Sawtooth Spire Mollusus

The wolves of the Spire are still fresh in comparison to the predators that have lived here long before them. From the side they have watched, knowing they were little match against a pack. Even still, the prospect of young, vulnerable Cubs was too good to resist. In the dead of night, a relatively large familial unit of coyotes launch their attack on the whelping dead. They are a band of seven, with four adults and three seasoned adolescents.  

Impromptu packtivity! Will post back in 2 days, or else as soon as everyone responds. Puppies need not participate and may be skipped if they do. @Iqniq is already on the scene! @Nanuk @Echelon @Tatsuya @Wicked babies can naturally join in here!

 

It was only a matter of time. 

Those that had dwelt here before them knew the lay of the land and what they were up against enough to keep out of sight and thus remained alive–until now. From the shadows they observed. The minute the lead bitch gave birth, they had known it. But there was no other scent to betray it, and had only known due to being former residents. Still they kept out of the way and hidden. 

But now was the time to strike. The Cubs were still deaf and thus could not panic or grow excited over what they could not hear. They knew where the father lay himself. Two of the three adolescents were tasked to him. 

And the rest of the family watched as they prowled forward, blending well against rock. 

One was stupid. Eager to please. Surely the wildcard. And that very one burst forward, perhaps making it only to the mouth of the den due to the element of surprise they had once had. It was meant to be a quiet mission... But it was no matter. They still kept hidden–

And although her babes were deaf, she was not. Tonravik dozed but roused upon hearing something. The light pitter-patter of footfalls too light to be a wolf. The mother bristled and snarled, adjusting her position so she no longer lay prone but crouched. 

Tonravik knew her mate was outside to take care of this one. She would not leave her cubs, and hovered over them. The moonlight bled through the mouth of the den, and she sniffed for the telltale sign of real blood. Listened for the sound of bones splintering between jaws. 

In the meantime, already she howled for the pack–where one idiot was, another often followed. This was the hour she was most awake during, but her own clock was thrown off and on the schedule of her babes now, who were snoozing but seconds ago. If one ever moved, she was sure to push them back into place beneath her.

And as she howled, all but one fearful coyote broke free from hiding, two running for the red one as the others ran toward the den. One adult hung back, hidden enough to keep out of sight in the chaos... And there she stayed. 

Present situation is–all are alive currently. One is RIGHT before the mouth of the den. The other is closer to Iqniq, but only moves for him when the other two do. Said other two are only a bit further off. The two young adolescents in the beginning have made it to the “goalie box” – the rest are closing in! This is meant to be fast-paced. Any questions, ask away! I will be playing NPC's.

The howl went up and the seemingly sleepless polar bear was off, her feet carrying her as quickly as they ever had. Tonravik had called for help and there would only be one reason as to why: the cubs were in danger. Unwilling to let anything so much as look at her leading pairs' children, the white warrior dove on to the scene with teeth flashing with murderous intent. 

Coyotes. A lot of them. The fucking bastards. She had moments to take in the scene and instinctively, she vyed for the one nearest the den. She saw Tonravik in the corner of her eye and Iqniq nearby. Normally, she'd have given him a chance to snag the offending predator but there was much at stake here and the Beta was simply taking action with no thought behind it. Even if she could simply drive it away from the den, he could kill it. Whatever it took. 

Her snarl as she rounded on the next was terrible and thundering. She would let no others get so close.

An unfamiliar but imperious voice roused him from a dead sleep near the borders. Fire! was his first incoherent, waking thought as he sprang to his feet. He blinked his dark eyes into focus, then realized it must be the Alpha female calling. He bolted up the mountainside, casting away his final lingering doubts and hesitations. He drove right toward the pack's beating heart: the wolf mother's den.

He arrived shortly after Nanuk and took three seconds to assess the situation and evaluate the threat. A triad of coyotes was closing in on Iqniq while a separate trio headed toward the den. The Beta female launched after the latter. Wicked began to move toward the Alpha male to help him but then decided that protecting the pack's young was the most imperative task, even if he personally wanted little to do with the cubs.

