இ۵Ŗace Ågainst ₦atureஇ۵

[Resin]

((Holy cow. A whole year already? I hadn't even realized. (: It's our anniversary. Happy Anniversary, my lovelies.))

[-Starchild.Keith-]

(I was actually reading through the beginning of the RP again recently. The progress we've all made is amazing! Personally, I was struggling to post 2 small paragraphs at first. Now I have to make sure I don't go on for too long.
Happy 1 year!)

Xani
- Female - 21 - Beta -

As the Keeper called for a halt, Xani couldn't contain the sigh of relief that came from her maw. As she took the weight off her back leg, she paused. If this small piece of wood caused her, a young and healthy wolf, this much trouble, what had Ahote and Attican gone through last time? She had obviously known it to be horrible, but just how horrible had it been? Why am I thinking so much lately? Shaking off her thoughts, she brought herself back to the present to listen to Attican's words. She knew that it would have to come out sometime, but she wasn't looking forward to it in the least. The adrenaline had helped it not hurt as much going in, but coming out would be a very different story.

Glancing back at her leg, Xani thought for a moment. She obviously couldn't reach it herself, at least not well enough to pull it out without wrecking the entirety of her leg muscles for a while. Meeting Attican's eyes, she simply nodded. "I can't reach it. If you think it should come out, do it. You're strong enough to do it." Pausing, she glanced back at the pack. "I thought to leave it in simply to keep the blood from flowing." Huffing, she turned so that he leg was facing Attican. Also, it would be facing away from the rest of the pack. They would obviously be able to smell and hear it all, but not seeing it directly would make things better.

"And about making haste- I highly doubt that I can move as quickly as you, especially once I have this out of my side. I will take up rear guard to make sure the others don't fall behind." And to kill of any other beasts that might follow. "I would have stayed to help fight, but Hrafn..." She paused. Every time she thought of him now, it seemed as if her heart constricted. He was still fighting. Who knew if any of them were injured, or worse? Quickly regaining her composure- though not soon enough to hide it from Attican, she was sure- she shook herself a bit. "Hrafn sent me back to protect you. Protect you I will."

Bracing herself, she swallowed and looked away, focusing her attention on the landscape around her. Nodding, she waited for the moment of pain that was sure to come from the weapon being pulled out of her leg. Her biggest concern now would be the bleeding.

[Resin]

((Losing all of my muse for this story, so this is going to be a bit choppy and forced, unfortunately. I should get it back when Resin is free, so that's what I'll be doing.))

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

He worried. He worried about Xani and whether she would reach the pack safely. He worried about the wounds she'd sustained. He worried about the rest of the pack. He worried that he wouldn't make it in time. The smells and sounds drew closer and stronger and Hrafn did his best to erase such worries from his mind. He had told her, afterall, that he would be able to focus if she left. He would try his best to do so.

The smell of blood filled the air. Mostly odd, metallic two-legger blood, but there was wolf blood mingled in. The smells wafting around were actually quite overwhelming. He wouldn't be able to rely on his sense of smell much when it came to this battle. Upon the ground lay a plethora of tracks, both two legger and wolf. He wasn't sure which set of tracks to follow, so he simply walked straight ahead. Passing through a batch of low foliage, the black wolfs dark amber eyes rested upon the captive form of his alpha and the struggling form of Ahote. A moment later, Pilot erupted from the trees and attacked one of the tree covered two-leggers. Hrafn had but a moment to blink before he was rocketing forward as well.

The giant black brute sank his teeth into whatever flesh he could find. The strange foliage covering the furless beasts was disorienting. Hrafn snapped off branches in his jaws then bit again. Only when he tasted blood and heard screams did he keep his jaws locked and swing his head from side to side, ripping off chunks of flesh. It didn't take long for his prey to die. Blood coated his dark fur and spattered the clearing, marring the surface of the formerly pristine white snow.

"Pilot, work on freeing Resin. I'll keep you safe." Hrafn growled, his teeth still showing. Amber eyes cast about, looking for any sign of two leggers. He couldn't look in ever direction at once, however, and so he looked to Ahote who was now free to rid himself of the vines that had entangled him. "Ahote. Pilot will try to free Resin. You and I must guard her and be lookouts." Not thinking that the patchwork brute might refuse, Hrafn took up his post, watching his side of the clearing. He strained his ears, groping for the slightest sound. Anything that might tell him when and where the enemy would attack.

