Stone Circle Mission Finale

Dated to tomorrow 10.30.2016. @Althaia

The final stop. If the girl wasn't here then Emma would have to return empty handed to face Nemesis, and that couldn't happen. As she came upon the towering stones and the border marked around them, she slowed her pace. There was no consideration put into her mask this time - her fury easily showed through. Emèlie was seething with contempt for the girl, the imbecile. Her thick rumble of a laugh rolled against the ground that her paws beat against followed by a beckoning howl, for now it was time. Sure, Emma had to wait for her turn, but it was obvious that her fun would soon be had.

A call. a fateful day,  away from her children, for she was finally trusting of the others to care for them and in their own ability to not get into trouble. she had persuaded them to stay, and the walk she took was certainly nice. she had not had time to herself in ages, and as much as she loved her children... the call.

she answered it, arriving quickly with a smile to greet the stranger. she had grown soft. comfortable. her life was almost perfect. "Greetings. Can I help you?" she asked softly,  missing the woman's previous laugh, the way her fur carried still the faintest, almost completely disappeared scent of the wood. she was obvious to the potential the good day had to take a turn for the worst.  much,  much worst.

Jumping in here with permission :3

Witch was a stubborn thing, quiet and calm as she was - today, she felt especially clingy to her mother, and when the silver woman departed, her little flower slunk behind her. She'd be almost two months soon: the little girl knew her family's names - Nikai, Keoni, Althaia, and of course Witchhazel - and some random herb names that stuck with the image of each herb. Their uses had yet to be discovered, but at least for now she could gather. The red-crowned girl had also taken to meat-eating quite swiftly, and found herself first to snatch up what their mother brought them if she was lucky. 

No age could prepare her for the events of today, however. At the call of a stranger, the girl followed in her mothers shadow, hiding in the long grasses - she stopped behind her a ways, but if either were to look in her direction, they might be able to make out her red features through the dying golden grass. Her blue eyes narrowed, glaring at the stranger with her normal wariness.

A sly smile wrapped across Emma's maw as she took a step forward. Her ears flicked atop her head listening intently to the woman's words. I'm looking for someone, you wouldn't have happened to have seen her, correct? Althaia? Emma asked. Though she was unsure of who this woman was, she had a feeling that she was the target. Regardless of whether or not she was, Emma fully intended to take her out if need be. Another step forward, her hackles raised and her lips curled, her voice a low rumble. She'd been waiting for this and she planned to savor every moment of it.

"I don't...know you"
she said, words faltering as the others aggression became clear. the took a step back, brow wrinkled in worry, nervousness apparent in her stance. who was this woman? how did she know her?  could she possibly-
no

her eyes grew wide, and she uttered a shakey word as thoughts spun through her head. "leave" she said.  but truly,  it was more like begging. she couldn't be. she was merely jumping to conclusions.
and yet.

As she'd assumed, her instincts were correct; this was indeed the head she would soon hang. Oh, Althaia, that's no way to speak to a guest Emma cooed, a slight drawl crawling through her words. She wasn't leaving empty-handed. Not this time. She took another step forward and snapped threateningly at the woman, another bellow following. 
You've pissed off some pretty important people, sweetheart. Our actions have consequences. A full growl escaped her maw as she crouched into a lunged position, ready to grab whatever she could. Her ears were low against her head and her teeth were fully exposed, her tongue licking at her snout. Just one bite and Althaia would be hers.

What was she to do? fight, or flight? the answer eluded her as panic rose. her children. she could not allow this monster to find them. the others words flew over her head, and that was when she decided to leap.

months ago, she would have run. but something greater then her existed now, somethings tucked away in their clearing. she moved, her children's faces in her mind as she leapt with wild abandon at the other, and being an unpractised fighter, simply clashing her jaws around whatever she could. if she did manage to land any blows, of course. her reckless attack left her neck and shoulder unguarded, yet this she did not know.

she knew only that she must protect her children.

Now this was more like it. Emèlie took the attack, her ear and eye being caught in the blow. The pain was nothing, for the goal was too tangible. The woman's throat was exposed, open for Emèlie's retort. She forced her head forward and with all of her might, she tried to dig her teeth as far into Althaia as they would go. Hopefully the attack was successful and she'd be able to go home soon with a meal and a prize in hand. It was getting late and Emma was feeling peckish.

pain.
the woman's jaw was a trap, one which life could not flee from. it was over before the battle could even begin, over as soon as the pain burst through her like an explosive force, as soon as the blood soaked through her fur. as the blood streamed down, her body fell limp and pain screamed through every nerve, she knew one thing.

she had failed. 

by dying, she left her children. she left behind anything she could had been. her life had come to nothing, not even the great reward that seeing her children live and grow would bring. she failed them as her mate had once failed her, and suddenly grief and shame the horrible weight of failure left her body limp, her mind overloaded

the pain begun to fade. please. no. to see her children once more, to wish them goodbye. no. there was one, shimmering, faded in he corner of her eye. no. please, they could not see. not see her fail them

it was not Keoni, nor Nikai nor was it Witchhazel. it was her fourth, her son who could have been. her body seized, the pain was nearly abated, yet one more burst of frantic energy, the will to live, and her son almost vanished. yet then he was back, stronger then ever, and she gazed to him a moment. his blue eyes, untouched by age, gazed back.

then, they were both gone.

the body of a woman once called Althaia fell limp

Emma felt the heat of the woman's blood flow against her tongue, her last breath blowing against her ear. With one swift movement, Althaia's head was removed and tossed to the side, a howl of victory escaping Emèlie's maw.