Emberwood Piper of Hamelin

@Awol 

Sarah patrolled the borders. It was a routine and sometimes a bit boring job that the grizzled she-wolf found joy in. Her wounds had healed and fever had killed the infection, but it was a long way for her to return to full health. If that was ever going to happen at all. But she found that philosophy" it does not matter, how much I do, but that I can do it at all" helped her very much.

There were no enemies to fend off, therefore guarding was fairly easy. With every passing day the distance she could cover without losing her breath got longer and every such small victory boosted her confidence. And today there was no longer the slumped and withdrawn-looking figure meandering around, but a she-wolf, who walked in a brisk pace and with a proud look in her eyes. First success had fuelled passion.

tagging for reference!

Winter's time had properly settled into the marrow of every living things' bone;
while patrolling the borders of his pack, rubbing his musky scents amng trees, lacing his dominance over this province. He worried if his alpha — @Ibis, would take proper offense. Quickly that feeling was shook along with his others, not properly voiced and encaptured in his cold and broken heart. 

Oh — how his feelings tortured him so. Unease encourgaged his rancid tongue and wrecked body, while ire and depression clouded his days with misery and no sense of belonging.

Why should he endure these things?
Life held no mercy, none! The joy it would be — to be impoverished of feeling!

O'er undergrowth and tree, did he spot the wonted woman, in a moment of pride? How long has he yearned for that feeling? Can it not be his? Remembrance struck him with the spar the woman had proposed. "Lady Sarah, now. Now I wish fight you." The taste of victory would soothe him for another day or so, pride would be his alone in this wood. 

Sarah had not forgotten her deal with Awol. The young man had already taken up the job seriously, his smell was thick along the borders, as if he was the king of the place already. Though in quite a pragmatic way that was not impossible. Ibis would be in full bloom this spring and the boy showed promise. He was young, strong and probably very eager, when the right time came. If the old grizzled woman still believed that she had a heart, her old maidenly self would feel a little smitten herself.

But it was good that the aspiring guardian approached her with practical matters in mind. He proposed a spar here and now and, while Sarah was not against it as such, it did seem a little unfair venture. She had just left the sick-bed and he was the definition of health and energy. It would not take him much to win, but she did not wish to him swell with pride for beating a woman in a fight. "Such propositions are usually begun with a proper greeting," she pointed out with a crooked grin. "But let's spar. Let's see, how good are you and how bad I have got."

I started a tabletop dice-roll fight for us - https://wolf-rpg.com/showthread.php?tid=38192&pid=405351#pid405351

sry for the short post, a bit busy ;; he scored 15 damage btw

The male chuckled at the woman's crooked yet elated countenance and took the liberty upon himself to make the first move. He daringly dove towards her chest for a hefty headbutt that would knock her and the air out of her breast. Awol does not bother to prepare a defensive stance, he was quite confident in the outcome of the duel.

But dice-gods were merciful for Sarah that day (that had not happened in the previous two fights she had had) and, even though the burly guy managed to shove her (which considering their difference in sizes and build - one big and muscular, the other lean and light - was a very likely outcome) and she stumbled a bit, the hag got her footing back quickly and met him with a counter-attack. A snap at his face and, if lucky - by grabbing the fur directly below his lower jaw, thus not allowing him to turn his head and do any succesful attacks in the future.

What a smart woman she was! She held him in a position where attacks would perhaps be less than sucessfull. Perhaps, for any other common wolf.

Awol used his force and a bold jump shoo away her concentration adn footing, and snapped up and random spot of flesh he could find, careful not to punture Sarah and draw blood.

Sarah soon realized that despite her wise move she did not belong to the right weight class to keep her hold for long. Awol was big, sturdy, strong and youthful, whereas she was as light-weight as a withered leaf in autumn. He pushed against her, after some resistance she was forced to let go and in that moment, where her mind was readjusting the battle-tactics and she did not have yet a plan for the next move, her opponent got an upper hand. His teeth grazed the side of her face - in itself it would have been not a big deal - but it hit a tender and still healing spot at the base of her ear. Sharp pain coursed through her body and she recoiled with an angry snarl.

The ashen bastard prince laughed in suprise and cheekiness of the woman's reaction. He did not mean to aim for such a soft spot, at least he knew hot to draw out her nerves. Apologies could wait until after the spar. As guttaral sounds left his sliver tongue, the fallen angel only nipped the woman's ear once more to see what inflamed fury she would grant him next.

Sarah's opponent had not taken her warning seriously, thinking it as a display of clever tactics and not true pain. The grizzled woman growled at him menacingly, snapped in his direction and leaned down to grab one of his forepaws, which were quite unguarded, while their owner was focussing on her head.

The failed prince yelped in slight pain and surprise when the grizzled mercenary took a stiff hold on one of his forepaws. He hissed in retaliation and let go of his weight, forcing the entiriy of his mass on her, pinning her down. He launched rapidly for her any availble part of her neck.

Even experienced wolves make mistakes, Sarah did so by focussing on one part of the opponent, completely forgetting that there was a huge mass attached to it. In a matter of seconds their roles had changed - her lean and bony form pinned firmly unter the weight of victorious Awol. She growled and tried to squirm her way out under from him, but to no awail. The man got hold of the fur on her nape and thus their spar was effectively over. "Okay, you have won this round, but now - please - get up. I am not ready to die yet," she informed him, wincing slightly.

The ashen prince, no, victor; almost didn't hear the pitiful woman squirming, proving her efforts futile. "Kill you? I wasn't trying to kill you," he huffed in exasperation as he let his mass slwly rise in the face of gravity. It was invigorating, the feel of triumph over Sarah, it almost scared him. Perhaps she should thank the gods she wasn't a member of another pack, or a traitor. 

Sarah was going to be grateful for not being either a traitor or an enemy another time, now she happy to be able to breathe freely again, when the guy finally rolled off her and let her rise. She felt the same relief Winnie the Pooh felt, when he was released from the trap that rabbit-hole had been.

She sneaked a peek at the super-smug face of the young man and decided that she was in no mood to continue being his toe-rag. Another day. "Okay, chap," she told him, "I am going to find something to eat and heal my broken ribs." With another glance, she hobbled away, wincing at the sore spots and wondering, how many internal organs Awol had crushed inside her.

Last from me. Thanks!