Open Woodland
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The landscape here is dominated by brushwood and briers, with occasional trees. The grass grows long and thick in the shaded lee of the Western Cliffs, which rise up high against the blue sky just to the west of where you stand. It is quiet here, aside from the occasional noise of small creatures scurrying through the foliage. To the east you can see the northern edge of the pinewood forest that makes up Shuddering Wood.
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You see no obvious way out.
Contents:
A wolf with light grey fur (Snowback)
The sun shines bright but cold like a honed blade on this autumn day. Thin clouds scud high in the sky, chased over the western cliff by a brisk wind from the distant sea.
Snowback rests in the shade of a bush in a patch of dried grass cleared of snow, the bright sunlight dappling his wind-ruffled fur. A mostly picked-over rabbit carcass lies between his forepaws. The fur around his mouth is spotted red.
Caileana pads through the thick brush from the north, her pawsteps quiet as possible, but she still leaves the sound of softly crunching snow behind her.
Snowback yips in greeting to Caileana, "Hey, Sis, how goes the hunting?"
Caileana emerges fully from the undergrowth and gives him a dark scowl at the use of the word "sis." "Well enough," she says, that answer being obvious by her well-fed look and the rather hugely bulging satchel at her side.
Snowback exposes his teeth in a wolf-grin, but a rather contented one. The young wolf has put on weight and muscle in the time he's spent in the game-rich Shuddering Woods. "The pickins sure is good in these woods. The critters practically invite you to eat them." His tongue lolls out of his mouth.
Caileana sidles over near him, not quite as tense as her scowl would lead one to believe. She sits down. "Aye, I'll say. I've never seen this much game in one place in my life."
Snowback exclaims, "You can sure enough say that, Sis!" He seems to enjoy Caileana's annoyance at the title. "Up on the Moors me mom and me would have to scrounge for days to scare up a mangy rabbit. "
Caileana hehs. "The Waste isn't that bad. But there are a lot of us Wolves, and we keep the game down to a much more reasonable amount."
Snowback perks up at a thought, "You know, it occurred to me that these woods could use some wolves to keep the game down, too. There's enough critters around here to keep a lot of cubs good and fat. Me and you and your mom should set up our own pack here." His voice is casual, but he fixes his gaze on Caileana waiting for a reaction.
Caileana whips her head around and narrows her eyes at him as if to ascertain exactly what he means by that statement. She snorts at his casual manner. "My place is with my pack." She says, her tone leaving no room for question on that point.
Snowback grins slightly, "And why not make your own pack here? You and me are at the age where a wolf's expected to strike out on his own and find his own place, aren't we?"
Caileana snorts at him, and gets to her paws so that she can look at him from a higher position. "I am expected," she tells him coldly, "To remain with my family and serve the Great Lion where I am at. Which is to say, to serve Ulfden and protect the Waste." She gives him a level stare, golden eyes sparking forcefully and with something akin to disdain. "And *IF* I were to leave that calling, it most certainly would not be for *you*."
Snowback rolls his eyes and yips, "So the Big Cat himself asked you to keep that metal pole marked for him, now did he? ... I'm only saying serve your family, sure, but you've got a right to make you're own, now don't you? And then you serve them. And surely the Big Cat made this wood full of juicy critters the same as he made the wastes, so protect your own pack and serve Him here, is all I'm saying."
Caileana snarls at him. "I would watch your tongue, Rogue." She scoffs, and wheels off, turning back to snap at him a few steps away, "And what would /you/ know about duty, to a pack or elsewise, duty to something beyond your own desires, beyond even your own so-called rights?" She stares at him with disgust and her tone is dangerously low as she says, "You know nothing."
Snowback’s self-satisfied grin doesn't change. "Suit yourself, Sis. Not my concern if you want to spend your time hunting to feed that big buster Nevarre's pups. I'll just ask your mom what she thinks of the idea. If I'm going to have me own pack, I at least know I need an alpha she-wolf, but I'm not picky about who.
Caileana stares at him, growing more angry by the moment. "My Alphas have no pups, you fool. I was the last pup born to the pack years ago. And if you think I..." She growls and turns away again. "Of all the arrogant, conceited Beasts I have met, you, Rogue, are the /worst/." The word is a growl. She laughs harshly. "Why you think I would want you is beyond me."
