இ۵Ŗace Ågainst ₦atureஇ۵

[-Starchild.Keith-]

(Wonderful! I can't really formulate a good response until I have something from Jaguar, but I really want to post for this again!)

[Resin]

((I was just thinking 'who in the heck is Sly Blue?' Lol Can't wait to get to posting with you again. (: Jag has been pretty busy as of late. Hopefully she can post soon. ))

[BlackJaguar]

{{Okay guys, I am here. 'Busy' doesn't even begin to cover it as of late and I am very apologetic to holding you guys up. I am amazed to have such loyal friends as you guys, wow. I essentially have been MIA from anything recreational. Thankfully I was lucky enough to have a VERY helpful sister who is also on CS when it came to the event because to be honest if it had been me trying to collect anything I'd have had enough to maybe get a piece of candy corn (lol), but there certainly was not enough time, energy, or muse for me to post anything beyond a pathetic two-liner.

School is crazy. Beyond the basics of obvious studies and exams n' all, I've also been taken into the forestry/silviculture program. This essentially means that every weekend (and some later weekdays) rain, shine, or who-knows-what weather I have been out in private tree stands thinning and bucking intermediate and suppressed trees into slash. We actually ended up servicing an 80 acre stand of ponderosa, bringing the trees per acre from 1000 to a much more ecologically sustainable 200. It's definitely hard, but it is rewarding and very beneficial for my line of work.

Timing is unfortunate. I was really hoping to actively work on Nanowrimo this year.. eh, perhaps some other month I will have to make my own version of it. As for now though I am happy to have just finished 5 exams and with Thanksgiving break coming up I have two decently free weeks ahead. Finally!

But, enough blabbing. Time to put some attention back into these characters. I think I had one named Attic or something...?}}

Pilot

32 - Fae - No Rank

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In the female's haste to free her newly-found Alpha, Pilot felt no such pain when her body repeatedly rammed itself into the thorny prison. With a baited breath she watched as the box teetered its last, jumping just narrowly out of the way as a broken corner swung its way towards her in its decent. The cage fell with a muffled thud, airborne snow creating a temporary white cloud to veil the aftermath.

As it cleared, Ahote's reddish pelt revealed itself, having rushed to his mates' side. A few muted glances and words were exchanged, ears flipping and body languages changing. Normally Pilot would have averted her gaze to the short, intimate moment, but being a wolf that was not used to so much stress, her manners seemed to be buried deep and her unintentional staring hazed out upon the two.

"Are you alright Pilot? Your paws aren't injured too much to walk or run if need be?"

Sensitive moment set aside, Pilot was returned to earth upon hearing her name.

"Huh?" Her head shook, her body moving for the first time since she had jumped away from the box. "I. Ah- yes?"

Wait, what did she ask her? To be honest the only thing that Pilot had heard in that question had been her name.

Hoping her answer was correct enough to satisfy, her ears flicked back and forth, a distant sound distracting her again. It was like a weird sort of tunnel had enveloped itself around the fae, drawing her focus onto the mundane instead of the things that actually mattered. Her head tipped upwards, watching a particularly fluffy and lazy cloud float against the blue sky. It was calm and tranquil. Not a hint of anything but pure peace. How different the world up there appeared than the bloodbath that existed on the ground she stood upon below.

Thinking once again about the earth, the blonde fae shifted her feet in the print-riddled snow. Speaking of bloodbath, simultaneous to said shifting, Pilot realized for the first time the little red pooled dots that laid hidden underneath. One was large enough that upon looking down she saw her crimson reflection staring back at her, the look of bewilderment locked on her facial structure. Immediately she picked her feet up, kicking her heel back to get a better look.

