Blackfeather Woods I don't remember this dumpster being my subsidiary

He was out once again in the neverending search for food. At least some fauna returned to the wilds, though the cold weather made sure there still wouldn't be much to find. Snow drifted down silently from the clouds, coating everything in a thin white sheet. He expected to smell the pack to the east from here but found that the scent had faded. Unable to resist, he decided this outing would be an extended one to figure out why.

When he arrived at their border, the place appeared to be devoid of lupine life. All the scents were stale, signifying that the pack had fallen. Still, he had no clue why. Black Hat wandered deeper into the woods. Not expecting to find an answer to that question, he shifted his focus back to searching for a meal. There were probably some abandoned caches lying about.

A fox evidently had the same idea, as it was digging one up just ahead of him. He stopped in his tracks and locked onto the fiery orange figure, then began to approach on soft paws. Its back was to him, fully absorbed in its work. He sprung forwards, and the fox whipped its head around before dashing off on nimble legs. But it didn't get far, having let its guard down in the abandoned territory. Black Hat clamped down on its bushy tail, crushing it betwixt his jaws. Though the inferior canid screamed and struggled, it was no match for him. Soon, its cries ceased, and eerie silence overtook the woods once more. Without hesitation, he tore into the carcass and tossed sizable chunks of meat down his gullet.

it could hardly come as a surprise to anyone to find the ghost lingering about her woods, always haunting. it was still so achingly wrong to see them abandoned in such a manner even if she could not find it in her heart to hold any ill will towards maegi over it, her decision had made sense even if it went against her damned heart to admit it. the only meager silver lining would be that as it was now uninhabited she could actually set paw in the woods once more. it was a small victory and not something she'd ever choose over the pack's existence yet nevertheless she would exploit this upside as much as she could. 

she had returned to courtfall previously and spent much of her time amongst those of the vale like she should. it's not as if she'd moved into the woods or anything, she just would grant herself the occasional visit. plus, bertók needed it. the raven had followed her home and although she'd been so guiltily relieved he'd chosen to pick her over the woods; it was clear that he was struggling. this place ultimately belonged to the winged shadows, the wolves had only ever been their guests and it was understandable that the separation from his kingdom was difficult on her companion. so she accompanied him home every...now and then. it was better this way, let him adjust to the sharp mountains slowly. 

inhaling deeply, she slips with a fluid confidence that came truly forward when roaming the familiar trails of home. bertók drifts alongside, lighter too and even slipping forth the occasional caw - they'd become much rarer since their departure. yet...noise, some awful cry that threatened memories on the edge of her vision along with the unmistakable aroma of blood. an instinctive groan lifts from the depths of a shrunken stomach whilst fair hairs bristle. how had she not noticed, too lost in a reverie to notice the unfamiliar wolf lingering tauntingly on the breeze. 

it was like a slap to the face, she'd known wolves would soon strut through the forests like they had any rights to which they actually did but whatever... yet it still came as a pained shock. she moves mindlessly in the direction, shifting through the shadows with the silent grace of the phantoms she so resembled. eventually she sees him, detaching smoothly from the dark; shifting air as they tugged desperately at the edges of her fur until she stood pale in the face of a dark, gangly man. the ravaged form he tore from had evidently been the source of the scream and she regards him with a glacial stare. orbs jet black in the shelter of ancient trees looking down on them. the want to chase him from the forests is so strong she has to nip her own tongue to deny her mind its want to allow hackles to rise and teeth to be bared. no, she does not seek enemies and so watches with a silent indifference until he may speak. not a glance is spared towards his meal so hopefully he does not presume her intentions are to rob him. that was the last of her worries now.

