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+--- Thread: King Elk Forest one, two! one, two! and through and through (/showthread.php?tid=38711)
one, two! one, two! and through and through - Sugar Glider - January 10, 2020
At first, Sugar found it a relief: Firebirds and Frosthawks were hardly a stone's throw away from one another. Thus reassured, she let herself be swept up in the pleasure of meeting a whole host of relatives and—much to Sugar's surprise—being reunited with her very own brother, @Crow. That first evening, she was carried away by the excitement of it all, surrounded by family even away from the home she'd always known.
Her training began very early the next morning, @Raven evidently just as excited to teach as Sugar was to learn. She spent that entire day with Raven, going over what she already knew and a myriad of topics the seasoned medic thought she ought to go over, one by one. Raven showed Sugar her store of dried herbs, which was quite impressive. "I spent the whole summer gathering these," the sable she-wolf told her young pupil before launching into a fascinating speech about the importance of the proverbial medicine cabinet.
By that evening, Sugar's head was swimming with knowledge and she was giddy as ever to continue her lessons. Raven sent her to bed with a homework assignment: "It's winter and much of the greenery has gone stagnant for the season. But if you know where to look and look hard, you can still find plenty of useful plants. I want you to spend the day tomorrow searching, just to see what you can find. Don't come back until you've found at least five potentially useful herbs." Her electric yellow eyes twinkled.
Perhaps her tutor hadn't meant that as literally as Sugar took it. The tiny Blackthorn rose before dawn the next day, eager to get the task underway, excited by the notion of hopefully impressing Raven when she returned later. And as she set out, headed slightly north into the neighboring forest, Sugar felt excited for an entirely different reason. She didn't realize it consciously, though the notion of getting out and doing a bit of traveling excited her. Evidently, venturing outside her birthplace had stirred awake the inner @Finley deep inside her.
Title from "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll.
RE: one, two! one, two! and through and through - Dragomir - January 12, 2020
Overwhelmed by the return of his sister, Hydra's weighty commands at the meeting, and the tantalizingly delicious scent of one of the pack's women on the montane winds, Dragomir walked. And walked. And walked. He went to the highest reaches of the Spear, found it did nothing to chase away the restlessness, and picked his way precariously through the mountains to the other side. The mountains directly behind Moonspear were much too treacherous, so he had to descend steeply north and then circle back at a much lower elevation. This involved narrowly skirting the forested edges of a pack claim, the location of which he filed away in his memory. He wasn't much of a scout, but that didn't mean he wasn't curious who lived across the way.
He bedded down in an abandoned den near the top of a great frozen waterfall, and began the next day bright and early. He ought to head back to Moonspear, but curiosity got the best of him—this was the farthest he'd been since his acceptance into the pack. Might as well make the most of it and bring back some useful information, or some even more useful prey. Once he was down in the forest, Dragomir was able to cover a lot of ground quickly, and with his attention focused on hunting, the time passed equally fast.
His tracking inevitably led him onto Sugar Glider's trail in hopes of finding a hunting partner. What he found instead was the tiniest wolf he'd ever seen... so tiny, in fact, he wasn't certain she was a wolf at all. Half convinced that she was actually a coyote, and therefore perfectly viable prey, Dragomir fell into a hunting crouch and began to stalk her.
RE: one, two! one, two! and through and through - Sugar Glider - January 13, 2020
She roved the wood, which reminded her of home. Rather than make her feel nostalgic, Sugar's lips twitched into a smile. The copse wasn't so far away, was it? She could go there right now if she wished. Yet she found she wasn't compelled in that direction at all. She already missed her parents and Avery, though she was very invested in her education. Still smiling to herself, she sharpened her focus, black eyes combing the snowy ground for any sign of plant life.
