Dragoncrest Cliffs dead men tell no tales

aye... she had fight in her. it filled his blood up with an icky hotness, that spread from limb to limb, from bone to bone, from nerve to nerve. he was alight with the passion! did she not see how in love he was?! that he acted with such vigor to possess her from a twisted corner of his dark, malevolent heart?!

nay, that made even him laugh.

while murkwood danced to the tune of their own making, crowell did the same. he was here for one thing, the one thing captain said he could have: her. she was his reward! and he would have her. he would have her, and he would have whatever spawn she would grow in her belly.

the future of his lineage. cruel, ambitious, and strong.

there only stood one thing in his way, and here he came. crowell had heard his loud pawsteps, his heavy breathing, and had not been too entranced toying with chani to defend. he had leant down, snatched her by the scruff and hauled her up, wheeling backwards with her in teeth. she was his shield. when pepper comes crashing, it is into the both of them and she takes the most of the blow, much to crowell's amusement. it is heard with the clacking of his teeth, the wet, gurgling laughter caught between.

it is by that time he picks up only a small measure of what nox has been shouting about, and only comprehends one thing: we'll kill.

he is on his feet, tail lashing like a flag of war, teeth chattering with excitement. oye, ye fat fuck! crowell dances forwards, eyes full of bloodlust, saliva stretching from tooth to tooth when his jaws unhinge and he goes straight for the throat of the old fucker.

It is one of Shadess brother's who joins her side swift. One of the twins, the better one. Shadess only feels more empowered with backup at her side. Not that she needed it, of course. After this moment, everything was a swift whirlwind of teeth, snarls and yelling. 

Someone went running after Tousaint. Lafayette seized and lifted up into the air as the brother and sister tried to scamper from the attack. Her mother's screams. Chani's retort as she is pinned back. Pepper running to her aid. 

Pepper and Chani could surely take out one man. Charal could take the little snake! Her mother and herself could decend upon their Captain together! 

She waits to follow her mother's command to attack, but it does not come.

He fled at first with hesitance- until the pattering of feet spurred him onwards. A glance over his shoulder confirmed the worst- one of the raiders had come for him. He clenched his teeth and straightened his course, galloping headlong through tangled brush he hoped might slow the pursuer, aiming his course not for the wilderness but toward the sea, where the rushing of air in his ears smothered the sound of the pulsing waves. 

He might not stand a chance against the raider in a race on land, but he was his mother's son, and the ocean's pounding waves were an extension of his beating heart. Two bounds took him into the shallows and with a leap, he bested the cresting wave that reached for him, and began to swim against the current, driving himself further and further into deep waters, coughing and belching up sea water as the waves curled over his head and sent him rolling into the deep blue. 

He knew to look for the sparkling white bubbles, to swim toward them, and to breach and grab a gasp of air before preparing for the next wave, knowing that each breath might be his last- but at least it would be given to the ocean, and not the pirates who had come to claim his family.

Hex was quick, but he was no match for a man who clearly knew this territory. The fleeing wolf darted here and there, headed toward the ocean at a breakneck pace. He could only do his best to pursue, but by the time the trees fell away and the land leveled out, his quarry was already in the shallows.

And he was not invested enough to chase someone into the goddamn sea.

Shit, he huffed, pulling to a stop upon the rocky shoreline. He was breathing hard, black pelt puffed up from wind and adrenaline. His yellow eyes cut across the horizon, then darted back in the direction from which they'd came.

Screw this, Hex thought to himself as he broke into a reluctant trot, hoping to link up with the crew once more. Even as he did so, his mind raced and his heart ached; he couldn't stomach the thought of seeing that expectant mother captured and corraled. 

He couldn't do this. He shouldn't.

But damned if he didn't obey, anyway.

Crowell was quick to take the seasalt-siren from Worm's grasps, and Worm from hers, and he needed none of her help in what followed, offering a moment of respite for the vermin pirate to shake the blood from her neck.

