Phoenix Maplewood You stand before me? I'm impressed

@Minori -rubs paws-

Although the raven had allowed his wings to be clipped, he could still glide. Still desiring a taste of independence, Corvus split off from his new pack just as the sun was disappearing below the horizon, wandering somewhere he hadn't been yet. After crossing a stream, he reached yet another forest. Maybe while he was here, he could get some hunting done. The single vole Grezig caught him was all the shadow had eaten in the past couple of days. Putting his nose to the ground, he began to search for something edible to track. In the low light, prey would be at a disadvantage; it was one of many reasons he preferred night over day.

She had moved onward quickly from the spot where she had fought and then punished the girl for her stupidity. She moved in complete silence, pausing at a stream to drink and ponder over all that had happened here so far. She had done nothing but fight, most of them wins but a few had been losses. She had saved a girl and gotten tended to in return. She had met Issun and made a friend who she sharer common roots with and now traveled with and had given an oath to. Yet something wasn't right with the small group she'd pledged herself to. They were peaceful, kind, pacifists and Minori was....Minori was a samurai who thrived in scenarios of physical challenge and bloodshed. How could she pretend that she would fit in any longer?

This question bothered her as the sun began to set beneath the horizon and she lowered her nose to track down some food. There was a scent of rabbit that she followed swiftly but that soon became blocked out by that of a male wolf. She continued onward more warily, each step falling silently until she crossed his path, lifting her head to stare at him in silence her nose still working out the whereabouts of her current prey.

He was following the scent trail of a rabbit when the sound of footsteps nearby caught his attention, and he stopped. The nosferatu lifted his head, turning it to find a dark wolfess staring back at him. His attention was drawn to the contrasting teardrop-shaped marking over her left eye. Like himself, scars littered her body. Unlike Liri, though, it was clear these scars were from battle, which Corvus found admirable. Now that he faced her, nose in the open air, he could faintly smell others on her pelt, denoting a pack wolf of some kind.

The woman didn't desire to speak upon spotting him. While not an overly conversational creature, he didn't want to just let silence hang between them. Always willing to feed his curiosity, the shadow asked, What brings you out here this fine night? His lids hung lazily, shading his intense eyes while he stood with an utterly relaxed posture.

While they stood sizing one another up, Minori had turned her nose toward him and taken his scent in. She could smell recent traces of several wolves, guessing some sort of pack was where he rest his head. She sighed softly, thinking of Issun and what she had to do sooner rather then later. When he spoke to her she perked her ears, surprised he spoke to her. It was the first nice contact she'd had in a while besides Issun and unfortunately she wasn't in the mood. "Trying to feed myself like everyone else" she stated curtly and in a short tone.

"Trying to feed myself like everyone else."

The woman's answer was curt and biting. Most would take offense, but Corvus just laughed. Those with fire in their bellies interested him―it showed confidence, and he respected wolves with confidence. The shadow figured that's what she was doing but decided to ask anyway, as he wasn't currently trying to unnerve a stranger. Good thinking; I'm doing the same. We can work together, if you'd like, he offered, though he expected her to deny him. Corvus wouldn't take it personally if she did.

The laughter made Minori bristle, thinking that he took her as a joke. She narrowed her eyes, confused at his mannerisms and offended by his lack of respect. This hadn't happened so far, she'd either fought off or saved anyone she'd met so far with Issun as an exception. When he offered the teamwork she scoffed, her eyes going wide with disbelief. Did he think she needed his help? "You would probably just slow me down" she said coldly, lip curling into a sneer. She would see how he reacted to this, see if she got a challenge or this odd sort of casual nonchalance.

The woman narrowed her eyes, clearly displeased with his mirth. He figured that it was likely she misunderstood the meaning behind his laughter―many did, as Corvus laughed where others would retort. His responses were unorthodox because he was an unorthodox being. What she said only amused him further: "You would probably just slow me down." She added a sneer for good measure, and he chuckled for the same reason he laughed before, likely adding more fuel to the fire. It wasn't that he was actively trying to anger her; Corvus was a creature that didn't care about others' opinions of him―especially when they didn't even know him―so he didn't bother trying to walk on eggshells to avoid her fire. He walked wherever he desired to walk, and if the flames came his way, they would not burn him.

Returning a mocking tilt of his head, he replied, You judge someone's abilities you've yet to see? How foolish. Pity. Without waiting for a comeback, he turned back in the direction he was initially traveling in―towards prey. However, the mercenary knew the nature of the beast he was dealing with and kept an ear swiveled backwards and his body ready to react just in case.

Even when she insulted him he laughed about it and her ears pinned back against her head, the fur along her spine rising. Her lips twitched and she flexed her paws, trying to stifle the reflexive urge to fly at him and prove that she was not someone to laugh at.

