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by Karyk on April 4th, 2017, 8:09 pm
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by Riona on April 5th, 2017, 2:39 am
by Karyk on April 5th, 2017, 6:14 pm
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by Riona on April 6th, 2017, 8:57 pm
by Karyk on April 6th, 2017, 10:54 pm
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by Kesh Baldur on April 7th, 2017, 6:04 am
by Salara Kel'Halavath on April 7th, 2017, 1:42 pm
Everything near in sight whizzes past in a jostled blur as briars and branches unseen grasp at her heaving body. Squinted eyes stream rivulets of tears that roll along gasping cheeks to shower from the tips of rust-gold fur below ears pressed tightly to skull. The cougar races… dangerously…psychotically… down the game trail only half-successful in avoiding the dark shadows that dart and nip relentlessly at her heals. She bled from torn wounds on her back and haunches but felt only the pain of air rasping past her teeth to feed screaming lungs. If she could only pull ahead far enough to leap toward the tree tops… Out for an early morning hunt, nothing a-typical as nature had seemed to reset itself by aligning with what one would expect of spring weather. Truth, the insects were a nuisance in abnormal abundance and Salara would certainly need to pay special care to be clean of them all when she returned home. But as with all spring times the land’s fauna had become fertile, or was on it’s way to becoming so, making even canny prey rather stupid by distraction. Easy pickings, yet they were not the only prey distracted to their detriment. Breaking-fast in easy content Salara lingered too long over her last catch, her tummy already sluggishly full. The sun lulling her to laziness, she realized she wasn’t alone until it was nearly too late. The pack could have scented her, simply stumbled across her, or most likely heard the death squeal wrung from the last coney just as its neck was snapping between her jaws. Unaware, she may have sung her own death in similar fashion but for one young wolf jumping too soon to the attack. She’d managed escape after a snarling scramble that left her attacker disemboweled for its inexperienced mistake. In righteous rage, pack mates had dogged her heals taking pieces of her at each chance over what seemed like bells but was likely only chimes. Their efforts as well as her own were driven by the ululating howls of companions trying to circle ahead of her on easier paths. One? Two wolves? Perhaps even three, if her luck held, would not be insurmountable; but the coordinated efforts of an experienced pack counted toward her life’s end with each heaving breath. Experienced - but this one was not entirely as yearling cubs new to the hunt were learning. Perhaps her visage was terrible in its desperation as the dark shadow stepped across her path in more hesitation than aggression so she leapt over it, her hind feet finding slashing purchase across it’s back giving her just enough lift for a lunge into the air clawing, clinging, scrambling towards the lowest branches of a knurly oak becoming green with new buds and baby leaves. Blood streaked gouges up the tree’s trunk point to her perch just beyond canine reach as her screech of defiance echoes over the nearby pine copse. Then all goes quiet but for heavy panting of all as the pack circles her tree to lunge in slavering threat or sit staring through jaundice-yellow eyes, daring her to descend or become too weak and fall. Body quivering in shock she clutches the limb with throbbing claws as pain reveals itself like fire across her body. It seemed there were perhaps 8 reddish-black creatures not counting the ravaged one left behind with fur, blood, and guts strewn. She could identify the alpha male and his mate, three yearling offspring - one wounded - and a few adult subordinates in the pack that came and went like shadows among the trees – too difficult to keep track of. At least two pairs of wary eyes watch her at any one time announcing every shift of her position with yips and growls. Her limbs and wounds begin to stiffen through forced inactivity as she watches with ice-hard eyes for any chance to escape. |
by Kesh Baldur on April 7th, 2017, 8:34 pm
by Karyk on April 12th, 2017, 6:34 pm
by Salara Kel'Halavath on April 12th, 2017, 8:38 pm
Clutching the limb as exhaustion and pain begins to overwhelm her body, Salara isn’t certain she could hang on much longer. The pack’s constant attentiveness was beginning to make this scene feel hopeless. If something didn’t happen soon there might be nothing left of her but a ragged scrap of gnawed hide blending with woodland debris as a mournful monument to a dreadful end. Desperately she watches for any break in their attention; but still, in the weakened moment of a long blink, she misses the first hint as two wolves’ attention is taken by something in the trees across from her. A deep chested grunt finally draws her attention as well to a massive darkness hanging among branches nearly level with her perch. *BLINK* Her eyes shutter in disbelief as more than a little touch of fear slips along her spine to perceive a massive creature, much more broad and hairy than a man, watching her as intently as the predators below. Her mouth drops in a distinctively non-feline O. Grasping claws scramble and slip, she nearly loses her balance in retreat until hindquarters press tight to the tree’s solid trunk. She can feel her hackles rise high upon her shoulders and along her back while the wolves below her throw themselves against the tree in eager anticipation of retribution. And then the massive beast points in a most certainly human gesture. Eyes widen and ears tilt forward in stunned amazement, Salara tries to understand this monster must be a thinking creature. Certainly not – she must be mistaken. It could climb trees… It. Could. Climb. Trees. Terror clenches her guts as any lingering hope leaches away. She doesn’t even hear the men approach, doesn’t hear four of her stalkers begin their attack on the lumber jacks. "RAHW!" Her sight dims to pinpoints at the primal sound. She could almost feel her racing heart dying in dread anticipation. Instinctively knowing this form was now useless – it could climb trees - her body flashes through sparkles of light and the woman gives voice to a very human scream of finality. With no claws to dig deeply into the wood and no strength left in her weakened state the woman’s grasp loosens as she slips and falls in a tumble of blonde hair and pale wounded flesh amidst those wolves which remain. |
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