leg and lift, taking her feet out from under her.
Posting with permission from Chelsie-welsie :D Feel free to auto-hit him since he's in such close proximity, but he's not attacking -- more acting like a shield/trying to get them to back off so at least Jinx can escape
Originally, perhaps inexplicably, Haunter had been slow-trailing Fox. Her scent had crossed him outside of the Creek's boundaries and he had nosily followed—though if he had actually ran
into Fox, he wouldn't be able to explain what he was really doing or why. After following the trail for some time, he found that it abruptly began to mingle with Jinx's, and he mistakenly assumed that the females were going off together, which meant that his presence would likely be unwanted.
Still, instead of returning to the lands of Swiftcurrent, he left their twin trails and made a path of his own before realizing that he had come dangerously close to Northstar Vale, a pack that Jinx herself had informed him about; although his memory did not serve him well to remember whether this was the pack with the alpha that needed to be usurped, or the pack that had brought a four-wolf emissary to their borders.
Either way, as he loped their border (missing Fox somewhere along the way), he came across both female's scent again, and wondered immediately why Jinx had gone on, and Fox had went back the way she came. The fur along his spine prickled, and he followed Jinx's trail instinctively, wondering what the pregnant aggressor was doing. He
saw the chase occurring long before he could even make it to Jinx's original destination, and without thinking, the long-legged inkblot shot off after the trio from a distance.
He had caught up only when she had been tripped up, his pale superior suddenly at the mercy of a massive, autumn-hued she-wolf and a dark, smoky wolf with an equally volatile presence. But they would not kill her if Haunter had anything to say about it; and it was the first time in his entire history that he was willingly putting his life on the line for something
other than food. He launched forward wordlessly, intending to shove himself betwixt the oppositely poised defenders in an attempt to deter/block them from further wounding the rat-trapped Jinx.
If he had to, he would fight them both, as it would not be the first time he had stupidly tested more than one wolf.
There was a kick of speed that put Jinx marginally ahead of Raheerah. Silently, the female celebrated, believing she would be free of them after all. She would take back the precious root to her pack as a trophy of their triumph over Northstar Vale, and a reminder that the monk wolves were weak and inept. No doubt Fox would be pleased with her success. Jinx was so certain she would escape that she didn't even notice Xi'nuata approaching from a ledge overhead.
All too suddenly, the creme-and-auburn bitch hit the ground in front of her and turned with jaws wide. Jinx clutched the root, slamming on the brakes as best she could to avoid the heft female's hit, but in doing so, she forgot Raheerah. She felt his teeth close on her foot and hissed vehemently, but it was too late to save herself. With her leg pulled out beneath her, she went down hard on her side, and the impact knocked the root out of her mouth. She tasted blood from where her lower teeth had driven into her tongue.
"Fuck you," she spat at the dusky grey wolf, bristling like a caged lion. In that instant, a dark-furred male leapt between her and them, presumably helping her. It took a moment for her to recognize Haunter, but when she did, she was relieved. She had initially got the impression that the wolf was very much about himself and no other, a reality that Jinx herself subscribed to, for the most part. It seemed he wasn't so selfish after all.
Even if her bite would not find purchase on the pale female, she was content that those of her companion would make due. The hiss from the invader was a sign of their success yet the momentum of the Vale warrior kept her moving forward mid-lunge and chase. But instead of white, she shouldered a dark mass. The smell mirrored that of his companion of which she came to realize belonged to the Creek. The very pack she had visited- no, been invited to by one of its own to train. Why they would willingly trespass was beyond her understanding. Or perhaps her rage was too great for her to care.