[BlackJaguar]

Attican

73 - Brute - Keeper

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Without a word the Keeper walked up to the young Beta, his head tipped just ever so gently as she spoke and saddled herself up for the extraction of the sharp implement. He was both thankful and grateful for her compliance, knowing that in the long run this was the best option for her safety as well as the others.

"And about making haste- I highly doubt that I can move as quickly as you, especially once I have this out of my side. I will take up rear guard to make sure the others don't fall behind...I would have stayed to help fight, but Hrafn... Hrafn sent me back to protect you. Protect you I will."

The Pack still waited anxiously for instruction, their paws dancing hastily in the snow. The large brute noted this but ignored it for now as it was only anxiety and not from seen threat. Instead he listened carefully to the Beta as he inspected her wound. He wasn't the Keeper of the Past for nothing and even if his amber eye hadn't caught the atypical uneasiness in the fae's face, the sheer energy output that Xani exuded was enough to clue him in on many subtle meanings hidden within her words.

Pulling his lips back so that the soft skin of his mouth did not come in contact with the sharp edges, Attican teethed the lodged weapon. Carefully shifting his head he achieved a good grip on it with his back canines. Not allowing much hesitation he took a single breath of pause, not wanting to bait the Beta's anxiety more than what was surely and understandably prominent. With a swift tug the Elder brute yanked his head sideways, very much the same movement he would make as if someone were calling him on his other side. This motion allowed for a clean exit of the wooden impalement, no more tissue harmed or cut worse than already had been. Immediately fresh blood began to dribble out of the newly exposed wound, but already the areas around the blade had begun to scab, allowing for a nonthreatening flow. Attican was decently pleased with the outcome as he let the Beta react to the pull, dropping the now harmless object in the snow.

When her reaction subsided the Keeper sniffed her flank, poking his pink tongue out to lap at the tender area. Xani's blood made him grimace a bit, but he held the feeling back with each pass. The red fluid was unlike the rusty and metallic (and frankly delicious) tang of that of their prey. No, this taste was wrong as it was of their own kind - flat and sickeningly familiar. A taboo to taste. However of course it was with best intention that the Elder worked with, hoping to at least slow the flow and perhaps give a bit of relief to any pain.

Finally pulling himself away he shifted himself around to make eye contact.

"We'll protect each other. You be the eyes, we'll both be the body. Together we can still make this work." He nodded his head forwards, making a sudden jerk at the end to signal to the rest of ScarPaw that they were to once again move onwards. Immediately obvious, their pace was much slower.

"...We have a pawtrail as it is," he spoke, the beginning of the sentence whispy as if he was just speaking out in thought. "If they truly wanted to find us then they already have the mark of that alone. Let us be slow, perhaps it would be best to find a place to hide anyways."

Pilot

32 - Fae - No-Rank

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For the seconds that seemed to tick by in painful slowness as Pilot and Lani had waited in the bushes, the time after her leap into the clearing seemed to be a blur. Flashes of fur and foliage whisked past her vision, the smell and sight of everything before her melding into one singular adrenalized sight. The best description that the no-rank could think of for it would be 'red.' Smell of 'red' quickly emanated the area, blood being spilled from both sides of the fight. However it seemed to tilt towards the humans side.

After her initial bite to one bipeds' calf, Pilot had found herself flung sideways into the snow as the human tried to dislodge their assailant from their body. Never had the female truly fought before, and amid-flight she came to realize the lack of knowledge she truly had. The only thing that could even remotely be compared to it in her experience would be her hunting... And even with that when her prey ever tried to take fight, typically she'd let it go in hopes of something less dangerous. Never had she been in combat with something that wished to take her or her fellow species' life. With a thudding skid the blonde fae landed on her side, legs immediately reacting to pull herself up to as not to be vulnerable. As she did so she watched as the formidable and bulky force of Hrafn bowled and tore apart an enemy as if it were a large twig, the two-legger instantly crumpling for the final time.

Even if she did have these skills her lack of size alone provided not much benefit. She looked at the black male expectantly, as if waiting for some form of orders to be given. By sheer luck, it seemed that he had.