The hours passed and still Sugar hadn't found anything of interest, much less five different herbs. The smile had slipped from her face and she was beginning to fret a little bit. What if she returned empty-handed? Would Raven rebuke her? Sugar didn't know her well at all yet, so she couldn't be sure. She nibbled at her lip even as she approached an evergreen of some kind, wondering if she should take back some needles and sap. Both of those substances had their place in medicine, certainly, and perhaps Raven could show her the uses of a pine cone.
That's three... Sugar mused to herself, snuffling closer. Before she made it to the base of the tree, she spotted a bare branch nearby, presumably from one of the neighboring deciduous trees. She ignored it at first, then did a double take and moved closer, squinting at a strange clump of brown goop sticking to it. She mistook it for feces of some sort at first, her nose wrinkling in anticipation of a bad odor, but when she came closer, there was no smell. And the texture was all wrong. It kind of reminded her of the brains of that squirrel she'd autopsied, albeit the wrong color.
"What are you?" she muttered thoughtfully. The jelly fungus didn't provide an answer.
She's totally oblivious! You're welcome to power-play if/when he attacks. :)
RE: one, two! one, two! and through and through - Dragomir - January 21, 2020
On and on they went through the forest, Sugar Glider on the hunt for something and Dragomir on the hunt for Sugar Glider. He kept out of sight and though he made a few blunders that could've given him away, the "coyote" remained oblivious to him. He could hardly believe his luck. He was certain that stepping on that twig would've alerted her, or if not that, the shift of the wind surely would give him away, but he took for granted that not all wolves were as attentive to their surroundings as he'd learned to be.
Sugar Glider was more invested in the foliage she gathered than her life, and that was very fortunate for a hungry Dragomir, who took the opportunity to creep up behind her. She was investigating something on a branch and he had to bite back a surge of curiosity, reminding himself that asking his prey what she was looking at was both stupid and useless. Coyotes couldn't talk. She didn't smell like any coyote he'd ever met, but she looked the part, and he chose to believe his eyes over his nose.
Dumb decision, but it hardly seemed to matter when Dragomir launched himself at her with the intent of driving his teeth into the thick fur at her nape. The plan was simple. First he would ground her and stabilize her, then he would break her neck.
RE: one, two! one, two! and through and through - Sugar Glider - January 21, 2020
She stared at it a moment, then decided to reach down and touch it with her snout. It was at that very moment that a black wolf sprang from the brush at her hind, his weight pressing against her back with such unexpected abruptness that she crumpled beneath it. She collapsed on top of the branch with its strange growth, her breath shoved from her lungs forcefully. Sugar felt something tug at her nape and she instinctively began to struggle, writhing madly beneath the heavy heat pressing her into the snowy ground.
At first, she only grunted and whimpered, caught so off guard that it took her a moment to find her voice. But when she did, Sugar screamed, "Get off me!!!" Her voice was louder than ever before in her life.
RE: one, two! one, two! and through and through - RIP Bronco - January 21, 2020
Since his scouting mission to take Sugar Glider to live with the Frosthawks, he'd been lonely without his best friend, but with Nellie's return came the reunion with what should have been his closest companion. Without qualms, he had accepted the fact that she'd gone off and chosen to live in secret with their allies- and had only sort of wished she'd taken him with her so that he too could have grown up somewhere else that was safe but secretive. He contemplated going there himself- but he had also told himself that he would allow Sugar to learn and grown on her own there, and that he would work on his own trades so that he could have some sort of apprenticeship by the time she returned. Given the fact that he liked travelling and liked the idea of scouting, he decided to revisit the forest where he'd seen the elk with Miriam in hopes of finding the large herbivores there again, and perhaps even pass by her way again.
And as he prowled the forest sniffing for any sign of the great creatures a loud and sharp yell caught his attention and caused every hair along his spine to stand up stiffly. That was Sugar's voice- and the urgency, volume and panic in her voice made him snarl instinctively, turn on his heel and bound off in that direction, only to see that he'd only been moments away from finding her regardless. But rather than seeing his sweet, doe-eyed friend, he saw just the flash of her teeth and a sliver of her silver fur beneath the much larger frame of a black wolf, who had her pinned to the ground despite how much she wriggled and squirmed.
