Of Hunting and Howling

[Ärï]

"Alright then" Coldfire barked, rising to his paws. "Your company would be welcome." A small smile appeared on Coldfire's maw for a moment as he started along the path Luin had been on. He walked slowly, his hind leg still sore but he refused to let it show so he pretended he was simply walking slowly for Luin's benafit. Truth be told, Luin was the only company he openly welcomed.

[daina]

Luin grinned.A smile? On Coldfire? That was one of the few times that he ever showed emotion. She walked alongside him, going back where she had come from. At least she was walking that road with someone.

[Ärï]

Coldfire paused after several minutes of silence between the two. His ears pricked up and he looked around, breathing in deeply. A deer was nearby, a doe from the scent. Coldfire flicked his tail to get Luin's attention and nodded to the right. The doe was that way. If she cared to hunt with him, she could follow. If not, she could simply wait or go on her way. Coldfire wouldn't hold her down and make her stay. For some reason, Coldfire didn't think he'd ever be able to do that to Luin.

The ebony-streaked brute slipped through the ivory-carpeted undergrowth with surprising grace for such a large wolf. The doe was picking her way through the trees, looking for food. It was true she was winter-thin but Coldfire didn't care, food was food and a deer beat the heck out of a scrawny hare.

[daina]

Luin looked in the direction Coldfire indicated and sniffed the air. There was a doe alright, but it probably wasn't as stupid as the one she caught earlier. She lept after the brute into the underbrush, and watched the small doe finally stop in a glade and begin to feed on some grass. The mother was nearby too. It would be a little harder, but with two wolves the work would be less.

As she and Coldfire watched for the opportune moment, Luin whispered, "What if I drive off the mother and you can grab the doe when she's looking in my direction?"

[Ärï]

Coldfire flicked an ear in Luin's direction as she spoke quietly. The brute's broad crown nodded in her direction, indicating he agreed. Coldfire's muscles tensed as he waited for Luin to go after the other deer and scare it off while he went for the younger one. It would be simple enough and if he was lucky, not much running involved.

[daina]

Luin nodded back. She then swiftly and silently went around the glade to the opposite side of Coldfire's position. The fae growled loudly and lept from the bush faster than lightning. That definetely scared the mother deer off.
The doe had shorter reaction time and hesitated before she attempted to escape. Luin blocked the way for the doe to follow her mother. It would have to go in Coldfire's direction instead. The fae hoped that he would get his chance.

[Ärï]

The younger doe sprang in Coldfire's direction. The brute was ready. He sprang forward, jaws parting and razor sharp ivories shooting toward the deer. Coldfire grabbed the doe's neck and dragged the prey down. It fell in a tangle of long legs and hide but Coldfire was plenty satisfied when he released his kill. The deer was plenty dead and big enough to chase off the hunger that had been gnawing away at Coldfire since he'd crossed the mountains with the scar-faced brute named Halo. Coldfire looked over at Luin, waiting for her to join him. Since she'd helped with the hunt, it was only fair she got her share of the kill.

[daina]

Luin thought to herself, Oh, what the heck. It had been more than a half hour ago since she'd eaten her prey, and it wasn't much. The fae went over across from Coldfire and ate some of the catch. They weren't too far apart now, only but a foot away from each other. However strange she should have felt that close to any other wolf, Luin didn't seem to mind it with Coldfire.

[Ärï]

Coldfire bowed his head and tore off some of the thick hide on the doe, savoring the taste of meat as he ate. It had been many suns since he'd had a decent hunt. Coldfire was glad Luin had decided to stay but this happiness evaporated as soon as he raised his head and breathed in. A soft sigh escaped his maw as he turned his head. A band of six or seven rouge wolves appeared in the clearing, their fur ruffled and matted, looking almost like oversized strays. Coldfire raised his head proudly and glared at a black-furred brute that seemed to be the leader.

"You tore up our pack in the mountains" the black brute growled. "Now we're going to rip you up" he growled, curling his lip back and growling. Growls echoed from the other members of the band. Coldfire simply strode forward, standing between Luin and the rouges, topaz eyes flaming.