"Pilot, work on freeing Resin. I'll keep you safe."

Free Resin.. got it. "Okay." She yelled back simply, instinct more than anything kicking itself into place. Her paws wheeled about-face, her thin frame closing the short distance to the trapped Alphess. Fight still valiantly and courageously being fought behind her, Pilot ran her way around the spiked cage once. Okay yeah free Resin... perhaps more easily said than done.

"Uhm, hi Alpha.." she spoke, sniffing at the edge. Perhaps a little understated considering the situation, yes, but it was what it was.

On all four sides the spiked wood made the cage, effectively making it impossible to touch without one hurting themselves. To be quite honest it was a brilliant idea on the two-leggers part she had to admit, even if it was to the detriment of the Great Wolves. "How to get you out.." she breathed, ears pinned back.

A yelp rang out from the clearing, instantly causing the female to jolt. It was distinctly wolfish and she forced herself to swallow and stay put.

'Focus on the task at paw...'

A growl rose out of her throat as she looked up to the top bar, ears pinned back even harder than they had previously. However what she saw immediately made them perk up back in curiosity. Above the spiked cages rim, four tied cords, rather much the very same as what had caught Ahote, fastened the top part into place. If perhaps she could get rid of those, then maybe, well just maybe, it'd allow Resin to escape out the top. The bad news was however that the cage was too tall for her to reach it. Even on her hind legs they would be out of grasp. If she wanted to get to those cords... she was gonna have to get up there.

Taking a look back, Pilot watched as a group of 4 or 5 two-leggers (she couldn't tell if that one was one of them, or just actually a plant..) retreated, leaving what looked like a rather diminishing group behind. Trusting her packmembers to continue to take care of it, she turned back to the cage, balling herself down in crouch position. With a mighty leap the blonde female managed to jump 3/4's of herself onto the top of the box, forced to haul the last of her scrabbling rear to the top with a painful tug. As she pulled up the barbed box bars dug painfully into her soft footpads and hips, cutting at her soft toes. Trying her best to ignore it though she immediately set to work on the cords.

"I'm gonna..try and.. free you here.." she grunted, uttering words between each nipping tug. "Ouch. I ah- am trying to.. get rid of these vines and- Ouch! Hopefully can get you out.."

Staying up-top the box was no easy task either. Having only been made to contain a prisoner and not hold weight, the cage conformed and swayed a bit to Pilot's weight, causing her balance to be tested heavily. Every time she'd move her paw another thorn would dig into her feet and the box would sway, making her shift again and again until she regained a decent balance. Through due diligence the No-Rank chewed through the first tie, subsequently bringing Resin that much more to freedom.

Overall the process was painfully tedious, both in the physical and literal sense. It seemed so contrived to work on something so monotonously and painstakingly while meanwhile not 10 feet away your fellow members literally fought for both their and your lives. Surely Resin without her ability to do anything but simply watch it all unfold was tortured by it.

She worked harder.

Pilot had just managed to gnaw through the second cord when an alerted yell came from her backside. While she couldn't tell who it was that called, the words were clear.

"Look out!!"

Turning in just the right pass of time Pilot watched as a spear hurtled itself through the air, its aim directly headed at her for its target. It appeared that at least one two-legger had finally noticed her and in desperate attempts to keep their captive and down any others, threw the spear in hopes of hitting her. With a startled jump the fae lept forwards, the force of her back legs tottering the cage uneasily. Even as she descended downwards back into the snow Pilot noticed this movement and as soon as her legs touched the ground she rebounded them back at the side of the box.

It all seemed to go in slow motion from there, the shove from her body teetering the cage on its corner precipice. The corner, unable to withstand the strain of both Resin's and its own weight, began to falter, altering the shape of the cage to open up like a diamond. Ignoring the spikes forcing herself to ram forwards once more proved to be a fatal blow, the cage, unable to hold it's composure, crashing unceremoniously to the side. The two chewed sections now deformed, allowed a triangular shaped exit for the Alphess.

