Blacktail Deer Plateau ghost.exe

When Harps stumbled across a haggard old coyote raiding one of the plateau's caches, the yearling didn't think, she simply acted on her instincts. She crowded him, teeth bared and tail rigidly flung over her back as a guttural growl rumbled in her throat. Rather than flee in the face of her bluff, the desperate creature snarled back, crouching defensively over the stockpile and choking down more of Rusalka's hard-won meat.

Her ears flattened as she looked around as if for backup. But there was no one else there to help, so Harps didn't have any choice. With a high-pitched bark, she leaped at the coyote, teeth snapping at the side of his neck. He whirled quickly, lunging for her own throat with a wild cry of his own. Her teeth didn't even glance him as she felt his fangs puncturing her flesh in turn, squeezing the breath out of her. Harps yelped loudly, somehow shook herself free and sprang clear.

Though his vise-like jaws were no longer clenched around her throat, Harps couldn't catch her breath. She staggered as blood poured from the wound to her jugular. Before she could even process what was happening, Harps slumped to the ground and lost consciousness. She was still twitching when the starved coyote jumped at the chance for fresh meat and began to eat her.

Snarls and grunts drew Raleska to the scene, which by now was something not even she, a wolf of many ghastly sights, had the stomach to envision. A coyote, draped over her fallen packmate. Eating -- eating?

Raleska's eyes flew open in horror, a snarl of fury unleashed from her dark gums. She lunged towards the coyote at a belligerent pace, careless of her own health as she flung herself to Harps' aid, praying against hope she was not as dead as she seemed.

His pace was quick, paws drumming softly against the snow covered groud, cutting through the blanket with a pace that he rarely ever adopted. He had come across the smell too late, it had come so far into Rusalka lands, the further he followed the scent the more the knight found himself blaming none other thanhimself for the creature that now stood where a Rusalkan laid. Eating the now corpse - because there was no way for them to survive much longer if they still had breath in their lungs.

Raleska had already made it onto the scene, lunging at the beast and immediately he joined in on the frey. Pearly white daggers reaching out to grab onto the coyote and should he do so, he would not let go. The thing would not leave his sight, his grip, he'd tear it appart with the help of Raleska if she deemed it so. Even if the thing whipped around and bit into the alabaster man, he would not relent. He'd sacrifice skin and muscle for the death of this beast that slid past his defenses.

horror blossomed in the jezebel, curdling her blood and gripping her already-nauseous gut with a clutch of enraged fear. it had been the sounds of strife that drew her, then harps' sharp cry, piercing the beta's heart. the metallice scent of blood greeted her, and through the slavering, she caught the scent of raleska and rosencrantz. they had leapt toward the beast; the girl's flashing teeth and the guardian's heavy jaws would make short work of the murderer.
she fell to the earth alongside harps, peering into face and dulled eyes, swearing beneath her breath as tears filled her angered gaze. it was not to be like this!

Raleska was filled with a blind fury as she fell upon the coyote, careless of the teeth that punctured her hide. Aware of a packmate and his immense white fur, Raleska continued to tear and tear, blood both her own and her enemy's speckling her thin legs.

They would make short work of this intruder.

Eventually, the smokestorm bloodlust drifted away and Raleska came to, dazed as she glanced from Harp to Erzulie. Harp had not moved, and the Beta's face was whetted by tears. She hung her head in silence, another life taken, another moment a second too late.

They were ruthless and unforgiving. The coyote screamed in pain and fought for the remainder of its life - but it was too late. Suddenly the screeches went silent and the body went limp in his maw, whatever he had of it at least. Stained with his and the coyote's blood, the once white paladin was now stained in brilliant red blotches all over, he turned to see where Raleska was heading.

Erzulie had joined them and immediately went to the fallen packmate's side. He stood for a moment, a moment to mourn the fallen, young, soldier; but he spent no time with her. His ties were shallow, and silently he wandered off after a moment. Not to the borders yet, but to search any trace of other coyotes that might have infiltrated along with this one... he would mourn, at his own pace, in his own way. Leaving the women to do their own thing.

there was no staunching the blood, though the healer attempted it with a grim press of her small paws. dimly she grew aware of raleska near her, hovering in grief.
rosencrantz had gone, and she glanced after him before looking to the bloodied girl standing close at hand. mintglow gaze was grim; erzulie closed her eyes, rocked back upon her haunches, and began to keen a death song for poor gentle harps.

Raleska had only known Harps peripherally, but that didn't mean she didn't care. Another of her packmates had been killed -- now she had been present for not one, but two deaths in her pack. She held her head low, watching as Rosencrantz prowled off.

Her eyes closed. There was just too much lately. Too much of everything. She was so tired, so fucking tired, of dealing with it all. Hate burned in her chest for everyone that had ever caused her or Rusalka any grief -- it smoldered and festered, growing in presence the longer she remained silent with her eyes closed..

A howl filled the air, keening and raw. Raleska turned to Erzulie, her own throat lifted in joining cry. May your soul know peace, Raleska thought bitterly -- while the rest of us are damned to suffer on earth.

their dirge passed, erzulie turned her hardening features with their pallor of tears toward raleska. "we should bury her upon de cliff," she murmured, but it was not a suggestion. the woman stood, breath shuddering a hoarse moment before she began the slow black task of gathering harps up for the journey.

Raleska's jaws shut, the last of their keening howl edging off into the unknown. She glanced back to Harps, nodding -- the cliff would serve as a good place as any to bury her, not that she knew Harps' presence.

How many times now had she buried a packmate? Her stomach bucked and lurched as she reached down to grab Harps' scruff, doing so gently out of habit.. Not that it mattered, she thought bitterly -- not that she would ever feel the sting of teeth again.