இ۵Ŗace Ågainst ₦atureஇ۵

[BlackJaguar]

Attican

73 - Brute - Keeper

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Having literally collapsed in the snow thanks to the help of Lani, Attican lay sprawled in the snow. Sleep had taken his body completely. While other small happenings went on in the Pack around him, such as Hrafn returning or Resin's leave, he was utterly unaware of it all. Not a paw or claw moved on the brute and only the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed indicated his still existence.

Unfortunately before he could get any sort of actual recharge Resin came back into the camp, yellow eyes blazing with potential fear and ferocity to get everyone up. Despite her loud commands the Keeper did not hear any of it the first time through, the calls falling on deaf ears. Many wolves roused, others refusing to get up at all. Resin's demands were once again spoken, this time the hint of threat caught in her throat. The dangers she saw were real and she had no choice then to resort to pretty much anything to get them up. The second time penetrated the brutes subconscious a bit more, floating around his sleep-riddled head like a whispy cloud. ""Danger.." it whispered, still hardly meaning anything to the male. Thank goodness the Alphess had taken the thought and effort to personally come up to him, otherwise he would have not roused at all.

But to him it was like the devil itself prodded him awake. Although her personalized words to him were sweet and attempted gentle, they still amounted to the point that Attican had to get up. With the efforts that seemed to amass to shifting the tetonic plates one eye peeled back, focusing on the females paw. His gaze traced up her leg, finally reaching her face. It was expectant and ready, obviously wanting to get a move on.

Nononononono... What could possibly be going on now?

His leg shifted to go under him, a joint popping in return. He blinked blearily, opening his mouth to speak. However by the time that sound came out of it the dark female had already flitted off to wake Ahote.

"But.." he muttered, still only halfway aware of the rallying wolves around him. A few scuffled right past his head, a bit of snow landing on his nose. He licked it off, the cold flakes reminding him of how parched he was. Now that his internals had clean air to breath they called for something to cleanse his throat with. Rolling to his belly he nipped some of it up, using his paw to get to the cleaner stuff. But there wasn't much time to waste. Already he could hear Xani speaking, explaining the plan. Something about having to be silent. He had to get up.

Moving your leg and rolling to your belly was one thing. Standing up and actually moving was another. Attican's body had been pushed to its limits multiple times in a very short period of time and to honest, it was taking a toll. Despite the caribou meal that he had eaten not that long ago, it did not show. While he still looked healthy, on the inside it wasn't the same case. The lack of rest now did not help matters.

"I'm up." He grunted, hefting his weight to his paws. However his legs began to deceive him, immediately shaking the moment weight was thrust on them. They shook so violently that it made him collapse to his rear, threatening to ground him completely. "Okay not up." The pack began to pull away, lead by the Beta. Having been on the other side of the mass that Ahote and Resin were on he did not see that they were still there too. To him it looked like everyone had completely passed him by. "No wait..!"

In absolute haste the Keeper stumbled forwards, legs splayed in a upside-down V-like fashion. He did not want to be left behind. Whatever it was it was smart enough to hear them, chances were that it could see them too. Being left along he was like a sitting duck. Plus his mental state wasn't exactly up to par at the moment and the though of being alone scared him. With great strength he tried to lunge forwards, his strides almost resembling a baby deer attempting to stand for the first time. But although awkward he was doing it, goal intent on staying with the group.

Pilot

32 - Fae - No Rank

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For a while the three seemed to do nothing but scent around and look, really having been given no other option. No hide nor tail of anything indicated for there to be anything in the area. Even though the option to come back with nothing had been given in case it had been too hard of a task, Pilot did not want to do that. She had offered her services and was given something to do. Coming back with nothing was failure to her. She had something to prove.

Just as she had asked about ideas Lani voiced her same opini- or wait.. maybe not. The white females sentence was cut off by something in the distance, some unknown catching her eye. Pilots small head turned to the same direction she was looking, trying to see what she saw. What was it? All it looked like to her was more blackened char.

However on closer inspection what looked like to be burnt branched turned out to be hooves. Some poor beast had gotten in contact with the sun and what now laid before them was the aftermath of it. The smell was strange and kinda repulsive, causing Pilot's nose to wrinkle. It looked like Vali wanted nothing to do with it all, shaking his head at the remains at a distance with absolute disgust written all over his face.

"Lani, I don't know if that such a good-" The female bit into it. Too late. "... idea." The thought of eating something that the sun had alread devoured seemed scary and unsafe. However the white wolf chewed the bite quickly, swallowing with no complications.

