Shadewood “Scratch my back, or I’ll snap your’s.”

---

@Tzilla

Nothing meansured up to how relieved he was to finally have a spot to rest up. Why that Cry fella seemed a bit shadier than what Morgan could have suspected blew past the southerner. He seemed too quiet, too nice. Like with every single turn the man had some kinda scheme, some kinda plan that he just wasn’t lettin on. Shaking the mess from his head, Morgan minded his business once more as he continued his duty to the black coated man. 

Pissin on a tree and clawing up several others, the mountainous man kept his route going all through the early hours of the day. Soon enough, once he finished all this work, he was gonna go check out one of the banks or creeks in the deep woods, maybe catch him one or two fish. Hopefully, should @Velvet not be sneaking up on him again, he might actually get to keep his catch.

But till then, he did his honest work.

---

Again, it was daytime. And again, Tzila found herself awake. How very inappropriate for a wolf named of the shadows themselves. She was either losing it, or falling out of her routine. Or both. 

Necessity had driven her out of the tight, makeshift den she had claimed in this deep stretch of forest. A sleepless morning had plagued her. All thanks to an incessant pang in her stomach. If she could just fill her gut and settle the jolts that were keeping her from finding peace, then all would be right again.

It was times like these, in the full clutches of winter, as a lone wolf, that she realized how hard life could be. But she would be damned if she gave up. She would not settle...would not sacrifice here freedom. She had been tied down once before by her family. She would never let it happen again.

Freshly disturbed snow lined with specks of bright red droplets of blood told a story. Of a struggle of survival. Of two lives, each with a common goal. But with only one victor. Under the cover of one of the many naked Oak trees, came the sickly sound of crunching bones. Pinned firmly under her paws was the half eaten, bloodied carcass of a fat snowshoe hare. It was little more than a snack, but thus far, a staple part of Tzila's diet. Licking her blood stained muzzle, now matching the crimson of her nape, she froze suddenly. Disturbed by something, her silver eyes flashed suspiciously, latching on to a flicker of red brown fur in the distance. She thought she'd been alone. This large male couldn't be Tusk...his coat was more vivid...and the scent was all wrong. Pinning her ears back, she released a low rumble to warn him of her presence.

---

Moseyin' through the borders, the brute was doing his best to mind the things he had already bothered with when he had caught a rumble hittin' his ears with little beacon attached. The scent hit him soon after, and once he turned to catch who made it, the beast of a bandito caught sight of a hunkered form. The smell of copper came soon enough, and initially Morgan thought whoever that was was maybe hurt. Nearing closer, however, a pair of whites come through in the harshly growing shade of the ageing evennin'.
Eyes, and teeth.
Oh, and a reddening hide.

Realization kicked his tail up, and his voice out, a roll of rockslide earthquaking across the adamant border they were near. "Aye you stop that! Ain't none a' that over here, les' you a member of this pack." Chest broad and ears erect, Morgan almost looked himself like a leader. Well hell, if he wanted to get up there in rank, he had to atleast act like it. Cry was trustin' him to do this kinda work, being the 3rd male in this posse. 'Comin' over here eatin' like ya live here; folks don't sniff 'round these parts?' he mumbled halfway to himself and halfway outloud as though he dared this ballsy muncher to say something.

---

Please excuse Tzila's potty mouth.

Within a few hours, the day would be over. Much to her relief. But then someone just had to go and ruin it. All she had done was issue a warning. She was a lone female with a freshly caught kill, and she would defend that which was hers. But oh he just had to go and get on her case now didn't he? Puffing all up big and scary like, trying to push her around. No, that wouldn't fly. Not with her.

Blood tipped hackles fluttered to life, a set of dark ears pinning back against her cranium. Her rumble only escalated into a full on snarl while her lips drew back to flash white, red stained teeth. She hunkered down over the remnants of her kill possessively, only to mock charge the brute a split second later. "And who the fuck are you, bossin me around?!" The shadow keeper wasn't one to just lie down and be dominated. She stood up, head lowered threateningly...prepared to confront the male, should he edge closer. "Last I checked, this little patch doesn't have your piss all over it yet. So fuck off."

nah it’s perf fine- I lowkey wanted this

The rider stood there almost stunned the woman had such a heathen mouth. The women he’d been around were gentle gurls that ain’t spoke like that. This lady talked like a man, and it wasn’t much more he allowed himself to do to a lady other than threaten em or please em. So he chose the most appropriate for the situation.

”I’m someone who got rights round here, miss, and last I checked, you aint.” Sarcasm thick in the country voice he had, he took those steps  forward past the border. 

