Moonspear aperitif

Somewhere between MSP/FFG and near Silverlight Terrace.

The many scents that hit her nose were not dwarfed by the snow; the path before her smelled fresh and looked well-tread, which made Stryx nervous, although she boldly continued on her journey. As she investigated the trail she came to some understanding: there were at least two groups living in close proximity, or one very large one sprawling across the lowlands and towards the mountains to the southwest.

With the winds howling in the higher reaches (and the trees giving an occasional shudder to the weight of snow across their tops) Stryx was not sure what to do; she did not want to return the way she'd come, but could see no safe means of passage considering how prolific the wolves of this area had become. She could not recall finding a landscape so well marked before.

She took to pacing along the no-mans-land that had become of the territory edge. Many places she had visited employed this buffer around their claim and while these wolves showed signs of perpetual co-mingling across their borders, she hoped it would hide the fact she was a puzzle piece out of place. Stryx was not usually so rogue-like in her behavior but this was wintertime — a hard time for her — and the last thing she wanted was a horde of angry strangers chasing her through the snow.

As she came upon a yellowed patch of snow she sucked in a breath, mentally cursed at herself for what she was about to do, then bowed and rolled in the patch; scent-gathering was a tactic she mostly enjoyed in the spring and summer, where she could decorate herself with herbal notes, rather than the piss stench of a stranger.

Afterwards she got to her feet and scraped soft fluffy white snow over the section - and watched as more snow continued to fall after - before continuing on her way. At the very least she'd have some similarities to someone's scent, here. It might give them enough pause so she could explain her wayward travel.

Though she was not completely familiar with all wolves from Moonspear, she knew a stranger when she saw one. Conquest familiarized herself with the faces upon the mountain, and knew that this woman... was not one of them. This was the wandering healer who had tried to leave her with the mountain wolves months ago - and as far as Conquest knew, she was no ally to Hydra. Not enough so to trespass.

Sure she could have joined Firefly Glen, but even then... she needed little reason to tell the healer who abandoned her with absolute stranger to fuck right off. Coming down from the mountain side at a brisk pace, she approached the greyscale woman with a scowl and a warning growl, fangs glittering in the sunlight while fur bristled along her spine. There was no verbal warning other than the growl and snarl, quickly she pounced with lashing teeth with the intent to chase this woman away.

Regardless of their brief time together, abandoning her with complete strangers, trying to leave her with an Alpha female who not only hated Connie, but who Connie hated too... left a bitter taste in her mouth that she was more than happy to wash away with Stryx's blood. Even if she did smell like foul piss.

OOF! I rolled on the Discord and got 4/15

The creature that came tearing from the woods after her was one she ought to have recognized. In the heat of the moment there was a blur of red-brown fur and the cacophonous assault of snarling; for someone accustomed to the silence of winter it was a lot to handle. Stryx reacted by picking up her pace — not that it would help much — as soon enough the wolf was pouncing after her.

Stryx was no warrior. She prided herself in being passive where appropriate; but she was also a wolf, and any lone wolf had to know the basics to survive. She immediately tucked her tail and tried to scamper from the stranger's reach — the fur along her nape prickling, her head bowed and then snaking around as she turned to face the oncoming danger, trying to get at least a glimpse.

It was jarring to see the grown version of that little red cub coming after her. Hadn't Stryx left them in the mountains? Hadn't she been placed on the literal doorstep of a thriving pack? How had she ended up here — ???

The snap of teeth too-close-for-comfort warded Stryx away from any conversation; she about-faced and lunged through the snow in an attempt to run.

oof

Conquest was nothing but a roaring fury. Throwing herself at the familiar stranger by bulldozing through the mountainous woods. The woman was familiar but to Conquest, she seemed to much more smaller than she could remember. Only now did she truly appreciate the growth she had recently comparing herself now to memories she still held. 

That didn't mean anything. The fury she felt still burned brightly, feeding her rage as she continued to snap at the defensive woman who was clearly showing signs of not wanting to fight. Foam slapped around through gnashing teeth, thrusting herself closer to the woman who was desperately trying to inch away. In her rage she couldn't even see the look on Stryx's face, the confusion she must feel - none of it mattered.

The medic tried to turn tail and flee, even that did not stop Conquest from chasing after her with barred fangs, snapping and lunging with every part of her being. She would chase as long as she could, past Moonspear's borders until the greyscale woman got the message loud and clear to stay very clear away from the firebrand woman and the mountains in which she now called her home.

8/15 - Gave her some injuries! Last from me.

As agile as Stryx could be, the snow hindered her progress. She could lunge across the smoothest sections and then find herself tangled in undergrowth - ferns, fallen trees, bent saplings and the like - which was detrimental to escape. She had never before felt such kinship with her own dinner; the fear that a deer must possess while being chased down by a pack was something she had never experienced before.

The worst part was the fact the red-furred girl was gaining on her. The power of her rage, her youth, her innate need for violence - whatever the reason, Conquest closed the distance and snapped after Stryx until finding purchase. Stryx felt the clap of teeth across her hocks and kicked out, then felt something slam against her hip - teeth sinking in to the meat of her back and then dragging as she tore herself free.

Away she went, leaving a trail of fresh blood to perfume the frigid air. It was surprisingly warm. Stryx launched herself off a ledge and then down in to a gully, gasping lungs filling with pine-scented air that chilled her core — and then there were shadows to hide her.

With muscles trained for travelling and mountainous terrain, she sliced through the snow like a hot knife through room temperature butter. There was no slowing down. Every once in a while she would be caught through the thicker growth, angrily snapping and trying to force her way through the bare branches with her barking and growls only growing in pitch. Claws tore up the ground and snow, leaving a trail of destruction in her path from broken branches to a carved brown and grey trail through the once white snow. 

She was destruction after all. 

By now her teeth had made contact, but that did not satisfy her. If it wasn't for the woman clawing her way to freedom, Conquest would have done much worse if she had managed to grapple on top of her... but alas, the woman escaped. Off a ledge and away from sight. Surely she could track the medic's blood trail to continue chase, but looking around... this felt far enough and surely Stryx got her message this time. With a final rolling thunder of a growl, she turned to return to the mountains.