Phoenix Maplewood dark archer, light up another sun

Evening was falling. Hues of silver and purple and gold drew across the sky.

Skífa stalked through a magnificent little forest, dark ears steepled and dark eyes roving. Slender shafts of paper birch vaulted skyward all around him, alongside shaggy sugar maples and sprawling winter-bare berry thickets. The ground was white with snow, and all the woods were tinged with dusk's pale shades.

The healer had been right; after a time, Skífa no longer felt nauseous. But he was fiercely hungry. He felt the teeth of starvation gnawing on him from the inside. Tch. He mounted a slight wrinkle to his lip at the sensation. It was nothing new.

He prowled to the edge of yet another clearing and crouched in the brambles and weeds, looking for signs of life. And for the first time all afternoon, after a few minutes, he spotted movement. Off to the left, a light gray rabbit stretched out from its camouflage and shook off a powder-light shawl of snow. His instincts took over. Ignoring his fatigue and every other thought in his head, he slowly crept out into the open: low and angular and ready to chase. Closer he drew, and closer still, step by half-silent step, keeping behind mats of tall yellow grass. The rabbit tensed. Maybe it felt his eyes locked onto it? Danger approaching? Skífa froze and waited - waited for it to relax and drop its guard - waited for the exact right moment to spring.

She glanced at the wolf from her hiding spot. If he wanted to steal her rabbit he had something coming. She took note that she was the larger of the 2 wolves. She focused once more on the rabbit. She pounced and caught it between her jaws. She ripped the things head off.

She ate greedily looking at the other wolf. She briefly considered sharing but quickly decided against it. She kept her eyes on the other wolf in case it tried anything. She ate the last of the rabbit meat and began backing away.

He was excited to eat for perhaps all of three minutes. Then a large black wolf streaked from the shadows, beat him to the rabbit, and ripped it apart. He saw the rabbit's shocked head depart from its shoulders and heard its bones crack like twigs.

Skífa lunged forward before she finished eating, wild-eyed, teeth bared to the gums, and growling like a chainsaw. His hackles bristled from the nape of his neck to the back of his shoulder blades. He snapped his jaws at the stranger, aiming his teeth at the side of her face or her neck. He didn't care if he actually bit her or not; he just wanted to run her off the kill before she ate it all. Hopefully, there would be something left for him to scavenge.

Reckless, yes. She was larger than him, and he was still weak from his bout with food poisoning. But desperate times, desperate measures.

Nyxie was mildly surprised that this wolf had actually attacked her. His jaws scraped against the her shoulder as she shifted away. The pain was immense. She snarled at this wolf. He was the one that was going to take her kill. She circled the wolf snarling.

She could beat this wolf easily. But she wasn't in the mood for a full fight. She considered the best course of action. She then charged at the wolf teeth bared. She lept at him aiming to slam him into a tree and pin him down.

Skífa retreated and began circling her in the opposite direction. She charged at him before he expected her to, and she hit him squarely in his side. He hit a tree behind him - a tall, gray maple. It made a solid thump as he crashed into it, and he had the wind soundly knocked out of him. "!" He grunted. His ribs suddenly pounded with pain like a well-beaten drum.

She tried to pin him down, but he wouldn't make it easy for her. Still gasping for air, Skífa squirmed and twisted underneath her, kicking out with his legs and snapping his teeth at any part of her that came within spitting distance. He glued his tail between his hindlegs and kept his head low over his throat, protecting himself as well as he was able to.

She snarled as he's squirmed under her. She was annoyed by this scrappy little jerk. She moved her paws trying to pin him down. Then he snapped at her left and she pulled it back in pain. This wolf had just made the wrong move.

 She grimaced with pain but put her injured paw firmly in the dirt. She then took her hind legs and tried to snap them on either side of the wolves torso. With he other front paw she thrust it down and started trying to push down on the wolfs throat.

He caught her paw, but it didn't seem to faze her enough for her to back off. If anything, it seemed to make her angrier. Before Skífa had the chance to roll over and dodge her next move, she straddled him with her hindlegs and shoved her uninjured paw against his throat.

Well, that was terrifying. His heart was racing. He felt a massive stitch in his side, and now it was somewhat tricky to breathe. Too much more of this and he'd probably pass out. So Skífa shoved his front paws toward her chest, trying to keep her full weight off his neck. He stared into her velvety-purple eyes and bared his teeth in a vicious smile. His head swimming with adrenaline. With a soft grunt, Skífa kicked his back legs up and tried to ram them into her stomach as hard as he could, trying to kick her off of him or at least hold her back.

She felt herself being pushed up. Her legs waved violently trying to grip something. She fell off the wolf and sprawled in the dirt. She got to her feet quickly. She shoved against the wolf. 

 She felt stupid. She was the larger wolf she should be winning. She decided to try to end it once and for all. She struck with everything she had. She tried to clamp her jaw down on the other wolfs leg with all the force she had.

As soon as she fell off of him, Skífa scrambled over and onto all fours. He was breathing heavily, but before he had a chance to catch his breath, the black stranger pummeled all her weight into him again. He staggered back, narrowly avoiding getting pinned against the maple tree. He focused only on fending her off - so as she dove for his foreleg, he bounded sideways.

She still caught him, but not completely. Her jaws clamped down on his right foreleg, but he yanked it away from her before she could break it. She still punctured his skin and muscle, and tore a jagged wound into his leg anyway; and by yanking his leg away from her, he pulled his elbow and strained the muscles in his shoulder. But he was free.

Skífa dashed several yards away from her before pausing to look back, wondering if she was going to chase him. His foreleg was bleeding and his shoulder was throbbing fiercely. His ribs ached. His throat burned. But he was high on adrenaline and endorphins, and if survival was on the line, it didn't matter if he was injured. He was still going to run. (Later, when this was all over, he was going to be limping for a good while).

Skífa half-grimaced, half-smiled and spat at the ground. He dropped his head low and waited to see what she would do. If she made any move toward him, he would dash off again; but if she didn't, he'd stay stock still and watch her.

Nyxie looked at the wolf a distance away from her. She had bit a chunk in his leg. He looked weak but ready to bolt. She breathed heavily and looked over herself. She had a minor leg wound and shoulder wound as well. She growled and walked slowly forward.

She stopped when she came to the last bit of rabbit carcass. She looked down at it and ate the last few bites. She spit some blood out of her mouth. She backed away slowly never taking her eyes off the other wolf. She doubted it would attack her. When she reached to bushes she stood still and waited.

He only stuck around to see if there would be anything left to eat after she left. But she stuck around, just like he did, and scarfed down the small remains of the rabbit, instead. She left him nothing, and he had to watch.

Skífa sighed. He tilted his ears backward and clicked his teeth together, dissatisfied. As soon as she finished eating the rabbit, he pivoted around on his heel, and slunk into the dusky shade of the wood. He would have to find something else to eat somewhere else. And take care of his leg.

What a shitty gamble. What a shitty day.

exit. this was a fun thread, thanks!