He felt sharp eyes on him, and unlike his prey, he did not let his guard down. The white wraith was easily spotted against the darkness of the woods, and his hackles raised defensively. What do you want? Black Hat snapped. Her behavior was odd, for she showed no interest in his meal, yet she was content to sit there and stare at him. Maybe she was a denizen of this fallen kingdom and found his presence unwelcome, but she had no right to push him out now, and he'd happily tear her throat out if she tried.

this post is so bad sorry lmao

words snap irritably at her in response to her presence and she glares, affronted. of course it was he, random wolf whom did not belong here, who got to be angry; not her who had an actual right to. yet a darkly amused smile then prances upon pale features at an internal comment tainted with such irony one could not laugh at it even if it were bitterly. so of course, she voices it. "must i want something to be here, after all these woods are clearly no longer claimed; anyone has right to linger beneath these trees" a soft snort, already predicting he'd find an easy loop hole and launch something else about her watching him or whatever but the sentence had been more for herself than he really, so in turn she cared little for how he took it. in fact, not in the mood to entertain an already deteriorating conversation with someone so prickly when already she did not trust herself to remain so in control of herself- the ghost is prepared to simply turn and depart when the trees whisper giddily as a breeze pulls through the woods.

a twitch of her noise is quick to be accompanied by a thoughtful frown as she focuses back on him. there was something slightly...familiar about the scent to dance about his form. yet what was it? wrack her brains as she may she comes up with nothing and simply tilts her head in a quick, bird like manner. "there is something vaguely familiar about your scent....where do you come from?" she really couldn't even begin to think of where she might have gotten a whiff of wherver he hailed from and so maybe there is nothing to follow up from this but she supposes there is no harm in asking.

Black Hat turned to face her fully. You must to be gawking at me for so long, He retorted, though his voice had less bite to it than before. The woman's reply was incredibly defensive for such a straightforward question. He considered it supporting evidence for his hypothesis that she was once a resident of these woods. He'd be bitter too if he were in her shoes, but that didn't make her sass any less irritating.

A gust of wind prompted the stranger's nose to twitch, and she basically asked if she knew him. He didn't recognize her, so he furrowed his brow. I hail from a distant land but now take residence in the Haunted Woods, home of the Nightwalkers. I doubt we've met, Black Hat explained. But then the gears started turning in his mind, and he remembered another snow-white wraith from around here. Wasn't she this pack's leader or something? Now that he thought about it, this woman's pelt carried her vaguely familiar scent. That was when it clicked.

Do you by chance know a girl named Hela? She seemed to be the missing link here. He looked to the woman for confirmation.

it relieves her more than she'd like to admit when he grows more neutral in his demeanour, she does not wish to care about the attitude of some stranger yet knows all too well that had she walked away after his initial attitude it would've bothered her for hours on end. not because she'd be hurt or anything, but at the injustice of it all considering where they stood. still, pathetic of her to feel such a way all the same. 

her tail swishes as ears tilt forward with undeniable curiosity when he speaks. no, she didn't believe they'd met either yet something from that sentence did stick out. nightwalkers....where had she?- yet he speaks once more before she can fully assess the scattered memories throughout her mind. hela? that too rang a bell and once more was just out of reach of making sense to her, dammit there was little so frustrating! brows furrow as her frown deepens, if he referred to her as 'girl' it likely meant she were young right, and of course tundra being who she was, had never gone beyond rowan when it came to blackfeather's youth. in fact she'd purposefully avoided them all until the boy had actively sought her out. flicking her tail once more; she offers up a small, somewhat sheepish shake of her head. she had helped lead blackfeather and couldn't even recall the name's of what could have been their potential future. then again, he had never mentioned her hailing from these woods she'd just presumed..."the name doesn't sound completely foreign yet i cannot put a face to it...why?"

and it was just as she uttered that that she suddenly remembered. not who the girl was no, but why the scent of the man and the name nightwalkers had stood out to her because of course - "oh you're one of vengeance's wolves" a brow arches as a bemused smile now graces her features. so he'd gone ahead and successfully brought his little group to life then. of course the scent lingering about them was more varied now yet like vegeance's pungent stench, it retained that of the assassin's they supposedly were. the slight tang of none other than death, and of course it struck memories that went further back too because had tundra not lived amongst and had a scent similar to that before escaping to teekon? well it certainly heightened her interest in the brute as ears leaned instinctively to catch bertók's intrigued caw from a branch although at a safe height; much lower than where the masses of his family always lingered.

He wasn't totally off; she knew Vengeance and was vaguely familiar with Hela. Hela used to live here but chose to stay with Nightwalkers. Perhaps that has something to do with it, Black Hat offered. He knew not of this pack's history nor her involvement with it, and he wasn't dying to be informed. No, her unprompted mention of Vengeance was what caught his attention.