Humans

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This was not going as planned at all. Even though their numbers vastly outweighed the Great Wolves in fight, their weapons and 'camouflage' seemed to be no match to their steely and deadly bite. This Pack was nothing like they had ever experienced before, never once had the wolves truly seemed to retaliate and not only protect themselves, but truly seem to team up and be working together. Members were falling left and right, the fight a gruesome bloodbath. Some had managed to wound wolves, but as it was with all the chaos no one really knew of what the toll from either side of the battle was or would be.

Some of the tribespeople fled, their eyes caught with the fear as they watched some of their own comrades fall. Others fought valiantly still, their weapons all but dwindling. Some others still were working on their own tactics... working their way into the trees. Wolves could not reach you there...

[purpledirewolf2019]

Яακα
\ Male / Loner \ 1.5 moons / With the Pack \ Hrafn /

The situation for the small pup was becoming more and more scary, but at least they weren't going to climb the mountain anymore. Attican had asked if he could carry him, and as Raka thought t over, he listened to the Keeper address the rest of the pack. The thought that if they made a sound the two-leggeds could maybe track them was terrifying, so in the end he just accepted that it would be better if he was carried. Normally he greatly disliked being picked up and carried by his scruff, but after he got over it, he remembered what Attican told him about helping keep about helping keep watch for things and started scanning the surroundings for things the Keeper might not be able to see. The older wolf surprised him though, as Attican was able to keeping him from bouncing too much and in fact it was almost relaxing if not for the events going on around them.

After some time passed and a decent amount of ground covered, Raka heard noises coming from behind him, but unfortunately he couldn't really turn his head to see what it was while he was being carried. Soon enough Attican turned so they could both see the wolf approaching them. He was able to recognize the wolf as Xani before he was set down in a small pile of snow. While he was a little relieved to see that she was mostly okay, he had been hoping Hrafn had come back too. Xani and Hrafn had let together, sort of, didn't they?

Raka kept quiet as the two talked, but he was listening intently for any word of his adoptive father, or Ahote. According to Xani, all of the others were helping Resin and were doing alright. That information allowed him to relax slightly and lay down in in the snow. He decided to rest for a moment as the two talked about removing the two-legged weapon that stuck out of the Beta. He almost nodded off when he heard Hrafn's name mentioned. Raka perked up immediately, but what he heard made him uneasy. Was he okay? Xani paused after saying his name like something bad had happened. He waited until the weapon was pulled out and the pack was moving again. The pace was slower so he was walking on his own he easily moved next Xani. "Xani? Hrafn is okay right?" he asked hopefully.

[-Starchild.Keith-]

Xani
- Female - 21 - Beta -

As Xani tried her best to keep her breathing even, she could feel Attican shift beside her. While her face didn't outright give away her fear or it somehow going wrong, her eyes were shut and her head was turned. Was there anyone that would want to watch this if it was their leg, though? Probably not. Some might have thought it strange for such a fight-hungry wolf to turn away from a wound, but she had no time to indulge in such ideas. Right now, focus was key. A light touch to the wood signaled that the keeper had a grip on it, and she forced herself to relax that leg as much as possible for what was to come next.

With a sudden quick movement, the weapon was gone. replaced by a radiated pain and the feeling of fresh blood. A wince ran through her body as it was pulled out, and an almost silent whine somehow escaped her throat. It was quiet enough so that hopefully no one heard, but Attican and anyone within a few feet most likely did. Slowly and tentatively setting her leg down, the beta turned and gave it a quick look. It seemed as if there was a small dent in her leg where it had been, but it was the blood that drew her attention most of all. Her instinct was to lick it to try and stop it, but that was out of reach for her. Luckily, Attican stepped up again and did his best. The only wolves that had ever licked her before were her mother and Hrafn, and now Attican could be added to that list.

At Attican's words, Xani simply gave a nod. Hiding would allow her to rest, as well as the rest of the pack. She knew that other members had covered tracks before, so why could they not do the same now? If everyone was safe, going out and obscuring the trail with a stick or just another flurry of prints wouldn't be too hard, would it? A voice made the beta glance around, then down to the ground near her feet where a pup was walking. While she didn't normally like pup, this one was an exception. He was rather intelligent, and far less annoying than most his age.

