Fangs & Claws (DESTINY!)

[Ärï]

Sierra ran and ran hard, panting heavily as she stumbled through the thick woodland. She was stupid. So stupid. She'd gone off to hunt from the Twilight Lake and wound up being stalked. Even now she could hear the heavy paws of some large steel colored brute shadowing her own smaller steps. Her run was lopsided, swollen front paw making running at full speed painful and almost impossible to do without stumbling over roots or her own paws. Unlike her mother Sunblaze, Sierra wasn't the most graceful thing around.

The brute had been smart, herding her quietly away from the lake by haunting her, shadowing, rustling ferns in the right places and making her run without thinking. Her voice was lodged in her throat, too out of breath to howl for her father to help her.

Behind her, Claw ran at full speed. Powerful muscles flexed under his rough steel grey coat, cold amber eyes burning through the undergrowth as he ghosted after the sunset pup. Cruel intentions were written in his gaze as he ran after the helpless little thing. He could feel, smell, almost taste her fear, auds swerved forward to catch her panting breath. Oh how he loved to hunt.

Claw sprang forward, sinking his fangs into Sierra's tail. Sierra let out a strangled yelp, somewhere between a howl and a whimper. Claw dragged her back, nearly pulling her off her paws. Turning his head sharply, Claw slung the femme pup into the bushes.

Sierra scrambled, trying to get back to her paws, trying to run, to howl, anything. Claw was too fast. The brute loomed over her before she could get up. He sank his fangs into her neck, savoring the metallic tang of wolf blood. Sierra gasped and writhed, trying to claw at his face, kick him, escape. Claw smirked, meeting the femme's topaz eyes before tossing her away again. Sierra landed in a heap, breath driven from her lungs. Claw's fangs sank into her hind leg and threw her. Something cracked, once, twice.

Sierra's back hit a tree trunk. Blood splattered from her maw, cutting off her howl of pain. Fangs and claws everywhere. She curled into a ball, trying to protect herself, whimpering pitifully, crying. Her left hind leg was twisted, out of joint and broken in more then one place from her being thrown by her leg around the clearing. It would result in a limp she would have all her life.

Claw loomed over the whimpering, bloodied scrap of fur, leering down at the pitiful whelp. His claws dragged across Sierra's face. The pup howled. Three jagged scarlet lines marked her face, crossing her muzzle and narrowly missing her left eye.

The crack of a branch however inturrupted Claw. The brute looked up. Someone was coming. Claw turned and bounded away, leaving Sierra whimpering, bloody, scared as hell and half concious with her hind leg twisted and face scarred.

[Destiny]

The form that burst from the undergrowth was not of a snowy brute. The wolf was of medium build. Canvas jet black in some places. Around brute's muzzle the fur had begun to turn a greyish color, there were little hints of ebony fur turning to grey throughout his pelt as well. Yet, brute was not all that old. Around the age of an experienced lupus proeliator. A hard life had he lived. Once a member of Yozoran Pack, back when it was Black Mist, but now brute roamed a loner. Brute's only passion was his be-loved Moon, whom he saw only when she wanted to be seen by him. Or when he happened to stumble across her scent trail.

Pools of a shimmering icy sky blue quickly found the scrap of sunset fur. The little femme was lying in a heap, scarlet blood he could see easily. This is what the scene looked like to the brute anyway. From nearby he had stumbled across her scent, he wouldn't have followed either only for the scent of Claw was with hers. Brute had heard if Claw. Once or twice. If you listen to the birds you never know what useful information would come to you.

Perking grey tipped auds forward brute cautiously padded towards small un-familier femme. Silent and ghost like in his movements. Though brute was medium sized he walked with a careful grace. He was an excellent hunter and tracker. Brute relied on all his senses. As the brute known as Claw was bounfind away he could feel the vibrations of the other brute's paws hitting the earth. It was strange, but he rarely relied on his eyes to tell him things.

[Ärï]

Sierra whimpered pathetically, not caring how she sounded. She was frightened nearly out of her mind, hurting all over and wishing she'd never left the lakeshore. Why had she asked to go hunt? Why had Claw found her? Then again...it was better her then Yoru. Yoru was the stronger sister, more determined and in your face at times. Sierra couldn't even hide it from herself that she was fearful and weaker. Maybe...Claw was just weeding out the weak...