“Be silent!” She roared in retort to the indignant female. Finding her feet beneath her, she leapt back from the pair baring both tooth and claw. “You will NOT speak that way on OUR land!” Her lips were quivering as they stretched to their fullest. Never before had she ever felt such rage toward another individual, let alone two. One had been enough to earn her anger. Now two uninvited on their lands invited a wrath that suggested the worst of thoughts in her mind. Her eyes cut swiftly from one wolf to the other then fixed on Raheerah gaging his own reaction to this new development. Then just a crazed found the pale woman again, her heavy paws falling soundly as she marched toward her with teeth revealed. “Explain this. NOW!”
|
His aim landed true, and the charcoal beast held firm his grip as hard as he could, intending to draw blood; he saw the intruder fall and land on her side, and briefly he missed the root that had finally left her jaws. Only when he released her leg and adjusted himself to step over the woman did he see the root. He redirected himself, if only for a moment, to swipe at the root and flick it out of her reach. Still, the minor diversion of ensuring the woman could not retake the root ate up enough seconds to allow the woman to spit a curse at him. The dragon swung his head at her, wide jaws prepared to tear the skin from her face before a body had collided with his.
Raheerah grunted, snapping his teeth together as the body knocked him off balance. An obsidian creature stood between him and the intruder, even after Xi'nuata shoved against him. The dragon immediately righted his position and stood next to his companion, scarlet gaze blazing with fury. His lips were curled back into a wild and wicked grin, though there was no amusement behind it - only frenzied hunger, teeth outlined with glistening saliva. Xi'nuata slowly moved towards them, but Raheerah didn't have the patience to wait for their explanation. "Therre is no neeed." He snapped, flicking his gaze to her briefly then back to the creek wolves. "Thiiss one iss arrogannt enoouugh to steeeal from the Vaale. She muust paayy for herr crimess." Raheerah hissed and allowed a few more steps to take him to Xi'nuata's side again. He turned his sights to Haunter, but the crazed expression of the wicked male did not change. "Ruunnn. Shhee sufferrs the consequeencesss aloone."
Raheerah was willing to let the male leave in one piece. He had done no wrong, only stepping across the boundaries to protect his fool packmate. The beast could honor that. "Lesst I driive myy teeeth into yoouur neck as weeell." He added with a hungry snap of his bared teeth and a twitch of his lips - he could honor the male's heroism, yes, but he would not honor any form of disobedience on his territory. If this man chose to stay, then he too would be subject to punishment for the white woman's crimes.
The earthy female demanded answers, bewildered and angry at the Creek wolves' presence, but the dark wolf was not quite so interested in Jinx's reason for being here. His hissing indicated that she would receive swift and violent punishment for whatever she had done (trespassing, first and foremost—Haunter knew not about the excavation of their cache), but the one-earred inkblot would not succumb to the threats of the one-eyed beast. He would face the same "consequences" as his packmate, as was his duty.
Instead of answering, the hair along his ruff and spine stood up as he tucked his chin—his throat having been directly threatened—and he bore his teeth in an aggressively defensive fashion. He didn't concentrate on what Jinx was doing, but his eyes were intently switching between the male and female Vale members, watching for one of them to attack first; though his gaze smartly lingered on the smokey-black male the most.
Unwilling to turn his back on the other two and leave himself exposed, slowly, Haunter began taking several steps backwards, his rigidly tense hip pressing into Jinx in silent urgency for her to do the same. He wasn't looking for a fight here, because if either of them called for backup, there was no doubt that the two Creekers would quickly become overwhelmed and possibly killed.
Jinx was vulnerable, laying there, but Haunter had succeeded in distracting the Vale wolves. He placed himself firmly between herself and them. She wondered for a brief moment whether he put himself in harm's way because he respected her and had taken her instructions to pester these wolves to heart, or because she was pregnant and he seemed to subscribe to a belief that pregnant women must be protected. Whatever his reasons, Jinx wasn't noble enough to argue; she would not tell him to run and save himself, because the truth was, she would throw anyone under the bus to save herself if push came to shove. There was no need now, but the fact remained.
The cream female with the red overtones succumbed to temper, earning a snarky lift of Jinx's lips into a sneer. "I don't take orders from dirty cunts," she seethed in a clear effort to feed the woman's rage. Even Jinx knew that anger made a wolf completely irrational and error-prone. The larger wolf, the male, was forgotten for the time being, if only because he had focused on Haunter instead.