Xani couldn't stop the small smile that ran across her face at his words. She wasn't the only one that cared for the larger brute. "Hrafn is one of the best fighters I know of, Raka. He'll be fine." As she spoke, a bit of fear welled up inside her. To keep the pup from seeing it in her eyes, she turned her head to look ahead once more. The footing her was a bit rough, and she needed to concentrate. Her left leg hurt like none other, so a limp had set it. What if she was never able to run or fight like she had before? Would a lame wolf even be welcome in the pack?

Once again, he thoughts turned to Hrafn. Yes, he had been perfectly fine when she had left. But that had been a while ago. Who knew what was happening right now, who had been hurt? When the wind shifted just right, she could almost hear the sounds of the fight still going on, though maybe it was her imagination. [/center]

[Soriams]

((Sorry sorry sorry... Won't someone please save me from myself? >.<))

Oh, and happy birthday ScarPaw!

I have something I've been working on as a present for you guys, but darn it, just have not gotten it done. Soon I hope.

Wolf
Male | 20 | Straggler
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Looking over Attican while he thought, Wolf shifted his weight from one paw to another, uncertain if his answer made any sense at all. From his previous conversations with Pilot, he knew that sometimes the things he said were odd at best, and sometimes completely unintelligible from another's perspective. Normally he didn't mind, finding their confusion about his words just as interesting as if they had agreed with him, perhaps even more so sometimes. However, this was different. This was important. Luckily though, it seemed as what he was trying to communicate came through as the elder nodded and set off again.

Wolf followed dutifully, staying just a few paces behind Attican as they continued to climb crosswise up the mountain, pretty much more or less unaware of the dangers they faced or the pangs of worry that plagued his newfound family. The stress and seriousness with which they carried themselves hung thickly in the air though, and he tread lightly around them, not wanting to bother anyone or do something wrong. All in all, Wolf was set firmly in what seemed to be his natural state of confusion, and though he longed to question someone about what exactly it was they were running from or towards, gut instinct told him that was a bad idea and he kept his maw shut.

After a few moments, their pace slowed once more, and they were informed to take up the youngsters and make silent haste, and Wolf looked on curiously when Attican scooped up the little black pup he had tripped over earlier and many others did the same. He had seen them pick up pups before, but never to carry them for any sort of distance, and he wondered just how well it would work. Were the scruffs of their necks really so tough that they could take being carried for miles? However, once again the need for stealth had been made painfully obvious and he simply nodded and continued to follow.

From there, the pace picked up considerably and Wolf was a little happy about that. He might not be particularly skilled in many areas, but still, he was young and relatively healthy and the pace felt good in his legs. Before long, and perhaps a little guiltily, Wolf was actually enjoying their panicked flight through the woods, and he smiled a bit to himself. Up ahead loomed a fallen tree, and while Attican scooted around it, Wolf picked up his pace a little and leapt over it, feeling a little thrill as he sailed over. That joy quickly instantly evaporated into a wince as his nails scraped the top of a hidden splinter, sending it snapping off with a little crack. Landing squarely on all four paws, he looked to Attican, ducking his head in apology. However, the elder seemed distracted by something else and Wolf too turned to look.

What he saw surprised him, but at the same time brought a grin to his face: Xani. Wolf watched her pained approach, his tail swinging wildly behind him as she made her way though the pack up to where he stood with Attican. Though he longed to call out to her, he kept his mouth stubbornly shut, letting his tail do the talking as it swung his rear end side to side in its excitement. Though he had gotten to know many more of the pack members in his time here, Wolf still had a special spot in his heart for the first creature in existence ever to talk to him, and was more than a little happy to see her. She brought with her the scent of blood, both her own and that of something else, something strange and his happiness faded a little as it was clouded with concern. She was injured, and that brought a pang of regret for his carefree actions. He had once again failed to assess the seriousness of the situation.

As seemed to be her way, Xani didn't even acknowledge Wolf and his exuberance and immediately plunged into serious sounding conversation with the elder. For his part though, Wolf really didn't mind and simply sat back on his hunches, head swiveling back and forth between the two as they spoke. As they began to speak of her wound though, his eyes were inevitably drawn to it and he winced. Wolf was already squeamish of the sight of blood, and the blood of someone he cared about made it doubly worse. He quickly looked away when Attican moved to remove the weapon that still protruded from her leg.