His words were kind of like adding a whole container of gasoline to an already burning inferno and when he turned around, the weakness made her unable to resist. He had called her foolish which in her mind was saying she was a fool and so to prove that it was he who was the fool,  she silently slid forward and then lunged, knowing to make a sound would cause him to turn. She jumped right at his rear end though attempted to aim a bite anywhere else but his butt.

I rolled a win for the fight right?

You did! This'll definitely be interesting.

Shockingly, the woman did not have a retort for him. Perhaps she had a moment of realization in the flaws of her thinki―

The sound of rushed footsteps did not reach his ears until it was far too close for comfort. By the time the shadow turned around, jaws were parted and on track to clamp down on his flank. Love of fighting intact and all, Corvus could've stood to say he was getting a bit tired of being attacked by wolves with bad attitudes so often.

Though he sidestepped away from the side the wolfess occupied, he hadn't been given enough time to react soon enough, and her fangs sank into his flank. He'd predicted her to attack, but he did not predict her to be smart about it. The nosferatu should not have underestimated her, despite her having proven that she was highly emotional and illogically judgmental. It seemed that the woman entered a more logical mindset when in the realm of battle―a sign of a skilled fighter, at least. Well, now he was in this situation again. Time to get himself out of it.

With her bite came the familiar sting of pain, but he was used to it; besides, it wasn't a crucial or sensitive area. In retaliation, Corvus himself lunged for his now-opponent. His options were limited from her position near his back-end, so he aimed his attack at her flank. He managed to hit his mark, though this was hardly a desirable position to be in. Now, Corvus had to hope the woman would release him―and he expected her to, because they both knew a hold on the flank wasn't one worth keeping. She'd surely readjust her jaws elsewhere, but at least he'd more flexible in his options, then.

He didn't seem to hear her coming until it was too late, apparently having underestimated her enough to fully turn his back on her without caution. That was the most insulting thing so far and ultimately something that she considered foolish. He tried to avoid her attack but her fangs struck his flesh and did their damag, tearing open his flank and releasing blood in a satisfying way. She had been so distracted by the victory of her success and the taste and smell of his blood that she hadn't even known he went to retaliate until a fierce stinging made her gasp and release his flesh.

Upon releasing him she went for another attack, turning and yanking herself out of his grip painfully. Now facing him she bared her fangs completely and lunged forward, rising onto her hind legs and wrapping her forelegs around his neck, pulling his head in close to her chest so he had little room to move. Once that was done she began to bite and make tears at the back of his head before grabbing his scruff, biting down and shaking it back and forth.

Corvus felt his blood trickle onto the ground from the tearing of his flesh. With how his neck was craned, he wasn't able to thrash his head efficiently, but that hadn't been the point in him biting her back, anyway. His counterattack got the virago to release him, and he did the same to her as soon as she did. Having predicted an immediate followup attack, Corvus reeled backwards and tilted his head away from where her jaws could snag his throat. However, the wolfess did not lunge at his throat but rose on her hind limbs to ensnare his neck in her forelegs, pulling him into her chest tightly so that her slicing teeth could have their way with the back of his head and neck.

The mercenary growled instinctively, though it was strangely playful in tone. Finally, he'd met a worthy opponent. It excited him to new heights, past the typical high reached from simply being in a fight. Lost in his musing and drowning in adrenaline, the pain hardly registered, and Corvus chuckled before swiping a foreleg under her nearest hind leg. He aimed high so that she couldn't step over it and readjust, hooking his leg around hers to hold it in an elevated position before shoving his weight into her. With only one leg for balance, the force sent her falling onto her back. However, since she had a grip around his neck and would likely try to keep it for leverage, Corvus moved his head down with her to reduce further tearing.

Even if she were able to keep her hold on him, it would not be as strong without her weight behind it, and he was now in a better position to attack. The beast's maw split open, spittle clinging to his ivory teeth, which clamped down on the base of the woman's neck where it met her shoulder. With a fierce snarl into her flesh, he finally had the satisfaction of properly thrashing his head around to cause pain. The lovely taste of blood greeted his palate, pleasing him further. This was much better.

At no point did she expect him to enjoy this, but the playful note in the growl her attack had earned made her falter. Curiosity and intrigue began to surface, fascinated by a man who could find enjoyment in being wounded and dealing wounds to others. Something changed in her attack, anger turned into a sort of determination to give the man nothing more than one hell of a fight. 