"Well, it's definitely edible. A little odd, mind you, but not all that bad. Let's spread out and see if we can find any more, and then we can take this back to the pack. I don't think it will be that heavy."

It was still hard to not show a little bit of distaste. Wolves simply did not eat cooked meats, nor had they ever even heard of such a thing. Were they eating the sun's regurgitation? She took a step closer, sniffing lightly through her still crinkled nose. "Ehe.. yeah okay." She still wasn't exactly convinced, but as Lani appeared to be showing no bad effects to her morsel it slowly changed her thinking around. While at some point it may not smell or taste right, food was still food after all. Also it didn't seem like there was anything else but something like this.

She turned away from the charred beast and back to the two, her silver eyes looking inquisitively. "Split up then? We all can scout out for a bit and then end up here to regroup to say what we found." Well.. that was if Vali would actually say anything at all that was. However the brute nodded to her words in apparent agreement, turning about-face and stalking off with his head low to the ground in search. Pilot flipped her gaze to Lani and smiled. "See you soon?" she offered, before turning and loping off her own direction.

Little did the three know that the Pack was no longer where they had left them. Heading out due to an immense danger right near them, threatening harm to anyone that came in accidental contact. Already separated from the Pack the trio was a target, but now going as loners to search for meals they were in even more potential peril. Their only hope really was that they would not be spotted.

Pilot ran forward oblivious to all this, scanning the black treeline for any other beast-like shapes.

[Resin]

((I have nothing today. I looked at this for an hour and just... nothing.))

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

The dark female watched as Xani led the others silently away. Kavic approached her and asked to search for the three hunter that had gone off and she nodded. "Find them, but be wary. These two legged beasts are more dangerous than you can imagine. Keep silent. We'll meet with you farther South." When the groggy Keeper staggered to follow the pack, the fear in his pleading voice was evident. "Attican!" She called from behind him. Though she was loathe to leave Ahote, she started forward and brushed her side along the Keepers, calling him back from his fear induced state. Standing before him, she made sure to lock her eyes with his just in case he was still half asleep. "You're not alone. I'm still here." Due to the urgency of the situation, she couldn't spend more time comforting the older wolf.

Leaving him once she was sure that he was coherent, she moved back to Ahote and began nudging and prodding him to consciousness. "Wake now, Ahote. We have to leave quickly." She groomed the top of his head, trying to rouse him gently. If he didn't wake soon, however, she'd have to resort to drastic measures. Drastic measures that she didn't wish to take, but she'd rather bite him than have him run through with a spear.

As Ahote began to stir, Resin glanced towards Attican. "Did I tell you about the vision that I had after Ash died?" A break in between sentences was used to prod Ahote once more, though a little harder this time. "In this vision I had to choose between two paths. One path led us to the red forest, the other led us to death. This death was brought about by two legged beasts that held long, pointed sticks in their paws. They wear the fur of the animals that they kill."

Again she looked to the side, but this time fully, her sulfurous pools boring into Attican's own gaze. "I have seen them and they have seen me. I tried to confuse them to keep them off of my trail, but I fear that will only work for so long. They seem intelligent. As intelligent as us, perhaps. They spoke aloud to one another as we speak, but in a different way." She flicked one ear and shook her head. "I was afraid. I am afraid. We need to put as much distance between us and those two-leggers as we can." And with that said, she turned and nipped Ahote on the side of his rump that still held fur.

[BlackJaguar]

Attican

73 - Brute - Keeper

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Although struggling, the Keeper managed to make a short bit of distance in attempts to keep up with the Pack. Adrenaline he really didn't own paced through him, groggy mind locked on his key target. Due to the fact that they had been on the other side of the group and behind his line of sight, Attican had not seen the Alpha and Fighter who still were behind as well. Nor did he hear the female's call of his name over his own crunching of the snow. An unexpected brush went across his flank, causing his head to snap towards its creator. Bright, worried yellow eyes stared back.

But it didn't last for more than a second. Her mouth formed reassuring words of something or another before turning right around again. Attican struggled to focus on the thing she returned to, realizing that the huddled mass was no other than Ahote himself. Sigh. He looked terrible.

Nimbly legs walked their way back towards the two, really trying to focus on a clean-smooth pattern of normal walking. Pick one up, move forward, crunch paw down in the snow, pick one up, move forward, crunch paw down in the snow...Without so much of the rush and fear of being totally left behind and now that his joints had at least gotten a little movement in them his gait began to regulate somewhat. At least he didn't seem to threaten to fall over at any second any more. Step-crunch, step-crunch, step-crunch-crunch..

