Moonspear Perhaps, a bad decision (Intruder)

Althaia's pelt bristled with excitment as she stalked the fox. The small red creature was sniffing at something on the ground, a locust shell. It's pelt was unkept, and it bore the raggedy thin appearence that all the creatures in Teekon now did. Her pale eyes shone in the morning sun, as she crept closer, closer-
The fox looked up.

An explosion of movement, and both Althaia and the fox were running. It yipped in alarm and fear as the grey furred predator closed the gap between them. Althaia had gotten used to the rocky footing of the mountains, and kept her footing with ease. Until, the strong smell of border met her nose. She faultered, briefly, but then hurtled on. What were the odds of her meeting pack wolves? She almost had the fox, anyway. 

And so the thin female strove deeper and deeper into the territory, chasing the fox all the while.

The dark wolf had been diligent in his duties since he had returned to Moonspear, though hunting was quite difficult. He had found next to nothing, but had planned to go fishing. He had begun to head in the direction of the nearest water source, skirting the borders of his home, but then froze.

The movement caught his attention. A fox first, seemingly running for its life, confirmed by the following of a wolf. Dash barred his teeth, not that either of them noticed him. Surely, the stranger would stop before she crossed. She had hesitated, but apparently was not going to let the potential meal go, even at the cost of her own life.

Dash sprang to life, going after the female. The hunter had now become the hunted, and Dash had no intention of letting her go. He was quick on his feet, his light weight an asset now instead of a hinderance. He was gaining on her, and when he felt he could not miss, he lunged at her, jaws open, body ready to take her down. He let loose a growl from his throat. He would grab whatever he could, be it tail, leg, or hind end. Even if he got only air, he would still attempt to tackle her, putting his weight behind his thrust.

She was free, she was running, she was- being chased by a very scary black wolf. She increased her speed, but was already tuckered out from chasing the fox. She tried to turn and flee for the border again, but too late, for the black male lunged. She twisted and tried her best to evade his attack, but his fangs caught her back leg.

She was falling, her legs crashing beneath her and rock scraping her pelt. The pain came a moment sooner, and she yowled, her trapped leg twisting between her and the slavering jaws of the male. Her head was spinning, she lay on her side, shocked. She was trapped by the dark shadow, all she could discern with spinning black and gray and blue and brown. She whined, going almost completely still and hoping that her leg, strained to the breaking point, would hold. Tears sprang from her eyes, unbidden.

His jaws grabbed a hold of her back leg and she twisted as she went down. He heard her yell, but did not let go. She went still, and he growled as he jerked his head. Would the motion break her leg? He wasn't sure. He was sure that she deserved the pain she was in for crossing the borders into a pack that she didn't belong to.

After a few strained moments, he released her leg only to stand over her. He continued to growl, snapping his teeth towards her face, though he didn't intent to really grab a hold of it. You have made a very wrong decision, he growled at her. Dash knew he did right by not allowing her to go further into the territory, but he honestly wasn't sure what to do with her now. Did they kill intruders? Did they let them go with a stern warning? He just didn't know. So, quickly, he turned his head to the sky and howled for @Charon and @Amekaze. They were the Alphas, and they could decide what to do with her. He turned his angry gaze back to her. Move and I'll make sure you never walk again, he promised her.

Of course, her leg had to fail her. With a single snap, her ankle tore. She screamed, the male's shake of the head may have just doomed her. Even if they let her go, how was she to hunt if her leg was useless? She whined as red misted her vision, her breath fast and shallow. To her relief, he dropped her leg, though as if smacked against the earth she screamed again. He stood over her, his stern voice have lost in the haze of pain she felt. His howl seemed three times as loud as it should have been, at she quaked beneath him, drawing her limp leg toward her as she slowly curled up, not making any sudden movements. 

He had threatened her, told her not to move, but reason had left her. She curled up, holding her hind leg as still as possible, body racked with pain. She whined continously, a high pitched sound of keening and pain.

Her leg snapped, and a scream damn near deafened him. As he loomed over her with his threats, and she curled into a ball, his anger failed him, and regret marred his features. Dash was extremely protective of Moonspear and those that dwelled within it, but he knew he had just taken her lively hood. 

