Meeting.page

      Panic.

       Alae made no move in the brush, not a single sound to betray her presence there. Kael was pure tension to her side, ivory fangs bared in a soundless snarl of protective fury as he held to his Wolfwalker's side. Alae was having a hard enough time keeping the Grey One down, fingers knotting harshly in his thick fur as she pressed him with all her weight to the floor of the forest.

       . . .The attack, the throat slashed and spurting beneath white flashing teeth, the feel of flesh and bone in his jaw, the taste of hot blood, the incense of the scream . .

       Hold! Alae ordered strongly. Wait!

       The sounds of voices were growing closer, hushed tones carrying easily upon the still winds despite an obvious care for silence. The sudden crack of a stick somewhere to her right was a gunshot to a

deer in headlights - both woman and wolf threw themselves forward and into motion, but an arrow cleft the path before her, and Kael snarled softly, fading into the brush like a shadow of a dream as Alae brought herself up sharply, both hands raising in a gesture of furious submission.

       "Move, and you die where you stand."

       The words were cold as ice, and Alae's bright silvern gaze turned slowly to regard the brush's shadows, where a pair of figures were barely visible. She knew that, were there two, there was likely also a third still in the tangle of growth with a bolt trained to her heart. She didn't move a muscle.

       Protect. . . Kael's thought charged abruptly into Alae's dim thoughts. One lunge, one snap, one scream..

       No! The Wolfwalker commanded as sternly as she could. She had only been |2unning with the Grey One for two years - she was still engaged in abattle of wills with the beast at times like this. No, Grey One, they are many and you are one. Wait until the hunter drops his guard before making yourself known. They are still men, and they can harm you.

       Men can be killed as easily as hares. Kael retorted savagely from the shadows behind her, and she received the mental impression of fangs gleaming in the light..

       Kael, get back -- get away from the light. But the voice of the man before her sharpened suddenly, and her gaze rose fiercely to meet those of the one stepping from the brush, who was now the closest to her. She felt Kael's attentions narrow upon him with a hunting aura that almost made her choke. Could these men not sense the death that even now rode the Grey One's fangs, with their blessing for a path to the moons upon their ivory weight?.

       "Where is the Grey One that was with you?"

       . . .white teeth sinking into a thick arm, tendons tearing and joints ripped apart.. The instant and possessive rage of the wolf was hard to separate from Alae's own stressed emotions, and the girl knew she couldn't hold the wolf back much longer.

     Wait, Grey One. Three against one is certain death.

       . . .crouching, waiting, hind feet dug into a root to lunge..

       "He did not |2un with me. He was simply guiding me through the forest." She returned smoothly, but the male's eyes narrowed, as the third man melted from the forest soundlessly, his bow still pulled taut.

       . . .hard, black claws flexed, lips snarled back. . blood . . . hot, sweet blood. Lunge and slash and tear and kill. Wolfwalker, I come for you!

       "Kael!" She clipped sharply and, without care for the bow still trained upon her, threw herself into a forceful lunge toward the huge wolf who had already tackled the first man to the floor of the forest.

       Wrist open, blood spurting in the fur . . . hard bones snapping between my teeth . . bleed and die . . white fangs lunging for the soft neck . . whirl and slash . . tear. . .

       Kael! Stop it! She snapped, colliding with the large Grey One and tearing his grasp from the man now grounded beside her. They tangled for a bit, coming to a halt as the Wolfwalker gripped both velvet ears in her tight grasp, forcing the wolf's wild golden gaze to meet her own flashing prisms of silver and grey storm. Calm down, Grey One. It's over. Calm. The force with which her thoughts met those of the wolf drew a whine from the dark beast, but only when the shudders of the blood lust had eased did she turn her gaze back toward the others.

       The man had gotten unsteadily to his feet with the help of the second man, and was now eying girl and wolf with a narrowed gaze. "He does run with you. No Grey One would step in to protect just any human." A pause, and a slightly pained smile came to his lips as he flexed his tattered wrist. "Wolfwalker."

       Kael growled low in his throat, muscles tense beneath her finger as they knotted into his thick ruff. The sharp gaze of the Grey One alone was enough to have the trio of men shifting, and Kael ran his tongue over sharp ivories, as though just as happy to have the men before him for dinner as to let them ride on. Alae wasn't certain how to respond, merely nodding mutely.

       "Then you and the Grey One honor us." At Alae's widened glance, he chuckled, tearing a piece of fabric from the fang-tattered tunic to bind his wrist. "There have been too many raiders in these parts lately - we had to be certain you meant us no harm."

       Alae nodded faintly as she got slowly to her feet, right hand continuing to work at soothing the massive beast beside her as Kael continued to eye the men in wary silence, shoving his muzzle beneath Alae's searching hand with a low murr of appreciation for the lavished attentions paid. "This is Grey Kael, and I am Alae Ember Kiaska. To where to you ride?"

       "Gavin neZiche. We journey toward Sidisport, then on to the mountains to follow the raiders."

       She nodded, then gestured toward the trail. "May I ride with you?" The man looked startled, then chuckled faintly.

       "You are welcome in our midst. Welcome as a sister. Ride and eat and fight with us, and your children will be as my own." The formal greeting was met with a nod from the Wolfwalker, though Kael added his own wary snarl.

       "We join you, and take your burdens as our own."

Going Hunting...

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