"Did I tell you about the vision that I had after Ash died?"

Resin's words cut into his movement-focused mind, for the first time sounding translatable enough in his head. Vision, vision, what was? Oh yes. A few more cobwebs cleared themselves away.

"In this vision I had to choose between two paths. One path led us to the red forest, the other led us to death. This death was brought about by two legged beasts...

Her explanation continued on, the Keeper trying very hard to listen and recollect what she spoke of and if he had ever seen or heard of something with that description before. The Alphess had actually not told the Keeper of this particular vision before, only of the one with the red leaves. His eyes pinched closed as he thought, a physical grimace stuck on his face. Come on brain, work already.

"I was afraid. I am afraid. We need to put as much distance between us and those two-leggers as we can."

The cogs turned as if a snail were operating them, slowly shifting to try to make one connection to another. Echos of voices past floated through his head, trying to recollect memories from long ago.

Two-leggers. Birds? No. No hoofed beast. Wears skin of animals they've caught. Hunters. Yes. Hunters like they were. Speaking. Speech, talk. Talks like us, but different. Not the same. Pack-like infrastructure. Works in groups like them. Not wolves - two-leggers. Intelligent.

Little snippet words came to his head, eliminating the invariables and narrowing down the right ones. A few key points stuck in his head above the others, as if he'd heard them before from somewhere. His head would turn with different thoughts, his expression changing slightly as well.

Hunters. Hunting... hungry? Savage. More than one - Savages. Sticks in paws. Weapon? - Savages. Skins on body. Fur. Warmth? Maybe. Stick in paw hunting animals. Weapon. Dangerous. Two-leggers.

Like a game of connect the dots, slowly a few things began to weave together. The voices were getting stronger. An old black and gray wolf entered his head, his muzzle, paws, and eartips almost completely white from age. Wise and knowledgeable, the wolf sat on a large rock, one paw crossed over the other. The stars twinkled brightly overhead, the dusty strip of the galaxy weaving through them. The previous Keeper waited patiently as everyone got themselves settled.

"Savages." Attican suddenly spoke, eyelids opening. Although he looked at the two, his amber eyes were nearly glazed over. "Two-leggers claim that the land is theirs and whatever they want of it is theirs to take." His voice sounded almost like an old recording, reciting word for word what he had once been told. "There is no stopping them, while their bodies may be soft on the inside, they have devised ways to make themselves nearly impossible to overcome. They are intelligent. On the outside their armor of furs protects them from the cold and our teeth. Weapons made of rock and stick can kill with a single lunge, providing no way to get near. Small ones of our descendant kind sometimes travel with them, either brainwashed or raised to be trained to be slaves to their masters. Helping them destruct creatures of their own kin. The fur upon their backs only stand as testament to all who come across them. Avoid at all costs."

Attican coughed, foot shifting in the snow absentmindedly. Done with his recite, he now looked at the two in a different light. Ahote still struggled to stand, Resin desperately trying to get him up. He himself was not exactly up to par and ready to go for a sprint either. Yet here was Resin, still able-bodied for the most part, risking herself. However as he watched the patchwork brute struggle the Keeper saw the writing on the wall.

"We can't run." That much was becoming very apparent. Unless Ahote could truly stand in these next few moments and get himself going there was no way that they could outrun these two-leggers. Distance was waning. Mostly thinking out loud, he turned in a circle. "What if we hid?"

[Soriams]

((Strange post is strange… But I didn't have any idea what to do with Ahote otherwise.))

Ahote
Male | 46 | Fighter
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Ahote felt a whole lot more together than he looked apparently, as Resin seemed to hear not a word he said. Which then brought on the worry as to wether or not he was actually saying anything at all, or just thinking it to himself in his head. Soon, the pack began to move, and the commotion caused Attican to awake with a start. The poor Keeper was just as befuddled as Ahote, and in a panic tried to follow the rest of the pack as they moved off. Resin called him back though, and he followed close behind her as she went to comfort him, tail wagging gently behind him in hopes of helping to calm him. "Me too, Attican. We wouldn't leave you behind," he said, smiling a bit. However, neither of them heard him, and Resin soon turned away, heading back the way they had come.

