Blackfeather Woods plating

set some hours after this

because of the rain, because of the wind, crowfeather's tracks had been marred. covered. she saw enough to know that he had crossed the border, but headed unfortunately in a direction opposite his own intention.

a twisted, dark forest loomed before she and sihaya. it was not the sort of place she thought the prince would go, but that was why it would make a perfect cover for a boy who did not want to be found.

with a glance to her guard, she pushed into the branches, shivering at the black cold that seemed to emanate from the trees. "crowfeather!" she called out.

crowfeather!

heshe was not that but atill awoke as if called by one of two names shehe remembered and one heshe couldn't couldn't couldn't couldn't no matter how hard shehe tried to.

heshe slept so shallowly here. dark trees rose everywhere and closed in around herhim like sentinels. they didn't guard himher. they kept impartial watch, and were full of black beady eyes and feathers. they spoke when shehe tried to sleep, in voices shrill and singsong horrible.

pawsteps and crick crack cricking of braches approached. the dog was huddled beneath a soft ledge and a single fat root curled over it and heshe found some comfort in curling hisher spindly body about it. now fear gripped himher such as that a soud that was immediately regretted came out.

a whine, small small small got out of hisher mouth and shehe covered hisher snout like it had yet to escape and wasn't out there now for the crick-cracking pawsteps to hear and maybe find himher and maybe crick-crack-crick hisher bones as well.

the greyhound's heart beat bam bam bam.

tavina shook out her coat. if the boy had come this way, he had picked quite a snarl of a place to reside indeed. "we'll spread out," she decided. here the rain did not cut down so harshly. she picked her way across thawing moss and the slimy, exposed sides of a fallen, rotted tree.

the scent she found was not crowfeather, decidedly unwolfish at that. the sesh froze, lifting keen muzzle into the cold air.

"you might as well come out," her voice suggested dryly. tavina did not move forward in her search. she stayed as she was, sharp eyes hunting for any movement that might confirm her suspicions.

a voice a voice called out to himher and told herhim to come out of hiding like this was a game of hide and seek. but heshe knew how to play that game and knew that as long as you are not seen the seeker doesn't win.

slowly slowly slowly shehe crawled on hisher belly forward forward forward

(if heshe ignored how the rotten leaves and the mud sloshed and sploshed then it wouldn't be real it wouldn't be heard)

 until there was a point where heshe could stand up and not be seen by the voice that was in the mouth that was on the neck that was on the body that was on the paws that made the branches go crick-crack-crick and hisher bones surely as well too.

sheher was now behind the trunk of the tree with the root that heshe had curled around before, and hisher long long face slowly poked out around it hisher long neck almost snaking around the trunk to take a look just one look at whatwho spoke and why did itthey sound so lupine when there were only monsters here.

(hisher white parts were cakes brown with mud)

the frame that unfurled was brindled and long and soaked with mud. 

not a wolf. certainly not the prodigal prince. another dog. the wolf's body untensed. she tossed her ruff with an amusement that felt misplaced. what was it about the flatlands that drew so many of them?

"do you speak?" she asked in the firm voice of a charge-nurse. nala had told stories and gucci never stopped talking in that drawling charm of a voice.

she found herself thinking of him fondly for a moment and then put the distractible thoughts aside. the man from akashingo was close but she would not let down her guard. dogs had teeth too.

it was a thing maybe smaller than heshe maybe herhis size shehe couldn't tell not without coming closer to the black-pale beast of glowing lavender-flower-led-light eyes so wide so hungry so malic-

the voice cut trough the dog like a command and long striped legs scrambled at once to stand the body into an attentive stance. the pet barked in response.

-heshe realised quickly this was a question like "where are you from" or "what are you" not order stupid stupid stupid beastdogcoyotewolf things didn't know the language of the people stupid stupid.

heshe inhaled shakily and with herhis head still held upon raised neck - bent backwards and away from the terrible speaker - heshe spoke in voice trembling and wispy and squeaky.

"ye-yes."

wiry and fineboned and angular. tavina stared at the gaunt figure and then blinked crisply. "have you seen a creature like me?" she asked. "he has a black coat and a bad leg. i am looking for him so i can continue his healing."

it occurred to her that in the face of starvation and possibly even injury, she might be compelled to call off her search from the time being and tend this one.

it was the healing streak within her. she cleared her throat and gestured for the dog to answer.

eyes wanted to focus on wolfdogcoyotebeast but flashed right and left instead watching every shadow in the periphery for movement for glow of pupils for crunch of branches-

other creature where other creature where where where

-they snapped back to the wolfdogcoyotebeast and the greyhound blinked, formerly raised ears flattening against the skull.