"GET-THE-FUCK-OFF-OF-HER!!!" He bellowed as he bolted straight for the black male, forgetting his tradeswork as a scout, and switching instantaneously into mercenary mode, and launched himself, hoping to wrench the monstrous male off of her and punish him until he could no longer see daylight.
RE: one, two! one, two! and through and through - Dragomir - January 25, 2020
Things happened very quickly after that. First, Dragomir set his teeth to Sugar Glider's nape in an effort to stabilize the wee coyote, but then she was shrieking actual words and the scent of wolf was in his nose and confusion swirled into his consciousness. What? He grappled against her as she struggled, seeking to inhale deeply the scent laced throughout her coat. Not just wolf, but pack wolf. Female. She was way too small to be a wolf, wasn't she..?
And then there was another part of him that responded to this position, to her writhing under him, and before he knew what he was doing, Dragomir was rutting his hips clumsily against her. It was pretty much futile, he didn't understand why he was doing it and didn't know how to do it successfully yet, but some instinct told him that was what he was supposed to do when he was on top of a girl. Nothing happened besides an uncomfortable tension that housed itself between his legs and after a few seconds, Dragomir released Sugar and backed away awkwardly.
I'm s—he attempted, but then a brown-and-gold arrow streaked into the side of him and bowled him over in a cascade of fur and snow. He'd been about to apologize and explain that he mistook her for a coyote, but all he could do now was yelp and snarl and try to sink his teeth into whoever was assaulting him as he flailed around for a foothold.
RE: one, two! one, two! and through and through - Sugar Glider - January 25, 2020
The stranger's weight began to gyrate on top of her and Sugar thought she felt something bluntly stabbing her in her striped spine. She continued to squirm and sucked in a noisy breath to scream again when her attacker suddenly released her. Before Sugar could even gain her feet, she heard a shout and saw a blur of reddish brown out of the corner of her eye. Behind her came the unmistakable thudding of impacting bodies.
Compelled by her own instinct for self-preservation, Sugar didn't turn to see who had come to her rescue, nor look behind her at the fight surely erupting there. With a cry that was more of a moan, she jumped onto all fours, oblivious to the jelly fungus smeared on her chest, and bolted. She did not glance back even once, fear and revulsion propelling her blindly into the distant wilds to the south.
This will be my last post, though obviously feel free to continue without me! :)
RE: one, two! one, two! and through and through - RIP Bronco - January 27, 2020
I'm TOTALLY cool to go a few rounds, as Bronco needs a bit more experience fighting to put toward his Mercenary apprenticeship. If you're cool to continue as well, would you like to use dice or just play it out? Or we could roll for a winner and then just play it out- whatever you'd like :)
Bronco lost sight of Sugar Glider as soon as he collided rughly with the dark male, though the vision of him on top of his cousin and best friend, and knowing what he was doing to her, remained as a painful, rage-fuelled blister at the back of his mind. He lost his balance with the impact, having not exactly planned to do much of anything beyond simply knocking his opponent away from Sugar, but having acheived that, the two then set about trying to right themselves and began to simply snap viciously at one another.
While the other was likely acting out simply in self-defense, Bronco intended now not only to fend the male off, but to punish him for the grief and traume he'd caused Sugar. Most of the training he'd received- both from his mother and from Towhee- went straight out the window as he snapped at the male's dark fur, wrenching his forelegs back and screeching in pain as he was bitten twice just above the ankle. He did his best to ground himself and square his legs so that he had a bit more sturdiness, and remembered to keep his front end low so he could hide his vulnerable throat, and sought to snap back at the male's near side, unsure exactly of how to proceed, but driven by outrage to continue his attack.
RE: one, two! one, two! and through and through - Dragomir - January 30, 2020
We can roll for a winner and just play it out from there!