“So best you git goin for you end up somewhere you on’t wanna be. Take ya meal witcha since it’s so damn importan’.” Wasn’t that a peacemaker? He didn’t say he was planning to take it for the pack or anything - he let her keep it. “Don’t matter whether it does or not - is too damn close to home. Invitin’ too much round here. Our porch step ain’t no damn dinner table. Now imma say it again - git on, gurl.”

But hell forbid he’d have to fight if not kill this girl. He didn’t have no experience fighting no female, as he hadn’t had but one sister, and she ran away kinda early. Would she fight for her life over near nothin’? 

Physically, Tzila was a lady in every sense. When it came to her mannerisms, when she was caught in a vile mood such as this, well...far from it. Silver eyes narrowed into slits as the male stepped towards her, even closer. Dark lips quivering, she stared him down, hard for a long moment, saying nothing. She knew he was right about that, but would never admit it out loud. "Then do something about it and piss right there why don't ya?"

Crimson shoulders hunched, she squared off with him. Boldly she started to lift her right hind leg. Males weren't the only ones who could mark. But did she dare? "Or I will." She taunted lowly. Oh, she was asking for it now...just stirring up trouble. Placing a possessive paw firmly over the remains of the rabbit, she tore off a chunk and swallowed. "In all fairness, I was chasing it well before I crossed to your borders. What was I supposed to do...let dinner get away?"

---

Women talking back and just being plain rude. Just askin’ for a right cuff on the side of that pretty head. The brute wasn’t no barbarian to women, but this was what made men so damn abusive to their opposite gender- them goddamn mouths. 

“In fact, good idea- you ‘ont gotta move then. Stay your pretty ass there, and I will do sumthin’ bout it.”

Making a stalking heave of steps forward, he made for her, heavy body clearly capable in a good brawl. He ain’t wanna snatch her up, but goddamnit she was pushin him. Bark hued tail stood out as thick limbs moved their steel bound titan forth, gold champagnes melted iron as he stared her down just a as she did him. 

“Yea- You was spose to let it go- ‘less you suicidal and feel like cuffin up with a man. As many other varmint there is round here, ya had plenty a’ options. Now if I gotta tell you another time, you ain’t gone be able to take shit witcha other than dead ass to hell.”

---

He came closer and she watched, unmoving. After a tense moment, she finally planted her paw down, deciding against sullying the borders which he was working so hard to maintain. Though the night mistress appeared composed on the outside, under the surface the gears were turning. How much further did she want to push her luck? Would this handsome young brawler really so much as touch a hair on woman?

"You wouldn't dare." She challenged through clenched teeth in a hiss. Her meal was forgotten by now. There was no use fretting over such a small snack if she couldn't dine in peace. "I never knew a pack settled here." Dark limbs set into motion, to bring her circling back towards the tree she had taken shelter under. Her eyes glinted mischievously. "But now I do." She tossed her head with an arrogant little snort, keeping him in her side vision. "Point the way out, since you are still...staking your claim. Wouldn't want to head in the wrong direction, now would I?"

---

Damn was he relieved. Should she had tried him so far as to him having to put his paws on her, she woulda called his bluff easier than slicing pie. He wasn’t no abuser of women. He’d restrain her, but smacking her around would have just been rude. Too much for him.

Settling himself and stopping his ‘intimidation’ he huffed a grumped ‘hrmph’ before taking a ‘nicer’ set of jaunty steps toward her. “That Isle behind ya, the one with the two splitted streams, head over both of em and keep goin. You ‘ont need much more than that, do ya?”

Fuck if he had to walk her out and @Velvet saw him escortin’ some random girl, having a walk in tha middle of winter, she’d probably be a bit shitty at him. That’s the last thing he needed right now.

---

Towards the splitted streams and beyond them. That was simple enough. Now that she knew the way out, she also knew her way back in as well. But the shadow keeper wasn't stupid enough to let on to that. Tzila was leaving because she chose to...because she was tired of hanging around some pack's territory. Not because of some territorial male.

Right.

Her silver colored eyes flashed, narrowing as the wooden hued man moved towards her again, though this time, with less threat. Still, her ears flattened and her lips curled, barely flashing the points of her teeth. "Yeah yeah. I don't need a chauffeur. Keep your ass right there...I'm going." She backed away, one step at a time. Then more and more, till she felt safe enough to turn her back on him. And when she did, it was not with a suspicious look over her blood furred shoulders until she hurried off, towards the streams and eventually, out of sight.