Her pawpads were now pocked with punctures and tears, the thorns having done their intended handiwork with tremendous accuracy. However, due to the coolant of the snow no heat came to the scoured pads, instead any feeling of it being rather nullified and numbed. What she did begin to feel though, was the heat rising through her chest. Finally giving herself a once-over the Non-rank finally realized the extent of her actions. While no tear or pock she hosted was at all a threat to her overall health, it was a bit unsettling to notice yourself a walking frontal pincushion. While the wolves around her continued to speak of the important matters at paw, Pilot watched as little red drips formed on a tufts of her fur, quivering at the shake of her own heartbeat as they threatened to fall. "Oh." She mumbled to herself. She hadn't even noticed.

As a result of her realization, the heat of the punctures began to warm up. Or at least she became aware of it. To be honest she hadn't even though of that rather obvious consequence when she had been trying to free Resin. Her only thoughts had been on the task.

Just then Pilot heard her name used again, sucking her out of her introspective thoughts.

"Pilot is injured as well. She would serve you better with her keen eyesight and hearing."

Instantly Pilot's face grimaced, finally something grounding her. Unfortunately due to the nature of the words (regardless of the edge of a compliment at the end) little sister syndrome got the better of her and her head snapped toward the large, dirtied black brute. Her voice was flat and monotonously firm.

"I'm fine."

She had always hated being babied by her brothers and even though well intended, Hrafn's words pushed a nerve. If there had been any chance of a display of injury from her before, there damned well wasn't going to be any now. Forgetting about the few drops that finally dripped off her fur to her movement, the wolfess shifted her position to Resin's flank. Her chin raised, providing what could be explained as a more dignified fashion. "I can certainly help protect the Alphess."

With time being of the essence and the obvious need to return to the mass Pack, Pilot watched as the Fighter and her white companion drift away into the trees after her resolute point. The two were a very ironic yin and yang, in both pelt color and personality. It would more than likely be an interesting travel, one that surely she would hear all about later with Lani's gift of chatter. But what they had in differences deep down they shared the same goals. Both had deep dedication to their fellow packmembers and together Pilot hoped that they would succeed at their mission. Well, on that point Pilot hoped they both would.

After their departure the air around the left triage was deftly silent, creating an eeriness that already added to the gruesome scene. It was as if the air itself was holding it's breath. Her head turned to the two wolves beside her. The strong Alphess, though beaten and heavily battered, the blaze in her eyes sat unwaivered herself still working as the pillar of strength. And then there was her new mate Ahote. A valiant and courageous brute of massive size, his pelt resembling the color of the blood of the Pack he protects.

"Well.. perhaps Alpha you should lean against your mate." She spoke up finally, breaking the silence. "I am not much for the size of a crutch, but I can help with tracking.. if you so wish that is."

Another sound made her ears shift, the overhead flapping of a raven's wings flying away from their direction of travel.



{{Okay guys, I gotta get to work. Attican's is about halfway done and I PROMISE I will finish and post it before I go to bed tonight.}}

[Resin]

((We all missed you, lady! It's glad to know that you're still alive and kicking! Best wishes with your schooling and your forestry. <3))

[BlackJaguar]

Attican

73 - Brute - Keeper

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Travelling with the Pack the Keeper watched as the scenery around them gradually begin to change. Over time the trees had begun to thin, opening up to more and more outcroppings that resembled the mountain itself, composed of craggy rocks and slabs of thick granite. While earlier he would have been concerned about the lack of overhead concealment that the trees provided, the rocks now stood to be to him a potentially wonderfully timed blessing.

Attican slowed himself even more, the large group amassing even tighter together. They hadn't been going too fast since the reunition of Xani and no one, not even himself, could complain too much on it. Tipping his head to the side, the large brute walked up to a particularly large slanted slab of granite, pulling up and testing his bulky weight onto the hovering side of it. "Hmm." He muttered to himself, thinking. Thanks to its positioning with another jut of rock the piece was surprisingly stable.

