Bitterroot Valley A Mix of Lives comes with Curses and Blessings

Today Esaro felt motivated to practice his solo hunting. Not only did he want to improve his skill but he also wanted to become impressive. It's obvious he had a long way to go but he figured that's how it all starts. If he wanted to get better then all he has to do is try hard which is exactly what he has been doing. He's been chasing a rabbit for quite a while now. The chase went through woods, fields, and even pass a stream. It felt like the rabbit was mucking Esaro's ability to hunt, as if it enjoyed the chase.

After all the effort he put into it, he just ended up too tired to continue. He couldn't really run anymore and so the rabbit got away. He admitted defeat but next time he'll catch that rabbit. He just needed to try even harder.

He needed to catch his breath so he decided that it was best to just lay down where he was and rest a bit. After a little look around he noticed he was a bit far from the packlands, Much more than usual. Once he recovered his stamina he figured he would continue to hunt a little more around here. Maybe he'll find that rabbit again.

She'd taken off from talking to Gyda with steam from her ears. Destination unknown, she heads to the borders on the southern corner of her claim and considers heading to the river for a drink of water and clearing of her mind. It isn't going to do much, she knows but is hopeful some time by herself help clear her mind. Putting some distance between herself and everything else might bring some new perspective.

That is, of course, until she sees him.

Thuringwethil doesn't recognize him. She can't smell him from where she stands. If she didn't already have fire brewing in the depth of her chest, she might have had a coherent thought before she acts.

She doesn't see the rabbit elude the wolf but the damage is already done. Large paws hit the ground with a quiet force she aims to keep silent until she's close enough to smell him. It reminds her of Reek, the only Phoenix wolf she knows, and enough to trigger her legs to move faster. Sound doesn't matter at this point, close enough to rumble a projecting snarl when she's near. Streamlined right for him; no action on his part would send him closer to his maker than a simple rabbit chase would warrant.

She's currently in pursuit to barrel him over.

As he was catching his breath he calmly looked around. It was actually quite nice around here. The wide open field felt refreshing with the partly clouded sky. This felt like a good place to hunt. He started to feel glad the rabbit lead him here. Perhaps it wanted him to improve, or maybe Esaro was just lucky. A few birds flew over head giving him a sense of peace. It made him want to get up and just take a deep breath of all this fresh air.

But as he was about to exhale, Snarls from a charging wolf came out of no where. He turned his head in surprise "Wha..?". Esaro had so many questions come all at once. Who is she? Why is she charging at him? Did he do something wrong? The list continues. The problem was that he had no time to say anything, nothing at all. How could he stop this? He didn't know what to do. He tried to think of something but he had no time to. His heart rate was rising rapidly. Without a plan or idea all he could do was freeze where he was.

He was off balanced, left side facing her, panicked. There was no way he could resist a charging force with the way he was positioned.  The attacker could very well just run him over. It would be so easy to knock him down. Esaro was completely open and defenseless. He never saw this coming, never imagined that one day he would get attacked.

Caught by surprise. Free hit of choice :P

PP since she gets the free pass. :P

The last few steps are the ones Thuringwethil uses the most, forcing her paws harder against the earth to leap and close the distance. He doesn’t react to her approach with anything more than the dumbfounded look on his face she can’t even appreciate. She slams into the unsteady canine easily, speed forcing her to move past him when the impact isn’t enough to slow her down. Jaws snap to try and grasp anything she can, slicing any bit she can to help drag him down. 

It takes a few rolls before she’s up right and in a fraction of a second on all fours. Her head drops and she bares her teeth, feet slinking into a circle around him. Slate eyes narrow while she watches him, waiting until he’s back on his feet again—if at all. The scent of the maplewood hits her, confirming her quick judgment seconds before the impact. Thuringwethil had told her wolves the law, had Reek not told his?