He frowned, wanting to apologize, but... Well, hadn't she invaded his home? He did what came naturally to those on the defense. Then, why did his heart suddenly hurt? Knowing she couldn't get far if she even attempted to rise, Dash moved to the side, hoping his leaders would get here quick. She was no longer a danger, but now she needed a medic.

He stepped away, though the grey pelted female no longer felt relief at this fact. She simply noticed, but felt no other emotion. She curled tighter and lapped at her torn and broken leg, blood pooling from where the dark male had torn her thin limb. Simply put, this felt sureal. She felt no anger for the male, oddly, but only fear, and pain. Every touch of her tongue sent a tiny tidel wave of pain up her leg, but she continued, shock making her no longer completely sure of her actions.

Suddenly her head dropped, shock and pain overloading her senses completely. Darkness enveloped the female, and her shallow quick breaths slowly became slower and deeper as she fell into unconciesness. 

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Dash's howl brought her down the mountain as quickly as she could cover the ground. On her way, and once she was closer, screams of pain added their own suspense. She flattened out to full speed and soon enough, she could see him. Not far was a bloodied stranger, so her hackles prickled at the sight even if the female looked curled up. "What the hell is this?" she snarled lowly as she stalked closer, noticing the female's lack of apparent consciousness -- which she didn't even trust right away. Nothing about her was familiar and a few up-close sniffs did confirm it. The look of her leg wasn't good either and Amekaze knew, even without knowing more than this, that this ongoing hunger and frustration would have her patience thin.

While her ears were tipped towards Dash, her stare was glued to the scrawny female, intent to spring the second she showed signs of awakening or otherwise.

The intruder began to lick her wounds, whimpering as she did so. Dash couldn't imagine the amount of pain she'd been in, but he said nothing to comfort her. He was really out of his element here. His instinct had taken over and he did what he was supposed to, but he never counted on her giving up so quickly. If she had fought with him, he would have retained his anger and his confidence on the attack.

Amekaze showed up in a blaze of anger. Dash's ears flattened on his head as he lowered his body in submission. She crossed the borders, uninvited, chasing a fox. I-I attacked her, breaking her leg in the process, he admitted. He was unsure if any of her anger was directed at him, so he stayed low.

When Charon arrived at the scene, he didn't know what had gone on. He saw Dash close to the ground and Amekaze bristling with anger (which in its own was kind of attractive). Then there was a scrawny female on the ground, presumably dead. Hunger churned at the bottom of Charon's stomach and he did not even consider whether or not the intruder he did not know was still alive.

"Food," Charon said and he looked between Dash and Amekaze, then prodded his nose just behind Ame's shoulder. He knew she didn't want to, but they needed nutrition. Still Charon didn't even realise that the female might not be dead. Why else would her body be here?

Althaia lay completely still, slowly coming out of her shock and unconsciousness. She heard the voices of two wolves, one angry and the other nervous. Her leg throbbed, and she had a hard time remembering exactly what had occurred, though she remembered the fox, the crippling hunger, and the pack-smell. She had a brief recollection of a shadow on her heels, then chaos. She stared out through slitted eyes at the two shapes, both an inky black.

Another wolf arrived, one with a pale coat of ice. He stood behind the one with the black coat who stood further off, and simply stated a single word. Unable to stop herself, she quaked with fear and pain,ears flat and tail between her legs. She fixed her gaze on the closest wolf, murming quickly and softly of how she please did not want to get eaten and was so so sorry for passing the borders, the odd whimper interjecting her hasty words.

Though the call was meant specifically for Charon and Amekaze, Floki found his paws making their way to Dash's location. It was almost a mindless journey, driven mostly by the pinch of hunger deep in his belly; the already lean youth had lost weight, as the odd fish wasn't nearly enough to sustain him. He was curious to see what Dash had found, and when he came upon the group of wolves there was tension thick in the air.

With eyes a sharper, more feral blue than usual, Floki took it all in. There was a she-wolf crumpled on the ground, and the Alpha pair seemed to be assessing the situation with bristled hackles. The incapacitated female was whimpering, begging for her life, it seemed, as Floki came to a halt a few feet from his packmates, watching silently.

