இ۵Ŗace Ågainst ₦atureஇ۵

[Apocalyptic_Punk]

Curse
{{Fae||Straggler||Alone||

Curse stood silently on the edge of the pack's camp, her ears flicking about, listening, watching her breath curl from her muzzle and into the cold night air. She shifted her weight, feeling her muscles slide under her coat, she could smell something, but it was not exactly Drago, but it was at the same time. A low growl escaped her throat as she began pacing again, searching the darkness with cold yellow eyes. Her fur shifting and glinting in the dim light, as he paws crunched through the thin crust on top of the snow. Her heart picking up speed, as she could sense death hanging heavily in the air, worry burned through her as she turned to check the pack. She counted swiftly letting her eyes travel over the heads and bodies of the pack, snorting in disgust she knew who was missing.

Grimshaw, the loner brute she'd been meaning to speak with. She circled the whole of the pack til she found his scent heading away from the pack. She growled and sent a low warning howl, before plunging into the snow along the path of the brute. Could he have been sent in advance by Drago, could he now be feeding pack numbers, and wereabouts to the savage brute. She growled as she ran, hoping to catch the foolish brute before he reached Drago, but knowing in her heart it was already too late.

Mirage
{{Brute||Omega||10|| Watching|}}

Drago
{{Brute||Loner||49||Following the Scarpaw pack|}}

The strike like he planned was vicious, his strong canines slamming into bone, the brute yelped in surprise and terror and jerked trying to get away from Drago. But, that only made Drago's job easier as he ground his jaw downwards until bone cracked, then crumbled under his teeth, he ripped his head back once hard then shook the smaller brute as hard as he could. He dropped the now bleeding animal to the ground. "I can not stand cowards," He growled lowly padding around the wolf, who was trying to pull himself away with his front paws now, panic and fear swimming in his features. Drago snarled and snapped ripping into the side of the animals face, ripping flesh from the bone.

He grinned as the wolves cries rent the air, echoing off the ice and snow, panting heavily he threw his head back howling the joy of the kill to the stars that he could not see but in his mind. Then with one swift movement he ended the brutes usless cowardly life, padding through the bloody snow he made his way towards the pack, murder and meyhem on his mind.


Kuolema
{{Brute||Loner/fighter||14||traveling south

[Resin]

((Finally!))

Ash- Beta Male- 30 Summers

The big white wolf tore through the snow, weaving around the random spatterings of conifers. The cries of a dying wolf did not go unnoticed, and Ash pushed himself harder, hoping that he could arrive in time. The blood had long since left the tracks, but the tracks themselves were still present and he followed them. Up ahead his golden eyes caught a flash of movement, and then the triumphant howl echoed all around him.
Ash faltered momentarily, then steeled himself and broke into the clearing where he only spared a moment to look at the dead or dying form of Grimshaw. The wolf deserved death, but he wouldn't have wished this sort of death upon him. Ash would have given him a clean death. The big black brutes methods were messy and devised to be agonizing and full of pain.
The thought spurred the massive wolf forward and, with three large bounds, he swung his head, bringing it down hard and fast to add force to the bite that he delivered to the black wolf's neck. Though his fur was thick, Ash's teeth found purchase and soon the salty taste of blood filled his maw. Using both his weight and the momentum of his attack, Ash sidestepped and swung his head, both throwing the black wolf off of his feet and ripping a large chunk of fur and flesh from the back of his neck which he unceremoniously spat upon the ground beside him.
Now that the brute wasn't right next to him, Ash lowered his head and released a guttural snarl, his fur bristled as he prepared himself for the next attack. He was going to kill this wolf. Not only for killing those that were following the pack, but for threatening to harm those that he'd sworn to protect. Honor would not let him lose.

Resin-Alpha Female- 30 Summers

She was panting hard and breathing was becoming painful. Her vision had started to blur and become spotty due to lack of oxygen, but she pushed herself forward. The howl of achieved death had met her ears and fear rose up in her throat, prompting a pained whine from the dark female. If that bastard was howling so joyously because he had killed her brother, she would make him suffer to his last breath.
Ash had quite a head start on her and the lack of sleep, food, and energy made her slower than she could afford to be. More than once her footing failed her and she crashed into the snow, her nose and panting maw filled with the icy powder. Fear had turned to anger. She was angry that her body was giving out while her mind screamed to go faster.
Even if she got there in time, what could she do other than get herself killed? She hardly had the strength to stand up to a pup let alone a big, bloodthirsty male. She quickly snapped herself out of that way of thinking. When she arrived, she would do what needed to be done. If she lost her life in the process, then at least she would take the warmonger with her.
On and on she went, paws flying over the snow, praying to the ancestors and hoping that she wasn't too late.