It shouldn't surprise him, but Dragomir was shocked by how much faster things seemed to happen in a real fight than a spar. He struck some passing blows on Bronco's paws and felt teeth score the side of his face in the initial scuffle, and then they broke apart. Bronco instantly grounded himself and Dragomir was quick to follow suit. This wasn't like defending a kill or defending the borders. This was defending his life. All of Hydra's and Arcturus' lessons came back to him rapidly, but the details of all those scenarios seemed hazy.
With his muzzle tucked down over his throat, Dragomir made the first move. He feigned a charge, snarling deep in his throat, only to pull up at the last minute. Down went one paw, and with a deft flick of his wrist, he sent snow sailing toward Bronco's face just the way Hydra had done with the dirt up on the mountain. Seeking to take advantage of whatever distraction that provided, the boy barrelled ahead, aiming to catch the side of Bronco's face or neck in his yawning jaws.
RE: one, two! one, two! and through and through - RIP Bronco - January 31, 2020
I made a dice roll here, weighing it in favour of Dragomir on account of his mercenary trade, but the dice rolled in favour of Bronco. If you'd like a re-roll, or if you feel something else needs to be added into consideration that I didn't put in there, let me know. Bronco almost has his mercenary trade, but I just need to finish up a couple threads (including this one lawl) so until I do that, he's still shorter in the skill department.
It seemed so much harder to predict his foe now that he had both fear and anticipation run chills through his veins, causing him to focus better, but also making his thoughts quicken to the point where he became somewhat frazzled. He panted in short, quick breaths, indicative that he was overwhelmed, and rather than appearing cool and calculated- as he would have been, with someone he knew and trusted- he likely appeared more wild and bloodthirsty on account of the fixation in his eyes, and the quick movements of his ribs.
So when the other adolescent made the first move, Bronco braced himself and growled in reciprocation, but did not move from his spot when the other suddenly flung snow in his direction. He winced- bringing his body closer to the ground and making him shorter than the darker male- but his feet remained in their place and he leaned into the attack, thrusting only a small amount of momentum against his opponent. It likely would have been smarter for him to dodge the snow- had it been dust or dirt, he would have found himself in a much worse condition- as it was, the snow was licked away haphazardly, and blinked away with little repercussions to his vision. But in not dodging, he left himself exactly where Dragomir intended for him to be.
He felt pain as he hit his shoulder into the male's breastbone, and given his lowered posture, Dragomir's intended focus landed him in the vicinity of Bronco's nape and ears, both of which suffered puncture wounds from those vicious, snapping teeth. He knew, though, that he still had a fair amount of thick, baggy skin and fur about his nape which would allow him some movement, even if Dragomir did choose to take hold of him there- so while he was still crouched, he aimed to snap at Dragomir's nimble forelegs, aiming to male the male more or less 'dance' to avoid him, and potentially put him off balance so he could then thrust his weight against him and knock him over- but a fight, like any other kind of dance, meant that both partners were in motion...And he began to learn just how difficult it was to fight against someone who wasn't fighting with the intention of simply teaching him a new lesson.
RE: one, two! one, two! and through and through - Dragomir - January 31, 2020
I don't care much for trades influencing RNG outcomes, anyway, and would've given them 50:50 odds for being similar age, so that's fine with me! It's not like Drago's ever been in a real (fair) fight.
Dragomir didn't anticipate that Bronco's reaction to the snow would be to lower his posture, and he nearly stumbled over himself to readjust enough to grab the male's dark-tipped nape. Had Bronco been a smaller wolf, Dragomir would've been able to use this position to force his opponent to the ground, but they were pretty evenly matched in that department.
A sharp pain in his foreleg drew his attention down to Bronco's snapping jaws and the blood he'd drawn from Dragomir's leg. It reminded him instantly of Arcturus and he remembered Hydra's wise words that speech had no place in a real fight. Pain blossomed in the other leg as the boy struck him again and her snarled out his frustration. Dragomir released Bronco's scruff and snapped viciously for his snout instead, hoping to grab it and deter the other from harming him further.