"idon'tknow." words shot out like vomit. "didn'tsee."

heshe took a step back.

"whatareyou."

another one, because shehe was brave.

"i am a wolf."

this one spoke in rushed whispers and shook like leaves beneath a gale. the ears were odd. the body wasp-waisted and almost misshapen. even the tail was distinctly different: a thin rat's-plume compared to the thump of her own heavily furred banner.

"how long have you been out here alone?" tavina asked, stepping forward with a single careful movement.

wolf wolf wolf wolf wolf

terrible storybook beast that ate red riding hood and the seven goats and now stood there are menacing and black terrible terrible-

when the wolf took a step forward the dog spasmed as if struck and rushed backwards and away, eyes still rolling in search of more monsters lurking in-between thick dark treetrunks while switching back to track the present beast.

the question was a trick. shehe couldn't tell what sort nor find the root of this thought and so instead heshe continued to back away walking like a circus performer on too long stilts eyes bulging with effort to see everything all around at once.

"betteralone." the hound babbled, thinking herhimself coherent. "bestallone. noneedlenochipnosnipsnip-" 

instead of punctuation, shehe gasped. 

"-betterrunnybunnymeatthan-" 

gasp

"-pills. muchbetter. nosqueaksqueaksnoblankiesbut-" 

gasp

"-muchmuchbetterthaEEAGH!!"

the greyhound's rear bumped into a pine tree. this small, but sudden contact had the effects of a pulled trigger upon himher, and the dog sprang forth bullet-quick, straight ahead and away from whatever threat it was herhis eyes were still struggling to see -

and at the wolf right ahead.

she did not understand what was said, only frenzy and the long body tightening, and then the dog was running directly at her. she saw his skittishness and knew that it could be the most dangerous sort of thing.

and so her own teeth flashed. tavina set all four paws and snarled horribly, hoping to turn his long legs and perhaps veer the dog sideways. she wanted to understand, but not at her own expense.

teeth flashing in a snarl and shehe knew this was a mistake words weren't for wolves not even those that spoke soft and conversative like housepets.

the sighthound tried to stop and slide but momentum too great brought himher to black body and terrible teeth. herhis own bared but still fear trumped aggression as the two collided.

desperate jaws snapped in effort to bite and discourage.

please let me run let me go let me leave-

they went down all the same, and tavina saw white teeth flashing.

she did not think of the why. she was only galvanized into action. the sesh twisted and growled, looking to clamp her jaws harshly over the top of the other's own. his first snap had split her lip and his second had almost drawn blood from her face.

this was the extent of her mercy, a last gesture before she eviscerated the creature.

panic panic panic even as blood touched tongue and long legs kicked to untangle and carry thin body away away and they did and they did just so until

jaws shut bit tongue so blood heshe tasted was herhis own and many points of pressure spread along top of muzzle and thought

will bite it off will bite it off

repeated echoed like the whine that rose from the hound as shehe stilled and arched neck downward tugging back head to free pained snout

eyes frantic desperate rolled and rolled until they caught purple froze on those and tears of terror and of pain welled up made the white-rimmed brown sparkle like moonstone as the whines repeated unrhythmic and pleading

please please please

tavina was biting. the dog was crying. she thrust her legs out stiffly and made to shove the creature away from her. the wolf's jaws released.

they would be parted now. she clacked her teeth on empty air, a warning to stay away now that their conflict was over. and yet her purpled eyes were not cold; indeed they were full of surprise and curiosity.

heshe stumbled back away away free finally but pain remained piercing and shehe tried for a moment to wipe the hurt away with wrist and paw but it stuck like peanut butter to roof of mouth

for a moment eyes looked bulging and afraid at wolfbest and mouth parted to say one word

gasp

"monster."

gasp

and not waiting to be bit clawed hurt again the hunteress whipped around and bolted in-between tree trunks, legs tripping over roots in hurry to leave horrible confined woods and breathe air fresh and see a wastness unbroken

monster monster monster in the woods.