Snarling like a savage, he lunged at one of the stragglers near the den's mouth, attempting to grab one of its spindly hind legs and snap it like a twig.

I have no idea how many coyotes are on Iq. I think three?

They’d surprised him. He had no idea how these coyotes managed to sneak past all of their members diligently patrolling their borders, nor did he have any idea how they’d snuck up on him. He was alive. He was alert. He was paying damn close attention to anything and everything near to the den. That they’d gotten so close, sent an initial wave of failure through his mind, but he was already springing into action and was quickly triple teamed by a pack of mangy coyotes.

His teeth snatched, picking off the first adolescent as it’s bold rushing behavior left the coyote open for instinctual, aggressive teeth. This was not the first time he’d dealt with these wild dogs, but it was clear a couple of the ones on him were more eager than intentional. He lifted a paw, thwarting one off before he was allowed a few seconds to throw up his own call. Tonravik beckoned. His voice followed her own. This was serious. This was a time to test all of their dedication.

In true fashion Nanuk was hot on the scene. She barreled through the fray and was quickly joined by their newest recruit. Kanik was quick to action and snatched another away. Trusting them, Iqniq could spare not time in saving them nor anyone else until he was clear of his rather persistent assailants. Damn. That nip on the shoulder would bleed and that coyote would soon learn coyote jaws could not compare to that of a wolf.

Sleep came to him fleetingly throughout the night. Typically the witching hour proved to be the most troublesome in catching some shuteye, but as far as he knew, that has already passed. So there he lay, curled up snugly within his den, nose nestled within his fluffy tail, dozing. Thankfully, no dreams colored his sleep tonight.
INDENTA demanding sound make him thrust his crown heavenward, eyes wide and ears erect. Was that...Tonravik? Scrambling, he exited his den and hastily booked it to Tonravik's location. No sooner did the she-bear's howl end did Iqniq's begin. If father and mother were calling for help, then some beast in the night must be harassing them. A really big, terrifying predator. What if...what if it was Arverk's attacker?
INDENTHe picked up the speed, strides as wide and as fast as a wolf his size and girth would allow. Closing in, he dully noted the scent of blood. Wolf in origin. Rushing through a patch of bramble, he spotted his pack mates. Nanuk, Tyrannus, and Iqniq were huddled around the den entrance. To his astonishment, the offenders were nothing so grandiose as a cougar or a grizzly bear. It was just a bunch of coyotes. How they came to be here, he had no idea. Wha-
INDENTHaving not paid much attention to his immediate surroundings, Tatsuya felt something brush against his extended forelimb as he barreled right on by it, emitting heat. He assumed it was actually a coyote hiding away in foliage and shadow, observing her brethren launch their assault. In the few nanoseconds of deciding between this hidden bitch and those that heckled his pack mates, he went for those gathered 'round the den. No doubt Tonravik was in that lair, shielding her young from harm. She was their last line of defense and Tatsuya was not comfortable with the thought of one single coyote entering that den.
INDENTHis other pack mates seemed to be keeping the others busy. They could keep on doing that. Iqniq here was being bombarded and he was already bleeding. He continued onward, slowing, bounding towards the one that had successfully assaulted Iqniq. He sought to find purchase upon the scavenger's prominent spine so that he might crush it.

Neither he nor his siblings could hear the approach of danger, for their hearing was not yet at full strength. But he was awake, passing a tongue along his paws, when his mother stirred. He immediately sensed that something was not right and stiffened, head turning to peer in the same direction as her though he could not see like she could. The she-bear snarled then, lifting into a crouch, and the fox moved in front of his siblings, a fire-haired guard. His muzzle was creased and his lips drawn tight, but he made no sound.

*SAILS IN LATE AF*

also if this seems jittery it's because i just found a fucking spider crawling around on me adfjskfjsldfkj

The coyotes had found them again.

At least, while they may not have technically been the same set of coyotes as before, they were still a frequent nuisance. Echelon had been hoping that their higher elevation would have turned them loose of the annoying canine cousin, but alas... the answer was no.

