Moonspear smells blood

i live in a perpetual state of vague about certain things but

She was ravenous. As soon as she felled the rabbit that made the grave mistake of crossing her path this eve, she set to ripping it up and apart. Messier than her normal (since it was a juicy one anyway), quick though, she devoured her favorite pieces of organs then flesh. In her wake, the fresh snow was stained, and she swiped her tongue over her lips. She still felt a prickle run down the back of her neck, and hunger wasn't the lone root of this deepened frustration.

A steadily simmering ire had been sticking to her for so long. Constantly irritated, by this and that and whatever else when the wretches of the world continually deemed it fit to even be a blip on her radar, she had felt this grow beyond a grief-filled annoyance more so than ever before. First Galaxy with a Redhawk involvement, then Vela and a Blackfeather.. and Korei with circumstances entirely unknown, she had about zero tolerance for anything not already previously within her scope of good graces in these cold winter days.

Add on to this: all week she had watched the moon grow—quickly, and considerably too, which she was sure to notice. An approaching supermoon, perhaps, but she did not yet know what else it would have for her to behold by the time it reached culmination.

The dark alpha had savaged the rabbit for all it was worth by now. Little more than the torn skin was left, complete with a few scraps and dangling bits of bloodied bone. Without much else of use to be done with it, she grabbed it roughly and swung her head. She whipped it back and forth, evidently intent on shredding this rabbit down to a bloody, fluffy confetti before she resumed business with something far more serious. 

terance hadn't meant to come across his alphess. he was much less acquainted with her than he was her daughters or even her husband-- though he held just as much respect for her as he did for charon. they typically didn't cross paths, so he was surprised to see her on the slopes-- he wasn't sure what was so different about today. he noted her destroying what he thought might've been a rabbit, but it was so bloodied and mangled that he really couldn't tell. there was something about the whole situation-- something terance couldn't quite put a paw on... but he regarded it as a mere tension from all the events of the prior days. 

was she angry? he couldn't tell. he waited until she looked like she was done destroying, and then piped up, letting out a quick greeting bark, nose twitching. try something light. "good meal?" he asked with a small smile, noting his posture to make sure it was respectful before taking a curious step towards her, muscles tensed as a paw hung in midair, waiting to see if she cared for his presence or if he needed to leave her to do some more destruction.

She liked the distraction, the blood in her nose and in motion, she couldn't complain about a good little stretch to vent the frustration. The rabbit tattered more with the whip of her neck, and what was left, hung slack in her jaws when she stopped long enough to notice Terance's approach. A mischievous ridge of fur started to rise along the backs of her shoulders and her tail was arced tall, but nothing else outright hostile on her suggested he shoo from her sights yet. She was curious of him. If he was used to being around her menacing daughters, it wasn't so different--and at least there was only one of her.

Easing back, she dropped the leftovers and panted softly. "Yeah. Not bad," she answered with a short-lived smirk. She appreciated the painted snow with a slow, subtly appraising nod, then refocused back onto Terance. "Pretty satisfying," she said, reaching to give the skin one small little shake before dropping it again. She'd recommend it. More so than the endless patrols, and the steady stream of bad news trickling in from elsewhere. All she could do to keep at ease was keep her loved ones close, and guard these packlands for them all. But--ripping up a rabbit skin carried none of that heaviness behind it. She could just shred and eat and enjoy the simple pointless things before everything was all business again. On that thought: "I know you keep busy here," she began, eyeing him. Between with Rannoch, and Hydra, and the others.. Amekaze knew that Dante's son had integrated pretty well into their mountainside lot here. "How are things on your watch?" she gestured down, out, and knew he was a little unsure of how best to gauge Terance on a relatively-amicable level--especially when she was so keyed up and distant.

terance eyed the shredded meat curiously, his nose twitching as his green eyes scanned the carnage. truthfully, he didn't believe that amekaze had eaten any of it at all-- looked like she just threw it all over the place, but he wasn't going to bring that up to her, it didn't seem important. his tail wagged at her response, however, mirroring her smirk easily since it happened to be his most average facial expression. 

and then she asked a question. the yearling's ears pricked, a little bit of thought settling into his expression. "they're okay... ran and i typically take morning patrols, they're quiet and without much disturbance," he reported to her after a moment of pondering, "we did take out a pair of coyotes the other day-- they're probably still in one of the eastern caches." well, one of them was, he and rannoch had shared one for lunch immediately after. he wanted to ask how she was doing-- all things considered-- but couldn't decide if that was rude or... or disrespectful? he wasn't sure. he left it at that.

He had her undivided attention, and she was listening to his answers (not finding herself very surprised, having suspected a closeness to Rannoch considering some scents) but still, she could feel herself hunting for reasons to be distracted. Her mind wanted to go in a thought places at once--satisfied by seeking anything at all. As for the coyotes they had handled, she scoffed gently although she was happy his review sounded good. "Good riddance, then," she said, tail waving with satisfaction. At once, she was grateful for capable guardians doing what had to be done and for their continued plenty when it came to food stores over winter. Since it was of a similar enough train of though, she decided to mention: "Jarilo and I have scented a few more foxes starting to get bold lately.." she said, then shook her head. "But no grabs.. just yet," because so far, they had evaded them and a piece of her was hoping to set the aspiring mercenary up for a good takedown--if Jarilo got lucky enough--instead of her outright hunting them down and scattering them across the snow like this poor rabbit.

Which, thinking of her wily son, and eyeing Terance a little more hotly than she might have intended to, she felt a mild distaste at the reoccurring reminder than her youngest litter was still so vulnerable in these shaky, strange times. That, and she was still extra protective of them but encouraging them to spread their horizons all at once for a lovely little contradicting situation she had decided to undertake.

