Whitefish River Out of the dark

For @Lilah

She couldn't believe it. She was part of a pack again. Her dark jaws clenched firmly together, teeth grinding. She had swore never to again! Never! Not after what she had been through. But oh she had to just go and gotten herself sick, didn't she? And this was the price she paid.

With a low grumble and slitted eyes, Tzila stalked along the shore of the great river, head low between her shoulders. She contemplated her circumstances. Her many days of recovery spent in self-isolation...the kind nursemaid Olive. The putrid scent that now clung to her dark pelt. She really ought to be counting her lucky stars she landed where she did. They were a kind group of wolves...perhaps too kind.

She felt well enough at last, to emerge from her own private den and venture beyond the territory. To take a shot at hunting something of her own. Something fresh...that wasn't rotting. The winding river looked promising. It was lengthy, with various depths and speeds of turbulence. She huffed at the memory of having grown up by a coastline. Fishing was in her blood, but she didn't particularly practice it often. Picking a spot that was as good as any by the rushing water, she dipped a paw in and flipped something shiny out. Not a fish...but just a damn pebble on her first try. Tzila sneered, impatient.

She hadn't thought about her next move since leaving the creek. She hadn't thought about maybe tracking down Harrison or Grayson. She hadn't thought about trying to locate any other women of the creek. Her only thought had been about surviving every day and thanking her lucky stars that she hadn't been put through this during winter. It was still cold occasionally but not deathly and thanks to one kind soul she had managed to get a meal, a meal which still hung from her jaws. It was her reminded that people weren't all bad, that not everyone would abandon her in a time of need. It was a reminder that eventually she would need help from others. 



She was thirsty, it had been a warm day and carrying around the still fresh rabbit had dried her mouth out even more. She could hear the babbling of the river and followed it, peering out warily before spotting the female. She stepped a few feet out, watching as the woman failed to snag a fish. Rabbit in mouth she slowly strode to a spot a distance away and dropped it, sniffing at the water and tentatively lapping at it while keeping an eye on the woman.

She would try one more time, she decided. Her paw was already soaked and she wasn't much in the mood for getting wet any further. She contemplated her options...which method of approach would serve her best. She huffed through her nose, eyeing the center of the river. There was no way she was going to swim all the way out there and try her luck. Who knew how deep the water was? The current could be stronger than it appeared. She wasn't being swept away this afternoon.

The scent of freshly caught meat, not fish, wafted to her nose. She could smell the rabbit before the small she wolf emerged, coming to drink a ways off. Tzila's stomach clenched softly, saliva building in her mouth. Her eyes darted over to the female in a single, unconcerned glance. She said nothing and turned back to skim along the edge of the river, keeping watch for any signs of easy to reach fish. But the shadow keeper was deceptive. The gears and cogs in her head had already begun to turn.

She watched the woman's unsuccessful fishing with a gaze that went from wary and steeled to soft and sympathetic. She knew hunger, she knew what it was like to be unable to catch a meal. She thought about offering the stranger her rabbit but a coil of selfishness and a pang of something like fear shot through her at the thought of losing the rabbit that had given her the strength to survive. She couldn't do it, she couldn't bring herself to part with it. She caught sign of silver flashes beneath the surface of the water a bit downstream and she flicked an ear, heading in that direction while keeping an eye on her rabbit. She took position by the edge of the water and held her muzzle over the surface, steadying herself so she was still as a statue. She would see if she could catch a fish for the woman, perhaps her luck would be better.

Unfortunately, not all wolves out there were kind or soft hearted. Tzila was one of them. She believed herself to be a hardened survivor. Selfish, thankless. A woman who looked out only for herself. Given the choice, she would save her own hide first, instead of another poor saps. 

Keeping her head low, nose down, her eyes flicked up. Tracking the movement of the smaller female, who had moved downstream. Perfect. Tzila waited until she was just far enough away, positioned right at the edge of the water. Silently she swept up beside her, hovering dangerously close. Close enough that the warmth of her breath could be felt against the outer hairs of her nape. 