She had bolted to the gathering from the moment Tonravik's call had pierced through the crisp night. With such momentum behind her as she pushed herself upwards on the slope, Echelon was surprised at her own strength and grace in getting there. And when she did get there, everything was in full swing and utter chaos.

She paid no mind to what the others were doing, hardly registering them in lieu of slaking a little bloodlust. She tore after a coyote that crossed her path, snarling and snapping after it. Scarcely larger than them, she may as well have been an inky blot among them fighting for the wrong team. But it was all the right team and apart of their offense — those coyotes would regret thinking they had such an easy meal awaiting them.

3 day limit! Or, when everyone posts :D

 
Tonravik wait, hovering above her babes. In the meantime, outside... 

One straggler narrowly avoided the jaws of the pale, lankier male while the other ran recklessly away and very nearly into the opened jaws of Nanuk. The white bear had done a great job of diverting their path, to the point where only one remained by the mouth. It stood outside for a panicked beat, not knowing whether to continue or to retreat. The one that had been against the white male Wicked ran, now, for him, jaws snapping without much thought to it, thinking only of protecting itself. 

A male launched for the shoulder of Iqniq, but was quickly intercepted by the dark wolf that had been approaching. He was thrown aside like a rag doll, but not completely out for the count yet. The spine had not been severed but the scruff had been gripped, and as the coyote struggled upward, he went now toward the male that had grabbed him. He was wily, but weakened by the throw; still, he could at the very least distract him, hopefully, while the others... 

They continued to assail the alpha male. One indirectly moved toward the very jaws referenced in his mind, but they saw it as an opportunistic move for his throat. The other again went to snap obnoxiously at his heels, to keep his mind upon him. He, too, was easily in Iqniq's jaws reach. 

One still wait by the brush—

But the one by the entrance found its path directly in line with the black coyote, who it truly did confuse to be of its own troupe until it was barreled over, kicking out with its limbs wildly. 

Tonravik heard the ruckus outside of the mouth of her den. She itched to join them, but knew her place was best here for the moment. If any even made it in, or lingered by the den mouth, she could get them then; but as it was, all sounded as well as it could be. They were handling it. Tonravik kept the babes corralled and waited, on edge. 

1 v @ Wicked — Coyote moving to attack. 
1 v @Nanuk — Coyote in your line of path! Hopes to attack but a bit bamboozled. 
2 v @Iqniq — One goes for shoulder, one goes for throat, both in immediate line of attack. 
1 v @Tatsuya — Going in for an attack
1 v Echelon — Being bowled over by Echelon, lashing out at her
1 ???? — Hidden from all, currently. 
CHANCE: If you'd like, you may use the die and roll 1v11. 1-5, coyote success, 6-11, whatever your character attempts, successful!

I sort of took control of one of the coyotes. I hope that's OK! :)

His jaws closed on nothing but empty air as the coyote disappeared into the scrum. With no time to dwell on his failure, Wicked spun to survey the scene, trying to pinpoint where he might be most useful next. It was absolute chaos, wolves clashing with their smaller cousins all around him. His ears flattened at the noise as his eyes pinned on one of the coyotes still near the mouth of the den. As little as the yearling cared for the pups personally (he had never met them, nor their mother), it was his instinct to protect them above all else. He wanted to barricade the Alphas' lair and beat away any enemies that came close.

Wicked never made it there, however. Something smashed against him quite forcefully, causing him to lose his balance and fall roughly onto his side. The impact knocked the wind out of him but he did his best to ignore the pinch in his chest as he struggled back onto his feet. Quick as he moved, a lean, wily coyote moved quicker. It pounced on him, fangs sinking deep into the side of his neck. It clung to him even as the pale Epsilon rose onto all fours. The weight dragged his head downward.

The smell of his own blood filled Wicked's nose. Fearing for his life, he began to panic and beat his nearer foreleg at the coyote. It had no choice but to unlatch and he quickly fell on it, forcing it to the ground. His own blood splattered the back of its head and neck as his jaws wrapped around its throat from behind. He meant to crush it with his teeth, though as he applied pressure to deliver the killing bite, he swooned and toppled sideways off his quarry.