RE: one, two! one, two! and through and through - RIP Bronco - January 31, 2020
YESSSS badass facial scarsssss
Trying to actually snap at or grab the other male's leg was a great deal more difficult than he'd assumed it might be- but that also might've been because it ws a move that he hadn't practiced, nor had his mother really advised that he put it into his book of techniques as it left the top part of his head and face unprotected- as he learned quickly when the male's canines caught his snout and held him there for a brief moment, causing him to squeal in surprise and pain before he instinctively shook his head to get away. He continued to scream in agony as his motions only served to cause him more pain, his lower jaw hanging dumbly and amplifying his wretched wails until he'd had enough.
With a jerk savage enough to leave him with deep, parallel facial scars trailing from one side of his muzzle to the other, nearly down to the bone, he wrenched his face away and took advantage of his positioning and the proximity of his muzzle to the male's throat, and he went for it. Bronco had done enough hunting to allow what few killer instincts he had to kick in as he lurched forward, aiming to snag the male by the throat, just below his jawline where he might be most vulnerable.
RE: one, two! one, two! and through and through - Dragomir - February 04, 2020
The slicing of Bronco's fangs through the flesh on his legs was deep enough that there would definitely be scars left over, not to mention Dragomir would need to let them heal. Considering the existing weakness of his hind leg, Dragomir should've known to get away from his opponent, but his mind was being pulled in too many directions. All his clarity was gone. Poof. He was going to need a lot more practice before he'd be able to command a real fight with the levelheadedness that Hydra and Arcturus possessed, that much was obvious.
A surge of adrenaline accompanied the victorious feel of his teeth hammering down on Bronco's muzzle. Bronco pulled back and Dragomir mistook it for a proper retreat; that was his fatal mistake. He allowed himself a moment to celebrate his victory and in that instant, rose his head just enough that Bronco was able to secure a hold on his throat.
Every muscle in Dragomir's body went taut and the air rushed out of his lungs in a gasp. Suddenly he didn't feel so mighty. He wilted his ears back and tucked his tail between his legs, whistling out a soft whine he hoped would appeal to Bronco's youth.
Please,he pleaded,
don't. I didn't mean to hurt her! I thought she was a coyote!The hip-thrusty bit had been... strange. He couldn't explain why he did that, but he knew it wasn't with any kind of malicious intent.
RE: one, two! one, two! and through and through - RIP Bronco - February 04, 2020
Bronco had hunted and killed, and knew what it felt like to hole an animal's windpipe between his jaws, so he knew he'd done the trick once he grabbed a hold of Dragomir's throat. He clenched there- not as tight as he would need to in order to kill dragomir quickly, but just hard enough to show that he'd won, and that if Drago wouldn't submit, he'd...Well, he wasn't sure what he'd do, as he couldn't exactly kill the guy, even though he had him now, right? This actually felt very, very wrong. It was one thing to hold prey by the throat...But another wolf?
He felt the male's weight pull back and down and he hung on until he heard a plea, before he let go. He stared down, hard, at Dragomir and growled loudly, taking another step toward him just to make sure that it was clear that he was the boss- having won- and that he didn't want any more foolishness. Apparently, this guy thought Sugar was a coyote. And while Bronco was the son of a wolf who killed coyotes for fun, and he himself did approve of messing with the lesser species a bit, in the least, he hadn't ever mistaken Sugar for one, and found it strange that Drago would. "She's just small, she's not even coyote-coloured," He accused. "But you don't ever try an'...Do that to a female of any species just 'cause you got her down," He growled, eyes flashing. "Don't you ever touch her again." He said, and hastily scanned the horizon for his friend. He growled, as Sugar had disappeared as soon as Bronco had arrived. He needed to go find her, or at least try to do so- to make sure that she was alright, and that she knew he'd won the fight, so he left the dark male then, and went off in search of a friend that he wouldn't find; but at least he'd earned his first battlescars, and had experienced his first real fight.