The black wolf had begun backing up at this point. He formed a fair front between herself and the female she was goading, so she was quick to gain her feet, though she winced as she set her weight on one of her hind feet. No doubt it had been crushed beneath her when she fell; she could only hope it was a sprain and nothing more, but now was not the time to examine it. She expected the female to charge her again, so her attention instantly went to Xi'nuata, but she understood Haunter's message. For now, it would be in their best interest to retreat.
The female was appalled, not because of the dealt insult (as it was she hadn’t the slightest idea what it meant), but due to the fact that despite her apparent transgressions, the wounded woman still had the audacity to (what she assumed) insult her. Was she ill? The question rested heavily on her tongue, simply begging to be uttered but rather than continuing to waste her breath, she remained silent turning only to her companion as he addressed the trespassing other. At least the fool had sense to keep himself quiet, although his lacking retreat was bound to earn the rather of the mountain beast.
Catching movement from the corner of her eye, she shot her head around to the nameless female. Her lips unfurled shook with a dare for her to progress, promising consequence if she continued. Her questions had not been answered, no punishment was dealt yet. And she would be damned to see the female leave without further harm for her trouble. Xi’nuata stepped forward… then paused to a slight movement beneath white fur. Even while enraged, she was observant, though through a more red tinted view now than ever before. There was something off about the female, a kind of ‘rounding’ that did not appear naturally brought on by food. The whole of her body seemed to conform to it, making it noticeable yet not in the same eerie instance. Perplexed, she was compelled to halt and looked again to her companion. The trembling of her lips lessened though her teeth remained bare, even as the wild anger gradually seeped from her eyes as she ordered the female.
“Get out.”
|
(i feel like they've lingered long enough and its not in Raheerah's character to silently wait for their compliance. If they don't retreat in your next posts, consider this an attack)
And chose to stay he did. Raheerah was disappointed, but he was more than willing to prove a point should these two think themselves somehow capable of withstanding an onslaught from the mountain wolves. The white female snapped something at Xi'nuata and his tan companion spared a glance in his direction. Without turning his head his gaze shifted to her, tracing her looks to the woman's rounded stomach. Whatever the stranger's largeness implied, it would not affect Raheerah as dearly as it affected his packmate. Their existence merely fed him anger, and only half a second after Xi'nuata had barked her command did Raheerah lunge at the black wolf, to close his jaws around whatever he could get a hold of - his nose, face, even the air should these trespassers finally decide to turn tail and leave.
Haunter spared a small glance towards the brawny female at her angry command, and he might've continued watching her, if the smoky shadow before him had not made a sudden, violent move in his direction. The dark Creeker flinched backwards, his hindquarters knocking into Jinx's shoulder as he narrowly avoided a set of devastating teeth. Snarling, he quickly retreated further backwards into his snowy superior, defending himself while forcing her to back up and hopefully turn—even on her injured leg—urging her to lead them on a hasty escape.
He would stay if she foolishly chose to fight (which he feared because of her cruel, impetuous words), but Haunter saw no advantage here and his forceful body bade her to move with him, rather than against him.
There was little else said, which was for the better anyway. Jinx never got along well with others, especially when they were as easily riled as this bitch seemed to be. But, as if to take them all by surprise, it was not the bitch that lunged, but rather, the dusky grey dog. Reflexively, Jinx snapped the air in front of her, warning him from making any contact with them, but aside from that one instinctive motion, she made no move to pursue open combat. Though she was egotistical enough to believe she and Haunter could beat these wolves without issue, she knew better, and was reminded of it even more when Haunter's hips pushed against her.
With one last challenging look at the pair of them, she turned and broke into an awkward run, favouring her three steady feet. It was not the run of a coward fleeing for their life, but the run of a wolf who had accepted an outcome. Should they push their luck by chasing the Swiftcurrent wolves too far or too swiftly, they might find that the volatile Kesuk would turn back on them without sparing a second thought for the advantages they held over her... But that didn't seem to be the case.