Snowback shrugs as he tears a scrap of meat from his rabbit carcass. He answers between chews, "Your loss, Sis. I may not be much of a wolf, but I'm fit and can hunt enough to keep meself and a good number of pups fat and healthy. Besides, if the Big Lion hasn't seen fit to give Nevarre any pups recently, maybe he's not all the wolf he thinks he is."
Caileana looks at him as though he is the mere scum of the earth. "You presume much and know little. Attack the honor of my Alpha again and you will pay for it." Her gaze is steady as she challenges him.
Snowback says, "I may not know much, but I think you've mistaken that Nevarre for one of the Kings in far-off Cair Paravel. An alpha wolf is alpha because he's the strongest in the pack. If he can't defend his own honor, he's no alpha, and doesn't need any she-pups scrapping for his 'honor' whatever that might be."
Caileana opens her mouth as if to comment, but when he insults not only Nevarre but her as well, she snarls even louder than she has before, hackles raised. She leaps at him with her fangs bared.
>>> Caileana bites Snowback! Snowback winces, the bite stinging him a bit.
Snowback is surprised by Caileana's violent reaction, rises and takes a step backwards. Fangs bared he emits a low growl and fixes her with a livid stare. After a moment he barks, "I've got no quarrel with you, she-wolf! If he's such a great wolf, why don't you clear off and go lick his face?"
Caileana barks a laugh, staring him down and not backing away. "You insult my own honor, and all that I am and stand for and say you have no quarrel with me. And even still you insult my Alpha. I will stand for none of it, so I suggest you brace yourself or fight back."
Snowback sneers, "I'm the alpha in these woods until a bigger wolf takes my place. You shove-off, or get into line, or prove you're the bigger wolf, Sis!"
Caileana does just that. She snaps at him again, much closer to his neck than she has ever bitten a Wolf before.
>>> Caileana awkwardly snaps at Snowback, her teeth chomping down on mostly air. Snowback winces, the bite stinging him a bit.
Snowback growls, "You'll have to do better than that!" as he lunges with claws exposed.
>>> Snowback scratches Caileana with his claws. Caileana doesn't appear to be too injured, however.
Caileana leaps backwards in time to miss most of his claws and snaps with her fangs at the back of his neck, lifting slightly on her long legs to reach.
>>> Caileana bites Snowback! Snowback winces in pain, the wound bleeding a little!
Snowback twists around and lunges at Caileana's throat, fangs gaping.
>>> Snowback awkwardly snaps at Caileana, his teeth chomping down on mostly air. Caileana winces, the bite stinging her a bit.
Caileana moves her back legs so that he misses and snaps instead at her shoulder. She drops to the ground, biting at his underbelly as she falls.
>>> Caileana nips at Snowback! Snowback winces, the bite stinging him a bit.
Snowback leaps away from the bite and up, lashing with his claws.
>>> Snowback swipes at Caileana with his claws! Caileana is scratched!
Caileana is scratched along her face. She snarls and bites at his paw before he can draw it back.
>>> Caileana nips at Snowback! Snowback winces, the bite stinging him a bit.
Snowback whips his bitten paw pack, then pounces with paws leading, trying to knock Caileana down.
>>> Snowback swings his paw at Caileana, grazing her. Caileana doesn't appear to be too hurt by the blow.
Caileana doesn't even flinch. She pulls her front paws backwards, shifting all her weight to her back paws, so that Snowback basically drops his paws along her shoulders and then harmlessly onto the ground. She comes up with her teeth towards his jugular.
>>> Caileana nips at Snowback! Snowback winces, the bite stinging him a bit.
Snowback twists away from the painful bite, then tries to lock his jaws on the back of her neck.
>>> Snowback nips at Caileana! Caileana winces, the bite stinging her a bit.
Caileana twists around sharply to break his hold, biting again at his exposed neck as she does so.
>>> Caileana nips at Snowback! Snowback winces, the bite stinging him a bit.
Snowback jumps back and swipes his claws at her face.
>>> Snowback swipes at Caileana with his claws! Caileana is scratched!
Caileana is scratched on the opposite side of her face. She nearly howls with fury, charging him with all the speed and strength she has.