This was good. Perhaps it was time to ditch the snow and trees altogether and make headway into the stone. They had already made a surprisingly far distance from their initial point of flight and at some point there was a need to stop. Squinting his eye into the sidled distance it only proved to him that from here on out the rocks only became more frequent, several places with what looked to be promising nooks and corners for refuge. The Pack would no longer create footprints and to anything following it'd be as if they just disappeared. Yes this was good. This was what they were going to do.

Turning himself around, Attican's face held the faintest hint of a smile. He was pleased with the new plan and with the concealment of their footprints the rocks provided it at least put a little more ease on him that his ScarPaw family that he and Xani were leading would be safe. However before he could even open his mouth to speak words, his name cut through the air.

"A-Attican!"

Immediately the faint warm feeling vanished, replaced by a sickened lump jumping to his throat. His maw quivered with sudden anxiety, the top lip pulling up just enough to reveal the very points of his two elongated canines. "Xani." He spoke lowly, uttering only the single name. But despite its simplicity, it was all that was needed. In that single word the two's shared leadership was broken, the injured Beta given full and complete rein over the safety of the Pack. He had his own responsibilities to attend to.

Without hesitation, the Elder's graying body lept off the rock. With a surprising amount of grace due to its initial height and his mass he rebounded cleanly, the kickback working as a frontal push to get him racing towards the call. It was not hard to locate the skittering form of Wolf, the brute lashing around so much that it was impossible for Attican to see his face. Had he been hit?? He couldn't help but liken the thrashing movements to that of the same that he himself had experienced when he had been struck. However no blood could be seen yet and as he ran he hoped for the better.

Finally closing the gap, Attican's ears pinned back. At any moment the Keeper fully expected to see weapon-baring bipeds take form out of the foliage, their flat faces sneered in vicious type of glee with defenses ready. "What, what is it?!" he demanded, head snapping around wildly for the threat.

The woods stood silent.

"What's going o-" He started again, halting his own imploration upon the sight of the stick. Even without spying the frozen corpse under the point yet, it left him frozen in his place. Forever would the look of a spears' hilt be ingrained in the Keeper's mind. The last time he had seen one of these... well... it had been the very last thing his left eye ever saw. The thing that took away its vision.

He took a breath, one good eye so focused on the wooden implement that it was like Wolf suddenly wasn't even there. A cloud of memories stuffed in, and then shoved right back out. Now was NOT the time for recollection. Finally after a decent moment his gaze tore away, trailing down to the thing it was stuck into. And from there Attican finally realized the reason for the smaller brute's terrified reaction.

He cursed, balking back a few steps himself. It wasn't so much the physical looks of the scene that got him, unlike poor shy-hearted Wolf, but instead the meaning behind it. These two-leggers aggression did not just go beyond need or even sport, but instead they apparently indulged in the ultimate wrongful taboo.. they hunted and downed even their own kind. And from the looks of this one's face (or what really was left of it), it did not look like it was expected. And to his horror the scene did not stop there. Upon looking up suddenly dozens upon dozens of these spears appeared in his vision, all standing vertically in the snow. Even without looking the Keeper knew what each one of them marked.

Disgust written on his face, he turned back to the original stick. Cautiously, as if expecting the wooden implement to somehow animate and attack him, the brute walked up close to it. Stretching his neck out so that he did not touch the frozen two-legger underneath Attican teethed the weapon, pulling it out of its resting place. It was cold and light feeling, a smoothed out piece of straight wood with a strange shiny contraption tied to the end. That was the dangerous end, Attican of all wolves knew that much. However now it seemed like nothing more than a glorified stick and with a bitter feeling of animosity, the Keeper chomped down. This time, due to the needful rest period he had received, the spear snapped to his bite.

If only he had possessed the same energy when he had his last encounter... perhaps then things would be different.

"Come on." He turned to Wolf, voice somber but offering. His fighting spirit had fallen victim to the knot in his gut, his subconscious still fully aware to those that still were not with ScarPaw. Please ancestors.. Annu, Pipaluk... let them be safe. Seeing that the brute was still stricken and appeared to have no intention of movement he gave him a nudge to his rump, forcing him to take a step forward. "There is nothing we can do for them. We must separate ourselves from those that do this." Making another offering step, Attican took a few slow paces until he got the brute to follow.