Her tail swung, slow and arced, as he detailed this event and she didn't like the stranger any more because of it. He seemed.. uneasy, but he'd certainly done what he could -- and should. Maybe she was lucky to only have her leg broken, but in these times of famine and no herbal relief.. it was sure to only lead to suffering. Death may be the easier release for her. "I see," she grated, eyes still on the female with a stormy look brewing on her features. "She may be better off dead, if she can no longer hunt and apparently has no head on her shoulders.." she said towards Dash as she realized Charon's arrival. Amekaze couldn't help but suspect her to be ignorant if she had trespassed so blindly.. even in pursuit of a meal. To have someone run clear over the borders she personally marked plainly was an insult she wouldn't stand by. She had no mercy for the loners in these days.

The pale half of the alphaship certainly had a point -- she was food, if nothing else but soon after it was said, the stranger seemed to slowly ease back to awareness with whimpers and incoherent mumbles. If she only had been dead already, that would cut them straight to the chase. But such was not the way it would play out here today. 

Amekaze moved forward, smoothly erasing the distance between them to come loom dangerously, all bristled and poised, over her. Swiftly growing annoyed by the whimpers, even if they were small, she then lashed her teeth for the stranger's muzzle or face with intentions to rend her into knocking that off. "What good are you to me alive like this?" she snarled lowly to her, already eyeballing the girl's throat as that would certainly bring the silence she wanted. Her teeth hovered nearby. Time was fleeting, and already, this much was feeling generously borrowed from the dark alpha's standpoint.

Charon and Floki arrived as the girl seemed to regain consciousness. Realizing there was no anger towards him, Dash sat up, though remained respectful to the three leaders before him. Charon suggested she be food, and Dash could not fault him for the logic. She was an intruder, an injured one now, at that, and death might be easier on her than just leaving her like this. Plus, it would benefit the pack. 

Her whimpers tore at him. Dash was a kind wolf at heart, and didn't like to see others suffer. Ame was obviously anger, and wasn't sure what to do with the trespasser. The dark Alpha asked what good the intruder would be, and Dash wondered, too. He was glad this was not a decision he had to make. 

He remained silent, not knowing what he could offer. Well, he could offer to care for the girl, but in times of a famine, feeding a wolf who could not contribute seemed like a harsh punishment for the pack when the pack hadn't made such a grave mistake. They could barely feed themselves, let alone adding one more.

Flóki's arrival was barely noted, Charon's gaze fixed upon the food that had been brought into their lands — presumably by herself. Under normal circumstances, the fact that she regained consciousness might've spurred Charon to withdraw his words, but when he looked at her, he still saw a useless piece of meat. She had an injured leg and she had come all the way here, into their territory. Normally, Charon might have decided to keep her as a slave, but right now food was more valuable than another mouth to feed. It would take months for her to get on her feet, likely, and even if she would then they would have to wait if she actually had any skills.

Amekaze approached her and asked some valid questions, and Charon closed in, feeling like a predator waiting for the kill. He looked more to his partner than to the female on the ground — waiting for her signal if she wished the intruder dead. Charon would not hesitate to kill if it meant sustaining his pack in the progress, and the only thing holding him back was his respect for Amekaze.

"I know of herbs, and poisons. I know about the weather, and when a storm will come, or a heatwave. I can fish...I can fish for you!"

When the black-pelted wraith of a female had come toward her, Althaia's whining had eased in the slightest, but when her fangs slashed, they ceased altogether. The pale female did not want her last words to be those of wretchedness and misery. But instead of snap her nech, the female askedof her use. Clinging to the tiny strand of hope the female had given her, Althaia spoke quickly. But now, she had an idea. Probably terrible, which would put her in a bad place for who knew how long. But an idea.

"You could kill  me know, ma'am. But you and your pack would only get a scant mouthful each. If you were so grateful to let me live, ma'am, I could fish for you and your pack. I could tell you all I know about herbs and poisons and weather. You need not feed me, nor tend to me. If I do die, then so be it, if I fail in my task, you could simply kill me." Althaia's voice trembled throughout, but became more steady as she went on. She bowed her head, in the most submissive of postures, and waited her the verdict.

Floki took it all in quietly, slowly putting together the pieces of the puzzle. The she-wolf had trespassed, it seemed, and both Amekaze and Charon seemed ready to put an end to her life. He wasn't sure of much more than that -- why had she crossed the borders in the first place, and what had caused her to plunge so far into claimed territory? Ame suggested that she simply had no sense, but the female began to speak, trying to build a case as to why they shouldn't kill her.