>>> Caileana awkwardly snaps at Snowback, her teeth chomping down on mostly air. Snowback winces, the bite stinging him a bit.
Snowback twists his body away from Caileana's mad rush and avoids most of the force of impact. Tearing away from her fangs, he scrapes her with his hind claws as he gathers his body for a pounce.
>>> Snowback scratches Caileana with his claws. Caileana doesn't appear to be too injured, however.
Caileana takes the scratch without flinching. She backsteps once and leaps sideways to avoids his inevitable pounce, snapping at him as she does so.
>>> Caileana bites Snowback! Snowback winces, the bite stinging him a bit.
Snowback shifts his weight to his hind haunches then springs for Caileana's neck, mouth gaping.
>>> Snowback awkwardly snaps at Caileana, his teeth chomping down on mostly air. Caileana winces, the bite stinging her a bit.
Caileana dances just enough out of the way for Snowback to bite mostly air. She snakes her head around and bites at him while he's vulnerable.
>>> Caileana awkwardly snaps at Snowback, her teeth chomping down on mostly air. Snowback winces, the bite stinging him a bit.
Snowback swipes his claws at her torso as he pulls away from her bite.
>>> Snowback swipes at Caileana with his claws! Caileana is scratched!
Caileana pulls back as his claws sink into her belly, but only for an instant. She snaps at his shoulder with her fangs.
>>> Caileana nips at Snowback! Snowback winces, the bite stinging him a bit.
Snowback tries to catch Caileana's forepaw in his strong jaws.
>>> Snowback nips at Caileana! Caileana winces, the bite stinging her a bit.
Caileana winces and leans her weight forward to snap at his muzzle, while at the same time wrenching her paw away from him.
>>> Caileana nips at Snowback! Snowback winces, the bite stinging him a bit.
Snowback jumps back and pauses, hackles raised, fangs out, breathing hard. He growls, "Enough of this! Maybe I'm no alpha wolf if I can't teach a she-pup a lesson, but I'll be a jack if I let it get in the way of my hunting. Go back to your big alpha if you wants!"
Caileana growls low and deep, still angry and as yet unappeased. “Like you could have ever stopped me! She snarls at him. “What are you, a coward?”
Snowback exclaims, "Ha! I am a wolf who cares a wiggen more to keep his belly full than for any of your high falootin honor. You put on airs like you was the Witch herself, and are just as icy, that's for sure."
Caileana roars at him. "Arrogant, pompous fool! I put on airs? When you were the one to presume I would be honored and flattered to just drop everything to be your mate!" She fumes with anger, circling him, just on the verge of attacking him again. Indeed, she seems barely able to control herself from doing so. "Call me the Witch indeed" she snarls under her breath.
Snowback laughs wryly, "Pah, honor again. Sister, you are slow-witted if you haven't learned by now that with me it's never a matter of honor. Now I've wasted enough time on you. I'm hungry. You want to do something worthwhile and take down a deer with me. I've a hankering for deer meat."
Snowback starts licking one of the wounds inflicted by Caileana while keeping an alert eye on her.
Caileana stares at him for a moment, looking absolutely furiously befuddled by his stupidity. "You may be nothing but an honorless dog who cares nothing for anything but his own hide, but I will be dead before I let you compare me to /her/ and act as though it is a matter of no importance." So saying, she goes after him again.
>>> Caileana nips at Snowback! Snowback winces, the bite stinging him a bit.
Snowback pushes her away with his forepaws, growling, "Stupid! I can't eat you!"
>>> Snowback swings his paw at Caileana, grazing her. Caileana doesn't appear to be too hurt by the blow.
Caileana ignores him, biting at the offending paws.
>>> Caileana nips at Snowback! Snowback winces, the bite stinging him a bit.
Snowback growls, "Waste o' time. I'll hunt by meself!" He turns and starts to trot out of the clearing.
Indra comes trotting toward you through the brush to the east.
Caileana scowls. and leaps in front of him. "You think you can get away that easily?" She snarls and bites at him once more.
>>> Caileana bites Snowback! Snowback winces in pain, the wound bleeding a little!
Snowback crouches and growls at Caileana, about to pounce. He then leaps backward and runs for the opposite side of the clearing.
