Sleepy Fox Hollow Tumble

The earth trembled, and her tiny form was completely at its mercy. The shaking toppled her over, and she rolled a few feet, only stopping when she hit a tree. The force stole her ability to breath for a few panicked seconds and by the time she could suck in air again, the quaking had subsided. Lieke grew angry and scurried up the tree into the safety of its branches. She didn't know why they were here or what was going on. She didn't like it one bit.

Movement made her freeze as she made her way down a branch. A little brown bird had perched on the end. Her eyes widened, and she watched the bird for a few moments before slowly making her way forward. The pattern continued: a few sneaky steps forward before freezing and watching. Eventually, she was close enough to strike but when she jumped forward, the bird flapped away just as she reached the end of the branch. The force of her jump threw her from the branch, but she managed to grab on with her front feet just in time. Lieke swung back and forth for a few seconds before she was able to pull herself back up. She let out a string of angry squeaking as she made her way back towards the center of the tree, frustrated that she would continue to be hungry.

The rumblings had been sending the prey into a frenzy, she couldn't count the number of sticks breaking and bushes rustling she had heard. There was no sign of her gang, no loud yapping or sharp screeches to guide her toward them. She could only hope they were safe and continue on her own, surviving as she always did by relying on herself. Her travels brought her into the mountains where she found the body of a goat, seeming to have fallen and broken its neck assuredly during a quake. She had gripped it and tediously dragged it a ways off, settling against a tree to begin tearing the flesh off and chowing down. Halfway through her meal she heard the sound of angry squealing and looked up, scanning the trees and spotting pale fur laying low on a branch. She eyed the creature for a moment and then tore a strip of meat off, tossing it near the tree for the creature and then focusing back on filling her own stomach.

She was famished, but too exhausted to venture beyond Diaspora's claim that day. Instead she opted to scour their hollow for any suggestion of prey, but it seemed even the foxes for which the land had been named were gone.

It was the scent of fresh blood on the crisp air that drew Nyx in, luring her to quicken her stride. The earth's earlier tremblings must have dislodged something (or someone) from the cliffs and she did take a moment to consider the possibility of yet another fallen pack-mate. They'd lost so many of their comrades to the quakes - surely it would be unfair of fate to rob them of another.

She sent a call up to alert the others - @Mahler, @Ketzia, @Takiyok and the cubs, anyone who would benefit - as she went, and was surprised to find another having already discovered a corpse. Fresh meat, at last! Nyx' joy was short-lived, however, as she padded closer to realise that the wolfess who helped herself to meat on Diaspora territory was not of its ranks.

Uncharacteristically, she saw red. Her vision swam with unbridled fury and the tawny Ostrega quickened her stride, intention clear as she parted jaws in a vicious snarl to accompany her charge. 

A growling, empty stomach was nothing new these days, and she ignored hers as she patrolled. Beneath her deceptively thick coat, she was skinnier than she had ever been, even skinnier than at the end of her scouting missions when she had skipped meals to avoid wasting time. She had given up hope that food would be found any time soon and had focused instead on securing their new borders. Her task was halted, though, as Nyx's call sounded across the hollow. Taki froze for a single moment before taking off in the direction of the sound.

The smell and then sight of fresh meat made her stomach contract painfully, but she hardly registered it. The stranger pulled her attention from the food immediately and with a snarl, Taki rushed forward to Nyx's side, stopping to stand over the woman. Intruder. She growled. This claim is ours and so that meat is ours; you are trespassing and stealing. A flash of teeth accompanied her words, followed by a low, ominous growl. Then, she lunged  forward, snapping her teeth at the intruder, repeating the move again and aiming her teeth near the thief's face. If she didn't move, then the next brandish of her teeth would seek to make contact with the woman's flesh.

first the sickened boar, then nyx' call rang, piercing, insistent. mahler, the now-familiar ache of hunger plaguing his belly, swept down to the scent of blood.
already the winterwhite was in attendance; her voice pealed a warning. mahler lunged between the two she-wolves now, brisk, terrible, the shadow of his large bulk imposing as he bellowed a curdling snarl and snapped heavy jaws for the hide of the thief.

last post from Lieke; skip her from now on

Even if things hadn't suddenly become very, uncomfortably chaotic, Lieke would not have accepted anything from the stranger. As a rule, she didn't interact with wolves. Antha was the only exception, and she might even ignore her for a bit now since she was only here on her own because her friend had disappeared. With disdain, she peered down at the scuffle happening below. With a roll of her beady eyes, she turned and darted down the opposite side of the tree and away from the disruption; she had no interest in being caught in the middle of whatever that was. Yep, Antha would definitely be receiving the cold shoulder for this one.