The brawl continued around him. Someone even stumbled across his outstretched legs, though Wicked had no idea if it was an enemy or one of his own kind. His awareness was fading fast as his lifeblood drained from the fatal wound on his neck, pooling and spreading around his head like a macabre red halo.

Doing the same thing!!

What a fucking nightmare. The coyotes' attack was too organized to be something that had been thrown together at the scent of young cubs; they knew exactly where the den was and had brought a sizable troupe for the job, which was extremely rare for their kind, especially as they were notorious scavengers. In her short-sightedness and failure to run the beasts out, she had given her pack and their newly-born legacy over to danger. Such was unacceptable.

These thoughts, however, fueled her rage as she lunged for the coyote that seemed to linger near the mouth of the den. Her jaws snapped for his scruff, snatching the smaller carnivore up and whipping her head from side to side until she heard the satisfying crack. His neck snapped, the coyote could do no more. He was as good as dead. 

So too was Kanik it seemed, who lay in a pool of his own blood. 'Fuck'. Not only had she endangered the pups, she had probably killed their newest member. Great. Whirling, Nanuk dove for the two terrorizing the red male and shoulder checked him to grab his attention. "Kanik," She instructed. "I'll handle these assholes." 

Her teeth snapped in fury as she went for one of the two, the sounds of battle around her drowned out by the pounding of blood in her ears. Even if they all survived this, the polar bear would not forgive herself for her grave error.

Also not using the dice!

He thought he'd killed that coyote. Somehow, it resurrected and was back from the dead to haunt him. It went for his neck and Iqniq used the movement to sway in his favor. His own teeth latched instead and, like killing any zombie, he ripped that sucker's head off. This aggression was rare for coyotes. A wolf could run off four of them easy, but apparently these were out for vengeance. Their death wish would certainly be granted, but for now he had to pick off the next fucker.

He was granted a reprieve by Nanuk's interception. Someone had taken the one at his heels. She'd taken the other one assailing him with a bark that he should see to another of their members. Picking out the other blur of white fur was easy enough to isolate. The wolf lay on the ground, with blood quickly pooling around him. Damn it. If this wolf died they'd failed one of their newest members and that was beyond unacceptable.

New fury raged over him as he charged, moving towards the coyote that harassed Kanik's body. With longer legs and his new burst of adrenaline, he barreled over that coyote and trapped it beneath him in a tangle of limbs. He didn't pause or hesitate before he ripped that fucker to shreds. How dare these coyotes grow so bold to commit suicide of this nature? They didn't stand a chance and the one beneath him was deader than dead as he continued to tear limb from limb. Fuck it.

He'd killed two. Two. Should have been three... Leaving his second coyote corpse behind, he threw a warning snarl towards any coyote who dared further foolishness in the form of bravery. It was warning enough. If any tried to near himself or the white, wounded wolf at his feet they'd be met first by a wall of Nanuk, then his very own teeth.

Iqniq's gaze turned towards the young wolf. He was bleeding. Fast. Shit. Blood spurted and he lifted a paw, pressing against the wound in attempt to seal it and prevent more from flooding out. "Talk to me, Kanik," he half-whispered, half-ordered. Stay alive. From this position, there was little he could do other than to wait out the rest of this brawl and hope enough of the fray cleared for them to address this wolf's wounds more seriously. "Stay with us, Kanik. You've been brave out here. Hang in there."