Pipaluk- Female Straggler- 97 Summers

The old one's eyes were open before she knew it. Raising her head, she looked in the direction where she knew that two wolves were fighting for their lives. "They've begun," was all that she said before she lowered her head once more, curling in as tight of a ball as she could manage. Sadness coursed through her. One had died and more were soon to follow.
Though he could not be seen by the others, Nanuq curled himself around his mate, trying to comfort her in the only way the he could manage. He whispered stories in her ear. She knew them all, of course, but it would help take her mind off of things if only for a short while.

[-Starchild.Keith-]

Xani
- Female - 21 - Fighter -

Xani had remained on her outlook, her senses alert for danger. She hadn't noticed when Grimshaw had snuck away, but she definitely heard the pained screams and howls that came from a wolf. She was instantly on her feet, but she froze as she started off. What was the best plan of action? Staying put meant that the danger could come near the pack. There were too many pups and weaker wolves to risk that. If she went, would it be enough?

Not knowing what path to choose, she bolted back down the hill towards Ahote, stopping before him. "Something's up. Those are death screams, and..." She paused as new sounds reached her ears. "Apparently the attacker won. We have to do something! The pack is vulnerable here, but we can't move them. It could make it worse. Someone needs to go see that he's stopped. Stay here with the pack and guard them- they look up to you more than me. I'll go kill the brute." The last sentence was said in a nasty snarl. She turned to leave.

[Soriams]

Ahote
Male | 36 | Fighter
>>>–––———<•>———–––<<<

Ahote was on his feet the moment he heard a wolf's screams of pain and fear echoing off of the ice cliff behind him. Glancing to Holly, he looks back just in time to see Curse as she let out a warning howl, and headed off in the direction of the screams. Filled with worry, he sees Xani too is on her feet and headed towards him. Just as she started to speak, a bloody, victorious howl sounds, sending a chill of fear over him, immediately followed by a flash of anger. A sort of righteous indignation that makes the fur on his back rise. How dare this wolf, this interloper, come here and defile the pack with his bloody ways. This evil must be stopped at all costs.

At Xani's words, Ahote growls, "Go and be swift. Curse is somewhere ahead of you. Don't give this bloody fool the benefit of a fair fight. He no longer deserves it. Take him together, and see that he is finished," he said, his eyes dark. "I will stay here as a last line of defense along with Attican," with that, he turned and sent up an alert to awaken any that might have slept through the blood-curling cries earlier. Then, just as Xani is about to leave, he steps forward, stopping her. "Find Resin and Ash... And bring them home," he spoke in a soft voice, standing close so that only the other fighter could hear. Though unspoken, it is implied between them that, dead or alive, she must find the Alpha and her brother and see that they are brought back to the pack where they belong.

Face grim, Ahote stepped aside to let Xani pass, and turned back to Holly. "Come, we must wake the rest of the pack and see that they are ready," he said, and beaconed the white wolf to follow him. Walking through the pack, he met every eye, trying to lend what reassurance that he could, and nudged those who still seemed to be sleeping until he reached Mirage. Curled around the sleeping River, he was alert and calm, and he hoped that he could trust the young wolf to look after his new charge. "Mirage, this is Holly, she has just come to the pack, a straggler, like Curse. I want you to keep watch with her, and see that all the pups are safe and kept as close to the center of the pack as possible," he said.

Ahote then sought out Attican, and finds the Keeper with the elder who had arrived earlier. Taking the time to dip his head in greeting to her, he said simply, "Forgive me, grandmother, but I must borrow your company." He then turned back to Attican, giving him a meaningful look before continuing, "Keeper, trouble has finally found us. We should be on the other side between it and the pack."

[BlackJaguar]

Attican

73 - Brute - Keeper

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

During the wait poor Attican found himself nodding like crazy. Multiple times he would intentionally stuff his face into the icy snow in attempts to keep himself awake. He clenched his teeth, nearly gritting them in his efforts. Must.. stay awake. It was for his duty and the safety of the pack.

Time wore on without any signs of anything, just pristine quietness of nighttime. It was a somber lullaby, deceitfully lulling wolves into thoughts of restful times. But out of the silence all of a sudden a screeching cry came out of the stillness, ripping away any doubting ideas of danger. Adrenaline shot through Attican's body in a shot, his tiredness essentially evaporating in an instant.

He launched out of his sleeping spot, the cries still piercing the air. It was Grimshaw's cries who filled it and despite everything he had done, the Keeper still felt deep remorse that his demise came in such a way. Instincts brought his hackles to raise on his shoulders, making the large Elder look even more massive than he already was. It was only a moment later before the other wolves appeared to burst into action. Ahote scrambled his way up the bank to meet with him.