She came at him at full force. Slamming into him harder than he had ever experienced. He was no match for the force, he took the full blow and to add more to his instability he felt teeth sink in behind his head. With her momentum she lost her grip but tore some of his skin in the process. Afterwards he slammed onto the ground hard. It all happen so fast. Within a second both his sides likely had bruises and he was lightly bleeding.

Esaro still didn't understand what was happening to him. Half his body was hurting he was starting to be afraid for his life. But instead of running or trying to put up a fight, he got up and decided to run his mouth. "W-Why are y-you doing this?!" He stuttered. He wanted answers and the only way to get them was for the other to talk. With fear building up and starting taking a few steps, except his front legs were moving faster than his hind legs making him rise, exposing his stomach and neck.

He didn't recognize the scent of the wolf. All he could assume was that she was in a pack but just didn't know which one. Due to his nature he wasn't able to call her an enemy. Instead it felt more like she was just a crazy wolf. Esaro may be paying attention for attacks be he hasn't taken up any defensive stance or anything to remove his vulnerability. For some reason he expected some answers and waited for that.

Excuse this, it has been one hellacious day but I wanted to get a reply in for you. :3

There’s a flash of blood in her mouth as her tongue curls behind her teeth as they flash their warning. He writhes around on the ground a little before sputtering out words Thuringwethil barely hears. Her ears rear back on her head and she eases one paw into the air, inching her way forward while he scrambles to his feet. In the few seconds she allows him to compose himself, he manages only further weakens whatever defenses he has left.

She keeps herself locked back, resisting the urge to take the moment and lunge upward his throat. Thuringwethil eases into another step. “You broke the agreement,” she hisses, slinking forward as if her second coat were made of scales. Where or not she’s lost the chance for his tender, exposed areas, Thuringwethil launches forward with teeth ready. Her shoulder stiffens and she hardens the dip her shoulder makes to clash into his chest.

I realize on the last post I was thinking faster than I type and forgot a few details, oops!

An agreement? What agreement? He never made a deal with another wolf. Especially with someone he has never seen before. He started to wonder if she was confusing him for another wolf. If that was the case then all he needed to do was prove to her that this was all a big mistake. "There must be a mistake! I didn't make any agreements with anyone!" He said desperately hoping she would stop her advance on him.

She didn't stop, it's clear that she was going to hurt him. This time Esaro was a little more ready. He instinctively lowered his head to protect his neck and closed his eyes but that did nothing to stop her impact. He was tossed onto his back with the wind knocked out of him. He was a bit surprised that it didn't hurt as much as he thought but what he should really be afraid of are her teeth. If his words didn't make her think twice on what she is doing then maybe it was best for him to run away as fast as he could.

He was trying to get up but he was on his side on the ground when she got the chance to make her move. He wasn't paying attention to her and was focused on getting up as fast as he could so he could run away.

He tries to get his peace in before her shoulder connects with him, teeth lashing out for the thin skin behind his shoulder, where his flank begins. Her shoulder dips enough, shoves him back, and he flies awkwardly onto his back. Her shoulder aches from the impact but she doesn't give herself a chance to assess what she might have hurt in the process. She advances on him instead, watching him flounder for his footing.

"No, but your leader did," she slithers in, head low as she approaches with no real speed behind her movements. Careful, calculating the way he moves and where she lets her feet land. Before he's able to get enough ground, she growls again and uses a brute jutting of her chest and shoulder to knock him back down, a foot pressing down on the curve of his chest where his front leg meets. He's stained the melting snow with his blood already and tufts of her and red life clotting in the corners of her lips.

Thuringwethil uses her weight on the one limb, slate eyes holding him with a glare. Thoughts of Gyda and whatever game she wants to pull far from her mind, fire licking at the edges of her mind. The smoke clouding her thoughts are yet to cease but her blood thirst doesn't rear its ugly head again. "Phoenix wolves don't hunt above the river," she seethes, implanting the knowledge Reek failed for his wolves. She feels sorry for them, the fate they could walk into when the dark male had given her an underlying threat about their approach. "Dragon wolves don't hunt below. Give a message to Reek for me," she commands the weaker canine, using her paw to push up the curve of his sternum, into his neck.