Confused as to why Resin would go back when all three of them were well not their way, Ahote turned back again to follow, listening carefully as she spoke of her vision, and the strange creatures that threatened ScarPaw. The fighter had no idea of what she spoke, and in all honestly, was actually quite curious to see one for himself. However, if they were as dangerous as she said, that was a profoundly bad idea. Shaking his head, he picked up his pace to catch up with Resin, only to find her stooped over another wolf. Wandering who it could be, he peered curiously at the ball of reddish patchwork fur, not recognizing the pelt. After a few moments though a strange feeling began to creep over him, the right side of the tired wolf was covered in angry red burns, just like those he had sustained. After another round of worried pestering, the head lifted a bit, and Ahote felt his blood run cold. He was looking down on himself.

How? How could this be? Ahote wondered, feeling his heart pound with fear in his chest. Surely he wasn't dead, as his side still hurt like heck. You didn't hurt when you were dead, right? Maybe it really was someone else. There was that little room for denial, as he had never really looked at himself before, but still, there was this horrible certainty in him, and he knew that is was true. Panicked, a whine flowed up into his throat, and he keened, prancing from foot to foot, having utterly no idea what to do and how to reunite this part of himself with the body that lay on the ground.

Wide eyed, he spun around, looking to Attican. "Attican! Help! I… I'm lost!" he cried, but the Keeper's eyes were squeezed shut as he listened to Resin's story, seeming to draw on long and distant memories. Turning back to Resin, he whimpered, slipping his head under her chin and running his body along her chest, "Resin, please… Just… Hear me!" he whimpered, but the Alpha was listening to the Keeper, as he spoke of savages and their odious practices.

Growing desperate, Ahote jumped up and down in front of them like a pesky pup, yipping and howling, even resorting to nipping at their sides, all to no avail. They took no more notice of his frantic attempts than the gentle play of a summers breeze, and he grew angry in their apparent ignorance. "What's wrong with you?!" he yelled, throwing himself against Resin's side, only to bounce off as if she were made of stone. Growling, he turned his anger inward, rounding on his sleeping form. "What's wrong with you! Move, dammit!" he snarled, baring his teeth at himself like a lunatic.

Maybe he was mad, but at this point, Ahote didn't care so long as the two haves of himself met back up again. Reaching down, he grabbed ahold of his own scruff and pulled on it, but his sleeping form moved not at all, seeming to be just as far out of reach as the others. Digging his teeth in deeper, he tossed his head like he was shaking a rabbit, but still nothing. Panting and tired, he pulled away, a low growl in his throat. Whatever this was, it was not happening, and if it thought it could happen, then he wasn't going to let it. Crouching low to the ground, he leapt just as Resin turned to nip at his other self's rear end, and fell back into his own body.

The next instant, Ahote awoke in a panic, fear flooding his system like he had never felt it before. Even when the sun itself had brought its light down on him from above, he had not been as afraid as he was now. In an instant, he was up on his feet, even the pain of his burns and over-taxed limbs not enough to break through his terror. Eyes rolling white in their sockets and ears pressed tight to the back of his skull, he scrambled away from the other two, cowering against the side of a burnt out tree. Panting hard, his heart thundered in his chest so hard that he could hear the rush of blood in his ears and he shook from it, taking in great gasps of air.

Eventually, reason started to creep back into his mind, and Ahote was able to push back the fear long enough to actually process the last things he had heard Attican and Resin say. Already the memory was strange and distant, but at the same time, all too real in his mind. Head swiveling from one to the other, he steadied himself as best he could, and forced himself to stand up. He then shook his fur, biting his tongue to keep from crying out when it pulled on his burns, dwelling on the pain to let it root him firmly on this side of existence.

Finally in control of himself, Ahote cleared his throat, suddenly feeling more than a little bit embarrassed by his actions. Pulling all the pieces of himself back together, he shook his head, looking back to Attican, who had been the last to speak. "N-no… I don't think we can hide," he began, offering no explanation for his sudden outburst. "You say they are hunters, right? So are we, and I know for a fact that no prey could ever hide from us once it was seen. Our only hope is to outdistance them, throw them off the trail and disappear" he said, silently hoping that they would just let this all pass. Any time his mind went back to what he had experienced, fear once again threatened to take him, and he swallowed hard, once again pushing it aside. For now, all they could do was hope that their two legs would tire faster than ScarPaw's four, and they would all make it out of this alive.

