"Can't afford to lose wolves," he kept muttering. What if they had been forced to attack by now? Were they able to get away or would they fight till they were unable to retreat?
Five new wolves had just joined -- Faeinora, Aralstor, Sparr, Eleryn and Roulette.
They were fit and healthy. Perfect additions to Anlage's pack--but currently his only thoughts were on the bear and the group that had gone to drive it away. Would it leave without much protest? Would it fight with the rage of a nursing mother? Only time would tell, and he wasn't sure they had much left...
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Face creeping with hot shame and tears, Ananza knew she had the direct possibility of getting kicked out. "My first new friends," she thought, "and I totally blew it." She had now put her friends in serious trouble, and they might hate her afterwards. Looking around, she knew she had a lot to confess. Thinking about the cubs, she had a spark of memory, "The cubs..." she thought. They wouldn't survive without a mother, and the others were fighting her. Running back with adrenaline pumping, she cried, "Stop!" but no one seemed to hear. Running inside the cavern, she picked up a cub, and the other two followed, their eyes filled with fear. Quickly going to her hiding spot, Ananza dug a semi-warm hole. Trying to make the bear cubs understand to stay, Ananza knew they would. They were immobilized with fear. Going back to the scene, Ananza saw the mother getting weaker and weaker. Screaming with the energy she had left, her scream echoed through the forest.
Desire leapt in front of the bear with a bellow.
"COME AND GET ME!" her teeth were bared and her hackles raised to add to the effect of looking like an animal you didn't want to mess with. The bear snarled it's fury, swiping a massive paw at Kolo and Kuoza. It lumbered forward but Desire was already around at it's other side, darting in with a well-timed and excellent aimed bite to the haunches where luck allowed her fangs to pierce through the thick brown fur and hit tender flesh. The bear bellowed its anger as it turned again and lunged, open mouthed, at the white wolf. This time she was not so lucky. As she leapt to the bear's other side it reared up and caught her on the ribcage, slicing open five wide tears from its sharp claws. A yelp of pain mixed with the snarls of her companions as they ran at the bear and she fell to the ground, a paw crumpled beneath her body.
Staring at Desire, time paused as true horror raced through Ananza. The chances of Desire losing her paw was worse than she could imagine, and another blow could get her for good. Racing forward, like a mother carries her pups, she carried Desire to a place where a thin line of trees hided them, but let them see. Looking at Desire's wounds, she quickly and carefully took the pine needles around her and applied them, while grabbing the spiderwebs in them to dress the wounds. Chewing the pines, she tried putting the pulp and juice on it. "I'm not a healer," she thought," what if this doesn't work!!" But she tried acting like she knew what she was doing, for Desire's sake. Knowing this was all her fault, and Desire was probably not the only one going to get hurt, Ananza considered her options. She could either leave Desire with the cubs, or she could leave her here, and fight. Ananza decided to fight. Besides, this all was her fault. Whispering to Desire about what she was about to do, Ananza leaped into action. Using her strong hind legs to again leap on top of the bear, time slowed again. It was either the bear or her friends. Ananza made her choice, and dug her claws into the bear.
Desire moaned a low protest as Ananza moved her. The pain hadn't really set in yet, as the adrenaline still coursed through her body, but the blow from the grizzly had sent her head spinning and she tried to think clearly. Somehow her vision had been impaired as well and she felt sick terror as her eyes wouldn't focus on the bear. Everything around her was blurry and wavering, unfocused. She tried to stand up, standing unsteadily on three paws, her hind leg had been twisted as she landed. Blood dripped from the clawmarks on her side.
"Focus!" she breathed as she stared at a young tree in front of her, using all her mental strength to bring it into focus. Her vision went clear for a moment then foggy and without warning she suddenly fell to one side and blacked out.
Still digging her claws in the bear, Ananza looked at Desire and freaked out, kicking her claws at the bear. Scratching at the bear's windpipe, a jolt from the bear knocked Ananza off the bear, instantly dizzying her. Shuffling to where Desire was, Ananza whispered, "Desire.." and fainted, only for a minute. Walking towards the bear, Ananza scratched the bear, but was too injured to do much. Then a powerful kick launched Ananza to the ground, and Ananza blacked out again. Waking up one second afterward, Ananza pulled herself up, and walked to where Desire was, murmured a bit, sat down, and suddenly puked (do wolves puke?? I think they do). With a sour taste in her mouth, she quietly looked around, hearing the yowls of her packmates. Knowing that she would be of no help in the battle, she prodded Desire, thinking that if she woke up the two of them might have enough strength to get back to camp.
Thing, in general, were not going too well for Kuoza.