Now it was time to find and relay back to Xani. Sauntering back with his rattled companion, Attican once again pulled himself back up the rock. While waiting for Wolf to climb up he rubbed the velvet gland on his tail on the stone, leaving another hopeful scent marker for the unlocated packmembers to follow. Apparently despite her injuries though the Beta had made good use of the few moments that they had been separated, for already just the tails of the Pack could be seen. In fact if they hadn't been moving Attican may have missed them completely... the rocks also provided good camouflage.

"Come on," he reiterated, picking up his pace. His nails clacked against the stone as he stepped, a very different sound to that of the crunching snow that he and every other Great Wolf had obviously grown accustomed to. He clacked his way over the granite, tail working as a bit of a ballast as he tried to recover ground to the Pack. It wasn't exactly a comfortable or easy surface to walk upon, the rocks jutting and listing this way and that (a few of them were teetery altogether and to be quite honest it'd be a lie if the Keeper didn't almost completely tumble over a few times after accidentally misjudging the stability of some slabs), especially as he was trying to make haste. However his efforts were rewarded when it appeared that his movements caught Xani's eye, bringing her to a halt.

Thank heavens.

Taking a back glancing look to Wolf to check on his progress, Attican made his way up to the Beta. With no reason to sugarcoat he spoke plainly of the scene.

"They've killed their own kind. Whole packs of their own species they've brought down, with no apparent reasoning behind it besides the simple ability to. I think it is time that we locate a place for refuge."


{{Ah yay, NOW it's bedtime. And yes still alive, a little beaten perhaps (on the plus side I'm getting kind of buff with all the forestry labor haha), but alive all the same. GLAD to be back, I really wanna chew into this again.}}

[-Starchild.Keith-]

Xani
- Female - 21 - Beta -

As the pack moved, Xani did her best to keep up. She refused to look at anyone except Attican, refused to show weakness to anyone but the Keeper. The only weakness she allowed herself to show was the limp that she had to take up in order to move at all. She kept her leg elevated in a position that kept it off the ground, making her movements slightly slowed. Still, she managed to keep up a decent pace. Leading through the snow made it a bit hard, but her size helped her deal with that somewhat easily. If need be, she simply scooted over behind Attican for deeper parts. This didn't last for too long, thankfully, and the snow soon gave way to patches of bare rock.

As they reached the rock, the pack paused only momentarily while Attican tested the strength of it all. If it could easily hold his weight without shifting, then it would be strong enough to support everyone else if they went slowly enough. Xani stepped onto the edge of the rock as well, shaking the show off the fringes of her fur as she did. The sudden movement nearly sent her sprawling, but she was able to catch herself. While Attican allowed himself a smile at the finding, Xani kept herself stoic to hide her pain. She saw him about to speak, but then a voice broke through the near-silence. She recognized it instantly as Wolf, and whipped her head in the direction it came. He was obviously calling for Attican, but she was still worried. After all, she had been the one to find him first. He had slowly stopped sticking to her like pine sap, but she still watched over him.

Xani's ears swiveled to Attican as he spoke her name, her eyes focusing on the keeper's face as he leapt away from the Beta. Wolf's cry had stirred the pack a bit, but she calmed them with a loud growl. "Calm down and follow me. The rock is more uneven, but less slippery and marking than the snow. Attican can take care of the rear." With that, she turned and started off at a slightly faster pace than before, her limp growing a bit more pronounced as time went on. Still, she didn't want to let whatever had spooked Wolf to endanger them. While there was a likeliness of it being something truly dangerous, there was also the likelihood of it being something simple. Most wolves were accustomed to things, but he had been very different than the pack when he arrived. Perhaps a grotesquely frozen carcass had spooked him. She hoped it was that simple as she led the pack away.