Lani
Female | 57 | Hunter
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Lani nodded smartly to Pilot's suggestion that they split up, "I think that's a good idea. After all, everything here is already dead, so I don't think we have to worry about needing to bring anything down. Just stay within sight, as it might be hard to find our way back if we go too far. Everything looks the same…" she said, eyes traveling over the endless black mass of burnt trees and ashen earth. "If you get turned around, call out. I'm sure someone will be awake back at the pack to answer your howl," Lani said, knowing nothing of the dangers they could bring down upon them all.

Watching the two split up, Lani turned back to the cooked beast she had founded, and decided to see if she could indeed move it. Locking her teeth onto the leg that protruded from the toasted animal, she pulled, only to have it break off in her mouth. Spitting out the brittle bone, she stuck out her tongue, trying to rid it of the charcoal taste that was left on it. With a huff, she turned back to the thing, grabbing it a little bit further down, only to have the same thing happen again. It seems as though whatever had once held this thing together was no longer in effect, and everywhere she touched it it simply fell apart. Furthermore, it seemed to be firmly stuck to the ground as though melted there. Apparently at this proximity, the sun was able to melt just about anything, and not just the ice and snow.

Muttering grumpy words under her breath, Lani dug her paws into the soft ground around it, loosening its grip on the soil. After a few minutes of flurried digging, she was able to get her nose under it and flip the whole mess over. Looking at the now formless mass of blacked muck, stuck with stones and twigs, she felt her stomach flip and she backed away from it. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all…

After taking a moment to compose herself, Lani went back to the thing and scraped much of the inedible junk off of it, including the burnt hide and foreign objects. It now looked much more appetizing at least, more like a naked, brownish pink carcass, with only a few spots of hair left. This she was able to grab onto and drag across the ground with no problem, and decided that it was good enough now to bring back. Wondering just how the others were fairing, she dropped it and looked out into the forest for them. Wherever they had gone, their forms were now blocked by the crowd of trees and she threw back her head letting out a howl, asking them to report back. Though not over loud, it carried easily through the trees, completely unaware if her words reached ears other than otiose of her fellow hunters. Lani hoped that they had found something, as what was left of this mess was not much bigger than she was. If nothing else, she could at least share what she had learned, and help them dig them out.

Wolf
Male | 20 | Straggler
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Still plastered to Xani's side, Wolf listened to everything that went on around him, and understood none of it. Two legged beasts? Did they literally only have two legs like birds, or was it some strange creature who stood up and walked only on half of its legs? The possibilities tickled his imagination, and it offered up all sorts of bizarre possibilities, including something like a bear that walked on its front paws, head dragging along the ground. Shaking his head to clear it, he turned his b=mind back to what they were doing just in time to dance back from a particularly irritated wolf that Xani had just awakened.

Before long, nearly the whole mass of furred bodies was up and moving, and Wolf followed Xani up to the head of the pack. Standing at her side, he looked back over the group as they all turned their attention to Xani as she spoke, finding it uncomfortable and yet oddly satisfying to have so much attention directed towards him, or at least near him. After just a few words she was done, and as she turned and led them off, Wolf trotted along next to her, unwittingly helping to lead them southward. Before long, they began to cross over land he knew well, and without even realizing it, he helped Xani navigate the uneven terrain, he feet knowing on instinct where to go.

Before long, a quiet howl reached his ears, and Wolf turned to look to Xani. "Someone you know, I hope? Or is that the sound of what we are running from?" he asked, his voice more curious than anything. The sound had seemed not that far off, and if it were their enemy then they would soon be upon them.

[-Gavin.Reed-]

Xani
- Female - 21 - Beta -

As the pack trotted along after her, Xani was only partially surprised to find Wolf beside her. He either rather liked her or trusted her since she found him first. Both were strange to her, but not in a bad way. It was nice to have company, especially in a form that was neither prying nor threatening. What did surprise her was how he was acting. As they moved, he seemed to know just where to go to get the pack around the rocks and other uneven areas.

They continued on, Xani constantly glancing back to affirm that the whole pack was there. If another pup went missing, she would give lead to Hrafn and go after it herself. She hadn't had enough alone time lately with her new responsibilities, and she rather missed the solitude. Shaking her head to make herself focus on the ground before her, she pressed her ears back and continued on, determined to outwit whatever hunted them.

Suddenly, a howl was heard. Her heart nearly stopped as she recognized it as belonging to Lani. She was asking them to report back, meaning that they were split up. This was bad. This was very bad. Turning, she glanced down at Wolf. "That was a fellow wolf, but they just gave away their location. They don't know of the danger... Keep the pack running straight for just a moment!" Without waiting, she turned and bolted back to where Hrafn ran. Her eyes were wide with fear.