Tzila withheld any signs of hostility. She'd let this play out just a wee bit longer. "I never was the best fisher. No matter how hard I practiced." A lie. With a coastline as part of her backyard during her puppy days, she had had ample time to refine her fishing skills. "You though...you look like you've done quite well already." She said, referring to the rabbit she had caught, which Tzila so coveted.

She had fooled herself into believing that she was ready to just focus on the day to day, the survival aspect of life instead of the life she had dreamed of, a family with a husband to tend to and children to raise. She had believed that she could be someone who would focus on what needed to be done instead of what she wanted to do or what was right to do even if it made no sense. She lied to herself though, a thought she realised as she focused on not moving, not scaring the silver fish away with even the slightest movement. She would always probably crave friendship and it showed by how she abandoned her food just to try and catch a meal for a hungry sister. 


The fish grew closer and she exhaled slowly, her muzzle trembling slightly with the effort of keeping so still when her muscles hummed with anticipation. Then the female sidled up beside her and the flash of silver darted farther away, though it remained close enough for Lilah to know it was still curious. She flicked her ears slowly to show she had heard what was said and then softly began to speak "The rabbit was a gift. I had help. Fishing...well i...I manage" she didn't want to say she sucked at it because it would make her look bad. The proximity and compliments of the stranger had made her nervous and as the fish darted closer she lost her composure and lunged, her jaws snapping closed around empty water. She had failed in front of someone who had been watching for her to succeed. Her ears flattened back and she ducked her head, backing away slowly "Sometimes. I manage sometimes.." she looked back at her rabbit and turned to move back to it, now feeling mortified and wanting to leave.

A gift she said. Ah and she had help too. Tzila watched with an unwavering stare as she lunged for a fish within reach and missed. She didn't give her any hint of a reaction. No frown, no laughter. No nothing. While Lilah began to move away and back to her so called gift, Tzila saw her window of opportunity closing. If this wolf couldn't catch a mere hare on her own and her attempts at catching fish were marginal, then why should she deserve to keep her gift?

She drew in a slow breath. "Well then..." She began, letting the air out in an exhale. Her tone had changed as the next syllable left her lips. Smug...conniving. "...you are outta practice!" In a blur of midnight and scarlet tinted fur, Tzila bolted forward, shouldering her aside. Quickly snapping jaws reached down to scoop up the limp carcass of the rabbit by the scruff. She hardly waited to see how the girl would react - she had already began to run. Catch me if you can!

She hadn't expected what was coming, not until the last second when the stranger bolted for her rabbit and shouldered her aside. She almost fell into the water as she was so surprised she lost her balance more than she should have. Once the initial surprise was over she snarled and went after the woman. She watched with horror as her rabbit was taken and she pushed herself harder, stride lengthening. Lilah may not have been strong or that intelligent but she was fast, something that she counted her blessings for in this situation. As she came up on the female's hindquarters she lunged, her teeth snagging Tzila's tail and holding tight yanking backwards hoping it would cause the thieving woman to stop. She couldn't lose this rabbit, she needed it to survive and she was ready to fight for it.

She was faster than she could've guessed. Her speed took Tzila by surprise. Once she felt jaws clamping down on her tender tail, she let out a piercing shriek. She wasn't so much in agony, but rather, annoyed. The skin under her eyes quivered and she whirled around on herself, towards Lilah who still had a hold of her tail. A pair of gaping wide jaws and exposed teeth was the view she'd see, aimed directly for her muzzle. She bit down, snagging the thin flesh of the bridge of her nose, holding tight. Tzila had never fought in her life before, up until now. And with her bad girl, sassy attitude, had always believed she'd come out on top. She put up a good act. Now it was time to see if she was all she was chalked up to be.

The quickness of how the woman whirled to attack her took Lilah by surprise. She had never been in a fight, never needed to save herself or a meal. Sharp pain went through her muzzle and she yelped, unable to hold the sound back. Her eyes teared and her tail tucked between her legs as she instinctively began to submit before her eyes caught sight of her rabbit. It had been given to her so she would survive and without it she knew she would likely starve. She was pathetic and it was no wonder everyone had abandoned her without a care....


