Noctisardor Bypass Stuck In Deep

Perhaps for someone she hasn't met yet?

Malila was restless. Fidgety. Out of sorts. And rightfully so, ever since Speedy had left. She had always been used to her mother being there by her side. Or at least, not being apart from her for very long. Left alone in Rivenwood and not entirely sure when her mom would return, Malila's nerves were on edge. Making matters worse was the fact that she hardly knew anybody here, except for Mahler.

Out under the open night sky, dotted with stars, the teen attempted to sleep. Bedded down in an open space of tall grasses dotted with pink, purple, white and yellow little flowers. You would've thought she was perfectly at ease, snoozing away contently. But her efforts were in vain. She tossed and turned, huffing. She couldn't just shut her mind off. Her legs demanded that she move, to perhaps work out some of that nervous, built up energy. Rising, she shook off her blonde coat, setting out at a brisk, anxious walk through the night.

Another random part of the wilds Apisi found himself stumbling into. The night was thick with the smells of forming dew and a large expanse of what seemed to be meadow somewhere nearby. His silvery coat seemed to shimmer in the patches of light he weaved in and out of, his paws emulating the sound of distant thunder as he carried himself forward toward the unknown. 

He caught the scent of the female before he saw her but soon realized that he was going to come upon someone on his lonesome trek through the valley. His amber eyes flitted around to see the blonde trotting nervously and decided to confront her, see what was wrong. 

"Are you alright?" He called out, slowly advancing in a calm manner toward the woman. 

As it was for Malila, night was the perfect time for Wylla to get out of her head. She could stroll through the packlands with no fear of encountering an unsavoury face among the Rivenwood crowd. Not that there were many of those. She simply could not shake the suspicion that crept up on her any time she saw one of the pack's cubs, and there was the matter of Ciri, as well. Each day was a struggle with her own paranoid nature. Frankly, it was exhausting.

But in the night, Wylla didn't have to worry about that. Most of the pack was asleep in the small hours, so she could coast out under the stars with nary a care. That is, until she cleared a thicket and caught sight of not one, but two wolves in the adjoining field. Wylla hesitated for a second at the sight and scent of young Malila in particular, with her blonde-on-brown coat, but while Wylla was completely unfamiliar with Ciri besides that one brief and practically forgotten encounter, she seemed to remember the girl was darker.

The other wolf, a large and ungainly looking male with a thick neck and tufted fur, was equally unfamiliar, but where Malila's scent twined with those of other Rivenwood wolves that Wylla knew, Apisi's scent was devoid of any trace of the pack. The closer Wylla came to the pair, the more undeniable it was that this was likely not a packmate and the higher her hackles rose. It was possible that Apisi was a brand new member, but he should at least carry a trace of Mahler's scent if he wanted to walk safely among their number.

Better to act now, ask questions later, that was Wylla's opinion. If she unwittingly attacked a packmate, then it was his own fault for loitering around the territory without their signature scent on his coat. Ignoring the groaning protest of her stiff shoulder and refusing to let it hinder her, Wylla broke into a run and lunged silently for the intruder, aiming to place herself between Apisi and Malila in the process.

laurel was still not returned.
mahler prepared to look for her. nightfall brought the solitude for his thoughts, for considerations of her own choices beyond their border. the way they had parted was sterile, horrid. mahler wished to rectify this, but moreso — he wished to make another start for them.
the scent of a stranger wreathed upon the wind. mahler gruffly swung about in that direction, muttering to himself about young men.
he found the stranger inside his own territory, but it was first concern for malila, then worry for wylla that brought him awake and bearish, a guttural roar sounding as he barreled to rip into the interloper's shoulder.
blood filled his jaws; mahler set his stance and tore harder, though mind managed at least a tangential wondering of why someone would be so foolish.