"Hrafn. Lani, Pilot and Vali. They are out hunting, and they are split up... Her howl must have been heard by whatever Resin saw. I can't leave them alone out there." She knew that she was given lead duties and Hrafn wouldn't want her running after them, but it was hard to tell him to go. "Can you be swift and silent and bring them back?"

[Resin]

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

The Alpha's outburst when she dashed back to the pack was odd, but the urgency in her voice could not be denied. Rising, he helped to wake the rest of the pack, then affirmed with Xani that he would take up rear guard. Again he would be given the task of making sure no one fell behind. Hopefully he wouldn't fail this time. The front of the pack started running and the back end waited for their time to move. Hrafn called out to them. "Fast but silent, everyone. If anyone starts falling behind, run closer to me so that I can keep an eye on you."

Once they were off as well, Hrafn looked over his shoulder towards Resin and the two brutes that she stayed behind to wake. She hadn't been doing much Alpha work as of late. Mostly due to her injury, but still...If anything, Xani was running the pack, he thought. It didn't bother him any. As long as everyone stayed safe, he didn't care who ruled. He would continue to do his duty either way. Running behind the rest, he encouraged them with smiles and nods, but no words. Silence was key.

When Xani ran back towards him, he knew something was amiss. It more than likely had to do with the howl that had ripped through the silence. Neither of them knew that Resin had sent Kavic to look for the three hunters, so Hrafn nodded his consent. At her warning, he couldn't help but flash a dazzling white toothed smile. "As you wish. Swift and Silent is my middle name." Without waiting for a reply, he altered his course quickly and backtracked before running off into the woods towards the direction of the sound.

The gentle breeze that had begun to flow had pushed out a lot of the acrid, smoky air that had once rested heavily throughout the forest. It was much easier to see a fair distance now, so searching for the three would be easier to do. Hrafn ran in a zigzag pattern, keeping his amber eyes peeled for tracks. In time, he came upon a large set and followed them to Vali. "There is danger. The pack has had to move out with all haste. We must be as silent as possible, as per our Alpha's wishes." When the other brute only nodded, Hrafn smirked. "I don't think that will be a problem for you."

The pair ran together, Vali leading slightly since he knew where the others may be. They reached Pilot next and the same thing was explained to the small blonde female. "We have to find Lani." As he said that, Hrafn saw a flash of white fur through break in the trees and started off towards it. Coming up to the older female, he greeted her with a nod and kept his voice low when he spoke. "Danger had followed us again. The Alpha has moved everyone out and has instructed everyone to keep as silent as possible. She mentioned something about the things hunting us being as smart as we are, so they'll rely upon sound." Now he addressed all three of them. "Xani is leading everyone South. A big swath of tracks will lead them right after us, so I think we should help them out. If we can leave confusing tracks, it may buy us some time. You don't have to, but that's what I'll be doing. I'm not sure what this danger is, but if I can keep it at bay, I'm going to try."

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

When Ahote leaped up, eyes wide in fear and scampered away, the shock of the quick reaction brought the dark female straight off of the ground. Her eyes widened and her heart thudded in her chest. The reddish brutes continued fear brought her back to the moment, however and she moved to him, speaking soothing nothings to try and calm him. When she was close enough, she slid her chin across the top of his head and settled it there, hoping that the physical contact would chase away the fear that had claimed him for some unknown reason.

As she did this, Attican began to speak. Turning her head, she watched as he seemed to be reciting something from his past. Every word that he spoke was an exact description of the two-leggers that she had seen. His words also solidified her thoughts about them. They were as dangerous as she believed them to be. The Keeper suggested that they hide and Resin had just begun to open her maw when Ahote spoke. He had composed himself, it seemed and spoke clearly. His words were true. If these beasts were as smart as Great Wolves, hiding would do no good. A far off howl made her wince and she shook her head. She had told them to be quiet!

Alternate plans would have to be made. Ahote was in no fit shape to run, nor was Attican. Resin's two short stints of sleep were enough to give her more energy than the pair of them possessed. Then an idea struck, but they more than likely wouldn't approve. "I'll hear no arguing over this." She said with a stern face. "I need the two of you to stick together and move towards the pack. I'll be right behind you, but a short distance away. If I see them, I'm going to run interference. I'll lead them away and buy everyone time." Knowing that they would try to dispute this plan, she continued. "I will be safe. I'll take no chances. The less that I have to worry about you two, the more that I can focus on what I need to do."

