As night began to consume the clouded sky and tiny drops of rain started to fall from the heavens, Tanja made his way into the thick cover of trees hoping to wait out the storm in the dark forest. He shifted through the shrubbery awkwardly, his large frame making it difficult to move with ease. Droplets found there way through the few leaves that remained and eventually made it to the forest floor that was scattered with dead petals.
He sat under a tree that surprisingly made for good cover and began to
lick the new wounds along his legs he had earned earlier that day. After he finished cleaning the cuts and scratches he settled down in hopes of getting a few hours of sleep before having to head back to Drageda.
Most days, Brandy was okay to stay in her home fen, simultaneously calmed and fulfilled but the company of her mate.
Other days, however, the copper toned girl felt the bite of the warrior rising in her belly, and her firey legs led her from her marshy home. Exploring would sate this hunger sometimes, but today was not one of those times. Today, the Valentine wanted blood. She wandered in the direction of the Caldera as night fell, wondering if maybe the alpha there would consider a spar with her -- she wouldn't approach though, knowing better. The sprinkling rain didn't bother her in the least, as chilly as she felt in the late Autumn evening.
The scent of another slowed her paws, tail curling above her back and nostrils flaring to take in his scent. Her sharp lemon eyes scoured the area ahead as she stalked, shoulders forward, through the story.
While he teetered on the edge of sleep, Tanja's shot open at the sound of dead leaves crunching beneath the weight of something. He knew the chance of him getting any real shut eye was slim, but he decided it was worth a shot anyways. Unfortunately whatever it was that woke just about ruined any chance of sleep for him since now he practically had adrenaline pumping through him.
The man stood, both eyes and ears carefully trying to determine where the stranger was. Eventually a gust of wind revealed exactly where the female walk, but even as she made her way peacefully, Tanja still wished to be rid of her quickly. While this was in no way his land the man felt that she's had invaded his personal space and if she didn't move along fast, he would be left with no choice but to remove her with force.
It isn't long before her sharp lemon eyes find his gray and ginger pelt, and though her lips peel back in warning, she is smart enough to take in the scent first -- acting aggressively to a Caldera wolf would be bad, especially since this land is closer to Peregrine and his than to Sebastian -- before grumbling out a few words. He has the scent of an unknown pack on him, and Brandy knows that the Redhawks would want him about as close as she would, right now. Unlike her usual bubbly and happy self, her sing-song voice is low, gruff -- he has but one warning to go before she plans to launch herself at him head-on.
"You're too close -- to my pack and our neighbors. I advise you to scamper home before you get hurt."
She is set in both opinion and physically, shoulders hunched and head ducked low to cover her throat -- her ears are slicked back against her copper nape, and never do her acidic lemon eyes leave his own iron gaze.
Her words, so similar to those of the dark furred stranger he had met before, pierced his ears and caused his lips to curl back in disgust. Who was she to lay claim to this free land? It was called neutral territory for a reason! "I'm not doing any harm am I?" Why go looking for trouble when there was none?
Yet even after his words her posture remained nothing but aggressive, and Tanja readied himself for any attack she would through at him. It seemed these wolves down here were nothing but adrenaline junkies hoping to get high off a good fight. And while the man himself wished for a good spar every now and then, he also wished for some peace. Was that so much to ask for?
"I'm protecting you from a worse fate."
Snarling the words softly, Brandy had little care for his words -- it wasn't even true territorial urges that drove her, but the fire in her gut that wouldn't rest until her skills had been used. When he did not comply but ready himself in a similar way to her own stancek, she lunged forward, aiming a flurry of her snapping jaws directly at his face and neck at a last effort to drive him away. The Caldera wolves would probably kill him, really, and while Broken Antler Fen was not an aggressive pack, Sebastian's pups gave everyone a reason to be edgy with strangers. Neither were technically close enough for worry, but the thrill of the fight had claimed her, and without even waiting for him to try and leave, she was backing away just to send another, more vicious bite to his shoulder.
Fighting was a troublesome thing, one wrong move and your as good as dead. Tanja found it foolish that the wolves around here would so easily launch themselves into a spar without thinking about the consequences. They were untrained and lacked experience, and one day they would come to realize that brute force wouldn't get you every win. Technique was necessary when it came to battle, without it and you might as well be swinging blind.
Tanja easily avoided her first attack like he had been training for it all his life. And even when an opportunity presented itself for him to strike, the man made no move against her, at least not yet. He would give her more chances, one after another to attack him, and then at her weakest moment when fatigue was at it's peak, he would strike her down with one hit and leave her feeling broken on the battlefield. That was why he was so deadly and why those who were smart learned to fear him.
Leaving it open for you to decide if Brandy's attack to his shoulder hits!
Her messy attepts to drive him away didn't land, and a meaner growl thrummed in her chest as she stood still to glower in his direction. Fine.
She darted forward, head down as if she aimed to charge him, but slipped to the side and aimed her fangs instead for his flank. She was a dangerous beast, though not as large as the Dragon wolf before her, with the benefit of others undermining her -- why, she didn't know, for the rippling of her muscles under her pelt and the care with which she aimed her fangs was that of a trained warrior -- but the lack of experience that Tanja likely had under his pelt.
closing up the thread! pp with permission!
He was not one to judge based on size but it was the spirit that counted. Were they willing to push themselves to the breaking point? Were they willing to give up their life? Were they capable of accepting defeat? All these points played into a warrior's life, especially if they lacked the physical strength of their opponent. Tanja could tell the female before him now had what it took to defeat him and force him into submission, but he wondered if she was capable of such a thing as she was now.
He felt the pain as her fangs scraped along his flank but did not go deep enough to cause any serious injury. A simply scratch was not enough to bring him down and while his paws itched to launch an attack, Tanja held himself back until she showed any sign of fatigue. Then and only then would he attack with all his might. Just as he had hoped the inexperienced girl kept attacking, playing right into the jaws of Tanja. He waited until exhaustion caught up with her and then struck her down with a few blows.
He left her there after she finally realized her mistake of disrupting him and made no move to harm her any further. He did not wish to cause any trouble for Drageda and killing her would do no go. Satisfied with his accomplishment the kru left behind the forest and began his journey back to the dragon, eager to get back to patrolling and resuming his respective duties.