She promised to help provide for the pack, and Floki's muzzle wrinkled in disbelief. He had seen what a sorry state the wilds were in -- she would have no better luck hunting than the rest of them. He watched Charon carefully, planning to follow his brother's lead as Amekaze loomed threateningly over the interloper.

Her expression wrinkled, all of which was exaggerated by the ugly snarl she wore. She did get the whining to stop, but the words that followed were hardly less grating to her ears. Alongside her, she felt the stares of her fellow leaders looming. Charon wouldn't hesitate to dispatch her. Floki would likely follow suit. Amekaze licked the backs of her teeth, growling lowly as she glanced to her mate.

In theory, all the things that spilled from the trespasser's mouth were positives. But they were only that. While she was submissive and quick to offer herself in full, Ame could still wonder if her initial suspicions were true. Did she understand the gravity of it all? "A scant mouthful still weighs more than mere intentions," she growled, making it clear that she wasn't convinced, nor particularly tempered by the notion. "And you truly think you would heal in full? With no herbs, no handouts, no help, nothing?" disbelieving, she sneered.

The sounds of screams and aggression brought Harley to the borders, and he wasn't hesitant in approaching. He arrived soon enough to hear the female begging for her life, and surprise lit up his face. Amekaze, Charonn, Floki, they would kill this wolf for trespassing? Yet another lesson learned for the wolfdog, but he did continue to approach. He padded up to Dash's side, amber eyes locked in worry on the girl. Ame spoke then, sounding like she was tempted to kill her right then and there. Fear spiked Harley's heart, but there was little he could do in the face of three leaders other than give her a sorry look. This girl would have to do better than whine and beg if the mountain royalty would accept her.
He didn't know that it'd been Dash to hurt her, or that she'd trespassed, but once Ame was done Harley found himself opening his mouth and speaking.
"I could heal her, bring her back to usefulness. Find all the supplies I need outside the mountain, so none of our resources would be wasted should she not make it."
His words, though slightly harsh, rang in the strangers defense. This would be good for the creamy wolfdog, learning about more herbs and the such. This female could teach him things, and perhaps he would protect her in turn. There were a lot of if's, of course, but he could only hope the alphas would be okay with this. His amber eyes stayed on the female, head tipped slightly and taking her in fully. Like others in this famine, she was thin and obviously hungry, but surely she too had talents useful to Moonspear?

Dash remained quiet while Amekaze drilled the injured trespasser. The girl, in turn, listed her strengths. Dash wasn't sure how she was going to fish if she had a broken leg. It would be too painful to move. But, he didn't voice his doubts. He didn't want to kill her, not when she was begging for her life. But, again, he had to remind himself it was not up to him. 

Harley came to stand beside him, and Dash shot him a concerned look before his gaze went back to the girl. Harley spoke up then, saying that he would take care of the girl. Dash wanted to object. While she had trespassed and gotten herself into this situation, Dash had been the one to break her leg. He felt responsible for her. But, he had no knowledge of how to heal her, and Harley did. He would be more help to her than Dash would, and so he stayed quiet.

A growl rumbled in Charon's throat when the female spoke, meek words in her own defense. The whimpering had ceased but she was still a weakling and he saw no use in her other than food. Yet there were potential bargains to be made, he recognised. Ame questioned the girl's words and pinning stare at first returned to the intruder, until someone else approached.

Charon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the pack mate he knew very little of and listened to his words. He didn't really think much of them and interjected, "You are a resource of this mountain. You would spend time on this wretch that you should be spending gathering food." Without waiting for an answer Charon turned his aggressively poised body back towards the intruder and said: "I have a proposition. You will stay as our slave. You will do everything myself and Amekaze say and you will not flee or run for the rest of your life. Your life is ours, because we spared it so mercifully on this day." He looked at Ame briefly to make sure she was okay with his suggestion before he added: "And should food continue to be scarce and any of our wolves' lives in danger in lieu of a lack of food, you will gladly give your life for them." Charon took a step closer to the female, tail curled over his back and a snarl painting his features. "If you want to live, agree with these terms and swear you will uphold them, thrall." He had lost his previous thrall, but this was a new chance, and it was a waterproof solution. Should any of his pack, or Ame and the upcoming pups in the future, need the sustenance, they would still have their solution at hand.

It was brilliant, if he said so himself.

