Broken Antler Fen this feeling’s dancing in my flames.

It hadn’t been easy deciding once again to leave home. Eshe was certain it wouldn’t be a forever thing, but she also wasn’t making any promises to herself. The young Frostfur just wanted to feel free to see what life might have in store for her. Expectations and obligations were things she was determined to keep at bay.

Plus, her brother had made some excellent arguments in favor of their departure, and who was she to argue with the guy? So, it was with their parents blessing that she and Tiarnach had made their way here--back to the Wilds where they'd first entered the world.

Tiar wasn't with her now as she walked. They traveled together, but constant companionship was not a requirement of their arrangement. The air seemed colder here than it had been back home. Eshe wondered at this as she trotted across the landscape, contemplating if it was because she was further North or if the elevation here was different. The thought had distracted her for a while, but then another distraction in the form of a loud, cracking sound had her freezing in place.

Her ears perked and swiveled as she listened, frowning slightly for a moment before her brain processed the sound and she smiled. Excitement lifting her steps, she turned and trotted off again, following the sound.

Low to the ground, the rogue creeps through the grass in hopes of remaining hidden.  She's practicing her sneaking skills.  Banshee has aspirations of becoming an even greater force to be reckoned with, which is why she's even bothering at all.  There's part of her that is ambitious -- perhaps not in the same sense as other wolves, but she has the drive to prove that she's as good as she boasts.

She's careful with her steps, though her eyes remain on the distant white shape.  Banshee doesn't know this wolf from the first of their kind, and that's precisely the point.  They're just a test for her.  She's following behind the yearling, keeping downwind and with enough distance so that hopefully she bolsters her chances of remaining undetected.  When the moment is right, maybe she'll try to scare the fur off her target.

With her attention so focused on the sound she was following, Eshe overlooked any clues that might've given her the hint that she was being followed. She was happily oblivious as she cantered across the dried grasses and remained so as she slow to a stop a few minutes later at the crest of a ridge that dropped at her paws and swept out into a wide clearing ahead. It was there that she spotted what she'd been looking for.

The herd was decently sized for their species, though not the largest Eshe had ever seen. There were only about four does to be fought over by the two stags that were circling each other and stamping their hooves. Eshe smiled and slipped down onto her belly to watch the show, silently wondering if Tiarnach might be wandering back soon so she could have someone to place bets with. Her money was on the older stag, though the younger seemed to be fit enough. She was banking on that giving it too much confidence, though.

The small coy-wolf follows after the stranger as silently as she can.  She's curious to see what's got this wolf's attention because as far as Banshee can tell, her target has no idea she's being followed.  Stupid, she thinks to herself.  She's always so quick to judge and insult.  It doesn't matter that she knows nothing about this individual.  In her eyes, everyone was beneath her, even when they prove themselves otherwise.  Arrogance fuels her, just as it does now.

Keeping her distance still, she lets Eshe lead.  It becomes apparent relatively soon what's got her attention:  deer ... again.  Banshee's having déjà vu.  Her meeting with Bronco (no, Sparkles) comes to mind.  During that encounter, she hadn't been aware of the other wolf.  This time, her prey is in plain sight.  An idea begins to form in Banshee's (likely smaller than) average brain.  She won't chase the deer this time.  She'll chase the wolf. She bunches up her haunches, butt wiggling.  Her mismatched eyes are set firmly on Eshe, and she steadies her breathing.  In her head, she starts to count down: three, two...

On 'one,' she darts forward and leaps.  In a surprisingly fluid motion, she tries to snatch the other wolf by her scruff before throwing her own full weight to the left.  She hopes to take them both to the ground.  A muffled, "Got you!" barely escapes her clamped jaws, regardless of her success.

Eshe felt a thrill of excitement as the stags suddenly lunged at each other. Their antlers connected with a crack that made her wince, though her smile never wavered. It amazed her how they could attack each other like this without hurting their own heads, though she imagined their necks had to hurt an awful lot while they swung their heads back and forth with their antlers entangled like tree branches in the wind.