Thanks to Ananza, who had started a fight with a bear as opposed to being safe and trying to stay hidden. Nope, she had ruined any and all hope of a plan by trying to attack the thing- quite likely throwing away her own life, as well as everyone else’s in the patrol. And Kuoza had thrown himself into the fray, hoping he’d be able to help, just to have Ananza go into some sort of mental breakdown and run away crying. Thaaanks, Anaza. He grumbled in his mind. At the moment, it was much easier to focus on his anger than anything else. Like the pain from the gaping hole in his side. The fact that his life was flashing before his eyes with every strike of the bear’s huge claws. The fact that he could feel the delicate fur on his muzzle ruffled from where said claws got too close and almost ripped his fur off his skull.
Kuoze was at the disadvantage. With ever move the bear made towards him, the grey wolf was forced to move a half step back to avoid it- giving it the clear upper paw. Ducking away, he just couldn’t seem to get his paws under himself to make a move. Tragic as it was, his window of opportunity presented its self in the most horrible of ways. As Desire fell, the bear took a second to pause, as if to admire its sick work on the poor white wolf’s paw. That one moment was all Kuoza needed to get his feet under him. And that he did.
Seeing his chance, Kuoza tightened his muscles. His black dull claws dug into the loose dirt as his weight went to his back legs, quickly extending like a branch, pushed out of the way, snapping back into place into the face of whatever unsuspecting wolf happened to be second in line. His muscles snapped into position, and he took to the air in a worthy leapt. His jaw was open to reveal a mouth full of teeth. His weight leapt over the back of the bear, with his sharp teeth bit into the thick neck fur of the huge creature. Kuoza was executing a common hunting move, used to take down large elk to the ground, where they could be killed with much less risk and bloodshed. He could only hope it worked on bears as well. He could feel it’s weight shift, like it lost its while he held on for his life. All he could do was hope that a packmate would see his goal and push to help. If there’s anyone left…
A beautiful white wolf looked through the trees to see two wolves and a bear. Juniper instantly knew that something was wrong. Fast as light, she hurried after the wolves and jumped onto the bear. It threw her off very far, but now coming towards her. MEEP undone yet. merp
Trying to focus, Desire was still unconscious. Looking through the trees, she saw Kuoza start to try the elk-take-down. Seeing his anger at her, knowing that he didn't know a single thing about her, she painfully sat up, and waddled towards Kuoza, flickering lights filling her vision. Almost blacking out, she scrabbled on top of the bear, weak. Digging her claws in, and slowly clambered to start drawing blood, the cubs put out of her mind, then, a sudden start of adrenaline went through her, and with a push of power, along Kuoza, she felt the bear start to slip.
( :) Random Smile!! )
Kuoza locked eyes with Ananza for a split second, his eyes conveying a mix of both anger and desperation. Here, latched onto the back of an angry bear, if she didn't help him, he'd be taken down in a single paw swipe. He needed help, and none seemed to be coming until she saw his actions. Kuoza could only hope that the action without thoughts the had gotten him into this fight would rub off on her, and give her enough strength to help him fell the foul beast. Luckily, it seemed to, or maybe it was some other thought entirely. Whichever the way, she trod -a bit too slowly, for Kuoza's taste, when he was literally hanging on by his teeth from the paws of certain death- and pushed off, and landed her weight on the creatures hefty frame. He could feel the slight dip, as if the bear was considering shaking them off, then the fall as the creature picked up on paw, only to find that it's other three couldn't support their weight. With a heavy thud it form fell, landing on the ground and emitting something like a demonic howl. It struggled to get up, but Kuoza was quick- stunning a bit from the sudden fall, but still quicker than such a thick creature. His paws scrambled against the bear's mange of thick greasy fur until he manage to shift just enough to latch onto the side of the bear's throat, using his weight to keep it down. He knew that if the wolves were slow or the bear was smart, he was in a rubbish position compared to the creatures claws- he just had to hope his pack would take advantage of the moment. And that Ananza wouldn't run off again.
Watching the bear fall as Kuoza was able to put down the great bear, Ananza knew that if she didn't help, Kuoza might not forgive her. Then anger filled her. This wolf knew nothing about her. And out splayed her claws, raking down the bear's hide. If they didn't finish off the bear soon, it would probably die of loss of blood soon enough. Ananza looked at Kuoza for even a slight sign of approval, so they could put the bear out of it's misery.