The female shuddered as the black woman's face twisted and she challenged her statments. The pale grey female said nothing in return, not wanting to sound as though she were back talking the woman. Althaia remained silent as another wolf arrived on scene, this one with an odd pelt. He said he would care for her, and she felt a rush of hope, before the pale furred alpha disagreed with the wolf's intentions. He went on, however, to propose a new suggestion. Althaia glanced up at the snarling ivory alpha, seeing no way out of this unless she agreed to his terms. She couldn't run, couldn't figh't, and this was her only opinion right now. If she negotiated, they might become even more hostile and simply kill her. 

"I...I promise to uphold your terms, sir, and to...to become your loyal thrall" she panted, voice quivering. Althaia felt cold, as if she had just jumped into a lake. She bowed her head to the queen and king, the coldness not leaving her.

She still did not fully understand what was happening. Starvation had made her take a risk she would probably have not even considered before the famine. Now, she was surrounded by hostile wolves and pledging herself to them as the alpha's thrall? She was confused, and frankly terriefied. What did being a thrall, a slave, entail? What would she have to do to repay the alphas for saving her life?

Another wolf arrived belatedly, likely drawn to the scene by the commotion that had been stirred up. Floki glanced at Harley, then returned his attention to the Alphas. Amekaze was skeptical, but after a moment of consideration, Charon made a deal with the trespasser.

Floki's brows raised slightly as he claimed the she-wolf as a slave of Moonspear. She agreed -- although what choice did she have otherwise? Ame's teeth were ready to seize her throat at any moment; to attempt to escape or deny Charon would be a death sentence. Although there had been no one taken captive by Stavanger Bay in his lifetime, he knew that it was something that had been done in the past. As Floki gazed at his brother, he suddenly saw Ragnar and blinked hard to clear his vision.

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Her teeth stayed barred. Words exchanged, and her aggression remaining only barely reined. Harley's arrival and his words that followed splayed her ears and Charon filled the blanks before she did. None of it settled well. Her resources were too scarce and her intentions too grand in the bigger picture for her patience to be any better than this, so she wore her ugly snarl and raised hackles stubbornly. 

But, a thrall. She quirked a brow yet stayed silent. The dark alpha was not intimately familiar with the cultural ties to the title itself but slave to them was.. littered with pros and cons, just as with any outcome here. Amekaze licked her lips, and underlined her mate's words with another low growl. She would stand for it, because otherwise, she'd have a whole audience present for this girl's unscheduled execution.

And the female agreed to this, it seemed. Amekaze's mercy would come at a price, and while she would disarm shortly, she spared the stranger one last snap her way. A lingering reminder that she would be wise to remember. You are lucky..

Still posed aggressively with her tail arced, she did step back, nudging her muzzle against Charon's shoulder as she came close to him -- letting him take the reins on this, as the thrall was his idea. Ame lingered to hear the exchange that may follow, curious of it of course, but her motions spoke of her acceptance of it all.

At its core, a piece of it reminded her of days long since passed on the Sunspire.. but only on the surface. While trespassing was the crime for both, this was a far different circumstance -- and she was no bargaining chip for an enemy pack, so surely, her place here may be different. Amekaze just hoped she could prove her worth soon enough so that she'd not need to be bothered with forcing action to take place.

Skipping Harley with permission

Dash almost had trouble keeping up with what was going on. First, Harley offered to take care of the girl, but then Charon deemed her a slave to the pack. And not for a short time, but for the rest of her life. Dash had no idea what exactly that meant. In a sense, weren't they all slaves to the pack? They lived for the pack, hunted for the pack, put their lives on the line for the pack. However, each and every one of them had the option of leaving if they didn't agree with how things are being done, or if they just didn't consider it home anymore. The female would not have that option. It would not matter what she thought or what her feelings were. She had to do what she was told, without question.

The female agreed, and Amekaze, though still angry at the trespasser, seemed to accept her fate. Dash would not question the decisions made just yet. Really, he was still processing everything. Most importantly, he was trying to decide how he felt about it all. With no idea how he leaned either way, he kept his mouth shut. If he offered to help the girl, he feared retribution from his leaders, since it would technically be taking away from the pack, and it was obvious they would not be pleased with that. He glanced from one mate pack to the next, trying to discern emotions and what their next move would be.