While they hadn't been moving for long, they had made a bit of distance before Xani picked up on something approaching. As she walked, she turned to glance behind her. Spotting Attican making his way over, she called for a stop and turned to face the approaching brute, eyes narrowing at the expression he wore. Something was obviously wrong, though by the way he moved there was nothing chasing them at the moment. As he approached, she met his eyes and listened as he spoke. His words make her heart constrict. If they killed their own kind, then they would stop at nothing to destroy the pack. Nodding once, she turned back to the pack. "We're moving again. Just a little more." Nodding to Attican, she started off once more.

While her eyes were focused on the ground before her to keep her limping form upright, she trusted Attican to seek out a place to hide. The rocks provided much-needed camouflage and helped obscure their trail, but being in the open was still not appealing to the Beta in any way. Every now and then, she would peer about for any sort of place, most likely a cave. "Wolf! Do you know this area at all? Are there any caves of sorts, or do you think you could find one?" she called, not knowing whether the scrawny male was beside her or at the back of the pack at the moment.

[Resin]

((Just waiting for Soriams to post, then I will and we can get this show on the road.))

[Soriams]

((Jag! *hugs tight* Wow, it sure seems like you’ve had a ton of stuff going on. All of it sounds terribly exciting though! Forestry work is something I’ve always wanted to get into, but my path in life has taken me away from it. Anyway, I’m glad to hear that you are doing well!))

Wolf
Male | 20 | Straggler
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Wolf struggled back up to his paws, and backed away from the thing, his eyes locked onto it. The horrid sight was repulsive, but no matter how he tried to look away he couldn’t. Surely, these were terrible creatures, but still, they didn’t deserve this. No one deserved this. Swallowing hard, he was only able to look away when Attican’s voice called out to him, and he swung his head in his direction, ears plastered to the back of his skull and his eyes wide with horror. His mouth hung open, but now words would come out in answer, only a strangled sounding squeak escaping.

It was no matter though, as the Keeper soon saw what had disturbed the sensitive brute. Standing a few paces back, the morose Wolf watched as Attican examined the thing, doing his best not to whimper. He quite simply could not grasp why anyone would have done this. It was one thing to defend yourself, Wolf had to do it many times against the infected and insane wolves that lived in his valley, but this was different. This whole pack had been slaughtered, and there was literally no crime egregious enough in his mind that could warrant such a terrible retribution. It was wrong, wrong on so many levels that his poor mind couldn’t even begin to process it.

After a moment, Attican pulled the spear from the frozen corpse and crushed it in his jaws, the loud crack making Wolf wince. There he stood, with his head hanging as the Keeper spoke, but it wasn’t until he nudged him that he seemed to come back to himself. Letting out a shaky sigh, he nodded meekly and turned to follow him back to the pack.

The trip back towards the stone ledge was made in silence, Wolf so caught up in his thoughts that he was barely aware of his feet moving underneath him. Thus, he was a little surprised when their trip paused not at the back of the pack, but at a pile of stone. Still looking befuddled, he looked up at Attican as the elder wolf gained altitude on him, blankly staring at him for a moment before letting out a sigh and climbing up after him.

Despite his overall demure nature, Wolf was still young and spry, and he easily hopped up the cantered rocks to join him. At least this was one thing he knew how to do well enough. Soon enough they were on their way again, following the sparse trail of the pack through the scree and boulders until Xani caught sight of them and stopped to wait. For Wolf at least, this was a relief, and not really paying any more attention to the Keeper, he fell into step just a pace behind Xani out of habit.

What had he seen, really? Surely that monster, and he had no doubt that every stick in that clearing marked the same, had been killed by another of their kind, but why? How could they do such a thing? Had they no scruples at all? Thus Wolf' mind spun and churned until Xani called his name and startled him out out of his reflection. Looking to her, as though only just waking up, he blinked a few times before answering. "Uh… No. This is further than I've ever been before," he replied slowly, looking around as though for the first time realizing where they were. "But if it is anything like the other mountains, the rocks fall all the time and the big ones, like that," he motioned to a boulder field of massive tumbled stones where it looked like a sizable chunk of the slope had collapsed, "They often don't fall together right, and there will be caves and places to hide in them."

