Phantom Hollow I hear my people screaming out,

@Saraneth

It was a quiet morning, and Orlaith found herself roaming just a bit of distance from Kaistleoki. Curiosity, to the silent land, where not even a bird could be heard. Fog rolled through, covering her forest-eyes from any sight that cold behold. An eerie place, feeling akin to a graveyard at the night. Even now, she almost felt like the spirits would rise from their slumbers.

Though such a quiet, and desolate place, the wolf could not let that single sound away. Like a deep growl from the depth of the hollow, a shiver was brought down to Orlaith.

And so she froze- careful and wish to step out..

but it heard her.

After saying goodbye to her companion in the newly dubbed Great bear wilderness Saraneth departed swiftly with a lighter step. Some but not all of of the weight she had been carrying was lifted. While there was still a meloncholly sliver in her heart, there was still the bitter pangs of loss and greif. But she would not let that consume her again. 

She had touched on that madness-- it was not something she would like to experience again. The thought of withering away struck a fear in her that ran deep enough to spur the young female into action. It was with this very thought that Saraneth had pressed on. The landscape changing as she traveled and soon enough she had stumbled upon a land of mist. 

The large black female put her nose to the sky but the musty damp scent of autumn did nothing to orient her senses in this strange land. With a weary sigh, she padded over to a series of bushes and sat to rest her tired and recovering paws. Weeks of travel did little for the limbs and she scolded herself for not taking better care of herself. 

Distracted by her wounded paws, Saraneth did not notice the presence of eyes upon her. The foreign scents of the land did not warn her of the dangers lurking in the misty brush until it was too late. With a snap of branches and a thunderous roar a large brown animal charged at the solitary black wolf. 

The shewolf was sent scrabling as she tried to move out of the way of the approaching beast. Her limbs no match for the damp ground and the full weight of the bear slammed into her, knocking her off her feet with a sharp yelp.

The bear did not go after herself, thankfully Orlaith originally thought, however it's attention was caught instead by another wolf who did not notice the beast. She would want to run and flee, but her pride as a guard, as a knight, could not just let an innocent wolf simply be mauled by the bear. With the biggest sigh and reluctance, she charged.

The poor woman seemed have been slammed, and the best she could do was do the same. Riding upon the bears back, a horribly bad idea to say the least, she was desperately hanging onto the loose skin from it's neck, claws trying deep to stay within the thick bundle of fur it produced.

She could only muffle, "Run!"

Saraneth had just managed to regain her footing and scoot out of the way of claws. Disoriented and confused from the hit and tumble Saraneth had lost her bearings. It took her a moment to get her feet moving and when she did she turned to the scene before her. A white and brown figure latch itself to the back of the bear. Causing what appeared to be enough of a distraction for her to get out of the way. 

'Run!'

the voice muffled between the auburn fur of the creature was enough to force the black wolf's feet to move-- but the lone female could not move-- Flashes of her adopted pack screaming as the empire wolves tore through their home. Her mate screaming those same words as he stod between those trained murderers to protect her and their cildren--

No. Today she stood her ground--she could not leave another wolf to this in good conscious. and besides what did she have to lose here? Her life? 

Paws be damned, she still had teeth! 

Digging her claws into the earth, Saraneth snarled at the beast. 

"I cannot simply leave one to their death. If I am to leave-- it will be together with you!" 

Despite the weariness and fatique of travel, Saraneth took the distraction caused by the other would and lunged for the exposed area of the bear

A respect to this stranger, for Orlaith above all else, valued loyalty in comrades. In especially upon the fighting for one's life, she could not help but let out a grin despite the fact, she was now thrown off from the bear's back. Her body slammed into the ground, letting out but a painful welp for the bruising that would surely come around.

She had to pause for a moment, and watched as the woman lunged for the bear. Orlaith struggled to get up, and only hoped in the next seconds she could come to the aid, before the stranger would be hurt.

But the bear looked at her.

The black female let out a sharp snarl, darting in and snapping at the bears legs. Her blows landed close but none pierces flesh. She was unsure where she found the speed but she was thankful that luck had kept her from catching the bear's claws.

This game continued for a new moments before the creatures paw landed a hard blow to her side, the sharp pricks penetrating her left flank just before she hit the ground. Grunting as she rose, Saraneth noticed the bear had changed targets and was looking at the brown wolf who had come to her aid. 

Fear gripped the woman again as she struggled to her paws.

"Hey-- I am your target!" she barked, her tone shrill in hopes of catching the beasts attention. 

This was a losing battle. This creature would not be scared off easily. Saraneth felt her throat seize-- for a moment she couldn't breathe. She was going to have another's blood on her paws once more?

No-- she couldnt bare that!

Quickly she looked around for something-- anything to get the large creatures attention off them but came up empty.  With one final charge she threw herself at the bear, snapping and snarling as she hurled herself between the creature and the struggling wolf. Blood ran from the gash in her leg, and her limbs already shook from the strain of the brief fight. Quickly she turned to her new found comrade.

"When that thing moves-- run. We run together. There is something very wrong with this creature--- Fleeing now is the only way we have a chance of surviving."

She watched the battle unfold, feeling helpless an angered. How could one fight a bear that seemed.. As the other put it, something was wrong. They were far more aggressive then should be, and targeted the two. While Orlaith did attack them so, originally it seemed to fight off toward the other woman.

"I agree, we must flee, now." The other came to the golden knight and said such words as the bear twirled around to look at the two, as if they were dinner itself. A fear, rippled down to her so, but she could not let it overthrow her so. Upwards did her pained, bruised and battered body go, and she moved away from Kaistleoki. 

There was inkling feeling that the bear would chase them. She must flee to the opposite direction alongside the new comrade, who unfortunately was also now a victim.