Ah, it's Vengeance you recognize. How do you know him? Her amused smile told him they had a history together. He could use as much information on the warlord as possible, finding him frustratingly difficult to predict. Black Hat grew more wary of the man with each passing day, which was part of the reason why much of his recent contributions to the pack involved him leaving the territory.

'used to live here...' eyes sweep the shadowed trees, broken up by slants of light that broke through in all the more magnificent beams against such dark backdrops, dappling the worn paths in shifting patterns. a soft inhale; oh how blissful is must be to be able to refer to 'here' without such bitter longings. blackfeather had a tendency to sink possessive claws deep into your soul; she often wondered would she be better off had she never let herself reside here.

so she'd been correct on hela once living here, yet she chose to shift allegiance to the nightwalkers? she did wonder why but it was not overly dominant in her mind. for one thing, since hela did not ring any bells and tundra had never shown much of an interest in pups and no one had ever come panicked to her about any hela, and she supposed the nightwalkers held some similarites to blackfeather. yet that thought process breaks off quite abruptly with an uneasy twitch within, no, no they weren't. the nightwalkers had sounded like what she'd come from and she had not chosen blackfeather because it was similar to such horrors...such internal conflicts, being as common as they were, did not reach her impassive surface as she simply shook her head once more. "mm perhaps, well if she's chosen there that is not my concern" simple as that really, she could not chide one for choosing a different path. the appeal of the rush of being a mercenary, the power and euphoria that could come along with it; deep within part of her leans longingly towards the idea of it- begs her to stop suppressing it with such vigor. she ignores it. 

her position shifts slightly as she runs that conversation she'd had with the blood eyed man over in her head. "not that well" she admits "i met him back...gosh when was it, back in the height of summer i'd reckon. we conversed for a while and i must admit he intrigued me, so excited to show off his potential little group of mercenaries" a little smirk plays along blackened lips "i might come congratulate him on his success some time" she muses with a lilting laugh. 

when doll eyes focus back on the man, a spark of rare mischief dares to present itself as her muscles tense a little and ears lean slowly back. "and would you perhaps be willing to show me the level of skill his mercenary's possess?" oh how her blood sings at the possibility of getting to feel that rush, let it sweep the thoughts of such a troublesome mind away and let her become a being of pure instinct.

Fortunately, she was indifferent to Hela's choice, much more so than the mangled woman who had what looked like a deeper connection to the girl. The ghost admitted she was not overly familiar with Vengeance, and her recollection didn't tell him anything he didn't already know about the warlord. Pity. I see. If you want to stroke his ego then go right ahead, but he sure doesn't need it, He said passively, only half-joking.

His brows raised when the stranger asked to spar, not taking her for the type. Looks could be deceiving. With pleasure, Black Hat obliged. Without further ado, he charged for her at a blinding sprint. His goal was to slam into her and clamp down on her throat while she reeled from the impact. It was simple enough approach to start with. Seeing as this was a spar, though, his grip would do no lasting damage.

rolled a 5
hp: 18/20

'with pleasure' 

the effect was more immediate than the world's strongest drug. the moment those words slipped forth betwixt yellowed fangs and reached seeking ears in all their tantalizing glory, her heartbeat began to thrum with a stronger intensity until it was all she could hear. her very being felt electrified as lips tugged upwards at the corners and in one fluid moment she sank into a crouch, muscles bunched and ears safe against her head whilst pearly fangs glinted in a sneered smirk. 

then he charged forth and as if the flustered patter of her heart had been the building ticking of an oncoming bomb, it exploded in true glory as adrenaline surged forth and everything else was gone. it was a vicious bout of energy he led with and although she was prepared for it, she had to give it to him; he was close. so close that despite managing to push nimbly to the side and avoid the full force of his impact; she didn't manage to get all of her body out of the danger zone as his form grazed along her shoulder with a speed that could've cost her her balance had she been less experienced and still brought forth a slight wince. 

yet no time is wasted as the ghost spun in a complete circle on nimble paws and presuming it would take him a moment to gather and retaliate after such a charge; launched right for him as if intending to mimic his exact move only to slacken muscles just enough to drop nimbly and kick towards a hind leg last minute, jaws aiming to lock around the limb and pull in an effort to knock him without damaging the leg too much despite the crying roar building in the back of a slipping mind.

