Verdant Basin all about the bounce in my step

@Artax ^^

It was a pretty day, drizzle considered, and the lush fields around him only served to further his sentiment. The lagoon was deep and blue, and the wildlife that was there scattered upon Alejandro's arrival. The spotted man was not a large wolf, but apparently was large enough to scare off the small group of deer that had congregated near the water. 

The spotted man lowered his head to take a sip of the clear water. After nothing but bog for miles, Baby had been happy to find a fresh watering hole to drink from. 

Raising his head back up, he hummed to himself, trying to think about where his nephews might have gone. This seemed like a destination they might have in mind, but he wasn't sure. He'd have to see if anyone else had happened to see any spotted wolves run by lately.

Thanks for starting!

All things considered, there was nothing special about Artax. He'd lived his life, and he intended to keep on living it. Sure, maybe he had a few more years on him than the majority of the population, but he'd convinced himself that didn't matter. He had wisdom. Maybe. What he did know was that he hadn't started a fight in awhile. Now normally, he was a pretty chill dude, but there was something about the air that had him all grumpy. Maybe the change in pressure had aggravated his bones.

In any case, when the spotted wolf came into view who looked like somebody who had stolen food from him a long time ago, Artax wasted no time. Feet thrumming the earth and eyes blinking out the drizzle that was falling from the sky, he went straight in for an attack.

No problem! ^^

Well, he hadn't expected an attack, necessarily, but it wasn't the worst thing that could ever happen. Alejandro felt the man slam into him and he winced, turning around and making an attempt to dodge away from him. If there was one thing Baby hadn't wanted to do today, it would be to fight. 

"I thought I got away from the fighting for a while," he whined, dramatic and annoyed. "I'm on vacation!" 

The younger of the two braced himself, ears angled toward the man. "What the fuck'd you do that for?" he asked, ears pressed back and a pout on his maw. He really didn't want to fight this guy, but... well, if he had to, he would. He'd just complain a lot.

He hadn't drawn any blood, but Artax had given him a good tumble. The whining and mewling didn't help, and Artax curled a lip when the thief had the audacity to ask why he'd attacked. You're a thief! he snarled. And Artax didn't tolerate thieves. You ran off with the food that I caught. Sure, it had been a long time ago, but Artax was obviously still bitter over the situation.

Jorma went in for another attack, this time hoping to shove the thief's face into the ground. Killing him wasn't exactly what he had in mind, but Artax didn't plan on letting him go without at least a few cuts and bruises.

"I don't know who you think I am, but I've never seen you before in my life-" he began, breaking off again when the man lunged for him. He succeeded in his attempt to shove Alexandre's face into the mud, which pulled a growl from the man. 

Alright. That's it.

Twisting, the spotted wolf leapt forward in an attempt to bowl the older wolf over, aiming to grab onto his scruff.

RIP Artax. The crowd has decided.

Something happened when the grey wolf pounced upon him. All at once, Artax's life force fell out of him. His muscles went limp, his eyes rolled back in his head, and he slumped to the ground. Whatever had happened was internal. There was no fanfare involved; he simply ceased to live.

Well... that had been unexpected. Alexandre promptly dropped the body and pressed his muzzle to the wolf's throat, testing to see if there was a heartbeat. There wasn't. Perhaps his attack had been a shock to the older male, stopping his heart in his chest, because Alexandre hadn't even drawn blood. 

Strange, but not unheard of. 

Still, the spotted man felt no guilt, no sorrow as he looked down at the corpse. He simply lifted him up, toted him to the water, and dropped him into it. Perhaps his body would be found by another - perhaps he'd simply rot there and become food for the other animals. Regardless, it would have no effect on the St. Clair, and he would continue to live his life as though nothing had happened. 

~~~
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