The thought sparked anger in her. She didn't want to die like a helpless pup! She had made it through so much and she'd be absolutely damned if she died here. Grayson Odolf and everyone else could go drown themselves for all she cared! With a sudden snarl she opened her maw and bit Tzila back, fangs snagging clumsily at the flesh around the woman's throat leaving cuts along the way as she tried to shake her off "Its mine! I tried to help you!" she snapped outraged, in awe of how someone could be so absolutely cruel.

Fresh blood dripped from her wounds onto the earth. Jaws clenched in a pained grimace, Tzila had no words for the female. Her eyes said it all. If you can't even catch a tiny morsel, then you don't deserve to survive! She was after all, a wolf all about survival. If that meant playing dirty, so be it.

She reeled back, tearing her grip away from Lilah's muzzle. In retaliation, she lunged for her to pin her down into the dirt. Her teeth found their mark around the scruff of her neck, where she yanked once...twice. Slowly, in her mind this fight was becoming less about possession of food, but of who had the stronger will.

Not once had she ever spilled the blood of another, especially not another woman. For a moment she was appalled at herself but when she felt the woman's jaws close around her scruff she snarled, all sense of being a proper lady flying out the window. The ways of the outside world were hitting her hard and she knew she'd have to give her all just to survive. She thrashed her head back and forth to shake off the woman and then lunged forward, aiming to slam her head into the woman's nose before she would leap to block the path to the rabbit. She bared her fangs and snarled, a loud and desperate sound "Leave...now. Go or I won't hesitate to hurt you" she warned the woman her tail curling over her spine. She was surprised to find that she meant it, that she was fully prepared to wound the woman so badly she wouldn't barely be able to crawl away much less steal her food.

The violent thrashing of the female she was attempting to pin was enough to shake her off. She was just a hair too slow in bouncing out of the way, as the others skull slammed against her nose with a solid crunch. She saw stars, pain shooting up through her nasal cavity. And then warmth. And wetness. She licked her lips curiously, only to find a metallic taste. The little bitch had given her a god damn nose bleed!

Something so insignificant wouldn't stop her. Now the shadow mistress was infuriated, bent on teaching this runt a lesson. Screw the rabbit. It wasn't worth the fight. Blood tinted hackles rose as she dipped her head menacingly between her shoulders. Her dark lips quivered. "You, hurt me?" She growled, a low rumble. "I'll show you what agony really means!" And then in a flash of black and scarlet, she lunged, clamping her jaws mercilessly around the un-protected left side of her throat.

The tangy scent of blood shocked her and she froze in place, watching with equal parts horror and fascination as blood dribbled down from the woman's nose. Lilah had never hurt anyone before, she had never been in a fight nor had she ever needed to defend herself. The fact that she had harmed another over a meal because she was actually hungry was scary. It was this long pause of shock that proved to be a very big mistake as the others jaws wrapped around her throat, shaking her from her fear. She yelped and panicked thrashing around before once again, self preservation and instinct helped her out. She twisted her head and pulled back, her flesh tearing as she ripped it from the womans grasp. Blood trickled from the wound and dripped to the ground but she wasted no time, she flashed her fangs and turned around bolting for her rabbit and grabbing it, fleeing from the scene and praying she wouldn't be ran down. 

Thank you!

Welcome! Was fun. <3

She was delightedly satisfied that her teeth had hit their mark. This time the blood that pooled around her lips was not her own. She felt as rush from this, enhanced more so as the female thrashed frantically against her grip. This was survival. This is what it meant to truly feel alive! Deep in some dark corner of her mind, she imagined this was what it would be like taking out her fury on her insolent brother. A reality that could never be. This would have to do instead, with this pathetic female in his place.

Eventually her thrashing grew too much and Tzila felt her grip loosen. Her teeth slipped free and she spat out a mix of blood and fur. Still bleeding heavily from her nose, she looked up to glimpse the damage she had done unto the other. A nice gash on her neck. A reminder, that she was not a wolf to be screwed with. Not unless you were stupid or weak. She didn't pursue her as she turned and fled. Her aim had never been to kill. Just to enforce her superiority and give out a few new scars. But Tzila had earned some new patch work as well. She turned away and stalked off to nurse her injuries.