First she nuzzled Attican, sliding her head beneath his chin and holding herself against his wide chest. Ahote was next. She licked along his jaw then slid her dark muzzle between his ears, pressing his face against the lighter grey of her chest. Once her goodbyes were said, she pulled away from them, not looking back when she said her last piece. "Stay safe. If either of you end up injured by the time I get back, you'll be in a world of trouble."

Resin took this time to run rampant paths through the forest, changing her course often. The multitude of trails would confuse the two-leggers, allowing the pack and the two trailing brutes to put more distance between them. As she moved, she tested the air. The smoke had thinned and it was easier to pick up other scents, but they were still murky. Soon she heard noises and, creeping upon her stomach, peered through the burnt remnants of a bush. They had followed her as she thought they would. She could hear their strange, garbled speech as they drew closer. Now that she could take a moment to look at them, she studied the odd beasts.

Each wore furs upon it's body. Their faces seemed to have no fur, but the tops of their heads were covered in long, stringy black strands. Resin scanned the fur's upon the two-leggers. There were deer pelts, ice cats, rabbits. Some wore the bright white pelts of ice bears. One of them, however, the largest and most dominant looking of the two-leggers wore the pelt of a Great Wolf. The grey and white skin draped down his back, the tail dragging the ground. The head of the wolf rested atop the skin-face's head, it's empty eye sockets staring blankly ahead. Horror and revulsion surged through the black and grey female and she wrinkled her nose in a silent snarl. If ever there was a chance... she would kill this one.

On soft, silent paws, she backed up and continued her crouching walk until she was sure that she was out of sight. The two-leggers were obviously looking for them, so she had to think of something new. Then something struck. If they had been following the howl, perhaps another would draw them in the opposite direction. That would mean crossing the river again, but if it had to be done, it had to be done.

Resin ran straight North until she reached the river. This portion was even smaller than the one that they had crossed previously. She could almost leap it if she tried, which she did. Drawing pack, she surged forward, pushing off hard with her powerful hind legs. She soared through the air and landed with just her back paws in the icy water. Grumbling at the cold, she shook off each paw and continued to run forward. Slowing, she raised her muzzle and howled in the direction of the dangerous ones. Several times she did this, hoping to draw them off.

Trying to determine if her plan worked, the Alpha pulled herself back into a tall stack of blackened trees and shrubs that had fallen. Luckily, the sun monster had melted the snow here and the wind had packed the ashes and mud into one hard surface. She left little to no trail at all on this side of the river. Her plan had worked and she smiled triumphantly. Crashing sounds met her ears and again so did the odd calls of the two-leggers. She had indeed bought the pack time.

[Soriams]

((I think I'll wait on Ahote for a little bit until I hear what Jaguar has to say. That way I don't have to make decision to follow Resin or not alone. xD))

Lani
Female | 57 | Hunter
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Waiting rather impatiently for a reply, Lani was just about to call out again when Hrafn popped out of next to her. Black against the blackened trees, she hadn't even seen him until he was right on top of her. Letting out a little yip, she danced sideways away from him before she realized who it was, at which point she let out an irritated snort. At least it seemed as though he was able to collect the others, all empty mouthed though.

Frowning, Lani listened while Hrafn spoke of the pack moving once more, running from some smart sort of predator. The whole thing seemed like a farce, and was hard to understand, but if the pack had moved on then there was no sense in dragging back these yucky heaps of half-baked flesh. Lani couldn't say she was upset about that in the least.

Looking back over the mess she had taken the time to dig out of the ground for what now seems no reason at all, Lani notices the drag marks she had left in moving it. Suddenly has an idea pops into her head and she stops Hrafn as he turns to go. "Hey, wait a minute, you say you want to confuse them? Keep them off the trail of the pack? Well if we all took a piece of this thing and drug it behind us, it would leave quite the trail, both drag marks and scent," she said, and turned back to the lump of stuff. Leaping up on top of it, she grabs one of the brittle legs and tears it off easily. Turning her head to the side, she drags the wide end behind her, obscuring her tracks. "What do you say? It's not heavy, and if we drag it back and forth over the pack's trail, it should all but disappear."

Wolf
Male | 20 | Straggler
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Keeping pace beside Xani, Wolf nearly tripped and fell flat on his face when she answered him, barely having the time to process what she said before she was gone. "But I..." he fumbled, looking back over his shoulder at her retreating form, and the multitude of eyes that now followed him directly as well. He had absolutely no idea how to 'keep the running straight' or in any other direction for that matter. He'd ever had anything follow him before. Ever. Swallowing hard, he turned his head back forward before he ran into something and just kept going. After all, that seemed to be about all Xani did. Ran in one direction and the rest of them followed her like a flock of geese. How hard could it be?