[daina]

At the sound of paws, Luin lifted her head and saw the small pack of rogues stream into the glade. Coldfire had already stepped forward, ready to fight at any given moment. The fae would fight alongside him, even to the death, and even though she had nothing to do with the matter.

[Ärï]

The brutes rushed at each other, Coldfire snarling angrily like a rabid beast as he leapt forward. The six other wolves leapt at the same time. Three collided with Coldfire in mid air, the black alpha sinking his fangs into Coldfire's neck. Another tore into his shoulder and the third sank its fangs into his foreleg. The three dragged him down as three others leapt on him, tearing at his fur. Coldfire let out a lout snarling howl and writhed wildly, smacking one wolf in the nose with a heavy paw, kicking another in the snout with his hind leg. They seemed to be all over the place, pinning him down with all their weight as he struggled and writhed beniethe their combined weight. Fangs and claws tore at his fur as the brute writhed, scraping his fangs across the muzzle of one wolf.

Coldfire flipped himself onto his back and writhed wildly. One wolf was shoved away and another let go, leaping back to avoid his flailing paws. Coldfire scrambled to his paws, panting. His head was lowered, eyes burning wild amber. His banner stood stiff and tall behind him, showing he still had some fight in him. Coldfire's hind leg was held off the ground, the leg bleeding from a bite and his neck was bloody. A steady rumbling growl thundered in his chest, a constant and steady warning to his attackers.

The lead brute smirked and ran forward again. Coldfire sprang to meet him. The two clashed in mid-air. Coldfire's fangs sank into the brute's shoulder, the other brute's fangs diving into his neck. The two released each other and circled, each glaring, both battle-ready, their blood burning. An ancient fire flared in their eyes, two alphas meeting to battle, an ageless struggle to prove who was stronger. Around them, the other six wolves made a circle, blocking out Luin though none of the brutes considered her a threat to them or their alpha.

[daina]

Luin guessed that the other brutes did not see her due to her camoflaging coat or fur. This was the second time Coldfire was fighting without her help. She felt guilty about that, but she felt that from what he had told her of his past, he could fight the alpha wolf and win.

Standing outside the ring, helpless to do anything, the fae looked above her for some way to help. Branches from a medium-sized tree nearby were covered heavily with enough snow and ice to pile a few wolves. Some of the branches extended over the ring. This sparked Luin's mind immediately.

She propped her front paws on the trunk of the tree and pushed with all her might. Large piles of snow and ice fell onto the outer ring nearest to her, but not Coldfire nor the alpha in the center. The wolves that were hit were now on the ground, stunned from the impact.

[Ärï]

The alpha sank his fangs deeper and Coldfire let out a strangled snarl, writhing to try and free himself. As snow fell on three of the wolves in the ring, stunning them, the alpha released Coldfire and sprang back. Coldfire tumbled forward, his balance lost. The brute landed on his belly and didn't move. His fur was ruffled and blood was blooming over his shoulder and neck. Coldfire looked over at the others and smirked.

"Let's get out of here, we're done."

The rouge band left but Coldfire didn't rise.

[daina]

Luin almost shrieked a bark at the sight of Coldfire's fall. As soon as the small pack had left, she sprang from the bushes and went to his side. "Coldfire!" she said, praying to Lupus that he was alright. The fae looked over the damage that had been done. His shoulder and neck now streamed blood. Luin began to lick the wound in hope that she could do something. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I should have fought with you."

[Ärï]

A wet cough tore from Coldfire's throat, the snow in front of him speckled with scarlet now. Coldfire pulled his eye lids apart. His orbs once so bright and fire-like were dull and dark, as if someone had snuffed out the flame. Coldfire saw a blurry form moving over him, slurred words that took a long time to process in his mind. It was Luin, he knew that scent, the only one he welcomed. He had done it to keep her safe. If he had lost his cool he could have killed her. That hadn't been a risk he'd been willing to take. Even now...it seemed worth it. "L...luin" Coldfire rasped, his voice quiet and barely a whisper.