It did occur to her that he may never exactly know it, mainly because she did not have plans to grow overly close to the yearling, but she trusted him above most--and even nearer to the echelons of those she had bore herself. He had proven himself time and time again as evidenced by the scars he wore (because she was looking at them) that he would fight fiercely for Moonspear, and by that very extension, her family, her.

She couldn't place it exactly and instead wrote it off as approval, touched with a sentimental hint of fondness because life on the mountain among her family and a bit of his with Wraen hadn't sent him running off, or dead, yet. Anyway, the point that hung on her mind thanks to all of that was why she trusted him to help protect the rest of her unluckiest litter. "He and Vela want to be warriors, and I want to expose them to mercenary duty in the meantime. If you see them around, keep an eye out.. with everything going on.. I know you know what you are doing," she smirked, tail giving a mischievous wave to contrast the tone she spoke on with.

all of a sudden there was a lot going on. amekaze was speaking in a very kind but serious tone, something she'd always done in terance's mind. she was his alphess, proud and responsible and professional, and so her tone often mimicked that. but she had this gaze that terance just couldn't shake from his mind-- even when she'd look away. he'd seen the look before, but it was so wildly contrasting with the words she was saying to him-- he just couldn't place what was going on. "i'll keep an eye out," he said with a wave of his tail, throat feeling very dry all of a sudden.

her gaze moved down him, and he could feel that she was staring at his shoulder-- which had an X etched across it. and his chin and neck held some stories as well, so there was plenty to see no matter where she looked. she didn't directly reference it... so terance didn't quite understand why she was looking him over, and instead just shifted in his spot, shoulders rolling as he awaited her appraisal... which never came.

"i can give them some lessons, or something, if you'd like," terance offered, clearing his throat as she did a quick little wave of her tail. it was something terance didn't feel comfortable saying-- for a few reasons. he tried not to think about it. "has hydra been helping them out?" he asked, but he and hydra were close as could be... he already knew the answer.

It was never in her nature to make it all too easy to tell what she was thinking. She operated between the lines, subtleties key and she knew she spoke in ways that others could easily find obscure--especially in these days with so much awry, and a drifting dissonance looking to loom upon her and complicate the situation. Her hold felt shaky enough as it was, wanting to slip and making her think to her speckled mate.. who did help keep her head here and reminded of this everything at their paws here and now.

What she offered aloud was only a piece, however, and she accepted that it was that way; years had made it so. To her, it was clear, however, and her gratitude towards Terance ran awfully deep. She hoped he could sense it too. "Thanks," she said, first of all. Likely he would have kept an eye on them anyway. She just felt better with the confirmation, especially with how shaky things could be one moment to the next. "I appreciate it," she added on. It was never a dull moment around these wilds lately and she trusted none of it.

Still, he committed to her guard and offered more. Towards this, she was not about to deny the opportunity for the pups, but not looking to burden him unwanted if teaching the inexperienced was not his forte; she understood how it was with the young ones, so many questions and having to keep an extra eye on them just because of how new at certain things they were still. At Terance's age, she had only ever seen to her own siblings in that manner, and even sometimes now, her patience could be awfully short with them on certain days. "If you would like to make it like lessons, feel free to take your pick. Jarilo has more experience than Vela does. She only just picked this interest up recently," she veiled her warning simply, and conversationally enough for her standards. "Hydra has. A variety of perspectives would be good for them, I think." It certainly couldn't hurt, she believed.

terance nodded. it was his job as a subordinate to do stuff like that, after all, she truthfully didn't need to thank him. but he didn't voice that, since it was nice to get a little bit of verbal confirmation every now and then. good ego booster, even if it was something dumb and simple like this.

"well maybe i can work with vela on the basics then, sounds like maybe she could use the extra help," he shared thoughtfully, offering a playful smile at the lighthearted joke. "i could ask rannoch too-- he's all about coaching, bet he'd be a good extra perspective for training too," he added, not being able to help tossing his friend into the mix. besides, this was right up ran's ally anyway.

She picked a slow, but steady rhythm with her waving tail. "I agree," he said, trusting her last pale daughter with him well enough to wholly appreciate it, and not pick apart all the ways it could go wrong for her like it had for Galaxy. Ame chose instead to believe in her and help her get strong, self-assured, and well-rooted upon this mountain so that instead, nothing could take her from them so easily. She worried less for Jarilo. He'd probably bite and ruckus his way out of anything short of death; Ame had never gone easy on him, so he knew to expect nothing less even if he wasn't always the brightest. Vela came at this from a different angle. Fierce, sure, but more maybe a bit sheltered by her father's fondness for her.

But she was happy to hear Terance could pass along any sentiment as well to the grayscale coach. He had always been eager to help out the little ones and had tolerated her son well so far too. "I know Jarilo is fond of bothering Rannoch already," she nodded, in clear support of it. Maybe Vela could come to benefit similarly as well, somehow, if not from Terance, Rannoch too.

But that was all for times to come. Right here, right now, her focus was so quick to jump, but hungry to be everywhere at once. She felt it prickling at her skin (which she felt inclined to jump right out of if given the chance--this antsy shit did not please her much) and glanced back down to the remaining shreds of her rabbit. "You know, there is still a little left to shred," she smirked, and picked it back to shake the slack of it his way in invitation--grab it, tug it back, she didn't care, and just wanted to move and swing her teeth around a bit.

If he didn't want to take the chance, then fine too. She had little shortage of wolves to go playfully maul if not.

((with everything chaos like it is, if you want to fade this out or continue i don't mind either way but always omg terance <3))