No further harm came to Iqniq as the Gamma threw the coyote away. Like trash. Facing the stupefied beast with an ostentation of teeth, Tatsuya met him head on, forcing him onto his side with one gargantuan paw. The coyote bayed, teeth trying to find purchase upon that same leg. Tatsuya gave him no quarter, taking advantage of the coyote's lack of defenses by grasping his throat with a viper-like quickness. Fangs perforated, grabbing hold of it's throat. Drawing back, he ripped the coyote's larynx clear out. Blood spewed from the gaping wound, pulsing, spurting to the beat of the dying canine's hammering heart. Tatsuya looked down in pathologic fascination; entranced as it's life ebbed away entirely seconds later.
INDENTNanuk's words roused him from his stupor, mutilated gore hanging limply from his jowls. Tyrannus' dazzling white fur was varnished a bright shade of crimson. Blood was accumulating quickly beneath his prone form. Iqniq hovered over him protectively, trying to stop the flow of blood. From where he was standing, Tatsuya could only assume it was a grievous neck wound. Five seconds later and the puddle grew larger even with Iqniq's help. How the fuck – did he fucking expose his neck and say “here, have at it?!” It never occurred to him that Tyrannus might not be well-versed in the ways of battle, yet even lesser critters were mindful of such vital areas.
INDENTThe Gamma rushed to the obscure coyote's location in latent delirium, blood and saliva flowing freely from his slaughterous mouth. You're next, he thought with brainsick glee. As unusual as the coyotes' assault was, they would pay with their lives. Every single last one of them.

meanwhile, as i fail my roll LOL... at least i get to decide what kind of cool injury i have though... hmmm...

The coyote faltered in her pursuit, but it may as well have been planned. Just as Echelon went in for the kill, she found her own attack met with a counter-attack swiftly. There was no time to avoid it, and the teeth of the coyote sank painfully into her facial features. In her own rage, she had a hard time telling just where exactly it hit and what the extent of the damage was, as she pulled away with a resounding cry of pain. But it was swift to morph into anger as she freed herself, wasting no time in tearing after the recovering coyote with a snarl.

She was on the coyote again within a flash, teeth grabbing it roughly by the scruff and steering it back towards the fray. This one would not live, it would not escape, and she made every attempt to force it down to end its miserable little life. The fact that it had drawn blood from her only fueled her decision more, and she tore skin from bone in the mix. It would suffer, first.

3 days!

Tonravik could not know what was going on out there. And she dare not look, lest she risk one of the lives within here. The babes were perfectly obedient for the first time, perhaps sensing that this was no drill in her own tenseness. All 'yotes against Nanuk perished, and it was the same with all others bar Echelon's own, who would surely be taken care of. It was a macabre scene all together. Her ears heard a name of a wolf she had yet to meet, Kanik.

The alpha female still did not leave her place, but she could smell the blood.

Given one coyote was still alive, the very one Echelon fought, Tonravik lingered inside still. She did not ask what went on; she knew she would be filled in when it ended. As Kapvik went for the hidden coyote, it looked to him in surprise... two living, it seemed. But not for very long.

He heard voices calling his name and dimly registered faces looming over him as the hubbub began to die down. Yet much as he wanted to respond, Wicked couldn't get his body to cooperate with him; he could not lift his head and could not convince his tongue to move. He just lay there, paralyzed by weakness as the life ebbed from him in a pool of crimson. Eventually, even his vision began to dim around the edges before blackness took over entirely.

As his heartbeat slowed, the last sense to go was smell. He drew in a long breath, filling his lungs for the last time. He smelled his wolves, the coyotes, blood... and smoke. In that final moment, he had a vision of fire engulfing him. Wicked heard his own laughter echoing in his head as he accepted his fate. He would descend into hell, joining the entire Flightless Falcons pack—everyone he had burned to death—particularly his uncles, Perseus and Echo.

The air came out of his lungs in a low whoosh and he grew still—deathly still—as the life left his body.

Already, Kat!? lol

His body was stiffened, and his feet firm in their place. He did not move, though his tail rose above his hips. His mouth twitched as the commotion outside grew more intense and his mother's tension built. But still, he made no sound, and the creases in his face went no further. His lips did not lift in a snarl, and the fur along his nape and back lay flat. He was calm, ready, with his icy eyes were intensely focused on the den entrance.