A few moments later, and they weave their way out of the trees and across the little open space that had been Wolf's home. No time for sentimentality, he passes it without stopping, the snow around it covered with soot and the now lifeless sparks of light that had fallen from the sky. His goal was to keep moving in a southern direction, so he turned to move along the tree line, towards the pace where Wolf had climbed to listen to the wind earlier. After that, he wasn't sure exactly where to go. The climb up there had been difficult, and he was only wasting time. At this pace, the ascent would be brutal and nearly impossible for those not hardened to mountainous terrain.

With that in mind, Wolf soon peels off tot he west, skirting the steepest terrain in favor of following the valley. Further on, he had seen that the land flattened out into a river plain before rising steeply yet again. Though they would loose the cover of the trees, at least they would be able to travel quickly. It is far from a good plan though, and uncertainty soon creeps into Wolf's mind. What the heck is he doing up here anyway? And what is taking Xani so long to get back. Worried, he turned his head again, looking back through the group that followed his tail. "Whatever you're doing... Please come back soon," Wolf mumbled to himself, making the wolf closest behind him blink, as though wondering if he addressed them. Shaking his head, Wolf just turned back and kept moving.

[Resin]

((Oooh, Resin's going to be maaaaad! Lol))

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

The black hunter listened intently to Lani's suggestion and nodded with a smile. "That could very well work. Good thinking, Lani." If the beasts that pursued them were as smart as Great Wolves, perhaps the strange scent of cooked flesh would throw them off. It would definitely confuse a wolf. Hrafn found himself in that situation now. The brute lowered his blocky black head and sniffed at the blackened carcass before pulling back and wrinkling his nose, teeth flashing slightly. "That's... different, isn't it?"

Gathering all of his confidence, he latched his teeth into one spindly leg and pulled it free. The meat fell apart so easily that Hrafn stumbled back a bit, almost falling to his rump in the snow. He hadn't expected pulling a deer apart would be so easy. It never had been before. No matter, he supposed. Dropping the limb before him, he nodded to the three. "If any of you would rather rejoin the pack and not do this, no one will hold it against you. Resin was afraid." He emphasized the last word. Everyone knew that the dark Alpha wasn't shaken so easily. He hoped that saying this would allow the severity of the situation to sink in. "There was terror in her eyes." Not knowing what else to say since he hadn't seen the danger itself, he took up the disgusting tasting leg between his teeth and carried it off, intent on doing just as Lani suggested.

It didn't take him long to backtrack and soon they were staring at the incredibly evident trail that the pack had left. Tracks of all shapes and sizes led north like a giant sign that read 'Come kill us! This is where we went!' Repositioning the leg in his maw, Hrafn let the end drop to the ground. Not being able to go at more than a slow lope, the jet black brute zigzagged back and forth along the patch of tracks, effectively marring each tell-tale print. To further confuse the ones chasing them, he would continue the dragging path far off into the distance only to return and do it again. If looking down from above, the entire surrounding area would be covered in strange, confusing drag marks.

Hrafn began moving South into the deep woods, still pulling the meat behind him, though a great deal of it had crumbled away and was left scattered across the snow. After a time he was simply left with mostly fur and a hoof. Discarding the nasty object, he looked to those that had chosen to stay. "Now that there are fallen trees all about, we can run the length of them so we leave less tracks. The tracks that we do leave will be confusing since they'll look like they came from nowhere." To show what he meant, the giant black wolf jumped atop a fallen tree, the wood creaking beneath his weight. With care, he walked down the charred wood until it tapered to the point where another step would see him on the ground. He then jumped easily to the next log and repeated the process. They might look ridiculous, big wolves balancing on little stretches of tree, but if it would keep everyone safe, Hrafn would look as silly as was necessary.

[Resin]

((Those of you who haven't been posting lately, PM me and let me know whether or not you're still interested in playing. If I don't receive a message or you're not interested, I'm going to remove you from the story and recruit new players.))

[BlackJaguar]

{{Ack. I will post tomorrow morning I promise. I got caught in a whirlwind of things, some expected, some not, and haven't had the time. I traveled back to school and just got sorta settled in. Took tired to write tonight, but I will try to make it up with a nice lengthy post tomorrow. Again apologies, I did not intend to disappear for these few days.}}