Her hesitation proved a mistake as he pulled her hind leg from under her and shoved his weight against her. Instantly she fell over onto her back, forelegs slipping free as well as her jaws. Her head smacked the ground leaving her stunned for a moment, the pain from his tearing not registering until he began to shake his head back and forth. She gasped and lunged for him, teeth snagging into the side of his throat and taking a firm grip hoping the tight grip on a dangerous area would prove to make him stop. While she grabbed his throat she tucked her hind legs beneath her and took a guessing aim for his testicles, kicking up into his flesh unsure if she had contacted the targeted spot.

The woman retaliated with grabbing hold of his throat, right at his jugular. Corvus immediately stopped his thrashing and released her―he had to, lest he bleed out and die in this very spot. Soon after her teeth sank into him, he felt a blunt force slam against his groin. It was far too close to a sensitive are for comfort and thus persuaded him to step off to the side of her. Interestingly, despite the ferocity with with she fought, the wolfess did not seem interested in killing him. He could tell by the fact that she didn't try to tear at such a vulnerable area and end it all for him, which proved that she at least had some semblance of control over her emotions.

With her grip so close to his head and over a major artery, trying to bite proved too risky. So, Corvus resorted to clawing at an eye to make the woman want to let go. However, she was able to avoid this attack, so it appeared that her teeth were here to stay for a while longer.

He wasn't stupid, she would give him that much. When she grabbed hold of his throat he froze and stopped biting her. She held tight to his flesh, only mildly disappointed that her kick hadn't struck it's mark which would have been quite amusing. When he lifted a paw to claw her face, she lifted her own and deftly shoved his paw back down growling sharply. She opened her jaws and was quick to adjust chomp back down, this time on his windpipe which she squeezed just hard enough to cut off air supply. Meanwhile she gave off a series of commanding growls, demanding submission while she tucked her legs and then thrust them outward. They slammed into his hind legs at the ankle, sweeping his feet from beneath him and she pushed up and to the side to rol him over while releasing his throat and swiftly jumping up and standing over him. Surprisingly her eyes gleamed with a sort of mischievously playful sort of satisfaction and she smirked slightly. "Just give up and we can go get that rabbit....or you can go home." she said softly.

His beautiful laugh

With a growl, the warrior shifted her bite around his windpipe. While painful and leaving his breathing restricted, she was being careful not to crush it, which he admired oddly. Still, the raven was left gasping in vain for air. More growls tumbled forth from within her fiery belly, and the dark mistress kicked his legs out from under him. Corvus was sent to the ground, and she rolled him over onto his back after finally allowing him to breathe. He gasped instinctively before his lungs forced out several painful coughs. It was reminiscent of when that behemoth of a woman had at his windpipe just days before.

The virago stood over him, though where anger had burned in her sea foam eyes, there was now a playful gleam. A smirk even tugged at the side of her lips, and the woman spoke in a gentle tone when she said, "Just give up and we can go get that rabbit... or you can go home." Corvus blinked, stunned at this shift in attitude. A wide grin then split across his maw, and uproarious cackling ensued. He was thoroughly amused, finding this woman almost as strange as himself. So now she would hunt with him?

His laughter soon died down. Wanting to uncover more about this mysterious wolfess, the shadow said, You have bested me; I am impressed. I will hunt with you... if you don't slow me down too much. The joke was evident in his playful tone. Corvus' signature grin remained plastered on his face as he awaited a response.

Her ears shot up at his laughter but this time she felt her own bubbling up and shooting past her bloodstained lips. They shared a common laugh trait as well, the sound was manic in nature though hers was more distinctly femine and a bit softer. Her laughing died off and she resumed studying him with a half cocked head, the question evident. Would he join her in a hunt or would he turn tail and run off like they normally did? 

Instead he accepted her offer with a retort, quoting her earlier insult. She snickered and gave a low growl, biting at his nose before hopping off of him with a snort of amusement. "My name is Minori" she said, lowering her head with respect. He had fought well and several places still trickled blood slowly. She would have to hunt first and then lick her wounds clean afterward.

Here they were, battered and bloody from their own fight, yet now they laughed together. It reminded him of his time as a mercenary after sparring with a fellow soldier―albeit not quite so violently. She'd surely left new scars on him, but Corvus never cared about that. If anything, he wore them with pride, and he was ultimately glad to have fought such a skilled opponent.

The mistress snickered now, biting his nose before moving off of him. He found the action... endearing. Corvus rolled over, and a grunt escaped him as the pain from the wounds she inflicted on him began to set in. Still, he wasn't upset with the woman in the slightest. Heaving himself to his feet, the soldier shook himself lightly and ignored the added pain that followed. It was then the woman introduced herself as "Minori" with a polite dip of the head. Ah, so she was capable of respect, he mused playfully. Truthfully, Corvus appreciated the gesture, and his respect for Minori only continued to grow.

Corvus, He returned with a mirrored gesture, stepping back towards the rabbit's scent trail. Together now, the odd pair followed it.