The continued slaughter of coyotes sailed strong on mountain winds. After this they would have to clean up. Get rid of the meat. Either squirrel it away or leave it to spoil on their borders. Blood would sully the earth here no matter what they did, repelling prey but attracting predators. Rain could dilute the potent odors emanating from the birthing den. But after this, it might be best to relocate no matter the forecast. That was for another time though. After they take care of the corpses...and take care of their dead.
INDENTHis target dodged his tackle, deftly escaping his grasp. Tatsuya did not stop though, swerving around to bullrush her. This she did not anticipate. The Gamma got a hold of her tail. Not what he wanted but she was dead the moment she was caught. Tearing into her with white-hot anger, she now rested within his stomach. Stringy. Unsatisfying. More importantly, expired.
INDENTGrowing quiet, he took a minute to settle down before approaching Tyrannus and his protective Alpha. He knew that Wicked – or Kanik as his leaders knew him – was no more. Sadness weighed heavy on his heart, blunted by ending adrenaline. Tyrannus first impression was not the brightest to the Gamma. Tatsuya could not say he enjoyed the young man's company as much as he had Arverk's, but he had just as much potential as the missing warrior. A potential sparring partner, a potential leader, a potential friend. He was just a guy looking for a home. Home is what he found. Too late in life it seems.
INDENT“Tyrranus,” he whined, ears pinning. He saw the severity of Wicked's wound. No wonder he perished. Looking between Wicked's throat and Iqniq's bloody paw, he continued to whine morosely. Not panicked, high pitched, or spirited in any way whatsoever. Tears threatened to fall. Such a waste. Such a waste...

I think there's one left to kill? lol

The last one ran, tearing away from the slaughter to escape but the polar bear was already after it, bringing it down with little effort. Her teeth crunched through the backbone of the offender, paralyzing it moments before she held it's face under her paw and ripped it in two, flinging half away. Blood dripped from her muzzle as she strode away form her kill to Wicked's side, disheartened to see his life fade away. She made no sound, her growls having faded, instead watching his blood seep out into a puddle that wet the paws of any wolf near him.

Something else faded away too; perhaps it was the faith she held in herself, for the immediate thought of "How could I let this happen?" flit through her mind uninhibited. She said nothing, did nothing, for many long moments, until finally she issued an order to any who were not Tonravik or Iqniq. Her outward demeanor did not change, not in front of the others. "Pick what you will from the bastards and scatter whatever's left at the borders." Just as they had at the Spine, it would be a warning to any creature — wolf, coyote, feline, etc/ — that wished to try their luck against the wolves of Sawtooth Spires.

His efforts to get the wolf to hang in there were all for naught. The boy breathed his last and fell silent. He breathed no more. Iqniq's gaze narrowed. His jaw tightened as he fell into an instant state of denial that swept quickly into anger. Damn it. They'd accepted this kid in. He'd fought valiantly, but it had still been their job to protect him. Curse those coyotes. Their unnatural presence had brought death upon them all.

A low growl escaped him as he turned his gaze to the rest of the fray. The remaining coyotes were exterminated. Now they could deal with their dead. Slowly, Iqniq eased his paw from Kanik's throat. The wolf bled out. White tainted by crimson and Iqniq too was covered in it. He stood, easing himself out of the puddle. He awarded the wolf a moment of silence as Nanuk barked orders for the rest of the pack. It was all well and good. The coyote corpses would feed them all and their bones on the borders would serve well to warn others off.

For now? They had a lost brother to mourn. Iqniq tossed his head back and released a long, sorrowful howl. This wolf, no matter how short his time here had been, would be remembered.

SORRY MY BAD... really lost track of time jfc. how does three days go so fast??

and for rough reference since Echelon has no idea how bad her own damage is, she's more or less been wounded on the right side of her muzzle/cheek. basically think a crude bite mark starting beneath the eye and going towards her neck or something idk. if that makes sense. ;_x

Echelon tore the coyote apart, bit by bit. A chunk here, a chunk there; it really did not matter to her what she did to it as she regained control. And when it came to the matter of whether to slowly let it suffer and struggle as she reached it throat, by that point her desire to let it writhe in agony and left her. She ended its life in one fell swoop — a crushed windpipe.

Somewhere midst that chaos, she heard Iqniq rally them. Only it wasn't a rally, it was mournful baying that would have rocked a lesser canine to its core. Echelon did not join it for the breathlessness that came to her; instead she worked furiously to scrape the fur of the coyote from her mouth. Her tongue raked backward over her teeth as she made some piss poor attempt to spit, only to give up shortly thereafter.