Ahead of her, somewhere in the dark, a figure slowly drew closer. A voice called out to her, questioning. Normally, Malila wouldn't worry over a voice she didn't recognize, because there were a lot of wolves she didn't know well here. But then she sniffed. Her delicate brows pinched. This male did not smell of Rivenwood. Of any of them.

No, no no. This was wrong, all wrong. This is what you get for wandering off on your own at night, especially being a young, naïve teenage girl. But you would think she would be safe in her own packlands. Soft eyed and rendered speechless from shock and growing uncertainty, she backed up slowly. "Y-you shouldn't be here..." Was all she managed. Not a threat. Not an attack. Just a feeble statement of the truth. How in the heck had a loner like this guy get so far past the borders?

Before either of them could say or do much else, a silent charging figure of a small female barreled past her. Stumbling aside in surprise, relief surged through her in knowing someone had arrived. Not someone she knew, but of Rivenwood. And therefore, someone she could trust. Seconds later, Mahler joined in, his arrival not so silent. With no formal training in fighting of any kind, Malila hunkered back, tail tucked nervously between her legs. Bi-colored eyes searched for those of the outsiders, imploring him to leave before he lost a limb, or worse. 

OOC: Powerplaying Apisi out since he's inactive!

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Wylla's jaws shook with the force of hitting Apisi's flank. She wasted no time tearing into the flesh there, determined to punish this arrogant loner for coming so far into their territory. In return, the small she-wolf took a blow to the back of her neck that flattened her. Pain shot from the base of her skull all the way to the base of her tail, but luckily, Mahler's intervention hindered Apisi's attack. What could very well have been a crippling blow was merely painful.

Wylla hit the dirt with a grunt and laid still for a moment, allowing the ache ripple down along her spine. She slowly lifted her head to watch as the loner, rethinking his decision, tucked tail and fled. Wrinkling back her lips, the Vierte snarled in Apisi's direction and gingerly regained her feet.

She wanted nothing more than to chase that vermin and ensure he left their lands, but she grabbed hold of herself instead and sought Malila. The girl had not joined the attack, leaving Wylla to wonder what good a wolf who would not defend their territory was, and why she was allowed to remain here, useless as she was. Harsh thoughts that she might have spoken aloud if Malila was not clearly so young, and if she was in any sort of mood to be told off by Mahler for her lack of compassion. The kid was probably scared witless.

Wylla kept them to herself and merely grumbled, are you okay?

the intruder landed a strike upon wylla, and mahler pursued, driving out the man with heavy snaps of his granite jaws.
he returned to the pair, glancing in a worried way to malila before coming to wylla's side. she was still healing, and mahler was frustrated to see her out here in this manner. but of course he would not be able to keep her from this, and so let out his breath. lavender eyes turned back to malila. 
"hopefully there vill not be a next time, but if so, you must call immediately. if ve had not been here —" he was not judgmental, nor scolding, only informative.

OOC: Last post with Malila here.

Thankfully, the trespasser was driven off by the teeth of Mahler and Wylla, a wise decision on his behalf. Malila was left shaken and baffled by how an outsider could just so casually waltz in like that. Faced by the adults, Wylla's voice rough and Mahler's softer but matter of fact, she shrunk back. Ears folding, she nodded. "I'm okay...I just..." Mismatched eyes averted. "He just startled me...." "I didn't expect a stranger in my home like that, at night." Excuses excuses. Maybe she would be more guarded from now on. To Mahler's advice, she nodded. "Yes, I understand. Thank you both." Guilt ridden and embarrassed, she turned away to go back into hiding.

poor malila.
making a mental note to seek out the girl and reassure her, mahler turned his attention to wylla. "it is good to see that such fools as our strange friend still exist," he said sarcastically, amethyst gaze searching her for any signs of injury.
the man looked to the border, the miles of it that still lay unchecked.
"ve should put a path around rivenvood," he suggested vaguely, rather more than pleased at the prospect of a patrol with her.
the two set off, and for once, mahler found more things to speak of than the past.