Rolled 2(+1) = 3.
HP: 15/20

Not 100% on her position, I wrote her being behind him to one side. Lmk if I need to edit!

She was ready for him when he came, nimbly dodging out of the way and narrowly avoiding a total loss of balance. Now, he was not where he meant to be and had to halt his inertia, giving the nameless woman an opportunity to strike. Mirroring him, she charged, and his muscles tensed to brace for impact. He snapped at her face when it was near, but she dipped at the last second to snatch a hind leg instead. Oh, she was good. Black Hat's heart raced, pounding like a war drum against his sternum.

She tugged, and while able to narrowly retain his footing, he couldn't reach her from here. After a moment's consideration and seeing no better option, he dropped onto his side, mindful of her grip so he didn't end up breaking his own leg. It was a calculated move, as he predicted her to target a more vital area. Should he presume correctly, he'd tuck his chin and deflect her teeth with his own. His gums would sting and bleed, but he'd take it over wherever she wanted to bite him. If successful thus far and she pulled back, he'd use that window to roll onto his stomach and strike like a lurking gator, crocodilian teeth aimed just beneath her chin.

rolled a 3
hp: 15/20
all good! if these low rolls continue it's just gonna be a lot of them almost hitting each other lmao

he was good.

they appeared to be skillfully matched, twisting in this elegant dance of seeking jaws yet neither managing to truly break free from the rhythm and make the hit they sought. he did fall but tundra knew it was by his own choice rather than her success, the limb tearing from her jaws and leaving only the telltale signs of black tufts of rugged fur peeking betwixt visible pearly fangs. a quick lash of a feathery tail as the woman hugged the earth; muscles bunched and lips peeled as he moved with practiced speed to take on a defensive position just as she considered making a move. hissing lightly, dark eyes flick quickly across his body just as he shifted to gather paws and launch forward with the precision of a striking snake. 

adrenaline and positioning is on her side as she kicks forward off of strong hindlegs to meet his attack, veering lightly to the side to sacrifice her shoulder to his oncoming jaws with the hope that the muscle could hit with a jarring enough affect to avoid him latching on. all the while seeking to grant her own wicked teeth the satisfaction of making contact with the side of his neck and if not, perhaps a shoulder would do. euphoria continues to bubble in her chest with each panted growl, paws buzzing with drunken giddiness as the trees whispered and shifted above.

Roll: 3+1 = 4
HP: 12/20

iconic

A lesser wolf would've been right fucked in his position, but with his combat prowess and cunning, Black Hat was able to turn this grim situation around. He wasn't out of the woods yet, though. The woman made her move when he did, veering out of the way so that his teeth met her shoulder instead. Her body was still in motion, making it difficult to find good purchase there. When he pulled back, he felt teeth sink into the base of his neck, eliciting a reptilian rumble.

Regaining his footing, Black Hat returned the favor, assuming she had no intentions of letting go. He shoved with his entire body as his head thrashed to try and dig his fangs deeper, to dish out more pain that he received, to overwhelm her. He snarled into her pelt, a crazed look in his eye as he lost himself.

rolled a 7
hp: 11/20

oh sweet days finally some contact! the satisfaction to rumble throughout her body the moment his hiss strokes velvety ears is imminent and it takes a great deal of slipping self control to remember this is a spar. like a drunkard tempted with alcohol, the moment that metallic tang falls upon her tongue as fangs prick lightly at his skin almost drives her into a crazed stupor. yet, key word- almost. although not lessening her hold in the slightest- jaws grip with a careful intensity. yet as if one were trying desperately to hold water in bare hands; helpless to stop the liquid pooling free betwixt curved fingers, the sense of control becomes a hazy reality the moment he assaults her shoulder. 

bubbling from the deep confines of her chest, a growl springs forth to seep about his rugged pelt- intensifying only to be lost admist his own feral snarls. the true power of being a wolf, the top predator- an ecstatic shiver danced up her spine at the power to wring itself about tight muscles as she pushed back, jaws tightening so that more liquid was set free to stain the purity of pale jaws. then- she lets go, yet not out of submission but to shift targets. the pain in her shoulder roars like a fire yet already the equal strength of hot, flaming adrenaline engulfs it so that she can focus enough to shift her head when he was distracted with ravaging her own limb to find purchase further up his neck. she couldn't quite twist enough in this position to reach his throat yet no matter, the side of ones neck was still quite a delicate area and so she was confident that upon letting fangs tear through delicate skin and threaten to tighten, her shoulder would lose it's primary importance to the assassin.