At least for the moment, Xani had him thinking about something else, and Wolf considered the options. In truth, the higher up on the mountain you were, the less likely you were to find a big cave. Caves seemed to have something to do with water, and most of that at the top of the mountain was either frozen all the time, or ran off so quickly the caves didn't have a chance to keep up. The boulders did seem like an option, but he doubted there would be one space big enough for everyone. At the same time though, there would be plenty of comfy little holes to hide in and they could just disappear into the rocks. That opinion though, he kept to himself, and simply looked back to Xani to see what she would say.

Lani
Female | 57 | Hunter
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Lani continued throwing sticks and things off of the feebly struggling creature beneath her, either her initial bite had done more damage than she thought, or they really were weak without their weapons. Even with her smaller size, the thing seemed powerless to throw her from its back, and its thin appendages flung wildly about as thought it somehow expected to reach back and grab her with its goofy looking paws. Lani, of course, was not deterred by this in the slightest, and simply kept at it with one minded focus until she uncovered the pinkish skin of its neck and clamped her teeth around it. With that, it finally stopped struggling and as she felt it go slack she spit it out and looked around.

While she had been struggling with the twig-infested monster, it seemed as though the others had finished up the rest of them and they now stood around looking at each other. Curious as to why they would be just hanging about, Lani licked the blood from her maw and padded over to where they had gathered. Pilot looked a little shell shocked, and the Alpha was obviously in pain even if she was trying to hide it with Ahote at her side, and Hrafn was looking around like he expected the rest of the forest to come alive at any moment. What were they all doing just standing around? Shouldn't they be running now?

Truth be told, Lani was just as flustered as any of them, but her instincts were telling her to get the heck out of there. Before she could say anything though, Resin spoke to Pilot who gave some sort of bewildered reply and then ordered the two of them should go ahead. Hrafn quickly piped up, offering to go, and much to her surprise, take her with him. This suited Lani just fine, as really, any course that involved going to find Attican was perfectly okay with her. "S'good with me," she replied bluntly.

However, Hrafn's words had brought up another point, Pilot was injured. Looking on her for the first time with a bit of concern, Lani tipped her head at the golden female's curt reply. "Yeah, well you take care of yourself too, pup. You'll not be helping anyone if you faint in the snow," she said in her gruff manner. With that, she nodded to the black brute and a few moments later they were running through the trees back towards the place where she had left the pack.

Ahote
Male | 46 | Fighter
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Still on alert, Ahote scanned the trees around them, his golden eyes restless in their search. Nothing moved, save the ravens who were already gathering overhead. Unlike crows, the massive black birds were silent observers to the carnage below and some part of him found that grimly amusing. There would be plenty for them to fill their bellies on this day.

With Resin at his back and the monsters lying dead at his feet, the rage he had felt while facing them was quickly ebbing away. Slowly, the fur along his back began to settle, and he let out a ragged sigh. He had left enough room behind him for Resin to slip out of her confinement, and as she spoke to Pilot he looked over his shoulder at her. The blood on her shoulder had dried, but there were fresh scrapes across her face and immediately his heart hurt for her. He hated to see anyone suffer, and his Resin even more so. As she limped forward, he moved to be standing next to her, turning his muzzle to lick some of the blood from her face and ear while she spoke.

It wasn't until Hrafn replied that he finally took in his companions, and it was with another rush of relief that he saw everyone was unharmed. The balk brute seemed fit, and Lani was… Well Lani. Pilot though, she seemed to be worse off, having been abused the thorns of the cage. Beyond that though, the young wolf was looking a little shell shocked, and he felt bad for her. No one should have to be in this kind of situation, and the thought of it brought back a little bit of the anger from before.