The whole thing was over in an instant, and seemingly not more than a second later Attican was speaking and they were moving again. Wolf shook himself, and continued to follow, once again taking up the role of Xani's shadow. In truth, he was at her side so often that she probably didn't even notice him anymore, and really, Wolf was perfectly okay with that. Letting out a steadying breath, he resigned himself to simply putting one foot in front of the other and keeping pace with the rest of the pack.

Still skirting the tree line, they had actually managed to turn the bend in the mountain and were starting to loose a little altitude as the southern face grew rockier and with more uncertain footing. The trees had thinned a bit, and large rock outcroppings appeared, many with promising looking shadows and overhangs that might mean shelter for the pack, at least by way of protecting their backs while they rested. There was an oddity though, and while the other wolves just kept walking, their ears pinned back as they fled an uncertain enemy, Wolf began to take notice. Every now and then, and with what seemed to be more frequency, they would pass a tall thin span of wood, stuck up out of the snow, looking rather like a branchless tree. Curiosity perked by the novelty of these things, Wolf decided to make a little detour as they walked to investigate.

Walking up to the thing he nosed it, and was a bit disappointed when he found it didn't have any real scent besides old, dry wood. However, not all was as it seemed, and when he tried to walk past it to move on, something rolled beneath his feet and he was thrown head first into the snow. Now, Wolf was by no means the most graceful creature, and such an occurrence was not uncommon for him, so he simply picked himself up and shook the snow out of his fur. However, the moment he got back up to his feet, the thin tree fell over and tapped him on the back, making him turn to look behind him. The sight that met his eyes made him quail back like he had seen a ghost: there, half submerged in the snow was the body of a two-legger, its strange flat face frozen and staring up at him in a death mask of pain. The thin stick was lodged firmly in its partially decomposed ribcage and he stared at it, wide eyed with his heart pounding in his chest. It seemed as even their own kind was not exempt from their penchant for violence, and the sensitive Wolf was thoroughly horrified.

"A-Attican!" Wolf squeaked out, backing away so quickly that he wound up stumbling over his back paws and falling hard on his haunches.

Lani
Female | 57 | Hunter
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Ahote's call rang out and Pilot immediately sprung into action beside her, but uncharacteristically, Lani hesitated. Something about this just didn't feel right, and as the two monsters in front of her took up a long lead and foolishly attempted to pull Ahote to the ground, she dropped low and crept forward, her white pelt nearly invisible against the dappled shadows that fell across the snow. Just as she reached the edge of the clearing where Resin was held, the forest around them came alive and her fears were vindicated as six more of the two-leggeds appears and burst into the clearing.

For some reason, they all seemed completely unaware of her presence, and Lani lay in wait as they all foolishly turned their backs on the forest to concentrate on the wolves in the clearing. Still as a stone, she didn't have to wait long before the opportunity she waited for appeared, and one of the unsteady creatures stumbled back towards her hiding place. Without uttering a sound, Lani dashed out in a flash of white and latched on to the ankle of one of the monsters, causing it to cry out. An instant later she had jerked it off of its feet and without stopping drug it into the shrub in which she had been hiding.

Lani might not have been the largest wolf, but she was strong and her stout stature gave her an advantage of leverage. That, coupled with having surprise and the disorientation on her side, she managed to fall on the creature and latch her jaws around its throat. She was no fighter, and there was no way she would ever be able to go toe to tow with an armed demon, but pinned beneath her paws, he was nothing but easy prey.

By the time she had managed to throttle the thing and it lay still beneath her, Hrafn had appeared and cornered another one of the monsters, pushing it back with flashing teeth. He ordered Pilot to free Resin, and Lani readied herself to attack again. Biding her time with remarkable patience, she waited until the larger black wolf managed to push one back to the edge of the underbrush again. She sprung again, this time aiming high, he hit the two-legger square in the back and latched on to the only part of it that seemed to have any fur: the back of its head, just barely missing her mark for the back of its neck. Her weight knocked the breath out of it, but still it fought beneath her and she dug her claws into the foliage that covered it and snapped at the twigs, throwing them off like the feathers of a ptarmigan as she looked for the soft spots beneath.