Before the small creature could even respond two wolves arrived, snarling and snapping at her accusing her of being a trespasser and stealing their meat. She snarled and jumped up, snatching the remaining meat with her and quickly scurrying out of their reach snarling. Her eyes went wild as a man burst between them and snapped at her, tearing a chunk of fur and slicing flesh as she darted away, tail tucked as she dropped the leg "It was a mistake! I didn't know this area was claimed! I can show you where the rest is!" she blurted the words out as she pinned her ears and lowered herself close to the ground backing away slowly from the dropped meat. She was seething inside, her stomach loudly growled its displeasure and she cringed looking away from the wolves who attacked her. She sniffed the air and realised that there was the scent of wolves, though it was so blended in the scent of crumbling earth and uprooted dirt that she had missed it when carrying the goat leg. It was stupid for her to try and fight them off, two she wolves maybe if she was lucky but with a big brute of a wolf she would be slaughtered. Her only option was to hope they'd accept the offer to lead them to more food, since that half eaten leg was no good to them unless they had some young pups.

The rogue did not cower, instead responding defensively. She gathered swiftly to her paws and made to snatch at her morsel with a snarl, carrying it with her as she attempted to scurry aside. Nyx, however, with Takiyok close by, was hot on her heels. She veered to the side then circled around while her pack-mate voiced her opinion on the matter. Her main goal here was to box the thief between them.

There would be nowhere to run to, not without one or both of Diaspora's she-wolves' fangs seeking her hide. Nyx' sharp yellow eyes shot daggers into the stranger, lips quivering to accompany her constant rumbling, until Mahler arrived on the scene to deliver an attack.

It was then that the loner saw sense, relinquishing her meal and cowering to the ground. Triumphant, Nyx hovered nearby whilst she licked her bared teeth - maintaining silence to allow the General to take charge.

Fury burned scalding hot in her chest as the stranger attempted to take the meat, the snarl stoking her rage further. She was about to lunge for the woman but then Mahler was there, making her freeze mid jump to avoid sinking her teeth wrongfully into his skin. She stumbled awkwardly to the side, irritated that she had been blocked from reprimanding the intruder. She recovered quickly, though, and lunged forward again, ignoring the woman's plea, unwilling to hear her out now that she had ignored her first warning. Whatever Mahler was doing, she ignored it and aimed her teeth for the woman again, offering no warning this time. She could only be mollified with blood now, and she attempted to rip into the intruders flesh wherever she connected if her attack was successful.

out out out; his teeth clashed hollowly, his eyes flared with ire, his figure pressed close to takiyok, seeking solace from her muscular snarling. together; alongside; the general hunted down, down,
down
seeking fur and flesh and bone and the sharp spurt of arterial blood if the stranger did not run, and now.
someone must pay for all diaspora had lost, and the woman had made of herself a scapegoat.

Her words hit unwilling ears and she gasped as the woman attacked again. She stumbled back, grunting as the she wolf's body collided with hers and yelped, snarling and snapping defensively as teeth tore at her back as she twisted away. She panted and was already turning when the male sprang for her throat and luck would have it that she whipped her neck away his fangs only scraping against the flesh. She winced and bolted, turning so fast that her claws kicked up the earth behind her as she raced away praying they'd simply let her be.

ending & archiving <3

the diasporans pursued the interloper only a short way, before a word from mahler drew them up. panting in the fierce excitement of it all, the general took a moment to rejoice with takiyok and with nyx before leading them in search of the meat that the stranger had unearthed.
for once, the former mountain pack would eat well.