Sierra whined softly at that thought, pain shooting through her leg and burning through her body. Her topaz eyes were sliding shut. She accepted her weakness. Maybe...she deserved what she had gotten...maybe...

Zenya had caught his trail. That bastard Claw, the one that had forced her mother, thus bringing her into this twilight forsaken world. Her paws beat against the ground as she ran through the woodlands. She smelled blood and pup blood at that. Her lip curled. Claw was getting worse.

She burst from the undergrowth and looked around wildly, spotting a dark brute but not Claw. Her eyes fell on the pup. "Who did that to her?" Zenya demanded, eyes glowing with fury. "Was it a brute named Claw?"

"Zenya, how many times must I tell you not to yell" asked a softer voice. "You know my ears are sensative."

Following Zenya at a slower pace, Moon ambled forward. Her light, delicate frame seemed smaller compared to Zenya's well built, strong bone structure. Misty blue eyes were fixed on nowhere in particular, ivory fur shining in the moonlight.

"I don't have time for your lectures Moon! He's close!" Zenya snapped, turning back to the brute. "Which way did he go?"

Moon sighed in defeat and sat back on her hunches, bending her head to lick the bleeding pad of one of her front paws. Zenya had had her chasing her tail for hours just to find Claw's stinking stench.

[Destiny]

As the scent of approaching wolves came to his nostrils brute half turned. Icy pools watching the undergrowth until a femme appeared. She was well built and obviousy ticked off, he might even call her vicious if the word had come to mind. She asked her questions quickly. Turning greying muzzle brute gestured in the direction which Claw had taken. Pools fell quickly upon the snowy pelt of Moon. Without speaking brute turned back to the pup. Long, mostly ebony tail was moved towards her, as if to stroke her in a soothing motion. Brute remembered when he had found Moon. How the fox had been so close to her. He shivered.

[Ärï]

Zenya was off in a flash of tri-colored fur, running after Claw with murder in her eyes. Sierra could feel the slight quake of the earth as the strongly built femme rushed past. She shrank from the sounds and feel, only to feel more pain shoot through her like fire in her blood.

Moon's sightless eyes turned this way then that. After a moment she turned back her head and let out a howl that sounded like liquid silver in the cool night air. She was summoing the parents, calling to the kin of the pup. Her sensative nose could still smell them nearby, probably at the lake which wasn't too far.

At the lakeshore, in a den nearby, Sunblaze raised her head and her eyes widened. Someone had attacked her pup but she was trapped once more in a den, nursing Belle, her newly adopted daughter. She hoped Thite and Yoru would find Sierra.

[Destiny]

Nezero kept his gaze on the little pup. The brute stood over her slightly, to help protect her from the cold. Soft pools remained on the little one. Velvet lips parted as brute spoke softly, reassuringly, to the femme. "It's alright little one. Your kin will be here soon. Your safe now, he's gone. We'll protect you." His murmur was quiet, so as not to hurt Moon's ears, but loud enough for the small pup to hear.

Not too far away a snowy brute lay on his back in the grass. Pools half closed he gazed at the appearing stars as the sky continued to darken. The soft breeze ruffled his fur as he lay there. Suddenly he perked his auds. A howl came to him. It was not his daughter's, but he sensed that Sierra had been injured. Rolling onto his stomach Thite darted into the forest, relying completely on scent and instinct to take him to her.

[Ärï]

Sierra flinched away from the blurry form of Nezero. He looked like that mean brute to her. Through hazy eyes and flooded with fear, he looked like Claw. Sierra couldn't help but cry, the pain burning in her ruined leg, fire blazing across her face and every other bruise and cut throbbing in time with her heart. How could she not cry even though for some reason she knew she shouldn't?

Moon lowered her head and made her way toward Sierra, following the soft whimpers and Nero's scent. She was white, like Thite. She had blue eyes like Thite. Her female scent reminding Sierra of Sunblaze or even Akani. Moon touched the pup's fur gently, barely a butterfly touch. Sierra whined, hazy topaz eyes watching the blind she-wolf.

Moving almost gingerly, Moon laid down near Sierra though not quite touching. She didn't want to take the risk of touching Sierra, or Nezero for that matter. There was just too much of a risk in contact.

