Black Hat was drawn to these lands by a dark forest in the distance. But when he got close, the odor of pack assaulted his nostrils. That irritated him, so much so he flashed a yellowed fang, lifted a leg, and urinated on a stray tree not far from the border. He was mostly just being petty, but maybe someone would come out to play. That'd surely be amusing.

Well, he was already here, so he may as well stay. Denied access to the forest, he followed the nearby river to its source. By the time he reached the lake, the sun had just dipped below the horizon. If sleep were a more consistent presence in his life, he'd start looking for a place to settle down. But it wasn't, so Black Hat planned on spending the night prowling about.

Still grumbling from earlier, he was in the mood to maim an innocent creature. He'd also eat it, of course, but it was the brutality of gifting pain that he enjoyed the most. Waterfowl were abound, but they were out of the question at this time, as they were smart enough to doze afloat in the middle of the lake. Fortunately, rabbits were active at dusk. Black Hat sniffed them out, noting the warren's location. He positioned himself in-between the rabbits and their planned escape route, no longer concerned about being stealthy. When they noticed him, many of them froze, though some fled.

He pounced, aiming for a particularly plump one. However, his grip was surprisingly gentle, for Black Hat was careful not to kill it outright. Like a mother carrying her precious cub, he carried the mortified thing in his jaws under a tree. Lying down, he placed it betwixt his forelegs. The rabbit still made no moves, so he took his time glancing it over, wondering where he should begin. Remembering that their ears were particularly sensitive, he decided they would be his target, bringing his cruel jaws together over the thin flesh.

Such was the fate of anything unfortunate enough to be caught by the monster that was Black Hat.

It took a while for the thing to die. By the time it did, Black Hat had mutilated its ears and crushed one of its legs. It was when he started disembowling it that the rabbit finally bit the dust. He sighed with relief, riding the euphoria like a drug. Only then did he finally begin to eat, starting with the viscera.

He heard footsteps approaching and flicked his eyes in their direction. There stood a dark wolfess, and he immediately got to work analyzing. Confident, given her posture, not to mention how she dared to follow him all this way in the waning light all by herself. Add brave and daring to the list. She was roughly the same size as him and harbored various battle scars. Overpowering her would be no easy feat. Pity. The woman spoke, and his mood soured again. His scowl shifted into a sneer.

Oh that? Sure, I had to piss and your forest was in the neighborhood, He croaked nonchalantly in his neglected voice. And he thought it couldn't get any hoarser. Define 'awfully' for me, would you? The lake doesn't reek of you lot's excrement, last I checked. Black Hat was petty, but he wasn't daft enough to linger around a pack's borders. The lake clearly wasn't far enough for her, but he wasn't capable of teleportation. Maybe she was just itching for a fight. He wasn't, not really, but he'd enjoy tearing her a few new arseholes if she picked one with him.

He loathed how this woman scolded him like he were a child; it tugged his features into a scowl. Black Hat was as egotistical as they came. As such, he could not let even a modicum of disrespect go unpunished. It was obvious she expected him to feel ashamed, to bleat out some kind of apology and promise "I won't do it again, ma'am." Having effectively fanned his own flames, he was officially irate. This wench had no idea who or what he was. He stood.

Well, don't leave me wondering, He started, taking a step forwards. What will you do to me? Break my leg? Pluck out my good eye? Another step, then another. No no, my punishment should be more fitting. How about tearing my balls off? It's the symbolic ones that really leave an impression, you know. Black Hat spoke casually as if commenting on the weather, smiling that awful yellow smile.

He stopped just over a foot away from the woman and stared down his nose at her. His smile fell away into something cold, something deathly serious. Be glad you have no clue who I am.

She laughed at him. Laughed! At him! He was far too furious to appreciate how twisted she claimed to be. All he heard was someone trying to knock him off his high horse, which was something Black Hat could not stand for. When someone challenged him, they needed to be put in their place, shown who was supremely dominant. But to do that to a wolf so built would require a more underhanded approach.

My, you're a crooked one. I like that, He rumbled huskily. Well, I certainly wouldn't want to piss you off, so I'll be on my way. Black Hat moved to walk around her in slow, long strides. But in a flash, he whipped his head around with jaws agape. They were aimed for her scruff, as he needed to ensure she couldn't retaliate for her punishment. His grasp would be far from gentle, apt to cause blood to spill. If successful in securing his hold, he would rise up on his hind legs and position himself to be behind her. At this point, escaping would be nigh impossible.

