Bearclaw Valley That I'm not the carefullest of girls

Inching on the borders! Intended for @Cole as discussed ooc, he is allowed minor PP against Cal <3 (just uh, don't take her other eye)

She knows better than to get so close, and yet she is here all the same. Walking the border of the pack that litters Rala's scent she stands downwind; she knows that they will catch her scent quickly, find her before she spots them, and yet it slips her mind.

She is still curious of the snow-coated woman, and as her limping leg is pulled behind her she wonders how she may be doing. A breath is released, the one-eyed woman pausing to look behind her; faced away from the territory.

Maybe it's best to leave. There is no true reason for her to be here.

The shadows of the dense forest cloaked his movements as Cole prowled the border, his senses sharp. A faint, unfamiliar scent teased his nose—lone, feminine, and far too close to Bearclaw's territory. His dark eyes narrowed, and with a purposeful stride, he followed the trail.

Emerging soundlessly from the trees, he caught sight of her just as she turned away. Her limp did not escape his notice, nor did the flicker of indecision in her posture. Without hesitation, he stepped forward, his large frame cutting through the dim light as he addressed her with a low, steady voice.

Y'lost? His words broke the quiet, laced with an edge, though his gaze held firm, watchful. The air between them was heavy with the weight of his sudden arrival, the shadows receding slightly to reveal his broad, imposing form.

A stranger. His scent reaches her suddenly; abrupt and unpleasant.

There is no time to think, for he is already here looming over her. Her head whips around with teeth bared before she truly thinks, jaws aimed for the source of the voice as she lurches. No words are exchanged, her scent laced with a mix of fear and unfiltered aggression.

It is instinct, weaved into her blood through the dangers of her previous home. There was no room for words where she had come from. Only bite, rip, and pull; and pack wolves? You never waited to see what they would do.

Rala has escaped her mind now. She is far too focused on the issue at hand.

Cole’s reaction was sharp, honed by years of instinct.

As her teeth lunged toward him, his body shifted, sidestepping her attack with a precision born of necessity. A deep snarl rumbled from his chest, and his powerful frame moved to counter her aggression. His jaws snapped toward her scruff, intent on halting her advance, but not cruelly. He aimed to pin her, to stop the fight before it escalated further.

His weight bore down on her, paws pressing against her shoulders as he attempted to hold her to the ground. But his grip, though strong, left space for resistance—a chance for her to twist, to fight back if she so chose.

The air between them was heavy with tension, his green eyes locked onto hers, watching, waiting. She had a choice to make: yield or continue.

Her teeth meet only air, and moments later she finds herself snarling and pinned by the scruff. She finds the action strange; merciful.

Calfuray is anything but. A pinned wolf is a dead wolf.

Paws push from the ground, jaws reaching to meet cheek, but she finds her injured leg struggling. Rala had warned her to let it rest.

Cal's attacks are loud, filled with snarls and barks. Briefly her single eye flicks to the territory behind him. She knows well that he cannot be the only one here.

Hearing snarls and growls drew Ameline’s attention, when she realized swiftly that only one voice was familiar and belonged to the man who had last been on sentry duty. She galloped for the passageway that led her from the pack’s shielded heart, bearing down on the two figured entangled in combat. 

Cole’s opponent was a fraction of his size, but by the shape of her, Ameline could tell she had been through some rough eras. She now faced another- being met with the brute strength of the Bearclaw guard and the sharp, swift fangs of the Regina who snaked forward and snapped for the woman’s ruff.

Cole felt the woman twist and buck beneath him, her snarls tearing through the frigid air like the strike of claws. She was relentless, her single eye blazing with feral determination. Even as her injured leg faltered, she did not yield, her jaws snapping dangerously close to his cheek.

Her persistence only spurred his resolve. His weight bore down more firmly, paws pressing into her shoulders to keep her pinned. He shifted his grip slightly, adjusting to avoid her teeth as they lunged near again. His focus narrowed, his breaths steady even as she lashed out with everything she had left.

The sound of approaching paws made his ears flick back briefly, though his gaze didn’t waver from his opponent. He felt Ameline’s presence before he saw her, her growl slicing through the tension like a blade. The Regina’s swift snap at the woman’s ruff gave Cole an opportunity.

