Quote from Skyelre on January 17, 2020, 12:14 am

Behind closed eyes the subconscious stirred; Yet on the outside, his heart was found to be racing again because of it. His breath was unsteady and his fair skin had become a sheet of white. His body was tense, unable to distinguish the images seen from reality.

His body was restless as it tried to fight against the man seemingly right in front of him. The man had him pinned down now, as he struggled to break free of his hold to no avail. With a crooked smile the man closed in to finish him, when suddenly-

GASP! Saber was awake with a jolt. He took in sharp ragged breaths, his body now seeming to tremble from the adrenaline coursing through it. The fear that had gripped his frame moments earlier still remained in his eyes and his quivering lip. His skin glistened with sweat as he now stared at the ceiling, his mind still in a daze. Slowly he identified that he was back in the room where the blonde had left him. Still on the bed. Not tied up. He was safe.

Saber swallowed hard, covering his eyes with his arm as he roughly exhaled, the shock beginning to drain out of his system now. It was just another nightmare. It wasn't real. For the time being, he was safe.

With that mental reassurance, he began to inhale and exhale slowly, trying to relax his body. Now, he just listened to his surroundings as he breathed, trying to hear past his still rapidly beating heart: He was expecting the blonde to be close by still...

Quote from Adriana on January 17, 2020, 12:20 am

"Not this time. There will be more hunts. But you cannot join us on this one. Stay with your grandfather and tend the livestock in our stead."

They were covered in heavy bound wool clothes and furs.  Two mules with uncharacteristically thick and matted fur were laden with supplies - blankets, water containers, weapons, and the makings of what would eventually form into a sled for the return home.

Logan stood unwavering, her rough, albeit functional makeshift bow at her back, a knife at her hip, and a spear placed firmly in the ground at her side. Liam stared up at his uncle - a man of great stature, with a beard of brown and pepper gray at the ends, and long dark hair, thick and snow speckled. Upon finding his uncles gaze unwavering, Liam returned his own sadly to Logan, who took a defiant step forward and raised her jaw. At the age of eighteen, she was already of strong stature. The wind whipped her hair about her face, and in spite of her warm features, the beginning of the desolate Blackridge winter painted her cheeks in red.

It was a vain effort-she would fail in her challenge to Nikolai, and Liam would leave with his uncle again, and not return for months...

Logan rested her back against a pine tree. Her bedding was strewn across a line to dry in the mid morning sun. She wore her flannel shirt now, her still wet hair drying over her shoulders. Her brow was knit gingerly-eyes shadowed just so as she whittled at a long piece of wood. At the end of it, she had tied her knife and bound it there with cord. She dropped the small knife she'd been working to shape the shaft of the spear, and stood, measuring it against herself, before drawing it back over her her shoulder and thrusting it into the air, sending it flying towards a tree several yards away!

Quote from Skyelre on January 24, 2020, 5:45 pm

Saber tried but he couldn’t hear much of anything- It was as if the world had gone quiet. The window didn’t seem to be open anymore, and the building he was in sounded like it was void of life. Beyond the subtle noises of the wildlife outside, he appeared to be alone.

Smells indicated much the same. He couldn’t smell the blondes presence that strongly anymore and whoever the redhead had been, her smell was just a trace of a ghost now. How long had he slept anyways?

He could smell more things. It was like because his eyes were closed it was far easier to tap into the depth of his other heightened senses now. He smelled food. Sweet potato and cinnamon. The leafy greens of the salad. And a few less pleasant smells.

Saber quickly moved his arm off of his face. It smelled like it was on him. He looked at his jacket sleeve accusingly. The blonde seemed too smart for this, and if she was honest about not trying to kill him, the contamination wouldn’t of come from her. It must’ve been the redhead… Had she touched him? Apparently so. ...Disgusting.

Saber shakily pushed himself up and in frustration gingerly took off his jacket, being careful to only touch the inside and slide it off himself and the bed. The bed sheets would be contaminated as well, but unfortunately there wasn’t much he could do about that. Somehow his body felt weaker now than when he had first woken up that morning. If he pushed though, he knew he could still get it to move; So that’s what he did.

He was slow to stand, sitting at the edge of the bed trying to internally prep for the movement. He eyed the food and water which, despite starving, had lost all appeal they once had a moment earlier. He could feel his stomach growl just from looking at them though. He then gently pushed himself up and stood on his aching legs, shaking mildly as he slowly began to take steps to the door once more. With a turn of the knob, he was surprised to find it unlocked. Guess Blondie didn’t think he’d be walking, or was certain he wouldn’t get far. Either way, he intended to prove her wrong.

Quote from Mae on January 25, 2020, 9:20 pm

THWACK!

A heavy thump landed behind Logan just as the spear was sent flying. Behind her, Kratos stood, covered in a thick layer of mud. At his feet lay a massive brown elk.