She tasted far too much blood and that realization came to her much slower than the fact that they had lost one of their own. The blood she could taste had no true differentiating note to it, but she was aware that it was her own. The pain that she felt radiated strongly, but to true to her own arrogant form, it did not appear to have bothered her outward. Inwardly though, she was upset about it; the inkling trace of such displayed as she grabbed hold of the lifeless body at her feet and shook it roughly.

A few times for good measure for fucking up her face, and maybe a few good times for being apart of the grouping that had taken one of their own; it was hard to say.

DED. And, closer! Will archive this up in 3-4 days :) RIP Wicked!

 

Tonravik listened. 

Soon, there was total quiet. A lot of blood... she smelled it. And then, a howl from her mate. Tonravik could hear in it the sound of loss, and her jaw clenched. One of theirs had been taken out in this process. Who? She would find out soon, she knew, but it did not matter. Whoever it was had been a piece of them, and the loss of one, no matter who, was the loss of too many. 

So she tipped her head upward and howled, too, from the den, overwhelmed inside. Her cubs were still behaved and still and she shuffled toward the mouth of the den and did not leave, but howled from within. She blamed none for this. They were too green to the land to expect anything and to have left any and all rocks unturned from the vigilant, wily coyotes... and though they were one member shorter now, they were wiser, too. These coyotes had undertaken a task too great for them, something they had not known from the get go in living here for so long. They wrongly assumed the advantage, and all had died for it. 

Which meant the death of Wicked was not for naught. 

Tonravik lingered near the mouth of the whelping den to pull in any carcasses brought to the doorstep, but truthfully did not expect much. No, she would rather they feed on the remains of their painful victory, supping on the skin, blood, and bones of the beings that had brought an end to one of their brethren.

Last post from me!

Nanuk barked out an order. Iqniq and Tonravik mourned their lost. Tatsuya forlornly moved to do Nanuk's bidding, gathering most of the coyotes into a pile. Most of them were inedible. Tatsuya dropped off some before Tonravik's den entrance before going off on his own to do as Nanuk willed. Within his jowls were many broken, mangled bodies. Some yet bled. Others were dry of blood. The Gamma would grieve in his lonesome, in his own way, on his own time. For now, he littered the curs' carcasses along their borders. He did not sleep that night.

The chaos outside ebbed. He too, could smell the blood, but his focused countenance remained and still his paws did not move. Then his father's howl rang, and his ears cupped forward to receive it. By instinct, he felt the message in the solemn song, and as his mother tipped her head back to join him, shuffling to the mouth of the den, he stepped forward to do the same. His red crown inclined back, and from his mouth a soft howl rose up to mingle with those of his parents and pack. It was harmonious in its sorrow.

By the time their mourning had subsided, the tense readiness had left his body. He turned back to his siblings, and after nosing and sniffing each of them, he was content that all was well and he laid down in front of them, resting his jaw across his forelegs. His blue gaze were on their mother as she pulled in the carcasses of the defeated. Though he was curious, he would close his eyes and be claimed by sleep, tired from his first efforts of guarding his family.

His voice, their voices, faded on the wind. There was nothing left to do here save bury their dead. The coyote corpses would need to be properly disposed of. Kanik's body would be removed from the densite and honored elsewhere. He needed to wash the stains of blood from his fur. He needed to do a lot of things, but in the present moment, he felt numb and incapable. The feeling would eventually pass, but he'd spend the next few hours on autopilot as he cleaned and cleared this carnage before he returned den and filled Tonravik appropriately.

Aaaand done! Awarding EXP to everyone now! :D

After her commands, her own voice had risen with the others' and subsequently died away as they all dispersed. Kapvik did as she had said and she did not leave the task alone to him, picking up another carcass or two and tossing them aside into a pile that she would take care of soon. It was the polar bear that took the frosty wolf's scruff in her mouth and dragged him to where they would start the bone pile once more. As his was the first life lost to the Spire, it was only fitting that he be the foundation of their pile. After this, she would return and grab the coyote bodies and litter the borders with their remains, her gold eyes cold and unfeeling as she tried not to think.

Thread fade!