Ahote
Male | 46 | Fighter
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Infuriated, Ahote found himself at a strange disadvantage. He was more than strong enough to drag around the two monsters that attempted to hold him, but as soon as he tried to lunge forward to attack, they would pull the binding tight and he would nearly fall on his face. It was maddeningly frustrating, but eventually he was able to pull one of them close enough to the cage that Resin was able to reach through and latch onto its crooked forelimb. This left only one creature holding the other end of the vine, and Ahote outweighed him threefold. Pilot had appeared, and her sudden leap from cover had distracted the others enough so as that none thought to pick up the slackened line.

Growling savagely around the cord he held in his mouth, Ahote gave a massive yank nearly ripping the cord from the monster's paws and causing him to stumble. The next instant, Hrafn appeared as if out of nowhere and fell on his final captive. Not even taking time to think, Ahote dropped what he held in his mouth and was able to easily shake off the slackened knot from his leg. Now freed to move as he would, Ahote lowered his head and bared his teeth, eyes locked on the remaining humans. Already he had pushed all thoughts of the cage from his mind, Resin was at his back and would be safe until the imminent danger in front of them had been taken care of, and thus Hrafn's words were unnecessary, and only barely registered somewhere in the back of his mind.

Pilot leapt past him and Ahote moved forward, threatening the monsters as they tried to defend their construct. The one he faced was wary of him, and continued to move away from him, keeping him at the far end of his long pointed stick. There were two more off to the side though, and glancing at them, he spotted an opportunity as they raised their strange forelimbs to throw their sticks at Pilot where she was engaged in an embittered fight with the cage. In an instant he had spun away from the one he was facing and sprung at one of the two just as he let go of his spear, causing it to miss its mark in a widely mis-aimed arc.

The creature never even had a chance to cry out before Ahote had him on the ground, his crushing weight instantly pinning him as his teeth sought his throat. Just as he was about to bite down though, a sharp pain ran up he rear and he let out a yip, leaving his adversary mortally wounded with his long-toes paws clasped to its neck, but unfortunately, still alive.

Ahote spun around again, and found the one he had left to attack this one had come up on him from behind and had the audacity to poke him in the rear with its stick. Snarling again, he lunged at it, causing it to stumble back before it attempted to do the same to him, thrusting the wooden spear at him. Thus the two of them danced, one circling the other in a deadly waiting game, each one waiting for the other to make a mistake. Unfortunately for the two-legger, Ahote was no stranger to fighting, and where Pilot or Lani might have struggled to keep up, he matched the hunter step for step, having the slight advantage of facing one in much a similar situation with Attican and Resin at his back.

Remembering last time, Ahote's mind spun as he fought, and the next time the monster lunged at him with the stick, he leapt forward and grabbed onto it with his jaws. The thing splintered beneath his grip, but unlike the first one he had faced, this one was not smart enough to drop his weapon and run. Ahote literally pulled him off of his feet and into the now firmly compacted snow, and he fell on him angrily. The creature fell victim to his teeth in the next moment, and it never even had a chance to struggle.

A snap followed by a strange squeal drew Ahote's attention away from his kill and he spun around just in time to see the cage teeter on edge and fall back with a pained groan. In an instant all rage drained from him and the worry he felt for Resin surged up in him and he leapt away, running to her. Eyes wide and pleading, he greeted her as she left the cage, reassuring himself by burying his nose in her ruff and taking in her scent. Not saying a word or bothering to wait for her, he turned back again, putting his back to her and keeping himself between her and the two-leggers. Every inch of him was ready to defend her, his mate, with his life should any monster be foolish enough to threaten them. Those who knew him would hardly have recognized the vicious creature before them as the normally humble and kind wolf that could only in the barest sense call himself a fighter. Only when his pack was threatened did Ahote show that part of himself, and with the threat facing him square in the face, all semblance of that gentle wolf was gone.

[Resin]

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

Everything was happening so fast. She couldn't see anything from her prison. Nothing but Ahote and spatters of blood marring the white purity of the snow. Resin was thoroughly impressed and quite proud of the patchwork brutes skill. She loved him more in this moment, in all of his fury, than she ever had. Safety. She felt an overwhelming sense of safety. The Great Wolf knew that she would never have to worry again. This fierce warrior would have her back for the rest of their days together.