He adjusted his stance immediately, bracing himself for what could be a critical strike from their attacker. His muscles coiled, prepared for the worst, but his gaze shifted toward Ameline just enough to communicate his readiness to follow her lead. This was her moment to command, and he would ensure the interloper paid the price for her brazen assault.

crashing w/ xe's permission !! <3

sounds of growls and commotions. familiar scents entangled. rala was running towards the scene of the fight, now, a weariness upon her face. ameline and cole were there already, and she recognised the third smell: it was calfury, the woman whose wound she had tended to, who she had slept beside and who turned away when snowwoman found her at the lake. when she had told her of her new affiliation.

stop! rala called out, now, approaching swiftly. please, get off of her! calfuray, stop this, why are you fighting them? she would slow when she got closer, careful to avoid teeth and claws, trying to aim a polite nod of greeting towards ameline, though it was very likely that it would get lost in the fray of the movement, lashing, growling.

her voice heightened, ameline, please, i know her, she hoped they would stop, or else she would drag calfuray aside herself. she did not want this ; she wanted the woman who she considered a friend to keep her teeth away from her packmates. if anything, rala wanted cal to stay. but she would refuse, and so the best nanuralaaq could do for the weathered woman was to keep herself from getting killed by bearclaw wolves.

order so i don't forget:
cal -> ameline -> cole -> rala

Rala.

Her mind blanks, movement ceasing as her eye spots the woman in the flurry of fur and teeth.

As the snow-coated woman's pleas reach her ears, she realises with a sudden devastating blow to her ego just how different their worlds truly are.

Excessive force was an old friend for Ameline, who had chased wolves to their own demise for trespassing. She had not witnessed the sin committed, but out of respect for Cole’s judgement she had joined the fight in an attempt to bring it to a swift halt. 

Restraint was both shown and dealt with ruthlessly finality. Where Ameline could have pulled and turned the woman’s chin to the sky, she instead tightened her grip, as a mother might if they felt their pup slipping. Cole’s weight would keep her secure. He hovered above the downed woman with all the poise of a thunderstorm ready to strike. 

Ameline merely flicked an ear toward Rala who begged for mercy, and with a brief cant of one ear and flick of an angry, ice-blue eye she growled to command silence.

She would not give the stranger mercy simply because Rala begged for it; she herself was too new to the pack to have obtained leverage like that. Ameline loosened her grip instead because she was inclined to run Bearclaw Valley in such a way that only the loyal, and the worthy would thrive. Any who came to the borders and started conflict were not welcome. 

The stranger seemed to calm. An indication that she and the pale wolf did know each other; presently, it did very little for Rala’s own reputation to associate with her. 

Cole, now, received her attention. 

How did thith conflict thtart?. She prompted calmly.

Cole spat into the snow, dark streaks staining the white powder. His chest heaved, adrenaline still coursing through his veins as he glared down at the woman pinned beneath him. The sting in his throat was sharp, her strike precise enough to make him bite back a curse before he growled, Fucking bitch.

His amber eyes flicked up to Rala as she entered the fray, her voice a desperate plea for calm. For a brief moment, his jaw tightened, words unspoken as his focus shifted to Ameline. Her steady presence kept the situation from spiraling further, though her ice-blue gaze demanded silence even from Rala’s pleading.

Asked if she was lost. Then struck me like a rabid fuckin' animal. Cole said, his voice rough, a rasp from the blow he’d taken. His gaze narrowed as he looked down at the woman beneath him, disdain thick in his tone. That was her answer.

He shifted his weight slightly, keeping the stranger pinned but careful not to press harder than necessary. Blood from his spit mingled with the snow as he turned his focus back to Ameline. We’ll need to figure out what to do with her, he added, his voice gruff. Then, with a final glance toward Rala, he added, You’d best explain fast why you’re vouching for her, cub. These ain't your lands quite yet, and I've got people to protect from tagged dogs. He gestured to the thick collar around her neck.

when the regina commanded it, rala snapped her jaw shut, relieved that, for now, it seemed that their quarrel was over. ameline turned her questions to cole, and so snowwoman could only stare with furrow brows at at the woman who was pinned on the ground ; calfuray. what was she doing here? and why, as soon as nanuralaaq had told her of her pack affiliation, did she find herself getting into fights?