[Destiny]

As hard as he tried not to the ebony brute flinched as the small pup cried out. Auds and tail lowered he moved several feet away from the pup and farther from Moon. The brute did his best to keep himself preoccupied. Scenting the air, listening for approaching creatures. Finally he could not stand it any longer. Tilting his head ever so slightly soft icy pools gazed directly at Moon. For the moment, nothing else existed to him. There was just beautiful, graceful, intelligent Moon.

[Ärï]

Moon's fur prickled as she felt the eyes of another upon her. Her head raised and turned until she was gazing sightlessly in Nezero's direction. She felt guilty for leaving him alone for so long. Zenya had taken her in after nasty fall had left her torn up and ever since Moon had been with her, joining some groups of loners now and then and finding them something like family. The pup, Kuroshin, was one she kept a constant 'eye' on since the death of most of his family. She had been chasing her tail trying to help Zenya find Claw, Zenya's cruel father. It had her paws bleeding and scabbed, tired and worn out.

"Nezero, you're staring" Moon chided lightly, smiling softly toward the brute.

Moving gingerly, Sierra curled up against Moon's warm fur, whimpering softly and finally falling into unconciousness. She felt safe for now...

[Destiny]

The brute's crown dropped back to his paws as Moon looked in his direction. He turned his icy gaze on the forest, not far off he could hear the sound of approaching wolf, or wolves. "Sorry Moon." He simply said. The sadness in his voice was laced with ice. Tail lashed back and forth. He really did miss her, but he was hurt that she had left him for so long.

Not far of in the forest a massive snowy brute was bounding through the undergrowth. "Sierra!" His voice was deep and strained. Her scent was getting fresher, but there were other wolves too. Snowy fur stood up on his shoulders.

[Ärï]

Moon sighed. "Nezero..." Moon started but was cut off. Her paws flattened against the ground. She felt the beat of large paws, a bulky male from his scent. Delicate auds swerved toward the source just as a voice called out.

Sierra heard a familiar voice in the distance but sleep was calling her back. She didn't want to wake up and feel all the pain Claw had left her with, the stinging slashes and bites, her shattered hind leg...she didn't want to feel it now.

[Destiny]

Nezero simply flattened his auds to his skull. Rising quickly to his paws at the sound of an approaching wolf. He could feel the vibrations in the earth, hear the voice calling out in his ears, pick the scent up easily. He did not reply to Moon.

Thite's bulky form slammed into trees and bushes. Breaking branches and trampling plants. He was certainly not taking the time to be quiet about his approach, his daughter needed him. The brute bared his fangs in a feral snarl and broke through the bracken. As he landed in the clearing his tail lashed behind him. Claws scraped the earth. He eyed the male, a smaller wolf, and the female who was smaller yet.

[Ärï]

"Calm your rage" Moon barked, turning her head so her misty gaze rested on Thite. "We mean no harm. The one you seek is currently facing something worse then your rage." Moon rose to her paws.

Sierra whimpered softly in protest as Moon moved away, leaving her exposed again. She was getting numb and was barely able to force her eyes open a slit. The light hurt but she caught a flash of white, a large white wolf. Her father?

[Destiny]

Thite almost immediately calmed down. His furious snarls disappearing completely as he saw his daughter. Swiftly he dashed to her side. Pools of ice took in her form. She was.. he couldn't bare to finish his thought. Carefully large brute dropped to the earth and curved his form so that he protected her. Long snowy tail resting on her flank. Long pink tounge carefullt grooming her ear. "Daddy's here....it's okay now....daddy's here..." He murmured quietly, the words for her ears only.

Nezero watched the brute, Thite. He knew this wolf. He'd seen what Thite could do when angered. Yet he did not fear the brute. For Thite was just and compassionate.

[Ärï]

Sierra whined softly, burrowing her muzzle weakly into her father's white fur. Her eyes were hazy but she was able to see the blurry form of her father. Though she hadn't known him for long, she felt comforted by his presance. She wanted her mother...her sister....her adopted sister...all of them. Sierra turned her head and looked at Thite. "It...hurts..." Sierra whimpered. Her sunset pelt was blood slicked, her hind leg twisted.

"I can try to cover her wounds until you can find another healer" Moon suggested, padding over to stand next to Nezero, looking toward Thite.