"I agree," he half grunted, "he unfortunately is keen. I was hoping he'd come on the side of the ice wall for a more difficult escape.." His teeth bared for a moment, cursing their misfortune. With a few strides he jumped to skid down the bank with the Fighter, both making their way to position. His head shook, knowing that both Resin and Ash had not made their return. His heart still burned for them and their safety, as well as everyone putting up their assets to fight.

Attican's head gestured to the pack now behind them as the two ran. "They need to be ready to run away if it is needed. I fear that it will be."

A few strides later the Keeper ex-Fighter felt like he was in good enough position away from the pack, but close enough to protect. His pace slowed to a walk, eyes glaring out into the vast darkness. Silently he cursed his eyes, still slightly hindering him in his nighttime sight. The moon was dipping ever-lower, marking the soon end of night. "Are you ready?" He asked, turning to Ahote.

[wildwolf13]

Sephora
Mateless
Fighter of ScarPaw Pack

Upon hearing the wolf's dying cries of pain. Every muscle in her body froze. The blood in her body, pounding in her ear's. The scent of blood and and fear wafting around her made her want to hurl. Her nostrials flared as she listened to Xani, Attican and Ahote. Looking towards the center of the pack, she slowly made her way to where the younger wolves and pups stood. "It's alright, little ones." she said in a light voice. Her blue eyes the color of the blue sky, were almost the hint of the color of the freezing, cold, mushy snow.

My first post back and i lost my train of thought x.x

[Resin]

Pipaluk- Female Straggler- 97 Summers

The commotion pulled her from the depths of sleep once more. The few winks that she'd gotten were more restful than the majority of the sleep she'd had lately, so she felt slightly energized. Seeing wolves dash here and there, some barking orders, Pipaluk rose and shook out her messy grey coat.

She approached the two younger males, shaking her head lightly. She had watched as Xani ran off to combat the bloodthirsty male. "She will be too late. The hardships that have plagued you in the form of a wolf will cease, and in their stead, a new hardship will follow." One ear, darker than the rest of her coat, flicked absently.

"You have nothing to fear in the form of an attack. You are all safe in physical form. But...If you hold any love for those siblings, prepare your hearts and steel your souls as I have." With that, she turned and walked slowly away, her old paws making no sound as they trod across the white landscape.

She was sure that the majority of the things she said to others were taken as the ravings of a senile old wolf. Whether they believed her or not was their problem. It was her duty to simply relay messages from the ancestors. The white and brown male had called the older one Keeper. If he didn't have visions already, they were sure to come later. A keeper needed an open mind to talk to the spirits. If they wished to speak to them, that is.

Pipaluk wasn't sure why someone wouldn't want to converse with the dead. They were full of knowledge. They were the ones that told her who they would take away next. When she questioned their knowledge, they mentioned a certain light that burns brightest around the wolf right before they meet their demise. Hundreds, sometimes thousands of wolves would flock to the burning light, prepared to welcome the deceased to the tundra in the sky.

Wishing for a higher vantage point, Pipa walked into the trees a ways before turning back and moving up a steep hill. With a lot of scrambling and use of claws, the old wolf made her way up the back end of the ice wall and rested on top of it, keeping her eyes and mind open for the ones that would return... and the ones that would not.

((I have to go do stupid girl crap today, so I won't be on again until later tonight. Don't forget that Ash has dibs on Drago.))

[Apocalyptic_Punk]

((We won't Resin XD))

Curse
{{Fae||Straggler||Alone||
She ran, she ran and ran her body ached, her lungs burned, she could smell the hot wetness of blood on the wind. She snarled in rage as she knew she would not be there in time. She cursed herself for knowing she was the cause for all this loss of life. She snarled and flung herself forward, stretching with every fiber in her being to expand her body to leap further, to make the distance shorter. Anything she needed to make it in time, and then she heard it, the snarls as a fight broke out, someone had reached Drago before she could. She howled shortly and flung herself hard, her feet slicing through the snow her body shooting through the darkness like an arrow.

Mirage
{{Brute||Omega||10||W/ the pups|}}
Mirage blinked and nodded at his command to stay with the pups, he circled them to make sure they would remain safe, his heart pounding against his ribs. He took a quick head count and then stood watching the dark beyond knowing a life and death struggle had just begun, not just for the wolves racing towards the sound of death, but for the entire pack. He let loose a small nervous whine, his yellow eyes took in Sephora as her white form came form the darkness, He nodded in greeting letting the fae sooth the pups while he stood guard, head high, ears turned in the direction the sounds of death and come from, and he waited...he hated waiting.