Caileana roars after him, "Coward!"
Indra pauses in the other end of the clearing, her features darkening.
Caileana pants slightly, staring after him as he flees. She is livid with anger and more than a little worse for wear. There are double scratches on her face, deep scratches embedded in her stomach, and varying other bite and scrapes. All of the scratches are bleeding down her fur.
Indra asks flatly, "What happened?"
Caileana turns, literally shaking with rage. "He compared me to /her./" She snarls. "He compared me to the /Witch./"
Indra's pupils move to the extreme right corner of their sockets, an expression which can best be described as 'weirded out'. "...Why."
down and fumes, stands back up and sits down again. She takes several deep shaky breaths to get ahold of her anger and then looks at Indra. "He asked me to join him here and form our own pack. When I refused, he insulted not only my honor, but the honor of Aslan and of the Alpha, and..." she gulps in an angry breath again, "Said I put on as much airs and was as cold as /her/."
Indra bursts out laughing.
Caileana stares at her, at first just taken aback to see such a display of amusement in Indra and then only enraged more. She says nothing.
Indra takes a moment to recover herself with something between a sigh and a howl. "Let me help you clean those wounds and I'll explain.".
Caileana eyes her stiffly, but gives one single nod of acceptance.
Indra closes the distance between them and begins helping with the harder to reach spots. When the worst of it is taken care of she explains, "You're not the only one who felt his honor was damaged."
Caileana watches her, going slightly cross-eyed at times. "I don't know what you mean," she says flatly after a moment.
Indra says, "He was interested in a mate."
Caileana snorts. "Yeah, you or me, he didn't care, so long as it was female."
Indra says, "Whether that is true or no, your untempered rejection of his extension of vulnerability caused him to lash out whatever way he could think would equalize you again."
Caileana growls. "His presumption I would want /him/ was his mistake. And yes, he did say that."
Indra says, "Making himself still more vulnerable in the case of a rejection."
Caileana huhs and says with dead seriousness, "If he comes near me again, I'll kill him."
hyperbolic
Indra says, "That would be a hyperbolic response."
Caileana scowls and does not respond for a moment. She then glances at Indra, eyes still smoldering. "You don't think I would?"
Indra says, "I don't believe that is what I said."
Caileana keeps her darkened expression.
Indra says, "Let me ask you a question."
Caileana inclines her head. "Very well."
Indra asks, "If someone were to insult the White Witch, how would she respond?"
Caileana blinks, this appearing to throw her off completely from what she expected. "I suppose...she would laugh," she says after a time.
Indra says, "No."
Caileana tilts her head. "No?"
Indra says, "I was blessed to have only had to serve the Witch for under a year before she was conquered. But in that time I observed enough to see that she did not perceive others as 'people'. Those who insulted her, got in her way, did anything she did not like, were murdered. She could not conceive of them as having thoughts, feelings, lives of their own. All they were to her were the interactions which *she* had with them."
Caileana flattens her ears as she sees where Indra is going with this.
Indra merely concludes. "Were someone to insult her, she would kill them."
Caileana eyes her from the corner of her eye, looking vaguely irritated. "He did not merely insult me, Mother. To insult me is bad enough, to insult the Alpha not unheard of, but to insult Aslan..." she scowls.
Indra says, "Is ignorant."
Caileana seethes but says nothing.
Indra says, "If you feel it best, we can return to the Alpha with our report now."
Caileana nods deeply. "I would. I see no point in having him in the pack if he is so anxious to start his own." Her snout twitches with disdain.
Indra sighs, "Very well."
Caileana studies her, a vague flicker of regret in her eyes at Indra's sigh.
Indra asks, "Would you prefer to leave now, or wait until morning?"
Caileana frowns, shifting on an injured paw, and then glancing after Snowback with an even darker expression. "I leave it to your discretion," she answers finally. Though she does seem restless at the thought of staying.
Indra glances the young Wolf over. "Perhaps it would be best for you to rest a night before traveling."
Caileana dips her head.
Indra gestures in the direction of the shelter where they sleep with her snout. "Go on then. I'll hunt something up for the morning."
Caileana nods again, eyes her for a moment, and then pads off towards the shelter, limping only slightly on one paw.