Esaro notices blood on the snow. Was that his blood? His shoulder stung more than ever, He didn't quite understand how she got him there. Maybe he should have kept his eyes open the entire time. He struggled to get back up, he decided to just make a run for it. The moment he got some footing he was knocked back down with force. Why was she doing this? She pinned him down with one paw pressed against his chest. He couldn't simply escape now, he was at her mercy.

He stopped struggling almost as if he given up trying to escape. He watched and listened. Esaro was never told about this agreement. Since Ukko was the one to accept him, he should have told him about the agreement. Did he just forget to? Either way Ukko abandoned the pack, it's not like he could find him and just complain. "Ok-ok. I understand now, I will never hunt above river, ever." He said in response.

In a way it was good news to hear she wanted him to send a message to Reek. That did mean she would let him go. He would have relaxed a bit if she wasn't pushing her paw up to his neck. "I will I will. I'm all ears. Reek will hear it." He said hoping that would be enough to make sure there wasn't a doubt that he couldn't do it. There was a heavy gulp as he waited for her message.

When she has him down, his struggling ceases and accepts defeat into the snow. The pressure she puts against his neck won't too much but she can't stop herself. The message has already gotten across and she's reminded of her home. Wolves readily put their lives down beneath her feet. These lands aren't much different, she just has to show them. Drageda isn't a force to be fucked with.

A heavy breath rumbles a low sound, a weak vibration of her chest as he gives in to her demand.

"The next Phoenix to cross this river dies," she says in a steeled voice, narrowing her eyes with a final shove of his throat to leave him in place. Heda remains above him, not yet ready to release him. Reek's responsibility failed his following and she can't help but wonder whom else has traipsed through without her knowing, without their warning. Searching his face, she doesn't expect he'd follow in his leader's footsteps and fail to deliver the message. Reek had his chance and if it hadn't been his advice not to approach the territory, she'd consider taking the message directly him.

If she can avoid a conflict with a messenger, she'd prefer, but not short of making sure the Phoenix leaders know she is serious.

Before she takes a step back, she lashes her head out to engulf one foot still lingering in the air above him. Her bite is quick, forceful, but she holds back when she tastes blood. Bones don't snap between her teeth but the skin and muscle breaks easily with what pressure she does apply. When satisfied she's signed her note well enough, she lets go and takes only one step away, still half hovering over the wolf.  

"Go."

Esaro was finding this wolf to be very terrifying after she gave her message. If someone else were to wonder into their lands they wouldn't be as lucky as he was if he was let go. He had full clear reason to give the message, not just to Reek but to everyone at Phoenix. Esaro nodded quickly, he understood the message perfectly. "I'll tell Reek and everyone too."

It felt like she was about to let him go but before he could even try she snapped at his front right leg. His eyes closed and he clenched his teeth together. He hurt so much that he even tried pulling his leg away from her. Wasn't she done hurting him? Thankfully she let go but it was a bit horrifying to see his leg bleed out a bit everywhere. Although she was done, he paw was just flowing with pain, even more when he tries moving it.

She ordered him to go and that he did without hesitating. He rolled back on all fores and leapt away from her. With his newest injury the moment he landed he half way collapse onto his shoulder, staining the snow with blood. Putting weight on his right leg was impossible. He can't run away effectively, he was forced to limp to the rest of the way back with his tail between his legs. He was afraid she might chase after him if he didn't leave quickly.

He was so focused on going fast with three legs that he never thought about looking back behind him. Maybe the worst out of this was that he never learned who that female was. Her rank and name would have been good to know. He was just going to have to warn the others with what he had.

I guess that's it, thanks for the fun :P