Roll: 7+1 = 8
HP: 5/10

Sanity was quickly slipping from them both as they lost themselves in blood and adrenaline. Pain and pleasure occupied two sides of a paper-thin coin. His teeth in her, hers in him; both were rapturous, addictive. Maddening. This needed to wrap up soon before they tore each other asunder, forgetting this was meant to be but a spar.

When she let go, he mirrored her, also desiring a better hold to secure his victory. Predicting her to aim for his neck, Black Hat lunged to intercept the attack by grabbing her muzzle. He'd shake them both to disorient her and toss the woman's head aside if this came to fruition. This would leave her wide open for further attack: the finisher he so desperately sought.

rolled a 1 /cries
hp: 3/20

an enraged hiss seeps forth at not only the dissatisfaction of jaws snapping on twisting, empty air but the speed in which he spun and latched onto her muzzle like a striking viper. ears pin as growls rumble forth like nefarious thunder whilst she prepares to tear back no matter the cost suffered by winsome features. however before the movement can be made the shadowed phantom lets loose a juddering shake before releasing her and it takes the valitúrë a lot more effort than she'd wish to stop herself from stumbling as muscles tensed to press paws hard against the spongy earth. 

had this been months previous; she would have let serpentine dances spin her back to dart with conniving intentions around her target. a tenebrous gaze would've glinted; hollow, aloof despite the heat of the battle stroking sweet energy throughout her vessel, her weapon. but things had changed and much like the drunk, the drug addict; her need to sink into the fight made her a little less methodical and whilst still a formidable fighter, her hazed charge forward contains less tactic and more passion. if she does reach him it's in preparation to simply let jaws latch upon whatever they wish but she'll probably miss unless sparx is as unlucky w this roll lmao

super duper late, but bh wins! gg tundra ♥ quick poopoo post to get thru this.

He was quicker than the disoriented ghost. While she stumbled, he crashed into her in an attempt to knock her to the ground, teeth in her neck. If successful, he'd end up on top both literally and figuratively. And he'd only let go if she conceded. Presuming she had enough sense to do so, he'd say, Good fight. through panting breaths. Then, he'd back up and allow her to stand before inquiring, What is your name? I am Black Hat.

sorry for the huge wait! i hope you don't mind me archiving it here just to have it done, let me know if you want it opened again for another reply c:

well shit. frustration hisses forth betwixt clenched jaws at the jarring contact and then just like that the ground rushed up to meet her, a leering wall of failure as jaws met the tender skin of her throat and she was rendered helpless against the firm earth. shadowed eyes trailed slowly across the man, wry smile tugging at dark lips as she let her body fall lax and waited for him to be nice enough as to remove curved fangs from their purchase on her skin. for a few moments she just lay there, eyes fixed distantly on the familiar sway of raven laden branches as her heart thudded hard against her chest and instinctive pants were all that kept her vessel running after such exertion. but fuck did she feel good, the adrenaline hadn't completely betrayed her yet and as she rolled onto her stomach to push to a stand once more; limbs still buzzed with faux energy. "indeed, i was not disappointed" it's returned smoothly as her feathery tail swayed slowly at her haunches, eyes dancing giddily across his shadowed form. black hat. amusement flickers dully amongst nefarious orbs as she opts to display a jestful bow of sorts "well black hat i can confidently say you did indeed prove to me that vengeance has managed to gather at least some truly formidable mercenaries, i'd love a rematch sometime if you ever fancy crossing the mountains; i'm tundra." 

jaws widen to free a salmon tongue as she yawns, leisurely stretching out limbs that were beginning to feel the first of many aches at the sudden lack of movement. couldn't have that with a whole hike still ahead of her. "well give my regards to vengeance" she'd finally hum and with a flick of her tail, slip back into the shadows that rose so greedily to greet her.