They separated after a moment and stepped back. This attack was faster, the young stag bucking high and then driving its antlers toward the other. Eshe crawled forward a little more, but she never got to see what happened to the stag as she was suddenly slammed into from the side. She rolled under the weight of her attacker, instinctively kicking out with her legs to drive it away and crying out with a "What the shit!!" She was too startled and reeling to even see who it was or truly comprehend what was happening, but she fought to scramble away.

Adrenaline courses through Banshee like an illicit drug.  She's at her happiest when she's sowing chaos.  The fact that she's found a total stranger to mess with?  It may as well be like snorting cocaine for her.  Her target's reaction to her attack sees that Banshee's belly is thoroughly pummeled by the other wolf's kicking legs.  It doesn't feel great, but it's par for the course.  She gives another wicked witch cackle and rolls off to the side and, eventually, back onto her feet.

"You should've seen your face!" she crows. "I got you good. You didn't even know I was there!" Banshee's singing her own praises, keen to reward her bad behavior with instant gratification. "You should pay more attention. What if I wanted to kill you? You'd be dead." She's all bark and little bite, but this unknown wolf doesn't need to know that.  All they know is that an unhinged stranger randomly plowed into them.

The attack was brief. Just as soon as Eshe grasped hold of where and what her attacker was, the woman had disengaged and was standing a few feet away, laughing at her. Eshe rolled away and scrambled onto all fours, spinning to stare at the stranger. Her expression was pure shock and confusion for she felt too much of both to even be angry. At least, at first. Annoyance trickled in first, followed swiftly by anger the longer the other woman spoke.

"The hell..." Eshe said quietly, incredulous. What was up with this bitch? "What is wrong with you? Who just up and attacks someone for no reason?" Eshe asked, louder this time. It certainly wasn't something that had ever happened to her before, nor was it something she'd ever felt the least bit inclined to do to someone else. Her father had taught her how to defend herself, but she remained a passive, non-violent creature, so this whole incident was just... bizarre.

Banshee loved when she pissed someone off and judging by this wolf's reaction, she'd done just that.  A Cheshire's grin stretched across her scarred muzzle as she regarded her former target.  She wore her outrage in plain sight, which only served to stroke Banshee's ego more. "Me," she answered her without hesitation when pressed about what sort of wolf would do such a thing. "Whaddaya gonna do about it, sweetheart?" She egged Eshe on, hoping to provoke even more violence. "You gonna go home and cry to Daddy about it?" Her tail swished back and forth behind her, arcing high over her back in a show of blatant disrespect and dominance.

The stranger clearly had no remorse for her actions. She seemed merely amused, as though Eshe's anger was what drove her. What a bizarre woman. Eshe for her part merely straightened and continued to glare. She wasn't about to let herself be goaded into a fight, regardless of the other wolf's taunts.

"I'm not going to fight you, if that's what you're after," Eshe replied, "Unlike some, I have no taste for pointless violence." She kept still for a moment, wondering what the other woman would do with that. She was well aware that she might not be given the choice--she didn't see this strange creature just letting her walk away.

So, that was it, huh? All bark and no bite? Banshee shook out her raised hackles and eyes the stranger with open judgment. "You think you're better 'cause you don't start shit?" she jeered, leaning forward onto to her toes. It was always these good wolves who refused to give in to their more carnal nature. She rolled her eyes and clacked her teeth together. "Aren't you big and brave!" the small beast brayed obnoxiously, striding forward so that she could try to be nose to nose with Eshe. "You smell like a pack wolf. What if I just followed you home? Asked your owner if they'll fight me for you?" No doubt, Banshee had a warped view of what pack life was. She just assumed all pack wolves were shackled to their Alphas like a bunch of sorry lapdogs.

Eshe quirked a brow, scoffing at the girl now. "I know I'm better, and for a great many reasons," she growled, shifting her paws to take her back and away just a few inches. It was futile--the woman was striding forward a moment later. Eshe tensed, her lips twitching into a snarl. The stranger was apparently far stupider than she looked. Eshe had no pack, and what world did this creature come from where a pack treated its wolves as property to be fought over and stolen?

She didn't reply to the threat. Without preamble, she sprang off to her right, running as quickly as she could straight for the herd of deer. They parted, trying to get out of her way. She twisted into them, sending them scattering and making it much harder for the crazy wolf to pursue her, giving Eshe her chance to escape.