Kuoza risked a glance at Ananza. She was still there, and seemed just as committed to this fight as Kuoza was-for the time being, at least. Hopefully she didn't run away again. Now they were in position. The two of them together could kill the bear without any trouble at all. Just a quick snap on either side, and it would be over. The grey wolf couldn't help but notice the bear whining softly, not dissimilar to the way a young pup begs mercy from a larger sibling pinning it down. For a moment, Kuoza hesitated. Killing the creature...was it cruel? It hadn't attacked them, Ananza had attacked it! It hadn't done anything...had it? Was it ever smart enough to scent the borders of the pack nearby? Kuoza blinked hard and tightened his resolve. The bear was die soon with it's injuries anyways, but not without bringing everyone else with it. Meeting Ananza's eyes, he gave the slightest nod her could, and before his brain could protest his body's instinct, he lashed out with the rage of the viper at the bear's windpipe. He could feel the lifeblood of the creature ebbing away like the sunset, death settling like a heavy mist over a decaying forest, thick as the creatures wiry pelt.
The white wolf, Desire, vaguely became aware of noises around her and it dawned on her that her eyes were open. Strange black shapes seemed to be in focus, but it was only her eyes playing cruel tricks on her. The forest was blurry. Desire lay still, coming slowly into reality as she heard the roars of the bear and the snarls of her friends. She seemed to not be in control of her eyes except to move them slightly from side to side. Everything was out of focus and strange. She struggled as she almost smelled the darkness closing in again. The spots in her eyes grew larger until they swallowed her up and with a whine of desperation she flailed her legs once more before blacking out yet again.
Eyes tearing up, but knowing that she had to save her friends, she, as fast as lightning, crushed the bear's windpipe, and saw it eyes go dull, fog falling on it, its life-force gone. And with a last struggle, her blood went cold, and a single tear fell from Ananza's eyes.
Kuoza held for just a moment, waiting for the final hints of life to leave the creature's fallen form before taking a few steps back, his head low in respect for the dead. He shut his mind, forcing himself not to feel- just accomplish what needs to be accomplished, nothing more. Nothing less. Still, it seemed like a weight had settled on his sore shoulders. The taste of the bear's blood and fur still stained his mouth like poison, the wound open on his flank searing the pain in his mind. He sat down on his haunches, raising his eyes and fixing Ananza with amber eye's sharp as a cliff face and just as emotionless. The message was clear: You'd better think if a good way to justify attacking the creature, or you'll have me to answer to. But not now. Kuoza was fairly certain that if she said one word of self-justification to him, he's lose it and take his anger out on her. Instead, he allowed a worse thought that his own rage slip into his mind: Desire. He hadn't seen much, just that she was injured. Badly. Turning as sharply as a long-legged deer avoiding the trap of a hunting party, he launched into a sprint to where her form lay, paws splaying dirt as he ground to a halt a second later. His eye's clouded with worry, he ignored the blood and podded her white pelt gently with his nose. "Desire? Desire? Wake up..." He muttered under his breath, hoping that some part of her was listening, could here him. The blood stained his vision, but he tried to ignore it- surely some of it was the bear's, or ever his dripped onto the ground from the wound on his side. It couldn't all be Desire's could it? His mind raced like wind on a stormy night. "C'mon Desire, get up..."
Stepping backwards, blood still in her mouth, her grief filling her. It didn't feel good to sort of avenge her mother's death. Running towards to where she had left the cubs, she pulled them towards their dead mother, watching their faces turn into true horror. Leaving the cubs alone, she sprinted towards Desire, and placed a paw on her frozen friend. Hoping she'd be alright, she mindlessly grabbed more spiderwebs and placed them on top of Desire. Sitting down, she stared at Desire, her mother's bear fight death racing through her. They had to get her to camp, but moving her might make the injuries worse. "What do we do?" she whispered.
Ananza's instincts telling her it was best to get Desire to a healer as fast as possible, she began the tedious journey to camp. After she finally, finally got Desire to camp, her bones aching, she stepped into camp and yowled, as loud as she could, before blacking out in sheer exhaustion and dizziness.
{I'm sorry, but for the sake of having anything to reply to I'll have to ignore an aspect of your second post. I hope you understand.}
Kuoza refused to even look at Ananza. "We need to get her back to camp." He muttered under his breath, knowing that it was obvious. But how? It wasn't like there was many good options to bring her back. After a moment of though, he crouched down slightly. "Help me get her onto my back." he said to Anaza. With her help, he was able to get Desire laying perpendicular to his spine across his sore back in what could best be described as a wolf fireman carry. The grey wolf's joints were sore, ever so sore. They were always sore, a health condition that had followed his since puphood, after a horrible sickness that almost took his life. He stood up straight, and without a word of thanks to Ananza, began his trod next to her, back towards camp, teeth gritted the whole way. Halfway there his legs almost gave out, and it took all of Ananza's help to get Desire the rest of the way. He was grateful when they finally got back to camp and Ananza yowled then backed out again, and Kuoza placed Desire carefully as possible on the ground.
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