She was smarter than he gave her credit for. How his teeth barely scraped her was a tease, and it left him hungry for more. Black Hat chuckled devilishly, now very much in the mood for a scrap. Yes, but I was hoping you'd give me a little challenge, He returned, still, of course, underestimating her to some degree. There was a startling intensity in his beady white eye. He wanted to draw blood and make her regret picking a fight with him, the Black Hat.

That was the only warning she got. In a heartbeat, his jaws launched at her again; only this time, he went right for the throat just under her chin. Again, he was up on his hind limbs, tugging at her neck and forcing it to crane at an awkward angle. His weight laid heavily on her shoulders, and he thrashed his head about with ferocity. She was lucky he didn't tear a blood vessel and bleed out then and there. He was getting rusty. Still, Black Hat was not disappointed by the metallic tang that hit his palate. Satisfied, he was sent into another high, eyes rolling in their sockets.

She managed to wriggle out of his grasp as he lost himself, and her teeth stung as they tore into the muscle of his shoulder. Black Hat had an ungodly pain tolerance, but her fangs were cutting deep. Still, what bothered him more was the prospect of losing. Uttering a crocodilian rumble, he bit down on her nape and scratched at her face best as he could with the opposite leg. He was doing damage, but not as much as he would've liked. The face was a crucial area, though, so it may have been enough to give him some breathing room.

The woman backed off, wrenching her teeth from his flesh painfully. He grimaced as the wound continued to pulse angrily with every heartbeat, but he soon got used to it. His assault on her face gave him a few seconds to collect himself, but that was it. She was soon upon him again, and though he sidestepped to avoid her, the woman was still able to latch onto his flank.

By craning his own neck, he found the wound on her throat he created before. Mercilessly, he attacked there again, decimating the muscle and sinew in his path. An alarming amount of her blood dripped onto the ground like little red waterfalls, and he sensed that this battle was coming to a close.

The wolfess whined, and he emitted a noise somewhere in-between a growl and a groan as he continued to tug at her like a toy. He felt her teeth leave him and thought she was finally giving in, or maybe she'd lost too much blood. But no, she took a page out of his book and dug into his deepest wound, eliciting a croak of pain from him. He admired her tenacity, at least. But it wasn't enough.

Black Hat clamped his jaws shut around the top of her muzzle to persuade her that letting go was a smart idea. When she did, he went for her most gruesome wound yet again, utilizing the pain it would cause as a tool to knock her down when he slammed into her. When he had her on the ground, so very many ideas came to mind of what he could do to her... but knowing this woman, she would fight tooth and nail to the end. He'd made his point and left his marks; that was good enough for him. And frankly, he was too damned tired to act on any of his schemes. It just wasn't worth it.

He stood atop her with the foot of his good leg pressed on her collarbone, tongue lolling carelessly as his lungs sucked in all the air they could get. It was a good fight, but he wouldn't be telling her that. Slowly, he leaned in, bringing his face intimately close — close enough for her to smell the blood and entrails on his breath. Remember the name 'Black Hat' when you look back at this moment, He murmured, then flashed her a cheeky grin. Black Hat cackled raspingly, basking in his glory.

She had enough energy to wriggle out from under him, and he wondered if she'd stubborly keep fighting. Fortunately for both of them, she didn't. He blinked at what she had to say after all that.

'Fun'? 'Respect'? He parroted, incredulous. I nearly killed you, you berk! That wasn't supposed to be fun! Have you no instinct for self-preservation? How did you make it this far?! Ugh. This woman was stricken with madness, and it frustrated him to no end that she was too daft to be afraid of him. He'd rather she hate him. At least then he'd feel like he shook her somewhat.

Black Hat was reminded of someone hauntingly similar in that regard, and he resisted the urge to shiver in disgust. Gah, now he was thinking about that broad, who he couldn't help but liken to the one before him. The last thing he needed was another one of her in his life. The satisfaction he gained from besting her was muddled by her ignorant tenacity, not to mention the deep wounds he suffered from the fray.

In the end, he was left utterly dissatisfied. How ironic. He'd spent enough time dawdling here; it was time to leave. Wordlessly, he limped off, shaking his head in disappointment. What a riot.