Suddenly there were more of them. Hrafn's giant black form barreled through; blood on his maw. She watched as Lani tore a two-legger to shreds, her bulky form knocking it easily to the ground, her fangs doing what they were meant to do. She was glad that the white wolf had come. Pilot soon followed and Hrafn barked out orders, which the small cream colored female followed without hesitation.

The grey and black female's yellow eyes widened momentarily as the small female began to climb the thorn covered enclosure. "Take care, Pilot. Do not injure yourself as well." Pricks and pokes would be no big deal to any of them, but if she fell and broke a leg, then they would be in trouble. Pilot's words met the Alpha's ears and she nodded, watching as the small female worked.

It didn't take her long. Pilots thinner muzzle was able to get closer to the vines than her own thick maw. More things happened at once. A spear came hurtling towards Pilot, someone yelled, and the cage began to come down. The blonde female hurtled off of the enclosure as it crumpled in on itself. Resin wasn't fast enough and, as the walls caved in, thorns ripped into her left ear and the left side of her face.

Then Ahote was there. The relief and love on his face brought tears to Resin's shining yellow eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She would be strong for him. When he pressed his face into hers, she returned the nuzzle with just as much affection. Sadness struck as he pulled away, but it was the smart thing to do. He was on guard just in case the two-leggers returned with reinforcements.

Once Ahote stepped forward and she had enough room, Resin stepped gingerly from the wrecked enclosure. Pain seared through her leg and hip. Each step was torturous. Her hip, knee and ankle had become inflamed from the weight of her body as it hung from the vine. She clenched her jaws until her teeth squeaked and continued. She hadn't been able to feel it until now. Her movement had been very restricted in the small space.

Looking over her shoulder, she searched for Pilot. The blonde female had jumped off of the thorny box and the Alpha had been so distracted that she hadn't thought to look for her til now. "Are you alright, Pilot? Your paws aren't injured too much to walk or run if need be?"

She continued to limp along, citrine pools casting this way and that for any signs of danger. It seemed as though the skin-walkers may have given up for now. Their numbers were dwindling by the minute. She had only seen seven or so when she'd been captured. Several were dead and there couldn't be too many more hiding out.

"Ahote, Hrafn, Pilot, Lani... We need to rejoin the pack. They could have sent a second batch to intercept them." Just out of prison and she was already back to giving orders. "Two of you go ahead. Two of you stay. You choose who will do which." She was too injured to even think about sending them all ahead.

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

Blood filled his maw as he led yet another two-legger to deaths door. This one had come running from the trees, a scream in its mouth. In its strange paw, it held a shining silver object that looked rather sharp. The black brute hadn't seen one of those yet, but he could tell that it was a bit more dangerous than the spears and ropes had been. Jumping to the side, the two-legger lost its balance in the snow, not being able to turn quickly like a wolf could. This temporary loss of balance was all that Hrafn needed. He sprang forward and ended the beasts life with one bite to the neck and chest.

A commotion from behind him made him turn his attention towards the cage where Resin was...had been. Dark amber eyes watched as Pilot went leaping off of the collapsing enclosure. He also watched as the Alpha's face was punctured by the thorns. She didn't seem to notice, however. Ahote was soon with her and Hrafn turned away, giving the two their moment.

The black brute proceeded to act as lookout while the pair reunited. He could hear nothing. He could see nothing. All that he could smell was the bitter, metallic blood of the two-leggers. Had they gone then? Had they left them alone at last? Hrafn would be glad to be rid of these beasts once and for all. He doubted that they'd seen the last of them, but one could hope, couldn't they?

The Alpha's voice pulled him back from his thoughts. He brought his gaze to her as she addressed him. Her query made him furrow his brow slightly. He didn't believe that the skin beasts had sent a party to attack the pack, but if they had, they would need help. The dark wolf spoke, his deep voice rumbling free. "I will go. If they have been attacked, they will need strength. I would take Lani as well. She is fast and knows what needs to be done." He cast his gaze towards the small blonde female. "Pilot is injured as well. She would serve you better with her keen eyesight and hearing." He looked to his packmates, black ears flicked forward to hear whether or not they would agree.

[Resin]

((In a few days we could potentially have a few new members joining us. I'm pretty excited about it. Maybe we can get this story on a roll again. (: ))

[purpledirewolf2019]

I was actually think of adding one of my other characters too.