-{Earlier...}-

Bianca raced out of the cabin and left Kratos standing in the kitchen. He listened to her footsteps long after she closed the door.  In her brief passing, the scents of Ulric and Jackie wafted inside with a cold autumn breeze.
'Another storm is on its way. This one will bring much more snow.' He thought.
He peered into the next room and outside saw Jackie and Ulric running into the second cabin. The house fell silent.Something had been agitating Jackie all morning. From the moment he saw her standing outside her mirror, Kratos knew she was preparing to leave. With what Bianca stowed away there came no question; Bianca held a letter written by Melinda Channing, and Jackie was going to answer it. If Ulric went with her she'd have someone to hold her back, but there was a good chance Ulric would not return.

Kratos stepped away and left the house the way he came - through the kitchen, and out the back door. Outside, the sound of rushing agitated the air. The stream under the bridge was overrunning its bounds, wet earth was pouring over the retaining wall behind the cabins, and an eerie sound was coming up from the water tunnel underground. If the pipe underground was blocked, the water would soon backup into the ditch. And if the pressure wasn't taken off the retaining wall, the cabins would be buried.

Yet, Kratos' gaze was drawn up to the mountain where white mists still occupied the peak. Chime, Levi, and Theo did not return last night, and no wolf cry ever graced the sky. If they were not all together, then they were dead. Traversing the mountain's wet slopes posed a deadly hazard even to the animals which called the mountain home. The youngest of the Calagathorm pack had not a chance if they were not found soon.

Over and above all the dangers from both the mountain and to the pack, another danger was brewing. Kratos could feel it - a deep, perveying hunger which moved through his whole being. Far more dangerous than any hunger known to man was this hunger which, if left unchecked, would overrun the whole of the creature to the fulfilling of it own bloodlust. If the pack was not fed, they too would be powerless against their hunger. Thus, this danger took priority over all others. It would not take a day for the whole town of Reknab Bend to be laid to waste by the small neighboring pack.

So, Kratos ventured over the wall and into the meadow, where many months ago he saw Zeit Chandler pray over her kill. Perchance there may be some food yet to be found, though it was not surprising when he came into an empty meadow. A cold wind rushed across the tall grass, and Kratos stood nontrembling. Faraway, he heard a car stir near the deserted Chandler Homestead. Having heard it many times afore, he knew the sound of its engine, but Ulric was not driving his mother's car. The scent came on the tattling wind, telling of two wayward werewolves venturing into the high passes. Yet, amid these moments of thought, Kratos heard another sound much nearer. On the far side of the meadow, it sounded like something was struggling to escape the rapid mountain stream...

Over and above all the dangers from both the mountain and to the pack, another danger was brewing. Kratos could feel it - a deep, perveying hunger which moved through his whole being. Far more dangerous than any hunger known to man was this hunger which, if left unchecked, would overrun the whole of the creature to the fulfilling of it own bloodlust. If the pack was not fed, they too would be powerless against their hunger. Thus, this danger took priority over all others. It would not take a day for the whole town of Reknab Bend to be laid to waste by the small neighboring pack.

So, Kratos ventured over the wall and into the meadow, where many months ago he saw Zeit Chandler pray over her kill. Perchance there may be some food yet to be found, though it was not surprising when he came into an empty meadow. A cold wind rushed across the tall grass, and Kratos stood nontrembling. Faraway, he heard a car stir near the deserted Chandler Homestead. Having heard it many times afore, he knew the sound of its engine, but Ulric was not driving his mother's car. The scent came on the tattling wind, telling of two wayward werewolves venturing into the high passes. Yet, amid these moments of thought, Kratos heard another sound much nearer. On the far side of the meadow, it sounded like something was struggling to escape the rapid mountain stream...

Quote from Adriana on January 27, 2020, 8:39 pm

Logan turned her head, if only somewhat surprised to see the Alpha and a massive felled beast at his feet. As if it were an occurrence that happened every day-Kratos, the stray house cat that brings elk to your front door. She looked it over and turned around, crouching slightly and gripping it's antler in a hand. She lifted it's head off the ground, staring into it's large, void like eyes.

"Ah, you should not have."  she looked up at Kratos from examining the elk and stood to her full height, turning once again and moving over to the tree that her makeshift weapon was plunged into. She gripped it at the front of the shaft and gave it a firm tug, releasing it from it's unknowing prey.

"I mean it... you should not have." she rolled her shoulders and twisted the spear in hand, planting the butt of it in the dirt before turning around a final time to face Kratos. "I am saving my hunger for another hunt.." she looked thoughtful for a moment. "The fur, would be useful..." she thought aloud with a slight tilt of her head.

Quote from Mae on January 28, 2020, 2:25 pm

Kratos raised a brow. "Then you can have the hide." He said.
He stepped around the fallen beast and looked at the cabins curiously.

"Why are you the only one here?" He said.