cole glanced towards the polar-cub, then. i am not--just look at her, eyeless, tailless, a weak leg from the wolverine attack, rala saighed. i am not saying they are my lands, i know i have no right to ask of you to protect her, she turned to ameline, then. a momentary loss for words, but no matter what, nanuralaaq would always give the truth. a breath was drawn before she spoke: before i came to bearclaw valley i helped in mending her wounds. cole, i do not know why she attacked you, but i can promise you that it was not out of malice, she looked down at calfuray, frowning.

that is a woman who survives on instinct, and instinct alone, she breathed. you do not have to let her go, just ... please do not hurt her any further, and that was all the pale woman would have to say, glancing at the regina with a plea within her eyes.

Her silence remained deafening even now. Single eye flicked to each wolf as they spoke, her expression hard and unrevealing. They would not have the pleasure of her thoughts plastered upon her.

The woman; a high rank, clearly. She spoke in a tone that commanded respect, and the others followed suit with no hesitation. She was the one holding the reigns here.

The man; Calfuray felt no sympathy for her actions against him. Not with how he spoke to Rala. What he said of herself, she did not care - but just what did he mean by tagged dog?

Rala; she understood. Cal knew she would. If there was anyone she felt truly sorry for here, it was Rala. Staring at the other she knew she had been right when she thought to turn back.

Like a rabid animal.

Her eyes widened for a moment, and she looked down into the woman’s eyes, now calm and fixated upon Rala. She lowered her head, to breathe the curling mist of the woman’s breath, lips peeled back so she might taste or smell any sign of infection. The sickness had spread through the valley before; in winter it often slept- but there was always a chance. 

She found no reason to think that the woman might be infected, but Ameline was no expert. 

The issue was the woman’s attitude, and the fact that she had struck out first, when confronted for coming so close to claimed territory. Cole, comfortable in his rank it seemed, admonished Rala for attracting attention from wolves who allegedly attacked by instinct.

A wolf cometh to the borderth of a pack an’ then attackth the guardian without reathon an’ you think there’th no malithe? She questioned Rala. She looked down to the woman’s eyes on the ground with a snarl. She’d seen those collars once before on an aging wolf. He had seemed harmless, but Ameline had still sensed that it was something unnatural. 

Thit. She barked at the aspiring medic. Watch. It would go against her nature as a healer to keep herself from intervening, but she intended for a lesson to be learned. 

She lowered her head so she could speak to their captive. If you acted in thelf defenthe, thpeak now, but know I ain’t likely gonna believe you. Cole had given his testimony, and it would stand. Her breath was hot, and came in heaving draws. You do not come to my home, an’ hurt my packmateth. Got it? Her words were hurled with a promise of pain. 

She paused for only a moment.

For the prithe of attacking Cole, Cole will thuggeth-t three phythical punishment-th. For rithking the pack’th thafety by befriending a madwoman, Rala chootheth the one she thufferth. She knew the medic would likely choose the gentlest option- but even that would possibly pain her, and teach her to bring su ch a wildcard to their home.

Cole glared down at the woman pinned beneath Ameline’s grip, his fury simmering beneath a tight jaw. His blood still ran hot from the scuffle, and the sting in his neck where her teeth had grazed him burned like a brand. Rala’s pleas grated on his patience, but he allowed her words to pass without interruption, his ears twitching at Ameline’s sharp commands.

Fine, he growled, his voice low and seething as his amber eyes bore into the one good eye of the collared woman. Three punishments. She'll answer for what she's done.

He spat blood into the snow, the crimson stark against the frost, then raised his gaze to meet Rala’s. His tone remained steady but venomous. She loses her other eye. His words were cold, brutal, and without hesitation. She won’t be attackin' anyone blind.

He shifted his weight, considering the woman who had dared to strike him. Or, a fractured paw. Won't be mucha' threat that way.

Finally, he gave a slow exhale, his gaze flicking to Ameline and then back to Rala. Third—we take her hind claw, a warning to anyone else who thinks about testing Bearclaw’s borders.