Ahote was, of course, not going anywhere without Resin, and so he had no further input on what Hrafn had proposed, so he simply nodded in agreement. Pilot quipped back to Hrafn, and Lani chimed in, and a moment later the trio was left alone in the bloody field. Letting out another sigh, he turned his attention to Pilot as she spoke, and offered her a gentle smile. The question had been directed to Resin, and so he didn't answer, but instead he took a step forward to gently bump her on the chin. "Thank you for your help, Pilot," he said softly, and turned back to Resin. It seemed as though the wound on her shoulder was not the injury that pained her most, more as though there was a stiffness with pain in her back leg. Considering what to do for a moment, he finally came up behind her so that she could rest her flank on his shoulder, and he could give her more support than simply walking beside her. "Ready?" he asked, wanting to return to the pack as soon as possible. It would relieve a heavy burden on all of their shoulders to find them safe.

[Resin]

((Short and sweet. I don't want to hold us up any more but I'm incredibly tired and not feeling well.))

~|Resin|~Alpha Female|~ 40 Summers|~

Listening to the wolves around her speak was a little difficult. Pilot wasn't the only one that seemed to be suffering from a bit of shock. The thing was, she knew that she should be attentive. She knew that she needed to get everyone away from here. It wasn't lack of want, it was lack of drive. It seemed as though she couldn't force her body, including her mouth, to move for the longest time. After being cooped up in that tiny box, with so much anxiety and adrenaline coursing through her, being free was almost surreal.

As all things do, however, the shock subsided. By that time, Hrafn and Lani had gone. Black backed ears flicked forward as Ahote spoke to Pilot and she watched as he bumped her chin. Opening her maw, Resin said her piece as well. "You have my gratitude, Pilot. You did very well today and I thank you for it." As Ahote came up beside her and rested his shoulder against hers, she nuzzled into his neck, closing her yellow pools momentarily. He questioned her readiness and she nodded once. Inhaling deeply, the ashen female held her breath as she took her first, tentative step.

Liquid hot pain tore through her leg and hip. She clenched her teeth so hard that they squeaked. Once the weight was off of her hind paw, the pain ceased. Her body began to become heated due to the pain and she fought not to pant in response. This would be a long, painful journey, but it would have to be done. She wouldn't endanger her companions because of a little pain and she knew that they wouldn't go on without her.

As the trio of canines moved through the trees, Resin kept her eyes and ears alert. With two of their number injured, any attack upon them now would result in Ahote taking the brunt of it and that just would not do. Of all wolves, she would protect him to her last breath. Not that she wouldn't die to protect any of her wolves, but Ahote... she would go to the ends of the earth for him.

Periodically Resin was forced to stop and rest her leg. Her head dropped forward and she did pant, her dusty blue tongue protruding to release heat. She wasn't sure how the pack would move on with their alpha in such a state. Were they lesser wolves, she may have already been challenged for her status. Still, she wouldn't put it past a few of the wolves within the pack to take advantage of her current position. No matter how much you did, some would forever be ungrateful.

Distracting herself from such thoughts, the Alpha cast her gaze towards the small blonde form beside her. "How fare you, Pilot?" They both looked a mess. The blood stood out vibrantly against Pilots light colored coat. The blood upon her own coat darkened her grey to black. At least the bleeding seemed to have stopped upon them both. Other than their tracks, there was no blood trail behind them.

Looking to Ahote, she shook her head lightly. "Once we return, remind me to make an order that no one is to go out alone. Everyone must venture out in pairs if they are to leave the group. We cannot afford another setback like the one that I've gotten us into. Not while those beasts still hunt us." They would all have to be extra careful; extra attentive. She doubted that the skin-beasts would give up on them so quickly. They were smart to an extent. Smarter than deer or rabbits. They had planned their attack. Resin would never underestimate them again.