The cabins were quiet, so was the clearing with its twenty-foot ditch. The sound of the rapid stream nearby filled the air. Save for an occasional pip, the birds were quiet as well.

Kratos turned around. He looked at his elk and Logan standing by it, with her spear, broad shoulders, and brawny physique.  She could skin the animal easily.
Kratos returned to the carcass. "I was going to waste the fur." He said. "But if you can tan it that is better."

Quote from Adriana on January 28, 2020, 4:37 pm

Logan screwed her face up, looking off put at the thought of waste. She popped her neck and turned her head to gaze upon the mountain.. she had caught Ulric and Timothy's scent earlier when she left the cabin. It was fading now, but she knew they had gone together.

Her head was still turned when she returned her gaze to Kratos and exhaled a long breath, then turned her head back towards him.

"I do not want to waste my breath on small talk." she said plainly, a tiredness in her gaze.

"You are still young. We come from different places... and of this place, I do not yet see the full picture. I have learned," she pointed her finger up towards the mountain, "That is not a place for any living thing-already there are five now in the mountain again." She held up five fingers with the hand that was previously pointing. "Four, in the town... there, there are hunters-and the other werewolves, we do not know when they will return."

She squatted down on the balls of her feet, "If both call, who will you answer? You are one man alone. They rely on you-can you not rely on them, I wonder... This cannot be a pack if they wander careless of the others and their Alpha. You said once, this is the only family we may ever have. It is not a family if they seek their own trails selfishly before seeking their lost ones."

Logan's voice as usual conveyed little emotion, if not curiosity and some concern.

"If it is not a pack, and it is not a family, what is it, Kratos, and what are you?"

Quote from Skyelre on January 28, 2020, 6:14 pm

Just a few steps out the door and Saber was grabbing for the wall again because the world started spinning suddenly. He practically fell into the wall. Again. The only good thing this time was no one was around to contribute to the inevitable damage that would’ve befell his pride with it.

He breathed heavily as his body trembled, it “kindly asking” to sit down by the lightheadedness he felt. He decided he had to oblige the "request".

As he took his rest on the floor, he examined the hallway and the doors. It looked like they would lead to rooms similar to what he had been in. Looking far enough down he could make out where there was likely a stairway down to another floor. By the view out his rooms window he had assumed he was on a second or third floor, but that had confirmed it. …..In his current state however, stairs would be quite a danger to attempt. And, considering the feel of the buildings aesthetics, something told him there wasn't an alternative to be found. Apparently they enjoyed carrying their injured up the stairs. Or they were just that naive to not think about it, which was far more likely.

Time passed as Saber debated about how humiliating it would be to simply crawl his way out of the hallway and down the stairs. ...Was he that desperate was the question.

With a reflective glance down at the tattoo on his right arm, the black ink outlining several Chinese characters just below his wrist, he contemplated the idea. He could feel a small warm spot on his face of where the rash from his skin allergy was beginning to grow. As hard as it would be for the average person to ignore the irritating itching sensation that slowly grew with it, Saber was better conditioned and ignored it completely.

A moment passed as he made his decision and began to crawl slowly down the hall, his body shaking from the effort.

Quote from Mae on January 29, 2020, 8:37 pm

Kratos procured a rope from the ground and knelt down to tie the legs of the Elk as Logan spoke. He listened thoughtfully, spiking a glance at her from beneath his brow when she knelt down.

"Who taught you English?" He said, looking at her carefully.

He looked down and pulled the knots tight around the ankles of the Elk. He secured the other end of the rope to the trunk of a small tree, then came around to the front of the animal and took its antlers in arm. With some effort, he hefted the body, stretching it away from the tree and laying it flat.

When Kratos finished, he knelt on the ground by the animal's head, with one arm on his knee. He looked at Logan.
"You use your words wisely." He said, "As if you were older than me."

Kratos wiped the sweat from his brow and swept his hair back. He looked at the dead animal, with its head and neck laid out. It's dark black eyes open and vacant. The looseness of its carcass attested a recent kill, but it would not be that way for long. It would be easier to skin laid out like this. Hung on a tree it might've been better, had there been one strong enough in the clearing. Now Kratos looked back at Logan and eyed her makeshift spear. Then he let his gaze trail past her to the cabins.

"I do not expect them to know," he said, now breathing deeply as he stood. "Many of them do not know what a family is, nor how it operates. If they should call for me now, I could help none of them."
He glanced at the mountains, then down the road as he spoke, and lastly at the Elk again.
"I must help myself first," he said, "Or be a greater danger to them than anything they will encounter out there. - And you are right: A pack does not wander from its alpha."

Kratos wiped his brow again, this time with his forearm, and made motion to Logan with his hand. "Is your knife sharp? If not, you should see about getting a better one from the kitchen. I can tell you that if I use my teeth you will not have a redeemable hide by the end of it."