Each puncture burned, felt like liquid fire drip drip dripping down dark fur. Worm would retreat a little ways back, away from the fray so that she might've studied it. Chosen which teeth she was matched with.

quick, fleeting moments, hesitation would be punished.

She chooses one of those who assails her captain. Captor. (@Chacal)

And chooses where she sinks her teeth wisely. She was no match in body, but she could bleed them, long as she kept moving.

apologies for the delay! will post again around Friday 28th <3

The effort of the sprint had twisted his leg some, and it was only now as his teeth gripped the boy that he realised he was bleeding. One of the bastards had nicked him in the scuffle; Nox didn't know nor care to find out who, and the swell of pain served only to strengthen his hold.

But whatever the kid whittered on about seemed to have tugged at the heartstrings of the red woman who now came to offer herself in place. The captain considered this for a moment with an amused snort, as saltsiren's cries cut through the battle. He was confident Crowell would take her no matter her fight, but the idea of banking one more for their efforts was too tempting to ignore. "Call yer people off my crew and we 'ave a deal," his teeth sank deeper into the dark furs of the boy's neck.

They'd raid the caches once the bitches were marched home, and whilst he awaited an answer his eyes narrowed in warning to the second child frozen nearby as if to say, you're next!

It wouldn't be one of the men that came for her, but the wailing woman who had attracted their attention in the first place. A lanky, wide-eyed creature who had elicited sympathy from them struck for Chacal from an angle that she had not been expecting. She had only a moment to turn her head and catch a glimpse of the raven-furred wraith and pain came simultaneously with an overwhelming feeling of betrayal.

Two canines pierce into the fur and sinew of her shoulder, causing the muscle to jump and seize; Chacal threw her head back in a cry of agony as the woman's lower canines found a mark two inches lower, piercing into the flesh and and toward the pulsing vein like the fangs of a snake. When she released, blood sprang forth in a thin stream that sprayed with each beat of her heart. Chacal snapped her jaws together, hacking out a growl to defend her wounded neck and bully the woman away from herself for even a moment.

She tucked her chin to her shoulder and stumbled toward her sister in an attempt to slow the flow of blood. If she moved even an inch, she would bleed out. Even if she wanted to, she could do nothing to save Chani or Lafayette; and when surrender was offered by her sister, Chacal sank to the ground, ears flattened and tail tucked.

She felt ashamed, to relinquish Sapphique to merciless captors, who had taken advantage of their kindness. Her heart soared to hear Chani's spirit, only to be broken into pieces at the sound of Lafayette's fearful voice.

The man issued an order. Chacal's lips twitched in contempt, but the darkening of her vision held her at bay. She uttered a soft growl, a high note she hoped that Pepper might hear, and take the cue to give in.

it stood against all she wanted for mireille to face the pirate, to give a slow nod. but throwing themselves into battle meant the risk of loss to pups was high; to fight and then to die of bleeding all the same, was that more noble?
she would come to regret it, oh she would, but for now mireille gave a short, commanding howl. "now. release dem." 
sapphique stood down. 
she crouched beside her sister, meeting the soulful eyes with a somber look of her own. tongue moved to staunch blood, and then her gaze swept for chani.
but there would be one loss all the same, and fangs rose to clash a final time, pepper and the pirate.

a surge of fierce resentment for chacal, for mireille, and for herself overcame chani. she struggled again, gnawing the air, though had the good sense to droop when her auntie called them down. 
but pepper did not hear, or perhaps he heard and did not care. he fought, and the pirate who might too have fathered cubs with chani — the younger man tore apart the grizzled elder.
blood filled the air. chani screamed.
she screamed until there was no more air and ability.
pepper's blood puddled under his body as the murkwood raider roughly gathered chani and began to drag her off. she strained her eyes to see if the sandstone breathed, but he did not, and she screamed a final time before the seacliffs blurred to fade beyond her sight.