~|Hrafn|~Hunter|~ 46 Summers|~

Pilot's outburst caused the big brute to furrow his brow. If she didn't like his compliment... he didn't care. He simply waited for Lani to say her piece, then he moved out. Whoever followed would follow. He was worried about Xani and nothing was going to stop him from getting back to her. He wasn't particularly worried about the Alpha. Ahote and Pilot would keep her safe. Besides, she didn't seem to be injured too badly. Just a few puncture wounds. She'd be fine. He didn't realize that her leg had been injured, but he also hadn't asked.

"Fit to run, Lani?" Once he realized that the squat, white female had followed him rather than the blonde one, he knew that they would be able to track down the pack and be back with their significant others quickly. She was no doubt worried about Attican just as he worried for Xani. When he'd left her, there was a piece of tree protruding from her leg. Hrafn was glad that he'd massacred the two-leggers. He would gladly kill more if they showed their faces in retaliation for what they'd done.

Throwing his weight into his large black paws, Hrafn moved off at a distance eating lope. Following the tracks that Xani had left was an easy task. Time passed and the pair stayed upon the trail. Though the giant onyx brute was on high alert, there were no signs of their previous attackers. They'd tucked their tails and scampered on home. This was quite relieving. If the skin-beasts had been tracking the pack... Hrafn shook his head and refused to think of it.

Wind blew down from the spiraling mountains and Hrafn turned his attention to Lani. "Not far now. I think they've gone up." The smell of the pack blew right up his nose and he picked up his pace. Once the snow receded and there was nothing but slabs of sliding rock, the going was a little slower. Hrafn gave a low woof. The two-leggers wouldn't be able to hear it, but the pack might. It was a simple warning to let them know that they were coming. He was anxious to see Xani and tend to her wounds. He would make her rest if she wasn't already.

[-Starchild.Keith-]

Xani
- Female - 21 - Beta -

Wolf's initial response did nothing to help Xani's mood. It wasn't his fault that he'd never been this far, but she had been hoping for something more helpful than that. His next words alleviated a bit of her stress, however, and she sighed gratefully. The mention of places to hide was nice, especially if they were under sturdy boulders. While it wasn't likely that they'd fine a spot large enough to hide everyone together, that didn't bother her that much. So long as they were close together, they should be fine. Her eyes surveyed the area, glancing ahead at a particularly large boulder that had fallen onto the stones beneath. Perhaps there would be a good spot there to rest for a bit. Her leg was starting to become extremely painful, and she didn't know how much longer she could go on.

"Thank you, Wolf. Let's try and find a few hidey holes..." Continuing forward, the beta carefully navigated the rocks until she reached an area with far more boulders. She peered down into any holes she found, huffing angrily when none were large enough to hide more than one wolf, if even that. Eventually, she found what she deemed a decent area for everyone to hide in. There were multiple, larger holes near each other that should hold the pack. "Alright everyone. Group up and hide down in these holes. Those with trouble climbing, go to the one on the right- it's an easier slope." She kept her eyes peeled as the pack followed her orders, closing her eyes only once the majority of the wolves were hunkered down beneath the boulders.

Glancing over at the remaining wolves, Xani motioned for them to go below. "Stay down with the others. If something comes up, all they'll see is an injured wolf. They won't suspect a sneak attack from below." Gingerly sitting, she cast a glance back at her leg. It had congealed for the most part, but blood was still slowly running down her leg a bit as she sat. At least it wasn't enough to leave a definite trail across the rocks. As she sat, a distant sound reached her ears. It sounded somewhat like Hrafn, but it was definitely an alert that pack members were returning. She responded in kind, being as loud as she dared.

Now that she had finally stopped moving, the fatigue caught up to her. Every bone and muscle in her body ached and she wanted nothing more than to lie down and rest. Maybe even cuddle up for some warmth... Xani quickly shook that thought away. She didn't want to appear weak to anyone, especially the one brute that she would ever consider cuddling up with. Attican was one thing, but the others were another matter altogether.