Drago
{{Brute||Loner||49||Fighting Ash|}}

Drago heard the brute coming, he felt those teeth sink into his flesh and felt himself ripped from his own feet, it was okay though because he easily rose to his feet, turning his icy gaze upon the white brute he bared his fangs. "Come to join your cowardly pack mate in death?" he snarled barring his fangs, oh he could smell that cursed female coming, he would enjoy killing her the most. He lowered his head and slowly paced in a circle watching the white brute, then with a lunge he grabbed a hold of the brute and shook tossing him aside ripping at his flesh as he did so. "now this is fun," He cackled madly.


Kuolema
{{Brute||Loner/fighter||14||traveling south

[-Starchild.Keith-]

Xani
- Female - 21 - Fighter -

As soon as she heard Ahote's permission, Xani turned and bolted. The edge of fatigue had finally been wearing her down, but all of that was soon forgotten. The cries from the lone wolf rang in his ears, the dark sound echoing in her mind. It drove her on, her paws covering the ground quickly beneath her. Her nose led her in the direction, and the smell of blood grew stronger with each passing minute. It simply made her own boil with anger. As she approached, she started to pick up the scent of Curse, and she let out a low growl.

Though she hoped that Curse was on her side, she wasn't sure. Being an ex-loner, she knew their ways- survival of the fittest. She had been against Grimshaw, though, so Xani wasn't going to attack without reason. The closer she drew, however, the darker her thoughts became and the angrier the snarls that ripped from her throat sounded. After an unmeasurable amount of time, Xani saw them. Well, Xani saw Ash ripping apart the other wolf. A harsh laugh escaped her, but she didn't see Resin anywhere.

She started forward again, but then remembered Ahote's words- her duty was to bring back Resin and Ash. With that, she dashed forward, intent on joining the fray.

[Resin]

Ash-Beta Male- 30 Summers

The brutes accusation of Ash being cowardly prompted a massive growl from the white wolf. The growl rivaled a roar. When the black wolf lunged and took hold of his flesh, he was ready. Though pain shot through him, he used the force of his enemies attack to roll them both over, crushing the dark wolf beneath him. Jerking himself out of the others grasp left a chunk of the side of his throat behind, but it was worth it.

Ash darted forward and sunk his wickedly long canines into the throat of the mad wolf. Once they were lodged firmly, he shook his head from side to side, rendering huge tears in the wolfs flesh. Though his lifeblood was quickly being pumped from the hole in his throat, he refused to let go until the life left his enemies' body.

On and on he shook, using the weight of his body to hold the brute down, pressing his body deep into the snow. He released all of his anger and fury into his attack. This wolf would never harm another. He would never harm anyone in his pack. He would never harm another living thing. Ash wished with every fiber of his being that the ancestors would rip his soul to shreds, for if they both arrived at the tundra in the sky, he would be sure to rip him to shreds once more.

And then his mind snapped. He no longer knew why he was attacking the wolf beneath him, but he continued to do so. He tore and tore at the beast until his throat was reduced to bloodied meat pulp. Even then he didn't stop. Once his teeth stopped latching in to flesh, he moved to a new area, shredding that as well.

Resin- Alpha Female- 30 Summers

Snarls, yips and yelps met her ears and she pushed herself until she broke into the clearing. Blood was flying and pools of it littered the white snow. Who's blood was more plentiful, she didn't know, but she hoped that it belonged to the dark brute.

Seeing Xani preparing to rush in to the mix, Resin started forward. "No! He's gone. He'll turn on you too."

Pulling back, she pleaded with her body. "Just a little more, please. Just a little more!" With three huge bounds, she was at Ash's side, and then her chest connected with his shoulder, successfully throwing him off of the dead or dying wolf. Once his body was flung rolling into the snow, she leaped over the black wolf and pinned her bloodied sibling beneath her large black paws.

Her lips curled back in a snarl, the pupils of her eyes pinning and locking with his own. "Remember," she growled. "You've done your pack justice. The killer is dead and if not, he soon will be." She watched as he slowly returned to himself. The whites of his eyes slowly shrank away and his pupils returned to their normal size. She smiled at him, then pulled back to gauge the extent of his wounds.

There were bites and tears all over his neck, chest and forelegs. These didn't worry her. The wound upon his throat, however, caused her stomach to drop. Her heart rose in her chest and she fought back a whine. With each breath that he took, rivers of blood gushed forth. He coughed and the red liquid dribbled from the corner of his black maw.

Now she did whine. Her eyes went wide and her body began to shudder. He was dying. Her brother was slowly losing his life right before her eyes. "Ash..." she spoke, though her throat was pinched so it came out in a squeak. The moment felt surreal. This was not happening. This couldn't be happening.