He straightened, his massive frame looming over the group, tension rippling through his muscles. Your call, Rala. She doesn't walk away without consequences. His voice held no warmth, his glare fixed on the one-eyed woman, daring her to defy them further.

though she was asked a question, nanuralaaq knew best to keep her mouth shut, instead only giving a small, careful nod to the words of which ameline sent her way. it was up to snowwoman, now, to choose which fate, which punishment, that the nightwoman faced. though she wanted to be gentle, the woman could not risk having calfuray return, and so she gave a breath and said: the fractured paw.

she looked down upon the woman, now, sitting as the regina commanded her to. she would stay, and she would watch, and she would find peace in knowing that calfuray was a smart woman, and she would not be returning any time soon.

ameline still needed her questions answered. rala simply wished for this to be over.

Mature Content Warning

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The participants have indicated the following reason(s) for this warning: Calfuray references bad men doing bad things, might be uncomfy

She was given a chance to speak. Calfuray was one to keep quiet more often than not; speaking little, for her racing mind often found no time to do so.

Eye now looked to the woman, her coat reminding Calfuray of a wolverine. I came to thank Rala. Changed my mind, and he caught me off-guard as I was leaving. She spoke the truth, for it was the only thing Cal knew. My bite was to stall. My limp won't let me run.

If a man approached you from behind while you were vulnerable from injury, would you risk it? She spoke from her own experiences in years past. It was often better to bite first than put yourself in a worse situation. I don't know his character. It's not worth risking things worse than my blood. The easy argument to that was 'hey! Look at yourself hag!' But surely Calfuray was desired once upon a time.

She hoped the woman could understand, that Calfuray may be able to appeal to her. A fracture would be a real pain in the ass.

Don't blame Rala. I only came because I felt bad, I'm not coming back whether you injure me or not. Her eye returned to Rala, burning momentarily with something unknown, but it surely was not the care she previously carried.

She was thankful for Rala’s obedience, and for Cole’s measured judgement, though she found herself wondering if he might be choosing too gentle a sentence for the woman. She did not sense the kind of fear coming from the woman on the ground that she desired; she was still and calm, hardly offering the kind of currency that Ameline wished to receive.

She’d allowed the woman- Calfury or something like that- the chance to explain, and rolled her eyes back. Tho you admit you trethpathed into claimed territory, an’ now yuh playin’ the victim for jumpin’ to concluthionth about a guardian who’the come to boot out an intruduh, who didn’t attack firtht? She still felt skeptical about the woman’s reasoning. An’ no. I wouldn’t’ve done that, I wouldn’t provoke a man to anger if I couldn’t handle mythelf phythically. Would’ve apologithed, ekthplained, thubmitted, an’ done the name-droppin’ then tho none of thith’d have come to path. An’ if you get yuh ath handed to then, well…Yuh kinda athked for it by treth-pathin’ in the firth-t plathe, tho, She gave the woman an indifferent shrug. 

Fuck around, find out. 

She nodded to Cole.

Cole’s amber gaze was cold and unyielding as Ameline spoke, her words sharp and cutting through the tension. He didn’t linger. A punishment had been decided, and it wasn’t his place to question it, especially after the intruder’s foolishness had put them all in this position. His lips curled back slightly, revealing the barest flash of his teeth, as he looked at the woman pinned below.

He moved deliberately, his paw pressing down on hers, the pressure building steadily. A muted crack echoed through the clearing, and he pulled back, watching her face for a flicker of pain. Satisfaction didn’t show on his face—this wasn’t about gratification but enforcement.

The deed done, he snarled low in his throat, turning sharply toward Rala. His voice, laced with fury and disappointment, lashed out. Stupid, stupid cub. You bring this on us, bring her here, and now we’re left dealin’ with her mess. You best hope she don’t come back, or it’s your name we’ll be speakin’ next.

Without waiting for a response, Cole stepped back, a bitter scowl on his face, and shifted his attention to Ameline for further instruction, still brimming with the raw energy of his frustration.

calfuray's answered were not well received, giving only an indifferent shrug between her words and then nodding to cole. it was with a silent snap that nanuralaaq knew it had been done, and so she kept her mouth shut and bit the inside of her cheeks so that it may stay that way. coles anger, directed at the snowwoman, would have met retaliation, should ameline not be standing only a few ways away from her.

with her ears pinned back, all the polar-cub could bring herself to do was look down at the ground. she nodded, for she did hope that calfuray would not come back. not if it meant that she would be hurt again. now, she, too, turned her gaze to ameline, wishing not to see the dark woman in pain, waiting for the word of their lady.