Stavanger Bay I have no home; I make awareness my dwelling.

He was not aware of the extra body coming to the aid of the woman until it was racing about, and it's teeth snapped at him in an effort to distract or dissuade. The beast had no intention of ending the life of anyone on that beach without probable cause (as unlikely as that seemed from the current state of things); yet with each snap of teeth upon his scruff or bludgeon of the pale body against Tetsubo's own, he tightened his grip little by little. He knew how to play this situation to his own advantage.

This stranger had arrived to defend the woman. If the woman was important, then cutting off her air was detrimental to both her wellfare and the stranger's pursuits. 

A low rumble emanated from the back of his throat though — a frustrated warning — but he did not move from his position above the woman. The beast could take the blows for as long as necessary; he had gone from being an unstoppable force in retaliation to the wolf pinned to the sand, and become an immovable object in the next few moments, biding his time for when the assault would cease. If it did not, then the woman's death could be blamed upon this new arrival upon the beach.

Except that, as the stranger attempted to intercept, behind the scent of the woman's blood Tetsubo thought he could discern the saline notes of Cairn again. This gave him a moment of indecision that felt like it lasted years. The beast was not accustomed to this sensation. There was no way to confirm the scent without extricating himself from this situation and a part of him was loath to do so, hungry as it was for bloodshed. 

In the end, the interloper won. Tetsubo released his grip on the woman and drew back, the gutteral sound of his warning finally taking shape without the body to block his voice. He turns sharply to regard the defensive creature but sees no resemblance to his master, save for that lingering scent. Was this who he had been seeking the past months?

Where is the Cairn? He bellowed as he took a lurching few steps towards Nox. You will take me to it, or I will destroy you and bring glory to my master. His teeth set in a grimace then, and he fixed his citrine gaze upon the wolf as they shifted across the sand, eager to see what choice would be made.
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